Doctor Frasier: Medicine Woman
1.2: Falling Up (Part 6)
By Jolinar Carter
"Mom!" Cassandra Frasier called at the top of her voice, stood impatiently at the bottom of the stairs. When she received no reply, she yelled again. "Mom!"
Janet's head popped around the bathroom door. "What? I'm kind of busy here, sweetheart, running my bath."
"It's the General, I just thought you might want to take his call..." Cassy began, climbing up the stairs. She reached the door and passed the phone in to her adoptive mother.
"Oh, okay, yes. Thanks," Janet nodded, and then disappeared in to the room, closing the door. "Hello, General? Yes. I see. Of course. As soon as I talk to SG-1, sir, yes. Certainly. Goodbye."
She sighed, and turned off the tap. She wouldn't get to have that nice, relaxing bath after all.
Five minutes later, she was downstairs and putting on her shoes. She picked up the phone again and paused. Who should she call? She decided Jack O'Neill was the best choice. She couldn't call Sam, she was too busy with the funeral and everything, plus she still wasn't back to full health. True, Jack would probably be taking care of her, but...her thoughts were cut off when her daughter fell on to the couch beside her.
"So you're going off world?" Cass guessed. "And you're trying to decide who should watch me."
"Yeah, sorry honey," Janet sighed. "Jack okay?"
"I am sixteen you know, and SG-1 have enough on their plates," The teenager began.
"You're older now, so perhaps you can help out," she shrugged. "Help Sam through this tough time."
"Okay, make the call," Cassandra agreed, tying her hair in a messy ponytail. "I'll go clean my teeth."
Janet checked the clock and decided that it was probably a good idea to call his cell phone not his home phone. He'd probably be with Sam by now. She guessed they all would. "Hi, Colonel? It's Janet. I have to go off world and I was wondering...yes. Oh, really? Yeah, if you're sure it's no trouble. I agree. Yes. Thanks, I'll drop her off on my way in. Thanks again sir. Bye."
Cassandra kissed Janet on the cheek and then jumped out of the jeep. "Good luck," she shouted, as she closed the door. "Don't take too long."
"You've got everything? Overnight bag?" Janet checked for the fifth time. Cassandra shot her a smile, nodded down to her messenger bag, and then turned to walk up the drive. Jack opened the door, and waved to the doctor as she drove off.
"Cass Cass!" Jack exclaimed, stretching out his arms, signalling that he wanted a hug. She laughed as she gave him a hug and then walked in to the house. "Sam is having a bath, so after she's done perhaps you can help her get changed in to her funeral clothes?" He suggested, after he'd closed the door. "Daniel was going to do it, but..."
"Sure," Cass agreed, throwing her bag down in the hall. "How's she handling it?"
"You know Sam," Daniel replied, standing up, as they entered the lounge. "Hi Cassy. You look great. The Goth thing works well."
"Thanks."
"She's a tough woman, she survives," Jack replied, picking up his soda from the coffee table. "When you went to see her that time, oh so long ago, when Jolinar had just died, she actually spoke. She hadn't said anything, or even moved, for a while. Not acknowledged we were there, even. But you got her talking, and then she started to get better. What I'm trying to say, is that she gets better when she has you close to her."
"Really?"
"Really. You're one of the most important people in her life," He continued. "So I'm glad you're here, to help her through it."
"Thanks," She blushed. "So, is Marc here?"
"No. They're meeting us there at 3," Daniel explained. He was sat back down now, nursing a beer. He was allowed one, as he wasn't the designated driver (they had drawn straws, and Jack had lost) and recently, he'd aqquired quite a taste for it. He was drinking at not yet 10am. Jack's doing. "Evil ba..." he muttered.
"What was that?" Cassy grinned, sitting down beside him. She kicked off her shoes and put her feet up on to the sofa, snuggling up to him. "You didn't just swear did you, Doctor Jackson?"
"No...I was going to say evil Ba'al. I was just drifting off..." Daniel shrugged. "Fine. Yes."
There were several clatters, and then the sound of a door unlocking. Jack and Cassandra both stood up. "Right, why don't you go and help her?" He said, with a smile.
"Yep, on my way," she said, before marching off down the hall. She met Sam as she walked out of the bathroom, dressed in a blue robe. "Hey Sam."
"Hi Cassy..." Sam replied quietly, and fairly weakly. She gave the girl a hug, and then went in to her room, Cassandra following behind. "I'm okay."
"I think you might need a hand with that zipper," She observed. "Don't want to pop a stitch or anything."
"Okay," she nodded as she started to get dressed. Cass sat down on the bed, making herself at home. She liked Sam's house, it was very comfortable. Welcoming. "So I assume Janet went off world?"
"Yeah. She did. I hope she'll make it back for later. She said to give you a big hug, from her," Cass reported, examining her nails, which were freshly painted, in a lovely shade of...black. She sighed and leant back. "I miss my father all day, every day. My mother and father. I thought I'd never get over it. And I didn't, but I learnt to live without them. You will too. Like you did with your Mom."
"Thanks, Cassandra," Sam sniffed. "You've lost a lot. I admire you, you know. You lost not just your parents, but your whole planet. And you've adjusted to life here so well. You're amazing. So strong."
Cass was blushing again. "Let's get that zipper."
The girls finally arrived in the living room half an hour later, and Sam took her place on the couch between Daniel and Jack. Cassy crashed in to the armchair, and started to reach for the rest of a beer lying on the table. She saw the guys glaring at her, and withdrew her hand.
There was silence – nobody really knew what to say.
Cassandra finally broke the silence, standing, and heading for the kitchen. "Do you want anything, Sam?"
"Yeah, a blackcurrant tea would be good," She agreed, with a small smile. She was sat leaning on Daniel, her head resting on his chest. She was silently crying, and sniffing every few minutes. "Oh Daniel."
Janet Frasier landed with a thud at the bottom of the steps. She felt a hand on her back, and the next thing she knew, she was standing up. She glanced over her shoulder, and saw that Lieutenant Cabot had lifted her up and stood her on her feet. She smiled up at the giant, and then turned to the rest of the team.
The Lieutenant from the injured team was sat against the DHD. He'd sent a message through to Earth, spoken briefly to Hammond and then waited for the medical team to come through. He looked exhausted. "Lieutenant MacKenzie, where are the rest of your team?"
"I left them about two miles from here. We'd better hurry – Hailey was hurt bad," The Lieutenant replied, pointing as he spoke. He ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair. "I was sent because I was the only one who could walk."
"Are you able to take us to your team?" She asked, moving closer to him. She knelt down beside him, and gently rolled up his bloody sleeve.
"I think so, ma'am," he nodded. "I got shot but it's nothing. Just a little blood. My team are a lot worse than me."
"Let's go," Janet commanded. "Can you tell me any more about the injuries of the others?" She asked MacKenzie, as she helped him stand up. Once he was on his feet, she let go, and he started walking.
"Our CO, Keys, was shot in the leg. I don't think it's too serious, and our second in command, Bradley, she sprained her ankle helping Keys to safety. She decided as she had the best medical training, and my legs were fine, I should go and she should stay and look after the others," he explained, shaking his head. "It was a horrendous fight. Hailey was the first to get hit, but she...she kept fighting. She saved our asses, ma'am. She took an arrow to the shoulder though."
"Been there, treated that," Someone on the medical team muttered, thinking back to the second year when Colonel O'Neill had took an arrow himself. That had been one memeroable case. "Not good."
"Don't worry," The doctor said with a small yet amazingly comforting smile, "We'll take care of it." The young soldier nodded, knowing that she was the best doctor at the SGC, which meant she was probably the best in the world.
He was starting to feel odd, but he decided not to mention it. He was relatively healthy, compared to the others.
"Sam?" O'Neill called, gently. "Sam?"
She looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Sir..."
"Sam, I don't want to rush you, but...Marc has left...everyone has left. We should be heading to your place for the wake..." He said, sitting down beside her on the bench. He sat for a moment, in silence, not knowing what to do, and then just took ahold of her hand.
They sat there for a while longer.
"Oh my god," MacKenzie breathed, as he saw Hailey lying in a pool of blood, head on Major Bradley's lap. The medics were right behind him in the gloomy cave. "Is she..."
"She's alive," Bradley nodded. "Thank god you're here."
"Shelby, you take Keys, I'll take Hailey. Cabot, make sure Major Bradley is alright," Janet ordered, taking off her backpack and removing the medical kit. "Jennifer? Jennifer?" She gently shook the patient. "It's Doctor Frasier. We're going to get you home, you're going to be fine. Major, do you think the arrow could have been poisoned? That's happened before."
"Possibly," Bradley shrugged, wincing as Cabot saw to her ankle. "I'm not sure. Sorry."
"It's okay," Janet mumbled, as she rummaged through her pack.
"Janet," Shelby called over from Keys' side. "Staff Blast...we do need to get him home."
"Okay, Watts, Dorien, Cabot, you get Major Bradley and Colonel Keys back to the SGC. You'll need to take Keys on the stretcher and Cabot just support Bradley," Janet decided, but Cabot just picked the woman up. She was not much taller than Janet. "Or just pick her up..." Watts and Dorien loaded the colonel on to the stretcher, and the team soon departed.
Janet and Shelby exchanged worried glances, and then turned to their patient. "Alright, let's..."
Disposing of her gloves, Janet Frasier then stretched and left the infirmary, heading straight for the Locker Room.
Colonel Charles Keys was now recovering in Bay 3, he was in no danger although he did have a nasty Staff Blast Wound. She hadn't heard many details of the mission, but she guessed that the inhabitants of that world were serving the Goa'uld. If they had Staff Weapons, it was probably a correct assumption.
Major Amy Bradley was in the bed next to him, resting. She'd be out the next morning – Janet had kept her in for the same reason she always kept Carter in with fairly minor injuries – if you let her lose, she'd be straight to work.
Harper MacKenzie was in Bay 7, fast asleep. After aiding Shelby and Janet in their work, he had then carried Hailey to the Gate. Or at least, halfway to the Gate. He handed her to Shelby, and then fell unconscious. A few minutes later, he awoke, and managed to make it back to the Stargate. Then, he collapsed again, on to one of the two gurneys waiting at the bottom of the ramp.
He had lost a lot of blood, and it turned out he was now quite badly anaemic. He had a small head wound and his arm was worse than he had made out. However he would be fine.
And finally Jennifer Hailey was in a side room. She'd be there for quite a while, but Janet was confident that she'd be back to work in a few weeks. The arrow had not been coated in poison, thankfully, and she was a strong young woman.
Janet was yawning as she reached the women's locker room, and took a towel from her locker. She would have a very quick shower, and then attend the wake being held for Jacob, at Sam's house. No rest for the wicked.
"Hey," Janet nodded, as she walked through the door. "Sorry, no beer, but...I didn't have time."
The Colonel chuckled, "Don't be silly. You look exhausted, go sit down." He closed the door and then ushered her in to the living room.
There was quite a crowd, but that didn't surprise her. What did was the fact that there were several Tok'ra, dressed in civilian clothes, mingling with the guests. She scanned the room, and one man caught her eye.
She summed up all her courage, and walked over to him. "Hi," she began, "I'm Janet Frasier."
The man bowed his head – definitely Tok'ra – and smiled. "I am glad to meet you, Janet Frasier. I am Bryalle of the Tok'ra."
"The famous Bryalle," Janet laughed. "I remember Colonel O'Neill mentioning you. He didn't mention that you were so cute."
"I should hope not," Bryalle said, "for he is a man."
"True. Very true." She could see Cassandra was busy chatting with the General and Daniel, so she decided it was allright to stay with Bryalle for a little while. But after a few minutes, she would have to try and find Sam.
When she did finally catch up with her friend, she was ever so slightly drunk. "Hey Sam."
"Hi," Sam sniffed, wiping her eyes. Janet had found her sitting in the back garden, on one of the benches, crying her eyes out. Marc had been with her, but he'd left ten minutes earlier, as it was getting late and it was long past the childrens bedtime.
"Sorry I couldn't make it earlier," Janet apologised, although it had been out of her control.
"No, a team needed you more than I did," Sam told her. "The guys and Cass have been wonderful."
"You're my best friend. I wish I could have been here," the smaller woman sighed, sitting down. She pulled her friend in to a hug. "But I'm here now, for as long as you want me."