"Yes sir," Sam answered after a minute.
"Sir?"
"Yup?"
"Are you, umm, where are you..." she stumbled to a halt.
"Right here, next to you. Reach out your left hand." She did, and felt the mattress of the next bed yield under her palm.
"That's my bed, right there. If you need me for whatever, just reach out and pound on the mattress and I'll wake up. Eventually. Be persistent, Carter. I want to be here for you, believe that. But I sleep pretty heavy," he said, and she could hear the playful teasing in his voice. It lifted her spirits more than anything had that whole long, difficult day.
"Now I feel better," Sam mumbled, sinking bonelessly into the mattress.
"Good," Jack smiled. "Now get some sleep. And I'm gonna go tell the guys it's safe to come back in, okay?" He patted her arm and pulled the blanket up more securely around her shoulders.
"Okay."
Feeling warm, cared for and a lot less afraid, Sam slipped into a much needed slumber.
"Unscheduled off-world activation, General," Sergeant Walter Harriman announced over the com.
Hammond hurried into the control room and stood behind Walter, hope lighting his eyes. "Is it SG1?"
"No, sir. It's the Tok'Ra IDC, " Walter responded.
"Open the iris." Hammond turned and made his way to the Gateroom to greet their allies. Jacob stepped out of the wormhole, flanked by several Tok'Ra Hammond didn't recognize. The General walked up eagerly to his old friend and grasped Jacob's hand with feeling.
"It's good to see you again, Jacob. I regret that it is not under more pleasant circumstances."
"Yeah, about that," Jacob cut to the point with characteristic bluntness. "What's going on?"
"I think we'd better sit down while I explain," George replied, indicating that the visitors were to follow him. As they walked together to the conference room, Jacob glanced at George and finally burst out with the question that always plagued him whenever the SGC called on the Tok'Ra for help.
"It's SG1, isn't it?"
"I'm afraid so. We're hoping you can help us find them."
Sam woke up slowly, trying to figure out where she was and why it was still dark. She felt like she'd had enough sleep, and yet it appeared to still be the middle of the night. Then the memory of what had happened the day before came rushing back into her awareness, and she felt as if an iceberg had suddenly materialized in her gut. She realized she had no way of knowing whether it was the middle of the night or the next day.
Sam reached tentatively out towards Jack's bed, remembering what he had told her the night before. When her palm came into solid contact with the edge of his mattress, she gave it a few sharp slaps. Almost immediately, she felt his solid presence right in front of her face. It amazed her how, although unable to see him, she could see where he was with her other senses. The echoes in the room around her stopped in the area just in front of her, indicating his position, and she could feel his body heat as well. Reaching out, she accurately laid a hand on his shoulder before he even had a chance to tell her he was awake.
"Hey," Jack whispered groggily. "What's up?"
"I need to use the..."
"No problem," Jack said a little too quickly, betraying his uncomfortable lack of experience in such a situation. He grabbed her upper arm securely and they stood up together. Step by step, he led her to the small wash room and once again patiently helped familiarize her with where everything was.
"You okay now?"
"Yes, I've got it," she answered, ready to close the door behind him.
"Don't let your tantrum get too loud this time, because the guys are still asleep," Jack teased. She smiled sheepishly at herself.
"I'll do my best, but I'm not making any promises."
"Good enough. Tap on the door when you're through, alright?"
Sam was tapping on the door just a few minutes later, quite proud that she had managed this little mission without mishap. Once Jack helped her sit down on her bed, she was glad to feel the mattress dip next to her as he sat down too, obviously not wanting to go back to sleep. She turned automatically to look at his face when she realized that she'd again momentarily forgotten about her blindness. She looked back down at her lap self-consciously, not wanting him to see her sightless eyes.
"It's the middle of the night, isn't it?" She whispered.
"Actually, I can see a glow on the horizon. Must be almost dawn. Are you still sleepy?"
"No, I feel very rested."
"Me too. Wanna go for a walk?"
"Sure." Yes! Smiling on the inside, she held a hand out, reaching through the darkness, knowing with wonderful surety his hand would be there waiting for hers.
The length and breadth of the forcefield surrounding the colony was surprisingly large, and the two found themselves working their way along the outer perimeter of the clear forcefield, through the Tollan fields, as the glow in the morning sky grew brighter and brighter.
"Tell me what this planet looks like," Sam requested, walking just behind Jack with her hand planted firmly on his shoulder.
"Not too different from Earth. Well, except for the poisonous atmosphere. The Tollan have planted all kinds of crops out here. Looks like we're in the middle of Iowa or something."
"What about outside the forcefield?"
"The atmosphere is a kind of pinkish orangey color, and it's very visible. The gases swirl around in very nice patterns, but you can still see through to the surrounding country."
"I don't remember appreciating the beauty of the atmospheric colors when we first arrived," Sam noted drily.
"Yeah, right. Me either. Anyway, I can see a lot of rock formations. The area just outside the colony looks like a desert. Not much plant life, if any. The Tollan must have gone through a lot to colonize and cultivate this place, I'll give them that."
They walked a while in silence.
"No animal life?"
"None that I've seen, but I have to confess I haven't really been looking."
"I'll have to ask Narim," Sam mused out loud.
She felt Jack stiffen under her touch. Grasping his shoulder more tightly, she stopped walking knowing that he would have to stop, too.
"You don't like him. Why not?"
"Oh, I like him just fine. He's been great to us. Saved our lives and all."
"So you say. But I felt you flinch when I said his name. I bet you were thinking something less than complimentary. Hey, I think I just found a positive aspect to being blind."
She was amazed how well she could read his thoughts and feelings just through her touch on his hand or shoulder. She was secretly enjoying the constant contact with Jack way more than she should be allowing herself to enjoy it.
"Yeah, you could feel that, huh." Jack paused, weighing his next words. "Isn't it ironic that I can't hide that from you now, and it's because you can't see?"
He shifted from one foot to the other. "I don't like him because he likes you. Make that, adores you. He worships the ground you walk on. Makes me want to deck him."
She again felt the muscles of his arm tense and bunch up under her hand and it made her smile.
"What?" Jack asked, seeing her enjoyment of his confession.
"You're jealous."
"Carter, jealous? Come on, this isn't high school. Besides I'm not even the jealous type."
"You just said you want to punch him because he adores me," Sam pointed out mischievously, saying the word 'adores' in a singsong tone.
Jack didn't answer, but he was suddenly not there under her touch anymore.
"Jack!" Sam cried out, thrown into a panic. She was not prepared for how suddenly her easy mood disintegrated into terror. She swung her arms around wildly, reaching for him. He was back in a second, wrapping her tightly in strong arms, swaying soothingly back and forth as he held her close.
"Crap. I forgot," Jack muttered guiltily into her ear. "I'm sorry, Sam. This is really hard, and I'm not making it much easier."
"It's okay, it's okay," Sam assured him, although her voice was shaking. She stepped back, leaving her hands on his chest while he held her by the shoulders.
"I'm actually glad you slipped like that. It means you felt natural around me. You forgot for a moment that I'm blind. You know, you've all been treating me like I'm made of glass. This is hard for me, and I know I'm not adjusting very gracefully, but it's not your fault every time I do something awkward."
"You call throwing a full blown temper tantrum in the washroom 'awkward', huh?"
"Just shut up," Sam retorted with a laugh. He hugged her again, a long lingering hug that neither wanted to end any time soon. Sam allowed herself to relax in the safety of his touch.
"I guess I am jealous. Jealous that he can freely show you how he feels. And I can't."
Knowing he had no right or reason to feel so possessive of Sam, he still couldn't stop the gnawing, caveman sensation that Narim was trespassing on his turf. Having her hand in his, being connected by some degree of physical touch everywhere they'd been these last few days, was something he'd never imagined would be possible. But now circumstances had thrown them into a situation where he was actually allowed to touch her, in fact needed to touch her, in order to be her eyes. With the physical contact came the feelings, unasked for and yet undeniable. It was as simple as that.
He knew she enjoyed his company. He was even pretty sure she loved him in some fashion. But he'd seen the same smile she flashed at him also aimed at Narim, and sometimes even Daniel and Teal'C. He suddenly needed to know he was more to her than her buddy, her teammate, as valuable and vital as that aspect of their relationship was to him. He loved her, he really loved her, and he wanted her to love him back.
Stepping back just a little as they broke apart, Jack looked down at her face and stared, now that he could get away with it, his eyes taking in every curve, every dimple. He realized he was confusing Sam when she shifted uncomfortably.
"Jack?" She finally asked uncertainly.
He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. Sam had apparently decided at some point during this ordeal that calling him 'Colonel' and 'Sir' was a mite ridiculous, given the extraordinary circumstances. Another thing to add to his list of unexpected bright spots on this otherwise miserable mission. He loved hearing her say his name.
"Sorry, Sam. I was just thinking."
"About?"
"I don't know, nothing important. Hey, we still have a lot of walking to do to get all the way around this perimeter."
He linked his arm through hers and they resumed their slow march across the neatly tended Tollan fields. He shook his head and ordered himself to concentrate on thinking up a way to get home again. And he tried, he really tried hard. But the steady pressure of her arm in his was clouding his mind with a hazy euphoria. In the end he decided to wait until he was elsewhere to attempt to occupy his mind with anything other than just the heady pleasure of being close to her.
Using the coordinates of PX-980 and the Tok'Ra navigational system, Jacob had easily located the planet and the Tok'Ra ship was well underway on its journey to the planet SG1 had disappeared on. With no idea what he would find, Jacob could only hope that the four had found a way to survive the harsh conditions on the planet's surface. The ship would be in orbit around the planet within the hour. Jacob was already putting on his self-contained environment suit for the rescue effort. He turned to Captain Adams of SG4, who was also suiting up. The rescue team consisted of an equal number of Tok'Ra and T'auri.
"We'll do a preliminary sensor sweep of the area around the Gate. I'm assuming they couldn't have gone far. Then, depending on what we find, be ready to ring down to the planet's surface."
"Yes, sir," Adams answered the former General. He turned to give his team their instructions. Jacob turned to the navigator, a Tok'Ra he didn't know well, and watched the console over his shoulder. Just in case something goes wrong down there, be ready to transport us back on board at a moment's notice," Jacob cautioned him.
"Of course."
"Sir," the navigation officer said a moment later. "Look at these structures on the planet just north of the Stargate. They appear to be in a protective bubble. I am detecting life signs. It is an inhabited settlement."
"That's where we go, then. Can you beam us inside the forcefield?"
After fiddling with his controls for long minutes, the Tok'Ra officer shook his head. "The best I can do is to ring you down near the protected area."
"Do it."
The rescue team was ready, fully outfitted in environmental suits. The team assembled on the ring platform and the characteristic beam of light enveloped them.
"Jack?" Sam broke the silence that had hung lazily between them for many minutes now.
"Hmm?"
"Walk me over to the edge of the barrier. I need to check something."
"Okay. What are you thinking?" Jack headed them through some rocky terrain with great care as he made his way to the edge of the forcefield.
"Well, I've been wondering what kind of forcefield this is. Does it hold just the gases out? Would it stop us from going through, too?"
"Need I remind you that whether it does or not, there is a very good reason for staying on this side of it?"
"It's just that it may make a difference in how we plan our escape," Sam pointed out.
"Alright, I see where you're going with it. Here we are. Now what?"
"Well, let me touch it and see if my hand goes through."
"And if it shocks you and injures you, then what? I don't think my knees can take carrying you all the way back to the healers."
""I don't know, throw a rock through."
"Hey, good idea." Jack found a rock that fit nicely in the palm of his hand and tossed it at the barrier. It bounced off with a shower of bright energy pulses.
"Whoa, that doesn't look too promising," Jack observed.
"What happened?" Sam queried.
"It bounced back, and it looks like the forcefield reacted with a blast of energy. That's not good, is it?"
"It's not conclusive, actually. The Tollan had the ability, back on Tollana, to produce a forcefield that could hold out both animate and inanimate objects, but could also be modified to only hold back the inanimate objects. I'm wondering if the Tollan have set this one the same, that is, to stop only inanimate objects."
"And why would they do that?"
"Narim said that they fly their ships on patrol every day. I just was wondering how they got in and out of the forcefield."
"Well, the ship is inanimate, isn't it?"
Sam sighed. "You're right. But maybe they land the ship outside the forcefield and walk in through the barrier. I just want to touch it."
"Sam, not you. I'll touch it." Before she could protest, Jack strode to the edge and plunged his hand into the field of energy. His fist went right through without resistance.
"Jack?" Sam called out apprehensively, wanting him to come back where she could lean her hand on him again.
"I think you're right, Sam. Although I'm not sure what good it does us. My hand went through, no problem." He heard Sam's sigh of relief. He didn't have time to ask her why this was so important to her, for just then they heard a familiar voice calling them.
"Samantha!" Narim was approaching them from the direction of the settlement. Sam had to pull Jack to a reluctant stop to make him stay and greet Narim. She resisted the urge to chuckle at him. He could be so predictable sometimes.
"Narim! Good morning," Sam said cheerfully in his direction. She heard him stride right up to them and stop before her.
"Is all well, O'Neill?" Narim was curiously eyeing their proximity to the edge of the forcefield.
"Hunky dory, Narim." Jack received a confused glance. The alien had no idea what he had said.
"I mean, fine, great, peachy."
"Aah." Narim was now smiling with understanding.
"Is there any improvement with your eyesight, Samantha?" Narim asked so cloyingly that Jack was instantly annoyed with him.
"Not yet," she answered softly.
Something about her voice played on Jack's sympathies and he pulled her in closer against his side. If he'd been totally honest with himself, he'd have realized he was also trying to send an unspoken warning to Narim. She responded to his touch and nestled in a bit further under his arm.
Jack was gratified to see Narim's reaction as he noticed and pondered the change in relationship between the two soldiers. Was that hurt or disappointment in his eyes? Jack didn't care, as long as the lovesick Tollan got the message loud and clear.
"Surely soon you will regain your sight," Narim said kindly. "I have had food sent to your room already."
"Well, then, we'd better get back before Daniel and Teal'C eat it all," Jack joked.
"Oh, Colonel O'Neill, I'm sure they will save portions for you."
Jack rolled his eyes. This guy had no sense of humor whatsoever.
"I was wondering if I could borrow you, Samantha, and show you around our science facility."
"Uhh, now?" Jack felt her grip on his elbow tighten.
"I will come for you after you have eaten, if you like."
"Great! Sounds good, Narim. I'd love to." She smiled in his direction, her grip on Jack easing off somewhat.
"Let's go get our breakfast, Major," Jack suggested lightly and steered her away from Narim. If the Tollan was going to walk off with Sam later, Jack was going to make sure he kept her by his side as long as possible. When he again realized how possessive he was feeling, Jack laughed at himself. He was a fool sometimes.
Narim was at their quarters within the hour. Sam was just finishing up their meal when he knocked at the door.
"Your date's here, Carter," Jack mumbled ungraciously. Nevertheless he opened the door and greeted Narim politely. Bowing, the Tollan entered their common room and predictably had eyes only for Sam.
"Are you ready for a tour of our science lab, Samantha?" Narim asked eagerly.
"Yes, of course. I'm looking forward to it," she responded sincerely. She stood up next to the table and took a tentative step in his direction. When Narim showed no sign of moving to her side, Jack immediately moved to Sam's aid and guided her over to the door. He gave Narim a stern look as he made an exaggerated point of handing her arm to his for safekeeping.
"Have fun, Carter," was all he said, in spite of the lecture on the tip of his tongue that he wanted to give the man. He felt her absence almost as soon as the two scientists walked off together. He'd been linked to her almost constantly every waking hour since the poison had rendered her sightless. Only now that she was gone did he realize how readily he had adjusted to the situation.
"O'Neill," Teal'C said to Jack in his perpetually serene tone. "Should we not begin looking for the controls to the forcefield?"
Daniel stood up at that and walked over to the table, standing next to Teal'C and Jack. "I think I have a pretty good idea where to start."
"Let's go." Jack got up and the three walked casually outside, Daniel slightly ahead so they could follow his lead. He headed straight for the converted ship where they had met with the Council the day before. Walking around behind it, they began looking for a way to get inside without being discovered. They were disappointed to find that the only visible way in was through the main door, which almost certainly would be monitored. Jack led them away from the building so as not to arouse suspicion and found a quiet corner of the settlement to regroup.
"I have another thought," Daniel said quietly to his teammates. "Remember Narim had on a type of spacesuit when he came through the wall of the ship after he rescued us? They have to keep them in the settlement somewhere. Maybe we could find a few of those suits and then figure out how to get through the forcefield?"
"Carter and I just discovered that the forcefield doesn't repel life forms, just the stuff that's not alive, like the gases in the air, and rocks. So if we find a few of those suits..."
"Then, we just walk out of here and hike straight to the Stargate." Daniel finished.
"After we have determined in which direction the Stargate is," Teal'C pointed out.
"You're right, we need to find a map or something. Maybe Carter can help us there. She's pretty chummy with Narim."
"Uhh, jealous, Jack?"
Jack snorted with irritation. "Jealous? This isn't high school."
Daniel smirked knowingly. "Sure, whatever. So, do we just wait for Sam?"
"I guess we'll have to." They turned and headed back towards their quarters, each mentally working out the details of their respective escape plans.
Jacob approached the clear bubble of atmosphere cautiously, signaling the team to stay back for now. They had done recon on the entire settlement and had picked this position as the most likely place from which to enter the protected zone. Working in these spacesuits was tiring work and his personnel were already getting a bit cranky from the strain. Jacob gingerly picked up a rock and chucked it at the forcefield, ducking in dismay at the ripple of brilliant energy waves the rock inspired. Jacob eased his way back to the rocks that the rest of his people were hiding behind. Adams and he exchanged a dark look.
"Well, that didn't look too promising," Adams observed.
"No," Jacob grunted. "Any ideas, people?" he asked, looking around at the four SGC soldiers and the three other Tok'Ra.
"I could take some readings of the energy barrier," volunteered Gail Collins, Adams' second-in-command. She gazed steadily at Jacob and he recognized the sparkling enthusiasm of a young scientist in her gaze. Sam. His heart once again twisted with a desperate desire to discover his daughter's fate.
"See what you can learn. Stay low, Lieutenant," Adams directed her. She crept out from the shelter of the rocks and worked her way to the barrier, where she sat down, blending almost immediately with her surroundings in the desert cammies she was wearing. The rescuers watched and waited as Collins began testing the perimeter. After a few minutes, Jacob glanced impatiently at Adams.
"What's she doing?"
Adams didn't respond directly to Jacob, but depressed the radio within his suit and called the Lieutenant.
"Collins, what can you tell us?"
"Stand by, sir," she answered coolly, continuing to wave her data-collecting tool right up to the edge of the forcefield. They watched as she seemed to freeze in place for a minute, then smiled triumphantly and packed away her instruments.
"Permission to try breaching the forcefield, sir," Collins called over the com.
"You'll be shocked or worse, Lieutenant," Jacob interjected over Adams' shoulder.
"I don't think so," she returned confidently. Adams and Jacob just shrugged at each other.
"Permission granted."
Upon hearing her CO's go-ahead, Collins stood and slowly placed her hand against the energy field. To everyone's surprise and relief, her hand slid smoothly inside the bubble. She removed her hand and turned to the rest of her team.
"Let's go," she announced smugly to the group by radio.
Narim and Sam sat comfortably in his lab, close together so she could lean her hand on his shoulder. They had quickly found that Sam's ability to appreciate all that he was working on was vastly limited by her inability to see. So after describing several experiments to her, they had decided to take a break and were now seated at the central table, discussing how the Tollan had escaped the Goa'uld and all that had happened since then. Sam was struck again by how grateful she was to find Narim alive after her last glimpse of him on Tollana as it was being bombed by their enemy.
"Narim, I was so worried about you. More than worried. I grieved for you. I was fairly sure you had been killed."
He moved closer and put his hand on her knee.
"It seems the fates have brought us together again in spite of the odds. Samantha, I too had despaired of ever seeing you again. I cannot tell you how it warmed my heart to find you. I only wish I could have rescued you more quickly, then perhaps your injury would not have been so serious."
"The fact is, you saved my life, Narim, and the lives of my team for whom I care deeply. You have nothing to regret."
She could sense through the air around her that he had drawn much closer to her while she was talking. She guessed he was going to kiss her. They had kissed once, long before back at the SGC, but it had been only affection on Sam's part, and the embrace had revealed to her the lack of romantic feelings she had for Narim. But she was at a distinct disadvantage here. She couldn't leave without his help, but she didn't want to encourage his advances. She turned her face away abruptly. She sensed him back off, and the atmosphere between them grew strained.
"I'm sorry, Narim. I care for you very much, but not in that way."
"You would like to go back to the Colonel, I think?" She was unnerved to hear an undercurrent of anger and rejection in his voice. The sooner they parted, she decided, the better.
"Yes, I would like you to take me back to my team," she clarified, resenting his implication that she wished to be returned Jack in particular. Narim said nothing further, but he held her arm steadily and led her back outside.
There was a crowd of Tollans in the middle of the settlement and Sam and Narim knew instantly something big was going on. Narim quickened his step and Sam had no choice but to do the same. He could see people in strange garb in the center of the throng as they drew closer.
"What is it, Narim?" Sam asked breathlessly. She was confused when she received no answer. Narim's hands were holding her upper arms in an iron grasp. She could hear voices raised in anger. She heard Jack's voice, which didn't surprise her, as his voice could be very commanding when he got upset about something. She also heard a very familiar voice chiming in from time to time...was that?
"Dad!" She called out as loudly as she could muster. Narim responded by pulling her back against him and away from the crowd. He dragged her away to the council building.
"Sam!" Jacob had heard her call to him, but he couldn't see her anywhere.
She yelled to her father once more before Narim clamped a strong hand over her mouth, silencing her.
"Samantha, I am sorry it has come to this, but the arrival of these new intruders has complicated this matter greatly. The arrival of your father and his forces has put New Tollana in serious danger. I must leave you here for now." Narim sat her down at the council table.
"Stay in this room. I'll be back."
With that terse command, she was left alone in the room, stunned, trying to figure out what was going on.
On the orbiting Tok'Ra vessel above the planet, the Tok'Ra navigator looked around him before leaving the control console for a more private location. Inside a small anteroom, the mysterious man pulled out a Goa'uld long-range communication device. It glowed in his hand.
"Report," commanded the Goa'uld on the receiving end.
"My Lord, you will be most pleased with my discovery. I have found the location of the Tollan, your sworn enemies. I am transmitting the coordinates of this planet to you now."
"That is indeed good news. I will soon have my revenge. Is the planet a prize to be claimed as well?"
"It is not. The atmosphere is very poisonous. The Tollan are living under a forcefield to keep out the toxins. The rest of the planet appears to be nothing but a wasteland."
"It is of no consequence. The sweetness of my revenge will not be lessened. I commend you, servant."
"Thank you, my Lord," the spy gushed proudly before terminating the link.
A/N: Uh Oh!
