Voices.  Distant and broken as if coming over a static radio transmission.

"Daeda-"

"medica...emerge..."

"gunshot..."

Motion.  Pain.  Then again, darkness.

Daniel and Jack stood at the doorway to a hospital room quietly talking. 

"The teltak made it to hyperspace before the Daedalus could disable it."

"The compound?"

"B'aal had been using it for almost a year.  Washington brass is screaming at each other, trying to figure out who to blame for B'aal sneaking a stargate to Earth.  They rounded up a half dozen men at the compound, including Doctor Carter's assistant George.  Jack, these guys aren't Jaffa.  There were two Russians, a few more from the Ukraine.  The CIA is looking into it, but it appears that B'aal has been recruiting here on Earth."

Hushing their conversation as a nurse walked by, smiling sweetly at Daniel, who nervously returned the admiration with a stilted nod.

"The techs are saying that the code Phelpps was slipping into the stargate programming was setting up the gate to be redirected.  If the programming had been finished, all gate traffic would have been sent to B'aal's stargate.  George had been passing Doctor Carter's research to B'aal.  He was using it to refine the code."

"So B'aal got away along with a snake who can read minds, there are Gou'ald devotees here on Earth and we get a spare gate." Jack summarized.

Pausing, Daniel thought a moment, then added, "Yeah."

"Jack, Teal'c and I are getting a ride back from the Daedalus.  What are your plans?"

"I need to stay Daniel, at least until she wakes up."

Patting his friend on his arm, Daniel walked away down the hall.

Jack was still standing at the doorway when a voice came from over his shoulder.

"She'll be out for a while."  The doctor said.

Turning to man, Jack stuffed his hands into his pocks trying to hide his anxiety.

"How is she?"

"She'll be fine.  You know she won't wake for a while.  Why don't you come back in a few hours?  Get some rest yourself.

Gesturing to the chair at the bedside, "I'll wait."

"Sure."  The doctor replied and walked away.

The nurse quietly stepped into the room of the sleeping woman.  Checking the monitors and making a record in the chart she lifted her head when she heard a soft moan from the woman.

"Look who's awake."

Coming around to her side the nurse gently touched the woman's IV.

"Do you want to sit up?" she asked the patient.

"Yes, please."

Taking the controls of the bed, the nurse raised the front portion to an angle.   After assisting the woman into a comfortable position she stepped away to the window.

"How about some sun?"

"Yeah, okay."

Fixing the blinds at the window, the nurse came back to the foot of the bed.

"You were out for quite awhile.  You had a visitor earlier but he left a few hours ago.  Maybe we can call him and let him know you're awake?"

Suddenly remembering, the nurse reached behind her for a bouquet of flowers.

"He left these for you.  There's a card."

Taking the card, the nurse handed it to the woman.

Slipping the envelope opened she pulled out the tiny card with painted ivy on it. 

In a scratchy handwritng was written, "I'm sorry. Jack."

"Should we call him?"  The nurse asked, a hopefully tone in her voice.

"No.  Don't bother."

Kerry turned away from the nurse to stare out the window, a tear falling down her cheek.

Samantha opened her eyes slowly.  The room was softly lit by the morning sun.

Turning her head to the soft sounds of snoring, she smiled.

Jack was awkwardly sprawled in the chair by her bed.  She closed her eyes, listening to his breathing.  When she heard the chair shift she opened them again.

"Hey, you're awake."  Jack beamed at her.

"Hi." She smiled again, her lips pulling gently at the corners.

"Hi."  Jack replied, a soft, warm grin on his face.