Jack was scheduled to spend the next 72 hours under sedation in the infirmary. He was exhausted and the Doctor thought it best that he have some undisturbed sleep. He had brain wave sensors on his forehead monitoring his REM patterns and the EEG monitoring his dreams. However, Jack continued to have the nightmare and even though he was sedated, his heart rate and blood pressure became dangerously high, so the Doctor had to bring him out after less than 24 hours.
As soon as the effects of the sedative wore off, Jack sat bolt upright in bed, perspiration dripping from his body, breathing heavily he screamed out for Sam, who was already by his side, desperate to help her husband, who didn't appear to realise that she was there.
"I'm here Jack" she cooed, trying to calm him
"SAM, where the hell are you?"
"Jack I'm right here, beside you"
"SAAAM" his cry was pathetic and agonising to hear.
"Doctor, what's wrong with him?" Sam pleaded to the Doctor, tears already spilling from her eyes.
"From these patterns, it appears that he is trapped inside the nightmare, he's still asleep, even though he's awake. If that makes sense. You see, scientists have hypothesised that someone in severe emotional distress can become convinced they are living their nightmare and become trapped inside it because they can't tell the difference between reality and dream"
"Oh God, what can we do?"
"Sam, I honestly don't know, I'll contact some colleagues and see if they have any answers, but since he seems more distressed and more likely to do himself physical harm, I think the best thing is to put him under a heavier sedation, sort of like an induced coma. I want you to stay with him, keep talking to him, it might be enough to bring him out of it".
Sam sat with Jack for four days before something unexpected happened. He suddenly woke up from the sedation, even though he was receiving enough medication to drop an elephant. He turned to look at Sam, a strange expression on his face, then he broke into that Jack O'Neill smile that melted her shoes to the floor – Her Jack was back.
"Oh Jack, we've been so worried"
"General O'Neill?" The Doctor said from behind her, "You shouldn't be awake, you have enough sedative in your blood to keep Teal'c in a coma"
"I know Doc, but I can't help it, I just woke up. I feel great, can I go home now?"
"No yet Sir, I want to run a few more tests"
"Oh, not with the tests. Do you need blood".
"You know the drill, General, of course I need to check your blood work".
"Whatever" Jack pouted.
Some time later they were looking at the results of Jack's blood work and his brain scan.
The Doctor began "I've compared these brain scans to the routine ones taken 2 months ago and your brain appears to be working at 30 above normal, I then compared them to the last time you had Ancient Technology in your brain and they are identical. It appears that you've been exposed again Ancient Technology.
"Goddamnit! Not again, NOT NOW".
"Jack, we'll contact the Asgard, they've helped you both times before, perhaps they can help you again"
"Ya think Carter!"
"Jack?"
"Sorry Sam, it's just so damn frustrating; I get my life together, I'm happier than I've been in forever, and now I get this damn Ancient crap again. Doc, what's that got to do with the nightmares?"
"I believe the Ancient Technology is trying to trigger something from your memory, but it has triggered the wrong centres of your brain. It may have taken a while longer for it to find the required memory. I can only assume that now you are awake, that you'll begin your mission, so to speak and the nightmares should stop"
"So the nightmares are gone, but unless the Asgard can get here in time or I can get to them in time, it's gonna get awful cold in here"
"Yes General, that's right"
"Fuck" he cursed
"JACK!"
"Sam, I'll be lucky to see the birth of our first child – this is so unfair. I just hate…."
He was unable to finish his sentence as he rose from the bed, pulling all the sensors and monitors off him, made his way to the command centre and dialled a gate address. They all then followed him into the gate room. They had been down this path before, they knew better than to try and stop him.
"Jack where are you going?"
Jack didn't respond, he had already lost the power of human speech and nobody would understand the ancient language that would spew forth from his lips, so he turned to her and embraced her, gazing longingly and lovingly into her eyes. He gave her one last kiss before he turned and walked through the event horizon.
TBC….