Chapter 11: Familiar Danger
"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Jonas wondered, a bit annoyed, and now also frightened.
Mollie shrugged. "You never asked." She replied innocently.
"I shouldn't have to, not with something this important!" Jonas shouted.
"Please, I'm sorry Jonas. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before." Mollie said, her voice thin and desperate, her eyes glittered like she was about to cry. She didn't think Jonas would ever get this mad at her.
"Well in a matter such as this you should've told me! I've been picking paths at random and now you tell me I could've very easily killed myself in doing so?" Jonas was frustrated, and angry at the same time, he didn't mean to lash out at her.
"I'm sorry!" Mollie yelled and then she ran off, sobbing wildly.
Colonel O'Neill stood, taken aback at what had just happened.
"Oh way to go Jonas, scare the kid off." O'Neill said simply.
"She should've told me!" Jonas was still fuming.
"Yes, she should've, but can you really blame her? She didn't want to scare you from taking the path that will lead you out. The only way to get out of here is to take risks. Would you have picked the paths you did if she'd told you that one may lead you to ceratin death?" Jack asked.
Jonas thought about that for a moment, then in defeat shook his head in the negative.
"No, probably not." Jonas answered.
"Exactly!" O'Neill called out in triumph, he'd proven his point.
"So where do I go?" Jonas asked.
Colonel O'Neill shrugged. "Don't ask me, I'm not your guide. You just sent your guide away. Aren't you screwed now?" O'Neill replied.
Jonas swallowed, "Mollie? Mollie, come back, I need you." Jonas pleaded. The girl didn't show up.
His heart beating wildly now, Jonas struggled with the way that he should go. Finally deciding on continuing in the direction he was headed, he moved off, Colonel O'Neill following behind him.
As he moved on, he heard the clear sound of beeping monitors, and the distinct voice of Colonel O'Neill speaking to him.
"Is this it?" Jonas asked, his heart leaping.
"I dunno." Jack said.
"I think this is it! I think this is the way out!" Jonas exclaimed.
"I wouldn't be so sure." Jack said.
"It is, it's the only thing it could be."
"You know the old saying that your mind can play tricks on you? What if this is a trick?" Jack asked, his voice desperate.
"I don't think it is." Jonas replied and started forward.
"No Jonas, stop Jonas." O'Neill said boredly, as though it didn't make a difference to him one way or another. Jonas had already chosen not to hear him, whatever happened next would be Jonas's problem alone
Jonas chose not to heed the Colonel's warning, and kept going.
As he drew closer to the sounds, he felt the ground give way beneath him and he fell, catching hold of the edge in a desperate attempt to keep himself from plummeting.
"Colonel!" Jonas called. O'Neill appeared over him, looking down at him.
"I tried to warn you." He replied simply, not making any move to help.
"Please, help me up!" Jonas pleaded.
"I wish I could, but I can't!" O'Neill sounded truly sorry now, and pain was heard in his words.
"Why not?" Jonas asked, still holding on.
"Because I can't interfere! I'm only here to give you words of advice, I tried to do that and you wouldn't listen. With that simple act of tuning me out, you made it so I can't help you." O'Neill called.
"Colonel, please!" Jonas called.
"I can't!" Jack sounded frustrated now.
"Jonas!" Came a desperate scream from Mollie. He saw her frightened face peering down at him seconds after she yelled.
"Mollie, help me, please!" Jonas called.
The child dropped to her stomach and thrust her hands over the edge, gripping Jonas's hands in her tiny grasp. Suddenly, this scene seemed eerily familiar. It was the same when they were nine, and Mollie met her end, with Jonas not being able to do anything about it.
"Grab on!" Mollie yelled.
Jonas reached and his grip slipped, the child was struggling to hold him from falling.
In the infirmary, Jack sat next to Jonas once again. The Colonel was beginning to nod off, when he heard the monitors beep madly, signifying a critical condition.
"Doctor! Get in here!" O'Neill yelled.
Fraser rushed in, followed closely by Sam, who had heard the shout of her CO.
"What happened?" Sam yelled as Fraser gently pushed O'Neill aside so she could get in.
Jack shrugged helplessly. The monitors registering Jonas's heart rate flat-lined at that moment and Fraser jumped into overdrive.
"He's flat-lining! Charge paddles to two hundred!" Janet yelled indicating the machine that would shock Jonas's heart back into beating.