The Fire Still Burns - Part 1
Jack shifted in his chair, conscious of every eye in the room being fixed on him.
What was he – an exhibit in a freak show?
It had been like this ever since he'd got back from Hathor's planet. Ever since they'd found out about the snake.
Stares. Concerned looks.
As if he was going to crack open at any moment.
Well, sorry, but he wasn't going to. Hathor was dead – he had killed her himself – and that was something to be celebrated. One less snake to slither around in a poor bastard's body. One less egotistical god-wanna-be treating human beings like puppets.
Pain shot across the back of his head and he winced.
"Colonel O'Neill?"
Hammond seemed to have jumped on the staring bandwagon, a frown creasing his forehead.
"Sorry, sir, what was the question?"
The general's frown deepened. "Are you all right, Colonel?"
The smile Jack summoned up sent the pain bouncing backward and forward, but he held the expression firmly on his lips. "Just a bit of a headache, sir. Nothing a few hours sleep somewhere other than the infirmary won't cure."
"Very well." Hammond turned his attention to encompass the rest of the people seated around the briefing room table. "As I was saying - I shall be accompanying Major Davis to Washington. Until my return Colonel Makepeace will be in command." He looked back at Jack, clearly expecting a protest. "Until you're medically cleared, Colonel, you are confined to the base and are to follow Doctor Fraiser's instructions to restrict yourself to your quarters and rest."
"General…"
"Would you prefer to return to the infirmary, sir?'
O'Neill threw Janet Fraiser a reproachful look, but shook his head. "No. I've spent way too much time there already. Quarters are good."
"I thought so." Hammond nodded in satisfaction. "This has been a costly mission. Two members of SG-6 were killed and there were injuries to five of the other SG team members who participated in the rescue. Doctor Jackson's leg wound will take several weeks to heal, not to mention the possible consequences of Colonel O'Neill's…"
"I'm fine, General." Jack's hand began an involuntary twitch toward the bandage at the back of his neck, but he held it in check. "I've had worse shaving."
"…Colonel O'Neill's infestation by a Goa'uld."
Jack winced again, his gaze fixed on his clasped hands as, once again, every eye in the room turned toward him.
Infestation.
Crap.
The damn thing was dead.
Dead.
He shut his eyes as the pain scurried through his skull like a rat in the nighttime.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Daniel clumped his way toward his teammates, his plate of sandwiches precariously balanced in one unsteady hand.
"Here, let me take that for you."
He relinquished his hold on the plate to a young lieutenant, concentrating on navigating between the tables with most of his weight supported on his good leg and the single crutch.
"Thanks, Karen."
"You're welcome, Doctor Jackson." The woman smiled self-consciously as she placed the sandwiches down on SG-1's table and left to rejoin her friends at the serving line.
"I'm surprised you got out of Janet's clutches so quickly, Jack. She seemed to be gearing up to give you every test known to man." Propping the crutch against the table edge, Daniel eased himself into a chair, waiting for his friend's answer.
"Yeah, well, she's let me out for good behavior, but I'm on probation – have to report back in to my parole officer in a few hours." Jack shrugged, his attention apparently focused on the coffee in front of him. "I'm fine – nothing but a sore neck and the beginnings of a head cold."
"I thought you were supposed to stay in your quarters, sir."
Jack looked up long enough to give Sam a look filled with reproach and Daniel concealed a smile.
"I have to eat. I'm sure the Doc didn't want me to starve."
"It does not appear you are eating," Teal'c pointed out.
"I'm not hungry."
"But you said…"
Jack held up a hand, interrupting the Jaffa. "Leave it, okay? I'll head for my quarters in a minute. I just wanted…" Daniel blinked as an expression he couldn't identify flickered across Jack's face. "Forget it, you're right, I should be in my quarters." He pushed his chair back and stood, resting his weight on the table for a moment before straightening. "I'm too tired to think straight and my bed is calling."
"Do you wish me to accompany you, O'Neill?" Teal made as if to stand, but Jack shook his head.
"Thanks for the offer. I think I can find my quarters without help." His eyes shifted, taking in everyone at the table. "I don't want to be disturbed unless the Earth is in immediate danger of being destroyed by a black hole – no, wait, we've done that one – make it an asteroid."
They all watched silently as the obviously weary figure of the colonel disappeared out the cafeteria door.
"How's your leg?'
"Hurts." Daniel grimaced and then gave Sam a small smile in response to her question. "But Janet says I should be back on duty in a couple of weeks. In the meantime there's plenty of work to catch up on. Did you know we've been missing for three weeks?"
"So Teal'c told me. I can't believe it – we must have been kept in cryogenic sleep for all that time."
"Do you have any idea why Hathor did that, Captain Carter? Why did she wait so long before reviving you, Colonel O'Neill and Daniel Jackson?"
"I've been thinking about that." Sam raised her glass and took a sip of orange juice before speaking again. "Our capture was probably unexpected. She would have needed that time to get the fake SGC in place."
Daniel frowned as he thought about what Sam had just said. "It all seems very elaborate – not your typical Goa'uld plan. Why didn't she just torture us for the information?"
"SG-1 has a certain reputation amongst both the Jaffa and the Goa'uld." A smile of sorts twitched its way across Teal'c's lips. "It is likely Hathor knew you would succumb to death rather than give up the secrets she wished you to divulge. If she did not have ready access to a sarcophagus she would have been unable to revive you."
"It almost worked." Sam spoke in a low voice, her distress clear to Daniel. "If the colonel hadn't…"
"Yeah." Daniel nodded in understanding. "She had me fooled." He changed the subject, unable to think about what had happened at Hathor's base without his stomach tying itself in knots. "Any idea when General Hammond is due back?"
Sam's answer was short. "No."
"You are concerned, Captain Carter? Did not the general's actions result in the rescue of many personnel? Would his superiors not be pleased by this?"
Daniel tried to explain. "He didn't have permission to rescue us, Teal'c, and he didn't get permission to go offworld. I doubt his superiors are pleased at all. He may lose his command."
Teal'c frowned. "That is not good news. General Hammond may be punished for doing what was right?"
"Against orders."
"Was he ordered not to rescue you?"
Sam shook her head. "No, not exactly…"
"Then he did not disobey orders. Your military has a very strange attitude to success. Surely it is results that count?"
Daniel finally took a sip of his long cold coffee. If only it were that simple.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
TBC