Her eyes scanned the space between the planes, the space towards which the fiber was extending and reaching. Her eyes scanned the darkness and slowly she could begin to make out small pinpricks of light. They looked like stars in the night sky.
The epiphany struck her solidly.
- - -
- - -
Ch 49: RECIPROCATION
- - -
"Sam?"
"Mmwugh," he got a groan for a reply.
"How do you feel?" he asked with concern.
"Like I got hit by a truck," she answered honestly and then her eyes snapped open to meet his. Resigned she relaxed back into the piles of soft materials that they'd stacked up. He'd never let her try again today after she'd admitted that!
He didn't say a word, but simply reached down and began unsnapping the harness. She didn't argue, she just assisted where she could. Once free of it, she lay back again and looked up at the giant stone ring.
"Anything different?" he asked as he sat down beside her.
She nodded, "I think I know what I'm seeing," she stated and his eyebrows raised, inviting her explanation. "The long thin cylinder is the wormhole," and she gestured at the 'Gate, "and it's not connected to anything... it's stretching and searching for the connection on the other end."
"So... we need to figure out how to make it connect... to Earth?" he concluded and she nodded. "You didn't see anything that looked like a DHD in there?" and he tapped the side of her head with a small grin, "Did you?"
To his surprise she didn't scowl at him, but instead answered with, "No, I didn't see anything like that... but I think I am supposed to control it. I just didn't have time to figure out how," and she looked back at him pointedly.
"Hey, the four minutes were up," and he held up his watch as evidence. She looked back at the 'Gate and he could see those internal wheels spinning again. Deciding that she could think just as easily back at camp, he interrupted, "C'mon, let's get this stuff packed up and you can spend the rest of the afternoon thinking about it in that overactive brain of yours," and he pushed himself up and offered her a hand.
"Well, when you put it that way...," and she rolled her eyes as she let him help her up.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The next morning, Jack woke before Sam and slipped out of the tent to rekindle the fire and get some hot drinks made. He knew that she was sore and tired from the events yesterday and he moved quietly around camp so that she could sleep as long as possible.
Finally hearing rustling in the tent around 0815, he quickly prepared a cup of tea and went to the tent door.
"Hot tea," he sang out as he entered and then quickly averted his eyes as she finished pulling her shirt down. Embarrassment, however, was quickly offset by the reality of what he'd seen. "Sam!" he accused as he turned his eyes back on her.
"Jack, it's just a few bruises," she downplayed as she tugged her T-shirt into place.
He narrowed his eyes and set the tea down carefully out of the way and then moved over next to her. "Lay down," he instructed.
"Jack-," she started to object, but he spoke over her.
"Sam, there won't be any experiments today or any other day if you don't let me take a look at this," he threatened.
She sighed and muttered, "Yes Ja-ack," much as she had to her father on the Goa'uld ship with Thor's mind in its computer.
"I heard that," he sent back archly and she pointedly fixed her eyes on the top of the tent.
Carefully sliding her shirt up so that he could see her lower abdomen, he let out a small airy whistle at the mottled green and blue bruises that clearly extended to her upper chest. Not breaching her modesty, he pulled her shirt down and then wagged his finger in a vertical circle, "Now, turn over."
She sighed, but didn't argue as she turned over. Carefully, he repeated his earlier actions and slid her shirt up to reveal a complementary set of green and purple mottled bruises criss-crossing her back. Neatly following the lines of the harness, he noted.
Careful not to touch her obviously sore back, he slid her shirt back down and sat back on his heels. Looking down at her he saw that she'd closed her eyes and placed her head on her crossed arms. Resigned to what he was going to say next. He couldn't prevent a small smile and an arched eyebrow. If he hadn't seen the bruises, she'd have pretended that there was nothing wrong, and they'd have gone ahead with more tests today.
But now, they were going to take a few days off. And she knew it.
He let the silence stretch out and finally she opened an eye to see what he was doing. He simply looked back at her, knowingly. "Janet would have boxed your ears for trying to go back out into the field with bruises like that," he stated challengingly.
"Janet...," she started to object, but then she relented and her face softened, "Yeah, you're right, she would have read me the riot act," she admitted.
"Do I need to?" he asked and played up a hopeful tone.
She gave him a rueful smile, "No."
"Good," he returned. "So, what say, we take the next three days off, and then we'll reassess how you are healing?"
She considered his words and realized that they were more than reasonable... her bruises would not heal in less than three days... and, in truth, it would probably take longer. She nodded, "And in the meantime, let's see if we can devise something that will spread the pressure out when you pull me away from the 'Gate."
As she rolled onto her side he narrowed his eyes and stared at her, lost in thought. "Sam... I want to try something..."
"What?" she returned curiously.
"Lie back down," he instructed and she looked at him questioningly so he pushed her gently back down onto her back. She looked up at him with raised eyebrows. He pulled his lower lip in while thinking and then explained, "I want to see if I can heal you the way that you healed me."
He waited while she thought it through. Her bruises weren't life-threatening, and shouldn't cause too much of strain on his system. She really didn't want him to have to deal with her pain... but they would find out if it worked both ways. Not seeing a way that she could legitimately say no, she silently nodded.
He gave her a small reassuring grin and then reached forward and placed his palm over her heart.
She watched him silently and tried to relax.
He felt for the soft thump, thump, thump of her heartbeat.
When he could feel it, he closed his eyes and focused on it.
Nothing else happened.
He opened his eyes, and looked down. No glow.
She gave him a small encouraging smile, but stayed silent.
He closed his eyes again and refocused on her heartbeat.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.
He let his mind wander over the images of her bruises.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.
And then he felt his palm itching. Or tingling. Or prickling.
He wasn't sure which.
He opened his eyes.
And it stopped.
The edges of a smile quirked her lips as she looked up at him. "Did you feel that?" he asked.
"Oh, yeah," she returned softly.
Nodding, he took a slow breath and closed his eyes again.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.
And then the tingling and prickling started again.
His hand felt warm.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.
He slowly opened his eyes to see a soft green glow leaking out from between his hand and her chest.
He looked to her face to see that her eyes were unfocussed and glazed over.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.
He focused on her heartbeat.
He focused on her.
Time lost meaning.
And then it was over.
It just stopped.
The extra warmth in his hand faded along with the prickling and itching.
He looked back at her face and she looked peacefully asleep.
He sat back on his heels, assessing.
Checked his watch.
Approximately 15 minutes had passed.
He was a bit tired.
Like he'd just walked several miles up a hill.
Nothing that he couldn't handle, but he was ready for a rest – and he knew he'd sleep good tonight.
Looking back at Sam, he gently ran a hand over her forehead, brushing the hair out of her eyes. She didn't stir. Carefully and gently, he pushed the bottom of her T-shirt up to examine the lower portion of her abdomen. The bruises were gone. After she awoke, he could examine her back, but he was fairly confident that she was healed.
He'd done it!
Or they'd done it.
It didn't really matter.
He couldn't put words to his current feelings.
Checking his watch again, it was just past 0900. He thought about what he could do with the morning as he watched her sleep. Finally, he decided that she had the right idea and he lay down beside her and pulled one of the loose sleeping bags over the two of them. Laying an arm over her waist, he closed his eyes and swiftly dropped off to sleep.
- - - - -
She awoke a little over two hours later to the bright light of late morning. Blinking, she checked her watch. A little after 1100. Memories and images of his attempts to heal her came back. She ran a hand over her abdomen and felt no soreness.
Carefully shifting away from him, she hiked her shirt up and looked at the exposed skin. No bruising or mottling at all. "I think it worked," his deep tones came from over her shoulder. Looking back at him, she saw him grinning up at her and she smiled back.
"I think you're right," she agreed.
"Now that you're awake, if you lie down on your stomach, I'll check your back," he instructed.
Doing as she was told, she lay down and he pushed her shirt up. "No bruises visible," he reported and then again ran his hand lightly over her back. "How does that feel?"
A few beats of silence and then, "Not sore," she said quietly and then added, "If that's what you're asking."
Surprised, he stopped his examination for a moment and then a slow grin appeared on his face before he refocused on his immediate task. "OK, I'm going to press a little harder. Let me know if anything hurts," he directed. She just nodded silently as he began gently pressing and exploring the muscles in her back.
After a few minutes he stopped and asked, "Anything?"
"Mmmm?" she returned and his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"That wasn't supposed to be a massage," he pointed out.
"True, but it was a great start," and she giggled softly.
He raised his eyebrows and thought that one over. Why not? But then before he could act on that, she was pushing herself up while pulling her shirt down.
"Of course, I should be the one giving you the massage," she smiled gratefully at him. "You're the one who healed me – and you're the one who's probably tired and exhausted."
"Was a little tired," he admitted, "But you looked so comfortable, that I couldn't help but join you for a nap. I feel pretty much OK, now," he reported honestly.
She looked his face over critically, remembering how she'd felt after healing him. "My injuries were much worse when you healed me, Sam," he pointed out and she nodded slowly.
"Well, I suggest a couple of days light duty anyway," she recommended.
"You'll get no argument from me!" and he waggled his eyebrows playfully.
For their first day of 'light duty', they worked on their campsite, reinforced the shelter (an on-going maintenance), washed some laundry, hunted for meat and foraged for fruits and vegetables, etc.
On the second day, Sam suggested a leisurely overnight trip to Jack's Lake for a little R&R. Jack was more than willing. They were both feeling pretty good and needed the exercise.
The storm waters had receded and when they arrived, they found the size of the lake much as it had been on their previous visit. The only major difference was the large amount of debris resting on the narrow shorelines. Shredded and torn tree trunks and other forest wreckage lay in mute testament to the force of the storm waters just a few weeks ago.
They walked around to their small sandy beach and cleared a space for their overnight campsite.
Jack fished, but the fish in the lake were apparently different than the fish just upriver and nothing was attracted to his bait. Which suited him just fine, as he lounged back on the sand and let his eyes wander over the vista of lake, trees and sky.
Sam worked on her laptop, perused their map and let her thoughts sift through the images and impressions of her sessions with the 'Gate. Oh... and she took a few naps. Not that Jack said anything – he had taken his own naps.
Four days passed before they returned to their experiments with the 'Gate.
By 0930, they were set up at the 'Gate. The camera was set and ready. They had reassembled the pile of clothes and asundry items that would serve as a cushion.
The new harness was actually just the old harness, but they'd taken a heavy-canvas duffle bag, doubled it over and then wrapped it around her torso before securing the rope harness over it. The heavy canvas should allow the pressure from the ropes to be spread over a larger area, instead of just digging in where the ropes were.
- - - - -
"Five minutes," he agreed grudgingly. "On my mark," and started the camera and counted it down, "On three, two, one, mark," and he started his watch timer and gripped the rope.
She nodded and placed her palm on the now-familiar etching.
The stone warmed quickly. Apparently the days off were not an issue.
Perhaps, she mused, it was her growing familiarity with the sensations?
And then she was focusing on the twisting, rippling planes of fibrous light.
She zeroed in on the elongating cylinder and watched its movements.
She looked ahead and into the dark distance between the two moving surfaces.
The pinpricks of light appeared and she scanned them.
Looking for familiar constellations.
Looking for constellations as seen from either Earth or P8X-539.
But the view between the two planes kept shifting.
Dipping, diving, climbing, sliding sideways and then spinning down and around.
Vertigo hit her strongly again as she tried to find something to anchor to.
- - - - -
"Sam?" he was bending over her again.
"Uhhnn," she groaned and he sighed at the all-too familiar sequence.
"Please tell me you saw a 'Gate or something," he entreated.
"Sorry," she returned while still lying prone. She shook her head slowly and blinked at the familiar scene of his concerned face with the sky and Stargate as a backdrop. "I'm ok," she sent reassuringly.
He looked at her doubtfully and then apparently decided to withhold his judgment for later, "What did you see?"
"The same two planes, and the wormhole stretching and extending... and stars... in the distance... I tried to recognize any of the star configurations, but the 'window' between the two surfaces was changing too fast... I just got a good case of vertigo," she confessed.
He was silent and she looked over at him questioningly. He shrugged, "It's just hard sitting here watching you in some kind of trance... sort of communing with the 'Gate... and I can't see any of it... I can't tell if you're in danger or not... all I can see is that infernal white-orange glowing surface, and the spinning inner ring – which is damned annoying after five continuous minutes!" he vented.
She studied him for a moment quietly, feeling his frustration and then gave him a small smile, "Sorry, I wish I could show it to you. I could actually use another set of eyes... with suggestions on what to do next," she admitted.
His face softened and he asked, "How did the corset do?" and he gestured at the heavy canvas inside the harness.
She gave him a smile and a waggle of her eyebrows, "Peachy," she sent back, "I think the worst bruises will be the ones on my bum this time."
He let his eyes travel down towards that region and lifted both eyebrows, "Bruise inspection is looking up," he remarked with a hopeful tone.
She snorted softly, and started to push herself up, but quickly realized that the heavy canvas and constricting harness prevented her from bending properly at the waist. Looking up, she found his hand extended expectantly and she gave him a small grateful smile as he helped her to her feet.
"So, how do you feel?" he asked, knowing full well that she was going to want to try again as soon as possible.
She answered honestly, "A little tired, but that's all. How about one more try for the morning and then we come back in the afternoon?" she proposed.
And that was so reasonable that he couldn't find any good reasons to object.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The next session and the two in the afternoon yielded the same tantalizing yet unfruitful results. Sam felt like she was so close to understanding... and yet she couldn't quite figure out the next step.
Jack watched her carefully through the late afternoon and evening. She'd wanted to run another set of sessions the next day, but he'd demanded a day off. They needed to attend to their camp and shelter, and she needed the rest. She couldn't argue with the former, but she wanted to protest the latter. She was tired, but she felt so... close... to figuring it out.
Two days later, they reassembled their apparatus around the 'Gate.
The two morning sessions were 6 minutes each. The first afternoon session had been 7 minutes and they were now prepping for an 8-minute session.
Following the now-familiar sequence, he started the camera, counted down and set his timer and she laid her palm on the 'Gate.
The images of the sliding, twisting planes and the stretching rope or thread resolved quickly. She again scanned the stars, hoping to recognize something.
Time passed.
The glowing thread that she was certain was the wormhole danced and wiggled, stretched and probed.
She watched the end, trying to discern a pattern to its wanderings.
But no patterns appeared.
Either in the star configurations or in the movement of that glowing thread.
She tried to focus on the wriggling window of the distant stars.
Tried to recognize any patterns or configurations.
But the view kept changing, shifting, rotating and sliding.
She could feel herself tiring.
And then the images faded and her eyes focused on her hand and the stone of the 'Gate. Tired, she let her arm fall away from the 'Gate as Jack's concerned voice penetrated her thoughts.
"Sam?" and he was now standing next to her.
"I'm allright," she assured him, but he continued to eye her with concern.
"What happened?" he asked while watching her every move carefully.
She gave him a small, wan smile, "I'm not sure... the images just faded... and I lost the connection...," and her voice trailed off as she replayed the images in her mind.
He nodded, "We were approaching the 8-minute mark and I was getting set to pull you off, and you... wobbled a little... and then the event horizon snapped off and the 'Gate powered down..."
She nodded, assimilating his observations with her experiences.
"Find anything new, before it disconnected?" he asked.
She shook her head negatively and sighed, "Not yet," and her tone indicated that she was not ready to give up yet. She ran a hand through her hair and fatigue washed through her.
Watching her carefully, he picked up on it immediately, and wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her towards the pile of soft materials where she normally landed after he yanked her away from the 'Gate, "Here, sit down for a few minutes," and she didn't resist.
Taking a seat beside her, he listened as she recounted what she'd seen and felt. They discussed possible ramifications of the loss of connection, but could not determine the cause.
Eventually, they packed up and headed back to camp. Sam was obviously tired and drained and Jack insisted that they take at least two days off before returning to any further attempts to work with the 'Gate.
- - -
TBC
- - -
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Author's Note: As always, a Special Thanks to SG-1 Yahoo Transcripts
wwwdotmoon-catchindotnet/transcripts.htm (just replace the dots with periods)
Episode 603 Descent, transcript by AQ (where Thor's mind was in the Goa'uld ship computer).
And, credit also goes to the Episode Guide & Synopses at the SciFi Channel's Stargate SG-1 website
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