Chapter Twenty-one
Sam woke without opening her eyes, trying to control a pulse pounding headache. Thankfully the pain quickly began to fade like morning fog evaporating in the sun. She was finding it difficult to orient herself, although the cold feeling between her shoulder blades made her suspect that she was laying on the stone floor of the Lab.
"Jack you promised!"
The desperation in Daniel's voice snapped Sam's eyes open. She pushed herself up into a sitting position and looked around. It took her a second to figure out the scene. Daniel was a few feet away, on his knees visibly trembling with the strength it was taking to keep Gabriel at bay. Jack stood with his sidearm ready to fire, but unwilling to do so.
"At least give that wretched snake control so I can shoot 'him' instead of 'you'."
"No." Daniel replied firmly. "Jack, please, I want to die as myself."
"Da..."
"Do it!" Daniel roared. "This trick isn't going to hold Gabriel for long and I may never get this chance again."
Jack was motionless for a second and then simply nodded. He adjusted his aim and closed his eyes. Daniel faced his execution without fear.
"Wait!" Sam cried.
Without thinking Sam leapt to her feet to stop the inevitable blood shed. Pulling on Jack's arm she redirected his aim. Already on the edge of his nerves Jack instinctively pulled the trigger and the weapon cracked sharply.
Jack and Sam stared at each other motionlessly, as though Time itself had frozen. As Sam's initial shock gave way to an icy pain her expression degraded into one of fear. Jack seemed locked in a state of numb confusion. It was until she started to fall that he was able to drop the gun to reach out and catch her.
"Carter...Carter!"
Sam couldn't respond, she was having trouble enough as it was just breathing. Jack gently laid her down on the cold floor. He tore open her lightweight jacket to get a better idea of where exactly the injury was. The small entry wound lay just below her ribs on right side.
The deep red blood that bordered on black betrayed the fact that the bullet had torn through the hepatic vein of her liver. Shot at point blank range it had easily passed through and it was the exit wound that had done a majority of the damage.
Not knowing what else to do Jack pressed his palm against the seeping injury. Sam cried out weakly. Unable to catch her breath she could barely manage anything above a whimper. She reached up and Jack gave her his free hand. She gripped his hand tightly and fought to regain at least some of her composure.
"It's...it's the Gate." Sam panted. "The Idlewyld Gate is a trap...she...she didn't mean for it to spread...it was meant to protect Idle..."
"Carter...stay with me."
Sam managed a smile, but she was starting to shiver from the effects of hypovolemic shock. Jack's mind raced with options, none of which included looking up to see what Daniel was doing. The realization of having shot Carter himself was clouding his thinking.
While Sam fought to hang on to life Daniel was struggling to end his own. The gun that Jack had dropped had clattered across the floor and ended up within his reach. However, he didn't have complete control over Gabriel. He could keep Gabriel from taking over, and had control of his own voice. Battling for control Gabriel couldn't force Daniel to move, but he could keep him still. Together they effectively had one another in a paralyzing stalemate.
'Daniel, I can save her! Please!' Gabriel cried desperately in Daniel's mind. 'I can save her! Let me go! Daniel, let me go!'
"She a Goa'uld," Daniel spat coldly "she can save herself."
Although even as Daniel said the words he was finding them hard to believe. Tears slid from the corners of Sam's eyes as her breathing became increasingly shallow.
'No!' Gabriel flooded Daniel's mind with the memory of how Sam came to disguise herself. 'Let me go...'
"That's just a trick!" Daniel cried in terrified indecision.
'No, I swear! I love her! She doesn't love me, but I love her and I can't let her die because she trusted me! Please, let me go and after I will leave you forever!'
Daniel didn't know what to think or what to do, and time was not on his side. If he let Gabriel go now he'd be completely at his mercy, quite possibly forever. He'd have a loaded weapon, Jack would be completely defenseless, and worst of all Gabriel would have the Galaxygate and the means to use it. Even if he did heal Sam she may just end up his prisoner.
As if reminding Daniel that time was a factor Sam started to audibly gasp for breath as her heart tried to beat against a quickly lowering tide.
"Carter!" Jack cried desperately.
"Daniel!"
Unable to just watch Sam die Daniel gave in. Gabriel was not expecting Daniel to suddenly stop fighting. He cried out in pain as he was violently thrown into control. An overwhelming nausea that he'd never experienced before washed over him and he had to fight hard just to keep from blacking out.
Putting his discomfort aside Gabriel scrambled over to Jack and Sam. Adrenaline was making his motions uncoordinated, but he managed to get the small healing device out of his pocket. At first Jack wouldn't take his hand away from heavily bleeding wound.
"I only want to help...I can't possibly do any more harm."
Jack glared defiantly at Gabriel, however, when Sam spasmodically increased her grip on his hand he nodded and allowed the Goa'uld to take over. At first he couldn't get the device to work, he was shaking too hard. Taking a deep breath he forced himself to relax and concentrate on the Naquadah he'd placed in Daniel's blood.
This time the device reacted. The small healing device was not designed to heal such massively traumatic wounds, but he was determined to make it work. Sweat started to drip from Gabriel's hair with the effort it was taking to reverse the damage. Slowly Carter's shallow breathing began to take a more natural rhythm. Gabriel pulled away and sat back as Sam took a deep breath and opened her eyes.
"Carter?" Jack asked nervously. "Are you alright?"
"You're right...that question does get annoying."
"Would you mind answering it anyway?"
"I'm fine."
Although she didn't need assistance, Jack helped her to sit up. He drew her into a grateful embrace. She accepted the comfort, needing a moment to recollect herself. Everything had happened so fast and no matter how many times she came close to death it was still unnerving.
Sam pulled away from Jack and flashed him a reassuring smile. She turned and was about to thank Gabriel for saving her. However when she saw the look of abject horror on his face she found herself speechless.
Gabriel was staring down at Daniel's hands as if he'd never seen them before. He slowed balled them into fists and released them again. Sam and Jack both jolted in surprise as Gabriel suddenly wailed in animalistic terror.
He tried to get to his feet, but fell back to the dirty floor. Gabriel scrambled back until his back was pressed hard against the broken aquarium. Shaking violently he ran his hands through Daniel's hair compulsively. Jack got to his feet and retrieved his weapon. Sam got up as well, and once again she redirected his aim. This time being careful to push the gun away from everyone.
"Carter, who is this?!" Jack demanded.
"Gabriel." Sam answered confidently. "But give us a second to exspla..."
"I...I can't move!" Gabriel cried in alarm.
"Yes you can!" Jack snarled. "And if you don't stay stil..."
"No, I mean I can't move, something's happened, something's wrong." Gabriel struggled for breath and clawed at the back of his neck. "Daniel! Daniel, what have you done? Wake up! Please!"
"Gabriel, calm down." Sam said softly as she approached him.
"Screw that!" Jack snapped. "Let Daniel go! Now!"
To Sam it looked like Gabriel would like nothing better than to be able to follow Jack's orders. He weld his eyes shut and opened them several times, but nothing happened, he was still there.
"If you don't release him in five seconds I am going to kill you!" Jack roared.
"It's no longer a question of me letting Daniel go," Gabriel whispered in horror "if anything it's the other way around."
"What?"
"I...I think we've switched places."
"Oh for crying out loud..."