Thanks to my ever faithful band of reviewers for keeping me going here. I luv you guys.
YESTERDAY.
by Lingren.
Italics...indicate the internal conversation between the host and his Tok'ra symbiote.
Previously:
Daniel ran back to the DHD and punched in the co-ordinates once more. The gate exploded into a new wormhole and Sam sent their iris code again. Then they both ran into the liquid like fluctuations and landed with a clatter on the metal ramp in the SGC.
Chapter 4
Sam's haste in entering the wormhole carried her momentum almost to the foot of the ramp, to stop directly in front of General Hammond.
The General stood there speechless as the shimmering surface of the event horizon evaporated with a snap for the second time, moments before anyone could order the Iris to close.
Sam followed his confused gaze to the idle gate and back again.
"Sir?" she asked wondering why he was staring behind her.
"Major Carter?" he asked bewildered. "Where is Colonel O'Neill?"
"What?" she and Daniel both gasped, looking round the gate room for their friend.
She couldn't see Jack anywhere, but did catch sight of Teal'c's slightly puzzled look, so it had to be true. Jack really was missing?
"O'Neill did not come through the event horizon Major Carter!" Teal'c confirmed verbally.
"I...I don't know sir. He entered the wormhole before we did. He should be here!" Panic seized her and she fought to gain control of her wild thoughts, trying logically to understand what had gone wrong. She collected herself together, running through the events as calmly as she could. "He came through the gate just before the gate shut down the first time. We had to dial it up again so we could come...home..." her voice broke on the last word right when the reality of the situation hit her. By dialling up the gate after the lightning strike had she inadvertently wiped out her Commanding Officer's signature if he was stuck in the gate?. "Oh my God!" she cried as full realisation of her actions hit her like a ton of bricks.
She felt sick, physically sick. She...she had done this to Jack. She had lost his signature in the wormhole and erased it by dialling the gate again. Jack was gone. There was no way to get him back now. He had winked out of existence as soon as Daniel had punched in the DHD symbols and re-activated the gate.
Sam hastily gulped down the bile that had risen in her throat and threatened to overwhelm her. She ran from the room, only to be gaped at by a stunned General Hammond who'd remained mystified by her sudden silence and the distressed expression on her face before she fled the room.
Daniel had paled significantly at the implication, and, felt guilty that he was responsible for Jack's untimely demise. He understood, Sam's heartbreak now; he felt devastated himself. Jack was his friend and he'd been the one to 'kill' him.
Outwardly much calmer than he actually felt inside, he stepped forward to face the General.
"Uh...General Hammond? I think we should take this to the briefing room sir."
Hammond roused himself with difficulty and blinked back to the present, to look at the Doctor.
"Very well," he replied sharply. He just wanted to know what the hell that was all about, and where was his 2IC?
He marched from the room, Daniel trotted behind him, head down in remorse, with a more than usual solemn Teal'c bringing up the rear.
Once they were in the briefing room, the General stood beside his chair, and took a closer look at the dazed remnants of his premier team. They were soaked to the skin and in Daniel Jackson's case, deathly pale. The young man's eyes were haunted by grief.
"Will someone kindly explain to me what just what the hell happened down there?" the General demanded quietly.
Daniel hesitated but raised a finger to attract Hammond's attention.
"General, sir, we...em...we just...lost Jack..." he answered softly, as if saying it quietly would mean it never really happened, and that Jack would walk in any minute and say...'Miss me? Fooled ya!' However, that wasn't real. Jack wouldn't walk anywhere any more and they'd never hear his voice again, be it in jest, questioning them about the mission or yelling at him in particular over some minor disagreement. There would be no more bantering, no friendly hand on his shoulder to reassure him when things got tough. Daniel sniffed back a threatening tear and tried to force his feelings into some semblance of priority. The General needed to know what happened.
"What? How?" Hammond asked feeling stunned by the news.
"There...there was a thunderstorm raging round us, and Jack...," he swallowed painfully at the mention of his friend's name. "...Jack ordered us back to the gate. However, by the time we reached the gate, the lightning was very bad; it was very vivid and almost continuous. Jack told me to dial anyway as there was nowhere to shelter nearby and the storm was getting worse if anything..." he paused again, composing himself for the next and crucial part of the story.
"Jack...as Jack entered the wormhole, there was a brilliant flash of lightning and it struck the gate. The wormhole then shut down, and Sam ordered me to re-dial. We didn't realise what had happened. We didn't know Jack was... Hell, we all know...we know what happened to Teal'c when he was caught in the collapsing event horizon General. If Jack...if he was stuck in the same way, then, when I re-dialled, Jack's signature would have been erased for good..." Daniel's voice petered off with a strangle gulp. His arms wrapped tightly round his torso without conscious thought while he sat in a silent, tortuous misery. His whole being shouted guilty to those observant enough to notice the heavy burden of guilt he was carrying in excess of his grief.
Teal'c did.
Although he had understood what had gone so wrong, he was well versed in maintaining control of his emotions enough to lay a reassuring hand onto Daniel's shoulder.
"Do not blame yourself Daniel Jackson. O'Neill would not wish you to add your guilt to your heavy heart. It was not your fault," Teal'c consoled him. "O'Neill would have suffered no pain. We have lost a great warrior this day. Perhaps not on the field of battle as he would have expected, but the memory of his accomplishments will be well remembered by his friends.
Hammond's knees felt weak and he slid unsteadily down onto his chair. Jack was gone, he couldn't believe it; and there was no way; no miracle waiting in the wings to bring him back this time. On this occasion, his death would be permanent. No wonder Major Carter had fled when she had realised what she had unwittingly done, though she had no choice in the matter. It would be hard on her. Hammond closed his eyes against the harsh reality of the situation. He couldn't imagine what life would be like at the SGC without the man who had brought a slice of his energetic irreverence to the base. The Colonel was...had been...unique in many ways; his team as well as his methods of soldiering were exceptional and exemplary and their achievements barely touched upon by any other team.
General Hammond sat quietly, his hands steepled against his brow, elbows resting on the table. He re-opened his eyes again with a big sigh, and looked across at Daniel's despondent face. In a rare show of emotion, Hammond reached across, clasped Daniel's hand in his before squeezing it.
"Go get yourself along to the infirmary son. Let Dr. Frasier check you over. You too Teal'c," he ordered softly. He sympathised with their loss and could not fault them their moment of heartache. If anything, he knew that once the rest of SG-1 had recovered, then they would be stronger than before. Their ties were more than the word 'team-mates' implied. Jack had been responsible for that. SG-1 was a 'family', and Jack was its head. The brash, easy going and oft times insubordinate officer had become like a son to him, and he felt his loss keenly.
In fact, Hammond decided, he would have to make a visit to the infirmary himself to see if Major Carter were there. He was worried that this disaster might break her spirit and that it would take her a long time to get over it. He also knew that O'Neill had meant a hell of a lot more to her than their relationship was supposed to allow, but it was only last week that the President had permitted any kind of fraternisation between them. He'd turned a blind eye to their closeness in the past, preferring to believe that they deserved to be together. They were professional at all times whilst at work so he could trust them to keep to their side of the line and not cross it until they were off duty. Now it didn't matter, it was too late.
Long minutes after Daniel and Teal'c had left the room did he finally heave himself off the chair and sadly make his way down the hallway to the elevator.
TBC