Author's Note: Well, I think we can safely place the timeline for this one squarely pre-"Heroes". *damns the PTB for what they did* Minor spoilers for it might creep in later courtesy of our own Kelwonan oracle, but if you haven't seen the ep, you won't know them when you see them, so it's all good. Except for what the idiots in charge did in the ep :(

Chapter 6

Janet sighed and poured herself a cup of coffee. It had been a long night and it would be a longer day. Three dead in addition to the five who had never made it back through the Gate, four in critical condition, eight in severe.

"Are you okay?" a quiet voice asked from her office door.

She did not turn around. "Would it have made a difference, Jonas?" she asked quietly. "Recalling them? Could it possibly have made things any worse?" she demanded, frustrated.

"The drones were waiting to go through the Gate. Most of them already had. The Colonel thinks that calling them earlier probably would have resulted in complete slaughter."

She put her coffee down and turned to face him. "How do you do it? How can it not drive you crazy?"

"How can you do what you do and not have it drive you crazy?" he countered gently. "Every time you lose a patient, don't you go through this same thing? Don't you hurt? Don't you wonder?"

"That's different," she protested.

"No, it really isn't." He shook his head faintly. "It is the same. You second-guess yourself and wonder what you could have done differently and..." He shook his head again. "Janet, we can't go through our lives asking ourselves 'what if'. All we can do is our best. And that's enough. It has to be."

She let out a sigh that was almost a sob.

"Janet," he whispered, taking a step towards her. "I talked to Nurse Kelley and she says that it's a wonder you were able to save as many people as you did. She said you were amazing out there, that this is the first time you've been off your feet since they came in."

"That's my job."

"Your job is to help people who can be helped. What about Captain Crawford?"

"What about him?" she asked, frowning.

"I saw you down there on that floor with him. He was beyond help and you knew it. Most doctors would have left him, tried to save the person next to him. But you treated him anyway and you pulled him through."

She shook her head. "He may not make it. He's in bad shape."

"But he's alive. Because of you. You can't second-guess yourself. You were wonderful last night."

"I did my best."

"That's all you can do," he murmured. "Why don't you go get some rest while you can," he suggested. "It's going to be a long day."

She shook her head. "No, we need as many hands as we can get."

"You made everyone else rest for at least a few hours," Jonas pointed out. "We can do this one of two ways. You can go by yourself, or I can have Teal'c carry you."

She snorted softly.

"I wasn't joking," he told her seriously. "Go on, before you collapse. The last thing they need in there right now is one more patient."

"Thank you, Jonas."

"For what?"

"Being you," she answered, hugging him.

He grinned sheepishly, returning the hug for a long moment. "Get some rest, Janet, huh?"

She nodded, recognizing the wisdom of what he was saying. She would do more harm than good exhausted, so she left ordered to be woken up immediately if anyone got worse or if she was needed and she gratefully retreated to her room for a few hours of sleep.

***

Daniel was muttering to himself in an old Hellenic dialect when Jack entered his office, pouring over several volumes at once.

"Could you repeat that, Daniel? 'Cause it's Greek to me."

"Cute," Daniel replied flatly, not looking up from his book. "How are they?" he asked hesitantly, glancing up at his CO and praying a silent thanks that Jack had not been on the mission as well.

"We lost three overnight," Jack answered quietly.

"Ouch..." Daniel closed his book and rose. "That's horrible."

"Yeah. Yeah, it is," he sighed, nodding. He had seen a lot of missions go bad in his time, but he would never get used to disaster on that scope. He never wanted to, either.

"How's Sam holding up?"

"Oh, I gave her a pill and put her to bed..." He trailed off, wincing at his wording. "Made her go to bed," he amended. Eager to change the subject, he quickly asked, "Who's Cybil?"

"What?" Daniel asked, blinking at the question. He did not think he knew anyone named Cybil.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Greek mythology, Daniel. Who was Cybil?"

"Oh, no. No, no..." Daniel shook his head, walking back to his desk and retrieving a book, gesturing for Jack to join him. "It's a title, not an actual name."

"Title for?" Jack prompted. Daniel was slipping into his excited academic mode again, and in that mood he often forgot that not everyone around him had PhDs in whatever subject he happened to be rambling on about.

"A priestess of Apollo, distinguished by her ability to... see the future," he finished quietly, his mind immediately turning to Sam. "Why?" he asked quietly, not for one second wanting an answer.

"Remember Delphi? When we were being interrogated?"

"Not something I'm likely to forget any time soon," Daniel assured him with an expressive grimace, rubbing the back of his head.

"The white-haired chick? Carter hear Apollo call her Cybil."

"Oh, okay. So she'd probably be his high priestess, which makes sense since--"

"Daniel!" Jack interrupted before he could get started. "Sam's pretty sure that Cybil drugged her."

Daniel's eyes widened. "Oh... well, that can't be a coincidence."

Jack shook his head. "No."

Daniel rose. "Well, we've got to tell Doctor... Oh, no, I guess she's pretty busy right now..."

"Oh, yeah." Jack nodded. "Jonas was going to try to talk her into getting a few hours of sleep, but she's got her hands full. Which is where we come in."

"Us?" Daniel asked blankly, blinking.

"Yup. We just got drafted to research everything related to Apollo, Cybil, and prophecy in general. Maybe with starting with whether any of your myths mention any drug that can make a person see the future."

"Oh, that's easy. There are several recorded historical instances of shamans in various tribal cultures using certain plants to induce hallucinations which are believed to be--"

"Good," Jack interrupted. "Let's start making a list."

***

"Carter!" Jack exclaimed, rising as the Jaffa returned her to the holding cell. He stopped, frowning and narrowing his eyes at her. "Why are you wearing a toga?"

"I don't know, sir," she answered honestly, taking a step towards him and stumbling.

"Whoa, take it easy," Jack said, closing the distance between them and catching her in his arms. "Let's get you sitting down," he suggested.

She nodded faintly, allowing him to help her sit and glancing at the others. Daniel was asleep and Teal'c who appeared to be meditating. "How are they?"

"They'll be fine," Jack said with false confidence. "What about you?"

"I don't know. I feel so strange. Weak..."

"Yeah, torture will do that to a girl," he pointed out.

She smiled faintly, nodding. "What about you, sir?"

"Oh, I'm just peachy."

A girl wearing nothing but a dirty, torn tunic crawled towards them. "They say you came through the Ring of the Gods," she whispered, staring up at them through a sheet of matted hair. "Are you here to free us?"

"Miss, we're not in much of a position to free anyone right now," Jack pointed out.

She pushed her hair up, revealing gaunt features, pale in spite of the heavy layer of dirt covering her, and dull eyes far too large for her face.

"If one of us were to free you, would you free us?" she asked more insistently.

"And how are you going to do that?" Jack asked.

"I used to serve in the palace until I displeased Apollo. I still have many friends among his attendants."

Sam shot a sideways glance at Jack to gauge his reaction. He definitely looked interested.

"Can you get a message to one of them?"

She nodded faintly. "It would be no difficult matter."

"What's your name?" Sam asked gently.

"Calpurnia."

"Calpurnia, how did you end up here?"

"I was serving lord Apollo and his sister their evening meal. I stumbled and spilled hot soup on his hand."

"And for that you ended up here?" Jack asked, staring at her. "Typical Gua'old..."

"How long have you been in here?" Sam asked.

"I do not know exactly. Many years, I think."

"God," she whispered, disgusted.

"There are many here as innocent as I, lives which might still be saved..."

Jack nodded. "You do what you can, we'll do what we can."

"My thanks," she whispered, tears filling her eyes. "What will you need?"

***

Sam jumped awake, and pulled on a bathrobe, not even bothering to dress before leaving her room and walking to Daniel's office.

"We promised to help those people," she announced without preamble.

Both men looked up, startled.

"Sam, you should be resting," Daniel said, rising. "You look like death warmed over."

"I look better than Calpurnia looked when we promised her we'd help her," she retorted.

"Come on, Carter, it wasn't tenable and you know it," Jack protested, belatedly climbing to his feet as well. "None of us were fit to lead a team back there."

"And now we are." She shook her head. "I'm not asking to go myself. I know the General wouldn't let me, but you can go. You can take SG-2 and--"

"And what?" he challenged, shaking his head. "Carter, after last night, we just don't have the personnel."

She glared at him for a long moment before turning and stalking off. She was aware that people were staring at her as she stalked through the halls of the SGC in her bathrobe, but she could not have cared less, she marched straight to the General's office and entered without knocking.

"Yes, sir, Mister President. I understand," Hammond said into the red phone, hanging up. "Major?" he asked, staring at her in surprise. "Is something the matter?"

"Delphi, sir. We promised to rescue those people."

"Given the current situation, we simply don't have the resources, Major. I'm sorry."

The fact that he obviously meant the apology did nothing to assuage her annoyance. "They saved our lives!"

"For which I am grateful to them, but that does not change what is going on here at present. I can not commit any more teams off-world on non-essential missions until I can get replacements trained for the men and women we lost last night. Besides, morale here being what it is right now, I'm not sure I'd run the risk of sending a team off-world into a hostile situation."

"But..."

"I'm sorry, Major." He looked up. "Yes, Jonas?" he sighed.

"I just saw Major Carter walk by, sir, thought I'd bring her back to her room."

"You do that, son." Hammond gave him a grateful look. "Get some rest, Major," he added, his tone making the suggestion an order.

Sam frowned, but allowed Jonas to take her by the arm and steer her back towards her room.

"We promised to save those people," she repeated, frustrated.

"I know," Jonas murmured. "But the way you're acting isn't going to convince anyone. You're exhausted. You're not thinking straight. You need to rest. Then you can argue this with them."

"I'm going stir-crazy in this place, Jonas," she sighed as they reentered her room. "I need to get out!"

Get out!

She shivered.

"Sam?"

"These damned visions are starting to get to me when I'm awake now..."

"Maybe that's because you took a sleeping pill less than three hours ago. You're as good as sleep-walking right now," he pointed out. "Get some rest."

"How the hell am I supposed to go to sleep when I know what's waiting for me once I get there?" she demanded, shaking her fists in front of her face in frustration.

"I'll sit up with you," Jonas offered, gently covering her hands with his own. People were starting to stare. Better to continue the conversation in her quarters.

"You keep doing that. People are going to get ideas."

"Don't worry, the Colonel and I had a long talk."

Sam's head shot up and she stared at him with wide eyes, stunned.

"Well, he is who you were thinking of, right?" Jonas shrugged and gestured for her to get into bed. "Don't worry. I didn't tell him any of the things we talked about. I just made it perfectly clear to him that you remind me of Hannah."

"I remind you of your sister?" she asked, startled.

"Not even a little," he admitted blithely. "But it seemed to put the Colonel's mind at rest."

"Jonas, you've officially been in politics way too long," Sam informed him, shaking her head and climbing into bed.

"I know. And I look forward to an early retirement just as soon as the fistfights stop breaking out in Council," he assured her, tucking her in. "Now get some rest."

Sam nodded and closed her eyes. "Jonas, if I don't remind you of your sister, who do I remind you of?"

"You don't want to know," he whispered, pressing his lips to her forehead.

Sam's eyes shot open and she stared up at him. "What was that for?"

He shook his head faintly. "It doesn't matter," he assured her.

"Okay..." She stared up at him uncertainly for a moment before relaxing again. "Jonas, you have to help me convince them to help those people."

"I'll do everything I can," he promised. "After you wake up."

Sam did not need much more convincing than that. She was physically and emotionally exhausted and still very much under the influence of her sleeping pill. Wakefulness was quickly replaced by dark semi-awareness and then by welcomed oblivion.

Jonas watched her with a sad smile. "Her name was Sarah," he whispered to the sleeping woman.

Sarah Benedict, the first girl he had ever pulled his nose out of his books long enough to notice. He had, of course, met her in the University library, a location which his fellow academics had dubbed his 'natural habitat'. It had been hers, too. Those had been the best of times, both young and idealistic and sure that things could not turn out any other way than perfect.

He had proposed after fewer than six months of knowing her, and she had happily accepted. She had wanted the wedding to be right away, but Jonas had asked her to wait. He wanted to graduate, to have a job, to be able to take care of her. It was not long to wait, he had assured her. It had been his last term in college and the government had already offered him a research position. So she had agreed to wait.

And then she became ill.

He had dropped out of school then and there, spending all day, every day at her bedside, ministering to the sick woman. It was ironic, considering. He had always wanted to take care of her, and now he was. She had lasted for three months, months in which she had slowly wasted away to almost nothing.

He had thrown himself back into his studies, then, needing the distraction. And that was exactly what physics had been to him for a lot of years, nothing more than a distraction from the pain of Sarah's death. When he had grown to love the science itself, it filled that empty place she had left in his heart. He could not get enough. And like any junkie, he did anything he could to get more, right down to ignoring his own conscience when it screamed at him that he was going too far. The things that sheer loneliness could drive a man to do and allow were absolutely appalling as he sat here in his friend's presence reflecting on them.

He looked up at a tap on the door, quickly wiping away his tears as it opened and the Colonel walked in.

"How is she?"

"Resting. No dreams yet."

"Good," Jack murmured. "You tired? You look like you could use some rest."

"I don't think I could sleep if I wanted to," Jonas told him honestly.

"You okay, Jonas?" Jack asked quietly, closing the door. "You don't look so great."

"I'm fine. Just thinking."

"About?"

"I've done some things in my life that I'm not proud of..." he started.

"Haven't we all?" Jack sighed, shaking his head. "You're only human, Jonas. And not even you can be perfect."

"I don't want to be perfect, but I wouldn't mind being able to look myself in the mirror every morning, either."

"Oh, so that's what's up with the new hairdo. I was wondering..."

Jonas snorted softly. Trust the Colonel. "Did you want to spend some time with Sam?" he offered.

"Well, after spending a few hours going over botany textbooks with Daniel, I could use some time in a dark room. If you want to stay, I can go crash in mine. Otherwise, I figured I'd sit up with Carter."

Jonas nodded faintly, rising. "I'll go see if Daniel needs any help."

"Bring coffee," Jack advised. "Otherwise he's likely to Zat you for interrupting him."

Jonas grinned and saluted sharply before turning and leaving the room, obediently making a detour to the commissary for a cup of coffee. The airman on duty helpfully told him which was Daniel's favorite, and he got two large cups of it in spite of the fact that he never touched it himself. Daniel was devoted to his coffee the way most people were to their gods. He heard the sound of Daniel sniffing the air well before he reached the office.

"Hey, Doctor Jackson," he greeted him, extending the cup. "I thought I'd come spell Jack for awhile."

"He with Sam, then?" Daniel asked, accepting the coffee with a grateful nod.

"Yeah. We decided that she probably shouldn't sleep without someone there to keep an eye on her."

"Huh, probably not," he agreed, glancing at Jonas' bruise. It was even larger now than it had been when he stepped through the Gate. "She really did that to you?"

"Yeah." Jonas nodded. "I was afraid she'd hurt herself..."

"She very well could have," Daniel agreed, nodding. "Here, have a seat. Right now, I'm looking up plants and drugs that are associated with visions and prophecies. I'm still on earth, if you want to start looking at what we have on alien cultures."

"Sure," Jonas agreed readily, reaching for the stack of books Daniel indicated.

"Anything like that on your planet?"

"Not that I know of." Jonas shook his head.

"Guess you don't really need it on your planet," Daniel noted. "Sam told me about your sister."

"Well, we're the exception... I mean, most of my people would think it's absolutely ridiculous to believe that you could see the future."

"Just like here then?"

"Pretty much." He nodded. "I mean, maybe there are people on this planet who can do it, too. I've heard that some people here claim to be able to. Maybe it's a trait that can potentially exist in all human populations, just so rare that no one really believes it's anything other than a myth."

"Well, if life at the SGC has taught me one thing, it's that myth tends to be more grounded in reality than reality usually is."

"There's one particular myth that comes to mind," Jonas observed quietly. "A priestess of Apollo, name of Cassandra..."

"I know the one." Daniel nodded. "Refused to sleep with him, so he cursed her with second sight."

"Only she could only ever see horrible tragedies and cataclysms. And no one ever believed her."

Daniel nodded again. "And it eventually drove her mad," he finished, frowning slightly.

"One difference here," Jonas said, noticing Daniel's obvious discomfiture at the thought and wanting to reassure him. "We do believe her. And we are going to help her."