Title: A Dangerous Trip
Author: Steed
E-mail: liasoc247@kscable.com
Status: Complete
Category: Action/Adventure, Angst
Spoilers: none
Season/Sequel: 2-ish
Rating: PG
Content Warnings: Language mainly
Summary: O'Neill accidentally absorbs a chemical and goes a little Dark Side...
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me and are written solely for the joy of writing. The characters belong to Showtime, MGM/UA, Gekko Films et al. If you wish to post this story somewhere or publish it you must get the author's consent.
Author's Notes: Thanks to Corine and Sia for beta-ing! Also, this can be archived anywhere, just make sure and e-mail me to let me know first!
* * * * * * * * *
"Okay kids, let's get a move on. I want to get this over with as soon as possible," a very bored Jack O'Neill said. SG-1 was on a simple recon mission, and Carter was taking her samples, but all in all, it was a very dull mission. Although it was a nice change for the team not to be being chased and shot at for once, everyone present wanted to get home. There was just nothing to stimulste their curiosity on this planet.
"Yes, Sir, I just want to take a look at some fungus I found on these plants. It might have medicinal properties. It won't take but a second Sir," Carter said, stepping towards a tall, brown plant. The planet they had gated to was very flat, had no trees, and no life except for one plant that they found. The brown shoots popped up everywhere and appeared to be much like rye.
"All done, we can go now," Carter proclaimed after a few minutes.
"Well thank God for small favors!" O'Neill exclaimed. "Let's get the hell out of here!" The walk back to the 'Gate was a short one, due to the fact that since the whole planet looked the same, they could camp anywhere in close proximity to the Stargate. "Dial us home, Daniel."
When the familiar kawoosh of the Stargate came, Jack punched in the code for the iris, and SG-1 stepped through.
"SG-1, how was the mission?" General Hammond asked upon their return.
"Boring, sir," Jack quipped.
"I'll take that as a 'good' Colonel. Get yourselves to the infirmary. Debriefing in two hours."
"Yes, Sir!"
* * * * * * * * *
"So, Daniel. Got any plans this weekend?" Jack asked as they waited for General Hammond to come and start the debriefing.
"Well, actually Jack, SG-5 found some interesting-"
"Good. How about coming over and watching a movie or something?" Daniel scowled at him, but before he could answer, General Hammond walked in.
"At ease, people," he said to the saluting officers. "Did you find anything of interest?"
"Possibly, Sir. We found some interesting fungus on some grain plants. I believe it may be useful to study the properties of it and see if ithas any practical uses," Carter said.
"All right. Anything else?"
"No, Sir."
"SG-1 is on stand down until further notice then. Dismissed."
"So Daniel, we still on for that movie?" Jack asked as they were walking into the hallway.
"Jack, I never-"
"Sweet. Tomorrow at seven okay? Good," Jack said, oblivious to Daniel's protests. With an exasperated sigh, the archaeologist walked away, rolling his eyes.
Jack decided to head to the infirmary. He had something to ask the good doctor. With a few turns and some walking, he got there. O'Neill peered in, looking for Dr. Frasier. He spotted her over by a bed, checking the equipment.
"Hey Doc!" he greeted. "I need to ask a favor."
Looking at him skeptically, she replied, "And what exactly is this favor?"
"Well, the big brass have decided that all the field officers in the Air Force need to take a crash course in first aid. Basically all we have to do is read a book that has all the basics in it, but I don't know what to look for. I was hoping you could help me out."
"Sure!" she said, mildly surprised. "I can have something for you in a couple of hours. If you are hanging around on base 'til then, I'll give you a shout."
"Can do, Doc. Thanks."
* * * * * * * * *
After hours studying and experimenting on the fungus they had found on the planet, Carter decided to give a preliminary report to General Hammond. Janet had also been involved in the analysis, so she was coming too, in order to brief the General of their progress to date.
Carter knocked on the door and they went inside when they heard the General's brisk "Come!"
"Oh, hey Carter, Doc! What's up?" grinned the colonel.
"Just reporting about the fungus, Sirs. We think we've found something," Janet said.
"When we were testing the fungus to see what its chemical properties were, we noticed it was similar to something else. It's called lysergic acid diethylamide."
"Woah! lys-what?" a bewildered O'Neill interjected.
"LSD for short Colonel," Janet said, taking over. "Also known as acid. It's a hallucinogen, very strong. It has a structural similarity to a chemical that is in our brains. It also has a similar effect to psychosis so it was used to study mental illness. However, this chemical from the fungus is a little different."
"We believe that with further studying, we may be able to find a cure for certain mental illnesses. We're not certain yet, but we'd like to ask permission to continue the analysis and see where it leads us," Carter voiced.
"Are you certain that it would be safe to handle?"
"Yes, Sir. We've been taking great precautions to keep the chemical contained."
"Permission granted then," Hammond replied, dismissing them with a short wave of his hand.
Janet turned to face the O'Neill, "Oh, and Colonel? I have the reading material you wanted. I didn't know that you'd be here so I didn't bring it. It's sitting on a table in the infirmary with your name on it, so it should be easy to spot," Janet said.
"We'll be in the lab if you need us," Carter nodded at the two men before turning to the door.
"I think I'll go down to the infirmary and get that book, sir?" said Jack after Carter and Frasier had left.
"Dismissed Colonel."
O'Neill grinned and threw off a salute. He then turned crisply and left the room.
* * * * * * * * *
"Airman, take these down to the infirmary. Be very careful. Don't let it touch your skin," Dr. Frasier ordered.
"Yes, ma'am," the Airman responded.
"Janet, why the infirmary?" Carter asked, puzzled.
"There is equipment there that will help us discover exactly what its medicinal properties are. However, since we have to finish this test, I thought I'd have and airman run it down first."
"I get all the crummy jobs," the disgruntled Airman mumbled as he walked towards the infirmary with two closed containers in hand. "It's always 'Airman, get this' and 'Airman get that.' And I joined the air force to help our country. A big help I am." As he was mumbling, the Airman failed to notice a chord on the floor and promptly tripped over it. He managed to hold onto one of the containers, but the other one went flying. It landed on a table and cracked open.
"Damn!" the Airman said aloud, quickly putting the lid back on. "The lid must not have been on all the way." As he was leaving, he noticed that the liquid had spilled onto a book. He was going to pick it up (he'd be safe because he had rubber gloves on) when he decided he'd come back for it after he'd delivered the samples.
"The book will still be there when I get back," he thought. Just as he walked out the doorway, into Dr. Frasier's office, O'Neill walked in the other door. Scanning the room, he caught sight of a book lying on the table. Walking over, he noticed a sticky note stuck to it that read 'Colonel O'Neill.'
"This must be the book," Jack thought. Picking it up, he thought it felt slightly damp, but he just assumed that it was his imagination as he couldn't see anything on the book or the table. Whistling, he walked out of the room, just as the Airman came back in.
"Alright, now for the book. I'll bet they'll get really mad at me for spilling stuff, too. This is so not my day. Wait, where is it? It was right on this table!" the Airman said, beginning to get worried. He began to frantically search around the table. When he found no traces of it, he could only manage to say one thing - "Uh oh."
Still whistling, O'Neill signed out and walked to his jeep. Now he just wanted to get home, watch some hockey, and maybe go for a walk or something. He tossed the book into the back seat and sped off down the road.
* * * * * * * * *
"Oh man, am I in trouble now. What am I gonna do? I'm so screwed. Let's see, if I tell the doc, then she'll get mad. If I don't tell her, things could get worse, but then again, I wouldn't get in trouble for it. Yeah, that's what I'll do. I doubt anything will happen anyways. Someone will probably get a library fine for their book missing is all."
* * * * * * * * *
After watching some hockey and ordering a pizza, Jack was getting bored. It had been almost an hour since he got back, and that book was still sitting in the back of his car. Sighing, he decided he may as well start reading it. He stepped putside and walked to his car. A shiver ran down his back, making him wonder when it had gotten that cold. Quickly, O'Neill grabbed the book and rushed back to the warm environment of the house. Closing the door behind him, Jack frowned. He was sweating all over. Shrugging off the idea that he might have caught a cold, he decided to take a nice long shower. He set the book on the living room table and started up the stairs.
All of a sudden, the stairs in front of him began spinning. Gasping, he grabbed for the star rail and missed. Falling backwards, he thumped down the stairs and landed at the bottom, unconscious.
* * * * * * * * *
"Daniel, do you know where Colonel O'Neill is?" Janet asked.
"Isn't he on the base?"
"No, he signed out and he isn't answering the phone. Is there any other place that he goes?"
"Not that I know of," Daniel said, a frown crossing his features. "Maybe we should check with Teal'c and Sam. He might have told one of them."
"He didn't speak to Sam. And she's checking to see if Jack spoke to Teal'cbefore he left. Let's go find them." Walking out of Jackson's office, they met Carter and Teal'c in the hallway.
"Teal'c, do you know where the Colonel is?" Janet inquired.
"I do not, Dr. Frasier."
"Daniel, do you know?" Carter asked.
"No. I think we should go check on him. Something could be wrong. Why were you looking for him anyway Janet?"
"I wanted to check and see if he had gotten his book. It wasn't in the infirmary, so I decided to make sure. But he didn't answer his phone."
Down the hall, a certain Airman had just paled a few shades.
"Should I tell them?" he thought. "Colonel O'Neill could be in trouble, I have to tell them." With a determined look on his face which quickly changed to a wince of fear, he set off after Dr. Frasier, Carter, Teal'c, and Dr. Jackson.
He found them in General Hammond's office, asking the General if he knew anything about it. Quickly putting his determined face back on, he knocked and went in.
"Airman, what can I do for you?" asked General Hammond.
"If I didn't know better, I think the General looks a little worried. Great, now I'm going to be court-martialed," he thought.
"Airman?" Hammond questioned again.
"Sirs, ma'ams, I couldn't help but overhear. I think I may know where the Colonel is. Or at least what's wrong."
"What do you mean? What's wrong? Where is he?" asked Daniel, urgency in his voice.
"Well, uh, when I was delivering the containers with those chemicals in them, I tripped. One of them spilled. Not much of it spilled, but a little got on a, uh, book in the infirmary."
"WHAT?!" Janet exclaimed, a stricken expression on her features.
"I thought it'd be there when I got back!" the Airman exclaimed hurriedly. "But when I did get back, it wasn't there."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Janet asked, glaring at the Airman.
"I, I was afraid I'd get in trouble," he said meekly.
"When was this?"
"About two hours ago."
"General, we have to get to Colonel O'Neill's house ASAP, it's extremely urgent," Janet said, turning her attention from the Airman to the General.
"Wait, Janet, why is it urgent? I mean, all that would happen is he'd touch the chemical, right?" Daniel asked, puzzled.
"Daniel, LSD can be absorbed through the skin. The chemical spilled on the Colonel's book. Assuming he touched it, that means he should be going into the hallucinatory state soon. If we don't get there soon, he could go hysterical, maybe even get in an accident because his ability to make good judgments and see common dangers will be impaired. We need to get to him, now," Janet said as quickly as possible.
"Permission granted, get to Colonel O'Neill as fast as you can. Dismissed, but not you, Airman."
With a gulp, the Airman looked back at the glaring General. "This is not gone be good," he thought.
* * * * * * * * *
With a groan, he woke up. Looking around, he wondered where he was. "They're trying to kill me, I have to get out of here," he thought desperately. Standing up and ignoring the pain in his head and leg, he staggered towards the patio door. Scanning the area, he noticed movement to his left. Although it was dark and difficult to see, Jack searched the bushes, until he came up with the outline of something. Something big, very big.
With a strangled cry, he ran to the forest behind his house. Everywhere he looked, there were glowing red and yellow eyes. Quickly changing direction, O'Neill ran for the street. They were after him, all of them. Hearing a noise to his right this time, he turned in time to see something large coming at him again, this time with two big round white- yellow eyes.
He determinedly threw himself at it. Jack wouldn't let them take him. He was knocked back with a great force. He quickly rolled aside and shakily stood up. Realizing he was no match for this beast, he ran for the pond at the end of the street. Vaguely, O'Neill realized his chest hurt and something was trickling down his arm.
It didn't matter though. Whatever it was would have to wait. The only thing that mattered was that they didn't take him. No one would, he would make sure of that.
* * * * * * * * *
"Janet, exactly what are the effects of this chemical? I mean, will he recognize us?" Daniel asked anxiously as they turned onto the street where O'Neill lived.
"It's not likely, Daniel. He'll probably experience a fear of dying or going insane. It's also likely that he'll have terrifying thoughts and feelings. We'll have to approach him with caution."
As they spoke, they noticed a figure in the middle of the road.
"Stop the car!" Janet yelled frantically. "That's Colonel O'Neill, stop!"
The driver immediately hit the brakes, but it was too little too late. The car hit O'Neill head on with a thump.
"He threw himself at the car!" Carter exclaimed. "He looks like he's injured, but it's too dark to tell. If he is, he's not letting it slow him down. Come on, he's running down the street. We've got to stop him before he kills himself!"
Quickly jumping out of the car, they went full speed down the street. As they ran after the dark figure weaving wildly threw the road, they noticed him veer off and down a hill.
"Where's he going?" Daniel panted.
"I believe he is going to that pond Daniel Jackson," Teal'c yelled over his shoulder. Although seemingly stoic as ever, Teal'c was very worried and quickened his pace.
"They won't get me, I won't let them," Jack thought once more. He was almost at his destination. Jumping in and sinking to the bottom, he allowed himself to smile. "I'll be safe here, they won't get me."
"Oh, God! He's jumped in!" exclaimed Janet.
Teal'c dove in after him, but due to the darkness it was hard to see where the Colonel was. The rest of SG-1 and Dr. Frasier jumped in right behind him and they all frantically started diving, in order to find their missing CO before he would drown.
After what seemed like forever, Teal'c felt his hand hit something that definitely didn't belong to the bottom of the pond.
Yanking O'Neill upwards with him as quickly as possible, Teal'c pulled the older man ashore.
"I have found O'Neill!' he yelled, hoping someone would hear him. They did. Janet rushed up and began checking the colonel.
"He's not breathing!" she exclaimed frantically. Turning Jack all the way over, she started compressions on his chest. "Sam, go call 911! We have to get him to a hospital immediately!"
Dr. Frasier tipped his head back and pinched his nose shut. She then leaned down and gave Jack a breath. She continued this and the compressions until O'Neill started coughing violently. Janet quickly rolled him onto his side so that the water could come out of his lungs.
"Daniel, Teal'c, I may need your help if he wakes up. He might get violent. Get over here!" she said a little louder when she noticed Daniel did not respond. Jerking as if awaking from sleep, Daniel quickly moved to Jack's side.
"How is he?" Daniel whispered as he took Jack's hand.
"He's hurt his knees again, he's got a concussion, at least two ribs are broken, and the bone is poking through his arm," she said distractedly. "He has all the effects of LSD, dilated pupils, low body temperature, rapid heart rate. He's already wet so it's hard to tell, but he's probably sweating a lot, too. Where's Sam?"
"I'm here, I just called. An ambulance is on the way."
Jack was tossing and turning and mumbling indecipherable things. His eyes fluttered open.
"Dan'l?" he slurred.
"Yeah Jack, I'm here."
"They sstill aft' me?"
"No Jack, you're safe."
"Why'ss ev'rthin' spinning?"
"It's okay, Jack, everything's going to be okay. Rest now," Daniel said, hoping he was hiding the fear he felt. Gratefully, he heard the sirens of an ambulance coming towards them. Looking down into the pale face of his friend, he hoped everything would be okay.
* * * * * * * * *
"Janet, will he be alright?" asked four very worried people: Carter, Teal'c, Daniel, and General Hammond.
"Yes, he should be fine. The effects of the drug normally wears off twelve hours after exposure. However, we do have his injuries to account for. Problems may arise from them. It's been approximately seven hours since the drug went into his system, so he has about five hours left. I can't sedate him or give him pain killers because it would react with the LSD and have effects that would not help him, so he's in for a rough night."
"Can we see him?"
"Yes, I'll need someone in there to help calm him down. He'll most likely be violent when he wakes up so I'll need a security team in there too, Sir," she said, looking at General Hammond with a look that said "If there were any other way to do this, I'd take it, but there isn't."
General Hammond nodded and said, "Whatever you need, Doctor. Just get my 2IC back in working order." With a grim look on his face, he turned and stalked down the corridor.
As the remaining members of SG-1 filed into the infirmary, they studied their CO. He was still very pale and sweat glistened on his forehead. Walking over, Daniel picked up a washcloth on the table next to the bed O'Neill was on.
Daniel wiped Jack's forehead and whispered soothing words to the restless man. Jack seemed to accept this and settled down a little.
All of a sudden, an erratic beeping woke him up. Realizing he must have fallen asleep, Daniel looked around for the source of the beeping. Then he noticed that Jack was getting up out of bed, once again seemingly oblivious to his injuries.
"Jack, what are you doing? You need to be lying down." At the sound of his voice, O'Neill turned around, startled. With a wild look in his eyes, he lunged for a tray and picked up a scalpel.
Holding it before him like a weapon, he went into a defensive posture. Having heard the clattering, Janet rushed in but quickly stopped when she saw Jack. She instead moved for the phone. She picked it up and called security.
"Jack, put the scalpel down. You're safe here. Nothing's going to hurt you. Put it down, you need to rest," Daniel said, trying to sound soothing. At that moment, Carter and Teal'c rushed in along with the MPs, but abruptly stopped just like Janet had.
"No, I won't let you get me," O'Neill rasped. "I'll die first." He then held the scalpel up to his throat.
"No, O'Neill!" Teal'c cried. "Do not!"
"Sir, please, you have to listen to us," Carter pleaded. "Don't kill yourself, Sir. We're your friends here, we need you. You can't die, you're our leader!"
"Jack, if you die, who will remember Charlie? And who will help me save Share and Skaara? You can't die, Jack, please, calm down," Daniel said sincerely.
As they watched, O'Neill's eyes got a softer look to them. Then he looked around with confused brown eyes and put down the scalpel.
"Daniel? Teal'c? Carter, Doc?" he said, "What's going on? What happened?"
"Sir, I need you to lie back down. Your body has been through a great ordeal, and you need to sleep it off," Janet ordered.
"Hurts, Janet," he mumbled sleepily.
"I know, sir, everything will be okay though. Just rest." Jack's eyes slowly fluttered shut, and the room let out a collective sigh of relief.
"Do you need us for anything, ma'am?" one of the MPs asked.
"No, thank God. I think we can handle it from here. Colonel O'Neill just had me worried for a second, that's all."
* * * * * * * * *
Groaning, Jack O'Neill woke up in the infirmary. He tried to sit up, but then quickly changed his mind after the room spun a few different ways. Opting instead to just look around, he noticed the rest of his team and Dr. Frasier all asleep around his bed.
Wondering what was going on, he decided to try sitting up again, just slower this time. Although he had to close his eyes for a second to force away the pain, he made it up. Deciding to wake the doc first, he leaned over and poked her shoulder a few times.
"Get the critical patients out first," she mumbled, half asleep. "No doctor, it'll have to be a lobotomy."
"Janet!" O'Neill said as loudly as possible, then groaned again when his voice echoed through his head a few times.
"Wha- What? Colonel! You're awake?"
"Yeah, great observation Janet. What happened?"
As she checked his vitals, she said, "I'm going to take a blood sample, sir. In the meantime, tell me what you remember."
"Let's see, I picked up that book you left me and went home. I watched some hockey and then things got a little hazy. I remember being really cold and damp and I think I fell down the stairs. I'm not sure though."
"That would explain some of your injuries," she said, nodding. "It seems that an Airman decided not to tell us that the book you took had the chemical we found on the planet on it. You absorbed it through your skin and began to hallucinate."
"No wonder I've got such a head ache. I didn't do anything really bad did I? Like moon the General or something?"
"No, but you went a little dark side on us," Daniel said, joining the conversation.
"Hey, Danny! Nice to see you're up!"
"I should be saying the same to you," he replied with a smile.
"Sir, you're awake!"
"O'Neill! You have awakened!" Carter and Teal'c said at the same time.
"Observant bunch, aren't we?" O'Neill commented dryly, then yawned loudly.
"All right, Colonel, since your blood is free of the chemical-"
"Wait, you already got the results back? I didn't even see them get taken to the lab!" Jack said.
"Professional secret, sir," Dr. Frasier replied, obviously pleased with herself. "As I was saying though, since your bloodwork is clear, I'm going to give you some pain medication and a sedative so you can sleep the rest of the effects off."
"Aw, c'mon, doc! Have a heart! Can't you just give me a load of Tylenol and send me home?" Jack asked, trying to do his best puppy dog eyes look.
"Sorry, Colonel," she said, inserting the IVs. "Not this time."
"I guess it's sleepy time then. 'Night all," Jack yawned.
* * * * * * * * *
"I'm glad Janet's letting you home," Daniel said as he drove them to Jack's house. Because Dr. Frasier didn't trust Jack to drive yet or take care of himself, Daniel was his chauffeur and nurse now.
"Yeah, me too. It's Miller time!"
"Nuh-uh, Jack. No alcohol, doctor's orders."
"C'mon, Danny! Have a heart!"
"Sorry, Jack, no alcohol. I can give you decaffeinated coffee though."
"Oh goodie. Just what I've always wanted," Jack drawled sarcastically.
When they had reached O'Neill's house, both men got out of the car. Although Jack moved a little slower than normal, he refused help and got there all right. As soon as they got inside, Daniel ordered Jack to get some rest.
"I've been resting for days Daniel. How about this. I watch some hockey while I lay on the couch, and then I'll fall asleep like a good boy. Hell, I'll probably drift asleep during the game! What do ya say?" he asked hopefully.
"All right," Daniel sighed. "But no more than an hour of hockey!" he warned.
"Deal!"
"Jack! Jack! Wake up! It's time for breakfast!"
"What? Damn, I did fall asleep during the game didn't I? That wasn't supposed to happen, I just added that part in so you'd let me play hockey!"
"Here, eat," Daniel commanded, putting a plate of eggs and bacon in front of Jack.
"That's okay, I'm not hungry. I'll just have something to drink."
"No, Janet said that you're supposed to eat every meal, even if you don't feel hungry."
"Rules were meant to be broken, Spacemonkey. I'll just have something to drink."
"Jack!" Daniel exclaimed, getting angry.
"Daniel?" Jack asked, wondering why Daniel was getting angry.
"Jack, please? Just eat something?" he asked, backing off.
"Okay, if it's that important to you," Jack said, feeling he could give in this one time. They ate in silence, thinking. Finally Jack said, "Daniel, what's wrong?"
For a moment Daniel just sat there, but then he replied in a soft voice, "We almost lost you, Jack."
"What? What do you mean? You mean the part about jumping into the pond? Janet told me about that and I-"
"No, I mean when you had the scalpel. I was so sure you were going to end it there," he stressed.
"But I didn't, thanks to you guys," Jack stated.
"I know, but what if we hadn't been able to stop you? What if you had killed yourself then and there? What if-?"
"Daniel! You can't ask yourself 'what if' all the time, it doesn't solve anything. You'll just be running in circles for the rest of your life. You have to accept it and move on."
"So you've accepted it already? Just like that?"
"Not necessarily. Sometimes it just takes time. Besides, you can always talk to me about it."
"I guess so," Daniel said, even though he realized Jack probably wouldn't talk back much, it's always nice to have someone there to just listen.
"It's just another part of life Daniel. So, we still on for that movie?"
"Depends on what you want to watch. I saw this movie that looked pretty good. It has lots of action which you should like, but some Egyptian history too."
"What is it?" Jack asked suspiciously.
"The Mummy," Daniel said.
"I don't know, Daniel, does it have any Spacemonkeys in it? It can't be a good historical movie if it doesn't have Spacemonkies, anyone knows that," he replied with a twinkle in his eye.
"Jack, when are you going to let the Spacemonkey thing go? It gets really annoying."
"That's the point, Spacemonkey, that's the point."
THE END
Author: Steed
E-mail: liasoc247@kscable.com
Status: Complete
Category: Action/Adventure, Angst
Spoilers: none
Season/Sequel: 2-ish
Rating: PG
Content Warnings: Language mainly
Summary: O'Neill accidentally absorbs a chemical and goes a little Dark Side...
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me and are written solely for the joy of writing. The characters belong to Showtime, MGM/UA, Gekko Films et al. If you wish to post this story somewhere or publish it you must get the author's consent.
Author's Notes: Thanks to Corine and Sia for beta-ing! Also, this can be archived anywhere, just make sure and e-mail me to let me know first!
* * * * * * * * *
"Okay kids, let's get a move on. I want to get this over with as soon as possible," a very bored Jack O'Neill said. SG-1 was on a simple recon mission, and Carter was taking her samples, but all in all, it was a very dull mission. Although it was a nice change for the team not to be being chased and shot at for once, everyone present wanted to get home. There was just nothing to stimulste their curiosity on this planet.
"Yes, Sir, I just want to take a look at some fungus I found on these plants. It might have medicinal properties. It won't take but a second Sir," Carter said, stepping towards a tall, brown plant. The planet they had gated to was very flat, had no trees, and no life except for one plant that they found. The brown shoots popped up everywhere and appeared to be much like rye.
"All done, we can go now," Carter proclaimed after a few minutes.
"Well thank God for small favors!" O'Neill exclaimed. "Let's get the hell out of here!" The walk back to the 'Gate was a short one, due to the fact that since the whole planet looked the same, they could camp anywhere in close proximity to the Stargate. "Dial us home, Daniel."
When the familiar kawoosh of the Stargate came, Jack punched in the code for the iris, and SG-1 stepped through.
"SG-1, how was the mission?" General Hammond asked upon their return.
"Boring, sir," Jack quipped.
"I'll take that as a 'good' Colonel. Get yourselves to the infirmary. Debriefing in two hours."
"Yes, Sir!"
* * * * * * * * *
"So, Daniel. Got any plans this weekend?" Jack asked as they waited for General Hammond to come and start the debriefing.
"Well, actually Jack, SG-5 found some interesting-"
"Good. How about coming over and watching a movie or something?" Daniel scowled at him, but before he could answer, General Hammond walked in.
"At ease, people," he said to the saluting officers. "Did you find anything of interest?"
"Possibly, Sir. We found some interesting fungus on some grain plants. I believe it may be useful to study the properties of it and see if ithas any practical uses," Carter said.
"All right. Anything else?"
"No, Sir."
"SG-1 is on stand down until further notice then. Dismissed."
"So Daniel, we still on for that movie?" Jack asked as they were walking into the hallway.
"Jack, I never-"
"Sweet. Tomorrow at seven okay? Good," Jack said, oblivious to Daniel's protests. With an exasperated sigh, the archaeologist walked away, rolling his eyes.
Jack decided to head to the infirmary. He had something to ask the good doctor. With a few turns and some walking, he got there. O'Neill peered in, looking for Dr. Frasier. He spotted her over by a bed, checking the equipment.
"Hey Doc!" he greeted. "I need to ask a favor."
Looking at him skeptically, she replied, "And what exactly is this favor?"
"Well, the big brass have decided that all the field officers in the Air Force need to take a crash course in first aid. Basically all we have to do is read a book that has all the basics in it, but I don't know what to look for. I was hoping you could help me out."
"Sure!" she said, mildly surprised. "I can have something for you in a couple of hours. If you are hanging around on base 'til then, I'll give you a shout."
"Can do, Doc. Thanks."
* * * * * * * * *
After hours studying and experimenting on the fungus they had found on the planet, Carter decided to give a preliminary report to General Hammond. Janet had also been involved in the analysis, so she was coming too, in order to brief the General of their progress to date.
Carter knocked on the door and they went inside when they heard the General's brisk "Come!"
"Oh, hey Carter, Doc! What's up?" grinned the colonel.
"Just reporting about the fungus, Sirs. We think we've found something," Janet said.
"When we were testing the fungus to see what its chemical properties were, we noticed it was similar to something else. It's called lysergic acid diethylamide."
"Woah! lys-what?" a bewildered O'Neill interjected.
"LSD for short Colonel," Janet said, taking over. "Also known as acid. It's a hallucinogen, very strong. It has a structural similarity to a chemical that is in our brains. It also has a similar effect to psychosis so it was used to study mental illness. However, this chemical from the fungus is a little different."
"We believe that with further studying, we may be able to find a cure for certain mental illnesses. We're not certain yet, but we'd like to ask permission to continue the analysis and see where it leads us," Carter voiced.
"Are you certain that it would be safe to handle?"
"Yes, Sir. We've been taking great precautions to keep the chemical contained."
"Permission granted then," Hammond replied, dismissing them with a short wave of his hand.
Janet turned to face the O'Neill, "Oh, and Colonel? I have the reading material you wanted. I didn't know that you'd be here so I didn't bring it. It's sitting on a table in the infirmary with your name on it, so it should be easy to spot," Janet said.
"We'll be in the lab if you need us," Carter nodded at the two men before turning to the door.
"I think I'll go down to the infirmary and get that book, sir?" said Jack after Carter and Frasier had left.
"Dismissed Colonel."
O'Neill grinned and threw off a salute. He then turned crisply and left the room.
* * * * * * * * *
"Airman, take these down to the infirmary. Be very careful. Don't let it touch your skin," Dr. Frasier ordered.
"Yes, ma'am," the Airman responded.
"Janet, why the infirmary?" Carter asked, puzzled.
"There is equipment there that will help us discover exactly what its medicinal properties are. However, since we have to finish this test, I thought I'd have and airman run it down first."
"I get all the crummy jobs," the disgruntled Airman mumbled as he walked towards the infirmary with two closed containers in hand. "It's always 'Airman, get this' and 'Airman get that.' And I joined the air force to help our country. A big help I am." As he was mumbling, the Airman failed to notice a chord on the floor and promptly tripped over it. He managed to hold onto one of the containers, but the other one went flying. It landed on a table and cracked open.
"Damn!" the Airman said aloud, quickly putting the lid back on. "The lid must not have been on all the way." As he was leaving, he noticed that the liquid had spilled onto a book. He was going to pick it up (he'd be safe because he had rubber gloves on) when he decided he'd come back for it after he'd delivered the samples.
"The book will still be there when I get back," he thought. Just as he walked out the doorway, into Dr. Frasier's office, O'Neill walked in the other door. Scanning the room, he caught sight of a book lying on the table. Walking over, he noticed a sticky note stuck to it that read 'Colonel O'Neill.'
"This must be the book," Jack thought. Picking it up, he thought it felt slightly damp, but he just assumed that it was his imagination as he couldn't see anything on the book or the table. Whistling, he walked out of the room, just as the Airman came back in.
"Alright, now for the book. I'll bet they'll get really mad at me for spilling stuff, too. This is so not my day. Wait, where is it? It was right on this table!" the Airman said, beginning to get worried. He began to frantically search around the table. When he found no traces of it, he could only manage to say one thing - "Uh oh."
Still whistling, O'Neill signed out and walked to his jeep. Now he just wanted to get home, watch some hockey, and maybe go for a walk or something. He tossed the book into the back seat and sped off down the road.
* * * * * * * * *
"Oh man, am I in trouble now. What am I gonna do? I'm so screwed. Let's see, if I tell the doc, then she'll get mad. If I don't tell her, things could get worse, but then again, I wouldn't get in trouble for it. Yeah, that's what I'll do. I doubt anything will happen anyways. Someone will probably get a library fine for their book missing is all."
* * * * * * * * *
After watching some hockey and ordering a pizza, Jack was getting bored. It had been almost an hour since he got back, and that book was still sitting in the back of his car. Sighing, he decided he may as well start reading it. He stepped putside and walked to his car. A shiver ran down his back, making him wonder when it had gotten that cold. Quickly, O'Neill grabbed the book and rushed back to the warm environment of the house. Closing the door behind him, Jack frowned. He was sweating all over. Shrugging off the idea that he might have caught a cold, he decided to take a nice long shower. He set the book on the living room table and started up the stairs.
All of a sudden, the stairs in front of him began spinning. Gasping, he grabbed for the star rail and missed. Falling backwards, he thumped down the stairs and landed at the bottom, unconscious.
* * * * * * * * *
"Daniel, do you know where Colonel O'Neill is?" Janet asked.
"Isn't he on the base?"
"No, he signed out and he isn't answering the phone. Is there any other place that he goes?"
"Not that I know of," Daniel said, a frown crossing his features. "Maybe we should check with Teal'c and Sam. He might have told one of them."
"He didn't speak to Sam. And she's checking to see if Jack spoke to Teal'cbefore he left. Let's go find them." Walking out of Jackson's office, they met Carter and Teal'c in the hallway.
"Teal'c, do you know where the Colonel is?" Janet inquired.
"I do not, Dr. Frasier."
"Daniel, do you know?" Carter asked.
"No. I think we should go check on him. Something could be wrong. Why were you looking for him anyway Janet?"
"I wanted to check and see if he had gotten his book. It wasn't in the infirmary, so I decided to make sure. But he didn't answer his phone."
Down the hall, a certain Airman had just paled a few shades.
"Should I tell them?" he thought. "Colonel O'Neill could be in trouble, I have to tell them." With a determined look on his face which quickly changed to a wince of fear, he set off after Dr. Frasier, Carter, Teal'c, and Dr. Jackson.
He found them in General Hammond's office, asking the General if he knew anything about it. Quickly putting his determined face back on, he knocked and went in.
"Airman, what can I do for you?" asked General Hammond.
"If I didn't know better, I think the General looks a little worried. Great, now I'm going to be court-martialed," he thought.
"Airman?" Hammond questioned again.
"Sirs, ma'ams, I couldn't help but overhear. I think I may know where the Colonel is. Or at least what's wrong."
"What do you mean? What's wrong? Where is he?" asked Daniel, urgency in his voice.
"Well, uh, when I was delivering the containers with those chemicals in them, I tripped. One of them spilled. Not much of it spilled, but a little got on a, uh, book in the infirmary."
"WHAT?!" Janet exclaimed, a stricken expression on her features.
"I thought it'd be there when I got back!" the Airman exclaimed hurriedly. "But when I did get back, it wasn't there."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Janet asked, glaring at the Airman.
"I, I was afraid I'd get in trouble," he said meekly.
"When was this?"
"About two hours ago."
"General, we have to get to Colonel O'Neill's house ASAP, it's extremely urgent," Janet said, turning her attention from the Airman to the General.
"Wait, Janet, why is it urgent? I mean, all that would happen is he'd touch the chemical, right?" Daniel asked, puzzled.
"Daniel, LSD can be absorbed through the skin. The chemical spilled on the Colonel's book. Assuming he touched it, that means he should be going into the hallucinatory state soon. If we don't get there soon, he could go hysterical, maybe even get in an accident because his ability to make good judgments and see common dangers will be impaired. We need to get to him, now," Janet said as quickly as possible.
"Permission granted, get to Colonel O'Neill as fast as you can. Dismissed, but not you, Airman."
With a gulp, the Airman looked back at the glaring General. "This is not gone be good," he thought.
* * * * * * * * *
With a groan, he woke up. Looking around, he wondered where he was. "They're trying to kill me, I have to get out of here," he thought desperately. Standing up and ignoring the pain in his head and leg, he staggered towards the patio door. Scanning the area, he noticed movement to his left. Although it was dark and difficult to see, Jack searched the bushes, until he came up with the outline of something. Something big, very big.
With a strangled cry, he ran to the forest behind his house. Everywhere he looked, there were glowing red and yellow eyes. Quickly changing direction, O'Neill ran for the street. They were after him, all of them. Hearing a noise to his right this time, he turned in time to see something large coming at him again, this time with two big round white- yellow eyes.
He determinedly threw himself at it. Jack wouldn't let them take him. He was knocked back with a great force. He quickly rolled aside and shakily stood up. Realizing he was no match for this beast, he ran for the pond at the end of the street. Vaguely, O'Neill realized his chest hurt and something was trickling down his arm.
It didn't matter though. Whatever it was would have to wait. The only thing that mattered was that they didn't take him. No one would, he would make sure of that.
* * * * * * * * *
"Janet, exactly what are the effects of this chemical? I mean, will he recognize us?" Daniel asked anxiously as they turned onto the street where O'Neill lived.
"It's not likely, Daniel. He'll probably experience a fear of dying or going insane. It's also likely that he'll have terrifying thoughts and feelings. We'll have to approach him with caution."
As they spoke, they noticed a figure in the middle of the road.
"Stop the car!" Janet yelled frantically. "That's Colonel O'Neill, stop!"
The driver immediately hit the brakes, but it was too little too late. The car hit O'Neill head on with a thump.
"He threw himself at the car!" Carter exclaimed. "He looks like he's injured, but it's too dark to tell. If he is, he's not letting it slow him down. Come on, he's running down the street. We've got to stop him before he kills himself!"
Quickly jumping out of the car, they went full speed down the street. As they ran after the dark figure weaving wildly threw the road, they noticed him veer off and down a hill.
"Where's he going?" Daniel panted.
"I believe he is going to that pond Daniel Jackson," Teal'c yelled over his shoulder. Although seemingly stoic as ever, Teal'c was very worried and quickened his pace.
"They won't get me, I won't let them," Jack thought once more. He was almost at his destination. Jumping in and sinking to the bottom, he allowed himself to smile. "I'll be safe here, they won't get me."
"Oh, God! He's jumped in!" exclaimed Janet.
Teal'c dove in after him, but due to the darkness it was hard to see where the Colonel was. The rest of SG-1 and Dr. Frasier jumped in right behind him and they all frantically started diving, in order to find their missing CO before he would drown.
After what seemed like forever, Teal'c felt his hand hit something that definitely didn't belong to the bottom of the pond.
Yanking O'Neill upwards with him as quickly as possible, Teal'c pulled the older man ashore.
"I have found O'Neill!' he yelled, hoping someone would hear him. They did. Janet rushed up and began checking the colonel.
"He's not breathing!" she exclaimed frantically. Turning Jack all the way over, she started compressions on his chest. "Sam, go call 911! We have to get him to a hospital immediately!"
Dr. Frasier tipped his head back and pinched his nose shut. She then leaned down and gave Jack a breath. She continued this and the compressions until O'Neill started coughing violently. Janet quickly rolled him onto his side so that the water could come out of his lungs.
"Daniel, Teal'c, I may need your help if he wakes up. He might get violent. Get over here!" she said a little louder when she noticed Daniel did not respond. Jerking as if awaking from sleep, Daniel quickly moved to Jack's side.
"How is he?" Daniel whispered as he took Jack's hand.
"He's hurt his knees again, he's got a concussion, at least two ribs are broken, and the bone is poking through his arm," she said distractedly. "He has all the effects of LSD, dilated pupils, low body temperature, rapid heart rate. He's already wet so it's hard to tell, but he's probably sweating a lot, too. Where's Sam?"
"I'm here, I just called. An ambulance is on the way."
Jack was tossing and turning and mumbling indecipherable things. His eyes fluttered open.
"Dan'l?" he slurred.
"Yeah Jack, I'm here."
"They sstill aft' me?"
"No Jack, you're safe."
"Why'ss ev'rthin' spinning?"
"It's okay, Jack, everything's going to be okay. Rest now," Daniel said, hoping he was hiding the fear he felt. Gratefully, he heard the sirens of an ambulance coming towards them. Looking down into the pale face of his friend, he hoped everything would be okay.
* * * * * * * * *
"Janet, will he be alright?" asked four very worried people: Carter, Teal'c, Daniel, and General Hammond.
"Yes, he should be fine. The effects of the drug normally wears off twelve hours after exposure. However, we do have his injuries to account for. Problems may arise from them. It's been approximately seven hours since the drug went into his system, so he has about five hours left. I can't sedate him or give him pain killers because it would react with the LSD and have effects that would not help him, so he's in for a rough night."
"Can we see him?"
"Yes, I'll need someone in there to help calm him down. He'll most likely be violent when he wakes up so I'll need a security team in there too, Sir," she said, looking at General Hammond with a look that said "If there were any other way to do this, I'd take it, but there isn't."
General Hammond nodded and said, "Whatever you need, Doctor. Just get my 2IC back in working order." With a grim look on his face, he turned and stalked down the corridor.
As the remaining members of SG-1 filed into the infirmary, they studied their CO. He was still very pale and sweat glistened on his forehead. Walking over, Daniel picked up a washcloth on the table next to the bed O'Neill was on.
Daniel wiped Jack's forehead and whispered soothing words to the restless man. Jack seemed to accept this and settled down a little.
All of a sudden, an erratic beeping woke him up. Realizing he must have fallen asleep, Daniel looked around for the source of the beeping. Then he noticed that Jack was getting up out of bed, once again seemingly oblivious to his injuries.
"Jack, what are you doing? You need to be lying down." At the sound of his voice, O'Neill turned around, startled. With a wild look in his eyes, he lunged for a tray and picked up a scalpel.
Holding it before him like a weapon, he went into a defensive posture. Having heard the clattering, Janet rushed in but quickly stopped when she saw Jack. She instead moved for the phone. She picked it up and called security.
"Jack, put the scalpel down. You're safe here. Nothing's going to hurt you. Put it down, you need to rest," Daniel said, trying to sound soothing. At that moment, Carter and Teal'c rushed in along with the MPs, but abruptly stopped just like Janet had.
"No, I won't let you get me," O'Neill rasped. "I'll die first." He then held the scalpel up to his throat.
"No, O'Neill!" Teal'c cried. "Do not!"
"Sir, please, you have to listen to us," Carter pleaded. "Don't kill yourself, Sir. We're your friends here, we need you. You can't die, you're our leader!"
"Jack, if you die, who will remember Charlie? And who will help me save Share and Skaara? You can't die, Jack, please, calm down," Daniel said sincerely.
As they watched, O'Neill's eyes got a softer look to them. Then he looked around with confused brown eyes and put down the scalpel.
"Daniel? Teal'c? Carter, Doc?" he said, "What's going on? What happened?"
"Sir, I need you to lie back down. Your body has been through a great ordeal, and you need to sleep it off," Janet ordered.
"Hurts, Janet," he mumbled sleepily.
"I know, sir, everything will be okay though. Just rest." Jack's eyes slowly fluttered shut, and the room let out a collective sigh of relief.
"Do you need us for anything, ma'am?" one of the MPs asked.
"No, thank God. I think we can handle it from here. Colonel O'Neill just had me worried for a second, that's all."
* * * * * * * * *
Groaning, Jack O'Neill woke up in the infirmary. He tried to sit up, but then quickly changed his mind after the room spun a few different ways. Opting instead to just look around, he noticed the rest of his team and Dr. Frasier all asleep around his bed.
Wondering what was going on, he decided to try sitting up again, just slower this time. Although he had to close his eyes for a second to force away the pain, he made it up. Deciding to wake the doc first, he leaned over and poked her shoulder a few times.
"Get the critical patients out first," she mumbled, half asleep. "No doctor, it'll have to be a lobotomy."
"Janet!" O'Neill said as loudly as possible, then groaned again when his voice echoed through his head a few times.
"Wha- What? Colonel! You're awake?"
"Yeah, great observation Janet. What happened?"
As she checked his vitals, she said, "I'm going to take a blood sample, sir. In the meantime, tell me what you remember."
"Let's see, I picked up that book you left me and went home. I watched some hockey and then things got a little hazy. I remember being really cold and damp and I think I fell down the stairs. I'm not sure though."
"That would explain some of your injuries," she said, nodding. "It seems that an Airman decided not to tell us that the book you took had the chemical we found on the planet on it. You absorbed it through your skin and began to hallucinate."
"No wonder I've got such a head ache. I didn't do anything really bad did I? Like moon the General or something?"
"No, but you went a little dark side on us," Daniel said, joining the conversation.
"Hey, Danny! Nice to see you're up!"
"I should be saying the same to you," he replied with a smile.
"Sir, you're awake!"
"O'Neill! You have awakened!" Carter and Teal'c said at the same time.
"Observant bunch, aren't we?" O'Neill commented dryly, then yawned loudly.
"All right, Colonel, since your blood is free of the chemical-"
"Wait, you already got the results back? I didn't even see them get taken to the lab!" Jack said.
"Professional secret, sir," Dr. Frasier replied, obviously pleased with herself. "As I was saying though, since your bloodwork is clear, I'm going to give you some pain medication and a sedative so you can sleep the rest of the effects off."
"Aw, c'mon, doc! Have a heart! Can't you just give me a load of Tylenol and send me home?" Jack asked, trying to do his best puppy dog eyes look.
"Sorry, Colonel," she said, inserting the IVs. "Not this time."
"I guess it's sleepy time then. 'Night all," Jack yawned.
* * * * * * * * *
"I'm glad Janet's letting you home," Daniel said as he drove them to Jack's house. Because Dr. Frasier didn't trust Jack to drive yet or take care of himself, Daniel was his chauffeur and nurse now.
"Yeah, me too. It's Miller time!"
"Nuh-uh, Jack. No alcohol, doctor's orders."
"C'mon, Danny! Have a heart!"
"Sorry, Jack, no alcohol. I can give you decaffeinated coffee though."
"Oh goodie. Just what I've always wanted," Jack drawled sarcastically.
When they had reached O'Neill's house, both men got out of the car. Although Jack moved a little slower than normal, he refused help and got there all right. As soon as they got inside, Daniel ordered Jack to get some rest.
"I've been resting for days Daniel. How about this. I watch some hockey while I lay on the couch, and then I'll fall asleep like a good boy. Hell, I'll probably drift asleep during the game! What do ya say?" he asked hopefully.
"All right," Daniel sighed. "But no more than an hour of hockey!" he warned.
"Deal!"
"Jack! Jack! Wake up! It's time for breakfast!"
"What? Damn, I did fall asleep during the game didn't I? That wasn't supposed to happen, I just added that part in so you'd let me play hockey!"
"Here, eat," Daniel commanded, putting a plate of eggs and bacon in front of Jack.
"That's okay, I'm not hungry. I'll just have something to drink."
"No, Janet said that you're supposed to eat every meal, even if you don't feel hungry."
"Rules were meant to be broken, Spacemonkey. I'll just have something to drink."
"Jack!" Daniel exclaimed, getting angry.
"Daniel?" Jack asked, wondering why Daniel was getting angry.
"Jack, please? Just eat something?" he asked, backing off.
"Okay, if it's that important to you," Jack said, feeling he could give in this one time. They ate in silence, thinking. Finally Jack said, "Daniel, what's wrong?"
For a moment Daniel just sat there, but then he replied in a soft voice, "We almost lost you, Jack."
"What? What do you mean? You mean the part about jumping into the pond? Janet told me about that and I-"
"No, I mean when you had the scalpel. I was so sure you were going to end it there," he stressed.
"But I didn't, thanks to you guys," Jack stated.
"I know, but what if we hadn't been able to stop you? What if you had killed yourself then and there? What if-?"
"Daniel! You can't ask yourself 'what if' all the time, it doesn't solve anything. You'll just be running in circles for the rest of your life. You have to accept it and move on."
"So you've accepted it already? Just like that?"
"Not necessarily. Sometimes it just takes time. Besides, you can always talk to me about it."
"I guess so," Daniel said, even though he realized Jack probably wouldn't talk back much, it's always nice to have someone there to just listen.
"It's just another part of life Daniel. So, we still on for that movie?"
"Depends on what you want to watch. I saw this movie that looked pretty good. It has lots of action which you should like, but some Egyptian history too."
"What is it?" Jack asked suspiciously.
"The Mummy," Daniel said.
"I don't know, Daniel, does it have any Spacemonkeys in it? It can't be a good historical movie if it doesn't have Spacemonkies, anyone knows that," he replied with a twinkle in his eye.
"Jack, when are you going to let the Spacemonkey thing go? It gets really annoying."
"That's the point, Spacemonkey, that's the point."
THE END
