The chair in the Antarctica outpost went back to its initial position. Jack was disoriented because of the mental effort he had made. Cameron Mitchell checked on him.
"Colonel O'Neill, you're all right?" the major asked, placing his left hand on Jack's shoulder.
Jack blinked and shook his head. He looked at Mitchell and confirmed, "Yes, I think…"
"Well done, sir!" Mitchell congratulated. "It worked. All the Goa'uld ships are destroyed. Confirmed by the Prometheus and the Eagle." he added with a smile.
Although Jack was satisfied with the good news, he didn't really care right now. He had another priority.
"Carter…" the man in the seat muttered.
He jumped out of the device and stumbled a little. Cameron helped him stay on his feet. Then, Jack rushed to Sam, followed by Cameron. She was laid on the floor, still next to the platform. Daniel had used his jacket like a pillow for Sam's head. Daniel was still pressing his hands on a bandage on the woman's waist. Siler had joined and with the other Air Force people not injured, he was surveilling the zone and checking if all the Jaffas were dead or not.
Jack knelt next to Sam, who was gasping in pain and sweating. Cameron, still standing, requested by radio a medical team.
Jack took Sam's right hand with his. Tears were invading his eyes.
Sam dedicated the strength she barely had to mutter to Jack, "You did it… Thank you…"
"No. We did it." Jack insisted.
Sam looked at Daniel and Cameron, now knees on the floor. "Jackson, Mitchell, please, help him." she implored.
The two men looked at Jack, the man Sam was talking about.
Daniel suddenly looked resolute to not betray the lady's request, as he responded to her, "We will, Colonel Carter." Even Mitchell was surprised by Jackson's attitude.
Sam looked at Jack again and said, with difficulty, "I hope... you'll find... your Samantha Carter again."
Jack was astounded. The wounded woman offered a soft smile, and added, "You're the one she's seeing... aren't you?"
Jack nodded, to confirm. She figured it out, probably when the man talked about the topic in her lab.
Carter continued, still weak, "Maybe if I met your version... Sorry, silly idea..."
"Who knows?" Jack teased, although he wanted to cry instead. "Stay with us, Sam." the man begged, holding Carter's hand.
Sam smiled, but she was losing her strength. "I'm sorry..." she faltered.
Jack and Daniel turned around when they heard the sound of transportation rings bringing the medical team. Daniel waved at the two newcomers, a man and a woman, Air Force, and shouted, "Here!". The medical team ran to Carter, only to find out she had closed her eyes. Daniel and Jack stared at each other, aghast. The female paramedic knelt by Sam and checked her pulse on the neck. She looked at Jack, Daniel, and Cameron. Sadly, she shook her head.
Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter was gone.
Mitchell took off his helmet and bowed his head, sad. Daniel shed tears. So did Jack. They felt as if the room was suddenly frozen.
Jack's heart was frozen. That was a nightmare. In the first one, he lost Sam's soul and their baby. In the second, he lost Sam. Did Jack have to understand he would lose Sam in one way or another?
Nobody paid attention to the rings bringing other Air Force people, including medical staff. Nobody answered Siler's question when he arrived beside them, but the sergeant quickly understood what the deep silence meant.
xxxxxxxxxx
The medical team delicately placed Carter's body inside a black bag. Jackson, Mitchell, and Siler were beside, all sad and shocked. Colonel Everett Young had arrived and he was as sad and shocked as the three men. As a CO, he was trying to cheer them up with a tap on each man's shoulder and a few words. Other people were taking care of the wounded and removing the dead bodies. Rya'c's was part of these dead bodies.
Jack was staying away from the crowd, alone, desperate. He couldn't stand this place, this perspective. He decided to go away and explore a corridor.
He arrived in another room, smaller than the one where the seat had been found. This new room had the device Jack needed.
A stargate in the back of the room and its DHD nearby.
Jack's heart raced.
The man looked behind him. He was alone. He didn't think about the reason why the room was left with no guards for he had another project.
Jack O'Neill was going to Ender.
The general started to press the coordinates on the DHD.
The event horizon appeared.
Jack didn't wait any longer and walked to it.
The plan was risky. Jack was aware of that. Maybe he would find a complete different planet on the other side. Maybe he would be disintegrated because there would be no exit on the other side. He really wanted to trust Daniel Jackson and Cameron Mitchell. These men had resources, but with the victory, Maybourne, and Kinsey, Jack knew that Daniel and Cameron's mission would become very hard.
As a consequence, Jack O'Neill had nothing to lose.
Daniel surprised Jack standing in front of the gate. The archeologist saw the event horizon.
"Jack, what are you doing?" the man with glasses asked, confused and staring at Jack.
O'Neill turned around to Daniel, who was still standing at the entrance.
O'Neill didn't respond. He turned around and walked into the event horizon.