Part 87
When Jack woke the next morning he was alone in the cave. He groggily pressed himself up onto a hip and looked around. There was no sign of his companion, the fire had long burned itself out and the only light was a very pale sliver that was coming from around the bend on the other side from where Jack was laying.
"Daniel?" He tilted his arm to check the time. It was almost noon. "Daniel!"
By pressing himself back against the wall he managed to struggle to his feet then he hobbled over towards where he thought the entrance of the cave would be.
"Danny?" He said as he hopped towards the first bend, then leaned heavily against the wall and caught his breath. "Jesus! Where the hell are you!"
~~~~//~~~~~~~
Sam startled awake when a hand reached out and touched her.
"Janet?" She groaned sleepily and rubbed her eyes as she sat up in the infirmary bed. "How did I get here?"
"When you fell asleep at the computer a few hours ago Graham called up for some assistance and we brought you in here."
Sam heard the reprimand in her lover's voice, and rolled her eyes as she said, "You could have put me in a room. I didn't need to come here!" Sam kicked her feet over the edge of the bed and jumped down onto the ground. Suddenly her head spun and she doubled over slightly and held her head.
Janet watched her knowingly from the corner of her eye as she adjusted the read out on a machine she was working on. "Head spins?" Her voice was matter-of-fact, as if she expected this.
"Yeah," Sam said as she shook her head to clear her mind. She slumped back against the edge of the bed and pressed the heel of her hand against the bridge of her nose.
Janet watched her ailing partner and tried to hold her resolve to be angry with her for not taking better care of herself. Finally she reached over and steadied Sam again, gently guiding her to her feet. She knew that the reason Sam was pushing herself was very important, and as much as she wanted to tell her lover to slow down, to let others handle the situation.. Now was not the time to make a case in point. Not that it meant less if it were someone else's life at risk, but Janet knew how close Sam felt to her team mates.
"Your sugar levels are down, and you haven't had enough sleep..." Janet told her calmly as she held onto Sam's arm.
"I've got too much to do!" The weary woman insisted with a shake of her head. Janet checked around them then tugged lightly on Sam's elbow and turned her to face her.
"Just.. take it easy, Sammy. I know that the colonel and Daniel are important to you, but you're important to me too. I don't want you getting sick over this."
Sam rubbed the hand holding her. "Janet,.." She sighed heavily.
Janet stared into the large, blue eyes then sighed as well. As if slipping into a dam of cold, blue water her resolve flooded away. "Damn you.." She muttered as she shook her head and released the elbow. Sam gave her a tired smile.
"I'll go easy..." the Major assured her. Janet rolled her eyes as if she didn't believe that would happen. Sam looked at the other beds and saw that they were empty. She waved her thumb towards the door as she asked, "Is Graham..?"
"He went to bed a few hours ago as well," Janet said as she tucked her hands into the pockets of her white lab coat. "As far as I know he's still there." She tried to make a point with that comment but saw that Sam either ignored it on purpose or it slipped past her. "General Hammond has Lupier and Watsworth on it at the moment."
Sam sighed with relief this time. They were both good astrophysicists as well. Janet patted Sam's arm then said, "Things are in hand. I know you want to get back there and I don't stand a hope in hell of keeping you here, but will you promise me one thing...?"
Sam smiled weakly and already knew what that would be. As Janet spoke, she even mouthed with words with her, "Take it easy!"
Janet smiled finally and nodded. "I know I'm predictable, but so are you! If I have to treat you for exhaustion again, Major, I'll stick you with the biggest needle I can lay my hands on. Do I make myself clear?"
Sam grinned now. A full, real smile this time. "Crystal, Doctor!"
"Now," Janet said with a parting wink, "Go and bring our boys home!"
"I'll check in later, let you know how things are progressing."
"That would be nice," Janet said, already knowing Sam would forget though once she got re-immersed into her work. "But unnecessary. The missing men are all anyone can talk about at the moment."
Sam nodded and rubbed her eye again, a clear indication that she was starting to develop a headache. Janet eyed her for a moment then moved to the Drugs cabinet and pulled out some aspirin. She shook two into her hand then passed them over without a word.
Sam bounced them for a second then nodded and closed her fist around them. "Thanks."
"I'll come down in a little while, just to see how things are going."
Sam nodded then winked before leaving the Infirmary.
*
Jack finally reached the opening of the cave. It was a lot further away than he expected it to be and was surprised that Daniel didn't opt for one of the clearings a little closer to the opening. He knew where they were was the best strategic place to be, further from the opening so that the light of the fire and the sound of their voices wouldn't carry to the outside, but he didn't know if Daniel had considered that.
By the time he pulled himself to the front of the cave - a job so laborious because he couldn't put any weight onto his swollen knee or else suffer an incredible amount of pain - he was sweating profusely and his stomach was twisting and turning inside. He gripped the rough wall, and his nails dragged across the stone as he tried to steady himself. His throat, parched beyond words, constricted then suddenly he leaned over and vomited all over his good foot and the ground he was standing on. With a groan he wiped the back of his hand across his lips and wondered if he should be grateful that he had little contents in his stomach to end up on his boot, or wish that he had had more, and therefore wouldn't be swallowing down the bile of his stomach at the moment. With a shaky hand he wiped his brow then squinted out at the surrounding greenery. He couldn't immediately see Daniel out there, nor could he pick up any movement in the thick undergrowth.
With his heart pounding in his chest and ears, Jack slumped back against the wall behind him, dragged in ragged breaths then closed his eyes. Everything went black - then silent.
*
Sam looked up as Graham entered the control room, his face was flushed from running. He was dressed in dark blue pants and a light blue shirt, minus the badging and insignia his shirts normally displayed but which he didn't have with him, considering he was still off-duty. He'd found these spare clothes in the locker in his sleeping quarters and had quickly pulled them on as he raced towards the gate control room. He'd only just managed the last button on his shirt and a hasty tuck in as he bounded up the steps of the room.
"What's happened?" He asked as he threw himself into the chair beside the Major.
"We think we've got a lock." She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and noted his disheveled state. "You were quick!" It had only been a few moments since she'd called him and woken him to tell him that they might have the right coordinates now. He tried to catch his breath then he nodded.
"Ran the whole way!" He stated the obvious to her as he quickly tidied up his appearance.
Sam raised her brow, then from the corner of her mouth she said, "Might that not look a little..?"
"Don't care.." He didn't let her finish as he eagerly concentrated on the screen as the fifth chevron locked into place.
"Fifth Chevron Locked," Harriman announced from his seat a short distance from their clandestine conversation.
"What about Daniel then?" She asked quietly as the sixth symbol shone on the screen then shifted into place.
"Sixth Chevron Locked."
Graham lowered his black lashes then turned to fix his dark, worried gaze upon her. "No one is going to care that I got here a few minutes after you called me. They won't put two and two together.."
Sam arched her brow again but said nothing more.
*
"JACK!" Daniel dropped to his knees beside his crumpled friend as soon as he discovered the body upon his return to the cave after a morning of looking for food for them.
He looked around to check to see if Jack had perhaps been dragged to that place by the hostiles and this was a trap, or if he'd been injured some other way, but as soon as he decided that Jack had probably dragged himself out there he put the food in his arms down onto the ground and squatted by his friend.
He shook Jack firmly but the older man didn't wake. "Jack!" He said again as he shifted his attention to the swollen knee. He peeled back the bandage and touched the wound. While he really needed something larger, and heavier to do a proper job of cauterizing the wound he thought he'd done the best, given the circumstances. Now he wasn't so sure. He pulled his fingers away from the moist site and rubbed the tips together. With a frown he sniffed at the clear moisture and was surprised by the slight sweet smell. Quickly he wiped his fingers on his fatigues and then shook Jack again.
"Jack, wake up!"
He recalled the feel of heat under the skin when he touched it and became fearful that Jack had developed an infection. He shifted into a squat position then gathered him onto his shoulder and stood, holding his friend in the fireman's lift in order to carry him back into their cave.
Carefully he laid his load down and leaned over the unconscious man. "Come on!" He said through gritted teeth as he started to pat Jack's face lightly. Suddenly he gave him a hard slap and the brown eyes popped open. "Jack!" Daniel gasped in relief to see Jack awake again.
"What the hell happened?" They both said at the same time. Daniel rolled his eyes and settled onto one knelt leg while he leaned his elbow against his raised thigh. "You first!"
"Where were you?"
"I went to get food!" Daniel told him then remembered he'd left it at the opening and hurried out to it.
As he looked down at the pile he frowned. He could have sworn he had another bunch of the small, citric-smelling berries but shrugged and scooped up what was there and went back to his friend, not thinking about securing the front of the cave again.
"Here!" He declared proudly as he entered the deep recess of the cave.
"Food!" Jack gasped, almost orgasmically. Daniel grinned and squatted beside him.
"Here, have this one first!" He said as he picked up a round, purple fruit. It reminded Jack of an orange, even more so when Daniel bit into the thick skin and pulled away the small circle of rind. He passed over the fruit and said, "Careful, it's really juicy."
"Drink too!" Jack said, again practically breathless from anticipation. Daniel carefully cupped the back of his friend's head and helped Jack drink in the slightly tart, but palatable liquid. Jack gave a satisfied sigh as he settled back against the rock. "You never cease to amaze me…! How did you know about this fruit?"
Daniel gave a weird smile then dipped his face. Jack frowned. "Daniel?"
"I just tried it..."
The colonel rolled his eyes. "Well, that's peachy! What if it could kill you.."
Daniel met the dark eyes. "Who's to say it still won't..." He said flatly but with a touch of humor. Jack's stare went slightly blank.
"Oh.."
Daniel forced a quick grin to his lips then picked up another fruit and started to peel it.
"This too?" Jack asked as he watched the long fingers remove the skin from a fruit that looked a little like a banana. Daniel nodded silently and held out the fruit. The older man sighed and took it, then bit down into the tough, nutty fruit. "Hmm, nice."
"Yeah, I liked that one too," Daniel said, then got to his feet again. Jack looked up at him.
"Where are you going?"
Daniel jutted his thumb towards the front of the cave. "I'm trying to get us some water.."
"You found water?" Jack got excited again.
"Uh, no, not exactly.."
He deflated and frowned. "Oh?"
Daniel obligingly explained, "While I was out there I started sneezing.."
Jack cringed. "With that nose?"
Daniel touched his nose gingerly. "I don't think it's broken, actually. I think it's just really swollen."
The graying brow arched high. "Lucky you!"
Daniel frowned at his friend's seeming sarcasm to his good news. "Sneezing through a swollen nose is still painful, Jack!" He said to put him in his place. It seemed to work as Jack's expression changed to one of contrition and he gave a small nod.
"I bet!" He looked at his friend. "So are your allergies acting up?"
"Big time!"
"Ah," Jack nodded.
Daniel nodded. "And no antihistamines.." He rolled his eyes to make his point then continued on, "and I went through my pockets for a handkerchief.."
"As you do.."
The younger man muttered, "As you do..." in agreement.
"No," Jack corrected him, "I meant.. as YOU do.. Often. Go on!"
Daniel smiled faintly then said, "and I came across some cling wrap. Grae had brought me in a sandwich yesterday for lunch.."
"Looking after you, is he?" Jack said with a teasing smile.
Daniel lifted his eyes to the roof and muttered, "Peace offering, more like. He got pretty annoyed that I didn't have lunch with him.."
"Why?" Jack interrupted the flow of Daniel's thought.
"Huh?"
"Why didn't you have lunch?" He arched his brow and tried the typical O’Neill sarcasm, but the humor was a little starched by the pain wracking his body. “You are entitled to a lunch break Daniel. Scheduled into the contracts. At least once a month you can put down your rocks and go for a lunch break!"
Daniel gave his teasing friend a glare then said, "Actually, it was because of the vase.."
"Are you still working on that thing? Haven't you solved it yet?"
"Um, almost," Daniel said with a wan smile. "Teal'c and I broke it.. so I don't think it's going to be able to reveal the secrets of the Universe to us anymore.."
Jack shifted on his aching butt cheeks. "You and Teal'c?" After a pause, he added, "How?"
Daniel rolled his eyes and said, "We were arguing.." He cringed and Jack frowned at the unusual reaction.
Cautiously he asked, "Over what?"
Daniel sighed and put his hands on his hips as he rolled his head back and lifted his face to the ceiling.
"Daniel?"
Jackson blinked and lowered his eyes to meet his friend's gaze. "We were arguing about what the vase said.."
This wasn't the response Jack was anticipating. He tilted his head and asked, "Oh?"
Daniel finally sat again and said, "I thought it said that the Vase held the remains of the High Priestess, Aqualetisha."
Jack didn't have a response to that so just shrugged. Daniel nodded and rubbed at his unshielded eye. "Teal'c told me it was the Urn of Aqua..." He saw Jack's expression and clarified, "A water urn."
"Oh.." Jack was puzzled. "So you fought..?"
Daniel rolled his eyes and blew out a deep breath. "It was my fault. I think I was frustrated at Graham.. well.. no, I *know* I was frustrated at Graham.. and I took it out on Teal'c. He knew the answer and I didn't want to hear it. It wasn't so much Teal'c I was fighting but the fact that I was wrong - again!"
Jack grew concerned at Daniel's tone of voice and his expression, of some desolation, at the fight with his friend and the argument with his lover.
"Okay, so obviously something's been going on when I've been pre-occupied elsewhere. Are you and Simmons having trouble?"
Daniel looked around the cave then said, in a soft, sorrowful voice, "Seems pointless even going over it now."
"Try me," Jack insisted and when Daniel looked at him he tried to express on his face that he really wanted Daniel to confide in him. Instead, though, it seemed to Daniel that Jack was grimacing at the thought of having to listen to the information. The anthropologist shook his head. Jack growled and said, "Dammit, Daniel, just tell me!"
"We're having.. some.. problems.." The younger man confessed painfully.
Jack blew out a disappointed sigh. "What's happened?" he asked in a low voice as he watched his friend shake his head then shrug.
After a moment Daniel's lips drew back into a sneer, aimed at himself, then he said, "I did it again, basically."
"Did what?"
With another shrug, Daniel lowered his chin to his chest and muttered, "Let him in when I shouldn't have.." He stopped and ducked his face even more before continuing on with, "I don't know what I was thinking." Quickly he twisted around and tried to occupy himself with the food, neatly stacking it by the wall for no other reason but to give him something to do so that he wouldn't have to look at his friend and see his expression.
"Daniel," Jack's voice was low, filled with concern.
"Look, just forget it, okay?" Daniel looked at him and Jack could see that he wanted him to drop it. He knew he should, not only for Daniel’s sake but for his own sake as well. He wasn’t feeling very well again. His stomach was growling and his head was thumping. His knee was throbbing and pulses of pain radiated up towards his groin.
He pushed that aside though as he asked, "Sure you don't want to talk about it?"
Daniel snorted. Talk about what? About being so desperately in love with Graham that he let him in again – only to hurt him? Talk about how he was so pathetic that he was actually willing to accept whatever new playing field their relationship had tilted onto the past few days - if it meant keeping Graham in his life, and his bed, that little bit longer?
Despite the fact that they had taken things slowly this time and hadn't fallen into bed immediately - rather taking things very slowly (for them) to the point of last night, when they finally consummated their reunion - Daniel felt like there was something definitely 'not right' with Graham this time. He was different. And from experience, Daniel knew that meant he was hiding something. He didn’t need to think too hard on what that might be.
“No,” Daniel said softly.
Jack watched him closely then shifted with a grunt before he settled himself against the rock again. He watched as Daniel stack the food carefully then frowned when he saw Daniel separate what looked to be crude weapons from the pile.
"Where did you get those?" he asked.
Daniel held up the short, pointed stick and said, "I couldn't go out there without some form of protection, could I?" Jack held his hand out and Daniel passed over the stick, then a crudely made axe, which was some kind of rock that had been sharpened and lashed to a thick, short branch by some kind of vine.
"Did you make these?"
Daniel frowned at his friend's surprise. "Jack," he felt the need to remind him, "I'm an anthropologist. Weapons have been around long before Colt and Western! These are basic, rudimentary weapons and hunting utensils that our forefathers would have fashioned out of items around them. This rock, see, is soft so I rubbed it against a harder stone and formed this edge.” He passed over the axe and Jack inspected it closely. “It's no where near sharp enough to cut anything with but I figured it would make a good weapon should that alien try to take me again. A blow to the head with this would be sure to inflict a good level of pain, hopefully enough for me to escape.”
The brown eyes shifted to focus on the face beyond the weapon.
Daniel ferreted into his pocket and pulled out Jack’s Swiss army knife. “I borrowed it while you were sleeping.”
Jack held out his clammy hand and took the knife back. Daniel got to his feet again and picked up the weapons. As he tucked the axe handle into his belt he said, “I’m going to see if I managed to capture any water. I suppose some is better than none..”
“Where did you find the water?” Jack asked again.
Daniel slid the pointed stick into his boot as he explained. “I haven’t. I’ve stretched the cling wrap over a circle of stones with a flatish, shiny stone in the center. Then I dropped a pebble onto the center of the film..”
Jack frowned and shook his head. Daniel said, “The sun causes condensation to appear on the cling wrap, the pebble makes the moisture roll into the center and drip down onto the shiny rock. If there’s enough moisture in the air, that is.”
“Ah,” Jack nodded. “Not something I was taught in survival school.”
Daniel grinned. “It’s actually a more modern technique.. I don’t know of many ancient forefathers who carried cling wrap on their pant pockets..”
Jack smiled mischievously despite his own discomfort. “I can think of a few!”
His friend looked at him. “I’ll bet..”
Just as Daniel was about to leave Jack called to him. The anthropologist turned from the direction he was going and looked at him. Jack wet his lips slowly then said, “Give Graham some time. He’s been through a lot ..”
Daniel sighed when he realized Jack wasn’t about to give up on this topic. He nodded gravely, then said, in a solemn voice, “I know that, Jack. But I also don’t think he’s capable of giving me the level of commitment I need in a relationship. He’s fighting his homosexuality.. and I can’t help him win that battle. I don’t *want* him to win that battle..” He stopped talking abruptly then met Jack’s eyes and shrugged.
“I know,” Jack said, then swallowed from a dry mouth. “Philip and I have discussed this before. And I was the first person to want to rip him a new one for leading you on, Danny, but ..” He sighed then said, “I think he’s going through a really tough time at the moment and if he’s acting a little strange – is it any wonder?”
Daniel made a soft, scornful laugh as he said, “He’s acting strange because he’s fighting his attraction to me..”
Jack waved his hand towards the juicy fruit and Daniel brought it over to him. The older man took a long drink and then settled back, feeling a little refreshed from the juice.
“You know I pride myself on being Mr. Confidentiality, but I have to tell you that the man that stood up to his father at the side of Phil’s hospital bed – didn’t seem confused about his sexuality to me..”
Daniel frowned at that news then tilted his head. “What do you mean?”
Jack grunted as he shifted his throbbing leg. “Just..” He said, “give him some time.”
The surprised man nodded then left without another word. Jack groaned and settled back against the hard rock as he closed his eyes. All that talking had taken more out of him than he’d expected it to and he was feeling very light-headed now that he was alone. He closed his eyes and soon the world around him disappeared.
*
"Chevron Seven.. Locked!"
Sam stared at the gate and watched the wormhole spin into life. With a triumphant cheer the room erupted. The major leapt to her feet and turned to the General behind her, "Permission to go through the gate, Sir!"
"Once we get telemetry, Major," Hammond told her patiently.
Sam nodded then turned back to the screen.
"Telemetry incoming, Sir," Harriman told the General. Hammond stepped up behind his chair and looked at the monitor. All eyes in the room carefully watched the images of the world come on the screen. It looked almost idyllic.
"Are we sure this is the right world?"
"It's the coordinates that Martouf gave us, Sir," Sam said, then added, "Give or take.."
"We couldn't have overshot the mark and landed on a different world?" Graham asked.
Suddenly Sam's eyes went wide as she stared at the image above his head.
"I'd say not.." She said. Graham turned his head to view the same alien who'd taken Daniel almost twenty-four hours before standing in front of the screen. The beast opened up its saliva-drenched jaws, revealing tiny, pointed teeth and then it roared, unlike anything anyone had heard before and, suddenly, the image was lost.
"Connection is lost, Sir," Harriman reported the obvious. Graham got up from his chair and stood behind his friend. With a puzzled expression marring his handsome face he leaned a hand against the console beside Harriman's hand as he studied the data on the screen.
Feretti, who was waiting down in the gate room with the rest of his team, turned towards the windows. Unaware of the trouble, he asked, "Sir, do we have a go?"
Hammond reached for the mic and announced, "That's a negative, Major. Stand down!"
"Sir, if we all went in there, we'd kill the beast and.." Sam offered.
"We don't know how many more of those things are waiting for us out there, Major. I can't risk the whole team."
"I'm willing to take that chance, Sir,” She reported dutifully. With a roar the gate disconnected and Hammond looked at the technician.
"What happened?"
"Wormhole disengaged," Harriman stated as he shifted slightly to let Graham have a closer look at the screen print out. Harriman watched the expression darken on the rotund General's face. Finally he offered, "Do you want me to re-establish it, Sir?"
"Yes, and this time, try to maintain it."
Graham spoke up. "There was nothing that could have been done. It disengaged at the other end.."
Hammond looked at Sam. "What if Feretti and the team had gone through?" He saw her gear up for a technical speech and added, quickly, "In English, if you don't mind, Major.."
Sam winced. "Best analogy I could give? Imagine a suspension bridge and our men are half way across... when one end is cut loose. " She mimed the cutting action.
Hammond nodded. "It would have fallen away from underneath them."
"They'd never have known what hit them, Sir.." She said.
The general nodded gravely then looked at the two technicians. "Re -establish it and do all you can to keep it stable." Harriman nodded and started to press in the symbols again.
Harriman announced each Chevron as it locked into place.
Hammond turned to Carter and said, “Is there anything you can do to keep the wormhole stable?”
The Major frowned as she thought about that then she settled into her chair and punched in a few calculations into the computer before her.
“Chevron Six, locked.”
“I think, if I adjusted for the..”
“Chevron Seven.. Will not engage..”
Sam stopped talking mid-sentence and stared at Harriman. “What?”
Graham, who was leaning over his shoulder, turned to look at Sam and shrugged.
Hammond frowned. “What do you mean it won’t engage?”
Harriman held his hands up towards the screen and said, “The chevron won’t engage..”
“How can that be, Lieutenant? You just had a lock on it?” Hammond asked the technician.
Harriman stared at the screen before him and announced, again, “It’s not engaging, Sir.”
“Maybe the gate is on a ship – or something - that has moved out of range again?” Hammond offered hopefully. Sam frowned and shook her head.
“I don’t think so, Sir,” she said as she held her hand up towards the screen. “Remember the image we saw. I think that gate was well and truly on a planet’s surface..”
The commanding officer shook his head and shrugged at the same time. “Then how can that be, Major?”
Sam looked across to Graham. His eyes reflected her thoughts. With some trepidation, Sam finally announced, “I think that thing.. destroyed the gate..”
<End of part 87>
Stories on this page are the property of Nessessitee and Slida. Please do not copy these without the written permission of the Author. All Rights are acknowledged for MGM, Gekko and Stargate Productions as to the Copyrights of the characters within this story and no infringement on the copyrights are intended. For the Bombshells Series the character of Philip Simmons is entirely the creation and intellectual property of Nessessitee and Slida.
While the performances given by RDA and MS help to fuel the author's desire to write for their characters in a niche that she feels is present on the actual show, the portrayal of their characters in loving relationships in no way reflects the Author's opinion of the men's private life, nor should it be construed in that manner.