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Barters N Garters
Sister, Sister
A Short Story
by
Moon Mistress

Chapter Three

Sometimes she cries
When shes alone at night
Sometimes she weeps
When she's feeling cold and weak
Sometimes the pain
It tears her up inside
Sometimes she cries
Ooh, I wonder why
Sometimes She Cries
Warrant

“No sense in beating around the bush, Samantha. When did Ares contact Jack and tell him they wished to leave this planet?”

Sam was stunned though she understood Calla’s assumption. “He hasn’t. Daniel told us what Ares and the others are planning. So far, no one’s asked if they can use the Stargate. That is what you want to know, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Calla shifted little Brigid to the other arm again. “I was certain it was going to be any hour now.”

“What happened? You can tell me, I won’t share it with him,” Sam nodded toward the stairs to indicate Jack, “if you don’t want me to.”

Calla gave a short but accurate description of Daniel and David entering and then exiting the Underworld. Told about the creature Aphrodite liberated from her years ago in the Norwich State Hospital in Connecticut—Sam, having been there to witness that event—already knew about it. So Calla went on to tell about how Ares had stolen her body and her identity by making a clone without her knowledge or permission. “Am I being too harsh? Do I not have a right to feel betrayed and angry over this?” Calla asked Sam with wide eyes and reached out for the woman’s hand. “Am I wrong, Samantha?”

Sam covered Calla’s hand with her own. “No…”she stuttered, “I don’t think so. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’d want to blow his head off…if…ya know…I was you.”

“So you understand? You’ll let me know as soon as Ares or Zeus….whoever…makes contact with Jack to use the Stargate?” To tell the truth, Calla was very surprised they hadn’t made contact already. Did the Olympians simply intend to show up with the entourage and accoutrements in tow then demand to be given a planet and use of the Gate? Knowing them as she did, Calla would have to say as egotistical and rude as that was it probably was what they had in mind.

Sam wanted to jump at Calla’s request and give her an unequivocal ‘yes’ but they were not your normal humans, they were Olympians and they had the tendency to go overboard from time to time. Beneath that very calm and cool exterior was a blazing forest fire, of that Sam had no doubt. Looking at the woman who’d become her friend, one of the best, so many years ago, Samantha recognized the outfit she was wearing and remembered just how well that particular tunic looked on Ares. How it stretched across his strong chest rippling with every muscle and curve. The pleasant image of her ex-lover naked in a bed they once shared quickly dispersed when her pretty sapphire eyes took in the bruises on Calla’s cheek. While Daniel and David undoubtedly had an adventure to entertain the generations for ages, it seemed Calla’s time with her Family hadn’t been any less adventurous. “What are you going to do? Nick’s not….I mean he isn’t…..well, he’s not thinking of…..”

“Going with them? Yes he is.” Calla, noticing the bottle was now empty, popped it out of Brigid’s little mouth only to have the baby’s tongue follow it while she suckled the air and then crinkled her nose. “Hush you, don’t cry. You’ve eaten it all and that’s very good.” Calla told the baby carefully laying Brigid over her shoulder and rubbing the baby’s back to expel the gas in her tummy. The baby did not cry, instead she sucked her little fist, her wide blue eyes staring at Sam. “We haven’t told Annie that yet.”

Sam looked across the coffee table to Colleen who was sitting on the couch nursing Lilly. The expression on her face said everything. “Yeah, Aunt Sam, it looks like Mom’s right. Nick’s, well, he’s with them now.”

“I don’t believe it.” Sam said in quiet shock.

“Believe it, Samantha. Ares has turned him.” Brigid let out a resounding burp and then another. “Very good, little Miss.” Calla chimed as she rose and went to Brigid’s small playpen. She laid the baby down then wound up the mobile so she could watch it go round and round while she stayed toasty warm by the fire. “I have no Father and I have no Son…”

“Mom!”

“Quiet,” she said easily, “it’s true. I only want to know when they plan to go. That’s all. I promise not to destroy the SGC or anything like that.”

“Well, that’s good.” Sam said trying to sort it all out. Nicholas was her godson! OK, she’d been away off and on for long stretches of time but they’d never actually fallen out of touch. She knew Nicholas or thought she did. The Nicholas Jackson Samantha knew would never do anything like this. Then again, Sam knew first hand just how persuasive Ares could be when he wanted. “Yeah,” Sam found herself nodding her pretty blonde head and agreeing. “As soon as Jack says anything to me I’ll let you know. Are you going to try and stop him? Nick, I mean.”

“My S…” Calla stopped, smiled wanly and went on. “Nicholas is a grown man, he can make his own decisions now matter stupid they are and he will have to abide by them. My only fear now is how to tell Daniel when he wakes, he’ll be devastated.”

That was true, Daniel was bound to very upset if what Calla was saying was true. “You?” Sam asked Cole. “What do you think?”

Colleen didn’t have to think. “I love my Brother and I hope he changes his mind but if he doesn’t then she’s right, he made his bed and now he has to sleep in it.” Lilly was finished with her Mother’s breast as well. “I think she’s still hungry. I’m going to take her into the kitchen and we’ll find some bananas.” Coley said with a grin which lightened the mood as she tickled the baby’s tummy. Just over three months and eating solid food like there was no tomorrow and sitting up and rolling over and grabbing anything within her reach as she struggled to crawl. Lilly was a remarkable joy.

“OK, we’re alone for a minute,” Sam said moving a little closer to Calla. “What else happened?”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t bullshit me. While they were gone; what else happened? I know you’re pissed over Ares sending them into the Underworld and about this clone thing, believe me, you have every right to be, but I know you and that’s not the only thing working you up. So what else happened? What about Nic--”

Annie walked into the living room and felt very out of place. “They’ll be down in just a minute.” She stammered. “I’m gonna go and…make coffee, that’s it, I’m gonna make coffee.” She scurried out of the living room.

“All I need is for you to tell me when they’re leaving.” Calla said. “That’s all. It’s not so much to ask, is it?”

“What are you going to do?” Sam, shaking her head, inched a little closer. “You don’t think Nick is really going to go with them. And, c’mon, you don’t believe your Father would leave here without saying good-bye to you, do you? I’m sure he’ll tell you when they’re planning to go.”

“I am equally certain that he will not. Deep inside Ares is a coward, he will slink away from me and the world without facing the consequences of his actions. I intend to see to it that he does not get off so easily. Will you help me?”

“Yes. The second I hear anything I’ll let you know.”

“You’re most kind as always, Samantha.” Calla reached and lightly touched the other woman’s hand. “Tell me, how are you doing?” The physical reminders of Samantha’s recent ordeal had all passed away. Her eyes were almost as shiny as they had been before Aphrodite and Eros attacked this planet, before their men ravaged Samantha for hours in supply closet at the SGC. “You’re looking very well.”

“Thanks,” Sam mumbled. “I’m feeling better but…”

“It will take time.” Calla said with a knowing nod of her head and sympathetic eyes. “Jack, is he being good to you?”

“Very sweet.” Sam said with a smile.

“I am happy to hear that. If you need to talk you know I’m always here or have you started seeing Dr. Willie? Daniel says he was a great help to him when we were apart.”

Nodding her head tentatively she confessed. “I made an appointment, I start next week.”

“That’s good. You could go to the shelter, you know, they…”

“We have insurance,” Sam muttered.

“That doesn’t matter, they have a very good rape counseling program...it’s not just for…women of lesser means.” Calla retorted as the image of Lily that terrified young girl flashed behind her eyes. David knew what it meant to her to know that she was alive, that she’d made it through to the other side and that was why he told her all about it. Life was funny, strange and wondrous. Calla would have been the last person to say that the leopard could change its spots and that David Jackson could be an all-right guy.

“I didn’t mean it that way.”

“I know. I didn’t mean to snap, I’m just a little tired.” Calla, looking into the playpen and watching Brigid suck on her toes, stood up. “That coffee’s probably ready, would you like a cup?”

“Love it.”

Just as they passed the bottom of the stairs Jack came down. “Well?” Calla asked.

“I’ll let Adams tell you. He’ll be down any second.” Jack put his arms around Sam’s waist. Standing here looking at Calla his first thought was how good she looked compared to the last time he saw her when she’d been unconscious in the infirmary. His second was; Jesus she looks like shit. Daniel and David look better than she does and they’re totally out of it. “Is that coffee I smell?”

“Yes, it’s fresh, Annie’s made it. Come into the kitchen with us.” Calla lead the happy couple to the kitchen. “Make yourselves comfortable.” She motioned toward the large preparing table with its two wide benches. “Annie, would you…..” The girls had been talking in low voices with their heads pressed together when Calla came in so she hadn’t seen either of their faces until now. “Annie?”

“I’m all right, Mrs. J. Cups, right?” She asked dabbing a bit of moisture away from her eye. “I’ll get them.” As she pulled the cups and saucers down from the rustic cabinets Dr. Adams made his way into the kitchen. “Coffee for you too, doc?”

“That sounds perfect.” Adams said happily. “The coffee on base is so…..so…..”

“Nasty?” Jack asked as he sat at the table.

“Good choice, when are you going to do something about it?” Adams asked taking a seat.

Annie passed out the cups and Cole put the coffee pot along with cream and sugar on the table next to it. “How’s Dad?” She asked without looking at the doctor.

“Do you want to talk alone, Calla or….” Adams motioned to the people around them while Cole poured coffee.

“We’re all family here, go on.”

Adams stirred a small spoon of sugar into his coffee, took a small sip and then followed that with a longer one. “Oh, that’s good.” He commented with a full smile. Seeing the worried look on her face he put the cup down. “You’re an excellent nurse, Calla….”

“Yep,” Cole interjected, “just like I said, a regular Florence Ni….” Her Mother shot her a look which silenced her without finishing the famous woman’s name.

“Go on please.” Calla bid.

“So far as I can tell they’re doing very well and so are you. I want to see them when they wake up of course. I couldn’t find any broken bones or major contusions, blood pressure, heart rate, pupils, everything looks good.”

Well of course he couldn’t find any of those things, she’d healed them last night before that…Thing….showed up in her bedroom. The scrapes, gashes, wounds, and bruises Daniel and David suffered she’d mended with great loving care.

“So how about telling us what happened.” Jack inquired.

“I don’t know.” Calla said. “Jack, honestly, I don’t.” That was the truth. While she had been able to anticipate a few minor things, such as the dangers they might face or the creatures they might come up against and give them small items which she hoped would be of use to them. However, she did not know exactly what they’d gone through. (Neither did she know how well she’d correctly anticipated but she would. When they woke, they would thank her properly.) They went in and they came out—by the time on the Island it was a day and a half—here it was almost four days. When they exited they collapsed in my arms and I brought them home and tended them. Other than that, I don’t know what they faced while they were gone from me.”

“Well, I wish you would let me take them back to the infirmary where I could run more detailed tests,” Adams advised but Calla didn’t budge on that. “I would say that they should wake up relatively soon. Daniel was making a few grunting sounds as I walked out.”

“Excellent.” Calla said and sipped from her cup.

“Now,” Adams said clearing his throat. “About you. Are you going to come in where I can give you a proper examination?” To that Calla only shook her head. “All right, so how about letting me give you the quick once-over here and take a little blood back to the lab with me? I took some from Daniel and David.”

At this point, if Dad were sitting here, he’d push her and prod her a bit. “Why don’t you use Dad’s office, Mom? It’s quiet in there and we’ll all be right here.”

“Fifteen minutes. What can it hurt?” Adams stood up and held out a hand to her.

Yes, if Daniel were here he would want her to do this. Taking another sip from her cup Calla rose. “You will let me know if Brigid needs anything?”

“I’ll take care of her.” Sam volunteered.

Letting out a deep sigh because she really hated it when people ganged up on her, Calla led Adams, the kindly doctor with the brown eyes and short dark hair—the one whom she tried to trust but he was just so young! And he’d given into the call of the Darkness though she tried not to fault him for that, after all no one told him to be on the look-out for it. Through the living room where Brigid stopped sucking her foot and had blissfully fallen to sleep in the warmth of a crackling fire and into Daniel’s office they went. Calla shut the door.

“I know you hate this.” Adams started as he put his medical bag down on Daniel’s desk and opened it. “Still, it has to be done. Why don’t you take that off for me, ok?”

“I’d rather not.”

Taking the stethoscope from the bag and looping around his neck Adams turned to look at her. “Why?” He waited a few moments but soon it became apparent that she wasn’t going to answer him. “All right, for now. Just sit down and take a few deep breaths for me.” He listened to her heart and her lungs. Adams took her pulse and her blood pressure. He looked in her eyes, her ears and down her throat. “Do you hurt anywhere?”

Everywhere. “No.”

“How’d you get those bruises on your face? On your neck?” Again she just sat there staunchly yet demurely refusing to answer him. “I saw more on your arms is that why you won’t take that dress off?” The woman was the worst type of patient; the kind that wouldn’t help themselves. It wasn’t as though the black dress covered everything, it didn’t cover her feet and there was very pronounced purple bruising around both ankles and at least four of her toes were broken, three on the left foot and one on the right. They were swollen, twisted, gnarled and almost black. In fact, looking at her, almost the whole of her left foot might be broken but, well, it was easy to see that she wasn’t aware of that fact.

Standing over his eyes made their way back up her small body and to those bruises on her face once more. They made a very distinctive pattern. Adams held up his right hand. “Stay still.” Try as he did he couldn’t make his hand match up with the impression on her face but it was clear that someone--with an extremely large right hand-- palmed her face and then clamped said hand down around her neck. This close and in this position it was easy to see that—had they been standing—then maybe whoever it was that put their hand over her mouth like that had also stepped on her toes at the same time or thereabouts.

Very politely, Calla pushed his hand away from her face. “I think that’s enough.”

“I’m going to take some blood…”

“Ichor.” She corrected in a willowy voice. “You’re always calling it blood but it’s not. What runs through my veins is Ichor.” Calla rolled up the sleeve of Ares’ tunic. Turning her head away from the sight of the good doctor rummaging around in his medical bag, Calla she made one request. “Please don’t show me the needle.” After he took the Ichor back to his lab, Adams would be able to tell her if she could hug Colleen yet. Calla was looking very forward to that, after the other night---five nights ago now—after that, she just had to be better. She had to be. But deep inside she felt it wasn’t so that the energy and vitality Daniel and David so lovingly restored to her was only temporary.

“I won’t.” Adams agreed. “You just look over there….look there’s a nice picture of you and Daniel, huh?” He pointed to the mantel in the office and the photographs above it. “Why don’t you just gaze at that for a moment or two.” Standing next to her he looped the tubing around her upper arm and then very gently slid in the butterfly needle. Filling three tubes with the precious red liquid he noticed the gray hairs in her head. Adams hadn’t seen her after that very passionate night until today so he had no idea of just how well she had looked before today it was no wonder that his initial reaction to her appearance was not what it could have been. Surely, Calla was tired from her ordeal on the Island and looking after the men asleep in her bed. It wasn’t anymore than that, after all, she looked so good since last he saw her at which time she was still in a coma! Still she had that glassy distant look in her eyes and her words were a little slurred. “That’s it, all done.” He labeled each sample and put them in his bag. “I want to have a look at your feet, ok?”

“Hum?” What’s wrong with them? She looked down and at first did not recognize her own toes. “What?” There wasn’t anything wrong with the stairs after all or any of the floors in the house. The nails had not wiggled their way up through the boards but rather her feet were sore and damaged. Why hadn’t she noticed that before?

What did it matter?

“Just relax and let me have a look. I don’t suppose you’ll come in and let me take an X-ray?”

“I’m very busy right now.” Was her excuse to avoid going in for an all out examination.

Adams expected no less but as the doctor it was his job to ask such things. “This must hurt very much, Calla. Do you still have the pain killers I gave you last time?”

“I…..I….I don’t know.” She confessed as Adam’s deft hands roamed over her toes and her arches. “Daniel kept them.”

“I’m going to write you a prescription and you can have Colleen go to the pharmacy and fill it for you. I want you to sit down as much as possible with these elevated preferably above your heart.”

“Above my?” Calla picked up one leg and brought it high in the air.

Adams let out a chuckle. “Not like that, Calla, that would be very uncomfortable. I want to….do you have a recliner?”

“Yes.” It was Daniel’s favorite living room chair.

“Then sit in that with it all the way back and your feet on the foot-rest, got it? I’m going to wrap these for now.” Adams fished inside the black bag again and came out with medical gauze and tape which he very carefully wrapped around her toes using the Buddy System of wrapping one toe to the next for support. “Keep your weight off your feet as much as possible, let the girls take care of Daniel and David for now….you know, you could always let me take them back to the infirmary.” He invited in vain.

“I will take care of them.”

He finished wrapping her toes, the left foot he wrapped in an Ace bandage after completing her digits.

“I’m supposed to take a bath later.” Calla informed him as she looked down at the gauze tape and bandages on her feet.

“I think that is a wonderful idea. You can either hang your feet over the side of the tub or put them in plastic bags tied tightly so that the water doesn’t get in. After your bath you can sit in that recliner with these sore feet up, right?”

Calla sighed heavily. There was so much to do. She couldn’t just sit around doing nothing. “Right.”

“Sure you won’t take that off and let me have a look at you?” He pointed to the oversized black dress she was wearing.

“Quite sure.”

Again her response but was nothing less than what he expected but still, being the doctor, he had to ask. “Ok then.” He opened a bottle inside the bag and handed Calla a large white pill. “I want you to take this now.” Adams dropped it in her hand and scribbled out a prescription for Percoden before he closed the bag. “Have you been drinking those shakes and taking the supplements I prescribed?”

Well, not really, she hadn’t had the supplements but “Yes,” she did have one of those god-awful shakes today.

“Good,” Adams sighed, “You let me know if feel strange, all right?” He knew he was wasting his breath. Until Daniel was awake and functioning Calla wasn’t concerned with anything as trivial as her health. “I’ll let you know when I get the results back. After you.” Adams opened the door. “You’ll call me when they wake up? In the meantime, you’ll get some rest and let the girls take care of the babies while the men sleep, right?”

“I’ll call you right away.” She said and walked through the open door holding the open collar of the black tunic closed. “I’m fine.” Calla said to everyone in the living room. “Stop worrying.”

“Well, I want to get these samples back to the lab.” Adams said as he crossed the living in search of his winter coat which was hanging up in the front foyer. “I’ll let you know what I find.” He said to Calla.

“We should get going too.” Jack said.

“We should?” Sam asked as she’d expected to spend a few hours or more here today.

“Yeah, take the rest of the day off.” Jack said easily. “We’ll go….I dunno….we’ll find something to do.” He winked at Samantha who shook her head and giggled in return.

“Men.” She huffed happily. “Call me if you need anything.” Sam said to Calla putting her arms around the smaller woman in a warm gentle hug. “As soon as I know I’ll call you.” She whispered in Calla’s ear. “If you need any help….”

“I will call.” Calla assured her in a tired voice.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay? Help out?”

“Go home and have a lovely day.” Calla advised. “All is well here.”

With the sun rapidly descending and the biting cold of night setting in, Calla saw her company off at the front door with a smile and a wave. “I’m going to go upstairs now and….”

“And you’re going to stay up there.” Colleen said grabbing her own coat. “Adams says your toes are broken, maybe even your foot. So….ah-uh-ut….” She stammered shaking her finger at Calla when she tried to protest. “You’re going to take that bath, I’m going to get your prescription filled, Annie’s going to make some dinner—which we will bring up to you and you are going to rest.” There was no further discussion, Colleen grabbed her purse and car keys and was out the door before any further talk could be had.

Turning around to see Annie standing there with her mouth slightly agape Calla said, “I’m going to take some broth up them and then, yes, I think I will have that bath. If you need me for anything…”

Annie looked at the playpen, Brigid was out cold. Lilly was in her swing happily munching on an Arrowroot cookie. “We’ll be fine until Cole gets back, do you want me to help with the broth?”

“No.” Calla smiled wanly and tottered into the kitchen where she fixed a deep bowl of fresh chicken broth. Slowly she made her way up the stairs, if she’d looked behind her she would have seen Annie standing at the bottom of them with her arms out and the worried look on her face as though she expected Calla to fall backwards at any moment. She did not fall, somehow, she did not.

End Of Chapter Three
Sister, Sister
Continue to
Chapter Four

This story and all stories in the Barters N Garters Library are copyrighted to Lisa Beth Darling these stories may not be transferred outside of this URL in any fashion.