Hey, I'm sorry this took so long to get out. I was under the weather and the first thing that went missing along with my health was my muse. I hope it's back now I'm feeling stronger.

Thanks for all the reviews guys! I really appreciate them.

General Disaster.

By LetitiaRichards.

Previously:-

Daniel gathered her into his arms, and they took comfort from each other. Jack had to be alive and if they knew him as well as they thought; he would come for them.

Chapter 8

The heavy lifting gear arrived at the site when the loaded F.R.E.D rumbled to a halt nearby. They didn't want it to get too close to the danger zone because it might disturb further falls and that would no way help towards the rescue attempt.

The radios were useless; either the Colonel's and the General's were broken or the two officers below were too badly injured and couldn't respond; or there was the possibility that they were both dead. Something that no-one up top, or back at the SGC, even wanted to contemplate.

The rescue team began unloading their ropes and pulleys and set up a framework to use as a hoist, to remove the heavier lumps of rubble.

Orders were shouted, equipment checked and double checked, and the operation to free their trapped comrades was underway. Volunteers from the SG teams worked alongside some of the security forces who had experience of Earthquake rescues. A medical team was on standby for when the teams succeeded. A human chain was set up, passing the lighter rocks and debris from hand to hand to clear the area.

Flood lights were installed by Siler and his team to illuminate the site for when it grew too dark to see. If it had been for any other incident, Siler would have taken pleasure in being off-world for a change, but the fact that his two senior officers were trapped, injured and possibly dying below the mountain of rubble, had grabbed his whole attention and he worked solidly to play his part in the rescue; moving to help with the mound of debris when his job was done.

The site was a veritable hive of activity.

OoOoOoOoO

Was it him?

Or was it really getting harder to breathe?

Jack awoke with a jerk, having not realised he'd drifted off to sleep. He checked his watch, he'd been out for about an hour. He winced in pain when his body had reminded him of his injuries, and made a mental note not to move again quite so suddenly. After trying to drag some air into his lungs through the flaring agony, he wondered if it was just him having problems, but he could hear George was having the same trouble too.

Then the problem must be with their air supply; it was getting stale and thin.

Being sealed into a tomb with the extent of their injuries was just no fun, but now it seemed as if their oxygen supply was running out. Jack wondered if their situation could possibly get any worse.

"Crap!" he muttered breathlessly.

He knew he'd made a mistake.

He shouldn't have thought that.

Murphy's law was in full swing again.

A slow long rumble echoed and vibrated around them, growing louder and more violent as another tremor shook the land.

Dust and debris rained down on them. Jack ignored the agony that filled him and blackened the edges of his vision when he threw himself protectively over the General's inert form.

Long moments passed as chips of sharp masonry dropped onto his back and head, and he prayed it would stop before anything bigger knocked him out or killed him or both of them.

The noise stopped and silence as fresh clouds of dust filled their tomb.

He waited, panting harshly in between coughing up lungful after lungful of thick cloying dust.

When he felt it was safe enough to do so, he tried to move off the General's inert form, but found it a harder task to move again than it had been to get there in the first place.

With all his strength he pushed himself up and over, groaning against the grinding of his ribs and the pain in his arm as he tried to use it to help.

Eventually he managed it but had flopped backwards to lie in the dirt. There were fresh lumps of masonry digging into his back but he was too busy trying to get his breath back to care at that point. Breathing was more important.

Agony flared in his chest, as he gasped and coughed again in the dust filled atmosphere. He felt the world begin to slip away, but for the soft pathetic coughing that issued from the General, reminded him he couldn't give in and brought him back from the brink. Hammond needed him and he wouldn't give up.

He forced the welcoming pull of oblivion away and reached out to touch the General's arm.

"General?" he gasped.

"Ja'ack?" came the soft rasping croak which ended with another feeble cough.

"I'm here sir," Jack replied a little breathlessly. His own throat dry and croaky too. He desperately needed some water, but wasn't sure what had happened to his canteen, or the General's.

"Wha...hapn'd?" Hammond asked. His voice was slurred and thick like he was drunk.

Jack knew he wasn't of course. He was hurt. Concussion, Jack remembered, but obviously the General hadn't.

"We took...a little...unscheduled...side-trip sir."

"A whaa?" Hammond's voice was weaker now. The man didn't have long, and Jack knew it.

"Earthquake? Falling...through the...floor?" Jack quipped, hoping the General would have some memory of the fall.

Hammond tried to move but ended up gasping in pain.

Jack knew the man was hurting, hell so was he, but he didn't have anything to give him, not even an aspirin. Daniel and Sam had been carrying the proper med kits as they were the ones trained in field medicine, all he had with him was a few bandages and dressings, and he'd already used them up. Yeah, he was trained in administering the medication too, but normally he'd let them handle any bad injuries.

"You shouldn't...move sir. Busted...leg." He didn't add that he'd kinda mentioned it before, concussion would make it difficult to remember things, besides, he couldn't spare the breath for a long explanation.

Hammond tried to look down at his leg, even in the darkness but as he moved his head felt like it was going to explode. He groaned a little more when let it fall back a little harder than he should have done.

Jack lifted a heavy hand and patted his CO's shoulder to reassure the General that he was going to be alright. He hoped.

"Take it...easy sir. Help...arriving...soon. Carter...sent Teal'c...back f'r help."

"Escap'd this?"

"I...yes sir," he hesitated. He was pretty sure they had made it out of the ruins before the collapse but he couldn't be certain. He sure hoped that had, otherwise they really were up the proverbial creek without a paddle and the General didn't need to know how really bad it was. What Jack didn't know of course, was that Sam and Daniel had been captured by Osiris and no-one knew of their whereabouts.

Silence fell once more, except for the harsh breathing of both men. The air was foul and full of dust, making it even harder to breath. Jack checked Hammond's pulse, knowing it could be the last time ever and then laid down again, uncaring of the uncomfortable position. He was beyond weary and in pain; panting with effort to draw breath and with a deep sigh of regret, he allowed the lassitude he felt to sweep him away too, not knowing if he would ever wake again.

OoOoOoOoO

Teal'c stopped for a few seconds to stretch his back and wipe the sweat from his brow. He took in the scene of organised chaos around him, then without further ado, leant himself to his task again with renewed vigour. His warrior brother was trapped below along with the much respected officer, General Hammond; he would not stop until he had uncovered them and released them from their concrete tomb.

His hands were blistered, and assorted cuts bled freely, but he would not stop his efforts. All the time he worked his mind wandered between his brother O'Neill and his physical state, and the fate of his team-mates abducted by the evil Goa'uld Osiris.

Another tremor ran through the ground and all around him people stopped and waited for it to stop, but Teal'c refused to cease his work. Gradually others began to follow his example and carried on working through the tremors.

Stone by stone was pulled from the heap and Dave Dixon scratched his head, wondering if there was any point to this; surely no-one could have survived underneath this lot. He glanced towards Teal'c, the man was almost fanatical about his task, and then Dave knew how he would feel if it was two members of his team trapped under there. He renewed his efforts too and encouraged the others to shift their butts and hurry because there was no knowing how badly injured the General and Jack might be, and time was something they might not have. He pushed all thoughts of their demise from his mind. They just had to be alive.

The men worked steadily, moving great slabs from the scene; each revealing another underneath.

A shout from the far side of the site called their attention.

Teal'c and Dixon ran there in record time, each eager to see what their colleague had spotted.

A black hole had appeared and Teal'c grabbed a light from one of the men and laid flat on his stomach to peer into the dark depths.

Shining the torch around the small chamber, he saw two bodies lying still and unmoving. His heart plummeted at the sight, but he swallowed the thought that they were too late and turned relieved brown eyes back to Colonel Dixon.

"We have found them!" he cried with the merest hint of grim smile.

TBC