My ever so unpredicatable muse hasn't let me go back to my other stories because this one has been in the way. Hopefully I can finish this story before grad school gets burdonsome again.
Boxes are full of mystery:
"Is that all you're eating?" Daniel looked at Sam's breakfast. "I wouldn't make it past ten on that. Teal'c wouldn't make it thirty minutes."
"Indeed." Teal'c glanced at Sam's tray.
"Don't join him, Teal'c. Mind your own business Daniel. I ate a bagel before I left the house this morning." Sam ate a spoonful of yogurt and ignored the look shared by Teal'c and Daniel.
"I was hoping you could come by today and look at the box SG-12 brought back last week. There isn't much writing on it so I haven't been able to figure out a translation. I had it scanned but it's either solid or shielded inside. It isn't emitting any kind of electrical signals the technicians could detect."
"And what do you want me to do Daniel?"
"I want you to see if you can open it. I've looked all over it but I can't find a seam or any type of latch."
"Maybe it's just a solid block of wood with pretty pictures on it." Sam ate another bite of the yogurt, waiting for Daniel's reaction to her teasing.
"You really are spending too much time with Jack." Daniel grinned, giving Sam the exact response she expected.
"I wish." Sam's answer caught both Daniel and Teal'c by surprise and they shared a look before answering her grin with similar smiles. "How about I come back to your office with you after breakfast."
"Works for me."
"Here it is." Daniel waved towards the lunchbox sized block of decorated wood that was sitting on one corner of his desk.
"Pretty. You don't know what any of these symbols mean?" Sam glanced at Daniel as he sat down on a stool.
"I have to have a lot of writing in order to begin picking out patterns. There just isn't enough there for me to work with. It also doesn't look like anything I already know but I've got a team working on it." Sam nodded as she lifted the block of wood. She rotated it in her hands, tilting it as she spun it.
"You're right about not seeing a seam." Sam sat it down and ran her hands along its edges. She traced the symbols with the fingers of her left hand. "I also don't see any kind of latch."
"Here are the scans I had completed." Daniel slid a small stack of pictures towards Sam.
"Ah." Sam pulled her hand back. Daniel looked up.
"Sam?"
"Splinter or something." Sam looked down at the drop of blood on her left middle finger.
"Are you ok?" Daniel handed her a tissue
"I've survived worse then a splinter." Sam smiled and used the tissue to wipe the blood off her finger. "Let me review these reports and I'll get back to you if I come up with any suggestions."
"Thanks, Sam."
"You're welcome, Daniel." Sam tossed the tissue in the trash and left Daniel's office, intent on finishing her reports by Wednesday so she could enjoy a long weekend off.
Sam snuggled closer and felt his hand rub circles on her back. She lifted her leg higher across his thighs and he sucked in a shuddered breath.
"Morning, beautiful."
"Morning." She ran her hand through the fine hair on his chest. "These long weekends go too quickly."
"I agree." He traced a line along her thigh. "Let's make what we have left last as long as possible."
Jack brought Sam a pastrami sandwich while she was packing her bag. He caught her smothering a yawn as he walked into the bedroom.
"Tired?" He smiled as she straightened her back and tensed.
"Maybe a bit. You'd think with as much time as we spent in bed the last few days I'd be rested."
"Let's not pretend we spent most of that time sleeping." Jack kissed her neck just behind her ear. "I packed you a sandwich for the flight."
"Thanks." Sam smiled and leaned back against his chest. "You're incorrigible you know."
"Yeah and you love me for it." Sam spun in his arms.
"And for many other things." Sam kissed him hard.
Jack drove her to the airport. He got her bag out of the back and kissed her good-bye. They hated these partings but enjoyed the relationship now open to them thanks to the change in their command structure. He kissed her good-bye again. She watched him leave and wished she could stay.
"How was your weekend?" Daniel walked into Sam's lab.
"Fine. Yours?"
"Nothing exciting. Cameron is still working on the whole team bonding thing. He wants us to all go out Friday night. Can we count you in?"
"You haven't said what we'd be doing?" Daniel leaned on the table across from where Sam was rewiring some small metal ball-like object.
"Neither has he."
"I'll talk to him. Then we'll see."
"We're scheduled to head out tomorrow morning. Our briefing is at eight." Sam put down the wire cutters and smiled at Daniel.
"I read my emails, but thanks for making sure I'm on track." Daniel smirked.
"I thought maybe you'd just been too busy to check." Sam picked up a screwdriver and waved it in Daniel's direction.
"Don't start with me." Sam sighed.
"I guess that means you're not giving out any details."
"You guessed right." Daniel pushed himself away from the table and backed towards the door.
"I'll find out ya' know." Sam shook her head.
"Not happening, Jackson." Daniel's grin grew.
"Too much time." Sam stood up, intending to give Daniel a friendly reminder of who was in charge but she swayed when she stood. Daniel saw her brief unsteady moment and rounded the bench in four steps.
"Sam?"
"I'm fine." Sam sat back down and gripped the edge of the table.
"You look a little pale." Daniel reached out and touched Sam's arm.
"I just stood up too fast."
"Maybe you should go..." Sam looked up an glared at Daniel.
"I said I was fine. I'll see you at lunch." Daniel backed away slowly.
"Ok, but if you begin to feel funny again..."
"I know...I know. Now get out and let me work."
Daniel popped in almost every hour all morning. He watched Sam like a hawk during lunch. She seemed tired but otherwise fine. Sam passed it off as jet lag and told him to stop being such a mother hen. A few hours after lunch Daniel confided his worries to Teal'c.
"Colonel Carter, I came to see if you would like to join me for a workout." Teal'c watched Sam sigh as she straightened her back. The schematics she'd been hunched over reviewing were lying flat on the bench before her.
"I could use a break but I'm not sure I feel up to workout." Sam rubbed her lower back and pressed her shoulders together.
"Are you not feeling well?"
"I'm just tired."
"Then perhaps it would be best if you retired for the day. You need to be in peak condition before we gate out in the morning." Sam watched Teal'c's face, looking for any hint he was coddling her but all she saw was sincere concern.
"You might be right. This stuff can wait a few more days." Sam turned off the lights and walked past Teal'c. "I'll see you in the morning." Teal'c nodded and watched Sam head to locker room to change. Teal'c returned to Daniel's lab.
"How did it go?"
"It proceeded better then you predicted. Colonel Carter is headed home for the night."
"She didn't fight you?"
"No."
"That's weird."
"I concur. O'Neill usually found it very difficult to remove Colonel Carter from her lab, even when were scheduled for an expedition the next day."
"Yeah, we'd better keep an eye on her Teal'c." Teal'c inclined his head in agreement and left Daniel to his translations.
"I assume Colonel Carter was made aware of this mornings briefing."
"Ah, yes General. We discussed it yesterday. It isn't like her to be late."
"I know it isn't Doctor. Let's postpone the briefing for an hour. You gentleman find the Colonel and impress upon her the need to be punctual." Colonel Mitchell stood as General Landry removed himself from the room. Daniel and Teal'c shared a worried look.
"I will check Colonel Carter's lab." Teal'c stood.
"I'll check the base quarters." Daniel moved his chair back and pushed himself up.
"And that leaves me with...following Daniel." Colonel Mitchell wiggled his eyebrows and followed the two men leaving the briefing room.
Daniel and Colonel Mitchell joined Teal'c at Sam's lab after searching the female quarters. Colonel Mitchell called base security and confirmed Sam hadn't arrived this morning. Daniel got no answer at Sam's house nor on her cell phone. The three men armed themselves and headed for the surface. Daniel and Teal'c told Mitchell about the last time Sam had been kidnapped as they drove to her house.
"Her automobile and motorbike are both visible." Teal'c informed Daniel and Colonel Mitchell of what he could see in her garage as they walked up the front path. Daniel knocked on the door but there was no answer. He rang the bell and got the same result. He pulled out his keys.
"Today would be good." Daniel glared at Colonel Mitchell as he fumbled through the keys.
"I've had it for eight years and never had to use it. Forgive me for having trouble remembering which key is the right one." Daniel tried a third key and heard the lock move. He pushed the door open. All three men pulled their weapons and moved into the house.
"Sam?" Daniel headed towards the bedroom. Cameron went into the living room and Teal'c looked in the kitchen and den.
"Sam!" Teal'c and Cameron headed towards the bedroom. As Teal'c rounded the door he saw Daniel kneeling beside Sam. She was face down on the floor. She was wearing a tank top and flannel sleep pants. Her bare feet were in the bathroom but her body stretched out into the bedroom. There was a toothbrush a few inches from her right hand. Toothpaste had dried on her lips. She was sweaty and pale.
"She's burning up." Daniel had a hand on her neck.
"How long do you think she's been like this?" Cameron stepped around Teal'c and surveyed the room.
"It appears she was either preparing for bed or going through her morning cleansing rituals." Teal'c knelt beside Sam.
"Bed's still made." Cameron nodded towards her bed.
"Call the base and let them know we're bring her in." Cameron nodded and took Daniel's advice. He pulled out his cell phone and called as Teal'c picked Sam up and carried her to the front door. Cameron walked towards the SUV as Daniel locked the front door behind them. Teal'c sat in the back of the SUV cradling Sam. Occasionally she moaned but she never woke. Medics were waiting to take her to the infirmary as soon as they arrived. Daniel watched them wheel Sam away as Cameron parked the SUV.
"Are you not accompanying Colonel Carter?" Teal'c watched Daniel.
"I'll be down in a minute. I want to call Jack first." Teal'c nodded his agreement and followed the medics as they loaded Sam into the elevator.
"I understand he's busy but I'm telling you this is an emergency and he'll be incredibly angry with YOU if he finds out YOU didn't let me speak to him." Daniel waited while the terrified assistant interrupted General O'Neill, who was in a very important meeting.
"O'Neill."
"Jack, it's Daniel."
"What's wrong? Mike said it was an emergency."
"It's Sam. She didn't show for this mornings briefing. When we got to her house we found her passed out on the floor in her bedroom. She's running a fever. They just wheeled her to the infirmary. I thought you'd want to know."
"Yeah." Daniel heard Jack swallow. "Call me back as soon as you know more."
"I promise." The phone went dead. Daniel entered the mountain and headed straight for the infirmary. Teal'c was waiting in the hall when he arrived. Within moments Colonel Mitchell, followed by General Landry, came down the hall to join them.
"Any word?" Landry's voice was soft.
"No, sir." Daniel answered.
"I'll see what I can find out." General Landry walked into the infirmary. He reappeared after only two minutes. "I was in the way apparently." Daniel gave the General a half smile for making the attempt. All four men waited.
"Gentlemen." They all looked up when the doctor appeared, more then a half hour since their vigil had begun.
"How is she?" Daniel moved to the front of the group.
"She has a high fever. Based on her white blood cell count it appears to be a viral illness. I've started her on an anti-viral medication and we're trying to reduce her fever. I've sent blood samples off in the hopes we can identify what virus is causing her illness."
"Do you think it's alien?" The General's question was really multi-layered and the doctor knew it. He wanted to know if she thought they had a wildfire situation on their hands.
"I don't know. Did any of you notice anything different about Colonel Carter the last few days?" Daniel scuffed his feet before he spoke.
"Yeah, she was tired, and I mean really tired. Yesterday she seemed a bit out of it and we easily convinced her to go home and rest. I should have known then it was something serious."
"There wasn't any way to foresee this." The doctor reached out and touched Daniel's forearm. "Has anyone else felt overly tired recently?" Her question was met with negative headshakes all around.
"Assuming this is limited to Colonel Carter at the moment I do not think we need to instigate any lockdown protocols but if any of her team members or others in the facility display similar fevers then we will need to close down the base."
"Understood, thank-you doctor." The General nodded his consent.
"Can we see her?" Daniel stepped closer to the infirmary.
"I think a couple visitors at a time would be alright." The doctor stepped out of Daniel's way. He went straight to her bed and pulled up a chair. He took the sheet off her hand and wrapped his fingers around her palm.
"Sam? Can you hear me? It's Daniel." He watched her face but got no response. "I called Jack. Come on Sam, give me something." Teal'c and Colonel Mitchell watched Daniel plead with Sam to no avail.
"She is strong. Let her body heal and she will return ready for battle." Teal'c stood tall at the end of Sam's gurney as he tried to comfort Daniel.