A Matter of Trust
Author's Note: Timeline wise: it's late April, just a couple of weeks after the events of Seasons.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people or places I didn't make up, but I do lay claim to those who are in this story but aren't in the TV show!
OOOOOOOOOO
Alarms blared through out the complex as the Stargate activated, puling Hammond from his paperwork, and scattering the technicians who had been working on it as they bolted for the relative safety of being anyplace but in the path of whatever might be trying to come through. Hammond watched as the Marines jumped immediately into a defensive position and looked to the Sergeant manning the dialing computer.
"It's SG-1, Sir. They're coming in hot."
"Open the iris." Hammond reached for the microphone that would allow him to communicate with the security force.
"Look alive people. It's SG-1 and they're in trouble…"
The iris swooshed open even as the Marines brought their weapons up, and only an instant later Ian Brooks and Daniel Jackson came charging through, supporting Colonel Jack O'Neill between them. Only a moment later, Teal'c came through as well, facing the other direction and obviously guarding their retreat.
"Close the iris!"
Several arrows came zinging through the gate even as Daniel gave the order, one just barely missing Daniel and another striking Teal'c's staff weapon and clattering to the concrete floor on the left side of the ramp.
"Medical team to the embarkation room!" Hammond ordered, already heading for the door and the stairwell beyond. "Call Major O'Neill as well!"
By the time he reached them, Ian and Daniel had already lowered Jack to the ramp, Ian propping him up from behind and Daniel studying the arrow that was deeply embedded in Jack's left thigh, blood staining the leg of his BDUs crimson, although O'Neill himself was conscious and alert.
"What happened?" Hammond asked, checking to see if anyone else was injured. Jack looked to be the only one bleeding, however. "I thought your negotiations with the Altairians were going smoothly?"
Just then the door opened, admitting not only Janet Fraiser and a group of medics pushing gurneys, but also Jaffer, who shouldered past Janet and thundered up the ramp to whuffle Jack, nearly knocking him and Ian both over.
"Easy, little man," Jack murmured, resting his hand on Jaffer's shoulder to calm the lab, while Janet came up the ramp as well, Daniel and Hammond both moving out of the way so she could get to O'Neill's side.
"The negotiations were going fine," Jack said, wincing as Janet started checking the injury. "Right up until Daniel called the chief's daughter ugly."
Hammond looked over at Daniel, who shook his head.
"It wasn't his daughter, it was his wife, and I didn't call her ugly…"
"He thinks you did."
"You did, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said from where he was standing behind Jack and Ian, watching as Janet stabilized the leg, but kept the arrow where it was for now.
"I said she was uglit," Daniel corrected. "It's their word for charming…"
"Uh huh…"
Hammond looked at Janet.
"Is he all right?"
"It doesn't look too serious, sir," Janet said, moving Jaffer out of the way and making room for the medics to get Jack to his feet and onto a gurney. "We'll need to check for any poisons or anything, of course, because you never know what-"
"Poisons?" Jack echoed.
"I don't think they use poisoned arrows, Jack," Daniel assured him. "The-"
He was interrupted by Sam's arrival, the major coming through the door at a run, obviously pulled from whatever she'd been doing by the call from the command center.
"He's okay," Janet assured her, before Sam could even ask.
"I'm fine," Jack agreed, reaching for her hand with a smile. They'd been offworld for three days – far too long for him to be away from home, lately – and he'd missed her and Jacobgreatly. Add to it that he was returning with an arrow in his leg, and he was just as quick as Janet to reassure her.
"Everyone to the infirmary," Hammond ordered, moving out of the way once more as the medics started pushing Jack's gurney towards the door. "Doctor Fraiser, I'd like a report on Colonel O'Neill as soon as possible."
"Yes, Sir."
OOOOOOOOO
Because of Jack's injury, it took Janet a couple of hours to clear the other members of SG-1 and allow them to leave her infirmary. Jack wasn't so lucky; he was going to be off his feet for a day or so, although Fraiser hadn't found any sign of poison on the arrowhead that was pulled out of his leg.
Ian had known there wasn't, although he hadn't said anything. That had been something he'd checked for himself while he'd been supporting Jack in the embarkation room – and something he would have taken care of immediately had he found anything. He couldn't deal with the injury without giving away things that definitely would require answers – answers he wasn't ready to give just then – but the wound wasn't serious, and he knew that Janet Fraiser was more than capable of handling it without his help.
By the time they finished their debriefing – without Jack, who was already complaining about being stuck in the infirmary – it was well after 7PM, and Ian breathed a sigh of relief at being dismissed. The last few days he'd been sleeping on pallet made of straw on a dirt floor, and he was ready for a long nap in a real bed – followed by a breakfast that he didn't have to watch get killed and butchered, which would do wonders for anyone considering trying to lose weight.
He checked out, and got into his car, was waved through the gate and headed for home. It was too late to make plans for the night – and he didn't feel like doing anything, anyways – but he'd give Cassie a call and maybe see if she wanted to do something the next evening.
Distracted by the plans he was making in his mind, he didn't notice the black suburban that pulled out behind him, tailing him from a safe distance.