This is so stupid. I can't believe that we forgot we couldn't go home if we came here. I never thought about the dialling computer being inoperative, and apparently no one else had either. General Hammond is still leaning heavily on me. I can't believe he's still alive.
"Daniel?" I swivel to the side and shine my light directly in Janet's face. She blinks a few times, trying to adjust to the light.
"How's he doing?" she asks. I know that she's in full doctor mode. She's put her own fears aside and is concentrating on her patient.
"He's not breathing much." I say, "Do you think we could let him have a breath of our oxygen?"
"When we get to the gateroom!" I hear Sam shout to me.
General Hammond is much smaller than he was the last time I saw him, but it's still hard work getting him down the corridor. He's pretty much a dead weight. Sam, Jack and Paul pull ahead of us, in a hurry to get to the gateroom. Janet stays back and walks with me.
"Do you need any help with him?"
I shake my head, "No, I'm fine. I've been working out you know."
"I haven't seen you lifting any weights."
"You should try building houses someday."
She laughs, "I'll make you a deal, if we get back, I'll build houses for a day and you can take care of Cassandra."
"Not if Janet," I say to her, "when we get back."
We've reached the gateroom and I can see in the beam from the flashlight that Sam is busily pulling apart the MALP. Jack and Paul are hovering above her, trying to be useful. I'm sure they'll come in handy when we have to manually dial the gate. I have no idea how Teal'c ever did it, that ring must weigh a ton. I wish Teal'c could be here right now.
Teal'c had come back to visit us a couple of times. He brought his son with him once and Master Bra'tac always accompanies him. Apparently he's gotten involved with a Jaffa rebellion. He and Bra'tac are the founders. They recruit other Jaffa and one day they hope to over take the System Lords. I wished them the best of luck and declined their offer to join them.
We haven't had any unwelcomed visitors to the colony yet. Sam's dad shows up from time to time. He most recently came to visit his grandson. Occasionally he brings with him other Tok'ra but I guess they don't have much interest in us now that most of our race has been wiped out.
____________
"Jack can you pass me that metal piping?"
I hand Sam the pipe and watch as she deftly connects it with the MALP's power core. She's found a cable and attaches it to the pipe and then runs it up the ramp and ties it up to the Stargate. She never ceases to amaze me.
Daniel and Janet are sitting against the wall with General Hammond between them. Daniel has taken off his helmet and is letting Hammond have some of his oxygen. Hammond must be one tough bugger to have made it this long. Janet seems doubtful as to if he'll fully recover. I don't expect him to fully recover, at least not mentally. Loneliness can do bad things to a person.
"Okay guys, it's now or never. We're going to need everyone to help turn the 'gate. I'll be monitoring the power output from the MALP."
I head up the ramp and stand beside Sam. Paul, Janet and Daniel join me. We all place our hands on the gate and Sam goes down to the MALP. She flicks a switch of some kind and yells at us to start turning. The MALP begins to hum and we push for all we're worth.
"Chevron one is locked!" Sam yells, "Keep going!"
I'm sweating already and I can hear Daniel begin to grunt. Six more chevrons to go, I wonder if we'll last that long.
"Chevron two is locked!"
Keep pushing Jack, I tell myself. I'm not going to die in the godforsaken hell hole. I have a son waiting for me on the other side.
"Chevron three is locked!"
Janet looks like she's about to collapse, but she keeps going.
"Chevron four is locked!"
The tone of the MALP's hum changes, becoming shriller. I hope that doesn't mean it's going to blow up soon.
"Chevron five locked!" Sam yells, "Only two more to go."
Only two more, right Sam, you're not the one turning a giant naquada ring.
"Chevron six locked."
I hate naquada, have I ever said that before? The MALP sounds quite worried now, adding a new tone to become a harmony of shrill humming.
"Chevron seven is locked. Get down!"
I fall to the ramp and the Stargate engages. I don't think I've ever been so happy to see that watery event horizon.
I stand up, feeling like I'm falling apart. Janet is still laying on the ramp, and Daniel is trying to help her up. Sam rushes over to Hammond and pulls him to his feet. He begins to protest, obviously the oxygen has helped him a bit.
"No, I can't leave! I have to stay here!" Hammond says, sounding alarmed.
Sam assures him that he can leave and with Paul's help, they get him up the ramp and to the 'gate. Sam hastily taps the IDC on her GDO.
"Are we going to leave the MALP here?" I ask.
Sam nods, "It won't do us any good now, the core is fried."
"Okay then, I guess we're done here. Let's move out people!"
Daniel has peeled Janet off the ramp and they go through the gate, Sam, Paul and Hammond follow them. I take one last glance around the gateroom and step into the wormhole.
____________
As I step onto the ramp, with Janet clinging to me, we're greeted enthusiastically by Walter Davis, "Oh my God! You made it back!" he says, practically jumping up and down.
Sam and Paul, holding up the General come through behind me and I swear I could see all the blood drain from Walter's face. His mouth falls open as though he were going to say something.
"We need to get him to the infirmary." Janet says weakly. Her voice is slightly muffled as she's talking into my arm.
Jack steps from the 'gate and the wormhole deactivates behind him. "Walter! Good to see ya again buddy!" he says cheerfully.
Walter continues to stare at Hammond.
Sam and Paul are busily hauling Hammond out of the gateroom, so I decide that taking Janet to the infirmary would be a good idea. Even if she can't stand without assistance, she can still give orders. Jack rushes over to a phone on the wall and makes an announcement for medical personnel to report to the infirmary.
As Janet and I leave the room, I hear that Walter has recovered sufficiently to question Jack about the sudden appearance of General Hammond.
When we arrive at the infirmary, I find that Janet's nurses, having just been summoned there are rushing about, preparing beds and gathering equipment. They freeze when we enter the room, all eyes directed on General Hammond.
From my side Janet gives them a withering look, "Don't just stand there," she says, "help the man!"
"What do you want me to do with you?" I ask Janet, "Can you stand on your own?"
I feel Janet's slight shrug, "There's only one way to find out."
I let her go and watch as she neatly crumples to the ground, "Guess not." I say and pick her back up.
The nurses have gotten Hammond on the bed and are hooking him up to various machines and one of them is drawing blood. Janet surveys the scene and says, "Get him started on a warm saline drip, and get some blankets on him! He's suffering from mild hypothermia. I want a CBC, chem seven and blood gas."
The General, for his part, looks frightened, so I take Janet over to him so she can speak with him.
"General Hammond, do you know who I am?"
Hammond looks at her with his pale blue eyes, but doesn't say anything.
Janet tries again, "Do you know where you are?"
"In the hospital" he replies.
Janet nods, "Do you know who you are?"
"Of course I know who I am. Major General George Hammond, United States Air Force."
Janet looks at me, "I think he's confused. He knows who he is, but I don't think he's aware of what's happened. He may know who we are."
Jack marches into the infirmary and stands next to us, "How's it going Doc?"
I swivel Janet so that she faces him, "We're warming him up right now. The best thing for him right now is rest. We'll be monitoring his vital signs, looking for anything unusual. I've got him on a saline drip for now."
"You look exhausted." Jack says, eying Janet critically.
"I'm fine."
Jack looks at me with a raised eyebrow, "And that's why Daniel has to hold you up? Don't make me order you to go home Janet. Your nurses will take care of him."
"Jack's right," I say to her, "We should go home. Cassandra's probably missing her mommy."
Wearily Janet nods and we leave the infirmary behind.
_____________
It's been two weeks since the mission to Earth. The General spent a week in the infirmary under the watchful eye of Janet and is now shacked up in quarters on the base. He didn't understand what had happened at first and his mental recovery is proceeding at a much slower pace than his physical. Janet said that we shouldn't push him too hard and when he's ready, he'll talk to someone.
Sam sent a message to her father and he's going to come as soon as he can. Hopefully seeing an old friend will do Hammond some good.
I'm on my way to visit Hammond right now. I like to see him at least once a day. Janet comes to the base daily now too, to make sure that he's eaten and to keep him company. Sometimes she brings Cassandra with her and he seems to like her. I have Cameron with me for the first time, I'm hoping he'll work some of his baby magic on the old guy.
"Hey General!" I call out as I knock on his door. I wait a moment before the door opens.
"Jack," says Hammond, eying my child, "Is that your kid?"
"Yep, this is Cameron. Do you want to hold him?"
The General looks hesitant but then holds out his arms for the baby. He coos softly to Cameron, holding him gently. He must miss his granddaughters.
"He looks like his mother."
"I think he's got her brains too."
Hammond sits down on a chair in the corner of his room and cradles Cameron.
"This place Jack, what do you call it?"
"The base?" I say, slightly confused.
Hammond shakes his head, "No, the planet. The whole thing."
"It doesn't have an official name, but most everyone calls it Terra Nova."
"New Earth."
"It's fitting don't you think?"
"Yes." he says, stroking Cameron's cheek with a finger.
We are silent for quite a while. I'm twisting my fingers together for lack of anything better to do. The General continues to stroke Cameron's cheek. I imagine that he's remembering the Old Earth.
"Unscheduled off-world activation!"
Hammond instantly becomes alert and stands up, thrusting Cameron at me. I take him and we hurry to the control room. It must have been instinct that made him rush there. He did it for so many years.
Walter Davis is at the controls, I swear he never leaves them.
"Are we receiving an IDC?" I ask, shifting Cameron slightly.
"Yes sir, receiving Teal'c's IDC."
Hammond looks almost happy and says, "Well open the iris then son!"
Walter looks to me for confirmation and I nod. The iris opens and Hammond and I hurry down the steps to greet Teal'c.
If Teal'c is surprised by the presence of Hammond, he gives no indication of it. "General Hammond, I am pleased to see you again." he says, bowing slightly. Looking at me he says, "O'Neill, it is good to see you as well."
"Thank you Teal'c. It's good to see you too."
Hammond looks up at Teal'c and says, "I never thought I'd see you again."
Teal'c raises an eyebrow, "Indeed." I notice Teal'c glance over at me and I mouth, "later" at him. He nods.
"So Teal'c, what brings you back to this neck of the woods?"
"It has been several months since my last visit. I had been eager to see you all again."
Aw, Teal'c missed us. "Guess there's no time like to present to meet the newest member of the colony."
"This is yours and Samantha's child?"
"Yup, Cameron Michael O'Neill."
Teal'c takes Cameron from me and looks him over, as if he were inspecting him. "He is a handsome child." Teal'c proclaims and hands him back to me.
"Good to know." I say, rubbing Cameron's back to keep him from fussing. It doesn't work and he begins to whimper. "Alright kid, I know. You want your mother. Teal'c, you going to come to the village? General, you're welcome to join us."
Teal'c nods and Hammond looks unsure. He hasn't been to the village yet. "You two go ahead" he says finally, "I think I'll stay here."
I shrug and leave the room with Teal'c beside me.
"General Hammond has returned?" Teal'c says once we're out of Hammond's hearing range.
"We brought him back actually."
"You went back to Earth?" Teal'c looks almost incredulous.
"It was Paul Davis' idea. He wanted to see what we would find I guess. We found the General."
"It is a miracle that he was still alive."
"Tell me about it. He scared Sam and Janet half to death when they found him."
"Did you not venture to the surface then?"
I shake my head, "No, once we found Hammond we left. Had to dial the 'gate manually though. I have no idea how you did that alone Teal'c."
"It requires much focus and strength. General Hammond is well though?"
"Not entirely. Physically he's fine, but mentally...being completely alone for two years can do terrible things to a person."
"I understand." Teal'c says as we step outside into the bright sunshine.
"Come on, let's get this little guy to his mother. Sam will be happy to see you."
__________
Teal'c came to visit a few days ago. He couldn't stay long, only a few hours. I guess he had some Jaffa business to attend to at home. When he left, a small crowd gathered in the gateroom, as usual, to bid him farewell.
Jacob Carter came through the 'gate just a few hours ago. He was met by Sam and Jack and he was quite taken with his grandson. They brought Jacob back to the village and he spent some time talking with Janet and I before asking why he was summoned here. I was surprised that Sam hadn't told him before-hand.
"You didn't tell him already?" Janet whispered to Sam.
Sam shook her head, "No, I wanted to tell him in person."
Jacob cocked his head to the side, "Is anyone going to tell me what the big secret is, or do I have to guess?"
Jack stood up, "Well Jake, it goes something like this. A few of us went back to Earth a few weeks ago. We didn't expect to find anything, but we did."
"What did you find?"
"General Hammond."
Jacob flew off the couch, his eyes wide, "He was still alive after all that time? Oh my God, if I had known that, I would have gone back myself to get him!"
"Believe me, if we had known, we would have gone back a lot sooner." Sam says.
"How is he?"
"Not so good," Janet says, "We were hoping that if he saw you, it would help his recovery."
"He hasn't left the base at all since he was released from the infirmary." I add.
"He's on the base?"
"Yes, he has quarters in section nine. Do you want me to show you where?" Jack asks.
"No, I'll go alone. I'm sure I can find the way."
___________
Jacob was gone for nearly two hours before he returned, bringing Hammond with him. I couldn't believe it, I had to blink a few times to make sure I wasn't seeing things. I knew that if anyone could get Hammond back to the present, it would be Jacob.
Sam greets Hammond brightly and welcomes him into our house. He looks around, his eyes wide, taking it all in.
"Have a seat General." Sam says, gesturing to a chair.
Janet has been in the kitchen, putting together a salad to go along with the deer steaks I'm supposed to be grilling. She peeks around the corner and I see her smile as her patient picks up Cassandra and plops her onto his knee.
"Hope you're hungry General," I say as I pick up my tray of steaks, "fresh deer steaks."
"Famished and Jack?"
"Yes?"
"You can call me George."
I smile and push open the door with my hip. Sam invented a makeshift barbecue in the backyard. She had been dying for a good, old fashioned, barbequed steak. At last count, she had made six of her barbeques. I guess everyone had a longing for a taste of home.
I hear Cassandra squeal with delight and smile again. It's nice to have the family together again. I'd missed it. Turning my gaze upwards to the bright sunshine, I look towards the area where Sam had told me Earth was. I say a silent good bye to the planet and set to work grilling my steaks.