TITLE: To Earn Freedom
AUTHOR: Sharim
EMAIL: MissSharim@yahoo.com.au
CATEGORY: Action, Angst, Drama, Adventure.
PAIRING: Sam/Jack, Other
SPOILERS: Minor for: Children of the Gods, In the Line of Duty, The Nox, Tok'ra I & II, Cold Lazarus, Pretense, Serpent Song, Forever in a Day,
SEASON / SEQUEL: Post Fair Game,
RATING: PG
CONTENT WARNINGS: Violence.
SUMMARY: Sometimes, the price of freedom is siding with the enemy.
STATUS: Working on it!
ARCHIVE: Sam and Jack, Heliopolis, My site (when I stop slacking off).
DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. We have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the authors. Not to be archived without permission of the authors.
A/N: This one is because of Kel. Blame her. It's all her fault that its not beta'd. It's also her fault if it doesn't make sense.
Sorry it took so long. RL and all that.
Ps if anyone has forgotten what's happened or wants to read it from scratch, then www.fanfiction.net under 'sharim' would be the place to find it, seeing as my website no longer exists ~withering glares at topcities~
Chapter Twenty-Two
The silence was frosty in the car, and Sam knew it was her fault.
But she didn't want to go back there. She didn't want to have everyone staring at her again.
Squaring her jaw, she deliberately glanced over at him, staring coolly at his masked gaze deliberately focused out of the window. He was made at her. She didn't blame him, she was angry at herself.
The least she could do was allow him to go and help Skaara.
But that meant going there again. Going through the gate again. It meant remembering what she'd lost, what she'd been trying so hard these last few months to forget.
And she knew it was true of him too, that he'd also lost the SGC, his life and his career.
"I'm sorry," she whispered eventually, letting her gaze rest on Simmons who was deftly changing gears as they cruised towards the SGC.
He didn't acknowledge her words, but she saw the faint movement of his mouth and the way his eyes grew more relaxed.
She sighed, sitting back in her seat and letting her gaze rest on the familiar landscape.
"Will you be okay?" he asked eventually, glancing over at her.
"I don't really have a choice, do I?" she smiled tiredly, looking across at him again.
"Carter?"
"I'll be fine, Sir."
He nodded his head understandingly, and nothing more was said.
And she was grateful. Grateful that he hadn't offered her anymore comfort, that he hadn't attempted to treat her gently as though she was cased in cottonwool. He was treating her as though she was still his second, as though she was still Major Carter and not just some cripple in a wheelchair being forced into her past.
She studied him surreptitiously.
If she was in the military, then she doubted they'd be as good friends as they are now. She wasn't ready to consider them more than friends yet, despite their singular kiss in the lake a few days ago and despite his obvious assumption that they were more than friends.
She wasn't ready for more than friends.
She loved him, of that she had no doubt, but that was all.
If she was honest with herself, which was a rare thing, she would much rather go back to their working relationship where she wasn't allowed to love him. Where they were just friends. Where the possibility of something more was in the future.
She wasn't ready for this, not yet.
And certainly not now that she had to rediscover who she was from the beginning.
The car pulled up to the gates, stopping as Simmons identified them and cleared them. Maybe this was the right thing to do. Maybe coming back here and facing who she used to be, who she could no longer be, was the right thing to do.
She stiffened her resolve.
Sam Carter was stronger than a broken spine.
Sam Carter was stronger than a metal chair.
Sam Carter was stronger than the whispers and the stares.
She was a Carter, and a Carter could do anything.
Anything.
~o0o~
"You're all clear to go," Janet announced, smiling slightly as she stepped back from Sam.
"I could have told you that," the Colonel mumbled from where he'd been slouching on his chair.
"Are you going to see General Hammond now?" Janet asked hopefully. The currently-reinstated-for-one-mission-colonel nodded and rose smoothly to his feet. "Would you please take these up to him?" Janet held out the manila folders and he took them silently, only smiling reassuringly at Sam before disappearing out of the infirmary.
There was silence, and Janet took the opportunity to study Sam. To really study her, not just examine her.
"What?" the blond demanded, her eyes defiant as she gazed up at Janet. Sam never used to gaze up at Janet, she used to gaze down.
Janet grinned. "I'm taller than you now."
Sam scowled darkly, and Janet suddenly realised that Sam wasn't adjusted yet, despite her and the Colonel's assurances. Not adjusted by a long shot.
And her remark might have been a little more than insensitive.
"How are you doing?" she asked gently, sitting down on the chair opposite.
"Fine."
Okay. So this wasn't going to be easy.
"What are you going to do now?" Janet tried again.
Sam sighed, her eyes flitting around the room before resting uneasily on Janet.
"Sam?"
"I don't know, Janet. I just. I don't know."
Janet licked her lips tentatively. "Sam.you do know that you can come back under the civilian contract."
Sam's jaw tightened. "I'm not coming back as a civilian, Janet. I'm not going to come back here and watch other teams run through the gate on their legs, knowing that I used to be able to do that."
"So what, you're just going to spend the rest of your life sulking in a wheelchair because you can't walk?" Janet snapped.
"No."
"So what are you going to do then?"
"I'm going to walk. I'm going to come back. I'm going to go through that Stargate again on real missions, not just missions because the Colonel is needed off-world and we can't be separated."
Janet sighed, a sorrowed smile touching her lips. How? Even if Sam did manage to get the use of her legs back - which might be a possibility thanks to the Tollan - there was no way that either she or the Colonel would be let off-world on military missions again. Not until they were unjoined, and that was proving to be a problem.
"You don't believe me," Sam stated softly, staring at Janet.
"No matter how much you put your mind to it, Sam, some things just can't be done."
"I will walk again Janet, I will."
~o0o~
Daniel fidgeted with his vest, unaccustomed to the heavy weight and rough chafing it was putting him through again. You'd think he'd still be used to it, you'd think he'd still be comfortable lugging around a tonne of equipment he wasn't too great at handling.
Obviously he'd gotten soft in the three months he'd been gone.
He glanced surreptitiously at Jack who was silently changing into his gear.
A distant look was in the brown eyes, an almost sentimental smile touching the usually hard face. Jack missed his work. His work had been his life, and now he had nothing.
"You're very quiet, Daniel."
Daniel shrugged. "Not much to say."
Jack raised a cynical eyebrow that Daniel was well remembered by Daniel. "Really?"
Daniel tightened the straps and stood, ready to leave the change room.
"Been busy?" Jack asked, tightening up his bootlaces before setting his foot on the ground.
"Fairly."
It wasn't that Daniel didn't want to talk to Jack; he just didn't know how to anymore.
"Oh. Me too."
Time to make an effort, Daniel. "Fishing?"
A grin touched Jack's lips, but it was gone before Daniel could be sure. "Oh yeah. Carter too."
Carter.
Sam.
Daniels fingers clutched at his vest involuntarily, and glanced quickly to see if Jack had noticed the small action of discomfort. Jack had noticed it. There wasn't really much that Jack didn't notice. About anything.
"She doesn't hate you, Daniel."
"How would you know?" Daniel shot back, glaring at the older man before stomping up the hallway.
"Because I actually talk to her. Just because her legs are screwed doesn't mean her brains are."
Daniel gazed blithely up at Jack. "You mean you actually realised she had brains? You mean you realised she was more than just a soldier who followed your order?"
Jack coloured slightly, and Daniel knew he'd hit a nerve. "I'm a male, Daniel, and I appreciate her looks, just like every other male she's ever come into contact with." Suddenly Jack scowled. "At least I didn't just dump her when something bad happened to her."
"You think that's what I did?" Daniel demanded, stopping in front of Jack and glaring at him.
"Well, didn't you?"
"No!"
"Well it sure looks like it, from where we're standing."
Daniel narrowed his eyes. We? "You're wrong, Jack. That's the last reason why I-" He swallowed, cutting off his words.
"Why you what?" Jack demanded. "Why you ran like a dog with its tail between its legs? Why you won't even look her in the eye if you see her? Why you completely cut us off?" Jack demanded. "You know, Daniel, I was under the impression that we were friends. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe we weren't friends, because you could never allow yourself to stoop low enough to a military mind. To someone who will kill if it's the right thing to do."
Friends.
They had been friends.
"Killing is never the right thing to do!" he exploded. "This is why you are such an ass hole, Jack. You think you're always right, and that the rest of us just aren't good enough."
"Bullshit!"
"Jack? Dr. Jackson?"
Daniel spun around, his chest heaving as he came face to face with General Hammond. "General. Sir."
"Is there a problem?" the Texan asked carefully, studying them.
Daniel felt mortification at his behaviour; how could he just stand and have an argument with Jack in the middle of the SGC?
"No, Sir, there's not. Dr. Jackson and I were just having a personal discussion."
Hammond raised a disbelieving eyebrow but let it pass. "Major. I mean, Dr. Carter and Teal'c are both waiting in the gateroom already."
Daniel nodded meekly, running while he still had the chance.
Why wouldn't Jack understand? Why wouldn't he understand that Daniel didn't have the right to talk to Sam anymore? That Daniel was the reason Sam couldn't walk and be the soldier she used to be.
Every time Daniel had glimpsed Sam before they'd both left the SGC three months ago, he'd been reminded painfully of what he'd done. Every time he saw her in a wheelchair, her normally strong and capable body looking so frail and vulnerable in a wheelchair?
He'd taken Sam's independence from her, and that was something that he could never forgive himself for.
~o0o~
Adjusting the cap on his head, Jack strode purposefully into the gateroom. A bitter twist of remembrance rushed over him as he glimpsed his team in the gateroom.
His team. They weren't his team anymore.
Carter and Daniel weren't standing at the base of the ramp involved in some serious techno babble. Hell, they weren't even looking at each other. Carter was one side, engaged half-heartedly in some conversation with Teal'c, and Daniel was standing awkwardly on the other side of the room, his mouth still tight and drawn from his argument with Jack a few minutes earlier.
"Chevron one engaged."
The wheel started to spin, and Jack watched as the second chevron and then the third locked into place.
He missed this place, his work and his role here. He missed stepping through the gate.
But that part of his life was over, and there was nothing he could do about it. Nothing that could change what had happened to him and Carter.
He shot a quick glance at Carter; her face was masked and closed. But he knew her well enough to know she was screaming blue murder on the inside.
That was one thing he'd learnt about Sam Carter during the last four months: she had a temper. One huge, honking temper that had very rarely shown itself to him while they'd been working together. Her military control was too perfect to allow her to yell at her CO, but once that barrier had been removed. A wry grin twisted his mouth.
"Chevron seven. locked."
With it's usual display of galactic greatness, the wormhole sprang open and the familiar watery depths stared out at him.
"You have a go."
Silently he turned and acknowledged Hammond, before ordering his team through the gate. Daniel and Teal'c walked up the ramp silently, both faces impassive.
Carter started forwards, but her chair wouldn't go over the lip of the ramp. Even in the blue glow her face flamed red with anger and embarrassment. Quietly he gave her chair a lift and a push, allowing her to wheel herself the rest of the way up the ramp.
Tollana was clean, new and grey.
Jack hated grey worlds.
"Welcome to Tollana," Narim greeted them, his eyes only resting on Carter briefly before they settled uneasily back on Jack.
Jack felt anger at Narim; the guy had made out with Carter and now because she was in a chair he couldn't even look at her!
"Your Stargate..?" Daniel frowned, and Jack also turned to study the object in question. It was small, silver and new.
"You built your own Stargate?" Carter gaped, her eyebrows hiking a few feet closer to her hairline.
"Yes."
Jack shifted on his wait. Well, this silence was uncomfortable. "Ours is bigger," he said eventually, turning around to survey the grey city. "Where's Skaara?"
"He is this way."
There were stairs that led towards the buildings. Lots of little stairs that Carter just couldn't handle on her own in that chair. Silently he swung his weapon out of the way and grasped the handles.
"Sir." she argued softly, and he could see the tenseness of her muscles.
"Don't make a fuss, Major," he said softly, touching her shoulder briefly.
"I'm not a Major."
She was silent as Jack started negotiating the stairs, carefully lowering the chair down one step at a time.
Four steps down Teal'c appeared and swiftly picked Carter up into his arms. She clung to him silently, her eyes closed in some emotion he couldn't describe.
She looked close to tears, and Jack swallowed roughly as he picked the chair up and followed the rest of their party down the stairs.
Inside the buildings was. grey.
A light flashed.
"What the hell was that?" Jack demanded, grabbing at his weapon and spinning around.
"Your weapons have been disable," Narim answered shortly, still sneaking hesitant peeks at Carter. "You may still continue to carry them if you wish, however they will be of no use to you."
Jack fingered his gun carefully.
"You don't think mentioning the fact that we're not allowed to have weapons before we came would have been important?" he asked scathingly.
"I didn't find it relevant."
"We don't go to other planets without weapons with which to defend ourselves," Jack snapped in annoyance.
"May I ask what you intend to defend yourselves against? The Tollan have never threatened you. In any way." He hated that innocent, honest face that just sought to make things as comfortable as possible to the primitive Tau'ri.
"He is correct, O'Neill. I do not feel the need to carry a weapon in this place."
Jack looked at Teal'c questioningly, but remained silent.
"Our weapons would be much of a match against theirs anyway, Sir," Carter pointed out quietly, her voice oddly unenthusiastic.
He was worried about her now; Carter was always enthusiastic about technology. Even in a wheelchair.
"I assure you, Colonel, no harm will come to your team. The Tollan guarantee it."
"Is that a money-back-if-you're-not-completely-alive guarantee?"
Carter almost grinned, he saw it.
"This was, please. High Chancellor Travell will explain the Triad to you."
Travell was a woman. An old woman dressed in grey with grey hair. What was it with the Tollan and the colour grey?
"High Chancellor Travell, this is Colonel Jack O'Neill from earth."
"Hi." He felt obligated to greet the tiny woman.
"And this is Dr. Daniel Jackson, Dr. Samantha Carter and Teal'c."
A tiny, regal smile graced Travell's lips. "We are honoured that you have agreed to participate in Triad. Your Seeker will decide which one of you will be Archon."
Jack blinked. "Seeker? Archon?"
"With respect, High Chancellor, Narim hasn't really explain anything about Triad to us, could you please define those terms for us?"
"In Triad there are two arguing parties called Seekers. Triadic law requires that there be one archon who is sympathetic for each cause, and one neutral archon. The archons argue the dispute until a decision is reached."
Oh. And that just made so much more sense.
"Daniel?"
"The seeker is the defendant and the archon the attorney."
"Oh. I got it. Skaara is our."
"Seeker," Daniel supplied quietly.
"Seeker. Right."
"Narim will take you to him now," Travell nodded, "and he will take Dr. Carter to the medical facility."
Medical facility?
She turned to him, wariness on her face.
"Do you not wish to be healed?" Travell asked curiously, noticing the interplay between them.
"I do, but. You can do that?" Carter demanded.
Jack had never seen that much hope or emotion on her face. Give Carter back her legs. Give Carter back a chance at her life.
Maybe these guys could even separate the link so that Carter could go back to the SGC. why did that thought fill him with so much sadness? Why didn't he like the idea of not being joined to Carter anymore?
"Perhaps. Our physicians must examine you first, and determine the extent of your injury, but I am confident we can be of service to you."
She grinned at him, her eyes lighting up. "I'm going to walk, Sir!" she breathed.
He touched her cheek gently, enjoying the softness of her skin beneath his rough fingers. A soft smile touched his eyes and he dropped a kiss to her forehead. "So you are."
Maybe.
But he didn't say the word out loud. He couldn't and wouldn't be the one to keep brining up the negative. Not for her.
"This way."
Again, Narim led them along corridors of grey and grey, their walk silent and awkward with one another. Both Daniel and Teal'c kept looking at him, and he could see the questions in their eyes.
Sam and Jack?
He grinned. Sam and Jack. He liked the sound of that.
His mouth was stretched in a broad smile and he picked up the pace so that he was walking next to Carter. Silently he rested a hand on her shoulder, letting his fingers play with her hair as she walked. She glanced at him uncertainly, but kept quiet, focusing her attention on pushing her chair. She was tiring out, he could see it, but he knew she'd refuse his offer for help so he didn't make it.
"Here."
The rooms they had entered were large and white, a few grey clad Tollan mingling around various benches and beds.
"Narim?" An old man approached them, his face curious.
"These are the Tau'ri, Colban, from earth."
"I see. You are the one unable to walk?" The blunt question was directed at Carter.
She nodded firmly. "Yes."
"Come. We will see if we can help."
Narim bowed his head and stepped backwards. "We will return later. Dr. Carter will be well cared for."
Dr. Carter? Didn't Narim used to call her 'Samantha?'
It hurt Carter that Narim wasn't talking to her specifically, like he used to.
But Jack was fine by it, because it meant that the Tollan was over Carter. Carter was his, and the Tollan would have to be satisfied with that."
~o0o~
"How long have you been unable to feel your legs?" Colban asked as he helped Sam onto a bed and got her lie down on her back.
"About four months, I think."
Colban nodded holding a small grey device over her and frowning in concentration.
"You were struck by a projectile weapon?" he clarified.
"Yes. The bullet rebounded off a rock and hit me."
"Most unfortunate," Colban murmured absently.
Most unfortunate? Not the words Sam would have used, but close enough.
"Can you help?" she asked quietly, suddenly fearful again.
Colban smiled reassuringly. "I am positive, though it will not be an instantaneous recovery. It may not even be a full recovery," he warned softly.
"Just as long as I can feel my legs and walk," Sam said softly, licking her lips. "I don't need to be able to run or dance."
"Your nerves have been damaged by the projectile," Colban explained. "See, here," he showed her the small device, "this is where the projectile is lodged. I would have to remove it from you because it will continue to move and damage your spine."
"You can do that?" Sam gaped again.
"Yes. The complications are in the damaged nerves contained within the spine. See here. this nerve is almost completely severed, which is why you retain no use in your legs. The bone here, and here have been moved. They, fortunately, have caused the projectile to remain stationary, but they will over course of time do more damage than good."
"So what are you going to do?" Sam asked hesitantly.
"We must remove the projectile, repair the nerve and realign the bones."
"And that will work?" Sam asked doubtfully.
Colban hesitated. "I will not lie to you, Samantha, your nerve is severely damaged and the presence of the projectile has damaged it more as you have moved during the course of the last few months. We do have technology to repair the nerve, but your damage is old and your body is starting compensate for it by no longer making use of the nerve. When we do repair the nerve, you will find it hard to control your leg movements, your muscles will ache, there will be cramping and spasms. It may even be too late for the repair to be successful, but I doubt that."
"So what are you saying?" Sam demanded.
"Your recovery will be long," Colban said gently. "Once we have completed the procedure you must remain on your back and as still as possible for a long period in time to allow your nerves to heal. You must recover slowly, otherwise the procedure will not work."
She hesitated. "Will I have to stay on Tollana?"
Colban nodded. "It would be unwise to move you until the healing has started."
"How long will that take?"
"The healing will start after a few days, but two or three weeks of no movement is the safest course."
Sam was silent.
"What if it goes wrong?"
"Then you still will not have the use of your legs, but the projectile should be removed."
"What about my arms?"
"What about them?"
"Can't I lose their movement?"
"It is a small possibility, but highly unlikely. We have used this procedure many times, Samantha, and the success rates are almost 100% when injuries are treated immediately."
"What about when they're not?"
Colban frowned. "Very rarely do we not treat someone immediately. When the procedure was first discovered and used on individuals who had been incapacitated for far longer than you, it was found to work well. Not many made a full recovery, but all regained the feeling and limited movements of their limbs."
"That's better than nothing."
"It is," Colban smiled. "You do not have to decide straight away."
Sam nodded. "I'd like to talk to the Colonel first."
Colban nodded. "I will send for him as soon as is possible."
"Thank you."
~o0o~
Tollana was most. tedious, Teal'c decided, gazing at a carving placed unobtrusively on a ledge.
"You may enter," Colban smiled graciously, and Teal'c dipped his head. The Tollan doctor seemed a warm, caring personality. Teal'c felt confident that he would assist Dr. Carter.
"Teal'c," Dr. Carter greeted him, a tired smile touching her lips.
"O'Neill has ordered that I report our progress."
"Thanks, Teal'c," she nodded, letting her eyes close as she lay on the bed.
She was tired, Teal'c could see by the complete limpness in her upper body that she had no strength left.
"There are Goa'uld on Tollana," he stated simply.
"What?" her eyes flew open and she gazed at him in shock.
"They are here to defend Klorel. An under-lord of Apophis himself is in attendance."
"And the Tollan people just let them on their planet?" Dr. Carter demanded angrily.
"Yes. They believe the Goa'uld can not harm them. O'Neill believes they are too confident."
She nodded her head in agreement.
"I have been ordered to follow the Jaffa," he continued.
"So why are you here?" she smiled gently, assuring him that her words were not harsh.
"Are you comfortable?"
She studied him, confused. "As I'll ever be."
"Can the Tollan be of assistance?"
"Maybe. I'm going to have to talk to Colonel O'Neill when he gets a chance."
Teal'c nodded, already aware of it. The relationship between Dr. Carter and O'Neill had changed; he was aware of it. He was also aware that Dr. Carter was somewhat uncomfortable with it, though O'Neill seemed satisfied and pleased with it.
She sighed, closing her eyes again. "Thank you, Teal'c."
"You are most welcome, Dr. Carter."
A slight smile touched her lips again. "You'd better go watch the Goa'uld, Teal'c."
He nodded.
"Teal'c," she called as he stood up.
"Yes?"
"Don't trust them. Don't let them out of your sight."
Teal'c nodded again. He would never have trusted them. He would observe their activities until the Goa'uld left and Teal'c felt it safe again.
"You require rest, Dr. Carter. Sleep."
"I will, Teal'c. And thank you."
Her eyes were closed so she did not see his final nod, but he was satisfied with her. He knew Dr. Fraiser and General Hammond were concerned about her, but Teal'c was not.
She would be fine, he could see it in her eyes.
And she had O'Neill caring for her.
A smile touched Teal'c's lips. O'Neill would die for Carter, a fact that was well known by all of SG-1.
~o0o~
"Well, that went great," Jack muttered as they exited the room.
"Maybe if you stopped-"
"Daniel, I don't need you to argue with me right now, okay?" Jack snapped impatiently, and Daniel cringed at his tone.
But Daniel was pissing Jack off, and until the archaeologist got his head out of his ass and realised what his refusal to talk to Carter was doing, Jack wasn't going to put up any pretences with the man.
"Where are you going now, Jack?"
"I'm going to Carter."
"Jack?"
Jack looked at Daniel curiously. What did that half apologetic, hopefully curious tone mean? Did Daniel want to talk to Carter?
"Yeah?"
"What's up with you and Sam?"
Oh. Gossip. He just wanted gossip. "If you talked to us you might know about it."
"What's 'it'?" Daniel pressed.
"It it."
Daniel raised an accusing eyebrow. "You're sleeping with her?"
"No!" Jack denied. "Okay, once. But we only slept," he defended.
Yes, they had just slept, and Jack had never enjoyed just sleeping that much. She'd let him hold her all night, just lying there, soft and warm against him, her scent filling his senses full of-
"Jack?"
"Yes Daniel?" Now he was getting impatient.
"I. Do you think the Tollan can help her?"
Jack paused. Did he? "They have canons to blow up a mothership with," Jack said noncommittally.
"That doesn't mean anything, Jack."
"I don't know, Daniel. That's why I'm going to see her now."
"Oh. Okay. I'm going to go and talk to Narim."
Two of a kind. Both men not able to talk to Carter because she was in a wheelchair. Shaking his head with disappointment, Jack started up towards the medical rooms where he knew Carter would be.
She was sleeping, he realised with surprise. Her eyes were closed and her lips were slightly parted.
Gently he kissed her, watching as her eyes opened in surprise as she realised who it was. Sighing she closed her eyes again, letting him kiss her while a hand rested tenderly on her cheek.
"Colonel," she whispered as his lips brushed her neck.
"Mmm?"
"We have to talk," she pushed him away, licking her lips as she gazed up at him.
Silently he pulled her upright and sat behind her, letting her lean back in his arms. She didn't argue with him, but he tell she wasn't happy or comfortable with the situation.
He was filled with a niggling doubt.
"Carter?"
"Colban thinks they can help me, Sir."
"So why aren't you busy being helped?"
"Because if they do help me I'll have to stay on Tollana for at least two weeks."
Oh.
"So I'll have to stay as well."
"Yes, Sir," she agreed softly.
Gently he kissed her neck again, holing her close. "It doesn't matter, Carter. I'll stay here for three months if I have to."
"You would?" she asked doubtfully.
"Yes."
Silently she relaxed into his hold again, letting her head lie against his shoulder. "Why?"
"Why?" he repeated, confused.
"Why would you stay?"
He tightened his hold on her. "I thought that was obvious, Carter. It's not exactly like I can go home if you stay."
"Why would you want to stay?"
"I care about you, Sam. I thought we'd established that already."
She shrugged.
"Are you okay?" he asked her carefully.
"I'm. I'm just tired, Sir."
"Jack," he leant against the wall, pulling her back with him.
"Jack?"
"Yes. I think you can call me Jack if I can call you Sam."
He felt her grin beneath his lips as he kissed her again. "You can't help calling me Carter."
"Can too."
"Can't," she stated firmly before twisting so that she was curled up against him. "I know you, Sir."
He sighed. She was probably right. "You don't mind, do you?"
"Not if you don't."
"Good."
~o0o~
He felt like a pervert or a spy as he stood, hiding around the corner and watching them.
It was so. strange, watching them behave like this. Watching Jack hold Sam, and watching Sam letting him comfort her.
"Carter?"
"Yes?"
"You remember the Nox?"
"Which one?" Sam's voice was uncertain, but there was humour in her tone.
"The good ones. Lya."
"Of course I do."
"She's here."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Lya. She's here."
Daniel's eyes widened. Lya could maybe undo the joining thing that Nut had done!
"And?" Sam asked cautiously.
"We could. if you wanted. ask her to undo this. this joining thing."
He could see the hesitation and uncertainty on Sam's face. "What do you mean if I wanted to? Don't you want to?"
Jack's mouth opened soundlessly. "Well."
"I'll understand, Sir. I mean, I know it's tough having to spend all your time with someone who can't even wash the dishes and-"
"Carter."
"- I know that if you weren't joined to me you could still be in the SGC and I know how much you loved-"
Jack kissed Sam. Really kissed her.
Daniel's eyes widened as he watched.
He loved her. Her really loved Sam. Jack would be quite willing to give up the SGC for Sam, wheelchair and all.
"I'd only do the unjoining if you wanted to, Carter. Never because I got sick of you."
Daniel could count the amount of times he'd seen Sam cry on one hand. He'd never seen her cry in front of Jack.
Now she was crying, clutching as Jack with white fingers that must have been digging painfully into Jack's arms.
"Carter?"
"I'm. Shit.Sir."
"Carter?"
Daniel felt his own eyes sting. He didn't blame Sam for crying; if someone had just admitted that they wouldn't mind being joined to him for the rest of his life even though he was paralysed he'd pretty much be crying as well.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
Jack grinned, kissing Sam again.
He really liked kissing her, and Sam didn't seem to mind.
"It's okay. You're tired. I've got to go soon, back to the Triad, but I want you to get better, Sam. I want you to be happy, okay?"
"Okay."
Daniel stepped away from the door.
Sam wasn't happy, Daniel could see that. She was unsure of herself, more unsure than Daniel had ever seen her before.
Why couldn't Jack see that?
Thrusting his hands into his pockets, Daniel turned and walked slowly down the hallway.
He still cared about Sam, despite Jack's arguments and his comments about what Sam though, and he wanted her better. He also wanted her happy.
But something about the scene with Jack.
He sighed. Maybe he was just reading too much into things. Maybe he was mistaking her anxiety about the possibility of walking again and having to go through a procedure for something else.
But he knew Sam, and he knew that she'd do her best to make people happy.
Daniel sighed. He just hoped she wasn't going along with Jack to make him happy. He really hoped that he made her happy as well.
"Daniel?" Narim's voice broke into his thoughts.
"Narim."
"It is almost time to return to Triad."
"Narim, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c jogged up to them, his dark eyes worried.
"What's wrong?"
"I believe the Goa'uld are tampering with the Tollan weapons. The Jaffa have located at least six of the weapon sites and left."
"You have been following the Goa'uld?" Narim demanded angrily.
"A Goa'uld cannot be trusted, Narim."
"You are on Tollana, Teal'c, you have no right to follow the Jaffa."
"What's going on, Campers?"
"Jack, Teal'c thinks that the Goa'uld are tampering with the Tollan weapons," Daniel explained.
"I knew they were up to no good," Jack nodded agreeably.
"You were aware of Teal'c's spying?" Narim demanded.
"I ordered him to do it. Hey, someone's got to look out for your arrogant asses."
~o0o~
"We asked Lord Zipacna about your accusations," High Chancellor Travell stated, "he denied it."
Tea'lc raised an eyebrow.
"What, they just expected him to admit to it?" O'Neill demanded. Teal'c agreed with him.
"He was most offended," High Chancellor Travell continued.
"I hope you didn't take his word for it," O'Neill said eventually, watching as a Tollan examining a canon shook his head and turned back to completing his work.
"Our experts have been unable to find tampering of any form on the canons."
O'Neill frowned, turning to Teal'c. "Teal'c?"
"I observed them, O'Neill. They were clearly tampering with the canons."
"What if they weren't tampering?" Daniel Jackson questioned slowly.
O'Neill sighed in annoyance. "Then what were they doing, Daniel?"
"I don't know. Maybe they were examining them, trying to work out how they operated."
"Painting," O'Neill exclaimed.
High Chancellor Travell glanced over at the weapons. "I see no evidence of painting, Colonel."
Teal'c nodded in agreement.
"It's a military term. Marking them as targets."
"Nor do I see any such markings."
O'Neill ground his teeth in annoyance, his lips tightening in anger. "There are methods to target out things without physically drawing on them."
"If one of these ion canons was attacked, Colonel, the rest would all immediately locate its attacker and destroy it."
"Not if they were all taken out simultaneously," O'Neill retorted.
High Chancellor Travell shook her head, arrogant amusement shining in her eyes. "If that were so, why did Heru'ur not destroy them while pursuing Klorel?"
"Maybe they didn't know where the canons were then," Daniel Jackson suggested quietly.
High Chancellor Travell was fast losing patience. "He didn't do it because it is impossible. It would take but on of these devices to protect this planet from a Goa'uld mother ship and we have many more then that. Our technology is much superior in every way to theirs, and to yours."
Teal'c was afraid her impatience and her arrogance in the Tollan technology could lead to their destruction.
"My, aren't we cocky," O'Neill muttered.
"Colonel, if this is an attempt to influence the outcome of Triad, it is a feeble attempt indeed."
Teal'c and O'Neill exchanged a long suffering glance as Daniel Jackson immediately started defending their actions.
"Understand that if you continue to pursue this matter in any way, I will disqualify you from Triad and replace you. Skaara will be represented by someone else. Is that understood?"
O'Neill sighed. "With protest."
"Now, these allegations have been a waste of time. Triad will resume in the morning. No further mention of this matter will be tolerated."
Teal'c watched as O'Neill reluctantly nodded his head in agreement.
"Come, we will go eat."
Silently they followed her back towards the Triad building.
"I understand Dr. Carter has agreed to undergo the procedure," High Chancellor Travell commented as they approached the grey doors.
"Yes," O'Neill nodded hesitantly. "I'm going to excuse myself and go wish her good luck."
"You are too late, Colonel."
"I beg your pardon?" O'Neill demanded, surprised.
"They have begun the procedure already. They should have it completed by nightfall. Then you may go and see her."
O'Neill's lips tightened with worry and he gazed fearfully at Teal'c, who understood the implications. Once the procedure was complete, Dr. Carter would be unable to move or be moved for several weeks afterwards. If the Goa'uld were planning an assault then it would be likely for them to strike immediately after Triad was completed.
The Goa'uld had to be stopped, for the sake of Major Carter, Colonel O'Neill and the Tollan population.
~o0o~
More will come. When it's beta'd.
Sharim
Ps Feedback would be loved. It makes my fingers type faster and my motivation increases tenfold. *nods knowingly*
AUTHOR: Sharim
EMAIL: MissSharim@yahoo.com.au
CATEGORY: Action, Angst, Drama, Adventure.
PAIRING: Sam/Jack, Other
SPOILERS: Minor for: Children of the Gods, In the Line of Duty, The Nox, Tok'ra I & II, Cold Lazarus, Pretense, Serpent Song, Forever in a Day,
SEASON / SEQUEL: Post Fair Game,
RATING: PG
CONTENT WARNINGS: Violence.
SUMMARY: Sometimes, the price of freedom is siding with the enemy.
STATUS: Working on it!
ARCHIVE: Sam and Jack, Heliopolis, My site (when I stop slacking off).
DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. We have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the authors. Not to be archived without permission of the authors.
A/N: This one is because of Kel. Blame her. It's all her fault that its not beta'd. It's also her fault if it doesn't make sense.
Sorry it took so long. RL and all that.
Ps if anyone has forgotten what's happened or wants to read it from scratch, then www.fanfiction.net under 'sharim' would be the place to find it, seeing as my website no longer exists ~withering glares at topcities~
Chapter Twenty-Two
The silence was frosty in the car, and Sam knew it was her fault.
But she didn't want to go back there. She didn't want to have everyone staring at her again.
Squaring her jaw, she deliberately glanced over at him, staring coolly at his masked gaze deliberately focused out of the window. He was made at her. She didn't blame him, she was angry at herself.
The least she could do was allow him to go and help Skaara.
But that meant going there again. Going through the gate again. It meant remembering what she'd lost, what she'd been trying so hard these last few months to forget.
And she knew it was true of him too, that he'd also lost the SGC, his life and his career.
"I'm sorry," she whispered eventually, letting her gaze rest on Simmons who was deftly changing gears as they cruised towards the SGC.
He didn't acknowledge her words, but she saw the faint movement of his mouth and the way his eyes grew more relaxed.
She sighed, sitting back in her seat and letting her gaze rest on the familiar landscape.
"Will you be okay?" he asked eventually, glancing over at her.
"I don't really have a choice, do I?" she smiled tiredly, looking across at him again.
"Carter?"
"I'll be fine, Sir."
He nodded his head understandingly, and nothing more was said.
And she was grateful. Grateful that he hadn't offered her anymore comfort, that he hadn't attempted to treat her gently as though she was cased in cottonwool. He was treating her as though she was still his second, as though she was still Major Carter and not just some cripple in a wheelchair being forced into her past.
She studied him surreptitiously.
If she was in the military, then she doubted they'd be as good friends as they are now. She wasn't ready to consider them more than friends yet, despite their singular kiss in the lake a few days ago and despite his obvious assumption that they were more than friends.
She wasn't ready for more than friends.
She loved him, of that she had no doubt, but that was all.
If she was honest with herself, which was a rare thing, she would much rather go back to their working relationship where she wasn't allowed to love him. Where they were just friends. Where the possibility of something more was in the future.
She wasn't ready for this, not yet.
And certainly not now that she had to rediscover who she was from the beginning.
The car pulled up to the gates, stopping as Simmons identified them and cleared them. Maybe this was the right thing to do. Maybe coming back here and facing who she used to be, who she could no longer be, was the right thing to do.
She stiffened her resolve.
Sam Carter was stronger than a broken spine.
Sam Carter was stronger than a metal chair.
Sam Carter was stronger than the whispers and the stares.
She was a Carter, and a Carter could do anything.
Anything.
~o0o~
"You're all clear to go," Janet announced, smiling slightly as she stepped back from Sam.
"I could have told you that," the Colonel mumbled from where he'd been slouching on his chair.
"Are you going to see General Hammond now?" Janet asked hopefully. The currently-reinstated-for-one-mission-colonel nodded and rose smoothly to his feet. "Would you please take these up to him?" Janet held out the manila folders and he took them silently, only smiling reassuringly at Sam before disappearing out of the infirmary.
There was silence, and Janet took the opportunity to study Sam. To really study her, not just examine her.
"What?" the blond demanded, her eyes defiant as she gazed up at Janet. Sam never used to gaze up at Janet, she used to gaze down.
Janet grinned. "I'm taller than you now."
Sam scowled darkly, and Janet suddenly realised that Sam wasn't adjusted yet, despite her and the Colonel's assurances. Not adjusted by a long shot.
And her remark might have been a little more than insensitive.
"How are you doing?" she asked gently, sitting down on the chair opposite.
"Fine."
Okay. So this wasn't going to be easy.
"What are you going to do now?" Janet tried again.
Sam sighed, her eyes flitting around the room before resting uneasily on Janet.
"Sam?"
"I don't know, Janet. I just. I don't know."
Janet licked her lips tentatively. "Sam.you do know that you can come back under the civilian contract."
Sam's jaw tightened. "I'm not coming back as a civilian, Janet. I'm not going to come back here and watch other teams run through the gate on their legs, knowing that I used to be able to do that."
"So what, you're just going to spend the rest of your life sulking in a wheelchair because you can't walk?" Janet snapped.
"No."
"So what are you going to do then?"
"I'm going to walk. I'm going to come back. I'm going to go through that Stargate again on real missions, not just missions because the Colonel is needed off-world and we can't be separated."
Janet sighed, a sorrowed smile touching her lips. How? Even if Sam did manage to get the use of her legs back - which might be a possibility thanks to the Tollan - there was no way that either she or the Colonel would be let off-world on military missions again. Not until they were unjoined, and that was proving to be a problem.
"You don't believe me," Sam stated softly, staring at Janet.
"No matter how much you put your mind to it, Sam, some things just can't be done."
"I will walk again Janet, I will."
~o0o~
Daniel fidgeted with his vest, unaccustomed to the heavy weight and rough chafing it was putting him through again. You'd think he'd still be used to it, you'd think he'd still be comfortable lugging around a tonne of equipment he wasn't too great at handling.
Obviously he'd gotten soft in the three months he'd been gone.
He glanced surreptitiously at Jack who was silently changing into his gear.
A distant look was in the brown eyes, an almost sentimental smile touching the usually hard face. Jack missed his work. His work had been his life, and now he had nothing.
"You're very quiet, Daniel."
Daniel shrugged. "Not much to say."
Jack raised a cynical eyebrow that Daniel was well remembered by Daniel. "Really?"
Daniel tightened the straps and stood, ready to leave the change room.
"Been busy?" Jack asked, tightening up his bootlaces before setting his foot on the ground.
"Fairly."
It wasn't that Daniel didn't want to talk to Jack; he just didn't know how to anymore.
"Oh. Me too."
Time to make an effort, Daniel. "Fishing?"
A grin touched Jack's lips, but it was gone before Daniel could be sure. "Oh yeah. Carter too."
Carter.
Sam.
Daniels fingers clutched at his vest involuntarily, and glanced quickly to see if Jack had noticed the small action of discomfort. Jack had noticed it. There wasn't really much that Jack didn't notice. About anything.
"She doesn't hate you, Daniel."
"How would you know?" Daniel shot back, glaring at the older man before stomping up the hallway.
"Because I actually talk to her. Just because her legs are screwed doesn't mean her brains are."
Daniel gazed blithely up at Jack. "You mean you actually realised she had brains? You mean you realised she was more than just a soldier who followed your order?"
Jack coloured slightly, and Daniel knew he'd hit a nerve. "I'm a male, Daniel, and I appreciate her looks, just like every other male she's ever come into contact with." Suddenly Jack scowled. "At least I didn't just dump her when something bad happened to her."
"You think that's what I did?" Daniel demanded, stopping in front of Jack and glaring at him.
"Well, didn't you?"
"No!"
"Well it sure looks like it, from where we're standing."
Daniel narrowed his eyes. We? "You're wrong, Jack. That's the last reason why I-" He swallowed, cutting off his words.
"Why you what?" Jack demanded. "Why you ran like a dog with its tail between its legs? Why you won't even look her in the eye if you see her? Why you completely cut us off?" Jack demanded. "You know, Daniel, I was under the impression that we were friends. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe we weren't friends, because you could never allow yourself to stoop low enough to a military mind. To someone who will kill if it's the right thing to do."
Friends.
They had been friends.
"Killing is never the right thing to do!" he exploded. "This is why you are such an ass hole, Jack. You think you're always right, and that the rest of us just aren't good enough."
"Bullshit!"
"Jack? Dr. Jackson?"
Daniel spun around, his chest heaving as he came face to face with General Hammond. "General. Sir."
"Is there a problem?" the Texan asked carefully, studying them.
Daniel felt mortification at his behaviour; how could he just stand and have an argument with Jack in the middle of the SGC?
"No, Sir, there's not. Dr. Jackson and I were just having a personal discussion."
Hammond raised a disbelieving eyebrow but let it pass. "Major. I mean, Dr. Carter and Teal'c are both waiting in the gateroom already."
Daniel nodded meekly, running while he still had the chance.
Why wouldn't Jack understand? Why wouldn't he understand that Daniel didn't have the right to talk to Sam anymore? That Daniel was the reason Sam couldn't walk and be the soldier she used to be.
Every time Daniel had glimpsed Sam before they'd both left the SGC three months ago, he'd been reminded painfully of what he'd done. Every time he saw her in a wheelchair, her normally strong and capable body looking so frail and vulnerable in a wheelchair?
He'd taken Sam's independence from her, and that was something that he could never forgive himself for.
~o0o~
Adjusting the cap on his head, Jack strode purposefully into the gateroom. A bitter twist of remembrance rushed over him as he glimpsed his team in the gateroom.
His team. They weren't his team anymore.
Carter and Daniel weren't standing at the base of the ramp involved in some serious techno babble. Hell, they weren't even looking at each other. Carter was one side, engaged half-heartedly in some conversation with Teal'c, and Daniel was standing awkwardly on the other side of the room, his mouth still tight and drawn from his argument with Jack a few minutes earlier.
"Chevron one engaged."
The wheel started to spin, and Jack watched as the second chevron and then the third locked into place.
He missed this place, his work and his role here. He missed stepping through the gate.
But that part of his life was over, and there was nothing he could do about it. Nothing that could change what had happened to him and Carter.
He shot a quick glance at Carter; her face was masked and closed. But he knew her well enough to know she was screaming blue murder on the inside.
That was one thing he'd learnt about Sam Carter during the last four months: she had a temper. One huge, honking temper that had very rarely shown itself to him while they'd been working together. Her military control was too perfect to allow her to yell at her CO, but once that barrier had been removed. A wry grin twisted his mouth.
"Chevron seven. locked."
With it's usual display of galactic greatness, the wormhole sprang open and the familiar watery depths stared out at him.
"You have a go."
Silently he turned and acknowledged Hammond, before ordering his team through the gate. Daniel and Teal'c walked up the ramp silently, both faces impassive.
Carter started forwards, but her chair wouldn't go over the lip of the ramp. Even in the blue glow her face flamed red with anger and embarrassment. Quietly he gave her chair a lift and a push, allowing her to wheel herself the rest of the way up the ramp.
Tollana was clean, new and grey.
Jack hated grey worlds.
"Welcome to Tollana," Narim greeted them, his eyes only resting on Carter briefly before they settled uneasily back on Jack.
Jack felt anger at Narim; the guy had made out with Carter and now because she was in a chair he couldn't even look at her!
"Your Stargate..?" Daniel frowned, and Jack also turned to study the object in question. It was small, silver and new.
"You built your own Stargate?" Carter gaped, her eyebrows hiking a few feet closer to her hairline.
"Yes."
Jack shifted on his wait. Well, this silence was uncomfortable. "Ours is bigger," he said eventually, turning around to survey the grey city. "Where's Skaara?"
"He is this way."
There were stairs that led towards the buildings. Lots of little stairs that Carter just couldn't handle on her own in that chair. Silently he swung his weapon out of the way and grasped the handles.
"Sir." she argued softly, and he could see the tenseness of her muscles.
"Don't make a fuss, Major," he said softly, touching her shoulder briefly.
"I'm not a Major."
She was silent as Jack started negotiating the stairs, carefully lowering the chair down one step at a time.
Four steps down Teal'c appeared and swiftly picked Carter up into his arms. She clung to him silently, her eyes closed in some emotion he couldn't describe.
She looked close to tears, and Jack swallowed roughly as he picked the chair up and followed the rest of their party down the stairs.
Inside the buildings was. grey.
A light flashed.
"What the hell was that?" Jack demanded, grabbing at his weapon and spinning around.
"Your weapons have been disable," Narim answered shortly, still sneaking hesitant peeks at Carter. "You may still continue to carry them if you wish, however they will be of no use to you."
Jack fingered his gun carefully.
"You don't think mentioning the fact that we're not allowed to have weapons before we came would have been important?" he asked scathingly.
"I didn't find it relevant."
"We don't go to other planets without weapons with which to defend ourselves," Jack snapped in annoyance.
"May I ask what you intend to defend yourselves against? The Tollan have never threatened you. In any way." He hated that innocent, honest face that just sought to make things as comfortable as possible to the primitive Tau'ri.
"He is correct, O'Neill. I do not feel the need to carry a weapon in this place."
Jack looked at Teal'c questioningly, but remained silent.
"Our weapons would be much of a match against theirs anyway, Sir," Carter pointed out quietly, her voice oddly unenthusiastic.
He was worried about her now; Carter was always enthusiastic about technology. Even in a wheelchair.
"I assure you, Colonel, no harm will come to your team. The Tollan guarantee it."
"Is that a money-back-if-you're-not-completely-alive guarantee?"
Carter almost grinned, he saw it.
"This was, please. High Chancellor Travell will explain the Triad to you."
Travell was a woman. An old woman dressed in grey with grey hair. What was it with the Tollan and the colour grey?
"High Chancellor Travell, this is Colonel Jack O'Neill from earth."
"Hi." He felt obligated to greet the tiny woman.
"And this is Dr. Daniel Jackson, Dr. Samantha Carter and Teal'c."
A tiny, regal smile graced Travell's lips. "We are honoured that you have agreed to participate in Triad. Your Seeker will decide which one of you will be Archon."
Jack blinked. "Seeker? Archon?"
"With respect, High Chancellor, Narim hasn't really explain anything about Triad to us, could you please define those terms for us?"
"In Triad there are two arguing parties called Seekers. Triadic law requires that there be one archon who is sympathetic for each cause, and one neutral archon. The archons argue the dispute until a decision is reached."
Oh. And that just made so much more sense.
"Daniel?"
"The seeker is the defendant and the archon the attorney."
"Oh. I got it. Skaara is our."
"Seeker," Daniel supplied quietly.
"Seeker. Right."
"Narim will take you to him now," Travell nodded, "and he will take Dr. Carter to the medical facility."
Medical facility?
She turned to him, wariness on her face.
"Do you not wish to be healed?" Travell asked curiously, noticing the interplay between them.
"I do, but. You can do that?" Carter demanded.
Jack had never seen that much hope or emotion on her face. Give Carter back her legs. Give Carter back a chance at her life.
Maybe these guys could even separate the link so that Carter could go back to the SGC. why did that thought fill him with so much sadness? Why didn't he like the idea of not being joined to Carter anymore?
"Perhaps. Our physicians must examine you first, and determine the extent of your injury, but I am confident we can be of service to you."
She grinned at him, her eyes lighting up. "I'm going to walk, Sir!" she breathed.
He touched her cheek gently, enjoying the softness of her skin beneath his rough fingers. A soft smile touched his eyes and he dropped a kiss to her forehead. "So you are."
Maybe.
But he didn't say the word out loud. He couldn't and wouldn't be the one to keep brining up the negative. Not for her.
"This way."
Again, Narim led them along corridors of grey and grey, their walk silent and awkward with one another. Both Daniel and Teal'c kept looking at him, and he could see the questions in their eyes.
Sam and Jack?
He grinned. Sam and Jack. He liked the sound of that.
His mouth was stretched in a broad smile and he picked up the pace so that he was walking next to Carter. Silently he rested a hand on her shoulder, letting his fingers play with her hair as she walked. She glanced at him uncertainly, but kept quiet, focusing her attention on pushing her chair. She was tiring out, he could see it, but he knew she'd refuse his offer for help so he didn't make it.
"Here."
The rooms they had entered were large and white, a few grey clad Tollan mingling around various benches and beds.
"Narim?" An old man approached them, his face curious.
"These are the Tau'ri, Colban, from earth."
"I see. You are the one unable to walk?" The blunt question was directed at Carter.
She nodded firmly. "Yes."
"Come. We will see if we can help."
Narim bowed his head and stepped backwards. "We will return later. Dr. Carter will be well cared for."
Dr. Carter? Didn't Narim used to call her 'Samantha?'
It hurt Carter that Narim wasn't talking to her specifically, like he used to.
But Jack was fine by it, because it meant that the Tollan was over Carter. Carter was his, and the Tollan would have to be satisfied with that."
~o0o~
"How long have you been unable to feel your legs?" Colban asked as he helped Sam onto a bed and got her lie down on her back.
"About four months, I think."
Colban nodded holding a small grey device over her and frowning in concentration.
"You were struck by a projectile weapon?" he clarified.
"Yes. The bullet rebounded off a rock and hit me."
"Most unfortunate," Colban murmured absently.
Most unfortunate? Not the words Sam would have used, but close enough.
"Can you help?" she asked quietly, suddenly fearful again.
Colban smiled reassuringly. "I am positive, though it will not be an instantaneous recovery. It may not even be a full recovery," he warned softly.
"Just as long as I can feel my legs and walk," Sam said softly, licking her lips. "I don't need to be able to run or dance."
"Your nerves have been damaged by the projectile," Colban explained. "See, here," he showed her the small device, "this is where the projectile is lodged. I would have to remove it from you because it will continue to move and damage your spine."
"You can do that?" Sam gaped again.
"Yes. The complications are in the damaged nerves contained within the spine. See here. this nerve is almost completely severed, which is why you retain no use in your legs. The bone here, and here have been moved. They, fortunately, have caused the projectile to remain stationary, but they will over course of time do more damage than good."
"So what are you going to do?" Sam asked hesitantly.
"We must remove the projectile, repair the nerve and realign the bones."
"And that will work?" Sam asked doubtfully.
Colban hesitated. "I will not lie to you, Samantha, your nerve is severely damaged and the presence of the projectile has damaged it more as you have moved during the course of the last few months. We do have technology to repair the nerve, but your damage is old and your body is starting compensate for it by no longer making use of the nerve. When we do repair the nerve, you will find it hard to control your leg movements, your muscles will ache, there will be cramping and spasms. It may even be too late for the repair to be successful, but I doubt that."
"So what are you saying?" Sam demanded.
"Your recovery will be long," Colban said gently. "Once we have completed the procedure you must remain on your back and as still as possible for a long period in time to allow your nerves to heal. You must recover slowly, otherwise the procedure will not work."
She hesitated. "Will I have to stay on Tollana?"
Colban nodded. "It would be unwise to move you until the healing has started."
"How long will that take?"
"The healing will start after a few days, but two or three weeks of no movement is the safest course."
Sam was silent.
"What if it goes wrong?"
"Then you still will not have the use of your legs, but the projectile should be removed."
"What about my arms?"
"What about them?"
"Can't I lose their movement?"
"It is a small possibility, but highly unlikely. We have used this procedure many times, Samantha, and the success rates are almost 100% when injuries are treated immediately."
"What about when they're not?"
Colban frowned. "Very rarely do we not treat someone immediately. When the procedure was first discovered and used on individuals who had been incapacitated for far longer than you, it was found to work well. Not many made a full recovery, but all regained the feeling and limited movements of their limbs."
"That's better than nothing."
"It is," Colban smiled. "You do not have to decide straight away."
Sam nodded. "I'd like to talk to the Colonel first."
Colban nodded. "I will send for him as soon as is possible."
"Thank you."
~o0o~
Tollana was most. tedious, Teal'c decided, gazing at a carving placed unobtrusively on a ledge.
"You may enter," Colban smiled graciously, and Teal'c dipped his head. The Tollan doctor seemed a warm, caring personality. Teal'c felt confident that he would assist Dr. Carter.
"Teal'c," Dr. Carter greeted him, a tired smile touching her lips.
"O'Neill has ordered that I report our progress."
"Thanks, Teal'c," she nodded, letting her eyes close as she lay on the bed.
She was tired, Teal'c could see by the complete limpness in her upper body that she had no strength left.
"There are Goa'uld on Tollana," he stated simply.
"What?" her eyes flew open and she gazed at him in shock.
"They are here to defend Klorel. An under-lord of Apophis himself is in attendance."
"And the Tollan people just let them on their planet?" Dr. Carter demanded angrily.
"Yes. They believe the Goa'uld can not harm them. O'Neill believes they are too confident."
She nodded her head in agreement.
"I have been ordered to follow the Jaffa," he continued.
"So why are you here?" she smiled gently, assuring him that her words were not harsh.
"Are you comfortable?"
She studied him, confused. "As I'll ever be."
"Can the Tollan be of assistance?"
"Maybe. I'm going to have to talk to Colonel O'Neill when he gets a chance."
Teal'c nodded, already aware of it. The relationship between Dr. Carter and O'Neill had changed; he was aware of it. He was also aware that Dr. Carter was somewhat uncomfortable with it, though O'Neill seemed satisfied and pleased with it.
She sighed, closing her eyes again. "Thank you, Teal'c."
"You are most welcome, Dr. Carter."
A slight smile touched her lips again. "You'd better go watch the Goa'uld, Teal'c."
He nodded.
"Teal'c," she called as he stood up.
"Yes?"
"Don't trust them. Don't let them out of your sight."
Teal'c nodded again. He would never have trusted them. He would observe their activities until the Goa'uld left and Teal'c felt it safe again.
"You require rest, Dr. Carter. Sleep."
"I will, Teal'c. And thank you."
Her eyes were closed so she did not see his final nod, but he was satisfied with her. He knew Dr. Fraiser and General Hammond were concerned about her, but Teal'c was not.
She would be fine, he could see it in her eyes.
And she had O'Neill caring for her.
A smile touched Teal'c's lips. O'Neill would die for Carter, a fact that was well known by all of SG-1.
~o0o~
"Well, that went great," Jack muttered as they exited the room.
"Maybe if you stopped-"
"Daniel, I don't need you to argue with me right now, okay?" Jack snapped impatiently, and Daniel cringed at his tone.
But Daniel was pissing Jack off, and until the archaeologist got his head out of his ass and realised what his refusal to talk to Carter was doing, Jack wasn't going to put up any pretences with the man.
"Where are you going now, Jack?"
"I'm going to Carter."
"Jack?"
Jack looked at Daniel curiously. What did that half apologetic, hopefully curious tone mean? Did Daniel want to talk to Carter?
"Yeah?"
"What's up with you and Sam?"
Oh. Gossip. He just wanted gossip. "If you talked to us you might know about it."
"What's 'it'?" Daniel pressed.
"It it."
Daniel raised an accusing eyebrow. "You're sleeping with her?"
"No!" Jack denied. "Okay, once. But we only slept," he defended.
Yes, they had just slept, and Jack had never enjoyed just sleeping that much. She'd let him hold her all night, just lying there, soft and warm against him, her scent filling his senses full of-
"Jack?"
"Yes Daniel?" Now he was getting impatient.
"I. Do you think the Tollan can help her?"
Jack paused. Did he? "They have canons to blow up a mothership with," Jack said noncommittally.
"That doesn't mean anything, Jack."
"I don't know, Daniel. That's why I'm going to see her now."
"Oh. Okay. I'm going to go and talk to Narim."
Two of a kind. Both men not able to talk to Carter because she was in a wheelchair. Shaking his head with disappointment, Jack started up towards the medical rooms where he knew Carter would be.
She was sleeping, he realised with surprise. Her eyes were closed and her lips were slightly parted.
Gently he kissed her, watching as her eyes opened in surprise as she realised who it was. Sighing she closed her eyes again, letting him kiss her while a hand rested tenderly on her cheek.
"Colonel," she whispered as his lips brushed her neck.
"Mmm?"
"We have to talk," she pushed him away, licking her lips as she gazed up at him.
Silently he pulled her upright and sat behind her, letting her lean back in his arms. She didn't argue with him, but he tell she wasn't happy or comfortable with the situation.
He was filled with a niggling doubt.
"Carter?"
"Colban thinks they can help me, Sir."
"So why aren't you busy being helped?"
"Because if they do help me I'll have to stay on Tollana for at least two weeks."
Oh.
"So I'll have to stay as well."
"Yes, Sir," she agreed softly.
Gently he kissed her neck again, holing her close. "It doesn't matter, Carter. I'll stay here for three months if I have to."
"You would?" she asked doubtfully.
"Yes."
Silently she relaxed into his hold again, letting her head lie against his shoulder. "Why?"
"Why?" he repeated, confused.
"Why would you stay?"
He tightened his hold on her. "I thought that was obvious, Carter. It's not exactly like I can go home if you stay."
"Why would you want to stay?"
"I care about you, Sam. I thought we'd established that already."
She shrugged.
"Are you okay?" he asked her carefully.
"I'm. I'm just tired, Sir."
"Jack," he leant against the wall, pulling her back with him.
"Jack?"
"Yes. I think you can call me Jack if I can call you Sam."
He felt her grin beneath his lips as he kissed her again. "You can't help calling me Carter."
"Can too."
"Can't," she stated firmly before twisting so that she was curled up against him. "I know you, Sir."
He sighed. She was probably right. "You don't mind, do you?"
"Not if you don't."
"Good."
~o0o~
He felt like a pervert or a spy as he stood, hiding around the corner and watching them.
It was so. strange, watching them behave like this. Watching Jack hold Sam, and watching Sam letting him comfort her.
"Carter?"
"Yes?"
"You remember the Nox?"
"Which one?" Sam's voice was uncertain, but there was humour in her tone.
"The good ones. Lya."
"Of course I do."
"She's here."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Lya. She's here."
Daniel's eyes widened. Lya could maybe undo the joining thing that Nut had done!
"And?" Sam asked cautiously.
"We could. if you wanted. ask her to undo this. this joining thing."
He could see the hesitation and uncertainty on Sam's face. "What do you mean if I wanted to? Don't you want to?"
Jack's mouth opened soundlessly. "Well."
"I'll understand, Sir. I mean, I know it's tough having to spend all your time with someone who can't even wash the dishes and-"
"Carter."
"- I know that if you weren't joined to me you could still be in the SGC and I know how much you loved-"
Jack kissed Sam. Really kissed her.
Daniel's eyes widened as he watched.
He loved her. Her really loved Sam. Jack would be quite willing to give up the SGC for Sam, wheelchair and all.
"I'd only do the unjoining if you wanted to, Carter. Never because I got sick of you."
Daniel could count the amount of times he'd seen Sam cry on one hand. He'd never seen her cry in front of Jack.
Now she was crying, clutching as Jack with white fingers that must have been digging painfully into Jack's arms.
"Carter?"
"I'm. Shit.Sir."
"Carter?"
Daniel felt his own eyes sting. He didn't blame Sam for crying; if someone had just admitted that they wouldn't mind being joined to him for the rest of his life even though he was paralysed he'd pretty much be crying as well.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
Jack grinned, kissing Sam again.
He really liked kissing her, and Sam didn't seem to mind.
"It's okay. You're tired. I've got to go soon, back to the Triad, but I want you to get better, Sam. I want you to be happy, okay?"
"Okay."
Daniel stepped away from the door.
Sam wasn't happy, Daniel could see that. She was unsure of herself, more unsure than Daniel had ever seen her before.
Why couldn't Jack see that?
Thrusting his hands into his pockets, Daniel turned and walked slowly down the hallway.
He still cared about Sam, despite Jack's arguments and his comments about what Sam though, and he wanted her better. He also wanted her happy.
But something about the scene with Jack.
He sighed. Maybe he was just reading too much into things. Maybe he was mistaking her anxiety about the possibility of walking again and having to go through a procedure for something else.
But he knew Sam, and he knew that she'd do her best to make people happy.
Daniel sighed. He just hoped she wasn't going along with Jack to make him happy. He really hoped that he made her happy as well.
"Daniel?" Narim's voice broke into his thoughts.
"Narim."
"It is almost time to return to Triad."
"Narim, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c jogged up to them, his dark eyes worried.
"What's wrong?"
"I believe the Goa'uld are tampering with the Tollan weapons. The Jaffa have located at least six of the weapon sites and left."
"You have been following the Goa'uld?" Narim demanded angrily.
"A Goa'uld cannot be trusted, Narim."
"You are on Tollana, Teal'c, you have no right to follow the Jaffa."
"What's going on, Campers?"
"Jack, Teal'c thinks that the Goa'uld are tampering with the Tollan weapons," Daniel explained.
"I knew they were up to no good," Jack nodded agreeably.
"You were aware of Teal'c's spying?" Narim demanded.
"I ordered him to do it. Hey, someone's got to look out for your arrogant asses."
~o0o~
"We asked Lord Zipacna about your accusations," High Chancellor Travell stated, "he denied it."
Tea'lc raised an eyebrow.
"What, they just expected him to admit to it?" O'Neill demanded. Teal'c agreed with him.
"He was most offended," High Chancellor Travell continued.
"I hope you didn't take his word for it," O'Neill said eventually, watching as a Tollan examining a canon shook his head and turned back to completing his work.
"Our experts have been unable to find tampering of any form on the canons."
O'Neill frowned, turning to Teal'c. "Teal'c?"
"I observed them, O'Neill. They were clearly tampering with the canons."
"What if they weren't tampering?" Daniel Jackson questioned slowly.
O'Neill sighed in annoyance. "Then what were they doing, Daniel?"
"I don't know. Maybe they were examining them, trying to work out how they operated."
"Painting," O'Neill exclaimed.
High Chancellor Travell glanced over at the weapons. "I see no evidence of painting, Colonel."
Teal'c nodded in agreement.
"It's a military term. Marking them as targets."
"Nor do I see any such markings."
O'Neill ground his teeth in annoyance, his lips tightening in anger. "There are methods to target out things without physically drawing on them."
"If one of these ion canons was attacked, Colonel, the rest would all immediately locate its attacker and destroy it."
"Not if they were all taken out simultaneously," O'Neill retorted.
High Chancellor Travell shook her head, arrogant amusement shining in her eyes. "If that were so, why did Heru'ur not destroy them while pursuing Klorel?"
"Maybe they didn't know where the canons were then," Daniel Jackson suggested quietly.
High Chancellor Travell was fast losing patience. "He didn't do it because it is impossible. It would take but on of these devices to protect this planet from a Goa'uld mother ship and we have many more then that. Our technology is much superior in every way to theirs, and to yours."
Teal'c was afraid her impatience and her arrogance in the Tollan technology could lead to their destruction.
"My, aren't we cocky," O'Neill muttered.
"Colonel, if this is an attempt to influence the outcome of Triad, it is a feeble attempt indeed."
Teal'c and O'Neill exchanged a long suffering glance as Daniel Jackson immediately started defending their actions.
"Understand that if you continue to pursue this matter in any way, I will disqualify you from Triad and replace you. Skaara will be represented by someone else. Is that understood?"
O'Neill sighed. "With protest."
"Now, these allegations have been a waste of time. Triad will resume in the morning. No further mention of this matter will be tolerated."
Teal'c watched as O'Neill reluctantly nodded his head in agreement.
"Come, we will go eat."
Silently they followed her back towards the Triad building.
"I understand Dr. Carter has agreed to undergo the procedure," High Chancellor Travell commented as they approached the grey doors.
"Yes," O'Neill nodded hesitantly. "I'm going to excuse myself and go wish her good luck."
"You are too late, Colonel."
"I beg your pardon?" O'Neill demanded, surprised.
"They have begun the procedure already. They should have it completed by nightfall. Then you may go and see her."
O'Neill's lips tightened with worry and he gazed fearfully at Teal'c, who understood the implications. Once the procedure was complete, Dr. Carter would be unable to move or be moved for several weeks afterwards. If the Goa'uld were planning an assault then it would be likely for them to strike immediately after Triad was completed.
The Goa'uld had to be stopped, for the sake of Major Carter, Colonel O'Neill and the Tollan population.
~o0o~
More will come. When it's beta'd.
Sharim
Ps Feedback would be loved. It makes my fingers type faster and my motivation increases tenfold. *nods knowingly*