Discovering Secrets!
Here is chapter one of my new multi-chapter story. It is set after season 8 but before season 9, in that wonderful period where we have no idea what was happening. However Jack is in Washington and Sam in based in Nevada. The story jumps timelines each chapter which should be very easy to follow. It would be great to know what you think. The story is done so will be posted regularly.
As always, I don't own Stargate, just having a bit of fun with the characters.
Jack O'Neill was in the middle of doing something that he had sworn he would never do; he had promised himself and, more importantly, he had promised her.
He had used his stars to get his own way!
As he had advanced through the ranks of the Airforce he had watched some unscrupulous Generals requisition transportation for a variety of things simply by dropping their high rank into a conversation. Sometimes it had merely been for a vehicle, like a car, to transport the General from point A to B, but other times it had been for a more expensive mode of transport. However only rarely had a younger Jack seen an officer request a jet – and right the hell now! As he was doing.
Although stern on the outside, on the inside he was at war with himself. One side, the side that had constantly 'stuck it to the man' or made derisory comments about abuse of power was demanding that this stopped. However that side was being forced into submission by the side that needed to get to Sam. He had to force himself to breath while glaring at the young officer and then he demanded a pilot as well as a plane as he realised that there was no way that he could successfully fly himself to Nevada in the state he was in. Once he had squashed the lowly sergeant and had found a bright eyed Captain, Jack was in his flight gear and on the tarmac ready to board the jet.
"General, there's a call from Cheyenne Mountain for you, the General there said it would be worth your while to speak to him."
Jack glared at the Sergeant who had dared to come between him and his ride to Nevada but nevertheless did as he was asked and moved back inside the hanger at Andrews Airforce Base to take the call. The sergeant pointed to the phone in the small office then left the room to give the General some privacy.
"This had better be good Hank." Jack barked down the phone knowing exactly who was on the line.
"Jack I just heard, get your ass back to the Pentagon and we can beam you to Nevada."
Jack moved the phone from his ear and stared at it, this he did not expect, "You can do that?" He asked incredulously, "I figured I was breaking enough rules requisitioning a plane" Jack mumbled, a little rankled that he had not thought of this and had wasted an hour getting to Andrews and fighting for a jet.
"No Jack, I can't authorise that" Landry spoke as if to a child. "But the President can and he just called to tell me to get you to Nevada ASAP but only from the Homeworld offices in the Pentagon. I've been trying to catch you for 15minutes."
Jack considered the option looking at the Captain and his jet on the tarmac. "Right I'll get there, are you sure this is quicker than the jet?" he asked considering the traffic.
"It will be with the Presidential police escort he also authorised. The limo should be pulling up to your hanger about now."
Jack turned in the small office and looked through the dirty windows to see the motorbikes and limo pulled up. He was gobsmacked. He barely heard Landry ask if he could see it but when he confirmed the arrival Landry spoke again.
"Go to her Jack, from what I heard she needs you, God speed."
Landry hung up and Jack put the phone down and ran through the hanger filled with very curious personnel wondering who was arriving. Jack got in the limo and very quickly arrived in his office and then suddenly in Nevada.
Another car, one less prestigious than the President's limo, was waiting for him at Area 51 to take him the short ride to the hospital.
Now that he was here, standing in the heat and staring at the front door, he didn't want to go in, so completely afraid of what he might find. He forced his weary legs to push him up the small stairs until he was inside the building. It smelt like every other hospital Jack had been in, there were the same beeping noises, the same types of people in their blue or green scrubs moving around quickly but with efficiency and not panic. He nearly turned and ran in the opposite direction but straightened his back and moved over to the desk reciting the information he had been given less than two hours ago.
"Samantha Carter, I'm her next of kin, I was called about Samantha Carter, a motorbike accident?"
"She's just gone up to surgery," a passing nurse supplied the information behind the desk clerk, taking the lead over what appeared, to Jack, to be an inexperienced new recruit. "What's your name?" the nurse asked punching some keys on the computer to get the file up.
"Jack O'Neill, I'm one of her next of kin."
The nurse nodded, clearly having that information in front of her. "She's upstairs, go through that door, turn left, up the stairs, 2nd floor."
The nurse had barely finished speaking when Jack shot away from the desk and through the heavy plastic doors. He took the stairs two at a time to begin with before quickly realising that his knees could not cope with that pace. He checked the sign on the wall of the 2nd floor and followed the instructions to the main desk of surgery. There he was greeted by someone who seemed more competent than the desk clerk in the E.R. Jack was panting a little by the time he reached her but managed to get out the words he needed, "Samantha Carter. I'm Jack O'Neill"
"Ah Mr O'Neill, you made very good time, I'm the one who called your earlier. The other next of kin Mark Carter should be arriving soon he is bringing Ms Carter's daughter with him."
Jack simply stared at the woman as if she had developed glowing eyes and was infected with a snake. "Excuse me!"
"Her daughter Sir, her brother was quite insistent that we let Ms Carter know they were both on their way. He just called from the airport to say they had arrived and to ask about her."
Jack wiped his hand down his face and chose, at least for that minute, to ignore the entire conversation and focus on his main objective for travelling across the country. "How is Sam?"
"She is in surgery, the infirmary from the Airforce base in Colorado have been in touch and sent a team who have worked with Ms Carter before."
"It's Colonel" Jack corrected although unsure why on earth it mattered at that particular point, except Jack felt it showed she was important not only to him but to the country.
"Yes Sir, when we first used her ID to contact the Airforce they told us her file was classified and would only release your contact details, her brothers and inform her command. If you could take a seat I will inform the doctors that you are here, the team from Colorado were keen to know of your arrival."
Jack moved slowly to the small area of chairs indicated by the clerk. The chairs were plastic, bright orange and formed a square round the corner of the reception area. It was mercifully empty and Jack looked around taking in all the small details just as his training taught him. He took in the orange chairs that squeaked as they moved on the white lino when he moved slightly, the blue curtains which clashed hideously with the orange and covered the windows into the ICU rooms and the surgical areas, shielding those who were unfortunate enough to be here. Jack muddled that over in his mind as he realised that maybe those in the beds were actually fortunate as they were alive. It also meant that Sam was still alive and that was something to cling to.
He leaned back in his chair, his head colliding with the sill of the window causing him to reach up and rub his head. He thought he just closed his eyes for a minute but he was awoken by another visitor. The man and Jack could only guess a 9 or 10 year old girl arrived at the same reception desk he had done and to Jack's slight surprise he asked the same question Jack had asked.
"We're here to see Samantha Carter, how is she?"
Jack rose and walked across the room, his shoes squeaking as he got closer to the desk.
The man turned towards him, "General O'Neill!" Mark exclaimed. "I had no idea that Sam had you on her forms."
"Hello Mark, it's been a recent development." Jack shrugged unwilling to go into his relationship at this point.
Mark looked very uncomfortable, "Ah…yes…well this is Annie…..eh"
"Sam's daughter?" Jack finished.
So hopefully you are willing to stick around with this new story. Inspiration came from the end of the episode "Seth" in Season 3 and all will be revealed as we go through the story.
