Good Luck & Godspeed
Part 2
She told me to open my eyes and I saw we were at the SGC. I couldn't believe it; she had gotten me home. In my excitement I picked her up and swung her around.
"I'm back! Let's go tell Danny, T and Carter!"
I ran down the hallway and Doc called me back. "Jack you're not entirely back, they can't see you or me. I wanted you to see what havoc your absence has caused."
I stopped and turned around and looked at her. She took my hand and said, "Let's go see the General first."
We got to his office and spied General Hammond looking at paperwork. We looked over his shoulder to see they were his retirement papers that had been rejected by the President. Next was my paperwork for my promotion to General. He let out a long sigh and rubbed his face with his hand and said out loud, "Son I wish you were here so I can tell you how proud I am of you. You deserve this for serving your country and for saving the earth once again."
Taking the box with my stars he outlined them with his fingers and I could see he was fighting back tears. "Jack you're like the son I never had. I never got to say that to you and I wish to hell I had. Hold on son we will find a way to get you back."
Closing the box he put the paperwork away and got up from his desk to go back to the control room.
I was moved and Janet reached for my hand. "I told you you're a big part of this place Jack. Let's go see Teal'c."
Teal'c was meditating. Janet took my hand and placed it on Teal'c's head. I could hear him thinking. He was wondering if he could have somehow saved me. He was contemplating where else he could search for the answer to free me, wondering if I would ever be saved from this fate. Knowing he could not leave his friends to go fight with the Rebel Jaffa because he felt responsible for Carter, Daniel and Cassie. I felt the heaviness in Teal'c's heart. Teal'c opened his eyes and went to his desk and pulled out a picture of SG1 and another of just him and me.
"My brother I feel you near. I ask you to show me the way to free you; we grow weary of this losing battle. Major Carter, Daniel Jackson and I miss your presence. I feel I am losing them they have started to pull away and withdraw. I can't seem to help them like you do. O'Neill show me the way to free you from this nightmare".
This was wrong. I stepped back and walked out. Janet followed when the klaxon's started to ring signaling an off world activation. Teal'c raced to the gate room and we followed closely behind.
Daniel and Sam were already there and I stopped in my tracks when I saw the rest of my team.
Daniel looked older and worn out. I could see the dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep. He held a cup of coffee and I could see the slight shake in his hands. He had lost weight and if a strong breeze came by it would surely knock him down.
I gasped at the sight in front of me.
Sam.
She looked like she was ready to fall. She looked paler and had dark circles under her eyes too. She tried to hide her weight loss by putting on extra clothes and a bigger size jacket. But I knew she had lost lots of weight due to me. She looked like she'd been run over. She didn't care about her appearance. Her hair was sticking out like mine used too.
I left Janet's side and went to stand next to her and tried to touch her face. She turned and seemed to be looking at me, I held my breath but she turned around when the iris opened.
A communication came through from SG3 informing them that they were coming in hot. They were being chased by a troop of Jaffa. Staff blasts started to rain through the gate. The blast doors came down and everyone took cover except for Daniel and Sam.
One blast almost hit Daniel. Teal'c pushed him down but Sam didn't flinch.
I yelled, "Sam get down!" She didn't hear me, how could she I wasn't there. Another had just missed her when I barked.
"Damn it, Major get your ass down on the floor now that's an order."
It looked like she wasn't paying attention. Enthralled by all the explosions and the staff blasts that where streaming through the wormhole.
Daniel looked up and yelled, "Sam get down!"
Teal'c looked up and was shocked to see that Sam was not listening. She was paying too much attention to the blasts coming through the wormhole. He leapt and brought her down, a blast barely missing her. A blast that would have taken her life.
SG3 came through and yelled to close the iris. I ran up to Teal'c and saw that Sam's eyes were closed. General Hammond came through the room to assess the damage and ask what had happened.
He saw Sam's condition and motioned to Teal'c to take her to the infirmary and told SG3 that they would debrief in 1 hour.
We followed Teal'c to the infirmary and I was beside myself. Janet had not said anything. I turned to her and asked, "Janet what's wrong with her? She could have gotten killed back there."
Janet pulled me away from them and said that she had never seen Sam look so lost. "I think we might be too late Jack she doesn't care for her own life. She feels like she has nothing left to live for. Come I'll show you what I mean."
Pulling me through the infirmary doors and we went to Sam's side. She was still unconscious and Janet took my hand and placed it on her forehead.
I could feel the hurt she was feeling. I saw a glimpse of what her life had been like these last couple of months. I felt her frustration in not being able to figure out the chamber. Her anger and disappointment towards the Tok'ra and Asgard was evident in her mind and her inability to contact them for help. I cried out in anger when I saw what Pete had been putting her through and then I heard her whisper my name.
I pulled my hand away and looked down at her she was awake. Daniel and Teal'c took her hands and I started to walk out.
I went to Sam's lab to think. Janet came up to me and I waved her away. She persisted.
"We're not through, you still have to see what your absence has done to Daniel and Cassie."
"No we're done. I don't want to see anymore Janet, get me out of here. You have some kind of power show me what to do. Help me help them Doc."
She shook her head and told me that I had the answers all in my head and I needed to try to access them.
I yelled at her that I couldn't. I didn't know what I had in my head that would release me from this sleep. That she was the all knowing, that she was here to help me so help.
I was lashing out at her. I could feel Carter's pain in me and I needed to get back to her to stop this madness.
I stood up and told Janet I felt Sam's pain. "It's like she knows I'm here. I can't explain it doc but back in the Gate room she stared at me before the iris open and at the infirmary she called out my name.
Janet grabbed my hand.
"Are you sure Jack? This might be a good thing, we could find out the way to free you from this nightmare and then you can communicate with her and tell her what to do to get you back to them."
I looked at Janet and nodded yes. Hope sprung up in me. I might have a chance to get back to my life with the help of the one person that I saw needed me as much as I needed her. She grabbed my hand and dragged me back to the infirmary.
TBC
