Unspoken

Same disclaimer

Day Five Part Two

Daniel jolted awake and frantically looked to either side of him.  He saw Sam hunched over with her head resting on the bed by his arm.

"Sam?"  His voice sounded panicky.  "Sam."  He sat up quickly intending to wake her but threw up instead.

Sam jumped, and Daniel threw up again.  She grabbed a handful of tissues.  Dr. Fraiser and a nurse rushed over as Daniel threw up again.  The nurse left immediately.

Daniel lay back and took the tissues Sam offered as Janet checked his temperature.  He looked at Sam's hair and clothes and grimaced.  "Oh, Sam.  I'm so sorry," he said wiping his mouth.

"It's ok, Daniel.  I can take a shower and wash these clothes.  It's ok."  She put a hand on his shoulder.

"This may sound like a stupid question," Janet said. "But how do you feel?"

"Inside or outside?"

Janet glanced at Sam.  "Inside."

"Horrible."

"Outside?"

Daniel thought for a second.  "Horrible."

The nurse returned with a fresh blanket.  She began rolling up the soiled one, and Daniel shivered.  Janet took the fresh blanket and spread it over him.  He pulled it tightly around him and continued to shiver.

"Do you want another blanket?" Janet asked.

"No, this is f-fine."

"Well, we finally have some good news," Janet said.

"Yeah?"

"You're still running a fever, but it's down to 101."

After a pause, Daniel said, "That's it?"

"I know it's not earth shattering, but it's the best we've got," Sam said.

"That poison and the antidote have weakened your immune system considerably," Janet said. "I'm afraid you're going to need a few weeks to fully recover."

Daniel shook his head. "What about Jack and Teal'c?"
Sam and Janet exchanged a glance.

"They're dead, aren't they?"

"No, no," Sam said quickly. "They're not dead."

"You don't know that for sure though," Daniel accused.

"Well, we can't be 100% sure.  But, there's no real evidence that they are either." Sam looked at Janet then back at Daniel.

"What?!"

Sam sighed. "Two men from Colonel Mitchell's team set out to determine the best way to rescue the Colonel and Teal'c. They didn't come back. We've been in strategy meetings all morning. The General's weighing our options now and will give us his decision in about an hour."

"We can't go back to that village shooting," Daniel said struggling to sit up.

"Take it easy, Daniel," Janet said adjusting the bed to a sitting position.

 "We don't have many alternatives," Sam said. "Unless you do."

Jack awakened from a fitful sleep by three men entering the room.  Before he could assess the situation, he was roughly hauled to his feet and shoved out the door.  He was all but dragged around the corner to the newly constructed room.  There, the three men removed the shackle from his ankle, bound his hands and left.

"What the hell just happened?" he asked as two of the women who had waited on him and Teal'c came out of the building. Coming to either side of him, each woman threaded an arm through his and started walking forward.

"Now, wait just a minute," he said refusing to move. "I want to know what's going on here. I want to speak to someone in charge."

The women looked at each other and started walking again.

"No." Again, he refused to move.

The woman on his left said something, and the other woman let him go and went back into the building.

"What is going on, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked as the three men led him around the building, unshackled his ankle and bound his hands. 

"That's what I'm trying to find out."

The men jumped, startled to see Jack still outside. One of them spoke to the woman holding his arm.  She responded nervously as the other woman parted the curtain in the doorway to the building and the leader stepped out.

The leader spoke harshly, and the three men left to get the other prisoners.  He shot a command over his shoulder, and three women walked past him with their heads down. The first one resumed her place to Jack's right and slid her arm through his. The other two went to Teal'c.

The leader walked up to Jack with a very displeased expression. The man was a few inches shorter than Jack.  Using that to his advantage, Jack stood up straight, looked the man in the eye and said, "I will not move until I know what's going on.  And, I probably won't move then." Jack knew the man didn't understand the words but he got the message nonetheless.  The rage in his eyes proved that.

"Absolutely not," General Hammond and Dr. Fraiser said in unison.

"General, if we go back to that planet shooting, we could end up at war. Now, these people may not have sophisticated weapons like we do, but I guarantee you they'll find a way to compensate.  Just look what they did to me."

"Dr. Jackson, what they did to you is precisely the reason I won't allow you to return."

"But, sir-"

"You'd be walking into a trap. One they've set specifically for you."

"Then let me, and you'll have everyone else back."

"I will not allow you to exchange yourself for them."

"It's not your choice."

"It is while you're under my command," Hammond said sternly.

Daniel sighed.  "I know I can get them back."

"Daniel, I explained to you that your immune system has been weakened," Janet said calmly.  "Just by leaving this room, you'd be running the risk of catching something.  Even a simple cold at this point could turn dangerous, and I still can't give you much medication.  As for going through the Stargate, I can't even begin to imagine what could happen."

"Could happen. Could I actually die?"

Janet glanced at Hammond.  "Probably not, but-"
"Then, I could recover."

"In time," Janet countered disapprovingly.

"General, please. I've watched Dr. Porter's tapes, and I think I know what I have to do. At least let me try."

Daniel, Sam and Janet stared at Hammond.

"Doctor?" Hammond sighed and turned to Fraiser.

Janet sighed and looked at Daniel.  "You'll need at least two weeks to recover. Probably more before I clear you for active duty again."

Everyone looked at Daniel.  He sighed and looked at his hands.  "Two weeks is better than losing Jack, Teal'c and the others."

There was a long pause before Hammond spoke. "As much as I'd like to say no to this, my confidence in you, Dr. Jackson tells me to say yes."  He nodded.  "Ok."

Daniel let out his breath and sank back.  "Thank you, sir."

"Major Carter will accompany you of course.  As will SG-16."

Daniel pushed himself back up.  "General, I think the fewer people who go the better. Sam and I should be fine."

"You'll need back up."

"And another dose of antibiotics before you go," Janet said.

"I know, but-"

"Sir, I agree with Daniel," Sam said.
"Two members of SG-16 or no mission."

Daniel sagged and nodded.

"Major, round up your back up. You leave in an hour."

"Yes, sir," Carter followed Hammond out.

Janet leaned in close to Daniel and pointed a finger at him.  "You better not give me one ounce of trouble when you get back."

Daniel nodded.

The man stood silently staring Jack down, clearly commanding Jack to lower his gaze.  When he didn't, the man backhanded him hard and stepped back.

Jack's head cracked against the woman's head on his left, and she cried out. His teeth jarred together making him bite his lip and taste blood.  The man was still staring at him as the three men returned with Cooley. 

Jack raised his chin and stared back at the man.  "Ok, that hurt. But not enough."

The man seethed, turned and marched into the building.

"Colonel O'Neill?" Cooley asked trying to hide his nervousness as the men left.

"We're not going anywhere, Captain."

The leader returned with the two men who had caught Jack outside the meeting. Without a word, the two women left Jack and moved to Cooley as the two men flanked Jack.

"So, we meet again, huh boys?"

The two men grunted and grabbed Jack's arms.  Lifting him off his feet, they marched into the building.

"Chevron three encoded."

"If you don't return within three hours, I will have no choice but to send heavily armed rescue units," General Hammond said.

"Chevron four encoded."

"If this is going to work, we'll know in less than an hour, sir. Any rescue attempt will be too late after that," Daniel said

"Chevron five encoded."

"Very well, then. I'll have teams standing by to go through the gate in an hour."

"Chevron six encoded."

"I hope you won't have to send them, sir," Sam said.

"Chevron seven locked. Wormhole established."

"I hope not either, Major. Are you sure you're up to this, son?"

Daniel had stepped onto the ramp and was swaying. "Not really. But, it doesn't matter."

Sam and Hammond exchanged a glance, and Sam stepped up beside Daniel. She took his arm to steady him, and he gave her a weak smile.

"Remember to give yourself time to rest once you reach the other side," Janet said stepping onto the ramp and in front of Daniel. "Otherwise, you'll find it harder to keep going. I'm still not completely sure I should let you do this," she said touching his forehead, her brow furrowed.

Daniel gently pushed her hand away. "You have to," he said quietly.

"And you have to do exactly as I tell you for the next two to three weeks. No-"

"I know. I know. No arguing, protesting or whining, which I don't do by the way."

"You do all three quite well." She gave him an uncertain smile and walked away.

"Good luck and Godspeed."

"Ready?" Sam asked.

"As I'll ever be."

The two men carelessly dropped Jack on the floor at the bottom of the steps leading up to the platform. He gritted his teeth to stifle an outcry when his knee slammed onto the hard surface and sent fire through his leg. 

Teal'c, Cooley and Hardy were led in and lined up beside him. Jack was in too much pain to notice the blood running from Teal'c's lip.

The leader walked onto the platform.  Facing his people, he raised his arms for silence even though the room seemed silent already. As he spoke, Jack scanned the area.  To stage left there were four poles with hooks and ropes attached to them.  To stage right, there were four bow-like weapons lying on the ground.

Jack looked at Teal'c, who looked at him and nodded.  Wasn't hard to put two and two together.  The only thing missing from this equation was their rescuer.  Where the hell is Daniel when you need him? He's probably the only one who even stands a chance to get us out of this.

Daniel stepped out of the wormhole and collapsed.  Sam eased him down and helped him move out of the way so their two back up men didn't trip over them. 

"Help me move him," Sam ordered when the two men came through the gate. 

They carried him as quickly as they could to the edge of the woods and stretched him out on the ground.  Sam knelt beside him as the two men covered them.

"How ya doin'?"

"Oh, I think," Daniel stopped to catch his breath. "I'll go," pant, "for a walk."

Sam grinned as she tucked a blanket around him. "It's a nice day for a walk."

"How long do I have to rest?" Daniel asked shivering but not panting as much.

"Janet said at least fifteen minutes."

"That may be too long."

"Hey, Janet said no whining."

"I wasn't-. Very clever, Sam."

"What?"

"You're trying to get me to argue with you to distract me."

"I would never do that," Sam said appalled. "Besides, Janet also said no arguing."

"With her. She didn't say anything about arguing with you."

"True."

"I hope I don't have to argue with these people."

"Do you know much of their language?"

"I've learned several words, but I don't know if it'll help much."  Daniel started to sit up but fell back dizzy. "We'll take that walk in another few minutes, ok?"

"What exactly is the plan? You haven't been very specific. In fact, I'm surprised the General even considered letting us do this with so few details. He pretty much gave us a go on trust."

"Yeah, and I hope that trust isn't wasted." This time, Daniel managed to sit up with a little help from Sam.  "I should warn you guys," he continued speaking louder so the other two men turned to look at him curiously. "The three of you may be captured. And, they may try the same thing on me again."

"I figured as much," Sam said. "Which is why I'm ordering you two to stay in the woods while Dr. Jackson and I go into the village."

"But, Major-"
"I know General Hammond ordered us to bring you as back up."

"And that's what you'll be doing here. Backing us up."

"How, Dr. Jackson?"

"Just trust me," Daniel said and leaned forward putting his head in his hands.

"Daniel?"
"Nausea."  With that, he turned away and threw up.

The leader finally finished his speech and beckoned the prisoners forward.

"Has it been fifteen minutes yet?" he asked wiping his mouth on the blanket.

Sam looked at her watch. "Yeah."

"Let's go." Daniel slowly got to his feet.

"Daniel-"

"Sam, please don't ask me if I'm sure about this."  He let her steady him. "I'm almost to the point of saying no."

Cooley and Hardy looked to Teal'c and O'Neill.  If O'Neill didn't move, they weren't going to move. 

Sam held out her arm, and Daniel took it. "Go with us as far as the entrance to the village," she ordered the two men.

The leader beckoned the prisoners forward more forcefully. 

Still, Jack refused to move.  Come on, Daniel. I know you're here. I swear I can feel you.

Teal'c stood just as determined beside him. Jack noticed the blood.

Cooley and Hardy began to sweat.

"No guards," Sam remarked as she and Daniel entered the village. "Where is everybody?" she asked looking at the empty streets.  The curtain doors were drawn at every building they passed, showing them that the buildings were as empty as the streets.

"Oh, no. I hope we're not too late," Daniel said trying to speed up and stumbling.

"So, we're looking and listening for a crowd," Sam surmised steadying Daniel and steering him to a smoother part of the dusty street. "Daniel, what's going on?"

Daniel licked his lips. "They're going to execute their prisoners."

"That's what I was afraid of."

"Me too."

The leader had had more than enough stubbornness from these prisoners.  He angrily gestured to the guards.  They moved to Cooley and Hardy first. Each guard dragged a prisoner up the steps and to a pole. Then, they hustled Teal'c up the steps and tied him to a pole.

"There! What was that?" Daniel pointed to a building not far ahead.

"Looked like the two men who were guarding the village entrance last time I was here."

"They probably went to warn the leader."

"They'll lead us right to the Colonel and Teal'c."

"And the others."

Jack couldn't stifle an "Ow!" as he was forced up the steps and thrust against a pole.

Daniel and Sam hurried toward the building.

Four men dressed in long robes walked up the steps and took their places behind the bows.  Four younger men dressed the same and carrying arrows  and jars followed them.  At a word from the leader, the four men bent as one and took the bows. 

Daniel and Sam reached the curtained doorway of the building and came face to face with the guards.

The four men took the offered arrows, dipped them in the jars and armed the bows  as the four younger men stepped back.

Ok, Daniel. This is it. If you don't get in here right now, I swear I'll-

A woman near the doorway screamed as Jack heard the most beautiful sound in the world: zat blasts

The villagers fell silent. Every last one of them turned to the left.

The prisoners' backs were to the doorway, but Jack didn't need to see to know who carried the zats. Where is Daniel when you need him? There, of course. Carter too.

"What's going on?" Cooley whispered.

"We're free," Jack whispered back.