Rainmaker
by momoftoad
The MALP had recorded an idyllic setting on P357A4. O'Neill shifted the M-16 in his hand waiting calmly for the last glyph to engage. Around him, Carter was discussing some obscure detail of Gate travel with Daniel. Teal'c stood by his side, staff weapon at the ready. The final glyph engaged and the shimmering blue that was their portal to the next world roared out in front of them. O'Neill was glad to be leaving for the four-day assignment. Half the base was in bed with the flu and the remaining staff was exhausted from taking over duties for them. If their mission were not for mining rights, they would have stayed too.
The MALP trundled through the wormhole gracelessly. In moments, it sent back the image they had hoped for. Weather was unpredictable on P357A4, vacillating between horrific storms and resort weather. Today it was resort weather.
"Ready, campers?" O'Neill asked.
The conversation between the two scientists abruptly halted, Teal'c inclined his head slightly and they stepped in to the wormhole.
Tiny pellets of ice stung Jack's face as he the exited the gate. Thunder cracked, sending both the Colonel and the Jaffa rolling onto the ground, away from the Gate, the staff weapon flying off to one side as they fell to the other. O'Neill looked back at the Gate as the others came through. The sky was black as night, punctuated only by the glow of the gate and the blinding flashes of lightning. Bolts struck the ground around them, shattering boulders and splitting trees.
"Carter, dial us home!" he yelled to her, rising to his feet, giving a backward glance to Teal'c in the process. The big man was up and heading back toward the gate. Carter stood by the DHD patiently waiting for the gate to close so she could reopen it. Jackson retrieved the staff weapon quickly, moving to join Carter next to DHD. He gripped it in one hand, then twirled it upright.
"Daniel, put that down!" O'Neill yelled over the storm. The scientist looked puzzled briefly, and in the second it took for the warning to register, he let loose the staff weapon. But the action came too late. As the last glyph engaged for their journey home, the bolt came, drawn by the weapon. It took both Jackson and Carter down, blowing the crystal in the DHD.
"Teal'c!"
The Jaffa already had Carter in his arms and was stepping back through the portal. O'Neill gathered Jackson over his shoulders and followed, leaving the lightning rod behind.
The embarkation room was chaotic. Carter was lying on the floor, looking pale but moving. O'Neill laid his charge gently beside her. The archeologist did not move.
"Medic!" he yelled, though there was already a team entering the room. There were fewer people than he remembered. Only about six, including Dr. Janet Frasier. The doctor checked Carter for a pulse, nodded to herself and moved to Jackson. She repositioned his head. He did not move. She breathed into his mouth, his chest rose and fell. Her hand slid to his neck.
"Shit! Get the cart!" she barked. "You two, get the Major to the infirmary, stat! Hannah's there. Go now!"
Teal'c hoisted her onto a waiting gurney. O'Neill could see them flying down the hallway. Jackson did not move.
"Up on three!" They hoisted the limp body onto the waiting sheets.
"Get those clothes off! And start CPR!" she barked again, but the medic was ahead of her, pulling off flak jacket and outer garments at an amazing speed. Scissors cut through his underclothes, leaving his torso naked in a puddle of his own clothing.
A second medic was positioning herself at the stricken man's head placing a mask over his nose and mouth and squeezing the attached resuscitation bag. The chest rose and fell, but only with those efforts. The woman who had cut off the clothing had placed a tourniquet on Daniel's right arm and was patting the skin, preparing to insert a needle. The third member of the team placed the cardioversion paddles on his chest, one upper right, the other almost on his left side. The last member of the team probed his neck, then traced a line up the bottom of his ribcage. The lieutenant placed the heel of her hand in the center of his chest, covered it with her other hand and began compressions.
"What happened?" Frasier asked Jack, trying to fine-tune the portable monitor, not looking up from her work. There was a pattern there. "Hold compressions. Anybody feel a pulse?"
The lieutenant stopped. The line on the monitor went flat. The medic at the head of the bed let her fingers drift deftly down to the side of Daniel's neck. She shook her head. The woman who was doing the compressions unbuckled Daniel's belt, unzipped his pants and inserted her hand beneath the olive drab material. She shook her head, withdrew her hand and moved back to her previous position.
"Resume compressions and charge the paddles!"
"200?"
"Per protocol! Colonel?"
"What?"
"What happened?"
"We got through the gate and--"
"200! Clear?" compressions stopped and the medic at the head of the bed dropped the bag and held her hands in the air. The one at Jackson's side did the same thing. The one holding the paddles placed them on Jackson's chest, looked the gurney over from top to bottom twice, then simultaneously pressed the buttons on the side of paddles. Jackson's body arched slightly with the jolt, his arms drawing in toward his chest. A nasty welt rose on his chest.
"Check for pulses…Colonel?"
"We got through the gate--"
"Nothing!"
"Charge to 300. Oh, for chrissake, put some pads on his chest, will you?"
"Charging.."
"You were saying?"
"Lightning. It was a lightning strike."
"300! Everybody clear?" Again Daniel's body leapt.
"Got a pulse with that?"
"How fast do you want this drip?"
"No pulse!"
"Shock him again. 360. Shit. Get me a tube! 8mm. Run it wide open for now."
Once more, the limp body arched.
"We got something, doctor. Could be artifact..."
"Got a pulse with that?"
Fingers flew to his neck and into his groin.
"Nope, nothing. 'You?"
The medic at his side shook his head.
"Continue CPR. Epinephrine, 1mg IV push. Where's that tube? 'You check the balloon?"
There was a nod from someone. Frasier was standing at the head of the bed now, tube in one hand, a cylindrical object in the other, sporting a curved metal projectile. She snapped the projected piece back and a tiny light winked on at the end of it.
"Now."
The lieutenant bagging the patient moved away quickly. Frasier tilted Daniel's head back in an impossible position. O'Neill could see the blade move inside his neck as she looked intently down his throat.
"I need a little pressure. Lieutenant?" The medic was trying to compose herself. Her hands were shaking and it was clear she had to concentrate on every task. Frasier stared at her.
"Jerry, go lie down! Colonel, I need hands now!"
In one stride he was there.
"Put two fingers on his Adam's apple and press down gently…that's right…"
She slid the tube in. He could feel it beneath his fingers, thinking it should have made a grating noise to match the tensions he felt as it brushed up against the ridges in the younger man's neck. Frasier slid the end she was holding to the side of Daniel's mouth and held it there, pulling out a long metal stylet in one fluid movement. With one hand, she grabbed an attached syringe and plunged it down, leaving the awkward appendage attached. She grabbed the bag, popped its mask off, and attached it to the end of the tube and squeezed. Daniel's chest rose and fell. She continued to breathe for him, hanging on to the tube with one hand, bagging with the other.
"Anybody got ears?"
The lieutenant on the side of the bed removed a stethoscope from her neck and listened.
"Right mainstem."
Frasier nodded.
"Colonel, take this bag and squeeze it once every three compressions. We want to hyper-ventilate, folks."
With her now free hand, she grabbed the syringe, pulled the plunger back, pulled the tube out what seemed a miniscule amount and pushed the plunger back down again.
"Now?"
"Sounds good."
"Okay, give me that tape! No, just tear me a piece! You can make it pretty when we get him to the infirmary. How long since the last epi?"
"Five minutes."
"Hold compressions and check for a pulse. Colonel, keep doing what you're doing. Anything?"
"We got v-fib."
"Continue CPR. Okay, give him another amp of epi and one milligram of Atropine. Get ready to shock again. 360."
"Er, Doctor, does she have to keep her hand down there…"
Frasier glared at him, but said nothing. She took looked at the monitor and then back at Jack.
"She's checking for a pulse," she said quietly, no anger in her words. "Her hand has to be there. Colonel, you okay here?"
"Sure."
"Charged. Everybody clear!"
O'Neill kept squeezing the bag. Frasier took it from him and pushed him back slightly from the gurney.
"Clear!" the nurse repeated, placing the paddles on the still chest. She discharged the defibrillator and the archeologist's arms pulled in toward his chest, then fell to his side.
"Got a rhythm, ma'am."
"Hold compressions. Got a pulse with that?"
"Yes, not bounding but I think it's there."
"Check his neck…Oh..." She reached past Jack to Daniel's neck, her fingers probing.
"Yes, it's here too. We get a pressure with that?"
"90/60."
"Not great, but I'll take it. I'll need a code blood panel and some ABG's. Slow his fluids down a little, Lieutenant. Keep bagging, Colonel, until I tell you to stop or we get you some relief."
"I'm fine."
"Pack him up folks, and let's get him to the infirmary." She gave a glance to the floor where Jerry was sitting, her head resting on her legs. "Jerry?"
"Should have stayed in bed…"
"Airman, help her back to her quarters."
"Get that tank on the bed. Colonel, we're going to move fast. Give me the bag--you hold the IV fluids up in the air, as high as you can. Turn that monitor so I can see it. Keep checking for a pulse...Okay, people, let's move!"
They began moving down the hall at a quickened pace. O'Neill juggled the bag and moved with them, surprised at how difficult it was to move quickly and not pull anything out.
In moments they entered the infirmary. It was already filled with victims from the flu epidemic, but an area had been cleared for them. The other patients looked on, curious as the team arrived. Sam and Teal'c were nowhere to be seen, but the Colonel had his mind only on the young man in front of him. They swung the bed deftly around so the head was up against the wall. Frasier indicated he should hang the bag from one of the hooks dangling from the ceiling. He did and she handed him the ambu bag, taking her place at the foot of the bed directing. Gently he squeezed it again and again, watching Daniel's chest rise and fall with each breath.
"Still got a pulse?"
The nurse at the side of the bed nodded, finally removing her hand and reaching for the spaghetti of wires behind her. The other two were buzzing about as well, grabbing little plastic boxes. The light in the room was annoyingly bright and it was generating a terrific amount of heat as well.
"Colonel, are you okay up there? We could use your hands right now, or things will take a little longer."
O'Neill nodded, continuing to do what he was doing. The nurse placed a blood pressure cuff on one arm, and pressed a button. The thing tightened, then slowly released, clicking as it did so. Numbers appeared on the monitor above his head, then squiggles with more numbers, then more squiggles and more numbers. One nurse flipped the sheet off. She and another nurse mechanically stripped the fatigues off of Daniel, exposing him in the bright light. She grabbed one of the little plastic boxes, ripping it open. Without a second thought, she took hold of his penis and began swabbing it with betadine. She then inserted a tube. Almost instantly, it began draining pale yellow fluid. Frasier looked relieved. The nurse pushed on an attached syringe and left.
"Um, Doc, ya think we could cover him a little?"
"Gees, we're trying to save his life and you're worried about his modesty?" She flipped the sheet back over him, returning her eyes to the monitor. One nurse was retrieving another bag of fluids. She squirted something into it, removed the now empty bag from the gate room and hung this one in its place. Another was probing Daniel's arm with a gloved hand, little tubes resting on the bed. She poked his arm with the needle, then pushed a tube into the plastic sleeve. Blood spurted into it, filling it rapidly. She removed that tube and inserted a second, third and fourth before attaching yet another line of IV tubing to the young man's arm.
On the other side, the nurse probed his wrist. Satisfied, she swabbed it with alcohol, then placed her fingers on the underside of his wrist where the pulse was located. She secured it with one hand and stuck the needle in with the other. Daniel jumped at her touch.
"He felt that!" she said, continuing to probe until blood flashed up into her syringe.
"Watch his eyes, Colonel," Frasier said. "Let me know if they start to flutter."
Jack nodded. He began to watch Daniel's eyes intently, disregarding all the chatter around him. Nothing. The eyes did nothing. Sweat began dripping down his neck, trickling between his shoulder blades until it reached the waistband of his fatigues. He was still in full uniform and it was very warm in the room.
"We'll have the vent in a minute, Colonel."
"Sure." He hadn't a clue as to what they were talking about, but he continued doing his job.
"Numbers are looking good. Anything on the eyes? Colonel?"
"No."
She reached over, opened his eyes, flashed a light into each in turn. "Pupils dilated, non-reactive, oh yeah, atropine…" She stood back, frowning. "Let's get a CT of his head, as soon as he's stable. Make certain there's no damage there…"
"What?" Jack asked.
Frasier ignored him. "Terry, Bob, you guys up for a road trip?"
The two nodded and kept working. Jack watched as they put a gown on Daniel, started another IV. Sweat was dripping off his own forehead now. The back of his collar was uncomfortably damp. He watched the younger man's eyes. Just beneath the lids, he thought he saw a flicker of movement.
"Doc, his eyes…"
Suddenly Daniel's eyes fluttered open. They were glazed but only for a moment. He blinked hard, squeezing them closed and open again, wide, filled with terror. His arms shot up to his head, but the Frasier grabbed one and the nurse, Terry, the other, slapping both arms down on the bed. The stricken man writhed away from her touch. Jack dropped the bag and forced his friend's shoulders down into the mattress.
"Daniel, it's all right!" he said as calmly as he could. The chest ceased rising and panic took its place along side fear in those blue eyes. Fraiser barked more orders to her staff, grabbing the bag herself and squeezing the air back into his oxygen deprived lungs. Jack continued to hold him down.
"Daniel, can you hear me? It's me, Jack."
The younger man nodded fast and furiously, still pushing against the restraining hands.
"Lie back in the bed, Daniel. We're back in the SGC. Do you understand?"
He responded by lying back down in the bed, though his eyes were still wide with fear.
"Dr. Jackson?" Frasier asked. "You've got a tube down your throat that's helping you breathe so you can't talk."
He nodded wildly, his eyes darting back and forth, not able to focus on anything.
"We got through the gate, Daniel. 'you remember?"
He nodded, still wild eyed.
"Teal'c and I went first, you and Carter came afterward. It was one hell of a storm. Remember?"
Again he nodded.
"It was a lightning strike," Jack continued, easing up on the restraint and pushing an errant strand of hair off the sweat slickened forehead. "You got hit. But it's okay now. Just rest."
The archeologist focussed briefly on Jack then tried to shut his eyes. They flew open again in an instant, fear returning but lessened now.
"Rest, Daniel. Let the good Doc here do her work. We'll have you lookin' at pieces of junk again in no time."
The phrase brought a smile followed by knitted eyebrows.
"Yeah, I know," he said softly, "artifacts."
The younger man wrenched his hand from the nurse's grip and bent it as far toward his head as he could reach. Jack grabbed it in his own, holding it securely.
"Daniel, we're going to give you a little sedation now," Janet told him. "We need to run some tests and you need to be absolutely still. Do you understand?"
Daniel nodded, not willing to let go of Jack's hand.
"Go ahead," she told the nurse. In moments, Jack felt the grip lessen, then release all together. He laid the hand down on the bed gently.
"Thanks for your help, Colonel. We'll take it from here."
He nodded mutely and watched as they rolled Daniel out of the room, through a door that was at the foot of the bed, and into a long hallway. Jack just stood there, staring down the now empty corridor, numbed. It was very suddenly quiet, the whole room, still. There was a chair in the corner. He sighed and took a seat, resting his elbows on his knees, his hands crossed together. The blood pressure cuff filled again, clicking to no one in particular. In that silence, he waited.
"O'Neill," Teal'c's familiar voice intruded softly, "General Hammond wishes to see us both in the conference room."
Jack pulled himself out of his thoughts and followed the Jaffa.
Hammond was waiting for them there. The General's normal ruddy complexion was pale, his eyes sunken. Flu, O'Neill thought, wondering if he should keep his distance. Beside the General was a handsome man of indeterminate age, dark complected, compact, like a cross between a wrestler and a tennis player. The uniform identified him as Army, his rank, Captain. There was no way to judge his age. On the far side of the desk was young army lieutenant, a woman, ungrown, gawky, with dull brown hair pulled away from her face, wearing glasses. She rose as the two remaining members of SG1 entered the room and stood at attention.
"Colonel, Teal'c, everyone please be seated," the General said, waving his hand to the vacant chairs. They sat.
"Colonel, we must complete the mission your team began on P357A4. Mining rights are vital in that sector." He paused to catch his breath. O'Neill thought the man should be home in bed with the remote control in his hand. At least his frailty kept Jack's mind off his fallen teammates. "Captain Caruso and Lt. Sweet are on temporary assignment to SG1. Your departure is set for 1500."
"General, that's only an hour from now," Jack began to protest.
Hammond held up a hand. "Your mission is vital, Colonel. And you know the implications of leaving a staff weapon behind. It must be retrieved. The Captain is an able archeologist, from SG8 and the Lt. has expertise to rival Major Carter."
"But-"
"Colonel, we don't have time for the luxury of debate. You are now the best team we have and it is vital this mission proceed at once. Get your gear and prepare for departure in an hour."
"Yes, sir!" Jack replied acidly. Hammond pretended not to notice.
*****
O'Neill headed for the infirmary after their impromptu meeting. He found Carter there. She was sleeping quietly in a secluded area not far from Daniel's berth. The archeologist was not back yet from his tests. Reluctantly, he sneaked past the nurses to wake her.
"Carter!" he said, as noisily as he could without arousing attention. "Carter, I need to speak with you! Carter!"
"Wha-huh? Oh, Colonel," she said, trying to focus. Her eyes were scrunched up, the lids barely open. "Sir," she said it like she was finishing a thought. "What?" She managed to look straight at him, trying to sit up.
"Carter, you okay?" he asked, wondering if he should help her or leave her alone.
"Think so." She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, then tried to open them and focus on him.
"I need a favor."
"Yeah, sure, anything."
She was drugged. Happily gorked on some mind dimming juice. "Carter, you know what today is?" he asked her. She closed her mouth and swallowed, scratching her head.
"Um, Sunday?"
Great. "No, it's Thursday. Remember, we went to P357A4, there was this huge storm, we just stepped through the gate and had to turn around and come home…"
"Yeah, sure."
He wasn't at all certain she understood, but he was too pressed for time not to continue. "Something's bothering me about the mission. We shouldn't have stepped into that storm like that. The MALP should have seen it coming. Hammond wants us back there now. Carter! Are you with me here?"
She nodded, seemingly grasping what he was saying, though she was unable to give voice to the words.
"Carter?"
"Yes…sir." She sighed and looked at him. "How's Daniel?"
"Thank you God!" he said, looking briefly at the ceiling. "I don't know, Major. The day?"
"Thursday, and we got hit right after we stepped out of the Gate. Now, what is your favor?"
It was Jack's turn to sigh, this time in relief. "Look into the MALP thing will you? Something's screwy here, but I can't put my finger on it. Hammond wants Teal'c and I outta here in thirty minutes and I don't have the time."
"But--"
"He's assigned a new gal, Lt. Sweet, to take your place, temporarily, and some guy named Caruso--"
"Captain Caruso? From SG8? Stud muffin archeologist with an attitude?"
"How the hell should I know? Short, dark hair, dark eyes, dark. That him?"
"Sounds like it. Real smooth, but Daniel seemed to think he was good at his job, even with the attitude."
"Meaning?"
" I don't know, Colonel. You'll like Sweet, though. She's a good kid. A little green on the gate travel, but clever." She frowned. "I'll keep an eye on Daniel, best I can."
He nodded. Impulsively, he took her hand and gripped it in his own, letting his fear show through for the briefest of moments. "Sam, he nearly died. Frasier is doing what she can for him. Last I knew, it was hopeful. 'Thought you should know."
She nodded. "It was one hell of a jolt, sir. Be careful."
He squeezed her hand gently and left.
*****l
The glyphs were engaging, the blue horizon almost in place. Jack looked around at his new team, wishing he had had the time to change his clothes before they returned. A MALP waited patiently at his side to be sent through before they entered. They would be taking no more chances. Jack had made them check the MALP out twice, to be sure the images were accurate, then did it a third time himself.
Teal'c stood calmly, as he always did, this time no staff weapon, but a zat gun at his side. Sweet looked nervous, but smiled, her gawky frame dwarfed by fatigues that didn't quite fit. Caruso was hard to decipher. His dark eyes flashed some hidden emotion. It looked out of place for the resident archeologist to be carrying an M-16, but the gun looked like it belonged at his side, melded into his being like an extra appendage.
The MALP moved along the ramp and through it. Like children anticipating Santa Claus, they waited for its reply. After a few moments, an image appeared on the screen to their right. The camera on the MALP panned the hills. A few high clouds were all that remained of the storm.
"Saddle up, kids," Jack told them. He looked back to the observation booth. Hammond was there, watching. Suddenly, Janet Frasier burst into the room. She was a little breathless, as though she had been running. She moved quickly to Jack's side, taking his arm and moving him away from the others.
"I wanted to let you know that everything looks good for Daniel," she told him quietly. "He's still sedated, but he's assisting the ventilator. The tests were all negative. You always worry about kidney failure with electric shock, but he's putting out urine at a normal rate. If everything goes as well as I think it will, we should be able to pull the breathing tube out by morning, and he'll be pestering the nurses by tomorrow afternoon. Just thought you might like to know that before you left."
Jack nodded to her, relief obvious on his face. "Thanks." He turned back to his new team. "Let's go, people!" he told them. With a wink, he left her on the ramp, for the second time in one day stepping through the wormhole to P357A4.
*****
Teal'c looked around for the missing staff weapon. It disturbed him greatly that they had left it behind, possibly for some child to find. It was there, somehow embedded in the DHD. O'Neill and Caruso had begun scouting the perimeter. The normal team functions were now distorted, oddly disjointed. The woman, Sweet, was repairing the DHD, not paying attention to her surroundings before she began her work. The man, Caruso, unlike Daniel Jackson, prowled the perimeter with O'Neill, walking in the Colonel's footsteps.
There were markers posted in a ring forming a fifty foot radius around the gate. Teal'c approached one, opposite O'Neill and his shadow. The language on it was familiar, but he couldn't make out the words. The Jaffa studied it for a moment, then motioned to Caruso. The Captain ignored him, continuing to follow O'Neill.
"Caruso," he called across the ring. "I have found something interesting here. I need your assistance to decipher it."
The Captain looked at O'Neill as if asking for approval. The Colonel shrugged and motioned wordlessly toward Teal'c. Caruso then made his way to the Jaffa. Teal'c watched as the man traced the symbols with one hand, balancing his rifle with the other.
"I cannot make out the final symbols. A warning of some sort, is it not?"
"No, ah, it looks like a Mayan script…yes, that's it. It's a welcoming emblem." He stood back half a pace and studied it again. "Ah, I can see how you may have been mistaken. See the glyph on the bottom there? The round one with the arms outstretched?"
Teal'c bent over the marker studying it carefully. He shook his head.
"Daniel Jackson has identified this symbol as a warning."
"Daniel's not here, Teal'c," O'Neill said bluntly, joining the two. "Caruso, what does the rest of it say? Maybe there's something out of context here?"
From his position three feet from the marker, Caruso began gesturing, casually waving his right hand.
"It's a welcoming marker, Colonel. The lines, roughly translated, read: The people of Felistini welcome travelers from the Eye of the Circle. We bid you enter our world, come join us in the feast of friendship, for we welcome one and all. Our gifts are freely given for we relish the interactions between our peoples. Welcome."
"I am certain Daniel Jackson translated that symbol as 'warning' not welcome."
O'Neill bent over to look at the last glyph more closely. "Looks like the guy's got lightning bolts in his hands or something."
"Those are shocks of wheat. Look carefully at the ends."
Teal'c joined the Colonel, examining the symbol. He shook his head. "The Colonel is correct. They appear to be lightning bolts."
"You certain about this Caruso?" O'Neill asked.
The tanned man smiled, his white teeth flashing behind an unreadable smile. "I am certain. Jackson and I had this discussion a while back. I finally convinced him he was wrong."
"Okay." O'Neill exchanged the slightest glance with Teal'c before going back to checking the perimeter once more. Teal'c suppressed a grunt. The look said the Colonel didn't trust their new archeologist either.
*****
Sam looked up at the curtains surrounding her bed, wishing they were open. It was dark in the room. Though there was little natural light at this level, they tried to maintain some semblance of night vs. day. She was a little tired, but felt no worse than she had twelve hours before, when she had spoken to the Colonel. Bored though sporting a tremendous headache, she reached for the call light and pressed the little red button.
Soon, a perky little nurse entered her cubicle.
"Help you ma'am?" she asked. Sam marveled at the pressed uniform. And every hair on her head was in place too.
"Um, I'd like to see Dr. Frasier, if she's around," Sam told her.
"Well, it is 0200, ma'am. But I'll pass your message along. Hmm, looks like that IV's through. I'll be back."
Sam sighed to herself. Two thoughts refused to let her sleep. The Colonel had said Daniel had been nearly killed by the lightning strike. She wanted to see him desperately. No one said anything about the young man since O'Neill had left this afternoon. Or was that yesterday afternoon. Janet would likely be in her office sleeping, like she always did whenever anybody was really sick. Obsessive behavior seemed to be a required trait in the SGC.
The nurse returned with another bag of fluids.
"Do I really need that?" Sam demanded, knowing her departure would be delayed by at least another four hours.
"Doctor's orders, ma'am," Nurse Perky replied, unplugging the old bag and plugging in the new one. "It's the last one, though. Dr. Frasier said you could probably go home in the morning."
"Nurse, how is Dr. Jackson?"
"I'm sorry, ma'am, I can't say. It would be a breach of patient confidentiality."
Sam grabbed Perky's arm, forcing her to look away from the watch on her wrist and back into Sam's blue eyes.
"Daniel's family. My family. If you don't tell me, I'll find out on my own." Her voice was cold, colder than she had intended. Nurse Perky was looking at her with scared eyes, though her reply was cool.
"You'll have to ask Dr. Frasier in the morning."
Sam frowned and let the arm go. Perky and unintimidated.
"Can I get you anything else, Major?" the younger woman asked kindly. Sam lay back in the bed, watching the drips in the chamber of the IV. She wasn't going to push it now. She could find Daniel on her own. The infirmary wasn't that big.
"No, thank you," she said, closing her eyes and feigning sleep.
As soon as Perky was gone, she got up, taking the IV bag with her, pulled a blanket around her shoulders and stole out of the room, searching for the archeologist. Two beds down, she found him.
Daniel lay on a cloud of white sheets, covered by a white blanket. Dark golden hair lay matted on his forehead, askew in the dim light. A monitor above his head posted numbers and lines she only began to understand. But they were nice and steady, a slow even pace as they continued their endless journey. An empty chair beckoned at his bedside. With a sigh, she seated herself, tossing her own IV onto his bed. She then reached for his hand. It was warm and dry. Entwining her fingers into his, she lay her head over her own arms and onto his shoulder. Unexpectedly, he raised his other hand and stroked her hair once, then returned it to his side. Quickly she looked at his face. It was peaceful, but his eyes were closed and that tube still stuck out of his mouth. She put her head back down and closed her own eyes. The Colonel may not have approved, she thought before drifting off, but she would be there for him.
Quiet voices entered her consciousness. A hand was on her shoulder, shaking her awake.
"Sam," the voice said, "c'mon now. Back to your own bed."
"Janet?"
"Yes. Janet. And tonight I am you doctor. Back to bed."
Sam opened her eyes fully and looked at the petite woman. Two aides stood behind her, ready to enforce her commands.
"You wouldn't."
"C'mon, Sam."
"How's Daniel?" she asked stubbornly.
"'Looks like he'll be fine. We'll take that breathing tube out in the morning and if he is does well, he should be out of here in a couple days. Now, I was planning on letting you go later this morning. You want to stay a little longer?"
She shook her head. Leaning over, she brushed aside his matted hair and kissed him on the forehead. "Everybody deserves someone to look after them," she whispered. "I'll be back."
She allowed them to put her back in bed, watched without complaint as Perky slipped something into her IV tubing. Chemical restraint, she thought. Daniel would be fine. Now for the second thought. What about the MALP? Her mind racing with ideas, she drifted off to sleep.
*****
The staff weapon was wedged tightly into the DHD. Jack watched as, with something short of a technical miracle, Sweet had gotten the DHD to work, in spite of that foreign presence. But, with too little time to study the problem further, she explained she had to leave the weapon where it was. She assured Jack that it could not be fired from its current position.
They traveled the remainder of the day up into the hills surrounding the Gate. It had disappeared from view shortly after they left the outer markers. There were similar markers all along the trail. At each one, Caruso stopped and spouted off a translation. He took no notes though. Jack was unimpressed. But if Daniel thought he was okay, that was good enough.
They reached an opening in the forest and set up camp. After a quiet round of MRE's, they turned in. Neither Jack nor Teal'c felt like talking. The silence was a little awkward, the new members not fitting in like the old ones. Jack didn't care. He had too many things on his mind as it was. The incident with the MALP was bothering him. And it was odd they had not yet seen any signs of people. Sweet took the first watch, followed by Teal'c.
The night was dark on P357A4, there being no moon. Jack took the middle watch. The weather was perfect, resort style, with no sign of the turbulent storm they had witnessed that afternoon. 0400. Time to wake Caruso. He went to the compact man's bed, and shook him awake.
An eager smile and a nod greeted O'Neill. Did he imagine a wink in there too? He hoped not. It was bad enough he had been shadowed all day. Boot lickers. He allowed his thoughts to travel light years away to the infirmary where he had last seen Daniel. Carter would take care of him.
"My turn, eh, Colonel?" Caruso said, rolling off his blanket. He picked up the M-16 that lay by his bedding and moved to the fire. "A pleasure to do the last watch, sir," he continued, white teeth flashing a smile in the dark.
"Yeah, sure, whatever."
*****
"Sam," a voice came to her through the last images of the night. She regretfully dismissed the players of her dream and opened her eyes. Janet was standing in front of her, dressed in hospital scrubs, a stethoscope hanging around her neck like a badge of office.
"Um, hi," she said foggily.
"We're getting your clothes together. Ah, here they are now. As soon as you're dressed, you can leave."
"Okay." She looked up at the petite doctor, finally able to focus. "Daniel?"
Janet grinned. "You can talk to him on your way out."
Sam breathed a little prayer of thanks, took her clothes and began dressing without waiting for Janet to depart. Her head still throbbed dully.
"Um, Janet, if I complain of a headache, are you going to make me stay?"
"Headache?"
"Answer first."
"No." She reached into her pocket and withdrew a pad, scribbled something on it and tore off the top page. "Give this to the nurse before you leave. She'll give you something for it. Non-barbiturate, I promise."
Sam nodded, taking the note and slipping it into her pocket. Only her shoes were left to be pulled on as she finished dressing.
"I want you to take it easy for the next couple days. Okay? And stay away from anybody who's got the flu. You don't need anything else."
"If I haven't gotten it by now, I probably won't."
"Sure."
"I'll be in my lab, as soon as I leave here."
"Okay, but take it easy."
Sam nodded, finishing the last stroke of the shoelaces. She was up slowly, not wanting to aggravate her head, and stepped out into the curtained hallway leading to Daniel.
The head of his bed was up, bringing him to a sitting position. His eyes were closed, his lips slightly parted in sleep. No tubes protruded unnaturally from his face and someone had combed his hair. The monitor above his head still held lots of information for anyone who knew what it meant.
"Daniel," she called softly, crossing the short distance to his bedside and standing there. She took his hand in hers. "Daniel," she repeated. Lids fell away from the blue eyes and the mouth shut as he swallowed away sleep.
"Sam?" His voice was unnatural, froggy and high pitched like he had just inhaled helium.
"Yes, it's me." She sat in the chair still positioned by his bedside. "How are you feeling?"
"Not bad," he answered, though his eyes said otherwise. "A bit of a headache. Where is everybody?"
"Teal'c and the Colonel went back to P357A4 to continue the mission and retrieve Teal'c's staff weapon. You remember what happened?"
He shook his head. "Last thing I remember was Jack yelling at me to drop something--the staff weapon? Then a flash. Everything else is foggy."
"I can understand that."
He glanced deliberately at her hand, his eyes knitting when he found the bandage there from her IV site.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine. It was a lightning strike. Took us both out, but you took the brunt of it."
"Stupid move, picking up that weapon."
"Quit. We have other problems."
"Oh?"
"I hate to do this to you, but I'm going to need help. We don't have the luxury of time right now."
He was suddenly very focused. "What?"
"The Colonel thinks something went wrong with the MALP before we arrived on the planet. Otherwise, why would we have gotten there in the middle of a raging storm?"
He nodded. "That doesn't make a whole lot of sense." He paused, apparently trying to refocus, rethink. "There are pictures of the markers around the gate on record, right?"
"Only if you're up for it. Janet will kill me."
He grinned. "Na, she'll thank you. It'll give me something to do besides annoy the nurses."
She grinned back at him and left to retrieve the pictures.
*****
Dawn came much later than expected on P357A4. A light rain had fallen sometime between when he had turned in and right now. But it had stopped. Jack looked at his watch in its grey light. His body told him it was late, but he didn't realize how late. 0900. Caruso was sitting by the fire, very still. He looked asleep. A slow anger rose in Jack as he quietly set aside his blanket in an attempt to verify his observation.
He stepped on a twig, cracking it in two with a tiny pop. The head turned toward him slowly, like it had to concentrate. It hadn't jerked up like someone who had been sleeping though.
"Colonel," the archeologist said.
"Captain. Let us sleep in this morning?"
"Well, no sir, just you. Teal'c went out to do a little hunting and Sweet's gone back to that last marker to check something out. Thought you could use the sleep, sir."
"Well you thought wrong!" he nearly shouted. He didn't have the patience right now for idiotic moves. "Of all the stupid--! You are regular Army?"
"Yes, sir."
He sighed. "We are a team. I am your leader. You don't make decisions without consulting me and neither does anybody else. Understood?"
"Yes, sir."
"Which way did she go?"
He gestured lazily over his shoulder in the direction they had come. "She said there was something odd about it she wanted to check out."
Barely able to control himself, Jack stood stock-still, looking and feeling very dangerous. He wasn't in the mood for flippancy. But this was a new team.
"Stay here, Captain. When Teal'c returns, have him stay here too. I'm going after Sweet and if I come back and find you doing anything else stupid, I'll have your head! Understood?"
"Yes, sir."
Inwardly fuming, Jack grabbed his rifle and made off down the trail, thinking he had to make a few adjustments to make this new team work. In the distance, there was a rumble. He could see the first rays of dawning sun being quickly suffused by dark clouds. In spite of the urgency of their mission, the new team bothered him. There was less discipline than he normally had. Or maybe his new team needed a little time to gel. Regardless, there seemed to be no life on this world. He had some decisions to make. About going back to the gate and home. The safety of his people, this time, superceded the importance of the mission. It seemed he had to protect them from themselves. There was something wrong about Teal'c being missing. Something that should be obvious. Something that gnawed at him.
The storm rumbled closer now, winds rife with moisture not yet rain teasing his senses. Jack moved quickly. Carter had said Sweet was green about gate travel. It was becoming apparent gate travel wasn't the only place she was green. He had hoped she would be a little more soldier and a little less Daniel. Can't have everything, he mused. The kid had fixed the DHD by herself in a really short time frame. 'Guess he would have to settle for less soldier and more Carter.
Up ahead on the trail, he saw Sweet bending over the marker, adjusting her glasses to get a better view. In her hand she held a little note pad, dutifully making some marks on the paper.
"Lieutenant?" he said, the tone implying more than a greeting. The woman continued to draw, but nodded to him.
"Not regular Army, are you?" he asked her.
Finally remembering that he was her superior, she lowered her work and stood to greet him.
"Um, no, not really."
"It was a rhetorical question, Lieutenant!" he almost shouted. She stiffened at his tone, her face not able to hide her fright.
"Yes, sir," she managed.
He let her be afraid. "Back to camp, Sweet."
She nodded, but hesitated. "The Captain said he wanted to see the symbols on this marker again. Something about the last little symbol."
"Caruso sent you?"
"Yes, sir. He said while you were sleeping and Teal'c was away, he was in charge. He sent me down here to get the glyphs for him while he maintained the watch. Sir."
Jack started to say something but thought the better of it. Carter had been right on about both team members. Instead of herding her back to the camp as he really wanted to, he motioned her to continue her work. For a few minutes, he watched as she finished taking notes. She closed the notepad.
"That'll do it, sir," she said.
"Fine. Let's hope we can outrun the storm. You take the point, Lieutenant."
"Yes, sir."
*****
Daniel flipped through the photos Sam had brought him, busily taking jotting things down in a spiral notebook she had found somewhere. The symbols were Mayan, something about a festival honoring the rainmaker. He couldn't be certain without referencing that book in his office. Sam could find it for him. She said she would be back soon. Casually, he looked at the clock. Noon. Guess they'll be bringing lunch soon, such as it is. Hope there's at least a small cup of coffee.
A young woman dressed in surgical scrubs whizzed past the curtains, bearing a tray full of food. Yes! Coffee! He hurriedly gathered the photos to one side, allowing her to set the tray on the table. She looked at the photos and shook her head, then walked out without saying a word. Something on the top picture caught his eye as he reached for the cup.
He sipped the black gold appreciatively. Even bad coffee was good. The pounding in his head was always easy to ignore when he got wrapped up in a project. Unfortunately, the numbers on the monitor betrayed him. He shut his eyes to the pain as reality edged its way into focus.
"You probably shouldn't be drinking that just yet, but I do know how you love it." He opened his eyes to find Janet standing at the foot of his bed. "A deal? You eat half of that food, and I'll let you keep the pictures. And the coffee."
"Second cup?"
"Don't press your luck. You already have a little too much going on. I'll let you play with those pics until after lunch. Then the nurse is going to take them away for a few hours so you can rest."
"But--!"
"Oh, no. I know you too well. The only other bargain I will make is that I won't sedate you unless you give us no choice." She looked at him closely. "Head hurt?"
"Is it that obvious?"
She nodded. "Eat something, and drink a little something besides coffee. It'll help. And we'll get you a couple Tylenol. Are you hurting anywhere else?"
He shifted in the bed. "Now that you mention it, I kinda ache all over. Especially my chest. It feels like it was burned or something."
She winced at that, then nodded. "Muscle relaxant, then. Should take care of the headache too." She continued to stare. "You were very lucky, Daniel. Looks like everything worked out all right."
"Thanks, no doubt, to you!" He grinned at her, hoping she would take the hint and know he was okay and leave. He really wanted to look at the top photo more closely, but didn't dare while she was scrutinizing him. With a sigh, she left. Quickly he grabbed the picture. The thoughts fell rapidly into place as the translation formed in his mind.
He poked the nurse's call button, even the coffee forgotten.
"Find Major Carter for me," he said, letting the urgency of his thought slip out in his voice. She nodded and left. "Stupid me," he admonished himself, pointing with his pen at the tiny figure of a man bearing lightning bolts.
*****
It only took them fifteen minutes to reach the campsite, running all the way. By that time, the wind had ceased tugging at their clothing and was now threatening to rip it off. The Colonel grabbed Sweet's arm and motioned her to gather her gear. She nodded to him, then stumbled in the general direction of her bedroll and pack, gathering it up as quickly as she could. The fire that had kept them warm the night before was only a pile of ash now. Where was Caruso? She hoped he hadn't strayed too far. The drawings in her book were good likenesses. She had seen to that. He should be pleased, she thought.
The Colonel was pulling things together at an amazing speed. He had the Jaffa's pack stuffed to the brink and his own on his back in less time than it took her to roll her blanket. He crossed the campsite and took her arm with his free hand. He bent close to her ear, shouting over the storm.
"We've got to find shelter!"
She nodded a response, pointed to her right. "I think there's a small cave right over there, Colonel," she answered. "Found it last night when I was looking for water."
"Sweet!" he said.
"Yes, sir?"
He looked confused for a moment. "Ah, yeah great, lead on!"
"Yes, sir!"
Tiny droplets of water washed over her face, all in a race to see which could dampen her first. As suddenly as they started, they stopped, hesitantly, as if they were yielding to some greater force. Then the storm came.
Rain poured down on them, making is almost impossible to see. Sweet moved forward as fast as her legs could carry her, the Colonel at her back. God, I hope Caruso isn't caught up in this, she thought as she searched for the entrance to the cave.
The landmarks were different now, the small boulder marking the cave's entrance was gone, along with the bent conifer gracing it's entrance. Through the numbing rain, she searched her mind, desperately attempting to latch on to some other landmark. Photographic memories were nice, but they sometimes wreaked havoc on the present.
Beside her now, O'Neill was waiting patiently for the next move.
"There was a boulder, sir," she shouted over the wind, "and a bent pine tree."
"You sure we're in the right spot?"
"Yes!"
"We'll keep looking, Lieutenant," he yelled back at her, motioning her to move forward. "Your memory's our best shot at getting outta this in one piece!"
She nodded to him, then scanned the hillside in front of them for another sign. There it was. The tree. She pointed it out to her superior, who nodded and signaled her to move forward. In less than a minute, they stood by it. There was no sign of an opening. Rain pelted them now, mixed with ice pellets. They tapped on the lenses of her glasses, stinging her face. The rain was soaking through her fatigues. Consciously she fingered the little notebook containing her morning's work. It was damp around the edges, but not wet yet.
"You said there was a big rock or something?" O'Neill asked.
"Yes! I don't understand sir! The boulder was just a little ways off, a matter of a few feet!" She closed her eyes and focused on the image stored in her head.
"Sweet?" he asked, his voice filled with concern. She finished researching her memory and looked at him once more.
"Yes?"
"You okay?"
"Just checking the image, sir."
He looked puzzled briefly, then shrugged. "Well, warn me next time! And?"
"The stone should be here, sir, right in front of us. And the opening to the cave just behind it."
Water poured off the brim of his cap as he shrugged again. "We'll search. Stay in sight! No more than a couple feet apart, for now. I'll go down. You stay on this plane."
"Yes, sir!"
They moved forward. Lightning strikes flitted through the air, not yet striking the ground around them, but threatening to change from the path across the sky to the path to the earth. The ensuing thunder caused her to cover her ears as she searched for the cave's opening. Suddenly the ground beneath her feet changed, became unyielding. She looked down, scratched at it a little. She uncovered stone. Moving around it, she recognized it as the boulder she had seen earlier. Only it was in a slightly different alignment with the hill. Dismissing the thought for later contemplation, she began searching the surrounding hillside with her eyes. There it was! Back a little in the direction they had come from, snugged into the side of the hill just above them.
"Colonel!" she shouted, trying to make him hear her above the squall of the storm. He was moving at incredible speed, searching ahead of her oblivious to her call. She raised her rifle, aiming at a tree away from him and fired a quick burst.
The Colonel dropped reflexively to the ground, disappearing from her view. She waved her hand above her head, motioning him to return to her. Whatever thought might have been apparent on his features was lost in rain. He got up and hustled over to where she stood, his rain-soaked fatigues now covered with moss and mud.
"Where?" he asked her. She pointed, he nodded, and they made there way to the relative safety of the cave. Lightning struck the ground above them, splintering the bent tree that had been her landmark. With a shiver, she entered the cave. First missions are a bitch, her drill sargeant's voice rang out in her ears.
*****
"Daniel?" Sam asked, pushing aside the white curtain and entering the cubicle.
"Sam!" He began gesturing to the photo on his table wildly, his pencil flipping up and down frantically. "It's all here! Well, at least the part I could read. Oh, it's not good. They gated back there yesterday afternoon, right?"
"Yes, and?"
"Captain Caruso went along, right?"
"Yes, left all the girls here weeping…" Her comment brought the briefest of smiles.
"He's always had trouble with this particular symbol." He pointed to a little sticklike man on the bottom of the marker. There was something clenched in each of his hands.
"Daniel, your point?"
"It's the Rainmaker. At lest that's what I call him. See him down here at the bottom of the marker? He's repeated up above. Sam, it's a warning of some sort. I've got to get back there, read the whole thing. Something's terribly wrong. They're in trouble, real trouble. Caruso's an above average archeologist but he's an egotist. He'll read this as a fertility god. And the marker should be read from bottom to top, not your normal progression. Caruso and I went round and round with this ages ago. I never could convince him. Finally gave up trying."
"Okay, if you're right, what's worst case scenario?"
"They get lost and die."
"Oh." She didn't quite know what to answer. He drummed his pen on the fuzzy picture the MALP had taken several days before they set off the first time.
The coffee was getting cold and his tray of food was untouched. He had pushed both away to study the pictures. Sam casually stared at him, wondering whether she should add her bad news to the pot or not. With a sigh, she began.
"You know the MALP we sent just before we stepped through the gate?" she said cautiously.
He nodded, still staring at the picture.
"We sent a team to retrieve it. It was fairly badly damaged by the storm, but when I got it to the lab, I managed to pull this out of it." She held up a piece of VCR tape about eighteen inches long. "We knew the weather was unpredictable. That's why we sent the MALP through just before we left. Someone rigged it so we would get this feed instead of real time."
The drumming stopped abruptly. Their blue eyes met, his with questions, hers with concern.
"Something's not right. I don't know who did it, but it was sabotage."
"Oh boy. Looks like they walked into one heck of a lot of trouble."
Sam nodded. She looked at his tray, opened the lid and tsked at him. "Janet's not going to let you out of here if you don't eat. I don't care what it looks like or tastes like. Daniel, I need you. We have to put together a team and get back there. I'll get you Mc Donald's if that's what you want! The Colonel thought something was wrong."
"Okay, I'll eat." He picked up a half a sandwich and took a bite. "Jack thought something was wrong and he went anyway?"
"Yes. There must be something awfully important on that planet for the General to send a team back so quickly. I'll talk to him. We'll try for tomorrow morning. Janet said you could leave then?"
He sighed. "Leave yes. But I don't think she had a return trip to P357A4 in mind."
"You eat. I'll play diplomat. If we have a problem, Hammond will want his top people on it. That's you and me. And Teal'c and the Colonel. I just hope Sweet and Caruso are up to it."
"Sweet? As in Lieutenant Sweet?"
"Yes?"
"Oh, man, she's never been off world before!"
Sam smiled. "Maybe not, but she's one hell of a bright kid. Brilliant, actually."
"Protégé?"
This time she grinned. "Can you tell? Besides, she was the only able-bodied physicist around. All the rest of them are in some stage of the flu."
"Wish I could say the same for Caruso."
"Protégé, brilliant, or able-bodied?"
He shrugged. "Any of it."
*****
Lightning struck the ground around him, sending sparks flying into the air like some giant was trying to light a match. Teal'c knew he had to find shelter fast. The random occurrences were happening too quickly around him. He silently cursed. It was a Jaffa curse with no literal translation and no good loose one. But it made him feel better.
Hours before, he had awakened. The Captain was supposed to be on guard, but the man was snoring at his post. Even Daniel Jackson could stay awake. When confronted, Caruso had denied sleeping, stating he had just checked the perimeter and that all was quiet. Teal'c knew he was lying. So, without another word, he went to check the perimeter himself.
A light rain had begun to fall, not enough to make him wet, but a pleasant companion in the earliest light. He traveled about a hundred feet from the camp, then began to circle. Earth noises greeted him, the birds of the night shrieking as they finished the hunt, crickets and cicadas joining in the chorus. He thought at one point he heard a growl, its source an enigma. He hoped not to find its source.
As he circled, he sighted points on the horizon to keep his bearings--tree alignment, a rock against an outcropping, openings in the forest's heart. But the markers had grown confusing, even to an expert tracker like himself. It seemed the landscape was changing, though he knew it wasn't true.
He could not find his way back to camp. Perhaps it was true.
Now he did not look for the camp. Instead he searched for shelter. There was an opening in the hillside in front of him. It was just a slit, barely large enough for him to slip through. Once past the entrance, he discovered a cave. Here, there would be shelter from the storm.
Darkness surrounded him, the smell of wet rocks and stale air filling his other senses. In the flashes of light seeking entrance behind him, he could see that there was something more here. A broad stone table graced the middle of the tiny cavern. Around it there were pictures on the walls. The image he had seen on the marker with O'Neill and Caruso was repeated many times on the wall. Each time the figure was holding the lightning bolts in a different position. Teal'c moved forward for a closer look. He had a flashlight in his pocket, one of the few things he had taken from the camp. The switch flipped easily into the on position in his hand. As he scanned the room with a now steady light, he found what he thought should be there.
It was a skeleton, still wearing some intricately woven fabric, positioned carefully atop the stone slab. In its bony grasp, it held a stone tablet. There were likely markings on it, but he would not touch it.
"Allow me to share your resting place, if only for a while, my friend," he told the remains. "I will leave you as I found you, in peace. Forgive me, but I must try to remember the life images depicted on the wall."
For the remainder of the day and well into the night, he studied the murals painted on the walls, making special note of one with bright white eyes. Outside, the storm raged. Finally, he sat down close to the entrance and closed his eyes in meditation. The storm became less intense as the night progressed. Teal'c settled back in, resting until it finished.
In the light of morning, Teal'c left the open tomb. Just beyond the entrance, he bent to examine a loose marker, similar to the ones that surrounded the gate. It was engraved on a piece of stone. He picked it up to examine it. This one fit in the palm of his hand. .
"Forgive me, friend," he said making the decision to take the piece with him. "I cannot decipher this. But Daniel Jackson can."
He offered a prayer to the gods who kept watch over the being in the tomb, offering thanks for his shelter, solace for that soul whose body lay within, and asking forgiveness for taking the marker from so sacred a place. Having done so, he tucked the small tablet into his pocket and resumed the search for the others.
*****
Jack followed Sweet's lanky frame, ducking quickly into the cave behind her. Once inside he smelled wood burning, then heard the crackle of a fire, his eyes adjusting to the light cast off by it on the near walls. Caruso was there. The compact man rose slowly, his face displaying surprise, quickly masked by concern. Jack knew which look was genuine.
"Captain!" Sweet started, her voice filled with relief. Hell, Jack thought.
"Had time to build this little cozy fire, eh, Captain?" he started.
"When the storm hit, I remembered Sweet talking about this cave. I moved what I could of our supplies down here and built the fire."
"And left us no way of finding you?" he growled, no longer able to control his temper.
"Thank God you are okay!" Sweet said. The kid was going to make it difficult. Jack took his rifle into both hands, the danger smoldering in his eyes lost in the darkness of the cave.
"Next time I'll leave a note," the dark man said dryly.
Jack's body threatened to shake with rage but he contained it. "There won't be a next time, Captain." He took a deep breath to contain the emotion. "How far back does this go?"
"I don't know. I was busy building the fire."
Jack eyed the blaze. It had been burning for quite some time, sending smoke up to the roof where it disappeared through an unseen opening.
"I--I'll go look, Colonel."
"No Sweet. You stay by the fire our captain has so nicely provided. I'll check out the cave."
She nodded, seemingly grateful to not be the subject of his wrath. He was glad someone understood he was pissed. Caruso stood mutely in the fire's glow, oblivious to Jack's comments. With disgust, Jack turned his attention to the yawning darkness of the cave. He flipped on the light on his rifle and started into the depths.
It wasn't deep at all. He got about ten feet into it and it turned off to the right. He followed the turn into a dead end. Paintings adorned the walls. An anthropologist's dream. The little guy with the lightning bolts was there, all over the walls. He studied them for a few minutes, wondering if Caruso could do anything with the images and further wondering if he should bother asking him. The voices in the other part of the cave carried back to him. They had turned angry. He strained just a bit to hear the words.
"You got the drawings?" Caruso demanded.
"Yes, sir, right here," Sweet answered.
"Aw, man, this is wet! Couldn't you keep it a little dryer?"
"Sorry, sir."
"Sorry doesn't cut it, Sweet. When I send you out to do something, I expect it to be done right." There was a sigh. "I suppose this will have to do. There's a pot over there. Fix me some coffee."
"Yes, sir." Jack started back toward the main chamber. "Where's the water?"
"There's plenty of rain out there," came the answer, "go out and get some."
Jack was to the bend in the cave.
"But sir--"
"Don't 'but' me, Lieutenant. Get your sorry ass out there and get that water!"
"Sweet, stay where you are!" Jack called, finally able to see them. He was too late to stop her with his voice. Her lanky frame was outlined in flashes of lightning as she left, holding a pot. She could no longer hear him over the storm. He closed the gap between himself and the fire in seconds, focussing on her, but noting with disgust that Caruso had never looked up from studying her notebook.
Ice pellets once more stung his face as he exited the cave. Sweet was standing directly in front of him, holding her little pot out in front of her body. A chilling image of Daniel raced through his mind as the storm continued to rage. He reached out and relieved her of her pot. Then he put his hand on her shoulder and guided her back into the cave.
Caruso was still studying the notebook, didn't bother to look up as his two newly re-drenched teammates joined him by the fire.
"Oh good," he said absently, not looking up. "I knew it wouldn't take long to fill the pot. 'Coffee's in my pack."
Jack dropped the pot, closed the distance between them in a single stride and grabbed the man's shirt with one hand. He threw him against the wall in controlled anger, bringing his face to within inches of the Captain's. He had the man pinned against the wall in less than a heartbeat.
"I oughta--" he shouted. The man in his grasp trembled. Jack lowered his voice to that dangerous level that lives barely above a whisper. "Give me a reason, Caruso. Just one."
He held the dark man there against the cave's walls, his eyes drilling into the man's skull. Caruso looked away from him, his eyes flitting nervously anywhere else in the in the cave. Jack loosened his grip just a touch, only to regain it and slam him against the wall once more. The pinned man still would not make eye contact. With disgust, Jack released him. He really, really wanted to knock the shit out of him. But now was not the time.
He turned back to the fire. Sweet was visibly shaking, her features pale in the dim light. He couldn't tell whether it was from fear or from cold. He went to Teal'c's pack which lay on the floor and withdrew the blanket the Jaffa carried but never used. With one motion, he flipped it open and placed it around her shoulders.
"Sit down, Lieutenant," he ordered, "and dry out. Caruso, see if you can find us something to eat. Consider it an order."
The dark man still cowered by the wall. He hesitated there a moment longer. Good, Jack thought. Seems our little chat had some effect.
After they had dried out a bit, Jack turned his attention to the figures in the back of the cave.
"Caruso, there are a lotta pictures on the walls back there. Go back and see what you can do with them."
"But--"
"Now!"
"Yes, sir."
The Captain looked none too pleased, but he got up and headed toward the back of the cave.
"I'll come with you, sir," Sweet offered.
"You sure you're up to it?" Jack asked her softly.
She nodded. "He's not very good with pictures, sir. I can copy them pretty well."
Jack nodded. "Go."
The two were gone. Jack stretched out by the fire, wishing there was something to do. And wondering how Sam and Daniel were doing. After a while, he got up and joined the party. Lightning still flashed outside. The little guy with the bolts was busy today.
Whatever day there was dissipated into night. Sweet was an able artist, reproducing the scenes from the cave walls with amazing accuracy. She filled three small notepads with the drawings, handing them one at a time to Caruso, who in turn offered explanations. Jack listened, but didn't hear. None of the Captain's rantings were related. It was difficult to follow his train of thought.
They returned to the fire periodically, to make certain it was still burning and finally to eat and settle in for the night. Jack had left the pot outside to collect water for coffee. He sent Caruso after it. There was a dark scowl on the Captain's face as he followed the order. Inwardly, the Colonel smiled.
*****
It had been a long and silent night. Sweet had finally drifted off to sleep curled up close to the fire. Jack didn't wake her to take a turn at the watch. He didn't let Caruso take a turn either. He simply told them he would wake them later, then didn't. The girl had been through enough and for some reason she was taken by this anthropologist. She probably had good instincts, he rationalized, but right now she was too mixed up to use them. It disgusted him how the dark man thought he could use her.
So it had been one of those nights where sleep came in the form of rest rather than unconsciousness. He had done it many times. Now, in the dawn of day, they would be able to get home, away from this cursed mission. He reached his hand out and touched Sweet's shoulder.
"Rise and shine, Lieutenant," he said, getting to his feet himself. He went to the other side of the dying fire and prodded Caruso with his boot. "That goes for you too, Captain."
The two woke up and stretched.
"Morning already, sir?" Sweet asked through a yawn. "I thought you were going to wake me at two, or whatever the equivalent is."
"Stow it, Sweet," he answered, his voice a little more cutting than he had intended. Caruso simply glared at him. Jack rummaged in his pack and withdrew MRE's for all three. "First we eat, then we move out. Any questions?"
The two exchanged a look, then shook their heads. Jack moved to the entrance of the cave to look outside, hoping to find Teal'c there. No such luck.
"Man, what's gotten in to him?" Caruso's voice questioned.
"Probably you, sir," Sweet replied bluntly. Great. The kid would pick now to use her backbone.
"What?" came the icy reply.
"We've got to start functioning as a team, sir," she answered, holding her ground, though her voice was a little higher pitched than normal. "You are just so dedicated to your work, sir, that sometimes you forge ahead without thinking." Carter was right. Physicist and diplomat. He liked this girl.
"Oh, I suppose you could have a point," came the answer. Stroked his ego and turned him nice. Sweet. "But I expect my orders to be carried out when I issue them. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir." Things were turning sour again. He sighed, shoved the remainder of the MRE in his pocket and re-entered the cave.
"Now, pack up my gear--"
"Caruso, pack your own damned stuff," the Colonel ordered. Clearly the good captain was never going to become a team player. "Sweet, put out the fire. Caruso, divvy up Teal'c's pack between you and I. Five minutes, people, and I wanna be outta here. Understood?"
"Yes sir!" they said in unison. He left them in the cave, taking care of business, moving outside to look once more for the Jaffa.
Soon, Caruso joined him, handing him his pack. It was no heavier than normal.
"You followed my orders, mister?"
"Yes, sir!" he said.
Jack got up and moved a few paces from the entrance, keeping his eye on the Captain as he moved. It was a gloriously bright morning, promising to be a wonderful day. Resort weather. Warm but not hot, perfect for outdoor activities. He wanted to search for Teal'c. Caruso was going to make that difficult. Sweet was too green yet. She'd be good, eventually. But the Captain would cut and run to save his own hide. Teal'c was a warrior, a hunter, a survivor. If he was still alive, the Jaffa would find his way back.
Sweet appeared slightly behind the dark man.
"Okay people, here's the game plan. We head back for the gate."
"What about Teal'c, sir?" Sweet asked.
"Jaffa's probably dead," Caruso chimed in casually.
Control, Jack, think control.
"Sweet, get your drawings and go check them against the ones in the back of the cave one more time before we leave. Be certain you haven't missed anything."
"I have a photographic memory. If I missed something in the drawings--"
"NOW!" Damn, she was as stubborn as Daniel.
"Yes, sir." She disappeared into the cave.
Jack moved toward Caruso, really wanting to hurt him.
"You're a pompous bastard…" Jack said under his breath. He locked his eyes into the shorter man's. Caruso moved backward in a circle on the boulder marking the entrance.
"Your performance during this mission has been sub-standard, Captain." Jack's face was now inches away from the captain's, uttering words in that soft, dangerous tone. He was on the edge of the moss-covered boulder himself, but his footing was firm. "You can bet you'll be hearing about it."
"Understood, sir!" Caruso said, his eyes now meeting the Colonel's. Jack held his gaze stonily until the other looked away. Then he turned back toward the entrance of the cave, intending to check on Sweet.
Everything happened in agonizingly slow motion. Strong hands grabbed hold of his jacket, the fingers digging into his flesh briefly, then retreating to only the material. Jack's feet slipped on the mossy surface of the boulder, the side of his right leg scraping against the unforgiving stone. Then he plummeted a mere ten feet to the forest's soft floor, landing square on his back, his head striking the ground like a painful afterthought. He gasped for the air that had been forced from his lungs. As the world around him darkened, he could see Caruso's face, maniacally smiling above him. He fought against the darkness, not only for himself, but for Sweet. It was a fight he lost.
*****
Sweet quickly grabbed her drawings and headed to the back of the cave. Quickly, she once again compared her drawings to those on the wall. Relieved, she realized they were nearly as detailed as photo would have been. It only took a few minutes to do the comparison. Then she moved out.
"Colonel?" Sweet called, emerging from the cave.
"Sweet, get me the first aid kit quickly!" Caruso shouted at her, from beneath the edge of the boulder. She fished through the packs lined up at the cave's entrance, withdrew the kit and ran to the boulder's edge. There were skid-marks there, recently scraping away the mossy surface. Peering over the edge, she saw Caruso hovering over the Colonel. Her CO's form was frighteningly still.
"What happened?" she nearly cried, forgetting the polite 'sir'.
"Whaddaya think happened? He always did walk a little close to the edge."
She fought the lump in her throat. "Here!" she said, getting ready to toss the kit to him.
"Forget it." He stood up from the motionless body. "He hit his head as he went down. He's dead."
Her heart fell to her stomach. She watched, choking back a tear as the Captain reached inside the fatigue jacket and grabbed O'Neill's dog tags. He gave them a quick tug and the chain broke off in his hand. She thought she heard a stifled groan as he did so, but couldn't tell over her own muffled sobs. Oh god, now what, she thought.
"Shouldn't we bury him or something?" she choked out.
"Na, we've got to get back to the gate to send a party out for Teal'c."
"I thought you said you thought he was dead?"
"Yes, but we need to send another team back. They can collect the bodies. No sense in us delaying any further."
"Could you at least say a little prayer or something?"
He glared at her. "Our mission is to get back to the Stargate and then home. Prayer won't help either the Colonel or the Jaffa now."
She nodded to him, then bowed her head and prayed for the soul of Jack O'Neill.
He joined her on the boulder. Silently they took up the remaining rations and departed, leaving the Colonel and the cave behind.
*****
Daniel held his breath while Frasier gave him one final once over.
"You eating okay?"
"Yes."
"Any pain anywhere?"
"No, I feel fine."
"Dizziness, shortness of breath, trouble urinating?"
"No to all three. I feel fine."
"Headaches?"
He looked at her. "Doesn't that come under pain?"
"I've got to be sure, Daniel! Sam's got Hammond talked into some harebrained scheme that includes you both returning to that god-forsaken planet. Now humor me?"
He sighed heavily. "Okay, I have a bit of a headache. Not a bad one." He slipped his legs over the side of the bed and looked at her. "I know you would like me to stay here a while, or at least on base. But we've got a team out there that's lost and Sam and I are the only ones who can fix things. Please, Janet! I promise I'll be good!"
"I've seen your 'good,' Daniel," she replied with a smirk. "I can't let you go in good conscience unless I know you're okay."
"I am okay."
"The headaches?"
"Garden variety kind, same as I get from traveling too much. A couple Tylenol and I'll be fine."
He let her scour his face with her eyes, dig for the truth.
"All right, you can go. I'll hold you to your promise though."
Without thinking, he reached for his clothes, quickly pulling them on. Then he left to find Sam.
She was in her lab, still going over the MALP. Her gear and his were neatly stacked on the table, ready for their departure. With a somewhat surprised look on her face, she grinned at him.
"Cleared for take-off?" she asked.
"Almost a clean bill of health. When do we leave?"
"SG8's ready whenever we are."
"Isn't that Caruso's team?"
"Yeah. They heard he was lost with the others and volunteered to help find them."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. The three of them are on call."
"Let's do it then."
*****
Teal'c began circling, sighting things in the distance. He tentatively left the burial cave and, keeping it in sight, marked his position on the horizon. This time, his markers did not change. He began enlarging the circles, spiraling out from his point of origin until he could no longer see the entrance.
Feeling certain now that he could find his way back, he began working his way out in straight lines, counting his paces as he covered tremendous amounts of territory. He came back to the cave, then traveled at right angles from it, searching for a familiar landmark or some sign of the others. The skies began to darken once again. Still, he kept searching.
On his third attempt away from the cave, he had completed the prescribed distance but thought he saw something in the distance. Marking his spot, he moved to see what it was.
The clouds had thickened, threatening rain. He kept his eyes trained on the object in the distance, moving as fast as he could toward it. Whatever it was, it lay in the shadow of a boulder, an unnatural green. Yawning above the boulder, was a dark hole in the landscape. The rains began as he closed the last few yards. It was O'Neill, lying in a crumpled heap, one leg oddly twisted.
The Jaffa curse left his lips once again as he bent over in the lightly falling rain to look at his wounded comrade. The man was still breathing. Very carefully, he straightened him out, looking for anything obvious. One side of his face was swollen and discolored oddly countering the pale skin. Teal'c had seen this kind of wound before. It came from a hand weapon in the human arsenal: brass knuckles, he recalled. There was a lump on the back of O'Neill's head as well. The still body shivered in the cold. Rain began pouring down around them.
Teal'c lifted the unconscious form and turned to spot his markers. They were gone. Everything gone. Quickly, he went for his second option, carrying O'Neill up the side of the hill and into the yawning mouth.
Once inside, he set the still body gently on the floor, laying the unconscious head on a pack that had been left behind. O'Neill's bedding was there as well, cast up against a wall. He took the blanket and covered the soldier, then set about making a fire. There was ample wood here from the night before, he assumed. In little time, he had it roaring, then moved to do what he could for the Colonel.
Working with battlefield skills, he began splinting the broken leg. O'Neill screamed in pain as Teal'c straightened the man's leg, but nothing he said was intelligible. So Teal'c didn't answer. After he took care of the leg, he moved to the body, gently probing for signs of other injuries. He found none.
With a soft dampened cloth, he began cleaning the wounded face. Someone had pummeled him mercilessly. Puzzled, he looked again at O'Neill's hands. There were no skin tears there, nor bruising, no evidence that he had put up a defense. Grimly he wondered what had happened to Caruso and Sweet. After the storm let up, he would have to decide whether to try to find them or to get O'Neill to the gate. A moot point for now.
The base of the Colonel's skull was darkly bruised, a lump evident there. He took the cloth, rinsed it in some cool water and placed it on the unnatural swelling. There was little else he could do for him. There were no drugs. He was glad the man was unconscious. Perhaps he would sleep through the worst of his pain.
*****
Jack was vaguely aware that someone was lifting him. He groaned with pain. The whole of his back was on fire, shooting pains down his right leg as he was shifted slightly back and forth. Cold, wet, throbbing headache: he assessed the remainder of his pains as he hung limply. His head nodded against cloth, each movement bringing pain to the base of his skull. Light came in flashes against his closed eyelids, unassociated with any pain signals. Fighting unconsciousness, he tried to open them to sate his curiosity. Suddenly, the flashes were gone. He felt himself being lowered to the ground gently, his head cradled until it met something softer than rock but harder than a pillow. The ground was cold and hard.
A covering was drawn up around him, taking the edge off the cold, but not dispelling it all together. The pain was easing now, down from the intolerable ten to about a seven. Frasier and her one to ten scale.
He could hear someone moving about, the distinctive sound of a match being struck and the subsequent smell of sulfur touched his nostrils. Soon there was the crackle of what had to be fire. Warmth. His body still shivered on the cold floor, eager for the fire's heart to be shared. His pain level dropped to six.
Hands began probing his wounds, starting with the leg. Reflexively, he felt himself jerk away from the touch as his wounded limb was straightened, then immobilized. Pain level climaxing once more, then dropping to an eight. He assumed there were tree limbs on either side of the leg and in the front and in the rear as well. They were being cinched tight with something.
Having completed that, the hands moved to his torso, pressing with extreme caution on his abdomen and rib cage, front, back, and sides. With relief, he realized he had no problem there. The hands twisted his torso and surprisingly there was no pain there. It must have radiated from his leg into his back, not the other way around. Pain level now seven.
Finally, the hands moved to assess his head. There was bruising on his face and it hurt like hell when the hands touched it. And while he remembered falling, he couldn't think how his face had been hurt. The hands moved to the back of his skull. Hurt like a son of a bitch. A cool cloth covered the area, taking some of the pain away. Nausea passed over him in a wave. He coughed, his body curving forward as he did so, sending new pain searing through his head. No longer willing to fight, he succumbed to sleep.
*****
Sweet followed the Captain at a little distance. The tears had ended for the Colonel and a resigned depression had set in. First missions...
Caruso stopped suddenly, holding up one hand. Standing behind him, she noticed angry red marks on his knuckles. But she said nothing, waiting for his orders.
In front of him there was a marker, much like the ones they had discovered the previous day. The little guy with the lightning bolts was there again. The sky was beginning to cloud over. Idly, she wondered if the image was somehow related.
"Sweet, write this down," he ordered.
With a heavy sigh, she set her pack down and fumbled for a pen and her notebook.
"You have a problem with this, Sweet?" he demanded.
"No, sir," she answered, exhaustion evident in her words.
"Watch it, woman, or I'll have you up on charges of insubordination!"
"Sir, we've lost two members of our team. This is my first mission and-"
"I'm not your confessor, woman!" he said acidly. She looked directly at him. He looked away. Gesturing to the marker, he continued: " I want both the translation and the picture catalogued."
"Would you like to use the notebook first, sir, to jot down the translation?" She knew she was pushing him just a little, but she had Ph.D. in physics and a BA in art. Shorthand wasn't part of her resume.
"Negative, Lieutenant," he answered, oblivious to her insult. "I'll dictate, you write." He came close to her, taking his bruised hand and cupping her chin in it. Unintentionally, she began to shake. Two days ago she would have been thrilled by the attention. Now...
"Go ahead, sir," she managed, lowering her head to look at the pad at a slow even pace, as if everything was okay. He smiled at her and began rattling off something incoherent.
Dutifully she wrote down every word. From the markers she had seen before and his subsequent translations, she could tell he was making it up as he went. Doesn't take a rocket scientist, she though glibly, then smiled to herself at the irony.
"Something amusing, Sweet?"
"Oh, no sir," she answered, thinking fast. "It's just that these markers are finally beginning to make sense to me."
He beamed at her and she mentally sighed, relieved.
"I'm going to eat something and keep watch over there," he indicated a rock in their path. "You finish up that drawing and then you may join me."
"Yes, sir." Physical prowess had never been her strong point. Carter had tried to help her, but had only succeeded in teaching her rudimentary self-defense beyond what basic training had taught her. She had her mind though. Putting aside all thoughts of the Colonel and Teal'c, she started on the drawing. If she were going to survive with this idiot, she would need all her wits.
She started copying the marker, fully aware as the sky darkened above them.
*****
The MALP again made it's way through the worm hole. It was overcast on P357A4, but there was no storm. Sam looked at Daniel, trying not to stare. She knew the two of them would have the best chance of finding the missing team, on instinct alone, but she wondered if she was pushing him too hard too fast. He read her mind.
"I'm fine, Sam," he answered, looking past her to the blue doorway. "Let's get this ride going."
She nodded and once more they stepped through, her team following close on their heels.
Sam positioned one member of SG8 at the DHD in case they needed to make a hasty retreat. A cursory examination showed her that Sweet had restored the device to working order using some pretty creative wiring. Teal'c's staff weapon was somehow embedded in the device, all its working parts sunk into the circle. Sweet had had to wire around the thing. It was an admirable job. She smiled, hoping the lanky Lieutenant was okay. The Colonel would see to that. A distant rumble of thunder echoed eerily in the grey light. No lightning bolts yet. No rain either. A light mist began to fall.
Sam looked to the distant hills, staring in amazement.
"Daniel, did you see that?"
"Um, what?" he asked looking up from his work.
"Oh, nothing. I just thought the mountains kind of, I don't know, shifted?"
He raised his eyebrows and stared at her. "Well, we've seen a lot of strange things." He smiled at her briefly and returned to the markers.
"Yeah, right."
"Major?"
"Captain."
"I noticed it too."
"The hills?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Together they scanned the horizon. Black clouds rolled toward them slowly, the landscape beneath shifting as the pelting rain reached it. They could see it falling in sheets, a wall approaching quickly.
"Daniel, you and the others finish up what you're doing."
"It's not even close, Sam. Maybe it'll blow over."
"I don't think so. It's coming too fast."
"Just a few more minutes."
She waited impatiently while he and the others finished filming the markers. The storm came closer, sending lightning bolts to the earth.
"Captain, dial us home," she called to the man by the DHD.
"Daniel?"
"One more minute!"
"NOW!"
"Oh, all right!"
He flipped off the switch and moved to the gate. Already the glyphs lit up in the darkening sky. They waited as the device came to life, then stepped through to the safety of the SGC.
*****
Sweet huddled miserably under the meager protection of an outcropping of stone. Caruso was closer to the hillside, using her body as a shield to keep him dry. He still carried both the Colonel's weapon and his own, leaving her feeling out gunned and vulnerable. Yes she had a rifle. No, it wasn't capable of firing more than one round at a time. And now it was wet, slick in her hands. Thunder cracked close to them and she moved closer to him, turning her back to him and facing the raging wind.
"Oh, Lieutenant, I didn't know you cared!" he said loudly in her ear. She felt his hands drift where they shouldn't and reflexively her whole body tensed. Surprisingly, he backed off. Just a matter of time, she thought.
They stayed under that outcropping, her soaked to the bone, him a bit drier, waiting the storm out. A pang of grief swept over her as she remembered the Colonel's body lying broken beneath the boulder. And what about Teal'c? Wanting to weep, she turned away from Caruso, steeling herself. They would get out of this. She would get out of this. First missions....
*****
Teal'c gathered large rocks from the far end of the cave, making certain they were dry. The storm raged again, as it had the night before. He was grateful for the ample firewood piled in the corner, even though it was in the form of large, dead tree limbs. O'Neill lay shivering on the floor in spite of the rise in temperature in their shelter.
He placed the rocks in the fire, stripped off his own jacket and added it to the meager pile of blankets covering the man. With a sigh, he moved to explore the rest of the cave.
Flashlight in hand, he unknowingly followed the same path the Colonel had the night before. He turned to his right, bringing the now dim light to bear on the drawings on the wall. They were similar to the ones he had seen in the burial chamber with one notable exception. The figure with the lightning bolts was holding a snake at bay. A snake with white eyes.
The batteries in the flashlight were almost gone. So he returned to the main chamber of the cave. O'Neill's form had not moved, yet his body shook. Tentatively, Teal'c placed his hand on the Colonel's forehead. The man was cold, very cold.
Teal'c reclaimed his jacket and began fishing the stones from the fire. He placed them close to the shivering body, forming a lopsided circle, the fire forming the final arc. Heat radiated from the stones. Gradually, the shivers eased. He added more wood to the fire and took his position of meditation.
An hour passed. Teal'c added more wood to the flames and rotated the stones. Another brush of the Colonel's forehead revealed it was warmer now. He grunted in satisfaction.
"That a Jaffa hello?" The voice cracked a little, but the wry smile had returned.
'He speaks!' Teal'c thought, raising an eyebrow in barely discernable relief.
"I do not believe so, O'Neill."
"Ah."
"You have sufficient warmth?"
"It'll do, Teal'c, it'll do." With effort, he rose to his elbow, trying to sit upright. A wave of fresh pain flitted across his face. The pack that was his pillow now became something to lean on. He shook his head, his one good eye attempting to focus on something. He looked down at his splinted leg and then reached up to his head, feeling the lump on the back of it, then moved his hand to the side of his face.
"Oh, man!"
Teal'c offered him a cup of water which he sipped greedily.
"O'Neill, what transpired?"
The silver haired man lowered the cup and gingerly touched his damaged face.
"We've got a problem, Teal'c."
"I concur."
"No, I don't just mean about me." He looked behind him at the ring of warming stones the Jaffa had created. "Clever." He took another long draught of the water and eased himself back on the pack. Pain was evident in his every move. "When the weather breaks, I want you to go after Caruso. He's got Sweet. She's just a kid, for cryin out loud."
"O'Neill, you are not being clear."
"He's an ass, Teal'c. I plan to have him court-martialed when we get back. That is after I bust him down to private."
"I am in agreement concerning Caruso's personality. I was unaware the punishment for falling asleep on duty carried so high a price."
The Colonel laughed without smiling. "Bastard caught me off guard, threw me off that boulder. I hit my head as I was falling and don't remember anything else." His hand gingerly probed the swollen area around his right eye. "When you lose a fight this badly and aren't drunk you should remember. He must have hit me while I was down."
"Your identification piece is missing as well, O'Neill."
His hands flew to his neck, search and not finding his dog tags.
"Shit, the bastard left me for dead!"
"So we have a problem."
The colonel nodded.
"'Boils down to me or Sweet."
"Lieutenant Sweet may be alive or she may be dead. You are alive."
"Yeah, but if there's even a chance, I want you to try to find her."
The Jaffa nodded, throwing another log on the fire. "We shall talk further on this in the morning, O'Neill."
"C'mon, Teal'c, don't do this to me. She's only a pup."
"Your references are confusing, O'Neill, but you are alive and injured. I will attempt to return you to the gate. Then I will track them."
"Teal'c…"
"By now, the General should be organizing search parties. I will attempt to take you to one of them, then I will track the others."
"Teal'c…"
"The terrain on this planet shifts each time it rains. If I leave you here, I may never be able to find you again. You are injured. Therefore, you are no longer in charge."
"Teal'c!"
"Do not worry, O'Neill. I will find them. If the woman is injured in any way--"
"Teal'c!" Jack cut him off.
"You must rest now, O'Neill. When the weather permits, we will attempt finding the Stargate."
"Hell, where'd you get that stubborn streak?"
"It is said my parents gifted me with it." The Jaffa looked straight at him and smiled. "It is also said one acquires attributes from close association with others."
"Oh, so I rubbed off on you?"
*****
Sweet was miserable. The rain kept coming. She forced her eyes to scour the hillside, looking for better cover. The lightning was blinding and it was incessant. Each time she closed her eyes she could see streaks across her lids.
There!
Had she imagined it?
No! There it was again!
"Captain?" she said, shouting over the wind. She pointed to a place not twenty feet from their current position. He followed her finger. Another flash. Not twenty feet from them was another outcropping, this one looked much deeper.
"Go check it out, Sweet! I'll stay here and protect the gear." He must have sensed her awe. "If anything happens to me, we don't stand a snowball's chance of getting out of here in one piece. Give me the notebooks."
"What?!!" She was glad he couldn't see her face.
"The note books. The ones with the pictures in them!"
She handed him her pack, containing her precious drawings. Without waiting for whatever reply was on his lips, she left the relative safety of one rock for the hopefully better cover of another.
The short trip was terrifying, but it was worth the effort. There was ample space here to stay dry and not have to touch him, though there wasn't much headroom. He ought to be okay, she thought, short as he is. There were some old trees by the opening, dead ones, apparently the victims of the planet's frequent storms. Should let the idiot know it's safe to come over, she thought. But I'm going to build a fire first. Give me a little time away from him.
She began gathering things to start the blaze. There were matches, safe and dry in her pocket. Enough tiny branches had accumulated in the yawning overhang that she had the secondary level of the fire built in no time. The bigger pieces would have to dry and burn all at once. Kindling. Something to start the thing with. In her pocket, she had the notepad with the dictation she had done for the Captain that afternoon. In the dark, she began tearing the pages out, crumpling each one and tucking them neatly under the tiny branches. They lit easily, the branches lit easily. Before too long, the big pieces were dry enough to light too. Happily, she folded the remainder of the notepad and tucked it back away. Caruso finally joined her, dropping the rifles to the ground and the pack he carried. He sat next to her, extending his hands to warm them.
"Well, you could have signaled," he said indignantly.
"I tried," she lied. "Guess you couldn't see me waving in the dark."
"Oh."
You're so stupid, she thought. If it weren't for the gravity of their situation, she could have a lot of fun pulling his chain. He slid his hand over her shoulder and she quickly changed her mind. Think, Sweet, think!
"Um, sir, I've been wondering."
"Yes?" He slipped his other hand on her thigh.
Her heart was racing with fear. Ego, ego, she told herself. She leaned away from him and on all fours, she reached for the pack she knew contained her drawings. Her heart still pounding, she turned to face him, holding the one out to him.
"I was fascinated by your explanation of the little man on all these, sir. Could you explain it to me one more time? I'm afraid I'm a little dense about these things."
The Captain fairly beamed. "Certainly, Sweet. Where should I begin?"
"How about with this one?"
For the next two hours, she managed to play dumb blonde. Asking stupid questions, leading questions, repeating questions, and never letting him know. She stretched his patience to the limit, until he finally gave up trying to explain.
"I never will understand why they let women in the field," he muttered finally. "You take the first watch, Sweet," he continued. "Gotta get some rest if I'm going to get us out of here in the morning."
He pulled a blanket around himself and closed his eyes.
Sweet shivered with relief, briefly closing her eyes and uttering a silent prayer of thanks. She threw a couple more really big logs on the fire and gathered her drawings. Something was odd about them.
Looking at them up side down, they suddenly made sense. At least it was an explanation. Her heart pounded faster now. She was no anthropologist. But from the limited amount of plausible explanation Caruso had given her, the little guy was warning them of shifts in the terrain. The markers clearly showed how to get back to the gate. It was so obvious now. For the second time, she offered thanks. Even if Caruso wouldn't follow her advice, she knew how to get home. With a contented sigh, she drew her own blanket around herself to sleep, ignoring the command to stand watch.
*****
"It's really quite clear, General," Daniel explained hurriedly. "The little guy's the Rainmaker, a symbol prevalent in a lot of mythology. He's assigned h
imself to protect, in this case the forest. Now here's the thing that's puzzling…"
He was gesturing quickly with a pencil, pointing to print out pictures they had gathered with dizzying speed. Hammond was more than a bit queasy and the archeologist's enthusiasm wasn't sitting well with the dry toast he had eaten for breakfast.
"Dr. Jackson," he interrupted, "I think we need to get to the point here."
"Oh, yeah, sure. Well, the graphics aren't really very good, but the gist of the thing is that somehow the terrain of the planet shifts every time there's a storm. Therefore, if you're not lost when the lightning hits, you will be when the storm blows over."
"General, I have a theory on that as well," Carter chimed in.
"Yes, Major?"
"We sent aerial MALP in, just after the storm let up. Here, see?"
He looked politely at the map for a moment, then tiredly looked at the Major.
"Look, people, if you have an idea of how to proceed, let's get on with it."
"You feeling all right, sir?"
"No, I am not. Now, before I lose my breakfast, give me the down and dirty details."
"Yes, sir! The darker areas on the map indicate where there were lightning strikes. A topographical overlay shows an unnatural depression in the earth where each bolt of lightning struck. The ground then buckles around it. I imagine the tectonic plates are very small, and are able to be manipulated quite easily. Therefore the terrain shifts with just a little encouragement. You might not even notice it. Like 3 point earthquakes. But the storms generate enough power with both changing air pressures and the lightning to make the ground shift."
"Yes and here's an interesting point about the storms."
"Down and dirty, Dr. Jackson."
"According to this marker," he gestured to one of the pictures, " the storms come once a day for a period of three days, and then subside for two."
"And it has been three days?"
"Well, actually four. But that gives us at least a whole day and a part of another to go search for them. They should be really lost. And sir?"
"Yes?"
"I believe the planet is uninhabited. At least by humans. The markers are there to warn whoever uses the gate not to stay, that they will not be able to find their way back. Down and dirty says we don't need permission to mine here, but we'd never get the stuff out. The Rainmaker didn't want anyone to take his ores. There are some more surprises in there that I haven't been able to decipher yet. But I believe it will be safe for us to return and search. For 36 hours.
"Okay, Major Carter, you have a go. How soon to assemble your team?"
Carter grinned. "Already waiting, General."
"Fine. Then it's back to P357A4. You have thirty hours people. No more. Understood?"
"Yes sir!"
Good. Now I can go throw up.
*****
A soft moan brought Teal'c out of his meditative state. Reality seeped slowly back into his awareness, preventing him from further solace. It was time to begin searching for the way home. O'Neill presented a problem. The fire was crackling comfortably. O'Neill was twitching, eyes closed.
"O'Neill," he called, moving to the Colonel's side. There was no response. The man's face was dark in the low firelight. With one hand, he reached for the other's forehead. Before he made contact, the heat radiated to his hand.
"O'Neill!" he called again. The Jaffa gently shook him. O'Neill moaned again softly. His eyes fluttered open and he stared straight at Teal'c, and straight through him. There would be no discussion as to options. Outside the cave the rain had stopped. He left the man and made his way through the entrance to check on the weather.
Light was just beginning to filter through the trees. The air was alive with the promise of renewal. The scent was the same as it had been on every planet they had visited. From the entrance of the cave, he could see O'Neill beginning to stir. Soon, in the full light of day, he would leave. The Colonel was sitting now, silhouetted in the fire's glow.
"O'Neill," he said simply, returning to the fireside.
"Teal'c." The voice was strained, cracking as the single syllable left the dried lips.
"The rain has stopped. It is past dawn."
"So I gathered." The wounded man raised his head, trying to find Teal'c with his one good eye. "Decision time."
"I concur. First, drink." He filled a waiting cup with water saved from the storm and handed it over. O'Neill took it wordlessly, drinking slowly. The entire right side of his face had changed to a light purple except the area around his eye. There it was darkly blue. Tiny cuts broke the skin open as well. His lips were normal on the left side, swollen on the right, making drinking difficult at best.
"I want you to find Sweet, Teal'c," he said quietly, returning his gaze to the fire.
"We spoke of that last night, O'Neill."
"Yeah, I know. We are less than a day's journey from the gate, that is if the landscape hasn't shifted too much, and I'll be all right in here for at least a couple days."
"You cannot walk on that leg, O'Neill. Sweet may be alive, she may have perished. Caruso may or may not be with her."
"Caruso's more of a threat than the weather." He took another sip of water and began rummaging awkwardly in the pack behind him. He withdrew a small packet, tore it open and dumped the contents into his hand. "Aspirin," he explained. Teal'c nodded.
"Are you in much pain, O'Neill?"
"No."
Teal'c could tell he was lying. His companion was still staring at the fire, the open eye glazing over in pain. The fiery crimson skin had returned to pale white. A shudder consumed the broken body and he began to sway. Somehow, he found Teal'c's eyes as the Jaffa helped him lay back down.
"Promise me you'll find them Teal'c." His words were thick and came one at a time. There was something helpless in his plea, in his broken face. Teal'c nodded.
"I will find them, O'Neill," he answered.
Relief softened his features and he drifted into unconsciousness again.
Taking quick stock of his surroundings, Teal'c made his decision. He would leave O'Neill in the relative safety of the cave and find the stargate. Without encumbrance, the Jaffa was capable of traveling at twice the speed of his counterparts. With any degree of luck, he could act on both problems within the day.
" I will find them, O'Neill," he said quietly to the sleeping form, "but I will see to your needs first."
Sighting a distant tree to his left and to his right, he left the cave and its occupant, searching for the way home. And for those who were lost.
*****
Daniel stepped in unison through the gate with Sam. Behind them came Caruso's team along with Makepeace and a newly re-formed SG3. The sun had already risen in a cloudless sky.
"They must have a longer day than we do," Sam mused.
"My watch says 1500, Major," Makepeace offered. Then he smiled. "Looks like we've got ourselves a little more time, if Jackson's correct."
"Yes, sir."
"Lieutenant, radio back to the SGC and tell them we have an extra six hours…?" he looked at Sam.
"Due to rotational differences on the axis of the planet, sir."
"Like the Major said…"
The message was relayed. Daniel exchanged a glance with Sam. They were both worried. Odd to be on the rescuer end of the team instead of the rescued.
"Vella," the Colonel began, "you and Cochrane set up a base camp here. We don't want any nasty little surprises coming up on our tails. Major, Doctor, which way?"
"Daniel?"
"Well, according to the markers, the route they should have taken is there." He pointed to the rising sun, what would have been east on earth. "But, oddly enough, if the marker is read from the top to the bottom, it indicates we should travel to the west."
"And?" Makepeace sounded exasperated.
"And I think Caruso would have gone west. Sir."
"Stackley, you take the point with the good Doctor here. The rest of you, mount up and let's get moving!"
There was a chorus of yessirs and the group moved off into the bright morning.
Daniel had no trouble keeping up. They were taking it easy, moving along watching every step of the way. He had no doubt the soldiers were tracking something, though what he couldn't really tell. They came across a marker, similar to the ones surrounding the gate. It faced the east, back toward the gate. The inscription was worn with weather but still readable.
"Jackson?"
"Yes, thinking….oh yeah! It says loosely translated, that the road back to the stargate lies in that--" he gestured back toward the meadow they had left--" direction. Hmmm. Look, Colonel, if you stand in a direct line you can spot the gate. See?"
The big man raised his eyebrows, then moved directly behind Daniel. The archeologist pointed to the gate.
"Oh yeah! Very clever."
"Daniel, if you read the thing the wrong way, what would it say?"
He stepped back, to look at the marker once more, nearly knocking Makepeace over.
"Oh. Sorry." He readjusted his glasses and scrutinized the marker. "Just a bunch of gibberish. Nothing that means anything."
"Okay, people, let's move out."
They continued down the trail at the intensely slow pace, looking for signs of their lost teammates.
*****
The sun tickled her face with its warmth. As her senses came slowly back to life, Sweet prayed to waken in her own bed. She shifted on the hard ground, knowing it wasn't so unless someone had played a very cruel trick. She opened her eyes slowly. The fire had burned down to almost nothing. In the farthest recesses of the little outcropping, Caruso still slept, snoring contentedly. Reluctantly, she put a pot of water on to boil, scrounging in his pack for coffee. After all, she liked it too.
Soon he stirred. Without a word to her, he left their rocky oasis, turning to hide behind a bush. She could still see him there, heard him emptying his bladder not ten feet from where she sat, trying to enjoy a cup of weak coffee. Moments later he returned.
"Lieutenant, I see you have the coffee made," he yawned, holding his hand out for a cup of the brew. She handed it to him. He took a sip and made a face. "Worst I've ever tasted but it'll have to do."
"MRE, sir?" she asked him, ignoring the remark.
"Yeah."
She tossed it to him, then opened one for herself, hoping it wasn't going to be a long day.
"Sweet," he started.
"Yes, sir?"
"Why didn't you wake me to take a turn at the watch?"
"I thought you needed the rest, sir. After all, you have to get us out of here, don't you?"
His eyes flared in anger. Oh, no, she thought, did I let the sarcasm come through in that?
"Watch yourself, Sweet." He finished his MRE, then tossed away his coffee, muttering something about pond scum.
"Be ready to move out in ten, Lieutenant," he ordered. "I need a little time to study these drawings. I'll get us home." He winked at her. She repressed the urge to vomit and hurriedly got their things packed, ready to go.
*****
Teal'c was making great time, heading in the direction of the rising sun. Occasionally, he would run across a marker in his path. They meant nothing to him, other than that they were a reminder of the skeleton in the cave. He ranged in a zigzag pattern, always counting his steps and spotting distant trees both ahead and behind him. There was no way he would lose O'Neill. At the first sign of a storm, he would beeline it back to the cave.
The markers seemed to be centered on the north side of his path at regular intervals. On a hunch, he decided to follow them directly, casting his eye backward to make certain he did not lose the cave. He wondered what O'Neill would do to him when they returned, if they returned, for disobeying his orders. But it was of little concern.
He was traveling at a dead run now, exercising as he rarely did on earth. It felt good to stretch out muscles no longer fine tuned for swift travel. All along, he kept his eye on the horizon. His markers never changed.
Up ahead, he thought he saw a glint of metal. He slowed to a trot, stealthily moving into the forest so as to avoid direct confrontation until he was certain who was coming.
Before long, he recognized the green fatigues of the SGC. Daniel Jackson was among them, along with Major Carter, Colonel Makepeace and three others he did not know by name. He stepped out of the forest onto the trail.
"Daniel Jackson, Major Carter!" he said as excitedly as a Jaffa says anything.
"Teal'c!" Carter burst out. "Are we happy to see you!"
"O'Neill has been most grievously injured," he stated, "and is in need of assistance. I have left him at some distance. We must hurry before more rain begins, for this accursed planet shifts with the storms."
Carter and Daniel Jackson exchanged a look, then nodded to him.
"And the others?"
"Lost, for now." Without another word, he turned and led them back to the cave.
O'Neill was lying on the floor just as Teal'c had left him. He was on one side, favoring his wounded face.
"My god!" Sam breathed. "What happened?"
The one named Stackley bent over the wounded man then stepped away in disgust. "Looks like Caruso's handiwork," he said, not making an attempt to mask his loathing. "Wonder why he's only hurt on the one side?"
"Stow it, mister," Makepeace said. "You and Cochrane rig up a travois of some sort and load him onto it." He glanced at the splinted leg. "Broken?"
"I believe it is, Colonel."
Daniel knelt by his side, gently placing his hand on the wounded man's arm.
"Jack," he said quietly. "Jack, we're here. We'll get you home by dinnertime. Okay?"
The good eye slid open and he turned to face Daniel, not attempting to hide the grimace that accompanied the pain. Carter was already in the med kit, extracting a hypo filled with morphine.
"How you feeling, Jack?" Daniel asked.
"Stupid question, Daniel," he returned thickly. "Teal'c?"
"Yes, O'Neill."
"You find Sweet?"
"We will find them, O'Neill."
All eyes turned to the Jaffa but no one spoke.
"Daniel, can you turn him just a little bit so I can get this into his hip?"
Daniel obediently turned the weakened man, exposing his hip. Sam expertly delivered the medication.
"It'll take a while to work, sir," she offered.
"Teal'c," he said, ignoring her, "what about Sweet?"
"He told you we're searching for them," Makepeace lied, sensing the Jaffa would not. "Relax, Colonel, and get ready to enjoy the ride."
Within ten minutes he was unconscious.
"Teal'c, outside," Makepeace ordered. The Jaffa nodded and followed him through the cave's opening.
"Explain, mister," the Colonel said.
"O'Neill ordered me to find Lieutenant Sweet and Captain Caruso. Our group became separated because of the planet's shifting terrain. Because of this, I chose to seek help for the person I could help, not the two who might not even be alive. I was alone the first night. I am not certain what has happened here, though it appears the Captain had a disagreement with O'Neill."
"Disagreement hell!" Makepeace spat in disgust. "Lucky something interrupted him."
"Permission to search for the others, sir," Teal'c said.
"Granted."
"I'll come along, Teal'c," Carter said.
"I will leave an easily readable trail. But I must move quickly."
She nodded to him. The Jaffa was off and running.
"Major," Makepeace started, "I've heard some disturbing rumors about Captain Caruso."
"Yes, sir?"
Makepeace lowered his voice, so as not to draw the attention of Caruso's team. "Let's just say there's some bad blood between him and his team. I hate to do this to you and Jackson, but it's going to be hard enough to control Teal'c, if we find them. SG8 was not overly fond of the man. Seems he changed one of Jackson's translations and nearly go the team killed. They haven't forgiven him."
"Yes, sir?"
"I'm going to have them take Colonel O'Neill back to the Stargate. You and Dr. Jackson and I will look for the others. If Caruso is capable of the things he's been accused of, Lieutenant Sweet might need a woman's companionship. Not meaning any disrespect, Major."
"Understood, sir."
"Jackson, get out here!"
Daniel soon popped out of the cave, his face filled with concern.
"You and Carter and I are going to follow Teal'c. I know it's a tough decision, Jackson, but if we get lost, we're going to need all the help we can get to get us back. We're down to…" he glanced at his watch. 0500. And still light. "…sixteen hours folks, twenty if the General is feeling generous.
"My guys'll take care of him, Jackson," Makepeace continued softly, recognizing the concern the younger man had. "We have to get going."
"Yes, sir!" Sam said.
"Can I have a minute?" Jackson asked. Makepeace nodded and watched the young man disappear into the cave. Moments later, he returned, Stackley in his wake.
"Ready, sir," Daniel said. Makepeace acknowledged him, then turned his attention to the soldier.
"When you get the travois built, get him back to the gate and home. Understood?"
"Yes, sir."
Without further conversation, the three moved off in the direction Teal'c had traveled.
*****
Teal'c moved stealthily through the woods, searching for any sign of life. It was beginning to get dark and he had to find the two quickly. He had promised O'Neill as much. A promise fulfilled late was better than a promise unfulfilled.
He began his crossing pattern again, tacking across more miles than the humans could ever cross in one day, looking for signs of the missing team. On occasion, he caught site of Makepeace, Major Carter and Daniel Jackson in the distance behind him. Late in the day he had discovered the remnants of a fire within the outcroppings of a cliff. There, he had discovered a small piece of paper with as close to an exact likeness of one of the markers as could be made without the aid of a camera. He had no idea Caruso had such skill. Pocketing the scrap, he began searching the camp for their path. In little time, he found it. No longer needing to tack across the path, he raced ahead at a dead run.
For an hour he ran, drawing the energy he needed to maintain his speed from the symbiote. Always, he sited objects in the distance, mentally making notes so he could find his way back. Nothing shifted, as it had earlier, but they were moving slowly away from the Gate. The path he followed was erratic, difficult to understand. Coming back would be easier, a straight line. Idly, he fingered the flare gun he had taken from SG8. As soon as he found them, he would signal their position. It seemed the easiest way. Ahead, he heard voices. With relief, he plunged forward.
"…sorry, sir!"
"Sorry doesn't cut it!"
"Please don't--" a muffled gasp was heard. "I couldn't stay awake any longer!" Sweet managed between sobs. Teal'c quickened his pace. "I'm really sorry! I promise it won't happen again! Please don't hurt me!"
"Sweet," came Caruso's silken voice," you've got to learn a little discipline here. Don't run away… gotcha!…Now…"
"No! Don't hurt me!"
There was the distinct sound of skin meeting skin, followed by terrified scream and more sobbing. Teal'c, now at a dead run, withdrew the flare gun and squeezed off a round. He let it drop to the ground as he entered the little clearing where the man held the woman by the throat. With a roar, the Jaffa attacked, simultaneously throwing the Captain to the ground and Sweet to one side.
Caruso went down with a big huff, then tried to struggle against the larger man. Teal'c laid a punch across his face before the man could catch his breath. Teal'c could see him trying to get to something in his pocket, his pistol perhaps, and he pulled the searching hand up quickly.
"HATAKA!" he screamed into the dark man's ear. With his free hand, he clenched his fist, getting ready to backhand the man. Sweet screamed from behind him.
Air came rushing down on him from above, followed by a sickening thud. Teal'c's shoulders screamed in pain as he heard the material of his uniform rip and subsequently the flesh beneath it. Reflexively, he turned away from his unknown assailant, releasing Caruso. The Captain fell to the ground.
Perched on his back, now shrieking horrifically, a great winged beast set to work raking its talons through the uniform. He fought against it. The feathers flew everywhere as they struggled. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sweet, huddled with her legs up to her chest, weeping in terror and probably pain.
He landed a blow to the bird's belly. It screamed in surprise, loosening its grip. Taking the opportunity, Teal'c grabbed the thing, folding its wings down on its body, and hurled it into the air. It spread its wings and was gone.
Bleeding heavily and in considerable pain, Teal'c retrieved one of the rifles in a smooth motion before returning his attention to Caruso. The compact man retreated from the Jaffa. In silence, they waited for the other members of the team to arrive.
****
"Teal'c," came Makepeace's voice from behind him.
"My god, Teal'c, what happened?" Sam asked.
"I have apprehended the hataka," Teal'c answered, not moving. It had been an hour since they had seen the flare. Blood oozed from a few deep gashes on the Jaffa's back. Sam moved to help him, but he waved her off. "See to Lieutenant Sweet," he said. He motioned to a dejected mass on the far side of the clearing.
"Sweet!" she called softly to the other woman. " Sweet, it's okay!"
The lieutenant reached up for Sam, but Sam dropped to the ground beside her instead. For a long time the two women just sat there, one sobbing, the other glaring at the man Teal'c continued to hold at gunpoint, even while Daniel tended the Jaffa's wounds. Makepeace gently took the weapon from the Jaffa, training his own on the Captain.
"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said quietly, but loud enough for Sweet to hear. "What news of O'Neill?"
Daniel raised an eyebrow, not understanding exactly what the Jaffa meant. "A…SG8 put him on a travois and took him home. He wasn't feeling any pain then. That morphine did the trick for him."
"It is sufficient," the Jaffa said, enjoying the look of surprise on the Captain's face.
"He…he's not dead?" Sweet started quietly. "Oh, thank you, Lord!" she let out, her sobbing uncontrolled again while she huddled in the Major's arms.
******
"Son," Makepeace began. It was morning. They had slept in shifts, two of them always awake to keep an eye on Caruso. The Captain had slept all night, soundly, even snoring. Now the others were breaking camp while the Captain kicked back and relaxed. Makepeace suspected this wasn't the first time he had simply watched.
"Son," he repeated, "you're in a lot of trouble."
"Yeah, so what?"
"An attitude adjustment seems in order, mister, but not now. We'll get you back in one piece so we can tear you apart legally. You can kiss your career goodbye, rank, pension, play time through the stargates, everything. And say good bye to your freedom too."
Caruso returned his look icily. Makepeace met the look with stone.
****
"How's it feel, Teal'c?" Daniel asked of the Jaffa.
"The wound is being slowly healed by the symbiote, Daniel Jackson. There is little pain."
"Great."
"Teal'c, get us outta here," Makepeace ordered. "Major, you're with our guide. Jackson, I want you back there, with Sweet. You able to handle a rifle, Lieutenant?" he asked.
"I think so, sir."
"Fine. Here," he tossed the rifle using both hands and she caught it. He gave her a sly wink. "You've got to be a better shot than Jackson, even on a bad day."
"Colonel!" Daniel protested.
"Watch him. Let's go folks!"
As one, they left.
Teal'c maneuvered them through the woods with ease. Soon, they began seeing the markers once again. Daniel kept his eyes affixed on the prisoner in front of them. The markers kept distracting him from his duties. Beside him, Sweet stared at their captive. She's intense, he thought. It fits her well. Her lip was split where Caruso had backhanded her, a small blue bruise forming an arch beneath her nose. She must have been through hell. Suddenly, a marker appeared right in front of him. He tripped over it, sending his pistol flying.
Sweet reached over instinctively to help him right himself, keeping her eyes focused on Caruso.
"Colonel!" She called ahead to Makepeace.
"I'm okay, Sweet. Honest."
He took a step forward and nearly went down again. His foot began to throb, a little.
"What is it Sweet?" Makepeace asked, joining them as she helped Daniel to the ground.
"Just a little sprain, Colonel," Daniel said. "I've done this before. If you've got an ace wrap, I'll be nearly good as new in about five minutes."
"O'Neill," he said, rifling through the med kit for the wrap, "is it always like this? Here, Jackson. Sweet, you watch the good Captain here. I'll go tell the others what's happened."
Without another word, he moved quickly ahead to rejoin Sam and Teal'c.
"Hey Sweet," Daniel started, wondering if untying his shoe was a good idea, then deciding the sprain wasn't that bad, just hurt a little.
"Yes, Dr. Jackson?"
"Um, I'm not big on titles. Call me Daniel?"
"Sure. Whatever."
He had his sock off and was wrapping. No big swelling. No big deal. Needs a little more support.
"You have a question, sir?"
"No, not really. Please don't call me sir. Makes me feel like I'm older than Jack."
For the first time since he met her, she smiled. It was a little crooked on her face, somehow fitting beneath the smoky grey eyes. He smiled back at her.
"I was just wondering…if you don't mind…"
She gave him a genuine grin. "I heard that about you."
"Heard what?" He pulled the sock over the wrap.
"That you got tongue tied a lot when things weren't tense."
"Well, that's kind of a weird rumor to spread!"
"Um, sorry, s--Daniel."
"I'm not regular military, you know."
This time she laughed. "If this is true confessions, you could tell me something a little more obtuse."
He laughed back at her. In front of them, Caruso smoldered.
"I was just curious about your first name. Sweet is nice, but I'd like the fair maiden to have a more personal name."
"Rumplestiltskin?" she offered as he finished with the laces and tentatively put a little weight on it. It was better. As long as he moved slowly, he'd be fine.
"I'll call you Sweet!"
"Martha."
"May I call you Martha?"
"You two are disgusting."
"Shut up, Caruso. Haven't you heard? The lady's got better aim than me."
"And the lady owes you, MISTER."
Daniel looked at her. She was using Jack's danger voice. Scary.
"Um, keep an eye on him while I hunt down my pistol?"
"Go ahead. Captain, I always wanted to act out that scene from Dirty Harry."
Caruso glared, but said nothing. Daniel looked at Martha with renewed respect and began thrashing through the bushes, looking for his gun. A shadow covered him from above. Terrified that he may have mistaken the time necessary between storms, he jerked his head upward, just in time to see the huge bird. It glided gracefully to the forest's floor, knocking Sweet to the turf and proceeded toward Caruso.
The startled man took a step backward, actually toward the woman. He tried to grab the gun from her hands in frenzy. The bird spread its wings wide, hopping on its feet, trying to encompass the man within its wings. He pulled back, stepping over Sweet, who was still trying to regain her footing. The bird cawed, its voice thunder in the clearing.
Daniel felt like he was moving toward them in slow motion, his legs suddenly lead weights. All he could think of doing as he ran toward the creature was to tackle it outright. Ahead, the obscene was taking place. Caruso grabbed Sweet's arm and whirled the lithe woman into the talons. The man backed away quickly, leaving the woman to her fate. He gave Daniel a final look before disappearing into the trees.
"Sweet!" he cried, launching himself at the beast.
The thing tore its attention from her and began to focus on this new threat. It shrieked an unholy cry, catching him on the arm with a raised talon. With a cry of pain, he twirled away from it, inadvertently catching it in the face with his fist. The motion stunned it, sent it reeling backward. Once again it raised its talons in the air, this time deftly catching Daniel in the ribs, splitting the cloth and the skin beneath it. He fell hard to the ground, rolling out of the way as the mammoth beak pecked at him and missed, getting the floor of the forest instead.
Now on his feet again, and holding his left arm, teased the thing. Sweet lay motionless within ten feet of him. He tried to draw the thing away from her, his own strength now largely depending on adrenaline. It was as awkward on land as it was graceful in the air. Taking a step forward, he teased it again. It followed. Another step back, away from her. The thing came at him again. His sprained ankle caught on something, twisting again, causing him to tumble to the ground.
Feeling hopeless, he rolled onto his stomach, clenching his hands over his head. The bird was on him. He screamed in pain as its beak hit him on the back once, tearing through the material. It shrieked a victory noise and he braced himself for the final blow.
Rapid fire machine weapons filled his ears instead. As h