Title: NoQuarter
Author: KellethMetheus
Rating: Older teens
Category: Gen, Mystery, Whomp not just sure what else.
Summary: Darkness with no sanctuary.
Disclaimer: Not mine and I'll put them back when the Muse runs out, maybe.
Warnings: none
Beta thanks to purpleshrub
~0oOo0~
Climbing up from the black void, all I feel is agonizing pain. It's there even before I open my eyes. My arm is stretched out above my head and I bring it in closer to my body, hoping to stop the shivering, only to feel a rush of pins and needles. I welcome the new pain because I know it will be gone soon. I'm lying on the cold floor and I wonder if that's why I'm shivering but something tells me there's another reason.
I try to look around but my left eye doesn't open. I reach up to touch it and the skin feels swollen and puffy. The slight pressure of my fingers causes the cut beneath my eye to sting as it begins to bleed once more; I can feel the blood trickling down my cheek.
Next I remember my name; Major Samantha Carter, US Air Force. Where am I? What happened to me? Why am I here?
My surroundings come into focus and I have no idea where I am or how I got here. The walls look like the dull grey concrete of the SGC. In front of me is a cot and I see the stamp on the blanket, further confirming this is the SGC. But why am I in a holding cell? What have I done?
I search but find no memories of the past few hours. The last thing I remember is going to bed last night then...nothing.
Rolling over tells me about a host of other bruises and cuts that mar my body. I try to remember, and this time I get a scattering of images, but they're all fuzzy and confusing. Nothing makes sense. I see a blur of hallway, I'm fighting to get away, to go up... then darkness.
Turning my head, I see someone standing on the other side plexiglass window. Anticipating more pain I raise my head and see him. The Colonel... Jack.
He stands on the other side of the window, talking to an SF, shaking his head and making cutting motions with his hands. The SF leaves and we are alone. As though he senses I'm awake, he turns toward me, his expression hard and unyielding.
I draw a sharp breath as our gazes meet. I have never seen him this angry and somehow I know I'm the cause. My mind fights once more to remember, but I have no idea what I've done. Wearily, I close my eye, trying to stop the tears that pool there. I can't show any weakness, not now, not ever.
Turning over again I struggle to get to my feet. I need to talk to him. He must know what happened to me. Pain rushes through me, and I bite my lip, closing my eye until the worst of it passes.
I reach the window and bang on it with my fists, demanding to know what is going on, but Jack seems to stare right through me and I back away slowly as Jack begins to change.
On the other side of the glass stands a black-haired woman. For just a moment her green eyes show compassion; but it's gone as she nods speaking to some unseen person beside her.
Suddenly, ghosts surround me like silent sentinels. Their red eyes burn into me as one steps forward, his flesh molten and decaying. He raises his hand toward me and I remember; they've been haunting me for the last few hours, following my every move. Closing my eyes I see them other places following me, and then I remember waking up here before.
Why is this happening to me an I losing my mind. I open my eyes and I hope that I'll wake up from this nightmare. The world around me blurs and Jack is back and the woman is gone.
He's just standing there watching, doing nothing as I try and make sense of my world turned upside down. I want him to help, to make it stop but one of the dead step forward reaching for me.
My legs don't hold me and I collapse. I scramble backwards on all fours away from the specter, screaming. I hit the wall and there is nowhere else to go, no sanctuary. They all turn and come after me, their empty eyes staring at me.
I press myself tightly as I can against the wall, making myself as small as possible. I cover my ears and continue to scream, hoping the noise will drive the ghosts away.
It doesn't work; they grab my arms, holding me down. I hear whistling, the same three notes over and over again. Then I feel a pinch in my arm and they are gone.
Instantly, I stop screaming. Looking around I try to remember what frightened me as everything goes numb and I feel like I'm floating.
I still can feel them still staring, but I no longer care. The whole world has a hazy quality.
Across the room behind the glass, I could hear voices talking and it's about me. General Hammond and Teal'c have arrived. "I'm not saying it is anyone on your team, Jack. I'm saying someone at the SGC is compromised. Someone did this to her; we need to find out what happened."
I look up at the small group and see Janet as well, but it is Jack who speaks. "It happened again just a few moments ago, Doc. She just went crazy. What the hell is happening to her? Earlier when we tried to subdue her, she was vicious. It took four SFs to bring her down. They actually look worse than she does."
"I don't know, Colonel," Janet tells them. "The toxicology on the drug is alien. I have never seen anything like it. The thing is she hasn't been off world in a week; someone had to have given it to her here on Earth."
"How much longer until it wears off and we can talk to her?" Jack asks.
"I don't know, you just saw what happened to her. This episode seemed to be shorter than the last one, but I don't know what that means. We'll just wait a few more hours and see what happens," Janet explains.
"Is she going to remember what she saw or who did this to her?" Jack asked. "Do you think she'll be able to help us with the investigation?"
Janet shook her head and looked over at me. "Colonel, I don't know if she will want to; there are some things that shouldn't be remembered. I mean you saw her. Whatever those hallucinations are they terrify her."
Curling up into a ball I try to find some warmth as I give into the tears and cry myself to sleep, hoping when I wake up this is all a dream.
~0oOo0~
I watch O'Neill, my friend and leader, strong as any Jaffa I have known, stand at the window long after everyone else is gone. I can tell he thinks this is his fault that; he gave the orders and Samantha followed them.
He sighs deeply as I step closer, and lay my hand upon his shoulder. "SamanthaCarter is strong and she will get through this. You have taught her well."
O'Neill turns toward me, but he doesn't speak until he looks back through the window. "I didn't teach her how to get through something like this, you can't. You'll just have to wait and see who comes out the other side."
"Have faith, O'Neill. She will come back to us."
Then as I turn to leave I see him close his eyes and I am sure he is praying. I can only hope that someone is listening and Samantha will be allright.