PG13
MadnessBy SpookyMitch
Col. Jack O'Neill stared at the ceiling over his bed, unable to sleep. It had been a long week, if only he could remember it all. All of the events had been a blur, the cavemen, and the land of the light, his sickness and the extreme amount of sedatives he was given. It was his first night back at his place since it all started and yet he still couldn't rest.
All he could think about was his last memories before he supposedly went crazy. 'She kissed me. Wait, she seduced me was more like it.' he thought, unable to stop a grin to form on his face. 'Samantha Carter, the most intimidating creature in the world, wore a tank top shirt, stormed through the men's locker room and wrapped her arms around me.' Despite his knowledge that Captain Carter was sick and delirious at that time, he couldn't help but play that incident over and over again in his head. He didn't even notice what he was doing, or should I say saying out loud while he was grinning like a lunatic. Also he didn't realize that an alien friend of his was watching him.
"O'Neill, it is beyond the required hour of sleep for your age. Would you like some white liquid, fresh from an undomesticated animal to help you sleep?"
"Bedtime, Teal'C, it's called bedtime. And yes, I would like some milk." Fraternizing with a Jaffa who hardly had any sense of humor can take its toll. Yet, he valued their friendship. Teal'C has proven his worth more times than he dared count and he was grateful for it.
After serving their drinks and settling down in his kitchen he asked, "Teal'C, shouldn't you be asleep by now. It's 1am and we have to report back at precisely four hundred hours. And why'd you think to visit me in my exotic domain? Room, Teal'C, my room," he added at the obvious confusion on the Jaffa's face.
"You were very noisy. At first I did not know what you were mumbling about that I feared you were having bad dreams. And then I heard you were calling out Captain Carter's name." It would have been shocking for anyone amongst the hundreds of SGC officers to hear of that instance but for Teal'C, it had only been one of numerous occasions. Jack had confided in his alien companion more than he'd care to tell a fellow human being. He didn't seem at all surprised for he continued to sip his hot milk. After doing so, he placed his cup down on the table revealing a noticeable amount of milk on the edges of his lips.
"What happened during my 'state of madness'?" his curiosity very evident in his words.
"I will not say. I have given my word to Captain Carter and Dr. Jackson, that I will not tell you anything about the occurrences of the past week." Expressionless as the words were uttered.
"Come on. I won't tell if you won't." His hands were resting on the table while his head was stationed over them. His eyes were glued on the Jaffa, as a kid would to someone telling the best fairy tale ever. "I promise never to tell anyone. Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye."
"I could not do such a thing, even for you O'Neill."
Jack raised his hands in defeat. "Oh alright. I can't say I never tried. I'm going to bed. See ya later!" He jogged his way up the stairs, across the corridor and into his room. A click of the door signaled his resignation.
Captain Samantha Carter and Dr. Daniel Jackson were also unable to sleep. Despite the obvious exhaustion they've had, they couldn't bring themselves to rest. Carter had called Daniel in the middle of the night to ask if he could come over and spend some time with her. Daniel, admissibly, did as he was told.
"What's this all about? Care to share?" he said, realizing that he sounded so much like Jack O'Neill. 'I spend too much time with him, for my own good' he thought as he waited for the captain's answer.
"Are you sure he did that?"
As the words left her mouth, a knowing smile danced across Daniel's face making her regret her admission automatically.
"I knew it. I knew you were curious. It's your nature. Even if it is about Jack."
She stared at him, awaiting his next lines.
"I'm sure. And I have a black eye to prove it. You happy?"
"Why would I be happy?" she snapped defensively even though she's aware that her face was blushing.
Daniel didn't mind. In fact, he was delighted at the thought. Despite his scientist, meaning weird, lifestyle, he still had a 'normal' part in him that enjoyed romantic stories. Even if they are his friends.
The events had occurred at rapid fire. First, some of their colleagues had gone mad all of a sudden. Then, he had heard of Sam going through the same state. Jack had told him what had happened between them and, instinctively, he told him he wanted to visit her. Jack responded as such.
"Why are you going to visit her?" Jack said as he shoved Daniel back.
"Jack, are you alright? Sam's my friend. I care about her."
"Who gave you the right to care about her? You don't have that right, but I do!" he shouted.
After which, it all became wheezy as Jack trampled on him and punched his glasses off his face.
'They shouldn't care much about this' he thought. 'They were drugged…then again.'
Sam was still blushing after Daniel left. She couldn't help it. 'Maybe I'm not fully healed after all' she thought. But after what Dr. Frasier told her, how could she?
"The 'madness' itself was not a result of some imaginary response. You all did what was in your consciousness albeit, you were afraid to show it. That's all that sickness did. It made you do what you desperately wanted to express but couldn't."
It didn't matter whether she knew what she did when she was 'mad'. All she knows is that the colonel, the wise-cracked-maverick officer, was jealous of Daniel. 'For what reason would that be?' She pondered on this as she let the rest of the night pass.
The following day at the Cheyenne Mountain couldn't have been more anticipated. Captain Carter came in an hour earlier than the rest of the SG1 did. Jack and Teal'C had to pick Daniel up before heading there. The 'normal' routine at SGC unit was at a start, or was it?
"Hi Sam!" Jack went in the briefing room before his companions. He went straight to Sam to pull out a chair for her.
"Hello Jack, I mean sir." She replied, expressing her gratitude for the gesture.
Daniel and Teal'C stared in amazement.
The briefing began.