Thanks to all of you super people who sent me reviews. I'm overwhelmed by them. Glad you're all enjoying this – well, the writing of; not the content as such!

'Mariposa', as I mentioned in chapter 16 – means 'Butterfly' in Spanish. At least, according to Google it does. I don't speak Spanish, so I apologise if it's wrong. AND – to throw a 'Wobbly' – means to throw a hissy fit or a temper. Sorry about my use of local slang there. I forgot myself.

Title: Unity.

Author: LetitiaRichards.

Previously:

Teal'c obeyed without question and started battering the door down while Janet turned to Daniel to explain.

"He's got a piece of that glass in there with him Daniel."

Chapter 20

"What?" Daniel yelped with sudden realisation. "Oh my god!"

He dashed over to help Teal'c and together they put all their might behind the next try, ignoring the blossoming pain in his already sore body; he had to get to Jack.

The door splintered and they tumbled into the room.

There was blood all over Jack's scrubs, and it was pooling on the floor around his lax hands. Jack was sitting propped up against the stark white tiles, both of his wrists had been slashed; the shard of bloody glass, lying discarded in the growing pool of blood. His body was frighteningly still and his eyes were dull and seemed lifeless; and though he wasn't yet unconscious, he wasn't far from slipping away.

Janet flew into the room behind them, and checked the pulse in Jack's neck, relieved to find it still pulsing, albeit weak and rapid under her finger tips; his skin was clammy and turning ashen.

"Colonel! Colonel, can you hear me? You hang on in there. Don't you dare leave us now." She knelt in the gore, pausing to listen to his heartbeat through her stethoscope, while Teal'c grabbed a couple of towels and bound them round Jack's wrists, applying a firm pressure to both.

"He's going into shock. Help me get him to lie down. Elevate his legs someone. Daniel, go get help. NOW!" Janet's instructions came thick and fast and the two team-mates hurried to assist her. Within seconds the bathroom was overflowing with nursing staff and another two doctors who thankfully took over, rushing him away to the ER.

Janet's legs were shaking when she stood up and all three friends looked at each other with relief and yet were desperately worried as the staff rushed Jack away. The crisis may have been averted for now, but it wasn't over by a long shot. Jack was in dire need of help to get over this, and Daniel was once more reminded of how bad Jack was when they'd first met; he certainly never expected, nor wanted to ever see him that bad again. He hung his head and hugged his chest guiltily; if only he hadn't pushed quite so hard.

OoOoOoOoO

General Hammond stormed into the crowded room, his face flushed red from hurrying, or perhaps, as Daniel winced when he caught sight of it, from anger; he wasn't sure.

"What the Sam Hill is going on Doctor!" Hammond demanded belligerently.

He had been stunned rigid by the news that Jack had tried to take his own life, and had rushed to get to the hospital in record time. Jack was usually the strong one; hell he'd been trained to the highest standards, so why this now? What had prompted him to do this? Jack had become like a son to him. Over the last several years, the often times irreverent, and sometimes antagonistic officer had charmed his way into his good books and finally into his heart if the truth were known, and it was a bitter blow to hear how low the man had sunk.

He still felt guilty over sending him out to the Middle East, but had been talked out of retirement by the President himself and by Sam when she had gotten wind of his intention; saying that if he left now, then Jack would have no reason to stay either; that he was a mentor to the Colonel. She reminded him of that time when Jack had laid his career on the line to go after the people who had tried to make him retire before, by using his granddaughters against him; that he would be letting Jack down further if he was to leave.

Jack hadn't wanted to lose him then and if Hammond walked out now they would lose Jack too; of this she had no doubts. Jack needed to know that Hammond would be there for him when he returned. Jack valued him as his CO, no matter that he was the one to order him to Iraq; Jack understood orders and the chain of command and would have gone there anyway, out of his respect for his senior officer.

Hammond had acquiesced then. Agreeing to stay, if only for Jack's sake, though it didn't make his guilt any easier to live with. It was the only way in which he could make it up to Jack, and vowed to do his best to protect him against this sort of thing in the future. There was no-one else who would tolerate Jack's unique 'characteristics', nor appreciate his flippant humour in times of crisis. The Colonel would surely be court-martialled at the first sign of disagreement or reluctance to obey an order if he felt it warranted his reasons. He understood Jack, and Jack understood him. The trust between them built on forbearance, trust and loyalty. Jack was the most trustworthy officer he had had the privilege to work with. He could not reward such commitment by abandoning him now; not when he needed his leadership the most.

Janet looked up from the side of Daniel's bed.

"Colonel O'Neill has attempted to commit suicide General. We're not exactly sure why at this point..." she paused looking over at Daniel, giving him an annoyed glare before continuing. "Dr. Jackson appeared to be getting him to talk about what happened when he lost it. He threw a glass at him, which smashed, then he locked himself in the bathroom with a fragment of the glass and slit his wrists. Luckily, Teal'c and Daniel were able to break the door down before it was too late."

Hammond sank onto the chair that Sam had conveniently placed behind him. His knees had begun shaking and he wasn't sure he wouldn't make a fool of himself by falling down on his ass. He recovered from the shock almost instantly he came into contact with the chair.

"What did he have to say Dr. Jackson?" he asked. "Anything?"

Daniel sucked in a huge breath, knowing that whatever he said it would sound like he had been badgering his friend and had pushed him too far; which he had of course.

"I...er...I got him to tell me a little, but not much. He said that they had drugged him and that it had given him nightmares. Then he was telling me that he didn't know what was real and what wasn't. I was asking him about that Spanish word that we used to get him to calm down and he went... well, crazy. He started yelling at me to 'get out'. That's when he threw the glass at me."

"That's when I heard a commotion and Teal'c and I rushed in to see what was going on sir," Janet finished. "There's not much else to tell at the moment."

Hammond thought over the evidence and stroked a hand over his bald head while he pondered an idea.

"You said that word...em...whatever, to him?"

"Mariposa, sir. A young Lieutenant used it on him to bring him out of his nightmare when we were on the plane. It's worked every time, but it just seemed to incense him today," Daniel explained.

"But he wasn't having a nightmare at the time? Right?" Sam queried.

"No, he wasn't. He was upset; maybe even a little distraught over revealing what had happened. But that's all."

Sam turned to Hammond and they each came to the same conclusion.

"Drugs and brainwashing!" Sam gasped, seeing Hammond nod with agreement.

"What?" Daniel cried in disbelief. "Are you saying that someone messed with his head?"

Hammond made a gesture for Sam to explain.

"Colonel O'Neill said he had been drugged. We know this was true," Janet nodded. So far they were with her explanation. "While under the influence of certain drugs the victim can be brainwashed into doing things. Most of which are triggered by certain words. It's like he's been programmed to react to the word 'Mariposa'. If my idea is right sir, then we have to find that Lieutenant now sir. He should be easily traceable through the Marines records sir."

"You think maybe he was under the same influence?" Daniel asked, not fully understanding what Sam was saying.

"No Daniel. I'm saying he was in on the terrorists game too. He may have been the key. He could have been a spy."

"The key? A spy? What?"

"Rescuing the Colonel wasn't a problem Daniel. The real problem is keeping him from killing himself, if my theory is correct. They programmed him to self destruct whenever he heard that word."

"But he was okay with it before," Daniel objected, feeling more and more guilty for repeating it over and over to Jack.

"I know, but sometimes they can manipulate them to not react until it has been spoken several times. Say a dozen or so times...then it would take effect. We have to stop using it and somehow find a way of unlocking Colonel O'Neill's mind from the indoctrination."

Daniel blew out a huge breath. It all sounded so complicated and like a TV spy thriller.

"Can we do that Major Carter?" Teal'c asked.

"Yes. If we can find the right drug they used. Then we can counteract it's effect," Janet agreed.

"Okay people. Doctor Fraiser, you concentrate on finding that drug. Major Carter you will pool all of your resources into finding this soldier. Do you have a name for him?"

"Yes sir. Lieutenant Miguel Sanchez of the US Marines. He flew in with us but he left the airplane when we changed transports. Of course that could have been fake, but I'll get onto it right away sir."

"Teal'c, I want you to stay with Colonel O'Neill every possible minute to make sure he stays safe and doesn't try to harm himself again."

"Indeed General Hammond. I will not leave his side," Teal'c rumbled in his deep voice.

"Very good people. Report to me when you have something. Doctor? I wish to see the Colonel now!"

"Yes sir, though he is sedated at the moment."

"That's alright Doctor. I won't stay long."

"Yes sir. If you'll come this way."

Janet led General Hammond from the room. Teal'c followed behind, ready to take on his official duty.

TBC