But before Daniel could answer, General Hammond stepped around the curtain to join them. He was closely followed by Teal'c and none other than Sergeant Walter Davis.
As soon as she saw Davis, Sam stiffened, clutched JJ tighter to her and sucked in a breath. Jack and Daniel rose and stood at the end of her bed, protectively blocking her and JJ from view. Jack pointed an accusatory finger at Davis and said, "What the hell is he doing in here? He's supposed to be dead!"
Chapter 35 – Filling in the Missing Pieces
JJ began to whimper at the harsh tone emanating from his daddy. Sam tucked him as close to her body as possible, trying to reassure the little boy with her touch and soft words that he would be safe.
General Hammond held up a placating hand in order to stave off any outburst that might be forthcoming from his 2IC. "Relax, Colonel. This is not the individual that attacked Major Carter and Dr. Jackson and tried to take JJ. This is our Sergeant Davis, whom I brought down from the control room with me. The other is most definitely from an alternate reality."
Sgt. Davis looked sheepishly at Colonel O'Neill before turning his gaze back to the General. Both men had been beyond astounded when they had entered Major Carter's lab and found another Sergeant Davis slumped against the wall, wearing what appeared to be a Goa'uld hand device. Walter still couldn't get that image out of his mind. He was, in fact, a rather mild individual and any hint of violence on his part was nearly impossible to imagine.
Jack narrowed his eyes at Davis before looking over at Teal'c. "T?" was all he had to ask.
"It is as the General states, O'Neill. There are two Sergeant Davis's on base at the current time. This man," and he inclined his head toward Davis, "Is of no threat to Major Carter or the child. The other is, indeed, quite dead."
With that affirmation, Jack and Daniel relaxed their positions around the bed. Daniel resumed his seat, his head still swimming with the after-effects of the ring device. Jack went and stood on the other side of Sam's bed where JJ once again lay quietly, peering intently into Sam's eyes. Sam studied Sergeant Davis and realized that they were telling the truth, for she didn't feel the strange sensations that indicated a Goa'uld presence.
General Hammond approached the bed, a look of disquiet stealing across his features.
"Major Carter, how are you feeling?" he asked with fatherly concern.
"I'm fine, Sir. My shoulder's a little sore, but other than that, I'm all right," she replied, trying to sit up a bit in deference to his rank.
Jack and the General stated at the same time, "Take it easy there, Major," then looked at each other in mild surprise. Jack mumbled a "Sorry, Sir," and glanced over at Teal'c.
"And JJ? How is he faring?" Hammond continued.
"He's been shaken up pretty badly, Sir. I think most of that is from being put in the dark closet all alone," Sam winced at the memory of his cries when she had placed the baby in the hiding spot. "He heard a lot of loud noises, but didn't actually see Dav…the Askrak…do anything." Sam stole a glance at Sgt. Davis at her slip and threw him an apologetic look when he met her eyes. His face held no anger at her words. Just a deep-seated revulsion that he had played any part whatsoever in this charade. Even though it hadn't technically been him, he still felt some responsibility in the matter and thus was bound and determined to make it up to her in some way.
General Hammond pulled up a chair and sat at the head of Sam's bed, causing Jack to move back toward Teal'c and Davis. Even though Teal'c and the General had reassured him, he wasn't quite comfortable with Davis' presence and intended to keep a close eye on him for a while. Daniel felt much the same way and kept a wary eye on the officer from his seat on Sam's other side.
Hammond ran a gentle hand over the baby's head, then turned serious eyes on Sam. "I know this isn't exactly the place and time to do this, but we need to know exactly what happened, Major Carter. Can you and Doctor Jackson fill us in?"
Sam looked over at Daniel, who had straightened in the chair upon hearing his name. "Yes, Sir,' Sam answered for both of them.
She sat up a little more herself before proceeding. "As Daniel and I were coming back from the laundry facilities, I felt a sort of presence close by. I wouldn't have thought too much of it, but I felt the same thing early this morning, around 0545," she stated.
"Sir," Davis interrupted, "Isn't that when the cameras went off-line in the area where the quantum mirror is?"
"Yes, it is," the General affirmed with a frown.
"Just a second. You mean to tell me that you felt …something …on base and you failed to mention it to me?" Jack asked with more than a bit of censure in his voice.
"I thought it was just a remnant of my nightmare, Sir," Sam stated apologetically. "When it happened again, just as we got on the elevator, I was going to tell you and Teal'c about it when we met up in my lab."
"We were on our way to do just that, Jack," Daniel added. "And when we were in the corridor coming to her lab, the feeling got stronger, didn't it Sam?" Sam nodded her head in response.
"Then what happened, Major Carter?" the General continued.
Sam took a deep breath. "I started to move toward my lab, knowing I had a weapon in my desk and that I could lock the door, when I heard my name called. It was Sergeant Davis… well, the other one. But as he came closer, I could feel the presence of a Goa'uld. As we started to run, we heard his voice change and it was definitely not human. Daniel urged me to go ahead, to get JJ to safety, so I ran," she looked sadly at Daniel, still upset that she had left him to fend for himself.
Correctly reading her look, he leaned forward and squeezed her arm lightly. "You had to Sam. Neither one of us could have protected JJ standing there in the hallway."
"So what happened with you and the evil twin once Carter was gone?" Jack asked from his place at the foot of the bed.
Daniel leaned back in his seat and took up where Sam left off. "I tried to get to the alarm, but he could tell what I was going to do and stopped me. So then I decided to try and talk to him; buy some time for Sam to get to the lab. He wasn't much of a conversationalist, though," Daniel stated duly. Receiving a look from the General, Daniel continued. "The Goa'uld, or Asrak, if you will, said that he was here for the child and that we may have stopped him in the other reality but we wouldn't here. Which leads me to believe that he is from the reality that JJ is from. The next thing I clearly remember is waking up in here. I'm sorry I couldn't give you more information, General."
"You have given us more than we had, Doctor Jackson," the General replied before turning once again to Sam. "What happened when he came into your lab, Major Carter? Did he say anything to you?"
Sam shook her head. "Only that I wouldn't be able to stop him from taking JJ. I quickly hid JJ in the closet and got the Goa'uld hand device out of my safe. Before I could attach it, he had blasted down the door. I got off a few shots, he shot at me with the ring device, and I went down. I heard him trying to get to JJ, so I stood up and hit him with the hand device. I don't remember anything after that. I'm sorry, sir."
"No need to apologize, Major. You did an amazing job in the face of such adversity. I'm just glad that all of you are all right," General Hammond assured her. He had not been blind to the fact that her voice had gotten quieter and her features more strained as she told her side of things so decided to try and end the discussion soon.
Hammond turned toward Jack and Teal'c. "Colonel, Teal'c, anything you can add?"
Jack shook his head. "We found Carter on the floor and JJ in the closet, bawling his eyes out. Davis… er the Asrak," he amended, "Was slumped against the back wall, already dead, Sir."
"I did check the intruder, General Hammond, and found this," Teal'c held up a small vial of liquid.
"Do you know what it is?" the General asked.
"It appears to be a form of medication used to suppress the naquadah in the body of a Goa'uld. It is used to keep others of like kind from sensing their presence," Teal'c stated.
"If he took that stuff, how was Carter able to sense him?" Jack asked in puzzlement.
"I think it might have something to do with the mirror, Sir," Sam stated thoughtfully. "Coming through the mirror could have diminished the effects of the drug. That, or the presence of Sergeant Davis in our reality and the possibility of entropic cascade failure. If he came through at 0545, he has been here long enough to start experiencing those side effects."
"Well, let's have Doctor Frasier run some tests. Maybe she can add more to this aspect of the situation," Hammond suggested. "In the meantime, I will have the body removed to the morgue and kept under tight security. When JJ's parents come through, I'll ask if they want to bring the body back with them." They all quietly reflected on that statement for a moment. Although he had been an Asrak and had tried to take JJ, he had first been Sergeant Davis in another reality. A man whom all of them knew would never intentionally hurt anyone.
General Hammond stood up then and addressed the group at large. "I want to commend all of you on a job well done this morning. I will fill in the rest of the base personnel about the nature of the incident this morning. Major Carter, Daniel, I expect you to take it easy the rest of the day. Colonel O'Neill, you are to make sure they do so, although I am sure Doctor Frasier will have something to say about that as well. Teal'c, I would like you to accompany me back to Major Carter's lab and oversee the removal of the body. Sergeant Davis, will you gather a team to begin clean-up in the Major's lab?"
At the Sergeant's nod of agreement, Hammond turned to JJ who raised sleepy eyes to him. "And you, little one, forget any of this happened," he said softly to the little boy. Then, surprising them all, he bent down and brushed a kiss to the baby's head.
Catching the looks thrown his way, General Hammond cleared his throat and said, "Dismissed," as he left the room.
Teal'c bowed slightly and said, "I will return upon the completion of my duties, O'Neill. Major Carter, Daniel Jackson I am most relieved that neither of you are seriously injured."
Sam gave him a thankful smile before he left.
Sergeant Davis stood by the end of the bed, shuffling his feet nervously. Sam, taking notice of him, said, "Was there something else, Sergeant?"
Davis glanced at O'Neill with some trepidation before he hesitantly approached the bed. Aware of the eyes boring into the back of his head by the Colonel, he made sure to keep his distance. "I just wanted to say…how sorry I am about everything that happened today, Major Carter. Please believe me when I say that I would never, in a million years, ever do anything to hurt you or this baby."
Sam held out her hand to him and he slowly approached her side to take it in his own. "Walter, you have nothing to apologize for," she said softly. "It wasn't you, I know that. And even if it had been you in our reality, it was the Asrak who took possession who did all the harm. You, know, your presence here most likely saved us. If you hadn't been here, I might not have been able to sense his presence. Besides, I ended up killing you, not the other way around!" she added a smile to her last statement.
Walter Davis smiled back at her. "Yes, you did do that. But I think I deserved it…well, he deserved it!" He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, then added, "If there is anything I can do for you Major, anything at all, please don't hesitate to ask. You either Doctor Jackson," he turned and added Daniel to his offer.
"We will, Walter, thank you so much," Sam assured him.
"What about me?" came a sardonic voice from behind them. "Will you do anything for me as well, Sergeant Davis?"
"Uhm, of course Colonel O'Neill. Within reason, of course," he added quickly as he caught the look that Sam and Daniel shared.
"Well, what's the fun in that?" Jack complained good-naturedly.
Unused to being included in the Colonel's teasing, Davis felt a bit flustered and so did what he was good at, getting to work. "Well, if you will excuse me, I have a lab to get cleaned up. Major Carter, Dr. Jackson, I hope to see you later." He nodded to Jack as he left the area, a feeling of relief sweeping over him that Major Carter didn't hold this incident against him personally. And that Colonel O'Neill hadn't killed him!
Daniel sighed after he left and stood up. "I think I'm going to go and lie down for a while. My head is still fuzzy and the room seems to be moving around." He leaned down and brushed a kiss against Sam's forehead. "Get some sleep yourself, Sam. You look exhausted." Daniel nodded at Jack before leaving to go and climb back into his own bed. He was out as soon as his head hit the pillow.
Jack had come over and took the seat the General had vacated. He noticed that JJ was almost asleep, his little hands tightly curled into Sam's hospital gown. He brushed his hand over the little boy's head and met Sam's gaze. "You do look tired, Carter. Why don't you close your eyes for a while; get some rest." When her glance fell to the baby beside her, he added softly, "Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on him. I'm not going anywhere."
The events of the morning, along with the pain medication she had been given, were beginning to take their toll, and so Sam nodded her agreement. She shifted more fully onto her left side, put her right arm more securely around JJ, and closed her eyes. That her right hand and Jack's rested together directly on top of JJ didn't cause her to worry. In fact, it made it all the easier for her to drop into a restful, healing sleep.
