THE RIGHT THING

Kendrick was lying across a bunk in the cell, his eyes were closed.

Sam's fingers itched to draw her Zat and fire twice.

The Goa'uld's eyes opened, but to Sam's surprise they showed fear and
even remorse. The voice that spoke was also very human.

Sam was falling for no Goa'uld ploy. She glared at him, coldly.

Kendrick swung his feet to the floor, "Major Carter," he said.

Her right hand twitched. "Kendrick."

"I don't expect you to believe this, but I am speaking independently
of the parasite I carry."

"You're right. I don't believe you." Cold. No emotion in her voice.

Emotion was something she could not allow to surface.

"Understandable." Kendrick replied.

"Your new host is dead, by the way. As is her symbiote."

"I realise that," Kendrick said, "However, she was not to be my new
host. She was to be my new bride."

Sam's features showed the faint look of disgust. "King and queen, god
and goddess?" she asked, voice thick with sarcasm.

"Yes, something like that." Kendrick said, "Not my choice, but I am
lucky in that I can speak independently."

"What did you do to Colonel O'Neill?" Sam asked.

Any answer was taken away by the sound of the klaxons blaring.
Without offering an apology Sam left the cell and ran to the Control
Room.

"Tok'ra IDC," she heard the technician say.

Daniel and Teal'c had appeared beside Sam and the three of them, plus
General Hammond waited to see who descend the ramp.

It was Jacob. Sam, without a word, ran down into the Gate Room as the
security personnel stood down and began to disperse, the Gate
shutting off.

Sam was infinitely relieved to find Anise was not with him.

"Sam," said Jacob, and gently took her into an embrace.

"Jacob," greeted General Hammond as he appeared in the Gate Room with
them. Sam released herself from her father's arms and stood back,
gazing at the floor.

"How's Jack?" Jacob asked.

"He's very poorly, but stable." Hammond said.

"We got Kendrick, Dad," Sam said vaguely. Jacob looked to Daniel.

"The Goa'uld who poisoned him," Daniel explained. "Sam caught him.
He's in the holding cells."

"I'm going too find out what he did, Dad." Sam said, "I was just about
to question him when you arrived."

"I don't want you going in there alone with him," Jacob told her. It
seemed he knew his daughter too well - she didn't reply.

"I have to do this," she said finally, "Just stand by, Dr Fraiser has
Jack stabilised. Maybe Kendrick could help us out. If not then we'll
need the healing device."

He studied her a moment, reluctant to let his little girl put herself
in danger like this. But, Selmac reminded him, had he been here to
witness the method George had informed him about, they probably
wouldn't have caught Kendrick at all.

"OK Sam." Jacob said, "But if you need me, holler."

She smiled a little at that. "Yes Dad."

Buoyed by the fact her father was on base, Sam went back to
Kendrick's cell.

"Welcome back, Major Carter," Kendrick said as she entered. This
time, there was no SF to accompany her.

"What did you do to Colonel O'Neill?" Sam asked, no preliminary
small talk.

Kendrick laughed, a short, chilling laugh, "Will you give me asylum
if I tell you?" he asked.

She glared at him. "You are in no position to bargain!"

"Neither are you!" Kendrick said, and his eyes glowed.

She folded her arms and took a step closer. "You forget," she
hissed, "you are prisoner here."

Kendrick regarded Sam for a moment, "Asylum is nothing to me. I have
a greater plan, a martyr perhaps. Do not ever think you will win this war, Tau'ri."

Sam raised her zat but before a single shot could be fired, Kendrick
activated a small device on the third finger of his right hand....

In the Infirmary Colonel O'Neill jerked and pain washed over his
face. He was awake for one split second, but then his own defences pushed him down...

"I NEED SOME HELP IN HERE!" Daniel yelled as he watched his friend
convulse. Doctor Fraiser appeared, but there was nothing she and her
medical team could do...

In the holding cell Sam stumbled back as she watched the all too
familiar actions of a Zatark, programmed no doubt by Seth.

Jacob heard his daughter scream and ordered the SF outside the cell
to open the door.

Once inside, he saw Sam as she pinned herself against the wall.

Kendrick was dead.

Back in the Infirmary, Jack's pulse began to steady; Janet stood
back, confusion crossing her face. "Pulse, BP, brain patterns
returning to normal..."

Sam looked at Jacob, "Is it over?" she asked, suddenly like a little
girl. Jacob couldn't answer for Jack in the Infirmary but he could
confirm that Kendrick had ended his own life.

For a moment Sam stood looking at what was left of Kendrick.

Jacob touched her shoulder gently. "He's gone Sam. He's gone."

"I know Dad. I just hope he hasn't taken Jack with him."

It was at that moment an SF opened the door. "Ma'am, sir," he said
hastily, "Dr Fraiser requests your immediate presence in the
Infirmary."

Sam looked at the SF, trying to read more into the young woman's
expression, "That you, Lt." she said.

Jacob offered her a comforting look, and Sam rushed out of the cell,
breaking into a run. Jacob followed at a statelier pace.

The rest of SG-1 were already there when Sam arrived, as well as
Janet and General Hammond. She lingered in the doorway for a second,
dreading what she might find. Finally, Janet turned and noticed her
standing there.

"Come in Sam," Janet said softly.

By now Jacob had arrived as well, and after a soft touch on his
daughter's arm, she stepped into the room. Teal'c and Daniel stepped
aside to make room for her around Jack's bed.

Jack opened his eyes and croaked, "Hey Carter."

Sam clamped a hand across her mouth, fighting back tears "You're..."

"Just peachy Carter," he said, his secret smile tugging and the
corner of his mouth.

Slowly, the other members of SG-1 along with Janet Fraiser
and General Hammond moved away.

Sam heard them leave but didn't take her eyes away, afraid if she so
much as lost sight of her CO he would slip into a coma again.

She sat beside him, speechless, one hand resting on the bed. It shook
slightly. Jack saw it, and took her hand in his own.

"I'm back, Sam," he murmured.

But he still looked so sick. so exhausted.

"I thought we'd lost you," Sam whispered, a relieved smile washing
over her features for a moment. "I thought..."

"You think too much Carter, Sam." Jack said softly.

She smiled at that. "Maybe."

For a moment, Jack's face showed pain and Sam was ready to call for
Janet...

He stopped her with a touch on her arm. Her hand, in mid-air,
reaching for the button, lowered slowly.

"Rest?" Sam pleaded.

"Only if you do," Jack told her.

"Yessir," Sam said with an almost shy smile.

He smiled back at her with all the strength he could muster. That
smile, it made Sam feel pleasantly weak...it did not fade as Jack's
eyes slowly slipped closed and he drifted to sleep.

Sam looked at Janet, fearful.

"Natural sleep, Sam." He's going to be OK." Janet Fraiser said.

"He's going to be OK." Sam repeated her friend's words, and hugged
her. "Thank you so much, Janet. Thank you so much."

Janet looked at Sam, "I didn't do that much." she said, modestly.

"Yes, you did," Sam insisted quietly. "What did you do," she
asked, "to make him come round?"

"I...didn't," Janet replied.

It was then that Sam made the connection...

Kendrick had seen it right. He may not have been willing to reveal
what he had done, but he made it right....

Sam blinked back tears, " I love you Jack O'Neill." she said. Janet
had left the room, but Jacob remained, stood at the doorway....

Sam had finally given way to sleep herself.

And in her sleep she dreamed. The dreams this time were calm.

Such a pleasant change from all that had gone before. The rage and
the hurt were gone, replaced by the sweet sensation of normality, of
stillness, of relief.

Janet had explained Jack still had a long way to go before he
recovered fully. But he would recover, Sam knew that; the glint in
his eyes, the feint smile on his lips...he was back. Kendrick was
gone. It was hard to believe the events of the last three days, hard
to believe it only been three days.

It had felt like so much longer, felt like weeks all blurred
together. And it felt like she hadn't slept in that long, her body,
her mind exhausted. And now receiving rest.

Eight hours sleep and Sam was ready to face the world again.

"Sam!" Daniel called as she entered the Mess Hall. He had a grin on
his face.

"Daniel," Sam smiled back, Daniel had his customary coffee mug in
hand.

She herself wandered over to the serving area and got some blue
jello, an orange juice and a banana. She sat down with Daniel and
Teal'c.

"I just checked on Jack," Daniel said, munching a chocolate walnut cookie.

Sam could not hold back the way she looked up. Daniel smiled, "Relax!
Janet says he's doing well. Apparently he's giving Kendrick's virus a
run for its money!"

Sam grinned, "Is he still sleeping?"

Daniel nodded. "Fourteen hours straight since you left him."

Sam smiled. "That's good." And with that she tucked into her blue
jello. At last, things were right again.

Sam finished her 'meal' of blue Jell-O, orange juice and a banana. She
sat watching the Mess Hall with something akin to
bemusement.

"'Sup Sam?" asked Daniel casually after a while.

"Nothing." Sam said, "I just feel lighter, that's all."

Daniel smiled at her, a gentle almost affectionate smile.

"Good," he said.

"OK, I admit it." Sam said, "I want to go see the Colonel."

Daniel gave a triumphant smile - he'd been waiting for her to say
that - and put down his coffee cup. "Go ahead then," he encouraged.

"Do you have to look so gleeful?" Sam said, playing digging Daniel
in the shoulder.

"Of course!" Daniel laughed. "I got my friends back."

Sam hung her head, "I have been a little pre-occupied, haven't I?"
She said, knowing that Daniel was referring not only to Jack coming
back to them.

He gave her an 'understatement' look. "I suppose we all have." He
paused. "Apart from maybe Teal'c." His comment made Sam giggle
slightly.

"He just hides it better." she said.

"Yeah," Daniel agreed, "but I do know he was worried about you and
Jack. We both were."

Sam nodded, " I know." she replied, "Thank you. Are you coming with
me to see Jack?"

Daniel shook his head; he knew it was time for Sam to see Jack alone.
Daniel had spoken with Janet and the two of them had quietly
appraised Jack after Sam had left to get some rest.

"You go," he said, and got up. "I have a date with coffee. Siler
finally fixed the machine...!"

Sam watched as he walked off.

Jack was sitting up in bed when Sam walked in.

He looked a lot brighter and for that Sam was relieved. There was
just an IV in his left hand now.

"Hey Sam," Jack said with a smile.

"Jack," Sam responded.

"I think you and I need to talk," Jack said softly. After his
discussion with Daniel and Janet the previous afternoon, the Colonel
had learned a few things about his 2IC.

"Oh?" Sam tried to appear nonchalant.

"First of all, thank you. For everything you've done."

"I was just doing my job," Sam said.

"Above and beyond I'd say." Jack challenged. Sam didn't reply. "I'd
like to make all this right." Jack continued.

"Everything is alright," Sam replied.

"No, I don't think it is and if you're totally honest with yourself,
neither do you."

Sam didn't want to look at her CO - it wasn't like Jack to be so
insightful, "Daniel and Janet talked to you, didn't they?" she asked
finally.

It was Jack's turn not to look at Sam, "When I get let out of here,
SG-1 have a mission. To take some downtime and hit O'Malley's. And I
want you to wear THAT outfit." was all he said.

Now Sam was convinced Daniel and Janet had had more than a little
chat with the Colonel, how else would he have known about the
dressing up game she had played?

She looked up and smiled slightly, "Yes Sir," she said and showed a
mock salute.