The Touched

Part 6

Notes: I'm currently extremely pissed off as I had just finished this part and was very happy with it as it was the best part I had written so far and my f***ing computer just went and lost the entire f***ing thing even though I'd saved it...I'm gutted. So I apologize if this part is terrible as I'll be trying to make it what it was and will no doubt fail miserably (I'm very annoyed at the minute...sorry for rambling)

Aaaaaaaaanyway...on with the story...



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Sam groaned as the pain coursed through her entire body, the constant ache pulsing through her every fiber. Her head was throbbing in pain, the tingling agony playing with her consciousness. She knew she couldn't be dead, she was in far too much pain for that. Attempting to swallow, much to the dismay of her dry, raw throat, she slowly opened her eyes, the disjointed images slowly merging to form the face of her smiling CO.

She offered him a small smile. Reaching out, he traced the outline of her face, his warm hand sending a heated shiver through her body. She closed her eyes and leaned into the warmth, smiling as his fingers traced her cheek. She slowly opened her eyes and stared at him, watching as he leaned closer to her.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again, Major." He whispered gently, his breath brushing her face, "Is that understood?"

"Yes Sir." She whispered hoarsely. Jack pulled away and picked a glass of water from the trolley that Janet had left by her bedside before helped her to drink a little. Closing her eyes, she lay back onto the bed, pulling the blankets around her. Looking at him again, she stared into his eyes, watching him stare at her with a deep concern.

She smiled, "Is Daniel here as well?"

"Isn't he always." Jack replied, smiling down at her. His eyes darkened momentarily and she found herself drawn into their depths. He was no longer masking his feelings, she could read his eyes. She saw the relief, the pain, the aching sadness. He had lost so much already and now he had almost lost her.

Sam closed her eyes, unable to hold off the darkness that was begging for her presence. The rhythm of her breathing slowed as she tried to ignore the gentle pain. She felt a warmth against her cheek and she struggled to open her eyes. Jack leaned towards her again, bringing himself down to eye level. He stroked her cheek and Sam took a sharp in take of breath at the feelings that simple gesture provoked. His thumb brushed her lips, touching them gently and she held her breath before an agonizing cry left her lips.

"Doc!" Jack watched as Sam clutched her stomach and legs, pulling herself into a fetal position, unable to stand the excruciating pain streaming through her body. A fire ravaged her senses, scalding every inch of her skin as everything threatened to fade into nothingness. The darkness beckoned her. And then it stopped.

Slowly sitting up, Sam looked around the room, oblivious to the confused and worried looks on her friends' faces, instead, following a definite instinct that she was being watched. Glancing at her surroundings, everything seemed sharper, clearer, more defined. She glanced around the room with an intense clarity as everything was brought to an urgent focus.

She found herself focusing on the erratic trace of a nearby oscilloscope. The disjointed sounds around her were muffled by the dropping of water in her drip, slowly causing everything to fade into silence, deafened by the gentle noise. Her stare drifted across the room, the colors and textures jumping out at her until her gaze finally resting on the silent figure.

The woman stood in the far corner of the room, smiling happily, a ghostly shadow of what she once was. Raising her arm, Nilke's mouth moved in a silent motion, her gentle whisper brushing past, "Kly ne Manat'maha". And then she was gone.



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"Sir, I don't even know what happened," Jack sighed leaning back, his gaze drifting from the doodles on his pad to the two empty chairs. Teal'c, sensing Jack's reluctance to continue, proceeded to inform General Hammond of the details of their mission. Jack's mind drifted, he had almost lost her. It might not have been the first time, but this was the only time he had allowed her to do it to herself.

"I'm fine, Sir." The familiarity of the gentle voice brought him back to the present as he looked up into Sam's face.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here?"

Sam frowned, looking a little hurt, "I'm here for the debriefing."

"You should be resting in the infirmary."

"I'm fine."

"OK, people," General Hammond looked back and forth between the two before turning to Sam, "Major Carter, has Doctor Fraiser cleared you for duty?"

"Yes, Sir. She can find nothing wrong and all the tests were clear. She plans to keep a close eye on me but I'm allowed to return to duty."

Hammond nodded and cleared his throat, "In that case, I see no reason to stop you..."

"Sir!"

"...on the condition," Hammond turned to Jack, frowning, "that you take care of yourself and take every opportunity to rest."

"Yes Sir."

The General nodded indicating to Teal'c that he should continue as Sam continued to glare at Jack.

"...placing SG1 on stand down for a week..."

"Sir, I'm fine."

"That may be Major, but Doctor Jackson is not."

"Yes Sir," Sam averted her gaze and looked at her hands, embarrassed that she had forgotten Daniel was hurt, having been unconscious at the time.

"...dismissed."

Sam breathed a sigh of relief. Standing up, she turned to the door and walked straight into Jack.

"Collect your stuff and I'll take you home."

Sam gritted her teeth, "Sir, I am perfectly capable of driving myself..."

"Doctor's orders." Sam frowned at Janet as she walked towards them and stood next to Jack, "No driving." She turned to Jack and handed him a small bottle of tablets, "If she's in a lot of pain you give her one of these and call me, OK?" Jack nodded and Janet said a quick goodbye before leaving the room.

"I'll take those." Sam reached for the bottle but Jack quickly with drew his hand, "Sir?"

"You're coming home with me until I'm sure you're OK."

"I am perfectly capable of looking after myself, Sir."

"Well I'm not so sure. Not even the Doc knows what was wrong with you and until I'm satisfied that you're OK, I am not letting you out of my sight." Sam opened her mouth to protest but Jack quickly cut her off, "Or I could always have the Doc confine you to the infirmary." Sam closed her mouth with an audible snap and stormed down the corridor without a word.

"Oh boy," Jack muttered, "This is gonna be fun."



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END OF PART 5

I'm still upset with my computer and It's still not as good as the original part!

Feedback is always appreciated!