COMPLICATIONS
Footsteps awakened Sam. She opened her eyes and saw a nurse's back as she retreated from the door of the room. Tall and thin, dark hair caught up in a knot. Glancing at the clock, she saw that she'd only drifted off for about ten minutes. Sam was surprised that she had actually slept lying so precariously beside Jack. He now appeared to be sound asleep again. She knew that rest was the best thing for him. Dr. Brightman had said he needed at least forty-eight hours of rest in order for his lung to get a good start on healing. Sam lay still, not wanting to disturb him. Jack had only been out of surgery for about four hours. Just over seven hours since the drama at the airfield. God it seemed like so much longer! So much had happened!
It occurred to Sam that Lisa would have a fit if she found her on the bed with Jack. Besides, she was lying on her sprained wrist and it was getting uncomfortable. She had just started to try to get up from the bed when Daniel walked into the room.
"Hel-looo," he said, his voice low and teasing.
She chuckled. "You're just in time," she whispered. "Help me up, will you? I don't want to wake him."
Daniel took her hand and steadied her with his hand on her back as he began to raise her. Jack's arm tightened reflexively around her waist when she moved.
"Wha'cha doin'," Jack mumbled without opening his eyes.
"Uh oh," Daniel grinned.
"I need to get up, Jack," Sam said softly.
"Why?" He looked at her owlishly.
"Because it's hurting my hand."
"Okay," he said drowsily. He seemed to be having difficulty processing what had been said; there was a frown between his brows. Finally he released her and let his arm drop.
With Daniel's help, Sam gained her feet.
"Not goin' anywhere, are ya?" Jack muttered.
"No. Well... just to the ladies' room. But I'll come right back."
"M'kay."
Daniel sat down in the chair. "I'll wait here."
In the corridor, Sam noticed the nurse at the desk. She thought it might the same one she'd seen when she woke—at least she had the same dark hair. She was seated so Sam could not tell how tall she was. The nurse had papers in her hand and she was frowning down at something. She didn't look up as Sam walked past.
When she came out of the restroom, Sam went looking for Lisa Brightman. She found the doctor in her office.
"Come in, Sam. How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine," Sam said, stepping in and closing the door. "I'm just wondering about Jack."
"Something wrong?"
"He just woke up, but he seems much groggier than he was just a little while ago."
A small smile touched Brightman's face. "I was in a few minutes ago and added a sedative to his IV."
"Oh." Sam's face flamed red. "Then you saw..."
Lisa chuckled. "You both looked very comfortable. I didn't think it was worth it to wake you." She grew more serious. "I do plan to keep him lightly sedated for the next twenty-four hours or more, however. You know, surgical recovery can be tricky. Just to make sure."
Sam nodded. "I understand. But it wasn't you I saw leaving the room, when I first woke. A nurse, I guess."
"Oh?"
"Dark hair like yours, but pinned up. And she was taller."
"Sounds like Lt. Parish. She has floor duty right now." Lisa got to her feet. "I'll come in with you and check on the General."
xXx
She slipped quickly away from outside the door to Brightman's office. So Carter had seen her when she went to O'Neill's room! She'd have to be more careful. She turned the corner and headed down the corridor away from the iso rooms, back into the main infirmary, slipping out of her lab coat as she went. She headed for her duty station in the medical lab.
xXx
Sam walked back toward Jack's room, while Dr. Brightman paused at the nurse's station. Lt. Donna Parish looked up from the papers she'd been reading. "I need General O'Neill's chart," Lisa said.
"Yes, Doctor." Parish reached into the rack behind the desk and extracted one of the charts, handing it to Lisa.
"Thanks. Have you checked on him in the past half hour?" Brightman asked.
"Just about a half hour ago, ma'am. Dr. Jackson was sitting with him. His monitor readings have been fine. Just a slight variation when you went in a few minutes ago."
"Thanks." Lisa turned and headed toward O'Neill's room.
xXx
Jen Hailey took a step back from the lab table and stared at the device in front of her for a moment. She had been at work for half an hour, and now was certain she knew what the purpose of the device was.
Hailey had searched through the boxes Dr. Lee had showed her until she found the scanners she needed. These were instruments that Colonel Carter had designed to detect various kinds of alien technology. The scanner itself was powered by a naquadah enhanced battery that Sam had developed. Even now Sam's scanners were being used throughout the base to detect suspicious power levels. The device Jen was looking at had been found in the first sweep, in a rest room on the 28th level—just outside the gateroom.
She reached for her radio and switched it on. "Colonel Dixon, this is Hailey."
"Yes, Captain?"
"I need to meet with you, Colonel."
"I'll clear you to come to the briefing room."
"Thank you, sir."
Despite having to climb down eight flights of stairs, and check with the Marine guards on each level, Hailey made it to the briefing room in just a little over ten minutes. Colonel Dixon, Colonel Reynolds, Colonel James and Teal'c were waiting for her.
She looked around at the group. "Sirs, may we go into the General's office?" she requested.
Reynolds nodded, and they went into the smaller room. Teal'c closed the door after them.
Hailey set the device she was carrying on the desk.
"What is it, Captain?" Reynolds asked, nodding at the device.
"It's a surveillance device, sir. It's alien technology." She opened a small panel on one side and extracted a green crystal. "This is its data crystal. It's programmed to record everything within a thirty meter radius of its position. From the rest room on the 28th level, that includes the gateroom, the control room, briefing room and this office, as well as the adjoining corridors and smaller rooms. In other words, everything on the 27th and 28th levels, sir. In addition, it records all incoming transmissions through a wormhole, and all electronic activity including gate addresses."
All four men were paying close attention. "How is the data accessed, CaptainHailey?" Teal'c asked.
"I believe it's accessed remotely. An additional device—something similar to a cell phone is my guess—picks up the data and transmits it to another receiver outside of the SGC." Hailey set the green crystal down on the desk. "We have all the cell phones that were confiscated. I recommend that we check each one carefully to see if it's been modified and is capable of doing such a thing. I think we should start with those belonging to people who work on the 27th and 28th levels, because it would have to be done from nearby."
Colonel Reynolds looked around at the others. Each one nodded. "Do it, Captain. Take whomever you need to help you."
"Two more things, sir. First, I think we should conduct a thorough search of the persons who work on those levels and of their belongings. If none of the cell phones that we have is the transmitter, then it may be hidden somewhere."
Reynolds' gaze turned to Colonel James. "James, you and Teal'c get started with the search."
"Yes, sir."
"What else, Hailey?" Reynolds asked.
"Could I ask Colonel Carter to help me check out the technology? It would go much faster, and we don't have anyone nearly as capable—or as trustworthy."
Reynolds and Dixon exchanged a look. "I agree," Reynolds said, and Dixon nodded. "Get Dr. Jackson involved, too. He's got the most experience with alien tech, next to Carter."
"Thank you, sir."
Just then Reynolds' radio crackled. "Sir, this is Major Aldin. We have a code 1 emergency on level 16. Medical assistance has been called. I repeat, code 1."
Code 1 meant casualties—dead or injured.
"On our way," Reynolds barked.
xXx
Sam and Daniel heard the commotion in the infirmary, and stepped into the corridor in time to see Dr. Brightman and a corpsman pushing a gurney loaded with equipment vanish in the direction of the elevators.
"I wonder what the emergency is," Daniel said, frowning.
There had been no alert sirens, just the sudden surge of activity. For the first time Sam wondered how the various departments and command personnel were communicating with one another. Radios most likely, on secure channels, since the entire base phone system was shut down.
Within moments quiet reigned again, and Sam and Daniel returned to Jack's bedside. He was still sleeping undisturbed.
"What do you think is happening out there?" Daniel asked in a low voice. "Do you think something came through the gate?"
"I don't know. We haven't heard any gunfire or explosions. This may be related to the kidnapping."
"Really? Why would that lock down the base?"
Sam shrugged. "Al Reynolds didn't say much to me, but I got the feeling he was focused on that investigation. It feels really strange not to be in the loop."
"I know."
"Al came in and talked to Jack alone for a while." She turned toward the bed. "I wonder..." She broke off as she caught movement in the corner of her eye, and quickly looked up at the observation gallery. The figure of a woman was just exiting the gallery—white coat, pinned up dark hair. It was the same nurse Sam had seen when she woke up earlier. She frowned.
"What's the matter?" Daniel asked, seeing her expression. He glanced up where she was looking, but the woman was gone. "What did you see?"
"Someone was up there. A nurse. And she was in Jack's room earlier, when I first woke from my nap." She shook her head. "I'm sure she was just doing her rounds."
Just then there was a knock on the door. Daniel and Sam glanced at one another. The medical personnel didn't usually knock. After a moment, Sam walked over and opened the door. Jen Hailey stood there.
"Hello, Colonel Carter," she said with a smile.
"Jennifer! It's good to see you."
"You too, Colonel. How is General O'Neill doing?"
"Dr. Brightman says he will recover just fine."
"That's good. And you?"
"I'll be fine."
"I'm glad to hear it," Hailey said. "May I talk to you for a minute? You and Dr. Jackson?"
"Certainly," Sam said, motioning to Daniel. "Let's go out into the corridor. The General is sleeping."
"This is confidential," Hailey said carefully. "We need somewhere private."
"Oh," Sam said, glancing over toward the bed.
"How about we go up into the observation gallery," Daniel suggested. "We can close the door, and still watch Jack."
"That sounds good," Hailey agreed.
They exited O'Neill's room and climbed the few steps into the gallery. Hailey shut the door behind them and set the latch. Daniel pulled over three chairs.
"I've been given permission to tell you some of what's going on," Hailey began. "And to ask for your help."
Daniel and Sam both sat forward attentively.
"Did Colonel Reynolds explain to you the reason for the lockdown?" Hailey asked.
"No," Sam said. "He told me what they had found out from Dallas about the plans to kidnap me." She frowned. "And my brother's possible involvement—which I can't believe is true. Is the lockdown connected?"
"Yes. Based on John Dallas' confession, we believe that there are operatives of the organization he belongs to here at the SGC. The lockdown is intended to flush them out and neutralize them."
"Oh, my god," Daniel said. "You mean people who work here? Someone we may know?"
"Yes, very possibly," Hailey said. "There are only a half dozen people who know everything that happening right now and why. We've deliberately isolated the levels of the base in order to make it easier to search and harder for the spies to contact one another."
"How many do you think there are?" he asked.
"We don't know yet. We're assuming there are several. We've also been running a sweep to locate any unauthorized communications device. And what we have found is disturbing. That's why we need your help."
xXx
Teal'c and Colonel Reynolds arrived on level 16 and were greeted by Major Perrot, leader of SG-6, one of the Marine units. The stockade and holding cells were located on this level, as well as the secondary command bunker, security and monitoring stations for the entire facility.
"The prisoner John Dallas is dead," Perrot reported. "Dr. Brightman attempted to resuscitate with no results."
"What happened?" Reynolds asked.
"He complained of being sick about forty minutes ago. The guard escorted him to the toilets. He appeared relieved somewhat and was returned to his cell. Fifteen minutes ago the guard found him collapsed in the cell. He was still alive, but unconscious. By the time the med team arrived, he was dead."
Dr. Brightman joined them.
"What can you tell us, doctor?" Reynolds asked.
"Nothing certain, until I do an autopsy," she said. "But he appears to have been poisoned."