When All Else Fails
Chapter Twenty Three
Disclaimer: Nah, they're still not my property.
A/N: I am shocked to find that you guys don't enjoy cliffhangers! However, I do- so there is a good chance there's more where that last one came from!
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The two of them hadn't gotten more than fifteen yards when Daniel stopped her, claiming he was worried about her shoulder. Although she wouldn't have admitted it to him, she was worried, too. She had done her best not to show the full force of the pain she was in, which was excruciating. In her mind she could imagine the worst, her shoulder blade was shattered, and the injury could cause her to never be able to go through the 'gate again. However, she kept her thoughts positive. If the wound was that bad she would be in a lot more pain than she was, and wouldn't even be able to move her arm, if only a bit. At that moment she was still able to move her fingers, which told her that the nerves in her arm were still intact, and she could lift her shoulder slightly- albeit it causing herself tremendous pain in the process.
For some reason, unbeknownst to her, Daniel felt it necessary to stop in the middle of open grounds to make sure her shoulder wasn't worse than they thought. Of course she protested, telling him that once they got to a safer area he could play doctor, making sure to remind him of the fact that he was a doctor of archeology, not medicine. He retorted, telling her that even though it wasn't his area of expertise he knew enough about human anatomy to understand that the profuse bleeding was a bad thing- emphasis on bad.
When they came upon the woods the two hid behind a clutter of trees, where she got rid of her blood soaked shirt, thankful that she had worn a tank-top underneath that was, for the most part, untouched by her still flowing blood. Daniel took the shirt and tore it in half, then did his best in providing a tourniquet, oddly placed as it was. The other half of the shirt was used in covering the wound, causing much discomfort to the colonel, which she promptly hid from her friend.
When she was 'doctored' up they headed out again, weaving through the trees rather than walking in the open. By the time the 'gate was in their view they knew that returning home wouldn't be as easy as they had originally thought. Because, there, guarding the Stargate were at least a dozen angry Jaffa.
"Shit," Sam cursed under her breath.
Daniel nodded in agreement, pulling out his radio. "Jack," he whispered into the handheld device. "We've got a bit of a problem here."
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"Jack," his radio sprang to life. "We've got a bit of a problem here."
"Great," he muttered to himself before raising his radio to his lips. "What's your situation?"
"The 'gate is surrounded by Jaffa," Daniel explained. "We can't get through and Sam is still bleeding badly."
Jack cursed to himself, "Are you in a secured area?"
"We're in the woods, Sir," Sam said, taking over the radio "our position hasn't been compromised."
"Stay where you are," he ordered. "We're on our way."
"Have you found Craig's body or Major Sanchez yet?"
"No," he told her, "but at the moment a Goa'uld and a dead man aren't as important as two alive and well members of my team."
"Yes," she informed him, "they are. We're fine, Sir. The bleeding has slowed signifiganctly," which was a lie, but he didn't need to know that, "and we're well hidden. Keep looking for them, Sir. Don't worry about us."
Yeah, like that was going to happen anytime soon."Are you sure that your position hasn't been made, Colonel?" he questioned.
"If it had we'd know by now," she replied, her voice betraying the calm facade she was trying to contain. "We'll keep in touch... Carter, out."
Then, as soon as it had come to life it died, leaving them in the silent hallway. His eyes darted around him, surveying the area, and fell upon a set of golden double doors. "There," he ordered, pointing in the direction of the doors.
Teal'c and Jennings didn't need to be told twice, they followed him to where he had pointed and Teal'c pressed a button, which in turn caused the doors to slid open, revealing a large, gold sarcophagus. They exchanged looks, and O'Neill nodded his head slightly, telling to two that nothing had changed, then walked into the room. Standing over the sarcophagus his curiosity got the best of him, and he pushed the button he knew would activate it.
The alien technology unfolded for him, revealing the sleeping form of a Marine Corps Major, turn Goa'uld. Sanchez didn't remain asleep long, as his eyes snapped open as soon as the doors left him vulnerable, and a familiar flash passed through them. Before he could react Teal'c zatted him, and since he had been in such a weak state he passed out easily. Teal'c then grabbed the man, pulling him out of the sarcophagus, and slung him over his shoulder in a fireman's carry.
"One down," Jack whispered, "one to go."
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Lieutenant Matthew Fehr had been ordered to the infirmary as soon as Brightman had realized he was missing, which was only a little more than a minute since the SG teams had come through the 'gate, from what they said with Jaffa on their tails. He had scowled and attempted to protest, but he did so vainly, knowing there was no way the Doctor would let him stay on his leg any longer- he wasn't even supposed to be on it for at least two days.
She had threatened to pump him full of medication that would cause him to sleep, but he assured her that he would stay in bed- the last thing he wanted to do at the moment was sleep, and even if he was holed up in the infirmary he would learn more than he would had he been drugged. Since she knew this she decided not to give him the medicine and ordered him to stay in bed, if he so much as stuck his pinky toe over the edge he'd be out before he knew it. Fehr wasn't exactly in the betting mood, so he followed her orders.
He was in there for no more than ten minutes before a whole group of airmen thronged into the infirmary, no doubt for their post-mission examinations. Luckily for him, the airman who had been assigned the bed next to him was Captain Bridges, second in command of SG-4, and a close friend of his.
"Jeff," he called out to the man as he received his first shot. "What happened over there, man?"
"We were captured," he told him, plain as day.
"I know that," Fehr replied, trying not to sound annoyed with the man. He had, in fact, just been stuck on an alien planet, captured by Jaffa who probably would have very much enjoyed making him suffer. Jeffery Bridges was probably his closest colleague at the SGC, and he wanted the man to know how relieved he was that he had not been hurt. "What happened before you escaped?"
"General O'Neill showed up," Bridges explained. "Used some kind of clay bomb and C4 to allow us an escape path."
"What about the others? Dr. Jackson, Colonel Carter, Teal'c, and Colonel Jennings- not to mention the General himself, where are they?"
"Colonel Carter had been captured by Thoth," Jeff needn't explain who Thoth was, since Fehr had been one of the first humans to know of them Goa'uld. "They went to find her, that's all I know."
Matt nodded, "You ok?"
Captain Jeffery Bridges snorted as he was pricked with yet another needle, "Starving- but besides that, just a bit tired." He shot a dirty look at the nurse who had stuck him, but she didn't show any signs of caring about his discomfort. This was her job, of course.
Fehr nodded, although he had been knocked out more times than he cared to remember he was still exhausted from his days on 785. Hiding from Jaffa, whilst nursing a wounded leg would take a lot out of anybody... except maybe Teal'c.
The attending nurse told him that his examination was finished, but he was welcomed to stay in the infirmary and rest some if need be. Bridges thanked her but declined, obviously his hunger was far more important than his lack of sleep. With a tired grin he turned to his friend, "I'll sneak you in something later, ok buddy?"
Fehr smiled in return, "Don't worry about it, Jeff. You just get you some food and then go to bed."
Bridges nodded, "How's the leg?"
"Hurts like a mother," he told him with a sigh. "But, I'll be fine."
"I'm glad you're ok," Jeff assured him. "You get some rest, too, alright buddy? You look like you shit."
It was Fehr's turn to snort, "You're not exactly the picture of perfection, yourself, there bud."
Jeff threw some kind of walled up ball of paper at him and mumbled something about Matthew 'just being jealous' before walking out of the infirmary with one thing on his mind, dinner.
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It had been approximately twenty minutes since Daniel and Sam had ended their conversation with Jack via the radio when his voice broke through the eerie silence. "Colonel," he whispered, due to their position.
"Yes, sir." she replied in full military mode. No sense in getting personal, it would only make things more difficult. She needed the surname's and ranks. If she didn't have them, she knew she'd crumble.
"We've found them both... Craig is gone."
Sam cursed under her breath, although she had known as much when Thoth had been interrogating her. "And Sanchez?"
"Passed out," he replied. "Teal'c says that if Craig hasn't been gone for too long he can be revived."
"There's a sarcophagus?" she questioned, that was the only logical explanation for the word revived, of course.
"Yeah, we're taking him there now. Hopefully it hasn't been that much time."
Sam glanced at her wrist watch, "It's been at least two hours, sir."
"He think's it can be up to four or five, so we should be alright. It might take some time, though. Seeing as the sarcophagus has to actually bring him back to life, rather than just heal him." The tone in his voice asked if she and Daniel were able to wait- and be safe at the same time. Sam knew that if they were in the least bit of danger Jack would come running, better to save two lives than one.
"We'll be fine, sir. Our position still hasn't been made." Yet.
"Are you certain?" he questioned, knowing her there could be ten Jaffa surrounding them and she would still have him save Craig.
"Yes, sir. I am one hundred percent positive."
The crispness of her voice betrayed her shaking hands, and Sam was thankful that Daniel couldn't see her fear in the darkness. What she didn't know, however, was that the archeologist was shaking, too. Just as she was afraid, so was he. And neither would ever admit it to each other.
Jack, too, felt a shiver run down his spine, although he did not voice such out loud. Rather, he nodded at her reply. "If anything, and I mean anything leads you to believe otherwise, I am ordering you to make contact with me."
"Yes, sir." came her reply, the ready and able solider.
"O'Neill out," he said with the slightest bit of worry. It was so small, however, that not even Teal'c picked up on it.
Jack put down his radio and signaled towards Jennings, who at the time was carrying the deceased Dr. Craig over his shoulder in the same fireman's carry that Teal'c had Sanchez in. The three of them disappeared into the room which they knew held a sarcophagus.
They were going to bring him home- alive.
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Although Lieutenant Fehr had told him not to worry about it Captain Bridges returned half an hour after he left, carrying a plate full of desserts- and two forks.
"What good is sugar if you don't have somebody to share it with?" he asked as he sat on the edge of his friends bed, handing him a fork.
Fehr shrugged, thankful that he had yet to fall asleep, and took the fork willingly.
The two ate the chocolate cake that Bridges had brought in silence for the lighter part of five minutes before Fehr spoke. "Aren't you worried, Jeff?" he asked him, a bit unnerved that his friend hadn't voiced any worry for those left behind. "I've been jumpy since I returned and here you are, calm and collected."
Bridges nodded, "Of course I'm worried- who wouldn't be?" He set his fork down and continued, "But you've got to remember one thing, Samantha Carter, Daniel Jackson, and Teal'c are on SG-1 for a reason. They're the best. And, O'Neill wasn't promoted to General because of his people skills," Fehr cracked a smile, thinking of O'Neill's disregard for subordination. "And, Colonel Jennings is the leader the alpha Marine unit because he's that good. When you put all of them together there's not much of a chance for failure."
"But, there still is a chance."
Bridges nodded once more. "Hey, they saved my ass, didn't they?"
Matthew smiled lightly at his friends attempt to lighten the conversation and nodded his reply. "Unfortunately."
Jeffery Bridges frowned and pulled back the plate which held the cake, among other goodies. "Sorry, Lieutenant," he said with a grin. "But, I think that you need some sleep. Therefore, no more cake for you."
Lieutenant Matthew Eugene Fehr scowled, "You can't pull rank of me, that's cheating."
"Nope Matt," Bridges replied with a smirk, "that's the military."
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A/N:
So there you go, the next chapter is out and done with. I tried to
establish that Fehr was a real person, and not some wounded solider,
and that even Sam and Jack get worried from time to time... I hope
that it didn't make the chapter suck. Let me know either way.
Once
again, I have no clue when it's going to end, but I'm starting to
think that it won't be anytime soon. My muse is a very tricky
thing, I guess.
Also, as far as Dr. Craig is concerned, I could go either way
easily. I guess, in the end, it depends on my reviews whether he comes
back or not. Let me know.
