Chapter 7: Controlling The Memories

Finally, regaining his composure, Jonas pressed on down the path. He had control over his memories? What was that supposed to mean?

Come on Jonas, you're quite smart, think! He thought to himself. If he had control over his thoughts, then he should be able to choose what he remembered, shouldn't he?

For the sake of trying, he thought of a particular memory that he wanted to recall. Much to his surprise, it didn't work out as he planned. Instead of the memory he wanted, he got one completely different.

He was tossed back into his more recent past, and heard Colonel O'Neill's teasing laughter as Jonas sat on the floor of a cage that he'd accidentally set off on a mission a couple of months ago.

"Don't free the animals!" Jack replied, barely able to contain himself.

"Just get me out of here!" Were Jonas's words, or close to the words that he spoke, he figured.

In spite of his situation, he found himself laughing at the new memory and heard Mollie giggling nearby.

"I can't believe you got yourself caged!" The girl laughed.

"Not by choice, I assure you."

"No, it wouldn't be, would it?"

"Certainly not." Jonas answered. Mollie looked at him then, and seemed to be listening to something.

"Jonas, look at this." She replied, stepping aside to reveal another flickering image of the infirmary once again. This time however, it was Dr. Fraser who was speaking to him.

"Colonel O'Neill doesn't like to admit it, but he really does like you, and he's worried about you. So are your other team mates. Jonas, if you can hear me at all, and I don't doubt you can. We're all pulling for you, so just hang in there." The image disappeared again.

"They care about you Jonas." Mollie replied.

"Yeah, I heard that." Jonas was standing shocked at the fact that Jack was actually concerned. Although he didn't know why he was so shocked. It was the Colonel's duty to watch out for his team, and he thought that he failed in allowing Jonas to fall victim to this situation.

With that thought, came another memory. A few weeks ago, the mission with SG-8. O'Neill had shot Jonas and came searching for him. Once O'Neill found him, he was willing to sacrifice himself to get them out of there, and so had gone to do away with the demon himself.

"He shot you?" Mollie replied.

"Yeah, but he did it to save me." Then Jonas became curious as to how Mollie was hearing his thoughts.

"How are you . . . "He began.

"Hearing your thoughts?" Mollie finished for him.

"Exactly."

"Did you forget that I'm part of your subconscious mind? Although you're thinking to yourself, I can still hear you, because I'm part of you." The girl said.

Jonas nodded, that did make sense.

Jonas thought back to the same mission that he'd become caged on, and recalled how Jack felt about him deciding to joust. Then he recalled how concerned Jack had been when Jonas was thrown from Serge's back, as well as when he became trapped in the burning barn.

"Jousting? Jonas, I can't believe you!" Mollie replied in amusement.

"I know, what was I thinking?" Jonas wondered.

Then his thoughts wandered to something else, the desperation of the king's daughter when she saw her father murdered.

"That's awful! No child should have to go through that!" Mollie responded.

"Tell me about it."

Jonas continued down the rocky path and halted at once as another familiar smell drifted toward him. He instantly recognized it as the smell of the Cora plants on that planet where Major Carter was almost thrown to her death.

He recalled how he'd trusted Coris, the child that seemed so innocent, and eventually turned out to be pure evil. It was the same mission where Daniel Jackson had showed up to help. Daniel had pulled him from the river after he fell. He'd pulled him to safety.

Jonas also remembered how cold the planet had been, and how dark it was. The feel of the water on his skin, the pain of hitting the face of the cliff after being tossed from it.

He remembered the strange visions that he'd had of the disaster of the planet.

All of this flashed through his mind at top speed, all seeming to blur together and become one picture.

"Oh Jonas, how terrible!" Mollie yelled. It was then clear that she was experiencing all that Jonas was, as far as the memory flashes went.

Suddenly, the memories stopped, and Jonas found himself standing on the edge of the cliff that he'd fallen from, staring into the dark water far below him.

"You must've been scared to death." Mollie whispered.

"Yeah, I had nightmares for weeks after that." Jonas admitted. He then recalled the nightmare that had drawn Lieutenant Gray of SG-8 at his yell, to see if there was a rogue Goa'uld on the loose.

"She thought you were crazy." Mollie giggled.

"Tell me about it." Jonas said.

He then backed away from the cliff edge, having reached another dead end, and turned back to take the path that looked less treacherous.

As he walked away, he heard the thumping of feet as Mollie ran to catch up with him.