~10~

Jack was stopped mid-sentence as Carter stood, running for the door. Even the general's command hadn't stopped her flight. Without thinking, he rose to follow her.

"Colonel?" Hammond questioned.

Halfway out the door, Jack stopped, turning back to his CO. "General? Permission to. . ."

"Dismissed," he said, waving him the rest of the way out of the door.

Jack ran out into the corridor but Sam had already disappeared. He heard the sound of running feet coming from the left, and knew she was heading for the elevators.

"Carter!" he called, but she ignored him, same as she had the general. He ran after her but was seconds too late as the doors closed just as he rounded the corner. Watching the numbers on the display panel, Jack realized she was heading to the surface. He was fairly sure she wouldn't leave the base, but once she was topside, she could go almost anywhere.

Jack repeatedly pressed the "up" button, even though he knew it wouldn't call the lift any faster.

"Jack! Wait up!" he heard Daniel call. He turned to see Teal'c and Daniel jogging down the hallway. "Do you know where she went?" Daniel asked, slightly breathless once he reached him.

"Topside, from what I can tell." Jack ran a hand through his hair as he paced in front of the elevators. "Jesus, she could have gone anywhere!"

"Why didn't Janet let her know before the briefing?" Daniel asked. "Hell of a way to find out."

"Safety in numbers?" Jack offered.

"Yeah, but safety for whom?" Daniel wondered as the doors to the elevator finally opened.

Jack continued his pacing within the car of the elevator, squeezing out the minute the doors opened to the first level.

"You guys see Major Carter?" he called to a couple of startled SFs manning the main entrance.

"Yeah, she headed up into the woods. She didn't even sign out," a young lieutenant grumbled.

"Thanks," Jack yelled back at him as the three men ran in the direction he'd indicated.

"Hey! You guys need to sign out, too!"

"We'll be back in a minute!" Daniel called out, catching up with Jack.

"It's getting dark. We'll probably have better luck if we split up," Jack instructed.

"Would it not be best to allow MajorCarter time to adjust to DoctorFraiser's diagnosis on her own, O'Neill?"

"If she was still in the SGC, I'd probably agree with you, Teal'c. But she's not thinking too clearly right now."

Teal'c lowered his head in acceptance, moving off to the right as Daniel headed left, leaving him the path to the center. *Of course it has to be the steepest trail,* he groused to himself as he climbed over several boulders. Actually, he probably had the best chance of finding her. This was the most obvious choice, and in her current mental state, Sam probably wasn't thinking of strategy and hiding. Jack wondered briefly if that was why Teal'c and Daniel had left him this option, assuming he'd be the one to find her.

As he neared the crest of the hill, he began calling her name. Probably not a good idea if she really didn't want to be found, but he was betting on her innate need to respond to her commanding officer.

"Carter!" he called again, still with no answer. He was about head in a different direction when he saw a flash of her blonde hair as she scooted further back into a recess in the rocks.

"Hey, Carter," he said, his tone light, as if he'd run into her on a street corner. "Ya kinda worried us for a minute there," he said, crouching down next to her.

"Sorry, sir. I just needed some time alone."

Jack didn't miss the hint that she still wanted to be alone, but settled down next to her anyway, pretending not to have picked up on what she was trying to say. He could tell she'd been crying and the thought shocked him. In the years he'd known her, he'd never seen her cry. Not out and out sobbing. He'd seen her get emotional, her eyes well up, but he'd never seen her actually cry. Jack could tell she was embarrassed he'd found her out as she surreptitiously wiped at her eyes and cheeks.

"Ya know," he started. "When my kid died, I would have given anything to be able to cry." He picked up a stone and began turning it between his fingers. "I think if I'd been able to, I might not have lost Sara." He turned and looked her in the eyes. "It's a good thing, Carter."

Sam's gaze dropped to her boots. "Yes, sir."

"You don't sound convinced."

"Well, sir, it is a little embarrassing to have your CO find you bawling."

"You weren't exactly bawling, Carter."

"You missed most of the waterworks," she tried to joke, but it fell flat.

Jack looked down at the stone in his fingers. "Would you have minded if it was Daniel that saw you?"

"No, maybe, I don't know," she shrugged, clearly uncomfortable with his line of questioning. He knew why she would let Daniel see her cry. He wasn't in the military, or her commanding officer. There were times he'd give anything just to be her friend and not have so many barriers between them. Now was one of those times, and he found himself resentful he couldn't hold her and tell her everything was going to be all right.

"You didn't hear all Janet had to say," he said, getting her to turn towards him again.

"I heard enough. This. . .stuff, what ever it is, is eating through my brain and I'm going to end up a vegetable. I'll never look at a salad the same way again," she laughed, the sound was hollow.

"She didn't say that. She *did* say it was a possibility you could come out of this completely intact.

Sam snorted. "We both know what the chances of that are." Jack didn't have an assurance for her that didn't sound trite. "You know what the worst of this is? Nothing in this world or even the others we've been to terrifies me like the thought of losing my mind. My ability to reason. This is all I am! All I know!"

"Sam, it's a thought that would scare the hell out of anybody!"

"You don't understand," she said, shaking her head. "Sam Carter is smart. That's what she is. That's *who* she is." She took a deep breath and continued. "All my life it's been the only thing that's set me apart. I was always the new kid, or the geeky kid, or the quiet kid. I was never popular, never thought of as attractive, but I *was* smart. Even if I didn't go to the prom, I knew, in the long run, I'd be better off than those kids who snubbed me because I had a brain. I was going places they were never going to go. Actually, that part turned out to be true," she smiled genuinely for the first time. "If that's gone, what is there left?"

Jack was speechless. Did she really think so little of herself that she thought the only reason people liked her--cared about her--was because she could figure out some math problem for them?

"Carter, that is *so* not true! I mean, yeah, you're smart, but there's so much more to you than that!"

"Like what? I don't have a family to speak of. I don't do anything that doesn't involve science or the military in one way or another. It *is* all I am."

He knew she wasn't fishing for compliments. She really had no idea what she meant to him. How he saw her as more than his 2IC, the whiz kid in some lab on level 21. He felt his palms start to sweat and he dropped the rock he was fiddling with to wipe his hands on his pants legs. Why was it so hard to tell her just seeing her made him feel better? That one of her smiles made his day? That even if she never performed another experiment in her life she would still be the most important thing in *his* life. He had to tell her, let her know she *was* beautiful, that those stupid kids hadn't known what they were missing by snubbing her. That the men she'd known as an adult were idiots for letting her slip away. How lately he'd considered himself among them, always falling back on the excuse of regulations. He would tell her. The time was right. She had to know. He opened his mouth to speak as Daniel rounded a bend in the trail.

"You found her! God, Sam! Do you have any idea how worried we've been about you?"

The moment evaporated, and Jack felt crushed. She didn't know and she wouldn't know. Again.

Sam climbed to her feet, dusting off the seat of her pants. "Sorry, Daniel. I really didn't mean to worry anyone. I just needed some air."

Daniel pulled her into his embrace and Jack felt a surge of jealousy. Not because he was hugging Sam, but because it was *okay* for him to show his affection for her. What he wouldn't give for that freedom.

"It's getting dark, kids. We better get inside," Jack snapped. Sam looked back at him, her eyes questioning his change in attitude. "We should catch up with Teal'c, too."

~11~

Sam sat on a bed in the infirmary, knees pulled up to her chest and arms wrapped around her legs. Janet was pacing in front of her, several minutes into her speech on how risky it had been for her to run off.

Janet stopped before her, hands on her hips. "What am I going to do with you? Do I need to post a guard?"

"Look, Janet, I said I was sorry! I had to catch my breath, that's all. It's not everyday you find out you've got an alien virus."

Janet sat down on the bed next to her, putting a comforting arm around Sam's shoulders. "I know it looks bad, but it's all speculation at this point." Janet's tone had softened and Sam found herself fighting the urge to cry again.

"I'm scared, Janet," she confessed, turning her gaze to the woman beside her.

"I know," Janet said, squeezing her shoulder. Straightening up, Janet wiped at a single tear on her cheek. "First thing we have to do is get a sample of that water. Then we can start to work on a cure." She pinned Sam with an intense look. "And we *will* find a cure."

Sam nodded, giving her a weak smile. "Of course we will."

"Why don't you lie back; you didn't get much sleep last night."

Sam unwound her arms from her legs, but didn't lay down. "I can't even think about sleep right now." Moving her hand to the back of her neck, she massaged the tight muscles. The pain seemed to have leveled off. Instead of waves of stabbing pain, there was just a constant ache.

"Is your headache still so painful?" Janet asked.

"You can't imagine," Sam said, closing her eyes. "I know I've made the comparison before, but it feels like my brain is on fire. I swear if you put your stethoscope to my head you'd hear it sizzle."

Janet actually smiled. "At least you've still got your sense of humor."

"I guess that's the autonomic part of my brain, huh?" Sam answered with a wry grin.

She had to look at this latest development in her life realistically. As much as she wanted to lose total control and scream at the unfairness of the universe, she knew she had to accept the situation and move on. Not that she was admitting defeat, but the sooner she realized this wasn't a bad dream she was going to wake from, the better. First step was to gather what facts she could. From there she'd find a way to beat this. She'd been in worse situations, she told herself. As much as this scared her, could it be any worse than being clinically dead, having her consciousness trapped inside the SGC's mainframe? Or taken over by a parasitic life form? Or any of the other numerous no-win situations she'd found herself in over the years? This was no different. There was a way to conquer this virus. They just needed to find it.

Lifting her gaze from the crisp, white sheets of the infirmary bed, Sam said, "Give it to me straight, Janet. I want to know the worst case scenario."

"Sam, I really don't think. . ."

"Look, I know you don't want to alarm me, especially since I freaked out and tore out of the briefing room, but now that I've had some time to think about this, I have to know what to expect, and what I can do to prevent it."

Janet nodded, giving her hand a squeeze. "Worst case scenario, huh? Well, most of your synapses could break down, and you would totally lose the ability to communicate, and your ability to reason. If it would come to that, you wouldn't be aware of yourself, or the world around you." Janet's gaze dropped to the floor as her voice grew thick with emotion. She took a deep breath before she looked at Sam again. "I'm not going to let that happen. SG-10 is 'gating to R4X-642 as we speak. We'll find a way to stop this."

"Yes, we will," Sam said with determination. "Hey, if I can change the laws of physics, killing a virus should be a walk in the park, right?" She slid off the bed preparing to exit the infirmary as Janet hopped off the bed, grabbing her arm.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To my quarters. I didn't think you'd let me go home."

"You've got that right. But I want you here. I'm still not sure what this virus is doing to you."

"Janet . . ."

"No, Sam," she said, blocking the entrance with her body. "Just because I *think* this isn't affecting your autonomic functions, I can't take the risk. What if you stopped breathing? You couldn't even signal for help!"

Sam knew there was no point in fighting with her over this. "Fine." she said, sitting on the bed once more. At least last night she'd had the colonel's company to ward off her boredom. Now all she'd have was the beeping of monitors and the throbbing in her head.

~12~

Janet looked at the test results in her hands, rubbing a hand across tired eyes. She might have accused Sam of having gotten little rest, but she wasn't any better. Maybe because she was fatigued, she'd missed something.

The lab had sent her the results in an amazingly short time, but it wasn't the answer she wanted to see. Something had to have gone wrong. She would run the trial herself, she decided to make absolutely sure before she lost hope.

An hour later, Janet checked the read-out of the analysis. The results were the same, and she'd run the test twice, using nearly all of the sample SG-10 had brought back. Checking in on Sam, she was relieved to find her sleeping.

*After all the sedative I've pumped into her, I'm not surprised,* she thought, as she adjusted the blankets over her friend. There was no point in waking her only to give her bad news. There would be time enough for that tomorrow.

"Hey, Janet."

Startled, she looked up, seeing Daniel at the end of Sam's bed. "How come you're haunting the halls at this hour?" she whispered.

"Couldn't sleep. I thought maybe if I could make some sense of the writing on the wall, so to speak, it might help Sam."

Janet smiled, motioning him away from Sam's bedside where they could talk more freely. It never ceased to amaze her how much the people of the SGC cared about each other. All the teams were close. Maybe not as close as SG-1, but in all her years of service, she'd never seen a base pull together so cohesively as she did the one beneath Cheyenne Mountain. Maybe it was the inherent danger of their missions, or the fact they couldn't discuss their work above level 12. Whatever the reason, she was grateful to be a part of it.

"Is Colonel O'Neill awake, too?"

"Yeah. I ran into him in the commissary when I took a break. He and Teal'c were trying to figure out if Sam had gone anywhere alone. She'd left us when she took a 'nature break,' but we all were separated for that from time to time and none of us are sick."

"Well, it's not the water either," Janet said with a sigh.

"It isn't? I thought for sure. . . ."

"So did I. I've been so convinced it was our culprit, I haven't even considered other sources. Looks like I have a little detective work to do," she said, wondering where on Earth, or R4X-642, she was going to start. "As long as you're all up, I might as well tell you what I found. I'll let Sam know when she wakes up."

Daniel nodded. "Why don't you come to the commissary with me. You look like you could use a break."

Giving Daniel a tired smile, Janet agreed. "I could use a gallon of coffee right now. And a couple of shots of whiskey to go in it."

"Is it that bad?" Daniel asked, worry etched on his features.

They headed down the hallway to the elevators. "It's not good. But I'll tell you all at the same time. Save myself some explaining."

Janet and Daniel were quiet the rest of the way to the mess hall, each lost in their thoughts. Entering the mess hall, Daniel pointed out the table where Jack and Teal'c were seated.

"I'm going to grab some coffee," Janet told him. "Can I get you anything?"

"Believe it or not, I think I've finally reached my limit."

Janet smiled briefly before she turned to the coffee urns. She did need the stimulant, but she also wanted a moment to gather her thoughts. How was she going to tell them she had no idea what was causing Sam's illness, and even less of an idea of how to treat it? She couldn't keep giving her pain killers and sedatives. Besides the fact the longer she went untreated, the greater her risk of permanent brain damage. Taking a deep breath, she crossed the floor to join SG-1.

~13~

Jack watched Janet approach their table, feeling his stomach sink. The look on her face was more than telling. She looked exhausted and defeated. Daniel had merely shaken his head when he'd asked him about the test results, starting his insides twisting. Seeing Janet only added to the knots in his gut.

"Hey, guys. Sir."

Teal'c canted his head slightly. "DoctorFraiser, do you have the results of the water sample?"

"Yeah, I do. And it doesn't look good," she said, sliding into a seat next to Jack. "I sent the water to lab, and I even ran the test myself. Twice. Each time I get the same results--there's no evidence of the pathogen in the water. Basically, it's made up of the same elements of Earth's sea water. Salt, and a few other dissolved minerals. Although not as much salt as our oceans."

"I noticed that when I got a mouthful," Jack said. "I guess now we know why I didn't get sick. But that still doesn't explain why Carter and not the rest of us."

Janet rubbed her hands over her face. "I wish I had an answer for you, sir, but at the moment I have no idea where to begin looking. I was hoping maybe you could give me some insight. That maybe you could think of something she could have come in contact with that you didn't."

"Teal'c and I were checking out the ruins in the village, looking for evidence of what happened to the people. Carter and Daniel were exploring that temple thing. She touch something you didn't?" Jack turned his attention to the man seated across from him.

Daniel thought for a moment. "Well, she leaned against the loose rock in the wall, but I'd been touching the stones all morning, and probably had more contact than she did. There was some kind of mold on the rocks, but if that was it, I would think I'd be the one that was sick."

Janet nodded as they all fell silent. Jack toyed with his empty coffee mug, at a loss for ideas when Sam could have encountered something they hadn't. He sat up straighter as a thought popped into his head.

"What about when she was on watch? We were all asleep, right? Or at least in the tent. Teal'c, you came in when Carter took her watch, didn't you?"

"I did. I waited until I was relieved to perform Kel No Reem."

"I doubt Sam would have gone wandering around," Daniel said.

"No, but I can't think of any other time she would have been alone," Jack stated.

"Well, Sam's the only one who can tell us if she had contact with a possible contagion. I do know that it's not airborne, and I don't think it's spread by touching another person. If it was, the rest of you would have it by now. It's behaving in a manner typical to a virus, other than its localized nature."

Janet's face hadn't lost any of its tension. In fact, Jack thought, if anything she seemed to be even more concerned. He knew how tenacious she could be, and she wouldn't rest until she had a cause, and then a cure.

A pager went off, and Janet looked down, checking the message. "Sam's awake," she announced. "Guess I better get this over with," she said, releasing a sigh as she stood.

Jack rose as well. "Can we come with you?"

Janet's gaze touched on each of men surrounding the table. "It might help, actually. To know she has your support."

"There was never a question," Daniel said.

~14~

Sam was sitting up, listening to Janet's explanation, but once she heard the words "not in the water," she tuned the doctor out. She should have realized it was too obvious of a solution. Things were never that easy, especially when they involved something off-world.

Looking at the faces of the people surrounding her bed, she wasn't encouraged. Janet had her hand on her arm, lending Sam her support. Daniel had his arms crossed, a frown creasing he brow. Teal'c stood at the end of her bed, arms and shoulders back almost as if he could guard her from harm with just his presence. And then there was Jack. The look on his face unreadable. He was concerned, but there was something else there as well. Guilt, perhaps? She knew he took things way too personally when it came to his team. No doubt he somehow felt responsible for her situation. She saw him start to reach for her, only to pull back and stuff his hands in his pockets.

"It's okay, sir. There's nothing you could have done," Sam said, interrupting Janet. The doctor looked from one to the other, as if she'd missed something. Jack started to argue, but Sam deflected his denial. "Okay, so it's not the water," she said, rubbing the back of her head. "So, we have to think of something I could have done differently from you guys."

"That's what we were just discussing," Daniel said, pushing up his glasses. "The only thing we could come up with was your watch. Did you go anywhere away from camp? Come in contact with something we might not have?"

Sam tried to think if there'd been anything out of the ordinary. She'd been slightly nauseous from the water she'd swallowed, but she couldn't think of anything out of the ordinary she'd done. Feeling as she had that night, she was sure the water was going to be the answer.

"I can't think of what it might be," she said. "But it could be anything. Maybe there's something different about my physiology that this thing likes."

"You do carry the protein marker from Jolinar that we do not," Teal'c reminded them.

Janet looked up. "So, you think this might be some kind of Goa'uld disease? I mean I know Jolinar was a Tok'ra, but physically, the species are identical. It's only in philosophy the two differ."

"And we did find those Goa'uld skeletons in the temple. Maybe you caught whatever they died from," Daniel suggested.

"But those bones had been there for a very long time," Sam said. "There wasn't even any flesh on them. Could a virus survive that long with nothing to live on?"

Janet thought a moment. "It's possible it can go dormant. Maybe that's why you didn't show any symptoms at first. You might have picked it up when you entered the temple. Maybe it takes time to adjust from a passive to an active state."

"So, what are we talking about here? There's some Goa'uld-killing disease running around out there and that's why Carter's sick? Just because of a little extra protein?" Jack asked.

"Protein marker," Daniel corrected.

"If that's what it needs to survive, then yes, that could be all it takes," Janet confirmed. "It might have something to do with the naquada in her system as well."

"My symbiote was extremely disturbed in the temple. Perhaps it sensed the presence of this virus."

"Then why isn't Junior reacting to the virus in Carter?"

"It is possible since it has joined with MajorCarter it has changed," Teal'c speculated.

Janet looked at both men. "That's probably true. Most viruses mutate to some degree once they've joined with a host body."

"Kind of poetic justice, wouldn't you say?" Jack pointed out.

"Sir?" Sam asked.

"Parasitic beings being killed by parasites. I can't think of a better way for the bastards to go."

"Colonel!" Janet exclaimed. "If Major Carter is any example of the type of pain this virus is capable of inflicting, I'm sure they died very unpleasant deaths. Not only the Goa'uld, but the host as well."

"Yeah, well, it can't be much worse than the pain of living with a snake in your head."

"Uh, guys? I think we're getting a little off-track here. The issue is how we're going to help Sam. Not whether or not the Goa'uld got what was coming to them. We don't know if it's something in the temple that's causing this."

"It seems the most likely answer," Sam said. "I can't think of anything else that would account for me being the only one to get sick and Teal'c's symbiote to react the way it did. Teal'c doesn't carry the protein marker, but his symbiote does. Right, Janet?"

"From the limited analysis I've been able to do on a Goa'uld larvae, I would say yes."

"Okay, so that leaves the naquada, and he and I are the only ones to have that, too. Maybe Junior was able to protect Teal'c since he had such a limited exposure. I was in the temple a lot longer than he was."

"It's possible," Janet agreed. Instantly her eyes widened and Sam felt the grip on her arm tighten. "Oh, my God, Sam! What if it *is* the naquada? And what if I'm a carrier? Cassandra has naquada in her blood as well!"

"Have you been home?" Sam asked.

"No, I haven't, thank God! But if we don't find a cure for this, I can't take the risk. None of us can!"

Sam sat up straighter, taking her own turn at offering comfort. "She'll be okay. What about your neighbor? Can't she look in on Cassie?"

"If it was just a day or two, that would be one thing, but who knows how long this is going to take?"

"Hey sixteen, home alone. What's so bad about that?" Jack asked.

Sam and Janet both leveled their gazes on him. "I know it was a bit ago, sir, but try to remember what *you* would have done at sixteen with the house to yourself," Sam said.

"Well, I was a guy. Still am, actually."

"And you don't think girls can get into just as much trouble?" Janet inquired.

"Not Cass. She's a good kid."

Janet looked at Sam and they both laughed. "Guess he hasn't met Dominic," Janet said.

"Dominic?"

Sam sighed and rolled her eyes, imitating Cassandra. "He's just *so* hot!"

"Cassie said *that?* I'm having a guard posted. No, make that two! No one gets in that house without a thorough screening!"

Sam smiled, her plight momentarily forgotten. Janet did have a point. Until they knew for certain what it was about her that attracted the virus, they couldn't take the chance of infecting Cassandra as well.

"Look, it's obvious we have to go back to the planet," Jack said, serious once more. "We need more facts and the evidence is there. I'm going to talk to Hammond about returning. You won't have to stay away from Cass for long," he assured Janet, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Sam watched the exchange with a pang of envy. Jack could touch Janet, comfort her, but earlier he couldn't reach out and offer her the same comfort. Oh, she knew why he'd pulled back, but that didn't make it hurt any less. It only underscored how precious the contact they'd shared the other night had been.

~15~

Jack stuck his head through the opening of the temple on R4X-642, coughing in the dust Daniel had kicked up. "Deja vu," he said, crawling into the chamber. The shafts of sunlight were illuminating the naquada statue and he could see why Carter was salivating over it. He hadn't paid much attention to the sculpture the first time he'd been in the temple. He'd only been aware it was the most naquada he'd seen in one place, other than the Stargates.

He put his hands on what would have been the goddess's shoulders, trying to move the statue, but it wouldn't budge. Maybe it was attached to the base somehow, or it just weighed that much, Jack couldn't be certain. All he knew was he wasn't going to be one to move it. Releasing his grip on Pele's likeness, he noticed there was something sticky covering it.

*Must be some weird jungle fungus thing,* he thought, rubbing his hands on the sleeves of his BDUs.

"Jack?" Daniel called. "Can you give me a hand here?"

He walked around the statue to see Daniel crouched amongst the bones, hands encased in surgical gloves as he gently prodded the skeletons. Jack tried not to be disgusted as he noted the Goa'uld's bones wrapped around the host's spine, but he couldn't help it. He'd had one too many close calls with becoming a host to not be affected by the sight. It was only the timely arrival of the Tok'ra spy in Hathor's ranks that saved him by the skin of his teeth the last time.

"At first I thought maybe scavengers had disturbed the first set of bones. But the more I thought about it, if it was some kind of animal, they would have went for the top bones. They would have been the easiest to get to. I think the bottom skeletons were disturbed by a person that came in here."

"Then why not the top bones?"

"I think it's the person on top of this one who disturbed the bones."

"You mean he started kicking them around or something and then suddenly died on the spot?"

"I think so. Why else would all the bodies be in the same place? I think each Goa'uld that came in here, saw the bodies and before they had time to leave, they too died."

"That's kind of a leap, isn't it?"

"We don't know how quickly this spreads. It could be incredibly fast," Daniel said.

"If this is what Carter has--and it's a pretty big if at this point--how come she didn't keel over before she could leave?"

"I don't know, Jack. I'm not that kind of doctor," he replied.

"Well, we're here to get some stuff for Fraiser anyway. How about we get a sample of bones from each skeleton. See if they all died from the same thing." Jack stooped next to Daniel, taking a collection bag from him.

"We should probably put them in separate bags and label where in the pile we found them," Daniel instructed. "Who knows what's going to be relevant."

They worked in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Jack couldn't help the creepy feeling he had being in the temple. Even though he and Daniel were seemingly immune to the disease, just the thought that some deadly virus was probably here somewhere sent shivers down his spine. He knew the reasons why Teal'c couldn't accompany them, but he wished for his presence anyway.

There was something about this whole place that seemed off. The fact that there were no bodies in the village, and the huts looked like the people had merely stopped what they'd been doing. No sign of struggle or a battle of any kind. Just gone. The UAV had done a sweep of the continent and there was no humanoid forms of life. Everyone had apparently vanished.

"I want to take another look at the writing on the outside," Daniel said, dragging Jack back from his thoughts. "Much of the filming I'd done the first time around didn't turn out because of the angle of the sun."

"Fine, but we move out in ten," Jack said climbing to his feet.

"Jack! I should do more filming in here, too!"

"Daniel," Jack said, tapping his watch, "Nine fifty-nine."

"All right," he grumbled, pushing himself through the opening. Jack followed, but once outside, he turned his attention toward the beach. The sun would be setting soon and he wanted to be back to the 'gate before it was dark. Looking out over the ocean, he remembered Sam playing in the water the night they'd spent here. She'd been so carefree. They both had. Maybe it was because the time had been so fleeting he cherished the memories now. Even though she'd continued to call him "sir," there'd been a change in how she related to him. It had been so refreshing to spend time alone with her with the bounds of the military loosened. Turning back to see Daniel finishing his filming, he knew they had to find a way to help Sam. He wasn't about to let her go when he'd finally accepted what she meant to him.

~16~

Janet knew she shouldn't have been surprised to see Sam sitting on her bed, laptop perched on her thighs, but the sight angered her nonetheless.

"I thought I told you to get some rest. Working does not constitute rest."

"I'm almost done," Sam answered distractedly.

"No, you're done now," she said, reaching over and switching the power off.

"Janet! I just lost an hour's worth of work!"

"You should save it more often," she said calmly, belying the exasperation she felt at finding Sam disobeying her orders. "Besides, how can you concentrate with the headache you've got?"

"I think it's getting better," she sighed, closing the lid of the laptop. Janet held out her hand for the computer. "Come on, I promise I won't do any more work tonight!"

"You're right, because you won't be able to. Now give it up or do I have to wrestle you for it?"

"I only wrestle with colonels," she replied, handing over the laptop.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, just some comment I made to the colonel about arm wrestling when I was on my soap box during that first briefing," she said, shaking her head at the memory. "Actually, I'm amazed he let me on the team after my little display."

Janet couldn't help the smile blossoming on her face. She remembered how out-to-prove-herself Sam had been when they'd first met. She'd been on SG-1 about three months when she'd transferred to the facility as the Chief Medical Officer. She thought the captain was a bit gung-ho, but there was something about Sam beyond being one of the few women on the base. She'd proven herself to be a true and loyal friend, and it was something Janet never took for granted.

Sam slid down in her bed, pulling up the blankets. "I'm serious, Janet, my head feels better. Did you give me something stronger?"

Janet picked up Sam's chart. She hadn't ordered anything stronger, but she double-checked anyway. There was no listing for additional medication. "You're still on the same dose," she said, replacing the chart. "What feels different?"

"Remember how I told you it's almost like my brain is on fire? Well, it feels like it's cooling off," she said with a grin. "And the pain is more a dull ache rather than a sharp pain."

"You sure you're not just getting used to being in constant pain so it doesn't feel any worse?"

"Believe me, the least little switch, either good or bad, I can feel it," Sam assured her.

"You should have said something," Janet chided.

"Well, I assumed you'd given me something stronger," she shrugged. Janet couldn't understand how Sam could be so clueless at times. As a scientist, she thought Sam would realize any sliver of information might be important. It probably wasn't so easy to remember when she was the experiment.

"If you notice any other changes, will you *please* let me know?"

"Promise. Hey, the guys make it back from R4X-642 yet?"

Janet checked her watch. "They should be arriving any time now. Sit tight. I'm sure we'll get some more answers once I can analyze what they bring back." Sam nodded, then yawned. "I want you to get some sleep!" Janet ordered once more.

"I will, as soon as I know they're back."

Janet didn't bother trying to argue with her. It was the same no matter who was separated from the group. At least she could control Sam a little easier than she could O'Neill. Although, the longer Sam worked with him, the more alike they became. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

***

Exhaustion was beginning to take its toll on Janet as she stared into the microscope. Her vision kept blurring and she couldn't be sure if she was seeing a pattern. It could be she was so desperate for some answers, her sleep-deprived brain was providing one.

"Any luck?" A voice asked from the doorway.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Janet snapped.

"Trying to see why you're not in one," Sam said. "Please, Janet, I feel better. Really. The headache is practically gone. Let me give you a hand."

Janet was about to argue, but she had to admit, she could use some help on this. "Okay," she relented. "But only after I have a look at you. Something's going on for a headache that severe to be curing itself in this short of time."

"Maybe the virus has run its course," Sam suggested.

"I don't think we could be that lucky," Janet said, climbing wearily to her feet. "Come on. We're going back to the infirmary. If everything checks out, I'll be glad to have your help."

"Maybe you won't need it if my own immune system has killed this thing." Janet couldn't help but notice the hope in her voice. Sam wasn't one to ignore the obvious, but she was human and as such, she was just as susceptible to denial as anyone.

Janet stopped, holding her back with a hand on her arm. "Sam," she said earnestly, "I'm glad you're feeling better, but I don't want you to get your hopes up. This might be a phase of the virus. Just don't set yourself up to be disappointed, okay?"

"Janet, I know. This isn't wishful thinking. I really *do* feel better."

Janet gave her arm a slight squeeze. "Then again it could be your body has compensated for the virus. Maybe for once we *did* get lucky."

~17~

Daniel sat before his television, remote in his left hand while his right scribbled notes. The second filming had proven much more useful than the first, and he was beginning to make sense of the words inscribed on the outer walls of the temple. Most of it seemed to be praise and adoration for the Goddess Pele. Either her subjects did truly love her, or they were too afraid to place their honest sentiments on the wall.

Daniel made more notes. Again words speaking of the sacred nature of the temple and only those "free of demons" could enter her presence. He perked up at that thought. Demons? Goa'uld? But wouldn't they know their own goddess was a "demon?"

He fast-forward the tape to the section that showed the interior room. More words about destruction of those not of pure heart. As the goddess of fire and volcanoes, those not worthy to be in her presence would be stuck down with the "mind fire." For some reason those words nagged him. He'd heard something like that before. But where? Daniel was trying to remember where he'd heard the phrase when Jack knocked briefly on his door, entering without invitation.

"Hey, Daniel. How's the translation going?"

*Damn it!* Daniel thought. *I almost had it! That man has the worst timing!* "Uh, fine. I almost had something when you interrupted me," he answered, his voice betraying his irritation.

"Sorry," Jack said pulling up a stool.

Daniel watched him make himself comfortable, sighing inwardly that Jack wasn't here for a quick check-in.

"So, whatcha got?"

Daniel rubbed the bridge of his nose. He might as well tell Jack what he knew. The sooner he was aware he hadn't made it far on the translation, the sooner Jack was likely to leave and he could get back to work.

"Just some basics, really. I was right about the goddess, or in this case, the Goa'uld in question. She'd taken on the guise of Pele, a figure from Hawaiian mythology."

"The fire and brimstone one, right?"

"Well, fire and volcanoes," Daniel corrected. "She's also associated with awakenings. You know, volcanoes, erupting, effecting change, that sort of thing."

Jack nodded. An open book lay on Daniel's desk and he pulled it towards him. "This her?"

"One rendition, yes. Generally she's represented as a young woman."

"It does kind of look like the statue," Jack noted.

"Remarkably so," Daniel agreed.

"She sure effected a change in Carter. I wonder how Doc's doing with her analysis?"

"I haven't heard. Maybe you want to go check?" Daniel asked hopefully.

"I tried, but she shooed me out. She said she'd let us know when she had something."

"So," he said again, "you have anything?"

"Not a lot. The words on the outer walls seem to be basically praise, but the inscription on the interior walls appear to be some kind of warning."

"Shouldn't there be a 'do not enter' sign on the *outside?*"

Daniel backed up his tape. "There is, sort of, but it's kind of vague." Stopping the tape, he pointed to the carved figures on the side of the temple where they had entered. "At one time I assume this had been the actual entrance, but it had been sealed. That's why we couldn't find a way in at first. I think it was a fluke Sam leaned on a loose stone."

Jack's face was contorted into his usual "get on with it look," and Daniel tried to speed up his explanation.

Touching the TV screen, he pointed out a grouping of characters. "Any way, I think this line here says something about only those "free of demons" may enter Pele's presence."

"'Free of demons?' What is that supposed to mean?"

"I'm guessing they're talking about the Goa'uld. Although, maybe the inhabitants didn't know them as Goa'uld as such. They just saw them as evil beings."

"Good call," Jack said, picking a pen off of Daniel's desk, twirling it between his fingers. "They didn't think Pele was evil?"

"It could be she treated them well. Not all Goa'uld treat their 'subjects' badly," Daniel pointed out.

"Yeah, but it's pretty rare to find one that doesn't have some kind of hidden agenda."

"Maybe they were of more use to her if they were well taken care of," Daniel speculated.

Jack sighed, tossing the pen back on the desk. "Okay, I guess that's neither here nor there right now. Did you find out anything else?"

Daniel advanced the tape to its previous location. "This is what I was looking at when you came in. All I'd really gotten to was there seemed to be more warnings about only those of pure heart being allowed in the temple."

"And of course the Goa'uld figured it was just some kind of scare tactic, right?"

"By the number of bodies we found, I'd say none of them took the warning seriously. But this is the passage that struck me the most," he said, pointing to the television monitor. "Something about those unworthy would be struck down with the 'mind fire.'"

"Sounds like what Carter has. Isn't that what she said it felt like? That her brain was on fire?"

"Yes!" Daniel exclaimed. "That's where I heard it! Thank you!"

Jack looked at him, confused.

"When I read that passage I knew it sounded familiar somehow, and it was driving me nuts!"

"Glad I could help," Jack said dryly. "So, does it say anything about a cure?"

"If this virus was set up as some kind of trap for the Goa'uld, I doubt there would be instructions on how to reverse it."

"I guess not. You think that's what it is, though? A trap?" Jack asked.

"Well, the thought just came to me, but it makes sense, don't you think? What Goa'uld could resist such an amount of naquada? They're lured into the temple by the thought of that much mineral, and once inside, they're infected with the virus. We saw how fast it killed them. Judging from where we found the bodies, death must have occurred fairly quickly."

"Okay, wait a minute," Jack said. "So you're saying we didn't get this thing because not being Goa'uld we're 'pure of heart,' right?"

"At this point, it's my best guess, yes."

"And Carter got this because of that protein thingy." Jack stated.

"Right. I also think that's why she just got the really bad headache from it. Seeing as she's not a Goa'uld, she's probably just got a slight case."

"Some slight case."

"Yeah," Daniel agreed. "Can you imagine what the Goa'uld must have went through before they died?"

Jack's voice rose in anger. "Personally, I don't care. The damn snakeheads got what was coming to them!"

Daniel knew better than to get into an argument with Jack over the fate of the Goa'uld, so he changed the subject. "We should tell Janet about this. I'm betting she's going to come to the same conclusions once she analyzes the bones. We might even be able to save her some work."

"There's only one thing," Jack said, his voice much quieter. "It doesn't change the fact Carter's suffering from this. I know it narrows things down a bit for Fraiser, but we still don't know how the virus is transmitted. How can she find a cure if she doesn't know how it's passed on?"

"She'll find a way, Jack. She's not about to let Sam or the rest of us down." Daniel laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. Why did it have to be Sam, Daniel wondered. He could see how deeply this was affecting Jack, even though he struggled not to show his feelings. Maybe it wasn't obvious to the casual observer, but he'd been friends with the man for five years. He knew without a doubt nothing inappropriate had happened between the two of them, but that didn't mean the feelings weren't there.

*What a mess,* Daniel thought.

~18~

Sam blinked, clearing the film covering her eyes. It was always the same when she spent too much time staring into a microscope. "Janet, could you take a look at this," she asked, sitting back and rubbing her eyes. "It looks like the same virus to me, but I've been staring in this thing so long I think I'm seeing double."

"What do you think you have?" Janet asked, leaning into the eyepiece.

"I'm thinking it *is* the protein marker and not the naquada in my blood. If you look at the bones of the Goa'uld, the virus seemed to have concentrated there. There's traces of it in the bones of the host, but not enough to kill them. I'm fairly sure the reason the Goa'ulds died was because the parasites succumbed first, taking their hosts with them. I think if the Goa'uld would have left their hosts, the hosts would have survived."

"Well, that would be good news for me," Janet said, standing away from the microscope. "If it's not the naquada, Cassandra wouldn't be at risk." Janet tapped her lips, then said, "I want to try something. If I can get a sample of your blood and Teal'c's we could make certain it's not the naquada."

"How do we do that?" Sam asked.

"If we introduce the virus to Teal'c's blood and there's no reaction, we'll know it's the protein marker. His symbiote carries the marker, but he doesn't. Plus we could filter out the naquada from your blood to see what happens when the virus is exposed only to the marker."

"Let's do it," Sam said, fired with a new optimism. It wasn't a cure by any means, but narrowing the field was a step in the right direction.

***

Teal'c appeared in the infirmary, followed by Jack and Daniel.

"We heard the page," Daniel said, rationalizing their appearance behind Teal'c.

"Good," Janet said. "It saves me from having to track you down. There's something I'd like to try." Janet began to explain what they hoped to achieve with the blood tests, but Sam's attention drifted. She noticed Jack looking at her every now and again, as if by sneaking quick glances at her, she wouldn't realize he was checking to see how she was. She found it sweet, actually. She was tempted to tell him she was fine, but she rather enjoyed the illusion that the others hadn't noticed his concern. She knew they had. Daniel in particular seemed interested in their silent exchange, but did them the courtesy of pretending not to be aware of it.

"So, how long's this going to take?" Jack asked.

"Well, if my suspicions are correct, we should know something almost immediately."

"Okay," Jack said, rubbing his hands together. Let's get this show on the road."

"You seem most anxious to move things forward when it is not your blood required, O'Neill," Teal'c stated calmly as he extended his arm for the blood draw.

Sam tried to hide her smile, but Teal'c was right--Jack was always quick to volunteer someone else for medical procedures. "Janet? Do you need more of my blood?" she asked.

Giving her an apologetic smile, Janet said, "I'm afraid so. We used the last of the previous sample."

Sam dutifully held out her arm as a nurse prepped her. Looking up, Sam noticed Jack had moved to her side, looking as if he was going to speak, then thought better of it. Deciding to help him out, she questioned, "Sir?"

"Ah, I was just wondering how you were doing. With the headache and all," he said, waving his hand in her direction."

"Actually, fine," she said, looking away as the needle pierced her skin. "It started leveling off this morning, and now, nothing."

"That's a bit too easy, don't ya think?"

"I have to admit, I was a little surprised, but I sure didn't argue," she said, giving him a shy smile.

"So, whaddya think made it go away?" Jack asked, stuffing his restless hands into his pockets.

Sam shrugged. "I think maybe my own immune system killed it. Janet, however isn't saying anything yet. I suppose she doesn't want to get my hopes up. I think she believes this is just a phase of the disease."

"Could she be right?" Jack asked, his tone gentle. "I mean that's kind of a quick turn around for something so deadly."

"Yeah, but it's deadly to the Goa'ulds, not Humans. At least that's the way it looks now," Sam defended. She wasn't going to give up! Maybe she did have an element in her blood this virus fed on, but she wasn't going to let it kill her. By all accounts, if this disease was going to be fatal, she would have died already.

Jack nodded, patting her on the shoulder. Realizing his hand lingered, he quickly pulled back, sliding his hand into his pocket once more.

"That should do it, Major," the nurse said as she taped a cotton pad to the inside of her elbow.

Janet took both samples, gesturing with her head towards the lab. "You guys coming?"

Sam leaped off the exam bed, following Daniel and Teal'c, but proceeding Jack. Again she felt his hand on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Chancing a backwards glance, she gave him a grateful smile as his hand returned to his side.

She wished she could tell him how much it meant to her to have him by her side. Not that it didn't help to have them all rallying around her, but there was something about Jack's presence that lent her strength the others didn't. She hated seeing the worry in his eyes, knowing she was the cause, but she knew if the situation was reversed, she would be feeling the same.

The lab was a bit crowded with all of them, but Janet didn't seem to notice as she focused on her tests.

Turning to Daniel, Sam asked, "Any luck with the translations?"

"Uh, yeah, as a matter of fact, it's starting to make even more sense." he said, pulling his attention away from Janet. "The inscriptions on the outer walls contain a lot of phrases praising Pele, talking about her powers of destruction and also of her ability to effect sweeping changes."

"Well, I'd call a virus this deadly a pretty sweeping change," Sam agreed.

"Obviously the naquada was a bait of some sort," Daniel continued. Once inside the temple, it apparently was too late for the Goa'uld. This seems to have worked incredibly fast, killing them almost instantly."

"And the fact the naquada was carved into a likeness of Pele was a final 'gotcha?'" Jack asked.

"Apparently," Daniel confirmed. "Pele seemed to want to make sure they knew who'd killed them before they died." Turning back to Sam specifically, he added, "There was an inscription over what would have been the main entrance before the temple had been sealed. It warned that only those 'free of demons' may enter."

Sam thought for a moment. "Goa'ulds," she said, looking at him.

"That's what we thought," Daniel said, glancing at Jack.

"And in their arrogance they completely ignored the warning," Sam supplied. "Well, it makes sense, considering it's only Teal'c and I who've had any reaction to this."

"Unfortunately more you than anyone," Daniel said, giving her a sympathetic smile.

"Well, it actually seems to have gotten better," she said. "As I was telling the colonel earlier, the headache is gone. Almost as fast as it came on."

"My guess is you've got a mild case of whatever this virus is. Didn't you tell me it felt like your brain was on fire?"

"Yeah, you could have had a cook-out," she said with a grin.

"It's interesting you should use the analogy of a fire, because from the translation I got, that's the phrase they used to describe the virus--'mind fire.'"

"And since Pele's the goddess of fire. . ."

"It's a pretty appropriate way to kill off your enemies," Daniel finished.

It was quite clever, Sam had to agree. If she hadn't lived through it, she might even have been inclined to be impressed by the irony. As it was, she couldn't imagine the kind of agonizing death the hosts must experienced if she had what Daniel called a 'mild case.'" She was about to question him further when Janet spoke up.

"I can safely say it's not the naquada," she said, giving a sigh of relief.

Sam moved to Janet's side, giving her shoulders an affectionate squeeze. "At least you know Cassandra's safe."

They exchanged relived smiles, then Janet became serious once more. "But it also means you're the only one to have this disease, and since I have nothing else or no one else to compare it to, I don't know how I'm going to come up with a vaccine."

"Well, I don't know that it's necessary anymore, right? I mean my headache is gone," she said, looking at the faces around the room. I must have beat this."

"Sam, I'm not trying to belittle the pain you were in with the headache, but this virus seems to be as adaptable as a cold. Take the fact it's lived for hundreds of years in a dormant state for one thing. This most recent blood sample shows the virus is still in your system, but it's mutated. Into what, I'm not certain. All I can say is the headache might be just one stage of this disease."

Sam felt her optimism beginning to crumble. There could be more? And worse than the headache? Swallowing her fear, she turned to Daniel.

"Was there any other description of the disease, what it does, how it functions, listed anywhere?"

"Not that I found," Daniel said quietly. "It just mentioned that the 'mind fire' would take all those not worthy to be in Pele's presence."

"There's a good chance you're the first person to experience this. The target it was intended for was the Goa'uld. It's an entirely different disease than the original," Janet said.

Straightening her back, Sam looked to the doctor. "So, the worst case scenario you quoted me is still a good possibility."

Janet looked uncomfortable, gazing down at the lab bench rather than meeting Sam's eyes. "I'm afraid so. Untreated, I believe this virus is going to begin to affect your ability to reason, and communicate."

"I see." Sam's jaw was clenched tight. "How. . .how long do you think I have?"

Janet's eyes were still averted. "I can't say for sure, it might be days, weeks, even months. Judging from the fact this isn't affecting you the same as the Goa'ulds, I would guess you'll have more time than they did."

"I've already had more time than they did," Sam said, bitterly. "Just longer to prolong the agony."

"Or to find a cure!" Jack piped up. "You can't give up now, Carter. At least we know more about this than we did an hour ago."

Sam forced a smile to her lips. She couldn't let her friends down, especially when they'd been supportive of her. The least she could do was to pretend this hadn't turned her life upside down. "You're right, sir. It just defines the challenge."

"There is one thing we have not considered," Teal'c spoke.

"And what would that be?" Jack asked.

"The Tok'ra. They too will be highly susceptible to this virus. I believe it is not only in our best interest but theirs to warn them of this contagion and the fact MajorCarter had contracted it."

"I hadn't thought of that," Daniel said. "We should probably quarantine the base from any aliens until we know more about this."

"And warn them about R4X-642," Sam added. Just the thought of what this could do to her father sent chills down her spine. What if she could never see him again? What if she lived through the disease but continued to be a carrier? She'd never be able to see him in person again. What would it be like if their only contact was through the distorted image of a long-range communication device?

"Those are both good suggestions," Janet said, finally flicking her eyes to Sam. "I'll go talk to the General. And you," she said, grabbing Sam's arm before she could leave, "are going to get some rest if I have to strap you to a bed."

"Janet, you can't be serious! You drop a bombshell like this on me and expect me to sleep?"

"At least go to your quarters. I think it's pretty safe to say you've stabilized enough that I can let you out of the infirmary."

"Then let me take her home," Jack said, surprising everyone in the room. Jack shifted uncomfortably under their scrutiny. "Look, you know she's not going to stay in her quarters if she's here. She'll be in her lab the minute your back is turned."

"I don't know, Colonel. I'm not sure she should be so far away if something happened. And definitely not alone," Janet said.

"I'll sleep on the couch. You gotta comfy couch, don't ya, Carter?"

Sam was flabbergasted at his offer. She was just happy to be released to her quarters, but the thought of her own bed was definitely enticing. "Sir, I appreciate the offer, but. . . "

"If you'd feel better staying here, that's fine, I just thought maybe you'd like a break."

Her gaze slipped self-consciously to the floor. "I'd rather go home, but. . ."

"Then it's settled. Okay, Doc?"

Janet seemed to hesitant to give her permission, but eventually consented. "If you bring her back in the morning."

"Scout's honor."

"Really, sir. . ."

"Carter, it's decided. Don't make me make it an order."

~19~

Jack snuck a quick look at the person on the seat next to him in the truck. Ever since she'd joined him in the elevator, Sam had been tense, self-conscious. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea, he thought. But when he'd seen the look on her face as Fraiser again warned of what might be ahead for her, he couldn't help himself. She needed a break. Some time to think things through. At the time, he'd thought getting out of the SGC was what she needed, but now he wasn't so sure. She'd been so quiet, so distant since he'd "ordered" her to go home, he was beginning to doubt he was helping her.

"Thank you, sir," she said, speaking for the first time since they'd left the mountain. He gave her a quizzical glance causing her to add, "for taking me home. I really appreciate it."

"No sweat, Carter. I thought maybe you hadn't wanted to go, you've been so quiet," he hinted.

"I just don't like putting you out, sir."

"Sam, since when is helping out a friend a chore?"

He realized too late how familiar he'd become with her. Again he was wondering what possessed him to offer to take her home. Daniel might have been a better choice. He wasn't as emotionally involved as he was. Okay, so they weren't supposed to guess his concern was deeper than a that of a friend, but he couldn't help it. It was. If Daniel *had* been the one to take her home, he would have shown up on her doorstep anyway, wanting to make sure for himself she was okay. At least as well as she could be under the circumstances. He hadn't expected her to be chatting away on the drive to her house, but he didn't expect her to be so uncomfortable with him either.

"I really didn't have any plans," he assured her. Silence filled the space between them once more and Jack's fingers began to beat nervously on the steering wheel. "How 'bout I pick us up something to eat? You must be hungry after all that crap they have in the infirmary. I swear they take whatever is left over from the commissary, and let it sit around a week before it gets shipped off to Fraiser." That produced a small smile from her, and Jack felt himself relax a bit. Maybe she was just lost in her thoughts. Hell, he knew he would be if he'd just had that kind of news dropped on him.

"You know what I'd rather do? I want to make some omelets."

"Omelets?"

"It's about the only thing I can cook," she confided. "And right now I want to do something for myself. Before I can't anymore."

Jack barely heard her final statement. How did he refute something like that? Chances were, she was right. "Carter, I can't begin to understand what this means for you. But you of all people know you can't give in so easily. We're not going to let this go without a fight. *I'm* not going to let this go."

Sam looked up at the vehemence of his words. He'd probably said too much, but she had to understand she wasn't alone.

"Thank you, sir," was all she said, turning to gaze out the window. Pulling up in front of her house she asked, "So, what do you like in your omelet?"

Jack smiled at her attempt to switch gears. "Surprise me." She was already exiting the truck by the time he made it to the passenger side, an arch smile forming on her lips.

"You shouldn't have said that, sir."

"Okay, new rule for when we're off duty. I'm not going to listen to 'sir' and 'colonel' all night. We came here to escape work, not be reminded of it." Sam nodded, but Jack suspected she'd just avoid addressing him directly. He didn't know why it had to be so difficult for them to be informal off-duty. Kawalsky and the others he'd served with certainly didn't call him 'Colonel' off whatever base they happened to be assigned to. Why was it so hard for them?

Sam was jiggling her house key in the lock, but it refused to slide all the way in. "Damn thing," she muttered as she tried twisting the key in a different direction.

"Let me try," Jack offered, closing one hand over the doorknob and placing the other around the hand she was using to force the small piece of metal forward. The key slid effortlessly into the lock, and Sam looked up at him in surprise. "It's a guy thing," he shrugged, noticing for the first time he had his arms nearly wrapped around her. "I could fix that later if you like."

Sam became flustered at his closeness and he immediately dropped his hands, stepping back from her. "That's really not necessary. I could just replace the lock. I even have one, it's just one of those things I never get around to, you know?"

"Yeah, you should see the list of stuff I've got to do at my place." A look of guilt flashed across Sam's face. "Not that I'd do it if I was there anyway," he added.

Sam dipped her head slightly, then looked away, opening the door. He followed her into the foyer, looking around. He'd been there once or twice, but not enough to be familiar with her things. Usually when they got together it was either at his place or Daniel's. Sam's house was a little further out in the suburbs and wasn't as convenient as a gathering place. What impressed him the most was the amount of *stuff* she had. He couldn't recall half the pieces having been in her apartment. Apparently moving was an excuse to acquire more jun--things. It was a familiar argument he'd had with Sara, and he didn't want to bring it up again with Sam.

"Make yourself at home," she said, tossing her jacket onto the back of one of her dining room chairs. Even though the house was clean, apparently Sam wasn't big on tidy. He liked that. There was nothing worse than being in someone's house where you felt you couldn't move because you felt you'd wrinkle something. There was even the clutter of mail left on the kitchen island. He was starting to feel more relaxed already.

"Mind if I turn the TV on?" Jack asked.

"Go ahead," she answered, her head in the refrigerator.

Jack looked over to see her behind sticking out of the appliance, making him wish he would have kept his eyes on the TV. *Damn!* he thought. *Why does she have to look so good in a pair of jeans?*

"You want a beer?"

Jack cleared his suddenly dry throat. "Uh, yeah. Sounds great."

Pulling two bottles from the refrigerator, Sam crossed the small dining room into the area designated as her living room. "What's on?" she asked.

Jack was busy flipping channels when he sat up straighter. "Woo hoo! Jackpot!" He accepted the beer from Sam, barely taking note of her joining him on the sofa.

"Hockey? Isn't it a bit early for that?"

"Pre-season," he mumbled, taking a swig of beer, eyes totally focused on the screen.

"Are you hungry?" he heard her ask, but the question didn't quite register.

"Huh?"

"I asked if you were hungry."

"Yeah, I guess." He felt the couch shift slightly as Sam stood, but that was all he noticed until she plunked an omelet down in front of him on the coffee table.

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to turn that off while we eat?"

"What? Oh, yeah. How 'bout if I turn the sound off?" he asked, hoping she'd compromise. He knew he was supposed to be here for her, but this was the first game of the season! Surely she understood that!

"Fine, whatever," Sam said resuming her place next to him. Jack took a bite of eggs, sneaking a quick glance a the TV. "How is it?" she asked, causing him to turn his focus on his plate once more.

"Great. You're on breakfast duty from now on," he said, taking another forkful of omelet.

"I doubt I could do the same with powdered eggs and dehydrated vegetables."

Jack heard her statement, but again it went past him as his attention was drawn to the television screen. He hadn't even realized he'd finished his meal until he looked down and his plate was empty. Leaning over, he placed his plate on the table, reaching for the remote to turn up the sound. As he sat back up, his gaze met Sam's.

"What?" he asked, wondering why she looked pissed.

"Nothing," she said, standing and retrieving his plate. I'm going to wash these. Enjoy your game, sir."

***

*Damn the man could be infuriating!* Sam thought. She didn't know what she expected when he offered to take her home, but it certainly wasn't watching him zone out in front of the TV. *Jeez, we might as well be married,* she mused to herself. Except if they *were* married, she might have been able to use his pre-occupation with the hockey game for some leverage in the bedroom later. Just the thought sent blood rushing to her face.

She guessed she shouldn't have been surprised by his behavior. She'd been at his house when a game was on. It was like the world disappeared, or more accurately, narrowed down to a twenty-seven inch screen. What did she want from him? Jack wasn't a talker, and truth be told, the last thing she wanted to think about was the fact she had an alien virus slowly killing off her brain.

Sam squeezed her eyes shut. She wasn't going to cry. She'd done that, remember? When she'd been on the mountain and he'd found her. Why him of all people? Daniel would have understood. Jack would just see it as a weakness, even though he tried to tell her he didn't. Not that it mattered anymore. If they didn't find a cure, there wasn't chance in hell she'd remain on SG-1.

That was the thought that hurt most of all. The SGC, the team, they were here life. What did she have without them? Just an answering machine continually void of messages. Sam looked down at the remains of the beer in her hand. It probably hadn't been a good idea drinking alcohol. She had precious few brain cells too loose as it was.

"Here's to becoming a walking salad," she said, raising her bottle in salute, downing the rest of the bottle in one gulp. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she looked over at Jack once more. *Yup, that's what I have to look forward to,* she thought morosely as she took in his glazed eyes and slack posture. *I'll probably even start to like hockey.*

Cleaning up the stove, she shook her head to clear it from the self-pitying thoughts. She'd never been a whiner and she wasn't going to start now. So things in her life suddenly became a lot more complicated. She'd have to find a way to uncomplicate them. She'd get a good nights rest, and tomorrow, she'd tackle the problem.

Walking past Jack, she thought about wishing him a good night, but instead retrieved a pillow and quilt from a closet, wordlessly placing them on the end of the sofa. His gaze left the game momentarily to meet hers.

"Thanks. You going to bed?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty beat."

"Okay. See ya tomorrow."

Sam hesitated a moment, about to speak, then thought better of it. Simply nodding, she headed into her bedroom. Hopefully tonight sleep would come.

***

Jack pointed the remote at the TV, clicking it off with a sigh. *What a game! Overtime in pre-season! This year is shaping up to be a real winner,* he thought as he stood and stretched. Seeing the blanket at the end of the sofa made him feel a twinge of guilt. He hadn't been much company for Sam this evening. Actually, he'd been a rather rude guest. First thing he did was land on her couch with the remote. It wasn't like she didn't know this side of him, he tried to rationalize. Hell, she's the one who told him to turn it on! Of course she probably wouldn't have suggested it if he hadn't asked.

Looking around the room, he noticed she'd straightened things up. Dishes were done, both their coats missing--probably hung in a closet. If he was honest, he knew why he was so adamant about watching the game. If he was absorbed by the television, he didn't have to talk to her. Talk to her about what this disease was doing to her, and what it would do. He knew how much it hurt him to think of the possibilities. God, what it must be doing to her!

*Some friend,* he muttered, running a hand through his hair. *Daniel would have been a better choice.* He should at least check on her, he decided. See if she was sleeping.

Cracking the door to her bedroom open, he felt even more guilty she had to close herself off to get some peace. She lay, curled up on her side, hands resting under her cheek. There were dark circles under her eyes, but at least some of the tension had left her face and body. Stepping closer, he crouched down next to the bed, brushing back some of the hair that had fallen across her forehead. He was grateful she was asleep. Not only so she got the rest she needed, but so he could touch her. He'd wanted to ever since that first night in the infirmary when he held her hand. But he couldn't touch her without someone misinterpreting the gesture.

Jack's fingers continued to play with the ends of her hair. He shouldn't be here, watching her sleep, touching her this way. But he couldn't help himself. He'd leave in a minute. Just a few more moments to stare at her with unguarded affection. The thumb of his caressing hand reached out and stroked her lips, slightly parted with her deep breathing.

"I'm sorry we didn't talk, Sam. But I just couldn't. The thought I could lose you is driving me crazy. I couldn't sit there and tell you not to lose faith when *I'm* the one who needs reassuring."

Sam turned her head slightly, rubbing her cheek against the palm of the hand resting lightly there. "Jack," she murmured, a slight smile coming to the lips he'd just been touching. For a panicked moment Jack thought she'd woken, and she would open her eyes to see his own, inches from hers. He held his breath as she continued to sleep, releasing the air from his lungs only when her eyes remained closed.

Hearing her speak his name in her sleep sent a warm thrill through him. "One day Sam. One day I'll answer you."

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