"Take your time, Colonel."
Jack closed his eyes and sighed. This was going to take a long time. He knew that now. It seemed as though she had a question for every word that came out of his mouth and, frankly, it was distracting the hell out of him. Opening his eyes, he began again. "So Teal'c and I were scouting ahead. We- "
"What were your coordinates at the time you separated from SG- 4 and the rest of your team?"
Jack could feel his anger surfacing. "Look.I can't do this with you yapping away every two syllables!"
Doctor Watters looked up from her papers, her eyes wide open, her mouth agape. Regret immediately coursed through Jack's veins.
"Sorry.I'm." Jack leaned forward and ran his hands through his hair. "It's been a while and, to tell you the truth, my attention span isn't. spanning very well."
The doctor simply nodded and took off her glasses. "I understand, Colonel. I'll try and refrain from asking the less important questions. Instead, I can just write those down and we'll go through them once you're done. How's that sound?" Doctor Watters' voice remained calm, understanding. If she was mad at Jack, she didn't show it. Jack nodded. "Continue, Colonel."
".Anyway.so we were scouting ahead. I remember talking to Teal'c."
***".So the rabbi says to the priest: 'It's a good thing we're not brothers!'.Teal'c, you still with me?" Teal'c's face was a mask of concentration as he gazed out into the wooded area surrounding them. "You know.if you didn't understand it I could always- "
"O'Neill.we are being watched." Jack followed Teal'c's gaze and tightened his grip on his P90. Peering into the forest, Jack couldn't see anybody, but experience had taught him not to underestimate Teal'c's ability at sensing danger.
"How many, Teal'c?"
"I am unsure, O'Neill. I believe.!" Teal'c went down hard, his eyes were screwed tightly shut as though in pain.
"Teal'c! What the hell-" Suddenly a pain so severe invaded his mind. It seemed to take over his body, making his legs collapse from beneath him. He wanted to scream but his teeth were too busy grinding together. A pained gurgle seemed to erupt from his throat and fear suddenly clamped down on his heart. His head would surely explode soon, the pressure unbearable. It was almost as if his brain were being crushed. All his functions seemed to stop; he could feel no more, he could move no more and soon, he could see no more.***
"Whatever weapon they used, it worked long range."
"What kind of weapon do you suppose it was, Colonel?"
"Didn't see it. But whatever it was, it was damn painful. Felt like my head was going to explode."
"So what happened next?"
"I passed out."
"What was the next thing you remember?"
"I came to in some room. I had been disarmed."
"Shit!"
***That was the first word that came out of Jack's mouth when he noticed from his position on the ground the large men clad in Goa'uld military garb. He could count four Jaffa. Analyzing their uniforms and the symbols on their foreheads, Jack couldn't tell which Goa'uld they served. 'Damn, where's Daniel when you need him?' Jack thought bitterly to himself.
//Rot' an, kree!// A foot nudged him none too gently.
"Yeah, yeah.give an old guy a second to get his bearings-" Jack's breath was stolen from him when he received a hard blow to the stomach. "Okay.getting up now." Jack slowly rose to his feet, his head felt heavy and his stomach churned at the slightest of movements. The room he was in was small and there was no sign of Teal'c anywhere.
"Definitely NOT a good day," he mumbled to himself.
//Mokta La'an, kree!// The Jaffa who had kicked him before was now addressing him again.
"Don't speak much English, do you?" Jack squinted at him. "Damn! I knew I should have packed that Goa'uld - English dictionary. But, you know how it is when it comes to travelling. I always say: 'You've gotta pack light -' Jack grunted in pain when he received a heavy fist to his ribs. "Shutting up now," he croaked as he bent over and cradled his abdomen. A swift shove sent him tumbling forward until he was staring at the boots of another Jaffa. Looking up, he assumed by the man's demeanour that he was not to be messed with.
//Rat'el!// The Jaffa pointed to a device that Jack had not noticed upon regaining consciousness. It looked like a simple metal container, no larger than a shoebox. On the top, lights flashed on and off and it gave Jack an eerie reminder that he was dealing with Goa'uld technology. Jack stared at it suspiciously until another shove from behind threw him forward.
"What?"
//Rat'el!//
Jack could already feel the frustration crawling up his chest. "Okay.I have no idea what the hell 'rat tail' means!!!"
The Jaffa in front of him didn't seem the least bit swayed by Jack's frustration. Instead, he calmly motioned with his hands that Jack was to pick up the box. "I guess the words 'BITE ME' mean nothing to you guys?" The Jaffa around him seemed to sense the sarcasm in his voice. Within seconds, Jack could count the sound of three staff weapons activating, all of them trained on him. From the corner of his eye, he could also see one of the Jaffa take out a remote with matching flashing lights.
'Bomb,' his mind screamed as his sympathetic system suddenly kicked in.
Once again, the Jaffa repeated the order. Without any alternative, Jack reluctantly moved forward and reached for the device. When he finally picked it up, the staffs that were aimed at him were swiftly lowered. As he stood there, he eyed the Jaffa with the remote carefully. Jack's heart started up a staccato beat of its own when he saw the man's fingers begin to turn a knob.
If this thing really was a bomb, then why the hell would the Jaffa stay in the room with him?
But before he could expand on his thoughts, he suddenly had to contract his arm muscles to keep them from dropping the device. The box was getting *heavier* in his hands and he suspected it had something to do with the knob the Jaffa was turning. The damn remote was controlling the weight of the object.
Minutes passed and a bead of perspiration was already running down his face as he continued to struggle against the weight in his hand. If at any time he felt like letting go, he was encouraged not to by the three staff weapons pointed in his direction. But despite his grunts of exertion, the Jaffa continued to turn the knob, making the box heavier and heavier.
"You know, if I needed a personal trainer I would have asked for one." Jack took an exaggerated sniff and continued, "But, just between the both of us, I think I'm ready to hit the showers-ARGH." Jack gritted his teeth as the Jaffa turned the knob a few inches more. Jack bit back his next quip, concentrating on conserving his energy. He watched again as the Jaffa turned the knob even further. "Oh COME ON!!!" Jack growled.
Despite its small size, the box felt like it weighed close to 100 lbs now. He was sweating profusely and he could feel his muscles burning. His fingers were losing their grip as he grunted with exertion. "I can't." he began to plea but before he could finish, he dropped the box on the ground, his chest panting as he fell onto his hands and knees. Jack closed his eyes, expecting to hear the fire of the staff weapons but was pleasantly surprised when he didn't. He opened his eyes only to see the Jaffa with the remote point out something on the panel to the leader. The larger Jaffa nodded in understanding and then exchanged a few words with the Jaffa behind him. Jack suddenly felt rough hands cajole him to his feet. He was propelled forward into another small room adjacent to the one they had just occupied. There, a single wooden chair awaited him. The chair was bolted to the floor along with straps that were no doubt meant for his wrists and ankles. "You know.I appreciate the workout and all." he pointed his finger to the other room. ".but I really don't need to rest. You can't let these wrinkles fool you-" Jack didn't feel the impact of knuckles to his jaw until the world around him suddenly turned upside down and he was staring at someone's feet. The men lifted him up from the floor and shoved him into the chair. There, they proceeded to strap him into the seat.
The moment he was strapped in place, one of the Jaffa left the room only to come back a few moments later holding a steaming hot metal rod. At its base, Jack could see that the metal was bent into a shape that formed a symbol of some kind.
His heart skipped a beat with this new realization: they were branding him.
Jack swallowed heavily as he watched the man approach him with the burning hot iron. "I always wanted a tattoo." Jack said anxiously as he watched the Jaffa grab hold of his forearm tightly. He could already feel the heat emanating from the metal. "You got any Simpsons characters back there?" The Jaffa didn't answer. "No one ever wants the cartoons.ARGH!" Jack clamped his mouth closed. The metal pressed into his skin as the pain conquered his body with no remorse. He struggled against his bonds, the vein in his neck bulging out of his skin. It was only when the smell of his own burning flesh reached his nostrils that Jack allowed himself to let go. The screams escaped his throat, his nails scratching at the wood. But just before he was sure he would choke from the pain, unconsciousness made its welcomed appearance...***
Jack suddenly stopped talking, his voice lost in his thoughts. "I'm sorry, I don't quite understand about the box." Jack's head snapped up at the sound of the female voice, almost forgetting that he wasn't alone in the room.
"They determined how much weight I was able to lift and then classified me according to my strength."
"May I?"
Following her eyes, Jack noticed that Dr. Watters was staring at his arm. Jack nodded as he began to take off his uniform jacket. He presented his arm to her as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Jack glanced down at his arm and looked at the scar as he had done thousands of times in the past. Above his wrist, his skin was puffed out into a particular pattern: two circles connected at their centers.
"So what exactly is this.I mean, why did they-"
"Bar code."
"Excuse me?"
"It was my bar code. Everyone in my faction had the same marking. It's how those bastards classified us."
Dr. Watters stayed silent, her mind still trying to accept what she had just heard.
Jack groaned inwardly. If there was one specific thing he hated most about this, it would have to be the pity. He hated the pity. Losing his patience with her, he got up. "You think we could take a break?"
She cleared her throat. "Sure.we'll continue this tomorrow. I'd like to get a little bit from all of you today. Please send one of the others in. Thank you, Colonel." Jack nodded and exited the room. Jack quickly made his way to the commissary where he immediately spotted his friends. When he took a seat, three pairs of eyes stared at him questioningly. Daniel glanced at his watch and asked, "What happened?"
"Nothing."
"That was fast."
Jack sighed. "The woman just won't stop asking questions." Jack ran his hands through his hair, an attestation of his weariness.
"Sir, she's only doing her job."
"You don't think I know that, Carter?" he snapped back. "It's just hard to remember all the details."
"Well, sir, we sent out a message to my dad today. Hopefully he'll get back to us soon about those memory devices."
"Well anyway.I'm done for today. She asked me to send one of you next" He looked up. "So which one of you wants to go?"
"I'll go," Sam offered as she stood up. She gave them all a brief smile as she left the commissary.
"Hello, Major Carter. As you already know, my name is Dr. Angela Watters." Angela offered her hand and Sam shook it readily. She took a seat at the table and waited for the doctor to continue. "Today, we're just going to dip our feet.nothing too heavy. We'll stop after an hour or so and continue tomorrow from wherever we leave off today. As you can see, all of my sessions are taped." She pointed to a small voice recorder on the table in front of her. "If you feel like you want to take a break, you can do so at anytime. Just let me know and I'll turn off the recorder." Angela smiled politely.
Sam returned the warm gesture and shifted in her seat nervously. "My memory might be a little hazy. As I'm sure you can understand, I try not to make it a point to remember the events that transpired on P3C 255."
Angela Watters smiled again. "I don't want you to worry about that now. I just want you to relax. The memories are there, it's just a matter of fishing them out. Just tell me whatever you can remember and we'll work from there. As the sessions continue, you'll start to notice yourself remembering more and more." Sam nodded. "Okay, let's begin right away, shall we?" Dr. Watters leaned forward and pressed record. "Major, why don't we begin with the day of your capture? What do you remember about that?"
Sam intertwined her fingers together in front of her and swallowed before beginning. "SG-1 and SG-4 arrived on P3C 255 late in the afternoon. Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c had gone ahead to do some reconnaissance. When they didn't return, we tried to call them over their radios but we didn't get a response. Colonel McLoud ordered us to stay put and lay down camp for the night. He didn't want us to go out and search for them in the dark. I offered to take first watch while the others went to sleep. Once again, I attempted to make contact with Colonel O'Neill but was unsuccessful."
"What time would you say that was?" Angela interrupted.
"I'd say around twenty two hundred hours."
"Thank you.go ahead."
"When my watch was over, I had to wake up Colonel McLoud who was supposed to take second watch..
***"Colonel," Sam whispered as she stood outside the green military tent. Her hands were freezing and her heart was pounding twice as fast as usual. She was clearly worried about her two missing teammates and yet frustrated at the fact that McLoud would not allow for any search party until morning.
"Colonel!" she whispered again but got no reply. Sighing, Sam unzipped the tent and stuck her head inside. "Colonel.sir, you're up for second watch." When she saw no sign of him waking, she entered the tent, knelt down and nudged him. Nothing. "Damn." Sam hated heavy sleepers. She normally dealt with them by pouring a canteen of cold water over their heads until they mumbled something unintelligible. But somehow, she didn't think a higher ranking officer would appreciate that too much and neither would her career. Sighing aloud, Sam left the tent and zipped it back up. Daniel would just have to take second watch.
Sam marched back to her own tent that she was sharing with Daniel. She bent down and entered the cramped space. "Daniel," she said aloud, not bothering to whisper anymore. "Daniel, wake up!" The archaeologist continued to sleep. Sam nudged him like she had done with the colonel. Nothing. "Daniel, wake up!" Sam frowned. She leaned in closer until her ear was above Daniel's mouth. Daniel's breaths were slow and shallow and barely audible.
Just as Sam reached out to check his pulse, she felt a painful sting at the back of her neck. Touching the sore area, Sam couldn't feel anything protruding from her skin, however, when she pulled back her hand, blood painted the ends of her fingertips. Rubbing her fingers together, Sam felt a wave of exhaustion suddenly conquer her body. Sleep pulled on her eyelids as she struggled to keep them open. She felt her body go slack and her head hit something soft as she fell forward. She only had a few moments to recognize Daniel's stomach cushioning her head before she lost the battle and her eyes closed altogether.***
"So they weren't just sleeping, were they?" Angela asked as she offered Sam a glass of water.
Sam accepted the glass and responded, "I'm assuming they were sedated somehow. I have no idea how I didn't hear any of it."
"Maybe you were distracted, worried about the whereabouts of the rest of your team?"
"It's possible but still, to be so distracted as to not notice an intruder enter each tent one by one and sedate Daniel and all of SG-4? I don't know if I can buy that."
Angela nodded and urged her to continue with her recap.
"When I woke up, I was in some kind of cell. Daniel and the rest of SG-4 were also there. Everything was gone."
"I'm sorry.what do you mean by everything?"
"Our weapons, our radios..."
"Did you get a glimpse of your captors?"
"No. I was knocked out completely. I asked Daniel when I came to and he hadn't seen anything either."
"Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c?"
"No sign of them. Like I said, only SG-4, Daniel and myself were in the cell."
"Okay.go on, " Angela said as she pushed her glasses higher up on her nose and proceeded to write something down on the pad in front of her.
"Well.for the next few days, all we did was sit around and do nothing until somebody would show up, take a member of SG-4, and then return him to us injured and unconscious a few hours later. "
"Just SG-4?" Angela looked up from her pad with curiosity.
"Yes. Daniel and I couldn't understand it either. They were being tortured for information."
"And your captors?"
"What about them?"
"Did you get a look at them?"
"Well.if you're talking about the men who were taking our soldiers away to be questioned.then I don't know if you could really call them our 'captors'. As far as I can tell, they were just slaves working for someone else."
"How so?"
"Well at the time, like you, I thought they were the ones in charge. But, later on, it became obvious that that wasn't the case." Sam paused and took a sip from her water before continuing. "They were branded."
"Branded? You mean like Colonel O'Neill?" Angela pointed to her forearm, just above her wrist.
"Yes."
"Did you try and communicate."
Sam shook her head. "Daniel tried, but they refused to talk. I don't think they understood English. And besides, attaining communication wasn't exactly foremost on our minds when our men were coming back barely alive." Sam's voice hit an edgy tone.
"Please go on."
"By the third day, two members of SG-4 had already died. A mixture of starvation, dehydration and infection was the prominent cause of death."
"You weren't given anything to sustain yourselves?"
"No. We only received one jug of dirty water to share among the six of us. Still, their injuries were too severe," she pointed out.
"They were beaten?"
Sam nodded.
"Did they ever come for you or Dr. Jackson?" Dr. Watters asked.
"They came for me on the fourth day. Daniel and the rest of them were sleeping. They blindfolded me and took me to a small room where they ordered me to get undressed. I thought they were going to question me like the others but-"
"But they didn't," Dr. Watters finished her sentence.
"No, they didn't," Sam whispered as she reached for her glass, but never took a sip. Her fingers simply shook whilst they grasped the cup.
"Major Carter, what did they do to you?"
Sam remained quiet as she continued to stare through the table.
Dr. Watters' voice suddenly became urgent. "Major Carer, I'm a psychologist. I'm here to help you." She paused and then turned off the tape in front of her. "Major, did they rape you?"
Sam looked up, her eyes were moist with unshed tears and nodded. Her lips trembled momentarily until she gained control again.
"Major, did you tell anyone about this?"
"Yes. I told Dr. Fraiser," Sam responded.
"Did you tell the rest of your team?"
"No I didn't, Doctor. And I'd rather not have them know."
"That's understandable, Major. However, when this is all done, I'd like to talk to you about it if you'd let me."
"I'm fine," Sam offered.
"I'd like to know for sure."
"Really, I'm okay-"
"Major, please." Dr. Watters' voice was pleading rather than stern and Sam felt she had to give in.
"Fine. after this is all over."
Dr. Watters nodded. A moment of silence passed before either one said anything. "Okay.why don't we continue from right after the sexual assault?"
Sam nodded and watched as the doctor pressed down on the record button once again. "They gave me a uniform to wear."
"Can you describe it for me?"
"It was a pair of pants and a long-sleeved shirt, both cream-coloured. After I put on the uniform we were transported outside by Goa'uld rings and I finally got a visual of what would be my home for the next six months." Sam smiled but it was visibly forced. The painful emotions behind the facade were as clear as day.
"Can you describe the compound?"
Sam nodded.
She could never forget what that place looked like.
Sam took a breath before she went on to describe it aloud. "I'd say the dimensions were about 100 square kilometers in area. The entire compound was surrounded by a Goa'uld force field, nearly impenetrable. Do you mind?" Sam pointed to the pad the doctor held.
"Go ahead," she said, ripping off a fresh piece of paper and offering it and a pen to her.
Sam took the pad and drew out a large square. "There were three large buildings here and here. Two of them were the factories where most of the prisoners worked and the other was the commissary. All along here were the sleeping quarters. They were organized into factions, a total of five. Mine was over here-"
"Sorry to interrupt."
"No, go ahead," Sam said as she looked up from her drawing.
"I noticed that you don't have a scar on your forearm. From what Colonel O'Neill has told me, the scars were to represent specific factions."
"Well that's true but I never got one. All females were placed in a bloc of their own." The sudden pop of the tape recorder announcing the end of the tape interrupted the two women.
Dr. Watters glanced at her watch. "Why don't we stop for today?"
"Sure," Sam said.
"Can I keep this?" Angela pointed at the drawing.
"By all means," Sam said.
"Thank you! I appreciate your co-operation!"
Sam smiled. By the tone in Angela's voice, she knew that Colonel O'Neill had probably given her a hard time. Before she left, she made it a point to defend her CO. "It takes the Colonel a bit of time to open up. He's really a teddy bear once you get to know him."
"Yeah.he's adorable." Dr. Watters' words were filled with sarcasm. She continued, "Could you send one of the others down?"
"Sure," Sam responded and exited the room.
"I haven't done this in a long time," Sam said, stuffing a big piece of her muffin in her mouth.
"What.shop?" Janet asked.
"No.this." She pointed to the muffin in her hand. " I always used to buy a blueberry muffin whenever I came to this mall. G-d, they have nothing like Beth's Muffin Store in any Washington malls."
"Oh Sam.let's go there." Janet pulled Sam toward a store. Sam stuffed the remaining piece of muffin in her mouth as she followed her friend. Janet took a sweater off the first rack and held it out in front of her. Sam watched her in appreciation. Janet was probably the only person in the whole world to whom she could tell absolutely anything. When she had come to her earlier that day in distress, it was Janet who had suggested going shopping.
"Thank you, Janet," Sam said, her eyes beginning to burn with emotion.
"For what?" Janet still didn't look up as she rubbed the material between her fingers. "Do you think this is real wool?"
"Janet, I'm trying to tell you something here."
Janet finally turned to face Sam, momentarily forgetting the material in her hands.
"I want to thank you for coming with me today. I just had to get my mind off of everything."
Janet smiled sympathetically. "Bad day, huh?"
"Well, not really. We didn't really get into the nitty gritty but still.just talking about it again feels a little.I don't know.weird."
"How did the others find it?"
"I'm not really sure. Colonel O'Neill wasn't too pleased after his session. I left right after mine. I just didn't want to stick around." A moment of silence passed between both women until Sam reached out and touched the sweater Janet was holding.
"You know, Sam, you really should try this on." Janet held out the sweater. Sam took the material and examined it.
"You're right.this is nice." Sam walked to the closest changing room and went inside.
"So.how are things between the four of you?" Janet asked cautiously, careful not to overstep any boundaries.
"Well, Daniel and I are fine but sometimes it feels really strained between Daniel and the Colonel. I don't know if you've noticed but Daniel hardly even talks to Teal'c anymore," Sam's muffled voice called back.
"What about you and the Colonel?"
Sam sighed. "I don't know. I mean it's hard for me to look at him in the same way as I did before. He's changed so much. G-d, I really wish he and Daniel could work out their differences but I don't think that's going to happen, "Sam said as she emerged from the changing room wearing the sweater Janet had picked out for her.
"Sam.it's beautiful on you."
Sam looked in the mirror and smiled slightly. "Yeah, it is cute. How much is it?"
"Never mind that."
"What do you mean 'never mind that'?"
"It's on me. Let's just say it's an early birthday gift."
"Janet-" Sam started to protest.
"No argument, Sam. Let me buy it. I want you to have something to remember me by when you go back. Please."
Sam gave in and sighed aloud. She pulled Janet into a hug and whispered a quick thank you to her friend before going back inside the small cubicle. Janet smiled, pleased with herself that she had won over Sam.
Once they proceeded to leave the store, Janet continued to interrogate her friend.
"What did you mean by things being strained between Daniel and the Colonel?"
"I don't know.It seems as if Daniel still blames him for what happened on 255. He just can't let it go. Like just this morning, the Colonel made one of his quips and instead of shrugging it off as he used to, Daniel got into a heated discussion over nothing." Sam's voice quivered as she continued, "Janet, I just feel like I'm losing my family and everyone expects me to take their side.especially the Colonel. I mean, you should see how he looks at me whenever I support something that Daniel says."
"I have an idea. You know how Cassie is serious about her photography, right? Well, she put together an entire album with pictures from our various outings. She even put together beautiful shots of when we all went up to the Colonel's cabin. Why don't we all have dinner at my house this Friday night? Cassie can't wait to see both you and Daniel and it will give us all a chance to sit back and reminisce. And besides, you and Daniel need to pick up your plaques that you both left at the banquet."
"Oh my G-d, I completely forgot about them."
"So what do you say?"
"It sounds good, Janet." Sam smiled. "How do you manage to always make me feel better?"
"I'm your friend, Sam. It's my job."
They walked a little more in silence. They passed by a window where a male mannequin modelled a pair of kakhi pants and a black long sleeved top. Both women stopped to admire the fine clothing. "You know, Daniel is the only person I know who has such potential and yet he still dresses like he's got no fashion sense. I mean, something like this would really look great on him," Janet pointed out.
"Yeah.it would give him a break from those plaid shirts. Didn't he look great at the benefit?"
Janet nodded. "Yes. He looked wonderful."
Sam began to make her way into the store.
"Where are you going?" Janet asked, following behind.
"Going to see how much the set is."
Sam found the shirt and pants and checked their prices. "The pants are eighty dollars and the top is thirty." Sam turned to Janet and asked, "What size do you think Daniel is?"
Janet thought for a moment. "Whatever he is, he's a size too thin. I put him on the scale just the other day. Janet took a moment to think. "Try a size thirty two. If they don't fit, you can always return them."
Sam took the pants off of the shelf while Janet reached for the black shirt. Both women proceeded to the cashier in silence. As the saleswoman passed through the credit card, Sam spoke up, "He eats, Janet. So far, I've been with him for every meal and he eats."
"Yeah, well then tell me why he's the only one who hasn't regained enough weight back?"
Sam didn't answer as she collected the bag of clothes from the cashier and followed Janet out of the store.
"Daniel," Sam whispered as she sat down quietly on the bed. The archaeologist was currently sound asleep in his hotel room. Sam put down the bag of clothes as she leaned in closer and whispered his name again. Moments later, Daniel's eyes drew open lazily and then closed again in exhaustion.
"Hey, Sam," he said groggily.
"Daniel, it's four thirty in the afternoon. Are you feeling alright?" Sam asked noticing that Daniel was still fully clothed and currently laying on top of his blankets.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He opened his eyes now to look at his friend. "Where did you go?"
"I went to the mall with Janet. We had to pick up a few things. How was your day?"
"Fine, I guess. My session was pretty brief. How was yours?"
"Same. " Sam grabbed the bag next to her and lifted it up. "I got something for you."
Daniel sat up and examined the bag she was holding. "You got me clothes?"
"Janet and I thought you could use a new outfit."
"Sam, I don't know what to say." He smiled shyly. "No one has ever bought me clothes before." He took the bag and pulled out the pants and shirt.
Sam watched for his reaction with bated breath. She was not disappointed.
"Wow.Sam, this is really nice. This must have been expensive."
"Forget about the money, Daniel. Now don't keep a girl waiting. Try it on!"
Daniel took the clothes into the bathroom where he closed the door and proceeded to change.
"Janet invited us for dinner on Friday night. Cass wants to see us. The Colonel and Teal'c are invited too."
"That's fine," Daniel called back.
"Did you call the airport about delaying your flight?"
"Not yet."
Daniel finally stepped out of the bathroom a few minutes later. The clothes he wore fit him well and it took Sam a moment to recognize Daniel in them.
"Daniel, you look so." Sam was amazed at how many years the clothes had taken off from his look. "How does it feel?"
"It feels.I don't know.tight," Daniel responded as he pulled on the front of his black shirt in an attempt to offer more breathing room to his upper torso. The cloth hugged his chest in a way that Sam had never seen before. She laughed at his embarrassment. "Daniel, you really look great. I'm not returning it. I don't care what you say."
Sam's giddiness disappeared the moment she caught sight of the skin on his wrist. "You never told me about the day you got that. Neither did the Colonel or Teal'c."
Daniel sat next to her on the bed. "What do you want to know?"
"Whatever you feel like telling me," Sam offered.
Daniel sighed and leaned back against a pillow. "There really isn't much to tell. They measured my strength and then stabbed me with a steaming hot iron."
Sam remained silent. She couldn't even imagine the pain he must have gone through when receiving the mark. G-d knows Daniel didn't need another reminder of that place in addition to his already obvious handicap. She reached out carefully and touched the rough contours of his skin. Daniel allowed her to trace the triangular shape of the symbol. All four of them had been placed in separate factions, apparently each one had different physical endurance. She was sure that the marking Teal'c had received was of the highest order but as for Daniel and the Colonel, she wasn't sure who held the higher rank. Of course, she had never repeated that thought aloud in the fear that Colonel O'Neill would kill her for even considering Daniel overpowering him where strength was concerned.
"So, what do you want to do tonight?" Daniel asked.
"I don't know. I thought maybe we could just relax here and maybe watch some T.V or something," Sam suggested.
"Were you always able to read my mind or is this something new you acquired while in Washington? Thank you for the clothes by the way," Daniel said with a grin.
"No problem." Sam picked up the remote control and turned on the T.V. After flipping through a few channels, Sam finally settled on one. "It's 'When Harry Met Sally'!"
"Actually, I've never seen it before," Daniel pointed out.
Sam got up and made her way to her own hotel room through the connecting door. "Where are you going?" Daniel called.
"You'll see!" Sam yelled back from the other room. Not two seconds later, two bags of chips fell onto the bed he was occupying. He took them in his hands. "BarBQ.my favourite! When did you get this?"
"Today.I thought we might do nothing tonight so I planned ahead. Oh.this is such a good scene!" Sam said pointing to the television. She climbed onto the bed and grabbed one of the pillows. She placed it at the foot of the bed and lay down on her stomach. She soon felt Daniel's presence next to her in the same position. He opened one of the bags of chips and placed it between them. They laid like that in silence, watching, eating and laughing together until they both eventually fell asleep.
Jack closed his eyes and sighed. This was going to take a long time. He knew that now. It seemed as though she had a question for every word that came out of his mouth and, frankly, it was distracting the hell out of him. Opening his eyes, he began again. "So Teal'c and I were scouting ahead. We- "
"What were your coordinates at the time you separated from SG- 4 and the rest of your team?"
Jack could feel his anger surfacing. "Look.I can't do this with you yapping away every two syllables!"
Doctor Watters looked up from her papers, her eyes wide open, her mouth agape. Regret immediately coursed through Jack's veins.
"Sorry.I'm." Jack leaned forward and ran his hands through his hair. "It's been a while and, to tell you the truth, my attention span isn't. spanning very well."
The doctor simply nodded and took off her glasses. "I understand, Colonel. I'll try and refrain from asking the less important questions. Instead, I can just write those down and we'll go through them once you're done. How's that sound?" Doctor Watters' voice remained calm, understanding. If she was mad at Jack, she didn't show it. Jack nodded. "Continue, Colonel."
".Anyway.so we were scouting ahead. I remember talking to Teal'c."
***".So the rabbi says to the priest: 'It's a good thing we're not brothers!'.Teal'c, you still with me?" Teal'c's face was a mask of concentration as he gazed out into the wooded area surrounding them. "You know.if you didn't understand it I could always- "
"O'Neill.we are being watched." Jack followed Teal'c's gaze and tightened his grip on his P90. Peering into the forest, Jack couldn't see anybody, but experience had taught him not to underestimate Teal'c's ability at sensing danger.
"How many, Teal'c?"
"I am unsure, O'Neill. I believe.!" Teal'c went down hard, his eyes were screwed tightly shut as though in pain.
"Teal'c! What the hell-" Suddenly a pain so severe invaded his mind. It seemed to take over his body, making his legs collapse from beneath him. He wanted to scream but his teeth were too busy grinding together. A pained gurgle seemed to erupt from his throat and fear suddenly clamped down on his heart. His head would surely explode soon, the pressure unbearable. It was almost as if his brain were being crushed. All his functions seemed to stop; he could feel no more, he could move no more and soon, he could see no more.***
"Whatever weapon they used, it worked long range."
"What kind of weapon do you suppose it was, Colonel?"
"Didn't see it. But whatever it was, it was damn painful. Felt like my head was going to explode."
"So what happened next?"
"I passed out."
"What was the next thing you remember?"
"I came to in some room. I had been disarmed."
"Shit!"
***That was the first word that came out of Jack's mouth when he noticed from his position on the ground the large men clad in Goa'uld military garb. He could count four Jaffa. Analyzing their uniforms and the symbols on their foreheads, Jack couldn't tell which Goa'uld they served. 'Damn, where's Daniel when you need him?' Jack thought bitterly to himself.
//Rot' an, kree!// A foot nudged him none too gently.
"Yeah, yeah.give an old guy a second to get his bearings-" Jack's breath was stolen from him when he received a hard blow to the stomach. "Okay.getting up now." Jack slowly rose to his feet, his head felt heavy and his stomach churned at the slightest of movements. The room he was in was small and there was no sign of Teal'c anywhere.
"Definitely NOT a good day," he mumbled to himself.
//Mokta La'an, kree!// The Jaffa who had kicked him before was now addressing him again.
"Don't speak much English, do you?" Jack squinted at him. "Damn! I knew I should have packed that Goa'uld - English dictionary. But, you know how it is when it comes to travelling. I always say: 'You've gotta pack light -' Jack grunted in pain when he received a heavy fist to his ribs. "Shutting up now," he croaked as he bent over and cradled his abdomen. A swift shove sent him tumbling forward until he was staring at the boots of another Jaffa. Looking up, he assumed by the man's demeanour that he was not to be messed with.
//Rat'el!// The Jaffa pointed to a device that Jack had not noticed upon regaining consciousness. It looked like a simple metal container, no larger than a shoebox. On the top, lights flashed on and off and it gave Jack an eerie reminder that he was dealing with Goa'uld technology. Jack stared at it suspiciously until another shove from behind threw him forward.
"What?"
//Rat'el!//
Jack could already feel the frustration crawling up his chest. "Okay.I have no idea what the hell 'rat tail' means!!!"
The Jaffa in front of him didn't seem the least bit swayed by Jack's frustration. Instead, he calmly motioned with his hands that Jack was to pick up the box. "I guess the words 'BITE ME' mean nothing to you guys?" The Jaffa around him seemed to sense the sarcasm in his voice. Within seconds, Jack could count the sound of three staff weapons activating, all of them trained on him. From the corner of his eye, he could also see one of the Jaffa take out a remote with matching flashing lights.
'Bomb,' his mind screamed as his sympathetic system suddenly kicked in.
Once again, the Jaffa repeated the order. Without any alternative, Jack reluctantly moved forward and reached for the device. When he finally picked it up, the staffs that were aimed at him were swiftly lowered. As he stood there, he eyed the Jaffa with the remote carefully. Jack's heart started up a staccato beat of its own when he saw the man's fingers begin to turn a knob.
If this thing really was a bomb, then why the hell would the Jaffa stay in the room with him?
But before he could expand on his thoughts, he suddenly had to contract his arm muscles to keep them from dropping the device. The box was getting *heavier* in his hands and he suspected it had something to do with the knob the Jaffa was turning. The damn remote was controlling the weight of the object.
Minutes passed and a bead of perspiration was already running down his face as he continued to struggle against the weight in his hand. If at any time he felt like letting go, he was encouraged not to by the three staff weapons pointed in his direction. But despite his grunts of exertion, the Jaffa continued to turn the knob, making the box heavier and heavier.
"You know, if I needed a personal trainer I would have asked for one." Jack took an exaggerated sniff and continued, "But, just between the both of us, I think I'm ready to hit the showers-ARGH." Jack gritted his teeth as the Jaffa turned the knob a few inches more. Jack bit back his next quip, concentrating on conserving his energy. He watched again as the Jaffa turned the knob even further. "Oh COME ON!!!" Jack growled.
Despite its small size, the box felt like it weighed close to 100 lbs now. He was sweating profusely and he could feel his muscles burning. His fingers were losing their grip as he grunted with exertion. "I can't." he began to plea but before he could finish, he dropped the box on the ground, his chest panting as he fell onto his hands and knees. Jack closed his eyes, expecting to hear the fire of the staff weapons but was pleasantly surprised when he didn't. He opened his eyes only to see the Jaffa with the remote point out something on the panel to the leader. The larger Jaffa nodded in understanding and then exchanged a few words with the Jaffa behind him. Jack suddenly felt rough hands cajole him to his feet. He was propelled forward into another small room adjacent to the one they had just occupied. There, a single wooden chair awaited him. The chair was bolted to the floor along with straps that were no doubt meant for his wrists and ankles. "You know.I appreciate the workout and all." he pointed his finger to the other room. ".but I really don't need to rest. You can't let these wrinkles fool you-" Jack didn't feel the impact of knuckles to his jaw until the world around him suddenly turned upside down and he was staring at someone's feet. The men lifted him up from the floor and shoved him into the chair. There, they proceeded to strap him into the seat.
The moment he was strapped in place, one of the Jaffa left the room only to come back a few moments later holding a steaming hot metal rod. At its base, Jack could see that the metal was bent into a shape that formed a symbol of some kind.
His heart skipped a beat with this new realization: they were branding him.
Jack swallowed heavily as he watched the man approach him with the burning hot iron. "I always wanted a tattoo." Jack said anxiously as he watched the Jaffa grab hold of his forearm tightly. He could already feel the heat emanating from the metal. "You got any Simpsons characters back there?" The Jaffa didn't answer. "No one ever wants the cartoons.ARGH!" Jack clamped his mouth closed. The metal pressed into his skin as the pain conquered his body with no remorse. He struggled against his bonds, the vein in his neck bulging out of his skin. It was only when the smell of his own burning flesh reached his nostrils that Jack allowed himself to let go. The screams escaped his throat, his nails scratching at the wood. But just before he was sure he would choke from the pain, unconsciousness made its welcomed appearance...***
Jack suddenly stopped talking, his voice lost in his thoughts. "I'm sorry, I don't quite understand about the box." Jack's head snapped up at the sound of the female voice, almost forgetting that he wasn't alone in the room.
"They determined how much weight I was able to lift and then classified me according to my strength."
"May I?"
Following her eyes, Jack noticed that Dr. Watters was staring at his arm. Jack nodded as he began to take off his uniform jacket. He presented his arm to her as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Jack glanced down at his arm and looked at the scar as he had done thousands of times in the past. Above his wrist, his skin was puffed out into a particular pattern: two circles connected at their centers.
"So what exactly is this.I mean, why did they-"
"Bar code."
"Excuse me?"
"It was my bar code. Everyone in my faction had the same marking. It's how those bastards classified us."
Dr. Watters stayed silent, her mind still trying to accept what she had just heard.
Jack groaned inwardly. If there was one specific thing he hated most about this, it would have to be the pity. He hated the pity. Losing his patience with her, he got up. "You think we could take a break?"
She cleared her throat. "Sure.we'll continue this tomorrow. I'd like to get a little bit from all of you today. Please send one of the others in. Thank you, Colonel." Jack nodded and exited the room. Jack quickly made his way to the commissary where he immediately spotted his friends. When he took a seat, three pairs of eyes stared at him questioningly. Daniel glanced at his watch and asked, "What happened?"
"Nothing."
"That was fast."
Jack sighed. "The woman just won't stop asking questions." Jack ran his hands through his hair, an attestation of his weariness.
"Sir, she's only doing her job."
"You don't think I know that, Carter?" he snapped back. "It's just hard to remember all the details."
"Well, sir, we sent out a message to my dad today. Hopefully he'll get back to us soon about those memory devices."
"Well anyway.I'm done for today. She asked me to send one of you next" He looked up. "So which one of you wants to go?"
"I'll go," Sam offered as she stood up. She gave them all a brief smile as she left the commissary.
"Hello, Major Carter. As you already know, my name is Dr. Angela Watters." Angela offered her hand and Sam shook it readily. She took a seat at the table and waited for the doctor to continue. "Today, we're just going to dip our feet.nothing too heavy. We'll stop after an hour or so and continue tomorrow from wherever we leave off today. As you can see, all of my sessions are taped." She pointed to a small voice recorder on the table in front of her. "If you feel like you want to take a break, you can do so at anytime. Just let me know and I'll turn off the recorder." Angela smiled politely.
Sam returned the warm gesture and shifted in her seat nervously. "My memory might be a little hazy. As I'm sure you can understand, I try not to make it a point to remember the events that transpired on P3C 255."
Angela Watters smiled again. "I don't want you to worry about that now. I just want you to relax. The memories are there, it's just a matter of fishing them out. Just tell me whatever you can remember and we'll work from there. As the sessions continue, you'll start to notice yourself remembering more and more." Sam nodded. "Okay, let's begin right away, shall we?" Dr. Watters leaned forward and pressed record. "Major, why don't we begin with the day of your capture? What do you remember about that?"
Sam intertwined her fingers together in front of her and swallowed before beginning. "SG-1 and SG-4 arrived on P3C 255 late in the afternoon. Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c had gone ahead to do some reconnaissance. When they didn't return, we tried to call them over their radios but we didn't get a response. Colonel McLoud ordered us to stay put and lay down camp for the night. He didn't want us to go out and search for them in the dark. I offered to take first watch while the others went to sleep. Once again, I attempted to make contact with Colonel O'Neill but was unsuccessful."
"What time would you say that was?" Angela interrupted.
"I'd say around twenty two hundred hours."
"Thank you.go ahead."
"When my watch was over, I had to wake up Colonel McLoud who was supposed to take second watch..
***"Colonel," Sam whispered as she stood outside the green military tent. Her hands were freezing and her heart was pounding twice as fast as usual. She was clearly worried about her two missing teammates and yet frustrated at the fact that McLoud would not allow for any search party until morning.
"Colonel!" she whispered again but got no reply. Sighing, Sam unzipped the tent and stuck her head inside. "Colonel.sir, you're up for second watch." When she saw no sign of him waking, she entered the tent, knelt down and nudged him. Nothing. "Damn." Sam hated heavy sleepers. She normally dealt with them by pouring a canteen of cold water over their heads until they mumbled something unintelligible. But somehow, she didn't think a higher ranking officer would appreciate that too much and neither would her career. Sighing aloud, Sam left the tent and zipped it back up. Daniel would just have to take second watch.
Sam marched back to her own tent that she was sharing with Daniel. She bent down and entered the cramped space. "Daniel," she said aloud, not bothering to whisper anymore. "Daniel, wake up!" The archaeologist continued to sleep. Sam nudged him like she had done with the colonel. Nothing. "Daniel, wake up!" Sam frowned. She leaned in closer until her ear was above Daniel's mouth. Daniel's breaths were slow and shallow and barely audible.
Just as Sam reached out to check his pulse, she felt a painful sting at the back of her neck. Touching the sore area, Sam couldn't feel anything protruding from her skin, however, when she pulled back her hand, blood painted the ends of her fingertips. Rubbing her fingers together, Sam felt a wave of exhaustion suddenly conquer her body. Sleep pulled on her eyelids as she struggled to keep them open. She felt her body go slack and her head hit something soft as she fell forward. She only had a few moments to recognize Daniel's stomach cushioning her head before she lost the battle and her eyes closed altogether.***
"So they weren't just sleeping, were they?" Angela asked as she offered Sam a glass of water.
Sam accepted the glass and responded, "I'm assuming they were sedated somehow. I have no idea how I didn't hear any of it."
"Maybe you were distracted, worried about the whereabouts of the rest of your team?"
"It's possible but still, to be so distracted as to not notice an intruder enter each tent one by one and sedate Daniel and all of SG-4? I don't know if I can buy that."
Angela nodded and urged her to continue with her recap.
"When I woke up, I was in some kind of cell. Daniel and the rest of SG-4 were also there. Everything was gone."
"I'm sorry.what do you mean by everything?"
"Our weapons, our radios..."
"Did you get a glimpse of your captors?"
"No. I was knocked out completely. I asked Daniel when I came to and he hadn't seen anything either."
"Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c?"
"No sign of them. Like I said, only SG-4, Daniel and myself were in the cell."
"Okay.go on, " Angela said as she pushed her glasses higher up on her nose and proceeded to write something down on the pad in front of her.
"Well.for the next few days, all we did was sit around and do nothing until somebody would show up, take a member of SG-4, and then return him to us injured and unconscious a few hours later. "
"Just SG-4?" Angela looked up from her pad with curiosity.
"Yes. Daniel and I couldn't understand it either. They were being tortured for information."
"And your captors?"
"What about them?"
"Did you get a look at them?"
"Well.if you're talking about the men who were taking our soldiers away to be questioned.then I don't know if you could really call them our 'captors'. As far as I can tell, they were just slaves working for someone else."
"How so?"
"Well at the time, like you, I thought they were the ones in charge. But, later on, it became obvious that that wasn't the case." Sam paused and took a sip from her water before continuing. "They were branded."
"Branded? You mean like Colonel O'Neill?" Angela pointed to her forearm, just above her wrist.
"Yes."
"Did you try and communicate."
Sam shook her head. "Daniel tried, but they refused to talk. I don't think they understood English. And besides, attaining communication wasn't exactly foremost on our minds when our men were coming back barely alive." Sam's voice hit an edgy tone.
"Please go on."
"By the third day, two members of SG-4 had already died. A mixture of starvation, dehydration and infection was the prominent cause of death."
"You weren't given anything to sustain yourselves?"
"No. We only received one jug of dirty water to share among the six of us. Still, their injuries were too severe," she pointed out.
"They were beaten?"
Sam nodded.
"Did they ever come for you or Dr. Jackson?" Dr. Watters asked.
"They came for me on the fourth day. Daniel and the rest of them were sleeping. They blindfolded me and took me to a small room where they ordered me to get undressed. I thought they were going to question me like the others but-"
"But they didn't," Dr. Watters finished her sentence.
"No, they didn't," Sam whispered as she reached for her glass, but never took a sip. Her fingers simply shook whilst they grasped the cup.
"Major Carter, what did they do to you?"
Sam remained quiet as she continued to stare through the table.
Dr. Watters' voice suddenly became urgent. "Major Carer, I'm a psychologist. I'm here to help you." She paused and then turned off the tape in front of her. "Major, did they rape you?"
Sam looked up, her eyes were moist with unshed tears and nodded. Her lips trembled momentarily until she gained control again.
"Major, did you tell anyone about this?"
"Yes. I told Dr. Fraiser," Sam responded.
"Did you tell the rest of your team?"
"No I didn't, Doctor. And I'd rather not have them know."
"That's understandable, Major. However, when this is all done, I'd like to talk to you about it if you'd let me."
"I'm fine," Sam offered.
"I'd like to know for sure."
"Really, I'm okay-"
"Major, please." Dr. Watters' voice was pleading rather than stern and Sam felt she had to give in.
"Fine. after this is all over."
Dr. Watters nodded. A moment of silence passed before either one said anything. "Okay.why don't we continue from right after the sexual assault?"
Sam nodded and watched as the doctor pressed down on the record button once again. "They gave me a uniform to wear."
"Can you describe it for me?"
"It was a pair of pants and a long-sleeved shirt, both cream-coloured. After I put on the uniform we were transported outside by Goa'uld rings and I finally got a visual of what would be my home for the next six months." Sam smiled but it was visibly forced. The painful emotions behind the facade were as clear as day.
"Can you describe the compound?"
Sam nodded.
She could never forget what that place looked like.
Sam took a breath before she went on to describe it aloud. "I'd say the dimensions were about 100 square kilometers in area. The entire compound was surrounded by a Goa'uld force field, nearly impenetrable. Do you mind?" Sam pointed to the pad the doctor held.
"Go ahead," she said, ripping off a fresh piece of paper and offering it and a pen to her.
Sam took the pad and drew out a large square. "There were three large buildings here and here. Two of them were the factories where most of the prisoners worked and the other was the commissary. All along here were the sleeping quarters. They were organized into factions, a total of five. Mine was over here-"
"Sorry to interrupt."
"No, go ahead," Sam said as she looked up from her drawing.
"I noticed that you don't have a scar on your forearm. From what Colonel O'Neill has told me, the scars were to represent specific factions."
"Well that's true but I never got one. All females were placed in a bloc of their own." The sudden pop of the tape recorder announcing the end of the tape interrupted the two women.
Dr. Watters glanced at her watch. "Why don't we stop for today?"
"Sure," Sam said.
"Can I keep this?" Angela pointed at the drawing.
"By all means," Sam said.
"Thank you! I appreciate your co-operation!"
Sam smiled. By the tone in Angela's voice, she knew that Colonel O'Neill had probably given her a hard time. Before she left, she made it a point to defend her CO. "It takes the Colonel a bit of time to open up. He's really a teddy bear once you get to know him."
"Yeah.he's adorable." Dr. Watters' words were filled with sarcasm. She continued, "Could you send one of the others down?"
"Sure," Sam responded and exited the room.
"I haven't done this in a long time," Sam said, stuffing a big piece of her muffin in her mouth.
"What.shop?" Janet asked.
"No.this." She pointed to the muffin in her hand. " I always used to buy a blueberry muffin whenever I came to this mall. G-d, they have nothing like Beth's Muffin Store in any Washington malls."
"Oh Sam.let's go there." Janet pulled Sam toward a store. Sam stuffed the remaining piece of muffin in her mouth as she followed her friend. Janet took a sweater off the first rack and held it out in front of her. Sam watched her in appreciation. Janet was probably the only person in the whole world to whom she could tell absolutely anything. When she had come to her earlier that day in distress, it was Janet who had suggested going shopping.
"Thank you, Janet," Sam said, her eyes beginning to burn with emotion.
"For what?" Janet still didn't look up as she rubbed the material between her fingers. "Do you think this is real wool?"
"Janet, I'm trying to tell you something here."
Janet finally turned to face Sam, momentarily forgetting the material in her hands.
"I want to thank you for coming with me today. I just had to get my mind off of everything."
Janet smiled sympathetically. "Bad day, huh?"
"Well, not really. We didn't really get into the nitty gritty but still.just talking about it again feels a little.I don't know.weird."
"How did the others find it?"
"I'm not really sure. Colonel O'Neill wasn't too pleased after his session. I left right after mine. I just didn't want to stick around." A moment of silence passed between both women until Sam reached out and touched the sweater Janet was holding.
"You know, Sam, you really should try this on." Janet held out the sweater. Sam took the material and examined it.
"You're right.this is nice." Sam walked to the closest changing room and went inside.
"So.how are things between the four of you?" Janet asked cautiously, careful not to overstep any boundaries.
"Well, Daniel and I are fine but sometimes it feels really strained between Daniel and the Colonel. I don't know if you've noticed but Daniel hardly even talks to Teal'c anymore," Sam's muffled voice called back.
"What about you and the Colonel?"
Sam sighed. "I don't know. I mean it's hard for me to look at him in the same way as I did before. He's changed so much. G-d, I really wish he and Daniel could work out their differences but I don't think that's going to happen, "Sam said as she emerged from the changing room wearing the sweater Janet had picked out for her.
"Sam.it's beautiful on you."
Sam looked in the mirror and smiled slightly. "Yeah, it is cute. How much is it?"
"Never mind that."
"What do you mean 'never mind that'?"
"It's on me. Let's just say it's an early birthday gift."
"Janet-" Sam started to protest.
"No argument, Sam. Let me buy it. I want you to have something to remember me by when you go back. Please."
Sam gave in and sighed aloud. She pulled Janet into a hug and whispered a quick thank you to her friend before going back inside the small cubicle. Janet smiled, pleased with herself that she had won over Sam.
Once they proceeded to leave the store, Janet continued to interrogate her friend.
"What did you mean by things being strained between Daniel and the Colonel?"
"I don't know.It seems as if Daniel still blames him for what happened on 255. He just can't let it go. Like just this morning, the Colonel made one of his quips and instead of shrugging it off as he used to, Daniel got into a heated discussion over nothing." Sam's voice quivered as she continued, "Janet, I just feel like I'm losing my family and everyone expects me to take their side.especially the Colonel. I mean, you should see how he looks at me whenever I support something that Daniel says."
"I have an idea. You know how Cassie is serious about her photography, right? Well, she put together an entire album with pictures from our various outings. She even put together beautiful shots of when we all went up to the Colonel's cabin. Why don't we all have dinner at my house this Friday night? Cassie can't wait to see both you and Daniel and it will give us all a chance to sit back and reminisce. And besides, you and Daniel need to pick up your plaques that you both left at the banquet."
"Oh my G-d, I completely forgot about them."
"So what do you say?"
"It sounds good, Janet." Sam smiled. "How do you manage to always make me feel better?"
"I'm your friend, Sam. It's my job."
They walked a little more in silence. They passed by a window where a male mannequin modelled a pair of kakhi pants and a black long sleeved top. Both women stopped to admire the fine clothing. "You know, Daniel is the only person I know who has such potential and yet he still dresses like he's got no fashion sense. I mean, something like this would really look great on him," Janet pointed out.
"Yeah.it would give him a break from those plaid shirts. Didn't he look great at the benefit?"
Janet nodded. "Yes. He looked wonderful."
Sam began to make her way into the store.
"Where are you going?" Janet asked, following behind.
"Going to see how much the set is."
Sam found the shirt and pants and checked their prices. "The pants are eighty dollars and the top is thirty." Sam turned to Janet and asked, "What size do you think Daniel is?"
Janet thought for a moment. "Whatever he is, he's a size too thin. I put him on the scale just the other day. Janet took a moment to think. "Try a size thirty two. If they don't fit, you can always return them."
Sam took the pants off of the shelf while Janet reached for the black shirt. Both women proceeded to the cashier in silence. As the saleswoman passed through the credit card, Sam spoke up, "He eats, Janet. So far, I've been with him for every meal and he eats."
"Yeah, well then tell me why he's the only one who hasn't regained enough weight back?"
Sam didn't answer as she collected the bag of clothes from the cashier and followed Janet out of the store.
"Daniel," Sam whispered as she sat down quietly on the bed. The archaeologist was currently sound asleep in his hotel room. Sam put down the bag of clothes as she leaned in closer and whispered his name again. Moments later, Daniel's eyes drew open lazily and then closed again in exhaustion.
"Hey, Sam," he said groggily.
"Daniel, it's four thirty in the afternoon. Are you feeling alright?" Sam asked noticing that Daniel was still fully clothed and currently laying on top of his blankets.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He opened his eyes now to look at his friend. "Where did you go?"
"I went to the mall with Janet. We had to pick up a few things. How was your day?"
"Fine, I guess. My session was pretty brief. How was yours?"
"Same. " Sam grabbed the bag next to her and lifted it up. "I got something for you."
Daniel sat up and examined the bag she was holding. "You got me clothes?"
"Janet and I thought you could use a new outfit."
"Sam, I don't know what to say." He smiled shyly. "No one has ever bought me clothes before." He took the bag and pulled out the pants and shirt.
Sam watched for his reaction with bated breath. She was not disappointed.
"Wow.Sam, this is really nice. This must have been expensive."
"Forget about the money, Daniel. Now don't keep a girl waiting. Try it on!"
Daniel took the clothes into the bathroom where he closed the door and proceeded to change.
"Janet invited us for dinner on Friday night. Cass wants to see us. The Colonel and Teal'c are invited too."
"That's fine," Daniel called back.
"Did you call the airport about delaying your flight?"
"Not yet."
Daniel finally stepped out of the bathroom a few minutes later. The clothes he wore fit him well and it took Sam a moment to recognize Daniel in them.
"Daniel, you look so." Sam was amazed at how many years the clothes had taken off from his look. "How does it feel?"
"It feels.I don't know.tight," Daniel responded as he pulled on the front of his black shirt in an attempt to offer more breathing room to his upper torso. The cloth hugged his chest in a way that Sam had never seen before. She laughed at his embarrassment. "Daniel, you really look great. I'm not returning it. I don't care what you say."
Sam's giddiness disappeared the moment she caught sight of the skin on his wrist. "You never told me about the day you got that. Neither did the Colonel or Teal'c."
Daniel sat next to her on the bed. "What do you want to know?"
"Whatever you feel like telling me," Sam offered.
Daniel sighed and leaned back against a pillow. "There really isn't much to tell. They measured my strength and then stabbed me with a steaming hot iron."
Sam remained silent. She couldn't even imagine the pain he must have gone through when receiving the mark. G-d knows Daniel didn't need another reminder of that place in addition to his already obvious handicap. She reached out carefully and touched the rough contours of his skin. Daniel allowed her to trace the triangular shape of the symbol. All four of them had been placed in separate factions, apparently each one had different physical endurance. She was sure that the marking Teal'c had received was of the highest order but as for Daniel and the Colonel, she wasn't sure who held the higher rank. Of course, she had never repeated that thought aloud in the fear that Colonel O'Neill would kill her for even considering Daniel overpowering him where strength was concerned.
"So, what do you want to do tonight?" Daniel asked.
"I don't know. I thought maybe we could just relax here and maybe watch some T.V or something," Sam suggested.
"Were you always able to read my mind or is this something new you acquired while in Washington? Thank you for the clothes by the way," Daniel said with a grin.
"No problem." Sam picked up the remote control and turned on the T.V. After flipping through a few channels, Sam finally settled on one. "It's 'When Harry Met Sally'!"
"Actually, I've never seen it before," Daniel pointed out.
Sam got up and made her way to her own hotel room through the connecting door. "Where are you going?" Daniel called.
"You'll see!" Sam yelled back from the other room. Not two seconds later, two bags of chips fell onto the bed he was occupying. He took them in his hands. "BarBQ.my favourite! When did you get this?"
"Today.I thought we might do nothing tonight so I planned ahead. Oh.this is such a good scene!" Sam said pointing to the television. She climbed onto the bed and grabbed one of the pillows. She placed it at the foot of the bed and lay down on her stomach. She soon felt Daniel's presence next to her in the same position. He opened one of the bags of chips and placed it between them. They laid like that in silence, watching, eating and laughing together until they both eventually fell asleep.