"Daniel? Wakey Wakey."

"Jack, is that you?"

"Yeah, how ya felling?"

"My head…."

"Yeah, you got hit with a pretty big rock. Only a small concussion, don't worry, you'll live."

"Great. How's Sam?"

"Funny you should ask. She's awake again. Apparently this whole virus thing is worse that we first thought. The fever was only the beginning. According to our new "friends" the illness seems to go through stages. She's in stage four right now, sporadic outbursts and uncontrollable crying."

"Oh…what were stages two and three?"

Jack smiled, "childlike and loss of inhibitions."

"Childlike?"

"Yeah, just picture Carter like five or six years old."

"You're kidding right?"

"No Daniel, I don't kid."

Daniel sat up and massaged the back of his head gingerly, "So tell me about these new "friends". I'm not sure I remember them. You know with the rock and all I'm drawing a blank."

"Well they claim that they have no idea what…"

"NO, STOP IT! LEAVE ME ALONE! I HATE YOU! I REALLY HATE YOU!"

"There she goes again. Hey Doc can you do something about that? Thanks."

"Anyway like I was saying, they don't know too much about this thing other than the stages, which I think they said there were six. It's deadly, which doesn't come as a big surprise. That seems to be the only kind of trouble we attract. We have some help on the way. They should be here anytime. Oh, here comes the Doc, you should be lying down."

"How are you Dr. Jackson?"

"Peachy."

"Hey that's my word, "said Jack. "I think that rock might have hit you harder than we thought if you are talking like me."

Daniel ignored him. "Has SG-7 found Jacob yet?"

"Nope, not a trace, and our friends claim that they never laid eyes on him. I think they are lying but there's no way of knowing for sure. Not without a lie detector test or something."

"Well…" Daniel broke off as the sound of Sam's uncontrolled sobbing reached his ears. "When did you say help was coming? I don't know how long I can take this."

"Right now" said the Doc pointing towards the mouth of the cavern.

Jack looked up as Teal'c entered the cave with their newly arrived help in tow.

"Oh goody," said Jack sarcastically as the Tok'ra approached, "my favorite people in the whole universe."

"God, I'm starving!"

"Uh-oh," said Jack moving his eyes from the Tok'ra to look at Sam. She leaned forwards and snatched a half eaten chocolate bar out of her guard's hand. "Looks like stage five has just kicked in, according to Mara its insatiable hunger. I hope Malek brought some food with him, or Carter is going to be insufferable."

"Well at least she isn't crying or screaming anymore, "said Daniel from his spot on the floor.

"Yeah," said Jack with a grin, "there's that."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next chapter will be longer. Please read and review...