Daniel slipped into the infirmary, his eyes automatically searching the room for one person. With that eerie sixth sense of hers, Janet looked up from the chart she was writing in and met his gaze. She slipped it back on its hook and crossed to him, her finger in front of her lips to keep him quiet.

"How is she?" he whispered, looking at the person in the far bed.

"I don't understand it but…she's Sam," Janet replied, still at a loss as to how her friend managed to survive hours in the SGC mainframe.

"It's not like…with Jolinar?" he asked, remembering how his friend had nearly not recovered from having the Tok'ra possess her.

Janet frowned then looked at the major. Sam was curled up on the bed, facing the far wall, just like last time. "No," she reassured, getting what Daniel was asking. "She's got a horrible headache. Worse than any migraine I've ever seen. Nothing seems to work short of knocking her out."

"Why don't you?"

"She won't let me. I…I don't think she wants to fall asleep," Janet said keeping her voice low. A part of her understood her friend's fear. But the doctor part wanted nothing more than to slip Sam a sedative so she could have some relief, even though that would betray her trust. It was almost as though her friend was craving sensation, even unpleasurable ones.

"I'd like to try something," Daniel offered.

Janet nodded. "Be my guest."

He walked past her to Sam's bed. It was dim back in the corner, the only real light coming from the rest of the room. Fortunately the bed was last in the row and Sam was the only patient at the moment.

She was curled up on her side in the bed, her knees almost up to her chest. Her IV encumbered left arm lay across her chest but her right arm was under the pillow, hugging it. Even in the dim light he could see her fingers digging into the pillow and the slight frown on her forehead.

"Sam?" he whispered, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Her eyes opened for a second then closed with a wince. "Daniel," she breathed.

He knew these kinds of headaches, ones so bad that it hurt to breathe. "You should let Janet help you sleep."

"No," she said softly. He could hear the fear in her voice.

Making a decision he walked around the bed, lowered the protective rail and climbed up beside her.

"Daniel?" she asked, feeling the mattress shift.

"Trust me," he replied, propping his back against the head of the bed and stretching his legs out. Once he was situated he reached for her, gently threading his fingers through her hair until he found the pressure points he was looking for. Slowly he pressed down, starting to massage them.

"What?" she asked, bringing her bandaged left hand up to cover his.

"Shau'ri used to get horrible migraines every month. Sometimes this helped," he explained. Sam didn't respond but lowered her hand, allowing him to continue.

After several minutes he could feel her starting to relax, her breathing growing slow and even. He stopped the massage and smoothed her hair, which had been ruffled by his fingers. "You're gonna be ok," he leaned over and whispered in her ear.

He swung his left leg off the bed preparing to untangle himself and let her sleep.
Her left hand fumbled out and blindly grabbed his right leg. "Stay?" she said, her eyes still shut.

He covered her left hand with his own and pulled his leg back up onto the bed. "As long as you want," he replied, grasping it as tightly as he could without hurting her burn.

She gave a small sigh and relaxed again. He closed his eyes and was soon asleep himself, not seeing Janet check on them before drawing the curtains to give them some privacy.

<><><><><>

A slight movement woke Daniel. He opened his eyes and glanced around the room, trying to figure out why he was sleeping sitting up in the infirmary. He felt another movement and looked down so see Sam looking up at him, a puzzled look on her face. "Daniel?"

"Morning. Or afternoon I guess," he said, looking at his watch. "How's the headache?"

She scooted herself up so she was sitting beside him. "Better," she said, running her fingers through her hair. "Did you stay here all night?"

"Didn't have anywhere else to go. Besides I haven't spent a night here in weeks, I was starting to miss it," he shrugged.

"Liar," she smiled. "Thanks."

"Anytime. Do you remember anything?"

Sam frowned. "Leaving the infirmary I think. Running through he halls then…" she shook her head and trailed off.

"That must be when it…zapped you to the MALP room."

"MALP Room?"

"It aah…it downloaded you, I guess, into the mainframe," Daniel answered, still not quite believing that that was what had happened. Things like people living in computers used to be limited to science fiction and Disney movies.

Sam stared down at her hands. "I…it might have been a dream but…there was a maze. Big, dark and…I kept trying to find a way out but it was endless. Every turn I took led to others and…it was so cold," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "It just kept going and going…. It felt like forever. I thought I was never going to get out," she finished in a small voice.

"Well…. It saved your life."

"What?"

"After it…put you in the computer it attacked the base again. Jack…aah…he shot you."

"What?" Sam asked, feeling for a wound.

"With a zat."

"Ooh."

"Twice."

"OOOH."

"Janet got you back here, put you on life support."

"But I have…"

"We know. They aah…we were about to pull the plug when…we heard you."
Sam stared at her hands, the reality of her brush with the grim reaper sinking in. "Thanks for listening."

Daniel put his arm over her shoulder and gave her a hug. Sam closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of contact. That was one thing she'd missed in the 'maze'. Contact, with anything. It had to be what sensory deprivation tanks were like. No sound. No sense of touch. Just nothing. Lots and lots of nothing.

"Geez. You two oughta get a room." Sam opened her eyes to see Jack standing at the edge of the curtain, his hands crossed over his chest. He was smiling slightly, but she could see it was a smile that didn't quite make his eyes.

"Geez. You should learn to knock," Daniel responded pulling his arm away but not moving from her side.

Jack rolled his eyes and slapped at Daniel's feet, making him move so he could sit on the bed. "How you feeling?"

"Better thanks," she responded.

Jack nodded. "Look…about before…"

"Maybe we should make another standing rule sir. Any of us try to take over the world we have permission to shoot first and ask questions later," she said, rescuing him from stumbling out an apology.

"Sounds good to me. He certainly had no problem trying to blow my brains out when I blew up Russia," Daniel quipped.

"Ok. Deal. I ever pull a Doctor Evil Carter you have permission to shoot me," Jack said. "So…did you have fun playing around in the mainframe? Find out any secrets you'd like to share?"

Sam shared a look with Daniel. "Maybe."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Maybe? Come on. Spill," he demanded.

"I shouldn't. I mean…it wouldn't be right," Sam said, fighting back a grin.

"Definite violation of privacy," Daniel interjected, playing along.

"Major…If you've got any dirt on someone it's your duty to let me know," he insisted. "The safety of this base could depend on it."

"Well…I…there was a large file of surveillance camera footage," she said.

"Of what?"

"No. I…"

"Carter…Do I have to make it an order?"

"Your office. Last week, when you promised the general you'd get the reports done…the reports I finished for you…it was really weird, there was just hours and hours of…someone wearing some really weird clothes…in your office, practicing his putting," Sam said. She heard Daniel snort as Jack's face flushed. So the rumor was right.

"Fine. Just forget I asked," Jack said, getting to his feet. "Come on Daniel. Let's go before doc thinks up some more tests she wants to run." Daniel squeezed Sam's hand and got off the bed. "Carter…Sam, glad you're ok."

"Me too colonel."

~Fin~