Chapter Twenty-five

Jack hummed a song quietly to himself as he spread a thick layer of strawberry jam on a piece of toast. Sam was still in bed sleeping fitfully. Even locked in a dream she kept a protective hand over her stomach. Jack shook his head sadly, wondering how much longer they were going to be able to keep her pregnancy a secret.

Inspecting the slathered toast Jack smiled in self satisfaction. Being as quiet as possible he dragged a chair over to the corner of the room. He balanced the toast in one hand while he crawled up onto the chair. Up on his perch he looked directly into the tiny videocamera that was protected by a thick sheet of glass.

With a bright smile Jack winked and pressed the sticky bread against the glass. He waited a moment to see if it would stick. With the toast securely over the spying camera Jack crawled back down off the chair. When he turned around he found that Sam was awake.

"MacGyver would be proud." Sam teased.

"I always did like that show."

"Fancy that."

Before Sam had a chance to get out of bed Jack gently pounced on her. With a musical laugh Sam put her hands on his chest to push him off. Exaggerating her strength Jack acted as though he'd been thrown and landed on his back next to her. She rolled over on to him and laid her head down on his chest.

For at least fifteen minutes Jack stroked Sam's soft hair while she listened to his heart beat. He knew she was locked deep in thought, he could almost hear the gears in her mind grinding away. Eventually she sighed and propped herself up on her elbows to look at Jack.

"Carter?"

"Sir...how long are we going to do this?" Sam asked seriously.

"Do what?"

"Pretend nothing's wrong."

"Until I come up with a plan."

"Any idea when that might be?"

"Could be any minute now."

Sam forced a smile, but her anxiety was still clear. Jack reached up and brushed her cheek. This time her smile was genuine, however it was quickly replaced by a look of shock.

"Oh!" Sam exclaimed.

"What? You having a stroke of genius or something?"

"No, here..."

Sam rolled over onto her back and took Jack's hand. She pressed his hand against her lower stomach. For a minute nothing happened, but then there was a distinct thumping. Jack's whole face lit up as thumping repeated. Since he knew the room was wired for sound he pressed his lips against Sam's ear.

"She's got a kick like a mule." Jack whispered. "Just like her mother."

Despite the sign of life Sam's aqua eyes brightened with tears. Jack moved onto his side and pulled her into a warm embrace. She didn't truly break down crying, however he could feel her warm tears soaking his shirt. Once again he brought his lips close to her to keep their secrets.

"Everything is going to be alright. If it comes down to being taken back to Earth, I have friends in very high places. Failing that I also happen to have friends in very low places as well..."

Sam managed to chuckle. Pulling away, while at the same time pulling herself together, she sat up on the edge of the bed. Jack did the same and put his arm over her shoulders. He looked around the room, trying to think of a way out.

"I'm sure Teal'c and Da..."

Jack stopped cold at the sounds of a struggle out in the hall. Both he and Sam got to their feet as the violence grew nearer. There were no voices that could be made out, just yelling and crashing. Jack looked to Sam and saw that she had her hands held in a position ready to strike, and her feet set apart. If a fight was coming their way she was going to get involved.

Jack put his arm across her chest to hold her at bay when the door slid open. Two guards, both bloodied, dragged Daniel into the room. Soaking wet and looking all the world like a rabid animal Daniel bucked wildly. Despite having his wrists restrained behind his back he was doing an amazing job of fighting back.

"Daniel!" Sam cried.

Jack sunk his fingers into Sam's upper arm to stop her. If it wasn't for the third man with his side arm drawn Jack would have rushed to Daniel's aid. However the armed Major made it clear that he was already on the edge of pulling the trigger. Jack and Sam watched helplessly as Daniel's adrenaline began to fail him.

When he was brought to his knees one of the Airmen unlocked the double set of hand cuffs. Shoved from behind Daniel pitched forward onto his hands. Without another word the trio left. Jack released Sam and they both knelt down in front of their struggling friend. Daniel was clawing at his soaked shirt, unable to take a deep breath.

"Easy, Daniel." Jack said softly. "Look at me."

Jack reached out and put his hand on Daniel's shoulder to get his attention. Daniel snapped his head up, his eyes grotesquely rolled back to white. He was struggling to breath, seemingly unable to do little more than gasp. Jack's eyes widened in shock as Daniel spit up a thick yellowish clear liquid tainted with blood.

"Shit." Jack snarled. "Daniel, listen to me, calm down and cough that stuff up."

Daniel clearly wasn't listening, he just continued to rake at his chest. Not knowing how else to help Jack slapped Daniel hard on the back a few times. After drooling some more of the viscous fluid he began coughing in earnest. Daniel's coughing quickly degraded into gut wrenching dry heaving. However he was managing to remove the liquid from his lungs.

"That's it, Daniel, you're through the worst of it."

"Sir, what is that?"

"It's...uh..." Jack hesitated to explain. "It's PFC."

"Perfluorocarbon? A refrigerant?"

"It can also be used in 'liquid breathing'."

Sam started at Daniel in horror. She closed her eyes for a moment as he began shaking. Using the oxygen rich perfluorocarbon instead of water they could hold him under until he was forced to breath it in. Simulated drowning without the risk of drowning. To Daniel it hadn't been a simulation the thick liquid in his lungs would keep his blood oxygen levels up, but did nothing to stop the claustrophobic feeling of not being able to draw in air. Still unable to clear his lungs he began convulsing sickeningly.

"He's going into shock." Jack growled. "His skin is ice cold."

Jack started rubbing Daniel's back to try and work in some friction heat, but his uncontrollable shaking was getting worse by the second. Sam jumped to her feet and headed into the large bathroom. There was a walk in shower with a glass door which she slid open. Turning the water on full hot she rushed back out to the pair.

"Carter?"

"I know this is probably the last thing he wants, but it's what he needs."

Nodding Jack forced Daniel to his feet and guided him towards the shower. Nearing unconsciousness Daniel followed him peacefully until he felt the water against his skin. Daniel cried out in panic, a wet, congested noise that chilled Jack's blood. As Daniel fought harder Jack had to lock him in a bear hug to keep him under the warming spray.

"Damn it, Gabriel!" Jack roared. "Calm him down!"

Jack's shouting only served to infuriate Daniel further. When he couldn't twist out of Jack's embrace he threw them both into the glass door. With a horrific noise the glass shattered. Jack and Daniel fell to the soaked floor in an explosion of tiny shards. Before Sam could step in to do anything Daniel pushed Jack off and shoved him up against the tile wall.

Blinded by panic and the steaming water Daniel was on Jack in a heartbeat. Fighting like a cornered wild cat Daniel struck at Jack tactlessly. Defending himself as best he could Jack alternately protected his face and tried to stop the assault. Lashing out he managed to catch one of Daniel's bleeding wrists. Roaring in fury Daniel pulled back his other hand to strike.

"Daniel, stop!" Sam barked. "Gabriel, help him!"

Sam's cry did not fall on deaf ears this time. Daniel froze in place, still in position to strike his friend. He tried to blink the running water out of his eyes to get a better look at his captive. As recognition swept over him his jaw dropped open in shock.

"Ja...Jack?"

"Daniel."

Releasing Jack Daniel slipped to the floor. He bowed his head and pinched the bridge of his nose as the hot water continued to wash over him. When he looked up at Jack it was clear that tears were running down his face despite the water that also dripped from his jaw.

"Jack..." Daniel whispered "I'm sorry."

"No harm done." Jack forced a smile. "Made a hell of a mess though."

Daniel closed his eyes and looked as though he might topple over. Jack reached out and pulled Daniel against his chest. Sam threw a towel down over the broken glass and knelt down next to them. Sam rubbed between Daniel's shoulder blades as he closed his eyes and concentrated on taking a few deep breaths.

For the next ten minutes the only sounds came from the spray of the water. Eventually Daniel pushed himself away from Jack and leaned up against the wall on his own. He reached up and turned off the shower. He looked down briefly at his bleeding wrists, but quickly lost interest.

"Daniel?"

"I'm alright, Jack."

"Gabriel, why the hell didn't you help him?" Jack demanded.

"Gabriel's not here." Daniel sighed.

"What?" Sam asked in shock. "But I can sense him."

"No," Daniel shook his head "you sense the marker that I was injected with when pretending to be Anshar."

"Of course."

"We both knew Stenson wouldn't kill us, but in the end we were starting to lose our sanity. My fears are now Gabriel's...with both of us panicking...he left because he couldn't help me through it."

"I don't understand." Jack admitted. "Why does Gabriel have your fears?"

"Just before we were caught Gabriel was dying, so we blended."

Sam's breath hissed across her teeth, but Jack still didn't fully understand. He had never experienced blending in the same way that Sam and Daniel had. Sam's skill chilled as she recalled what it had been like to suddenly have Jolinar taken, she couldn't imagine how much harder it had to be for Daniel.

Daniel was still leaning against the wall listlessly. He didn't even bother with the water that was dripping out of his hair and into his eyes. Getting to her feet Sam retrieved a few dry towels. Jack stood up and helped Daniel do the same. Sam draped the towels over their shoulders and they all carefully made their way out of the glass.

Understandably exhausted Daniel peacefully allowed Sam to lead him over to the bed to lay down. He curled up on his side and stared vacantly at the far wall. Jack sat down at the table and started working some of the glass out of his arms. Sam sat down on the bed next to Daniel and brushed his cheek.

"Daniel?"

"I'm alright."

"Really?"

"No, not really...I feel like I've had a part of my soul ripped out."

"I'm so sorry."

"It's alright, it won't last. We're going to get him back. Gabriel is nothing if not a survivour."

"Yeah...he told me once that he gets that from you."

Daniel smiled and closed his eyes. Seconds later he was fast asleep. Sam ran her hand through his wet hair one last time before getting up to help Jack. She plucked a few shards of glass out of his shoulder, however there was no major damage done.

"I've finally come up with that plan." Jack said suddenly.

"Oh?"

"Kill Stenson with my barehands."