Hey folks! Sorry it's taken so long, but here it is! Chapter three from sueKay04!!
Jack watched Homer no - Hammond sit down at the briefing room table.
"Colonel O'Neill. Care to fill us in on what happened after SG1 and SG3 pulled back"
Jack's mind was a haze. SG1and SG3? Pulled Back?
"From what?"
Sam and Daniel looked at each other. Teal'c raised an eyebrow, and General Hammond rolled his eyes.
"Sir. What happened once us and SG3 gated back."
"Erm...uh."
[Lie! They can't find out! Say that I was dead when you found Marana!]
"Who was that?" Jack asked.
General Hammond levelled an incredulous glare at his 2IC.
"Who was what?" enquired Daniel.
"That annoying female voice!"
This time Sam glared at Jack. "Sir. Did Janet ask you to go back to the infirmary for something?"
"Was that her I heard a second ago?"
Daniel shook his head, before rubbing the bridge of his nose.
[Jack you...Jackass! Just say that you woke up in a ditch and that I was dead!]
"What happened on the planet Colonel?" Hammond asked, irritation gnawing away at his vocal chords.
"You woke up in a ditch and that I was dead?"
Another silent beat followed, but was broken by a loud "Ah!" from Jack's direction.
[Jack! You idiot! Snap out of it!]
Out of what?
[Do I have to kick you again?]
"That was you?" Jack growled.
Hammond sighed, before giving the rest of SG1 a pained look. "Colonel. I want you to go and see Dr. Frasier and...get your head examined!"
"Why? What's wrong with it?"
"I don't know yet Colonel! Doctor Frasier will let you know!"
"Okay okay. I'll just tell Sally what I'm doing."
Teal'c shot his friend a look. "O'Neill. Who is Sally?"
"She's the voice in my head!" And with that, Jack staggered out of the briefing room.
The Air Force courtesy car pulled up into Jack's street. He indicated to the driver to stop, before he hastily got out. He swayed up to his front porch, before falling in his front door.
[Is the décor in here dull or what?]
"Sal...Do me a favour...Don't talk."
[Yah sure you betcha!]
Jack peeled himself off of the floor and staggered along the hall and down the stairs to his bedroom. The inebriation from the chemicals had worn off, but he now had one hell of a hangover.
Quickly ridding himself of his mud stained greens (he'd been too 'drunk' to change earlier), he donned his favourite air force T-shirt and navy sweat pants. He flopped on to the bed and shut his eyes desperately trying to rid himself of the day's memories.
[Can I talk yet?]
"No." Jack spoke out loud; Telepathy required too much effort.
[Why not?]
"Read my mind and get back to me. Preferably tomorrow."
[You're really mad at me aren't you?]
"Of course not!" Jack shouted sarcastically.
Stupid snake! Jonathan! What possessed you to say yes to being a host!
He stopped his thought, when he sensed Sally's thoughts. He'd hurt her with that comment.
[You despise all of us. Even the Tok'ra.] She stated.
Images and feelings bombarded Jack from his past. His relief at Ra's demise. His utter delight at Apophis' death. The sheer terror he felt for Ba'al.
"Yeah. I'm sorry."
[I'm shocked at your feelings for the Tok'ra. You were jealous of Martouf/Lantash, and you despise Anise/Freya.]
"I just don't trust them."
[Is that why you have yet complete the blending?]
"Huh?" I thought it was done! He thought.
[NO. In order for the blending to reach resolution, you must look into my mind, and freely share yours with me.]
"I thought I had already! You've accessed my mind!"
[Only for information relevant to our predicament.]
"Ah!"
The pair lay quietly for a few minutes, until one of Jack's free-flowing thoughts was grabbed by Sal'moro. It was the Urgo incident. Sally seized control.
"Hmm...What an interesting verse!"
[For crying out loud Sal...Give me my voice back!]
"Let me think...uh...no!"
Sally/Jack bounded to his/her feet.
"Row Row Row your boat gently down the stream. Merrily, Merrily, Merri..."
[Sally!]
"Merrily. Life is but a stream!"
[For crying out loud!]
"Row Row Row your boat..."
[Sal'moro! Please shut up!]
"Sorry. Got carried away there!"
Jack felt his eyes 'light up'. He was back in control.
"Jonathan! Next time a snake asks you for help - ignore them!" He then felt his own hand slap him on the face. "Ow!"
[In future...Don't expect any help with that butt of yours!]
"Hey Janet!" Sam smiled as she walked into her friend's office.
"Hey Sam!"
"What was going on with the Colonel earlier?"
"When I first scanned him after his de-needling, I found traces of several toxins in his bloodstream. I gave him a CAT scan and an Ultrasound on his neck region when he began acting like a..."
"Pratt?" Sam offered.
"Yeah."
"What are the chemicals from?"
"At first I thought that there may have been an alien influence, but both scans were clean. The toxins I found are naturally occurring, but normally only in minute traces."
"Are you saying that the Colonel is chemically imbalanced?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"The toxins are normally only released during times of stress, anxiety and depression. The Colonel's very insular with his feelings..."
"Janet."
"Jack just had a little...'episode'. He's suffering from acute clinical depression."
"What!" Daniel shouted as he paced the floor of his office.
"Daniel..."
"This is all my fault! I should have noticed it sooner!"
"Daniel Jackson!" Teal'c raised his voice, "It is no-one's fault."
"Janet said that we should keep an eye on him, and try to get him to open up about his troubles, or to at least talk to us about stuff outside of the SGC and the Simpsons."
"Like that'll ever happen." Muttered Daniel.
Sam paced the floor, trying to think of what they could do.
"Guys. Are you both free tonight?"
"Yes."
"Indeed."
"I think the Colonel needs a night out!"
Jack/Sally were watching the Simpsons. After their last Spat, both had agreed to do all the talking telepathically. Jack had been more than relieved when Sally had started laughing at the first episode of the Simpsons season 8. If she'd hated it, he wouldn't have been able to cope.
[Hey Jack!]
Yeah
[I've thought of something.]
What?
[If General Hammond had you sense of humour, your taste in food, and the IQ that everyone thinks that you have, he'd be just like Homer!]
I know! That's why I think they're both great men!
[The Goa'uld and the Tok'ra don't have anything like this whatsoever. We have no culture of our own.]
That's too bad. What's your food like?
[We don't have any of our own cuisine. All of our food is from cultures outside our own.]
What do you think of our food so far?
[Amazing! You are spoilt for choice! I have to say that I love this...popcorn, and Guinness is to die for!]
I'm glad you like it! It's Irish!
[Guinness is Irish just like you? What is Irish?]
When we finish blending you'll know.
[Oh okay!]
Their chatter was interrupted by a loud knock at the door.
[Who is that Jack?]
Let me just find out.
Jack resumed full control, after Sally helped herself to another handful of popcorn. He walked towards the door, and looked through his peephole to see Daniel peering back at him. Jack opened the door.
"Hey Jack!" said Daniel, "How are you? Feeling better?"
"Uh...yeah...fine." Jack started. "What are you guys doing here?"
Teal'c cut to the chase. "Dr. Frasier told us of your illness."
Crap! They'll all think I'm depressed! I'm not! It just looks that way because of the chemicals!
[Just tell them you feel fine. But tell them sincerely. No joking about.]
"Guys. Honestly...I'm fine." Jack looked at the two sets of worried blue orbs, and the one set of brown ones in front of him.
"I'm sorry if I worried you all earlier."
There was an awkward, but understanding silence for a few moments.
"Sir. We're going to O'Malleys. Would you like to come along?"
"I...uh..."
[Yes! I want to see more of your world! What is O'Malleys?]
It's an Irish bar. They serve really good steaks!
[I must go! I want to find out what Irish is!]
Sure! Why not! I'll just go and get ready."
"Okay sir. We'll go and wait in my car."
Well what do you think? Just press that little button in the corner and tell us!!
The next chapter should be up in a little while, from second author Mishy Mo!