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?”

He sighed heavily as he nodded.  He was already beginning to feel the chilliness of the room.  Teal’c helped him sit up on the edge of the bed while she went through his pack.  She handed Teal’c the t-shirt and pair of boxers she found in there.  She carefully kept her back to him while the Jaffa helped him dry off and change. 

Teal’c helped him to the chair while Sam pulled off the damp bedding and turned the light mattress over.  She pulled the sleeping bags off their packs and rolled one out on the bed.  They helped him back into the bed before she covered him up with the other. 

“O’Neill, I will continue to stand guard outside this room.  I assure you that I will let nothing happen to Major Carter.”

Jack nodded with gratitude to his friend.  The vision of Sam’s blood was still vivid.  He knew that it was a dream but that didn’t make it less disturbing.  The weakness in his mind and body from the fever was making it hard for him to focus on reality instead of the nightmare.  He watched as Teal’c retreated from the room and closed the door.

His brown eyes focused carefully on Sam as she pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down.  His eyes followed her every move trying to reassure himself.  He was thankful when he saw her hand move toward his forehead.  He wanted physical contact.  He needed it.  He needed to feel the pulse of her heartbeat in her veins.  Her hand was warm, alive, against his head, his cheek, and his throat.

She felt his hand feebly pull at her arm as her hand rested on his throat.  She moved her hand to his.  His grip was weak but insistent.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked softly.  She continued to hold his hand, her fingers laced through his.  He opened his mouth to say something then just shook his head.

His mind raced through the nightmare.  How could he tell her that he had a dream about her making love to him that ended with her getting her throat slit?  He shook his head.

She could feel his trembling through his hand.

“Sam,” he whispered.

She looked into his sorrowful brown eyes.  He hesitated, started to speak again and then stopped.

“Are you in pain?”  She couldn’t figure out what he wanted.  His fingers tightened on her hand slowly and then he pulled lightly.  She moved from the chair to the edge of the bed.  “What’s wrong?”

His hand traveled up her arm as he pulled at her again.  He knew she was confused and worried.  He didn’t know how to ask her for what he wanted.  He needed to reassure himself that she was okay.

She finally realized that, for once, their situation was reversed.  She leaned over and pulled him into a tight hug, rocking him comfortingly.  His sigh of relief brushed her skin as she held him tightly to her.  His face burrowed into her neck as she felt the trembling of his body ease.

“Sleep,” she whispered.  “It’ll be okay.”  She gasped softly and let her eyes close as she felt his lips kiss her neck lightly.  She gently lowered him back to the bed, holding his hand in one of hers and stroking his hair with the other until he was fast asleep.

***

Jack woke slowly.  His head felt groggy and his eyes were heavy.  Memories of the nightmare returned rapidly.  Sam was asleep with her head resting on his bed, her hand still curled around his.  He couldn’t resist running his other hand through her hair.

“Sir?” she questioned softly as she lifted her head to reveal sleep filled eyes.

“I’m awake,” he said.  He knew her unspoken question.  He remembered the anxiety in her eyes from last night.  He also remembered the way she had rocked him gently as she hugged him tightly against her.  She wanted to know what was wrong but he still couldn’t bring himself to tell her. 

Her fingers gently moved back and forth through his.  He felt as if she was waiting for him to speak.  He wasn’t sure what to say.

“I’m sorry about last night,” he finally managed to say.  He felt her fingers tighten slightly in a gesture of understanding.

“It’s okay.  It was a bad dream, that’s all.”  Her voice was soft but he could hear the unspoken curiosity. 

“I just don’t think I can talk about it…yet…”

Her head nodded slightly.  She understood.  She also knew that his dream had something to do with her.  Last night he kept repeating her name with such agony.  He must have dreamed that something had happened to her.  Sam sat up a little more so she could see his face better.  She could see the sadness in his eyes but it wasn’t the same as last night.  Last night, sheer terror had shone in those soft brown depths.  Now a deep sadness filled them.  She smiled slightly not knowing what to do.

She watched his eyes as his hand moved toward her face.  He ran a finger down her jaw.  His touch was so gentle and so full of tenderness.  Her eyes closed as her heart ached for the impossible.  She knew how he felt in the past, though she hadn’t been as sure lately.  He had withdrawn from their easy relationship in the last couple of years.  There had been times that his eyes told her that only his actions, not his feelings had changed.  She believed that it was to protect her, her reputation, her career.  She missed the easy banter and the comfortable feeling she had been accustom to in his presence.

He recognized the regrets he saw in her blue eyes before she closed them.  He had the same regrets, years of longing and desire denied by an overwhelming necessity.  The safety of their world and the human race had to have a priority over personal needs.  At least, that’s what he always believed, until last night.  His nightmare was like a bucket of ice water hitting him in the face.  What kind of regret would he have if something happened to her before they had a chance to explore that longing and desire?

His hand rested on her throat as he examined every detail of her face, her delicate lashes hovering beneath her closed eyes, her high cheekbones, her elfin like pointed chin, her fair complexion.  His eyes stopped on her lips, slightly parted, the barest hint of her teeth showing.  His thumb moved up over her chin and grazed her lips slightly.  He could feel her inhaled gasp through her parted lips.

Her whole body trembled at that tender touch.  She was afraid to open her eyes.  She didn’t want him to see the yearning that his simple gesture created in her.  She ached for more but she knew it was impossible.  They couldn’t be more to each other than they already were.  In that simple touch, she understood the distance he had put between them in the last few years.  It was necessary to stave off regrets like those that she was having now.  Her hand grasped his.  She moved his palm to her cheek and leaned into it.  With a sigh, she pulled his hand away but not before she grazed his palm with her lips, not really a kiss but as close to one as she could handle.

“Sir,” she whispered, her voice hoarse with emotion.  “I should check your wound.”

He sighed as her blue eyes met his.  He could see the moisture there as she went back to being Major Carter.  All business, that’s the way it had to be.  He nodded regretfully.  For a moment, he had hoped that they would finally pull their skeleton out of the closet.  The door had been slightly ajar but she closed it again in that one small word.  It was amazing how much power it contained.

Sam stood up and pulled at the sleeping bag covering him to look at the bandage that Sharifa had put on last night.  It was still secure in place.  She hesitated to pull the bandage off.  She wondered if Sharifa would return to check on him.  There had been no sign of them since they left.  Sam checked her watch.  It was morning already.  Teal’c hadn’t wakened her for her turn at guard duty.

“I’ll be right back,” she said as she headed for the door.  She hoped he was just being kind not waking her and that nothing was wrong.  She cautiously opened it to find Teal’c standing there.

“Major Carter,” he said.  He nodded as he entered the room.

“You should have awakened me,” she said with a mixture of gratitude and disapproval.

“O’Neill needed you near,” he said in a voice too low for Jack to hear.

A small snort of sarcastic laughter escaped her.  They would have been both better off if she had stood watch all night.  Their short breach in the barriers they had erected toward each other caused her heart to ache.  “You still should have awakened me.”  She looked out the door toward the stairs.  “Any sign of our hosts?”

“No.  I think that they are still gone.  I want to do some reconnaissance.  It has been quiet.  It is possible that the Jaffa have left.”

Sam nodded slightly.  “I’d like to get him back through the gate as quickly as possible.  The fever seems to have broken and stayed down but I would feel better if Janet had a look at him.”

“Bolt the door against intruders.  I will return shortly.  I believe the Stargate is only a short distance from here.  I should not be long.”

“Hey, I’m awake over here…”  O’Neill’s voice was slightly irritated.  “And I can’t hear what you are saying.”

Sam laughed as they walked over to the bed.  She was relieved by his cranky tone.  He was definitely better.  They quickly recapped their plans for him before Teal’c left.

***

Teal’c moved stealthily toward the Stargate.  He was correct in his assumption that it was not far from their hiding place.  There appeared to be no guards.  He found signs of someone hiding in the forest near the gate.  A torn piece of cloth confirmed that it was Daniel.  The material appeared to have come from his backpack.  He didn’t know if this meant that he was captured or had escaped through the Stargate.  There didn’t appear to be any sign of a struggle.  There was some evidence that he had fallen or lain close to the branch that held the cloth.

Teal’c eased out of the forest toward the DHD.  He wanted to try to make contact with the SGC.  If he could get reinforcements through before any more Jaffa showed up, he could go back for O’Neill and Major Carter without worrying about their way being blocked when they returned.  He quickly dialed the coordinates and knelt near the DHD as the massive ring engaged.

***

Sam spent her time putting their gear in order.  She left the sleeping bags on the bed for Jack but she packed the rest of their things in case they were able to leave.  She also tried to clean off the encrusted blood from Jack’s fatigue pants.  He couldn’t exactly show back up at the SGC in his boxers.  She tried to suppress a laugh at the thought of General Hammond’s face if the Colonel appeared on the gate room ramp in his underwear.

“What’s so funny?”

Jack’s voice interrupted her silent musing.  “Nothing…really,” she stuttered.

“Oh, come on, you know I always love a good joke,” he cajoled.  He would welcome anything to break the uncomfortable silence that had fallen between them since Teal’c left.

She sighed heavily.  “Nothing, I just was thinking about the General’s face if you showed up in your… well, without your fatigue pants.”  She kept her back to him so he wouldn’t see her blush.  She just realized what she was saying, that she had been thinking about him in his underwear.

“Yeah, George might not like it too much,” he laughed.  She kept her back to him.  He wanted to talk to her.  Teal’c was gone for at least a little while.  She seemed to realize what he wanted and had somehow successfully managed to avoid him in the tiny room.  “Sam, come here and sit down.”  That sounded too stern.  “Please,” he added belatedly.

“I need to get packed in case we can leave when Teal’c gets back,” she said, blatantly ignoring the added please.

“Sam…,” his tone was softer.  “It’s all packed.  We need to talk.”  He saw the resignation in her shoulders as she sighed.  She slowly stood up with the pack she had been incessantly fooling with and dropped it near the door before she turned to face him.

“What’s there to talk about?”  Her eyes were cloudy as they met his.  “There’s nothing to discuss.”

“Because you don’t want to?”

“Because nothing has changed…” her voice trailed off.  Nothing had changed.  They were still in the same place as three years ago.  Everything had to be locked in that room and stay there.  Now here they were, locked in another room.

Jack’s eyes never left hers.  He could see the regret and the pain.  He shouldn’t do this.  He was causing her more pain by bringing it up again.  But the vision of bright red blood wouldn’t let him leave it alone.

“I could retire,” he whispered.

The gasp that escaped her lungs shook her entire body.  The tears that threatened filled her eyes.  “I couldn’t ask you to do that,” she whispered.

“You’re not asking.  I’m offering.”  His hand reached out toward her.  “Would it make a difference?”

She walked slowly toward him without thinking about it.  Her hand reached out unconsciously to his as she dropped down into the chair beside his bed.

“You can’t…” she whispered as she pulled his hand to her cheek.  “It’s not possible now…  There’s too much at stake.”

“And what about us,” he said softly as he felt a tear slide down onto his hand.  “Don’t we deserve some happiness?”  His words seemed to open the dam on her tears.  They flowed freely down her cheeks almost without her knowledge.  His thumb brushed at them as they came within his reach.  No sobs, no audible sound of crying, just tears.

“Sam…,” he whispered.

She found his arms reaching around her and pulling her to him.  His grasp was light, either from weakness or to give her the option to pull away.  She buried her face in his neck.  Her tears continued to flow silently.  She felt his fingers curl through her hair as his other hand soothingly ran up and down her back.  She felt his lips taste her neck.  She desperately wanted to turn her head so that her lips could find his but if she did, she knew there would be no turning back.

She moaned softly as his mouth trailed up to her jaw.  His fingers tugged lightly at her hair until she turned her head to face him.  His mouth was so close to hers that she could feel his breath on her lips.  His questioning eyes were full of need.  She should stop him.  She should stop herself but he was so close and he felt so good.  A moan escaped her throat as his lips delicately brushed hers.

His body trembled with hers as their mouths met softly.  Slowly, their lips matched the others movements.  It was his turn to moan as her hand slipped around to caress the short hair on the back of his head.  He was willingly drowning in her.  His hand moved from her face to the back of her neck, pulling her lips tighter against his.

Sam couldn’t breathe.  His kiss was pulling the very life’s breath from her and she willingly gave it.  Her body and soul ached for him.  She would willingly give him her life.  Her arms slipped under him, wrapping around his body, pulling him closer as his fingers tangled in her hair.  The Air Force, their mission, their life until now, all of her objections, vanished as their tongues finally met.

The pain of his injury was forgotten as her mouth accepted his invasion.  He could feel the heat of her skin through her shirt, her rapid heartbeat and her erratic breath.  Finally unable to maintain contact, their lips parted as they both gasped for air.  Jack buried his face in her neck as his arms held her tight.

“Oh, Sam…” he whispered breathlessly.  He could feel her rapid pulse against his cheek.  Or maybe it was his.  He just knew that she was here, close to him, holding him as tightly as he held her.

A sharp knock on the door brought them both back to the present.  Jack’s heart skipped a beat as the situation reminded him of his nightmare.  He didn’t want to let go of Sam but she pushed him away as she sat up and moved off the bed.  She looked flushed, her breath still rapid.

Sam tried to regain her composure as she started for the door.  The knock came again, a little more urgent.

“Major Carter, O’Neill, are you there?”

They looked at each other as Teal’c’s faint voice registered in their desire clouded minds.

“Yes, Teal’c,” Sam called out.  “Hang on.  I have to unbolt the door.”  She moved toward the door a little quicker than before.

“Sam,” Jack said softly.  “When we get home…”  His voice trailed off as she nodded.  They needed to talk.

Teal’c had returned with Daniel, Janet and SG3.  There was still no sign of the natives that had led them to the village.  After getting Jack loaded on to a stretcher, they headed back to the SGC.

***

Sam sat through the debriefing with an outward patience that belied her inward state.  The revelation that Oma Desala was responsible for Daniel’s return to the SGC should have caused more reaction from her but she couldn’t stop thinking about Jack.  His words, ‘when we get home’…  They needed to talk.  Talk…  She wanted so much more than talk.  She didn’t care about anything now.  The memory of his lips against hers, his body against hers…

“Sam?”  Daniel’s voice intruded.

“Sorry, Daniel, I’m a little out of it.”

“Major Carter has had little rest over the last few days,” Teal’c chimed in.

“So, Daniel, why do you think that Oma was there?” she asked trying to get into the briefing.

“I don’t know.  And SG3 and 11 have been searching the planet since you three returned and they haven’t found any sign of the villagers, the Jaffa or any of the Ascended.”

“Do you think that she…ascended them?”

“I don’t know.  I want to go back there to see if I can find her.  Maybe she’ll talk to me.  She must have some…affection, for lack of a better word, for me.  She could have let the Jaffa find me.”

Sam nodded.  “Well, I have to get some sleep but I want to go back with you.  I would like to find Sharifa and her people.  They helped us and if they need help, I want to provide it.  Without their help, the Colonel would probably be dead.”

Hammond nodded as he looked at the tired woman.   “Agreed, Major.  SG3 and 11 will continue their search until you can return.  The gate is guarded so unless the Jaffa return in a ship, they won’t be able to get through.  One thing I don’t understand though.  You three said that your radios wouldn’t work.”

“No, sir, they wouldn’t,” Sam said.  “I thought maybe there was some kind of magnetic interference natural to 919.  Why?  Are they working now?”

“So far no one seems to have any problem.  If that changes, you will be the first to know about it.  I may need you to try to figure that one out before you go looking for the natives.”

Sam nodded her acknowledgement.

“Okay, Major, I am putting SG1 down for 24 hours.  Get some rest.  I’ll keep you informed of any discoveries by the other teams.  Dismissed.”

***

Janet had finished checking out Jack’s leg when Sam arrived.  She was in her office looking at some test results and shaking her head when Sam found her.

“What?” Sam said, her voice concerned.

“Oh, nothing bad!  Very good actually.  Whatever was in that poultice did an amazing job on that burn.  If we can ever find those people again, we need to see about trading with them for the ingredients and the recipe.”

“He’ll be all right then?”

“Right as rain in a week…ten days tops.”

Sam sighed with relief.  She had been terrified that there would be permanent damage that would cause him to lose some use of the leg.  She knew that he wouldn’t handle a permanent disability well.  He could barely handle the times he was laid up with temporary injuries.

“Will he be able to go home?” Sam asked before she thought about how the question sounded.

Janet looked at her slightly askew but answered anyway.  “Well, I guess.  There is no sign of the bacteria that was causing the fever but I’ll need him back tomorrow to check the wound.”

Sam nodded, blushing slightly.  Fortunately, Janet decided not to ask any questions.  She continued to record her findings as Sam headed to the exam area where Jack was.

***

Sam was waiting outside the men’s locker room when Jack came out.  His hair was still damp from a shower.  He leaned heavily on the cane that Janet insisted he use.  They walked in silence to the elevator.

“I can’t drive with this leg,” Jack said quietly.

“I know.”

Jack didn’t dare look at her.  “We should take my truck.”

“Okay.”

They walked out to the parking lot slowly because of the soreness in his leg.  Fortunately, as 2IC of the SGC, his parking spot was fairly close to the entrance.

Sam helped Jack get into his truck on the passenger side.  It was not only easier to take his truck; it was also less conspicuous than to leave her car sitting in his driveway all night.  Sam did not intend to leave him alone tonight.

She navigated the big truck through traffic silently.  She didn’t know what to say.  She didn’t know what to do.  She just knew that after this morning she couldn’t go back to the way things were.  She wanted more.  How much more she could have would have to be determined.

Jack kept his eyes on the road but he didn’t see much.  Flashing between this morning and his nightmare last night, his mind was full of uncertainty.  He didn’t want to endanger her career but he couldn’t risk losing her without them having a chance.  He didn’t know if she would feel the same way though.  This morning he would have said she did, but in the cold light of day, would she still feel the same?  She was so quiet.

Before he realized it, the truck turned into his driveway.  Sam jumped out quickly and came around to help him.  He had the door open and was almost out by the time she got there.  She smiled as she held her hand out to help him.  He accepted her hand and her help.  Janet had insisted that he use a cane but Sam’s shoulders were much more appealing assistance.  The way her arm tightened around his waist helped to reassure him that this morning was not just a breach of judgment or a momentary thing.  He leaned into her as they maneuvered the stairs up to his door.

Sam managed to get the door unlocked with Jack still holding on to her.  He didn’t really need to since they were standing still but he didn’t want to let go.  Once inside, he felt Sam hesitate before she started him toward his bedroom.  They hadn’t said a word since they left the mountain. 

His silence unnerved her.  He hadn’t spoken since they left the infirmary other than to suggest they take his truck.  Sam wanted to turn back the clock to this morning.  She wished that Teal’c hadn’t shown up when he did.  But he had and now…  She turned toward the hall leading to Jack’s bedroom.  His arm remained steadfast around her shoulders as they walked slowly down the hall.  She didn’t bother with the light as they entered.

The only light in the room was the setting sun as he slowly sat on the bed.  Jack watched her closely as she set his cane near the side of the bed.  As she turned back to face him the sun caught the gold in her hair.  Jack smiled softly at her and held his hand out to her.  A slow smile spread across her face as she moved near him.  The faint sunlight glinted in her blue eyes.  Her hand closed on his as she knelt in front of him.

Sam watched as his mouth opened as if to say something but instead he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her between his legs and tight against his chest.  Her arms slid around under his, her hands grasping his shoulders.  His warm breath teased her neck as he exhaled a sigh of relief.  She could feel his body trembled against her.  Her eyes closed as she relished his nearness, his warmth, his scent.

Jack felt her hands tighten on his shoulders.  He felt like an awkward schoolboy, not knowing what to do next.  Years of enforced control still had its grip on him.  This morning was an aberration, a step off the path they had followed for so long.  If Teal’c hadn’t showed up when he did, no telling how far off that path they would have wandered.  He wanted to continue where they had left off this morning but should he?  She had so much more to lose than he did.

Sam could feel his hesitation.  She knew that if things were to move in any direction other than back, she would have to lead.  She had spent over seven years following his lead.  It was her turn now.  She let her lips move softly against his neck, savoring the feel.  She opened her mouth to sample the taste of his skin.  His arms tightened on her almost to the point of pain.  The soft texture of his neck changed to the rough feel of the stubble on his jaw as she kissed her way toward his face. 

Jack moaned softly against her neck as her mouth explored his skin.  His hands clutched at the material of her shirt.  He wanted to turn his face to meet hers, to capture those soft lips that were lightly kissing their way around to his jaw.  The control that he tried so hard to maintain was rapidly evaporating with the vision of blood from his nightmare combined with her in his arms.  She was here with him, safe.  He needed her so much.

She slowly made her way across his jaw to his mouth.  Their lips met with a slow breathless intensity.  His whole body trembled with a combination of longing and exhaustion.  Janet had said that the aftereffects of the fever would leave him weak.  Weak was not what he wanted right now.

Sam knew she was rushing things.  He needed rest but she couldn’t resist the temptation to kiss him.  Her whole body hummed with desire but she needed to back things down, for now.  Slowly, she pulled away from his mouth.

“Jack, you need to rest,” she whispered as she rested her forehead against his.  “We’ll have time to talk later.”  She almost laughed at the disappointment in his expression.  “As well as other things,” she added softly.

He knew she was right.  Regardless of the stirrings of desire in his groin, he felt as weak as a newborn baby.  It wouldn’t do for their first intimate encounter to be ruined by his inability to do anything.  He nodded slowly as she moved her head back from his.

“Come on,” she said.  “Let’s get you into bed.”

“Will you stay?” he asked quietly.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

She helped him undress, easing his pants down past his wound.  Once he was down to his boxers and t-shirt, she pulled the covers back and helped him into bed.  She tucked the covers around him carefully.

“I’ll be right back,” she said as she picked up the bag she had carried in with her.  So preoccupied with doubts and anxiety, he hadn’t even noticed it until now.  He nodded as she went into his bathroom and closed the door.

He lay there wondering at the events of the last couple of days.  He wasn’t sure what the solution was, but he wasn’t letting things go back to the way they were.  He couldn’t handle the idea of something happening to Sam but what was worse was the idea that he could lose her before their relationship had a chance to exist.

Jack glanced up at the bathroom door as it opened.  Sam emerged dressed in a tank top and pajama bottoms.  He knew that it wasn’t meant to be but it was an incredibly sexy outfit.   He sighed with relief as she pulled back the covers on the other side of the bed and slid in beside him.  Her body was warm against him as she snuggled up under his arm.

“Sleep, Jack,” she whispered.

Exhaustion and relief had its way with him and he drifted off to sleep.

***

Jack woke with a start.  He had been dreaming again.  Visions of Sam and blood caused his heart to beat rapidly.  His arms tightened around the sleeping form snuggled up to him.  Sam had rolled over to face away from him; her body was now spooned up against his.  He kissed her hair gently.  The darkness indicated that it was the middle of the night.  There was no sense in waking her.  Her slow breathing indicated all was well with her in spite of his nightmares.

He slowed his breathing and tried to think rationally about it.  He wasn’t prone to bad dreams, especially about Sam.  Most of the time any dream she was in was very pleasant.  Although the dream while they were on the planet was the most graphic he had ever had.

His wound hurt more this morning than it did yesterday.  Janet had sent some painkillers home with him but he didn’t want to move or disturb Sam.  But it definitely hurt.  He tried to block the pain and let sleep return.  Sam’s body was so cool and comforting against him.  His face found her neck under her tousled hair as he slipped into a fitful sleep.

***

Sam woke feeling very warm.  It took her several seconds to process the fact that the heat was radiating off Jack’s body.  He was burning up.  His arm fell from her waist as she sat up quickly.  He was in a feverish sleep, mumbling and moaning slightly.  She had to get him to the infirmary immediately.

She dressed quickly as she noted the time.  It was almost 0400.  She didn’t know how she was going to explain this to General Hammond.  It wasn’t exactly a reasonable hour to be checking up on a sick C.O. but there was nothing she could do about that now.  She had to get him to Janet.

She had trouble waking him up.  He mumbled incoherently as she helped him into a sweat suit.  She managed to get some shoes on him before she practically carried him to his truck.  As she pulled away from his house, she hit a speed dial number on her cell phone.

“Hello,” said a very sleepy Janet on the other end.

“Janet, I’m bringing Jack back to base.  His fever is back.  He’s practically delirious.”

“Sam?” Janet’s head was trying to process the information.  She could hear the panic in Sam’s voice.  “Do you know how high his temperature is?”

“No,” she said with fear in her voice.  “I just packed him up and started for the mountain.  Should I have called you first?”  Her mind raced over the idea that maybe she shouldn’t have tried to move him.

“No, you did the right thing.  I can better treat him on base.  I’ll meet you there in ten minutes.”

“Thanks, Janet,” Sam said as the line went dead.

***

Janet came out of the exam area looking worried.  Sam was waiting with Teal’c and Daniel.  She looked very upset.  It finally dawned on Janet on the drive in that Sam had been at Jack’s in the middle of the night.  She wondered if it was because Jack had called her or Sam had never left.  Janet kept her speculations to herself.  She didn’t want Sam asking how Daniel managed to get here so fast either so it was best to avoid all discussion of team sleeping arrangements.

“What’s wrong?” Sam asked quickly.

“The infection is evidently back.  I gave him a broad-spectrum antibiotic but I don’t know if it will do any good.  I am sending a blood sample for analysis.  Maybe we can narrow down the bacterium that’s causing it.  He was free of infection yesterday when he left.  I don’t understand what caused it to return.  His fever is approaching 106°.  If we can’t get it down, there could be brain damage.”

Sam paled at the thought.  She took a deep breath before speaking.  “Sharifa said that the planet had many things that caused infection.  Could there have been something you didn’t recognize?”

“It’s possible,” Janet said thoughtfully.  “I need someone to go back to that planet and get whatever it was that she treated him with.  She obviously had something more specific to their types of infections.  He was fine yesterday so it must have still been in his system and it wore off sometime during the night.”

“I will go, Doctor Frasier,” Teal’c volunteered.

“Me too,” Daniel said.

Sam looked at her friends and teammates.  As much as she wanted to stay by Jack’s side, she would go as well.  It could be the only way to save him.  “I’ll go too,” she said quietly.  “I need to call General Hammond.”

“Doctor Frasier already did.” 

Hammond’s voice made Sam jump.  She turned to see the General standing there looking concerned.

“How much did you hear, sir?” she asked.

“Enough to give you a go for the mission.  SG3 is still on the planet.  Use them to help.  Go get what you need to make him better, Major.”

“Thank you, sir,” Sam said as she and the rest of SG1 left the room.

General Hammond watched them leave.  Major Carter seemed especially jumpy this morning.  He did not intend to ask why she was at the Colonel’s house at 0400.  He preferred not to know the answer.  His eyes met Janet’s as he turned back around.

“That serious, Doctor?” 

It wasn’t really a question.  And Janet wasn’t sure if he was talking about the Colonel’s condition or the relationship between his two officers.  She just nodded.  An affirmative answer worked either way.

***

Several SF’s guarded the gate on the planet side when SG1 came through.  Until they had figured out what had happened here, they were maintaining guards around the clock.

SG1 and 3 retraced the route to the village.  Sam had been so concerned with Jack’s condition and distracted by their actions that morning that she hadn’t really paid attention to the trip back to the gate.  Fortunately, Colonel Reynolds did.

They entered the village cautiously.  They didn’t know if there were any Jaffa left on the planet so they didn’t take any chances.  It was still as empty as it was when they left.  There were no signs of the villagers and the room where they had hidden appeared untouched.  Sam looked carefully around the room, hoping to find some of the things that Sharifa had used for the tea or the poultice.  There was nothing left except the cup and small carafe that contained the medicine.  Both appeared to be dry but maybe Janet could analyze the ingredients.  She pulled a plastic sample bag out of her pack and placed the two items in it.

Sam felt the fear rise up like bile.  If they couldn’t find the villagers, Sharifa in particular, they might not be able to help Jack.  Her memory of him holding her nearly brought tears to her eyes.  She couldn’t lose him now, not now, not as things were changing between them.  She shook her head, trying to push the thought of him dying out of her mind.  They had to find Sharifa.  There were no other options.

“Are there any tracks leading away from here, Teal’c?” she asked as she exited the building.

“Other than ours, I see no tracks at all,” was the answer she did not want to hear.

She looked around carefully.  “Could Oma Desala be responsible?  She ascended the entire population of Abydos after it was destroyed.”

Daniel just shrugged.  He didn’t remember the final Abydos mission.  He had still been ascended when it happened.  “I guess it’s possible.”

She stood in the center of the clearing, turning to look in all directions.  “Hello out there.  If anyone can hear me, we need Sharifa, the healer.  Our friend is sick again.  She healed him once.  We need her again.”  Her voice rang loudly through the trees surrounding the clearing.  She didn’t know what kind of response to expect but none at all was not what she wanted.

Sam looked around to see Colonel Reynolds eyeing her cautiously.  She shrugged.  “It was worth a try.”  She racked her mind for another option.  How could the people just disappear without a trace?

“Any ideas where to now?” she asked to no particular person.  The sorry sight of head shaking greeted her question.  She nodded.  “Okay, let’s head back to the gate.  Hopefully Dr. Frasier can figure out what she needs from the samples.  And maybe we’ll find someone on the way.”

Sam kept eyes glued to the trail.  Jack’s life depended on her finding these people and she had so far failed him.  Her mind was still on Jack when the Jaffa ambushed them.

Diving for cover, the teams spread out.  Sam saw Lt. Lopez lying on the trail with a staff blast to the back.  He appeared to be still alive.  Weapons fire flew over her head as she ran for him.  One of SG3 had the same idea.  Together they pulled him into the brush as the rest of SG1 and 3 covered them. 

When the dust settled, there were four dead Jaffa and one live but injured one.  Two members of SG3 had taken hits but both were alive.  Taylor could still walk but Lopez couldn’t.  They wanted to take the Jaffa with them as well and he would need to be carried also.

“SG11, this is SG3 niner.  Come in,” Reynolds voice was worried.  If the Jaffa had come through the gate, they may not be able to get back through.

Sam’s radio clicked in her ear as she was binding Taylor’s wound.  “SG3, this is SG11.  We read.”

“Is the gate secure?”

“Affirmative.”

“We were ambushed by Jaffa.  Contact the SGC for a medical team and reinforcements.  We have two men down and one injured prisoner.”

Reynolds voice soothed her thoughts as he spoke.  “The gate’s clear.  We have made contact with the SGC.  Reinforcements and medical help are on the way.”

“Then how did the Jaffa get here?” Sam asked to no one in particular.

***

Sam stood near Jack’s bed.  He was still delirious.  Janet had managed to get the fever down some but not enough.

“He was asking for you,” Janet said quietly as she entered the exam area.  “I don’t think he realized where he was.”

Sam bit her lip and nodded.  She could only imagine what he said.  His last coherent memories would have been in bed with her.

“Have you found anything yet to help him?”

“No, and it’s worse.  Evidently, whatever bug got to him, seems to be in Lopez and Taylor.  Both of them are running a fever already.  I still haven’t been able to identify what it is.  We’re running tests on the samples you brought back.  Hopefully they will reveal something to help.”

Sam nodded.  “Jack’s…The Colonel’s fever started pretty soon after his injury also.”

Janet walked over to her friend and rested a hand on her shoulder.  “We’re doing everything we can, Sam.  And he’s tough.  He may pull out of it with what we can give him.”

“He may,” Sam said, her voice cracking slightly.  “And then again, he may not.”  She closed her eyes against the tears that welled up.

Janet rubbed her hand on Sam’s shoulder and nodded.  Sam didn’t even notice when Janet left her alone with him.  She ran her hand across his fevered brow.  There was a pan of water with a cloth in it on the table next to his bed.  She wrung out the cloth and ran it over his face.  She didn’t know how long she had been bathing his face and chest when she realized his eyes were open.

“Sam,” his hoarse voice was barely above a whisper.  “You were gone…”

“I know.  I’m here now.”

His eyes closed briefly and she thought he had gone back to sleep.  The tears welled up again, this time one managed to escape down her cheek as she closed her eyes to hold back the flood.

“Sam…”

Her eyes opened to see him watching her again.  “I’m here,” she managed to say around the lump in her throat.

“It’ll be okay…” 

His hand tried to move toward her face but was too weak.  She saw his movement and captured his hand with hers.  She brought it up to her lips, kissing the palm gently.

“I know it will,” she said trying to convince herself.

“I love you…,” he whispered as his eyes closed.

“I love you, too,” she said softly.

***

Hammond stepped back away from the curtain.  His fears about why the Major was at O’Neill’s house in the middle of the night were just confirmed.  He’d known for years, since the Zatarc incident, that there was something more between those two than there should be.

Truthfully, he had suspected something before then, but the Zatarc lie detector had confirmed his suspicions.  However, he knew that they hadn’t done anything about it back then.  Their feelings didn’t seem to interfere with the operation so he had never brought it up to either of them.  He didn’t know how long they had been actively pursuing a relationship.  And he had no doubt that they were.  He had heard the Major’s soft reply to O’Neill’s mumbling.

He turned to find Doctor Frasier watching him with curiosity.  He sighed heavily as he read her concerned expression.

“Don’t worry, Doctor.  I don’t intend to do anything rash.  And I would appreciate your discretion as well.”

Janet smiled and nodded as she headed over toward the exam area.  “Yes, sir, and thank you, sir.”

Of course, he had no idea what to do, rash or otherwise.  SG1 was his first and best team for a reason, the people on it.  Separating O’Neill and Carter would definitely put a knot in the team.  The combined expertise of the four members was what made them great.  He would just shove it aside for now.  Unfortunately, the way it was looking, it might not be an issue for long.  He sighed sadly, as he left the infirmary.

***

Janet walked in to find Sam alternating between bathing Jack and wiping tears from her face.  Her heart felt heavy for her friend.  There seemed to be nothing in her bag of tricks to help the Colonel.  Nothing in the lab results on any of the injured men gave her any clues as to how to treat them.  She couldn’t even find the bug that was causing the infection.  She kept changing the antibiotics but none of them seemed to make a difference. 

At this point, she was ready to start herbal cures and old wives tale recipes.  Sam had said that the tea that Sharifa used had some things in it that she recognized.   The lab results on the samples were inconclusive.  They did turn up a couple of herbal ingredients but if Sam could confirm some of them, it would relieve Janet’s mind.  Although, she had already sent an orderly to the local natural food store for what she did find.

“Sam,” she said softly.  She watched as the woman tried to pull herself together before she turned to face her.

“Yes,” she said as she turned to her petite friend, knowing it was impossible to disguise her tear-streaked face.

“Sam, I was able to identify a couple of the ingredients in the samples you brought back but can you remember anything that you thought you smelled or tasted in the tea?”

Sam tried to get her grief stricken brain to process what Janet was saying.  If Janet couldn’t find a medicine to alleviate the fever, maybe she could reproduce what Sharifa had done.  It didn’t bode well for Jack and the two members of SG3 if Janet was resorting to herbal medicine.

“Okay,” Sam said taking a deep breath.  She would try anything to save Jack.  “Definitely peppermint.  I recognized that right away.  It was rather strong.  And chamomile.  And honey, I think.”  She turned back to Jack when she heard him mumbling.  One hand went to his face as the other reached for the damp cloth.  “There was something else familiar but I couldn’t place it.”  She began bathing his face and chest as she was thinking about the taste that she couldn’t identify.  The smell was similar to the taste.  And the smell was what was familiar.  It had almost overpowered the smell of the peppermint.

Janet watched her as she bathed Jack.  She was beginning to think that Sam had forgotten her question until she saw Sam’s shoulders tense up and she turned quickly.

“Okay, you’re going to think I’ve lost my mind but the smell was like that of ouzo.  How could a Greek liquor be in an alien concoction light years away from earth?”

Janet laughed.  “I had ouzo once.  Awful stuff!  Couldn’t get past the smell because it smells like licorice!  And I hate licorice!  But licorice root is sometimes used as an herbal remedy.”  She tick off the items on her fingers, “So, peppermint leaf, chamomile leaf, honey and licorice root.  Anything else?”

Sam shook her head slowly.  “Not that I can think of.”

“Okay, then that’s where I’ll start.  That confirms the two that I was able to identify in the samples, peppermint and honey.  I have to go call the orderly I sent to the health food store and tell him to pick up the rest.  Keep bathing him down.  It helps as much as anything else we’ve done so far.”

Sam nodded as she returned to her care of Jack.

***

Hammond watched as Teal’c, Daniel, Reynolds and Frasier filed into the room.

“Where’s Major Carter?” he asked.  He had called this briefing for an update on P3X-919.  He expected her to attend.

“Ah, she’s in the infirmary, sir.  I…I…” Janet couldn’t come up with a single reason why she should be there rather than here.

“Okay, we’ll do this without her,” he interrupted as the rest of them took their seats.  “Doctor Frasier, how are your patients?”

“Well, actually they are getting better.  The samples revealed two of the ingredients and Major Carter was able to describe the taste and smell of some of the other ones in Sharifa’s tea.  It turns out that peppermint is a bactericide.  It is also a febrifuge.  Therefore, I have been administering a tea that includes a combination of peppermint leaves and oil, and a few other interesting items, to all three and their fevers seem to be coming down.  Although Colonel O’Neill’s is still the highest, it is down to a safer level.  He should come out of his delirium soon.  He will have some recovery time from this.  High fevers take a serious toll on the body but I don’t think that there will be any permanent damage.”

Hammond looked at her strangely.  “Doctor, you are saying that what modern medicine couldn’t do, some peppermint and herbs have?”

Reynolds piped in before she could answer.  “Not to appear stupid or anything, but what’s a bactericide and a febrifuge?”  Reynolds’ tongue stumbled over both words.

Janet laughed lightly.  “Yes, General, that’s what I am saying.  And a bactericide is any agent that destroys bacteria or inhibits its growth.  A febrifuge is something that can reduce fever.  Peppermint can do both.  Humans also use the other ingredients, chamomile, licorice root and honey, in herbal remedies as well.  I would guess that the inhabitants of 919 have always used herbal remedies.  That may be why it’s effective against their particular bacteria. 

“I would love to talk to that healer.  There are many herbs and oils used in homeopathic medicine.  I would like to get some of her recipes.  With as many strange things as we pick up through the gate, alternative medicine is not a bad place to look for answers.

“I also had the remains of the poultice analyzed.  It’s a mixture of chamomile and a compound very similar in makeup to aloe vera.  It’s not an exact match but close enough.  There was also evidence of calendula, which has antibiotic principles.  All in all, a regular medical cornucopia.”

Hammond just shook his head incredulously.  All the wonders of modern science and it was going back to grandma’s remedies that was going to cure three of his people.  He sighed at the marvel of it.  “Okay, what about the natives on 919?”

Reynolds jumped on this one.  The medical talk just confused him and his ex-wife was always extolling the virtue of herbal teas.  He hated to think of anything that made his ex-wife right. 

“Well, sir, still no sign of them.  We have the gate guarded so the Jaffa can’t get through.  The ones that ambushed us must have been hiding out on the planet.  Though, why they chose to attack us and not the gate is beyond me.  The one Jaffa that we brought back hasn’t given up much other than the usual ‘wait til my god gets a hold of you’ rhetoric.  Claims his god is a Goa’uld by the name of Kabechet.  Other than that, we haven’t gotten anything out of him.”

Teal’c nodded as Reynolds finished.  “The tattoo worn by the Jaffa would confirm the name of the Goa’uld.  But he is a minor power and of no consequence in the fight between the System Lords.”

Daniel shook his head over Teal’c’s statement.  “She,” he emphasized the word, “might be of more consequence that you realize, Teal’c.”

“How so, Doctor?” Hammond asked.

“In ancient Egypt, Kabechet was known as the helper of Anubis.  She assisted Anubis in the preparation of the dead for the afterlife, the mummification process.  If the ancient mythology holds with the Goa’uld Kabechet, then she is probably working for Anubis.”

Hammond sighed heavily.  “We need to know what they were looking for on that planet and I want to know what happened to those natives.”

“We have the gate secured on their side.  The Goa’uld can’t get back through unless they come by ship.  We should set up a detection grid of some kind to monitor incoming ships.  We could take some mobile radar units through with us and set them up at intervals around the gate.”  Reynolds was almost thinking aloud by this time.  “That would at least warn us if the Goa’uld are trying to get to the gate from the air.  I don’t know how much good they will be if the radio interference that SG1 experienced returns but so far we haven’t had any problems.  Has Major Carter figured anything out about the interference?”

Hammond shook his head.  “I’ll speak to her.  If no one has anything else, then you’re dismissed.”  He rose with everyone else.  “Doctor Frasier, could I see you in my office for a minute?”

***

Janet followed him with trepidation.  This could only be about Sam, Jack, and their possible relationship.  How was she supposed to balance her career obligations with her obligations of friendship?  Not only that, she felt sorry for them.  She understood the feelings that they had for each other and the difficulty of working together. 

It wasn’t as if Daniel was psychic when he showed up in the infirmary this morning.  He had offered her a ride home the night before since her car was in the shop.  With all the excitement of SG1’s return, she hadn’t had time to go pick it up.  Daniel never made it to his house.  Thank goodness, Cassie was staying over at a friend’s house last night.  Of course, all they did was talk until they fell asleep on the couch snuggled up together but it would have been hard to explain Daniel’s presence.  Not that her seeing Daniel, a civilian, could compare to a major seeing a colonel that she worked under.  Still the similarities were enough for Janet to sympathize with Sam’s situation.

“Have a seat, Doctor,” Hammond’s voice brought her back to the present.  Hammond sighed as he sat in his seat.  He looked uncomfortable.  He shook his head, stood up and came around the desk to sit in the chair next to her.  “I want to take the ranks off for a moment.”

Janet nodded.  He wanted to talk about Jack and Sam, not the Colonel and the Major.  “Okay, agreed, sir, this is all off the record.”

He nodded as he smiled.  “They’ve got it pretty bad, don’t they?”

“I think so.  Sam hasn’t said anything to me.  I don’t think that she will.  She knows that it would be my duty to report such an infraction and I don’t think that she would put me in that situation.”

“I understand that you are operating on speculation but you are closer to her than anyone else on base, with maybe the exception of Daniel and Teal’c, but they wouldn’t really understand the situation like you would.”

“Yes, sir, the regulations.”  Janet ran a hand through her hair.  “I don’t think anything has been…going on, so to speak, for very long.  It seemed to have started with this last mission.”

“Why do you say that?”

“It’s just the way she was acting when he was brought in injured.  In addition, she seemed anxious to get him out of the infirmary.  I think, and again, pure speculation, but I think that something happened on 919.  I don’t know what.  The catalyst may have been his injury but I don’t really see how.  He’s been injured much worse than this and it didn’t cause this kind of reaction.”

“That’s true,” Hammond sat back in the chair a little less awkwardly.  “So what could have happened?”

Janet shook her head, her lips pursed with frustration.  “I don’t know.  All I know is that I couldn’t drag her away from his side to come to the briefing.  That’s just not like Sam.  I don’t know if something happened to make her feel responsible for his injury but she seems to be carrying around a lot of guilt over whatever it is.”

“Do you think the guilt could stem from their relationship, eh, moving forward?”

Janet laughed.  They were both tip toeing around the idea that Sam had stayed at Jack’s last night.  Both knew what kind of moving forward they were talking about.  “I don’t know.  I’m sorry, sir.  It’s just, well, I want to be happy for them.  They deserve some happiness.  I mean, they’ve saved the world a dozen times over and the one thing they want the most is denied to them because it’s their job to save the world a dozen times over!”

“I agree.  The regulations are meant to be general to cover all aspects of behavior but sometimes I feel like they are too restrictive for this command, as vague as they are.”

“They are kind of vague, aren’t they?” she said thoughtfully.  “Is there any part of it that can be left open to interpretation in this particular situation?”

“Probably!  However, with as many enemies as Colonel O’Neill has made in the past here on earth, trying to interpret them in a way favorable to him and Sam probably wouldn’t work.  Someone, read Kinsey, would love to try to get them, and me, for allowing it.”

“That’s true.  Senator Kinsey would love nothing better than to blow a whistle on this.”

Hammond sat quietly for a moment.  Kinsey had done his best to get him removed from the SGC, including blackmail.  If it hadn’t been for Jack, it would have worked.  He owed Jack a lot.  He wasn’t about to make a big deal out of this latest development, not if it didn’t interfere with the mission.

“Janet,” Hammond said quietly staring at his desk.

She started at the sound of her given name from his lips.  He never called her by her first name.  “Sir?”

“I’m going to ignore this.  Unless it gets to the point where it interferes with the mission of this command, I am considering it mere speculation on our part and I am going to ignore the hell out of it.  I owe Jack too much to let the damn regs take away what little happiness he can find.  After all he’s been through, he deserves it.”  Hammond turned to face her.  “They need to be discrete though, try to convey that message to Sam without telling her point blank.  She’ll let Jack know.”

Janet smiled and nodded.  For all his gruffness, he was just a big, sentimental teddy bear.  She felt like hugging him for it but restrained herself and just watched as he stood up and returned to his chair behind the desk.

He saw the silly smile on her face and could guess her thoughts.  “Dismissed, Doctor,” he said with a smile and a twinkle in his eye.

***

Janet peeked between the curtains to see Sam asleep with her forehead resting on crossed arms on the edge of Jack’s bed.  Jack’s fingers were tangled in her hair as his hand rested on her head.  Janet smiled as she watched Jack’s breathing and checked the vitals on the monitor without entering the area.  His fever was 103.2°.  It had come down significantly in the time she had been gone.  The homeopathic website she had accessed said to administer the tea four times daily.  He had a cup about two hours ago.  There was no need to disturb them.  She closed the curtains and turned to the nurse.

“He seems to be sleeping peacefully.  Don’t disturb him.  I’ll check on him again in a couple of hours.”

The nurse nodded as Frasier headed for her office.

It had been an emotional few days.  First, Teal’c, Sam and the Colonel missing and found, the Colonel’s uncontrollable fever, the surprising change in her relationship with Daniel and now the equally surprising change in Sam and Jack’s relationship…  It was startling how quickly things had moved.

She rounded the corner into her office to find Daniel waiting on her.  “Hi, there,” she said with a smile.  “This is a pleasant surprise.”

Conscious of their surroundings, Daniel just returned her smile.  She looked like she could use a hug.  Actually, he just wanted an excuse to hug her but he restrained himself.  “You had anything to eat?”

Janet sighed as she sank into her chair.  “No, I haven’t even had time to think about food.”

“Well, come on.  I hear it’s meatloaf day in the commissary.  We can see what else they have…”

Janet laughed as she took his outstretched hand so he could pull her out of her chair.  “Sounds like a plan,” she said as they headed for the door.

***

Jack felt the texture of her hair tangled in his fingers before he could get his eyes open completely.  His whole body felt dried out.  He couldn’t swallow for lack of saliva.  When he finally got his eyelids unglued from his eyes, he saw Sam’s head resting on the side of the bed.  Her breathing indicated that she was asleep.  As much as he wanted something to drink, he didn’t want to wake her.  He wondered how long she had been there.  He didn’t remember her being here.

There were no clocks in this part of the infirmary and his watch was gone.  It could be the middle of the day or the middle of the night.  He vaguely remembered Sam making him get up out of bed, telling him they needed to get to the infirmary.  Out of bed…his bed…with her in it.  The memories of the last few days…week…came flooding back to him.  He didn’t know how long he had been here, how long it had been since that night in his bed.

But Sam was here, beside him.  Evidently, she hadn’t changed her mind about their relationship.  He was afraid of second thoughts from the beginning.  She had so much to lose over an old soldier like him.  He had worried that she would come to her senses and stop things before they went any further.

She should though.  She should stop things now.  He couldn’t.  He had lost all the control he had maintained over the years when it came to their relationship.  He had tried over the last couple of years to put more distance between them but it only highlighted how lonely his life was without her in it.  Even if the only time she was in it was work.

He felt Sam stir under his hand.  He kept his fingers in her hair as she raised her face enough for him to see her sleepy blue eyes. 

She smiled at the recognition she saw in his eyes.  She quickly glanced at the monitor on the other side of his bed.  His temperature was 102.1°.  Sam nearly sobbed with relief as she clasped his wrist.  His smile said everything she needed to know.

“Hi, there,” he said hoarsely.  His throat was parched.  “Thirsty…”

Sam nodded, still unable to speak for fear that she would lose control of the tears that were trying to form.  She quickly poured him a glass of water.  After helping him to sit up enough to drink, she slid behind him so he could lean against her.

He settled against her with a sigh of relief.  One of her arms wrapped around him to steady him while the other held the glass to his lips.  He could feel her breath against his temple.  She set the empty glass down but made no effort to move.  Her free arm slipped around him as her lips kissed his damp temple. 

She relished the salty taste of his skin.  The fever was starting to break.  His body was slightly damp with sweat.  It meant that the tides against him were turning.  It meant that there was a possibility of a future with him in it.  She closed her eyes to halt the tears that rose with the thought of a future without him.  She didn’t know how she would have faced that.  Her arms tightened on him until she heard a small gasp of pain.

“Sam…don’t strangle me…”  His tone was amused.

“Then don’t scare me like that again,” she whispered in his ear as her arms relaxed.

“How long have I been out of it?”

“I brought you in early this morning or yesterday morning… It’s probably after midnight now.”  Sam released her hold on him long enough to look at her watch.  “It’s almost 0300.  So almost 24 hours.”

“I’ve been asleep for that long and I feel like I could sleep for another 24 hours.”

“Well, I wouldn’t call most of what you’ve been doing sleeping.  More like unconscious, delirious.”  Her lips grazed his temple again.

“Delirious?  I hope I didn’t say anything I shouldn’t have.”  He felt her lips move down the side of his face to his cheekbone.

“Well, if you did, Janet’s not talking.  And I’m not asking…”  She kissed her way down his jaw as far as she could reach.  One hand stroked his chest lightly.  “But you should probably get some sleep.  Your fever is coming down.  You should be able to rest now.”

He grieved for the loss of his backrest as she moved carefully away from him and eased him down on the bed.

“You look like you could use some rest yourself,” he said as he got a good look at her.

“Well, yeah, maybe.  I couldn’t leave…,” she said as she tucked the blanket around him.  Her eyes met his as she finished.  “I wanted to be here…,” her voice trailed off with a soft sob.

“I’m okay now,” he said softly.  He wanted to pull her to him and hold her but his arms were too weak.  He made a feeble attempt to raise his hand toward her.  She saw the gesture and slipped her hand into his.  “You should get some rest, too.”

“I will, later…,” she sat on the edge of his bed.  Her free hand gently swept across his brow.  “Sleep…”

“I love you,” he whispered as one finger slid down the bridge of his nose, finding its way to his lips.  She leaned over and kissed his fever-cracked lips lightly.

“I love you,” she whispered.  “Sleep…”

***

Janet woke to the sound of the phone ringing in her quarters.  She briefly wondered why she was sleeping in her clothes until she realized she wasn’t alone.  Daniel, also fully clothed, snored softly behind her.  She fumbled for the phone as she felt him stir.

“What? I mean, Frasier here,” she said groggily.  She had stayed up way too late talking to Daniel.  Talking, interrupted by the occasional making out.  She felt like a teenager again.  They must have fallen asleep.  This was becoming a habit.  She listened to the voice on the other end.  “That’s good.  I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

She felt Daniel kiss the back of her neck.  “Jack?” he asked.

“Yeah, good news, he’s awake, coherent and his temperature is down to 100.1°.  What time is it?”

Daniel shifted over to squint at the clock on the other side of the bed.  “Nearly 0600.  Too early…”  He turned back to bury his head in her neck.  “He’s okay, stay here…”

Janet laughed.  “I have to go check on my patients, Doctor!”

“Glad all my patients are already dead…” he groaned as he rolled away when she moved to get up.

“Daniel Jackson!  What a thing to say!”  She smacked at his head as he ducked it under a pillow.  She straightened out her clothes.  She would come back to change later.  “Try not to be caught sneaking out of my quarters, will you?”

“Sneaking?  I’m going back to sleep!”  The pillow over his head muffled his voice.  He pulled it away quickly before she got out of the door.  “Bring coffee when you come back!” he added.

Janet just smiled and shook her head as she left the room.

***

Janet entered the exam area to find Sam still in the chair beside Jack’s bed.  At least this time she had a smile on her face.

“Good morning,” Janet said as she glanced at the Colonel’s monitor.  His temperature was down to 99.8°.  “How are you feeling?” She asked Jack as she pulled her pen light out of her pocket.

“Great!  Can I go home now?”  He smiled one of his cocky smiles.

Janet laughed and shook her head.  “No.  I don’t know if the infection is gone or just being suppressed by the treatment.  I can’t find the bacteria or viral agent causing the infection.  I don’t want you to leave the base in case it comes back.  Sam barely got you in here the other night.  Next time, we might not be so lucky.”

Jack groaned as the smile fell of his face.  “I don’t want to stay in here.  You know I hate this place.”

“Well, be a good patient and I may release you to base quarters.  If you annoy the staff too much, I’ll keep you here so they can annoy you back!  I have to go check on Lopez and Taylor.  I’ll be back in a little while.”

Jack stared at her as she went through the curtains.  “Lopez and Taylor?  What happened to them?”

Sam sighed.  “We went through to 919 to talk to Sharifa.  Janet wanted the recipe for the poultice and tea that she used to treat you.  Our antibiotics weren't working.  We were ambushed coming back to the gate.  Lopez and Taylor both took a hit.  They evidently picked up the same infection as you.”

“So Sharifa’s brew cured all of us?”

“Not exactly.”

He narrowed his eyes at her.  “What does that mean?”

“The villagers were gone.  There was no indication that they had ever come back after we left.”

“The Goa’uld or Oma Desala?”  He vaguely remembered Sam telling him that Oma had helped Daniel get through the gate.

“Don’t know.  They were just gone.”

“So no Sharifa brew…”

“Well, not exactly.”

He glared at her causing her to grin.  “Are you trying to confuse an ill man?”

Sam laughed at his expression.  “We brought back samples from the cup and carafe that the tea was in plus I had smelled of the tea and tasted it before I gave it to you.  Janet managed to recreate it.  She just isn’t sure if the tea treats the symptoms or the problem.  That’s why she doesn’t want you leaving the base just yet.  You had no symptoms the last time you left and look what happened.”  She stood up and leaned over him.  “And besides, I like confusing you,” she whispered.  “You always look so adorable when you’re confused…” 

He snorted with amusement.  “Adorable?  I guess I’m adorable all the time around you.”

“I think so,” she said as she let her lips softly meet his.  The nurse had brought some lip balm for his dried lips.  She could taste it as she kissed him gently. 

His hand moved instinctively to her head, fingers tangling in her hair.  He was definitely feeling better but he was still weak.  That small action made him realize how sick he had been.  He let his hand fall back to the bed.

“Guess it’ll take some time to get back up to full speed,” he said with a sigh as she moved away from his mouth.

She grasped his hand tightly.  “Yes, but you have to behave and get some rest.  I need to go shower and then check in with General Hammond.  I’ll be back.”

He nodded as her hand slipped out of his.

***

Sam’s body felt refreshed after a long shower.  Her heart felt refreshed with the knowledge that Jack’s fever was gone.  But her mind was trouble by the nagging fact that she and Jack were in violation of the regs.  Not only that, but she did not intend to stop what she was doing.  Her innate sense of honor gave her twinges of guilt. 

She had spent her life devoted to duty and honor.  Sneaking around, breaking the frat regs, it wasn’t in her nature.  It went against everything that she believed in.  She climbed the last few steps to the briefing room on her way to the General’s office with those thoughts running through her mind.  She knocked on the open door.

General Hammond looked up to see Major Carter standing in the doorway.  “Come in, Major,” he said, motioning toward a chair.  “How’s the Colonel?” he asked as she sat down.

“Better.  His fever is gone.  Doctor Frasier wants to keep him for a while in the infirmary.  She said that she might release him to base quarters if the fever doesn’t return.  Likewise, Lopez and Taylor are back to normal as well.”

“Good to hear,” he said as he settled back in his chair.  “I wanted to talk to you about P3X-919.”

Sam nodded and listened as he continued.

“I need to know why your radios weren’t working.  We are searching the planet for any sign of the inhabitants or of Oma Desala.  We’ve sent radar units to watch for the Goa’uld but Colonel Reynolds is afraid that if the interference starts again, the radar will be useless.”

Sam pursed her lips and nodded slightly.  “He’s probably right.  SG13 didn’t use radios on the first trip there.  They were all together so there was no need.  When I realized that ours weren’t working, I thought maybe it was geomagnetic interference but that wouldn’t just go away.  There were no signs of electrical storms or other natural phenomenon that might account for it.  I took some readings when we first got there before we ran into the Jaffa.  I will analyze them to see if there is any reason for it.”

“Good,” Hammond said.  He was relieved to see her thinking about work and not the Colonel.  He didn’t want her so tied up worrying about him that she couldn’t function as a member of this command.  That would be the first sign that he would have to split up the team.  “I’ll leave you to it then, Major.”

Sam understood that as a dismissal but she still sat there.  Her conscience was still picking at her over the fraternization regulations.  As much as she didn’t want to leave SG1, she felt she should, rather than continue the way things were going.

Hammond watched the Major’s troubled face.  He was afraid that she was about to come clean about her relationship with the Colonel.  As much as he would prefer to leave it unsaid, if she wanted to confess, he would let her.  “Was there something else?”

Sam’s mouth opened to speak as the claxon warning them of an incoming wormhole sounded.  She and the General rose at the same time and headed for the control room.  They watched as the wormhole formed against the iris.

“Incoming message, sir,” Walter said.  “It’s SG11.”

“Let’s hear it,” the General said calmly.

“The natives have returned.  We have the healer here that Dr. Frasier wanted us to find.  There’s also someone here that wants to talk to Dr. Jackson, I think.”

“You think?”  General Hammond’s eyebrows arched.  “What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s one of the Ascended.  Can’t think of who else they’d be looking for, sir.”

“Right.”  Hammond turned to Sam.  “Gear up SG1.  Take Dr. Frasier with you.”

Sam nodded and hurried from the control room.

“They’re on the way.  Hammond out.”

He stood for a minute musing over the possibilities.  He certainly hoped there were some answers forthcoming.  He didn’t really care for mysteries.”

***

Sam waited in the infirmary for Janet to get her things together.  Of course, she waited by Jack’s bed.

“So everyone is back?” Jack asked when she told him of their mission.

“Don’t know if everyone is but the message said that Sharifa was.  Janet really wants to talk to her.  She is afraid that the medicine she’s been using isn’t necessarily killing the bacteria, just controlling the symptoms.  She wants to talk to Sharifa to find out how long the treatment will be required and if it takes care of the bacteria.”  Sam’s fingers unconsciously laced through his as she spoke.  She was just glad to see him looking so well.  “They also said that there was an Ascended among them.  They want Daniel to come with us.”

“Oma Desala?”

“They don’t know.  Evidently, she or he or it, isn’t speaking to them.  Just waiting.”

Janet poked her head through the curtain.  “I’m ready, Sam.”

“Okay,” she replied.  “Got to go.”  She sighed as her fingers started to slip from his.  His tightened on hers for a second and tugged at her hand.

“Kiss me,” he whispered.

She smiled as she leaned over and brushed her lips against his.  “Later,” she whispered back.

“Be careful,” he said as she slipped through the curtains.  He sighed as he watched her go.  He wanted to go with her.  He felt much better but he was still weak.  He knew that to argue about it was a waste of time.  Also, his weakness would be a liability even if he could convince them to let him go.

He leaned back against the pillows and mused over the changes in his life over the last few days.  The vision of Sam’s blood flowing freely down her body had faded but it was still there.  He was almost thankful for whatever bug was in his system that caused that fever induced dream.  It made him realize how lonely his life had become, how much more he wanted from Sam than just friendship and how hard it would be to live in a world without her in it.

The scent of her still hung in the air although the warmth from where her hand had held his was cooling.  He let the memory of the other night drift into his thoughts.  The heat and the passion of her kiss… the feel of her sleeping against him.  He found himself drifting between memory and dreams as his eyes closed edging him toward sleep.

Her warm body against his as she slept peacefully…  Her breath steady and even…  He snuggled his face against her neck, breathing in her scent.  But something was wrong, the scent was wrong…  The coppery smell of blood invaded his senses.  He rolled her over to look at her, to find her throat gaping, blood spreading and her eyes…  Her eyes were accusing.  It was his fault.

He woke with a start, sitting up straight in the bed.  Sweat poured down his face, his eyes wild with fear.  The nurse ran through the curtains.  He must have yelled aloud. 

“Colonel, what’s wrong?  Are you alright?”

“Where’s Major Carter?  Have they left yet?”

“I believe they are gone, sir.  She and Dr. Frasier left over half an hour ago.”

He threw the covers back.  “I have to go find her.”  He moved as if to get up.

“Sir, you can’t leave!  You are too weak!”  The nurse pushed at his shoulders to restrain him as she was speaking.  He was forced to lie back down.

Unfortunately, she was correct.  He was too weak.  He couldn’t even get past the nurse.  But Sam was out there and something could happen to her.  What were these dreams if not warnings of some kind?  He had to get to Sam.  He had to protect her.  He had to wait though, until the nurse was lulled into thinking that he was resolved to stay there.  He sighed heavily as he forced himself to relax against the pillows.

The nurse watched him for a minute and then checked his vital signs.  She looked over her shoulder at the now quiescent Colonel as she slipped through the curtains.

He waited impatiently for the nurse’s footsteps to move away.  He didn’t want to risk her hearing him get up.  He had to get to the locker room for some clothes and the armory for a weapon.

Jack managed to stand up, albeit, slowly.  His head was spinning from weakness but he wasn’t going to stop now.  He had to get to Sam.  Something bad was going to happen if he didn’t.  He had to get out of here.  He peered cautiously through the curtains checking for the nurse.  She wasn’t in sight.  He slipped through quietly and left the infirmary.

He headed toward the locker room thankful that Janet didn’t subscribe to the backless hospital gown theory.  His infirmary pajamas might look unusual in the hallway, but not near as unusual as showing his ass to anyone that wandered up behind him.  He made it to the locker room without anyone saying anything to him.  Thankfully, he pulled a set of fatigues out of his locker.

Jack’s head spun with the exertion of getting here.  He sat down heavily on the bench near his locker grasping his fatigues.  He had to act as if nothing was wrong when he went to see General Hammond.  He wasn’t sure he could pull it off.  His pallor and fatigue might give him away.  He took several deep breaths before attempting to put on his uniform.  He still needed to be geared up and armed before he approached the General.

***

Daniel was walking close to Janet.  He felt protective toward her and wanted to stay near.  SG11 had reported that the glowing form of the Ascended had disappeared as the gate activated.  They didn’t know why.  Daniel was afraid that whoever it was wanted them to go to the village.  They headed back to the clearing where Jack, Sam and Teal’c had hidden.

They rounded the trail and came into view of the village.  Sam sighed in relief as Sharifa emerged from the center hut and extended her hands to Sam.

“I apologize for our absence.  I should have returned to check on your mate,” her voice was low and only Sam and Janet heard the word mate.  “We were called to an unusual meeting in another part of the forest.  He is ill again?”  Her question was more of a statement.

“Yes, he was, but he’s better now,” Sam answered.  “This is our healer, Dr. Frasier.  She needs to know more about the medicine and the poultice you used.  His fever returned the next night and two others of our people were infected as well.”

Sharifa nodded at her words.  “I was afraid of that.”  She turned to Janet.  “I will give you the necessary ingredients and the portions needed to make the medicines.  The treatment must continue for at least seven to ten days.  The cause of the fever is persistent and takes a long period to die.”

“I was able to put together some of the ingredients from samples that we gathered from the village and what Sam remembered from the taste and the smell.  I don’t know if it contained all of what you used but it was effective in reducing the fever,” Janet said.

“Excellent.  If it reduces the fever, then it should be working on the infection as well.  However, I will give you ingredients from my supply to insure that the fever does not return.”

***

Daniel was standing near Janet listening to the conversation when he caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye.  A light in the forest, one that appeared familiar, beckoned to him.

“I’ll be right back,” he whispered to Janet, touching her elbow before he left.  He walked slowly, no sign of the sense of urgency that he felt.  He was almost in a daze as he watched the slightly flickering light.  No one else seemed to notice it.  He nodded to Colonel Reynolds as he passed him.

“Dr. Jackson, where are you going?”

“Um, just over here.  I’ll be right back.”

Reynolds nodded slightly.  He figured the archeologist needed to answer the call of nature so he let him go but he watched where he slipped into the forest.

***

Daniel continued into the woods for about 25 meters.  He kept his eyes on the light that was getting brighter as he approached.  Finally, he stopped as the light materialized into a face and part of a body.

“Daniel,” the soft voice was familiar.  “I am happy to see you again.”

Daniel didn’t remember anything about his ‘death’ and his life while ascended but he remembered the glowing face that stared out of the light at him from Kheb.

“Oma,” he said as he inclined his head in her direction.  “Are you responsible for the events going on here?  Are you here because of us?”

A musical laugh emitted from the glowing face.  “No, dear Daniel.  The universe does not yet revolve around you and your friends.  My being here had nothing to do with you.”

“So why are you here and why did you send me back through the gate?”

“As far as my rescue of you, well, you do occupy a place in my heart.  I could not stand by and watch you be killed or injured so I merely sent you back where you came from.  I am here for reasons that are my own.  ”

Daniel ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

“You still don’t understand, do you?  Even after your time as one of us,” she asked softly.

“I don’t remember my time as one of you.  How am I supposed to understand?”

The glowing face nodded as a small smile crossed it.  “Many people in the universe seek enlightenment.  Few obtain it.  Even fewer can ascend to our plane of existence.  They can’t ascend because they don’t believe that they are worthy.  You had that same difficulty yourself.”

Daniel sighed.  “So someone here was ascending?”

“No, but he was close.  He just didn’t believe.  Not that he didn’t believe that he was worthy; he didn’t believe that there was anything left after this life.  I came here to show him that there is.”

Daniel nodded although he really didn’t understand.

Oma’s laugh startled him.  “You don’t understand.  However, there is no need for you to.  The man that I came here for is with me now.  He was very old, very wise, and only needed to believe that there could be more.  His village and the surrounding villages had gathered for his death.  That’s why you could not find anyone here.  I was able to convince him that there is more to existence than just life.”

Daniel nodded this time with more understanding.  “Will you stay here?  For the other villagers, I mean.”

“No, I am leaving for now.  My presence has brought danger to them in the form of Anubis’ followers.  He knows that I am here and we have an unusual history.  But I will return as more are ready.”  The image began to fade slightly.  “Daniel, I must leave but before I go, I must warn you about your friend, Jack.”

“Jack?  Is he worse?”

“Do you remember trying to help him ascend?”

“No, but he told me about it.”

“He did not believe he was worthy, of ascension or of even happiness.  He would not consider it.  Nevertheless, he, like you, is more worthy than you believe.  Unfortunately, his soul is scarred by his life.”

“Well, he has been through a lot of grief and tragedy.”

“It’s more than that.  He needed to…” she paused as if searching for words.  “He needed to realize that his life is worth more than he thinks it is.  I tried to help him see that.”

“How?”  Daniel’s eyes narrowed with suspicion.

“I kept your communication devices from working and led the villagers to him and Major Carter.  I needed time to show him what was needed.  I knew that the healer would be able to help him so I knew he was not in any physical danger.”  She paused briefly before continuing.  “Accepting happiness offered in this life is one step to enlightenment.  I wanted him to understand that he is deserving of happiness and more, if he would only believe.  I wanted him to see what life could be like with his fondest desires granted.”

Daniel gasped.  “Charlie?”

“No, being a practical mind, he focused on the present and the future.  His dream was most…enlightening.”

“What dream did you give him?”

“I did not give him a dream.  I planted the thought that happiness was within his reach if only he would hold out his hand and accept it.  His subconscious mind supplied the substance of the dream.  Except that I didn’t recognize that the fever would give the dream such power or control over his mind.  Or that his feelings of unworthiness would lead his mind to such a conclusion.”

“What do you mean?”

Oma hesitated again, as if searching for the right words.  “He dreamed that he had attained happiness only to have it ripped from his arms and destroyed.  He will not believe he is worthy of it so his mind tore away that joy as soon as it had been attained.  I did not expect that.”

Daniel thought about what Janet had said about Jack’s dream.  Sam had told her that he had awakened in sheer terror screaming Sam’s name.  Now it made sense.  “Will he be alright?”

“Even now, the panic that enveloped him that night has returned.  He is attempting to find her as we speak.  His body is too weak but he is forcing it to comply.  He is very ill and needs help.”

Daniel quickly started back through the woods without saying goodbye.  Oma watched him go with sadness.  Maybe the others of her kind had a point about non-interference with corporeal beings.

***

Jack finished getting his boots laced although blackness threatened to envelop him every time he bent over.  He sat for a moment to catch his breath.  Somewhere deep in his mind, a voice was trying to tell him that this was foolishness.  He kept pushing it back down, drowning the voice with the single thought that he had to get to Sam.

He nearly panicked as he heard the doorknob turning.  If the nurse had found him missing…  He tried to remain calm as SG5 entered the locker room, covered in mud from their latest mission.  He smiled an acknowledgement as they greeted him and continued toward the showers.  Thankfully, they must not have noticed the paleness in his face or the weakness in his hand as he feebly waved them on.

He had to leave now, while they were in the shower.  If they came back, they might notice that he was having trouble standing up.  He managed to get to his feet and slowly walked out of the locker room.  He needed to be armed to help Sam.  He had to get to the armory.  He managed to get down the hall to the elevator without incident.  As the elevator doors closed, he leaned his back against the wall for support.  Sam was in danger. 

Wasn’t she? 

His mind was overpowered by the weakness in his body.  The dream of her making love to him now seemed more real than the reality of her sleeping peacefully next to him.  He just knew that he had to get to the weapons locker.  He had to get there and go to be with Sam.  He needed to be there with her.

Where was she?

The door to the elevator opened in front of him.  Wherever she was, he was going to be there with her.

***

Janet listened carefully to the instructions that Sharifa was giving her.  She used a small recording device to capture every word of the healer’s advice.  She looked around for Daniel, remembering that he said he would be right back.  There was one ingredient missing from the tea and Sharifa said that it was urgent to get this back to her patients. 

“This ingredient is very important,” Sharifa said as Janet packed the herbs and roots into her bag.  “The infection can cause people to hallucinate.  Things that are dreams take on reality.  Nightmares become more vivid and real than memories.  You should watch all your patients for signs of hallucinations.  They can cause people to do things in response to events that haven’t really happened.  This leaf is what keeps the hallucinations under control until the infection is gone.  The other ingredients work to suppress the fever and kill the infection.  As long as they are taking those, they can appear almost normal.  However, without this, the hallucinations can recur unexpectedly.”

Sam gasped slightly at her words.  “Colonel O’Neill had a nightmare the other night.  Would the infection cause the nightmare?”

“No, but it can make the nightmare seem real.”

“So it could make him react to the nightmare by doing something that he normally wouldn’t do without the infection.” 

Sam’s eyes showed Janet what she was thinking.  Jack hadn’t been acting like himself with Sam.  She now believed it to be just a part of the illness rather than his true wishes.

“Sam…” Janet started to speak but was interrupted by a breathless Daniel.

“We have to get back to Jack!”

“What’s wrong?” Sam demanded.  “Have you heard from the SGC?”

“No, Oma Desala.  She planted a thought in his mind, which in turn caused his nightmare.  She said that he is reacting to the nightmare now and that we need to get back to him.  Fast!”

Sam grabbed her gear and headed back toward the gate at a dead run.  If the dream was about her and something happened to her…  No telling what Jack was doing if he thought she was dead or in danger.  She had to get back there.

“We have to go.  Thank you, Sharifa,” Janet threw the bag she had just packed at Daniel and started after Sam.

***

Jack made it to the armory but he couldn’t seem to go any further.  His legs gave out as he partially shut the door behind him.  He slid down the wall into the floor.  His head hurt and his memories were all screwed up.  Sam…

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…

The memory of her that night flashed through his mind.  He had needed her for so long and then she was there.  In that room, her hands caressing him, her lips tasting him, her body making love to him.

But…

Jack glanced up at the bathroom door as it opened.  Sam emerged dressed in a tank top and pajama bottoms.  He knew that it wasn’t meant to be but it was an incredibly sexy outfit.   He sighed with relief as she pulled back the covers on the other side of the bed and slid in beside him.  Her body was warm against him as she snuggled up under his arm.

“Sleep, Jack,” she whispered…

She was in his bed.  She was there last night… or was it another night.  His mind couldn’t put everything in order.  He wasn’t sure what happened when…  She was sleeping next to him.  Curled up under his arm…

Was she?

He settled against her with a sigh of relief.  One of her arms wrapped around him to steady him while the other held the glass to his lips.  He could feel her breath against his temple.  She set the empty glass down but made no effort to move.  Her free arm slipped around him as well as her lips kissed his damp temple… 

The antiseptic smell of the infirmary invaded his senses.  Why was he in the infirmary?  What was wrong with him?  Why was she was holding him so close, so tight…  Her scent was slight in the overpowering smell of the infirmary.  Her body was warm and soft against his back.  She was here with him, now.

Or was she?

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!”

Jack’s head snapped up as the last part of his nightmare invaded his brain.  Sam was dead.  Her throat cut in front of him… Sobs racked his body as the thought penetrated his brain.  If he hadn’t been so distracted…  He had failed her…  He hadn’t protected her.  He hadn’t protected Charlie…  They were both gone.  It was his fault.  His tear filled eyes focused on the array of weapons in front of him.  They were both gone.  He needed to be with them.  It was his fault…  He needed to tell them that he was sorry…

***

Sam ran through the gate at full speed.  “Where’s Colonel O’Neill?” she yelled as she headed for the door leading from the gate room.

“In the infirmary, Major.  What’s wrong?”  General Hammond’s voice was as confused as his look.  The doctor on duty had told him that a nurse reported that O’Neill had a nightmare but that he was sleeping peacefully when she left him.  His only answer was Daniel and Janet barreling through the gate after her, he picked up the phone and called the infirmary. 

“Carmichael.”

“Doctor, how is Colonel O’Neill?”

“I haven’t checked on him lately.  Didn’t want to disturb his sleep.  Why?”

“Major Carter is on the way down there.  She thinks something is wrong.”

“Hold on.”

Hammond waited impatiently while the doctor set the phone down.  A minute later he heard frantic noise of Carmichael yelling at the nurse as the phone was picked back up.

“He’s gone, sir.  I don’t know how long.”

“Damn,” was Hammond’s only response as he hung up the phone.  “Sergeant!”

“Yes, sir.”

“O’Neill’s somehow left the infirmary.  We have to find him.”

“Yes, sir.”  The Sergeant hit a button on the microphone.  “Attention all personnel.  Please locate Colonel O’Neill immediately.  Report to General Hammond if you have seen him in the last hour.”

Hammond stood impatiently waiting for word.

***

Sam heard the announcement on the intercom.  It confirmed her fears.  Something had happened to him to make him leave the infirmary.  If his nightmare had become real to him…  Where would he go?

She headed for the men’s locker room.  Not bothering to knock, she ran into the room.  Two of SG5’s members were in there getting dressed.  They quickly covered themselves as the frantic woman ran into the room.

“Have you seen Colonel O’Neill?” she demanded, not even noticing their partially clothed state.

“Yeah, he was here earlier when we came in.  He had already left when we came out of the shower,” one man said.

“Do you know where he went?”

“No, he was dressed in fatigues.  Maybe his office?” the other supplied.

“He’s sick.  We need to find him.  If you see him, call Dr. Frasier or General Hammond.”  She ran from the room headed for Jack’s office.  She still had her radio on as she started for his office.  Her radio crackled static in her ear.

“Major Carter,” Hammond’s voice said in her ear.  “Security shows that he used his badge to access the elevator on level 25.  It stopped on level 19.”

Sam tried to control her fear.  Level 19 contained the armory.  He was dressed in fatigues and headed for the armory.  She ran to the elevator and waited impatiently for the car to get to her level.

***

Jack sat with the Beretta in his lap.  He had already loaded it.  He just needed to do something with it.  His memories kept getting jumbled up again.  Sam was alive after getting her throat slit.  Or was she?  Charlie was dead.  He had thought once to join Charlie after he died.  He almost did.  The first Abydos mission had given him the will to attempt to live.  The second one had given him a new lease on life.  And Sam.  She walked into his life in that briefing room.  She was beautiful, brainy and full of spirit.  The SGC had made him realize that he still had something to offer, to give back.  A way to make up for the failings that had plagued him…

But could he walk back into that briefing room without Sam in there?  Could he continue on knowing that once again he was the reason that someone he loved had died?  He clicked the safety on the weapon off and then on again.  Why was he hesitating?  Why couldn’t he just do it?  If there was life after death, that’s where Charlie and Sam were.  If there wasn’t, well, they weren’t here, so what did it matter?

He clicked the safety off again and sat staring at the weapon.  His finger delicately touched the trigger as his mind ran through visions of Sam over the last seven years.  He clicked the safety back on again.

***

Sam was frantic.  She knew that Charlie’s death had made him suicidal.  She knew the depths that his despair could go.  She remembered the terror and pain in his eyes after his nightmare.  If he were feeling that now, if this illness made the dream seem like reality, how far would he go to ease the pain?

She stopped at the slightly open door to the armory as she heard the unmistakable click of a safety.  Was it being clicked on or off?  She eased the door open and the sight in front of her made her heart skip a beat.

Jack sat there staring at the gun in his hand.  Trails of tears ran down his face, no sound except for his ragged breathing and the click of the safety as he contemplated the gun.

“Jack,” she said softly, not wanting to startle him.  She gasped as he looked up at her with despair plainly written across his face.  His eyes showed the intense pain that marred his soul.

“Sam?”  Her name escaped his mouth as a sob.  “Is it you?”

“Yes, Jack.  It’s me.”  She walked slowly into the room and slid down next to him.

“Are you sure?  I keep seeing… there’s so much blood… it’s everywhere…”  His voice trailed off as he clicked the safety again.

Sam glanced down to see that the safety was off.  “It’s really me.  I’m fine.  The blood… it’s just a nightmare.  The illness is making it seem real.”  She slid her hand close to his leg.  Slowly, she rested her hand on his thigh.  “See, feel my hand.  I’m real.  I’m alive.”

“You and Charlie… both gone…  My fault…  I can’t…”  The safety clicked on again.  “I can’t… with both of you… gone…”

“I’m not gone, Jack.  I’m here.  I’m here for you.”  Her hand slid up his thigh toward the gun.

“NO!” he yelled as she got too close to the weapon.  The safety clicked off again as she yanked her hand back quickly.

“Jack, please.  Just give me the gun and let me get you to the infirmary.  I’m alive and I want you to stay alive for me, with me.”  Her voice cracked at the idea of losing him this way.  “I can’t live without you.”  The tears that had threatened since she found that he was missing from the infirmary finally broke free.

Jack looked at her tears as if he’d never seen anything like it before.  His own tears slowed to a stop as his hand reached for her face.  “Don’t cry, Sam…  I’m sorry…  I should have protected you…  It’s my fault.”  His index finger traced the trail of tears down her cheek.

“You have protected me.  I’m here.”  She reached for his hand with both of hers.  She held his fingers against her wrist.  “See, I have a pulse.”  She pulled his hand against her mouth.  “I have breath.”  She kissed his palm gently.  “I’m here with you.  I don’t ever plan on leaving you.”  She pressed his hand harder against her mouth and kissed his palm again.

He leaned toward her.  Her breath was hot on his hand.  Her tears felt wet, real.  His befuddled mind kept telling him that it wasn’t real, that Sam was dead.  A vision of white skin and red blood…  But he didn’t want to listen any more.  She said she was real.  She felt real.  Unaware of what he was doing, he leaned in toward her.

She moved his hand to her cheek when she saw his unconscious move.  She leaned in to meet him.  His lips grazed hers gently.

“Sam,” he whispered.  “I don’t understand…  Help me understand…”

“I will,” she whispered as her lips pressed harder against his.  She felt his other hand move behind her head pulling her closer.  She almost sobbed with relief as the gun clattered to the floor.  His arms wrapped around her tightly.

“Help me…,” he whispered again as he buried his face in her neck.

“I will…,” she whispered over and over again, as she rocked him back and forth.

***

Daniel sat in Janet’s office waiting for her to finish.  He and Janet arrived at the armory to find a sobbing Jack cradled in Sam’s arms.  The nightmare had convinced him that Sam was dead and it was his fault.  Sam said that he had a loaded gun in his hand when she found him.  Daniel remembered Jack when he first met him, the silent determination to die.  The first mission to Abydos was just a way to kill himself.

Daniel had to leave the examining area.  He couldn’t watch Jack in that state of mind.  Jack was almost catatonic with fear and self-loathing.  Sam wouldn’t leave his side.  Janet and her staff were checking him out now.  They had radioed SG3 to bring Sharifa through the gate to help.  She consented to the trip and was in the examining area with Janet.

Oma Desala was nowhere to be found.  He was so angry with her.  How could she do that to Jack?  How could she try to influence him that way?

“I thought it would help…”

Daniel turned to see the glowing figure of Oma behind him.  “But it didn’t.  And there’s no telling how long it’ll take him to recover from this.”  Daniel’s urge to yell at her was barely contained.

“I know…  I am sorry.  I tried to keep him from taking action until she got there.”

“You were there?  In the armory?”

“Yes.  I tried to keep him from using the weapon.  His mind is very strong when convinced that a course of action is necessary.  It was… difficult.”

Daniel sighed.  “Yes.  I know.”

“Tell him.”

“Tell him what?”

“That I am sorry.  And that I only wanted him to understand that he is worthy of happiness.”

Daniel nodded as the glowing face disappeared into the brightness that was Oma’s true form.  Slowly the form rose through the ceiling and out of sight.  Shortly, he heard the claxons sounding in the gate room.  He knew that she had left.

***

Janet rounded the corner and into her office.  Daniel was sitting there lost in thought.  Her approached pulled him out of his reverie.

“How is he?” Daniel asked with concern in his voice.

“Physically, he’ll be fine.  Emotionally, I don’t know…,” her worried voice trailed off.  “He was so close to…”  Her face scrunched up as she fought back tears.

Daniel moved quickly to embrace her.  “It’s okay.  He’ll get through it.”

“I know…  I just…  Sam wouldn’t have been able to handle it if he had succeeded.”  Her voice was muffled by the fact that her face was buried in his chest.

He let his hands run soothingly up and down her back as he kissed the top of her head.  “But he didn’t and Sam will be fine.”

Her arms circled his waist and held him tightly.  “I am so tired.”

“Have you eaten anything lately?”

“No.  I’m not hungry.  I just want to rest for a little while.  I’ve sedated Jack so he will be out of it for a while.”

Daniel released her from his embrace.  His hand found her chin and lifted her face to his so he could look into her eyes.  “Then go rest.  I’m sure Sam won’t leave him.  You have time to sleep.”

She nodded slightly, leaning into his hand.  “Come with me?” she whispered.

“Thought you’d never ask.”

***

Sam sat quietly by Jack’s bedside, her fingers laced through his.  Janet had given him a large dose of sedatives.  He was sleeping peacefully, the fear and sadness erased from his face.  Thoughts of what nearly happened caused a slight sob to escape her throat.  If he had…  Her mind refused to finish the thought.

She knew that it was going to be a tough recovery.  The images of her death coupled with the memories of what happened to Charlie brought so forcefully back into his mind…  It was going to be hard for him.  But she was determined to be with him every step.  The scene in the armory, his trembling body and whispered voice would haunt her for the rest of her life.  The fact that his soul was so deeply wounded was frightening but she wouldn’t let that deter her.  It would be hard learning to live with someone that was so emotionally scarred but it was a burden that she would embrace willingly.  She had to.  She had no choice.  She loved him and she couldn’t let him go now.

***

Jack woke slowly savoring the warmth of the body next to him.  The scent of her hair reassured him that it was Sam curled up against him.  The languorous feeling of the sedative still held him in its grasp.  Vague feelings of fear tried to rise up in his mind but the sedative refused to give way to the panic.

“Jack?”

Movement at his side confirmed that he wasn’t imagining his softly spoken name.  “Sam…,” he whispered.

“I’m here, Jack.”

Her face came into view as she sat up to look down at him.  Her smile was so brilliant that he was surprised he wasn’t struck blind.

“Where are we?”

“In the infirmary.  We found Sharifa and her people.  She came here with more medicine for you,” Sam rose gracefully as she spoke. 

His body was so weak he could barely move his head to follow her movements.  He lost sight of her as he heard liquid splashing into a cup.  Her face reappeared, her hand holding a glass.

“Drink this,” she said softly as her free hand moved under his head to help him sit up enough.  His parched mouth welcomed the liquid, the flavor familiar and her hand comforting.  She released his head gently as she turned to refill the glass with water.  This time she sat on the edge of the bed as she helped him to drink.  The glass drained, she leaned over to place it on the table.  She laced her fingers through his hand as she smiled at him again.

“What happened?  I thought I was getting better.”

Sam sighed softly.  Her eyes avoided his.  It might be better if he didn’t remember what happened but there was no guarantee that his memories of the armory wouldn’t come back on their own.

Jack watched the internal turmoil as it played across her face.  He watched her nod briefly.  Her fingers released his as she curled up on the bed next to him, wrapping her arms around him and pulling his head to her chest.  Jack could feel the tension and the hesitation in her body but he gave her time to pull her thoughts together.

“The infection caused hallucinations,” she began as her arms tightened around him.

***

Jack was going home today.  He was anxious to get out of here.  The infirmary had been his place of residence for nearly three weeks now.  His only outings were to see the psychiatrist that Janet insisted he see.  Fortunately, it wasn’t Mackenzie.  This new doctor was younger and more military.  She felt that basic battle fatigue had contributed to Jack’s breakdown.  SG1 had been on the go for so long with minimal downtime.  Combine that with his injury, the hallucinations caused by his illness and nightmares, well, he needed a break.  She did, however, being new to the SGC, have a little trouble with the glowing ascended being’s part in this.

Jack had listened when Sam explained Oma Desala’s role in his breakdown.  He was able to keep his anger under control by reminding himself that her interference played a large part in the change in his and Sam’s relationship.

He felt his lips break into a grin.  Sam was going to take him home today.  Their relationship had continued to develop over the course of the last few weeks.  She spent most of her down time here in the infirmary.  They had talked about anything and everything that came to mind except their relationship.  That would have to wait.

In a way, it was a good thing that he had been confined here for so long.  If he hadn’t, they would have probably rushed things.  They knew each other well to begin with after working together for seven years but they didn’t know each other as well on a personal level.  They had avoided anything too personal for fear that it would make their working relationship more difficult.  They had loved each other for years and it was hard enough to maintain distance without the added burden of intimate conversations.

But today, Sam was taking him home.  Jack had been surprised to find out that Hammond had given a discrete nod to their relationship.  Janet had said as much without actually saying it to Sam.  Janet wouldn’t go into detail, but evidently Hammond had witnessed something that should have gotten them court martialed but he intended to ignore it unless it interfered with the mission.  Jack was planning to make sure that it never did.

But it almost had.  His mind had almost driven him to direct confrontation with the General over getting to Sam.  If he hadn’t lost it in the armory, he might have done something that couldn’t be ignored.   The terror he felt at losing Sam was still in the back of his mind.  The memory of the nightmare had faded some but the fact that he had lost it couldn’t be denied.  Even with the knowledge that it was a misguided attempt on Oma Desala’s part, combined with the infection, that caused it, he had to watch himself from now on.  He couldn’t let his feelings for Sam cause him to react differently on their missions than he always had.

The parting of the curtains surrounding his bed interrupted his thoughts.  His face broke into a grin as Sam came through them with a bag.

“Hi there,” she said with a smile.  “You’re looking rather happy this morning.”

“Yeah, I’m getting out of here,” he said as his grin deepened.  “And you are taking me home,” he added as a whisper.

A soft laugh escaped her throat.  “Yes, and to that end, I brought you some clothes.”

Sam had been checking on his house and keeping the plants from dying.  She had gone by there last night to stock the refrigerator.  She decided to pack him some clothes to wear home since the ones in his locker had been in there for nearly a month.  She set the bag on his bed.

“How about you get changed while I go talk to Janet?”

“No, don’t leave…  It’ll only take a minute.”

Sam smiled and turned to face the curtain.  He was still affected by his nightmares.  He liked having her near him whenever possible.  She knew it would take time for him to overcome his insecurities and fears but he was headed in the right direction.  He had told her that his nightmare seemed so real that he almost didn’t believe it was her in the armory.  He thought that was the dream and the nightmare was reality.

His nightmare…he’d finally told her what it was about.  She still blushed at the details he’d told her.  But the end.  She sighed softly.  Oma told Daniel that she wanted Jack to know his worth and that he deserved happiness.  His idea of happiness was with her.  His idea of terror was to lose her.  She shook her head softly at the thought that she meant so much to him.

Janet put him on medical leave indefinitely.  He was allowed to work at the mountain but not go off world.  Hammond had given all of SG1 two weeks of down time starting today.  The timing seemed very fortunate to her.  She grinned at the General’s implied approval of their relationship.

“Ready,” Jack’s voice interrupted her thoughts.  She turned to see him dressed in the khaki slacks and black pullover that she had found in his bedroom.

“Let’s go, then,” she said with a smile.

***