Missing scene for 'The Broca Divide'

Season One

Animal Instincts

Just for a moment he had allowed himself to relax slightly, slumping against the hard uncomfortable wall, trying to push down the pain. It had been there for hours now, constant, bitter and sharp, making his head hurt and keeping him from thinking.

The noise of the door opening didn't really surprise him. His senses were on high alert – as always – and he had heard the sound of the footsteps on the metal floor as they rounded the corner of the corridor metres away. The entry of the female hadn't surprised him either; he had gotten use to her visits. What did surprise him though was the sight of another male, tied somehow. He was pushed into the room and placed on the bed opposite.

He knew this one. He was familiar. Somewhere inside him knew that this one was his only threat to dominance. He had obeyed him before – back – before. He didn't pursue that thought. There was no need to obey him now. He was helpless, a prize waiting to be taken.

He began to tense, ready to spring as soon as the others had left.

He looked across at the other male. Old. Powerless. Vulnerable.

They were leaving now, the others. All he needed to do was wait.

Somewhere, deep inside, something was trying to reach him. It was so hard to listen, so hard to fight through the anger and pain. If he ignored it and let his instincts take over, it was easier. So much easier.

He stopped concentrating.

"More" It was out before he could stop himself. That other part of him that was hiding, pushed into a small corner, had managed to come forward before he could prevent it. He was furious with himself. Now it would be so much harder. But he could wait.

He let himself fall into the background, taking cover.

The effort that it had taken was almost too much for Jack. Getting both his mind and his tongue around the words. Making the Doc understand. But he had to do it. He had to. He had felt the other, knew his intentions, felt his murderous rage at the sight of the General. What had the doctor been thinking, putting Hammond in with him? Hadn't she said it herself earlier – he was the dominant male. The Alpha. What the hell did she think would happen if she put the General in with him – that they would just sit and have a little chat, grunt at each other?

He felt the seductive sweetness of the drug as it moved through his veins and shut his eyes.

The other retreated.

A dream. That was it – a dream. He would wake up at home, in his bed and it would all be a dream.

"I'm afraid not, Colonel. It's very real." The Doc was talking to him. He tried to follow but it was getting harder and harder. The other was waiting.

Over on the other bed the General sat.

"Experiment on me." Inside he was shouting but he couldn't explain. He had to do something, anything to stop the other from coming back.

From...

The General was sitting, waiting to be taken.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

He paced the floor, every step reflecting his rage. He moved on the balls of his feet, almost on tiptoe. The same fluid movements as a predator. Even as he moved, his narrowed eyes stayed focused on the male near him. He was waiting for his chance. Waiting for the other's guard to drop.

The old man had edged over into the corner of the bunk, knees hunched awkwardly up. He was making himself as small a target as possible.

The laugh was low, throaty and feral. It wasn't loud but it echoed in the confines of the small room. Jack heard it and moved forward. He had relaxed and let the other out. He couldn't let that happen. He could see the look of terror in the General's frightened gaze, could smell the sweat of fear. He pushed outwards and came up against an immovable barrier, black and dirty.

The other was trying to get free, but he won't allow it. He wanted this. Needed this. He had been kept caged too long and now he was out. Every pore in his body was aching for release. He could smell the females, had heard them fighting and now he could smell the sharp tang of fear and see the submission in the eyes of the male with him.

He growled, not the high snarl of before, but the menacing sound of a hunting animal. The only regret that he had was that it would be so easy.

Inside Jack was yelling, shouting for anyone. Pleading with them to take the General away, save him. Save them both.

Hammond was watching his death moving nearer with every step. He tried to close his eyes, but couldn't. If he had been able he would have given in – let the other win with no fight, but he had no choice. He was trapped. There was nothing that he could do.

Everything about the other shouted power and aggression. It would be no contest, just bloody slaughter.

The dart caught the pacing man in the thigh, dropping him just as he leapt. Jack felt it just as the other did, felt the sedative take effect, felt the thumping in his head diminish slightly, become more bearable. He slowly pushed forward again, forcing himself against the barrier and this time the darkness parted and let him through. The other was still there, panting hard and fast, but he stayed silent.

The hands of the doctor reached out for him and Jack felt the needle pressing into his arm. Within seconds the other had retreated further until he was just a worrying presence on the edge of consciousness. This time the drugs were being fed continuously into him, stopping the other, caging him behind bars of steel, bars that were too heavy to move.

The doctor's gaze was frightened and she hesitated as she worked, making sure that this time the dose was high enough. It was a risk, but one that she had to take, the consequences of getting it wrong before had been almost too high, almost fatal. Even now the latent hostility was evident in the Colonel's tightly held posture. She felt the muscles of his arm tremble under her touch, saw the veins standing out starkly from his flesh. She looked behind the brutish features and saw nothing but violence and anger. Perhaps that was what had been there all along. Perhaps that was why the Colonel needed more drugs and was so much more aggressive than anyone else. Perhaps it was his true nature coming out, revealing itself for the first time.

She left the room, knowing that the levels of sedative were getting too high. Soon they would be too much, even for him. She could only hope that a cure would be discovered, and quickly.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Colonel O'Neill stood on the ramp and looked up at the Control Room window. He watched as General Hammond adjusted his tie. Hammond caught his gaze and tensed slightly, before giving a small sigh. Jack knew that he remembered everything, everything that had happened in that stark bare cell.

He felt numb, depressed. He wasn't interested in talking, in speculating about Daniel's whereabouts. He just wanted to find him and come home.

Come home and make sure that the cage was locked and sealed.

The End