A/N: here's chapter 27 finally. sorr for the delay, midterms and papers unfortunatley had to come first and then i couldn't download documents for some reason. either way, thanks for the reviews even if it was just to tell me that something weird was going on and chapters were being repeated, im not the most technically adept person in the world, duct tacpe really is my answer to most problems. still read, enjoy, review. remember reviews make me happy, and i sadly tend to write faster if im happy. so anyway, presenting chapter 27 for your reading pleasure.

Chapter 27

Sam stood at the foot of Kate's bed in the infirmary, Janet, Daniel, and Teal'c flanking her. Hank sat beside Kate, holding her smaller hand in his.

"She looks so much smaller than she did," Daniel commented, wondering how he could possibly be of any help to the young woman and worrying that the knowledge was locked in his subconscious.

"Everyone always does," Janet replied, remembering the first time she had made that realization, her first year as an intern.

"KateO'Neill will recover," Teal'c declared.

"Based on what Teal'c?" Sam asked, wanting to believe it as well.

"Her spirit is strong. Not many have the strength to stop a Jaffa who demands his revenge. KateO'Neill has that strength. She will survive this."

"Always has been one of the strongest people I know. Now, out all of you. You can't help her or find the Colonel standing here," Janet smiled lightly, as she attempted to shoo them out.

When Hank shot her a desperate look, and settled down even more in his chair, Janet sighed. He was acting exactly like a certain Colonel usually did, "Major, you can stay for a few more minutes. But not long all right?"

"Thanks Doc," he smiled, but it was not his usual grin. A fact which worried Janet, but the only thing she could think of that would bring back that irrepressible grin of his was the other "Doc" waking up.

Smiling in return Janet retreated to her office to give Hank some privacy or at least the illusion of privacy.

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Teal'c and Daniel had joined had joined in the effort to sort through all the information on Ba'al and attempt to locate where he was holding O'Neill.

Sam had gone off to the VIP Quarters where Hebron was currently staying. Knocking quietly on the door, Sam focused her attention on the task at hand. She didn't understand much about recovering the memories left behind by a symbiote, but she did understand much about dealing with the memories and dealing with the silences left behind that no one else noticed. Straightening her shoulders, Sam turned the doorknob and stepped inside when she heard a light baritone voice call out for her enter.

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Jack shook his head, sending beads of sweat mixed with blood flying. All he cared about was that for a few minutes at least the salty red mixture wouldn't be dripping into his eyes.

Settling back as well as he could, considering that he was once again trapped like a fly against Ba'al's favorite toy, the gravity wall, Jack glared at his tormentor. The well dressed Ba'al cocked his head and smiled evilly at him, "Now, now, Colonel, such looks are not necessary. All you have to do is tell me what I want to know and all this will be over."

"Sorry bub, but it's not going to happen," Jack managed to croak out, his throat was horse from screaming.

"Colonel, no one would blame you for telling me. It's not like they can claim that you weren't under duress. Believe me, when I say that your people will blame me, not you," Ba'al tried again, fingering another knife, this one even sharper than the last.

"Hell no Snakehead," Jack shot back, bracing himself for the knife he knew was coming.

"Well, I suppose you only need a bit more persuading. But you will tell me O'Neill, in the end, you will tell me," Ba'al's already evil smile turned even colder and more evil, twisting his face into a vision of pure demonic evil as he lifted the knife and a powerful flick of his wrist let fly the deadly blade.

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Hank quietly told Kate all the things they would get around to to doing when she got better. He also recounted their few "dates" and numerous lunches and dinners shared in the commissary. Holding her hand and talking to her didn't feel like much, in fact Hank felt like he wasn't helping her at all. Sighing, he stood up and was about to join the group attempting to locate Ba'al when she started to shake.

"Doc! Get in here!" he called as he tried to hold her still, recognizing the shaking as bad.

Janet ran in and immediately knew what was wrong. Somehow Kate had absorbed the sarcophagus addition that Sam had possessed when she had healed Sam. "She's in withdrawal, just keep her steady while I…" Janet had grabbed a sedative and despite the coma Kate was in, injected the drugs into the IV delivery fluids to her system. The valium calmed her quickly and the shaking, which had begun to look like convulsions had stopped.

"She's going to go through the sarcophagus withdrawal instead of Sam?" Hank asked, the worry in his eyes intensifying tenfold as he asked.

"Looks that way. This isn't over yet," Janet made a quick notation on Kate's chart and forced a smile, "Don't worry Hank, she's a fighter. Always has been always will be."

"But she's not and Ancient, Doc, she's human. What if whatever it was she did was just too much for her? What id all the fight she had in her is spent?"

"Hank Griff, this is the lady who has ended careers when she believed and had proof that lives were being wasted. This is the lady who stood up to Teal'c and refused to let him near Hebron until her patient was safe and Teal'c's common sense had returned. Kate came into the world fighting and I refuse to believe that she's done fighting. Don't give up on her, Hank, please don't give up on her."

"I won't Doc. I'm in too far to be able to give up on her."