"Well, that went well," Jack said, as he and Daniel walked down the hallway away from the devastated Lieutenant. They had left Teal'c to stay with Gallagher until such time as someone came by to relieve him.

Daniel didn't respond to Jack's words and Jack knew it was because they were both feeling Gallagher's disappointment. They walked the rest of the way in silence, both reflecting on the events of the last half hour.

They had gone to give Gallagher the news only to find him thrashing and screaming in his bed, lost in a nightmare that had to have been worse than anything Jack had ever experienced. He wondered what his clone had gone through to have him gasping for breath while yelling at the top of his lungs. Jack wasn't sure if he really wanted to know.

They reached the security room just as Carter came out. She stopped when she saw them, then suddenly found the floor extremely interesting, but not before Jack had seen the look in her eyes that told him she was trying not to cry. He wanted to pull her into a hug to tell her that everything would be all right. "Carter?" he said as he touched her arm. "You okay?"

"Yes sir," she said, as she nodded her head. "It's just that.., well he hasn't moved from that spot since you left him there and I just felt…" she sighed, then clarified what they were all thinking, "He is so devastated. I could feel his disappointment even through the camera."

"He'll be okay," Jack told her, hoping to cheer her up somehow. "I promise."

She nodded at him with a brave smile and he gave her a quick hug anyway. They walked into the security room and Jack immediately searched out the monitor that was focused on Gallagher's cell. Carter was right, Gallagher hadn't moved from the position Jack had left him in, but Jack felt a measure of calm when he heard Teal'c talking to him, trying to bring him out of his disappointment.

"O'Neill and I will stay with you until the time comes that you will no longer need us here," he heard Teal'c say. Gallagher didn't respond, which didn't surprise Jack in the least. The man was his clone, an exact duplicate of Jack, complete with thoughts and mannerisms. Jack knew very well why his clone was sitting there closed up in his own world. What he didn't know was what caused the man to shut down like this.

"I wish I knew what he is thinking," Jack said quietly as he watched his clone through the monitor. What had happened to him during the last eight months?

"Now you know how I feel," Mackenzie spoke up from his corner of the room. Jack turned toward the doctor in surprise. He had never thought about Mackenzie's side of the struggle to find peace for the tortured mind. Jack had always been too busy fighting off the memories and images that Mackenzie insisted he face. He felt a new sense of respect for the man he had always avoided talking to at all costs. "The hard part is getting him to tell you," Mackenzie added.

"All I can do is try," Jack replied. He turned back to the monitor and watched as Gallagher finally uncurled himself from the huddle and lay down on the bed to stare up at the top bunk, ignoring Teal'c, which was easy to do as Teal'c was so quiet Jack sometimes forgot he was in the same room with him.

"Just don't force the issue," Mackenzie said. "These things need to be handled with patience and understanding. I'm sure you have the understanding part down, but…" Mackenzie stopped and grinned at Jack.

"I can be patient," Jack insisted. "Isn't that right guys?" he asked his friends, who were suddenly looking very uncomfortable. Carter shrugged her shoulders while giving him a sheepish look and Daniel suddenly decided that a speck of dirt on his boots was very interesting. "Never mind," Jack said with narrowed eyes as he stared at the traitors he had thought were his friends.

"Stubborn is more like it," Mackenzie said with the calculating look Jack hated so much. He chose to ignore the look, which is another thing he had learned to do so well, and went back to watching the monitor.

"What is it I need to do to get him to stop fighting the memories?" he asked, already knowing the answer. He had spent way too many hours with Mackenzie facing his own demons to not have an inkling of what to expect.

Mackenzie was apparently thinking the same thing as Jack because he sat there quietly, waiting for Jack to answer his own question. Jack had been down this road too often to give into Mackenzie's tactics. He just knew the doctor would use whatever he said against him in the future. So he turned back toward the doctor to wait for the answer, giving him a questioning look to prompt him into responding.

It was a battle of wills, one that Jack and Mackenzie had fought more times than Jack liked to admit. Mackenzie used this technique many times in an effort to get Jack to talk, but Jack was often too stubborn to give in and Mackenzie would more often than not give it up and try something else. They both knew what Mackenzie was doing – he was resorting to silence knowing that most people would feel the need to speak up in order to fill the silence. Jack rarely felt the need to fill in the silence and when it came to Mackenzie, it was more of the desire to not give in than anything else. So he clammed up, as he always did, and waited for Mackenzie to be the first to break the silence. Jack could definitely be patient when he wanted to be.

Daniel fell for Mackenzie's tactics - hook, line and sinker or maybe it was because he just couldn't stay quiet any more, which was more than likely the case, Jack thought smugly. Daniel talked more than his ex-wife did when she was in a room full of her friends.

"Asking him outright won't get you very far," Daniel said thoughtfully. "I know. I tried that. He refused to answer any of my questions regarding that place," he continued, sounding like he was a little put out. "Extremely rude if you ask me."

"Nobody's asking you Daniel," Jack said with a grin as he put his hand on his friend's shoulder. Daniel responded with his own grin and a shake of his head as he realized who he was talking about.

"You always were a stubborn son of a bitch," Daniel grumbled good-naturedly.

Jack's smile grew wider, but he knew he needed to get back down to business. "What do you suggest I do?" he asked Mackenzie again, hoping the guy would just answer the question.

"Take it slow," Mackenzie advised, "But be firm in getting him to talk about his experiences. Since he has already resorted to flashbacks, he's bound to experience more, so make sure you keep alert in that respect. Keep asking him what happened to him, but be patient when he doesn't respond right away. You, of all people, know that he won't give in so easily."

"Yeah," Jack concurred, as he nodded absently. What was he getting himself into?

"General O'Neill," Mackenzie said with determination. "I want you to reconsider having the camera removed. I assure you that no one, other than myself, will have access to the monitor and the film."

"No," Jack said resolutely. "There will be no cameras or any other recording devices in that room. And that includes listening devices."

"General…"

"This is not up for negotiation," Jack snarled at the man. He wasn't about to let anyone in on his deepest secrets, especially not Mackenzie. Teal'c was the only one he trusted to keep those secrets safe.

"How can I be expected to effectively help you when I know that you will not be telling me everything?" Mackenzie countered. "That man's sanity is at stake here," he continued, as he pointed at the monitor. "I want to help him."

"As do I," Jack spit back at him. "But he will not tell me anything if he knows you are listening. Trust me on this."

"He doesn't have to know," the doctor said quietly.

Jack stared at the man for a moment, before asking in a deadly calm voice, "Is that what you do? Have hidden microphones recording your sessions with your patients?"

"No!" Mackenzie practically shouted, his anger finally making an appearance. "That isn't what we are talking about here. We are talking about that man's mental health. I can't help him if I don't know what's going on."

"You are just going to have to make do with what I give you," Jack replied smoothly. "No listening devices. Period."

Mackenzie just stared at him, but this time it was due to the defeat he was feeling. Jack knew it as sure as he was standing there. He waited while Mackenzie worked through his own disappointment, then nodded when the doctor growled at him, "I'll be waiting in my office for your reports." The psychiatrist then walked out of the room to leave them to make their final arrangements. Stalked out of the room is more like it, Jack mused.

"That went well," Daniel said to ease the tension that was still in the room. Jack nodded to let Daniel know he appreciated the effort, then turned to stare at the monitor that was showing him a broken man that could have just as easily been him. There was no denying the fact that Gallagher had been broken and Jack knew that he would probably have done the exact same thing had he gone through whatever it was that had destroyed his clone.

"Well, let's get this thing rolling," he said, as he turned to walk out the door. He wished he could feel as confident about this mission as he wanted to be.

He entered Gallagher's cell an hour later carrying a tray, followed by Carter and Daniel, who were also laden down with food. He glared at the two SFs who were standing just outside the door when he passed to let them know he had overheard their conversation, as they wondered what made Gallagher so special that General O'Neill came all the way from Washington to see him. Not to mention the cot, table and chairs that were being installed in the room outside of the Lieutenant's cell. The SFs had the grace to look chagrined and Jack decided to ignore their looks of bewilderment as he walked through the door.

Siler was on a ladder disconnecting the camera while Teal'c stood guard over the entire scene. Jack had to smile at Teal'c's actions. Teal'c liked Siler, as did everyone else on base, but he also had a close bond with Gallagher, who was sitting on the bed watching the goings on with a closed expression on his face. Teal'c must have decided that he would stand between the two if his help was needed in either picking Siler up off the floor in case he fell or being ready to deal with Gallagher in case he found himself in another flashback.

Teal'c bowed his head in greeting when they entered the room and Jack went over to put the tray down on the table. Daniel and Carter followed suit while Carter got busy getting the food ready for them all. Jack could almost feel like he was at home surrounded by his friends, if it weren't for the bars of the cell that had been left open now that a plan of attack had been determined. He had two sets of keys to the cell door just in case one got lost in the shuffle. That door was open now and was going to remain unlocked during the entire time, but it didn't hurt to have some keys around just in case.

Siler finished his task and quietly packed up his equipment and the camera to take with him when he left. Jack smiled at his friend before saying, "Thanks Siler. I do appreciate it. Hey, are you hungry?"

"No thank you sir," Siler said with a grin as he walked out the door. "I've already eaten."

Jack smiled after the Sergeant while Daniel walked into the cell to sit down next to Gallagher. "How are you feeling Jack?" he asked in an obvious attempt to reach his old friend.

"Good," Gallagher responded warily. He appeared to be sitting there without a care for what was going on around him, but Jack knew better. The guy was aware of every single sound and movement going on in the room and was trying to come up with a logical reason for the whole charade. Jack knew the routine just as well as Gallagher did and he was just a little fascinated to see himself from an outsider's point of view.

"We've brought all kinds of food," Daniel said. "Hope you don't mind that we're going to join you." This was said with a slight trace of pleading and Jack had to wonder about that even as he doubted his own ears.

"Sure," Gallagher responded. It was apparent to everyone that the man had gone back to the one syllable stage he had displayed when he first arrived at the base. Jack sighed inwardly as he realized, once again, he was in for a major battle.

"Well, let's get at it!" he exclaimed as he picked up a plate and began ladling food onto it. Daniel and Teal'c came over to join him, but Gallagher didn't move. "I know you are not expecting me to make you a plate," Jack said through a mouthful of his biscuit.

Gallagher got up at that point and walked through the door of his cell, watching Jack warily as if he expected to be tackled at any minute. This irritated Jack, as he had never given this guy any reason to make him think he would do something like that. He tried to hide his anger and must have been marginally successful as Gallagher walked up to him and grabbed the plate of food he had in his hands and said, "Thanks. I am a little hungry."

Jack nearly gave into his anger and hit the guy anyway, but he grinned instead when he heard Carter laugh, then saw Teal'c's smile. He shook his head at them all as he grabbed another plate to fill it up again, this time for himself. "Don't even think it Daniel," he growled, as he pulled his second plate toward his chest in a protective gesture when Daniel eyed it.

"I wasn't!" Daniel swore, as he smiled back at his friend. "I was looking to see what you had on it." This was said with an innocent smirk and Jack found himself backing away from his friend's sneaky grasp.

"Sure you were," Jack responded suspiciously. He put more food on the plate, then went over to sit next to Gallagher on the bed. "This is mine," he insisted as he pointed at his food. "You have your own."

Jack felt immense relief to see a smile appear on Gallagher's face as his clone nodded before taking another bite of the chicken he had in his hand. There was still some hope after all.

They ate their meal as they talked of days gone by. They were all careful to not mention anything that would even remotely remind Gallagher of his stay on Hulmeshur. This meal was meant to be a happy one and they were all determined to keep it that way.

Jack and Gallagher were quiet through most of it, although Jack did jump in to clarify matters when the memories painted him in a less than favorable light. And he couldn't resist the urge to retaliate by bringing up memories that even had Teal'c looking a little flustered. It was all in fun though, which is what they had intended from the start. The grueling test was going to start the next day if everything went their way.

Gallagher obviously didn't know the plan though, because he stayed quiet throughout the meal and Jack knew his clone was waiting for the inevitable and probably wondering when they were going to attack. Jack tried to tell him the game plan, but he wasn't sure if Gallagher was buying any of it. The man just sat there looking as if he was spooked and ready to run at the first opportunity.

Carter and Daniel left several hours later taking the empty trays and dirty dishes with them. They promised Jack that they were only a phone call away if he needed them and he smiled his thanks as he shooed them out the door. Gallagher was tired, Jack could tell, and he wanted the man to be ready for the next day.

Gallagher lay down on the bed while covering himself with the blanket. Jack had a hard time dealing with that blanket. He was wearing only his t-shirt and his desert khakis and he was still sweating. He knew he was going to be subjected to the heat, but Gallagher still acted like he was cold. Damn, Hulmeshur must have been sweltering.

They all settled down in the beds provided for them, Teal'c taking the upper bunk of Gallagher's bed, while Jack tried to get comfortable on the cot. He did have some qualms about Gallagher getting up and killing him while he slept, but Jack refused to use the restraints on his clone unless he absolutely had to. It was bad enough they were keeping him locked up in this jail. Because of this, he couldn't relax enough to fall into a deep sleep, although sleep did eventually take over.

He jumped up off the cot before he was even awake when someone called him a son of a bitch in a voice that would have raised the dead were they in a cemetery. Jack shook the sleep and cobwebs from his mind as he frantically tried to remember where he was and to figure out what was going on.

It was Gallagher who was doing the yelling and Jack realized the man was dreaming and not shouting at him. He hurriedly went over to sit on the bed next to his clone while Teal'c jumped down from the upper bunk to help out if needed. "Get away from me, you stupid son of a bitch!" Gallagher yelled, his rage apparent in his voice.

"Jack! Wake up," Jack pleaded, scared out of his mind at the rage being directed at the unseen foe. "C'mon. Snap out of it!"

Gallagher apparently didn't hear him because he began to whimper, which scared Jack even more than the rage. "Stop!" Gallagher demanded, his voice laced with pain and anger. "Please."

Jack had had enough of this and he grabbed Gallagher by the shoulders intending to shake him until he woke up. Teal'c yelled out a warning just before Gallagher's fist connected with Jack's chin, knocking him back off the bed and he landed on his backside when he lost his balance.

"Get the restraints," Jack ordered as he rubbed at the spot where Gallagher hit him. Teal'c had been way ahead of him though and was already trying to tie the man down. Jack got up and helped him to get the restraints in place, then sat down on the bed to wait for Gallagher to snap out of it.

Gallagher quieted down and Jack wondered if he had gone back to sleep. He pulled the blanket closer around his clone to ward off the trembling, but he realized that Gallagher hadn't been shivering because of the cold when he saw fear in the man's eyes. "It was just a dream," Gallagher said defensively. "Nothing more. Just a dream."

Jack just nodded. He didn't know what to say to that. It was clear that Gallagher was fighting off more than the enemies in his dream. He was also fighting off the symptoms of insanity and Jack wished with all his heart he could just make everything better with the snap of his fingers. He gave Gallagher what he hoped was a reassuring smile as he sighed inwardly. He really did have his job cut out for him.