13
"Gone?" Jack asked incredulously "What do you mean gone?"
"I mean, bright white light, and she wasn't there any more" she gestured to Thor Jack turned to look at him as well
"Did you take her to put her in suspension too?" he asked hopefully, but he knew Thor would have told him before doing it.
"We saw no need to suspend Colonel Carter, her body is able to survive in a coma, the child's will not"
Thor disappeared, "HEY! Take me with you!" Jack shouted into thin air, a bright light surrounded him and he was in space again.
"Tell them to turn the shield back on!" he told Thor. Thor gestured to a pad on the floor, Jack stepped into it and he was surrounded by a hologram of the room so many miles below him. "Danny, tell T to turn the shield on again, we don't want anyone else being taken"
Thor moved a few stones about, spoke to the computer, and watched a display for a few seconds, and turned to Jack. "I am sorry O'Neill, there is no trace of the ship, nor of Colonel Carter" he hung his head in shame "Do you wish to return to your children now?"
Jack nodded, desolate and waited for his grey buddy to get Teal'c to shut the shield down for a few seconds, and he was back in the nursery.
He looked around, but once again without Sam he felt adrift, and isolated. He did not want to hold the children, he couldn't face the thought that she was in the hands of the people who had done this to them and made eight beautiful babies just so he could watch them die!
He knew he was not an angel, he had done bad things in his life, but nothing anyone ever did could lead to them deserving something like THIS!
He headed out of the room and wandered around, he found himself outside his old office, the door was open and it was empty, he entered and sat behind Hanks desk, a knock came on the door to the briefing room and without waiting for permission Walter entered and put a mug of coffee in front of him. "The president asked if you would call him as soon as you are able, sir" he said in a soft voice.
Jack had spent a lot of time annoyed with Walter and his ability to know what was needed before it was known it was needed, but he took great comfort now, that someone would do the necessary things without him having to think enough to order it.
He picked up the mug, it was, of course, exactly the temperature he liked to drink it, almost scalding hot, he picked a speck of fluff from the surface and wiped it on the blotter. Took a deep breath in and picked up the red phone.
He was put straight through, even though he was told that the president was in a meeting. He told his commander in chief all the up to date news, and what avenues he was looking at as to why only one baby out of the eight was healthy.
He got the shock of his life when Hayes came up with a suggestion. "Why not ask Thor to freeze them all until you have a cure?" Jack shook his head, to the phone "Then we can put every resource into finding a cure and no one will be distracted by having to actually look after the babies at the same time." Jack couldn't believe he was hearing this!
He was just about to explode when he heard someone on the background of the presidents office do it for him "You can't ask the man to do that to his own children!" the Texan twang came clearly down the line.
Hayes must have covered the mouthpiece up, but Jack could still hear him. "Dammit George, you know the situation! We need Jack O'Neill here, not in Cheyenne Mountain, he's the only one that THAT Russian trusts!" Jack stood to attention, even though no one could see him doing it
"Respectfully sir…" He waited until the muffled sound disappeared and assumed that the president was listening "You can shove it where the sun don't shine" and he put the receiver down.
He went back to the nursery, he had nowhere else to go, he had been there less than a minute when a light beamed into the room and an Asgard appeared. Teal'c must be running the machine.
"Hermiod" Jack said, "what ya doin' here?"
"I have brought the portable shields that have so far been made." He said gesturing to several necklaces he had on his chest.
He picked one up and handed it over for Jack to inspect. "There is another way of miniaturising the devices, to make them even smaller, but I have not enough neutronium to manufacture them at this time. I have asked Thor to request some be sent, hopefully it will arrive either later this Earth day or tomorrow."
Jack held the pendant, it was about 3 inches across, round and only about 4 millimetres thick, it had some design embossed on it, actually it looked like a Stargate! Hermiod held up another disk, he demonstrated its settings.
"If you turn the outer ring… thus… the device is active, and it will protect anyone within a 2 metre distance from being taken." He twisted it back, past the point it had started at and explained "This will allow transport, but will broadcast a signal to the other devices to communicate where it arrives." He said "now" into the air and he was gone, the device in Jacks hand spoke, using Hermiods voice.
"The activated shield is approximately 65,000 kilometres away, vertically" Jack looked up automatically and converted it
"45,000 miles, that's 5000 miles outside our atmosphere, it didn't look that high when I was there earlier" he said to no one in particular. Hermiod reappeared.
"I was on the Daedalus not the Samantha Carter, that is in much lower orbit to help shield the mountain" Jack closed his eyes in pain as he once again heard the name of the ship Thor had brought. Hermiod had appeared again in the far corner of the room and Jacks amulet said "The activates shield is 2.5 metres away 34° from magnetic north"
"How are we to attach the disks to the children?" Hermiod asked, "It seems to me unwise to put a chain around their necks when they are not in full control of their bodies, they may cause themselves injury" Jack agreed but had no suggestions
"How would YOU suggest they wear one?" he asked, knowing that they never used clothing and he had only seen the blue stone thing twice, once wrapped around someone's hand and once around someone's neck.
"I would wear it next to my communicator" came the unexpected answer
Jack looked him up and down and asked "You are wearing a communicator?"
"All Asgard wear them, all the time, we have them fitted into our chest cavity when we are grown, usually before we transfer our consciousness, but not always"
That was soo not happening to his kids!
Dr. Cook stepped forward "If I may, gentlemen?" he waited for a nod from Jack before continuing "We could sew pockets into the back of their clothes for now, once the new ones are made we can decide then how to make it a bit more permanent depending on the size"
Jack nodded and the doctor gestured to one of the nurses, he explained that every set of clothing would have to have a patch sewn onto it so they could slip the disk in, and sent her to the PX to get some cloth to use as patches, recommending handkerchiefs if available, and some sewing kits, which they always had.
They placed a shield in each cot, and one on the pod, until such time as the clothes were ready and Hermiod offered Jack the last one. Jack held up the one he had "Got one" he said.
"This one is for Colonel Carter when she returns" he placed it in the tall mans hand. Jack noticed he said when and not IF, and was grateful for it.
"We may now deactivate the large shield generator permanently, or you may wish to leave it on, however it does make it awkward responding quickly if we are needed" he nodded at the life pod with Jonathan in, floating serenely in the corner. Jack took the hint and contacted Teal'c up 3 levels once again and told him to kill it.
The nurse returned with a pile of hankies and a sewing box, and Jack smiled at Daniels face when all SG13 and himself took kit and started sewing the patches on the backs of shirts, dungarees, babygro's and dresses. After all you had to be able to repair your own things in the forces, no ones mother was available to do it for you.
Hank and Teal'c walked into this scene of domestic bliss and Teal'c sat down on the floor cross legged and started sewing as well. Hank gestured for Jack to join him in the corridor, and Jack, knowing what was coming reluctantly got out of his chair and followed him.
"Jack did you put the phone down on the President?"
"What would you have done Hank?" his voice rising in anger. He explained what the suggestion had been.
"Makes sense" came a voice behind him, he turned, Carolyn was stood listening "You don't want them to risk brain damage" she said having noticed his face
"They aren't thinking of the bloody kids!" he spat "They just want me back in DC"
She shrugged her shoulders at him "Isn't that what you are paid to do?" she asked. He looked at Hank and saw the man slump.
"Sorry Jack" he said "I don't know how she came to be this way, but she will be gone as soon as we find someone else"
"You can't replace me just because I disagree with you!" she stated "This is the best opportunity to study front line medicine"
"Maybe you should learn to be a human first" Jack said "I would rather deal with Anise at least I KNOW she is a snake." Carolyn stalked back to the infirmary and they could hear the sound of things hitting the walls as she threw them
"Transfer her to '51" Jack said "She will be right at home there and not have to deal with any pesky patients"
"Thanks for trying" Hank said, and it was obvious he knew Jack had only employed her to try and help them reconcile. "I must remember to thank my ex for the way she has turned out" she shook his head "You know I went for custody, but back then I didn't have a chance, the mother always won, and I was away a lot, stationed in Europe most of the eighties"
Jack clapped the older man on the shoulder in sympathy, and watched him as he headed back to his office, all thoughts of the president forgotten. Jack did not forget however!