A/N: Ok this chapter may be that last one for a couple days, but I promise to update as soon as possible.

"I hope Teal'c comes up with something on the tablets on how to reverse whatever is happening to Sam." Janet said with frustration in her voice. "I'm running out of tests to run and I still don't have any answers."


The Orb

Chapter 9

Janet went to her office to finish arranging Sam's MRI, so Daniel felt he should make his way back to help Teal'c work out the translation. Well, maybe watch Teal'c was a better term. It wasn't often that he couldn't figure out a language. Maybe it was just because he was distracted with his concern for his friend. He decided to stop off at his office to see if any of his anthropology books would shed any light as to what type of civilization lived on the planet SG1 last visited (And of course, he needed coffee…badly).

Sam arose to consciousness and slowly tired to open her eyes to see her surroundings, and this time she was able to will them to open a bit. The brightness of the infirmary invaded her senses like a spotlight. She was aware that Janet must have removed the respirator because her throat was sore and dry. As she became more lucid, she suddenly remembered why she was in the infirmary. 'The orb, she thought, it was glowing in my lab. And then the Colonel called out to me and I turned…' And that was the last thing she could remember before the brief times she woke and could hear things around her.

She tried to turn her head to see if the doctor was nearby and was met with a wall of pain and the buzzing sounds she has heard earlier returned. She tried to relax and return to her original position. "There, she thought, that's better. If I just don't move, I'll be ok, but boy this must be one killer headache for my ears to be buzzing.' She was reminded of the last time she came to and the pattern that the sounds were making. Sam couldn't understand what would be whirring unless it was the respirator. Now the respirator was off and she could still hear the sounds. She thought…'It sounds mechanical' and started feeling drowsy again. She was sure that someone would have checked on her by now and seen her eyes open, but no one was around. She didn't have the strength to hold it open anymore and she fell into another blackout period of sleep.

As Jack had made his way to Sam's lab, flashes of the morning's events burst into his mind. It reminded him of the Tok'ra memory device. The images just rushed before his eyes. He paused and squeezed his eyes to shut out the memories. When he opened his eyes he realized that he was standing in almost the exact spot where he witnessed his 2IC being struck. A shiver ran down his spine and he entered.

Teal'c stood and greeted the Colonel with a nod.

"Have you found out anything Teal'c?"

"Colonel O'Neill. I have, however I do not believe that you will be pleased."

Jack said warily, "Lay it on me, these things never seem to be a walk in the park anyway. We've all been in worse situations, right?"

Teal'c knew when to, as Colonel O'Neill put it, "tell a little white lie", and replied "Indeed" in his usual fashion. He explained what he had found and that he was a few tablets away from what might be answers to Major Carter's condition.

Jack sunk down into one of Sam's chairs and thought to himself. 'So it's a machine? What started it and made it attack Sam? How can we stop it?'

Teal'c could do nothing but watch the play of emotions run across the Colonel's face. He knew how deep the Colonel's feelings ran when it came to his 2IC, even if he didn't realize it himself.

Teal'c sat back down to continue the translation. After about 15 minutes, O'Neill started playing with some pencils that were left out on the table, tapping and spinning them, and Teal'c was getting annoyed.

"Colonel O'Neill, would you mind leaving this room? I believe that silence and stillness will aid me in finishing my task."

"Sure thing." said Jack, knowing that there really wasn't anything he could do here anyway. "I'll go back to the infirmary and see if Major Carter's had her MRI yet."

Back in the infirmary, he noticed the distinct lack of personnel and took that moment to go to Sam's bedside. He lifted her pale hand and wrapped it in his own strong tanned one.

"Sam, I know you can hear me, keep fighting. Teal'c is looking for answers and we're going to find out what the orb did to you. Please hang in there for me, I mean the team. We all need you."


A/N: I know, I know. What is the ORB? See chapter….Sam's MRI. (insert evil laugh here.)