On a Slow Ride Through Molasses – part fifteen

"Take them!"

Teal'c leaped forward, ignoring the commotion around him as the Jaffa jumped to restrain Jaahn's remaining men. His attention was focused on the two figures lying on the ground.

"O'Neill."

There was no answer.

It was almost as if the two men were embracing, they lay so close together. Teal'c knelt and took his commander's arm, gently turning him onto his back. As he did so, O'Neill's hand slid from its grip on the bloody knife and Jaahn's body flopped back down.

"No!"

The shout was loud and anguished and had barely registered on Teal'c's consciousness before it was cut off. He twisted, moving quickly into a defensive position in time to see Steffen fall to a staff weapon blast.

"Well done, young one." Master Bra'tac gave Lieutenant Nguyen a firm pat on his back, rocking the man where he stood, the staff weapon still held open and ready for a second, unneeded, shot.

The Lieutenant smiled grimly, his face a little pale as he looked down at his handiwork.

Teal'c turned back to the colonel as Nguyen hurried forward.

"How is he, sir?" the young man asked, kneeling beside him. "He got the antidote, didn't he? I couldn't see properly from where I was."

"He did, Lieutenant. It remains to be seen how effective it is." Teal'c held his fingers lightly on O'Neill's neck, feeling the rapid fluttering of his pulse. "We shall return to the SGC immediately. Dial the gate."

"Use my signal code, human. Yours will be no longer valid." Nguyen nodded acknowledgement of Master Bra'tac's order and began entering the symbols into the DHD.

"Hey." To Teal'c's surprise O'Neill was awake, his eyes now open, but dull. "Did good?"

"Indeed you did."

"Didn't . . . scare you?"

"Scare me, O'Neill?" Teal'c frowned, trying to comprehend his teammate's words.

"Act. . . scream. . .got his knife. Just an act."

"Ah." Teal'c exchanged a look of understanding with the hovering Lieutenant. "It was an excellent act." But the colonel wasn't listening anymore.

Taking a firm grip on the now unconscious man, Teal'c began lifting him, only to find the burden lightened by the assistance of two of his fellow Jaffa.

"Take care of him, Teal'c. We will deal with what needs to be done here." Bra'tac smiled grimly at the prisoners and Teal'c was left with no doubt that the cleanup could be left safely in the warrior's hands.

He bowed his head slightly in respect.

"My thanks, Master Bra'tac, to you and your men. I am in your debt."

He received a nod in response. "As we have been in yours. Friends should help each other, should they not? And brothers, more so?" Bra'tac turned his attention to the man in Teal'c's arms, his expression showing his concern. He glanced over to the Chaapa'ai as the distinctive sound of the wormhole establishing reached them. "Contact me when you have word."

"I shall. Again, my thanks." And Teal'c stepped into shimmering blue.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

The cold woke him this time and his eyes were open when they exited the gate. Somehow, even though he couldn't lift his head to look around, he knew he was home.

Now, if only he could muster up the energy to stay awake.

He shut his eyes and surrendered to the dreams.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

At first the words were fleeting, racing past before he could latch on to them.

"no. . . sir. . .dammit. . .don't."

". . . critical . . ."

"God, Jack. . .so sorry. . ."

At times he thought he almost caught them.

"You have to stay still, colonel. Please. The doctor is coming."

But they dropped away again.

He needed to escape, but no one believed him. No one knew he needed rescuing.

"We are with. . .won't leave. . ."

But he didn't believe them. Why should he?

xoxoxoxoxoxo

"I know you won't believe me, but he is on the mend." Janet Fraiser gave the three worried members of SG-1 a reassuring smile.

Sam craned her neck to look over the doctor's shoulder and into the room where Colonel O'Neill lay. "Can we see him?"

Janet shook her head. "Maybe tomorrow, okay?"

"You'll call us if there's any change?"

"Of course." Janet gave Daniel a small push. "Now go get out of here before I find a bed for you as well." She stared up at Teal'c. "And I mean all of you."

Sam lead the way down the corridor, heading without conscious thought to Daniel's office – the place where they were least likely to be disturbed. It wasn't until she was seated on the rather uncomfortable spare chair across the desk from Daniel that the silence was broken, surprisingly by Teal'c.

"O'Neill is not himself. He is confused."

Daniel looked down at his hands, rubbing his knuckles. "He almost died. Of course he's confused."

"He had a skull fracture." Sam shuddered to think how easily the injury could have been made worse at any time while they were on the planet.

"Janet said it wasn't too bad," Daniel frowned as he paused. "Although how a skull fracture can be something to not worry about is beyond me."

"Compared to the poison. . . "

"Yes, I know, Sam."

They lapsed into silence once more, each lost in their own memories of how close they had come to losing their friend.

Sam had made her own attempt to apologise for her actions on the planet and knew that Daniel had done the same, but she doubted the colonel had even been aware of their visits, let alone their stumbling words. That had been before, when they thought he could die at any time. It had been selfish – she knew that. An effort to appease their own guilty consciences while they had the chance.

Then he had rallied. And it looked like they would get the chance to say the words again, and that this time he would understand.

But it hadn't worked the way that they'd wanted. The poison had been left too long untreated to let him off that easily. Janet had said he was experiencing something similar to withdrawal symptoms and that they should not listen to what he was saying.

But that was just it.

They hadn't listened before and this time they had to. They couldn't help it. They had listened as he asked them to help him and begged them to believe him.

They did believe him.

They were sorry.

But this time it was the colonel who wasn't listening.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

"Colonel, you awake?"

Jack wrenched one eye open, blinking against the bright light of the infirmary. "No, you idiot."

"Sounds like you are."

"Sharp as a bowling ball."

Van Nguyen smiled at the indignant expression on his CO's face, but had already schooled his features into an impassive expression by the time Major Ferretti glanced over at him. His time spent with Teal'c had clearly taught him some very valuable lessons. Jack couldn't help the small upward twitch of his lips at the thought.

"Well, now you've woken me up, what do you want?" He shifted uneasily in the bed, feeling the muscles in his leg beginning to spasm – a sensation he had become all too familiar with over the last week or so. Next it would be the stomach cramps and the thought of anyone other than the nursing staff being a witness to the results of those made him snap out the next words before he could stop himself. "No, don't bother telling me. I'm not interested."

"Jack. . . "

"That's colonel, Major. Something you seemed to have forgotten lately." Oh god, he was really losing it this time. He just wanted them out of here. "Go away."

"Sorry, sir. We'll come back another time."

As soon as the door shut behind them, he was pressing the call button, knowing it was already too late. He curled up in the bed as the pain hit.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Teal'c waited while the nurses tended to O'Neill. It was some time before they left, carrying soiled linen and covered basins. Captain Milligan gave him a tentative smile and nod of encouragement.

"You can go in, but don't stay too long. I've just given him a sedative, plus he's not in the best of moods."

He nodded and pushed the door open, making sure it was shut behind him before crossing the room to approach the bed. Its occupant was on his side, facing away, but he turned as Teal'c came close. The scowl on his face cleared.

"T."

"O'Neill." Instead of pulling out a chair and sitting, Teal'c remained standing, his hands clasped behind his back. "I was speaking with Lieutenant Nguyen. He tells me he attempted to visit you earlier, but you ordered him from the room."

The colonel frowned, sitting up a little and reaching for the glass of water on the bedside cabinet. "For heaven's sake, I just wanted a little privacy. Does everything I do have to be analysed? Tell Van to get his ass back in here. I'd be happy to have him visit."

"And Major Ferretti?"

O'Neill began to speak, but only managed a wide yawn instead. He put the half-drunk water back on the cabinet. It was a few seconds before he continued. "What about Lou?"

"Would he be welcome also?"

"Why wouldn't he be?" The colonel yawned again, his eyes closing. Teal'c could see he was barely awake.

Teal'c gave a slight shake of his head. "Do not concern yourself, O'Neill. I shall convey your invitation to Lieutenant Nguyen and the major."

"Tell Ferretti to bring pizza." The words were barely audible.

"I do not believe Doctor Fraiser will allow pizza." He waited, but got no response from the other man. He leaned down and untwisted the IV tubing, tucking the sheets more securely around his friend. "Sleep well, O'Neill."

xoxoxoxoxoxo

tbc