The sun came up over the mountains while Teal'c was digging himself out of
the snow yet again. The Jaffa's size was causing him a great deal of
difficulty in the snow. Sometimes it was strong enough to hold him, but
many times he'd find himself waist deep – or more – in the cold white
powder, and he'd have to struggle out of it before he could continue up the
hill once more. There was a slight wind blowing, but it was going in the
same direction that Teal'c was, so he wasn't forced to battle it, and it
wasn't hampering him. But it was cold.
Cursing in more than one language, Teal'c dragged himself out of the snow once more and continued on his way up. He wasn't sure how long he'd been heading up the hill, but it seemed like forever. He was sweating with exertion and soaked from continual exposure to melting snow, but he wasn't cold, and he wasn't ready to give up. Far from it. Teal'c had no illusions about O'Neill's abilities to stay awake for too long. He knew the man would try, but there was only so much someone could take before it became too much. Teal'c had to find help before that threshold was reached.
~*~
"Murray!"
Andrew's voice was high-pitched and filled with fear and pain, and Jack winced at having it so close to his aching head, but the sound did manage to bring Jack a little more to his senses than he'd been the last few hours while he'd been murmuring to Andrew about his birthdays past.
"Easy, Andrew..." Jack soothed, as well as he could.
Andrew's eyes opened, and he looked over at the source of the voice, his expression nothing but pain. Pain that was echoed in Jack's.
"Jack... I hurt..."
"I know, buddy..."
"You're all bloody..."
"I know..."
"Is there any water?"
"No... only snow, and I can't let you eat it..."
"I'm thirsty..." he moved slightly, trying to get away from the constant throbbing in his legs and body, but only gasped in pain.
"I know, Andrew..." Jack was, too. But he knew that eating snow was just going to make them colder, and not help their thirst enough to make much difference. He couldn't risk allowing Andrew to do it, any more than he could risk doing it himself. "You'll be fine, son. I promise."
"I want my mom..."
"I know..." He wanted Sam.
"Where's Teal'c, Jack?"
"He went to get help. He'll be... back soon."
"I hurt..."
"I know... just hang in there, buddy." O'Neill searched his mind for something to talk about. Something that would keep the boy's mind on talking, and not on his pain. "What are you going... to name Shadow's puppies?"
Andrew's eyes lit up for a brief moment at the thought of the puppies, and Jack knew he'd chosen well. "I don't know... they have to be registered, too..."
"Registered?"
"Shadow's a Champion hunter..." Like that explained anything to Jack. Andrew sighed, and explained further. "Her puppies are worth a fortune, Jack. Well... to the right people. Hunters and sportsmen, and show people. They can use... them for hunting, or showing... but they have to be registered, with papers proving their bloodlines."
"So the puppies father is a good one, too?" Jack was actually finding the conversation was keeping him caught up, too. Not just Andrew. He found it hard to believe that a puppy that was dumb enough to think his pinky would give it milk was worth so much.
"He's another champion... It's complicated... but they have the best lines you'll ever find. People have been calling for weeks asking about buying the puppies. Dad won't talk to any of them, though, until they're old enough to be separated from Shadow."
Andrew was a fount of information, and Jack was glad that he'd found something the boy was able to discuss – and more importantly – able to discuss without much help from Jack. He only had to ask a question, and that would get the boy talking, keeping his mind off his injuries and fear.
~*~
Teal'c was digging himself out yet again when he heard the barking. At first he thought it was his imagination, but it grew louder. The Jaffa paused in his digging, listening hard. There it was again. Definitely a dog. Maybe. He reached up and pulled himself out of the hole in the snow he'd fallen into, and was suddenly and quite literally dog piled. A pack of the creatures were swarming all over him, their cold noses nuzzling him, whining, barking and digging at him with their claws as though they thought he was still buried and needed help getting out.
"Stop!"
That didn't work, although a couple dogs took off up the slope, barking excitedly at having found something. The rest of them continued to whine and one dark brown one stuck his nose right up against Teal'c's and started licking his face. Only the fact that he was relieved to see the creatures kept him from being annoyed, and Teal'c tried to regain his feet under the mass of dogs.
"Hey! Get off him, ya lugs!" A voice called the dogs off, and there was a general cry of relief as the dogs moved and the searchers that were with them saw that there was, indeed, a living breathing person under the pile. A living breathing person who was struggling to get to his feet.
The searchers – rescuers, now – ran up to him. From the description this one had to be Murray.
"Mr. Murray!? Are you hurt?" One of them dropped down to her knees next to him, smiling brightly, even with the concern in her green eyes as she checked him for injuries.
"I am not, but my friends are. We must get to them before they-"
"Which way?"
Teal'c pointed back the way he'd come, and the path he'd made in the snow was clear.
"Come on, we've got a sled, we'll get you back to the-"
"No! My friends are injured. Did you not hear me?"
"We'll get them, too, Mr. Murray."
"I will accompany you."
"You need to get medical attention..." Already the dogs were running ahead, urged by their handlers to go find the others. One of the searchers was on the radio to the rest of the teams, telling them they'd found one, alive and well – as far as they could tell – and that he had been with the other two. He relayed off as many details as he could as he ran after the dogs, following them along with the others.
"I am fine," Teal'c said, getting to his feet, and shrugging off her assistance. "My friends are badly injured."
He wasn't going to leave Andrew and Jack, now that he'd finally found them help.
Cursing in more than one language, Teal'c dragged himself out of the snow once more and continued on his way up. He wasn't sure how long he'd been heading up the hill, but it seemed like forever. He was sweating with exertion and soaked from continual exposure to melting snow, but he wasn't cold, and he wasn't ready to give up. Far from it. Teal'c had no illusions about O'Neill's abilities to stay awake for too long. He knew the man would try, but there was only so much someone could take before it became too much. Teal'c had to find help before that threshold was reached.
~*~
"Murray!"
Andrew's voice was high-pitched and filled with fear and pain, and Jack winced at having it so close to his aching head, but the sound did manage to bring Jack a little more to his senses than he'd been the last few hours while he'd been murmuring to Andrew about his birthdays past.
"Easy, Andrew..." Jack soothed, as well as he could.
Andrew's eyes opened, and he looked over at the source of the voice, his expression nothing but pain. Pain that was echoed in Jack's.
"Jack... I hurt..."
"I know, buddy..."
"You're all bloody..."
"I know..."
"Is there any water?"
"No... only snow, and I can't let you eat it..."
"I'm thirsty..." he moved slightly, trying to get away from the constant throbbing in his legs and body, but only gasped in pain.
"I know, Andrew..." Jack was, too. But he knew that eating snow was just going to make them colder, and not help their thirst enough to make much difference. He couldn't risk allowing Andrew to do it, any more than he could risk doing it himself. "You'll be fine, son. I promise."
"I want my mom..."
"I know..." He wanted Sam.
"Where's Teal'c, Jack?"
"He went to get help. He'll be... back soon."
"I hurt..."
"I know... just hang in there, buddy." O'Neill searched his mind for something to talk about. Something that would keep the boy's mind on talking, and not on his pain. "What are you going... to name Shadow's puppies?"
Andrew's eyes lit up for a brief moment at the thought of the puppies, and Jack knew he'd chosen well. "I don't know... they have to be registered, too..."
"Registered?"
"Shadow's a Champion hunter..." Like that explained anything to Jack. Andrew sighed, and explained further. "Her puppies are worth a fortune, Jack. Well... to the right people. Hunters and sportsmen, and show people. They can use... them for hunting, or showing... but they have to be registered, with papers proving their bloodlines."
"So the puppies father is a good one, too?" Jack was actually finding the conversation was keeping him caught up, too. Not just Andrew. He found it hard to believe that a puppy that was dumb enough to think his pinky would give it milk was worth so much.
"He's another champion... It's complicated... but they have the best lines you'll ever find. People have been calling for weeks asking about buying the puppies. Dad won't talk to any of them, though, until they're old enough to be separated from Shadow."
Andrew was a fount of information, and Jack was glad that he'd found something the boy was able to discuss – and more importantly – able to discuss without much help from Jack. He only had to ask a question, and that would get the boy talking, keeping his mind off his injuries and fear.
~*~
Teal'c was digging himself out yet again when he heard the barking. At first he thought it was his imagination, but it grew louder. The Jaffa paused in his digging, listening hard. There it was again. Definitely a dog. Maybe. He reached up and pulled himself out of the hole in the snow he'd fallen into, and was suddenly and quite literally dog piled. A pack of the creatures were swarming all over him, their cold noses nuzzling him, whining, barking and digging at him with their claws as though they thought he was still buried and needed help getting out.
"Stop!"
That didn't work, although a couple dogs took off up the slope, barking excitedly at having found something. The rest of them continued to whine and one dark brown one stuck his nose right up against Teal'c's and started licking his face. Only the fact that he was relieved to see the creatures kept him from being annoyed, and Teal'c tried to regain his feet under the mass of dogs.
"Hey! Get off him, ya lugs!" A voice called the dogs off, and there was a general cry of relief as the dogs moved and the searchers that were with them saw that there was, indeed, a living breathing person under the pile. A living breathing person who was struggling to get to his feet.
The searchers – rescuers, now – ran up to him. From the description this one had to be Murray.
"Mr. Murray!? Are you hurt?" One of them dropped down to her knees next to him, smiling brightly, even with the concern in her green eyes as she checked him for injuries.
"I am not, but my friends are. We must get to them before they-"
"Which way?"
Teal'c pointed back the way he'd come, and the path he'd made in the snow was clear.
"Come on, we've got a sled, we'll get you back to the-"
"No! My friends are injured. Did you not hear me?"
"We'll get them, too, Mr. Murray."
"I will accompany you."
"You need to get medical attention..." Already the dogs were running ahead, urged by their handlers to go find the others. One of the searchers was on the radio to the rest of the teams, telling them they'd found one, alive and well – as far as they could tell – and that he had been with the other two. He relayed off as many details as he could as he ran after the dogs, following them along with the others.
"I am fine," Teal'c said, getting to his feet, and shrugging off her assistance. "My friends are badly injured."
He wasn't going to leave Andrew and Jack, now that he'd finally found them help.
