Arriving at their new destination the team began to look around. Upon exiting the Stargate they found themselves in a small clearing in a large forest. Walking ahead, they began to notice the odd large square block of rock, a few next to each other, others on top of each other, some even looking like the remains of a wall. They quickly realized that they were walking through some very old ruins, perhaps the remains of a city, with plants growing through and around them. There appeared to be no sign of life anywhere.

As they slowly wandered through the rumble, Anna noticed a cave entrance nearby.

"Cam," Anna said looking at Cameron and nodding her head in the direction of the entrance, as she walked over to it.

"Right behind you, Doc," said Cameron following her, "Carter, Teal'c, Vala have a look around. See if there is someone home."

Cameron followed Anna into a tunnel, both of them flicking on their torches. "You know Doc, you don't have to go into every tunnel that you see," he said smiling.

"And spoil all my fun."

"Yeah, well you know, curiosity and all that." It didn't really bother Cameron that Anna was curious, he had to admit he understood that feeling too well.

After a few minutes the tunnel opened out into a enormous cavern. In the middle was a circular stone floor with large pillars, that rose several feet into the air. Each pillar looked quite old, with chunks missing out of them.

Cameron and Anna walked around but there were no other entrances off the cavern.

"Well doesn't look like anyone lives here," Cameron said

"No. Could be some kind of religious site. Maybe a temple," Anna said walking up to one of the pillars "There's some kind of writing on these. I'm not as good at this as Doctor Jackson. It doesn't look familiar."

Anna took out a video camera and began filming. Just then a mass of light appeared, surrounding Anna. For a second she stood there, as if frozen in time, the light all around her, shimmering.

"Doc!"

Seeing the light hit Anna, Cameron yelled out, quickly going over to her. Just as he got close to her, the light vanished and Anna collapsed, falling to the ground. Cameron knelt next to her, brushing his hand across her forehead.

"Anna. Come on Sweetheart."

She looked deathly white and there was blood running out of her nose. Cameron felt for a pulse, but couldn't find one. Please, no he thought, quickly beginning CPR.

"Carter!, Teal'c!" he yelled.

The next couple of minutes were the longest he knew as he gave her her CPR and mouth to mouth. Feeling her small gasp of breath, he felt for a pulse again. It was there, but faint.

The rest of the team came rushing in, having been alerted by Cameron's tone that something was wrong. He looked up at them, worry in his eyes, lifting Anna up in his arms.

"I've got a pulse, but it's faint," he said, rushing towards the tunnel.

"Cam, what happened?" Sam spoke with concern in her voice.

"No time Sam. We've got to get her back now," Cameron said, the seriousness of his tone instantly getting the message across to the others as he focused on what he needed to do, carrying Anna, jogging towards the the gate as fast as he could.

The others all followed running with him. As Sam dialed the gate, Cameron looked down at the woman in his arms, kissing her on the forehead

"Come on Sweetheart, don't you do this to me," he said just as the gate opened up.

Arriving back through the gate at Stargate Command Cameron cried out, "We need help in here." and laid Anna down on the ramp, checking her pulse. It was still there, but other than that there was no sign of life.

~*~*~*~

For Cameron there was nothing worse than waiting around while one of his team were hurt. It was even harder when it was the woman he cared about. Carolyn had said she was stable, but unconscious. Cameron stayed as close as he could, trying not to get in the way but wanting to be near Anna.

"Cam."

Sam walked up behind him and put her hand gently on his shoulder. He looked at her.

"General Landry wants a word."

Seeing that he wasn't going to move, she tried again.

"Come on Cam, she'll be all right. He just needs to know what happened. We all do."

Cameron knew the logic of this but still he was reluctant to leave Anna. He looked up at Teal'c and Vala who were standing near Sam. They all looked concerned. He paused for a few seconds, looked over at Anna and then turned to them.

"You're right."

Cameron turned to Carolyn. "I want to know if anything changes. I'll be back soon."

Carolyn gave him a nod, seeing the concern on his face, knowing that he was worried.

~*~*~*~

Cameron sat next to Anna's bed watching her. He had told the General and the team all that had happened. The others had gone back to the planet. Cameron had wanted to go with them but General Landry had suggested, no ordered him to stay behind.

It had been hours since he had brought her back, and so far no change.

Noticing that the team were back, hovering in the corridor, he left her side.

"I'm sorry Cam, we haven't found anything yet. The cavern appears just to be a cavern, nothing unusual. There's a team still there seeing if they can find anything else. How is she?" asked Sam

"Still the same."

Cameron turned towards the wall. The next instant he slammed a fist into it, a aloud thud echoing through the corridor. As he pulled he fist back they could all see that his knuckles were now bleeding.

The others looked on in shock, but understood the frustration he was going through. They had all been in similar situations with people they cared about.

"Sorry, just had to do that," Cameron said.

Sam made a move to get something for Cam's hand, but he stopped her.

"It's okay Sam. It's not that bad. Look I'm going back to Anna. It's late you should get some sleep."

Vala opened her mouth to say something but the look Teal'c and Sam gave her made her change her mind. Instead she reached out her hand, giving Cameron's arm a gentle squeeze.

"Okay Cam. We'll all going to stick around here at the base so if you need us...," said Sam.

Sam was relieved that Vala had picked up that perhaps now wasn't the time to try and talk to Cameron. He was holding it together, but she could see that he was worried.

Throughout the rest of the night the others kept themselves occupied, each doing their own thing to keep their minds off things. They even managed to get some sleep in between but mostly they each took turns sitting with Cameron, all of them concerned for him and for Anna. No one said anything, it was a silent vigil, one in which no words were needed, their presence was enough to let Cameron know they were there for him, for Anna, that they cared.

~*~*~*~

Daniel had arrived back, and though he was still recovering from his injuries that he had received while captured by the rogue Asgard, he had been brought up to speed as to what had happened by General Landry and had insisted on being with the others, wanting to help.. The others filled in some of the missing gaps.

"So, Cameron and Doctor Shaw have been seeing each other?" Daniel said looking at the others. They were all standing in his office while he sat on a stool.

"I believe they have strong feelings for each other," said Teal'c

"Muscles, they love each other," Vala said impatiently, "Surely you've all noticed. Okay, except you Daniel. You haven't been here."

"I think Vala might be right. They've been seeing a lot of each other," said Sam.

"Why aren't I surprised. I go away for awhile and all sorts of things happen when I'm not around. What else don't I know about?" Daniel said.

"Well, Sam's been learning how to play the cello, and I've been on a date. Several in fact. With Captain Jeffries."

Daniel looked at Vala in surprise. "You're dating someone..." He looked at Teal'c and Sam "Next you'll be telling me that Sam and Teal'c are having some kind of secret love affair."

Vala looked at Teal'c and smiled. "Now that's an interesting thought... you know I have wondered..."

"Vala!" Sam interrupted

"I believe we should get to the matter at hand. You have also had an interesting time while away Daniel Jackson... perhaps we should save that for later on. When Doctor Shaw is better." Teal'c looked at the others.

"Yes, of course. You're right Teal'c. I think I'll go along to the infirmary and see how Cameron's doing," said Daniel leaving his office.

On the way to the infirmary he went to the mess hall and grabbed 2 coffee's. Though he had only met Doctor Shaw a couple of times, she seemed nice. Trust Cameron to go after what he wanted. He was going to need them if she was as bad as everyone said. It was never easy watching someone that you cared about suffering and knowing that there was nothing you could do.

Walking to the infirmary he thought of what Vala had said. She was dating someone. He felt torn by this. While laying in the infirmary at Atlantis he had thought about Vala. He had missed her, far more than he thought he would, though he'd never tell her that. Cameron's comment shortly before he had left had got him thinking. He couldn't believe that Vala had any real feelings for him. Come on, she flirted with just about every man she met. It was the same with him, wasn't it? True, he knew she was capable of deeper feelings. He had seen how she was with Tomin. How she had been after Adria's death. He knew that underneath it all she did care about people. Even him, but more than friends, good friends? No, he didn't think so; she just liked pushing his buttons.

At the infirmary he nudged the coffee at Cameron who was staring intently at Anna. "Here have this."

Cameron looked up at Daniel. He seemed in a daze. As if he was on auto-pilot. "Thanks," he said taking it.

"She'll be all right, you know," said Daniel, nodding towards where Anna laid.

Just as he said that Anna opened her eyes. They were filled with a golden light that radiated out of her. "Alone, so alone," said a voice that sounded like Anna, but which was clearly not her speaking..

Cameron made a move to get up and go to her, but Daniel held him by the shoulder.

"No, wait," said Daniel putting down his coffee.

"Pain. Memories. Loss. Loneliness," said the entity that was within Anna. Her back arched up slightly off the bed, as if she was in pain. Anna's eyes looked at Cam, tears pouring down her face. "So much pain. All gone."

The next instant she screamed a scream filled with pure agony, as if her body was being torn apart. It was a scream of physical pain but also much more. It was a scream of utter loss and grief, bone chilling in its sound. She screamed with every muscle in her body, her whole body arching upwards as if she was going to split in two.

Cameron rushed to her, pinning her shoulders down to the bed, trying to hold her down as her body went into spasms. "Anna!"

The monitors hooked up to Anna showed her vital signs soaring upwards, the machines beeping alarmingly.

"Daniel. Help me!" Cameron cried as Anna continued screaming.

Just then Carolyn and her medical staff rushed in alerted by the screaming and the alarms from the monitors.. Pushing Cameron out of the way, they injected a sedative into her. Suddenly Anna went still again, life signs falling back down to a low level. The medical team looked at each other in surprise.

"That was fast." Daniel looked on with surprise.

"I don't think it was anything that we did. The sedative couldn't have worked that fast. At least she's calm now, though her vitals are low. She stable for now," replied Carolyn, knowing that there was no way that the sedative had worked that fast.

"What the HELL was that!" said Cameron standing back looking Anna.

"I don't know. But I think maybe I better go and have a look at that planet you went to."

Daniel monitored to Cameron to follow him out of the room. Cameron looked at Anna, torn between wanting to be with her but needing to do something. He looked at Carolyn.

"We'll do our best to keep her as calm as possible. Hopefully the sedative will do the job. Don't worry Cameron, we'll look after her," said Carolyn.

Knowing that he couldn't do anything for her here, he left. The answer had to be back on that planet. He and Daniel walked to the briefing room stopping to get the others and General Landry.

General Landry had already been informed of what had just happened.

"I've ordered her to be moved to the observation room. We can keep an eye on her there. Any idea of what it might be that has taken Doctor Shaw's body?"

"I think once we go back to the planet, we might have a better idea. It's obviously trying to communicate. Maybe we can help," said Daniel

"You think!"

Cameron knew that Daniel was trying to help, but sometimes he had the habit of stating the most obvious things. "In the meantime that thing is trying to do its Invasion of the Body Snatchers thing and killing her in the process. Doesn't seem all that friendly to me."

"Colonel. We know that this is hard for you. It's not easy seeing someone go through something like this. But I think Doctor Jackson is right. So go back to that planet and find out what's going on," said General Landry.

"Sir, we did that already. We didn't find anything," Sam spoke up, not wanting to sound negative.

"Well, we're obviously not looking in the right places. Try again. Because unless that thing decides to communicate more we haven't got any answers," said the General sending them on their way.

As they moved out of the briefing room he spoke to Daniel. "Doctor Jackson."

Daniel paused letting the others go ahead.

"Do you think Colonel Mitchell is going to be okay going with you?" asked the General.

"I think okay might be pushing it, but he'll do his job. Sitting around here and watching her suffer isn't what he needs right now. He needs to do something."

"Yes, I thought you might say that. Very well then. Go and find some answers." dismissing him

~*~*~*~