Chapter 3

"Could it have been too much to ask if just once things would go my way?"

Jenna looked out through the glass of the sliding door. She did not see the field of lush green grass under the shinning warmth of the dazzling bright sun that she'd hoped for. No, before her she saw yet another gray room and people staring at her through the door in surprise. At least that's what it looked like at first. It was like watching a movie as the image panned from right to left taking everything in around it. People were speaking and it appeared they were talking to her though the voices were garbled and unclear. It was as if she were looking through another person's eyes and listening with another person's ears. It was so surreal that she wasn't quite sure what to make of the sensations she started to perceive. And then suddenly, through some sense she didn't realize she had, she understood. It all made sense in an X-Filish sort of way. The 'dream' had been…is real. For those first few minutes of this endless nightmare she had been Samantha Carter, literally in the flesh, and now she was no longer in control as before but 'riding' along, an observer in someone else's body.

Jenna stumbled back away from the door and found herself caught by the comforting embrace of the plush chair that normally occupied her living room. She didn't know how it came to be there and didn't care at the moment. She was just glad that it was. It was her favorite place to sit and she had curled up and fallen asleep in it more than once. She curled up in it now trying to get a grasp on her situation.

Situation, there's a word least likely to describe those events that had just transpired and, it would seem, will continue to transpire until she figured a way out of it.

Well, first things first, she thought, coming to terms with her predicament. Let's look at what I know.

Jenna swung her legs over the armrest of the chair and began keeping track of what she knew on her fingers.

One: I really did 'possess' this woman's body for a short time. Two: based on the fact that I had easily retreated from that control, even if fear was a factor in inducing that retreat, I could conceivably also take control again. Three: as evidenced by my self-induced pain relief, the door, and the chair, I have a great deal of influence within the confines of my space. And finally there's the fact that, based on my earlier experiences, this must have been something that I caused. I've apparently ridden along with other people before even if I didn't realize that's what I was doing and was able to come out of it, therefore, it stands to reason that I can get out of this. But how? That's one of things I don't know. Things were never intense like this when I was a child. I had no procedure for it I just wanted to wake up and I did.

I don't know how this started. I don't know where I am or I should say where Samantha is. I don't know if I can even communicate with her without her thinking that she's going crazy let alone making everyone else think that she's crazy if I take over and they note her change in behavior. Christ! What am I going to do?

Jenna sat back and closed her eyes, her imagination running rampant with visions of all the disastrous scenarios that could happen if she were to take control again, the foremost being what would her meddling do to the woman whose mind she was riding? Pushing all those thoughts aside for the moment, Jenna got up and walked back towards the door and looked out.

Samantha had been watching a petite woman with short brown hair tend to the man who had walked in on Jenna right before she had lost control of Samantha's body. The woman's back was to her but she could see the man clearly. He had a name stitched to his jacket that read 'O'Neill,' and though he was sitting, she could tell he was a tall man and was quite attractive to. His hair was tinged with gray and despite the fact that it betrayed his age, he appeared to be in good physical condition. He had puppy dog eyes that reflected confidence and intelligence even as he muttered at the ministering of the woman before him.

Suddenly she found herself looking at the ceiling as Samantha had apparently laid down on her back. Disappointment ran through her at the change of view. She found she had enjoyed looking at O'Niell very much. Unable to remedy that, she settled for the ceiling and tried to focus more on things other than what she could see. Strangely enough, Jenna thought that she could almost hear Samantha's thoughts through the glass door. Placing her ear to the glass, she began to concentrate on the sounds trying to bring Samantha's thoughts into focus but unable to do so.

I wonder what would happen if I slid open the door? Jenna stepped back a bit and slowly slid the door to the right and as she did she felt the buzzing again. This time it wasn't just a funny feeling at the back her mind, it had become an intense vibration that shuddered through to her bones as the strength of Samantha's mind began to flow over her.

Trying to ignore the sensation, Jenna stepped back to the opening and became aware of something else. Samantha was becoming aware of her.

Jenna quickly slid the door close again. She wasn't quite ready to confront any complications that would most assuredly arise if her presence were to be discovered, as unlikely as that possibility would be. After all, how often were people's bodies taken over and controlled by another person? That only happened in ghost stories. Ghost stories. That thought gave her pause. Maybe that was her answer. Could something have happened to her? Could I be dead? Could this be what happens when the dead possesses the living?

She didn't believe it. Jenna felt alive and was absolutely certain that she was. No, something else must have occurred for this to happen to her. She just wasn't sure what and there was no way she'd be able to find out unless she did something instead of sitting in her overstuffed chair pondering her fate.

With that thought in mind Jenna looked out her glass sliding door and waited for everyone's attention to be turned away from her. Unfortunately the wait would be a long one. Too busy thinking and not enough paying attention resulted in the unexpected appearance of two more individuals. These men also wore the ever-present fatigues. The shorter of the two was fair with short almost spiky dark blond hair. He looked almost innocent yet at the same time very serious in the way he carried himself and you could tell he smiled a lot. He had the kind of face and manner that said 'trust me' and you would.

The tall one, on the other hand was almost his complete opposite. He was dark, muscular, bald, and had a strange gold brand on his forehead. He exuded an aura that said he would bend for no one which was reinforced by the shear size of him. If she ever found herself confronted by him, she knew there was no way that she'd ever be able to fool him. He was too observant, watchful. But then again she guessed the same could be said for all of them. Jenna didn't know how well they knew Samantha or how well Samantha knew them.

All Jenna could do was push her chair closer to the door and watch and wait.

After a few minutes of watching the petite brunette go through the same routine on the new guys she decide to see if there was a way to listen yet not be heard. Her solution, when she came up with it, was simple. She had created the door through which she could see why not a speaker with the appropriate knobs through which she could hear?

Jenna again concentrated on her breathing and worked at visualizing an intercom attachment for the arm of her chair. Slowly but surely one appeared at her side. I'm really getting kind of good at this, she thought with a smile. Adjusting the knob, Jenna looked up as the sounds from the room before her became louder and clearer.

"— long will we have to wait for the test results to come back, Dr. Fraser?" asked the blond haired man to the brunette. She was finally able to see the tag on his jacket that read 'Quinn.'

"It'll probably take a couple of hours to do a detailed analysis on all of you. Why do you ask?"

"Well I was wondering if it was absolutely necessary for us to wait here or if it'd be alright for us all to get something to eat. After all, isn't this usually the dedicated time for the mid-day meal?"

"Actually, I'd prefer it if you'd all stay here. I'll have someone go fetch you something to eat. I don't want to run the risk of any of you collapsing or exposing anyone else to any potential virus you may be carrying."

"Come on, Doc," said O'Neill, "we've been back for awhile. Been in, out, and around the mountain…well, Carter and I have at least been out…Anyway, the point is isn't it too late to be taking those kind of precautions?"

"O'Niell has a valid point, doctor. Any damage that could be done has already occurred."

"Thanks, Teal'c. You see even Teal'c agrees." O'Neill said gesturing to the tall dark man with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Well, how can I argue with that logic." Said the doctor. "How about a compromise then you all go get the food and bring it back here. I still want you all near until the test results are back." The doctor turned to Samantha as she started to swing her legs over the side of the gurney. "Sorry, Sam. They'll have to bring you something back. Since you're the one who passed out I want you to definitely stay put until the analysis is in."

"But…"

"No 'buts.' Stay. I'm not taken any chances."

"Don't worry, Carter," said O'Neill. "I'll get you all the rabbit food you can eat and then some."

"Gee, Sir, Thanks." Sam said, letting a hint of sarcasm come through.

"No problem," O'Niell replied, totally ignoring her tone. "But next time you don't want to be in on one of Hammond's meetings just say so. No more of this fainting thing, it doesn't become you." With that, O'Niell was out the door, followed by the other two men, before Sam was able to come up with an appropriate reply.

"And to think," Dr. Fraser said, "being his teammate you have the pleasure of his wit to keep you company on all of your missions. Now you just lay back and relax, Sam. I'm going into the other room for a moment to start the rest of the tests. Be back in a moment."

With the departure of the doctor, Jenna realized that they…correction 'Sam' was finally alone. It's now or never. Having come up with a plan to try an regain control as she'd listened to the dialogue of the people without, Jenna returned to the sliding glass door, quickly slid it open, and jumped through.