# # # # #
Four months. That's how long Jack looked for Sam. He looked everywhere he could think of. Asked in stores. Showed people her picture. Even SG1 ceased going on missions. It wasn't for the reason of Jack looking for Sam though. It was them waiting for a replacement to Sam. And that in itself was a battle. Jack had no time to take any notice of their need for a replacement before they could continue missions.
He cared almost not at all about going on missions. They were his last priority. His mind was a scrambled up mess. Thoughts and feelings taking most of the room. And for the left over parts, were questions. Not ones fit to be answered, but questions. Of what he did wrong. Of what he'd said. Didn't Sam believe that he loved her? Did she think he was only saying it because he wanted her to believe a lie? Didn't she want to be around him? Did she want to be as far away from him as possible and that was why she went? All those and so many more questions of the veracity of it all.
He could almost scream at the unbelievable stress piling up on him. His friends could see him everyday, in the never-ending search. He never stopped. Every waking minute, he was looking somewhere new. He spent his days, and nights, doing only one thing. Every day, and every night. Not just some of them, but all of them. There wasn't a night of the week he rested. He got by with minimal sleep - if any at all. Some weeks would go by with him sleeping a mere four or five hours. For the entire week. It exhausted him to the point of near collapsing.
Daniel and Teal'c insisted he sleep more. That he see Dr. Fraiser and let her make sure he was ok. He insisted that he was fine. No sleep became a routine. He grew accustomed to going without it. Coffee became his new best friend, and sleep the last on his Christmas card list. Even although his body craved it. Longed for it. Prayed for it. And yet, he could close those niggling cravings away, and think to the more important things. Finding Sam being the one and only important thing on his mind. And yet, no matter how important, it seemed impossible.
Near enough to it. After all the months of search and no sleep.he was no closer to finding her than he had been the day she left.
# # # # #
Eventually, General Hammond found a replacement he was satisfied with. Captain Lewis, from SG3 was available. His CO - Colonel Makepeace - had suffered a broken leg on a recent mission, and the team suspended from duty until he was back up to working. Jack was ordered to rest. By everyone.
Daniel, "Jack, go and see Dr. Fraiser! Get some sleep man!"
Teal'c, "O'Neill, I do believe you should rest."
Dr. Fraiser (once finally persuaded to see her) "Colonel, if I could, I would make you stay in the Infirmary a night. You haven't slept in so long your body is near enough to broken-down, for lack of a better word. Go and sleep. For as long as you can. A whole day, two days, three days. Just wait until you wake up, and then go to sleep again."
And last but not least, General Hammond,
"Jack, get to your quarters and rest. Your team is going on a mission tomorrow. I want you awake for it. Go. That's an order."
# # # # #
Four months. That's how long Jack looked for Sam. He looked everywhere he could think of. Asked in stores. Showed people her picture. Even SG1 ceased going on missions. It wasn't for the reason of Jack looking for Sam though. It was them waiting for a replacement to Sam. And that in itself was a battle. Jack had no time to take any notice of their need for a replacement before they could continue missions.
He cared almost not at all about going on missions. They were his last priority. His mind was a scrambled up mess. Thoughts and feelings taking most of the room. And for the left over parts, were questions. Not ones fit to be answered, but questions. Of what he did wrong. Of what he'd said. Didn't Sam believe that he loved her? Did she think he was only saying it because he wanted her to believe a lie? Didn't she want to be around him? Did she want to be as far away from him as possible and that was why she went? All those and so many more questions of the veracity of it all.
He could almost scream at the unbelievable stress piling up on him. His friends could see him everyday, in the never-ending search. He never stopped. Every waking minute, he was looking somewhere new. He spent his days, and nights, doing only one thing. Every day, and every night. Not just some of them, but all of them. There wasn't a night of the week he rested. He got by with minimal sleep - if any at all. Some weeks would go by with him sleeping a mere four or five hours. For the entire week. It exhausted him to the point of near collapsing.
Daniel and Teal'c insisted he sleep more. That he see Dr. Fraiser and let her make sure he was ok. He insisted that he was fine. No sleep became a routine. He grew accustomed to going without it. Coffee became his new best friend, and sleep the last on his Christmas card list. Even although his body craved it. Longed for it. Prayed for it. And yet, he could close those niggling cravings away, and think to the more important things. Finding Sam being the one and only important thing on his mind. And yet, no matter how important, it seemed impossible.
Near enough to it. After all the months of search and no sleep.he was no closer to finding her than he had been the day she left.
# # # # #
Eventually, General Hammond found a replacement he was satisfied with. Captain Lewis, from SG3 was available. His CO - Colonel Makepeace - had suffered a broken leg on a recent mission, and the team suspended from duty until he was back up to working. Jack was ordered to rest. By everyone.
Daniel, "Jack, go and see Dr. Fraiser! Get some sleep man!"
Teal'c, "O'Neill, I do believe you should rest."
Dr. Fraiser (once finally persuaded to see her) "Colonel, if I could, I would make you stay in the Infirmary a night. You haven't slept in so long your body is near enough to broken-down, for lack of a better word. Go and sleep. For as long as you can. A whole day, two days, three days. Just wait until you wake up, and then go to sleep again."
And last but not least, General Hammond,
"Jack, get to your quarters and rest. Your team is going on a mission tomorrow. I want you awake for it. Go. That's an order."
# # # # #