I'm sorry to once again post a short chapter. I got sidetracked writing a short Andromeda fic, but I really wanted to post something for this story as well. This looked like a good enough cliffhanger spot.
"Now, let me see if I've got this straight." Hammond leaned forward and crossed his arms over the two-toned table in the briefing room. He locked disbelieving eyes onto the blonde Air Force Major. "You're telling us that, while on a supposed peaceful planet - a planet with which we are currently in trade negotiations - you and Dr. Jackson were attacked, kidnapped, and implanted with alien technology? These discs somehow link you and Dr. Jackson, allowing you to feel what the other feels, and this Ochsner character is using that in an attempt to force you to bring him some Naquadah?"
He looked to Dr. Fraiser for confirmation. Whether he wanted her to confirm the purpose of the discs or the mental stability of Major Carter, Janet didn't know. Nor could she provide a positive answer for either question. She simply shrugged her shoulders before returning attentive eyes towards Sam.
The major was staring straight ahead with a blank expression on her face. Her eyes were unfocused and her lips were moving, as if she was having a conversation with herself. A thick silence settled over the room when the others noticed this as well.
"Major Carter." Hammonds voice carried the strange combination of stern authority and sincere compassion.
Sam jerked her head up and immediately focused on the General. "Sir?"
"What exactly is the location of..." Hammond trailed off when he saw that the major was once again staring at nothing. She appeared to concentrating intently on something.
"Dammit, Daniel! I knew it! I knew you were lying about that. I should have..."
"Sam?" Dr. Fraiser was out of her chair and at the other woman's side in an instant. "Are you communicating with Daniel? Is there something wrong? I need you to tell me what's happening." She reached out and placed her hand on Sam's shoulder.
As soon as Janet's hand made contact, Sam's head jerked up and her eyes instantly refocused on her surroundings. "What? Janet, what did you say?"
"You appeared to be speaking to Dr. Jackson. Are you able to communicate with him?"
"No, it's nothing like that." Sam's eyes darted around to each person in the room, unsure of how to explain the strange sensation to them. "It's almost like... Have you ever been alone in a room when someone else walks in? You don't hear or see them, but somehow you just 'feel' that they're there."
The others nodded in understanding.
"That's what this is like. I think that, somehow, this link is changing. Earlier, it was only relaying physical pain, but now...now it's almost as if a part of him is...here." Sam tapped her temple with one finger.
"You said Daniel had lied about something," O'Neill commented. "What was that all about?"
For the first time since waking, Sam allowed herself a small grin. "It's nothing, really. Just Daniel being Daniel. On our second day at the temple, a step crumbled beneath his foot causing him to fall. When he got up I noticed that he was favoring one leg. He told me, at the time, that he was alright, but he must be up and walking now because I can definitely feel that he has a sprained ankle."
Seeing the horrified look on Janet's face, Sam quickly tried to put an end to the doctor's fears. "Oh, no, Janet. It's nothing serious. In fact, I suggested he return to Earth to have you check him out, but he steadfastly refused and didn't even limp from then on. It's more of a nuisance than anything else. You know how he is. He was probably just worried about the number of needles you would stick in him and that the Colonel wouldn't allow him to return to the planet."
"He was right," Fraiser and O'Neill chorused. O'Neill conceded to the doctor.
"The number of needles just got doubled," she said angrily. "He knows better than to let an off-world injury, no matter how minor, go unattended. There are just too many unknown..."
"People, please," Hammond cut off the doctor's tirade. "Let's get back to the matter at hand. Major Carter, where is Dr. Jackson being held?"
Sam's blood ran cold. Where WAS Daniel being held? She had never even seen the outside of the building let alone its location. "I d-don't know, sir."
"WHAT?!" O'Neill slammed a fist onto the table in outrage.
Sam knew that the Colonel wasn't upset with her. He was angry at the situation. He was never one who could sit back and do nothing while a member of his team was in trouble. Information was the key element at the moment and they were missing a rather large, important piece of information.
"I'm sorry, sir. We were attacked during the night and knocked unconscious. By the time we woke up, it was 14 hours later, we were already in Ochsner's facility and the discs had already been implanted. When I was released..."
"You were injured and only semi-conscious at best," O'Neill concluded for his 2IC as he ran hand through his silver hair. "It's okay, Carter."
"Were you given any instructions as how to make the Naquadah delivery?" Hammond questioned.
"No, sir."
"I think it's safe to assume OshKosh has something planned for that, sir" O'Neill interjected, intentionally mispronouncing the name.
"Agreed. He gave you two days to return, correct Major?"
"Yes, sir. Based on the length of the Kolean day and the amount of time that has already passed, I figure we have about 36 hours before the deadline," Carter answered, easily doing the math in her head.
"Very well. A message has been sent to Teal'c and he should return within a couple of hours. Colonel, I want the two of you to come up with some sort of rescue plan. I will question Ambassador Crile. I don't believe that he was involved with this, but we can't take that chance. Perhaps he will be able to give us some information on Ochsner." Hammond picked up the phone and ordered the person on the other end to have the Ambassador escorted from the VIP quarters to his office.
"Sir, I could help prepare a UAV to..." Sam began after the General returned the phone to its cradle.
"The only thing you're going to do, Sam, is return with me to the infirmary so I can study that disc further. I want to know exactly what I'll be dealing with when you bring Daniel back." Fraiser looked to the General for back up. Seeing his nod, she continued, "You'll also need some antibiotics - which can be given in pill form," she added when she saw that Sam was about to protest any needles, "to prevent that burn from getting infected."
Sam surrendered. She knew a losing battle when she saw one.
"Now, let me see if I've got this straight." Hammond leaned forward and crossed his arms over the two-toned table in the briefing room. He locked disbelieving eyes onto the blonde Air Force Major. "You're telling us that, while on a supposed peaceful planet - a planet with which we are currently in trade negotiations - you and Dr. Jackson were attacked, kidnapped, and implanted with alien technology? These discs somehow link you and Dr. Jackson, allowing you to feel what the other feels, and this Ochsner character is using that in an attempt to force you to bring him some Naquadah?"
He looked to Dr. Fraiser for confirmation. Whether he wanted her to confirm the purpose of the discs or the mental stability of Major Carter, Janet didn't know. Nor could she provide a positive answer for either question. She simply shrugged her shoulders before returning attentive eyes towards Sam.
The major was staring straight ahead with a blank expression on her face. Her eyes were unfocused and her lips were moving, as if she was having a conversation with herself. A thick silence settled over the room when the others noticed this as well.
"Major Carter." Hammonds voice carried the strange combination of stern authority and sincere compassion.
Sam jerked her head up and immediately focused on the General. "Sir?"
"What exactly is the location of..." Hammond trailed off when he saw that the major was once again staring at nothing. She appeared to concentrating intently on something.
"Dammit, Daniel! I knew it! I knew you were lying about that. I should have..."
"Sam?" Dr. Fraiser was out of her chair and at the other woman's side in an instant. "Are you communicating with Daniel? Is there something wrong? I need you to tell me what's happening." She reached out and placed her hand on Sam's shoulder.
As soon as Janet's hand made contact, Sam's head jerked up and her eyes instantly refocused on her surroundings. "What? Janet, what did you say?"
"You appeared to be speaking to Dr. Jackson. Are you able to communicate with him?"
"No, it's nothing like that." Sam's eyes darted around to each person in the room, unsure of how to explain the strange sensation to them. "It's almost like... Have you ever been alone in a room when someone else walks in? You don't hear or see them, but somehow you just 'feel' that they're there."
The others nodded in understanding.
"That's what this is like. I think that, somehow, this link is changing. Earlier, it was only relaying physical pain, but now...now it's almost as if a part of him is...here." Sam tapped her temple with one finger.
"You said Daniel had lied about something," O'Neill commented. "What was that all about?"
For the first time since waking, Sam allowed herself a small grin. "It's nothing, really. Just Daniel being Daniel. On our second day at the temple, a step crumbled beneath his foot causing him to fall. When he got up I noticed that he was favoring one leg. He told me, at the time, that he was alright, but he must be up and walking now because I can definitely feel that he has a sprained ankle."
Seeing the horrified look on Janet's face, Sam quickly tried to put an end to the doctor's fears. "Oh, no, Janet. It's nothing serious. In fact, I suggested he return to Earth to have you check him out, but he steadfastly refused and didn't even limp from then on. It's more of a nuisance than anything else. You know how he is. He was probably just worried about the number of needles you would stick in him and that the Colonel wouldn't allow him to return to the planet."
"He was right," Fraiser and O'Neill chorused. O'Neill conceded to the doctor.
"The number of needles just got doubled," she said angrily. "He knows better than to let an off-world injury, no matter how minor, go unattended. There are just too many unknown..."
"People, please," Hammond cut off the doctor's tirade. "Let's get back to the matter at hand. Major Carter, where is Dr. Jackson being held?"
Sam's blood ran cold. Where WAS Daniel being held? She had never even seen the outside of the building let alone its location. "I d-don't know, sir."
"WHAT?!" O'Neill slammed a fist onto the table in outrage.
Sam knew that the Colonel wasn't upset with her. He was angry at the situation. He was never one who could sit back and do nothing while a member of his team was in trouble. Information was the key element at the moment and they were missing a rather large, important piece of information.
"I'm sorry, sir. We were attacked during the night and knocked unconscious. By the time we woke up, it was 14 hours later, we were already in Ochsner's facility and the discs had already been implanted. When I was released..."
"You were injured and only semi-conscious at best," O'Neill concluded for his 2IC as he ran hand through his silver hair. "It's okay, Carter."
"Were you given any instructions as how to make the Naquadah delivery?" Hammond questioned.
"No, sir."
"I think it's safe to assume OshKosh has something planned for that, sir" O'Neill interjected, intentionally mispronouncing the name.
"Agreed. He gave you two days to return, correct Major?"
"Yes, sir. Based on the length of the Kolean day and the amount of time that has already passed, I figure we have about 36 hours before the deadline," Carter answered, easily doing the math in her head.
"Very well. A message has been sent to Teal'c and he should return within a couple of hours. Colonel, I want the two of you to come up with some sort of rescue plan. I will question Ambassador Crile. I don't believe that he was involved with this, but we can't take that chance. Perhaps he will be able to give us some information on Ochsner." Hammond picked up the phone and ordered the person on the other end to have the Ambassador escorted from the VIP quarters to his office.
"Sir, I could help prepare a UAV to..." Sam began after the General returned the phone to its cradle.
"The only thing you're going to do, Sam, is return with me to the infirmary so I can study that disc further. I want to know exactly what I'll be dealing with when you bring Daniel back." Fraiser looked to the General for back up. Seeing his nod, she continued, "You'll also need some antibiotics - which can be given in pill form," she added when she saw that Sam was about to protest any needles, "to prevent that burn from getting infected."
Sam surrendered. She knew a losing battle when she saw one.