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Beatrice had trouble waking up enough to understand what was happening. Her head felt like it was filled with cotton wool. The only thing she knew was that she had been ready to die right here in the cave, huddled together with Yasmine and Mary. The guilt and shame of not being able to keep her promise to get them out of this cave and back to Earth ate at Beatrice, feeling like a deep dark hole inside her chest. Not knowing what to do, Beatrice had given up completely, her body aching and exhausted, the cold getting to her.
The warmth Mary and Yasmine exuded was enough to lure Beatrice in an uneasy sleep, despite her mind still swirling with dark thoughts. Commotion around her woke her up again. When she first opened her eyes and didn't see Yasmine but instead Colonel Masters crouching by Mary's side, Beatrice was confused, thinking she was dreaming.
"Colonel? Is that… Are you here?" Beatrice asked, her voice hoarse. Confusion overshadowed the relief that was already rising up in Beatrice. But then Colonel Masters smiled and nodded.
"Yes, I am here, we all are," Shannon said, emotions swinging in her voice that Beatrice had barely ever heard before. Then, Doctor Salvius came up to Beatrice, touching her shoulder lightly.
"Are you alright? How are you feeling?" Doctor Salvius asked. Beatrice had a hard time processing what was going on, her head still feeling heavy and clouded.
But Beatrice managed to nod, though wasn't able to say anything, emotions now welling up in her. Doctor Salvius and two medics helped Beatrice onto a stretcher, putting blankets around her. An IV line was put into her hand. Beatrice didn't know whether it was the blankets or whatever was now coursing through her veins, but just a few moments later, she was feeling both a lot warmer and quite drowsy.
Barely able to keep up with what was going on, Beatrice was vaguely aware that she was being carried towards the exit of the cave and then lifted out. There was snow all around her. More confusion settled into her body when she saw General Superion and many rescuers and even more when she was lifted up into a helicopter. Even in her drowsy state, Beatrice wondered how this was possible. They couldn't all have come through the Stargate, which was in the cave. But how were they here? Trying to stay awake and solve this mystery proved futile, Beatrice's eyes closing without her being able to do anything about it.
For what felt like a long time, Beatrice was drifting between sleeping and being more or less awake but always quite drowsy. She noticed vaguely that she was being examined and changed into different clothes, but barely was able to keep her eyes open long enough to truly realize what was going on. At least eventually she was being left alone in a warm and soft bed, blankets all around her. Her thoughts were still swirling in her head, but exhaustion got the better of her and she succumbed to a proper sleep.
This time, when Beatrice woke up, she felt a lot more rested than before and her head was a lot clearer. Most of all, she was finally truly warm, which she hadn't been ever since they had landed in that cave. Looking around, Beatrice saw Yasmine in the bed next to her, half sitting up and reading something. Beatrice turned to her and smiled, causing Yasmine to immediately smile back and get up. It was clear that Yasmine was in a better state than Beatrice, since while she was wearing the usual white hospital clothes, she did not have an IV port in her arm.
Yasmine was now getting out of bed, put on slippers and walked towards Beatrice's bed, sitting down on a chair next to it. Smiling still, Yasmine held out a hand towards Beatrice, which Beatrice gladly took, happy for the contact, the proof that they were both alive.
"Hey Bea, how are you feeling?" Yasmine said, her voice quite hoarse, betraying that she was not as fully recovered as it would seem. That thought instantly made Beatrice think of Mary. Looking around, she could see a part of the infirmary they were in closed off with curtains. It brought up the worst fears in her and it felt like her stomach was turning.
"Colonel Turner," Beatrice choked out, squeezing Yasmine's hand, unable to push down her fear and guilt. What if it turned out that they had been saved, but it had been too late for Mary? What if she hadn't kept her promise after all?
Yasmine smiled softly and nodded, gesturing towards the part of the infirmary that was curtained off.
"She's fine," Yasmine said, to Beatrice's endless relief. "Her injuries were serious but they said she is stable and will most likely make a full recovery. They gave her and Shannon some privacy, but if you want to we can see how she is doing."
Beatrice nodded eagerly. She did feel the urge to check on Mary herself and make sure that she was alright. With Yasmine's help, Beatrice got up from the bed and walked over the short distance, taking the bag that was still connected to her IV with her on a rolling stand. Her knees were very weak, as was her entire body. There were also definitely bruises that hurt quite a bit, but otherwise, Beatrice felt surprisingly good after the ordeal she had been through.
When they got to the curtained off part of the infirmary, Yasmine cleared her throat. Colonel Masters voice from inside called 'come in' and both Beatrice and Yasmine stepped in, Yasmine supporting Beatrice still.
"Beatrice, it's good to see you. But should you be out of bed?" Colonel Masters asked, the relief and happiness in her voice tinged with concern. Looking around, Shannon gestured towards another chair by the other side of the bed. "You should sit down. You as well, Yas, take my chair, I'll get another one."
"Thank you," Yasmine said, helping Beatrice sit down on the chair.
It was a relief to be able to sit, but Beatrice dreaded looking at Mary, distracting herself with watching Yasmine as she took the chair Shannon had vacated and put it a little further towards the feet of the bed, so that Shannon could sit where she had been. When Beatrice couldn't drag it out anymore, she finally turned to look at Mary, only to be surprised that her eyes were open, a soft smile on her lips.
"I'm glad you're here, captain," Colonel Turner said, her voice hoarse and a little slurred. Beatrice assumed it was from the painkillers, but it did nothing to assuage the guilt and shame she still felt.
Just hearing Colonel Turner and seeing her lying in that bed, looking so small and broken made more emotions well up in Beatrice and she couldn't stop the tears pricking at the back of her eyes. Barely even noticing that Colonel Masters came back with a chair and sat down close to Colonel Turner's side again, Beatrice leaned forward to Mary and shook her head.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I couldn't get you out sooner. I should have, I broke my promise. I don't…" Beatrice choked out, tears now overflowing.
Beatrice knew she should push the tears down, that she shouldn't put her emotions on a display like this, but she couldn't stop herself. Bowing her head down, Beatrice didn't want to see Mary's reaction. Despite knowing that Mary would not blame her for not having been able to get them out of the cave, Beatrice couldn't help but blame herself.
"What are you talking about?" Mary said, still hoarsely, but the energy of it being so uniquely her that it brought more tears to Beatrice's eyes. Finally daring to look into Mary's face again, Beatrice did not see any anger or blame, only confusion. Mary shook her head. "You got us out! Right? They found us because of you."
"No, I, I didn't do anything. I tried, but I couldn't get the gate to work," Beatrice said, now also very confused. Colonel Masters leaned forward a little, frowning, but looking at her so softly that Beatrice's heart constricted.
"But you still dialled the gate, did you not?" Shannon said, also very softly. Beatrice nodded, her brows still furrowed.
"I did, but it didn't work. The gate did not connect. I don't even know how we were rescued, I-"
"It did work," Colonel Masters interrupted Beatrice, firmly but not harshly. When Beatrice looked at her in abject confusion, she shrugged a little. "Sort of. It didn't connect, no, but the chevrons on our Stargate glowed and there was an earth quake. You must have felt it." Shannon looked at Yasmine and Beatrice, who both nodded. "I felt it as well. In the SGC. That was when we realized that you must be here, on Earth. That there was a second gate, right here."
"A second gate?" Beatrice asked, trying hard to wrap her still sluggish mind around all of this. Mary moving her hand towards her distracted Beatrice. She took Mary's hand and squeezed it, looking at her.
"See, you kept your promise. You got us out," Mary said, with conviction, squeezing Beatrice's hand and smiling softly at her.
Part of Beatrice wanted to protest, to say that she should have realized they were on Earth, that she should have done something more, should have been better. But right now, she was far too exhausted and relieved to let the dark thoughts win. Instead, she pushed them down and smiled back at Mary, squeezing her hand as well.
"Thank you," Beatrice said, very quietly, but putting everything she was feeling into those words.
The reality that they were all okay, that they had indeed gotten out of what had felt like a hopeless situation hit Beatrice all at once then and she couldn't suppress a sob. She was glad that Mary squeezed her hand and nobody said anything, simply letting her cry quietly. It felt good, to be here, to know that they were all alive.
That she had kept her promise in the end, just like Mary had said.