Chapter 24 – Filling in the Gaps
Sam found herself smothered between Jack and Daniel on the floor of the gate room. In the split second before the CMD exploded, Jack had gathered Sam in his arms and fallen so that his back was toward the explosion. He lay on his side, one arm holding Sam around the waist while the other covered her head. He had made sure that her broken wrist was carefully cradled against his body. Daniel had fallen practically on top of Jack and quickly scooted his body so that he was covering most of Sam's small body from the other side. Teal'c had been closest to the blast; he was curled up in a fetal position against the concrete wall of the gate room.
Pieces of the black box, computer parts and paper rained down in the room for a few minutes, then all was quiet. Jack carefully looked up to check the situation, incredulous that the only damage was to the cart and everything that had been on it. He felt Sam stir beneath him and moved his arm from over her head. Daniel moved his arm as well but both men stayed snuggly pressed against her, wanting to be certain that the danger had indeed passed.
"You okay Sam?" he asked her quietly.
"Yeah, except for the fact I can hardly breathe here," she answered. Jack and Daniel smiled at each other, then moved slightly away from her. Jack narrowed his eyes as he looked at her.
"Your mouth is bleeding. You sure everything is in one piece?" Jack asked with concern.
Sam put her hand up to her mouth, feeling the blood on her bottom lip. She took her hand away and looked at the blood left on her hand. There wasn't much there, but her lip felt slightly swollen already. "I must have bumped my lip on your shoulder when we fell. I'll be fine, Sir." Sam sat up and took a look around the room. Over in the corner, Teal'c was pulling himself upright. Sam looked at the destroyed computer cart and the debris littering the gate room floor. She was immensely thankful that there was no other serious damage and that no one had gotten injured.
"You okay over there Teal'c?" she heard Daniel ask.
"I am fine Daniel Jackson. What of the three of you? Are there any injuries present?" he inquired of his friends.
"No. Other than Jack giving Sam a fat lip, we're fine," Daniel answered with a grin.
Teal'c raised his eyebrow as he came over to them. "Why would O'Neill wish to give Major Carter a portly lip Daniel Jackson?"
Daniel snickered as Jack shot him a glare. "Never mind T. It was just Daniel's sorry attempt at humor." Jack got to his feet, automatically pulling Sam to hers. They all looked around the room. "Well, thank God for that containment box. It could have been a lot worse in here. Good thinking Major, even though you did cut things a bit close."
Sam was about to respond when the heavy blast doors opened and General Hammond rushed in, followed by a medical team. He stopped short at seeing his premier team all standing and apparently in one piece. Major Carter was the only one with a noticeable injury - a slightly bloody lower lip.
"Is everyone all right? Major, maybe you should be taken to the infirmary," he directed at her as he looked down.
"I'm fine Sir. I just bumped my lip on Colonel O'Neill as we went down." She brushed away the medical technician who had bent down and was trying to hold some gauze on her lip. "I can do that myself, thank you."
The technician stood up and looked to the General who nodded his head. Turning back to SG-1, General Hammond asked. "What exactly happened here Major Carter? I thought you told me this operation would be safe."
Sam removed the gauze she had been holding against her lip. "Well, the defective CMD was still carrying an electrical impulse. When it was removed, it triggered the self-destruct mode that is incorporated into each device."
"See, I just don't get that," complained Jack. "Why would we ever put something into a Stargate that could self-destruct? Isn't that just asking for trouble?"
"It's only capable of self-destructing if it's initial purpose is changed and it is removed from the gate. There is a chance that the CMD could be removed and used in a technologically different way that could be detrimental to us. Someone could reprogram it to send highly secure and classified information to an outside source. So the scientists that created this had to provide some safe guard measures," Sam answered him.
"Still, it doesn't seem safe to me," Jack responded, waving away her explanation.
General Hammond turned to the waiting SF's and instructed them to begin the clean-up and removal of destroyed items. "I assume the danger is past Major Carter?"
"Yes sir. In fact, if Sgt. Siler can bring me the new CMD, I can place it in the gate and we can begin our diagnostics. I should have the gate operational in less than an hour."
"Hold it. I don't like the idea of Carter climbing under the gate again. Can't someone else do this General?" Jack turned to General Hammond, not seeing the frown that crossed Sam's face.
"I can accomplish this task quite easily Colonel," Sam told him in a firm voice. She had earned the respect of the technicians working with her and wanted to finish the job.
"I believe Major Carter is the most qualified to complete this task, Colonel. She is the only one who can reach inside the panel and place the CMD where it belongs. I assume there will be no more explosions Major?" General Hammond directed the question to her.
"No sir," Sam promised. She gave Jack a quick look, then walked over to Siler who held out the new CMD to her. She knew he wasn't happy about the General's decision and would most likely hang around until she was finished. She tried to ignore the scowling presence of her CO as she slid back under the ramp to place the new part in where it belonged.
Sam was just tightening the panel, the new CMD installed, when the screwdriver she was holding slipped from her grasp and smacked her on her swollen lip. "Damn!" she hissed as the pain reverberated throughout her lower jaw.
"Carter?" came the quick response to her curse. "I assume something just happened. Do I need to pull you out of there?"
She could tell he was serious, so quickly responded, "No, sir. I just dropped the screwdriver. Be out in a minute." Sam rubbed her lip, wincing as she touched the cut on her lip that the screwdriver had made. As she rubbed her lower gum, she was surprised to feel the hard surface of her tooth sticking straight out from the gum. "Oh crap," she muttered, fingering the tooth. It was now hanging by a mere thread of skin. The bump against Jack and dropping the screwdriver must have loosened it up even more. Might as well get it out now and get it over with, she thought to herself. With a small twist and a tug, she was holding her tooth in her hand. Sam flashed her light on it, amazed at how tiny the tooth was.
"You taking a nap under there Carter?"
Sam swung her head to see the concerned gaze of her CO. She tucked the tooth in her front right pocket and said, "Be right out." She finished tightening the panel, and then slid out from under the ramp.
Jack pulled her to her feet. "You didn't tell me you dropped the screwdriver on your face Carter. Now you are going to the infirmary. You need to get some ice on there before it balloons up."
She started to protest but was interrupted. "Uh, uh. No arguing. I'm sure Siler can finish up here and get the diagnostic started without you." At Sgt. Siler's nod of agreement, Sam mumbled "OK" and left the gate room. She wasn't ready to talk just yet and reveal the fact that she had lost her tooth. There was no telling how much teasing she would receive from that!
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SG-1 and General Hammond were already seated at the briefing table when Sam walked in. "Sorry I'm late," she mumbled as she took her seat. Her lip was feeling better from the ice that Janet had given her, but Sam was reluctant to talk. She had discovered that, upon losing her tooth, that she had developed a slight lisp. It had been difficult working with the technicians in finishing the diagnostic on the gate. There had been several amused glances cast her way, along with several snickers whenever they heard the childish lisp slip out.
"Everything OK Carter?" Jack asked her. "You seem to have lost your pep."
"I'm fine Thir," she winced as the lisp snuck out. She refused to meet his gaze, which she knew would be highly amused. She was right.
"What was that Carter? I don't think I heard you right. Seems like you called me by some alien name," he said with a grin.
Sam did meet his eyes now, but only to give him a glare that told him not to mess with her. She was in no mood for his teasing or his lame jokes.
Watching the interaction, Daniel stepped in to prevent another confrontation like the one that had occurred when Sam had been found climbing on her bookcase. "Are you OK Sam? We could reschedule this briefing until later if you'd like."
"No thanks Daniel, I'm fine," she responded. Daniel raised his eyebrows at her lisped response. Sam sighed. "I lost my tooth, OK? I have a slight lisp right now until I get used to this gap. Can we please get on with the briefing?" She hated having all this attention focused on her. It only seemed to be getting worse as the week progressed. "Do you have any new information to help me get back to normal?"
Daniel quickly hid his smile at her lisp and studied his notes. General Hammond cleared his throat and Daniel gathered his composure, ready to begin.
"We've actually uncovered a little more information. We know why the device was created and by whom, we just don't know about how to change you back. As I told you earlier, our translations so far indicated that a reversal was not possible. However, Teal'c and I have been able to translate more of the writings on the stones around where the Triplexus was found. We think there was a way, in the past, to make the transformation back from child to woman."
Sam sat up higher in her seat and looked at him with hope in her eyes. Before she could ask for details, Daniel held up his hand. "Just a minute Sam. I know what you're thinking and what you want to ask. Let me preface what I am about to say next with this: we found no evidence that what we translated still exists."
"Just tell me Daniel. I understand that it's most likely a long shot."
Daniel looked to Jack, who nodded his head for him to continue. "The children were taken to a place called the "Hall of Transformation". As far as we can tell, this was a deep cavern somewhere near the ruins. The writings refer to a "Guardian of Innocents" who watched over the children until the Goa'uld within no longer existed. The children were then changed back to women and returned to their village. However, some were not transformed or chose not to, for whatever reason. They had a second chance at childhood and relived their lives in a natural means."
"So basically, we need to go back to the planet and look for this Hall of Transformation right? See if it still exists, along with the Guardian," Sam asked.
The other men looked at each other, then to the General. "Major Carter, I am not yet ready to send you off world in your current state. There's no telling what effects gate travel could have on you or what dangers you could encounter on the planet."
"Sir, with all due respect, I have to go. This is my life we're talking about, not some hypothetical person. And I have encountered more dangers over the past seven years than I care to recall. You can't just shut me out of this because of my current condition. One way or another, I am going back to that planet," Sam finished, a determined look in her eyes.
"Major," Jack warned her. Small or not, she was awfully close to insubordination here!
"It's all right Colonel. Major Carter has a point. This does directly affect her and she should have a say in what happens." He looked at Sam and regarded her thoughtfully. "Aside from that Major, you have proven to me that you are just as capable in this current body as you were before. I'll authorize your return to the planet when it occurs. However, I will be sending medical personnel along as well. Should anything happen, or if Colonel O'Neill feels there is too much danger to either you or the team, you will return immediately to the SGC. Is that understood?"
"Yes Sir. Thank you General." Sam sighed in relief. There was no way she would have let herself get left behind. Come hell or come high water, she would have found a way to go with her team. General Hammond knew it, which is why he was letting her go.
"All right then. SG-1, you'll leave Friday at 0900. That gives you two more days to plan your mission. Should you be unsuccessful, I believe our next course of action should be to try contacting the Asgard again."
They all nodded their agreement, then got up to leave the table and get back to work. General Hammond stood also but stopped them. "Just a minute. SG-1, this has been a trying time for all of you; you in particular Major Carter. I would like to invite you all over for dinner tonight. You need some time to discuss the details of this upcoming mission in a more relaxed atmosphere. I'll expect all of you at 1900 hours, sharp."
They all looked at each other in surprise. It wasn't often that anyone was invited to General Hammond's for dinner. Jack answered for the team. "Thank you General. We're honored. We'll be there. Want me to bring anything? Cake perhaps?" he asked with a grin.
General Hammond smiled back. "No need son. I'll have everything we need. I would like to talk with you privately for a minute though Colonel. I need to discuss something of some importance with you." He turned to the other members of the team. "I'll see the rest of you tonight."
"Yes, Sir" they responded.
"Be there in a second, General." Jack turned to his team. "Danny, make sure Carter gets some lunch before you two delve into your work. Oh, and make sure she drinks some milk. Milk is supposed to be good for strong, healthy teeth, right Carter?" he grinned at her, then turned to follow the General into his office.
Sam sighed and shook her head. She really wished she had been able to get out of there without another comment about her tooth. At least he didn't make some asinine comment about the tooth fairy again, she thought to herself.
A/N: I was going to finish writing Sam's dialogue in her lisp but found it too time consuming. You'll just have to imagine that little lisp - the /th/ sound for the /s/ as you read. Hey - no cliff hanger here!!