Marya was getting bored trying to keep Burkhalter entertained; Hogan was going to owe her big for this one. Klink had excused himself and went to bed shortly after Hogan left. The General wasn't a match for her at cards, so maybe she could gain some useful information while they played instead. "Albie darling, who was that Gestapo officer who gave us the tour today?"
"Do you mean Captain Fuchs?" The General asked taking a card.
"Ja, Captain Fuchs, I've never seen him before," she replied nonchalantly.
"He's just another Gestapo officer, there's nothing special about him. Why do you ask?" The General didn't want to have to share her attention if she thought the Captain was interesting. Although, she did seem to have a liking for Hogan, but Burkhalter wasn't worried about the American Colonel, if he became an issue he could always be shot.
"No reason, I had just expected Major Hochstetter to show us around today. I thought it was strange that he sent a junior officer to give such an important General the grand tour," Marya said with a silky voice and warm smile.
"As I understand it, Hochstetter has taken some leave time and gone home," he answered beaming from her praise. "Fuchs is his second in command, so it fell to him to make sure our visit went well."
"I still think someone worthy of your rank should have taken the time to show us the laboratory," she stated working hard not to roll her eyes. She wasn't getting any useful information to explain what Hogan would have on Fuchs to be able to slip O'Neill in to see the facility on their tour. O'Neill was obviously an American or so she thought earlier, but then he did make a pretty convincing German officer today. Could he be a plant inside the Gestapo? That might be a useful tidbit to tuck away if they met again sometime in the future.
"I didn't mind, in fact I prefer Captain Fuchs over Major Hochstetter most days," said the General, hoping there were no Gestapo listening devices in Klink's quarters.
"Why is that, dear?" She looked at him with curious flirty eyes.
"Fuchs is only a Captain and not as annoying Hochstetter, so I didn't mind him being out there at all," the General answered as she played Gin on him winning her fifth hand in a row.
Being nearly mid-night Marya said she was exhausted and wanted to retire for the night. General Burkhalter walked her over to the quarters she was staying in and then said goodnight. As she watched him leave, Marya scanned the horizon outside the camp wire to see if Hogan might be returning from whatever he had to do. She had no way to get into the tunnel tonight to find out if he was back; she honestly hoped he and his men were safe.
Down in the tunnels, it had been almost an hour and a half since Hogan's team and Tiger had been dosed with the Nish'ta. Both camp medics were checking their patients' vital signs one more time before they were to be hit with a shot from the Zat gun. Sam wanted to give Kinch some additional time with the chemical in his body; in order, to make sure with the ragged breathing that he'd experienced his entire body had been completely infected. Anderson had been concerned about the team being under its influence for longer than expected, but O'Neill reminded them that people at the laboratory had been infected for weeks with no extraneous side effects. O'Neill walked over and zatted Hogan, Tiger, and LeBeau, while Sam zatted Newkirk, Kinch, and Andrew Carter. It was difficult for the medics to watch their friends jump in pain as the Zat struck them; they hadn't expected that type of reaction from them while they were still unconscious. A couple of minutes later and they all started waking up, with Wilson and Anderson hovering over each of them checking vital signs one last time.
"What's the verdict, Joe?" Hogan asked rubbing the back of his neck. He'd had a crick in it for a couple of days now.
"Everyone seems to be fine, and I'm glad it was you guys going through that and not me," he answered stowing his blood pressure cuff and stethoscope away in his black bag.
"How is everyone feeling?" Hogan asked looking around the room; everyone looked none the worse for wear.
Yawning and stretching Carter replied, "I feel fine but I'm sleepy. My hands aren't numb like yesterday."
Hogan received similar replies from the rest of his men, so he sent them upstairs. Turning to his medics once they were gone he asked, "Any problems to report?"
"Kinch went through a period of about fifteen minutes where he was breathing roughly, but he seemed to work through it," Anderson answered him.
"Will Kinch be all right?" Tiger walked over to where the others were standing.
"I think he's going to be fine, his breathing evened out and his vital signs stayed strong the entire time," Anderson replied and Wilson shook his head in agreement.
"That's why we kept everyone under the influence for a little longer time than we planned too. I wanted to ensure Kinch was going to be completely immune in the future," Sam said in anticipation of Hogan's next question.
"I was wondering what changed our time frame. Thank you gentlemen for your assistance tonight, why don't you go get some rest now." Hogan suggested and then when they had left he asked, "Jack, how do you think it went?"
"I think we're ready for tomorrow night. Do either of you feel any different?" O'Neill responded looking at both Hogan and Tiger.
"Not sure what I was expecting to feel. I am a bit tired, but otherwise I feel normal," Tiger replied. Hogan agreed with her that was how he felt, so they said goodnight leaving Sam and Jack alone.
Jack was moving the cots back together so he and Sam could sleep together while she moved the heater closer to them. "Do you think we accomplished our goal?"
"I hope so sir," Sam replied. "In theory, they should be completely immune now, but we won't know for sure unless they're exposed to a full force of it."
Jack walked up behind Sam putting his arms around her waist and kissing the back of her neck. She turned around wrapping her arms around his neck kissing him deeply. He held her close returning her kiss. "Sam, what are we going to do when we get home?"
"We have to find a way to be together and still be on SG-1. I won't give you up," she answered. "Jack, right now I'm at a total loss on how we're supposed to get home this time."
"Would it be so bad if we had to stay and watching the Third Reich fall? Seeing up close and personal the US in its glory time? Or, we could always go through the Stargate that Pentagon has, find Teal'c and start fighting Apophis now. We have options other than going home," Jack smiled at her. He wasn't ready to give up on them getting home just yet; he trusted in her abilities and that she'd find a way. Besides, Rob said he and Sam left at the time and place on that card – but left to where? Starting their new life together now or going home to their time? Staying here definitely had its advantages too; one being that he could hold Sam in his arms and kiss her without fear of a court martial. Spending the next sixty years with Sam by his side raising a family definitely had its appeal, he thought as his mouth found its way to hers.
