Teal’c slipped quietly through the heavily forested area looking for any sign of his teammates.  They had come through the Stargate to P3X-919 expecting to find the friendly natives that SG13 had described.  They weren’t there.  Instead, Jaffa returning to the gate met them that started an immediate chase into the forest.  SG1 managed to elude them but that meant being separated..

O’Neill and Carter had been ahead of him when the Jaffa showed up.  They had headed west through the forest.  Teal’c and Daniel, cut off from them, headed northeast.  Daniel had disappeared when staff blasts had peppered the trail behind them.  Teal’c had attempted to contact him several times without success.

He grimaced slightly as he feared the worst.  He clicked his radio mike and spoke quietly. 

“O’Neill, this is Teal’c.  Do you read?”

He waited for a response.

“O’Neill, Major Carter, please respond.”

There was still no answer.  Teal’c continued his careful search, unfortunately in the wrong direction.  The Jaffa tracks had eradicated any evidence of Daniel’s.

***

Daniel wasn’t that far from Teal’c but didn’t realize it.  Daniel had found himself hiding in some thick brush as the Jaffa headed past him.  He attempted to use his radio to contact someone, anyone but it was an exercise in futility.  He knew the way back to the gate and could only assume that the others would head that direction.  It was the only logical thing to do at this point.  Daniel eased out of the brush and started back the way he had come.

***

Sam turned to the Colonel.  He was grimacing in pain from the staff blast to his leg.  He had managed to get to the cave on his own but she didn’t think he would be able to go any further.

“Sir, I am going to go cover our trail.  I’ll be right back.”

He nodded slightly.  “Be careful and watch your six.”

She just nodded as she slipped from the cave.  Jack watched her go with trepidation.  He didn’t like the idea of her wandering around by herself but he would only make things worse with his leg bummed up.  He tried to ease his leg by stretching it out but that seemed to make it worse.  He had taken a partial blast on the side of his right thigh.  He could smell the roasted flesh from the burn.  It wasn’t a very pleasant smell.  It was an even more unpleasant feeling.

***

Sam carefully retraced their steps then backtracked to the cave covering any signs of their having been there.  It could be awhile before anyone could get back through the gate to help them.  She tried several times to contact Teal’c or Daniel with no results.  She sighed, hoping they had made it back to the gate.  There was nothing else she could do at the moment with the Colonel injured.

She finished her work as she arrived back at the cave where the Colonel was hiding.  She entered the cave cautiously.  He was alone.  His eyes slightly closed.  He opened his eyes when he heard her enter the cave.

She could see the pain reflected there.  “Let me look at that wound.”  She removed her pack and knelt near him.  “Roll over some so I can see.”  He complied by rolling over on his left side with his back to her so his right thigh was accessible.

She pulled a first aid kit and flashlight out of her pack.  The dim light in the cave wasn’t enough to get a good look at the wound.  She needed to be careful with the light though.  She didn’t want it to draw attention to the cave.  Gritting her teeth, she surveyed the damage to his leg.  Thank God, he hadn’t taken a full blast.  A partial one did enough damage.  Part of his uniform had burned into the wound. 

She pulled some saline wash out of the first aid kit and a morphine injection.  She didn’t want to give him too much painkiller but she needed to clean the wound and she knew that was going to hurt.  As she prepared the injection, he looked over his shoulder to see what she was doing.

“Carter, no.  I don’t want to be out of it in case they find us.”

“I have to clean this, sir, and it’s going to hurt like hell when I do.  You should take something to ease the pain.”

“No.”

Sam sighed.  “Okay, then try not to yell when I peel the cloth out of the burn…”

Jack grunted at her comment and gritted his teeth.

Sam soaked the offending material with the saline wash and gently tugged at it.  The Colonel’s whole body stiffened as she carefully pulled it away from the wound.  She soaked it with some more saline wash.  She tried to be gentle as he groaned in pain but if she didn’t get all the cloth out of the wound, it could cause infection to set in.  Using a pair of tweezers from the first aid kit, she began to pick the smaller bits and pieces out of the charred flesh.

He resisted the urge to push her away.  He knew that she was doing what needed to be done but the sharp sting of pain laced through his leg with her every touch.  He should have let her give him something for the pain but he was too stubborn to ask for anything now.

Sam paused at the slight groan that he exhaled.  “Do you want something now, sir?”

“No,” he said curtly.  “Just finish it.”

Sam resumed her work on his leg.  She was glad he had his back to her because he probably wouldn’t understand the grin that spread across her face.  He was a stubborn pain in the ass when he was like this.  She didn’t think that she had gotten everything.  The light was too poor and some of the material had to have been completely burned into the flesh. 

Hopefully, the heat of the blast sterilized what she couldn’t get out.  The worst of it appeared to be second-degree burns.  She wet some sterile bandage from the first aid kit and laid it across his wound.  She rummaged around in the first aid kit reading different vials until she found the one she was looking for.

“What’s that?” Jack asked warily.

“Just an antibiotic.  Better start now.”  She contained her smile at his grimace as she injected him with the medicine.  She knew he hated needles and it amused her that a man like him would be squeamish about a simple injection.

Sitting back on her heels, she looked at her work.  There wasn’t anything else she could do now.  If only he would take some kind of painkiller.  She grabbed his sleeping bag off his pack and spread it out.  She had to watch for shock now.

“Come on, move over here,” she said quietly.  “You need to stay warm.”

He moved over carefully.  Taking her sleeping bag, she laid it over him.  She didn’t want too much pressure on his burn and she needed to have access to it to rewet the bandage.  It was easier with two sleeping bags.  She cleaned up the pieces of bandages and clothing and put them in a plastic bag.  After stuffing the bag into her pack, she used her pack to elevate his wounded leg.  Sitting down facing him, she could see the pain in his face.

“Would you at least take an aspirin?  Something?”

He nodded slightly.  He saw the relief on her face as she pulled the aspirin out of the first aid kit.  Her hand caressed the back of his neck as she helped him sit up enough to drink from the canteen.  Her hand felt warm against his skin.  He missed the feeling as she lowered his head back to the sleeping bag.

“Thanks,” he said quietly.  He watched her stand up and move to the opening of the cave.  “Any sign of anyone out there?”

“No,” she said as she surveyed the brush surrounding their hiding spot.  “Hopefully, the Jaffa think we got back through the gate and they won’t be looking for us.”  She turned around and came back to sit near him.  “What do you think happened?  SG13 said there was no sign of any Goa’uld activity and the natives weren’t aware of any Jaffa.” 

“Who knows? Our usual bad luck, I guess.”

She hesitated for a moment.  “I couldn’t get in touch with Daniel or Teal’c.”  She didn’t add any speculation about their fate.  He could fill in the blanks as well as she could.  A grimace crossed his face as he tried to move his foot to a more comfortable position on the pack.

Sam moved to assist him.  She pulled the pack up under his knee so that his thigh was still elevated but his lower leg was able to curl over the pack.

“Thanks,” he grunted.  She merely nodded an acknowledgement.  They sat in an uncomfortable silence listening to the sound of the wind blowing through the trees outside.

***

Daniel eased his way through the brush around the gate.  He needed to make sure that the Jaffa hadn’t left anyone to guard it.  If they hadn’t, he would at least be able to get help.  Maybe the rest of the team made it back here already.  He could hope anyway.  He didn’t have that kind of luck. 

There were two Jaffa at the gate.  He didn’t know how he would get through it.  His only weapon was a Barretta.  It was good in self-defense but not much of an offensive weapon.  He sat down to watch and wait.  Maybe the others would return and they would leave.

***

Teal’c continued to look for Daniel but came across tracks that he thought was O’Neill and Carter.  He was torn between looking for them or for Daniel.  He knew that O’Neill and Carter were better prepared and better trained to defend themselves.  Daniel was not.  However, this trail looked promising and he had yet to find where Daniel had gone into the woods.  He was afraid that it meant that Daniel had been captured.  O’Neill and Carter could assist in the rescue.

***

Daniel watched for several hours as Jaffa came and went through the Stargate.  Several times, they had prisoners, confused looking natives, which were being herded fearfully through the puddle.  He wanted to help but didn’t know how he could under the current circumstances.  All he could do was memorize the gate address.  Maybe something could be done later.

This last batch had a couple that were resisting.  One broke away and headed straight for the patch of brush where Daniel was hiding.  Daniel tried to move silently away but the last thing he remembered was a flash of light and the sound of an explosion.

***

Daniel was in the briefing room waiting on General Hammond.  He had been back for several hours now and still had no idea how he had gotten there.  Janet was sitting next to him.  She had given him a thorough examination and found nothing wrong with him, other than no memory of how he got through the gate.

Colonel Reynolds sat looking stern across from Daniel.  He and Jack had known each other for a long time.  Daniel knew that he was impatient to get on with a rescue attempt.  He wasn’t the only one.

General Hammond entered, his hands indicating that they should remain seated.  He sat down with a grim look on his face.  “We have a go to try a rescue attempt but we need to wait until we are sure the Jaffa have left the gate.  I spoke with SG13.  They confirmed their story that there were no sign of the Jaffa when they were there.  The villagers had no knowledge of either the Goa’uld or Jaffa.  They said that they described both in detail so it isn’t that they call them something different.”  Hammond tapped the table with his fingers.  “Okay, so any ideas?”

“We don’t know if the M.A.L.P. was found or is still working but we can dial in to see if it is,” Reynolds volunteered.

Hammond nodded.  “If it is, we can use it for recon, if it isn’t we can try to make radio contact with SG1.  We don’t want the Jaffa to know that there is anyone left there so if the M.A.L.P. is functional, we can’t attempt radio contact.”

Daniel nodded somberly.  “General Hammond, has anyone figured out how the iris was opened for me?”

Hammond shook his head.  “No, it just opened.  You fell through unconscious.  The rest you know.”  Hammond frowned slightly.  “Has any memory returned?”

Daniel sighed.  “No, the last thing I remember was that native running straight for my position.  I was trying to move away so that they wouldn’t find me when they went looking for him.  There was a flash of light, the sound of an explosion and I woke up to Janet poking me full of needles.”

“Doctor, any results from that poking?”

“No, sir,” Janet spoke softly.  “No difference in blood chemistry, no foreign bacteria, no physical damage, no nothing.”  Quiet irritation showed in her last words.

“Okay, I am recalling SG11 to help with the rescue.  I want to wait to access the M.A.L.P. until we are ready to move.  I don’t want to do anything to cause the Jaffa to expect us until then.  Dr. Jackson, you get some rest.  I’ll notify you when we are ready.”

Daniel nodded, trying to conceal his frustration.  He got up quickly and left the briefing room.  Janet watched him go, the tension in his body evident.

***

Daniel managed to get to his base quarters without incident.  He wanted to loose his temper, push people to do something, anything.  He knew that wouldn’t get him or the rest of SG1 anywhere but it didn’t make the urge less compelling.  He ran his hands through his hair in frustration.  He had barely closed the door and was leaning against it when there was a knock on it.

“Go away.”  He wasn’t in the mood for company.

He was surprised to hear Janet’s voice through the door.  “No. Open up.”

He pulled away from the door to open it.  “What?” he asked rather shortly.

“My, aren’t we in a mood?” Janet said as she walked past him into the room.  “What is your problem?”

Daniel just shook his head and closed the door.  “I guess you aren’t going to leave without giving me the old SGC soldier pep talk.”

“Now why would I do that?” she said as she sat on the edge of the bed.  She patted the mattress next to her.

Daniel sighed as he sat down heavily.  “I can’t help but feel guilty about making it back even if I don’t know how I got here.”  He shrugged slightly.  “Nothing you can say will change that.”

“I wasn’t planning to tell you different,” she said simply.

Daniel’s mouth dropped open.

Janet turned on the bed, bringing one knee up on it so she could face him fully.  “It’s human nature.  I have no intention of try to change human nature.  Just don’t let it cloud your mind.  We need to know what happened and there may be a way to find out.”  He looked so much like a little boy, his hair mussed and his expression sulky.

Daniel looked at her carefully.  “How?”

“Hypnosis,” she said quietly.

“Hypnosis?”

“Yes, when you were captured by Nem, Sam underwent hypnosis to discover what happened to you.”

“I remember.  Their memories had been erased and changed by Nem.”  He turned on the bed to look at her.  “You think my memories have been changed?”

“Well, if not changed, maybe suppressed.  You have no injuries that would cause amnesia so why can’t you remember?  Even if we can get you to remember a few seconds more, it might be helpful.”  She shrugged slightly.  “It can’t hurt.”

“Okay.  When do we start?”

“I need some time to get things set up.”  Janet smiled and gave in to the temptation to smooth his ruffled hair.

Daniel smiled at her as he caught her hand when she started to pull it away from his hair.  “What’s that for?”

She grinned at him.  “Just felt like it.”

He grinned back as he moved her hand to his mouth and let his lips brush her palm before he released it.  “Just felt like it,” he said before she could ask.

Janet smiled at his impulsive gesture as she stood up.  “Get some rest.  I’ll come get you when things are ready.”

***

Sam sat with her back to the wall dozing.  She had tried to stay awake.  Someone needed to be on watch but she couldn’t help it.  The adrenaline rush from the attack and escape had given way to exhaustion.  She woke with a start and shivered.  The temperature had dropped as the darkness approached.  She checked her watch.  It had been nearly five hours since they had found refuge in this cave.  She stood up and looked outside at the remains of the sunset.  She hadn’t realized it would get so cold.  She needed more clothes but her pack was still under the Colonel’s knee.  His pack was under his head.  She looked at him in the dim light.  He was asleep but it wasn’t peaceful.

She dropped down next to him and touched his forehead lightly.  He was warm.  It didn’t seem like a high fever but she didn’t want to let it get out of control.  She bit her lip slightly as she thought about her inventory of medical supplies.  There was one more shot of antibiotics.  First aid kits weren’t meant to supply a team with long-term medical care.  Sam shrugged as she readied the injection.

“Colonel,” she said softly as she touched his cheek.  “I need to give you some more antibiotics.”

“Hmmm…” he said groggily.  “What’s up, Carter?”

“I need to give you some more antibiotics.  You are running a low fever so there is some infection setting in.”

“Another shot,” he said.  “Okay.”  He shook his head to clear it.  “Any word from the guys or the SGC?” he asked as his head cleared.  He grimaced slightly as he tried to move his leg. 

“No,” she said quietly as she pulled his shirt open and over his shoulder.  “Not a peep.  The Jaffa must still be around.  I want to try to check it out in the morning.”

“Okay,” he said as she injected him with the drug.  “Damn, you hurt more than Frasier!”

“Well, she knows what she’s doing.”

“And you don’t?  Then why am I letting you do that.”

Sam smiled at him in the near darkness.  “Because you have no choice,” she laughed softly.

“Oh, well, yes, there’s that,” he said as she pulled his shirt back over his shoulder and covered him back up with the sleeping bag.  His hand remained outside the sleeping bag for a moment.  “Carter, it’s cold in here!”

“Yes, it is,” she said as she opened her pack to pull out another fatigue shirt.

“Don’t you think you should use one of these sleeping bags?”

“I’ll be all right.  You need to stay warm and I need to stay awake.  The cold will help me keep awake.”

“I can stay warm with one.”

She moved the sleeping bag on top of him to lift his leg and place the pack back under it.  “Not with that leg.  It would be too tight on the wound.  I’ll be all right.  Go back to sleep.”

“I can make it an order,” his voice was teasing.

She smiled in the nearly dark cave.  Her tone matched his.  “You are in no condition to command.  I took over when you took that hit.  Now, go to sleep, before I make that an order.”

“Bossy, aren’t we?”

Their quiet banter ceased as they heard something moving around outside the cave.  Sam reached for her weapon and handed the Colonel his.  She moved swiftly to stand beside the entrance, waiting to see if anything, or anyone, attempted to enter.  The Colonel didn’t move except to slip his P90 under the sleeping bag with it pointed at the cave opening.

***

Daniel tried to concentrate on McKenzie’s words.  He was having trouble relaxing.  He had never been a believer in hypnosis, it seemed to affect the ability to put him under.  He sighed heavily.

“This isn’t working!”  Daniel stood up and turned around to face a rather irate looking Janet.

“Because you aren’t letting it!  Sit back down!” she ordered.

Taken aback by the tone of her voice, he sat back down.  He was beginning to understand why Jack liked to call her a power monger.  He felt her small hands on his shoulder and neck.

“Now, relax,” she said in a soft voice, so different from a moment before.  She massaged the tense muscles in his neck and shoulders.  “Now, concentrate.”

As she continued to speak, he focused on the musical sound of her voice rather than her words.  He felt the tension in his body ease under her ministrations.  He began to focus on her words.

“You are in the forest, hiding near the gate.  What happened next?”

The sound of her voice was close to his ear.  He could feel the soft touch of her breath.  Or was it a breeze?  The breeze in the forest where he was hiding…  He could feel it.

“The man is struggling with the Jaffa…  He’s getting away!  Oh, shit, he’s headed this way…  I don’t know which way to go!  They have to get him before he gets here…  They’ll find me…”  His breathing grew rapid and erratic. 

Janet felt his muscles tense under her hands.  She gently rubbed his shoulders.  “What’s happening now, Daniel?  Tell me…”

“I’m afraid…  If they find me…  I can’t help him and I won’t be able to help Jack or Sam or Teal’c…  Oh, God, please let them catch him…”  His next breath came out as a gasp as his body trembled with remembered indecision.

“Shhhh,” Janet murmured in his ear.  “Distance yourself from the scene…  You’re not there, you are just watching.  Just tell me what happened…”  She could feel his trembling taper off.  His breath steadied slightly.

“The staff weapons arm.  They’re aiming at him, and at me, though they don’t know it…  I have to move…  I have to leave…  I am trying to untangle my pack from the brush…  I’m hung…  I can hear them yelling…  The staff blasts…  I pull free…  Fall forward…  Look up…  Oh, my God!”

Janet practically fell back when he tried to stand up.  Her arms wrapped around his neck to steady herself.  “Daniel!  What is it?”  She felt him almost shake himself.

“Janet, I know what happened!”

***

Sam watched in the waning light as the head of a staff weapon poked cautiously into the cave.  She readied her weapon and waited quietly.  She didn’t think that the light was enough for the intruder to see the Colonel in the sleeping bag.  It looked like a pile of rocks in the darkness.  She hoped that the intruder would be satisfied with a quick look and leave.

Unfortunately, it didn’t look that way as the staff weapon moved further into the cave.  Sam held her breath waiting for the Jaffa to enter enough for her to attack.  If it was only one Jaffa, she could take him by surprise.  If there were more, she knew that the cave was not very defensible.  She didn’t look over at the Colonel.  She knew he would be ready for anything but he was so vulnerable out in the open.

Finally, she saw the rounded shape of a head poke into the cave.  She readied her weapon to hit him with the butt of it.  Shooting him would make too much noise.  She started to move when the hoarse whisper stopped her.

“O’Neill, Major Carter!”

Sam exhaled the breath she didn’t realize she was holding.  “Teal’c!”

***

Sam tried hard to stay awake but it was difficult.  She was worried about Daniel and the Colonel’s fever seemed to be getting worse in spite of the antibiotics.  She dozed uneasily as she sat against the cold, damp wall of the cave in Teal’c’s borrowed sleeping bag.  Teal’c was on guard duty but she wanted to keep an eye on the Colonel.  She opened her eyes when she heard Teal’c’s whispered hiss of warning.

“Major Carter!”

Light had just started filtering through the trees when she heard the rustle of something outside the cave.  Adrenaline pushed her gracefully to her feet with her weapon ready.  She stood slightly to the side of the entrance opposite Teal’c and waited.  She didn’t have to wait long.

A curious head poked in the cave but it was not a Jaffa.  The woolen skullcap on the man’s head fit the description that SG13 had given of the natives.  The wearer eyed O’Neill carefully.  He hadn’t looked to either side of the entrance yet.  When he finally did, he came face to face with the barrel of Sam’s weapon.

“Don’t hurt me,” the man quickly said.  “I am here to help.   I am Rashidi.”

“Is there anyone with you?”  Sam still kept her weapon ready.

“Yes, two others.  We saw the man shot and we knew you were near.  We couldn’t look for you until the evil ones left the area.”

“The evil ones?”

“They came through the stone ring shortly after the others of your kind left.”

“SG13?”

“Yes, the ones dressed like you that offered trade.”

“Why do you call them the evil ones?  SG13 said you had never heard of the Goa’uld or Jaffa.”

“They fit the description that the others gave us and they have taken several of our people through the stone ring.  Several more they have killed.”  The man bowed his head in sorrow as he mentioned those killed.  “We will take you someplace that you can hide.  This area is not safe.”

Sam moved to where she could see the other two men.  They were all dressed in dun colored tunics with leggings and soft leather boots.  She slowly lowered her weapon.  She nodded toward O’Neill, who was still asleep.  “He’s injured.”  Sam knew that if he hadn’t woken up with the arrival of the natives, he must still be feverish.  “I need to check him before he is moved.”

She watched Rashidi jump slightly as Teal’c moved into view.  “It’s okay, he’s with us.”

“But he is one of them.”

“I am not.  I once was but now I fight the… evil ones,” Teal’c’s low voice seemed to make Rashidi even more nervous but he just nodded.

Sam knelt beside the Colonel and felt his forehead.  He was burning up.  The antibiotics that she had given him must not be effective against whatever strain of bacteria was causing the infection.  She knew enough about medicine to know that not all antibiotics worked on all types of infection.  The one in the first aid kit was supposed to be a good general one but evidently not good enough. 

“Teal’c, he’s burning up.  We need to get him back to the infirmary.”  She turned to Rashidi.   “Where are the Jaffa now?  Can we get him through the Stargate?”

“No, the evil ones…the Jaffa,” he stumbled over the word, “are guarding the stone ring.”

Sam looked at the Colonel and then at Rashidi.  “He has a high fever.  We need to get him help.”

Rashidi nodded.  “We have a healer.  We will have her help him when we get you hidden.”

Sam turned back to the feverish man.  “Colonel, wake up.  We have to leave here.”  She shook him slightly.  “Colonel!”  She said a little louder.  She shook his shoulder again.  “Jack!”

His eyes opened slightly.  “Sam…” he said weakly.  “I don’t feel so hot.”

Sam smiled at him slightly.  “You feel hot to me.  You have a fever.”  She pointed at the men waiting near the entrance.  “This is Rashidi and his friends.  They are going to take us somewhere else to hide.  I’m out of antibiotics and they don’t seem to be helping anyway.  They have a healer.  Maybe she can help.”

Jack raised his head slightly to look at them.  “You sure we can trust them?” he asked faintly.

“I don’t think we have a choice,” she shrugged.  “Come on, try to get up and let me get our stuff together.”

Jack sat up and let Sam help him off the sleeping bag.  Sam and Teal’c quickly packed their things.  Rashidi’s friends came in to help Jack stand and supported him as they left the cave.

***

They traveled for about twenty minutes before they reached a small village. A dozen or so small huts surrounded a larger one.  Jack was now to the point of being carried instead of just helped.  He was delirious.  Sam was anxious to reach this healer.  They entered the hut in the middle of the village.

“This doesn’t look like a very good hiding place,” Sam said to Rashidi as they entered the hut.

“But our journey is not finished,” he said with a slight smile.  Sam watched as they removed a panel that was hidden behind a wall hanging.  He grabbed a torch and started down some stone stairs.  At the bottom was a long hallway with several doors leading to rooms.  Rashidi entered one of the rooms and lit several lamps.  “Now our journey is finished.  I will send the healer to you.”

“Thank you,” Sam said as the other two men lowered Jack to the wide bed.  She walked over to him and felt his forehead.  “How soon can the healer be here?  He’s burning up.”

“Shortly.  I will have food and water sent as well.  You may lock the door from the inside if you feel the need.”  He pointed to a slide bolt on the door.  Rashidi backed out of the room with a gesture of respect toward Sam.  She acknowledged his action with a nod as she turned back to the fever stricken Colonel.

“Major Carter, we appear to have traveled closer to the Stargate instead of away from it.  I may be able to get through to the SGC,” Teal’c said as he checked out the room carefully.  “We don’t know if these people are telling the truth about the Jaffa.”

“Why would they lie?  They haven’t locked us in.  Maybe later, Teal’c.  I want this healer to look at him first.  We can’t risk trying to move him right now and I don’t want you to attempt it alone.  I don’t know why our radios aren’t working but I think we need to stick together.”  Sam said as she fussed over the Colonel.  His skin was so hot.  She knew that if they couldn’t get the fever down soon, there could be brain damage.  She used the blankets on the bed to cover him up. 

“I am worried about Daniel Jackson.”

“I am, too,” she sighed as she turned from Jack to Teal’c.  “But if they have captured him, it will take more than one of us to rescue him.  I can’t risk leaving the Colonel here with these people until his fever is under control and we know a little more about them.”

Teal’c nodded at her.  “Very well, I will check the other rooms.”

***

Sam nodded as Teal’c returned to report that the other rooms were similar to this one but empty.  He watched her as she dug through her pack for the first aid kit.  She had already injected O’Neill with the antibiotics from Teal’c’s kit.  Teal’c knew that her feelings for O’Neill ran deep and that her inability to help him would cause her pain.  She was reading through the drugs available when there was a slight knock at the door.

Teal’c cautiously opened the door to reveal a tall handsome older woman.  She carried a bag made of leather.  Behind her were several young men carrying what appeared to be buckets of some kind.  Teal’c nodded a greeting.

“I am Sharifa.  I am a healer.”  She walked over to Jack’s prone body.  Her hand felt his forehead, his cheek and then his neck.  “The fever is high.  We need to reduce it quickly.”

Sam stood aside while the woman was checking on Jack.  “He has a wound on his thigh but I didn’t think that it would get infected so quickly.”

“There are many things that cause fever.  Open wounds are usually infested quickly.”

“I gave him some of our medicine but it doesn’t seem to have helped.”

The three young men left their burdens near the small burner that the fourth set down.  He also laid some cloths on the small table.  Sharifa turned to the burner and lit it from one of the lamps.  “We will need to give him some of our medicine.  We also need to cool his body.”  She indicated the buckets.  “There is water and cloths.  We need to bathe him to bring down his fever until the medicine takes effect.”

Sam nodded as she and Teal’c watched the woman pull back the covers and began to undress Jack.  Teal’c moved to assist her, lifting Jack to allow her to pull his shirt off him.  Sam started to unlace his boots and remove them.  Sharifa started to undo his belt but was confused at the way the buckle worked.  Sam moved to help her, slightly blushing at the idea.  After she got the belt open, much to Sam’s relief, Sharifa continued to undo the buttons.

Teal’c lifted Jack as the two women eased the torn BDU pants down past the charred flesh of his wound.  She could feel his body shivering as they undressed him.  He was mumbling slightly but Sam couldn’t recognize anything that he was saying.  Fortunately, Sharifa made no move to remove his boxers.  Sam covered him back up but pulled enough of the blanket aside to leave his wounded thigh uncovered.

Sharifa dipped a cloth in one of the buckets and handed it to Sam.  “Wash him down while I start a tea for him to drink.  I also will prepare a poultice for his leg.  The fever started in the wound so we need to cleanse it from the flesh.”

Sam nodded as she accepted the cloth and turned to bathe Jack’s face and neck.  Teal’c took a cloth and began washing down his legs.  The water was lukewarm, almost room temperature, but contact with his fevered body caused it to heat up quickly.  They both had to rinse the cloths frequently.  Sam moved down from his neck to his chest.  She surreptitiously surveyed his wiry muscular build, ever aware of Teal’c’s presence.

She continued to bathe him lost in very inappropriate thoughts.  As she turned back after rewetting the cloth, she found his brown eyes watching her, the glaze of the fever showing in them.

“Hi, there,” she said softly as she wiped his brow and face.

“Hi,” he said hoarsely.  “Thirsty.”

Sharifa showed up at Sam’s side with a cup of water.  “He needs to drink as much as possible,” she said as she handed Sam the cup.

“Thank you,” Sam said as she sat on the edge of the bed and helped Jack to sit up enough to drink.  Teal’c moved up to hold him for her so that she could concentrate on helping him.  She pulled the cup back a little as he tried to drink too fast.  “Easy, sir.  Slow down.”

“Teal’c…  Good to see you.  Where’s Daniel?”  He mumbled.  He drank a little more and then looked up at her.

She threw a worried glance at Teal’c.  They had covered all of this last night when Teal’c first found them.  “Drink some more.”  She held the cup up to his dry lips.  He sipped slower this time until he had finished the cup.  Sam set it aside as Teal’c eased him back down to the bed.

“What’s going on?  Where’s Daniel?  And why do I feel so bad?  It’s not like it’s the first time I’ve been shot.”  His voice wasn’t quite as hoarse as before.

“Daniel got separated from the rest of us, remember.  We talked about this last night.”  Some indication of recollection crossed his face.  She picked up the cloth and washed his face again.  “I’m not sure about why your fever is so high.  I think it has to do with some nasty bugs they have on this planet.  The antibiotics from the first aid kit didn’t seem to do a thing for you.”    She motioned to the woman preparing the drink for him.  “This is Sharifa.  She seems to know what’s got into you so hopefully she can help.”

Sam’s hands were gentle and the water felt cool on his face.  He heard her words but had difficulty in processing them.  Jack watched her as she turned to rewet the cloth.  He tried to control the sigh of relief as she ran the cool wetness across his chest and up to his shoulder.  He closed his eyes as he let the feeling of her gentle hands soothe him.  He could almost feel her breath on his moist skin as she leaned over him to move the cloth down his arm.  He felt her lift his arm and run the cloth back up under it.  He had started to drift off into sleep when he heard the voice of the healer.

“Have him drink this once it is cool enough and try to get him to drink more water.  I need to go get a few things for the poultice.  I will return shortly.”

“Thank you,” Sam said as she took the warm cup.  She sniffed the contents before she blew on it to cool it as she watched as Sharifa left the room.  “I think I recognize some of the ingredients in here.”

“What’s in it?” Jack asked drowsily.

“Ingredients?”  Teal’c’s deep voice queried.

“Peppermint,” she said as she sniffed again.  “And, I think, chamomile…  Nothing that would be harmful.  Though I’m not sure about how helpful they are for a fever or an infection.”  Sam sipped the contents.  It seemed cool enough.  Teal’c helped Jack sit up enough to drink.  “Here, drink this, sir.”

Jack had never been into herbal teas but this tasted quite good.  It was also soothing on his dry mouth.  He managed to drink it all.  Sam refilled the cup with water and helped him to drink it.

“Thanks,” he said as Teal’c lowered his head back to the pillow.  Sam watched as his eyes closed slowly and his breath deepened.  She didn’t know if it was something in the drink or just the fever but shortly he had slipped in to a restless sleep.  She and Teal’c both rewet the cloths and continued to bathe his fevered body in silence until Sharifa returned to apply the poultice.

***

Sam had been waking the Colonel up at regular intervals during the day to give him the tea that Sharifa had provided.  She thought it strange that their host did not return once she had finished treating him.  There appeared to be no one in the village above their hiding spot.  Maybe they were afraid to draw attention to their hidden guests.

Teal’c had cautiously done some recon and found no sign of their hosts.  Teal’c was outside the room standing guard.  He insisted that they needed to post one instead of just locking the door to the room.  She agreed since the room was almost soundproof, they would have no warning of anyone outside until they entered.

Sam was trying to sleep in the small chair beside Jack’s bed.   She needed to sleep since she had to relieve Teal’c in a few hours.  She hadn’t slept much the night before and, although it was rather early in the evening, she was exhausted.  They had eaten the food that Sharifa’s people had provided and now it was all she could do to keep her eyes open.  She had tried putting a sleeping bag on the floor but it was cold and very hard.  Even as tired as she was, that didn’t work.  There were beds in the other rooms but she didn’t want to leave Jack until the fever was gone.  He seemed cooler and he was sleeping peacefully but she didn’t feel comfortable leaving him alone.

She had seriously considered curling up next to him on the bed but since he was nearly naked, that idea didn’t seem appropriate, not that she thought Teal’c would say anything.  So, the only option left to her was the small uncomfortable chair.  She managed finally to drop off to sleep for a little while but woke abruptly as she nearly slid out of the chair.  Appropriate or not, curling up next to him was fast becoming her only option.

***

Jack could feel the warmth of her next to him.  The familiar scent of her hair filled his nostrils.  His hand moved over the delicate texture of her face.  Her lips were soft and wet…waiting for him.  Her teeth grazed his finger as he ran it across her mouth.  He felt the satiny touch of her tongue slide around his finger.  He moaned as she sucked it into her mouth.

She released his finger and moved to lean over him as her hands, so cool and so hot at the same time caressed his face.  Slowly, her lips explored his face, pausing at his chin, running up his cheek, nipping at his nose.  Finally, they found his mouth.  She nibbled on his lower lip, letting her tongue tease it between bites.  His lips parted with a gasp and her tongue slipped in to graze his teeth.

Slowly, he returned her kiss.  He knew it was wrong.  He knew he should stop but he had wanted her for so long, had needed her for so long.  His fingers curled through her golden hair as a moan of desire escaped his throat.  One of her hands slid around his neck, pulling him closer.  Her kiss deepened as she explored his mouth with a slow sensuous pace that left him gasping for air.

He lifted his head toward her as she moved away from his mouth.  Her hand pressed lightly on his forehead, forcing him to relax.  He lay panting as she moved astride his waist.  He found it hard to breathe as she leaned forward and planted open-mouthed wet kisses along the side of his neck.  His arms felt heavy as he reached for her, sliding up her silky thighs to her waist.  The warm flesh under his hands was soft and hard at the same time.  She took one of his hands in hers and moved it further up her muscular stomach.

He nearly cried out with pleasure as she held his hand against the softness of her breast.  She guided his fingers to her nipple and held them there as she leaned back over him and encircled his own nipple with her hot wet tongue.  His fingers began to explore the softness of her breast.  He could hear the soft sharp gasps of air she made, as he grew bolder.  He teased her nipple into hardness between his finger and thumb.

She rose on her knees and gently shifted her body lower on his.  He could feel the heat and wetness of her against his erection.  His body strained against her, wanting more.  His other hand found its own way to the apex of her thighs and teased the nubbin of flesh he found there.  It was her turn to gasp as he rubbed gently at the hidden prize.  She rocked slightly against his hand, his erection caught between her body and his.

He whispered her name softly as she slid forward slightly and then back.  He groaned as he felt her molten core envelop him.  His hands fell idle as an ecstasy almost to the point of pain flowed around him.  The small lamp seemed to glow brighter as it haloed her golden hair.  Her hands reached out to his shoulders to steady her as she moved slowly on him.  The sweat of her passion glowed on her skin.  Eyelids closed in pleasure hid her blue eyes.  Her breath came in small pants that coincided with her strokes.

He couldn’t breathe as she moved faster on him.  He could feel need rising in him.  Her breath grew faster, punctuated with soft moans.  Her muscles tighten on him as a low keening noise escaped her throat.  Her movements became slightly erratic as her fingers tightened on his shoulders, her nails digging in sharply.  He cried aloud as he joined her in mutual ecstasy.

Her body fell forward on his chest, her lips kissing any flesh they came into contact with.  He didn’t know if it was tears or sweat or both that she covered him with.  He fought to control his breathing as his arms tightened around her.

His heart was beating so fast and so loud that he didn’t hear the door open.  He didn’t know that anyone was there until she was abruptly pulled off him.  He didn’t see the knife at her throat until it had already done its damage.  The sweat of their passion was mixed with her bright red blood as the knife sliced across her throat.  The sound that emanated from his throat was the howl of a mortally wounded animal as he struggled to reach her…  “Saaaaaam!”

***

“Wake up, Colonel!  Wake up!”  Sam shook him roughly.  He had frightened her out of a fitful sleep in the chair.  She thought that something was in the room with them.  The sound he made was like that of a wounded animal but vaguely sounded like her name.  “Jack!  Wake up!” she shouted.

His eyes opened to find Sam standing over him, alive, her blue eyes full of concern.  He grabbed her as a drowning man grabs a life preserver.  Pulling her down to him, he held her as tight as he could.

The door flew open to reveal Teal’c with his weapon ready.  “Major Carter!  What is wrong?”

Sam fought for breath as Jack’s arms tightened around her.  He had practically knocked the breath out of her when he pulled her to him.  “I think he had a nightmare…,” she gasped.

“You’re okay,” Jack panted.  “You’re all right.”  His voice was confused and dazed.

“I’m okay, I’m here,” she said as she ran her hand through his hair.  He was soaked in sweat.  His fever must have broken.  She slipped her hand around the back of his neck and held him.  She could feel his heart beating rapidly.  She didn’t know if this was a side effect of the fever or the treatment, or if it was the result of the nightmare. 

“Calm down, sir,” she said softly.  “Everything is okay.  It was just a dream.”  She felt his lips pressing against her neck as he mumbled her name repeatedly.  His arms began to loosen their grip on her.  She eased up slowly to look at him.  He had sweat, tears or both running down his face.  She reached over to the small table and grabbed a dry cloth.  She began drying his face as she continued to speak softly to him. 

Teal’c watched as Major Carter tried to calm O’Neill.  O’Neill’s obvious distress disturbed him.  He was not a man to fear things lightly. 

“It’s okay.  It’s all right,” Sam murmured softly, self-conscious of Teal’c’s presence.  “Teal’c, his fever’s broke.  He’s soaked.  We need to get him dry.”

Teal’c nodded as he moved closer to the bed.  He realized quickly from O’Neill’s frightened actions that he had dreamed of something happening to Major Carter.  “O’Neill, Major Carter is well.  I am here to watch over her.”

Jack stared up at Teal’c as Sam dried his face.  Both of them could see the relief in his eyes as the dream dissipated in the light of reality.  Jack nodded slowly at Teal’c, his eyes shining with moisture.

The bedding was soaked as well.  Sam knew that they needed to get him dry or he would catch a chill.  “Sir, we have to get you out of these wet things.  Can you sit up?”