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TEN

The sun had faded away beneath the horizon, shrouding the planet in darkness and shadows. Because of this, Sam and the others kept their torches lit once Leynus had led them out of the tunnels. They emerged in a large, maze-like cave which was then navigated expertly by Leynus before they arrived in the thick, swamp-like woods.

Sam remembered hearing the crackle of static from her radio when they were still in the tunnels, and figured it was Daniel and the Colonel trying to reach them. Though she wanted to make contact to be sure they were alright, not knowing exactly where they were and what kind of situation they were in, Sam didn't want to potentially give away their position. They'll try again, she thought hopefully, looking over at Leynus as she noticed him pause to speak to her father.

Moving closer to Teal'c, she overheard Leynus explaining to her father that he wouldn't be able to go with them any farther. Her dad, nodding his understanding, gave the younger man a comforting pat on the back and thanked him for getting them this far. Sam watched him leave, wondering if there was a family back in the barracks he was eager to return to, or if he was just scared of what lay ahead of them.

-

Having traveled nearly a mile on their journey to find the cave, Daniel paused in his trek when he noticed how slowly Jack was going, seemingly struggling to trudge on. "Jack," he called back to his friend, deciding now would be a good time for another break. The archaeologist doubled over and leaned his hands against his knees, pretending to be more out of breath than he was so Jack wouldn't think they were just stopping on his account. "I'm gonna try to reach Sam on the radio again," Daniel said as he straightened a moment and sat himself on a low, flat rock.

Jack just nodded and waved his good arm at his friend in confirmation. He came to a stop about five feet from Daniel, but didn't bother sitting. If he did so he knew he wouldn't be getting back up again anytime soon. Jack could feel the blood from his side staining his splinted left arm that was clutched against the wound, and didn't dare move the arm for fear that Daniel would notice. His breathing was coming in more quick, shallow pants, and Jack was well aware of the sweat breaking out across his forehead. He figured his friend would just assume it was from the humid atmosphere and the exertion from the hike, but it was getting cooler as night settled and Jack wouldn't be able to pretend for much longer.

Taking a deep, hopeful breath, Daniel held down the switch on his radio. "Sam, come in, it's Daniel." Like anyone else would be radioing in on this alien planet, the archaeologist thought to himself with an eye roll. "Do you read?"

There was a tense moment of silence, followed soon by the slight crackle of the radio and a faded voice. "Daniel! I figured you'd been trying to reach us. One of the local men in the barracks, Leynus, led us through some underground tunnels and out a cave to get close to the prison. There was no signal in the tunnels and I didn't want to risk radioing you when we surfaced."

Daniel heaved a sigh of relief. "It's okay," He glanced over at Jack, who seemed to be listening in as he stood at a distance with his eyes half closed. "Ruksha helped bail us out and lent us a few of the manimal's old weapons. He pointed us in the direction of the cave, so we're on our way."

"Roger that," Sam responded, sounding similarly relieved with the news. "We'll head in your direction down this old path leading out from the cave and try and meet you half-way to provide a little more cover in case anyone is out looking for you guys."

"Got it," Daniel nodded. "Jackson out," He looked down and smiled, shaking his head slightly. God, I've been hanging around Jack too long. I'm picking up the military lingo.

When the conversation ended, Jack knew it was time to get moving again, no matter how much he loathed to do so. The pain in his arm had faded down to nearly nothing on his pain scale while his side took his full attention, climbing to nearly an eight. Despite his bone weariness, Jack soldiered on, waving Daniel forward. He didn't need his friend walking behind him where he might be able to see the blood staining the back of his shirt. "I'll watch our six," he murmured as an excuse, then heaved a satisfied sigh when Daniel trudged onward without question.

-

Sam was well beyond relieved to have heard from them, but she'd really wanted to speak to Jack. She nearly cursed herself for not asking Daniel about him, but knew that it would have seemed a bit unprofessional if she didn't focus on the things that needed addressing first. She also knew that Daniel would have said something if anything was wrong with Jack, and he would have sounded a helluva lot more frazzled than he did.

"Sam," Jacob called after his daughter. "Slow down, will you?"

Only then did Sam realize just how much she'd quickened her pace. She just really wanted to get to Jack and Daniel, needing to see for herself that Jack was okay. Watching as a figure moved past her and took the lead when she stopped, she realized that she'd even passed Teal'c. "Sorry Dad," she apologized, glancing down at her booted feet a little sheepishly before waiting until he came beside her and walking with him after Teal'c.

-

For another hour and a half Daniel and Jack trudged on non-stop before they finally found traces of the faded path that would lead them to the cave. Pausing, Daniel noticed how far behind Jack had gotten when he turned around and could barely see him. It was much darker now, and easier for them to get separated, as well as lose sight of the path beneath their feet. He squinted as he jogged back on the trail, coming to a halt just a few feet in front of his friend, who had now stopped moving altogether. The moonlight shone enough through the thick trees above that Daniel could just about see the fine sheen across Jack's face. "Hey..." He paused, looking over his friend and noticing how his left arm was clutched painfully tight to his right side. "Jack? What's the matter, are you okay?"

Swallowing convulsively and forcing back the rising bile, Jack nodded mutely for a minute to let his head to stop spinning. He knew Daniel was talking to him, figured he was asking questions even though he was in too much pain to make out the words now, so he just nodded as much as he could. His eyelids had started to flutter and he felt himself swaying on his feet, suddenly lightheaded and dizzy.

Daniel stood at his friend's side now, putting a hand to his lower back to steady him. His brows furrowed as he felt something warm and sticky across his palm and Jack hissed in pain. Dragging his hand back, he examined it under the bit of light available. No doubt about it, it was blood. Jack's blood. "Oh, God," he gasped, suddenly finding himself taking Jack's full weight as the man crumpled to the ground. "Jack!"

Feeling an enormous swell of panic, Daniel helped lower his friend to the ground so he was no longer bearing his full weight. Jack sunk down on his right side and immediately curled into a ball, his splinted left arm automatically clutching across his stomach. Kneeling at his friend's side, Daniel had to force him onto his back to examine the wound. When Jack groaned at the movement, Daniel winced in sympathy and pulled up the wounded man's blood-soaked t-shirt. "God, Jack," the archaeologist hissed, turning his head away briefly. "Why didn't you tell me you'd been shot?!"

Daniel was angry that his friend had been silent about his pain, but he knew why Jack did it. Jack didn't want him to slow down because of his injury; he knew it was more important to regroup with the rest of SG-1 and return to the stargate immediately. Rolling Jack over on his left, careful of the injured arm, Daniel checked the exit wound on his friend's back. The hole was significantly bigger than the entry wound, about the size of a quarter, and was still bleeding sluggishly, but not too bad. He only hoped the bullet hadn't hit any major organs. It didn't look infected either, which was definitly a good sign, and a miracle given the humid atmosphere.

The archaeologist knew he needed to contact Sam, but there wasn't much she could do until she, Jacob, and Teal'c met up with them. He'd have to start treating Jack's wounds. Suddenly remembering that his vest had been ransacked and he'd been left with virtually nothing besides his radio, Daniel cursed to himself and frantically fished through the pockets. He came up with one pressure bandage and a thick roll of gauze, but no morphine, antibiotics, or even Tylenol. It would have to do.

After treating the worse wound on Jack's lower back first, using the only propper bandage he had, Daniel rolled him carefully as he began to treat the entry wound. He'd cleaned it as best as he could without any water, wiping it dry with a torn piece of the gauze roll. Jack groaned and used his only good arm to feebly try and push Daniel's hands away. "Jack, please," the archaeologist pleaded, forcing his wounded friend's hand back. "I'm trying to help you. I've got to wrap this wound. Just take it easy,"

Jack stilled with effort, allowing Daniel to wrap the thick gauze around his abdomen. His breathing was heavy and panting as he rode through waves of pain and nausea. "Sam," he gasped unknowingly through the haze of pain.

"Hang in there Jack," Daniel soothed softly, sitting on the ground beside his friend once he was finished. He absently brushed a hand through Jack's sweaty hair. "Sam's on her way." Reaching for the radio again, he hailed Sam to try and find out how close she was, and let her and the others know about Jack. It was too dark to see by this time, and even if Jack hadn't been incapacitated, there was no way they'd be able to follow the trail now.

-

After speaking with a panicky-sounding Daniel over the radio, Sam picked up her pace once again, holding her torch ahead to light the faded path into the forest. Nothing was stopping her from getting to Jack now.

Jacob kept moving, watching his daughter rush ahead of himself and Teal'c. He didn't even bother telling her to slow down this time; he knew she just couldn't. Teal'c appeared anxious, not wanting to let Carter off on her own without cover, so Jacob urged the Jaffa to go ahead and stick close to her.

-

Daniel's head jerked up sharply when he caught a glimpse of a light of some kind, bobbing rapidly in the forest out ahead and coming in fast. Sam. It's gotta be, he thought hopefully, unconsciously holding his breath as the light closed in. "Sam?" He called out tentatively.

"Daniel!" She yelled back, quickening her pace and trying not to stumble on the ground cover, using her torch to light up the path ahead of her.

"Thank God," Daniel sighed with relief as their friend came into view. His gaze flitted over to Jack, now able to see him more clearly as Sam knelt beside them with her flaming torch. The archaeologist grimaced at the sight of his pale friend.

Sam grasped Daniel's shoulder and looked at him with pleading blue eyes. "How's he doing?" Her watery gaze shifted to the prone man laying on the forest floor.

Taking a breath, Daniel made a face and shrugged.

"Carter," Jack gasped out suddenly, his eyes opening marginally.

Sam and Daniel both stared at him, surprised that he was awake and knew she was there. "Sir?" she questioned with a slight sniff, willing her tears not to come at this moment.

He turned his head weakly and blinked slowly a few times. "You're...in charge," Jack whispered breathlessly, a look of complete trust shared between them. "Get us home Sam," Then he passed out.

Nodding, Sam sucked in her lower lip and whispered, "Yes sir." She turned as Teal'c and Jacob came up behind them and began digging through her vest pockets. Drawing out a single shot of morphine, she injected it into Jack's thigh and glanced toward Teal'c for assistance. "Teal'c, I'm going to need you to carry the Colonel, can you do that?" It was more of an order than a question, but she knew the Jaffa wouldn't refuse.

"Indeed, Major Carter," Teal'c bent down and carefully lifted O'Neill without much effort, carrying the lean man across his shoulders.

Jacob patted his daughter's shoulder comfortingly.

"Daniel," Sam eyed him carefully as she watched him stand. "You okay?"

He nodded. "I'm okay," he answered in a small voice. Daniel's face turned to a mask of determination as he locked gazes with Sam. "Let's go home,"

Sam smiled at him gently for a brief moment and waved Teal'c on before they all marched in the direction of the gate. The Jaffa seemed to know the way, so she didn't question him, knowing he would never put the injured O'Neill in further danger by risking taking the wrong route.

-

The team hauled ass to the gate, and it came into view when daylight began peeking through the trees. It was the most welcoming sight Sam had ever seen. As soon as they reached the DHD, Daniel hurriedly dialed home while she sent through her GDO code. She motioned Teal'c through first with his precious cargo, then followed Daniel and her father into the wormhole.

Once they were back at the SGC, Sam watched with shocked detachment as the medical team filed into the gate room and whisked Colonel O'Neill away on a stretcher. Janet demanded that Daniel be looked at immediately as well, and the archaeologist was reluctantly escorted to the infirmary by two nurses. Sam realized she'd been just standing there in the gate room even as everyone else had gone, when General Hammond came down and approached her.

"Major?" Hammond prodded gently in his more fatherly tone. Even Teal'c had already handed over his gear to the armory technicians and headed for the infirmary to find out about their teammates. "Are you alright?"

Sam blinked and nodded slowly, an automatic, "Yes sir," escaping softly. Taking a deep breath, she nodded once more at the General and left the gate room.

-

"He's going to be fine," Janet was finally able to reassure O'Neill's teammates, who'd been waiting decidedly impatiently by the bed Daniel had acquired in the infirmary after his own med check. The archaeologist simply had a concussion and a few bruises, but then she'd already told them all that. What they wanted to hear now was Jack's condition. She smiled gently before rattling off the list of injuries. "There was quite a bit of bleeding, but there's no infection and the bullet went straight through and didn't hit any organs. He's just got some minor tissue and muscle damage that should heal nicely with some time. Other than the bullet wound, Colonel O'Neill has a concussion and a broken left arm. X-rays showed that it was a fairly bad break, but Dr. Jackson set and splinted it decently enough." Janet sent a nod and brief smile toward Daniel, "The Colonel's arm has been casted, and we've got him on IV fluids, pain meds, and a unit of blood, but I'm glad to say that he's responding well to the treatment."

Sam released the breath she didn't know she'd been holding and could've cried with relief. When she'd first found out that the healing device had already been taken away to Area-51 by the NID, she feared that Jack wouldn't heal as well as expected like the last time. Smiling somewhat shakily, Sam nodded and hesitantly asked if they could visit with the Colonel.

Janet nodded at the inquiry. "He's resting at the moment, but he did regain consciousness earlier, and if he does so again while you're there, he'll probably be rather groggy from all the medication he's on. We're still pumping him with antibiotics to hold back any infections, just in case."

"We shall not bother O'Neill for long if he happens to wake, Dr. Fraiser," Teal'c assured the small women with a slight bow.

She nodded with a quick smile. "Alright, go on in and visit for a little while," she motioned the team toward the curtained off corner where O'Neill was and left them to see their friend, reaching for Daniel's arm when he started to slide off the bed he'd been sitting on.

Daniel rose an eyebrow at the doctor and paused in his movements. "Janet?"

"I want you back in bed after visiting with the Colonel, is that clear?" She told him somewhat sternly.

He gave a sheepish sort of nod and smiled, getting to his feet and following Sam and Teal'c over to see Jack.

-