Title: Bad Day (Missing Scene for The Fourth Horseman, Part 2)

Summary: At the end of The Fourth Horseman, Part 2, they've cured the Prior Plague. Everyone is happy that the vaccine worked, but the one person who risked the most to find a cure can't celebrate. Sam deals with the loss of another person she's cared about by taking solace in another who cares about her. Some ship of the romantic kind at the end of the story (S/J—this is me, after all), and some ship of the friend kind (S/D). Oneshot. This is my first fic in a very long time...

Spoilers: The Fourth Horseman Parts 1 and 2; Ascension; and very small one for Threads.

AN: I've run into a block on my other story 'Aftermath.' Don't expect any updates on that one soon. I'm sorry! I'll probably stick to oneshots for a while until inspiration for that story returns to me. I was listening to the song 'Bad Day' on repeat as I wrote this, and here's my story!


"Bad Day"

At the SGC:

Landry was smiling when Sam walked into the control room. "The vaccine is working." He announced. "We're getting results in from all over the Springs. We've stopped the plague from spreading. We've coordinated with the United Nations and world governments to get the vaccine out in Europe and Asia. It looks like Orlin's formula did the trick."

"That's good to hear, General." Sam said, sighing with relief. She wished Orlin was cognizant enough to celebrate this victory with them, but when he fainted in her lab, she had a sinking feeling that Orlin's mind had finally given out under all the pressure he had been under to find the cure to the plague.

"How is Orlin, Colonel?" He asked, noticing the look on her face.

"He fainted in my lab shortly after Gerak healed you and the others on the base. He's in the infirmary now. Doctor Lam says the prognosis isn't good. His mind may have finally given out, sir." Sam told him, biting her lower lip. "Sir,"

He nodded. "Dismissed, Colonel. I want all of SG-1 taking some personal time soon."

"Thank you, sir." She said, turning around and exiting the control room. She made her way back to the infirmary, and saw Doctor Lam checking over Orlin's vitals. "Any change?" She asked her.

"I'm sorry to say no, Colonel." She answered. "I'm not sure if it's good or not that he's still unconscious to tell you the truth. It's easier to let go of memories when you're asleep, but I think the damage is going to be irreversible. That trip to the Sodan camp and remembering all that information about the Prior took a lot out of him."

Sam yawned, rubbing her eyes with her hands. "There's nothing you can do?" She asked.

Lam shook her head. "If he were a normal 12 year old, then maybe. But he's a descended Ancient. Do I need to check you out while you're down here?" She asked. "Or order General Landry to have you sleep sometime in the near future?"

Sam shook her head, looking to her side as she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Hey Daniel." She said.

He gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "How is he?" He asked.

Sam explained his condition to Daniel as Doctor Lam moved on to her next patient. "I'm sorry, Sam." He told her.

"I'm sorry for him. We've got the cure and it's because of Orlin's formula and he can't even celebrate with us. He risked everything to help us find the cure, and he ends up literally losing his mind in the process." She told him, yawning again. "I feel like I'm going to fall over. I'm going to head home for the night." She told him. "Doctor Lam is going to keep me apprised of Orlin's condition if it changes."

"You look like you're about the fall over. Let me drive you home." Daniel said.

"What about Mitchell?"

"I'm not worried about Mitchell. I'm worried about you, Sam." He answered. "Mitchell and I were able to rest when we got back from the Sodan. Doctor Lam made us until our test results came back."

Sam smiled. With Mark in San Diego, Daniel was the closest thing she had to a brother, and with her father dead and Cassie away at college he was the closest thing she had to family. "Thanks." She said gratefully. "I'm going to change clothes before we go though."

At Sam's Place:

"Thanks for the ride, Daniel." Sam said as he pulled into the drive of her house. She was happy to see it. For some reason, when she transferred to Area 51 there was part of her that couldn't sell her house in Colorado Springs. Going back to SG-1 meant going back to Colorado Springs, so she was glad she didn't sell it.

"Not a problem. Call in the morning if you need a ride."

"I will." She exited the car, going up to the door and unlocking it. She had managed to pack in a lot of thinking on the trip from the mountain to her home; all of it about Orlin. When he had shown himself to her for the first time, she hadn't known what to think. But when he took mortal human form, her feelings had begun to change. But then they escaped through the Stargate in her basement to Velona and the Others had allowed him to ascend again, in his words "to save her". She didn't know if it had been love then, and it most certainly wasn't love this time, but she had genuinely cared for him 3 years ago and she still cared for him now.

It wasn't fair that he had risked absolutely everything to descend again, warn them about the Ori, and help them find a cure to the plague only to end up losing his mind. In her mind, he deserved more than that. Jonas, Martouf, Narim, her father, Orlin; the list of those she had cared about or had any kind of relationship with, and then forced to say goodbye to was getting too long to handle. She had also genuinely cared about Pete as well, but events going on at the time made her realize that she didn't love him enough to marry him. Her newest relationship was progressing; the long distance aspect of it was something she didn't like, but she could deal with it at the moment. Although at times like this, she wished he could be there.

She whirled around when she saw a light flip on. "Jack," she started, not believing that the silver-haired General of the Department of Homeworld Security was standing there. In her living room.

He smiled. "Hey Sam. Heard you might have had a bad day." He said.

She hugged him tightly, happy to see him there and in her house. She sighed when he felt his head dip into her neck. "Maybe it wasn't such a bad day after all."

The End

(AN: The hug at the end…totally an homage to the Heroes, Part 2 hug. )