Authors Note: My apologies for taking so long to update. The next part shouldn't be anywhere as long in coming - I hope.
Content warning: Language
Shadows of Fear – Part 11
"Don't come near me. I'm warning you, don't."
He barely remembered grabbing the scalpel from a tray, but it was here now, in his hand, and he brandished it wildly, keeping it moving as he looked from one person to another. It was far too difficult to tell who was real and who was one of the demons from his delusions, and he couldn't be sure who he needed to fend off – maybe all of them. But he knew the people he really needed to keep away were the real ones, the ones made of flesh and blood.
"Please, sir, you have to let us help you."
Focusing his attention on Carter's voice, Jack found her sandwiched between John Michaels and the fanatical canon who accused Teal'c of being a demon. The canon was screaming vile words, spit running from his mouth, his eyes wild and crazy, and although Sam was clearly oblivious to the canon's curses, Jack had to listen hard to hear what she was saying through the ranting.
Maybe that was it, maybe he was possessed.
They were all clamouring for attention now, their voices getting louder and more insistent. Curses, screams, prayers, all mingled together.
His nightmares had found their voice.
"Colonel."
And there was Carter, suddenly right beside him, and he lashed out, one part of him wanting to hold back, the other needing them to understand he meant what he said – no one could touch him. No one.
The scalpel grabbed and caught, fouling in thick cloth then cutting through it, and she uttered one sharp shout of pain. Jack watched as the red ran from Carter's arm, mingling with the blood of his tormentors. Hot met cold, living met dead and ran together in his mind.
And it ended.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
It all happened so fast. Janet sent Teal'c to get something to eat, a command her teammate obeyed begrudgingly, while Sam began the task of setting up her equipment once again, hoping that this time it would find something.
She had been engrossed in what she was doing, so the sudden shouting took her completely by surprise.
Looking up, she found the colonel off his bed, leads hanging and tubes dangling, dripping liquid on to the infirmary floor. Janet's machines were shrieking urgently for attention, the awful continuous screech of a patient flat-lining ringing through the room. Mixed in with the mechanical noise was the colonel's voice – shouting, screaming really - telling everyone to stay away from him.
Sam moved as calmly as she could around the beds and between the watching medical staff to Janet's side.
"What happened?"
Not taking her eyes off her patient, Janet replied in a low voice, "His ECG was showing signs of tachycardia. I need to administer medication to slow his heart rate, but I didn't get within three feet of him."
As she finished speaking, Janet edged closer and Colonel O'Neill immediately reacted, lunging for a tray of instruments. Both women took a step back at the sight of the scalpel in the hand of the pale and profusely sweating man.
"Don't come near me. I'm warning you, don't."
Even though he was in obvious distress, the colonel held the weapon firmly, and Sam had no doubt his instincts had taken over, leaving them with an extremely dangerous situation.
"Please, sir, you have to let us help you."
Putting out a hand, Sam stopped Janet as she began to move forward, grabbing her arm. "No, don't. It's too dangerous. Let me try."
For a second she thought the doctor would argue, but she felt the tension in the arm lessen and Janet gave a quick nod of agreement. "Okay, but be careful, I don't think he knows where he is."
Sam disagreed, but she didn't take the time to comment. As she stepped forward cautiously, she saw Colonel O'Neill's head turn in her direction and his eyes narrow as if he was trying to see better. Then they focused and stared directly at her, looking like two small pieces of flint – hard and unyielding. Yes, she was sure he knew exactly what he was doing. She paused, deciding to try to reason with him first.
"You're sick, sir. Janet needs to give you something to help."
The eyes stayed fixed on her face, and she held herself ready, watching for any sign that he might attack.
She tried again, this time making her tone as normal as possible, as if they were having a discussion in her lab. "Come on, sir, you know you have to put the knife down."
It was then that she took her chance. The colonel's eyes shifted, and she saw them lose their focus. It was only for a split second, but she used it, reaching his side. "It's okay, sir. Give me the scalpel, Colonel ..."
She had no idea anyone could move that fast, at least not a normal human. Pain surged through her arm and she staggered back, her left hand clutched over the wound in a vain attempt to stem the blood that dripped rapidly on to the floor.
Everything seemed to slow down. She heard Janet's voice coming closer. She knew people were moving, reacting, but all she saw was Colonel O'Neill's face. His eyes were fixed on the floor as if the slowly growing stain of red was the most important thing in the world. For long, long, seconds they stood there, each oblivious to the commotion around them, then his eyes rolled up in his head, leaving the ghastly sight of nothing but white, and he collapsed.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
Daniel entered the infirmary at the tail end of the excitement, and instead of calm efficiency found chaos. Sam was being led protesting to a bed, her sleeve stained with blood, while Janet was bending over a figure lying in a heap on the floor. It took a minute for Daniel to recognize that it was Jack.
"Stop!" There was a shove on his shoulder and he lurched aside as Teal'c pushed past.
The Jaffa reached Janet's side and crouched, lifting Jack in one swift movement and returning him to his bed before she could argue.
"I have to touch him. I can't do my job otherwise." Daniel could almost see a small foot stamping on the ground, almost – but the situation was too serious for such levity.
"Tell me what I need to do, Doctor." Teal'c's reply was firm and unyielding and Janet nodded reluctantly.
"Reattach these, where I point." She held out the heart monitor leads.
"Is he all right?"
Daniel turned to find Sam coming up beside him, a bandage wrapped around her right arm. "Are you okay? What happened?"
She nodded. "I'm fine, it's nothing."
"What happened?" he repeated.
"The colonel." She indicated their teammate with a nod of her head.
"Shit." Daniel really couldn't think of anything more adequate to say as he watched Teal'c work.
"Yeah." Sam's tone was as dispirited as his had been.
The beep of the monitor interrupted them and Teal'c stood back while they all peered at it intently. Daniel really had no idea what he was looking at, but... The sound from the machine was rapid – far more rapid than Daniel had ever heard before. It seemed to be racing toward something, speeding along...
"Fuck! VT!"
At her uncharacteristic profanity, Daniel wrenched his eyes from the display to Janet. She pushed Teal'c aside, uncaring of his protest and pulled the defibrillator up, her nurses rushing in to assist. She held the two paddles aloft for a moment and Daniel finally understood what was happening.
"Clear."
Jack's body jerked, the monitor continued its panicked screams, and the room filled with visions of carnage.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
TBC
