Author's Note: Again I apologize; it was my other story's fault. Any way, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

Summary: When Jack meets a young boy, how will it change his attitude toward the people? And will it help him keep his sanity?

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Chapter 8:

Friends and Foes

**The Next Mourning**

Jack had awakened earlier than road call and was about to use that to his advantage, when he felt a body pressed against his. He opened his to find that Samantha Cater, his Second in Command, was the owner of that body.

Despite his instincts wishes to stay there and watch her sleep, he carefully unwrapped himself from her. He squatted down next to her. He just sat there, watching her. He listened to the rhythm of her breathing and watched as her chest rose and fell with it.

He heard the guards stomp in, which he now knew meant that it was almost time for road call. No matter how much he didn't want to wake up Sam, he didn't want them to beat the crap out of her more. He leaned over and shook her a little, trying to pull her out of her deep sleep.

When that didn't work, he resorted to other methods. "Carter! Cater!" Jack hissed into her ear, which at least got her to open her eyes.

"Sir?"

"Almost time for road call. I know from… watching that it can't be fun to miss or sleep in." Sam smiled, still half asleep. Jack stood up and offered a hand to Sam. She grabbed it and he helped her up, then together they walked over to the lines that were beginning to form.

Road call seemed a little less brutal today. Only five people were beaten up; two with good cause for once. But even with those causes, it wasn't right period. Everyone still appeared terrified by road call, but anything that involved these… things they call guards gave you a right to be.

After two hours of them counting people, inspecting them, and beating them if they didn't like any small thing about them, the guards picked out ten random people for, what Jack assumed, was the jobs Sam had explained to him last night.

Once they had finished that, everyone else was allowed to go back to the 'spaces', as they called them. Jack, having nothing better to do, watched them. They all found something to do. He saw that some women were sowing; others had children they tried to take care of. Most of the men sat around in groups and talked. Many of the children ran around and played games. Then there were plenty of other's that had gone back to bed.

And that's when he saw the kid, Tabin. He was running and looked petrified of someone or something. He kept his eyes on him and saw that the guard was running after him and screaming something Jack couldn't make out. He stood up and walked casually over to where the guards where about to run to catch their prey.

He leaned against the wall and shortly after Tabin rocketed by him, the guard was right on his trail. Jack stuck out his foot and the guard promptly fell after tripping on it. A muffled cry came from the guard and Jack was extremely thankful the other couldn't see them from there.

Tabin stopped running and looked back to see his captor was on the ground. He then looked up at the person who put him there and now had his foot on his back. "Jack, thank-you."

"No problem. Ah, what was he casing you for?" Jack said, curious as to why he put his butt on the line.

"This," Tabin held up a bag and clearly Jack didn't see what was so important about it. "It's the guards' rations, well some of them anyway. It's awful, but definably better than what they give us."

"Yea," Jack said, absent mindedly, as he regarded what the kid was doing. He seemed to be cautiously moving a large rock away from the wall and placing the bag into a hole in there.

Tabin looked up after the job was finished and said, "Me and now you are the only two in this camp that know about this. You can have some anytime you like."

"That's ok, kid. You eat it all yourself; you need the extra food and energy, not me."

Tabin looked down at the guard, "What about him?"

"I think I accidentally knocked him out. He'll wake up in a little while. In the mean time we should probably go before that." Tabin nodded and the two of them got out of there.

The rest of the day passed slowly and definably uneventful. Well, besides the occasional guard beating up a prisoner. Every time, Jack had wanted to go and help but Carter always held him down and told him to not get involved was another rule of survival there. He only response was, "Not for the person getting beat up it isn't. Maybe that's why they've been here for so long; they no longer care about anyone but themselves and wouldn't stand up to these people."

**Two Days Later**

Jack had started to get the hang of things around there. If you wake up at five to avoid being kicked, eat half of bread, then the soup and save the rest for a work day, stay out of the guards way and they usually don't beat you, and, last but most important, never lose your attachment and help whenever needed to stay alive.

It was another day in the quarry and this time he seemed to work and do better. The extra bread he had saved, he had eaten in the morning and ended up stronger. When they had gone back to the cell to eat he ate everything, just as Carter suggested.

Once he finished, he found Tabin over by the wall. He seemed to be trying to move the rock that hid the food he had stolen from the guard. Jack walked over to him, keeping close to the wall. "What cha ya doing?"

Tabin sprung back; startled by Jack's question. He looked over at Jack, his eyes wide with fear until he saw who it was. "Jack, you scared me. I thought you were one of the guards."

"You guys all seem so afraid of them. I mean, if you all band together you could take 'em."

The idea shocked Tabin more than when Jack creeped up on him. "No, I mean where would we go? They took our homes; we're in enemy territory. It would be too hard to return home, if not impossible. No, we'll have to stay here until we're freed by our people."

"Alright. You need some help with that?" Jack asked as Tabin went back to trying to free his second lunch. He shrugged and moved aside, allowing Jack access.

With one hard pull, he pushed it aside and Tabin selfish grabbed one of the bars. Jack grimaced at how it looked and what it smelt like but, Tabin was right, they looked better than what they were fed. "It contains all necessary vitamins and nutriance that are needed to survive."

Jack smiled at how mater-o-factly; he would make a good doctor one-day. He patted his back and Tabin offered him some of the bar. He shook his head and put the rock cover back over the hole. "Come on, it's time to go back to work." Tabin followed him to the line up and they all walked to the crater.

**Quarry**

Tabin looked up at the guards and saw that they were not looking in his direction. He moved closer to where Jack was standing and whispered, "Jack, why are you treating me like this? Why bother with a scrawny kid like me?"

Jack looked over at the guards, pretending not to have notice he said anything. When he looked back at the rocks, trying to hide that fact that his mouth was moving. "You remind me of my son. He looked a lot like you."

"What, did he grow out of the look?" Tabin asked, more of a joke than anything, but Jack didn't smile.

"My son died before he ever reached your age. So I wouldn't know."

Tabin looked back at where he was supposed to be working. "Sorry, I didn't mean anything."

"I know." They went back to work, thankful the guards hadn't seen or heard anything they said.

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So, how was that? You like? Don't like?

Anyway, R/R. I will only continue if I get at least five more reviews.