Encrypted Inquisition
by Nutty1
TITLE: Encrypted Inquisition
AUTHOR: Nutty1
EMAIL: mezzy34@hotmail.com
CATEGORY: Drama/SJR/male/female relationship
SPOILERS: None
SEASON / SEQUEL: None
RATING: PG-13
CONTENT WARNINGS: Nothing i can think of
SUMMARY: One night never to be forgotten ...
STATUS: Complete
ARCHIVE: Heliopolis
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything, blah, blah .... just using stuff for entertainment. No money was made, and nor do I want to make any. =D
AUTHOR'S NOTES: LOVE comments. E-mail 'em to me pretty, pretty please?
They all looked around the bar uncomfortably. Normally they would all be talking and laughing together, but not this night. Jack got up without saying anything and walked to the bar. Deciding he wanted another soda. He sat on a bar stool and waited for the bar-tender to come and ask him for his order. It was obvious to all the others that it would be a while before the poor guy got to him, but it didn't seem to worry O'Neill. Sam lightly kicked Daniel under the table. He didn't even feel it, so she kicked him hard.
"Ouch!" He complained. He looked across to her. She gave him another indicating nudge with her leg softer indicating she wanted him to go, and take Teal'c with him. "Uhh, Teal'c. Let's go and .... uhh .... "
"Dance?" Sam helped.
"Yeah. Dance?! Oh. Yes. Let's go and, dance," Daniel humoured Sam reluctantly.
"Is the purpose of dancing not for a couple, DanielJackson?" Teal'c asked as Daniel pulled on his arm softly.
"Sure, but .... it doesn't matter! Let's go," he sidled off his chair, still pulling on Teal'c's arm. He eventually gave in and got up with Daniel. Sam and Janet watched them go, and then Janet turned to Sam.
"Sam. I'm starting to get the feeling no one likes me anymore," she said. Sam shook her head.
"No. I made them go."
"But we haven't hardly spoken all night. None of us! Is it always like this?"
"Not usually. Don't worry. It's not you. Trust me. Listen, I need to talk to you about some stuff."
"Oh yes?"
"Yeah."
"What is it then?"
"Well. Uhh .... "
"Oh come on Sam. Could it be you're wondering if a certain someone has a certain crush on, ooh .... say, you? A certain, very sexy officer, of a *higher* rank than yourself?"
"Yes!!! Yes, yes, yes! You made your point. And yeah, I want to know if he likes me. So, I was wondering, does he ever talk to you about me?"
"Sam, I'm sorry. But that is the most unoriginal question." Sam raised her eyebrow questioningly. "Yes. Everyone, when they want to know if someone has a crush on them, asks that question. Or, 'has he said anything about me?', 'does he talk about me?' and 'has he been checking me out?' They're the common questions. Oh, and by the way, he hasn't done any of that. But, I think he might just have a little flame burning for you."
"You don't!"
"I do."
"Oh-my-God!!!"
"Settle down. I just said I *think*. I'm not sure. But again, I have seen some tiny, winy signs of a possible liking. But you. Well. That's another story entirely! You're pathetic Sam! I mean really. I think a blind man in China could see the unadulterated lust in your eyes when you look at him. And whenever he does anything, your eyes immediately direct themselves to him. And also his you-know-what!"
"Janet!"
"What do you expect when you make yourself so utterly obvious! You stick out like the proverbial sore thumb for Christ's sake! D'ya think you could make it just a little more noticeable, I don't think the people in Australia can quite see!"
"Stop it! I just can't help myself. Just when I see him, God, it makes my bones go weak. They feel like ... putty. You know? All loose and wobbly. And holy Hannah, he can melt me with his smile. And those eyes .... " Sam left her words to float off in the air.
"You forgot the best bit," Janet offered. Sam looked at her with wide eyes.
"I did?" She asked incredulously. Not believing she could have missed anything.
"That body!"
"Oh yeah! That too!" Sam smiled broadly. "Hang on. You noticed all that too?"
"Not all of it. What? You think I can't tell a gorgeous guy when I see one?! Please! Of course I can. You think I haven't noticed he's one sexy piece of work?! Oh yes. Yes, I've noticed, and I've had a few pretty full on staring contests with myself on various occasions. You betcha! You're no orphan on this one Sam."
"NO! No. You ... no one else can have him! Mine! All mine! I saw him first!"
"Sam. He's not a prize. If you want him so bad, then go tell him. Go and .... and .... and dance with him. Yeah. I ... I dare ya to go an ask him to dance with you," Janet smiled. Sam frowned musingly.
"All right. You got yourself a dare accepted. I'll do it. And if I don't, you have to do it. Deal?" Sam said. She saw the sudden uncertainty on her friend's face. Then she nodded.
"Ok. Deal," she replied. They shook hands across the table.
Sam psyched herself up, and then finally stood from the table and sauntered confidently over to her CO. As she did, she was thankful when the music gradually turned to a slow song. She was praying it would. She grasped his shoulder lightly. He swivelled the bar stool around to face his attacker and found it to be his 2IC.
"Carter. Where's everyone else gone?" He asked after he looked to the table they were all positioned at previously and found it empty.
"Uhh ... Daniel and Teal'c are ... somewhere, and Janet's gone to the Bathroom I think."
"Oh. What are you doing? Oh I'm sorry, do you want a drink?"
"No, no. I actually came here to ask you something."
"Oh? What would that be?"
"Would you like to dance?" Sam asked as she held out her to him. He looked sort of surprised to be being asked such a question by his 2IC. But then again, they weren't at the SGC now, and they both did have lives outside of work. They were both different people outside of being a CO and 2IC and an officer of the military and a Physicist. He thought for a moment and then nodded. Taking her hand, and sliding of the bar stool he said,
"Yeah. Yeah, I would."
"Good," Sam whispered under her breath gratefully. They walked out to the dance floor silently, with Sam in the lead, still holding his hand, quite tightly now. Once in a small space between dancers, Sam pulled him in closer to her. He was startled that she was so definite, but followed her lead and went closer to her. Sam watched as he slowly placed his hand gently on her hip, keeping a little distance between them. She mirrored the action on him, and put her other arm on his neck. He did the same for her and then they moved slowly to the beat of the music.
'I call you up whenever things go wrong,
You're always there,
You are my shoulder to cry on,
I can't believe it took me quite so long,
To take the forbidden step,
Is there something that I might regret?'
They slowly got closer as the tune went on, until their bodies were eventually pressed against one another. Sam's hand moved between their bodies to rest on his chest and feel his heart beating inside it. Her other hand she moved further around his neck. He repeated that action and moved his other hand to rest on the small of her back.
'(Come on, come on)
Nothing ventured, nothing gained,
(You are the one)
A lonely heart that can't be tamed,
(Come on, come on)
I'm hoping that you feel the same,
This is something that I can't forget,
I thought that we would just be friends,
Things will never be the same again,
It's just the beginning it's not the end,
Things will never be the same again,
It's not secret anymore,
Now we've opened up the door,
Starting tonight and from now on,
We'll never, never be the same again'
Sam rested her head without noticing on his shoulder and closed her eyes. The song was telling him everything she was feeling. Everything she needed and wanted to say was being said through the song. She'd heard it before and always thought of it as her little "theme song" per se. She had heard that from 'Ally McBeal'. The whole "theme song" concept. She thought it was sort of silly, but that was kind of what this song represented. The words continued and they still moved together. Never any words spoken.
'Now I know that we were close before,
I'm glad I realised, I need you so much more,
And I don't care what everyone will say,
It's about you and me,
And we'll never be the same again,
I thought that we would just be friends,
Things will never be the same again,
It's just the beginning it's not the end,
Things will never be the same again,
It's not a secret anymore,
Now we've opened up the door,
Starting tonight and from now on,
We'll never, never be the same again'
As the song continued, Sam was debating with herself silently as to wether or not she should say something. After the dancing and everything, surely he would see that there was a little more than just friendship in the dance. She still hadn't noticed her head was resting on his shoulder. He didn't mind though. He wanted to tell her a lot of things too, but thought it would just ruin their friendship, considering neither of them knew they both felt exactly the same for each other.
'I thought that we would just be friends,
Things will never be the same again,
It's just the beginning it's not the end,
Things will never be the same again,
It's not a secret anymore,
Now we've opened up the door,
Starting tonight and from now on,
We'll never, never be the same again,
Things will never be the same again'
The song began to fade and finish. Sam and Jack along with the rest of the dance floor of people continued to dance slowly. The D.J noticed and looked for another slow tune and put it in the CD Player. Everyone looked up, and then it began. There was a hushed sigh from everyone and they continued to hold their partners and dance leisurely. Sam now realised her head's resting point and lifted it. She looked up into Jack's chocolate brown eyes and smiled. He smiled back down at her a sign he didn't mind and wouldn't mind dancing more either and so Sam rested her head where it previously was and smiled inwardly. She loved feeling him so close to her. She hadn't felt him this close before, and she was just starting to get used to it. She left her right hand resting between them, on his chest, and continued to move with him and the music. Another slow song, but not one she had heard before. Once she established the tune to the chorus, she hummed along with it quietly. This song was shorter than the previous, and the time seemed to pass so much faster. Sam found herself wishing all the songs were slow. As this one ended, the dancers quickly got into the swing of the next beaty tune. She and Jack stayed together a lot longer into the next song than they planned to, but Sam certainly didn't mind. Finally, with a sigh deep in her throat, she lifted her head.
"I think the song's finished" she commented.
"Yeah" Jack agreed.
"Guess we'd better get back to the others then."
"What others?"
"Daniel and ... "
"Oh I know *who*. But where are they?"
"Oh. I don't know."
"Maybe they abandoned us."
"Maybe. Not that I mind."
"Didn't say I minded either."
"Good" Sam sighed and let her head drop to his shoulder again. She didn't care that the music wasn't slow. There was no law against them dancing slowly together. And no one seemed to notice.
"I think people are gonna start thinkin' we're deaf if we don't stop soon" Jack whispered in her ear. Sam laughed.
"I don't want to let you go," she confessed softly.
"Me either. But I think ... "
"I know. Okay then." Sam released him and took his hand. "Drive me home?"
"Sure."
After finding their friends and bidding their adieus, they left for Sam's place. She had gotten to the bar with Janet, whom had already left without telling her, for some unexplainable reason. Jack drove Sam home, and then she insisted he come in with her. He did, and she made them both coffee.
"How come Doc didn't say goodbye?" Jack asked as Sam handed him his hot mug.
"I don't know. She was ok before .... oh. I think I know why" Sam said, remembering her little dare.
Probably got jealous, she thought.
"Why?"
"Oh. Nothing. I'll talk to her about it tomorrow. We have a briefing, don't we?"
"Do we?"
"I think so."
"Damn."
"Why?"
"Nothing."
"Plans?"
"No. Just wanted to sleep for practically the whole day."
"Well the briefing's not till 11:30 anyway."
"Oh well. That's not so bad."
"No." They in a companionable silence while they drank their coffees after that.
"I guess I'd better go."
"Oh. Uhh ... ok."
"See ya tomorrow."
"Yeah. Col ... Jack. I had a good time tonight" Sam said, correcting herself before using a title as they walked to her front door.
"Yeah."
"Oh, and thanks for the lift" she added as she opened the door and he stepped out.
"Sure. G'night."
"Yeah. Night."
The next day and the night before Sam couldn't stop thinking about that night. That dance. Her mind remembering how incredibly close they were. How soft his hand rested on the small of her back. How gently they moved together. How she could feel his heart beating under where her hand rested on his chest. Everything. And the song. How it said absolutely everything she wanted to say to him so much. Both of them did. And sitting with him in the briefing room was so hard that day. So hard not to see him as the one she had danced so close with, only the night before, and now they were back to being Commanding Officer and Second In Command and nothing more. Now they could not discuss the happenings of the night, and they couldn't be anything more than friends. Nothing. It was all purely professional whilst inside this complex. How she hated that respect of being in the Military. It was the one thing she hated about it. Other than that, it was great. Only because it allowed her to see him everyday, other than when they were on downtime. And that was only so rare.
"Be in the Gate Room, geared up and ready to ship out at 13:30 hours. Dismissed" the General said. Sam hadn't heard the rest of the briefing. Not much anyway. The only part she did know, was that they were going to P3C 227, that it was a dangerous planet, and that she was going with *him*. That particular detail she paid special attention to. It was the best part of it all as far as she was concerned.
Sure enough, Daniel came to talk to Sam after they were ready.
"Ok Sam. Explaining time. What was that little ... whatever it was with Jack last night?" He asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about Daniel." She avoided answering him directly; in knowing he would only make a mountain out of a molehill. They had only danced, after all.
"Oh please Sam. Do you think I'm blind? I saw you two. You were looking very cosy."
"Daniel, we danced. That was all. Nothing more."
"Maybe so, but I think it looked like someone you were hoping for something a little more than just a dance. Hmm?"
"Daniel! I had no intentions of seducing my CO if that's what you're implying? Hmm?!" Sam responded, heavy with sarcasm and antagonism.
"No. I wasn't implying anything like that. I don't even know where you conjured that idea from. All I was saying was, I think you would have hoped for it to go a little further than just dancing. As in you were hoping he has the same feelings for you, as you have for him. That's all."
"Oh. Well, I might have. Still. Nothing happened did it? No. So I guess that little fantasy fell through huh?"
"Oh well. There's always our next lot of downtime. Hey?" Daniel suggested, ruffling her hair softly, like you would to a little kid. Sam brushed him off slightly irately.
"Whatever. What time is it?"
"Uhh .... oh! We'd better head off."
"Ok. I'll just get my pack."
"Ok. Meet you there."
"Yeah."
In the Gate Room, they all awaited for the Stargate to be activated.
"Chevrone four, encoded."
"Carter."
"Yes sir?"
"I was just thinking."
"Oh?"
"Chevrone five, encoded."
"Yeah."
"What about sir?" Sam asked. He led her away from Daniel and Teal'c for a moment. "Colonel?"
"I was just thinking about last night. You know how you said, you had a good time?"
"Yes."
"Well, so did I. And I was just wondering, if we could do it again, some time?"
"Chevrone six, encoded."
"I'd love to Colonel." Sam felt her heart doing summersaults as she smiled broadly. The man of her dreams had just asked her the question she thought she could only dream of him asking her.
"Cool" he responded and walked back the base of the ramp. Sam stood frozen to the ground for a moment. She couldn't believe it. Had she just dreamed him asking her that, she wondered. No. No, he had actually asked her.
"Chevrone seven is ... locked! Wormhole established!"
"SG1, you have a go" the General called down to them as he always did through the microphone. Jack saluted him comically and then they all headed up the ramp and through the Event Horizon.
On the other side of the Gate, they all stepped down the dais and to the snowy ground of the planet. It was a endless sea of white. As far as the eye could see. Jack pulled up his sunglasses, and the others all repeated the action.
"Ok guys. Let's check it out. Be on guard. Carter. You and Daniel head out that way. Teal'c. You go the other way. I'll head out straight." The team nodded their agreement and headed off in their designated direction.
"So. It's pretty cold, huh?" Daniel commented as he and Sam walked in their route. Sam rolled her eyes.
"Yes Daniel. It is cold. But considering the snow, I'm sorta thinking that's normal" she said sarcastically.
"I know! I was just making conversation. You've been around Jack too much."
"No I haven't! What? You think I don't know how to be sarcastic?!"
"I didn't say that."
"Good."
"DanielJackson. I have sighted a tribe of strange people. O'Neill has instructed that we move into the denser forest area for protection, but I have lost contact with him. I suggest we convene somewhere" Teal'c's voice crackled through the radio. Sam picked it up.
"Did you say you've lost contact with the Colonel?" She asked worriedly.
"I did. Do not worry. I am certain he is O.K."
"Whatever."
"Teal'c. Where are you now?" Daniel asked.
"I am a short distance from the village of this tribe of natives. I am hidden in the forest. Perhaps we should convene here?" Teal'c suggested.
"Yeah. We're coming now" Daniel told him and then put the radio back in his jacket. "Sam. Come on."
"I'm coming."
Daniel and Sam finally found Teal'c very well camouflaged in the bushes of the forest.
"Have you seen anything yet Teal'c?" Daniel asked.
"I have not" Teal'c replied. Sam and Daniel squatted next to him and watched the villagers go about their work normally. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary.
"Have you tried getting in contact with the Colonel again?" Sam asked, in full alarm.
"I have not."
"I will. Daniel" Sam said to him, indicating she wanted the radio. He handed it to her. She tried getting through to his radio but all she could hear was static.
"Daniel. Maybe something's happened to him," Sam said fearfully.
"I'm sure Jack's ok Sam. You know what he's like" Daniel told her confidently. She nodded uncertainly.
"I believe DanielJackson is correct Major Carter. O'Neill is very capable" Teal'c confirmed, without looking at her. His eyes remained focused on the village as he lay behind the bushes. "DanielJackson" he whispered and Daniel looked in the direction he pointed to immediately. "Is that not O'Neill?" Sam rummaged through the pockets on her pack hastily and found her binoculars. Quickly raising them to her eyes, she looked through the lenses and found that Teal'c was right. Daniel snatched them off her and had a look himself. He gasped.
"Yes. It is."
"Should we not attempt a rescue?"
"Yes."
"Sam. It might be dangerous."
"And leaving him alone in there isn't?"
"Ok. Let's think logically."
"Daniel, you know as well as I do, we haven't got time for logical. We just have to go in there. We'll go with fire power, and of course, the numbers are stacked against us, but we have to try."
"I concur with Major Carter. We must attempt to rescue O'Neill. He would do the same if it were any of us."
"Yeah. He would. Ok. How?"
"Daniel, I just explained. We'll just have to go. We'll have the element of surprise on our side, and we'll have to do a bit of shooting I think. But we have to go now. No time to waste. Let's go!" Sam exclaimed as she stood and ran around the bushes and through the thick snow.
"Ok then. I guess that means go now," Daniel mumbled.
"I believe it does."
"Ok then. Follow her lead." He and Teal'c both got up and followed Sam as she ran silently into the village, using their houses as protection from being seen. Daniel followed Sam, and Teal'c went off on his direction. Suddenly there were cries and screams from the villagers. They all guessed that they had been seen. Deciding that there was obviously no reason to hide now, Sam came out into the open with Teal'c and they saw that the villagers had weapons of their own. A Staff Weapon and a couple of Zats obviously accumulated from some other planet and numerous guns.
"Drop your weapons!" A tall solid man commanded in his deep and loud voice. Daniel looked to Sam, who was already in the process of placing her Automatic on the ground. Teal'c mimicked the action with his Staff, and then Daniel copied with his shot gun. As he placed it on the ground, he saw the remains of a transistor radio. Obviously Jack's, he presumed. Their hands were quickly tied tightly behind their backs and they were taken to a stone cell in the middle of the small village.
Once they had been sitting in the cell hands unbound for about and hour, they were starting to wonder not like they'd ever stopped about where Jack was. As though they read their thoughts, their question was answered. Moments later, two men they had previously seen, came wielding a gift if you could call it that. Pushing him into the cell and then closing the door again, he stumbled in and fell into a heap.
"Colonel!" Sam exclaimed as she crawled to his side. Turning him over, she gasped. "Daniel, get the med kit!" She exclaimed at seeing his pale features. Daniel quickly obeyed and searched his pack for the med-kit they always brought and he always had to carry in his pack. At least they hadn't been robbed of their packs. Daniel found it and handed it to Sam. She quickly found the thermometer and stuck it in his mouth gently. She rested her hand on his forehead and felt the cold sweat that dampened his skin. His semi-conscious body trembled uncontrollably and until Sam read the thermometer, she couldn't understand why. When she removed it and read it, she realised why. The mercury had already risen, and read 86. Sam worried even more. High fever, and getting higher. She wondered how he could have so quickly gotten this fever. "Colonel? Can you hear me?"
"Carter?" A soft, scarcely audible whisper escaped his lips.
"Yeah. It's ok. You'll be ok," she told him softly.
"Sam? What is it?" Daniel queried as he crouched next to her.
"I can't be sure, I mean I'm no doctor. But it looks like Scarlet Fever to me."
"Ok, but how? He'd only have been here about twenty minutes before we got here. Half hour at the absolute most. I thought it took a little longer to contract something like that."
"So did I. Unless .... Colonel. Have you eaten or drank anything here?" Sam turned her attention away from Daniel to ask him. He nodded.
"What? Water? Something else?" Sam asked anxiously.
"Tasted like water" he managed to reply through chattering teeth. Sam looked away and thought for a moment.
"I'm guessing they put something in the water, or whatever drink it was, and made him drink it to get him sick. I guess they hadn't seen us then, so they thought that he was the only one" Sam almost thought aloud. Daniel nodded, agreeing with her theory.
"Ok. So what do we do now?"
"Well, we keep him warm. Even though to touch he's burning up, he probably feels like ice inside" Sam explained, almost as though Jack weren't in the room. Daniel nodded. It was a cold planet, but even the icy air didn't seem to cool his hot skin. He shivered hysterically, but Sam didn't know what else to do.
The night came quickly, and the cold just got colder. From the small window, they all could see the snow getting heavier and all the villagers retreating to their homes. Sam only worried more and more as the night went on and Jack's condition worsened. She refused to sleep, because she was so worried about him. He was never fully conscious through the night, but he continually said he was cold. She knew he felt cold, but his temperature just kept rising from the fever.
"How do you feel now Colonel?" Sam asked softly. She slid her back down the wall and sat up against it next to where he layed.
"Cold. So cold" a quivering, barely perceptible whisper escaped his mouth, but his lips hardly even moved.
"I know" Sam said, almost in tears to hear him say it again. "You're burning up, and I don't know what else to do."
"So cold."
"I'm sorry. I can't do anything else. I'm so sorry" Sam told him, and allowed her tears to escape her eyes. She felt so useless, not being able to do anything else for him. She knew he felt as though it was cold, and it was she was cold too but his temperature just contradicted his feelings. That was the fever. Sam wondered why they had been left in this cell, all alone, and nothing been done to them. Although Daniel had been taken away for a while and 'talked' to, he hadn't been hurt in any way. They now were all starting to wonder if their best hope was to try and escape. Sam definitely knew they couldn't stay until a rescue team was sent through. She didn't know how long her Colonel would last like he was now. Suddenly, the door opened. They took Teal'c. Sam wondered what they would do to him, considering most races knew by the symbol on his forehead that he was a Jaffa, and that that was a bad thing. She hoped he would be ok, but she knew he was strong, and his symbiote would help him recover from any injuries he might collect. Daniel sat quietly over in the opposite corner of the cell to her and Jack. He hadn't said anything for a while.
"Daniel. Are you ok?" Sam asked him. He nodded with a reassuring smile.
"Yeah. Yeah I'm fine. How about you?" He said.
"I'm ok. Wish I could say the same for the Colonel."
"How's he doing?"
"Not good. Fever is terrible. Temperature is 100 and still rising. It's not looking good" Sam said desolately. Daniel frowned.
"I wonder how they did it."
"What?"
"How they gave him this fever so quickly. I mean, I wonder what they used."
"I don't care. I just want to get us all home so Janet can take a look at him and help him."
"Yeah." There was a silence. Sam could only hear her friends' helpless shivering. "I wonder what they're doing with Teal'c."
"Talking, I hope. I don't want any other injuries."
"Yeah. Still, his symbiote would help him."
"I know. I thought of that."
"Oh."
About another hour later, Teal'c was brought back a little worse for wear. Daniel helped him sit and used the medical kit to stop the bleeding of the cuts to his back and chest. His t-shirt was returned to him, but not his jacket. Daniel offered his to him, but Teal'c was strong and refused knowing that Daniel would need the jacket more than he would. Sam asked Teal'c what happened, and he explained that the people asked him several questions, and when he refused to answer, resorted to cruelly bashing him. Sam shuddered and hoped she wouldn't be taken. Next they came and extracted Jack. Sam had to help him stand, and he managed to walk slowly. She argued with the people to not take him he was injured and needed to rest but they refused to listen. Shooting her with a Zat, they left with her Colonel.
A very long couple of hours later, they returned with him. Only barely conscious he instantly fell to the ground as they pushed him into the cell. Sam immediately went to his side and checked his pulse. She felt the weak and uneven beat beneath her fingers and labelled it his pulse although it only just qualified. The guards closed the door. After a minute, they came back and threw his jacket and t-shirt into the cell and closed the door and locked it again. Sam moved him to the corner they were previously in and where his t-shirt had landed. She folded it up and placed it under his head for a pillow from the cold and hard ground.
"I believe he has been brutally bashed, as I was" Teal'c commented, slowly healing with the help of his symbiote.
"Can you get his jacket for me" Sam asked Daniel, who was sitting next to where it had landed. He picked it up and handed it to her. She opened it out and swathed it over his chest, which had now accumulated some deep cuts, and dark bruises just as Teal'c had. She took Jack's temperature again, and found it had somehow managed to rise even more. 105 now. She watched him like a hawk that night. After a while, he seemed to be fully unconscious. Sam thought it was better for him like that. She layed down against his back and wrapped her arms around him softly. She didn't think he'd mind, considering the circumstances, and how cold it was.
Sam woke in the morning, and found she was still holding the trembling body of her CO. Looking over his shoulder to his face; it seemed to be paler if that was possible. He was so white. So colourless. Sam panicked. She had been trying to stay calm, but it wouldn't work anymore. She couldn't see him like this much longer, or she felt she would go insane. The door to the cell opened. The guards came in and grabbed Sam pulling her to her feet. She cried for them to leave her. To let her stay. To let them all go. But they wouldn't hear of it. They ignored her and took her. She returned not long after with the same injuries that they all had, except Daniel. She collapsed, but paid no attention to her injuries. She only wanted to see if her friend was ok. Daniel insisted on tending the wounds to her back, and she finally allowed him to. Wincing, as the antiseptic stung, she clenched her teeth to try and stop herself crying in pain. She managed, and then went to check Jack. He hadn't got any better, so she assumed or hoped he couldn't have gotten any worse either. Daniel confirmed, saying nothing had changed. She took Jack's temperature again and found it hadn't changed. She watched him so closely. He encountered a few muscle spasms from his twitching, shivering body. Sam was glad to see that his skin was a little bit cooler to touch now.
"Colonel. Sir. Jack. Can you hear me?" Sam asked softly. He turned his head to her gradually.
"Carter?"
"Yes sir. I'm here. It's ok. You're going to be ok. We'll get you back home soon. Feeling any better?"
"Still ... cold."
"I know sir. I'm so sorry. I don't know what to do for you Colonel. Your fever isn't getting any better. I don't know what else to do," Sam told him quietly. He nodded dimly. Sam couldn't help but noticed even how white his lips were. Not the colour they should be. They shouldn't be so white. He shouldn't be so pale. Like his blood had forgotten to circulate and keep him warm. Sam cried. She couldn't have let this happen. Not to him.
"Don't ... cry."
"I'm sorry Colonel. I shouldn't have let this happen to you. This is ... "
"Not your fault ... " his voice trailed away. Another fit of trembling engulfed his body.
"Shhh. It's ok," Sam whispered as she held him in her arms to help him stop shaking although it didn't really work. She ran her fingers through his hair.
"I'm going to get you out of here sir. I am."
"I know."
Later on that night, Daniel was heaved off to be interrogated again. He returned hours later and had similar injuries to Sam and Teal'c. Teal'c's had already healed nicely, and Sam was recovering slowly also. Due to Jack's deteriorating condition, his injuries weren't healing very well yet. Teal'c helped Daniel to antiseptic his cuts gently and then he fell asleep. Teal'c did too which surprised Sam. She sat in the corner of the cell, still holding Jack in her arms. He still had the occasional muscle spasm and many trembling convulsions, but Sam was glad to see his skin becoming a little bit cooler to touch. She continued to stroke her fingers through his hair and soothe when he told her he was cold. She knew he was, but it would do no good to give him his t-shirt to wear. It wouldn't help with warmth that much anyway. He eventually fell asleep. Sam was sure he was asleep too not unconscious. He continued to talk through the night. Helplessly asking for warmth. Sam cried. She hated to hear him so distraught and she knew he was cold. She was too. She wrapped his jacket around him tighter, hoping to give a little more warmth to him. There was still a cold sweat on his face, but under his jacket, his skin felt cooler than before, although he still had a high fever. Sam snuggled close to him and hugged him close to her she didn't care that Daniel and Teal'c may wake up and see them like that. She knew Jack needed to be warm, and apart from using his jacket as a blanket, she could think of no other way to provide warmth but body heat. She hoped that Daniel and Teal'c mostly Daniel would realise that was her reason.
Sam woke up in the middle of the night and found Jack was awake.
"Colonel. How are you?" She asked worriedly. She didn't expect to see him awake. He just nodded uncertainly.
"Are you sure? Why are you awake?" Sam asked softly, noticing Daniel and Teal'c were still asleep.
"Nightmare."
"Oh. Are you sure you're ok then? I'll stay up with you for a while if you like?"
"You, sleep. I'm, ok."
"Colonel, you're not ok. You have Scarlet Fever. You're sick. But I'm going to get you back home. You'll be ok. You'll get better. I promise. Ok?"
"Ok."
"You go back to sleep. You need to rest. Get comfortable as you can and I'll hold you," Sam told him. He moved slightly. She enveloped her arms around him again and moved close to him. "Better?" she asked quietly. He nodded and shivered. "Do you feel any warmer?" He shook his head.
"No."
"Oh I'm so sorry Colonel. I should have got you out of here so much sooner. You need to see a doctor. I can't do anything for you here. I'm sorry."
"Not ... your fault."
"Ok," Sam agreed with him half-heartedly. She knew it wasn't her fault, but she felt responsible for helping him get better while he was so sick. She pulled him in closer to her, until she couldn't get any closer. His pale face was directly in front of her, and while normally she would have loved to see him so close, while he was so pale and weak and vulnerable, she just couldn't believe this was the Jack she had danced so close with only a few days before. She held him close to her and watched as his lack of strength led him back to sleep.
In the morning, Sam woke up and saw her CO's tranquil and pale face before her eyes. She sighed. She moved one hand to his hair. Even his hair was cold. She combed her fingers through it softly. He stirred. She stopped and looked to see him smile in his sleep. She smiled too and continued her fingers raking through the cool softness of the short silver strands of his hair. Minutes later he woke up and looked up at her. She smiled at him.
"Morning sir," she said. He trembled.
"Hey."
"Cold?"
"Yeah."
"Here." Sam peeled her jacket of her body and wrapped it around him. She knew he had to be warm which was almost impossible on a planet covered in snow. He mimed 'thank you'. She smiled.
"Jack."
"Mmm."
"I just want you to know even though this isn't the best time when all this is over, I'm going to take you up on your offer of another night like the one we had a few days ago," Sam told him, noticing she used his name and he didn't seem to notice.
"Okay," his voice quivered back to her.
"Sir. We will get through this. I know we will."
"I, know. I know," he whispered before slowly beginning to fall back into the arms of sleep.
"I love you," Sam whispered into his ear.
"I love you too."
"Sam. How's Jack doing?" Daniel asked after he woke up and saw Sam sitting up against the wall.
"He's getting worse. He needs to see a doctor. I don't know how long we'll be able to keep him like this. Scarlet Fever can kill you. I don't think it's that bad yet, but if we leave him like this too long, it might be too late."
"Should we not attempt to escape?" Teal'c suggested.
"Yes, but won't the General send a rescue team?"
"I think so. He's taking his time if he is, but I think that would be the safer option. I don't really think we can risk it while the Colonel is like this. He's very weak, and I definitely don't think he'd last long out in the snow," Sam explained. Daniel nodded.
"Ok. So we wait for a rescue team then. What if they get here .... too late? What if .... "
"Daniel. I don't really want to think like that. We are *all* going to make. And I stress that *ALL*, because we are all getting out of here alive. O.K?"
"Yes. Course we will."
"DanielJackson, I do not believe that General Hammond would leave us here."
"I know Teal'c. It's just; he would normally have sent a rescue team by now. He seems to be taking his time, that's all."
"We are going to get out here. Do I make myself clear? I do not want to say it again," Sam said resolutely. Daniel nodded deciding it better not to say anything else. Teal'c did the same. Sam looked down at Jack, and saw he was still asleep. She knew he needed rest, but it worried her when he slept for long periods of time. She worried although her instructions were that they *all* would get out of there that he might not wake up if he slept for too long. She rested her hand on his shoulder. He moved and took her hand in his sleep. She smiled and gripped his hand tightly in her own.
"Sam. I hate to be the one to spoil the mood ... "
"But?"
"But, what is happening between you two at the moment? Except for you playing doctor."
"Daniel! Is this really a good time to be asking questions like that?! While he's so sick, and we're all trapped on this godforsaken Winter Wonderland with crazy villagers?!" Sam exclaimed angrily. She couldn't believe Daniel would have the nerve to ask her about their relationship while he was so sick. She felt like punching him. Then again, she often felt like punching Daniel along with a lot of other people at the base. One of them being Jack.
"Sorry. I shouldn't have asked," Daniel apologised as he realised Sam was right. With them all being in this precarious situation, and Jack being so sick, he thought he was inconsiderate to ask at a time like this.
"No, you shouldn't have!" Sam agreed angrily. He shook his head disappointed and angry at his thoughtlessness. Sam sighed. She knew he felt bad enough, but she couldn't believe he would ask her something like that when they were in such a bad state of affairs. She looked at Jack for comfort. He opened his eyes and looked up at her.
"Jack," she sighed.
"Sam."
"How are you feeling? Apart from cold."
"I've been better."
"Yeah."
"Sam, I think there's a hole in your theory," Daniel said.
"What do you mean?" Sam asked.
"In your Scarlet Fever theory. Now, I know the fever is common with it, but Scarlet Fever is more common in young children. And they get a rash and a sore throat. Jack doesn't have any of that. Are you starting to see where I'm going?" Daniel explained. Sam nodded.
"I know. I thought of all that. And the fever is usually never as severe and doesn't usually last as long with Scarlet Fever which made me think. Maybe they have created this sort of, 'copy' if you like, of it. Maybe they've just somehow invented their own disease. His fever is still so bad it's unbelievable. I've never seen a fever last this long and still be so severe. That's what I think it is. A synthesized, created disease which is why I'm not sure how Janet will figure out a cure when we finally get back home. I mean if it's just a homemade disease, then maybe there isn't a cure. Jack. What did it smell like?"
"What?"
"The drink."
"Oh." Another shivering convulsion overcome his body. Sam held him still while it climaxed and then ended. He trembled non stop, but managed a whisper through his chattering teeth. "It ... didn't smell," he managed to tell her. She held his hand tight in her own, for his comfort as well as her own.
"It didn't smell like anything at all?" He shook his head instead of trying to speak. Sam sighed. She had no ideas left now.
Later that day, they were all each taken off to be interrogated again, but of course none of them would say anything. They all were beaten again but this time harder than before. They all returned from their separate torture sessions with more injuries and began to run out of medical gear. Jack stayed unconscious for a long while this time. When Sam came back, she too was unconscious for a while. Teal'c and Daniel were able stay conscious, although Daniel had a few dizzy spells. Sam woke up and instantly checked Jack. Still had a high fever and shaking convulsions all the time, but other than that and the remains of the brutal bashings they all got a taste of, he was the same. Sam was beginning to think he wouldn't make it. Before night fell, he still hadn't woken up, and she began to think he wouldn't make it through the night. She panicked and felt as though she was going to have a nervous breakdown. Thankfully, he made it through the night and into the next day, when a rescue team finally arrived.
"Daniel, is that a rescue team?" Sam asked hopefully. He nodded.
"Yep."
"Oh thank God. Hang on Jack. We're going home. Hang on." They finally stopped the war and the villagers agreed to free SG1.
The journey back to the Stargate seemed to take a million years. Trudging through the snow, felt as though they were walking through glue. Finally they made it; they quickly dialled the Gate and sent their code through. They all walked through the Gate tiredly while Teal'c carried Jack.
"Med team to the Gate Room!" General Hammond called as he saw Teal'c with Jack slung over his shoulder. When Dr. Fraiser and a team of nurses wheeling a gurney almost flew into the Gate Room, Teal'c placed the fever-ridden body of their CO onto the gurney and he was taken quickly to the Infirmary.
"Get yourselves cleaned up and checked up and then be ready to de-brief at 20:00 hours," The General told the rest of SG1 as they traipsed out of the Gate Room. They all nodded and left for the showers and the Infirmary. Sam went straight to the Infirmary, where Janet was tending to her injured CO.
"Is he ok Janet?" She asked as she tramped over to her.
"He has an amazing fever on him. It looks like Scarlet Fever."
"That's what I thought too. But what about the rash and all the other symptoms?"
"I'm not sure, but that is the only thing I can think that would cause this shocking fever." Sam nodded. She wasn't up to disputing or going on instincts about the 'homemade disease' theory she had conjured. She watched as Janet tended to her fallen friend, but then she realised, he wasn't just that anymore. He was more than a friend now. She hadn't quite established the extent of their 'relationship' yet, but she knew it was more than friends. She looked at his painfully insipid skin and found herself in tears again. Janet gave him an IV and some drugs for the fever and then hugged her emotional friend. After checking her and Daniel and Teal'c, they all left for their de-briefing. Sam hardly said a word through the de-briefing. None of them said very much. They were all so tired. After the fairly short and sketchy de-briefing, Hammond told them all to go to their quarters and sleep for practically as long as they could. Sam was about to obey her orders and began heading for her quarters when she realised she needed to check on Jack first. She headed straight to the Infirmary.
"Janet?"
"Sam. Don't you think you should be getting some sleep?"
"Yes I will in a minute but how's Jack going?"
"Not too bad. The drugs are helping the fever quite nicely, and the IV will start to help with his dehydration soon too. Don't worry too much Sam. He's going to be ok. Might take a few days, but he'll be all right."
"What about his colour? He will start to get some colour soon won't he?"
"Oh yeah. When he's a bit stronger and got a bit of nourishment in him, he'll get some colour in his face. Now go get some sleep girl. You look awful."
"Ok. Thanks Janet."
"No problem. Just doing my job."
After sleeping the whole day a full twenty four hours Sam woke up. She yawned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Instantly worrying about Jack, she got dressed and headed for the Infirmary. Upon walking in, she saw Jack sitting up in his bed, looking a lot more like the Jack she knew and loved. She sat down on the chair beside the bed.
"Good morning. You're looking a lot better this morning," Sam told him. He smiled.
"I'm feeling a lot better. How about you?"
"Yeah. I feel heaps better now too."
"Oh good."
"You still look pale."
"Oh?"
"Yes. I don't mind though."
"That's ok then."
"Jack! You're up! Sam! You too!" Daniel shrieked as he walked into the Infirmary with Teal'c.
"Hi Daniel."
"Hey Danny."
"How are you both feeling today?"
"Much better thank you. What about you?" Sam asked.
"Same. Jack?"
"Yeah. Me too. How 'bout you Teal'c?"
"I too am feeling better."
"Cool. So we're all in the Healthy Club again. What's say we go somewhere tomorrow?"
"Sounds good. But are you allowed to leave the Infirmary?" Daniel queried.
"Dunno. Where's the Doc? She could come too."
"Janet?" Sam called.
"Yes," she said, walking over to the group.
"Can Jack leave the bed?" Sam asked.
"Yes, I think so. If you're feeling up to it Colonel, I don't see why not."
"Sweet."
"So Dr. Fraiser."
"Yes Dr. Jackson?"
"Are you free tomorrow night?"
"Oh no. I'm not going on another night out with you guys. I spoiled the party. You go without me."
"Janet!"
"Sam?"
"You have to come!"
"No I don't. And you will not make me."
"I wouldn't bet on that Doc."
"Why's that Colonel?"
"Because we are going to nag you until you say yes," Sam smiled at her. She sighed.
"Do you all promise to drink and be merry and not sit around the table and not say a word all night and look like stunned mullets then?"
"Whoa."
"Yes. We promise."
"Oh, all right. I'll come. But if it ends up ... "
"Doc, we'll make it so much fun, you won't wanna go home," Jack told her.
"Yeah right. You'd better or you all might find yourselves in here a lot more often."
"Was that a threat Dr. Fraiser?"
"I believe it was Dr. Jackson."
"Oh."
"See you tomorrow night then. Same place, same time."
"Yes. Do you want me to take you again Sam?"
"As long as you promise not to run off and leave me stranded again."
"Oh. Sorry about that. And no, it won't happen again."
"Good. Ok then. It's a date."
"Shall we dance?"
"It would be a pleasure."
"They're hopeless."
"I know."
"Do you want to dance?"
"Sure. Why not?!"
"Let's go then."
'I call you up whenever things go wrong,
You're always there,
You are my shoulder to cry on,
I can't believe it took me quite so long,
To take the forbidden step,
Is there something that I might regret?'
"You remember when we danced to this a couple of weeks back?"
"Yeah."
"Oh look."
"What?"
"Daniel and Janet are dancing."
"Always knew 'ol Danny boy had a thing for the Doc."
"You did?"
"Yeah. What, you didn't notice?"
"No. I'm surprised you did."
"Thank you very much."
"I was just kidding."
"I know."
'(Come on, come on)
Nothing ventured, nothing gained,
(You are the one)
A lonely heart that can't be tamed,
(Come on, come on)
I'm hoping that you feel the same,
This is something that I can't forget,
I thought that we would just be friends,
Things will never be the same again,
It's just the beginning it's not the end,
Things will never be the same again,
It's not secret anymore,
Now we've opened up the door,
Starting tonight and from now on,
We'll never, never be the same again'
"Listen to the words closely for me."
"Why?"
"Just listen."
"You know, those words almost explain how I feel."
"They do?"
"Yeah."
"Same for me."
"Really?"
"Yeah. When we danced to this last time, I was thinking 'how could I tell you that's how I feel about you'? And you know what? I don't think I need to worry about that now, do I?"
"No."
"Oh, I love you Jack. I want to be with you forever."
"I love you too Sam."
'Now I know that we were close before,
I'm glad I realised, I need you so much more,
And I don't care what everyone will say,
It's about you and me,
And we'll never be the same again,
I thought that we would just be friends,
Things will never be the same again,
It's just the beginning it's not the end,
Things will never be the same again,
It's not a secret anymore,
Now we've opened up the door,
Starting tonight and from now on,
We'll never, never be the same again'
"You know, I think they're right."
"Huh?"
"The words. Like, 'Starting tonight and from now on, things will never be the same again'. Don't you think? I mean, after that night, things weren't the same between us. Did you notice?"
"Yeah. What about 'Now I know that we were close before, I'm glad I realised I need you so much more'?"
"That part too. You know, that's really romantic of you to pick that bit."
"Why thank you."
"It's true. I noticed that part too, but I didn't say it, and you did. I think that's nice."
"Is that what you like? Nice?"
"More than nice."
"How much more?"
"I think that should wait until we get home, don't you think?"
"Whatever you say ma'am."
'I thought that we would just be friends,
Things will never be the same again,
It's just the beginning it's not the end,
Things will never be the same again,
It's not a secret anymore,
Now we've opened up the door,
Starting tonight and from now on,
We'll never, never be the same again,
Things will never be the same again'
They moved close together to the beat of the song they had heard once before. The song that spoke all their thoughts through music and someone else's voice. Sam moved close to Jack and rested her head on his shoulder. She slid the hand that rested around his neck between them and let it rest over his heart on his chest. She loved the feel of his heart beating. He moved his hand to the small of her back and the other around her neck, holding her close. Sam sighed. She loved him so much, and she loved dancing with him so close.
"And that song was dedicated to two very special people Sam and Jack by their friends with a message of, 'keep up the good work, and don't forget to send us the first wedding invites'. So, thankyou for that dedication," the D.J said over his microphone. Sam and Jack looked up instantly after hearing their names. They left the dance floor hand in hand and searched for their friends.
"You!" Jack exclaimed as he saw Daniel walking over to them. He slapped his shoulder playfully. Daniel laughed.
"Well? When's the wedding?" He asked audaciously.
"Jack, do you want to call it a night?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"G'night everyone."
"Night Sam," Janet smiled and hugged her friend.
"You shouldn't have done that you know?"
"We know. That's why we did it."
"You're gonna pay for that Danny," Jack reminded. Daniel nodded.
"I know."
"See ya'll."
"Bye guys," Daniel smiled as they left, still hand in hand. "Gee, I wonder what they're going home to do?" He said sarcastically.
"I can't think," Janet smiled. "Well, that certainly was one encrypted inquisition."
"Yes. Definitely."
====Fini====
I'm all 4 comments don't forget!Thanks folks. J
The song was,
"Never Be The Same Again"
By Mel.C feat. Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes.
~*Nutty1*~
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