Chapter 38: Bad News
General Hammond and Dr Carter were both in the briefing room, the general looked from where he sat at the end of the table at the nervous doctor that had taken to pacing in front of the main window that looked out on to the 'Gate room.
"Doctor, Sam, can you sit down please? Before you wear a hole in my floor" he asked, he knew she was worried, he felt the same way but the pacing was making him even more nervous.
Sam stayed silent, just carried on pacing looking at the floor every now and then she would look out onto the stargate. She was deep in thought, Hammond could tell. She was probably thinking of all the 'What ifs' What if Jack came back injured? What if Jack got captured? What if he came back dead? What if he didn't come back at all?
The General knew these where the things she was thinking about, because he thought the exact same thing when he knew a team was out there on a life risking mission. Hell he thought it every time a team stepped through the gate to the unknown, but more so when he knew what awaited them could potentially kill them.
He was brought out of his thoughts by the sirens signalling an incoming wormhole. His head shot up from where it was inspecting his hands and he looked at Sam to see her instantly look to the Gate. He stood as she turned back to the room, seeing him stand she ran down the stairs that lead to the control room closely followed by the General.
"What do we have?" he asked when he neared the technician Sam stood by his side looking back out at the Gate. He watched as she closed her eyes, he knew she was silently praying her husband was on his way home with her old friends.
"It's the rescue teams IDC sir, and they're coming in hot."
"Call the med team down here and get that iris open" he ordered. He watched as the iris spun away revealing the shimmering puddle that was the event horizon.
Soon enough people were flooding through the gates, Sam and the General joined them in the gate room along with the med team. Some of the people had heads wounds, some obviously had broken bones, a few had cuts but most were simply were dirty and bruised. The med teams set to work sorting the injured from the uninjured and were moving them out of the gate room as Sam and Hammond neared the three members of the rescue team that had come through with them.
"Major Roberts, report!" the general ordered
"Sir SG1 and half of the rescue team went to search out more of the refugee's. The colonel wanted to get as many of the refugee's back here before the mother ship landed. While we were searching for them I spotted only a few death gliders but as I was leaving I saw an increasing number shooting down on the town centre. I'm sure the mothership will be there any minute…"
"Oh my god…" Sam suddenly exclaimed as she saw four of the eight people she was hoping to see. She made for them not even excusing herself first. She was crying and so were the other four. Having ran and pushed her way through the crowd she finally reached them.
"Oh my god…" she repeated grabbing each in turn. "Jules, Hysta, Cris, Glen, I was so worried something had…but it hasn't your alright, you are alright…whats going on back there…oh god…I'm so glad your alright…wheres Jack?..Why didn't he…oh no please don't tell me…" she was now sobbing uncontrollably in Jules arms the other three looking on.
"It's ok, we're ok, thanks to Jack and the others…shhh it's ok he'll be alright." Jules repeated over and over in an attempt to calm Sam down. The General watched from where he was stood with Major Roberts. It pained him to see her like this she was like a daughter to him. All of SG-1 we're like family to him. He made his over to the group as Jules finally managed to calm Sam down, barely.
"Are you going to introduce us?" he asked her in an attempt to get her mind of the fact that her husband was still stuck off world trying to save the people that she had considered friends for two months.
"I'm sorry General, I don't know…" she tried to say but was stopped when he put his hand up to stop her.
"No need, who are your friends?" he said calmly with a smile.
"This is Cris and Hysta and there parents Jules and Glen, they are the family that looked after me and Jack while we were on the planet. Guys this is General Hammond" She said silent tears still rolling down her face. Hammond shook each persons hand in turn before speaking.
"It's nice to meet you all, I'm saddened that it was under these circumstances."
"As are we General." Glen said with a weak smile.
"Sam could you get these folk settled in while I see what the Major has to tell me." The general asked not waiting for an answer he left heading towards Major Roberts once again. Sam started to lead her group towards the refugee quarters that had been set up. Just as the reached the lift, having been silent all the way there, the sirens and alarms sounded once more through the mountain.
Without a second thought Sam turned and ran back to the control room as the others followed her. She entered just as the technician relayed an incoming transmission through the speakers.
"SGR to SGC" a voice sounded through the speakers.
"General Hammond here, whats the situation?"
"There are death glider and foot patrols everywhere sir. We have lost contact with SG1 and that half of the rescue team and it looks like a mother ship has landed in the town centre. We suspect that is where the rest of the rescue team is sir and we would have gone to aid assistance but we had orders to stay by the gate."
"You did the right thing, what is your situation?" the general asked. Sam had started crying again at the mention of losing contact with SG1 and Jules was consoling her was again.
"Sir like I said there are Jaffa and death gliders everywhere. I'm amazed we haven't been discovered yet. We wish for you to send reinforcements SGC, so we can go and get the rest of the team before heading home."
"That's a negative SGR, if we lose control of the gate while most of the SG teams are still on the planet we are screwed I want you and your men back here now." It was hard for him to say and even harder for Sam to hear. They are leaving him behind she kept thinking over and over again.
"Sir I really think that…"
"You heard me airman get your asses back here now once the situation has died down some we can send in an extraction team but for now there is nothing we can do, they will have to find there own way home."