"What's going on?"
"As far as I can tell, every time she comes back, she's in a variation of the state that she was in originally. It's just different enough that I have to start from scratch every time, yet still the same in the regard that she's in excruciating pain. I was about to start her on a morphine drip, sir."
"Do it."
"Yes, sir."
As they watched the doctor get back to work, Jack turned to the General. "Sir, I'm...I'm sorry about my earlier behavior. It was out of line, and very disrespectful toward you. And for that, I am deeply sorry."
The General nodded. "I understand, son."
Jack could see from the General's almost sorrowful look that he saw much more than a commanding officer watching his second-in-command die a slow and painful death, but a man losing the love of his life. "Thank you, sir." He said, choking on unshed tears.
Sam's scream ended the premature moment of silence and understanding passing between the two soldiers, and Jack's heart constricted. He closed his eyes as he clenched his teeth and the fists at his side. There was nothing he could do to help her. Again.
"JACK!" She screamed, looking in agony toward him.
As a matter of habit, he turned to the General beside him who nodded before turning to Teal'c. "Keep me posted, Teal'c."
"As you wish, General Hammond." He said, bowing as Jack walked into the isolation room.
"What's the problem, Doc?" Jack asked, as he passed the petite woman.
"I don't know...I started the morphine drip, but it seems to be worsening her pain."
"IT BURNS!" Sam screamed, pulling on the IV tube, trying to pull it out of her. "GET IT OUT OF ME!"
Janet and Jack ran over, Jack reaching for Sam's hand as Janet tried to figure out what was going on. Janet's eyes widened. "Get the IV out of her!" She ordered. "The morphine is heating up!"
There was a pause as the information coursed over the individuals involved. "NOW!" Janet commanded.
The nurses pulled took the IV out of her arm, and Sam coughed as she returned to normal. However, as she did so, blood spewed from her lips.
Janet looked at the nurses around her, worriedly. "This is different than last time."
"Can't you do something for her?" Jack begged.
"Sir, I'm doing everything I can."
Sam turned bloodshot eyes toward him, sorrowfully. "I'm sorry, Jack." She whispered, tears running down her cheeks.
"What? Sam, stay with me..."
"I'm so sorry." She whispered again before closing her eyes as the monitor showed her flatlining heart rate.
"No, Sam! Wake up!" Jack said, placing both hands on her face and forcing her closed eyes to look at his own.
There was no answer as the medical team prepared to resuscitate her. Before they could do so, however, Samantha Carter's body was engulfed in a white light and ascended out of their sight.
Jack put his hand on his eyes, hiding the tears that had started to fall once again before recomposing himself, and setting his hands back at his sides. "Daniel, get started on translating the walls of that place. We need to know what's going on here..."
"Jack..."
"Daniel."
"I'm on it." Daniel said, sensing that it was more important to figure out what was happening than to try to get his friend to talk...especially if it was just going to happen all over again.
--
Jack walked up to General Hammond's office. "Sir, Major Carter has passed away...again."
"General." Sam addressed running up the steps from the control room to the briefing room. "We're receiving a message from the..." She stopped when she saw Jack in General Hammond's office. "I'm sorry, sir...is this a bad time?"
Jack's eyes were the only part of him that indicated the pain that he felt inside when he saw her breathing frame. "No, Carter, it's fine."
"What did you need?" General Hammond asked quickly, so as to save his second-in-command from the awkwardness of the experience.
"The Tok'ra sent a message in response to the one you sent out only a few minutes ago."
"What'd they say, Major?"
"My dad's unavailable, but they'll send another Tok'ra by with a healing device."
Jack bit the insides of his cheeks as he saw the confusion in her eyes and realized that she didn't know why there was a need for a Tok'ra operative and goa'uld healing device on the base at the time.
"Did you have a question, Carter?" He asked, finally regaining his composure again.
"Well, sir, we have a healing device. And I can operate it. Why did we need to call the Tok'ra?"
"Major, ever since your return from P4C 875, you have been suffering violent deaths only for your body to disappear and be replaced by your living form." General Hammond explained. "We were hoping not only that the Tok'ra could heal you, but that they could help to shed some light on what might be happening."
"I'm dying a painful death only to come back and experience it all over again?" She asked, her mind reeling.
"Yes, Carter." Jack said, his facial features stony.
"Why would someone do that?"
"I have Daniel working on that right now. He's translating the ruins from P4C 875 as we speak, sir." He said, directing the last part of his comment not only to Sam but also to General Hammond.
"Thank you, Colonel."
"Well, one of the Tok'ra operatives should be here in the next few minutes."
"Thank you, Major."
She gave him a wan smile. "You're welcome, sir."
Jack and Sam exited the General's office simultaneously, and walked quietly down the corridor. "Sir?" Sam began, feeling the awkwardness of the moment.
"Yes, Carter?" He asked, still looking straight ahead.
"Sir, look at me."
He turned to face her direction, still somewhat unwilling to look her in the eyes. "Yes, Carter?" He repeated.
"No, sir, look AT me..." Sam said, sincerely.
He looked down at the ground before gazing into her eyes. "Yes, Carter?"
As their eyes locked, Sam could see so many emotions running through Jack's eyes. Thoughts, feelings, hopes, dreams...they all flew into her own mind. The experience was so powerful that she started tearing up. "Uh...how are you doing?"
"I'm fine, I guess." Jack said, chewing the inside of his right cheek. "How 'bout you?"
"Well, it's certainly a different experience to know you're going to die a painful death only to be brought back from the dead to experience it all again."
"Carter, we're trying to do everything we can." Jack assured quite emphatically.
"I know." She said, a tender smile gracing her face. "And I know you'll figure it out."
"Hey, isn't that MY line?" Jack teased, allowing himself to lighten the mood a little.
"Well, I think it works in this case."
Jack nodded as he looked at the ground and started walking down the corridor again. "Carter...why do YOU think someone would do this?"
"Me, sir?"
"Yeah..."
"I have no idea." She admitted, looking at the ground like him, unsure of what to say. Of what would be comforting and what would be distressing.
"Me either." He whispered softly. "But it's got to be some race that we've never come across...I don't think even the goa'uld would like this...at least they want to be the ones inflicting the pain..."
"Daniel will come up with something..." Sam said, quickly, trying to reassure them both.
"Of course he will." Jack reassured. "He has to." He whispered to himself.