Chapter 30

Jack sighed, so far none of his ideas had worked, and it looked like Ba'al was the one System Lord who wasn't having a Jaffa Rebellion problem. He also couldn't seem to identify any undercover Tok'ra, and he'd been an "honored guest" of Ba'al long enough for any of the supposed "good" snakes to have found him.

His gut was still telling him that something was wrong at the SGC, although it did not seem to be as urgent as before, he knew he had to get back quickly. But he displayed no sign of his frustration or anxiety. He couldn't take the chance of Ba'al having him watched. At least the first time he'd been stuck long term with Ba'al, Daniel had been in the Glow Club, and at that point even Jack was uncertain of his sanity as his stay with Ba'al lengthened.

But now that wasn't an option, and he had nothing but his fear and his imagination to keep him company. That was the one thing he truly hated about being not only a prisoner but also separated from his team and everyone else. There was nothing for him to focus on except escaping and his fear.

He thought he had a plan put together, at least the barest outline of a plan. He was a believer in the idea that details were just something that would go wrong. The odds were already against him, and he preferred to not stack them any higher.

SGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGCSGC

"So it's possible Jack is on a planet we've already checked?" General Hammond asked, not quite believing what SG-1 was telling him. Still it was SG-1, and the odds that they were right were better, besides they were the House and since the House always wins Hammond was willing to go along with anycrazy ideas these people might come up with.

"Yes sir, if the building the Colonel is being held in is cloaked there would be no way to tell from a visual inspection of the planet that anything was actually there," Sam quickly explained, she had been working on this 36 hours straight and had a definite caffeine buzz from the amounts of diet pop and Daniel's coffee she had consumed. But she had figured out not only how to tell if a cloak was in the area, but also she'd MacGyvered together the instrument she needed.

"Basically what we would be doin is a larger version of the base-wide sweep we implemented during the treaty negotiations with the Goa'uld. A personal cloaking device is the principle, just on a much smaller scale, so we simply need a larger version of the instrument we used then," she continued.

"I see. Do what you have to Major, to get as many of these things made as fast as possible. SG-1 you have a go to reexamine PX-987. You Gate-out in seven hours."

After Hammond had returned to his office and SG-1 had vacated the briefing room, Daniel spoke up.

"Why wait seven hours? You already have a working version of the larger doohickey so why can't we Gate out immediately?"

"Because when SG-9 was there for the original search they noted the planet's time difference to Earth. If we Gated in now it would be the middle of the night, which is fine, except we don't know where the Gate s in relation to any cloaked ships or buildings, and the Gate is not only loud , it really lights up at night," Sam answered, trying to accept the logic herself. The part of her that was an Air Force officer accepted and understood the logic, the part of her that was a scientist understood that the scientists on base needed her here for a few more hours to get the other devices ready for other teams, but the part of her that was neither of those the part of her that she continually denied, wanted to go now. Go now and find him and bring him home safely, despite the risks of going now.

"SG-1 to the infirmary. SG-1 to the infirmary," the PA system announced.

The three friends all knew that something had happened and without saying a word took off for the elevator to take them to the infirmary.

When they arrived the scene before them appeared normal, or at least what was normal since Sam woke up and Kate went into a coma. Kate lay on the bed, hooked to dozens of machines, dead to the world around her; Hank Griff sat beside her, not really paying attention to anything except her, and Janet hovered nearby, ever-present clipboard in her hands as she monitored her young friend and colleague's unchanging condition.

But then they noticed it. The one huge difference.

Janet was smiling.

"She's come out of it. I don't know how, but she's sleeping normally, all her brain wave patterns are completely normal!" Janet's excitement was contagious and SG-1 quickly found themselves grinning as well.

"What about the withdrawal?" Daniel asked, remembering his own experiences with that delightful side effect of the sarcophagus.

"A few convulsions, but nothing as bad as I thought it would be."

"This is great. We think we know where Jack might be, with luck she'll be awake when he gets back," Daniel's excitement was as intense as Janet's. He knew that Jack would be upset that he hadn't been here while Kate was in the coma, but it would help him if Kate were awake and not a patient in the infirmary when he got back.

"When do you three leave?" Janet asked, eying Sa carefully.

"We Gate out in seven hours DoctorFrasier," Teal'c answered, appearing to the outside world as somber and stoic as ever.

"Then I want the three of you to get some sleep. Especially you Sam, you've been up 36 hours straight that I know of and its probably closer to 72 in reality."

When Sam looked about to protest Janet put up a hand, "If you don't get at least six hours of sleep Sam I won't clear you for Gate travel. Major Griff, I want you to get some sleep too. Better yet, go home and sleep. The danger is over, she's sleeping peacefully and you need to sleep or you'll be my next patient."

Too tired to argue and knowing it wouldn't do any good anyway both Majors agreed.

Once the infirmary was again empty except for Janet, a nurse sitting quietly at the nurse's station, and Kate sleeping quietly.

"Now we just have to keep you safe Kate. God only knows what the Colonel would do if anyone, much less the NID, kidnapped you for testing. God only knows," Janet said softly to her sleeping friend before going to her office to work on her ever present paperwork.