A Single Man of Courage – part ten
Jack struggled against the blackness. He fought to regain his senses, and then as the pain hit he wished he hadn't. He was lying on something hard and cold, his arms pulled high above his head, with his wrists and ankles bound tightly.
He tried to shift slightly to ease his stiff body when a blow to his face snapped his head to the side.
A familiar voice spoke near his ear. "So you awaken."
The coppery taste of blood flooded his mouth.
"Ya think," he muttered, surprised at how weak his voice sounded.
Another blow rocked Jack's head. He spat out the blood from his mouth in the direction of the voice and tried to open his eyes again. His vision was blurred and one eye failed to respond, and he realized it was swollen shut. He could just make out the outline of someone standing over him, a thick stick wavering closer to his face, before it was traced down his body and Jack braced himself for another blow.
"Where are your people, Colonel? Where are they heading?"
'At least they haven't got the others,' he thought gladly, trying to clear the fog from his brain.
"Who helped you?"
"Allah."
A blow to his ribs knocked the breath from him. Taking gulps of air to try and steady himself proved impossible - no sooner had he got a breath, another blow hit him.
The face of Samels loomed close to him, as the man once more threatened him with the stick.
"Colonel, it is only a matter of time before we capture your men. Make it easier for yourself. How do we breach the shield you have in your world?"
"Dial it up and try it," spat Jack as he braced himself for another blow, but none came.
"Colonel, you are bleeding to death. You have lost much blood already," said Samels as he prodded at him with the stick.
'At least I won't have to put up with this for long then,' thought Jack.
"What is the code for this?" Samels asked, holding up a GDO.
"Bite me!"
Another blow hit him, lower this time, on his stomach.
"Colonel, why suffer?"
Jack bit down, declining to answer. Another blow to his stomach made him gasp in pain. The blow was repeated several times and Jack couldn't hold back his groans of agony
Samels leaned over him again. He ripped open Jack's t-shirt, revealing the gaping cut to his side. Jack heard the wooden stick clatter to the floor, but wasn't prepared for what happened next. He gasped again as probing fingers bit into the wound until he screamed and then thankfully, he lost consciousness.
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Daniel, Sam and Teal'c looked up as the wall opened revealing Hassuf. He closed it behind him and entered the room, an expression of dismay on his face.
"Any news?" asked Sam, quickly getting to her feet.
It didn't take much for Hassuf to understand what she was asking and he began speaking slowly to Daniel.
"Jack's alive. They have him in the dungeon, but he's badly hurt. They can't get near him, but one of the guards spoke to Hassuf. Jack killed a lot of the guards last night and it was only when his ammunition ran out that they managed to overpower him," translated Daniel, his voice flat as he spoke.
"How badly is he hurt?" asked Sam.
Daniel spoke to Hassuf and then translated.
"They don't know for sure, but the guards weren't too happy when they overpowered him and Samels is questioning him now. They know he's lost a lot of blood." Sam went even paler as Daniel continued. "The diversion worked. Kissain thinks we're in the desert and all the available men have been sent out to look for us."
"We've got to get to the Colonel," said Sam.
Hassuf shook his head as Daniel translated.
"They'll not let anyone near him."
Sam took a deep breath. She felt like screaming. "We've got to try."
Hassuf sighed.
"If there is a way, but the guards think he won't be alive much longer." Daniel's voice faded to a whisper at the last few words.
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Jack came to, his body screaming all over with agony. He'd long since lost any feeling in his hands and arms, but the rest of his body made up for it.
"It is fortunate you wake, it has saved us the trouble of waking you." Samels came closer to hover over Jack. "Kissain himself has ordered you must live for now." As he spoke he fingered the gash, drawing the blood across Jack's stomach in a pattern, smiling when Jack bit down in pain.
Samels turned to the guards, laughing. "Maybe his people will be willing to trade for him and the others when we find them, if not … we can still enjoy ourselves," he said in his own language. "Is the iron hot enough?"
"Not yet," responded one of the guards.
As the words permeated Jack's tired brain, he knew with a sickening certainty they were going to stop the bleeding … the how was the crunch! The minutes seemed endless as he waited; trying to focus his mind, focus outside the stinking cell, away from the pain.
Samels leaned over Jack's face, smiling at the injured man beneath him. He gripped Jack cruelly by the face and gave a nod to one of the others.
As the red hot iron hit Jack's side he bucked, arching his back, but there was no escape from the searing pain. Jack couldn't hold the scream back; it rose in his chest and burst out hoarsely. His struggling popped one of his shoulders from its socket, but he didn't feel it - the intense searing agony from the wound overtook everything. The smell of burning flesh, his own, overpowered the stench from the cells, until at last mercifully, he blacked out.
Samels checked he was still alive and nodded to the guards to finish.
"Have him cleaned up and tended. Kissain needs him to travel tomorrow."
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Word was sent to the slaves' quarters and Hassuf saw the chance to see the Colonel. Quickly he gathered some clothes and went to the hiding place.
He thrust the bundle of clothing into Sam's arms giving a hurried explanation to Daniel.
"The guards want Jack cleaned up and tended for some reason. He says to hurry. They will allow himself and a girl without question."
"Thank God he's still alive," cried Sam and moved quickly to the back of the room to don the clothing. Hassuf helped to fix the veil, making sure her hair was fully covered and Daniel once more translated.
"He says to keep your eyes down. Don't look directly at anyone. Your color will give you away."
"Fine. I can take these." She grabbed some morphine along with some other medical item and hid them under her robes.
Daniel nodded and gave her a quick hug. Hassuf called impatiently to her and she hurried out with him. They passed through the servants' quarters to the kitchens where Hassuf had trays waiting with water, cloths and crude bandages. Sam was given a bundle of clothing and they were halfway there before she realized it was Jack's spare clothing from the stuff they'd left behind in their rooms.
As they neared the stairway once more Hassuf turned to her and put his fingers to his lips warning her not to speak at all. She nodded to show she understood. He seemed satisfied and carried on. He spoke quickly to the guards at the top of the staircase, who let them pass.
Another guard at the bottom beckoned them on, leading the way. He stopped them outside one of the cells and told them to wait.
Sam was trying to keep her head down as she stood waiting. She had to peer under her lashes to see into the cell, but she couldn't help the small gasp of dismay as she saw Jack tied down. Hassuf gave her a look of alarm, but thankfully the guards didn't notice as they began cutting the ropes that held him. One of the guards began slapping at Jack's face to wake him, laughing as more blood ran down his chin.
Eventually two of the guards dragged him, still unconscious, out of the cell and further into the dungeon. Hassuf and Sam were told to follow. The guards flung Jack into a cell with walls and a solid door. One of the guards kicked at Jack where he'd fallen and bid them enter before he left, laughing again as he locked the door behind him.
As soon as the door slammed shut Sam flew down onto the floor beside Jack. Hassuf was only seconds behind her to help turn him over. His face was cut and bruised, one eye swollen tightly shut, his lips split and bleeding.
Sam was dismayed and angry to find him in such a bad way although she had expected something of the sort. She began to check him over as gently as she could.
Hassuf cut what remained of Jack's t-shirt from him which drew Sam's attention to the dislocated shoulder and then to the burn on his side. The shoulder she could fix and immobilize, the burn she wasn't sure of. She'd expected a bloody gaping wound and she was horrified as it dawned on her how they'd stopped the bleeding. Dried blood stained his body. His side was raw and puckered; with a jagged wound several inches long. Sam swallowed hard to stop the nausea she felt rising further, and she made herself concentrate on the shoulder first.
Sam pantomimed what she wanted Hassuf to do and he braced himself, holding Jack firmly. Drawing a deep breath she maneuvered herself around and taking Jack's arm she pushed her foot into his armpit and pulled, swallowing hard to keep the nausea down as she felt and heard the pop when joint went back into place. Jack gave a moan of pain and stirred slightly.
Sweating, Sam began to bind his shoulder tightly, hoping to keep the swelling down. She noticed the many cuts and bruises on his body - his chest and stomach already an alarming shade of black. He began to stir as they were cleaning up the dried blood from around the burn.
Hassuf paid attention to Jack's wrists. They were raw and bleeding from his struggle against the ropes and he set about cleaning them after Sam showed him how to apply the antiseptic, before bandaging them.
Jack's good eye flickered open to reveal a slit of brown. As he became aware of them touching him he began to struggle.
"Colonel, it's okay. It's me, Sam," she whispered, lifting the veil to show him. She was very much aware of the pain he was in, and desperately wanting him to hold still.
She moved close to his face so that he could see her.
"Cart ..." His words were a slurred whisper. "What….you here?" he managed.
"We're still here in the palace. The others are safe," she said, trying to smile as she spoke to comfort him.
He couldn't help the groan of pain as another jolt passed through him. Sam quickly prepared the morphine and gave him a shot. He passed out again and it was with shaking hands that she finished the first aid as best she could. Hassuf helped her to bandage Jack's chest. The burn would have been better lightly covered and kept sterile, but infection was the highest risk, so she applied a sterile dressing she'd brought and covered it with the crude bandages. She crushed some antibiotics into a cup of water and managed to get some down the Colonel's throat. Then she gently bathed his face and began applying the antiseptic as generously as she dared.
Together they buttoned a clean shirt on him. To put a sling on would draw too much attention, so they had to leave his arm free.
Sam sat cradling Jack's head in her lap for a few precious moments, brushing at his hair tenderly, loathe to leave him.
Hassuf finally bade her come and banged on the cell door to get the guard's attention.
As they walked back through the palace, Sam was deep in thought and was amazed at finding herself suddenly in the room with Daniel and the others.
Hassuf left them as soon as Sam was inside.
"Sam is he okay? What's happened?"
Daniel could see her distress and how her hands shook as she tried to remove the veil. He helped her to free it and remove the headdress.
"He's in a pretty bad way. It looks like … it looks like they've been torturing him," she managed to get out as she sat down to gulp at the water being offered to her.
"He's alive!".
"For now, but from the state of him … he's lost a lot of blood, but they've … they've stopped the bleeding."
Daniel didn't ask how, but Teal'c understood.
"That will ensure he does not bleed to death. It gives O'Neill a chance."
"Yes Teal'c, it does, now all we have to do is get him back to Janet, alive."
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Just before dawn Hassuf came to them once more.
"They are moving the Colonel today. They take him to the desert gate. We have been told to be ready to travel. We are to keep him alive." He looked to Sam as he spoke.
Daniel translated and then asked about getting them to the gate.
"My people will help once we have left with Kissain and his men. My people will follow Kissain with you. Maybe something can be done."
"Can I not go with Sam?"
Hassuf shook his head. "No, myself and the girl only, but I promise I will take good care of her."
"Are you sure about this Sam?"
"Yes, we've got the radios. At least I can be there to help the Colonel, and maybe there's something we can do. The General will be expecting us in four days to report as well."
Sam busied herself concealing their meager medical supplies in her clothing and checking the radios.
Hassuf left and returned with Khaleb, leaving him to organize all except Sam into clothing that would help to disguise them.
It wasn't long before Hassuf motioned for Sam to come with him. She gave each of her teammates a quick hug before they hurried off.
Khaleb explained their plans to the others. "We shall leave the city gradually in small numbers and meet up with more of my people. We shall start a few hours behind Kissain, but they travel with wagons and we can easily catch up."
Neither Daniel nor Teal'c were happy to be separated from Sam, but Khaleb did his best to reassure them.
"There are five other women being taken to the camp to see to the food and needs of Kissain, so she will not be alone. Hassuf will tell the guards she is dumb. If the need arises, the other women will cover for her."
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Jack had only stirred once briefly during the night. He'd lain remembering, dreaming about Sam being there with him. The darkness in the cell hid his injuries from him, but he felt the dull pain. He knew it should be hurting worse than this from what he remembered of his torture, but he was glad for the respite. He slept the best he could, the image of blue eyes and a comforting smile warming him.
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