A Big Thank You to everyone who reviewed. Hugs! Sorry about the delay. RL gets a bit hectic on occasions. I'll try to do better next time.
TO HAVE AND TO HOLD.
By LetitiaRichards
Previously:
"Colonel O'Neill wasn't up to...anything Daniel. He could barely move, let alone... And Sam damn well knew that! She wouldn't expect him to...perform," Janet spluttered indignantly. "Sam has too much respect for his battered body," she finished on a calmer note, knowing Daniel would be able to fill in all the other details for himself. He was supposed to be a genius after all.
Well, he's certainly not up to anything at the moment, that's for sure!" Daniel sighed.
Chapter 4
Janet checked her watch. It was still early in the morning. Why couldn't Sam be at home in bed? It would have made life so much easier.
"Did you check her lab?" Janet asked, hoping that somehow her friend had returned and stayed here for the rest of the night, but even as she thought about it, she had to dismiss it from her theory. How else could they explain Sam's car still being round Jack's last evening when Daniel discovered that Jack had been badly assaulted.
"Of course I did," Daniel replied testily. He felt terrible; torn between guilt and worry for both his friends. "Sorry," he apologised hastily. "I'm just...worried I guess."
Not one of them even entertained the notion that Sam had been guilty of attacking her CO. They knew her far too well to even think it, let alone suggest it. They trusted her with their lives. Jack certainly did.
Janet reached out and squeezed Daniel's arm offering comfort.
"Look, I have to go report to General Hammond. You can go and sit with the Colonel if you like but I really think we need to go find Sam first," Janet sighed. She's already worked a long shift when Jack was brought in, now several hours had passed and she was almost dead on her feet, but she couldn't relax now; not with Jack so sick and Sam missing. There'd be no point in trying to sleep, her mind was just too full of concern to allow her to switch off and rest.
"Then maybe we ought to inform the General that we think Sam is missing," Daniel suggested. It was all he could think to do.
"Indeed Daniel Jackson. It seems most likely that whoever perpetrated the crime against O'Neill, also took Major Carter away, most likely by force. I believe we should instigate a search for her," Teal'c stated in his usual stoic calm despite the urgent need to locate the missing Major.
"Good. Let's all go see the General."
The three hurried to the elevator and then along to the General's office.
It was late when General Hammond received a call from Daniel saying that Jack had been found injured and unconscious at his home and that Janet was assessing the damage right then, in her infirmary. Hammond had dropped everything and rushed back to Cheyenne Mountain to see for himself. Now he was waiting in his office for news of his 2IC's latest escapade.
Janet knocked on the ever open door and waited for the obligatory response.
"Come!" Hammond motioned, watching in puzzlement as all three entered.
"Dr. Frasier, Dr. Jackson, Teal'c?" he enquired. "What can I do for you?"
Janet spoke up first.
"Sir, we've reason to believe that Major Carter may have gone missing."
"I thought you were here to report on Colonel O'Neill's condition Doctor," he said looking up at Janet.
"I am General, but I strongly believe that...Major Carter has been abducted from the scene of the crime. Apparently she had gone to the Colonel's house last night after she left here to see how he was."
Hammond's eyebrow shot up in a 'jumped to' conclusion.
"Really?"
"I...I asked her to call in there to see if he was okay and if he needed anything sir," Janet volunteered. It wouldn't hurt in this instant to stretch the truth a little she hoped.
"I see. So you're telling me that you think whoever did this to Colonel O'Neill, did so in order to kidnap Major Carter? It all sounds rather a drastic way of going about it to me Doctor. Surely it would have been better to wait until she was on her own before making a move?"
"I know it's a long shot General, but yes I agree," Daniel stated in defence of their theory. "I was going to call round when I finished translating the text on the artefact that SG-4 came back with. That's when I found Jack. God...if I had gone straight home... I almost did...go home that is. It was late and I was tired, and I didn't want to disturb them...him."
Hammond knew when his people were trying to pull the wool over his eyes, and saw at once a conspiracy brewing between them.
"Please don't treat me like an old fool Dr. Jackson, so why don't you tell me the truth. I am neither blind, nor am I deaf to the rumours that circulate underneath this mountain. I've had my suspicions about the Colonel and the Major for quite a while now. I also read reports, including the one from the Zatarc testing a few years back. I was also under the impression that they had never crossed that line...until now perhaps? What aren't you telling me Doctor Jackson?"
Daniel was furious with himself, but to refuse to admit any knowledge about what they had done. It would be tantamount to admitting their guilt.
"General I don't know what to say. They trusted me, and now I've ruined everything..."
"No son, you haven't ruined everything. I would rather know the truth than to be lied to. I have the utmost confidence that this can be resolved within this small circle of friends and the rumours confined to this base. Rumours can be denied with a little ingenuity and a lot of planning."
"But I've just ruined Jack's career. How can I face him with that?"
"No Daniel. You just saved his life." Maybe, Janet added silently, wishing for his survival. "If you hadn't gone round there when you did he could well have died," Janet soothed, seeing Daniel getting worked up. His arms were wrapped tightly round his torso in guilt.
"As I said Dr. Jackson, rumours can be denied and as far as that is concerned, Jack will have to make darn sure he stays within the regulations from now on, though what exactly the outcome of all this will be is another matter. I would hate it if he has no option but to retire. He's a brilliant leader, and instils a fierce loyalty in the men and women of this base."
"Indeed, his retirement would be a great loss to this facility, General Hammond," Teal'c assessed calmly.
"Which brings us right back to how is he Doctor?"
Janet blinked and mentally shook herself to make her report...
"So you're saying that the Colonel could wake up...when?"
"Any time sir. Could be tomorrow, next week, a month, maybe a year or in some cases years from now. I have no way of knowing sir," she replied, feeling helpless in the face of this crisis. "His other functions are normal, he's breathing on his own. It's like he's in a deep sleep sir, except there's no way that we can wake him up."
"And in the meantime Major Carter has been missing for...how long would you estimate that the Colonel has been out of it...?"
"Since last evening sir. At a rough estimate I would say he was probably unconscious for around two hours before Daniel found him."
"That would make approximately 9 or 10 hours, give or take."
"Sam could be anywhere by now, even out of the country," Daniel muttered gloomily.
"They have indeed got a good head start on us Daniel Jackson," Teal'c agreed.
"Dr. Jackson, did you notice anything at the Colonel's house that seemed unusual, or out of place?"
"No sir, nothing. Jack was out on the deck when I found him. There was nothing 'unusual' at all, apart from the fact that Jack was lying there with his head bashed in and bleeding to death. Everything else appeared as it normally would have been."
They were interrupted by a knock on the door. A young SF was standing there with a large brown envelope in his hands. He saluted and handed it to the General.
"Sir, this just arrived by special delivery sir."
"Thank you airman," Hammond took it from the young man and dismissed him then tore open the flap. Inside he found a couple of photographs of Jack and Sam kissing in Jack's back yard. He handed it to Daniel, his face showing disappointment. Deep down he was hoping that this wasn't anything more than just rumours and that Jack had managed to contain his feelings as he had done for the past years.
As Daniel perused the pictures a note fluttered to the floor. Janet picked it up and handed it straight to the General. He read:
General Hammond,
Someone's not playing fair here George. If flyboy here can have his oats, why can't the rest of us? Something needs to be done. Either change the regulations or sort out lover boy, if not, I will be forced to go higher up the chain of command to reveal this liaison. If you and O'Neill want to see the fair Major Samantha Carter returned in one piece, then I suggest you get it sorted…General!
Signed…Frustration Personified.
"So we have our indisputable proof that it was more than we suspected," Hammond said bitterly. He had no choice now than to follow it up. He handed them the note to read.
TBC