Chapter------13

Carolyn Lam looked over the latest test results with a hint of a smile on her face. Cameron Mitchell was doing remarkably well considering the extent of his injuries. There was no way in hell he'd be back to his job in the near future, but if he gave himself the time he would make a complete recovery.

Carolyn looked at the woman seated next to Mitchell's bed and knew there was no point in telling Carter to get some rest. The bed next to Mitchell's was free and she'd found Sam sleeping there on several occasion now that Cam was out of danger. There was something else that seemed to be bothering Carter, but Lam knew she wouldn't talk about it until she was ready.

Lam walked over to the bed and smiled as Carter looked up at her, but left her right hand on Mitchell's arm. "He's doing much better, Sam."

"I know…thanks to you," Carter said.

"I may have done what he needed medically, Sam, but I believe it's your presence that's kept him fighting," Lam said. "So why do you look so worried?"

"It's not something I can talk about," Carter told her.

"I hate it when you say that, Sam, but I'm guessing it has to do with the security of the base or the country or the whole damn world," Lam said and saw the truth in Carter's eyes. "I just hope it isn't as bad as you think it is, Sam."

"Me too, Carolyn," Carter said and returned her attention to Mitchell when he showed signs of waking up.

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Randolph knew he was taking a major chance, but time was of the essence and he hoped to buy more time for his partner to complete his part of the mission. He knew if he changed his physical appearance again he would seal his fate, but he was ready to die for his world.

Samantha Carter was the only person he knew who could spend hours at Mitchell's side without anyone questioning her presence. His partner would have her paged and once she was out of the way, Randolph would take on her appearance and take her place at Mitchell's side.

It would not take long to change his appearance once Carter left the infirmary, but he would need a reason to stay at Mitchell's side until their plan was initiated. Once that happened, it would be a pleasure to kill Mitchell using Carter's persona. His partner would have to see that the real Carter was out of the picture until their plan was implemented.

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Cameron Mitchell opened his eyes and smiled at the woman whose hand rested on his arm, but it quickly turned to a frown when he noted the look on her face. "Sam, what's wrong?"

"What makes you think something's wrong?" Carter asked.

"I know that look and it usually means you're trying to hide something…"

"Colonel, Dr. Jackson wants to see you in the lab," one of Lam's assistants explained.

"Cam, I'll be back…"

"Sam…"

"It's okay…maybe Daniel's found an answer," Carter told him.

"An answer to what?"

"I'll tell you when I come back," Carter said and hurried away from the bed.

Mitchell was frustrated, but there was nothing he could do until Carter returned. He pushed the button to raise the head of the bed and watched as a nurse cared for another patient. God, he was so bored and needed something to keep his mind from going stir crazy. Right now he'd even be happy doing progress reports, but doubted if Lam would allow him even that much exercise.

He shifted and noticed the IV had been removed, but a heplock remained in place. Cam took it as a good sign and sat forward, wincing as the movement pulled at stitches he'd forgotten were there.

"Let that be a lesson to you, Colonel," Lam told him.

"Damn, Doc, I was just trying to get comfortable," Mitchell told her.

"Are you in pain?"

"Not really, just hate being stuck in this bed," the colonel answered honestly.

"Well, it won't be much longer, but I will warn you now, Colonel, you won't be returning to active duty for several months…"

"Several months!" Mitchell snapped incredulously.

"Yes, and that depends on how well you adhere to orders. Your arm is going to need more surgery and then we're talking physiotherapy and none of that is going to be easy and it will take time. On top of that you also had abdominal surgery and that takes time to heal properly. Relax, Colonel, you'll be making trips through the gate again…it's just a matter of time," Lam said.

"Time seems like the only thing I have right now," Mitchell grumbled as Lam left him alone. He knew she was right, but that didn't mean he had to like it. He missed Sam's presence and closed his eyes as he thought about the touch of her hand on his arm or the whisper soft scent of her.

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Randolph knew the time was at hand and opened a utility door where he would be guaranteed privacy. Once inside he concentrated on changing his form and making sure there would be no way of detecting he was not who he appeared to be. That didn't mean there weren't flaws in his makeup. There seemed to be humans who could detect something wrong in their physical presence, Mitchell and Carter being two of them.

It would take longer than normal to complete his transformation, but he was sure his partner would be able to handle the real Carter and get her out of the picture until the time was right. He smiled at the thought of killing Cameron Mitchell while in the persona of Samantha Carter and then making sure she was brought to trial for his death. Yes, that would be the ultimate revenge for their interference in his plans.

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Samantha Carter nodded to several people as she hurried toward the lab Jackson normally worked out of. It was late and very few people were in the corridor as she turned a corner and pushed open the door to find Jackson seated at the desk.

"Sam, come look at this!"

"Tell me you found something, Daniel," Carter said and joined him at the laptop. "What is this?"

"A command code that will destroy you and every other human on this world!"

Carter reacted to the tone and tried to duck, but did not quite move fast enough as something struck her forehead. She tried to focus on her attacker, but he seemed to shimmer in and out of her field of vision. She knew she had to call for help as the familiar body dissolved into the hideous creature known to them all as Jarganian.

"You and Colonel Mitchell may have disrupted our plans, but we will see that your world is destroyed," the creature said and struck her a second time.

Carter fought to stay conscious, but the second blow was too much as her eyes closed and darkness won out. She didn't feel anything as the creature's clawed appendages grabbed her and dragged her behind the desk.

The Jarganian knew he had to act quickly now before anyone noticed the lab was in use. It was late and no one would be using this area until morning, and by that time their plan would already be in motion and it would not matter what the human's did.

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Randolph moved through the infirmary until he stood next to the bed where Cameron Mitchell lay. The man seemed to be sleeping and for now he would leave him that way. There was only one other patient and a single nurse on duty which made this much easier for him.

Randolph knew he could not hold this form much longer, but he would hold out as long as he could. Revenge would be his so long as these people were destroyed. Perhaps, someday his sacrifice would be known amongst his people and he would be haled as a hero, but it really didn't matter because he would know what he'd done. He would be a hero in his own mind right up until he ceased to exist.

"Sam?"

"I'm here, Cam," Randolph said in a perfect imitation of Carter's voice. He watched as Mitchell came to full consciousness and raised the head of his bed. "How do you feel?"

"Tired…what time is it?"

"A little after midnight," Randolph answered.

"You should be in bed," Mitchell said and frowned as he wrinkled his nose.

"Is something wrong, Cam?"

"I…no, it's nothing," Mitchell answered. "Did you find the answers you were looking for?"

"Answers to what?" Randolph asked.

"You were going to see Jackson," the colonel observed.

"Oh, yes I saw him, but there's nothing new," Randolph offered and placed his hand on Mitchell's arm. "You should rest, Cam, or Dr. Lam will kick me out."

That's funny, Sam, considering Lam's been trying to get you to leave for days."

"Yes, well I don't want to cause a scene."

Mitchell closed his eyes and felt a strange sensation where Carter's hand rested on his arm. Instead of the warmth he'd come to expect from contact with her, there was a coldness that crept along his nerve endings. He frowned and opened her eyes, catching something in her face that didn't seem right. "Sam?"

"Be quiet, Colonel, or I will use this body to kill the nurse and the other patient."

"You're not Carter!" Mitchell snapped, but a hand clamped over his mouth while another pressed against his abdomen.

"No, I'm not, but to anyone who sees me I am Colonel Samantha Carter. What other evidence would be needed to destroy her image, Colonel Mitchell? Now, I am going to take my hand from your mouth, but rest assured I will kill everyone in here if you make a sound or do anything to arouse suspicion."

"What do you want?" Mitchell asked once the hand was removed from his mouth, but he felt the Jarganian's hand change as it pressed against his abdomen.

"What do you think, Colonel? I mean you cost me so much and I can never return to my world because of what you did…"

"We stopped you from destroying Tarlia and Earth."

"Yes, you did, but Earth will be destroyed, Colonel, and someday my people will realize that I am a hero," Randolph told him and again clamped his hand over Mitchell's mouth. "Earth will cease to exist, Colonel, no matter what you do because it is already too late to stop it from happening."

Mitchell shook his head and a muffled cry escaped as he struggled against the Jarganian's hold on him.

"Colonel Carter, is something wrong?"

Mitchell recognized the urgency in the nurse's voice, and renewed his struggles to get free of his tormentor.

"Everything is fine," Randolph said in carter's voice.

"Colonel Mitchell…"

"Is fine…we are simply having a misunderstanding," the Jarganian said.

"You need to leave, Colonel Carter," the woman ordered.

"Stay back!" Randolph warned and relaxed his stance as his body quickly shifted back to his own shape.

"Oh my God!"

"Get he…help!" Mitchell managed before pain exploded in his abdomen. Darkness wavered at the edge of his vision, but he managed to stay conscious once the pressure was relieved. He stared up at the creature that hovered next to him and lashed out with his casted arm.

Randolph knew he'd let his anger distract him and he'd slipped out of his precarious hold on Samantha Carter's image. He heard the nurse gasp and Mitchell's warning just before an alarm sounded. "I will tear you apart!"

Cam knew he was fighting for his life as the creature latched onto his left arm and began twisting it until it felt like his shoulder would pop out of its socket. He heard the creature's voice as if it was in a screeching frenzy and fought with everything he had, but he knew he was weakening even as voices broke through the alarm.

"Stay back or I will kill him!" the Jarganian snarled.

"Kill it!" Mitchell ordered, but the creature dragged him from the bed and used it as cover from the soldiers who'd entered the infirmary.

"I will tear his head from his body if you come any closer!" the Jarganian warned and used its considerable bulk to hold his captive down.

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Teal'c, Daniel, and General Landry hurried toward the infirmary when the alarm sounded, but they were not in time to stop what was happening. There were several armed soldiers situated around the outer perimeter, but no one could get close to the bed the Jarganian was using for cover. The only other patient had been moved out of the line of fire and slept peacefully; oblivious to what was happening around him.

"Carolyn, who's in there besides Colonel Mitchell?" Landry asked.

"I thought it was Colonel Carter, but Julie tells me it's not…she describes it as something out of a nightmare," the physician explained.

"I believe we may have discovered why Mitchell was leery of the two soldiers he saw earlier," Jackson said.

"Indeed," Teal'c added and looked around. "Colonel Carter would not have left Colonel Mitchell's side unless she never had a choice."

"General, has anyone seen Carter?" Jackson asked.

"The last time I saw her she was on her way to see you," Lam answered. "I didn't know she'd returned…"

"She didn't," Jackson offered. "General, we need to find Sam."

"Take a team and start searching the base," Landry ordered.

"I will accompany you, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said and followed Jackson away from the infirmary.

"General Landry, I want safe passage or Colonel Mitchell will die!"

"Who are you?" Landry asked.

"You knew me as Randolph."

"Dr. Randolph is dead," Landry said.

"Of course he is and so are all of you if you do not do as I say! Colonel Mitchell will be the first of many deaths by my hand. I wish safe passage via your gate for me and my fellow Jarganian!"

"Don't do it, General!" Mitchell snapped, crying out when Randolph wrapped its clawed appendages around him and held him in front of its body.

"General, I am sure your Dr. Lam is concerned about Colonel Mitchell's condition and I believe he is a great deal of distress right now…"

"Release him and I'll see that you can use the gate to go anywhere you like."

"Do you take me for a fool, General? I know if I release Colonel Mitchell you will have your men shoot me where I stand. I want you to make sure the corridor between here and the gateroom is empty and I want clear passage for my fellow Jarganian. If you comply I will release Colonel Mitchell before we step through the gate…otherwise he dies now. You have five minutes, General, and the time is ticking down now!"

TBC