When they landed near the abandoned car, Jack ignored the officers standing around. He went immediately to the car, knowing that the others were closely on his heels. Jack peered inside only briefly, there was nothing to be learned from the car itself. Instead, he focused on the surrounding area. Hoping her path would be abundantly clear. But the weather had been very wet, leaving the layers of rotting leaves and fallen twigs especially spongy. He could see nothing definitive.

"Teal'c?" Jack said, hoping the man could see something that he was missing.

"I am unable to tell, O'Neill."

Jack sighed, of course it wouldn't be that easy. It never was. He turned back to the helicopter pilot, waving his hand. "Break out the radios, Captain!"

The captain wasted no time collecting the items from the vehicle and running them over. Jack pulled one out of his arms as he proceeded to pass them around. Olivia hesitated, uncertain if she was welcome on their search. The bud of self-recrimination started to grow as he saw the despair on her face. He had been in the wrong, glaringly so. But they didn't have the time now to sit around mending fences. They needed to find Sam, ASAP.

Jack grabbed another radio and thrusted it into her hands. "All hands on deck."

"What's the plan," Daniel asked.

"Everybody split up. Call in for the rest of us if you find her. Doc, travel light, just grab the essentials."

Janet nodded curtly, stuffing some items from the helicopter into a bag and slinging it over her shoulder. While she did that and returned, Jack pointed the others in their directions, sending them off. He directed Janet, and then took off himself.

He set himself a brisk pace, slowed only enough to be sure he wouldn't miss anything. She couldn't have gotten far, he was confident in that much. One of them would run across her soon. The only real question there was was in what condition would they find her? Olivia's descriptions had been bad enough. Jack wasn't sure what worse could possibly look like.

He was afraid to find out.

Jack thought maybe twenty minutes had passed when he finally skidded to a halt, a noise catching his attention. After listening for several moments he was finally able to identify it. Breathing. Rapid, shallow, gasping breaths. Though he had yet to get a visual, Jack had no doubt it was her. His elation was tempered by his training.

"O'Neill here. I've found her." Jack said into his radio. He made sure to keep his tone low, not wanting to startle her. Especially when he didn't know what she was doing. He didn't say anymore, knowing they would follow his radio signal to find him.

Following the noise of her breathing, Jack quietly made his way forward. Finally he saw her shoulder behind a tree as she sat up against it. It was about all he could see from that angle. He was only about ten yards away now. Jack circled around, keeping the same relative distance, until he was better able to judge the situation.

She was very clearly shaking, unable to stop the trembling in her limbs. Jack frowned to himself. Sam was covered in muck. Caked against her clothes, smeared on her skin. It wasn't hard to piece together that she had fallen. At least once. But he was more concerned with the gun he saw cradled in her lap.

Though it rested on her leg, Sam's hand gripped securely around the handle. She stared down at it in a hauntingly familiar way. Jack pushed aside the memory of those days when he'd sit for hours, just a hairs breadth away from using the pistol clutched in his grasp. The realization of her motives made Jack's muscles tense. It was all he could do to keep his voice low and even.

"You don't want to do that," he said, masking the urgency he felt inside.

Her head snapped up to regard him. But her gaze was dull, the normally blue irises a lifeless gray. Sam's brow was knit in pain, her other arm wrapped around her stomach.

She could barely form words in between each breath. "Go away."

"Not 'go away, sir'?" Jack wanted to make her laugh, crack a smile, something to distract her. She did nothing. And the way she looked, he could hardly be surprised at her lack of interest in his humor. He let his face go serious again. "You know I can't do that."

"Stop that," Sam snapped. Jack's eyes went wide with confusion.

"Stop what?"

Tears slid down her face. She had to pause every few words to catch her breath. "Stop acting... just like I'd... expect you to."

"Carter?" A single brow shot up in a spectacular imitation of Teal'c's signature expression. Just how did she think he should act?

"They should just kill me now."

"They?" Jack frowned, taking a couple steps forward. "They can't do anything else to you, Carter. It's ok."

Sam shook her head gingerly, her words rushed out in the same gasping cadence. "Don't try to make me think that this is real. I'm not falling for it again."

Not real? He wanted to insist that this was very real. But he didn't see his fervent declaration making a dent. "What did they do?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Humor me."

"They're using this... hallucination... whatever... to get information."

He frowned, hoping to get her with her own logic. "So if this is all fake, what happens if you decide to use that thing?"

"They try again."

"Then what's the point?" Jack asked. Inching forward again.

Sam shrugged. "Before it starts again, it'll have to stop for a while, won't it?"

"It really is over, Carter. They drugged you, and it's still in your system, that's all."

"Then why is it getting worse and not better?"

"Let's just say the whole Tok'ra remnant thing is complicating matters. Fraiser can explain it better."

She seemed to lose interest, staring back down at the gun in her hand. Trembling even harder now. Her brow creased even deeper. "I didn't know anything could hurt this much."

"Sam," Jack said, the plea evident in his tone. They were no more than six feet apart now. "You know that we'd never give up on you. And Hammond wouldn't either. What if you're wrong? What if this really does kill you? Give us the chance to help you."

There was only the sound of her ragged breathing as she seemed to consider his words. He thought he had finally gotten through to her. Sam bit her lip.

"I'm sorry, sir."

Despite her shaking, he saw the muscles in her arm start to contract, lifting. Jack sprang forward, screaming. "Sam!"

The gunshot echoed obscenely.