Teal'c watched Daniel Jackson hurriedly make his way toward the ruins in the center of the clearing they had just discovered. The young archeologist was followed closely by O'Neill, who had a displeased expression on his face that apparently stemmed from the fact that the younger man had immediately knelt in front of a large, carved stone that sat just on the edge of the ruins.
Beside him, Captain Carter turned and looked his way. "I'll bet almost anything that the colonel's going to yell at him for not waiting for the rest of us," she said with a smile.
He acknowledged her statement with a slight nod of his head. It was a common occurrence for O'Neill to do just that, and he knew as well as Captain Carter that there was little chance that this mission would differ in that regard.
"For crying out loud, Daniel, would it kill you to wait a few seconds before you start touching strange rocks?"
Teal'c raised his eyebrow as O'Neill's voice reached them, and Captain Carter smiled at him. "Told you," she said lightly.
"Artifacts," Daniel Jackson corrected him, his tone distracted.
Out of the corner of his eye, Teal'c noticed Captain Carter smiling. For a moment, he was uncertain of her reasons for such an action.
"Yeah, yeah… artifacts," O'Neill muttered, and Teal'c immediately realized that she must have seen something in his face that let her know how he was going to react to Daniel Jackson's words. "How long are you going to take?"
When Captain Carter gestured for him to move more quickly, Teal'c immediately complied. He knew for certain that O'Neill and Daniel Jackson would begin acting much like children if they were allowed to continue their discussion without interference, and he did not feel like dealing with that particular situation anytime soon.
"I've only been here two seconds," Daniel Jackson said exasperatedly, turning around to face O'Neill as he spoke. "You can't seriously expect me to know--"
Captain Carter started talking as she stepped up to them, effectively stopping his sentence. "Don't worry, Daniel," she said, shaking her head as they made their way over to where Daniel Jackson and O'Neill were. "We're a little head of schedule, so you should have some time to study the ruins before we have to leave."
O'Neill turned toward her with a look on his face that Teal'c felt was one of irritation, and Captain Carter flinched. "Theoretically?" she asked with an odd smile.
Teal'c arched his eyebrow a bit in confusion. Although he had spent more than a year living among the humans, some of whom he even considered friends, there were many things about them that still confused him. He was uncertain as to the reason for O'Neill's reaction to Major Carter, since he had seen it as an attempt by her to reign in the childish behavior of both him and Daniel Jackson.
Perhaps that was it, then. At times, O'Neill seemed to thrive on conduct that was more fitting for a child than a soldier. It did seem possible that his friend might be annoyed that Captain Carter had "put an end to their games" as she had often referred to such an action.
It was then that Teal'c noticed all three of his companions clandestinely glancing at him, and he quickly attempted to veil any hint of his thoughts. He found it rather… amusing… at times to try endeavoring to hide his judgments from his companions. They seemed to have a difficult time understanding what he was thinking even when he made his thoughts appear clearly in his eyes, and he found it entertaining at times to see them make such wrong assumptions about what was passing through his mind.
"Thanks, Sam," Daniel Jackson said, drawing the attention of both O'Neill and Captain Carter. "At least someone here realizes that--"
Out of the corner of his eye, Teal'c suddenly noticed something moving. Without pausing even to think, he swung himself around and brought his staff weapon up in front of him. The sound of it powering up seemed to echo in the stillness of the clearing, but he barely noticed.
He didn't bother looking behind him to make certain his fellow SG-1 members had drawn their weapons as well. Teal'c knew without looking that both O'Neill and Captain Carter had drawn their weapons the moment he had swung around, and he also knew that Daniel Jackson had most likely hesitated for a moment before doing the same.
"Teal'c?" O'Neill asked.
Keeping his gaze focused on the trees that surrounded the clearing, Teal'c answered him. "There is something moving in the forest, O'Neill."
O'Neill didn't say another word, and Teal'c knew that the other man was searching the area with his own eyes, trying to find the movement that Teal'c had seen. He also knew that Captain Carter was doing something similar, but -- when even he did not see the movement reappear -- he prepared himself for Daniel Jackson to voice his doubts.
"Are you sure?" Daniel Jackson asked, just as Teal'c had expected him to do. "I don't see anything."
"I am certain," Teal'c replied, his gaze still moving around the tree line. He had seen something moving there, and the fact that they could not see it now only made him worry.
Without warning, Daniel Jackson let out a pained cry. Teal'c turned his gaze toward the younger man for a moment, his eyes immediately drawn to the brightly colored dart sticking out of the young man's neck.
Both O'Neill and Captain Carter spoke at once, worried tones in their voices. "Daniel?"
Teal'c immediately noticed the growing dullness in Daniel Jackson's eyes, and he realized that the small dart must have been drugged or poisoned. O'Neill seemed to have the same thought, and as Teal'c watched he saw his friend start moving toward Daniel Jackson without saying a word.
Daniel Jackson pulled the small dart from his neck and brought it up in front of his eyes, a confused look on his face. "What the…"
His eyes rolled back in his head, and he trailed off as he collapsed.
O'Neill lunged forward, grabbing the younger man before he hit the ground. "Dammit Daniel," he muttered, feeling for a pulse in Daniel Jackson's neck.
"Colonel?" Captain Carter asked.
"He's just unconscious," O'Neill replied, concern evident in his voice. "Let's hope whatever's on this thing isn't poison."
As soon as O'Neill said that Daniel Jackson was unconscious, Teal'c turned his attention back toward the trees that lined the clearing.
Then he froze.
What appeared to be primitive humans were emerging from the forest, handmade weapons held protectively in their hands. But as more followed them out into the clearing, Teal'c saw that there were more to these natives than what he had originally thought. Those near the back were carrying weapons that appeared to be just as technologically advanced as those SG-1 carried, if not more so.
"Um… sir?" Captain Carter said, surprising Teal's just a bit. He had not noticed that she, too, had turned her attention away from Daniel Jackson.
When O'Neill didn't say anything, Teal'c surmised that he hadn't looked up at Captain Carter's words. "O'Neill," he said warningly.
"Oh, crap," O'Neill muttered, obviously having looked up when Teal'c gave his warning.
"Indeed," Teal'c agreed, keeping his staff weapon focused on the approaching natives.
"Any ideas, sir?" Captain Carter asked nervously.
O'Neill didn't say anything for several seconds, and Teal'c suspected that he and Captain Carter were silently making a plan. "We're what, two miles or so from the 'gate?" O'Neill finally asked.
Teal'c smiled grimly. He had known O'Neill long enough to at least guess what his plan entailed.
"Closer to three," Captain Carter replied, and from the sound of her voice Teal'c surmised that she had guessed O'Neill's plan as well. "Are we making a run for it?"
"Teal'c, on my mark, give me your weapon," O'Neill said. "You're going to have to carry Daniel."
Teal'c nodded, his gaze still focused on the approaching natives as he waited for O'Neill's order.
"Now!"
---------
As Captain Carter pressed the final symbol on the DHD, Teal'c let his gaze sweep over the area and land on O'Neill, who was standing a little more than one hundred feet away and attempting to hold back the natives that were following them.
The sound of the wormhole forming filled the air, and O'Neill quickly turned and began running in their direction. Giving both he and Captain Carter a slight nod, Teal'c reached up and adjusted Daniel Jackson's still form on his shoulder before stepping through the stargate.
As he came through on the other end, Teal'c didn't stop moving until he reached the bottom of the ramp. Not even taking the time to look around for General Hammond or anyone else, he carefully knelt down and lay the young man he had been carrying on the ramp.
Behind him, he heard a slight thud as Captain Carter stepped through onto the metal ramp, and -- after a moment's pause -- he heard her start toward the bottom of the ramp where both he and Daniel Jackson were. Within seconds, she was kneeling beside him.
Both Teal'c and Captain Carter looked up as the doors to the gate room opened, neither of them surprised to see General Hammond hurrying toward them with a worried look on his face. Before anyone had a chance to speak, though, a loud crash followed by an equally loud groan signaled the arrival of O'Neill through the stargate.
"Close the iris!"
Teal'c was not surprised to see O'Neill pushing himself to his feet even though he was grimacing in pain from his landing on the metal ramp, especially since O'Neill's gaze had froze on both him and Captain Carter kneeling beside the still-unconscious Daniel Jackson.
"Get a medical team down here!" General Hammond called, drawing the attention of the three conscious members of SG-1 as he met O'Neill's gaze. "What happened?"
"We had problems with the natives, sir," O'Neill replied, nodding toward Daniel's still form. "They shot Daniel with some sort of dart that--"
He froze mid-sentence, a look of startled realization on his face as he reached up to touch his shoulder. When he pulled it away several seconds later, a familiar-looking dart was held between his fingers. "Crap," he muttered as his knees buckled.
Before Teal'c had chance to react, Captain Carter had pushed herself up and lunged for O'Neill. Although she was not able to reach him in time to stop his fall, she managed to grab him before his head crashed onto the ramp.
General Hammond hurried up the ramp and knelt beside Captain Carter. "Captain, what exactly happened on P2F-347?" he asked, his gaze focused on O'Neill.
Without saying a word, Captain Carter reached down and carefully removed the small dart from O'Neill's fingers. As she held it up, she said, "As Colonel O'Neill mentioned, there were natives. And they had darts." General Hammond slowly nodded in understanding.
It was at that moment that the medical help arrived.
Teal'c moved out of the way as Doctor Fraiser knelt beside Daniel Jackson, gesturing for some of the men who had come with her to get him onto a gurney after a few seconds had passed. Then she moved toward O'Neill, and -- as Teal'c watched -- both General Hammond and Captain Carter aside.
Doctor Fraiser checked his vitals just as quickly as she had checked Daniel Jackson's, and Teal'c noticed a hint of relief in her eyes as she looked up. "I'm fairly certain that they'll both be fine," she said with a smile. "It looks as if they were merely drugged, not poisoned."
O'Neill was quickly placed on a gurney, and within seconds, Doctor Fraiser was leaving the gate room with both of them in tow. Teal'c glanced up at Captain Carter and General Hammond, uncertain as to whether he needed to stay there for a debriefing or if he would be allowed to follow O'Neill and Daniel Jackson to the sickbay.
When Captain Carter noticed his gaze, she shot him a reassuring smile. General Hammond followed her gaze, and he quickly nodded his head, silently giving Teal'c permission to follow Doctor Fraiser. With a slight bow of his head, he turned and left the room.
----------
"I want to die," O'Neill moaned.
Captain Carter rolled her eyes for the seventh time in the past hour, but her mouth was twitching with a held-back smile when she glanced over at Teal'c. "Do you think he's ever going to stop saying that?" she asked, her tone light.
Teal'c glanced over at O'Neill, and -- after studying his face for a moment -- cocked his head. "I believe not, Captain Carter," he said seriously. "It is obvious that he has a lesser tolerance for pain than Daniel Jackson."
Several feet away, Daniel Jackson let out a snort of laughter than quickly turned into a moan. "Come on, Teal'c, don't make me laugh," he said, bringing his hand up to rub his temple. "My head's killing me."
O'Neill didn't say anything, but Teal'c was fairly certain that the look he was shooting at all of them could be described as a pout.
Captain Carter apparently noticed, and she rolled her eyes for the eighth time. "At least Janet thinks the two of you should be back to perfect health by morning," she griped good-naturedly. "I'm going to be limping around on this leg for at least three or four days."
Teal'c nodded at her, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Daniel Jackson shoot her a smile. O'Neill merely moaned, this one sounding faked even to Teal'c.
"I want to die."
When a pillow hit O'Neill in the face two seconds later, all three of them turned and stared at Teal'c incredulously. He nodded, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Then, without saying a word, he stood up and walked toward the door.
As he walked out, he heard Daniel Jackson let out a soft chuckle. "Well Jack, I think we just saw how Teal'c tells someone to stop complaining."
"Shut up, Daniel."
Teal'c smiled.