In sickness and in death - chapter 7


Daniel knew better than to force Mikki to shake hands with the general. He brought her to the isolation ward, showed her to Jack's room and quickly introduced her to doctor Fraiser.

One look on Jack was enough for Daniel to see that things hadn't improved while he was out to get Mikki. Jack slept, uneasily, restlessly. He had been given a light sedative to allow him to relax a little, but asleep he looked just as unnerving as when he was awake. The colour and the odd shine on his skin combined with his fight to breathe brought goose bumps to Daniel's skin.

Dozens of thoughts and comforting things to say flashed through Daniel's mind, but for once, he was lost for words. Jack and he were always disagreeing on practically everything - Daniel the scientist, the romantic, the dreamer versus Jack the soldier, the cynic, the pragmatic. When they first met, Daniel annoyed the hell out of Jack. Jack, in turn, left no opportunity unused to debunk Daniel's arguments and force his own way into the deal. But, somewhere in time, the initial dislike had turned into mutual respect and even a kind of friendship which was seen by little people, and understood by even less.

While the doctor and Mikki discussed Jack's condition, Daniel joined general Hammond, Sam and Teal'c, who were waiting outside, observing the newcomer closely through the glass.

'Hey Daniel,' Sam greeted him.

'Sam, Teal'c, sir,' Daniel greeted the others with a nod of his head.

'Why did you not speak to him, Daniel Jackson?' Teal'c interrupted his thoughts.

'Sometimes silence says more than words,' Daniel replied philosophically. Suddenly, he snorted and grinned: 'You know what Jack would say if he could hear us now?'

'No. Do you?' Teal'c said, confused.

Daniel chuckled. 'Oh yes. Jack would say: I'm not dead yet, kids.'

'I do not understand.' Teal'c raised an eyebrow, to which Daniel's smile faded.

'Never mind, Teal'c.' Humour and self-mockery were things the Jaffa just didn't get. It was an Earth-thing, mother nature's quip, and one that Daniel already missed without Jack to shoot at them.

Hammond cleared his throat. 'Doctor Jackson, I understand the need for speed, but I would have appreciated an introduction,' he said.

'Sorry for that, sir,' Daniel apologised uneasily. 'Her name is Mikki Montgomery. I thought it was best to take her to Jack right away.'

'Who is she?' General Hammond didn't comment any further, but clearly wasn't pleased with the lack of protocol.

'We studied together, a long time ago. If there is anyone who might know what we're up against, it's Doctor Montgomery. Sir...' Daniel hesitated for a moment, then continued: 'There's something you should know. She lost her husband to the Air Force. He was killed in action.' That was part of the reason too, of hurrying her into Jack's ward. Daniel wasn't sure if the general would agree if he knew about Mikki's background.

'Her husband? Do I know him?' inquired Hammond, to which Daniel shook his head.

'No sir, not likely. You weren't working here at the time. His name was David Montgomery. Jack knew him. He was on one of Jack's survey teams.' He cleared his throat. 'In fact, Mikki says Jack is responsible for his death.'

Sam's eyes grew wider. 'What?'

'Mikki has a PHD in cultural anthropology, biology and studied ancient languages. Amongst others. She worked for the Air Force since the discovery of the stargate, translating old runes and transcripts. David was a lieutenant. That's were they met. After David's death she left and never came back. I haven't seen her for years.'

'How did her husband die?'

'I don't know. That information was never released.'

Sam shook her head, not taking her eyes of the small woman with the dark hair who encircled Jack's bed and spoke with doctor Fraiser, gesturing angrily. 'I'm not sure if this is a good idea. If she holds a grudge, she might just as well pull the plug.'

'Instead of what?' Daniel said. 'Jack's life is hanging by a thread. Let her take a shot at it, Sam. It took me a lot of convincing to get her down here, but now that she is, I am sure that she will do everything in her power to help him.'

'We should give Daniel Jackson's friend a chance,' Teal'c stated. He was worried too. 'Although the doctor and she do not seem to agree.' He nodded toward the room, where the two women were discussing Jack's condition, both looking fiery in their conviction about a treatment.

'I want to hear what they're saying,' general Hammond said curtly. He pressed a button next to the window, and said: 'Excuse me, doctor Fraiser, doctor Montgomery. Can we speak?'

'Yes,' doctor Fraiser said angrily.

'No,' Mikki said, but only Daniel saw her lips move. He didn't miss the hurt in her face either. There was a different man in the bed, but she had been standing in a similar place nine years ago.

Poor Mikki, he thought, and his heart went out to her.

--

'If you want to save his life, you bring him back to that planet right now,' Mikki snarled.

Doctor Fraiser reacted angrily. 'She wants us to expose him to the cold and the wind on PXJ-117-115,' she said, her nose wrinkling with disbelief. 'There's no way he can go back there! He wouldn't survive!'

'For crying out loud! It's the only thing that WILL save him! I came here because Daniel asked me, but if you only want me to say the things you want to hear, then I'm out of here!'

General Hammond, master of negotiation, raised his hands. 'All right, every one. Calm down. Miss Montgomery...'

'Doctor Montgomery!' She snapped at him. 'And it's Mrs, not Miss.'

Hammond surrendered with a small nod of his head. 'I stand corrected, I apologise. Doctor Montgomery, could you please explain why Colonel O'Neill should be brought back to PXJ-117-115? As I understood, there's only sand, wind, icy temperatures and barely any oxygen there. Hardly the place to park a gravely ill man.'

Mikki let out a deep, impatient sigh. For a moment Daniel thought she was going to say that the general could go to hell, but Hammond's friendly voice and easy demeanour eased her a little. 'I will but not until you put him on ice first. He needs to be as cold as possible. That way, you buy him a little time.'

'But...' Fraiser objected.

'Do it!' Mikki snapped. 'Just... do it.'

Doctor Fraiser still disapproved, but both Daniel and the general nodded and urged her to do what Mikki said. Fraiser left the meeting room quickly and came back a minute later. 'They're getting ice packs now,' she said curtly and took a seat. General Hammond gestured invitingly to a chair, but Mikki didn't sit down. Instead, she paced the room like a caged animal.

'Daniel will concur that's he found a lot of sulphite in the specimen from the dead planet, right?'

'Yes. That struck me,' Daniel agreed.

'It's not sulphite. It's saphphrite. The molecular structure looks almost the same as sulphite, I didn't spot it the first time either, but there is a difference. Combined with Rodendris Singularis it causes a deadly threat.'

'Combined with what?' Eyebrows went up the same time, voices uttered the words in unison.

'Rodendris Singularis. It's a bacterium that lies dormant on metal. O'Neill is suffering from what I call saphphritis,' Mikki said.

'I've never heard of that,' doctor Fraiser said, but her interest was apparent. 'A bacterium?'

Mikki nodded curtly. 'The bacterium works as a catalyst but the saphphrite is the actual killer.'

'How did he get it if he picked it up on the PXJ-117-115? There is no metal there,' Daniel asked, blinking his eyes, unable to understand.

'Doctor Montgomery, we're all laymen here. Would you please start from the beginning?' general Hammond pleaded. Mikki looked at him for a moment, sighed again and then nodded.

'All right. From the top.'

(tbc)