I Will Take Care of You

Title: I Will Take Care of You

Author: Geonn

Rating: PG13

Pairings: Sam/Janet, Pre-slash

Category: Angst, Hurt/Comfort

Disclaimer: These folks don't belong to me. I stole them from MGM's toybox without asking their mommies for permission. I promise to return them more or less unscathed.

Archive: Yes, just let me know where it'll be.

Spoilers: "In The Line of Duty," "Legacy"

Notes: Inspired by LauraJo's video to the Bangles' "I Will Take Care of You." If you like the fic, send feedback and download the video at www.laurajo.net. And send Laura some feedback, huh? Videos get no respect! :D

Summary: Janet watches over Sam.

Janet Fraiser had long ago managed to slip into a pair of sneakers rather than her regular high heels. She turned off her desk light and headed for the bed where her friend lay in a state of semi-consciousness. She put her hand on Sam's shoulder, adjusting the sleeve of her gown so it fell softly against her upper arm. "Hey," she whispered.

"Are they gone?" Sam's voice trembled.

"Yeah," Janet whispered. "I told them visiting hours were over."

Sam just nodded. It broke Janet's heart to see her normally so-alive friend like this; weak, close to destruction. She checked the monitors, making sure everything was within normal parameters (and not worrying too much when they weren't) and looked back down at the frail body that was once Sam Carter. "I'm going to go back to my office--"

"No," Sam said suddenly, rolling onto her back. "I... could you... stay? I just... want someone to stay."

Janet found a small chair and pulled it close to Sam's bedside. "I'll stay," she promised. "As long as you need me here." She took Sam's hand and squeezed, happy to find the Captain squeezing back. It was the first real sign of life she'd shown in the three days she'd been here. Sam stared up at the ceiling, her hand wrapped in Janet's, and closed her eyes. Janet brushed the back of Sam's hand with her thumb and waited until the blonde's breathing seemed more regular. She sighed and thought, 'She's sleeping. Thank you, God, she's sleeping...'

She leaned back, stretching her arm so that she was still in contact with Sam, and closed her eyes, deciding to try a little of her own medicine.

A few hours later, she came to with a start, sitting up quickly and tightening her grip on Sam's hand. The blonde was pressing into the mattress, her eyes squeezed shut and her body convulsing. Janet leapt from her chair, putting her hands on Sam's shoulders and steadying the blonde. She called over her shoulder, "Can I get some help here? Is anyone here?"

Sam's convulsions ceased and her body became deathly still, her face pale save for the dark bags under her wide and searching eyes. She scanned the infirmary and then screamed, "Martouf!"

Janet shushed her, calmly trying to get her to focus. "Sam? Sam, honey, it was a dream... wake up, Sam..."

The blonde screamed and Janet cringed, jerking away involuntarily. Sam fought against the doctor, fists slamming into the petite woman's sides. One punch caught Janet in the face, knocking her head to one side and painfully wrenching her neck. She yelped in pain, then tightened her grip on Sam's shoulders. "Wake up! You're dreaming!" she bellowed, holding Sam down.

As quickly as they'd come, the shudders and convulsions ceased. Sam was panting, looking around the room in confusion. Janet smoothed the hair out of her face and whispered, "Sam?"

"Janet?" the blonde asked, voice cracking painfully.

"I'm here," Janet said. "You had a dream."

Sam shook her head and said, "No... not a dream... too real..."

The doctor nodded and adjusted Sam's blankets, tucking them in a little tighter around her body. "What's a mar tooth?" Janet asked.

"Dunno," Sam managed.

She coughed and Janet immediately got a cup of ice chips from the bedside, offering them to Sam. She spilled a few splinters onto Sam's lips and the Captain swept them up with her tongue. Janet put a hand to Sam's forehead and felt the awful fever burning in her. "I'm going to get you some aspirin."

She stepped back and Sam grabbed the lapel of her coat. "No. Don't go."

Janet looked at the charts and monitors, then at the white-knuckle grip Sam had on her. "Okay," Janet promised. "I'll be right here." She sat down again, holding Sam's hand. After a long moment when Sam hadn't gone back to sleep, Janet whispered, "I'm not going to lie." Sam's head slowly turned towards her. "I'm not going to lie," Janet repeated, "and tell you I understand how you feel. I don't. I couldn't possibly. I just want you to know that for as long as this takes, you can count on me to be right next to you walking you through it as best I can."

Sam closed her eyes and let a tear track down her face. Janet reached up and brushed it away, knowing what it cost to Captain to let that drop free. "It hurts so... so bad. I want to die."

"Shut up," Janet snapped, her voice still low. "I do not want to hear you talking like that, do you understand? If you were going to die, you would've died when the Ashrack was attacking you. You were too strong for him. You withstood the attack and I am not going to let you give up when the battle is half over."

Sam blinked the wetness from her eyes and whispered, "Thank you, Janet. You're a good friend."

Janet smiled and was about to reply when Sam added:

"I love you."

Janet's breath caught in her throat as she pulled Sam's blanket up onto the blonde's shoulders. "Shh," she admonished, blinking away her own tears. "Shh, rest now."

---

"No! You're a Goa'uld!"

Sam was shocked by that attack. She swallowed. "No. I'm Sam... I'm your friend."

Janet squeezed her eyes shut, her vision compromised by the sweat pouring down her forehead. It was hot... God, it was so hot. Why were they doing this?! Why were they trying to burn them out? So many... so many things running through her head. Voices, ideas, thoughts. Her grandmother had been schizophrenic and her aunt had Alzheimer's. What if this had nothing to do with Ma'chello? What if they found out she was really crazy? She started crying and hugged herself, pulling one leg up and wrapping both arms around it. She watched her other foot twitch wildly in front of her as if it were a wounded animal...

She felt Sam grab her upper arms, but tried to ignore it, focusing instead on the maelstrom swirling inside her skull. Suddenly, her head was pulled to one side and she found herself face-to-face with Samantha Carter. "Janet! Listen to me, damnit... Listen. I'm your friend." She leaned in close, her lips close enough to the brunette's ear that she felt the blonde's breath on her earlobe, and said, "I remember telling you that I love you. I remember... but I didn't want to say anything. Please, Janet, I still love you and I want to help you. Please... let me help you."

Janet's eye twitched as she searched Sam's face for lies, giveaways that the Goa'uld was just pretending to be Sam. Then the blonde brushed Janet's cheek and the doctor knew that this was no Goa'uld. Very softly, Sam pleaded, "Let me take care of you this time, Janet. You just have to tell me how."

She breathed in enough air to inflate her chest, then exhaled sharply and forced out the word, "Centri...fuge..."

The relief in Sam's eyes made Janet gasp and she fell forward. Sam caught her, holding her tightly and whispering, "It's okay, Janet. You did good, sweetheart, just rest right now. It's going to be okay..."

---

Janet walked down the corridor towards Sam's quarters, clenching and unclenching her hands at her sides. "Hey, Sam," she said sotto voce, "Cassandra and I were going out for pizza and we were wondering if-- No." She sighed and said, "Sam! Oh, I was just wondering if... damn it..."

---

Sam stared at her reflection in the mirror, for the moment pretending to see Janet in place of herself. "Janet, hey, I don't know if you're doing anything at the moment or, or later, but--" She hung her head. "God, I suck at this."

---

Janet raised a hand to knock on the door, then stepped back. "We rented a movie. Thought you might want to--" She looked at the ceiling and said, "God, could I be more lame?" Finally, she knocked on the door... only to have it immediately sweep open. The two women stepped back in mutual surprise, neither apparently knowing where to go or what to say. Eventually, Sam stepped aside and indicated Janet should enter. Taking a deep breath, Janet walked into her friend's quarters.

Sam shut the door behind her, turning the lock.