Teal’c could remember no time he had ever felt so exposed. He stood just steps from the doorway of his goal, unarmed and fairly certain a strong gust of wind would bring him to his knees. Time was slipping by with amazing speed and he could feel the desperation gnawing away at him. He took a deep breath and lurched forward, the momentum carrying him the last two steps landing him against the doorframe at long last. The adrenaline rush of achievement gave him the boost he needed to stand upright, braced by one arm against the door, and give a quick look around the room. What was left of the daylight flowed in, revealing a sight better then he could have possibly imagined. Daniel Jackson had opened the door to a virtual Goa’uld armory.
He could see shelves lined with zat’nikatels, a wall of staff weapons, several boxes he believed held hand devices and more that held healing devices. Nothing seemed to have been disturbed meaning their assailants had not needed the weapons or did not know they were weapons. It was to his benefit regardless. When outnumbered, the better choice would be a zat. Teal’c carefully made his way over to the shelves and pulled one off. He turned, aimed and discharged it at a spot across the room, confirming it was still in working order. Tucking it securely in his belt loop, he took a second one and repeated the action. Confident he was now adequately armed, he made his way back out into the fading sunlight.
Torn, he looked for signs leading in the direction Daniel Jackson had been taken. He knew rushing in when he was injured could be disastrous, but was also afraid to delay his pursuit any longer than he had. With only the slightest hesitation, he began his precarious pursuit with an unsteady gait, but a resolve of steel.
~~ * ~~
From the UAV images they had received, Sam knew they were fast approaching the area Teal’c and Daniel should be. The colonel knew it, too, and they both unconsciously slowed, scanning the area with a watchful eye. She wanted to see her friends, but her hand was on her weapon in case they should find something else. Catching the colonel’s eye, he signaled to her to enter the area from the left, he took the right. Sam tuned an ear to the area. She heard nothing she would expect to hear from her two teammates, no Daniel excitedly rambling on, no Teal’c offering his assistance on a word or two, just nothing. Looking over, she saw the same disappointed look reflected on her team leader’s face.
Colonel O’Neill motioned to the deserted looking campsite he’d spotted not far from the small grouping of buildings Daniel had been excited about. Assured her side was clear, Sam headed over to him, stopping in her tracks midway, a cold fist wrapping itself around her middle and squeezing the air out of her. The ground was bleeding. That was the only way to account for the small lake of blood she could see in the middle of the clearing. Forcing breath into her lungs, Sam took a tentative step closer. It had to be something else. She drew nearer, crouching down and lightly touching a shaking hand to the scarlet surface.
“Carter!”
The booming call made her jump back, bringing her face to face with her CO across the blood soaked soil. He was holding a battered, blood tinged SGC jacket in his hand and his eyes were locked on the tips of her brightly stained fingers. When their eyes met, she saw a flash of absolute horror behind the brown, frightening her more than anything else she had seen. She couldn’t hold his eye and moved her attention to the jacket. “Sir?” she asked, knowing either way the answer would hurt.
“Looks like Teal’c’s,” he stated, tone flat. “There’s a blood trail all the way from here to the tent and in the tent itself. No bodies.”
She was right, it hurt. All of this blood couldn’t be Teal’c’s. Not even he could survive this much of a loss. He wasn’t dead, she would not allow him to be dead, so it couldn’t all be his, not that the alternative gave her anymore hope. The word scratched her throat as it grated out. “Daniel?”
“It looks like it was only one person.” He looked around them, eyes scanning over the abandoned staff weapon before settling back on her. “Let’s check the buildings.”
They had made their way through three buildings with no signs of their missing teammates or their assailants. Near the entrance of the fourth, she saw the colonel retrieve something off the ground that made him frown, but the fading light made it impossible to see what he stuffed into his pocket before signaling her inside. She stepped through the doorway, taken slightly aback by what was held within; row after row of all things Goa’uld. They made sure the building was clear before taking a closer look at the items.
Sam noticed two clean spots amongst the dust on the first shelf. “Colonel? I think someone removed two zats from over here.”
“Yeah, something’s missing over here too.” He grabbed a zat and gave it a test shot. Sam did the same, both of them stowing one and taking another for good measure. They stepped out in time to see the sun give off its last wisps of light before ducking behind the horizon. “Let’s finish the buildings and settle in, we’ll continue on at first light.”
Sam wanted to argue, but knew as well as the colonel that he was right. They couldn’t track what they couldn’t see. “Yes, sir,” she whispered as she followed him into the dark.
~~ * ~~
Daniel hurt. On a physical level, the steady pounding behind his eyes was fierce enough to make moving more trouble than it was worth. Besides, moving so much as a pinky finger sent his empty stomach into a tailspin, ending with it lodged in the back of his throat, begging to be let out. Being subjected to a few dozen zat blasts and a round or two with the ribbon device added in with a skinny dip in one of the Minnesota lakes Jack loved during the frigid winter months and spending a night in a cement mixer wouldn’t even come close to how bad he felt right now. The worst part was, it still hurt less than losing Teal’c. Or knowing the sick child in the next room would never grow up, never find his true love, never finish just being a kid.
He would cry for these things if his body would let him, but it just didn’t have the ability right now. He could feel the smooth icy cold stone beneath him, the thin covering Shomas had given him providing about as much warmth as a newspaper would. Not that he wasn’t grateful for the small kindness. The man seemed to understand what Daniel was trying to tell him, yet it obviously wasn’t enough for him to have been set free. At least his captors hadn’t come back for a repeat performance of the Popeye and Bruiser show.
His thoughts drifted to Jack and Sam. He wanted them to come charging in and take him home, but equally wanted them to stay far away and safe. Aside from the abysmal way strangers were greeted, something was killing these people. A violent tremor caused him to move involuntarily, sending a spike of pain through his brain, making him wonder if that ‘something’ hadn’t already taken hold of him.
Daniel was jolted from his reverie by a set of bickering voices that seemed to be moving towards him. The appearance of a red faced, very angry looking Bruiser prompted him to attempt to sit upright. He couldn’t stop the moan that came from him as he struggled upward, finally coming to rest breathlessly with his back against the wall. He swallowed, fighting the nausea as shivers shook his body. He put his arms back around his knees to steady himself and watched helplessly as Bruiser unlocked his cell and came charging at him. An angry voice from behind caught both of their attention as Shomas and a man Daniel hadn’t seen before entered the cell on Bruiser’s heels.
Daniel finally noticed there was only one guard on duty as that man joined the other three, giving him an up close look at the bunch. Bruiser wasn’t just red with anger, he looked flushed from fever. Actually, all of them looked fevered to varying degrees. Whatever this was, it was getting worse. Harsh words kept flowing between the two men as Daniel and the other two men observed. Finally, Shomas lowered his voice and put a hand on each of Bruiser’s shoulders. A calm statement and a wave in Daniel's direction caused the lighter man to turn towards him. For the first time since this began, Daniel felt like the man was really looking at him. Anger dissipated into a series of emotions that played across his features, disbelief, sorrow, remorse and finally, sad acceptance.
Looking into the stricken face that had previously displayed only scorn, Daniel was reminded he was far from the only loser in this. The man looked down at the key lying in his hand before looking to the blood encrusted cuffs still binding Daniel’s wrists. As he turned and held the keys out to Shomas, blue talons enveloped him, moving in turn over each man, dropping them to the floor before the familiar whine had made its way to Daniel’s ears.
~~ * ~~
Teal’c had been following the trail of his attackers for several hours, gaining confidence if not strength along the way. His senses allowed him to keep moving through the darkness where his human counterparts could not. Having stayed on his feet heartened him, though he should have been able to traverse the distance in a quarter of the time it had taken, even taking into account the lack of light. Approximately three miles from the area he had been working with Daniel Jackson stood a series of buildings. Most were as dilapidated as those they had seen in the clearing and appeared to be abandoned.
His attention was drawn to one near the outskirts of the area. It was slightly larger then the others and despite the growing illumination as the sun crept from beyond the horizon, he could still see a faint glow drifting out of the window and door openings. He tuned his hearing and believed he heard voices emanating from the dwelling. Teal’c crept closer, injury forgotten momentarily in the hopes of finding his teammate. With stealth one would not attribute to a man his size, he stole silently into the building. He saw lights and heard the soft murmur of voices from an area to his left. To the right, he could hear the distinct reverberation of disagreement. Cautiously, he moved in that direction finding himself outside a room were an unquestionable argument was taking place. The words were nonsensical to him, but there was no mistaking the tone.
Teal’c waited a few beats before slowly peering in the doorway. The room held a cell area at its rear. There he saw four men standing, two of them engaged in a verbal battle while the other two stood clear. The next sight to greet him caused his spirits to soar and his blood to boil. Just beyond the men, barely visible between the bars of the cell, sat the very battered form of Daniel Jackson. The young man was in a state of undress not suited to either the weather or his modesty. He appeared to be covered in bruises and abrasions, was convulsively shaking hard enough to be noticeable at this great a distance and his arms and hands were tracked with blood, fresh and old, originating from his bound wrists.
Hatred and rage flowed from Teal’c in waves as his hand tightened around the base of the zat. He bit back an irate howl, clenching his jaw and steadying himself. In a smooth motion, he raised the weapon and swung into the room, discharging the weapon in swift succession, dropping the men quickly. As quickly as his body was able, he worked his way into the cell and took a closer look at his stunned teammate. The confirmation of his friend’s condition motivated him to turn and raise his weapon for the fatal second shot.
“Teal’c?” The haggard voice was barely a whisper, but it compelled him to give his attention back to the linguist. He was staring at Teal’c in awe, round eyes a bit too bright with fever. “Teal’c. You’re here. You’re alive.” A smile graced Daniel Jackson’s face for a moment of apparent joy in discovering Teal’c lived. It was immediately replaced with concern and confusion. “Wait, Teal’c. Don’t kill them. It’s…They were only… Just don’t kill them. Please.”
The last part was an out and out plea. Coming from the notoriously peaceful man, it did not really surprise him, but Teal’c was not sure he could accommodate his wish this time. These cowards had attacked from the shadows and without provocation. They had abducted and grossly mistreated a relatively defenseless man and would have denied both himself and Daniel Jackson an honorable death and burial. He glared at the pitiful excuse for men at his feet.
“Teal’c, please. I’ll explain, I promise.”
Teal’c knew he was choiceless when it came to his friend, as much as he wanted to, he could not refuse him. With a deep frown, he bent down and retrieved a set of keys he saw lying between two of the soon to be awakening men. He moved over and reached down to grasp his teammate by his forearms. Trying to help him to his feet, he was reminded of his own weakened state. With great effort, they were standing, leaning on each other as much for support as to reassure themselves the other was truly there and living. Together they made their way around the men and out of the cell. Teal’c helped the younger man to a bench along the wall opposite the cell then found the correct key, locking the door before the men should rouse.
Suddenly, overwhelming weariness came over him and he seated himself on the floor very near his friend. He knew there were others in the building; he’d heard them when he first entered. Sitting was unwise, but he needed to assess his Tau’ri companion’s condition and truthfully, did not think he would be able to successfully walk to the next room. Reaching out, he pulled the shackled hands to rest on his chest as he searched for the right key to free him. Teal’c tried his best to be gentle but still caused the man to grimace and let a small gasp escape as the metal bindings were removed. Daniel kept his hand resting on his chest for a few moments and Teal’c saw him looking at the once tan colored BDU’s that were stained with blood and dirt from his waist to knees. He looked into Teal’c’s eyes before speaking.
“Teal’c, I thought… I was sure you were…I…” He pulled his arms back, wrapping them around himself as the Jaffa had seen him do so many times before. The younger man averted his eyes and focused on the ground. “I’m glad you’re here, Teal’c”
For once, Teal’c allowed himself a smile. “I am pleased to see you again as well, Daniel Jackson.” He reached around and pulled a thin blanket he had found in the cell with the linguist more tightly around the shivering form. “There are others here. I need to contain them and then you must explain all that has transpired.”
“There are others here, Teal’c, but they’re sick. I don’t think anyone else will come in here for a while.”
“Are you certain of this?”
“Certain they’re sick, not sure about the other. What about Jack and Sam?”
“I have been unable to contact them. I am uncertain of their location at this time. Daniel Jackson, it would appear you are unable to move of your own volition. You rest and I shall secure this location.”
“Thanks Teal’c, but you don’t look so hot yourself. Are you able to listen for movement around you while doing Kel’no’reem?”
“I am.”
“Good. We rest and then try to figure out what to do.”
Daniel Jackson seemed confident the plan was acceptable. Teal’c was not convinced. He wanted nothing more than to eliminate the possibility of threat, treat his friend’s injuries and fill him with food and water that had very apparently been denied. Unfortunately, he did not have the energy reserves to argue with the stubborn minded man. Conceding defeat, he helped his teammate lie down on the bench and allowed his own eyes to close. They would rest and then they would find their friends and a way home.
~~ * ~~
Jack’s knee was complaining. Loudly. He turned a deaf ear, deeming it insignificant until his team was found. He and Carter had been on the move since the second the sun had breached the edge of the sky. Setting a fast pace, they moved in silence, each absorbed in thoughts of their missing teammates. Jack wished Teal’c was with them, he could track better than any man he’d ever known. Luckily, whoever left the trail didn’t seem overly concerned about being followed. It never took more than a few minutes of rooting around to find which way to go but Jack had this nagging suspicion they were minutes they couldn’t spare.
He sensed Carter slowing. Falling into step beside her, he saw what had caught the major’s attention. They were approaching a clearing that held several buildings, very similar to the ones they had swept at Daniel and Teal’c’s campsite. On automatic pilot, they began the long-established pattern, working through each building in turn and finding no signs of life. As they neared the largest structure, Jack thought he heard soft voices coming from inside. They followed the sound to a room off to the right of the entrance. He ticked of the countdown and on his mark, they swung into the room, zats at the ready.
Jack stopped cold. The room was filled with wall-to-wall bodies. It took him a moment to realize most seemed to be alive, some if barely. A middle aged, exhausted looking woman was kneeling between two very ill children. She was whispering and stroking their heads, presumably comforting them as they tossed and turned, yelling and fighting at the air. A small flash of fear crossed her face as she took in Jack and Sam, but almost immediately dismissed them, turning back to her charges and acknowledging the strangers no longer. No one else seemed aware enough to care about their presence.
A quick head count came up with six children, six women, counting the still partially functional one, and six men. None of them part of his team. Two of the less incapacitated men raised their heads long enough to glare at them as they went by, but no one showed any inclination of making a move against them. Jack caught Carter’s eye and motioned her towards the woman. She lowered her weapon and crouched down along the side of one of the sick children.
“Hello. Do you understand me?” The woman shot her an annoyed glance and continued soothing the ill. “We’re looking for friends of ours. Have you seen anyone around here?” This time she didn’t even spare the younger woman a glance. Carter surveyed the young boy before rejoining him. “I don’t think they can understand us. Daniel did say he didn’t recognize some of the writings.” Jack knew the military mind of his 2IC was level, but he could see her heart clearly on her sleeve as she looked at the suffering around them.
“Colonel, what do we do?”
“We find Daniel and Teal’c.”
He could clearly see the struggle going on in her head. “Look Carter, we’re not doctors, we don’t know what’s wrong with them and we have minimal supplies. We find our missing team first. Maybe then we can see if there is anything we can do here.”
“Yes, sir.”
Jack didn’t like walking away from this either, but had to put his team first. They moved past the group, finding several deserted rooms along the way. They crept up to one the last doorways and rounded, finding his zat directly pointed at a Jaffa with a zat aimed at him. Just as his finger tightened, the Jaffa image resolved into Teal’c. He heard the major make a little gasping noise and understood why; his teammates looked like hell. Both he and Teal’c lowered their weapons and stared at each other. Just behind Teal’c, he caught sight of Daniel sitting on a bench.
The younger man lowered the zat he’d been holding out unsteadily. He was shivering, no doubt due in part to his advanced state of undress. A thin blanket was lying on the bench next to him, leaving him mostly uncovered. Along with the shaking, all his showing parts were covered in a variety of colors mottling his skin, the most spectacular being a vibrant display of the rainbow covering his right cheek and jaw. A split lip and an obvious fever rounded out his face allowing Jack to move his assessment down to the man’s arms. He tried not to think about what would have caused the mangled state of his wrists and the large amount of dried blood coating his hands and forearms.
Jack looked back to the Jaffa, standing but swaying lightly since he had lowered his zat. His normally richly colored skin had gone completely ashen and was dampened by perspiration from exertion or fever, he couldn’t tell which. His BDUs were tinted rust the whole way down with what could only have been blood, confirming his theory Teal’c had been the source of the carnage they had found earlier. Though he still held his usual determined look, Jack figured even a yutz like Maybourne could have taken Teal’c out about now without even breaking a sweat. Jack really wanted to pound the crap out of someone and knew his rage at finding the two in this shape had to be written all over his face.
Four men were locked in a cell in the back of the room and Jack focused his intense loathing there. Three of them were watching the scene with interest while the last looked to be in the same shape as the group they had found in the other room. Jack felt himself coiling, ready to spring and tear them apart piece by piece with his bare hands. Out of nowhere, Carter appeared at his side, laying a hand on his arm and diverting his attention by a nod in Daniel and Teal’c’s direction.
He was at a loss as to what to say. Where ya been? What’cha been up to? How’s that massive blood loss and thrashing you appear to have taken working out for you? He stared at his teammates, silence straining the air, deafening in its completeness. After what felt like decades, Daniel finally broke the spell.
“Aren’t you a little short to be a stormtrooper?”
Massive relief tore through him. Where there’s humor, even bad Daniel humor, there’s hope. He felt his shoulders drop infinitesimally. “Funny. Nice outfit.”
Daniel looked down at himself, seemingly just now noticing he was sitting there in his underwear. He reached a shaking arm out and pulled the blanket over his legs as he turned even redder and shot an embarrassed look at Sam.
“O’Neill. Major Carter. We are pleased to see you well. I believe Daniel Jackson requires immediate medical attention.”
The weakness of Teal’c’s voice startled Jack even more then the men’s appearance had. “Yeah, I got that. I don’t think it’d be too bad an idea if you were to join him. Let’s say you have a seat, big guy.”
Carter appeared to have finally overcome her shock and was circling the two men, frowning at their wounds and digging for supplies while Jack ushered the Jaffa to a spot on the bench next to Daniel. He was highly unnerved by Teal’c’s lack of protest to the suggestion and actually slumped against the wall, apparently having used up whatever inner well he’d dipped into that had enabled him to stand. Jack couldn’t remember ever seeing the Jaffa in this bad a shape. He really wanted to know what the hell happened to his team. “Somebody want to catch us up with what’s going on here?”
“The men of this village attacked Daniel Jackson and myself while we were surveying the area of our initial camp. I was injured and these men forcibly removed Daniel Jackson from that location to this one where he was…mistreated. I followed and subdued them. Now that our team is whole again O’Neill, I would suggest we leave this planet immediately.”
“Wait, we can’t leave yet.”
How did he know Daniel was going to say that? Jack closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. Injured and mistreated. Jack could see the bloodied campsite as clearly now as he had while still standing there and somehow he thought ‘mistreated’ was a bit of an understatement to describe how his friend had gotten into his current condition. He opened his eyes and gave the man his one and only chance, “Alright Daniel, I’ll bite. Why would that be?”
“Jack, these people are sick. I think they’re dying. They grabbed me because they thought I was a Goa’uld. They have a healing device and they wanted me to use it to help them. We can’t just leave them without trying to do something to help them.”
“See Daniel, that would be where you’re wrong. We can leave.”
“Jack…”
“Daniel, leave it alone! These people may be dying and I’m sorry, but we sure as hell don’t owe them a damn thing! We had to swim across the lake of blood Teal’c left behind and I say it’s a pretty safe bet they didn’t just ASK you to help them. In my book, that makes them the bad guys!”
The young man focused on his own hands, subdued. Jack now officially felt like a royal ass. He hadn’t meant to direct his frustration at Daniel, but he’d be damned if he would let pity for people that were capable of this keep him from getting his team home. The silence grew heavy again. This time, Daniel broke it without looking up from his lap, voice nearly inaudible. “When Cassie was dying, if Nirrti had refused to help, would you have let Janet kill her?”
No.
Jack was sure without a moment’s hesitation the answer was no. Janet was by nature a healer. She would never have been able to live with herself if she had shot the Goa’uld in cold blood so the answer was no. He would have done it himself. Daniel finally raised his eyes to Jack’s and saw the unspoken answer there. “These people aren’t evil Jack, they’re desperate. We’ve both watched people we love die. If there was a chance to save them, can you say we wouldn’t have done the same thing?”
The exhilaration of finding his team alive and the nuclear fury at their poor condition suddenly exhausted itself and Jack let the familiar exclamation mutter out, “Damn it, Daniel.” They both knew Jack couldn’t say he would have played the hand dealt this group any differently. He tried to offer a compromise. “When we get back to base, we can arrange to have a medical team come out and see if they can help.”
“Sir?” Carter broke in, startling him after so long a period of quiet. She had laid out all of the medical supplies and seemed to be trying to decide which one to try to patch up first. “There is something else we should consider.”
“Go on.”
“Since we don’t know what’s wrong with these people, we can’t be sure it’s not contagious. Both Daniel and Teal’c seem to be running fevers, which looks like a symptom common to everyone we’ve seen. We can’t go back through the gate without possibly exposing earth to whatever this is. Helping them may help us know how to treat this if we’ve been infected.”
Thoughts of the ‘touched’ ran through his head and he wondered if this mission could suck anymore than it did. “Alright, we head to the gate and radio the information through and see what Doc Frasier has to say.”
“Jack, there’s a little boy I saw over a day ago. He didn’t look like he was going to make it much longer. Teal’c and I would slow you way down.”
“Daniel, I am NOT leaving you two…”
“Actually sir, with your knee you’d slow us down too.”
Annoyed, he tried to shoot her down with a look but as usual, it didn’t work.
“It makes the most sense for me to go alone and bring back help.”
At the comment, both Daniel and Teal’c’s attention went to his legs, concern coloring their faces. He waved away their unspoken query with a hand. “Long story.”
“We fell through a rotted floor and the colonel twisted his knee.”
When exactly did he lose control of his team? “I may have overstated the length. Daniel, how’s this place stocked with food and water?”
Daniel’s blank, slightly guilty look confirmed the man had not be treated very hospitably and stoked the embers of his ire again, making his next words a little harsher than was necessary. “Carter, you take a look and see what we have, I’ll take over this.” He motioned to the medical supplies.
“Yes, sir.”
At least she had to good sense to hop to it giving him a grim satisfaction. That was quickly wiped away as he tried to determine which one of his damaged team to try to put back together first. Since Teal’c had junior on his side, he moved over next to Daniel. Up close, his injured wrists looked even worse and he wasn’t sure where to start. “Sorry,” he mumbled as he slowly started what he knew was going to be a very painful task.
~~ * ~~
Shomas had been watching the others with great interest. When he had woken after being hit with the lightning, he found his group to now be imprisoned in the cell that had so recently held one thought to be the Evil. Kaid and the others were slowly coming to as well. He found Daniel to have been joined by the Marked One, miraculously still alive. Confusion was rampant in his mind. That the Marked One lived with so grievous an injury once again proved the tales told by their fathers was truth. That they had not been killed where they stood contradicted them.
The two had conversed in their odd words until finally, the Marked One had, with great care, assisted Daniel to lie in rest and then closed his eyes as well. They remained this way for a short period of time until the Marked One seemed to go on alert. He stiffened and gently roused Daniel, both turning to the doorway with odd objects he assumed to be weapons held out. He paid tribute to the hearing of the Marked One as he heard the entrance of more strangers into the room. The new ones were dressed in the same fashion as the two and, after a brief period of tension, the four came together, making him assume they were all of the same people. The fair colored female seemed to want to tend the injured while he sensed the steel-eyed male was their leader.
At one point, Leader looked at them with a bloodlust Shomas knew was inflamed by the injuries they had inflicted on his people. He was scared but appointed no blame, Leader was due his retribution if he desired it. The Marked One and Healer watched as words sparked between the other two. Healer left after a bit and he watched Leader turn gentle well beyond what Shomas would have thought possible as he took over the ministrations to Daniel. He wondered if it was between these two as it was between he and Kaid. His younger brother and he were as unalike as land and sky, but the bond between them was deep and rich with love.
It seemed too great a time was needed to clean and bandage the damage that had been done to Daniel and a deep cord of regret filled him again. He looked to Kaid and saw the same reflected back ten-fold, they had betrayed their God’s will by directing undeserved malice towards another. With their time coming quickly, they could only hope their remorse was enough to allow them peace in the place beyond. He turned his attention back to the others.
Leader had given Daniel what looked like a container of water and a small wrapped item Shomas believed to be some type of food. He accepted the water but refused the food, bandage encumbered hands waving it away. He was next given two small and two larger white circles. The continued tremors Shomas knew would plague him for many more moon cycles caused him to drop these on his blanket. Leader picked them up and placed them in Daniel’s hand, carefully helping guide them to his mouth. Finally he took off his thick, outer covering and helped wrap the shaking man into it.
Next he turned his tending to the Marked One but was stopped mid-way by a large hand blocking entrance to the area Shomas knew held the wound. More words of angry tone came from the Leader, but the dark man would not permit him access to the injury. Annoyance graced the face of the elder man but he did cease his attempts. He handed another of the round water pouches to him and seemed somewhat satisfied with his efforts to attend to the ailing just as Healer rejoined them. She carried two pails that were kept by the well and a dipper for the water they held.
Taking a seat next to Daniel, she seemed to automatically move close to provide warmth to the man. They conversed for a while before something appeared to occur to him. Excited, he motioned to the four imprisoned men and talked rapidly causing Leader to object. Healer shook her head no and soon the three of them raised voice in disagreement while the Marked One observed silently. After several minutes, Daniel seemed to lose the ability to verbally battle but began to struggle to his feet. This sparked another exchange between him and Leader, the latter finally getting up and helping the younger man to steady on his feet.
They worked their way to the cell as Daniel called out to Shomas who rose and joined them at the cell door. He knew he should be fearful, but felt their intentions were not spiteful. There was no trust in Leader’s gaze, but he stood back and allowed Daniel to lean against the bars as he tried to explain what he wanted. First he made a small circle shape with his hands and then mimicked slipping it on his hand. He wanted the device of the Evil. Shomas reached into the pouch he still carried and handed it to the man, wondering to what purpose since he could not make it work.
Daniel held the device out to Healer, who refused it. More words were exchanged before she finally, with great hesitation, accepted the device. The three moved out of the room, leaving the captive men with the Marked One. Shomas looked to his friends. Elden was no longer with them in mind, he was losing himself to the fever. Kaid had turned inward, worrying his actions in his soul. Tane was sleeping, his body doing what it could to fight the enemy within. Shomas carefully drew the second set of keys he had from his pouch. The Marked One had his eyes closed, once again giving the appearance of rest. He unlocked the door, letting no sound escape and stepped out, locking the door behind him.
He quickly headed in the direction of the others, stopping when he felt dark eyes on him. Shomas turned to meet the eyes directly and saw the truth there. In spite of his weakened state, Shomas would have been dead before his foot breached the doorway of the cell if this being had so desired it. He bowed his head slightly at the man, acknowledging this. The dark one inclined his head a fraction, permitting him passage. Shomas questioned how he could have not seen it before; this man bore the mark, but he was no one’s servant. Pulling his eyes away, Shomas turned and followed Daniel and his people.
~~ * ~~
Sam looked down at the writhing boy. Daniel was right, he wasn’t far from death. Actually, many of the people looked like they were slowly losing the battle to live. The woman they had tried to talk to earlier was still doing what she could, but Sam would lay odds she was bedridden before day’s end. Daniel and the colonel were sitting on the other side of the mat, the older man seemingly transfixed by the boy and Sam guessed this was hitting a little too close to home for him. She looked at Daniel, trying to telegraph how much she was afraid to do this. She wasn’t sure if she was more afraid of it working or not working, but either way wouldn’t go down smooth.
Daniel gave her an understanding look. “I know, Sam, just do what you can.”
Sam heard sound from behind her and turned to see one of the men from the holding cell. Realizing Teal’c must have let him pass calmed her and she let her attention go back to the boy. The man quietly moved over and sat on the other side of Daniel. The colonel never even looked up, unnerving her even more than the new audience member. Sam pulled in a deep breath and let her eyes close. Her hands drew together, holding the healing stone suspended above the boy. Letting her desire to heal flow through her body, she felt the stone respond. She heard a slight gasp of alarm come from the man at Daniel’s side but she pushed it away, trying not to let it distract her.
As she felt the power course through her, doubts began assailing her. She wasn’t a Tok’ra, she didn’t have a symbiote and she did not hold the power to heal. What if she caused more damage than good? Her mind began to whirl, fear reaching out from the darkest corners. Suddenly, she felt the energy change course, snapping back at the stone in some psychically charged feedback loop. The force of it flung her hands up, pushing her back away from the boy. She dropped the stone as if it had become burning coal. The boy let out a cry of distress and swung wildly at the air above him, wrestling an unseen demon in horror.
Sam couldn’t help the tears that filled her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she blurted to no one in particular. The colonel had finally pulled his attention from the boy and moved over to comfort her, laying a hand on her shoulder.
“It’s alright, Carter. You tried, no one expected this to work.”
“I’m sorry, Sam. I shouldn’t have asked you to do this.”
She looked at Daniel and knew he truly meant it. He would never have intentionally caused her pain. The man beside him had calmed the boy and was glaring at her angrily. When their eyes met, anger gave way to confusion. Sam blinked back another round of tears. “I’m so sorry,” she told him, knowing he didn’t understand her but needing to say it just the same. He seemed to comprehend the meaning behind her words, finally nodding at her before returning his attention to the boy.
“Let’s go check on with Teal’c,” her CO offered. They rose to rejoin their teammate, Daniel needing quite a bit of help gaining his feet. The colonel tried to catch the attention of the dark eyed man still kneeling near the child. “Daniel, want to tell your friend here it’s time to go back to the cage?”
“His name is Shomas, Jack and he’s not a threat. He just wants to help his people.”
It looked like he was going to argue until Sam saw him take in the appearance of the woman who had been nursing the ill. Dark circles had all but swallowed her eyes and she was barely able to sit upright next to one of the fallen children. He moved his stare to Shomas, holding it there until the man looked up. Pointedly, the colonel stared the man down for several minutes before he motioned for her and Daniel to follow, leaving the man to comfort his people alone.
~~ * ~~
Teal’c had been in a deep state of kel’no’reem during his teammates’ absence. He was comforted by the muffled voices coming from the next room, knowing it confirmed that all of his friends lived. He had allowed passage to the dark eyed leader for one reason only - Daniel Jackson looked at him in trust. The man had proven many times over that his judgement of character was solid. Fear graced his eyes when he looked to the other three, unintentionally telling Teal’c these were the source of his injuries. He also believed he recognized one of them as the face behind the spear that put him down. Should the need arise, Teal’c would gladly repay them in kind.
The familiar footsteps of his team approached and he opened his eyes as they came through the door. Major Carter appeared distressed, implying she was unsuccessful in the task asked of her by Daniel Jackson. Both of the men looked like they were at a loss as to how to console her. He wished to tell her not being able to act as a Goa’uld, Tok’ra or otherwise was nothing to mourn over, but he was unsure of the Tau’ri custom in such a situation. Instead, he tried to rise to help the now very notably limping O’Neill and fever wracked Daniel Jackson.
O’Neill waved him back, “It’s okay Teal’c, we’re good.” The two men dropped down on the bench next to him and he could feel the waves of heat rolling off the young man as he came to rest at his side.
“Major Carter. I believe Daniel Jackson’s condition is worsening. I would like to accompany you to the Stargate to bring back assistance.”
Sam looked up but was cut off by O’Neill who was warily looking him over. “Sorry, Teal’c, Carter’s right on this, she’ll move a lot faster with none of us slowing her down.” He turned his look to the major who had immersed herself in readying a pack for her travel.
“Sam?” He waited until he had her full attention.
“Yes, sir?”
“You’re only responsible for getting back to the gate safely, nothing else. Understood?”
He sensed O’Neill was offering an absolution only Major Carter felt was needed. All three of them watched her struggle for a moment, trying to come to terms with the meaning of the words. Finally, she looked again like the confident warrior and friend he knew.
“Understood, sir.” She stood and gave them all a quick goodbye before setting out on her own. The wake of her absence washed over them. Teal’c was about to suggest they find somewhere for Daniel Jackson to rest when the dark eyed man he had let pass cautiously entered the room. Teal’c prepared himself to defend his team from the man should it become necessary. Instead, he moved towards them, in his hands a bundle of clothing and a lumpy cloth satchel. He kneeled down in front of them and pulled pants and a shirt from the pile and offered them to Daniel Jackson. The young man tried to take the offered clothes but was unable to steady enough to do so. O’Neill reached over and took them for him.
The same was offered to Teal’c, surprising him with the gesture of friendship. A coat and soft, moccasin type shoes followed for Daniel, allowing O’Neill to take his coat back. The man seemed unhappy at not having a coat for Teal’c, but the Jaffa was impressed with the thought nonetheless. Daniel Jackson had been correct in his assessment of his former captor, his actions had been commanded by the needs of his people. He did not approve of their methods, they were too like those of the Goa’uld for his liking, but he understood the motivation. A leader was sometimes called on to undertake the distasteful for the sake of his people.
O’Neill was helping Daniel Jackson with the garments as Teal’c rose and pulled on his own, making sure to turn away to keep his injury from his own leader’s eyes. He would heal and had no desire to add to the man’s burdens. Once dressed, he resumed his spot on the bench as the bag was opened and a variety of brightly colored, sweet smelling foods were pulled out. Daniel Jackson took this time to give name to the man before them. The dark eyed man was Shomas. He in turn said all of their names and Teal’c was pleased they could now call on one another properly.
Shomas turned to check on the men in the cell, frowning with concern that two of them now seemed unable to respond to his call. He looked to the men on the bench with great sadness and Teal’c sent out a silent call to Major Carter. He willed her great speed and safe passage and hopefully, a swift return.
~~ * ~~
Daniel was hot. No, wait, he was freezing, a block of human ice from head to toe. No, he was hot, burning to be exact. Never mind, it didn’t matter. All he knew for sure was he was too tired to chew. After Jack had helped him into the clothes Shomas had given them, all three men had tried to coax some of the exotic looking foods into him. His stomach revolted at the idea and he weakly batted away the hands that kept coming at him. He finally agreed to try a bite of an innocuous looking fruit. The minute it had hit his mouth, he’d known it was a mistake.
Now the bite was sitting in his mouth with him too tired to spit it out and way too nauseous to swallow it. He was hoping no one noticed, but Jack was glaring at him so it seemed his cover was blown. He closed his eyes and forced himself to chew the small bit, determinedly NOT gagging. Finally, his throat constricted, pushing the mush down into an unaccommodating stomach. Jack being Jack seemed to know what he needed and held the water dipper up for him. After a few tense moments, he thought the worst was past and opened his eyes to see his CO watching him closely.
“Going with a light supper tonight?”
“How’d you guess,” Daniel muttered.
“Daniel Jackson, perhaps you should abstain from solid food until you are no longer feeling unwell.”
“Good idea, Teal’c.” Wasn’t that what he’d been telling them? He looked across the room to see Shomas had entered the cell and was trying to get some water into Popeye, who appeared to be failing fast. Daniel wanted to be happy, chalking it up to a universal sized display of bad karma, but he couldn’t. What he’d said to Jack was true, these were not bad people. “Jack, maybe we should move to the other room. Even Bruiser doesn’t look like he’s up to doing much of anything and I’m sure they’d all want to be together.”
“Bruiser?” Jack was now eyeing the men in the cell suspiciously.
“Jack!”
The older man looked annoyed but agreed to move. Teal’c and Daniel used each other for support while Shomas and Jack helped the others all gather in the ‘sick room’ with everyone else. Once the incapacitated were situated on their mats, Bruiser hesitantly made his way to Daniel’s side pulling two mats with him. Daniel couldn’t help tensing as the man drew nearer and the action was not lost on him. He stared at the floor for the last part of his approach, pushing the mats ahead of him towards Daniel and Teal’c.
“Wait,” Daniel called out, stopping the man just as he was about to scurry away. “Daniel. I’m Daniel,” he said gesturing to himself. The man motioned to himself and Bruiser became Kaid. Kaid offered blankets and with great deference, helped Daniel and Teal’c get settled on the mats. He moved off, seating himself next to the young boy they now knew was called Cal.
Jack plunked himself down next to Daniel on the mat. “You know, Daniel, you’ve got to figure out a better way of making new friends. Personal ads, Internet, serial killer of the month club, anything has to be safer than how you’re doing it.”
Daniel was working on a cutting reply when Kaid suddenly called out to Shomas and he could see the boy, Cal, had started to convulse. Shomas was instantly on the other side of the mat, both of them laying their hands on the boy to keep him from hurting himself or those around him. Jack lightly grabbed Daniel’s arm gently pulling him back against him as he struggled to get up to help the two men.
“Jack, what are you…”
“Daniel. Let them be.” The words were softly spoken but absolute. “They need to be alone for this.”
He looked at his CO and saw a wisdom and sorrow only first hand experience could bring. He allowed himself to be pulled back, ending shoulder to shoulder with his friend, the contact giving them both small comfort.
They watched silently as the boy’s body finally stilled, a soft exhalation into nothingness. Each man placed a hand on one of the small shoulders, letting their heads hang down. Daniel could hear faint words whispering from both in what he assumed to be prayer. Moments later, Kaid reached out using hands Daniel had seen as instruments of torture, now lovingly brush the tousled hair back from the boy’s face. He saw the tear tracks that lined their faces as they carefully wrapped a blanket around him for the last time, covering the young face that would grow no older.
He felt hot tears slide down his check, joining theirs in anguish over the loss of a life that could have been. Jack hadn’t moved or shown any emotion throughout, the tightly balled fists in his lap the only indication he had witnessed the scene before them. Teal’c’s head was bowed, those unfamiliar might think in meditation, but Daniel knew he was paying tribute to the soul that just passed from them. Suddenly weary to the bone, he let his head fall back against the wall, eyes closing out what they could no longer take.
~~ * ~~
Jack was getting worried. Carter had been gone nearly three days now and though he knew it was too soon to panic, he was getting antsy anyway. Daniel’s fever was now in the molten lava range and he hadn’t been able to get more than a few mouthfuls of water into his system in the last day. Shomas and Kaid were nearly unable to sit up let alone help people. Teal’c actually seemed to be improving, but still had to spend the majority of his time doing kel’no’reem. That left Jack as the only semi-able body around and he felt every minute of his ‘won’t admit to it under torture’ years right now.
Worst of all, they had lost another little boy, Reed, late the evening before. Kaid had been alone by his side and had needed Jack’s help covering and moving the body. He was grateful Daniel slept through it and Teal’c was out getting water, they didn’t see him shaking and gritting his teeth against the tears in the aftermath. He knew people died, children died and there was nothing you could do to stop it, he just didn’t know why. Why one life could be lived in full and another cut off after only a breath. Usually he left the ‘whys’ to the Daniel’s and Carter’s of the world, but today he really wanted to know.
Deciding everyone seemed to be asleep or at least resting peacefully, he sat down next to Daniel. Teal’c had just returned from getting water again, coming over to place one of the pails at Jack’s feet.
“O’Neill, you appear fatigued. Allow me to assist Daniel Jackson while you rest.”
Jack gave the Jaffa a once over. He was looking better but he could tell the trip to the well had pretty much taken everything out of him. “That’s okay, Teal’c. I got it.” The big man took his place next to Daniel, immediately closing down to meditate. Jack replaced the soft rag on Daniel’s head with one dipped in the fresh, cool water. The young man seemed to push up into it, settling back as it pulled a bit of heat away from him.
As unreasonable as it was, Jack wanted his friend to wake up and talk to him. Argue with him, get prickly and scowl at him, try telling him some stupid archeological fact, anything. Teal’c gave great presence when you needed a quiet, solid one. Right now he needed chatter. Mind numbing, inane, non-stop chatter. That was Daniel’s job. Sometimes he could get Carter on a roll, but she usually stopped after a few minutes of non-response. Not Daniel. He’d keep rolling along ‘til you let him run into a wall and then, he usually tried to explain to the wall why it needed to get out of his way.
“Jack?”
He looked down and realized at least part of his wish came true, alert blue eyes were directed up at him.
“Hey.”
“Hey. You okay? Sam back yet?”
“Fine and no, not yet. She’ll be here soon.” He hoped. Daniel was trying to lift his head up to look around the room. He was frowning in the direction the newest missing mat should have been, observant little bastard. Jack reached out to freshen the cloth, hoping to distract him at the same time. “So Daniel, you never did tell me if you found anything before…” he swirled a finger around the room. “before, this.”
“Not really. Obviously, the Goa’uld have been here before. A couple of minor ones Teal’c had never heard of. I think the people here ran them off, but somehow I can’t see the Goa’uld leaving a written record of how they were defeated. I was looking for something to help me with the other language when… Well, you know.”
Jack wasn’t sure if the memory of ‘you know’ or the illness was the culprit, but it seemed his steamroller had just run out of steam. Daniel flopped his head back down, bouncing it up right away at the faint whirring noise coming from outside. Teal’c joining them in staring at the door confirmed it. He and Jack were on their feet, zats in hand. Daniel was trying to get up but was failing miserably. Jack handed him a zat. “Stay here.”
He and Teal’c flanked the doorway, carefully peering out at the finest sight he could ever recall, two of the biggest, dirtiest good old US of A military transport trucks. And one bright and shiny Carter sitting in the cab of the first one. They ground to a halt with Carter out of the door before they had even stopped moving.
“Hey sir, I thought you guys could use a lift.”
He had never been happier to see that particular set of white teeth. “Good thinking, Major.”
“How are you doing, Teal’c?”
“My symbiote has been able to repair much of the damage. Major Carter, I am greatly pleased at your safe return.” Teal’c even managed a small smile to the obvious delight of the major.
Men in bright yellow protective suits and headgear were swarming around, pushing past them and into the building carrying stretchers. Within minutes, bodies were being rushed past headed for the back of the trucks. Jack figured none of the natives would have a clue what a truck was, but it seemed they were too out of it to care. Carter was watching, frowning when Daniel wasn’t one of the first ones out.
“Sir?”
“He’s holding on, Major. Probably insisted the ‘sick’ ones be taken first.”
She looked relieved, but he knew the dreaded question was coming up. “What about the little boy, sir? How’s he doing?”
Making a point not to flinch, Jack met her eye, “We lost him. So far two of the worst cases haven’t made it.” Stricken, she looked away and Jack could see her fighting to keep it under control. He moved closer and put a hand on each of her arms, making her look at him. “You made it to the gate and you brought back help. You did good, Carter.” Waiting until she finally nodded her head, he let her go. “So, what’s the plan?”
“Um, the ah, near the gate. Janet has set up an isolation tent. That way if she needs more resources we have easy access.”
“Good idea. Yours?”
“Partially, sir. Janet came up with the trucks. I guess the general had a time figuring out how to get them to the gate room.”
“I’ll bet.”
“I believe they are removing Daniel Jackson now.”
As usual, Teal’c was the master of understatement. Phrases like; ‘I can walk’ and ‘where’s Sam’ were heard well before the archeologist made it through the door. “Sam!” he called out as he was carried towards one of the waiting trucks, his excitement putting a hint of a smile back on the major’s face even though Jack knew Daniel looking like a ghost had to upset her.
Jack watched them load Daniel in the back, big sister never leaving his side until he was tucked securely away. Finally, the last of the ill were loaded and ready. “Sir? You two ready to go?”
Jack looked back to the building, sadness touching his eyes at the knowledge there were two more inside who would never be ready to do anything again. He silently said goodbye before turning back to his team. “Yeah, I’m ready. Let’s go see the doc.”
~~ * ~~
Janet Fraiser was dead on her feet. She hadn’t stopped moving since a breathless Sam Carter’s voice had breached the shimmering surface of the Stargate well over forty-two hours ago. The ingenuity of the United States Air Force had amazed her yet again as they created a completely isolated, sterile environment millions upon millions of miles away from planet Earth. Now that was something you didn’t do everyday. She rechecked her lab results, thinking this had all been too easy but certain she really had the answer right in front of her. Confident, she decided it was time to go face the inquisition.
Janet stepped through one the makeshift doorways to find exactly what she had expected, Colonel O’Neill, Sam and Teal’c all hanging around trying to look nonchalant while waiting on pins and needles to see how Daniel and the others were. She shot Jack a nasty doctor look as he quickly sat down, trying to appear compliant with the directive to stay off that knee. Teal’c had also been ordered off his feet and away from distractions to allow him time to focus on healing.
“Glad to see you two respond so well to verbal command,” she testily berated them. Wow, she didn’t know a Jaffa could blush, she must be crankier than she thought. Janet hastily reminded herself they’d been all been having a rough time a lot longer than she had. Softening a little, she directed Sam and Teal’c to the other waiting chairs and pulled one up herself.
“As you know, we’ve already determined that the contagion is not airborne and at this point is not passed through direct contact.” They already knew that, hence the banishment of the lovely yellow suits and she could see the impatience in their eyes, prompting her to hurry along.
“General Hammond sent Captain Kettleman through to help work on translating. Between him, Daniel and two of the natives from this planet, they’ve made pretty good headway with communication. We now also know the twenty people we’re dealing with here is a fairly small segment of the population and this illness has been plaguing the inhabitants on this planet on a regular basis since the Goa’uld left.”
Colonel O’Neill snorted and looked disgusted. “Figures the Goa’uld would be behind this.”
“Ordinarily Colonel, I’d agree with you, but the Goa’uld may not have even known about this. I believe these people have been exposed to something not indigenous to this planet that has a volatile reaction with their DNA, causing a disease-like reaction. It may be something the Goa’uld brought with them or a bacteria that was natural to one of the host’s bodies, they would have no idea they were a carrier of something that would be deadly to these people.”
A look of impatience and incomprehension was plastered on the colonel’s face. Even Sam was looking at her as if she were speaking Swahili and she hadn’t started with the technical stuff yet. Her mind wandered, questioning if Daniel could translate Swahili. She’d have to remember to ask him when this was over. Oh boy, were they all too tired to be doing this, she thought as she continued.
“Alright, look at it like this. All water has certain bacteria and chemicals in it that can be unsafe for humans to drink. In the United States, we have water-processing plants that filter the water to what we deem to be suitable levels of these elements. Our bodies grow accustomed to the chemical make up over time and we view it as safe to drink. If we travel to another country, they have similar plants that do the same thing only they have a different standard they use. People who live in that country can drink the water with no ill effects. Americans that travel abroad, however, can become ill from the water since their bodies aren’t used to it. Same if someone comes to the US, they may become ill from our water.”
“So what exactly is making them sick?” Of course Sam would want the specifics, she thought. Too bad she couldn’t give them to her.
“I don’t know for sure yet, Sam. Daniel has some theories about rituals the natives perform that may bring certain individuals into contact with items left behind by the Goa’uld, maybe even remains of those that were killed. But truthfully, we’re a long way from knowing the ‘how’.”
As usual, the colonel wanted to get to the bottom line. “I don’t care about the ‘how’. The question is, can we fix it?”
“Luckily, yes. The condition they have acts very similarly to Malaria on Earth. From the tests I’ve run, the medications we use to fight that should work here, as long as they aren’t allergic to the medication itself. Shomas and Kaid volunteered to be guinea pigs and both have shown a marked improvement in a matter of hours, with no side effects.”
“Doc, you’re a miracle worker!”
Janet couldn’t help but smile at the colonel, he rarely showed his emotions that freely. She couldn’t put her finger on it but had a feeling this last week had been particularly hard on him.
Sam still had a worried line creasing her forehead. “Janet, what about Daniel?”
“I’m afraid the medication won’t help him, Sam.”
“What? Why?” Jack demanded.
Janet tried to hide her smile, losing just a hint of her serious doctor persona. “Well, Colonel, miracle worker or not, I’ve yet to come up with a cure for the common cold.”
“Common…What?” Jack looked totally befuddled, or annoyed, Janet wasn’t sure which.
“Colonel, from the little bit of the story I’ve been able to pry out of Daniel, he’s been sitting in a freezing cell, dripping wet in his underwear, not to mention no food and almost nothing to drink for days. He’s lucky he doesn’t have pneumonia, which I’ll be watching for closely over the next few days.”
“But, the fever, the not eating. Did you notice his leaf in the wind imitation?”
“Yes, Colonel, I did notice and my theory is it has something to do with the ‘shock device’ issue he kept skirting around. By the way, I’m going to need you to squeeze the details about that out of him for me. It would help if I could get my hands on one of them to see precisely how they work, actually. I’ve a pretty good idea he was subjected quite a few times, and I’m attributing the nausea to it as well. I’ve given him something to calm his stomach and he is currently working his way through a whole box of protein bars. I’m pumping fluids in and even let him have some coffee. If one of you should happen to slip past me with a chocolate bar, I suspect he’ll be driving my nurses crazy by week’s end.”
“You’re giving him a whole week? You gave him coffee; my money’s on within the day.”
Jack was right, of course. She really must be tired. There was no other way to account for Daniel talking her into caffeine on day one of an extended stay.
“Sam, I’d like to start distributing the medication to the others and our staffing is pretty minimal. I could use a hand, if you’re up to it?”
Sam was instantly on her feet. “Sure, Janet, just point the way.”
“Great, thanks, Sam. Now as for you two,” Janet pulled herself up to her full height and faced the two men down. “Five, and I mean five minutes with Daniel, then Colonel, off to your assigned bed. Rest and elevate your leg and if I see you before the eight hour mark, you’ll be off field duty until Cassie’s grandchildren are old enough to go with you. Same goes for you, Teal’c. I only allowed you to wiggle your way out of some serious infirmary time with an oath to let your symbiote do its work full time. Are we clear?”
Both men nodded, appearing duly chastised and gave her an earnest ‘yes, ma’am’ and ‘we are clear, Doctor Fraiser.’ The two men kept their eyes on the floor as the hurried past her to get to Daniel with one openly smirking major hot on their heels. Give me strength, she thought. They were one amazing group of people but she still couldn’t help but think SG-1 would be the death of her yet.
~~ * ~~
Epilogue
Sam was watching her teammates with a practiced eye. She had found herself doing this pretty much all week. The colonel looked good as new, no limp left, though she did note he took the stairs up to the Stargate platform a little more cautiously than his usual style. Daniel had a ways to go yet. The fading bruising still visible against the pallor of his skin, bandaged wrists and telltale tremor clearly told the story of someone on the mend. But dressed in his fatigues and out in the sunlight, Sam saw he was closer to his old self than he had a right to be. That went quadruple for Teal’c. His color was still not quite right and he continued to weaken too quickly, but with the blood loss she had seen proof of, they should be mourning his death rather than wishing his assailants farewell.
Shomas and Kaid had accompanied them to the Stargate to say goodbye. Over the last week, they had managed to communicate on a cursory level. Captain Kettleman, who was, according to Daniel, a fine linguist, had been approved to stay on, going back to the main village where they had learned was a rather large population. The natives were hoping to learn what caused the illness and how to keep it from happening again or at least, how to treat it. In return, the SGC wanted to know how this simple group of people had managed to run off the Goa’uld.
Sam had a sneaking suspicion that wasn’t the only reason for Kaid to be at the gate at this moment. The man still seemed to be uncomfortable around Daniel and Teal’c, a guilty look on his face whenever he interacted with them. There was a completely different kind of look whenever Doctor Janet was around. Sam had noticed how he looked at his feet and blushed whenever the diminutive woman was anywhere near, which was a lot since he had taken to following her around like a puppy. Since Shomas had a look of amusement every time the two were around him, she figured crushes were universal. Janet, of course, didn’t seem to notice her new found shadow pining for her and had simply put to work the extra hands every chance she got.
Today, Kaid had shyly approached Janet by the gate, presenting her with a small, hand carved wooden bird. With the help of the Captain, they found out it was a symbol for a healer, meant to be carried to protect its owner from the ills of the land. Sam was surprised when Janet had actually stood on tiptoe and kissed the man on the cheek before saying goodbye. Maybe the doctor hadn’t been quite as oblivious as she had pretended to be and they all watched the now scarlet faced man stumble off the dais to stand next to his brother.
“Daniel, why don’t you dial us home?” the colonel offered. Daniel walked over to the DHD, squinting at the symbols and scratching his head.
“Something wrong?” Sam asked, worried about any unknown side effects the ‘stinger’ might have had.
“What, ah, no, Sam. I just wish I had my glasses.”
The colonel cleared his throat loudly and sauntered over to stand next to Daniel. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out Daniel’s perfectly intact glasses, handing them to the stunned man.
“Where… how…why…” surprise gave way to irritation. “Have you had these all week? Do you know how much easier it would have been to work with Shomas if I could have seen the writing he was referencing?”
Sam stood next to Teal’c, both of them trying not to laugh at their outraged friend, while their CO shrugged it off. “Doc said she’d let me back on field duty two days sooner if I didn’t give them back. Figured you’d rest more and work less.”
“Two days? You sold me out for two days?”
The older man just shrugged at him again.
“I’d a held out for at least three,” Daniel told him indignantly.
“I was willing to do it for one.”
Sam had to bite her bottom lip to keep from laughing outright when Daniel put the glasses on, glaring at the colonel and forcefully slapping out the symbols for home. She had also seen the good doctor make a beeline for one of the trucks when the glasses had made their appearance.
The gate pulsed out before settling back into the deceivingly calm façade. It was still a spectacular sight, even after seeing it so many times and Sam could understand the awe she saw on the faces of the surviving natives. She was struck by the awareness not all of them had lived to see this. She was startled to find the colonel had moved next to her, the brush of his arm next to hers calling her attention.
“Carter, we won this one. Those people are going home to their families.”
“Not all of them.”
“No, not all. But most. Most of them are going home.”
Sam looked around her and saw Daniel and Teal’c watching them, the same saddened look reflected on their faces. No one here was unaware of what had been lost.
The trucks slipped past them, swept into oblivion as far as the natives were concerned. Daniel had moved down for a few last minute good-byes and well wishes. Sam noticed the colonel kept looking at the Stargate and back at Daniel, trying to speed the man along with his eyes. Finally able to stand no more, he called out. “Daniel, let’s go. You’ve been saying so long all day.”
Daniel just waved an impatient hand at him and continued on. Sam watched the man looking back and forth between the active Stargate and Daniel, seemingly torn between jumping through right then or waiting to make sure his team went through first. Teal’c looked ready to push the man into the surface just to stop his nervous pacing. Sam was about to offer to help Teal’c when the colonel finally reached the end of his patience.
“Daniel now! Let’s move!”
“Jack what is your hurry?”
He hesitated for only a moment before ‘fessing up, “I have got to see how Hammond gets those trucks out of the gate room.”
~Finis
