"Aren't you coming back too?"
"No. I'm staying here to help locate Daniel and Teal'C."
"Good. That's good. Find them. Bring them home."
Jack did go back through the Gate to the SGC with Carter, but only long enough to have Hammond give him command of two more SG teams to take back with him. Before Hammond would let them go, he ordered a UAV to survey the town that had been SG1's original objective. The probe sent back several scenes of what looked like a disorganized, ragged band of Jaffa guarding the city's gate before the transmission ended in a burst of static. It appeared that the UAV had been shot down.
"General, I recommend we go right now before those Jaffa figure out that the UAV came through the Gate."
"Agreed. You have a go. Be careful, SG Teams 3 and 7, and godspeed."
Jack disappeared into the shimmering puddle almost before Hammond had finished dismissing them.
Heat blasted like a furnace on the other side, even hotter than earlier when Jack had left the desert planet. The nine men loped down the path towards the village, trying to get as close to the settlement as they could before encountering the Jaffa who would almost certainly be coming soon to inspect the security of the Gate. They weren't disappointed.
Jack signaled his teams to cover the path from the cover of a stand of scrubby trees and they all froze as they waited tensely. Soon a small contingent of Jaffa came into their line of sight. Jack motioned the officers in charge of the two teams to stay put until his mark.
As the group came abreast of where the airmen were watching for them, Jack heard the distinct voice of Daniel in the midst of the party. Relieved and alarmed at the same time, he waited until they had the group hemmed in fromthe front and behind and Jack signaled the teams with him to confront the Jaffa.
Jack stepped out towards the Jaffa leading the group, his weapon aimed at the warrior's throat. He was surprised to see Daniel step in front of the alien, effectively shielding him.
"Don't shoot, Jack! This isn't what it looks like." Daniel's hands were raised, signalling the SGC soldiers to hold their fire.
"Tell me what it is, then, Daniel," Jack said in a menacing tone, still in a defensive posture.
Teal'C now stepped out from the throng of Jaffa to the side of their leader and addressed his commanding officer face to face.
"Colonel O'Neill, we have nothing to fear from these warriors. They are fighting the same enemy as we."
"When we saw the UAV, we knew you were coming to look for us. These Jaffa hate the Gou'ald as much as we do. They had no idea there were others like them." Daniel turned to the rebel leader. "Hayal, these are the friends we spoke to you about. They fight against the Gou'ald also. We can help you in your fight."
"Hayal, Daniel Jackson speaks the truth. The T'auri are allied with other free Jaffa throughout the galaxy." Hayal stepped forward cautiously, eying Jack's fierce posture.
Jack finally lowered his gun, which prompted his forces to do the same.
"Looks like we need to talk," Jack acknowledged. He went forward to his formerly missing teammates and grabbed them in a joyful embrace. The tension between the Jaffa and the T'auri dissipated immediately upon witnessing their heartwarming reunion.
The walk to the city took under thirty minutes, but that was plenty of time for the three teammates to get caught up on all that had happened since they had arrived on the planet the day before.
"Is Sam okay?" Was the first question out of their mouths. They had seen her escaping during their first harrowing encounter with the rebels on the planet, and Daniel wasn't sure if she'd been hit or not. He had been especially concerned about her when Sam had not been among the members of the rescue party. He knew that if it was humanly possible she would be here with Jack right now looking for the rest of her team.
"She's back at the SGC, in the infirmary. She was wounded during your capture."
"She going to be okay?" Daniel asked.
Teal'C, though silent, was listening with anxious eyes. Their last glimpse of Sam had been from a good distance. They saw a staff blast hit very close to her as they were being herded in the opposite direction. In the confusion, neither of them knew if she'd actually been hit or not.
"She'll live, but she took a pretty good hit." Daniel and Teal'C contemplated this news for a minute.
"Uhh. Sorry about the UAV, by the way, Jack. These Jaffa have been alone a long time and they're a little trigger-happy. One of these guys shot it down before we could stop them."
"How many of them are there?"
"I've seen maybe 500, 600, Jaffa, I would guess. That's not counting their families and all. Teal'C wants to bring Bra'tac back to this planet to train them and teach them about the rebel movement. He'll like Hayal."
"So, Daniel, you've done a great job convincing these folks we're on their side. Weren't they suspicious?"
"Well, yes, at first. As much as I would like to take credit for it, it was actually Teal'C that managed to win them over. He showed them that he no longer carried a symbiote."
The hot temperatures took their toll on the unacclimated SGC soldiers so that all of them were panting and sweating when they finally passed through the city gates. Hayal and his men ushered them into a mud and brick building, actually a large hall without any furniture, and they all sat gratefully on the cool sandy floor.
One of the Jaffa then clapped his hands, and the men found themselves being served water and given damp cloths with which to wipe their faces. When all were sufficiently refreshed, Daniel stood up and addressed the assemblage.
"Hayal, this is Colonel O'Neill, the leader of our...warriors. We are a warrior people much like yourselves. Our people are from the planet Earth, and as Teal'C and I have told you, our planet has successfully fought the Gou'ald on many occasions."
"Well, Daniel that may be a bit of a..." Daniel cut Jack off quickly.
"As you can now see, we have spoken the truth to you about our world and our hatred for the Oppressors. Your people are not alone in their uprising against the enslavers of the Galaxy. If we all work together, we have a chance of defeating these evil beings."
Daniel looked smugly pleased with his grand words and even grander delivery.
"Colonel O'Neill," Hayal addressed Jack, who stood when he heard his name. "Our people have suffered much at the hands of the Oppressors. We would be most grateful for your assistance. We are Jaffa who once served the Gou'ald Bar'ak. We believed he was our god, and that he was invincible."
"Yeah, I've heard that same story from others such as yourselves," Jack agreed.
"Bar'ak left for battle many years ago and never returned. Another Gou'ald came in his place and told us he was now our god and that he had killed Bar'ak."
"And... you didn't believe him."
"We believed that gods could not die. This is what we had been told since childhood. But this Gou'ald said Bar'ak was dead."
"So, what happened?"
"I and my second in command took him by surprise one night and killed the intruder god. When we realized that the gods died as easily as we could, we ceased to view them as gods. We determined not to follow them any longer."
Teal'C stepped into the conversation. "Hayal is worried for his people, O'Neill. Soon some of their symbiotes will mature. They have had to resort to killing those among them who have reached this point before now. Daniel Jackson and I have offered to give them tretonin, that they might be free of the Gou'ald forever."
Jack was smiling proudly at Daniel and Teal'C as he stepped forward and grasped Hayal's forearm in a Jaffa handshake.
"Teal'C is right. We can do this for you. And we can introduce you to many other Jaffa who feel as you do. We have a lot to discuss. You are not alone anymore, Hayal." Jack shook his hand heartily.
Hayal turned and addressed his men.
"This is a day we will celebrate, the day we have found a way to fight the Oppressors and save our people!"
As cheers went up around the room, Jack and Daniel stepped through the doorway together and looked out over the dusty city. The inhabitants were beginning to come from every corner, curious about the joyous roars emanating from the Hall.
"Looks like this is going to be some party," Jack observed with great satisfaction
"General?" Janet was standing at his office door, waiting for his acknowledgment.
"Come, Doctor. What's going on?"
"Sir, it concerns Major Carter. Her condition presents some serious, long-term problems. I don't think even the Tok'Ra could repair the damage to her knee joint and leg. Even if we could get in touch with them."
"Well, that's a big 'if', Doctor Frasier. I have no idea where they are now. Until they contact us, we can't send word to Jacob about Sam. What exactly is her situation?"
"She needs surgery, probably more than once, to repair the damage to her leg and knee. It will be a long recuperation for her. I'm also afraid that she will never make a complete recovery, even with reconstructive surgery."
Hammond was shocked into silence as he considered the implications for SG1.
"Have you discussed this with Major Carter?"
"Yes sir, she is aware of the prognosis. I've talked with the specialist at the hospital, and scheduled her for orthopedic surgery on Wednesday. And after that... she'll just have to take things as they come."
"This will be very difficult, Doctor, as I'm sure you are aware."
"Yes sir." Janet's face took on a hopeful light. "Sir, when is SG1 due back on world?"
"Today, in about four hours, actually. They're finishing up the alliance negotiations with the rebel Jaffa on the planet."
"Good. I wanted to be able to let Sam go home for the next few days, so she can get rested and relaxed before the surgery. I was hoping-"
"Consider it done, Doctor. I'll put SG1 on leave for the next several days. I know they will want to be there to help Sam so she can be at home." Hammond's voice was as sad as Janet had ever heard it.
"Yes, sir. Thank you."
"Dismissed," Hammond whispered, his voice ripe with disappointment. Telling O'Neill that Carter was likely destined for a mandatory medical discharge wasn't going to be pretty.
"Carter! We're home!" O'Neill called in the infirmary doorway.
Sam sat up slowly and carefully with a delighted grin on her face as Jack, Daniel and Teal'C pushed through the door and piled onto her bed. Sam hugged Daniel and Teal'C ecstatically. They had not seen each other since that fateful day when Sam had been shot and they had been captured.
"Hey, you're supposed to be glad to see us," Daniel teased her tenderly, wiping away the tears that were freely flowing down her cheeks.
"I'm just so happy you guys are okay," she blubbered, as if that explained everything.
Jack had waited patiently, but now he pushed through to her side and engulfed her in a huge hug, burying his face against her shoulder. Seeing her cry, even if they were tears of joy, had pulled him apart inside.
Aware of where they were, he eventually pulled back with a mighty effort and sat beside her on the infirmary gurney.
"How's the leg?" Jack asked, gesturing at her blanket-covered thigh.
Sam started to answer but couldn't. She had thought Janet was going to tell them about her situation before they saw her. Jack's eyes grew dark with concern and misgiving as he watched her expression change and he rapidly reached up and squeezed her shoulder.
"It's okay, forget I asked. You can tell me later. You're looking great, anyhow. Need anything? Jello, cake, anything?"
"Just you guys," she insisted. "Janet said if I could talk you into babysitting me for the weekend, I could go home for a few days."
"Consider it done, Carter. Where is the tiny dictator, anyway?" Jack looked around the room.
"Here, Colonel," Janet answered as she entered the infirmary. "And I'll have you know that five foot three is not considered tiny." She laughed a bit sheepishly when he turned with an impish grin, walked right up to her and stood toe to toe, his six foot two inches of bulk towering over her.
"Alright, you're not tiny." He shot her a superior smile for the fun of it.
"So, Sam can go as soon as you three are properly checked out." Janet's satisfied smile in return left no doubt in the men's minds as to some of the procedures she was referring to.
A couple of hours later, all was ready and Janet brought a wheelchair up to Sam's bedside.
"You're free on a weekend pass, my dear," she announced grandly. It took a lot of careful shuffling, but Sam was able to get herself into the wheel chair with a minimum of help. Jack grabbed the handgrips and whisked her off before Janet could change her mind.
Up in the Cheyenne Mountain parking lot, Sam felt like a queen watching her subjects wait on her every need. Teal'C lifted her effortlessly into the passenger seat, and then Jack took over, making sure she was securely fastened in and cushioned with soft pillows for the ride. Daniel stowed her chair in the trunk. They were soon on their way.
"Now don't get used to all the royal treatment, Carter, because it's not going to last," Jack teased. She glanced at him. She was afraid of being on her own for any amount of time, yet anxious to start regaining her independence.
"Well, maybe it could last for the next four days?" Sam suggested.
"Maybe it could." Jack reached over and put his hand protectively on her knee as he drove. The seat back between the front and back seats shielded his hand from Daniel's or Teal'C's sight. After a minute Sam covered his hand with her own.
Slowly, sweetly, she felt his hand turn palm up and his fingers lace through hers. She dared to look over at him to find him glancing at her now and again while he wound his way to her house. His eyes locked with hers for only a second, but it was long enough to communicate to Sam his steady faith in her and his belief that she would come through this too, just like she had so many other trials.