Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate SG1 or any of it's characters.
It had taken a mound of paper work and a call to the president for Jack to be allowed to leave the base, and even then a tracking device was put on his leg equipped with a shocker. Daniel and Makepeace were sent with him. Lou and Teal'c were back at the base looking up files on Colonel Jack O'Neill and talking with Kawalsky.
"So…" Jack said. There had been an awkward silence since they had all stepped into the car.
"So what?" Makepeace asked gruffly. Daniel rolled his eyes.
"So how many snakeheads have you killed?" Jack asked. Daniel gave him a confused look.
"Snakeheads… you mean Goa'uld?" Jack couldn't help but noticed that Daniel had pronounced the name right as opposed to Gould.
"Yeah, the Gould," Jack nodded, "How many suckers have you guys took out?"
"Um… Ra, Hathor, Cronus, Sokar, Apollo—"
"Who the heck is Apollo?" Jack blinked.
"He's the Greek God of war," Daniel explained going into, what Jack had named, 'Professor mode'
"We're here," Makepeace announced before Daniel could get too far into it. Daniel looked briefly disappointed, but got out of the car, "I'll explain it some other time," he said with a small shy smile. Must… not… go… hard…Jack managed to give a small smile back.
Jack gave a small shudder walking through the parking lot. Jack looked up a small shudder running up his back as the memories came back. Looking up at the same sign when Daniel was… he quickly shook his head and they all walked in.
"We're here to see Samantha Carter," Makepeace said. The nurse nodded typing something up on her computer. She frowned.
"We'll have to restrain her," the nurse warned. Another shudder ran down Jack's back. Daniel looked over at him curiously.
"That's fine," Makepeace nodded. By the look on his face it was more than fine. Jack suppressed the urge to punch the man in the face.
They were led into a small white room. Jack never knew he could feel so claustrophobic and horrified at the same time. On the walls were mathematical equations in different colours. There were even some on the floor. Sam was in one of the corners, her wrists restrained, tears in her eyes. God, he didn't need this, he didn't need the memory of Daniel and now Sam in that position.
"Sam!" Daniel cried rushing over to Sam's side before Makepeace could stop him.
"Seeing things again," she muttered, "there is no Daniel, there is no Stargate… nothing happened, nothing happened… I'm sorry Daniel!"
"Sam," Daniel said again with a concerned. He lightly touched her arm, she jumped back in shock, "I'm here, I'm real, right here with you," Sam sobbed, "I'm not crazy. There is a Stargate. You know there is, right Daniel? You know I'm right! You were there, you figured it out!" Daniel ran his hand down her hair soothingly, "That's right Sam, it's all true, it's okay,"
"What does she mean?" Jack asked looking at Makepeace feeling rage come over him.
"Security issues, we can't have her knowing about the Stargate, so the Doctors are making it into a—"
"A delusion?" Jack said in rage.
"I'm sorry I hurt you Daniel, they said the Stargate wasn't real, I got confused again. I thought they were saying that you weren't real and I got mad," she sounded like a little girl that had taken an extra cookie even though her mother told her not to.
"Shh," Daniel murmured, "It's alright Sam, I'm real, God, how could we leave you in here?"
The same exact words ran through Jack's head once. Daniel, how could we have left you here?
"We're taking you out of here Sam,"
"Daniel—" Makepeace began.
"They're only confusing her, how can she know what's real and what's not if they're telling her something that is real doesn't exist? I'm not going to stand for it Rob. We need her, but I think she needs us more,"
"Damn right," Jack growled coming over to sit on the other side of Sam.
"Who are you?" Sam whispered.
"Jack, Jack O'Neill," Jack said fumbling with the restraints.
"O'Neill!" Makepeace growled.
"Oh shove it Makepeace," Sam giggled. Finally the strap was undone. Sam rubbed her wrists.
"Nice to meet you Sam," Jack said holding out his hand.
"Not another Doctor…"
"No, no, I'll leave all that smart stuff to you and Daniel, okay? I'm just a friend."
After a moment Sam finally took the offered hand and they shook. She looked over at Daniel trustingly.
"You're really going to get me out of here Daniel?"
"I really am," she burst into tears and started to hug him again. Daniel held her making comforting noises. It was bad enough to see Sam like this, but then another thought struck. Daniel… what if they hadn't figured it out? Daniel would still be in a place like this under the 'care' of Mackenzie. Would they have done the same thing to him? Tell him that the Stargate didn't exist? Warp his reality?
"Go make the necessary arrangements Makepeace," Jack ordered gruffly. Makepeace looked like he was about to argue.
"I'll be fine Rob, Jack'll look after me," Daniel said without moving from Sam's hug. Makepeace stiffly turned and walked out of the room.
"Hey," Daniel said softly to Sam, "We need your help,"
"With… with what?" Sam sniffed.
"It's about the Stargate, and something else called the Quantum Mirror. It's about Jack, I'll tell you about it when we get back to the base okay?"
"I want some clothes… anything but white, anything Daniel… I hate white… I'm so sorry," She said. Jack could see how tightly she was holding Daniel.
"It wasn't your fault Sam, I know it wasn't your fault. You were confused, hurt and angry."
"You didn't come back after that," She said in a small voice.
"They wouldn't let me. The bastards thought it would be better for you that way, I can see they were wrong." She nodded into Daniel's chest.
"I'm sorry Sam," Daniel's voice cracked. Jack could see the tears in Daniel's eyes; "If I had known what they were doing to you I would have never left you here. Never."
"You're back now," Sam said, "And you're real, I'll never doubt that again Daniel."
They stepped out of the hospital much to Sam's… and Jack's for that matter, relief. Sam looked up at the clear blue sky and nearly cried again. The hospital had provided her with a pair of old blue jeans and a bright yellow shirt that was two sizes too big for her. She laughed happily, "They let us outside," She said softly, in this courtyard, only once a week though, other than that exercise is inside, that wasn't freedom though, this is freedom Daniel, this is freedom, to be able to walk more than a few steps, to be able to see what I want… and even though I'm not really free, even though Makepeace doesn't trust me to be free. I am, in my heart I am Daniel, do you know what I mean?" Jack smiled sadly. Sam shouldn't have to feel free. She should be free, always. There should be no other way about it. Sam hadn't let go of Daniel's arm since they had walked out of the hospital, as if, if she let him go, she would find out it was another dream and he wasn't really real and she was still back in that white room scrawling out complicated equations.
"I can't know what you mean Sam," Daniel said, "But I'm glad it's how you feel, it sounds wonderful,"
"It is," she said leaning against Daniel's arm. They got to the black van that they drove in.
"We're really going back?" Sam asked. Daniel nodded, "Yeah,"
"After we're done… you're not… you're not going to send me back to the mental hospital are you?" Daniel frowned, "No way in Hell Sam."
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