Chapter Thirty-five
"Okay, Teal'c try and make me laugh."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow at Janet and she broke into a smile.
"Your cure does not appear to work." Teal'c grumbled.
"I'm sorry, Teal'c, that was my fault. Try it again, try and make me laugh the way you did before."
Teal'c put on an even more serious face. Concentrating hard he reached out and brushed Janet's cheek. She was able to keep a straight face this time around. Teal'c tried again and Janet still remained quiet.
"I think it worked." Janet beamed.
"Indeed. Am I free to leave?"
"Not yet. We need to make sure it is going to last. Twenty-four hours should be enough."
"Daniel Jackson may not have twenty-four hours to live, I wish to endeavor to locate him."
"I'm sorry, Teal'c, it's not up to me."
A flash of irritation spread across Teal'c face however he bowed and sat back down on the bed. Janet put her hand on his shoulder and forced a reassuring smile. Teal'c looked up at her and graced her with a rare smile of his own. Feeling honoured Janet tapped on the glass to be let out.
Stepping across the hall she found Jack was pacing back and forth at the glass like a hungry lion in a zoo. Sam was sitting on the bed with her back against the wall, slowly destroying the hem of her shirt out of nervous boredom. Sensing Janet's approach Sam looked up and joined Jack at the glass.
"Well?" Jack asked impatiently.
"I think it works." Janet reported.
"Really?"
"At least it worked on Teal'c, of course he didn't have nearly the level of exposure that you two had."
"At least it's a start," Jack beamed "let's do it."
"Sam?" Janet asked concerned.
Sam had taken a step back and was looking conflicted about the prospect of a cure. Jack turned and gave her a 'what?' look. Sam smiled sadly and looked at Janet.
"I don't want a cure yet."
"Carter?" Jack asked shocked. "Why the hell not?"
"If Janet cures me I'll lose my already tenuous connection with Daniel. These visions I've been having are our only chance of finding him."
"Cart..."
"You go ahead, Sir, you shouldn't have to keep feeling everyone's pain. However, I'm staying."
"Sam," Janet said softly "I can't come in there if I don't neutralize you both, the General will never allow it."
"Where is he?" Jack asked.
"Pulling some strings."
"Ah."
"Janet, please," Sam said "if I can learn to control my viewing I can find him, I know I can."
"Carter, no." Jack said firmly.
"Sir?"
"I'm sorry, I can't allow you to postpone treatment."
"Dan..."
"Daniel can't be helped right now, you can." Jack interrupted.
"We can't give up on him like this."
"I don't like this decision anymore than you do, however, you are my responsibility." Jack said seriously. "I'm still not convinced he's even alive, my hand hasn't been painful since it happened."
"He's alive, I can still feel it." Sam took a step closer. "Please, twenty-four more hours, give me one more day to find him. It could be his last chance."
"Carter, don't make this any harder for me than it already is." Jack said in defeat. "I fully understand what is at stake for Daniel here, but your condition is getting worse with each passing hour. What if we get to a point where it can't be reversed?"
"Sam, Colonel O'Neill is right, and even though I haven't been mentioning this to you two the Colonel's health is still in serious jeopardy. The strain of his fear and this new phantom pain is pushing his system to its limit. For this treatment to work his kidneys need to be in good working order, another day and they might not be up to the task."
"What if we've already missed the window?" Sam asked.
"Then I'm going to be locked in their with you." Janet replied. "I can not leave unless the quarantine threat is over."
"Carter, I can't risk three lives for a slight chance of finding Daniel. Please understand."
"I do."
"I'm not giving up on him." Jack assured. "I am going to find him, or at the very least find the men responsible."
Sam nodded sadly. Jack motioned for Janet to come inside. She had a large bag with her that held all of the supplies she would need. If the treatment was a simple injection she would have allowed the pair to treat one another. However the chelation required an IV to work properly, and since she was given them a higher dose than normal she wanted to be in the room to monitor.
"I gotta tell ya, Doc, this has better work." Jack huffed. "It's already crowded in here as it is."
"Two's company, three's a crowd?"
"Something like that, plus you can be affected by both of us."
"I have to admit that the air in here is actually getting to me a little." Janet forced a nervous smile. "Okay, let's get started. This is going to take a few hours so I suggest you lay dow..."
Janet stopped as Jack's breath suddenly hissed across his teeth. He held his left hand to his chest protectively. Knowing what was happening Sam reached out and touched his hand. She closed her eyes and poured her concentration into seeing.
"Daniel's in a room that repeats itself." Sam muttered.
"Repeats itself?"
"The far wall of the room must be a mirror, a one-way mirror."
"What is he doing?" Jack asked.
"Nothing." Sam replied sadly. "He's just staring at the wall, he looks..."
Sam didn't finish. She pulled away from Jack and opened her eyes. Keeping her gaze on the floor she blinked away tears. Jack reached out to touch her, but she pulled away, not wanting to connect with the vision again.
"Carter?"
"He looks broken."
"I'm sor..."
"No, Sir." Sam shook her head. "No, don't be sorry. You're right, these visions are pointless. There is nothing that I am going to be able to see that is going to tell me where he is."
"Come on, the best thing we can do for Daniel is get the hell out of this glass box."
Sam nodded. Janet took Sam's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She lead the pair over to the bed and asked them to get comfortable. They both decided to sit with their backs against the wall. Janet took a hook out that attached to the top of the bathroom door frame and hung two IV bags from it. Jack winched as Janet sunk a needle into Sam's arm. He took his own needle with a little more grace.
"How long is this going to take?" Jack asked.
"With you two I'm guessing four to six hours."
"We're going to need showers."
"The IV can get wet."
"So...hurry up and wait?"
"I'm afraid so, Sir."
Feeling tired from the previous night Jack closed his eyes. Every twenty minutes Janet suggested that they step through the shower to keep her own exposure to a minimum. As the drugs dripped into Jack system he slowly felt the pain in his hand and wrists begin to fade. Part of him tried to hold on to the pain, at least it gave him the knowledge that Daniel was still alive. After five long hours of waiting Jack heard Sam sigh heavily.
"Carter?"
"It's gone." Sam sighed. "I can't even sense Janet across the room."
"I'm sorry, Sam," Janet said "but at the same time it means that it's working."
"I know, and I can't thank you enough for everything you've done to fix us."
"Anytime."
After another hour the IV bags were finally empty. Free of the needle in his arm Jack wandered back into the bathroom. Janet sat down next to Sam and gave her a comforting hug. Sam forced a smile, but still looked heavy hearted.
"You okay, Sam?"
"I feel very alone."
"A shower..."
"No, it's not like that. It's the loss of that extra sense, it was somehow very comforting to be able to feel the heartbeats of everyone on the base. I'll be okay."
"Uh...Doc?" Jack called as he stuck his head out of the bathroom. "I don't mean to alarm anyone, but I seem to be urinating blood."
"It's not blood, Sir, it's the extra iron. It's a good sign."
"Ah, excellent." Jack looked at Sam. "Carter? You doing okay?"
"I'm fine, Sir."
Jack didn't look convinced however he ducked back into the bathroom to take another shower. Sam followed after him. With clean clothing they pulled the sheets off the bed and changed them. The next test was to wait an hour and see if anyone fell in love or tried to hide under the bed.
While they were waiting there was a commotion out in the hallway. Jack could hear General Hammond giving orders and what sounded like a piece of heavy equipment being moved around. The pair looked at Janet, but she was just as confused.
The Airman reached over and opened the door so they could see what was going on. Out in the hallway there was a large device that looked to Jack like a fancy floor buffer. It was connected with a bunch of wire to something out of view. He had no idea what it was. However upon seeing it Sam jumped to her feet with excitement.
General Hammond stepped past the device and came into the room. He looked at the trio and nodded in approval. Jack forced himself to his tired feet and walked up to the glass. He looked over Hammond's shoulder and then back at the General.
"How are you all feeling?" Hammond asked.
"Much better, Sir." Jack answered automatically. "Sir, what is that thing?"
"It's a GPR." Sam replied.
"Come again?"
"Ground Penetrating Radar." Sam clarified.
"That's right." Hammond smiled. "It wasn't easy getting one down here, or rather getting the technician who runs it clearance to come down here."
"I don't get it." Jack admitted. "What does it do?"
"It is going to tell us once and for all if there is anything or anyone under the SGC."