Shadows of Fear – Part 10
"No, don't touch him!"
MacKenzie was pleased to see his shout made the doctor pause and look up at him from her position beside O'Neill.
"I have to treat him. Let my staff take you to the isolation ward."
"No, you don't understand." Doctor MacKenzie gripped the edge of the gurney harder as he strove to avoid the hands that were insistent on pushing him back down. "I'm fine. It isn't me you should be worried about, it's …" He indicted to where Colonel O'Neill lay on the floor.
"On the contrary, sir, you appear to be suffering from the same illness that has infected the colonel. We need to isolate you as quickly as possible and run some more tests. We can't risk this spreading."
Lyle stood straighter, ignoring the throbbing behind his eyes, and fixed Doctor Fraiser with a stare. "Listen to me, Doctor. I only experienced brief flashes of something when I touched O'Neill. As soon as I let go of him they stopped and haven't returned." He paused, knowing he needed to keep his temper, but finding it difficult. "The best thing you can do for your patient …" He paused again, gesturing to O'Neill as her eyes lit up. "your real patient … is get Major Carter in here."
"And if it spreads to her?"
"For god's sake, woman! It hasn't spread to me, and it isn't likely to spread to Carter. Get her in here."
Fraiser shook her head. "No, sir, not without more evidence this is not contagious than your word. I allowed the colonel to be transferred to his quarters against my better judgment, and look what happened. I will not do so again."
Lyle practically spat his reply. "You don't have a choice. I'm making it an order, Major."
"Yes she does, Colonel. She is the CMO of this base and has my full support."
MacKenzie turned at the sound of the general's voice.
He knew he shouldn't say what he was about to, but he was so frustrated that he just couldn't help it.
"Well, this is just great. According to Doctor Fraiser here, we can't allow the one person who can help to enter the room containing two highly contagious men, but the commander of the SGC can be compromised without concern."
"Colonel MacKenzie!" If Hammond's red face wasn't warning enough that he had overstepped the bounds, his outraged tone was. "Consider yourself on report."
"Fine! Put me on report, it won't be the first time, but just listen to me." He leaned back against the gurney, raising his hands to rub at his face. "When I touched Colonel O'Neill I saw what he sees. I can't explain it, but just for those few seconds I could see the most horrifying visions all around me." He swallowed and concentrated on explaining as rationally as possible, embarrassed at having so badly lost so control when the hallucinations first engulfed him. "They weren't images concocted by my own mind, I know that. There were people I've never seen before, as well as some I recognised." He looked from the doctor to the general. "Don't you see? They had to be from O'Neill's mind, not mine, and if that's the case, these certainly aren't some psychotic hallucinations brought on by PTS. If they were, it wouldn't be possible for me to see them as well."
Hammond nodded. "I understand that, Doctor, but surely the risk of spreading an alien disease is now stronger than ever?" He folded his arms across his chest, and MacKenzie could see the anger simmering just below the surface. He knew he'd have to approach this a little more tactfully if he wanted Hammond to listen, but he couldn't help feeling time was running out.
"I don't think so, sir. Many people have touched Colonel O'Neill before my incident without being affected. Plus, as I have already said, I'm certainly not seeing anything anymore."
"So why now? Why you?"
"I can only speculate, but I think whatever is causing this is getting more of a grip on the colonel's mind and it's beginning to spill over into anyone who comes in physical contact with him. But that's what I want to have Major Carter test. If this is becoming stronger, it may show up on her instruments. We could find the cause. At least we can try."
"That's definitely a valid suggestion, Doctor, but in the meantime - what?" Fraiser gestured at the Colonel O'Neill. "We just let the colonel lie there? I haven't even examined him." Turning to Hammond, she pleaded, "He could be dying. I have to examine him, General."
Lyle took a closer look at his fellow colonel. Fraiser was correct; he couldn't be just left there, but he had no idea what to suggest.
"If I assist, can you examine O'Neill without touching him, Doctor Fraiser?"
They had all forgotten the Jaffa standing quietly watching.
"But if Doctor MacKenzie is right, you will experience the colonel's hallucinations, Teal'c," General Hammond pointed out.
Taking a step or two forward, Teal'c inclined his head in acceptance. "I have seen many terrible things in my years as a Jaffa, General Hammond. A few more will be of little concern." Without waiting for permission, he bent and picked up O'Neill, a grunt the only evidence of the effort it cost. He turned to the gurney and carefully placed his burden on it, before beginning to unbutton his teammate's shirt.
"Do you see anything?"
Not pausing in his task, Teal'c nodded in answer to MacKenzie's query. "It is most unpleasant. However, I shall concentrate on the task at hand as you showed O'Neill. In that way I should be able to assist the doctor." Just for a second, his hands shook, before they regained their customary steadiness. "Although I suggest you make haste, Doctor Fraiser."
"Of course." Fraiser hurried to the bed, but was halted by Teal'c's large hand in her arm.
"Do not under any circumstances touch O'Neill. I do not think you can so easily withstand the images I see when I do so."
Fraiser nodded, and Lyle moved closer, better able to see what was happening. O'Neill did not look good, his skin clammy with sweat and his breathing getting shallower by the second. His eyes were closed, but they could be easily seen moving, rapidly shifting under his lids in frantic motion.
"Doctor." Teal'c stopped Fraiser from placing her stethoscope against the colonel's now exposed skin. "I will check first." He took it from her hands and positioned it on O'Neill, looking around as he did so, before nodding and handing it back. "It is safe. There appears to be a direct relationship between the closeness of the contact and its extent."
"Thanks." Fraiser bent over her patient, listening intently. "His heartbeat is rapid and thready. Can you lift his right eyelid for me, Teal'c?" The Jaffa did so and she shone her penlight into it. "Damn! His pupil is dilated, but… Damn it, I can't tell anything like this. I need to examine him properly!"
"Is he in any immediate danger, Doctor?"
She turned to the general. "It's hard to say, sir. I'd like to get an MRI and that's just for starters, but …" She paused and gave Lyle a quick glance. "I would prefer to transfer him to the infirmary as soon as possible. I can't see that should be a problem, if Teal'c is willing to continue helping."
The Jaffa nodded and stepped aside to allow Fraiser's staff to push the gurney out of the room.
MacKenzie was pleased to hear General Hammond's order as they disappeared down the corridor towards the elevators.
"Get Major Carter to the infirmary as quickly as possible."
He was finally able to collapse into a nearby chair, memories of the visions still running riot through his mind. If what he had seen for such a brief period was what O'Neill had been experiencing all this time – God help him!
xoxoxoxoxoxo
Lying there, Jack could almost think he was in Hell, if it weren't for two things; one – that he'd already been there and knew what it sounded like, and two – that no way would Janet Fraiser and Sam Carter be there with him.
They seemed to be moving equipment around, if the loud thumps and bangs were anything to go by.
A hand stroked his left forearm and he jerked, expecting long sharp nails or cold skin, but instead it tightened its grip, the warmth from it seeping into a tiny part of his freezing flesh.
"Colonel, can you open your eyes for me?"
Having them open was no worse than leaving them shut, so he did as she requested. Janet's face loomed down at him, and at first he thought it was all over, then the same phantoms that stalked his nightmares crowded round, their wide eyes staring and hungry mouths open as if waiting to feast.
"That's good, sir."
He was glad Janet thought something was good, because the pain in his chest hadn't gone and the band around his head was tightening by the minute.
"Hurts." For once he wasn't too proud to say it, and it worked because Janet turned away and the warm rush of drugs infusing his system replaced the pain.
The hand was still gripping his arm and, with some surprise, he twisted his neck to find Teal'c close beside him, his large brown hand contrasting strongly with the far too white flesh of his own limb.
But there was something wrong with his friend, because he could feel the shivers the hand was making.
"T?"
He didn't have the energy to say more.
"Who is the man wearing the fur coat and hat, O'Neill? He is not familiar to me."
Jack's gaze shifted to his right. "It's Siskovski. Met up with him briefly in Poland." Then the impact of what he had just heard hit and he pulled at his arm, trying to wrench it from the Jaffa's clasp, but Teal'c was too strong, his grip remaining firm.
Somewhere behind him the beeps of a heart monitor burst into an agitated crescendo while pain flared in his chest again. He managed to gasp out a few words, seeing the maggots crawling over the lips of an unknown enemy behind Teal'c shoulder, one of far too many he couldn't name.
"You can see them?"
"Indeed. As did Doctor MacKenzie when he touched you. It is most …" There was a pause as if Teal'c was searching for a suitable word. "Distressing."
Thoughts rumbled through Jack's mind and he strived to pull meaning from the chaotic carousel of ideas half forming before swiftly retreating.
But one clear thought he managed to pluck from the maelstrom and hold. Teal'c was seeing what he saw.
He tugged viciously, wrenching his arm from Teal'c's grasp.
No one should have to live with what he saw. No one should have to see just how many spectres walked though his mind.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
"I hear he's finally cracked. Went completely crazy and attacked MacKenzie."
"Not surprising, considering his background. Those Special Ops guys are all …"
Half turning, Daniel tried to spot the speakers, but a sudden silence fell over the whole cafeteria and no one met his eyes. Several people shifted uncomfortably in their seats, looking down to avoid his gaze. He gave the room a general glare before turning back to look for his friend.
A motion caught his eye over in the corner as Teal'c rose a little in his seat to attract his attention. Daniel made his way over to where his teammate sat surrounded by plates heaped with food.
"Hungry?"
The Jaffa paused as he was about to take a bite from a large piece of pie and raised an eyebrow.
"No more than usual. Why do you ask, Daniel Jackson?"
"No reason." Daniel pushed a dish loaded with beef stew and potato to one side and sat, fury growing inside him. "Did you hear what they were saying? Where do they get off talking about Jack like that?"
"I do not feel anyone is showing disrespect for O'Neill."
In the face of Teal'c's calmness, Daniel's anger rose, his voice rising with it, all the worry and uncertainty of the past few days finally coming to a head. "That's not what it sounded like to me! When I think of what he's done for them and never asked for anything in return ... ungrateful …"
He could feel the tension rise as the room became deadly still.
The scraping of chairs was loud in the silence and Daniel stopped speaking as two men approached their table.
Colonel Dixon pulled out one of the spare chairs and sat, but Colonel Reynolds remained standing, his hands in his pockets in a posture that reminded Daniel eerily of Jack.
Dixon turned to Teal'c first. "How's Jack?"
Teal'c replied with just two words. "Not good."
Dave nodded. "So we heard." Daniel watched as he exchanged a quick look with Reynolds before speaking again. "Look, Daniel, we couldn't help hearing what you said. You have to know there are all sorts of rumors flying around the base. Some of them are pretty out there." He gestured as Daniel frowned and tried to speak. "Wait. Don't get all defensive – it's not like that."
Reynolds stepped in, taking up the conversation. "Everyone on this base respects the hell out of Jack O'Neill. They're worried about him. Sure, we know the official line – that Jack's ill, probably with something he caught offworld, but we know there's more to it than that. There's talk he's seeing things, that he's gone completely wacko."
"Shrink MacKenzie does not consider O'Neill to be wacko."
Dixon and Reynolds stared at Teal'c and it was clear the others were as taken aback by his bald and strangely phrased statement as Daniel.
"Well, that's good to hear," Colonel Reynolds commented dryly, as he pulled out a chair and finally sat, before glancing at his watch. "I've got a briefing with General Hammond later, and he'll probably bring me up to speed with what's going on, but in the meantime Dave and I thought we'd do a bit of damage control – nip the speculation in the bud, so to speak."
"I've known Jack for years, since well before the SGC, and one thing I'm sure of is that he hasn't cracked under the stress."
"Is that what they're saying?" Daniel couldn't help sounding defensive at Dixon's words. "Of course he hasn't. He wouldn't."
Looking down at his hands, Dave muttered a few quick words that Daniel had to strain to hear even in the completely quiet room. "Not now, at least."
Teal'c broke the now rather uncomfortable silence. "O'Neill is not suffering from a mental illness. I have seen the same visions he is seeing, as has Shrink MacKenzie." Daniel noticed he was speaking rather louder than normal and that he had the whole room's avid attention. "Major Carter is setting up her equipment in O'Neill's room in the hope of discovering the source of the phenomenon." Teal'c took another bite of the pie, slowly chewing the mouthful before continuing. "Doctor Fraiser ordered me to take nourishment before returning to assist."
"You've seen these things too?" Reynolds asked, looking concerned.
"Indeed, but only when in direct contact with O'Neill. Doctor Fraiser thinks there is no risk to the base."
Daniel lowered his voice, well aware of the interest their conversation held for the other personnel in the room. "How is Jack?"
"He did indeed attack Doctor MacKenzie and now O'Neill refuses to allow me, or anyone else, near him." This time Teal'c spoke equally softly so that only the others at their table could hear. "He becomes extremely agitated if it is attempted. Doctor Fraiser is very concerned as he now appears to be experiencing great physical distress. She also thinks the hallucinations are increasing but O'Neill is no longer describing what he sees."
Daniel's left hand drummed a tattoo on the table top, his right plucked aimlessly at a thread hanging from his shirt. "When are you going back?"
"Shortly. No set time was given."
"I'll go now and see if Janet will let me in to see him." He looked about, really seeing the faces of the people around him for the first time, seeing their concern for Jack, and pushing back his chair to rise, he gave Dixon and Reynolds a nod of understanding. "I'll tell you as soon as I hear anything." He stopped a few steps from the table and turned back, addressing the colonels, but including the rest of the room. "I'll let Jack know you were asking after him. I'm sure he'll appreciate it."
As he left, a lone, unidentified, voice followed him out.
"Thanks, Doctor J."
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TBC
