"So you think there's a possibility that Teal'c might be able to find a cure for Colonel O'Neill back on PYR-002?"

Fraiser shook her head. They were all in the briefing room, and she was standing, explaining to the others what she had in mind. Daniel and Sam looked hopeful, Teal'c was expressionless- but he was always looking like that, and Hammond looked just a little skeptical. Of course, he wasn't a doctor, so he was just making sure he understood what she was telling them.

"I think it's possible that if Teal'c can find something that can survive on the plant that the slivers came from."

"If he can find the plant..."

She nodded.

"I can retrace my steps and find the plant," Teal'c said, confidently. Of course, everything he said, he said confidently, but this was different, and they all knew it.

"If you find the plant," Janet said, "You need to watch it, and see what eats it – if anything, and see if you can bring me a specimen. Alive, preferably."

"I can do that."

"I could go with him," Daniel offered. "With two of us looking it-"

"You can't." Hammond interrupted. "I won't risk another person to this... illness. The only reason I'm letting Teal'c go is because he's already proven himself to be immune to it."

Which told Janet that the General had already decided to allow Teal'c to go.

"I'll provide you with several containers of different sizes," she told him. "If it turns out that you come upon a creature that is too large – or dangerous – to bring back, then just try to obtain a blood sample. Any antigens will be in the blood."

Teal'c gave her a small nod, and Hammond shrugged looked at Fraiser.

"Is there anything else you'll need?"

"No, Sir."

"Teal'c, you have a go, just make sure you're careful. Just because you're immune to whatever it is that Colonel O'Neill has, doesn't mean you can't be injured, and I don't dare send backup with you."

"I understand General," Teal'c told him. "I will be careful."

Hammond nodded, and stood up, effectively dismissing them all.

"Gather what you need from supply, and we'll meet you in the embarkation room as soon as you're ready."

Teal'c nodded again, and Hammond went into his office, while Daniel went with Teal'c to help him get supplied –although he didn't need help – and Sam walked back to the infirmary with Janet.

&&

Janet went in with Sam to Jack's room, but she had no intention of staying. If Teal'c failed to find anything that might be of help on the planet, Janet still needed to work on her own research – which would still come in handy if Teal'c did manage to bring something back with him. The more she knew about the bacterium – she refused to call it a virus – the better. And she hadn't given up on finding her own solution – although she was pretty sure she had a better chance with Teal'c's help.

Surprising neither of them, Jack was awake. Of course he was. The moment he'd been submersed into the ice bath, the cold would have woken him from his less than sound sleep. He was up to his neck in the icy water, and being carefully monitored by a pair of corpsmen. One was watching the clock, the other was watching his vitals on the monitor, and making sure his temperature didn't drop below a certain point. They wanted the fever down, but they didn't want him to become hypothermic.

All three men looked over when Sam and Janet walked in, and Carter could have cried when she saw the haunted look in Jack's eyes. She knew immediately what was wrong. Sam had broken their bargain and left him alone, and when he'd woken up – as they were putting him in the icy water – he'd been even colder than before.

She went over and knelt next to the low-slung bath, reached into the water and pulled out his hand while Janet checked his stats. He was shivering and flushed at the same time. Carter was fairly certain the shivering was all reaction and not because of the temperature of his body.

"I'm sorry..." Sam whispered. "I won't leave you again."

"You're temperature's down, Colonel," Fraiser said, purposely ignoring what Sam was saying to give them as much privacy as possible. "We'll keep you in there another three minutes, then pull you out for a little while. Hopefully, you'll be able to stay out, but if your temp goes up again, we'll have to put you back."

He didn't complain. He didn't argue. He just closed his eyes and nodded, and avoided looking at either of them.

Janet watched him for a moment, and sighed. There'd be time to fix other hurts later. For now she had to worry about the bigger picture and figure out how to keep him alive.

"I'm going back to the lab, Sam," she said. "If you need me, call."

Carter nodded.

"Two more minutes, guys, then get him out for a while."

The corpsmen nodded. They were watching the clock as carefully as she was, well aware of how dangerous the bath could be.

Sam waited for Janet to leave, then turned her attention back to O'Neill, who still had his eyes closed. The only positive sign was that he hadn't pulled his hand away from hers.

"Jack?"

He opened his eyes and looked over at her.

"I'm sorry..."

"I'm cold," he whispered. There wasn't any petulance in his soft voice, only misery. Which was even harder to deal with. Sam squeezed his hand harder.

"I know... it won't be for long. Janet's sending Teal'c back to PYR-002 to see if he can find something that might help get you better faster."

He nodded, and closed his eyes again.

"Jack..."

"Time to get you out of there, Sir," one of the Corpsmen said. Both of the men crouched down beside the tub and Sam was forced to move so she wouldn't be in their way.

"Is there anything I can do?" She asked.

"You could hand us that blanket when we ask for it."

She reached over and pulled one of the blankets off O'Neill's bed, and stood by. The two men easily lifted Jack out of the water, then dried him carefully and wrapped him in the blanket Sam handed them. They put him back in bed, and Sam sat down on the edge of it, trying to get as close to him as she could to warm him up a little faster. Of course, they didn't want him to warm up too much, or he'd end up back in the tub that much faster.

"Hang in there, Jack," she told him, as the men carried the tub out to refill it with fresh ice in case it was needed. "We're going to get you through this."

He didn't answer. He closed his eyes once more, and shivered, and didn't stop, even when Sam reached for his hand and held it close once more.