Storytime with Rachel F Hundred

Part I: Always Darkest

There was a look in Samantha Carter’s eyes that Jack O’Neill had never wanted to see there. In some ways it was a miracle that he had never seen it before despite the trauma the Air Force Major had already suffered during her time in the Stargate programme. But it had been a different trauma that Carter had endured in the last week. She had kidnapped by a man – not an alien or someone on a different planet with a skewed sociological development – just a common garden ordinary man on Earth who had put her through hell.

Humans were the worst, Jack considered bleakly as he tried to get comfortable. The pain one human could inflict on another was more terrifying than most of the things that awaited them through the Stargate. The pain Adrian Conrad and his bunch of doctors had inflicted on Carter was amongst the most horrific. She was questioning herself; her worth as a person. After all, if she was worth anything, why would anyone do what they had done to her? Deny her basic human rights; lock her up, experiment on her like she was a lab rat. He could see the questions forming in her deep blue eyes; had seen them in his own too many times.

He had his own experiences at being told he was worthless, at being held captive by men who considered him less than human; a dog, vermin, crap. He remembered the insults; every one. He knew only too well what it was like to be grabbed without warning, to be drugged and restrained. He knew the helplessness and frustration at being unable to prevent what happened; to have no control. He had seen all his old emotions in Carter’s face as she had told General Hammond and himself of her experience; it was like looking in a mirror only it was her face and not his staring back at him. It was weird. It was bad. Which brought him back to his original thought; Jack had never, never, wanted to see that look in Carter’s eyes.

Jack fought the pull of tiredness and he could see Carter was starting to flag too as Hammond wrapped up the make-shift debriefing held by necessity at Jack’s bedside given his wounded arm and back. She was pale; too pale. They had kept it to military personnel only to give her the illusion of privacy but Jack figured Daniel Jackson and Teal’c were not far away.

Carter had been matter-of-fact; calm even as she had debriefed. Anybody else might have been fooled by her recounting but Jack knew her too well. He’d seen the tremor in her fingers that she had hidden by clasping her hands behind her back when she’d told of being grabbed at her gym. He’d heard her breath catch before she spoke when she recalled her first awakening, her dislocation, and the realisation that she was restrained. He’d heard the shake in her voice that gave away the terror she had felt.

She’d been drugged for the majority of her stay as Conrad’s guest and Jack could see that it disturbed her. She had very few recollections of that period; ceilings, the doctors, dizziness. He empathised. He’d lost weeks of his own life in Iraq. He had no idea what they’d done to him, what he had done during the missing time. It bothered him the not-knowing although he had buried it. Jack knew it would bother Carter. He wondered whether she would be able to bury it in time as he had done.

The doctors holding her had only stopped drugging her to question her it seemed but it had given her an opportunity. He had listened proudly to her as she had told them of her escape attempt. He had seen the same pride in her shining from Hammond’s pale blue eyes. Carter had thought on her feet; she had almost gotten out without them.

When she had told them of her conversation with Conrad, Jack had done a poor job at hiding his anger. They’d already worked out much of what she told them; Conrad was dying, he’d planned to use the Goa’uld symbiote to cure himself; he’d believed Carter would provide the answer on how to free himself of the symbiote once he was better. His actions in kidnapping her and using her like a lab rat had seemed entirely justified in his desperation.

Jack couldn’t have cared less about Conrad’s motives. In his opinion, the guy was a selfish cretin who didn’t deserve to live for what he had put Carter through and if he ever came across him again he wouldn’t hesitate to kill him. Cold anger settled in Jack’s belly; there was something to be said for the whole Jaffa revenge gig. Jack grimaced. The truth was that he’d had Conrad in his sights and he’d been a hair’s breadth away from shooting the damn guy when Harry Maybourne had shot him.

Damn it.

He was so shooting Maybourne the next time he saw him. Not that he didn’t owe the disgraced former Colonel; Maybourne had helped Jack find Carter in the end.

Jack’s eyes ran back over her as she finished answering Hammond’s questions on their rescue and return to the SGC. He barely remembered the trip back in the specially arranged jet Hammond had procured. He remembered the hard concrete floor beneath him when he regained consciousness after being shot and trying not to move as Carter had seen to the bullet wound in his arm. He remembered Teal’c and Daniel both appearing with Janet Fraiser. He had a vague memory of being injected with something…of waking on the flight back and seeing Carter asleep in the seat beside him, dressed in spare clothing and shivering despite the blanket someone had placed over her…he had drifted back to sleep with only the thought that Carter was safe.

Carter was safe.

Maybourne’s early warning to Jack that he should prepare himself for Carter not coming back hadn’t come true and a fresh wave of relief rushed through Jack and stole his breath. He had struggled with the warning even though he had known from the moment they had confirmed Carter was missing that it was a possibility that she was dead. He had refused to believe it.

Couldn’t believe it.

Hadn’t wanted to.

He had needed desperately to believe that she was alive; that they would bring her home because after an incident where a computer entity had possessed her, Jack knew what it was like to believe Carter was dead and he never wanted to be there again. It had been the reason why he had pushed them both into returning to a professional relationship; to protect himself and to protect her from getting too close while they still had a war to fight. He had even tried to move on and date somebody else as Carter had moved on and dated other guys but it hadn’t worked out. He couldn’t stand the thought of losing Carter; would rather die himself than lose her.

He still loved her.

That thought rippled through him like blood through his veins, air through his lungs. He would always love her; he was reconciled to that.

But he had still failed to protect her.

The knowledge sat heavy on his shoulders. If he had almost lost her to the computer entity because they were too close, he had almost lost her to Conrad because they weren’t close enough. He’d taken a step back; she had taken a step back, and the resulting gap between them was too wide. As her CO he’d had no reason to check in with Carter when the rest of SG1 had been ordered to Washington the weekend before to take part in an investigation over the events with the Aschen. Carter had been injured and exempt from the review despite her pivotal role in revealing the Aschen’s duplicity. If it hadn’t been for Daniel raising the alarm when he’d failed to get hold of her…

Jack’s mind flashed to the moment he had burst into the sterile hospital room and seen Carter struggling with the two doctors for her life. He could remember the light glinting off the needle on the syringe; Carter’s terrified face. A second later and he would have been too late. The thought tightened his chest and he rubbed it absently as though to ease the pain in his heart.

It had been close.

Too close. Before their step back, he would have called her himself, Jack thought with some consternation. They would probably have made arrangements to check in with each other. He would have known she was missing so much sooner and maybe, just maybe, they would have found her before the doctors had decided to kill her for their experiment. There had to be a happy medium, Jack contemplated tiredly; some way for him to balance the fact that he loved her with protecting her.

‘Colonel?’ Hammond’s concerned voice broke through his thoughts and Jack glanced up to see both the General and Carter looking back at him worriedly.

‘Sorry.’ Jack reached up and rubbed his face with his good hand. ‘I was…’ he gestured vaguely, ‘you know.’

‘You should probably get some rest, sir.’ Sam offered, her blue eyes running over him.

‘You too.’ Jack shot back. He frowned. ‘Shouldn’t you be in one of these oh-so-comfy beds yourself?’

Sam’s gaze dropped to his feet. ‘Doctor Fraiser’s given me permission to stay in my quarters.’

Jack’s eyes narrowed on her. He had a feeling that she had begged to stay out of the infirmary and given her experience he could understand why; it didn’t explain why the CMO had acquiesced. ‘That’s not fair.’ He said out loud, hoping he could distract her from dwelling by getting her focused on something else. ‘If you’re in quarters, I should be in quarters.’

‘You’re on a morphine drip, sir.’ Sam’s eyes flickered back up to him.

‘So.’ Jack motioned at her. ‘Help me out, Carter. I can take it with me.’

‘Colonel.’ Hammond’s use of his rank had Jack subsiding and a brief glance at Hammond revealed the General had known why Jack had made his bid for freedom as they both took in Carter’s amusement.

Janet entered and stopped at the sight of the General stood beside the bed. ‘Sir?’

Hammond waved her forward. ‘Doctor.’

Janet approached with her hands in the pockets of her medical coat. Her brown eyes went straight to Carter. ‘You should get some food and rest, Major.’

‘I concur.’ Hammond said gently. ‘We’re done here.’

Jack’s eyes caught on a movement in the doorway. ‘Perfect timing.’ He waved his hovering team-mates forward. Daniel entered sheepishly while Teal’c retained an impassive exterior. ‘Hey.’

‘Hey.’ Daniel responded. He crossed his arms as he halted on the other side of the bed from the General, Sam and Janet. ‘You OK?’

‘I’m on a morphine drip.’ Jack said succinctly.

Daniel nodded without replying and his anxious gaze moved to Sam.

‘Why don’t you kids take Carter and get some food? Make sure she gets some rest?’ Jack suggested.

Sam bristled. ‘Sir.’

Jack caught her eyes. ‘Carter.’ He jerked his head at the guys. They had been through hell during the search for her and he figured they needed the time with her as much as she needed food and a straight eight hours. He saw the realisation dawn in her blue eyes.

Sam sighed and smiled wanly at Daniel and Teal’c. ‘I guess I could eat.’

‘You should keep it light.’ Janet cautioned. ‘Soft foods.’

Teal’c smiled back. ‘It will be a pleasure to escort you to the commissary, Major Carter.’

Daniel smiled, pleased. He glanced back at Jack and the two men exchanged a silent message as the archaeologist acknowledged Jack had passed the responsibility for looking after Carter to him and Teal’c. ‘You want us to bring you something back?’

Jack opened his mouth to answer.

‘No.’ Janet spoke before he could. ‘The Colonel will be sleeping. You can come back and see him in the morning.’

‘Doc!’ Jack protested – more because he knew it was expected than because the idea of sleeping wasn’t attractive.

‘We’ll see you in the morning, sir.’ Sam said formally. She hesitated, her eyes flitting to Hammond and Janet as though considering their presence. She obviously decided against saying anything more. She gave a nod and turned for the door.

Jack watched as his three team-mates walked out.

‘Doctor,’ Hammond said, ‘perhaps you can give your report on Major Carter before Colonel O’Neill rests.’

Janet looked for a moment as though she was going to argue but she sighed and nodded instead. ‘Her blood work came back clean. Whatever drugs she was subjected to have left her system.’ She wet her lips and her eyes darted between the two men. ‘There’s no physical evidence to suggest she was sexually assaulted during her periods of unconsciousness.’

‘Thank God.’ Hammond said fervently.

Jack felt his own throat close up at the news. He had wondered; they had all wondered. She had been kept hostage for so long.

Janet nodded. ‘Regardless, Major Carter’s body was subjected to medical procedures against her will. There are healing puncture marks and incisions on her body. I believe they have performed a number of biopsies.’ Her words were crisp but her brown eyes shone with her distress.

Jack shook his head in denial that Carter had been put through that. He could see Hammond struggle with it too.

‘Given that, and given the psychological impact…’ Janet stopped unable to continue.

‘It’s just like they raped her.’ Jack completed.

Janet nodded reluctantly. ‘Control of her body was taken away from her. She was physically assaulted.’ She sighed angrily. ‘Then there’s the trauma of knowing that she was considered to be on a par with a lab rat with these guys. The way she was dehumanised.’ She pressed her lips together. ‘I recommend a period of psychological treatment before she returns to full duty.’

‘She’s so not going to like that.’ Jack commented without thinking.

The petite doctor glared at him.

‘Come on, Doc.’ Jack said. ‘You really think she’s going to open up with Mackenzie? She can barely stand being around the infirmary; around you.’ He held her eyes. ‘I’m guessing that’s why you’ve agreed to her staying in quarters.’

‘Against my better judgement.’ Janet shot back. ‘And her fear of doctors and the infirmary are part of the reason why it’s imperative she get help from professionals, Colonel.’

Jack lifted a hand from his bed and gestured. ‘Forcing medical help on her right now is only going to do more damage.’ He paused and caught Janet’s eye. ‘I should know.’

Janet looked momentarily shocked. Jack guessed that it was his sudden willingness to admit that he had been through the same thing that had taken the wind out of her sails. He saw her gaze stray to his morphine drip.

‘You have another suggestion, Colonel?’ Hammond jumped in swiftly.

‘Let SG1 handle it.’ Jack said immediately. ‘We can get her through it.’ He looked at Janet. ‘Enough so she might request help.’

Janet frowned. ‘And if that means sharing some of your own experiences with the Major, Colonel? Are you telling me you’re really prepared to do that?’

‘If that’s what it takes to get her through it.’ Jack didn’t hesitate. He hated what he had been through; hated the idea of sharing but if sharing every excruciating minute of his experience helped Carter come to terms with hers, it would be worth it.

‘Doctor?’ Hammond prompted.

She sighed. ‘I would want to monitor the Major’s progress, sir.’

‘Yes.’ Jack couldn’t contain his glee at getting his way.

‘But.’ Janet said quickly. She shot him a look before she turned to the General. ‘If I feel that the Major isn’t progressing with her recovery, I reserve the right to revisit this and,’ she stressed, ‘she will be subject to a pysch eval before I clear her for off-world duties.’

‘Agreed.’ Hammond said.

Jack pulled a face but he accepted the compromise.

‘Now you need to rest.’ Janet said briskly.

‘I need another five minutes with the Colonel.’ Hammond said firmly.

‘Sir…’

‘Five minutes, Doctor.’ Hammond promised, holding up a hand to forestall the argument he could see forming in her eyes.

Janet glowered unhappily but acquiesced with a nod. She turned on her heel and left.

‘You know she’s going to be timing you.’ Jack commented and frowned. He hadn’t meant to say that out loud. His eyes darted to the drip and he saw Hammond follow his gaze with some bemusement.

Hammond cleared his throat. ‘We have a problem.’

Jack sobered. ‘You think the investigation on the Aschen was a set-up to grab Carter.’ It wasn’t a question; he’d had the same thought.

‘Let’s just say it seems awfully convenient that Major Carter is grabbed the same weekend that the rest of us are required to be elsewhere at the insistence of something instigated by Senator Kinsey.’ Hammond noted tersely. ‘Add to that that she was a main witness but excluded because of her injury…’ His round face was red; his jaw clenched. It was evident what conclusion Hammond had drawn.

‘We saw Kinsey and Simmons at the Pentagon. They know each other.’ Jack sighed. He pointed at his CO. ‘I would bet my house that Simmons knew the exact details of Maybourne’s deal with Zeditron and exactly what Conrad had planned.’

Hammond pursed his lips. ‘You think Simmons set it up.’

‘Set it up or was planning to take advantage of it.’ Jack admitted. ‘I can’t prove it but let’s face it; the NID would love to get their hands on a live Goa’uld and they’ve been after Carter for years. Conrad’s plan provided them with two for one.’

The disgust on Hammond’s face matched Jack’s. ‘We dropped the ball.’

Jack couldn’t disagree with him.

Hammond sighed. ‘I think Major Carter doesn’t need to know that her own government may have conspired in her abduction.’

‘No, sir.’ Jack wondered how he was going to stop her from piecing it together.

‘The question is how do we stop it from happening again?’ Hammond sighed tiredly.

‘We need to start implementing security checks for when we’re Earth-side.’ Jack said strongly. ‘For all SG teams. SG1 may be more at risk but we’re not the only ones who’ve gotten into some strange crap and might be on the NID’s most wanted list.’

‘I’ll issue orders.’ Hammond said. He gestured at Jack. ‘Get some rest.’

Jack nodded. The morphine had dulled the aches in his body and made him drowsy. Sleep sounded good. He settled back against the pillows and pulled the blankets closer. He closed his eyes.

‘Jack.’

Hammond’s rare use of his first name had Jack’s eyes snapping open.

‘Good job bringing her home, son.’ Hammond said quietly. His pale blue eyes met Jack’s appreciatively and Jack’s chest constricted painfully. He sometimes forgot about Hammond’s relationship with the Carters; sometimes forgot he wasn’t the only one who loved her…

Jack gave a slow nod. Hammond gave a small smile and disappeared. Jack felt his eyes closing again inextricably. Carter was safe; he could sleep.

o-O-o

Sam stirred listlessly at the soup she had selected and pushed what she thought was a carrot from one side of her bowl to the other. She glanced across the table and met Daniel’s concerned gaze at the amount of food she had left. She firmed her lips and pushed the meal away reaching for the blue jello she had selected as dessert.

‘Major Carter…’ Teal’c began but stopped at the glare she levelled on him.

‘You should eat.’ Daniel said, apparently ignoring her unhappiness at their fussing.

‘I am eating.’ She pointed her spoon at the jello.

Daniel tutted but subsided. He reached for the pecan pie he had chosen and dug in. For a few moments they were all fixated on eating.

Sam appreciated the quiet. They sat at the back of the commissary, in a table tucked away into the far corner. Its position deterred everyone from coming over; either that or Teal’c’s glare. The Jaffa sat beside her, providing a shield between her and the rest of the world. As much as she hated to admit it, she appreciated it. She didn’t have the strength to deal with the well-meaning platitudes of other people. She barely had the strength to deal with the usual background noise and the strange feeling of normality at sitting there. She could almost pretend that the past week hadn’t happened.

Her team-mates hadn’t asked her any questions as they had shepherded her through getting the meal and they had been mostly concerned that she ate something. But she could see the curiosity in their eyes and she knew it was only a matter of time before they started to gently hint that she should start talking.

She just couldn’t do it.

It had been bad enough reporting what had happened to her to the General and the Colonel, and she couldn’t go through it again. She needed to divert their attention, Sam determined.

She cleared her throat and scooped up another lump of jello. ‘So, how did it go in Washington?’

Daniel blinked at her momentarily thrown by her abrupt conversation opener. ‘It, uh, went OK.’

‘The President determined that we took appropriate action in regards to the Aschen.’ Teal’c replied with a satisfied smile.

‘That’s it?’ Sam asked surprised. ‘No details.’ She teased.

Daniel waved his fork at her. ‘There’s not a lot to tell you. Saturday was mostly sitting around waiting and Sunday…’ he stopped abruptly.

‘Sunday?’ Sam prompted.

‘We were all kind of distracted.’ Daniel admitted with a sigh. ‘We hadn’t been able to contact you and we were worried.’

She paused in scraping the glass clean. It felt good to know they had been concerned when they hadn’t been able to contact her; that they had noticed something was wrong. It had been her main worry when she had been cognisant enough to think clearly. With her team-mates in Washington and with her being away on sick leave, she had feared no one would have realised she was gone until she failed to turn up for her check-up with Janet on Monday. She knew she’d been transported and that the trail would have gone cold by the time they realised she was missing.

‘We’re sorry, Sam.’ Daniel said regaining her attention. ‘We should have been here.’ His blue eyes shone with remorse.

‘It’s not your fault, Daniel.’ Sam said lowering her spoon. Her gaze swept over both her team-mates. ‘You had no choice about going to Washington. It was just bad timing.’

At least she hoped that’s all it was. The idea that Kinsey may have set-up the investigation to ensure she was isolated that particular weekend had crossed her mind but there was no evidence and, on the whole, she much preferred to believe that what had happened was down to the sick desperation of Adrian Conrad alone.

‘Do you think Maybourne actually shot Jack?’ Daniel asked suddenly.

‘I don’t know.’ Sam shrugged and frowned at the twinge in her shoulder. The injury she had sustained escaping from the Aschen wasn’t completely healed. ‘According to the Colonel, Conrad was in front of him and he was shot from behind. It could have been anybody. Maybe one of Conrad’s own people.’

‘The Goa’uld would be a valuable asset to a man such as Maybourne.’ Teal’c suggested.

‘Look what Zeditron was willing to pay for the symbiote but a hosted Goa’uld?’ Daniel sighed. ‘One who could provide information?’

‘What was Maybourne doing there anyway?’ Sam asked. The question had been nagging at her ever since the disgraced former Colonel had burst in alongside her CO to rescue her.

Daniel and Teal’c exchanged a look clearly debating what to tell her.

‘Daniel.’ Sam said insistently.

‘Jack didn’t explain how we found you?’ Daniel asked as he pushed his empty plate away and reached for his coffee.

Sam shook her head. ‘I was the only one who debriefed.’ She said shortly. ‘So?’

Daniel took a gulp of caffeine and gestured with the mug. ‘As soon as we confirmed you were missing we began searching for you. The police had found your car by your gym so Jack went over to see what he could find out while Teal’c and I questioned your neighbours.’

Sam shifted uncomfortable. She appreciated the necessity but she hated the idea of everyone knowing what had happened to her.

‘We were discreet.’ Daniel promised her quickly and Sam belatedly realised that too much of her discomfort must have shown on her face.

‘We did not uncover any information.’ Teal’c continued. ‘However, O’Neill was able to ascertain from an eye-witness who had heard your cries that you had been grabbed by a number of men.’

Daniel’s lips twisted. ‘We figured it might be the rogue part of the NID and Jack thought Maybourne might be useful. We left a message for him and Maybourne made contact with Jack.’

‘He suggested O’Neill contact Colonel Simmons.’ Teal’c said crisply.

‘Simmons was in on it?’ Sam’s fingers clenched around the spoon tightly. She shouldn’t be surprised, she told herself; Simmons didn’t like her or the rest of SG1. He had actively investigated them twice trying to discredit them.

‘Not exactly.’ Daniel said hurriedly. ‘When Jack went to see him, Simmons told Jack that Maybourne had lied to him; that if he wanted to find out what happened to you that he should ask Maybourne why Zeditron had paid him three million dollars.’

‘The Colonel went to see Simmons?’ Sam repeated. ‘At the Pentagon?’

Teal’c inclined his head. ‘He was most determined to find you, Major Carter.’

Sam shook herself slightly. ‘So that gave you the link to Zeditron?’

Daniel nodded. ‘We did some research and realised Conrad was probably sick.’

‘O’Neill came across Maybourne at Zeditron headquarters and questioned him further.’ Teal’c added.

‘Maybourne admitted to stealing the symbiote from the Russians…’

‘The Russians?’ Sam questioned. ‘The Russians had a Goa’uld symbiote?’

‘They had a Jaffa.’ Daniel corrected. ‘The symbiote was approaching maturity so…’

Sam nodded in understanding and waved at him to continue.

‘Maybourne stole the symbiote and delivered it to a doctor.’ Daniel sipped his drink. ‘He led Jack to the doctor’s office and when Jack faxed us Conrad’s medical file, Janet was able to diagnose him. She was the one who suggested that Conrad would probably be at a medical facility which is when I remembered Zeditron owned Saint Catherine’s hospital.’

‘The building where I was held.’ Sam concluded with a shiver. She looked warmly at her team-mates. ‘I can’t believe you pieced it together.’ She smiled tiredly. ‘But I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you did.’

Daniel and Teal’c exchanged another look.

‘Jack did a lot of the legwork.’ Daniel said quietly. ‘He was determined to find you.’

Sam didn’t know how to react to that. She lowered her gaze to the remains of her jello. The Colonel was protective of the whole team, she told herself firmly. He would have done the same if Daniel or Teal’c had gone missing. It didn’t mean anything. He had made it clear after he had almost killed her to save the base that he wanted them to have a purely professional relationship and leave their previously declared inappropriate feelings in the past.

Sam knew it was for the best; the regulations existed for a reason. They couldn’t love each other and serve with each other. It was too dangerous. She had done her best to follow the Colonel’s lead but she had come to the conclusion that she still loved him even if he had moved on and was dating someone else. Sam sighed. She had decided to bury her feelings and focus on her career. She couldn’t bear the idea that he would realise how she felt and pity her. She looked down at the remnants of her meal. She was tired, too tired to be thinking about the Colonel and her feelings for him.

‘I’m beat.’ Sam admitted bluntly. ‘I’m going to bed.’

‘We will escort you to quarters.’ Teal’c informed her as he stood up to allow her to leave the table. Daniel hastily drained his mug and stood up.

She nodded. She wanted to refuse, to claim she was fine, but the part of her that was thankful for the protective presence of her team-mates even in the safety of the base won hands down.

‘Thanks, guys.’ Sam let them guide her back through the corridors of the SGC. They reached her quarters and Sam slid her card through the security reader. The door swung open.

‘Will you be OK?’ Daniel asked hesitantly. ‘I can stay if you want.’ He gave a shrug as though to underscore he didn’t mind and that it was her decision.

‘I’m just going to crash.’ She reached forward and Daniel’s arms gently encased her. ‘Thank you.’

Daniel hugged her. ‘It’s good to have you back.’

Sam let go of Daniel and accepted a similar hug from Teal’c.

‘Sleep well, Major Carter.’ Teal’c said, releasing her.

She stepped back comforted by their evident concern and care for her. ‘I’ll see you both in the morning.’ She entered her room and closed the door.

The silence in the small room was deafening.

She was alone.

Completely alone.

The bed suddenly looked foreboding; the idea of sleep seemed scary. She didn’t want to close her eyes and be alone with her thoughts. She didn’t want to dream about what had happened to her.

Sam rubbed her arms suddenly chilled. Maybe a warm shower would help relax her, Sam mused. She wandered into the small adjoining bathroom and turned the water on. She began to strip. She unbuttoned her shirt and shrugged it off her shoulders, wincing as her bad shoulder twinged. She pulled off her t-shirt and stopped as her eyes caught on her image in the mirror. She took a step toward it. Her fingers grazed over the small plasters that covered her abdomen; another by her breast and yet another under her arm.

She ripped them off violently exposing the harsh red lines and puncture marks that marred her body. Her breath shortened at the ugly sight of them. Her fingers trembled as they touched each mark. Tears stung her eyes. They would heal and disappear eventually. She took off the rest of her clothing, revealing the patchwork of bruises on her legs and hips; the dull marks that gave away where she had been restrained. She closed her eyes as she stepped under the warm spray of the water.

Her head bowed. Hot tears leaked out from the corners of her eyes and ran down her cheeks. She leaned heavily on the back wall of the shower as she sobbed. Her body shook. Eventually, she sank into a sitting position. She huddled in the far corner; her knees under her chin, her arms tight around her legs. Her eyes were pinned to the open bathroom door. The water cascaded over her shaking form.

Shock.

She was in shock.

She registered the realisation dimly. Seeing the evidence of her experience had made it real again.

She had been abducted.

She had been subjected to examinations.

By humans. Humans on Earth. Not the Goa’uld, or some strange aliens, or the humans of some odd sociological evolution but humans on Earth.

To her captors she had been less than human; not worthy of respect because of her experience with Jolinar; she had been an object to be used and abused. If her team hadn’t shown up she would be dead. The memory of the doctors grabbing her so they could inject her, kill her so they could continue their experiments…God, she couldn’t even remember most of what had happened to her during the period she had been drugged. All she could remember was not being in control.

Just like when Jolinar had taken over her body except as a host she had seen everything Jolinar did. Everything was too fuzzy this time; too out of focus. There were flashes. She could remember being naked and vulnerable. Cold. So cold. Metal against her skin; needle pricks…rough hands on her body, pulling and pinching.

Sam abruptly stumbled into a standing position and reached for the soap and sponge. She ruthlessly scrubbed at her body, ignoring the sharp sting as her wounds broke open and bled again. She scrubbed and rinsed. Scrubbed and rinsed again. She repeated it until her arms were heavy and tired. She stayed under the spray and let it wash away the remaining suds, the faint blood marks.

She stepped out and shivered violently. She turned away hurriedly and retched into the toilet, grateful that the shower noise covered the sounds of her vomiting her meagre dinner. She flushed the lavatory and rinsed her mouth, brushed her teeth. She reached for a towel, wrapping it around her body tightly. She reached for another and towelled her hair before she slung it over her shoulders. She made her way back into the bedroom.

She dressed into her pyjamas quickly and climbed into the bed. She sat with her back straight against the pillows; her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around her calves. Her eyes were locked on the door. She didn’t feel safe.

Even in the Mountain.

Even with her team just down the corridor.

She shook badly but stayed where she was. She was tired. So tired. All she wanted to do was sleep.

Her eyes fluttered shut and she snapped them back open. The next time they closed, they stayed shut.

o-O-o

He was running through a Goa’uld mothership. He could hear his footsteps pounding on the floor and the sharp, short breaths that burned his lungs. Desperation filled him. He couldn’t find her…couldn’t find her…

Suddenly he was in an all too familiar tent. Perfume filled his nostrils; made him dizzy.

‘Daniel.’ Her voice with its Abydonian lilt turning his name from ordinary into the exotic just as she had turned him from an ordinary man into an adventurer.

‘Sha’re.’ He turned but it wasn’t his wife who greeted him. Ammonet stared back at him from Sha’re’s dark eyes.

‘You will never find her.’ Ammonet said harshly. ‘She is gone.’

‘No!’ Daniel yelled the word as her hand came up, as the beam hit his forehead, as the pain of losing Sha’re filled him…

And suddenly everything disappeared and he was stood in the gate room, the Stargate before him. Shifu, Sha’re’s child, stood on the ramp. He looked as Daniel had last seen him; young, dressed in Abydonian robes and a strangely wise look in his dark eyes. The last time Daniel had seen him, Shifu had been an Ascended being, disappearing through the Stargate with a wave of a flashy glowing tendril.

‘Shifu.’ Daniel looked around him, disoriented. ‘Where…? What?’ He closed his eyes and shook his head as his hand rose to pinch the bridge of his nose. ‘I was looking for someone.’

Sam, he realised belatedly. Sam had been missing.

‘She is safe.’ Shifu confirmed. His young face was troubled. ‘You still grieve for Mother.’

‘Yes.’ Daniel sat down wearily on the ramp. ‘I miss her.’

‘Your journey will not continue while you dwell on her loss.’ Shifu murmured.

Daniel sighed. ‘Maybe I don’t want my journey to continue. I’m not exactly achieving what I set out to do.’ He gave a sad laugh. ‘I’m not even sure what I’m doing anymore.’

Shifu reached out and placed a hand on Daniel’s heart. ‘The journey must continue if you are to discover your destination.’

Daniel frowned. ‘You sound like Oma.’

Shifu smiled enigmatically. ‘Yours will not be an easy journey, Father.’

Daniel’s eyes widened. ‘Father?’

Shifu’s head tilted like a bird eyeing a worm. ‘Father.’ He grinned. ‘You must return; they need you and you have much to do before our paths will cross again.’

Daniel woke abruptly, gasping for breath as though he had been running, his heart pounding loudly in his ears. He sat up and the sheet covering his body dropped to pool at his hips, leaving his torso bare. He reached for the bedside light and snapped it on. The room flooded with artificial light. He rubbed at his eyes as he stared blearily at the clock.

It was late – or early depending on the definition. He had only managed a couple of hours of sleep.

Sam.

She was safe, he told himself but his arm was already pulling back the covers. He dressed swiftly into BDU pants, a t-shirt and he dragged a shirt over the top to ward off the chill. He couldn’t quite shake the feeling that the last day had been a dream; that they hadn’t really found Sam and brought her home. He couldn’t ignore the urge to check. He yanked open his door and slipped out silently into the corridor. He stopped short at the sight of Teal’c outside Sam’s quarters. The Jaffa sat on a chair; his eyes closed; perfectly still.

Daniel gave an understanding grimace. Evidently, Teal’c had determined that he would guard their team-mate. ‘Teal’c.’

The Jaffa’s eyes sprang open and settled on Daniel. ‘Daniel Jackson.’

‘Is she…?’ Daniel waved at the door.

‘She is sleeping.’ Teal’c confirmed. An almost embarrassed look flitted over Teal’c’s usually impassive face. ‘I thought it would be best for one of us to stand guard.’

‘Good idea.’ Daniel dropped to the floor beside Teal’c. He leaned back against the wall. ‘I woke up and, er, just had to check we really found her.’ He closed his eyes and rested his head up against the wall.

Teal’c didn’t respond and Daniel figured he understood.

‘I was thinking.’ Daniel paused as though debating whether to continue and explain further. ‘I was thinking about Diana Mendez.’ He stopped and sighed. ‘Do you think she knew that it wasn’t Adrian Conrad?’

‘You were considering your own experience with Ammonet.’ Teal’c said softly.

‘Yeah.’ Daniel opened his eyes. He crossed his arms over his chest. ‘I knew it wasn’t Sha’re who tried to kill me; that it was Ammonet, but I just wondered whether…’

‘Whether Diana Mendez realised it was not Adrian Conrad who killed her.’ Teal’c completed.

She probably hadn’t, Daniel considered sadly. Conrad and Mendez didn’t really know the Goa’uld; if they had, they would never have come up their insane idea. ‘I know they were desperate to save Conrad from his disease but I can’t believe they seriously thought they could find a way to control the Goa’uld or extract it.’ He muttered. Conrad’s plan of curing his terminal illness by using the Goa’uld’s healing powers had been deeply flawed. Daniel found his anger stirring.

‘They were foolish.’ Teal’c agreed. He frowned heavily.

Daniel looked towards Sam’s door. He could understand why Sam had not wanted to be in the infirmary, but he couldn’t understand why Janet had agreed to her being in quarters. Sam had seemed too fragile – a description he didn’t often associate with his team-mate. ‘We should have found her sooner.’ He complained, wrapping his arms tighter around his body and staring at the empty, silent corridor in front of him unseeingly.

‘We recovered Major Carter as soon as we located her.’ Teal’c noted.

Daniel shook his head. ‘We should have found her sooner.’ He repeated, some of his buried frustration rising to the surface and sharpening his words. ‘We should have done more.’

Teal’c raised an eyebrow. ‘What more could we have done?’

‘I don’t know.’ Daniel retorted. ‘Something. Raised the alarm earlier.’ He sighed heavily. ‘Gone with Jack to see Simmons.’

Teal’c regarded him evenly. ‘Colonel O’Neill explained his reasoning in going into the field alone.’

‘You didn’t agree with that anymore than I did, Teal’c.’ Daniel pointed out. The Jaffa had been as equally as frustrated as Daniel at being left to the background work as Jack had called it.

Daniel pushed himself off the floor and got up to pace. ‘I just…I just feel completely useless.’ He turned back to Teal’c. He folded his arms over his chest. ‘I mean, what happens now? What do we say? Do we say anything?’

‘I do not know.’ Teal’c confessed. ‘We can only offer our support as Major Carter recovers from her experience and as O’Neill recovers from his wounds.’

Daniel nodded. He fidgeted for a long moment at Teal’c’s gentle reminder of Jack’s injury. Sam hadn’t been the only one they had almost lost the previous day; the memory of seeing the bruise on Jack’s back had been startling as had Janet’s crisp observation that if the Colonel hadn’t been wearing a vest he’d be dead. He waved back down the corridor towards the elevator. ‘I’m going to go check on Jack.’

Teal’c inclined his head in agreement. Daniel walked away slowly. He entered the elevator and rubbed his sore eyes. The infirmary was quiet. The medicinal smell that always permeated its corridors had Daniel wincing. He pulled up a chair by Jack and sat down.

Daniel watched the older man sleeping. The Colonel’s face was tensed, the lines that criss-crossed his features deep and heavy, as though the stress of the past week had followed him into his dreams. It probably had, Daniel mused tiredly.

It seemed surreal.

The whole thing had taken on the quality of a nightmare; Sam getting kidnapped; their frantic search for her; the rescue. He shuddered. If it seemed like a nightmare to him, he hated to think what it felt like to Sam. She had been the one captured, taken hostage; experimented upon.

Guilt stirred. Intellectually, he knew it wasn’t his fault or SG1’s for leaving Sam alone the previous weekend. They had followed their orders to take part in the investigation. They couldn’t have known what would happen.

Yet.

He couldn’t deny that he wondered if he should have raised the alarm earlier when she hadn’t responded to his first set of messages. He had waited too long. It chilled him to think he had debated telling Jack when he did.

Jack shifted in his sleep.

Daniel figured his feeling of guilt was shared by the military man. Jack had worked tirelessly to find Sam during the past week to the exclusion of all else despite the lack of leads and information. Daniel wondered what that meant…if it meant anything. Jack was dating an attractive woman; he had moved on from his feelings for Sam…or had he? Daniel couldn’t forget Jack’s single-minded purpose during Sam’s absence. Jack had acted like a man searching for the woman he loved. Daniel recognised the signs; he had spent the first two and a half years of the Stargate programme doing the same thing when he had searched for Sha’re. Maybe that’s why he had dreamed of his late wife. If they hadn’t found Sam or if they had found Sam too late; Daniel knew only too well what that felt like and he wouldn’t wish it on Jack. It felt like failure. Pure and simple failure.

He nudged his glasses up his nose and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

A soft moan caught Daniel’s attention and he quickly looked over at his friend. He shifted into Jack’s eye-line as the older man came to and blinked groggily. For a moment, he could see the rush of emotions in Jack’s eyes as the memory of the previous day came back; fear, worry, joy, relief. Daniel passed a mug of water to Jack.

Jack took a long drink before he passed it back. ‘Carter?’

His lips twitched. He might have known Jack’s first question would be about Sam, Daniel mused. ‘She’s asleep in her quarters. Teal’c’s watching over her.’

Jack nodded. ‘Good.’ His guarded gaze travelled over Daniel. ‘You look like crap.’

Daniel flushed at the blunt remark. He shrugged at Jack’s questioning stare and pushed his hands in his pants’ pockets. ‘I couldn’t sleep. I mean, I slept but then I was dreaming and I woke myself up because I needed to check on Sam and…’ he took in Jack’s amusement, ‘and you didn’t need to know that.’

Jack made a face. ‘Hey, if I wasn’t shot I’d probably be thinking the whole thing was a dream too.’

‘Or a nightmare.’

‘Or that.’ Jack agreed. He grimaced as he readjusted his position.

‘You want me to, er, get the nurse.’ Daniel pointed over his shoulder.

‘I’m good.’ Jack said grumpily.

‘Really.’ Daniel drawled in disbelief. His eyes flickered to Jack’s bandaged arm.

Jack ignored him.

‘If you hadn’t been wearing a vest you’d be dead.’ Daniel remarked seriously.

‘Don’t remind me.’ Jack muttered. ‘I’m going to kill Maybourne the next time I see him.’

‘You really think it was Maybourne?’ Daniel frowned.

‘You don’t?’ Jack questioned brusquely.

‘Well, I know you two have a…strange relationship going on…’

‘Daniel.’ Jack said warningly.

Daniel shrugged. ‘But I just don’t see it. He had no reason to shoot you, I mean beyond the obvious want to shoot you.’

Jack’s eyebrows quirked upwards. ‘Yeah, well. I’m just glad it was me and not Carter.’ He let his head fall back against the pillow. ‘If I’d sent her down to the basement…’

‘You couldn’t have known, Jack.’ Daniel said comfortingly.

‘I sent her searching for the Goa’uld on her own, Daniel.’ Jack corrected. ‘She was without a vest…back-up.’ He shook his head as though to underscore that he’d had no idea what he had been thinking.

‘If you’d been together you both would have been shot.’ Daniel pointed out. ‘And besides, I think she appreciated you giving her some control after…everything.’

Jack’s eyes brightened. ‘Has she talked with you?’

Daniel reached behind him and sat back down. ‘She questioned whether Simmons was in on it.’

Jack stilled. ‘She did?’

‘You think he is.’ Daniel realised. He slumped back, glaring at Jack. ‘When were you planning to tell us?’

‘Tell you what?’ Jack retorted, playing dumb.

‘That our own government may have been involved in Sam’s abduction.’ Daniel shot back.

Jack sighed heavily. ‘We don’t know that.’

‘Yes we do.’ Daniel replied.

‘No, we don’t.’ Jack insisted.

‘We do.’

‘We don’t.’

‘We do.’

‘I’m not doing this, Daniel.’ Jack snapped. He thrust a hand toward the archaeologist.

There was a tense silence.

‘Conrad had to get his information from somewhere. I don’t know why I didn’t think about that before.’ Daniel put it together out loud. ‘Simmons was probably responsible for the information about the symbiote and Sam ending up in Conrad’s hands in the first place. He probably set it up and used his connection with Kinsey to make sure we were out of the way to give Conrad the best chance of grabbing Sam.’

‘We can’t prove it.’ Jack muttered.

‘This isn’t the first time Simmons has come after us, Jack.’

‘You think I don’t know that, Daniel?’ Jack closed his eyes wearily before he reopened them.

Daniel subsided unhappily. It hurt him more than he wanted to admit that members of his own government – the same government that he had helped save time and time again – might have conspired to kill his friends. It hurt to think all their efforts, everything they had done to help protect Earth was so poorly valued by the very people they put their lives on the line every day to save. It wasn’t that he did what he did to garner favour with the likes of Simmons and Kinsey but he didn’t do it to have people like them treat him and his friends like garbage either. He sighed. The truth was he didn’t really know why he was still going through the Stargate. He had wanted to find Sha’re, wanted to make a difference, and instead all he seemed to have done was started a war they couldn’t win.

‘How do we even stay safe if someone like Simmons is after us?’ Daniel wondered.

‘We’re going to start putting safety checks in place for when we’re Earth-side.’ Jack informed him. ‘It’s not much but it should mean we get quicker at realising when someone goes missing.’

Daniel sighed.

‘The important thing right now is helping Carter get through this.’ Jack added. He gestured at him. ‘I’ve talked Fraiser into giving us some time before she insists on Carter seeing Mackenzie.’

Daniel’s eyebrows shot up above the frames of his glasses. ‘You think that’s wise?’

‘You don’t?’ Jack shot back.

‘I don’t know.’ Daniel admitted. ‘I’m not sure she’s going to open up with us anymore than she would with Mackenzie.’

Jack sighed. ‘What about last night?’

‘She wanted to hear about how we found her.’ Daniel said. ‘She didn’t really talk to us.’ He sat forward. ‘She told you what happened?’

Jack nodded slowly. ‘In her report.’

‘And?’

‘And she was drugged most of the time.’ Jack replied shortly. ‘They brought her out of it to ask her questions; she tried to escape but Conrad caught her. They’d handcuffed her to that bed where I found her only a couple of hours before we turned up.’

‘Wow.’ Daniel sighed. ‘Some timing.’

‘Yeah.’ Something flitted across Jack’s face. The military man glanced at the clock. ‘You should go back to bed.’

Daniel sighed and got to his feet. ‘You, uh, you need me to call anyone?’ He asked, remembering Jack’s lady friend.

‘No.’

‘What about…’

‘I’m not seeing her anymore.’ Jack said succinctly, cutting Daniel off before he completed the sentence.

Daniel wondered if it had anything to do with the way Jack had searched for Sam in the last week. ‘I’m sorry.’

Jack shrugged and winced as the movement caused him pain. He gestured at Daniel. ‘Just…go get some sleep.’

Daniel pulled a face and sketched a wave goodbye. He paused in the corridor and looked at his watch. He’d head to bed and grab a couple of hours more sleep, he decided. Given Jack’s plans he figured he was going to need it and he wasn’t going to be any use to his friends if he was falling asleep on his feet.

o-O-o

Janet hid her smile as she took in the sitting Jaffa by Sam’s door. She had suspected SG1 would close ranks around the Major and she hadn’t been wrong. She clasped her clipboard closer and carried on down the corridor. She hadn’t really been keen on the idea of letting Sam out of the infirmary but she had realised restraining her might have done more damage than good. She had managed to get Sam’s agreement that Janet could check on her at any time and she had arrived early that morning determined to make sure Sam was OK especially since she had not been observed overnight by medical personnel.

The Jaffa rose at her approach and bowed slightly. ‘Doctor Fraiser.’

‘Teal’c.’ Janet smiled. ‘I just want to check in on Major Carter.’

He moved aside and Janet stepped forward. She rapped on the door. ‘Major. It’s Doctor Fraiser.’

There was no reply and Janet pressed her ear up against the door, concerned. She pressed her lips together thoughtfully. She rapped on the door again. ‘Sam? It’s Janet. I’ve come by for the check-up we talked about yesterday.’

The silence continued.

Janet spun on her heel to face Teal’c. ‘Is it possible she left her quarters?’

Teal’c placed his hands behind the back. ‘I have been by her door since she entered.’

‘Have you heard any kind of disturbance from inside at anytime?’ Janet asked, her eyes moved back to the door.

‘I have not.’ Teal’c said. His eyebrow darted upwards. ‘Do you believe something is wrong, Doctor Fraiser?’

‘She’s not answering.’ Janet said concerned.

‘Perhaps she is sleeping.’ Teal’c suggested. ‘She may not have heard your knock.’

Janet felt a frisson of unease. It was a reasonable idea but her gut was telling her something was off. ‘Maybe you should try.’

Teal’c turned and knocked on the door loudly. ‘Major Carter. It is Teal’c.’

The door remained firmly closed.

A door further down the corridor opened and Daniel stumbled out, bare-footed and dressed only in his BDU pants. Any other time Janet would have taken a moment to admire the toned torso but her anxiety over Sam was paramount.

‘What’s going on?’ Daniel asked, walking up to them and peering at them blearily. The shadows under his own eyes gave away his lack of sleep.

‘I came to check in on Sam but she’s not answering.’ Janet informed him. She sighed heavily. ‘I knew I shouldn’t have agreed to her staying in her quarters. I should have kept her in the infirmary for observation.’

Daniel’s eyes widened. ‘You think she’s unconscious?’

‘I don’t know.’ Janet admitted. ‘But the fact that’s she’s not answering her door is not a good sign. She was subjected to a lot of medical procedures.’

‘Don’t you have a card that can get in?’ Daniel asked urgently, responding to her worry. ‘I mean, in case of medical emergency?’

‘Perhaps I should secure one from security.’ Teal’c offered. His dark eyes gave away his own anxiety.

‘Please.’ Janet said. She didn’t watch as Teal’c raced away. She stepped back up to the door and knocked again. ‘Sam? It’s Janet. Please open the door.’

Daniel joined her. ‘Sam! It’s me, Daniel. Please just open the door.’

‘It’s not working.’ Janet paced away from the door. ‘I knew I should have insisted on her staying in the infirmary.’

‘It’s not your fault.’ Daniel hastened to comfort her.

‘It is my fault.’ Janet rejoined passionately. ‘I’m her doctor! I should have followed protocol instead of allowing my friendship with her sway my professional judgement.’ Sam had begged not to be restricted to the infirmary and Janet had given in because the younger woman had been through so much. It had been the wrong decision.

‘Hey,’ Daniel put a hand on her shoulder, ‘you were trying to do the right thing.’

Janet took a deep breath; getting upset was not going to help Sam and she needed to focus. It was possible that Sam was just deeply asleep, she reminded herself. Or that she’d had some kind of reaction to the drugs she had been subjected to during her abduction and was lying unconscious, the voice inside her head argued back. Whatever the situation, she mused, she was going to need to be more prepared than simply having a penlight, a stethoscope and a clipboard. ‘I need to phone the infirmary.’

‘Use the phone in my room.’ Daniel offered.

‘Stay here,’ Janet told him briskly, ‘keep trying to rouse her.’

Daniel immediately turned back to the door and started tapping softly.

Janet hurried down the corridor and into Daniel’s quarters. She barely took in the disturbed bed in the centre as she picked up the phone and dialled the infirmary. She quickly ordered a team of medics with a gurney, crash cart and other emergency equipment. She wanted to be prepared for anything. She slapped the phone back into the cradle and took another breath.

Her eyes fell on the picture of Daniel’s wife on his bedside table. She had seen the one in his office but she hadn’t realised he kept a picture in his quarters. He must still love her a great deal to have a picture so close to the bed, Janet considered as she made her way out of the room. She pushed the twinge of envy aside as she made her way back to him.

‘Anything?’

‘Nothing.’ Daniel sighed. ‘I should have stayed with her last night. I offered…we offered,’ he motioned at the vacant chair where Teal’c had kept watch, ‘but she said she was fine.’

Janet knocked sharply on the door. ‘Major! Please open the door! That’s an order!’

There were footsteps behind them and they both turned to see General Hammond hurrying towards them with Teal’c and a security guard.

‘Doctor.’ Hammond said briskly. ‘I understand you’re trying to gain access to Major Carter’s quarters.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Janet motioned at the door. ‘I have cause for concern, sir, given her recent ordeal.’

Hammond nodded. ‘Very well. Airman, open the door.’

The security man reached forward with his card and slid it through the reader. The light blinked green and the door audibly unlocked.

Janet immediately moved forward. She knocked again briefly before pushing the door open. She peered into the dark room. ‘Major Carter?’

‘Stay away.’ Sam’s voice called out weakly from the other side of the bed.

Janet could barely make out Sam’s form. The light from the corridor fell across an empty bed and she could see Sam huddled into the shadows of the corner of the room. She squinted. ‘Sam, it’s me. I just want to confirm that you’re OK.’

‘No.’ Sam snapped. ‘No more experiments. Stay away from me or I’ll shoot.’

Janet froze at the entryway. That didn’t sound good; Sam sounded confused and disoriented. More to the point; how had Sam gotten a gun?

‘Doctor?’ Hammond questioned urgently behind her.

‘I think she’s disoriented.’ Janet said quietly, her heart racing as she slowly raised her hands so Sam could see they were empty. ‘It’s possible we woke her from a deep sleep and she’s uncertain of her bearings. Let me talk with her, sir.’

‘Is there any possibility she has a weapon?’ Hammond asked sternly.

‘Uh,’ Daniel cleared his throat. ‘She had one yesterday when we were looking for the Goa’uld. Jack gave her it.’

Hammond sighed. ‘And she didn’t return it?’

‘I don’t think any of us thought to ask her.’ Daniel admitted chagrined. ‘We were just relieved at finding her.’

‘Doctor,’ Hammond tapped her shoulder, ‘step out of the room.’

‘Sir?’ Janet looked over her shoulder at him surprised.

‘I can’t take the risk.’ Hammond said firmly.

‘Sir, if you send a security detail in here, the Major will be traumatised further.’ Janet said quickly. ‘This was my mistake. I should have kept her under observation in the infirmary. Please.’

‘I’m sorry, Doctor, but I cannot allow it.’ Hammond declared authoratively. ‘Step back; that’s an order.’

Janet sighed and stepped back. She immediately turned to her commanding officer. ‘Sir, I have to protest.’

‘Maybe Teal’c and I should go in.’ Daniel said quickly. ‘I don’t think she’d shoot us.’

‘I cannot allow anyone to go in there.’ Hammond said. ‘Not while she’s disoriented and potentially armed.’

‘Sir,’ Janet began again.

‘What about me?’ Jack’s voice broke in authoratively and Janet turned to glare at him, absently noting the arrival of the equipment and personnel from the infirmary that she had ordered along with the Colonel.

‘What are you doing here, Colonel?’ Hammond’s glare rivalled Janet’s.

‘I heard Carter’s refusing her wake up call?’ Jack said dryly. He gestured with his good hand at the open door – his injured arm was in a sling.

Janet’s eyes landed on the orderly who shrugged apologetically. She couldn’t blame him. She figured the Colonel had probably insisted on making his way to the Major’s room as soon as he had heard the news.

‘My decision remains, Colonel.’ Hammond said forcefully. ‘If there’s any chance Major Carter is armed, I cannot risk sending someone into that room.’

‘Sir,’ Jack said pleadingly, ‘Carter’s confused. That’s all. Let me go in and bring her out.’

Hammond and Jack exchanged a long look.

Janet watched with bated breath and she could see the same tension on everyone else’s face.

The General sighed. ‘Are you certain about this, Colonel?’

‘Yes, sir.’ Jack said confidently. ‘I am.’

Hammond’s fingers clenched at his sides but he nodded reluctantly. ‘You go in at your own risk.’

‘Understood, sir.’ Jack said. It was clear he didn’t really care about the risk to himself.

Janet moved out of the way, feeling wholly inadequate. She should probably protest, she thought sadly. The Colonel was injured; he was in no condition to go in that room yet…she inwardly sighed. Sam was rightly wary of doctors given her trauma and Janet knew if anyone could get through Sam’s fugue it would be the Colonel.

Daniel sighed heavily. ‘Jack.’

‘Daniel.’

‘Are you sure you don’t want Teal’c and I to come in with you?’ Daniel asked. His voice hummed with nerves but Janet could see he was hopeful.

Jack patted his arm. ‘Not this time, Daniel.’ He took another step. ‘Carter, I’m coming in.’

He walked inside and closed the door.

o-O-o

The door clicked shut behind Jack. He hoped Hammond would understand why he’d closed the door and would keep it locked for a while. There were things he might be prepared to share with Carter given the circumstances but Jack didn’t really want the whole base knowing his past – and he figured Carter would be mortified if the details of her own experience leaked out. Jack moistened his lips and stayed still, allowing his eyes to adjust as the light seeped in around the door and cast the room in shades of grey.

He made out the bed, rumpled and stripped of its blankets as though Carter had been startled awake. His chocolate eyes snagged on a huddled shape in the far corner, wedged up against the wall.

‘Carter.’

The shape moved. ‘Sir?’

The misery in her quiet voice almost made him smile despite the circumstances. ‘You woken up yet?’ He asked bluntly.

‘Yes, sir.’ Sam replied.

‘The gun?’ His heart pounded as he waited for her answer.

He heard her sigh heavily. ‘No gun, sir.’

‘OK.’ Jack made his way over to her and lowered himself to the floor beside her, ignoring the pain that bit into his back and arrowed down his arm. Carter was curled up into a small ball, her face buried in her hands. They sat for a long moment side by side.

Jack darted a look at her and wet his lips. ‘You want to tell me what happened just now?’

Sam shook her head and he caught a glimpse of tears on her cheeks. ‘I don’t know. I was sleeping and someone was breaking into my room so I…’

‘Hauled ass and threatened to shoot?’ Jack completed when she stuttered to a halt.

‘I just reacted.’ Sam continued sadly.

‘Of course you did.’ Jack said sympathetically. ‘Hell, Carter, if it was me I would have probably just attacked.’ He had in the past; broken the arm of the nurse who’d had the misfortune to wake him the first morning he’d been liberated from an Iraqi prison.

Sam looked at him. He could see the faint outline of her face; the glimmer of her eyes. She shifted beside him and he felt her inch closer. ‘I threatened Janet.’

Her voice was a whisper.

‘That why you didn’t come out once you realised where you were?’ Jack questioned gently.

She didn’t reply. He saw her duck her head in a classic Carter avoidance move.

‘Carter?’ He prompted.

‘I tried but I couldn’t seem to move, sir.’ She whispered. Her hands gripped her knees tightly; he could see the knuckles turning white.

Jack nodded. He knew how much it had cost her to admit that. ‘Well, I can see why you wouldn’t want to; lovely floor, nice wall.’

Sam shook her head. ‘I should be stronger than this.’

He could hear the tears she was holding back in her choked voice. ‘You’re one of the strongest people I know, Carter.’ He said sincerely. He knew that for a fact. Any one of the challenges she had faced would have downed a lesser person. ‘And you’re not alone. You’ve got me, Teal’c, Daniel. You know that, right?’

Sam nodded jerkily. He could hear the catch in her breath.

‘C’mere.’ Jack slung an arm around her shoulders and tugged her towards him. He didn’t care if it was inappropriate or the wrong thing to do as her CO. She cuddled into his side and rested her head on his shoulder. He could feel the hot splash of her tears soaking into the thin infirmary pyjamas he was wearing. He stayed silent and let her cry, knowing she didn’t want him to acknowledge her weakness. She stopped eventually; hiccupping slightly and sniffling.

Carter shifted suddenly to face him. Jack knew it wouldn’t take much to lean forward and capture her lips with his; to kiss her; to assure himself on a primal level that she was alive. He didn’t even think she would resist. But it would be taking advantage of her when she was vulnerable. He stayed still and she returned to her previous position, resting her cheek against his shoulder again.

He was reminded of how they used to cuddle when they’d thought they were entirely different people by the names of Jonah and Thera. He’d missed it, he realised regretfully; missed her. He was beginning to understand in his haste to resurrect the professional boundaries between them, he’d come close to destroying their friendship along with the promise of more someday.

Well, not anymore, Jack determined strongly. Even if he and Carter couldn’t be something more than friends, they could be friends. There was nothing wrong with that; nothing inappropriate; nothing against the regs. She stirred beside him and he dragged his mind back to the immediate problem. They couldn’t sit on the floor of Carter’s room all day no matter how much he liked it there.

‘You know after this morning Fraiser’s going to revoke your staying-in-your-quarter privileges.’ Jack said conversationally.

Sam sighed and he felt her tense at the idea that she was going to have to be in the infirmary.

‘I was thinking maybe we could convince her to give us one of those isolation rooms to ourselves?’ Jack continued, keeping his tone light. ‘Like we had just after Antarctica? It’ll be like old times.’

‘Really?’

‘Sure.’ Jack agreed. ‘Besides, I could do with some chess practice. Cassie keeps remembering Daniel’s moves.’

‘I thought she was getting really good.’ Sam commented, her body relaxing again.

‘She’s sneaky.’ Jack said proudly. He felt her lips curve through the thin material of his top. He glanced toward the door. He didn’t think they would have much longer before someone came in to check that Carter hadn’t shot him. ‘You ready?’

She hesitated but nodded. She didn’t move.

‘You’re going to have to help me up here, Carter.’ Jack prompted. He figured her ingrained compassion would kick in with the plea and he was right. She shifted immediately, taking hold of his arm and assisting him to his feet. He ushered her into a robe and they moved out to the door side by side. Jack opened it with his good hand and peeked out. He was relieved to see just Janet, Daniel and Teal’c. Hammond had evidently got rid of the rest of the circus.

‘Hey.’ Jack greeted them and nudged Sam out of her room.

Sam gave a small, fleeting and embarrassed smile before her eyes landed apologetically on the waiting doctor’s. ‘Janet…I am so sorry.’

Janet looked over her briskly. ‘That’s OK but…’

‘I’m staying in the infirmary.’ Sam completed, grimacing.

‘I thought one of those nice isolation rooms like the one we had after Antarctica?’ Jack hurried out. He hoped Janet got the message not to separate the two of them.

Janet shot him a look but nodded. ‘I’ll see what I can arrange.’ She motioned toward the elevator. ‘Shall we?’

They all started off down the corridor, Janet leading the way with Jack and Sam following her, flanked by their team-mates.

Jack frowned at Daniel suddenly taking in the other man’s undress. ‘Daniel.’

‘Jack.’ Daniel replied.

‘Shirt.’ Jack said with a smirk.

Daniel looked down at his bare torso. He spun around and headed back to his room.

Jack grinned, inwardly pleased as he saw an answering amusement light up Sam’s blue eyes momentarily before she looked away. It was going to be hard getting Carter through her experience but he resolved he would get through it; SG1 would get her through it.

Part II: Before The Dawn

Teal’c focused on the chess board and regarded his opponent with a fierce glower as she removed his king from play.

Cassandra Fraiser smiled sweetly back at the Jaffa. ‘Your turn, Teal’c.’

Teal’c’s dark eyes fell back to the board. He preferred the Jackals and Hounds game that he and Daniel Jackson played regularly but he enjoyed chess. He relished the challenge of determining strategy and he always played to secure victory. He picked up a knight and sent it into battle. He secured one of Cassie’s white pawns and added it to the small pile of pieces he had removed. He studied the board with satisfaction unaware of the look of amusement Jack and Sam shared while watching him. He had been inveigled into the game during Cassie’s visit to Sam for their usual game. Sam had played one game but she had tired and the other members of SG1 had stepped in. They had set up the board on a table between the beds allowing Jack and Sam to watch unimpeded.

The Air Force Major hadn’t said much since the incident the day before when the Colonel had intervened to bring her out of her quarters. She had been embarrassed by it and while they were all ignoring the fact that it had happened, the very visible outcome – her return to the infirmary – reminded them all too evidently that it had happened. Janet had arranged an infirmary ward. Without discussion, Teal’c and Daniel had also taken up residence in the room. Daniel had simply assumed ownership of the third empty bed on the other side of Sam while Teal’c was content to take a chair by the door. They were in and out of the room during the day and left when Janet insisted the injured pair needed to rest but overnight they provided Sam with a blanket of protection that was as much for their benefit as it was for hers.

Cassie’s visit would have usually have been cancelled but Hammond had ordered additional security to be implemented into the homes of the SGC staff. As SG1 and Cassie were at the top of the at-risk list, they had all insisted the Fraiser home be tackled first. Janet had decided to allow Cassie’s visit to Sam as a way of getting the teenager out of the house while the security men completed their work and a way of brightening up Sam’s otherwise despondent mood. Janet had told them she hadn’t decided what to tell the teenager beyond the basic facts; that Sam had been kidnapped, that Jack had been injured rescuing her and that they were all going to be more careful with their personal security going forward.

Cassie frowned in response to Teal’c’s move. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth and looked at the board just as seriously as Teal’c. It filled Teal’c with pride. She was learning well. Her hand snaked out and hovered over one piece before she suddenly changed her mind and shifted another piece.

Checkmate.

Teal’c raised an eyebrow. He lifted his eyes to meet Cassie’s and she grinned back at him. Teal’c bowed his head; conceding his defeat.

‘Nice.’ Jack commented.

Teal’c’s head snapped to the SG1 team leader.

Jack puffed out his chest. ‘I believe I remember some of those moves.’ He gestured at the board.

‘Me too.’ Daniel commented, looking up from his translations.

‘Me three.’ Sam said, adjusting the blankets around her as though she was cold.

‘Do you require another blanket, Major Carter?’ Teal’c asked.

She shook her head.

Cassie rolled her eyes and grabbed a blanket off Jack’s bed. She passed it to Teal’c who accepted it with a small inclination of his head. He shook it out and placed it over Sam reverently.

Sam sighed. ‘Thank you.’ Her eyes sneaked to Cassie. ‘Both of you.’

Cassie grinned irrepressively. ‘So who’s up for another game?’

‘What?’ Jack said dryly. ‘Beating me and Teal’c wasn’t enough for you today?’

‘You played well.’ Teal’c murmured. ‘I was not expecting such a bold move.’

‘Jack taught me that one.’ Cassie admitted.

Jack grinned proudly. ‘I did.’

Cassie stuck her tongue out at him and Jack responded in kind.

‘Sir.’ Janet’s voice whipped across the room from the doorway.

Jack hastily plastered an innocent look on his face as he turned to greet the CMO. ‘Doc.’

Sam ducked her head to hide a smile.

Teal’c was pleased to see it.

‘I think it’s time we left the Colonel and the Major to rest.’ Janet said decisively, folding her arms over her chest.

‘Mom!’ Cassie protested automatically.

‘Yeah,’ Jack chimed in, ‘Mom!’ His dark eyes twinkled mischievously.

Janet shot him a warning look before sliding her gaze meaningfully toward Sam. Jack looked immediately contrite.

Cassie sighed expressively and hugged Sam goodbye. ‘Get better soon.’ She walked the short distance over to Jack and hugged him too, careful of his bandaged arm. She accepted Teal’c’s muscular arm as he silently offered to escort her from the room.

Janet cleared her throat as Daniel remained riveted to his research.

‘Oh.’ Daniel said, looking up and blinking. ‘Right.’ He climbed off the infirmary bed and gathered up his papers.

Teal’c bowed his head at Jack and Sam as he left them.

Janet closed the infirmary door behind them. She slid an arm around Cassie’s shoulders. ‘Why don’t you sit in my office for the next hour and do some homework?’

‘Can’t I just catch a ride home?’ Cassie argued. ‘I could go to the movies with Dominic like I planned.’

‘Cassie…’

Teal’c could see the conflicted look on Janet’s face.

‘Look, the house isn’t going to be finished until later,’ Janet said firmly, ‘and I would rather you stayed here.’

‘Perhaps a game of Jackals and Hounds?’ Teal’c suggested, stepping in to divert Cassie’s attention.

Cassie regarded him with a long look. ‘OK.’ She darted a look back toward her mother. ‘If that’s OK with you, Mom?’

Janet sent a chiding look but nodded. ‘If it’s OK with Daniel; it’s his game.’

Daniel nodded quickly. ‘Sure. I don’t mind. I was heading to my office to continue with this.’ He raised the mess of papers and books he was carrying.

Cassie joined Daniel and Teal’c as they made their way to Daniel’s office. Teal’c knew Cassie loved the room and he too appreciated its familiar comfort. The smell of old books permeated the air; the shelves of the room were crammed with them; reference books, journals. They mixed with stacked reports and research papers and the artefacts that littered the room haphazardly to an observer but with a strange order for those who understood history.

Daniel cleared a section of the central bench, simply dumping the papers and books onto a nearby stool. He set up the game and retreated to his desk.

Teal’c seated Cassie before he took his own chair. They began playing and Teal’c felt some of his own tension from the events of the past week drain from him as he went through the familiar actions.

‘So,’ Cassie said, clearing her throat, ‘is anyone going to tell me what really happened?’

The question startled Teal’c into raising his eyes to meet her worried face. Teal’c looked over at Daniel seeking his assistance in answering the question.

Daniel was looking back at Teal’c with bemusement. He cleared his throat. ‘What do you mean?’

Teal’c approved; an evasive approach was a good tactic. It would buy them time.

‘You’re all worried.’ Cassie said. She folded her arms over her chest and looked at both men expectantly.

‘I, uh…’ Daniel stumbled over his words. He nudged his glasses up his nose. ‘Your Mom explained what happened, didn’t she, Cassie?’

Cassie sighed. ‘She told me about Sam getting kidnapped but that doesn’t explain why everyone’s still worried. I mean you caught the guys, right?’

Daniel and Teal’c exchanged a look of consternation. Neither of them wanted to lie to her but both of them were unsure what Janet would want them to say.

Daniel motioned at Teal’c to reply.

Teal’c raised an eyebrow and stayed silent.

‘You didn’t catch them?’ Cassie surmised loudly. Her eyes widened as she looked at Daniel for confirmation.

‘Not exactly.’ Daniel mumbled, looking down at his translations as though he would find a means of escape in the words.

‘We were able to capture many of the men involved with Major Carter’s disappearance.’ Teal’c reassured Cassie swiftly.

‘But?’ She prompted; her eyes were wide on his.

‘But the man who was primarily responsible was able to evade capture.’ Teal’c confirmed.

Cassie sighed. ‘And that’s why we’ve got the extra security? Why Mom’s so worried about me going out alone with Dominic?’

‘It’s just a precaution.’ Daniel said getting up and walking around the desk to place an arm over her shoulders. She wrapped her arms tightly around the archaeologist’s waist as she buried her face in his chest. Daniel looked over her head at Teal’c.

‘Daniel Jackson is correct.’ Teal’c said comfortingly. ‘Adrian Conrad kidnapped Major Carter because of her experience with Jolinar. There is no reason to believe that he would be interested in kidnapping any other person.’

‘The security is just because we realised after Sam went missing that maybe we haven’t been as careful as we should be about our security when we’re on Earth.’ Daniel said. ‘General Hammond thinks it’s best if we’re just more cautious for a while. That’s all.’

Cassie raised her head. ‘What about Sam?’ She asked anxiously. ‘Is the…the guy still going to be after her?’

Teal’c and Daniel exchanged another look.

‘He is not.’ Teal’c said firmly. It was the truth. The Goa’uld was unlikely to ever complete Conrad’s plan and allow his host to go free; he had no need of their team-mate.

Cassie nodded and shifted away from Daniel. ‘Sorry. I guess I’m just a little more freaked out about it than I thought. It’s just if they could kidnap Sam so easily…I mean, she knows how to fight.’

Teal’c inclined his head. ‘I would be honoured to teach you to fight so you are more able to defend yourself.’

‘Really? That would be great. You know Mom and Sam taught me some stuff when I started dating and then when I started seeing Dominic, Jack taught me this really great move, you know, just in case. But Jaffa moves?’ Cassie grinned. ‘Cool.’

Daniel sighed. He hugged her and let go. ‘You’re spending way too much time with Jack.’

‘He says I’m spending way too much time with you.’ Cassie retorted cheekily.

‘That’s because you keep stealing all my chess moves.’ Daniel pointed out as he retook his seat.

‘I like how you play chess.’ Cassie said. ‘You always play your opponent.’

Teal’c looked at her quizzically. ‘Is that not the point of the game, Cassandra?’

She laughed and shook her head. ‘I didn’t mean that; I meant Daniel plays differently depending on who he’s playing. I like that.’ She smiled. ‘Know your enemy, right?’

Daniel looked at her surprised. ‘That’s a good observation.’ A mischievous look entered his blue eyes. ‘What about Teal’c?’

‘He always plays to win.’ Cassie said. ‘He never looks for a draw.’

Teal’c inclined his head in agreement.

‘And Sam?’ Daniel questioned.

‘She’s the most scientific.’ Cassie said authoratively. ‘She usually picks a classic strategy from some Grand master but then if she starts to lose, she’ll switch it up and try and something else.’

‘What about Colonel O’Neill?’ Teal’c asked.

Cassie gave a small frown. ‘He’s the most unpredictable. He’ll just change strategies mid-game sometimes.’

‘Sounds like Jack.’ Daniel said dryly. He looked at her speculatively. ‘You’ve made some good observations.’

‘I was thinking of anthropology as my major when I get to college.’ Cassie grinned at him.

‘You’d be good at it.’ Daniel remarked.

Teal’c gestured at the Jackals and Hounds game. ‘It is your turn.’

Cassie picked up the coin. ‘So, when will you start teaching me how to fight?’

‘When we have discussed the matter with your mother.’ Teal’c said firmly.

Daniel snorted and Teal’c shot him a look.

‘Loser has to ask Mom?’ Cassie suggested sweetly as she plucked one of Teal’c’s pieces from the board in front of them.

Teal’c raised an eyebrow and folded his arms over his broad chest.

Cassie sighed huffily. ‘OK, OK. I’ll ask.’

Teal’c allowed a small smile to lift his lips. ‘Indeed.’

o-O-o

Sam woke abruptly; her heart pounding. Her eyes snapped open to stare out at the familiar walls of the SGC and her CO reading reports in the bed beside her.

She was safe.

Her breathing evened out slowly and she kept her eyes pinned to Jack as though he was her own personal talisman. He was reading a stack of reports intently. Evidently someone had stopped by while she had been sleeping and given them to him. Occasionally he would stop and scribble something in a margin. As much as he might pretend that he hated paperwork and formality, the Colonel took his responsibilities very seriously. He just knew which tasks were important and which he really didn’t need to worry about, Sam thought fondly.

He looked tired. His body was in pain from the shooting and it showed; the deep lines that bracketed his mouth and eyes, the occasional grimace when he shifted position that he couldn’t quite hide. She felt a twinge of guilt and reminded herself that it wasn’t her fault that he had gotten shot. They had both been looking for the Goa’uld; it was sheer luck that the Colonel had sent her to investigate the other floor and not sent her to the basement. All in all though, Sam considered, she would have preferred to have gotten shot rather than the Colonel.

Jack threw down one report and picked up another. He flipped it open and began reading apparently captured by whatever was inside it. His eyebrows drifted upwards as though surprised by the contents. Sam bit her lip; he looked adorable especially with his ruffled grey hair.

Adorable.

Oh that was so not a good word to use when talking about a commanding officer. Besides, he was dating someone else. Sam grimaced, her hand tightening on the blanket that covered her.

Amy. That was the name of the woman he was dating. A brunette. A very attractive forty-something brunette. Someone feminine and lovely and so not…so not Sam. Sam winced. OK. She was jealous. She could admit that. The Colonel might have moved on but Sam had not. She was just as in love with him as ever and it hurt seeing him with someone else.

Jack was happy, Sam determined firmly. She should be pleased for him rather than upset. He deserved a bit of happiness after everything he had been through. She should be happy that he was happy.

‘Are you going to lie in bed all day, Carter,’ Jack said suddenly without looking up from his report, ‘or are you going to help me out with these?’

Sam repressed the sigh that sprang to her lips and shifted in the bed, moving into a sitting position. She gestured. ‘Working, sir?’

‘Selecting the next batch of trainees for the SGC.’ Jack explained succinctly.

‘Ah’ Sam murmured. The next training exercise was scheduled to take place in a month’s time.

Jack grimaced. ‘Hammond wants us to choose the candidates.’

Sam pulled a face. ‘Which means we’ll be running the exercise.’ It made sense; SG1 were likely going to be restricted to light duties for the next month because of the Colonel’s arm and her own situation.

Jack glanced at her. ‘What’s the matter, Carter? Not looking forward to putting the recruits through their paces?’

She shot him a knowing look. He usually spent the whole week of training complaining.

He grinned at her. ‘I’m planning for them to shoot Daniel.’

Sam couldn’t help but smile at his gleeful tone. ‘Ah.’

‘And besides, Hammond said your Mini-Carter is assisting.’

She barely restrained herself from rolling her eyes at his description of the young Lieutenant she mentored. ‘Hailey?’ Sam checked instead. ‘She’s going to be the plant?’ They always inserted a young newly approved SGC member alongside the batch of trainees. It gave them a good insight into how they were dealing with things outside of the presence of senior officers. Lieutenant Hailey had just got her SGC post a month before as the science officer on SG5. They had been off world since her appointment studying a strange astrological phenomenon on P9Y532.

‘Hailey.’ Jack confirmed. ‘So, you should have fun cooking up the biological thingymagig with her.’

Sam nodded. She guessed she and Hailey could come up with something realistic. She was bored of the alien virus thing they’d used the last time. Maybe a twist on the virus thing, Sam mused; maybe nanites…

Jack cleared his throat at her. ‘Here.’ He gathered up the reports he had finished and handed them to her. ‘Read through them and give me a shortlist.’

Sam looked at him in surprise. ‘Sir?’

He shrugged, his attention on the report he was reading. ‘You’re going to have to go through this when you make team lead, Carter. You might as well get used to it now.’

His confidence that she would make a SG team leader one day and his evident faith in her abilities even after her experience sent a rush of pleasure through her. She reached for a report and began reading. She refused to look at his scribbles – and thanked him silently for his almost illegible handwriting – until she had come to her conclusions. The work kept her occupied and it was with some surprise that she realised that they had been working for almost an hour.

‘You got your shortlist yet, Carter?’ Jack asked as she closed the last report. He had settled back on the pillows looking smug.

She took her time getting resettled; placing the last report on the stack on the bedside table between them and organising her thoughts. ‘Elliot.’

Jack nodded.

‘Satterfield.’ Sam said.

‘And?’ Jack said impatiently.

‘I was torn between Grogan and…’ she checked her notes, ‘Barry.’

‘Hmmm.’ Jack folded his arms and regarded her speculatively. ‘What made you choose Barry?’

‘His shooting and physical test scores are amongst the highest; his personality testing indicates good leadership qualities…’ Sam chewed her lip. ‘He has good reports from his instructors at the academy.’

‘But?’ Jack prompted.

‘He’s very similar to Elliot.’ Sam sighed. ‘Both of them on the same team might lead to…’

‘Arm wrestling?’ Jack teased with a smile.

She smiled back at him. ‘Grogan’s more of a team player. I think he would be the better choice this time.’

‘Likes getting shot by all accounts.’ Jack noted. He tapped his hand thoughtfully against the bedclothes. ‘So, Elliot, Satterfield and Grogan.’

She looked at him surprised. ‘Sir?’

Jack tossed a sheet of notepaper at her. She read the same three names scrawled there with satisfaction. ‘You did good.’

‘Thank you, sir.’ Sam allowed herself to revel in the glow of her CO’s praise. She smoothed her blanket. It had been nice to feel useful. Just as it had been good the day he had rescued her when he had simply handed her a gun and allowed her to join the search for Conrad. His trust and faith warmed her; helped ease her own doubts by her capability. She had gotten captured, after all; failed to escape and if the Colonel hadn’t turned up…

‘You did all the right things, Carter.’ The Colonel’s voice broke into her thoughts and her head jerked to meet his understanding gaze automatically.

She flushed red. ‘I wasn’t…’

‘Yes.’ Jack corrected briskly. ‘You were.’ He held her eyes. ‘You were thinking whether there was something you could have done.’

‘Wasn’t there?’ The question popped out of her mouth before she could prevent it.

‘You tell me.’ Jack said quietly. He waved a hand at the reports. ‘Treat it like a training exercise, Carter. If this was a simulation and the recruit performed as you did, how would you evaluate them?’

Sam opened her mouth to answer him and closed it again as her mind jumped on the puzzle he had handed her. How would she evaluate her performance? A line appeared between her brows as she reviewed her experience, trying to assess it from an objective viewpoint.

She had realised the attack and fought back although hampered by her bad shoulder; made noise which had evidently caught the attention of the homeless man Jack had questioned. There had been too many attackers; she had been quickly subdued. Perhaps she needed to brush up her hand to hand combat, Sam mused. Her mind moved to the actual period of capture. She hadn’t been able to do much when she had been drugged but she had grabbed the scalpel in a moment of lucidity and she had freed herself. Her escape attempt had been good but…

‘I should have shot Conrad.’ Sam blinked; had she said that out loud?

‘Why didn’t you?’ Jack asked bluntly.

‘He was in a wheelchair and he was ill.’ Sam replied, admitting to the compassion that had prevented her from pulling the trigger. She sighed. ‘But if he had been a Goa’uld, I would have shot him.’

‘Well,’ Jack said dryly, ‘you may still get your chance.’

Sam glanced at him sharply. ‘Any news?’

Jack shook his head. ‘He’s still,’ he waved a hand, ‘out there.’

Sam couldn’t prevent the shiver that ran down her spine.

Jack’s eyes narrowed on her. ‘We’ll get him, Carter.’

She didn’t answer him. A part of her knew it was unlikely that the Goa’uld would be interested in her for the reasons Conrad had grabbed her but she couldn’t deny that she wasn’t comfortable with the idea her abductor was running around at large. Not that she would need to worry about it for a few weeks; General Hammond had made it clear that SG1 were restricted to base for their own protection for the foreseeable future.

‘So what else would you do differently?’ Jack prompted, dragging her attention back to their conversation.

She took a breath and continued. ‘I was thinking I should improve my hand to hand.’

Jack nodded slowly. ‘We should all improve on hand to hand. I’ll talk with Hammond about putting on some extra sessions.’

She hesitated for a long second and then forced herself to ask the question nagging at her. ‘Do you think I could have done something else, sir?’

He shook his head. ‘You should have shot Conrad,’ he agreed, ‘but I’d give you a pass on the hand to hand,’ he commented, gesturing at her shoulder to indicate the reason, ‘you did alert someone by calling out.’

Sam nodded. She pressed her lips together momentarily. ‘I haven’t really had a chance to thank you.’

He looked over at her as though surprised. ‘For what?’

She smiled sadly. ‘Everything you did to find me, sir.’

For a second, their eyes met and held.

Jack gave an embarrassed smile. ‘Think nothing of it, Carter.’

She ducked her head. Of course he was probably worried that she would think it meant more than it did; that it wasn’t just a concerned team leader looking out for a team-mate, she mused.

‘The guys did most of the work. I just,’ he waved wildly with his good arm, ‘wandered around.’ He paused. ‘Getting shot.’

Her lips quirked into an unwilling smile as she glanced at him.

‘Mostly.’ Jack ended with a grimace as he darted a look at her.

Sam wet her lips; maybe if he wouldn’t accept a thank you perhaps he’d accept an apology. ‘I’m sorry, sir.’

Jack’s eyebrows shot up. ‘It was so not your fault that I got shot, Carter.’

‘Not that, sir.’ Sam hurried out. ‘I meant, I’m sorry for…’ her voice trailed away at the baffled look he wore, ‘well, you getting shot but more because of you being stuck in here because of it than you actually, you know.’ she stopped.

‘Carter.’ Jack said slowly as though he had doubts about her mental health; she couldn’t blame him. After her stumbling words she had doubts herself.

‘Sir, I just…’ Sam looked away from him, ‘I realise you probably had plans outside work with Amy and…’

‘No plans.’

Her head jerked back to him, fast enough to cause her a sharp tug of pain that reminded her that her shoulder wasn’t quite healed.

He met her questioning look with an arrested shrug as his arm clearly protested the movement. He seemed caught somewhere between surprise at his own admission and embarrassment.

‘I thought…’ Sam began gently.

Jack pushed his good hand through his hair as he stared anywhere but at her. ‘Didn’t work out.’

Sam dropped her own gaze back to her blanket as she smoothed the edge precisely. She was eaten up with curiosity. What had happened with him and Amy? Had they split up for good? Was it just an argument? It was none of her business, Sam told herself firmly, ignoring the rush of relief that swept through her as the knowledge sank in that he was single. Just because he had split up with the woman he had been seeing didn’t mean that anything had changed. He had moved on from their inappropriate closeness; he had made that clear. The mission and their professional relationship came first, she reminded herself again. He saw Sam as a team-mate; a friend; that was all.

‘Did you know Cassie was back dating that kid?’

The disgusted edge to Jack’s question made Sam smile again. She shifted in the bed to face him. ‘Dominic’s a nice kid, sir.’

‘He’s a boy, Carter. A teenage boy.’

‘I hadn’t noticed.’ She teased gently.

Jack shot her a look. ‘I taught her this really great move.’

‘I know she showed it to me, sir.’ Sam said dryly. She frowned. ‘Teal’c said Janet agreed to him teaching Cassie some defensive moves.’ It bothered her that Cassie needed the training. The idea of anyone doing to Cassie what had been done to her; it chilled her.

‘Good.’

Sam looked at Jack sharply. ‘Not to use on Dominic.’

‘Did I say anything, Carter?’

‘You didn’t have to, sir.’

Jack looked back at her with mock hurt. His expression sobered as he took in her worry. ‘It’s going to be OK, Carter.’

‘Is it?’ She wondered. She winced; she hadn’t meant to say that out loud either.

‘It will be.’ Jack said.

Their eyes met again and Sam held onto the sincerity in his. He had been through this too, Sam mused. Maybe their experiences were different on many levels but she knew enough of his record to know he really did know what she was going through. She felt her breath catch in the back of her throat and she couldn’t answer him.

‘Of course, you’re going to have to spend time with Mackenzie.’ Jack commented as he shifted clearly getting comfortable in the bed in order to take a nap.

Sam followed his lead without thinking; shuffling under the covers until she was lying prone. ‘Really?’ She asked tiredly.

‘When you’re ready.’ Jack responded.

His gaze warmed her and Sam nodded in agreement slowly. She’d known she would have to talk with Mackenzie eventually so it wasn’t a surprise. If anything she was left wondering why no one had pressed her into seeing the base psychiatrist already.

‘Get some sleep.’ Jack ordered softly.

‘Yes, sir.’ Sam closed her eyes automatically in response and quelled the urge to thank him again simply for being there for her…

o-O-o

‘This is a load of…’

‘Colonel.’ Hammond interrupted Jack’s statement but it was too close to his own sentiment for him to reprimand the SG1 team leader further than an admonishing look. Jack had been released from the infirmary along with Sam the day before. His arm was in a blue sling that contrasted sharply with his green BDUs. There was no other outward sign of his injuries. He stood at ease in front of the desk with his usual self-assured air.

‘With respect, sir,’ Janet said tersely, ‘I agree with the Colonel.’ She crossed her arms tightly over her white medical coat.

Hammond sighed and sat down. He waved the doctor into a visitor chair. Jack indicated he’d stand and Hammond decided against making it an order. ‘I agree with you both.’ The General offered as an opener; he suppressed a smile as he registered how his candour had caught them both off guard.

‘However, we’re going to have to respond with more than a single word if we are to safeguard Major Carter.’ He tapped the report on his desk. ‘The order to establish whether there is any truth to Conrad’s assumption that Major Carter held the medical answer to the safe extraction of a Goa’uld symbiote came direct from the President.’

‘I don’t understand, sir.’ Janet said, shaking her head in disbelief. ‘We’ve been through this already after Major Carter recovered from her experience with Jolinar. There’s no medical basis for such an assumption.’

‘Well, apparently the doctors,’ Hammond grimaced, ‘and I use that term loosely,’ he muttered, ‘who experimented on the Major while she was captured disagree.’

‘Who cares what they think?’ Jack said harshly, stabbing a finger toward the desk. ‘They’re a couple of…’

‘Colonel.’ Hammond interrupted him. ‘The fact is that the statements given by them following their interrogation by the NID…’

Jack snorted.

‘…raised the question.’ Hammond leaned forward and clasped his hands together. ‘Senator Kinsey has convinced the President and the Joint Chiefs that it is a valid question that needs answered.’

‘To what end, sir?’ Janet jumped in before the Colonel could make another retort. Her dark eyes flashed with anger. ‘Say there is some medical basis for the assumption, are we suggesting that Major Carter be subjected to further experimentation against her will?’

‘Doctor…’ Hammond began.

‘Doc has a point, General.’ Jack added gruffly. His jaw tightened; the only visible sign of his anger if Hammond ignored the hardened furious brown eyes. ‘Why raise the question at all?’

‘I have asked that myself.’ Hammond responded mildly.

‘And?’ prompted Janet.

Hammond’s mouth pursed. Their answer had been unsatisfactorily vague; the exact words of the President had been ‘to cross that bridge when we come to it.’ He couldn’t tell his people that though.

Jack seemed to surmise it anyway. He whirled and paced a couple of steps toward the internal window, stopping to stare out of it into the briefing room. His back was ramrod straight. Janet simply looked stricken.

‘I believe the best course of action is to answer the question and disprove the assumption. A Doctor Gerrold will be arriving in two days with his team to hear our findings.’ Hammond said simply. He cleared his throat and turned his attention to his CMO. ‘I have requested all the medical data seized during the rescue of Major Carter be turned over to you for study and examination. I’m told it should arrive in the next hour. Use any personnel you require to assist you.’

Her lips twisted in disgust but she nodded. ‘Yes, sir.’

He pressed his lips together. ‘What’s Major Carter’s medical status?’

‘She’s making progress.’ Janet confirmed. ‘Physically her injuries have healed.’

‘And psychologically?’ Hammond said delicately.

‘She’s started regular sessions with Doctor Mackenzie during the last few days at her own request.’ Janet said firmly. ‘He’s pleased that she’s coming to terms with what happened to her on a personal level but he has diagnosed post-traumatic stress. She’s still wary outside of the company of SG1 and admits the infirmary unnerves her. Both of us believe counselling will suffice but it will be a few more weeks before she’s cleared for off-world travel.’ Her lips tightened. ‘This situation is only likely to aggravate any remaining issues with her sense of self-worth and heighten her anxiety levels.’

‘Do you think it’s best she isn’t involved?’ Hammond asked.

Janet considered the question and shook her head. ‘No, sir. I believe excluding her would be worse.’

‘Colonel?’ Hammond prompted.

Jack didn’t turn around. ‘Doc’s right. Carter can handle it.’

‘Very well.’ Hammond gestured at Janet. ‘You should get started on the investigation. Dismissed, Doctor.’

Janet left. The door clicked loudly shut behind her. Hammond regarded Jack with concern. He had known the Colonel would react badly to the news. He was very protective of his team. Hammond ignored the internal whisper that the Colonel’s reaction was also because it was the Major. He shook his head as though to dislodge the thought. There was no evidence. In fact, before the Major’s disappearance the two had been nothing but incredibly professional and had been ever since the incident with the computer entity.

‘Colonel…’

‘How many times has Carter saved the world now, sir?’ Jack replied without turning around. ‘Four, five times? And for what? For this?’

”This’ is just a question, Colonel.’ Hammond said with a calm he didn’t feel. ‘We just need to give an answer.’

Jack turned around. ‘That the answer they gave you?’ His tone wasn’t even borderline insubordinate.

Hammond’s pale blue eyes flashed; a small signal to the younger man that he had gone too far.

The silence was filled with tension.

Hammond moved first, letting a sigh of frustration escape his lips. ‘I am certain that Doctor Fraiser will find no evidence to substantiate the hypothesis.’

A flash of understanding lit Jack’s eyes. ‘We’re going to tell them there’s no basis.’ He realised. Even if there was. The rest of the sentence remained unspoken.

Hammond remained silent. What he intended to do wasn’t exactly following the spirit of his order; the letter perhaps but certainly not the spirit.

Jack shifted, his shoulders relaxing a little. ‘You’ll think that will get them to back off?’

‘I don’t honestly know.’ Hammond said tiredly. ‘A few months ago, I would never have thought I would be ordered to answer this kind of question or one like it.’

‘Politics?’ Jack asked delicately.

Hammond grimaced. ‘The President believes that he needs Senator Kinsey’s support on the Housing bill. He’s inclined to allow the Senator some leeway in influencing matters here in the meantime.’

Jack grimaced. He took a breath and wet his lips. ‘I’ll inform Major Carter.’

‘I’ll inform her, Colonel.’ Hammond said, rising to his feet. He could see the Colonel smother an automatic protest. ‘Where is the Major?’

‘She’s in her lab.’ Jack informed him briskly. ‘With Hailey. They were working out the training scenario.’

Hammond nodded. ‘Perhaps you could take care of informing the rest of your team as I discuss the situation with Major Carter. I thought Doctor Jackson and Teal’c could assist Doctor Fraiser.’

Jack inclined his head.

They travelled together in the elevator but exited at different levels. Hammond walked slowly along to Sam’s lab; it was not a conversation he was looking forward to having. He stopped in the open doorway and took in the sight of the two women bent over the computer, their attention completely on their work, the murmur of their voices gentle background music. He rapped sharply on the door frame and entered.

Lieutenant Hailey straightened automatically at the sight of him; the Major following a heartbeat later.

‘Sir.’ They spoke in unison and Hammond had to tighten his lips on the smile that tugged at the corners to keep it from escaping.

‘Lieutenant.’ He nodded at her briskly. ‘If you could excuse us, I need to speak with Major Carter.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Hailey nodded at him and turned to nod at Sam before swiftly exiting. She closed the door behind her.

‘Sir.’ Sam said formally.

‘At ease, Major.’ Hammond gestured at her as he walked forward and came to a halt by her computer. The screen was filled with small objects. He looked at them quizzically. ‘Nanites?’

‘Yes, sir.’ Sam waved at the screen. ‘Hailey and I thought it would make a change from the virus scenario, sir.’

‘And will mean we don’t have to disturb the infirmary during the training exercise.’ Hammond realised. ‘Good thinking, Major.’

‘Thank you, sir.’

Hammond tapped lightly on the edge of the steel worktop. ‘I have some news.’

‘They’ve found Adrian Conrad?’ Sam asked eagerly.

‘No, I’m afraid not.’ Hammond answered with regret. ‘There’s no sign of him unfortunately.’ The Goa’uld had dropped off the face of the Earth it seemed. The NID claimed to have no leads and the President had been unwilling to turn the search over into the hands of the SGC.

Sam nodded. ‘I’m sorry, sir. I interrupted.’ She motioned for him to continue.

Hammond straightened. ‘I’ve received an order following the NID’s interrogation of the doctors apprehended at Saint Catherine’s.’ He paused, unsure how he told her.

‘Sir?’ Sam prompted. Her blue eyes were filled with anxiety.

‘They want Doctor Fraiser to take a view on the doctors’ findings from the tests that they performed on you,’ Hammond continued gently, ‘to ascertain whether their original hypothesis that you hold the medical key to successfully extracting a symbiote has any foundation. Obviously we don’t expect to find any.’

He saw the truth of it register in her eyes. She paled. Her professional bravado wobbled for a long moment and he caught a glimpse of fear before she slammed her military mask back into place. ‘I understand, sir.’

‘Doctor Fraiser will be receiving the data seized from Saint Catherine. Unfortunately, I cannot allow you to take part in examining it.’

‘No, sir.’ Sam agreed.

‘But a committee will be arriving in two days to assess Doctor Fraiser’s findings and I’d like you and the rest of SG1 to attend.’ Hammond noted. ‘Colonel O’Neill is aware of the situation. He’s informing the rest of your team.’

‘Sir,’ Sam said urgently, ‘perhaps it would be a good idea to call the Tok’ra.’ She held up a hand to forestall the question that sprang to his lips. ‘Not my father, sir, but perhaps Anise or another scientist. They may be able to substantiate that the only reason why I survived was because of Jolinar’s own conscious act to save me.’

Hammond nodded. ‘I’ll send a message.’ He tapped the workbench.

‘Sir.’

Her single word stopped him from leaving. He turned back to her quizzically.

‘What if their hypothesis does have foundation, sir?’ Sam asked crisply.

‘It won’t.’ Hammond said authoratively.

‘Sir…’ Sam began to protest.

Hammond held up a hand. ‘Sam.’

The use of her first name arrested her and she stared at him in surprise. He rarely acknowledged their personal relationship on base; his long friendship with her father; his ad hoc presence in her life before the Air Force and since. He reached over and took her hand in his.

‘I’m only going to say this once.’ Hammond said paternally, squeezing her hand. ‘Their hypothesis is a load of bull and while I am in command of the SGC, there will never be another answer.’ He held her fearful blue eyes with his own, trying to assure her as forcefully as he could that she was safe. He had promised her father he would take care of her and, while he had almost seen that promise broken with her abduction, it had renewed his intention to keep it.

Sam nodded jerkily.

Hammond patted her hand and released her. ‘This is going to be fine, Sam. You have my word.’

‘Thank you.’ Sam said gratefully.

‘I’ll leave you to it.’ Hammond said, motioning at the graphic on the computer monitor. He turned and walked away. He opened the door and stepped out into the corridor. He was unsurprised to find the rest of SG1 waiting. He nodded at the men who filed past him and into the room.

‘General.’ Jack said softly as he moved past.

‘Colonel.’ Hammond acknowledged. He reached out and pulled the door shut. It warmed Hammond’s heart to see them so together. He’d gained the impression over the past few months, rightly or wrongly, that they were struggling. Nothing concrete; nothing in their work but their personal interactions had been edged with tension. He was pleased that whatever it was had been solidly put behind them in order to focus on supporting Sam through her experience.

He felt a wash of guilt flood him. He’d been to war; he’d been tortured; had seen others tortured. Hammond knew what one human being was capable of inflicting on another and he feared Sam, for all her off-world experience, for all that she had endured prior to her abduction, had only just been taught that horrible lesson. It was one he knew Jack O’Neill was only too familiar with. Hammond knew the risks when he sent his people out into the field but they were on Earth; she should have been safe – should be safe.

SG1 were back together and whatever plots were in place to try and rip them asunder had failed; would fail, he assured himself. Hammond’s expression sobered. Because it was clear to him that there was a plot and he knew exactly who was behind it. The evidence against Kinsey in his desk drawer flitted through his mind.

No.

It wasn’t the right time. But when it was…Hammond’s eyes grew cold; Kinsey was going to learn not to mess with his people.

o-O-o

The briefing room was stifling as everyone gathered around the large conference table. The air seemed stuffy; hot. Or maybe it was just him, Jack thought brusquely. He tugged on the starch collar of his shirt. The military contingent in the briefing room wore service dress. The blue uniforms were pristine; sharply pressed with medals and buttons gleaming. Daniel and Teal’c wore suits for the occasion; new suits that apparently Janet and Cassie had helped pick out for them. It showed in the pale blue shirt that highlighted Daniel’s eyes and the tailored cut of the charcoal grey Teal’c wore. Even Garshaw, who had turned up following Hammond’s request that the Tok’ra assist, wore a stylish version of Tok’ra dress; long robes and a ceremonial medallion that denoted her status as a senior Tok’ra councillor. Not that any of their impressively smart outfits seemed to be intimidating their visitors as far as Jack could see as the introductions were made.

Doctor Gerrold was a Navy physician stationed at Bethesda; tall, wide and with a blond paleness that bordered on albino. He was part of the team of physicians that handled the care of the First Family. He had brought with him two specialists; Doctor Anchor, a forty-something redheaded woman, and Doctor Fielding, a young thirty-something man with dark hair and twinkling blue eyes. The final member of the committee was Major Charles Pettigrew; an aide to Simmons. The man reminded Jack of a slick cars salesman; oiled back black hair, hawkish nose and thin lips.

‘Shall we sit?’ Hammond said firmly from the head of the table.

There was a flurry of activity as chairs were pulled out and people sat down. Jack shot Carter an encouraging look. She was sandwiched between him and Daniel. Teal’c was on the other side of Jack; Janet sat next to Daniel with Garshaw taking the final place on their side of the table. Gerrold had chosen to sit opposite Janet; his two specialists flanked him, leaving Pettigrew opposite Jack.

‘We’re here to report and discuss the analysis of the medical findings in relation to Major Carter and whether there is any evidence to support the supposition that she holds the answer to safely extracting a Goa’uld.’ Hammond began.

Pettigrew cleared his throat noisily. ‘With respect, I do not understand why Major Carter,’ his dark eyes drifted to her, ‘the rest of SG1 and our Tok’ra ally are present at these proceedings.’

‘I see no problem.’ Gerrold cut in before anyone else could say anything. ‘Let’s proceed.’

He and Pettigrew stared at each other.

Jack exchanged a wry look with Daniel; division in the enemy’s ranks could help them.

‘Doctor Fraiser, why don’t you begin?’ Hammond asked.

‘I think it would be useful to set Major Carter’s unique physiology in context.’ Janet said crisply. ‘Over three years ago, the Major, then a Captain, was performing CPR on a man during a Goa’uld attack when a Tok’ra symbiote entered her body via the soft tissue at the back of her throat. The symbiote named Jolinar took possession of the Major’s body against her will. From that point forward, Jolinar had control. When we realised what had happened, she was incarcerated.’

‘Jolinar was hiding from a Goa’uld assassin.’ Daniel picked up as Janet paused. ‘The assassin was able to get through our security and attack Sam, uh, Major Carter. Both she and Jolinar were tortured but the Ashrak stopped before he killed them.’

‘The attack left both of them in critical condition.’ Janet continued. ‘Major Carter was close to death; her organs close to systematic failure. The symbiote was also in distress.’ She cleared her throat. ‘All of our usual procedures were not working when the symbiote died; a moment later, Major Carter stabilised.’ She stopped again momentarily. ‘The symbiote had consciously given her life to save the Major’s.’

‘Over the course of the following weeks, Major Carter’s physical condition was monitored closely. The symbiote body was being absorbed into the Major’s. It left two distinct changes behind; a protein marker and a metallic element called naquadah.’ She picked up a folder with distaste and passed it to Doctor Gerrold. ‘It is these changes that Adrian Conrad’s doctors noted in their illegal and unethical examination of the Major during her abduction and which led them to believe that their hypothesis, that Major Carter’s physiology provided the answer to a safe extraction, was correct.’

All three doctors on the other side of the table squirmed. Jack was pleased that they were bothered; it indicated they had a conscience about their own medical practices.

Gerrold glanced briefly at the report before he set it aside. He looked over at Sam. ‘Major, I believe all of us here sincerely regret what happened to you at the hands of Adrian Conrad and his…physicians.’

‘Thank you, sir.’ Sam replied stiffly.

‘But?’ prompted Jack, regarding Gerrold suspiciously.

‘But while their methods are abhorrent they have raised an interesting question.’ Gerrold replied mildly.

‘So we’re told.’ Jack shot back.

Gerrold smiled and sat back in his chair. He folded his hands over his stomach. ‘I have been involved peripherally with our efforts to find a safe extraction method. If the Major’s physiological changes do hold any kind of clue to us discovering a way to free a host than surely we have a responsibility to follow through and investigate that thoroughly.’

‘We already did.’ Janet said sharply. ‘Following her experience, we ran several tests with the Major’s permission to understand the nature of her new physiology and what benefits if any could be gained.’ Her dark eyes held Gerrold’s as she forwarded him a second report. ‘This was the medical report submitted a year post her experience with Jolinar.’

It was Fielding who leaned forward. ‘As I understand it, the research focused primarily on the ability to handle Goa’uld weaponry and the healing properties of the symbiote.’ His blue eyes flickered to Sam. ‘I understand you heal at a greater rate since your experience as a host?’

‘Yes.’ Sam answered tightly.

‘And that you have not suffered flu or cold symptoms since that time?’ Fielding pressed.

Sam nodded.

‘What’s that got to do with this?’ Jack asked bluntly, feeling her tense in the chair beside him.

‘Nothing.’ Fielding admitted.

‘Which is the point.’ Anchor added. She raised her hands from the table and smiled coldly at Jack. ‘The focus has been on the obvious physiological benefits gained not necessarily on those less evident.’ Her green eyes moved to Sam. ‘Conrad’s doctors believed that only an examination of how the protein marker has affected the brain tissue would reveal the answer and I am inclined to agree with them.’

Sam paled.

‘There are neurological techniques that would allow us to take a sample of brain tissue with very little risk of brain damage.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Daniel piped up, raising his hand slightly, ‘you’re seriously not suggesting that the only way to determine the answer to this question is to subject Sam to unnecessary brain surgery?’

‘The idea is preposterous.’ Janet added fiercely. ‘Any risk of damage is too great.’

‘You don’t get to decide that.’ Anchor shot back.

‘You have never considered the idea, Doctor Fraiser?’ Gerrold said, breaking into the taut tension between the two women physicians.

‘No I have not.’ Janet said firmly.

‘Why not?’ Pettigrew asked slyly.

‘Here’s a thought,’ Jack replied before Janet could, ‘maybe,’ he pointed with the pen he held, ‘maybe her brain is worth not risking it at all.’ He glared at the assembled doctors. ‘Do you have any idea how many times her brain has saved your collective asses?’

The doctors looked away but Pettigrew smiled.

‘She’s not the only brain on the planet, Colonel.’ Pettigrew said forcefully. ‘There are other scientists.’

‘But not with Sam’s understanding or experience.’ Daniel replied. ‘Jack’s right. Sam has saved this planet a number of times. Now maybe that doesn’t mean anything to you but surely it should give you pause before we risk endangering her health?’

‘It is only an idea at this point.’ Gerrold said firmly.

‘A very foolish idea.’ Garshaw spoke up and drew their attention.

‘Garshaw,’ Hammond invited her to speak with a wave of a hand, ‘please.’

Garshaw adjusted her pale cream robe. ‘General Hammond invited us here under the terms of our treaty to share information that may be mutually beneficial to us. However as I explained to the General when I arrived, the idea that Major Carter’s physiology could provide an answer to extraction is misinformed.’

Gerrold looked at her quizzically. ‘I’m sorry but…’

‘The Tok’ra Council already considered this when we first met Major Carter.’ Garshaw continued. ‘She is the first host to survive the death of a symbiote after all. However, it is clear to the Tok’ra what must have occurred and that the resulting changes to Major Carter have no use in finding an extraction method.’

‘Perhaps you could enlighten us?’ Pettigrew said snidely.

Garshaw’s eyes flashed white briefly; the only sign of her impatience and temper at the question. ‘The Ashrak’s weapon is very specific. It’s designed to cause the maximum amount of pain to symbiote and host by breaking down the walls between individual cells and causing an overload of electrical energy throughout the body.’ She paused and took a breath.

‘As you know symbiotes can heal their hosts. Our cells have regenerative abilities that we can share by releasing the cells into the host. The cells clone and repair any illness or injury. However, the cells must be released in a systematic way or the symbiote itself will die.’

‘With respect, I’m not seeing what this has to do with whether the protein marker would be useful in safely extracting a host.’ Pettigrew interrupted.

‘From the medical data taken at the time of the attack and which the SGC shared with us we are able to ascertain that Jolinar would have survived; her host would not.’ Garshaw continued ignoring the interruption. ‘I believe Jolinar felt a large measure of guilt at taking Major Carter as a host against her will. Jolinar knew she acted against the main tenets of the Tok’ra beliefs. She knew the only way to save Major Carter was to release a flood of her own cells into Major Carter’s body in the hopes that would save her host. However, she must have also known that the resulting weakening of her own body would have ultimately led to her death, which in normal circumstances would release a toxin into Major Carter’s body killing her regardless.’

‘But this did not happen.’ Gerrold said.

‘No.’ Garshaw changed positions subtly. ‘It is rare but when a symbiote is nearing the end it can consciously end its own life, preventing the toxins from being released; we believe following her release of cells, Jolinar performed this act. Most Tok’ra symbiotes rarely get this opportunity; most of us are killed in battle, and the Goa’uld do not share the same regard for their host.’

‘I understand that one of the problems with extraction is that release of toxins.’ Gerrold acknowledged. ‘The symbiote can choose to die, taking the host along with it.’

‘Which is why the Tok’ra extraction process uses a paralysing drug.’ Garshaw said firmly. ‘A needle is inserted into the brain administering the drug and the symbiote is then extracted from the host.’

‘We’ve been unable to synthesise the paralysis drug ourselves,’ Janet added tersely, ‘which is one of the reasons why we have been unable to replicate the extraction process along with our lack of advanced surgical technology able to completely remove the Goa’uld from the brain stem without harming the host.’

‘Jolinar’s healing abilities,’ Garshaw said firmly, ‘saved Major Carter from the injuries she sustained at the hands of the Ashrak but it was only her conscious act of dying that allowed Major Carter to live. That and only that.’

‘A Goa’uld would never countenance such an act.’ Teal’c intoned solemnly.

Gerrold looked around his team silently.

‘Perhaps we should take a break.’ Hammond suggested. ‘Let you and your team confer.’

‘Thank you.’ Gerrold stood up.

Hammond indicated for the SFs to show the four visitors to another room.

Jack breathed out slowly as they left. He turned back to Garshaw. ‘Thank you.’

‘Yes,’ Hammond said gratefully, ‘thank you.’

‘I only hope the information was of some use.’ Garshaw said.

‘I think it was.’ Daniel said, his blue eyes shining hopefully behind their panes of glass.

‘I should return to the Tok’ra.’ Garshaw gathered her robes around her.

‘Of course.’ Hammond gestured at Jack. ‘Colonel.’ The unspoken command for him to oversee Garshaw’s departure was evident.

Jack waved at the stairwell. ‘After you.’

Garshaw nodded. She turned to Sam. ‘Perhaps you can join us, Major Carter? I have a message from your father.’

Sam looked toward Hammond who nodded his agreement. They made their way into the control room and onto the gate room.

Jack smiled at Garshaw. ‘Thank you for coming.’

Garshaw’s eyes turned to Sam and Jack got the message.

‘I’ll just, uh, be over here.’ He jerked his thumb over his shoulder and moved a few steps.

Garshaw took Sam’s hands in hers. ‘Your father sends his love. He’s currently undercover otherwise he would have been here too.’

‘Thank you.’ Sam smiled. ‘Please send him my love back.’

‘Samantha,’ Garshaw said quietly, ‘I understand your father told you of Martouf?’

Jack stared up at the gate as though fascinated. Sam had thought she had killed Martouf in the very spot he was standing. Martouf had been brainwashed and he had been about to blow himself up when Sam had ended his life. His body had been taken straight back to the Tok’ra homeworld. Sam had recently discovered that Martouf had not died; his symbiote Lantash had sustained him and the Tok’ra had put them both in stasis to buy time to find a way to counteract the brainwashing.

Sam nodded. ‘Yes.’

‘You have to understand that it was never our intention to deceive you.’ Garshaw said urgently. ‘It was to protect you from the news I bring you now.’

‘The stasis is failing?’ Sam realised.

Garshaw nodded. ‘We will have to make a decision shortly. I wanted you to know.’

‘Thank you.’ Sam said a little stiltedly. ‘I appreciate that.’

The wormhole blossomed out in front of them.

Garshaw squeezed Sam’s hand and walked swiftly up the ramp disappearing into the blue puddle. It winked out.

‘You OK?’ Jack asked walking back over to Sam.

‘I’m fine, sir.’ Sam replied.

She clearly wasn’t but Jack didn’t press her as they walked back up to the briefing room. She had enough to deal with and in all honesty he really did not want to ask her about Martouf. He could see the pained look in her blue eyes.

Gerrold and his team were already back and they hurried to their chairs.

‘I’ll make this quick.’ Gerrold said. His eyes slid to Pettigrew. ‘Following our discussion, I do not see any justification for further investigating this idea. I will be making a report to the President and the Joint Chiefs to that effect.’

Sam’s head dropped as she hid her relief and Jack slowly breathed out as the tension seeped out of his own body at the news.

‘I have to say I’m pleased to hear that.’ Hammond said. He stood up and the rest of the . ‘The Airmen will escort you to the surface.’

Gerrold looked around the assembled SGC personnel. ‘It has been an honour meeting you.’ He left taking his team with him.

Hammond smiled at SG1 and Janet. ‘Job well done, people.’ He caught each of their eyes individually. ‘Let’s get back to work.’

‘And out of these suits.’ Jack complained.

Hammond waved them away and moved to his office. Jack fell into step beside Sam as the team headed out toward the elevator.

‘Well, thank God that’s over.’ Janet said punching the call button.

‘I can’t believe they even considered the whole thing to begin with.’ Daniel complained, wrapping his arms around his torso in a way that crumpled his jacket.

‘Indeed.’ Teal’c concurred.

They got into the small compartment.

Sam breathed in sharply. ‘I have to admit I was worried brain surgery was in my immediate future there for a while.’

‘Never would have happened.’ Jack reassured her, sticking his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels. ‘They would have had to go through me first.’

‘Me too.’ Daniel added.

‘And I.’ Teal’c stated firmly.

‘And me.’ Janet patted her arm.

‘See?’ Jack grinned. ‘It was never going to happen.’

Sam smiled back at him.

‘So, Sam.’ Daniel cleared his throat. ‘Hailey said you’re planning nanites for the training scenario?’

‘Can I just say thank you?’ Janet said dryly. ‘At least I won’t have the infirmary disturbed.’

‘Nanites.’ Jack pulled a face. ‘Really? You couldn’t have chosen something else?’

‘What’s the matter, Jack?’ Daniel teased. ‘Embarrassed?’

Jack glared at him. ‘Oh you are so getting shot.’

‘I got shot last time!’

‘Did not!’

‘Yes, I did.’

‘Did not.’ Jack glanced at Sam who grinned back at him. She was safe again and she was healing; and the team had her back. That was all that mattered, Jack considered; that was all that mattered.

o-O-o

Harry Maybourne adjusted the scope of his binoculars and frowned at the tall dark-haired man in his sights.

Colonel Frank Simmons.

Harry had recruited him personally. Simmons was a sociopath; morally without conscience. Ideal for the type of black operations Maybourne had run for years. It didn’t surprise him that the rogue elements of the NID had approached Simmons to run their ops when Maybourne had been compromised.

The safe house was one of many. He didn’t know for certain but he believed Simmons had Conrad squirrelled away inside. Not that he would keep him there for long. Harry figured Simmons would move Conrad to another safe house as soon as the heat died down. It didn’t matter; Harry knew them all.

He watched as Simmons reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a cell phone. He watched Simmons lips avidly.

‘Carter investigation failed.’ Harry repeated. Good, he thought. He liked Samantha Carter although not as much as Jack. He sniggered to himself. He had wondered if anything had ever happened between the two officers. He could see Jack bending the rules but the Major? No. She was a by-the-book officer but she had guts, Harry had to give her that, remembering how she had reamed him out once during a foothold situation. He was pleased she had survived Conrad’s abduction.

Simmons disappeared into the safe house and Harry lowered the binoculars. His old protégé had set him up, Harry mused. He would bet on it. There was no doubt in his mind. Simmons had given his name to Zeditron; had known Harry wouldn’t pass up the three million dollars to secure the symbiote for them. He had purposefully used Harry to throw suspicion away from the NID.

Harry didn’t like being used especially not by a man he had groomed himself and especially not when the security of the world was at stake. He still had contacts; he knew Simmons had tried twice before to break SG1; Conrad was his third attempt. Harry believed there would be a fourth. Maybe Harry had considered SG1 a thorn in his side too but he knew what they had done to save the world and in the scheme of things he much preferred them guarding the gate than Simmons.

He picked up the half-eaten sandwich from the passenger seat of the jeep and stuffed it in his mouth taking a large bite. He threw the remains back on the seat and gunned the engine. Simmons would try again to break SG1 and when he did, Harry would help Jack get him.

Revenge was always a dish best served cold.

fin.