Title- Loyalty's Betrayal
Author- Denise
E-mail - sky_diver119@yahoo.com
Category- Drama/Adventure
Archive Anywhere but please link to the page on my
own site.
http://www.geocities.com/sky_diver119/drama/loyalty.htm
Season- 7
Spoilers - The Light
CONTENT LEVEL: 13+
Content Warning- Language, violence, Kleenex warning
Summary- Loyal to a fault can cost one man his friends
Disclaimer Stargate Sg-1 and its characters are the
property of Stargate (II) Productions,
Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions,
Sci-fi and Gekko Productions. This story is for
entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged
hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The
original characters, situations, and story are the
property of the author. This story may not be posted
elsewhere without the consent of the author
Thanks to Adi, Sue, Sel and Arnise, without whom there
would be no fic. Their ceaseless assistance and
egging, err, cheering on enabled this fic to be
written
Loyalty's Betrayal
By
Denise
"Almost there," Jack gasped out, tightening his hold
on the limp body slung over his shoulders. His words
were more for his benefit than his passenger's, he was
pretty sure that Sam was unconscious if the arm
bouncing bonelessly off his chest was any indication.
His feet struggled in the deep, cloying sand as he
heard Teal'c pounding beside him, his breath also
heavy and rasping. The large stone blocks of a
destroyed building beckoning him on like an oasis in
the desert. Which this sort of was. He hoped that he
was making the right decision. If not.if not then it
wouldn't matter if Carter was conscious or not. In
fact, he'd prefer it if she never woke up. It was
never a good thing to witness yourself being eaten
alive.
He heard the sand swishing behind him and he ran
faster, putting every bit of his energy into making
his way to those stones. His foot hit the edge and he
lurched forward, trying not to throw Sam to the ground
and injure her even more.
Teal'c crashed next to him and Jack heard Daniel moan
loudly as the Jaffa fell beside them. Jack did his
best to untangle his cramped hands from Sam's
unconscious form, rolling to his back and reaching for
his weapon, ready to shoot any of the creatures that
attempted to follow them.
Much to his relief, they seemed content, or unable,
not to follow him onto their refuge. He could see them
pacing back and forth, the shifting sand the only
clues as to their positions. "What the hell are those
things?" he gasped, still not taking his eyes from the
shifting sands.
"I'uka," Teal'c said, his normally calm voice shaking.
"They are creatures the goa'uld discovered on a desert
world. They once tried to use them to hunt the Tok'ra.
Other goa'uld have used them for sport. They are not
used now because once they infest a planet, they are
not easily eliminated." Teal'c lowered his staff
weapon slightly, but didn't take his eyes off the
rippling sand. "They are similar to Earth's sharks.
Predators. They hunt through sound vibrations and the
scent of blood. They are relentless."
"Great," Jack groaned. "Daniel?" He turned his
attention to his teammate. "You ok?"
"Kinda," he replied, gritting his teeth as he shifted
his position to a seated one. His left leg was propped
awkwardly out in front of him, the green material of
his BDU's black and slick with blood.
Both he and Carter had been apart from Jack and Teal'c
when the creatures had attacked. The sharks attacked
Daniel first, vicious teeth tearing into his leg as
they tried to drag him away. Sam killed that one,
blowing it to literal bits with her P-90 while Jack
and Teal'c had run to their rescue.
Daniel didn't think she even saw the one that attacked
her, bursting out of the sand to crash into her
middle. When he closed his eyes, he could still see
the creature tossing his friend around like a rag doll
before being killed by a blast from Teal'c's staff
weapon.
Seeing more of them swarming through the sand, they'd
been unable to do more than grab their injured
teammates and dash for the nearest refuge, this
tumbledown collection of rocks. "How's Sam?"
Jack leaned over her, his hand checking her pulse. He
moved to her belly, cautiously pulling back the torn
edges of her BDU's. He didn't have to say anything,
his blanching face spoke volumes. Daniel scooted over
to them on his butt, not daring to attempt to put any
weight on his injured leg.
He reached for her pack, pulling out the larger med
kit that she carried with her and wordlessly handed it
to Jack. Even in the fading light of the setting sun,
he could see that the damage was too extensive. "We
gotta get her back," Jack said, opening the kit and
pulling out rolls of gauze.
"We cannot," Teal'c said, drawing sharp looks from his
companions. "The creatures hunt by night. In the
darkness we will be unable to see them until it is too
late. Our only hope of attaining the stargate is if we
travel at dawn."
"Teal'c she." Jack broke off, glancing at Sam then
back up. "Dawn's too late," he said, his voice softer.
"Of that I am aware, O'Neill. However, if we attempt
to travel now, we all will perish."
His softly spoken words rang like a death knell among
the trio of men. Daniel saw Jack's eyes close, his jaw
clenching tightly. If there was one thing in the
universe that Jack hated more than the Tok'ra, it was
to lose.anything. "Then she'll just have to make it
until dawn, won't she?" Daniel said softly, looking up
to meet Jack's eyes.
"Yeah," Jack agreed. "She will."
<><><><><>
Teal'c looked up, a flash of movement catching his
eyes. O'Neill rose from his seated position and
crawled over to Daniel Jackson, quickly checking on
the man's condition.
Teal'c knew that he was sleeping fitfully, the partial
dose of morphine allowing him to rest a bit and
conserve his strength for the coming day. That is what
they all were doing, resting and watching. Their
refuge was not large, three buildings perhaps the size
of the gate room and control room together. There were
remnants of walls and the ceiling of the structures,
which created a maze-like effect. Major Carter was
lying beside him, wrapped in two of their survival
blankets. She had not totally regained consciousness
but had moaned and moved a couple of times, the action
signaling to all of them that she yet lived. They'd
bound her wounds as best they could, as they had with
Daniel Jackson and sat down to wait until the sun
rose.
Teal'c saw O'Neill reassure the man, then quietly make
his way towards Teal'c. "How is she?" he asked softly,
reaching beneath the blankets to check her pulse.
"She yet lives, although she grows weaker," he
reported.
O'Neill nodded. "Just a couple more hours."
"Our return to the Stargate will not be an easy one,"
Teal'c warned. "The I'uka hunt by sensing the
vibrations in the sand. We must walk slowly and
endeavor to tread lightly if we are to avoid their
notice." O'Neill nodded. "Will Daniel Jackson be able
to walk unaided?"
O'Neill opened his mouth to reply, then stopped,
looking towards the archaeologist. He slowly shook his
head. "His leg's all torn up. He won't make it," he
said, deliberately keeping his voice low.
"It will be difficult to defend ourselves while
burdened."
"Yeah," O'Neill agreed grimly.
"I could return to the SGC alone and retrieve
assistance," Teal'c offered.
O'Neill shook his head. "The only way to be safe would
be to bring back APC's.armored personnel carriers," he
explained. "It'd take too long. We'll just have to
make due. If you carry Daniel piggy-back, that'll free
up your hands."
"And Major Carter?"
"I can't carry her that way. It'd just do more
damage," he said.
Teal'c nodded, agreeing with his assessment. When it
had attacked her, the I'uka had deeply lacerated her
belly, an injury deep enough that Teal'c feared some
of her internal organs had been damaged as well.
Carrying her any way but as one would carry a child
would doubtlessly cause her great pain and exacerbate
her injuries.
He had fears, however, that no matter how they carried
her, it would be for naught. He had seen many injuries
in all his years of battle and doubted that even
Doctor Fraiser's extraordinary skill would not be
enough to save his friend's life. That belief was one
he chose not to share with O'Neill.
"I'm gonna go walk the perimeter," O'Neill said.
"We'll leave as soon as it's light enough to see," he
instructed, grunting slightly as he got to his feet.
Teal'c watched him go, knowing that guarding against
intruders was not the true reason for the man seeking
solitude. He wished privacy to steel himself for the
arduous journey that would come with the dawn.
"You've seen these things before, haven't you?" Daniel
Jackson's quiet voice cut through the stillness of the
planet, shattering the illusion that he was sleeping.
Teal'c nodded, even though he knew the man could not
see his actions. "Many years ago, Apophis ordered me
to try and find the Tok'ra. My men and I were
patrolling the planet. It was a desert world, as we
know now that the Tok'ra prefer. Apophis
grew.irritated with our lack of progress. Unbeknownst
to me, he acquired and released several I'uka. Only
Bra'tac's skill and willingness to defy Apophis
allowed me to survive. I watched every one of my men
die, eaten alive by these creatures."
He closed his eyes, hearing again the terrific screams
of his men as they were attacked, dragged screaming
through the burning sands. He felt their hot blood
splattering on his skin, saw their hands digging
futilely into the shifting sands, fighting with their
last breaths to survive. They were true warriors, who
perished at the hands of a petulant pathetic excuse of
a leader. "You should rest," he said. "Our journey
will be most arduous."
He heard Daniel Jackson sigh. "How's Sam?"
"She lives," he reassured. "Sleep," he urged.
He heard his friend shift his position, moaning softly
before he grew quiet, the silence telling Teal'c that
Daniel Jackson had followed his advice, letting his
body rest and sleep.
"Teal'c?" Sam's whisper drew his attention down to the
form lying beside him.
"Major Carter. Are you in pain?"
"No," she breathed, frowning slightly. "I don't feel
anything. Daniel?"
"He is alive."
"Good." He saw her lick her lips and he reached for
his canteen, bending over to hold her head up,
enabling her to take a couple of sips of water. Her
hand slipped down to the sodden bandages over her
belly. "How bad?"
He considered lying, then changed his mind, knowing
that she would appreciate honesty. "Your injury is
most grievous," he admitted.
"Thought so," she said. "Or he wouldn't be so
worried."
"O'Neill plans-"
"I know," she interrupted. "I heard. It won't work."
"O'Neill believes that it will."
"He's wrong. You'll never make it, not carrying both
of us."
He remained silent, agreeing with her but not wanting
to agree with her. She laid there for a few minutes,
her breath occasionally catching with a rough gurgling
sound that told him that the internal damage was
greater than he'd originally thought.
<><><><><>
Daniel opened his eyes, turning to watch Jack pick his
way towards them. The sky above them was lightening,
velvet black slowly giving way to a pale watery green.
He knew that it was likely a false dawn, that the real
sunrise was likely a few minutes away, but still he
slowly pushed himself up, hissing through his teeth as
his injured leg dragged across the rough stone, jarred
despite the splint Jack had put on the previous night.
At least some of the nerves were still intact, he
consoled himself, trying to ignore how his foot hung
limply at the end of the leg, the splint its only
support. It appeared to have decent blood flow, he and
Jack had made sure of that, but they both figured that
he'd suffered some sort of tendon or muscle damage.
Hopefully nothing a good orthopedic surgeon couldn't
fix.
As it was, he couldn't complain too much, especially
considering the shape Sam was in. He turned to look
towards her, noting that she was still lying beside
Teal'c, her figure barely visible beneath the blankets
she was wrapped in, their only defense from the chill
night air since their rocky refuge lacked any sort of
vegetation.
"Daniel," Jack said. "You ready to move out in a
minute?"
"Yeah, what's the plan?"
"You ride piggyback with Teal'c, that'll keep his
hands as free as possible. I'll get Carter. If the
creatures come after us, you two run for the gate."
"Jack-"
"You two stand a better chance," he said, his voice
resolute. "It's only about two miles, we can make
that." Daniel got to his feet, leaning heavily on
Jack. They made their way to Teal'c who was still
sitting on the ground. "T, your passenger's ready."
"I fear, O'Neill, that your plan must be altered," the
Jaffa said slowly. Daniel's heart sank and he felt
Jack go still as their friend looked up at them, his
dark eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"No," Jack whispered.
"You shall carry no burden," Teal'c said, his hand
resting gently on Sam's face.
Daniel's good leg gave way and only Jack's arm kept
him from falling. As it was, he abruptly sat on the
ground, staring at the still form as Jack stepped
forward, kneeling at her side. "Carter?" He reached
out to touch her cheek.
"I am sorry, O'Neill."
Jack froze for a moment, then roughly pulled the
blanket back, pushing up her jacket sleeve to feel her
arm. "When?" he bit out.
"O'Neill?"
"How long ago did she die?"
"Jack?"
"She's cold, Daniel," Jack said, not turning around.
"How long?" he repeated, his eyes glittering with
anger.
"Perhaps two hours ago," Teal'c replied evenly.
"Two. Hours. And you're just now saying something?"
Jack demanded.
"Would knowing have altered your actions?" he asked
gravely.
"Jack," Daniel said, hoping to forestall the argument
he was sure would come. His friend bent down, touching
Sam's face one last time before pulling the blanket
up, ignoring Teal'c's question.
He made a move to pick her up in his arms, stopping
only when Teal'c laid his hand over Jack's. "We
cannot," he said softly.
"Excuse me?"
"We will need all our skill to attain the stargate.
She will be safe here until we can return to retrieve
her."
Daniel saw Jack stiffen, then slump as he acknowledged
the wisdom of Teal'c's words. He got to his feet with
a heavy sigh. "Give me a hand," he requested.
"O'Neill?"
"There's some smaller rocks over there. Let's secure
the blanket. It'll probably take us a good twenty-four
hours before we can get back here." His tone was
resolved and Daniel knew that not even a direct order
from General Hammond would keep Jack from coming back
for her.
Teal'c nodded and the pair of them walked to the other
side of the ruins. They returned in a few minutes
carrying the first of several armloads of rocks. As he
watched, they carefully surrounded their friend with
the stones, anchoring down the edges. Lacking the
material and time to build a proper cairn, they
settled for simply ringing the silver shrouded shape.
By the time they were done, the sun was just above the
horizon, the horizontal light casting stark shadows
across the dunes. "Ok, let's go," Jack said, checking
his gun.
Teal'c squatted down and Daniel climbed onto his back,
feeling distinctly silly. His pride wanted to walk, no
matter how painful it would be, but he knew his pride
could get them killed.
Teal'c stood up, grunting slightly under the weight of
another person. "Here," Jack said, handing Teal'c his
staff weapon. He held out Sam's P-90 and Daniel simply
stared at it. "It's not going to do her any good,"
Jack said shortly.
Grimly agreeing, Daniel took the weapon, awkwardly
trying to balance it with only one hand.
"We must tread lightly. Gently place your feet
forward, rolling from your heel to your toes," Teal'c
instructed.
"Like sneaking in after curfew."
"Indeed, O'Neill. Do not match my stride. If you see a
creature in the distance, cease movement. It may
ignore us."
"I imagine we shouldn't talk too loud either," Daniel
said.
"Correct."
"Ok," Jack said. "Let's move out."
They stepped forward, pausing at the edge of the solid
surface. Taking a deep breath, Jack slowly walked out
onto the sand. Teal'c waited until he was a couple of
yards away before he too left the relative safety of
the ruins. Daniel looked over his shoulder, his eyes
settling on the shrouded figure lying there. The
rising sun caught the silver blanket, making it glow a
beautiful warm red.
"We shall return," Teal'c promised. "Major Carter will
be brought back to Earth."
"I know," Daniel said, fully aware that it was a
burden he would not share. He turned his attention
back to the horizon, blinking to clear the moisture
prickling behind his eyelids.
<><><><><>
Jack walked through the sand, his eyes scanning the
horizon as they skittered over the gate looming in the
distance. They were about a hundred yards away from
the gate now and he fought the urge to pick up the
pace. They'd spotted a few of the creatures off in the
distance, fortunately the tactic of stopping and
standing still had worked and they'd moved on.
The dull ache in his stomach intensified and he
regretted listening to Teal'c. They shouldn't have
left her behind. They would have made it back.
Doubts assailed him. What if Teal'c had been wrong?
What if they'd have been able to make it back last
night? Maybe the I'uka didn't always hunt by night,
that much was obvious by the simple sight of them
lurking in the distance.
What if he'd have tried to make it back with her last
night? She could still be alive. Her injuries were
bad, certainly, but he'd seen people survive worse.
He knew that that question was going to haunt him.the
one question that he'd thought he'd learned to never
ask.what if.
"O'Neill." Teal'c's harsh whisper dragged his
attention back to where it needed to be. What if's was
something he needed to ignore right now.unless he
wanted to give the recovery team something else to
bring back.
He froze, following Teal'c's gaze. He saw two of the
creatures in the distance, the rippling sand the only
clue to their location. Both of them stood still,
their eyes riveted on the I'ukas. His eyes darted to
Teal'c as they kept approaching, not veering off as
the others had. "T?"
"They are not leaving," he whispered, shifting his
staff weapon in his grasp.
"Yeah," Jack agreed.
"Vibrations, right?" he asked, reaching into the
pocket of his vest.
"Jack?" Daniel asked, his voice barely above a breath.
"Let's give them some vibrations to follow," he said,
holding a grenade in his hand.
"Hold tight, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said.
Jack pulled the pin from the grenade, glancing over at
the pair. Teal'c nodded his readiness and he cocked
his arm, lobbing the explosive.
In a matter of seconds, it detonated, sending a large
splash of sand into the air. Jack turned, running
towards the beckoning gate. His boots dug into the
sand, his breath quickly burning in his chest. Teal'c
was running in front of him, clearly struggling to
carry the heavy burden of Daniel across the morass of
foot sucking sand.
Hearing the unmistakable rush of the creatures behind
him, he dug into his pocket, pulling out another
grenade. In one swift move, he pulled the pin and
tossed it over his shoulder, knowing that he lacked
the time to even think about aiming.
It detonated and he instinctively ducked his head as
sand blasted the back of his neck. He saw Daniel and
Teal'c arrive at the DHD and the Jaffa started to
dial. Jack got close, then turned, pulling his P-90 up
and flicking off the safety.
Picking out a section of writhing sand he fired,
hoping that the barrage of bullets would find a
target. Behind him, he heard the gate open and
presumed that Daniel would send the code. "Let's
move!" he yelled, his eyes growing wide as he saw more
and more of the creatures headed towards them, no
doubt drawn by the explosions and running.
"O'Neill." Jack backed towards the gate, his eyes
ruthlessly scanning the horizon.
"Jack! Come on!"
He turned to see Daniel and Teal'c standing on the
steps leading up to the gate. Two I'ukas swam between
them, cutting Jack off from the gate.
"Jack!"
"GO!" Jack yelled, knowing that he wouldn't make it.
"O'Neill!" Teal'c shouted, moving to let Daniel down
so he could come and help Jack.
"Get through the gate, god damn it!" Jack yelled. One
of the I'ukas got close enough that Jack had to step
back, nearly losing his balance as he struggled
backwards. "Teal'c go!"
The sand at his feet boiled and Jack fell backwards,
staring in horror as an I'uka launched out, only to
fall writing to the sand as a staff blast from Teal'c
unerringly hit it, throwing it a few yards away.
He struggled to his feet, fighting against the cloying
sand. Another I'uka shot from the sand headed directly
towards him and Jack could do nothing other than stare
at it as it headed right for him. In a moment of
perfect clarity, he heard Daniel shout and Teal'c yell
as he started down the maw of the creature, watching
as it's long, jagged teeth glinted in the sun, black
stains speaking ominously of its last meal.
The creature dove for him and Jack reflexively closed
his eyes, only to open them in surprise as he felt the
I'uka leap over him, plunging back into the sand at
his back.
Shocked, he just knelt there, staring across the
distance at Daniel and Teal'c for an eternal few
seconds. Instincts kicked in and he got to his feet,
only to stop short at a brilliant flash of light. He
ducked his head, squinting as he raised his weapon.
The light cleared, revealing a familiar silver bundle
lying on the ground between them. "This is yours?" a
voice said.
Jack looked around, trying to see the source. "What
the hell?"
"A sacrifice has been made. The gods are appeased,"
the voice said, sounding like the wind itself was
speaking. "Take her and leave. Do not return."
"Jack?" Daniel asked.
Jack shook his head as he stepped forward. He picked
up Sam, cradling her in his arms. He walked towards
them, falling into step at their side as he and Teal'c
bore their burdens through the event horizon, leaving
the planet behind forever.
<><><><><>
Janet ran through the corridors, grateful for the
training of the personnel as they stepped to the side,
clearing a path for her.
She could hear footsteps and knew that her assistants
were following her, ready to help however they could.
She hurried into the gate room noticing that the gate
was already shut. Teal'c was squatting awkwardly at
the end of the ramp, allowing Daniel to clamber off
his back.
Colonel O'Neill was slowly walking down the ramp, a
large bundle held in his arms.
Reacting instinctively, Janet moved towards him, her
greatest concern for the more severely injured. "Take
care of Daniel," he said.
"Colonel?"
He shook his head. "You can't do anything. Take care
of Daniel." She stared at him for a second, feeling
like she'd been punched in the gut as he slowly walked
past her, bypassing the gurney to carry Sam out into
the hall.
"Doctor Fraiser," Teal'c said, pulling her attention
back to the two men at the end of the ramp. "His leg
is damaged."
Janet knelt and examined the wound as best she could.
"What happened?"
"We were attacked. I think there's some tendon damage.
I can feel it, it just won't move right," Daniel said,
tensing as her probing caused him pain.
"Sam?"
"It got her worse. We couldn't come back until
morning. She died over night," he said softly, his
voice catching.
"Doctor?"
She glanced over her shoulder. "Sir, Doctor Jackson
should be fine," she said, moving back to allow the
medics to put them onto the gurney.
"What about Major Carter?"
"You should contact the Tok'ra," Teal'c said
seriously.
"Jacob needs to know," Daniel said.
<><><><><>
Jack slowly walked through the halls, his eyes set
straight ahead. He could see in his peripheral vision
as personnel stepped to the side. He could hear the
shocked gasps, the stunned silence that flowed in his
wake.
Unbidden, Griff pulled out his pass card, summoning
the elevator and holding the door open for him. Still
keeping his silence, Jack stepped into the car,
turning to see the man stepping in and pushing the
button for Level 21.
Mercifully, he didn't say a word, simply holding the
door open for Jack as the elevator arrived at Level
21. Jack stepped back out into the corridor and made
his way to the infirmary. He crossed the threshold and
saw Nurse Rush hurry towards him, her face falling as
she took in the look on his face and the stillness of
his burden. "Colonel," she said simply, stepping aside
so that he could lay Sam down on an empty bed.
He ignored her, deliberately taking his time to
straighten Sam out, picking up her hand as it flopped
off the edge of the bed. In the back of his mind he
wondered why she wasn't stiff yet.bodies always got
stiff. He hated it when that happened, it was almost
as bad as the horrible limpness of a body.
Her hand was dirty, he noticed and he rubbed his
thumb, trying to erase the smudge. She never used to
mind that, when her hands got grubby. Except when she
was in her lab. Then it bugged her. He used to see her
looking at her hands, her fingers rubbing over the
calluses. He thought maybe that she regretted that
she'd never have nice soft hands and manicured nails.
"Sir?" Another hand laid itself over his, gently
stilling his thumb. He looked up, wondering how long
he'd been standing there. "We'll take care of her,"
she promised.
He nodded, gently tucking Sam's hand under the
blanket, then turning on his heel and leaving the
room.
<><><><><>
Teal'c walked behind the gurney, feeling the need to
escort Daniel Jackson to the infirmary before making
his report to General Hammond of the details of the
mission. It was a report he sincerely did not want to
make.
It was not only that he dreaded relaying the fact of
Major Carter's death, but that he did not wish to
reveal the cause of her demise.
He remembered two years ago after Lieutenant Barber
killed himself while under the effect of the Light.
How, even after the cause had been explained, that he
was seen as weak or wanting because he had lacked the
internal strength to fight the inevitable.
He could not stand to see Major Carter's reputation so
maligned.
Arriving at their destination, he stayed out of the
way, allowing the medical personnel to transfer Daniel
Jackson to the bed. His eyes settled on the shrouded
bed as Doctor Fraiser moved over to them, pulling her
stethoscope from around her neck. "Where's Jack?"
Daniel asked, unbuttoning his jacket.
"I do not know."
"You need to find him," Daniel said, letting the
nurses help him.
"Of that I am aware," Teal'c said.
"We're going to take some x-rays, Daniel," Janet said.
"I know a good orthopedic surgeon at the Academy
Hospital. We'll probably be transferring you there
for---"
"DOCTOR!" Nurse Rush's strident voice cut Janet off in
mid sentence. The curtains around the bed were yanked
back, revealing the nurse's shocked face. "I need you
now!"
"What?" Fraiser asked, frowning at her.
"Doctor, she's alive," she said.
Teal'c stared as the doctor flew across the room,
tossing out orders with a verbal speed he found
impressive. A hand dug into his arm. "Find Jack,"
Daniel Jackson ordered.
<><><><><>
Jack ran through the corridors, his boots pounding on
the cement floors. A couple of the SF's tried to stop
him, wisely stepping back when they caught sight of
the look on his face. "Doc! Doc!" he called out as he
and Teal'c reached the surface.
Fraiser turned, muttering something to her staff
before she walked towards them. Behind her, Jack could
see two supine forms in the ambulance both of them
covered with blankets and surrounded by various bits
of equipment. "I don't know, colonel," she said. "I've
got to get them to the Academy Hospital."
"Carter's alive?" he asked, needing to know for sure
that Teal'c's hurried words were indeed true.
She nodded. "Don't ask me how, but yes. Sir, I need to
go," she insisted.
He nodded, giving her permission to leave. She spun on
her heel and ran, jumping into the back of the
ambulance. The door closed and the vehicle drove off,
lights and sirens coming to life as soon as it cleared
the guard post.
Jack sighed, running his fingers through his
short-cropped hair. "Doctor Fraiser is a most capable
physician," Teal'c said.
"Yeah," Jack nodded. "But even miracle workers have
their limits." He turned, patting Teal'c on the arm.
"Come on, the sooner we report to Hammond, the sooner
we can go check on them."
<><><><><>
George Hammond accepted the folder from the woman,
motioning for her to take a seat. "Your report,
Doctor?"
"Doctor Anderson called. Daniel came through surgery
fine. He'll be in a cast for a few weeks and will need
some physical therapy, but should make a full
recovery," she said, her exhaustion plain on her face.
She'd been at the Academy Hospital for the past
several hours, orchestrating the care of her two
patients.
"Major Carter?"
"Major Carter is a bit more problematic. Basically,
sir, she should be dead," she said, shaking her head
slightly. "The creature did significant internal
damage. There were injuries to her liver and her
intestines. She should have bled to death," she said,
her disbelief plain in her voice.
"But she's alive."
"Yes, sir. She's stable." She looked down at a slip of
paper and sighed before handing it to him. "There is
something else, sir." She handed him the paper. "Her
pre-op blood tests showed a large dosage of morphine
in her system."
Hammond shrugged. "That's to be expected, I would
imagine she was in a lot of pain."
"According to Colonel O'Neill, she never regained
consciousness," she said seriously.
"What are you trying to say, doctor?" he asked
gravely.
"Sir, I'm not sure what I'm trying to say," she said,
frowning.
"I think I understand, doctor," he said. "Have you
shared this information with anyone else?"
She shook her head. "No, sir."
"It's a moot point, Doctor," he said. "Whatever
happened on that planet, happened on that planet."
"Yes, sir."
<><><><><>
Teal'c sat in the chair deliberately calming himself
as he held his vigil. The rhythmic beats of the heart
monitor kept time with his own heartbeat. It served a
dual purpose, it reassured him that she still lived,
while also reminding him that it was his act that put
her in that bed.
It had been a week now since their mission to the
planet. Daniel Jackson was well on his way to
recovery, the damage to his leg having been easily
fixed by the surgeon. He was due to leave the hospital
later on today. That was where O'Neill was, assisting
his teammate in the necessary paperwork to facilitate
his release.
The door opened and Teal'c watched as Doctor Fraiser
walked into the room. She smiled at him as she made
her way to Major Carter's bed. "Hey, Teal'c."
"Doctor Fraiser. What is Major Carter's condition?"
She pulled the chart from the foot of the bed and
opened it, reading the notes there. "It's the same,"
she said.
"Should she not have awakened?" he asked, even after
several years unfamiliar with the limits of Tau'ri
healing.
Doctor Fraiser shrugged. "It's a miracle she's alive,"
she said. She hugged the chart to her chest and walked
over to him. "Teal'c, her wounds are healing
spectacularly. There's no infection.which frankly
there should be. It's just.her blood pressure was
practically non-existent when she was in the
infirmary. That could have done some damage."
"Would the morphine have exacerbated her condition?"
he asked, his hand slipping into his pocket and
fingering the empty ampoule he kept there.
"Of course, it's possible that it.how do you know
about that?" she asked, frowning at him.
"Doctor Fraiser?"
"I never told anyone but General Hammond about the
morphine."
"What morphine?" They both spun to see O'Neill
standing in the doorway.
"Colonel," Fraiser said.
"What's this about morphine?" he asked, walking into
the room.
"It's nothing-"
"It is apparently a factor in Major Carter's
condition," Teal'c said, squaring his shoulders. He
dreaded the true facts of that day coming to light.yet
he also knew that it was inevitable.
"Doc?"
Fraiser sighed. "When Sam was admitted, they did
routine blood work before the surgery. It showed an
excessive amount of morphine in her blood," she
reported. "It's possible that that overdose could be
the reason she hasn't woken up. It could also be why
you thought she was dead."
O'Neill shook his head. "We didn't.Teal'c, you said
she never regained consciousness."
"She did not, O'Neill," he lied, making his decision
in an instant.
Doctor Fraiser stood there, staring at the two men.
"Colonel?"
"Would you excuse us, Doctor?"
She paused, clearly torn, then reluctantly nodded.
"Yes, sir," she said softly, leaving the room.
As he watched, his leader frowned, then his eyes
narrowed as he came to the only conclusion that was
possible. "Tell me I'm wrong," he demanded softly, as
soon as they were alone. "Tell me I'm wrong," he
repeated.
Teal'c slowly pulled his hand from his pocket, drawing
out the empty vial. "Perhaps this will answer your
questions." He held the vial up, offering it to
O'Neill. "I do not regret my actions," he said,
letting the vial fall between them, the frail glass
shattering on the tile floor. His back stiff and his
face set, he slowly walked from the room, fully aware
that he was leaving behind more than simply his
friends and that something far more important than a
simple glass vial was irreparably broken.
<><><><><>
Jack knocked on the door, taking a deep breath as
Hammond waved him in. "Jack? What can I do for you?"
the man asked welcomingly.
Jack paused for a second, knowing that his next words
were going to open a can of worms. "I'd like Teal'c
reassigned," he said.
"Colonel?" Hammond frowned. "SG-1 is out of the
mission rotation for a few weeks already. Teal'c is
always welcome to lend assistance to another team
until SG-1 is back on their feet."
"I'm not talking about temporarily, sir," Jack said.
"I'm requesting a permanent transfer. He's gotten
along well with Castleman or Griff and god knows the
Marines could always use some more muscle."
"Colonel, I don't understand. In the past you've been
very insistent that Teal'c be a member of your team
and your team only. It's a feeling that Teal'c has
shared in the past. In fact, I seem to recall that
more than once he's been willing to leave Earth rather
than be assigned to a different team. What's changed?"
"It's something I'd rather not go into, sir," Jack
said.
"Well, it's something you're going to have to go into
before I authorize a transfer. Unless this is Teal'c's
idea," Hammond said, crossing his hands on his desk.
Jack sighed, staring out the window into the briefing
room. Two members of SG-7 were milling around,
chatting, notebooks in their hands. He remembered,
they were due to ship out in three hours for a mission
to P3W285. A mission his team was supposed to have
carried out.except half of his team were in the
hospital and the other half. "Jack." Hammond's voice
pulled his attention back into the room. "What's going
on?" he asked, his voice changing, softening from that
of CO to that of friend. He motioned for Jack to sit,
an invitation he refused, instead turning his back on
the man and studying the framed patches on the wall.
He wanted to tell the man, wanted to confide in
someone. He'd find out eventually. He knew that.
Eventually Doc would spill the beans. Or he'd have to.
He would have to account for his decision, justify his
actions.
But he couldn't.
Teal'c had saved his life enough times that he
couldn't do that to him. He had to give him the
benefit of the doubt, had to believe that he hadn't
done anything maliciously. Maybe he'd just been trying
to help. It was hard to watch a friend of yours
suffer, even harder when you're helpless to do
anything about it.
That's what he told himself had happened. That Teal'c
had been trying to help Carter, to keep her
comfortable until morning. Morphine was a godsend at
times, but it was also tricky as hell. That was one
reason he hated to use it, it was too damned easy to
use it wrong.
"Jack, the last couple of weeks have been.trying to
say the least. My suggestion is that you reconsider
your request. Give it some time. If you still feel the
same way once Doctor Jackson is cleared for gate
travel, I'll see what I can do."
Jack turned back to face the man. "My mind's not going
to change, sir," he said. "As far as I'm concerned,
he's already gone."
<><><><><>
Daniel shifted in the chair bending over to adjust the
pillow under his cast. With a sigh, he stretched and
looked at his watch, yawning loudly. Jack would be
here in an hour or so to pick him up and take him
home.
It was a pattern they'd settled into in the past week,
since his release from the hospital. Sam was still a
patient there, and likely would be until she either
woke up or they determined she was ready to be
transferred to a long-term care facility. According to
Janet, the wound on her stomach was healing well, even
faster than what she called normal. Usually, that
would be a good thing, but all Daniel could think of
was that he wanted her to wake up, to open her eyes
and reassure him that she was going to be ok.
"So, where were we?" he asked, feeling the need to
break the silence in the room. As it was, he did his
best to keep the TV on, remembering how much Sam hated
total silence. Even in her lab, she always had some
sort of noise going on in the background, a radio or
her CD player. "Oh, right. Ok, I did some research on
the pictures we saw on that planet. They were Incan.
Not that that does us much good since we're not ever
going back but.You know the Incans used to practice
some human sacrifice so, you know, I was wondering if
that's what the voice meant. It said something about
the sacrifice being accepted so maybe they thought
that's what you were.anyway, it is the first time
we've run across Incans so you know, that
was.interesting."
He stopped talking, reaching out to take Sam's slack
hand in his. "You know, you can stop playing possum
any time now. Jack is going nuts doing paperwork,
Teal'c is giving SG-2 a run for their money." He
rubbed his fingers over hers, trying to warm her
chilled skin. He should get her another blanket. Sam
always got cold. He tucked her hand under the sheets.
"I wish you would wake up. There's something going on
between Jack and Teal'c.I don't know what. Both of
them aren't talking but.something's wrong. You could
pry it out of them. You're good at that. You're good
at reading Jack and Teal'c..you have Teal'c wrapped
around your little finger, in case you hadn't
noticed."
"Daniel?" He turned, not surprised to see Jack walking
into the room. "How's she doing?" he asked, stepping
closer.
Daniel shrugged. "The same."
Jack stood on the other side of the bed, his face
serious as he looked down on their teammate. "She'll
wake up," he said.
"You sound confident."
"That's my job," Jack said.
"And if she doesn't?"
"She will, Daniel."
"What about her living will?"
"Daniel?"
"Jack." He struggled to his feet, well foot. "You know
her wishes. I mean, God, I don't want her to. but.what
if she never wakes up?" he asked, voicing the fear
that he knew they both shared.
Jack sighed, reaching out to touch Sam's face. "We've
sent word to Jacob. Nothing's going to happen until he
can get here. It's his decision," he said solemnly.
Jack stared down at her for a second, the looked up at
Daniel. "You ready to go?"
"Yeah." Daniel shoved his book into the bag he was
using and reached for his crutches as Jack walked
around the bed, picking up the bag. They both left the
room, neither noticing the flutter of movement from
the figure on the bed.
<><><><><>
George knocked on Teal'c's door, waiting for
acknowledgement before entering the room.
"General Hammond," he acknowledged, getting to his
feet with a grace that George envied.and hadn't been
able to attain for more decades than he cared to admit
to.
"Teal'c. I understand your mission with SG-2 went
well."
"Indeed. We attained our mission objectives."
George walked around the room, regretting that Teal'c
never asked for furniture so they could sit down and
talk like gentlemen. "Colonel O'Neill came to see me
while you were gone," he said.
"Of that I have no doubt," Teal'c said and George
cursed his Jaffa discretion. "He wishes for me to
leave SG-1."
"He spoke with you about this?"
"It is an outcome I have expected," he said calmly. "I
am willing to resign my position on SG-1 and I shall
even leave Earth, should O'Neill wish it."
"What happened on that planet?" George asked, going to
what he was sure was the root of the issue.
"I have given you my reporting of event."
"Yes, yes you have. As has Colonel O'Neill and Doctor
Jackson. But you don't spend thirty plus years in the
military without being able to read between the
lines." Teal'c's dark face remained a bland mask and
George turned, crossing over to the far wall. There,
on a table, were a handful of pictures, snapshots that
he was sure were taken by Doctor Jackson, or in some
cases, Jonas Quinn. He knew in the large armoire in
the corner, there resided an impressive collection of
hats and that somewhere in this room, Teal'c owned an
impressive collection of DVD's, most of which were
gifts from his team.
"I don't know how much of Earth's history Doctor
Jackson has ever told you, but there was a conflict,
hell, let's be honest, it was a war. In some ways, the
VC were as bad as the goa'uld." He turned back to face
Teal'c. "You couldn't tell friend from foe. There was
no safe place. My platoon was on patrol along the Ho
Chi Minh Trail. We were ambushed. Four of us survived
but Scott, Scotty was wounded. He caught some shrapnel
and.it was bad.
The VC, this was their home. They knew the jungle,
better than we ever would. We found some tunnels and
holed up but.they were all around us. If we were gonna
make it out, we had to sneak out, there was no way we
could fight, they outnumbered us twenty to one. But we
had a problem."
"Your friend."
George nodded. "He was bad. He mighta made it, if we
had been closer to the firebase, but as it was.coup de
grace isn't a crime," he said seriously. "Sometimes
it's the best thing you can do for someone you care
for."
"I shall abide by O'Neill's wishes, General Hammond,"
he said after a few seconds, his face remorseful but
resolute.
George nodded again. "You'll always have a place at
the SGC, Teal'c," he promised. "Major Griff is looking
forward to having your expertise on his team."
Teal'c inclined his head. "I thank you, General
Hammond."
George stepped forward, laying his hand on Teal'c's
arm for a second. He opened the door and walked back
out into the hall knowing that he was leaving the
alien alone with his demons, yet unable to do anything
else.
<><><><><>
Sam slowly walked into her living room, carefully
making her way to her couch. She gingerly sat down,
unable to hide a grin as Daniel limped into the room,
his crutches creaking slightly. "We're quite the
pair," she said as he took a seat, setting her
overnight bag down beside him.
She heard the door close and turned her head, watching
as Janet made her way into the room, her arms full of
flowers, well wishes from various people at the SGC. A
quick glance around the room revealed even more gifts,
everything from more flowers to some small stuffed
animals.
"I'm jealous," Daniel said. "All I got was a
philodendron, some chocolates and a bag of Starbuck's
coffee," he teased.
"Take some flowers," she said as he sniffed. "Your
allergies will love them."
"Good point," he conceded.
"Are you sure you two will be ok?" Janet asked,
fussing a bit as she set down the last of the flowers.
She had volunteered to drive Sam home from the
hospital, initially planning to spend some time
getting her settled back at home but an outbreak of
the flu had left the SGC running on a skeleton staff.
Sam knew Janet needed to get back because SG-2 was due
to return in a few hours.
"We'll be fine," Sam said.
"Right," Daniel agreed. "Jack's going to bring over
dinner on his way home and worse comes to worse,
you're just a phone call away."
"If you're sure? I mean, both of you shouldn't be
driving and-"
"Janet, we're ok," Sam urged.
The doctor hesitated for a moment before shrugging.
"Ok, if you're sure. Sam, your meds are in the
kitchen."
"Yes, mom," Daniel quipped.
She stopped short, rolling her eyes. "Fine, be that
way. Call if you need anything."
"We will, thanks," Sam said.
She heard her friend leave and waited until the door
was shut before closing her eyes and slowly slumping
back into the couch cushions. She hurt, more than she
wanted to admit. She knew that it wasn't that serious
and nothing was going to fix itself overnight. She
just needed to be patient and wait for her body to
heal itself. And if the large scar bisecting her
middle was any indication, it was going to take a
while.
"Sam?" Daniel's concerned voice made her open her
eyes.
"I'm ok," she reassured.
"That first trip out of the hospital is a bitch," he
commiserated. "You'd swear they make sidewalks longer
on purpose."
"Tell me about it. You know, you don't have to stay.
I'm sure you have plenty of things to do."
He shrugged. "Not really. Besides, I still haven't
gotten around to replacing all my stuff so.your TV is
better," he said with a grin.
She chuckled, her arm going instinctively to her belly
in a protective gesture. That was one thing that had
made the two weeks since she'd woken up pass faster,
Daniel's easy presence keeping her company.
A lot of the first couple of days were a hazy blur,
the drugs making the line between memory and dreams at
times indistinguishable, but one constant was Daniel's
voice, reading, talking or just being there.
"Ok," she agreed. "But if you want to bail, feel free.
I mean, I'm sure that Teal'c will be over sometime."
"I'm not too sure about that," he said slowly.
"What do you mean?" she asked, concerned. She had
noticed that Teal'c hadn't visited her in the
hospital, and had even been concerned that he'd been
injured and that no one was telling her the
truth.until Janet reassured her that Teal'c was the
one of them that hadn't even gotten a scratch.
"He's working with SG-2 now," Daniel said.
"Well, sure. I mean, I can't imagine him just hanging
out for a couple of months but SG-2 doesn't have that
heavy of a mission rotation. Surely he has some
downtime? And anyway, I can't see Major Griff wanting
a fifth wheel on every mission."
"Teal'c's assignment is permanent," Daniel said. "He's
no longer a member of SG-1."
"What? Since when?" Sam demanded.
"Since about a week after you got hurt. General
Hammond said it was temporary, but both Jack and
Teal'c say it's for good."
"Why?" She struggled to comprehend the bombshell he'd
just dropped in her lap.
"Teal'c.why would he want to transfer?"
Daniel shook his head. "I don't know, Sam. Neither of
them will talk about it."
Sam sighed. Suddenly the three weeks she'd missed felt
like three years. Why would Teal'c transfer? Sure,
he'd quit before, but that had only happened once,
when he'd thought they all were dead. "Hey," he said,
raising his voice to get her attention. "We'll figure
it out. Worse comes to worse, we'll get Janet to break
out the restraints and tie both of them up."
Despite herself, she chuckled again, thoroughly
enjoying the mental image he put forth.
<><><><><>
Sam padded through the house, Daniel's soft snores
confirming that her plans were still going unnoticed.
She picked up her car keys from the hall table and
silently slipped from the house, momentarily grateful
for Daniel's injury. True, she wasn't going to be
setting any land speed records in the near future, but
she was still moving faster than him.
Reaching her car, she unlocked the door, carefully
easing herself into the driver's seat.
Sending a silent apology to the man she'd just snuck
away from, she stuck the key into the ignition,
putting the car in gear and pulling away from the
curb.
The streets were deserted, hardly unexpected given
that it was 0200. This was silly, she knew, visiting
the base in the wee hours of the morning. But it was
the only way. She knew if she told Daniel her plans
he'd insist upon accompanying her, and she didn't need
that. She didn't need any witnesses. It was going to
be hard enough to talk to Teal'c alone, much less with
an audience.
She had to talk to him before any more damage was
done, before her actions drove him away forever.
She cursed herself for her selfishness, for placing
such a burden upon him. She wasn't thinking straight
was the only explanation she could come up with. She
should have waited, or she should have lied, told him
that she hurt.
She'd been impatient, afraid that she'd lose her
chance, lose her only opportunity to help her friends.
What she'd asked him to do was cruel and selfish. It
was no wonder he couldn't stand to be around her.
It didn't take long to reach the mountain, and even
less time to clear security and descend into the SGC.
The base was quiet, the late hour combining with the
skeleton crew to make the corridors almost totally
empty.
Not in the mood to chitchat, she made a beeline for
Teal'c's quarters. Once there, she knocked, then
opened the door, disappointed to find the room empty.
He should be here. That was one fact she'd pried out
of Colonel O'Neill during his short visit earlier that
evening, the fact that SG-2 was due back in a couple
of hours. Which was the main reason that he'd barely
stayed long enough to eat.
General Hammond was among the sick, having caught the
flu that was going around so Jack was pulling double
shifts at the moment. He'd just slipped away from the
base for a couple of hours to bring them the promised
food, leaving Major Castleman in command.
Figuring that maybe he'd just gone to get something to
eat, she sat down on the bed, determined that no more
time was going to pass without them talking.
<><><><><>
Teal'c walked into the room, his stomach full after
acquiring sustenance from the commissary. Now he
simply desired a bath and the opportunity to get some
sleep.
He'd been informed upon his return that many of the
off-world missions would be curtailed until personnel
began to recover from the recent outbreak of
influenza.
He understood the wisdom of such an action. It was
foolhardy to continue their missions through the
stargate when they lacked sufficient support
personnel.
Yet he also regretted that he would, in essence, be
confined to the SGC for the foreseeable future.
The tensions between himself and O'Neill had lessened
a bit, but they still remained. And would likely
remain for some time. He took comfort in the knowledge
that Major Carter was recovering and, according to
Doctor Fraiser, had even returned to her home.
He lit his candles, something he did more from habit
than need and turned, his eyes growing wide at the
sight of the figure lying on his bed.
Slowly he stepped forward unsure if his tiredness was
leading him to hallucinate. She looked different from
the last time he'd seen her. Her face was thinner, but
more peaceful. She was clad in sweat pants and a long
sleeved t-shirt, a welcome change from her torn and
bloody fatigues in which he'd last seen her. He knelt
beside the bed, slowly extending his hand and holding
it in front of her mouth.
<flashback>
He felt her tears drip across his skin as her eyes
fluttered closed.
Her grip on his hand slowly loosened and he felt her
breath slow until the faint warmth on the back of his
hand faded.leaving nothing but the chill kiss of the
pre-dawn air.
<flashback>
The slow wash of her warm exhalation allayed his fears
and banished his dark memories. She sighed and her
eyes fluttered open. "Teal'c." She blinked, bringing
her hand up to scrub her face as he pulled his hand
away. "I'm sorry. All I seem to do anymore is sleep."
"That is not a surprise. The human body requires sleep
to heal."
She scooted up, moving to a seated position. "All I've
been doing for the past three weeks has been to
sleep," she complained.
He leaned back, gaining his feet, the accusation in
her voice striking him to the core. It was his fault
that she had been so ill. She had been left behind at
his urging. If not for the still unexplained actions
of the aliens, she would have died on that planet.
"Hey," she said, standing up and moving towards him.
"What's wrong?"
"I am most pleased that you are recovering. However, I
am fatigued after my mission with SG-2"
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," she
interrupted. "What's this nonsense about you
transferring to SG-2?"
"It is not nonsense."
"Teal'c, you've been on SG-1 for seven years. Why are
you leaving now?"
"O'Neill and I agreed that it would be for the best."
"Best for whom?"
"Major Carter-"
"Is it because of me?" He frowned. "I'm sorry," she
said. "I shouldn't have asked you to help me. It
was.I'm sorry," she repeated.
"I do not blame you for your actions," he said. "Or
hold you in any less esteem."
"Then why did you quit?" He stared at her for a
second, then turned his back to her. "Teal'c?" She
laid her hand on his arm, urging him to look at her.
He simply stared, his lips stubbornly pressed
together.
Her eyes narrowed and she sighed. "Fine. Be that way."
<><><><><>
Sam quietly shut Teal'c's door, fighting the urge to
wring her teammate's neck. That damned Jaffa loyalty
of his. She knew exactly what he was doing. It was
something he'd only do for a select few.
She closed her eyes, leaning against the wall for a
second. When exactly had the SGC gotten so big?
Straightening her shoulders, she slowly started down
the corridor.
Arriving at the elevator, she swiped her card and
entered the car. Chances are, the colonel was crashed
in his quarters, at least she was hoping he was. She
really wasn't in the mood to track him down in the
control room.
Reaching his room, she noticed that the light was on
and just opened the door. He was curled up on one of
the bunks, his face buried in a pile of at least three
nice thin Air Force issued pillows. "Colonel?" she
said, stepping close to give him a shake before
stepping back. She'd learned several years ago that he
had a bad habit of waking up swinging and that it was
definitely best to be out of arms reach. "Colonel!"
she said louder.
"Wha?" He woke with a start, half pushing himself up.
He frowned at her. "Carter?" He looked around. "What
the hell are you doing here?"
"Why is Teal'c off SG-1?" she asked, cutting straight
to the point.
He shook his head. "What?"
"Teal'c is permanently assigned to SG-2. Why?"
He shook his head. "Contrary to popular belief, the
military isn't a democracy. My decisions aren't up for
discussion," he said, scratching his head.
"Oh please," she said, rolling her eyes. "What do you
think happened on the planet?" she asked, hoping to
catch him off guard with the sudden topic change.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, stretching
and yawning.
"Colonel, would you come with me please?" she asked.
"It's.0300. The only place I should be going is to
sleep.and so should you. How did you get here? And
where's Daniel?"
"Colonel, please," she said ignoring his questions.
"Five minutes. That's all I ask."
He looked at her, his eyes narrowing. "Fine," he said,
getting to his feet.
"Thank you." She led the way from the room and
retraced her steps back to Teal'c's room. Once there,
she opened the door, ushering her commander in.
"Major Carter?" Teal'c had changed from his fatigues
and was in a loose fitting pair of pants and tank top,
obviously ready to bed.
"Teal'c. Tell him what happened on the planet," she
said, walking across the room to claim a seat on the
bed, not wanting to admit that if she didn't sit down,
she was going to fall down.and that wouldn't be the
way to get them to talk.
"Carter, we know what happened on the planet," Jack
said.
Sam shook her head. "No, sir. I don't think you do.
Teal'c."
He looked at her, then inclined his head, nodding
solemnly.
<flashback>
"Teal'c?" Sam's whisper drew his attention down to the
form lying beside him.
"Major Carter. Are you in pain?"
"No," she breathed, frowning slightly. "I don't feel
anything. Daniel?"
"He is alive."
"Good." He saw her lick her lips and he reached for
his canteen, bending over to hold her head up,
enabling her to take a couple of sips of water. Her
hand slipped down to the sodden bandages over her
belly. "How bad?"
He considered lying, then changed his mind, knowing
that she would appreciate honesty. "Your injury is
most grievous," he admitted.
"Thought so," she said. "Or he wouldn't be so
worried."
"O'Neill plans-"
"I know," she interrupted. "I heard. It won't work."
"O'Neill believes that it will."
"He's wrong. You'll never make it, not carrying both
of us. Where's the med kit?" she asked.
"We have no more bandages," he said, reaching for the
bag.
"I know." She took the bag from him and reached into
it, fumbling a bit as she tried to find something
while not being able to see it. Finally she drew her
hand out, her fingers closed over something.
He looked down, squinting to see it in the faint light
from the planet's moon. "You said you were not in
pain," he said softly, recognizing the ampoule of
morphine in her hand. He reached out and covered her
hand with his, stilling her movements.
"I can't feel my legs," she whispered.
"Major-"
"I'm dying, Teal'c. You and I both know that even if I
make it to the gate, there's nothing Janet can do."
"Doctor Fraiser is most skilled," he said, fighting to
keep his voice even.
"What did you once say about a true warrior?" she
whispered, her eyes slipping closed.
"That a true warrior would rather perish than to cause
the death of another," he intoned, closing his eyes.
"I won't let you guys die for me," she said, her voice
breaking. He still kept her hand in his. "Please,
Teal'c," she begged. He looked down and met her gaze,
feeling his own eyes filling with tears to match hers.
"Please."
He pulled her fist open, taking the drug from her. Not
breaking eye contact, he removed the protective cover
from the needle and pressed the ampoule back into her
palm. She smiled at him, then pressed the needle into
her arm, squeezing the plunger slowly.
Once it was empty, he pulled it from her arm, placing
the cover back over the needle and shoved it into his
pocket. He took her hand in his and let her pull it
towards her face. He felt her lips brush over his
skin. "Thank you," she whispered, not releasing her
grip.
He felt her tears drip across his skin as her eyes
fluttered closed.
Her grip on his hand slowly loosened and he felt her
breath slow until the faint warmth on the back of his
hand faded.leaving nothing but the chill kiss of the
pre-dawn air.
<flashback>
His quiet words faded, leaving a heavy silence in
their wake. Jack looked at Sam, frowning furiously.
"It was my choice, sir. You want to blame anyone, you
blame me," she said softly.
He turned to Teal'c. "Why did you lie?" he demanded.
"I did not lie," Teal'c said.
"For crying out loud, Teal'c. You let me think you
killed her," Jack shouted.
Sam closed her eyes, the confirmation of her fears
equal parts relief and sadness. "I did what I felt to
be best," Teal'c said.
"How do you mean, Teal'c?" she asked.
"I have observed that humans do not think kindly of
those that take their own lives, even if it is a
mercy."
"So you decided to let everyone think you're a
murderer," Jack said. "Including me."
"I cannot control what people think," Teal'c said. The
two men stared at each other for a ridiculous length
of time until a knock at the door broke the tension.
"Enter," Teal'c said.
The door opened and Sergeant Davis peeked his head in.
"Excuse me, sir. I was looking for Colonel O'Neill."
"What is it?" Jack asked, stepping towards the man.
"Doctor Jackson is on the phone. He's concerned about
something."
"I wonder what that's about," Jack said, shooting Sam
a look.
She cringed slightly. "He was asleep."
"Fancy that," Jack quipped. "Thank you, Sergeant. I'll
be there in a minute."
"Perhaps I should accompany Major Carter back to her
domicile," Teal'c suggested as Davis shut the door.
"Yeah." Jack massaged the back of his neck. "Why don't
you get her home, I'll go tell Daniel to chill."
He left the room and Teal'c turned back to face her.
"I need to change my attire," he said.
"Did you mean it?" she asked, getting to her feet and
crossing over to face him.
"Mean what?"
"What you said," she reminded, his recounting of
events triggering her memory.a nebulous memory she'd
originally tough to just be a dream or hallucination.
<flashback>
"You have been a great and true friend," he whispered,
leaning over until his lips brushed her ear. "I have
learned many things and shall always revere you as a
kindred spirit who lived her life with honor. You are
a great warrior and your loyalty is boundless. You are
my sister in arms and you shall never be replaced. May
your soul find peace."
<flashback>
He nodded. Despite herself, she felt her eyes prick
with tears. "Thank you," she whispered, standing on
her toes to peck him on the cheek. She pulled away and
squeezed his arm before slipping from the room to give
him privacy to get changed.
<><><><><>
George sat heavily down in his chair, softly groaning
as the burgundy leather squeaked slightly. He felt as
weak as a two month old kitten. It'd been a long time
since he'd battled the flu, and god willing, it'd be
another decade or two before he caught it again.
Taking a deep breath, he reached for his outbox,
glancing through all the things Jack had taken care of
during the past week. He had to hand it to the man,
he'd done a damn good job of running this place on a
skeleton staff and double shifts to boot, although
pulling the off-world teams had helped.
"Sir?"
He looked up, waving Jack into the room. He nodded
toward the chair. "Everything looks great, Jack," he
said.
Jack shrugged. "Piece of cake, general. Although if
you happen to notice a requisition for cable to be
installed in one of the rec rooms, I'd appreciate it
if you just looked the other way."
George chuckled. "I think I can do that. Anything I
should know about before you go?" he asked, knowing
that the colonel was probably more than a little eager
to have some time off, which was why he'd granted him
and the others who'd pulled double and triple duty
during the past week three days leave.
"Aah, just one thing," Jack said, pulling a piece of
paper out of his pocket. "I'd like to ask for Teal'c
to come back to SG-1," he said, handing George the
transfer request.
"Really?" the general asked, taking and scanning the
paper. "What does Major Griff think about this?"
"He's fine with it, sir. He said he'd been expecting
this to happen from the beginning," Jack reassured
him.
"And Teal'c? What does he think about being treated
like a traveling trophy?" George asked, his irritation
plain in his voice. He knew this was going to happen
eventually, that Jack would reconsider his actions.
Much to his relief, Jack had the grace to at least
look ashamed of himself.
"Teal'c and I.I was wrong," he said. "I shouldn't have
acted like I did."
"No, you shouldn't have," George said. "If I know
Teal'c, he did what he did to spare the rest of you,
not to hurt you."
"I know, I.what? What are you talking about, sir?"
"Teal'c gave Major Carter the morphine," George said.
Jack shook his head. "No, he didn't," he corrected.
"He helped but.Carter did it herself."
"Jack?"
The colonel closed his eyes, scrubbing his hand over
his face. "She thought she was dying and that we
wouldn't have made it back to the gate carrying her
so.she did it," he said.
"Was she right?" George asked softly.
Jack thought a moment then slowly shook his head. "I
don't know. It was dicey at the gate. A couple of
those Icky things attacked us and..." He sighed. "I
really don't know."
"That's the kicker, you don't know. None of us ever
know. We can replay it in our minds a million times,
explore a dozen different choices, in the end, we'll
never know. Regret is a damned cold companion when
it's late at night and the demons come." Jack simply
nodded. "Request granted. Teal'c can be back on SG-1
although we may have to shuffle things a bit until
we're back up to snuff."
"That's fine, sir," Jack agreed.
"How are Sam and Doctor Jackson?"
"According to Doc, it'll be at least another month
before she and Daniel are back to active duty status
but they're both doing fine. In fact, we're having a
little barbeque this afternoon. You're welcome to
come," he invited.
George smiled. "I don't quite think my stomach is up
to barbeque, but thank you," he said.
"Yes, sir."
Hammond waved his hand. "Go, Jack. Have fun. Enjoy
your three days, god knows you've earned them."
Jack got to his feet. "Thank you, sir."
<><><><><>
Jack parked his truck and reached into the back seat,
struggling a bit to pull the large sack of fried
chicken and all the fixings out without spilling the
gravy and cole slaw. He managed, juggling a bit to get
his thumb on the button for the keyless locks, then
made his way up the walk.
Hearing voices, he walked around the house, not
surprised to see the rest of his team in the back
yard. Carter was stretched out in one of her lawn
chairs, a magazine held in her hands while Daniel and
Teal'c were seated at a small table, a chessboard
between them.
As he got closer, Teal'c looked up. "O'Neill," he
said.
"Food," Daniel crowed. "Finally."
Jack held the bags up. "Out here or inside?" he asked.
"Let's take it inside, sir," Sam said, getting up from
her chair. "We can eat out here but it'll keep the
bugs out."
"Inside it is then. Daniel, you want dark meat or
white meat?"
"Dark meat," he answered, taking the cue to remain
seated. "And another coke."
Teal'c followed him in and in a matter of minutes they
went back outside, their arms burdened with laden
plates and full glasses. The next few minutes were
spent in relative silence as they all ate their fill
of the chicken, mashed potatoes, cole slaw and baked
beans.
Twenty minutes later Jack was pulling the garbage can
closer and dumping the dirty paper plates in while Sam
helped. Daniel and Teal'c went back to their game and
Sam put the leftovers into the refrigerator. She
walked back outside with fresh drinks for everyone,
reclaiming her seat she picked her magazine up,
pulling up the hem of her shirt to twist off the cap
off her lemonade.
"Doc know you're drinking that?" Jack asked as he sat
beside her, picking up the beer she'd brought out for
him.
"I'm hardly taking any meds anymore," she said. "And
anyway, there's not enough alcohol in here to give me
a buzz." She took a drink and leaned back, closing her
eyes.
Jack took a deep drink of his own beer, indulging
himself as he took advantage of her closed eyes,
taking a moment to study her features.
She'd put on a few pounds in the last week, the
hollows in her cheeks filling out a bit. She had a bit
of a tan and he knew from Teal'c that she and Daniel
had spent a lot of time just hanging around the house,
renting movies and relaxing.
Both of them were healing well and Fraiser thought
they'd be cleared for light duty in a couple of weeks.
"You shouldn't have done it," he said softly.
She opened her eyes, frowning at him. "Excuse me?"
"We coulda made it."
She shook her head. "I don't think so."
"Carter-"
"Colonel, I was dying," she said softly, looking him
in the eyes. "I.I could feel it. You'd have risked
your life for a corpse."
"It's my life."
"No," she corrected. "It's theirs."
"Carter-"
"Colonel, what would you have done?" she asked him. He
broke the eye contact, looking down at his beer.
"Exactly. I don't want you guys to die for me."
"That's not your decision," he said seriously.
"I know," she whispered.
"You have no idea how it felt when Teal'c came down
and told me you were.weren't."
"Probably what it felt like when we got an
unauthorized gate activation from Edora," she
interrupted.
He quirked his eyebrows. "Those two driven you nuts
yet?" he asked, looking towards Daniel and Teal'c.
She shook her head. "They've been ok. Teal'c brings
him stuff from the mountain, keeps him occupied."
"And you too I bet?"
She squirmed. "Keeps my inbox clean. Besides, I don't
really have much else to do."
"You know, if you have nothing better to do than just
sit around in the sun and if I had more than three
days leave, I'd drag you up to a certain pristine spot
in the Land of a Thousand Lakes," he threatened.
"And one of these days, I'm gonna take you up on that
and check out that fishless lake of yours," she said
with a grin.
Jack chuckled, letting the conversation fade away as
he settled for simply sitting and enjoying the
presence of his friends. They were together again,
maybe not forever, probably not forever, but who
wanted forever when what was important was now.
~Fin~