There was nothing to hold onto, and nothing to grab that might have slowed his fall, although by the time he landed in a sodden heap at the bottom of the incline, Jack figured he must have hit every rock on the way down. He came to a stop in a shallow puddle of muddy water. A moment later another splash and a muffled curse announced that Daniel had arrived right behind him.
Spitting out a mouthful of mud, Jack turned his head to ask Daniel if he was okay, and felt hands on his jacket, and someone pulling him up out of the water. The bottom of the incline – or cliff, or whatever it was he'd just tumbled down – was more protected from the rain, and Jack heard a voice in the gloom that held just a touch of humor.
"Your form was terrible, but I'll give you an 8 for the landing."
He cleared the mud out of his eyes, and saw SG-3's Commanding officer, Captain Kelly Thorpe standing next to him, looking just as wet and bedraggled as Jack felt.
"Where the hell have you been?" Jack asked, annoyed. He turned towards Daniel, but saw that another member of SG-3 was helping the archeologist to his feet. This one had a nasty cut on his cheek, and looked exhausted. "Hammond sent us to find you. You missed check in."
The Captain shrugged, and winced with the motion, which told Jack that he was hurt as well. He could sympathize. His arm was killing him where he'd landed on it, although Jack was certain he hadn't heard or felt anything pop or break.
"We've been stuck in this ravine since the rain started falling. Lopez fell, and the rest of us got trapped trying to get her out."
"You mean there's no way out?" Daniel asked, shaking his hand, which was bleeding from a cut on his palm.
"We've tried every side," the Captain said, pointing. "First we tried with Lopez, then we tried singly, figuring we could get back to the gate and bring back help. No such luck. All the slopes coming down to this gully are too steep, and all of them are covered with that loose rock shit."
"Shale," Daniel said.
"Whatever." He looked at Jack, "I hope you brought someone else with you?"
"Carter and Teal'c," Jack confirmed. "But they're no where near us." He reached for his radio, and keyed the mike, but all he heard was static. Either it had been broken during his fall, or there was too much interference with the rock all around them.
"We've been trying ours, too." The Captain said, "But they're not working."
"Is Lopez hurt, Captain?"
He nodded, and led Jack and Daniel over to an overhang, where the uninjured members of SG-3 had tried to make their injured fellows more comfortable. It was also a little more sheltered from the heavy rain. Under the overhang, Jack saw the injured Lieutenant, and she was bundled up with the Captain's jacket, and leaning heavily against another man. This one a Sergeant who had his leg propped up on a rock, and was obviously in pain, even though the leg had been splinted.
"Two injured, Colonel," the Captain told Jack. "Geller fell about halfway up the slope on the third try, and probably broke his knee."
Ouch.
"We'll have to get them out of here," Jack said. "They're already in shock, and the –" He was interrupted by a scattering of rocks falling from someplace close by, and a moment later Jaffer's large form came rushing at him from the darkness.
"Where did you come from?" Jack asked, kneeling down painfully – he hurt from his fall – and running his hands along the dark fur as he avoided the long sloppy tongue that was determined to wash his dirty face.
Jaffer wagged his tail, and Jack got up, satisfied that he wasn't hurt. Which meant he'd probably come down the slope on his own terms. The question was, could he get back up?
"We have a couple options," Jack said, walking back over to the overhang to get out of the rain. He was freezing, and the trickle of water down the back of his shirt wasn't making things any better.
"Which are?" Daniel asked, reaching down and rubbing Jaffer's ears when the black lab came over to see him.
"We can wait here and hope Carter and Teal'c find us – and that they don't find us the same way you and I found these guys."
"Or?"
"We can see where Jaffer came down and try to make it up that way."
"Those aren't very good options, Jack," Daniel muttered, and Thorpe nodded his agreement.
Jack shrugged. "I'm more inclined to try to get to the top on our own."
"We've tried, Sir. It's impossible. And dangerous." He gestured towards the Sergeant with the broken leg.
Jack had no intention of taking a chance that when Sam and Teal'c came looking for them one of them would fall down the slope as well. He was far more inclined to give it a shot.
"We'll try it, Captain. I will, anyways. The rest of you stay out of the rain." They were all shivering – SG-3 more than Daniel, although Daniel looked pretty cold, too.
"I'll come with you," Daniel said, but Jack shook his head.
"Stay put, Daniel. If I make it to the top, I'll radio down to you and then go get help. If not, then it was at least a try."
"Why not send Jaffer to Sam with a message?" Daniel asked.
"I'm not positive he could find her."
"And we don't have any paper." The Captain added, listening to the conversation.
Jack sighed, and flipped up the collar on his jacket once more. "I'll be back. Hopefully not too quickly."
He headed back out into the rain, and Jaffer bounded after him.
"How did you get down here, little man?" Jack asked his dog, walking in the general direction Jaffer had come from.
As if he understood the question, Jaffer walked over to the slope, and started up, his lower center of gravity – not to mention having four feet – helping to keep him fairly steady as he climbed. Occasionally a piece of shale would come tumbling down the slope, and Jack would dodge it, but really it could have been worse, and Jack wondered if perhaps the ground in this area was a little more secure than it was everywhere else. Maybe this was one section SG-3 hadn't tried?
He started up, looking for handholds and finding nothing to help him keep his balance. He tried to go the exact same place that Jaffer did, and leaned forward as far as he could, but he'd only made it about a quarter of the way up the hill – maybe forty feet or so – and he suddenly lost his footing and started sliding backwards at a far quicker pace than he had gone up. He jerked his body around and put his hands out to catch himself and slowed, but the damage was done. He was back at the bottom with nothing to show for his efforts except for bloody palms and a wounded ego.
"Well... shit."
Jaffer came rushing back down, obviously curious why Jack wasn't following him anymore.
"Plan C, I guess, little man," Jack said, standing up painfully. "Go find Sam and bring her back here. But don't let her fall. Can you do that? Can you find Sam?"
Jaffer wagged his tail, excitedly. Of course he could find Sam! He knew right where she was. More or less.
"Go get her, Jaffer." Jack gestured to the slope, and Jaffer headed back up it, almost as if he understood exactly what Jack wanted him to do. Which Jack hoped he did. He watched and waited, standing in the driving rain until enough time had passed that he was certain Jaffer had to have made it safely to the top, then he turned and limped his way painfully back to the overhang. Happy Birthday, Jack, he thought grumpily.
Spitting out a mouthful of mud, Jack turned his head to ask Daniel if he was okay, and felt hands on his jacket, and someone pulling him up out of the water. The bottom of the incline – or cliff, or whatever it was he'd just tumbled down – was more protected from the rain, and Jack heard a voice in the gloom that held just a touch of humor.
"Your form was terrible, but I'll give you an 8 for the landing."
He cleared the mud out of his eyes, and saw SG-3's Commanding officer, Captain Kelly Thorpe standing next to him, looking just as wet and bedraggled as Jack felt.
"Where the hell have you been?" Jack asked, annoyed. He turned towards Daniel, but saw that another member of SG-3 was helping the archeologist to his feet. This one had a nasty cut on his cheek, and looked exhausted. "Hammond sent us to find you. You missed check in."
The Captain shrugged, and winced with the motion, which told Jack that he was hurt as well. He could sympathize. His arm was killing him where he'd landed on it, although Jack was certain he hadn't heard or felt anything pop or break.
"We've been stuck in this ravine since the rain started falling. Lopez fell, and the rest of us got trapped trying to get her out."
"You mean there's no way out?" Daniel asked, shaking his hand, which was bleeding from a cut on his palm.
"We've tried every side," the Captain said, pointing. "First we tried with Lopez, then we tried singly, figuring we could get back to the gate and bring back help. No such luck. All the slopes coming down to this gully are too steep, and all of them are covered with that loose rock shit."
"Shale," Daniel said.
"Whatever." He looked at Jack, "I hope you brought someone else with you?"
"Carter and Teal'c," Jack confirmed. "But they're no where near us." He reached for his radio, and keyed the mike, but all he heard was static. Either it had been broken during his fall, or there was too much interference with the rock all around them.
"We've been trying ours, too." The Captain said, "But they're not working."
"Is Lopez hurt, Captain?"
He nodded, and led Jack and Daniel over to an overhang, where the uninjured members of SG-3 had tried to make their injured fellows more comfortable. It was also a little more sheltered from the heavy rain. Under the overhang, Jack saw the injured Lieutenant, and she was bundled up with the Captain's jacket, and leaning heavily against another man. This one a Sergeant who had his leg propped up on a rock, and was obviously in pain, even though the leg had been splinted.
"Two injured, Colonel," the Captain told Jack. "Geller fell about halfway up the slope on the third try, and probably broke his knee."
Ouch.
"We'll have to get them out of here," Jack said. "They're already in shock, and the –" He was interrupted by a scattering of rocks falling from someplace close by, and a moment later Jaffer's large form came rushing at him from the darkness.
"Where did you come from?" Jack asked, kneeling down painfully – he hurt from his fall – and running his hands along the dark fur as he avoided the long sloppy tongue that was determined to wash his dirty face.
Jaffer wagged his tail, and Jack got up, satisfied that he wasn't hurt. Which meant he'd probably come down the slope on his own terms. The question was, could he get back up?
"We have a couple options," Jack said, walking back over to the overhang to get out of the rain. He was freezing, and the trickle of water down the back of his shirt wasn't making things any better.
"Which are?" Daniel asked, reaching down and rubbing Jaffer's ears when the black lab came over to see him.
"We can wait here and hope Carter and Teal'c find us – and that they don't find us the same way you and I found these guys."
"Or?"
"We can see where Jaffer came down and try to make it up that way."
"Those aren't very good options, Jack," Daniel muttered, and Thorpe nodded his agreement.
Jack shrugged. "I'm more inclined to try to get to the top on our own."
"We've tried, Sir. It's impossible. And dangerous." He gestured towards the Sergeant with the broken leg.
Jack had no intention of taking a chance that when Sam and Teal'c came looking for them one of them would fall down the slope as well. He was far more inclined to give it a shot.
"We'll try it, Captain. I will, anyways. The rest of you stay out of the rain." They were all shivering – SG-3 more than Daniel, although Daniel looked pretty cold, too.
"I'll come with you," Daniel said, but Jack shook his head.
"Stay put, Daniel. If I make it to the top, I'll radio down to you and then go get help. If not, then it was at least a try."
"Why not send Jaffer to Sam with a message?" Daniel asked.
"I'm not positive he could find her."
"And we don't have any paper." The Captain added, listening to the conversation.
Jack sighed, and flipped up the collar on his jacket once more. "I'll be back. Hopefully not too quickly."
He headed back out into the rain, and Jaffer bounded after him.
"How did you get down here, little man?" Jack asked his dog, walking in the general direction Jaffer had come from.
As if he understood the question, Jaffer walked over to the slope, and started up, his lower center of gravity – not to mention having four feet – helping to keep him fairly steady as he climbed. Occasionally a piece of shale would come tumbling down the slope, and Jack would dodge it, but really it could have been worse, and Jack wondered if perhaps the ground in this area was a little more secure than it was everywhere else. Maybe this was one section SG-3 hadn't tried?
He started up, looking for handholds and finding nothing to help him keep his balance. He tried to go the exact same place that Jaffer did, and leaned forward as far as he could, but he'd only made it about a quarter of the way up the hill – maybe forty feet or so – and he suddenly lost his footing and started sliding backwards at a far quicker pace than he had gone up. He jerked his body around and put his hands out to catch himself and slowed, but the damage was done. He was back at the bottom with nothing to show for his efforts except for bloody palms and a wounded ego.
"Well... shit."
Jaffer came rushing back down, obviously curious why Jack wasn't following him anymore.
"Plan C, I guess, little man," Jack said, standing up painfully. "Go find Sam and bring her back here. But don't let her fall. Can you do that? Can you find Sam?"
Jaffer wagged his tail, excitedly. Of course he could find Sam! He knew right where she was. More or less.
"Go get her, Jaffer." Jack gestured to the slope, and Jaffer headed back up it, almost as if he understood exactly what Jack wanted him to do. Which Jack hoped he did. He watched and waited, standing in the driving rain until enough time had passed that he was certain Jaffer had to have made it safely to the top, then he turned and limped his way painfully back to the overhang. Happy Birthday, Jack, he thought grumpily.