AN: So I've finally done up an outline for the rest of this story, and have that mostly completed. Which means that I just need to whip up the actual chapters (I'm up to 36 on the outline, to give you a little idea of how long this thing is going to be). Got tomorrow off and plans no greater than lazing around the house and writing, so should have some more posted tomorrow too :)

Sam awoke to the heat of the sun arcing across her face. She gave a small moan, the sensation not unpleasant. Squinting, she stared out at the sun through the half closed curtains. The sprawling cityscape couldn't hide the fact that it was a beautiful day outside. The vice around her head had eased enough for her to appreciate the fact. For a while she did no more than lay there, staring out at nothing in particular.

The last day was mostly a blur. She barely remembered picking the lock to Olivia's apartment. Then there had been nothing to do but wait, spending the day flitting between fitful half consciousness and being awake. Details after that got especially hazy. Sam tried to remember more, but her efforts didn't produce much. Olivia had made her take a couple sips of water here or eat a couple of bites there, but that was as far as her recollection went. She wasn't even sure what she had eaten, but at least she didn't remember throwing up yet again.

Deciding that a little more sleep might be a good thing, Sam rolled away from the window and closed her eyes. She did her best to ignore the dull throb in the back of her head. Just as sleep was about to claim her again, she noticed murmurs from the other room. Her ears perked and she could just make out words through the wall.

"No, Cap, I'm fine. Just something has come up," Olivia said. There was a brief pause as the person on the other end of the phone responded. "It's complicated... Yes. Yes. Thank you... I'm not sure how long, a few days... No, I appreciate it, thank you."

Sam sat up slowly. As much as she'd like to sleep for a week or so, she definitely wasn't in the clear yet. But what was the clear, she wondered. She was able to think a bit more clearly now, and the doubts started to raise again. She wanted to believe this all was real, desperately, it certainly felt real. The headaches, the nausea, they certainly felt real, and they had felt real previously, too. Maybe her mind was just translating what was happening to her body from what they were doing to her. If only she could think of some way to be sure.

Perhaps the most convincing argument was the voices. She still heard them from time to time, not really words. But then she hadn't woken up like she had the previous times, so perhaps she was just too far under to hear that clearly. So, did they get it right this time? Would she not wake up on her own like before? And if not, how long were they going to continue this until they got bored with her? How long could she go on like this, physically?

And that begged another question, she was feeling significantly better right now. What did that mean? Was it just the natural progression, was her body just adjusting to the drugs or whatever that they were using? There were far too many questions that she simply couldn't answer. She just had to assume that this was just as fake as everything else had been until she could prove otherwise. If these people had the technology for this sort of interrogation, who knew if they also possessed any technology that could be a threat to Earth.

Unsettled by her thoughts, Sam got up, needing to escape the solitude. Her legs only felt a little unsteady as she walked. As a precaution she kept one hand against the wall. Olivia was leaning against the island in the kitchen, staring off blankly.

"Cragen?" Sam asked, though it had been obvious who she was talking to.

Startled, Olivia jumped. "Uh, yeah. Figured I should call in before everyone starts wondering where I am." She studied Sam for several moments. "How are you feeling?"

"I've been better," Sam said. She gave a small smile. "But definitely better than before."

"Good," Olivia replied with obvious relief. Sam then studied Olivia in a similar fashion. Dark circles showed that the woman had not gotten any rest herself last night, and probably for longer than that. She felt a twinge of guilt.

"Sorry," Sam said.

"For what?"

Sam shrugged. "Dumping this on you, for starters."

Olivia guided her over to the couch, and Sam sank down with relief. She was ready to sit down. With little coaxing she let her head rest on Olivia's shoulder and she let her eyes close for a few moments.

"Perhaps now that you're a bit more coherent you can explain more what's going on."

Sam didn't immediately reply. She wasn't sure what to say. There was no way she could tell Olivia the whole truth, certainly not that she doubted that all of this was real. That would be a deal breaker.

"I just know enough to know that I need to lay low for a while."

"You had said something about them using you to gather information. How? I don't understand."

Sam shrugged, putting a small buffer of space between her and Olivia. She didn't have a good lie for that. "I don't know how. I just heard them talking while they were doing... whatever they were doing."

"I know my experience in this area is just a hair above nil, but this really doesn't make any sense. Why can't you just tell your team, the people on base, what's going on? Why can't they help you?"

"I'm trying to protect them. I don't know what these guys are after, or what they'll do when they find it. So I need to stay away from anything sensitive, which pretty much means anything to do with the SGC."

She saw Olivia frowning out of the corner of her eye. "How long are you going to do this? You looked like absolute hell last night, I was afraid to let you out of my sight."

"I'm sorry. But I am feeling better. I think the worst of it is over. It'll be ok," Sam said, trying to reassure her.

"Are you sure? What if there's some sort of permanent damage from leaving this untreated?"

"I can't be sure," Sam conceded, "but there's nothing to be done about it right now."

Olivia touched her arm to get Sam to look at her. "You didn't answer my question."

Sam gave a small sigh. She'd hoped Olivia wouldn't notice.

"How long?" she repeated herself.

And perhaps for the first time in the conversation, her statement was the entire truth. "I don't know."