A/N: Back with the next chapter. Finally, Sam and Jack will meet for the first time. I know I've been eager to write this, so maybe some of you are eager to read it. If this is the case, maybe you could spare a minute or two, write a review and tell me if you liked it.
Greetings from sunny Germany and see you next chapter.
*landmines=I guess I have to explain the usage of this phrase in Germany and in this chapter. If we say, for example, watch out for landmines, we mean watch out for dog excrement. So dog poo in Germany is often described as landmine because when you step in it…well, I think you understand. It's basically a joking and sarcastic use of the original meaning. I've been looking for a similar phrase in English, but couldn't find one and decided to use the German interpretation and explain it to you so you don't feel confused when you read it in this chapter. Hope that's okay.
Chapter 9: A tiny little bit of hope
As it turned out, the blond Jonas was right. The car was actually parked just a few minutes from their almost-deathtrap. About a block away from the death lock, the city seemed calm, almost peaceful. But today they had learned the hard way how deceptive the quiet really was.
While the bearded Jonas swung himself behind the wheel, the other one took the time to open the car doors for the two women. But they had no time to be surprised about his, given the danger, inappropriate politeness. Carter und Fraiser just wanted to get away. Fast.
They wondered briefly how Hanson planned to navigate the car through the barricaded streets. The answer followed swiftly. He skillfully steered the car on a messy zigzag course through narrow side streets and alleys. When they finally reached the city limits, Sam turned around and watched as the building's contours slowly turned smaller and blurred in the late afternoon heat.
Before the exit onto the highway, Hanson swung the car left and turned onto a sandy path leading into the forest that characterized Colorado Spring's leisure time. The dirt road gradually transformed into a forest road as they drove. Soil and grass replaced gravel and sand.
The shade of the trees surrounded the car as if it was swallowed by the forest. It was august and not much cooler in the forest than in the city, but Sam still felt relief when she rolled down the window and felt the fresh air on her face. Here, the blazing sun had found no way through the thick, green treetops.
She suddenly remembered how she and her brother had been camping with her father and why she had enjoyed these weekends so much. Certainly not because her brother and father fought all the time, but because she had always found serenity in the forest. It's solitariness was reassuring and grounding. It would be too easy to take refuge in that familiar feeling of calmness, but she couldn't allow herself to indulge in illusions. Her father and brother were not here and she was no longer a child.
Hanson steered the car for about an hour in a risky pace through the woods and along the forest road. When they reached the end of the road, he slowed down and the car came to a halt alongside a green military truck. Carter and Fraiser followed the men's example and got out. They greedily breathed in the earthy air. Such an nice contrast to the sticky air in the bunker and the foul air in the city. The provisional parking lot was surrounded by trees and shrubs, which wore splendidly green leaves, as if the midsummer's heat couldn't harm them. Contrary to the green areas in the city and the overgrown front yards, the vegetation here had no problems with water shortage. But a forest was a completely independent ecosystem.
A rustling tore the women from their thoughts. Something definitely moved in the bushes. It was probably just an animal, a squirrel or a mouse, but after their near-death experience they were both hypersensitive. But Hanson and Quinn showed little worry and their unconcerned behavior was confirmed, as a thin man with gray hair appeared trough the bushes. He held a crumpled piece of paper in one hand a pen in the other, while he examined the car expectantly.
"Sorry, Walter. Nothing to store today." grumbled Hanson and slapped a little too hard on the confused man's shoulder. "At least, nothing useful." added the bearded man with a sardonic grin, motioning with his hand in the vague direction of the two women. Then he shouldered his rifle and disappeared between the bushes.
The man named Walter casually rubbed his sore shoulder and stared silently at the two newcomers. "So, no supplies?" he asked, hunching his shoulders questioning. Quinn nodded vigorously, trying to give the story of their failure a positive twist and pointing optimistically at the women.
"No. But we found new friends."
Walter held up a hand in an unconvinced greeting and then shook his head.
"Some won't like this." he muttered, turned around and followed Hanson.
Carter, Fraiser and Quinn remained silent. The young man finally coughed awkwardly and motioned for them to follow him.
"Come on, I'll show you our camp...well, I guess now It's your camp, too."
The bushes were thick and it was easy to understand why the camp residents had decided not to cut some of the branches away to ease the access to the camp. It was a pretty good protective wall because it was impossible to see through it. Someone who was just walking by had no way to discover the campers.
They followed Quinn through the leaves and then stood directly in front of a clearing that housed the camp. Sam was not sure what exactly she had expected, but at first glance she was pleasantly surprised. Instead of a wild collection of sleeping bags, luggage or other junk, this camp presented itself as tidy and organized. One could even say, that whoever was in charge had a sense for systematical and logic processes.
Apparently the camp was divided into three areas. On the far right, camping tents were set up. It was the sleeping area. In the middle was a big campfire with a makeshift rack around it, maybe for cooking. Several tree trunks served as benches. This was the eating area. On the left lay a small pile of firewood under a blue plastic sheet. The still life was completed with a bucket, bowls, a big green tent and another plastic sheet that was stretched over four massive branches, looking like an improvised folding screen.
Quinn had noticed her appreciative look, grinned an spread his arms.
"Not bad, right? We had a few organizational problems at first, but now the have everything we need. Well, almost everything. Actually we've been in the city to look for a few things, but it's not that important."
Carter lowered her head apologetically as she realized that Fraiser and she were the reason why these people were low on supplies.
"Sorry." Janet finally apologized, but Quinn ignored her. With a gesture, he wiped the guilt away.
"Don't worry about it. We can get this stuff later. What matters is that we're all save."
His eyes widened suddenly, as if he'd just realized something else.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't think! Are you injured? Do you need something?"
Cater and Fraiser scrutinized each other in detail. Not only had they endangered these men, but they also risked the whole camp's safety if they were bitten. None of them had felt any pain, but everything had happened so quickly. Quinn turned around abashed as the women searched themselves. Because neither of them had visible cuts in their clothes, they only searched the bare body parts. Relief flooded them, when their bodies showed no bites or scratches.
"We're fine." Sam reassured and turned to Janet for a confirmation.
"Yes, Sam is right. No bites, no scratches and I should now. I'm a doctor."
Quinn's eyes widened. "You're a doctor? Wow, that's great." he rejoiced openly and shook Janet's hand lively. "Welcome to the camp, Doctor...um?" Jonas was forced to interrupt his welcome and the women realized that they still hadn't told him their names.
"My name is Janet and this is Sam and..." began Fraiser and was interrupted when a rough-looking man came up to them. He was dressed like Hanson and an assault rifle hung over his shoulder.
"Quinn! Hanson said you wanted to confess something. If you've taken apart that truck again, I swear I will..." he stopped abruptly when he saw the two newcomers. "Oh-kay...Hi!" he tried and glanced at Jonas quizzically.
"Ah yes, that's Charles Kowalski. Kowalski, this is Janet and Sam."
Charles Kowalski shook their hands firmly, then massaged his neck. He didn't seem hostile, but also not really pleased with their presence. At best, concluded Sam, he didn't care.
"So Jonas, what about Hanson's babbling? What 'confession'?"
"Yeah, that. Unfortunately we couldn't get the inventories because..."
"Are you kidding me?!" Kowalski grunted angrily and combed a hand trough his black hair.
"You know there's not much left. This really sucks!" he scolded and Sam found her voice, because she didn't want Jonas to suffer because Janet and she had made a mistake.
"It's not his fault. They just helped. We would be death otherwise." It was not easy to express this fact, but it was the truth and if they honestly thought about staying with this group, they couldn't hide something this important.
"It's true." agreed Janet.
Kowalski arched his eyebrows as she continued.
"We...I've put us in danger and without their help those things would have killed us."
Charles nodded approvingly and clapped Jonas at the back.
"Not bad, junior. Oh hey, by the way, where's Jack?"
Quinn avoided the other man's scrutiny.
"I'm not sure." he admitted eventually.
"What's that supposed to mean? Where is he?" Kowalski asked loud and emotional.
Jonas tried to appease him. "Calm down. We had to split up. He distracted the biters. I'm sure the colonel's okay."
"So, Jack was okay with them...you know..." Kowalski left his thought unfinished. But Jonas understood anyway. The soldier wanted to know if O'Neill had agreed to take in the women.
"Yes! He said to bring them back to the camp."
"Okay then, fine with me." accepted Kowalski. "But the others won't be that understanding."
He muttered a few seconds quietly to himself.
"Oh, what the hell, the sooner the better."
Without further information about his soliloquy, he turned around and formed a funnel with his hands in front of his mouth.
"Hey guys! Everyone come here, we've got something to talk about."
In less than a minute, seven people appeared from all directions and stared at the two new arrivals with curiosity. Kowalski cleared his throat before he spoke to the group. "Listen, these are..uh..Sam and Janet." He broke of and blew out a breath as he wondered how he could best explain the women's presence. He opted for the very short variant. "They're in our team now. So, let's extend a warm welcome to them." He stressed the last word and looked at the group invitingly. A inconclusive murmur was heard as the others, sill confused about meeting new people, uttered some half-hearted greetings.
When it was clear that the chilly mood could not get worse, Kowalski tried do divert the group's attention because the could see that their prying stares were uncomfortable for Sam and Janet.
"Stop that staring. We're not at a zoo. Go make yourself useful. We need to collect wood and water." Kowalski emphasized his words with a brisk gesture. Slowly the group started to disperse again.
Two men stayed behind. One was Harriman. The other one had medium length brown hair and glassed that looked like they had been broken more than once and patched up with...was that duct tape? No wonder that the glasses sat askew on his nose.
"You need help with the loading?" the man asked and Harriman shook his head regretfully.
"They brought nothing. A group of biters surprised them." The gray haired man's explanations sounded neither reproachful or furious, but it was enough to fire up the group's suspicion again.
People turned around immediately and gathered again around Kowalski.
"Is that right?"
"When are you trying again?"
"What are we supposed to eat?"
"Why didn't you try somewhere else?"
Charles raised his hands soothingly as they fired questions at him. He could understand their anger. Their supplies diminished more with each passing day. In addition, the last two trips had not been crowned with success and it had been almost two weeks since they had brought something back. There was some odd speculation that Jack probably didn't try hard enough. Whenever Charles heard such a comment, he set the source straight. He knew that his buddy was doing everything possible not to come back empty-handed. Jack always wanted to win, even if it was just about some canned foods. Still, the most important thing for him was his men's safety and so he wasn't willing to risk someone's life for a can of beans. And lately, those walkers were particularly persistent, almost as if something was spurring them on. Maybe the sun, speculated Kowalski.
His shrill whistle managed to calm the group.
"Quiet now, all of you!" he yelled and continued when he had their undivided attention, but didn't get very far.
"I worry too, but there's no sense in addressing reproaches or..."
"Why did it happen again, anyway?" asked a small man with short blond hair. He had his arm around the shoulders of a redheaded woman. She didn't look very happy with his accusatory tone. Kowalski snorted angrily.
"Well Pete, I don't have a clue. Maybe they've been attacked by those cannibals and had to run for their lives? But you're right. It's a complete mystery to me too, why they didn't risk their lives for some beans like you would've done." he replied snappily and stared at the man named Pete. Warning him to utter the real accusation behind his words. No one was allowed to blame his buddy Jack when he was near.
"Why don't you ask them?" said a cynical voice. It belonged to Hanson, sitting casually on a trunk as if all of this didn't bother him much.
Questioning faces stared at him first, then at Sam and Janet.
"Thank you for this very helpful advice, Hanson. Why don't you do something productive for a change?" suggested Kowalski sarcastically, trying to soften the impact of Hanson's words. But it was too late.
"What's that supposed to mean? What does he mean?" asked Pete and his confronting look landed on Cater and Fraiser.
Jonas Quinn stepped protectively in front of them, wanting to defuse the situation.
"We met them in the city. They needed help. There was no other way but to cancel the mission and..." he tried to justify but was interrupted rudely. The mood turned slowly from bad to worse.
"Does that mean it's your fault?" demanded a middle-aged woman to know. Pete nodded in agreement while Hanson hid a gloating grin behind his hand.
"It's nobody's fault. Sam and Janet almost got killed. They didn't put themselves into danger voluntary." Quinn tried to explain and Fraiser looked down in shame. Sure, she hadn't deliberately risked their lives. But she had acted incredibly stupid and negligent and that was just as bad.
"We have to stick together and share..." Quinn tried again, but it was pointless.
"You want us to share? Share what exactly? We don't have anything to share and that's your fault. It was your job to get the supplies. Instead you brought us two more people to feed." scolded the woman again.
"Exactly!" agreed Pete. "And where is O'Neill? This mission was his responsibility. He should take care of us first, not some strangers."
Hanson applauded sarcastically and received Kowalski's furious and overwhelmed glance.
"Sure Petey, you should be the boss instead. I would start to dig my own grave right away." Hanson mocked the smaller man and Carter closed her eyes embarrassed. Janet and she had not just accomplished to almost kill themselves and endangered their saviors, but also managed to bring this group apart. They'd really been busy. Perhaps they should say thank you and just walk away. Of course, it would be nice to have a place to stay. A group to belong to. But they couldn't take those people's help for granted. They had a right to send them away. She was just about to open her mouth and offer their departure, when the man with broken glassed stepped into the middle of the upset group.
Although he combed through his tousled hair nervously, he radiated a pleasant calmness. "Um...guys?" he began somewhat shyly and yet the heated debate silenced immediately. Apparently the man had a certain standing among these people. Maybe he was their leader?
"What are we arguing about? Jonas is right. Yelling and screaming won't help us. We have to remain level headed. I've been in the tent and checked on the supplies. We still have enough for about a week. Yes, we should worry. But fighting with each other won't do us any good. Our chance of survival is much higher if we stick together. All of us." he stressed the last words, nodding at Sam and Janet noticeably to emphasize that he included them into the group already.
The agitated Pete snorted, but remained quiet. The woman who had agreed with him squared her shoulders stubbornly. When the speaker was sure that the atmosphere wasn't about to burst anytime soon, he took a step towards the new arrivals and offered them an almost sheepish hand.
"Hi Sam, Janet. I'm Daniel. Daniel Jackson." he introduced himself and then the others gingerly. Almost as if he was aware of their uncertainty and wanted to give them back some confidence.
"You already met Jonas Quinn, Kowalski and Hanson."
He pointed towards Pete and the red-haired woman beside him. "These are Pete and Dana Shanahan."
"Louise Astor." That was the woman who still looked like she wanted to throw them out of the camp herself. Daniel continued unfazed.
"Walter here is our man for the supplies and Tony's our cook." With a sweeping gesture he pointed at the grey-haired Harriman and a really big guy who waved at them with a wide and warm smile.
"My wife Sha're and our youngest member are getting some water. They should be back any minute." Daniel ended his round of introductions and a nervous silence returned.
"Signore Daniele!" started Tony with a booming voice when the silence became to much. "Why don't we show this bella donne our camp, eh?" he suggested with a strong Italian dialect. Daniel nodded eagerly and looked at them invitingly and open minded. "Very good idea, Tony. What do you say? Would you like to take a shower? We can't offer soap, but the water should be warm by now."
Sam almost moaned in anticipation. A real shower sounded heavenly. She felt like every dirt particle of the state was glued to her skin.
"That sounds great, but we really don't want to bother you." said Carter for them both and felt obliged to at least indicate that they were not obligated to help them.
"Don't be silly. If we were in your place, we'd hope for some help." Daniel noted and looked around to warn the others that something bad could happen to anyone of them at any time. While Louise Astor remained bone-headed, Pete lowered his eyes understandingly.
"Well, then follow me.." began Daniel and beckoned them over. Suddenly he remembered something and frowned.
"I need to ask this first, where is Jack?" he inquired. Kowalski and Quinn stared at each other.
"The colonel insisted on staying behind. He distracted the biters so we could get away."
"Hmmm." Daniel thought about it and wasn't sure if was yet time to worry about O'Neill. But there was no need to make that decision.
The loud roar of an engine and spinning tires approached and then suddenly fell silent. Directly behind the bushed that served as a natural wall, a car door slammed and someone swore. Certainly O'Neill, and he didn't sound very enthusiastic.
"Speaking of the devil." commented Daniel and sighed.
A moment later, there was a rustling in the bushed and out strode a man. He looked like a wood goblin. Except that he was really tall and...really dirty. His clothes were filthy all over and small red dots splattered on his face. Odd clots sticking in his unruly brown hair. He looked as if he'd crawled through a dumpster. This had to be the mysterious colonel, thought Sam. The man who had enticed away those things. Who knows what he had to do to get away alive?
If his expression was an indicator, then his day had been everything, just not fun. Carter was pretty sure that she had never seen someone so utterly furious. And apparently, he had a great desire to find an outlet for his anger. His eyes roamed around searchingly and glittered with rage.
Sam swallowed hard when he fixed his glance on her.
"You!" he blurted out and marched directly towards her. Beside her, Janet took a step back. Kowalski breathed a tense "Uh-oh" and walked around them quickly. He was a brave man, this Kowalski, because he dared to face the colonel.
"Jack, buddy! Great to see you. I knew right away that you could do it. Why don't you sit down, drink some water and relax." suggested Charles and tried to put a friendly arm around the other man's shoulder. But he fended off the collegial gesture.
"Hey, I'm talking to you!" he said once more and again Sam found herself in his focus. Unsure, she looked around and noticed that the others had taken a precautionary step back. Hanson had completely turned around and pretended to hear and see nothing. Tony held a large wooden spoon protectively in front of him. Sam wished she could have such a spoon to. Although this guy didn't look like he found a spoon very frightening.
Carter peered at Daniel for help. He looked back at her, but just shrugged his shoulders. Obviously this was something like her baptism of fire. To prove that she could defend herself against this bully. But as she watched him marching to her like a steam engine, she sensed that this confrontation would not be an easy one. And somehow, the man was even right. Janet and she were indeed to blame and maybe he had been forced to hide in the gutter all day long because of them. She couldn't really blame him for his anger. In her mind she was busily forming an excuse, when the man said something that wiped away all her thoughts of an apology instantly. Instead, her stubborn fighting spirit rose.
"Yes, you Goldilocks!"
Sam snorted outraged and clenched her fists. Goldilocks! Due to her looks she'd suffered under a lot of stupid nicknames. How many times had some macho idiot called her 'Barbie'? She'd stopped counting sometime after basic training. Although they did that just once. Sam knew how to make them understand that it was only beneficial to their health if they stopped treating her like a blond bimbo. Over the time, she'd learned to hold her ground against the big boys. But never, and never meant never, had someone dared to call her Goldilocks. Just the thought about this terrible clichéd fairytale figure encouraged her own anger to a level that matched the colonel's one-to-one.
She had nothing, absolutely nothing in common with this little, blond, sugary, stupid and dopey looking girl. She was neither naive nor helpless and definitely not cute! Sam Carter was no damsel in distress, she was a competent and experienced major in the Air Force dammit! And she would ensure that this wannabe hero learned it quickly.
Daniel, Walter, Kowalski, Jonas, Pete and Dana, Louise, Janet, Tony and even Hanson held their breaths in awe as they watched Carter taking a few energetic steps towards the resentful man.
First, he showed no reaction to her. He stopped a few feet in front of her and Sam realized, that he not only looked like he'd crawled through garbage, but that he also smelled like it.
"What the hell is your problem!" he roared and Sam refused to let his accusation push her into defense.
"I wanted to ask you the same thing." she retorted with a growl. For the fraction of a second It seemed that the angry man was impressed with her resistance. He opened his mouth, gasped for air and closed it again. His raised finger fell and he squinted inquiringly. Carter felt his eyes on her like laser beams. But then the moment was over and anger returned to his face.
"You've got some nerves!" he said and Janet twitched briefly, as she realized that he included her into his tirade.
"Jack, maybe you should..." tried Daniel but fell silent when he saw Jack's warning look. "I didn't say a thing." Murmured the bespectacled man and Sam knew that Janet and she were on their own.
"How stupid can you get?" ranted the colonel again. Sam wanted to protest and was surprised when the seemingly uncouth man spoke his next words.
"Ack! I'm talking now. Have you guys any idea how much you endangered yourselves, eh?"
His harsh panting slowly died away. The absolute anger subsided. Instead, there was honest astonishment about their behavior and disbelief that they survived it after all.
"Going into the city and shootin' around like lunatics. You could have died. Damn, if we hadn't found you in time you'd be dead by now." he threw at them.
Sam tried to withstand his reproachful eyes, but it was increasingly difficult. With irrational fury she could deal. Concern for them, for the two strangers he had risked his life for, however, was hard to ignore. The possible consequences of their stupidity fought their way back into her thoughts. If just a little thing had gone wrong today, more than just the two of them could have lost their lives.
Carter thought that this situation resembled being called into the principal's office as a child. Not that this had happened to her. She'd been a model student, even as a kid. A result of her father's authoritarian education. Her brother, however, had been a regular in the principal's office. From him she'd heard how it felt if someone bigger towered over you and gave a dressing down. Just like this Jack did, now. He stood in front of them just like a strict senior teacher. Like a drill sergeant ready to discipline his recruits. And although she knew that they had somehow earned this lecture, Sam was reluctant to submit to it.
"We're sorry. We didn't think." Janet expressed finally the excuse that Sam's pride forbid her to formulate.
"No shit!" replied Jack and ran his fingers through his dirty hair. He grimaced when he realized that his hair was full of sticky dirt and wiped the hand on his pants.
Daniel took advantage of this brief respite and tried to intervene. He was reminiscent of a diplomat. Carefully he swept bits of dirt from Jack's shoulder.
"Maybe we should all calm down?"
"Huh?" grunted the colonel morosely because he knew that Daniel meant only him, when he talked about 'we'.
"Allegations will get us nowhere. We should be glad that everyone is still alive." he recommended, but his words fell on deaf ears.
"I don't think so. I think they need to hear this." retorted Jack and then muttered to himself "I just don't understand how one can be so stupid..."
Now it was too much for Sam's liking. She could take a certain amount of remonstrance, but enough was enough. She was not dump, and neither was Janet. Sure, their errors could have cost the lives of almost five people. But they knew this now. Such a mistake would never occur again. There was no reason to treat them like little kids. Years ago she had broken with her father because he expected justifications for everything she did. Sam hadn't been ready to question herself like that then and she would definitely not start now.
"That's enough. It wasn't a very pleasant experience for us, too."
Immediately a pair of dark eyes found her again. The colonel frowned with a mocking face.
"Oh, is that so? How inconsiderate of me. I apologize for my loutish behavior. Maybe I should be thankful for this little training session. I'd get fat otherwise, with all that good food here."
Carter raised her eyebrows dangerously.
"No reason to be cynical."
"Cynical? Who, me? What reason could I have to be cynical? After all, you girls are the ones with the bad day." His response dripped with sarcasm.
Before Sam could work herself into this debate, a clanging noise drew the attention of the two adversaries to a fallen canister. The canister lay upside down on the ground and a torrent of water flowed through it's opening, seeping into the parched forest soil. Next to the canister stood a young and beautiful, dark haired woman. She had something exotic on her and carried a similar canister in her hands. On her face was an open question, addressed to the girl beside her.
The girl stood stock still and with empty hands, apparently she had dropped that canister. She was tall and had dark blonde hair. Her eyes were wide open in shock and her mouth formed a perfect O. In addition, Sam heard a sob and realized confused that Janet was crying.
"Mom?" whispered the girl, not ashamed of her tears. Meanwhile, the other group members stood perfectly still and watched the events deeply moved. Carter had the feeling that she was missing something important.
"Cassie?" sighed Janet and immediately afterwards, both rushed towards each other. The two met in the middle. "Mom!" cried the girl in the same time she flung her arms around Janet's neck.
The two women fell entwined on their knees, whimpering and crying heartbreakingly. Only then did Sam realized which highly emotional moment she experienced. This was Cassie! Janet's daughter! This was the girl she had risked everything for.
Overwhelmed with emotions at seeing the reunion of mother and daughter, she put a hand over her mouth to hide her trembling lips. Carter felt the first tears in the corners of her eyes. It was incomprehensible and hard to believe that the happy end they had hoped for the past month was really happening.
Overpowered by her wild emotions she sought out the faces of her new comrades to find something to hold onto in her emotional turmoil and found, of all people, Jack. He seemed to be the least impressed. Instead, he looked like he couldn't believe his eyes. Cocking his head to the side slightly, he muttered "un-fucking-believable" and for the first time since Sam had met the man, they were of the same opinion.
After seemingly endless minutes of tears of joy and expressions of love, mother and daughter detangled their interwoven limbs. It was amazing that Cassie was the first one to calm down. She helped her mother to her feet, who was still shaking noticeably. The she ran almost equally enthusiastic towards Jack. He had just enough time to find secure footing in the dry soil before the teenager crashed into him. While Cassie squeezed firmly, the Colonel looked almost shy. Somewhat awkwardly patting the girl on the back, he could finally bring himself to give her one of this manly one-armed hugs.
"Thank you!" was all she could say with her hoarse and teary voice.
"Oy," Jack tried to distract her attention from himself and sounded surprisingly modest. "I've just helped a bit. You should thank her. She saved you mom's life. Saw it with my own eyes." He added and Sam noticed startled, that he nodded in her direction. She was a little confused, just a minute ago he had called her stupid and now he exaggerated her part in their rescue. He probably wanted to divert the attention from himself. She could see that the girl's open worship made him uncomfortable.
Carter had no time to say anything else, as she found herself in a tight embrace too. She surprised herself how strong her body reacted to the spontaneous human contact. How much she had missed having someone near, this basic need of touching someone else. Not just physical, but also on a personal level. No sooner than the girl had detached herself from her, Janet took her daughter's place and her voice cracked because she couldn't possibly say all the thanks she wanted to.
By the time evening set in, the agitated mood had cooled down somewhat. Witnessing the touching reunion of mother and daughter had called into mind that it was useless to argue. Instead they should be thankful that everyone was still alive and stick together to survive this. After everyone had realized this, Sam and Janet had gotten the mandatory camp-tour. Cassie had taken both women by the hands, dragged them behind her, shown them the camp and narrating the tour with a youthful chatter.
They started with the tents in the sleeping area, walked over to the big green tent that served as supply depot and ended the tour with the improvised bathing area. When they were back at the campfire, Sam took another look around and concluded that it could be worse. Whoever was responsible for this camp must have some sense that a strict organization could effect more than just practical advantages. After all, they had lost everything. A clear division of responsibilities and tasks, order and routine gave you an certain amount of security and reliability.
Now they were all sitting together around the campfire and shared a modest dinner of rice and beans. According to Tony, these were the best rice and beans they ever had. But judging by the lack of enthusiasm of the others, it was probably the same rice and beans they ate every day. For breakfast, for lunch and for dinner. Nevertheless, Sam was gulping down her second serving. Even though she knew that the rations were sparse, no one seemed to be bothered about her appetite. Tony interpreted it as silent praise for his cooking skills. The only one who sill had problems with the new arrivals was Louise Astor. She had grunted contemptuously as Sam had gotten her second serving. But to Carters defense, it was a really small serving. And she was starved. Not so much for the food itself, but rather for the companionship.
Meanwhile the sun had set and the only source of light was the campfire, fanned by Kowalski until it flared up and bathed the group in a warm light. After putting away their dishes, Carter leaned back on her trunk, converted into a bench, and absorbed the comradely mood. The air had cooled considerably and was refreshing compared to the sweltering heat of the day. The crackling of the fire and the quiet murmur of softly talking voices were reassuring. It was an indescribable feeling, finally having other people around, and living ones nonetheless.
The only thing that disturbed the peace was the Colonel. Jack, she thought bugged. Unlike the others, he had skipped dinner and didn't sit with them now. Sam leaned back and watched him move near the big green tent. In the darkness she could only make out his contours. And the thud, thud, thud of his ax hitting the wood over and over again. For some reason he seemed to think that it was appropriate to chop wood, instead of spending the time with them. Whenever he finished a stack of firewood, he carried it to the campfire and let it fall to the ground louder than necessary. Sam tried to ignore him. So okay, he was still mad. She didn't care anyway what this brute thought of her.
Opposite her, Daniel coughed and she suddenly realized that the talks had stopped. Everyone was quiet and focused on the two newcomers.
"Sam, Janet, we wondered whether you have some new information. We haven't heard or seen something new for about a month now. Ever since this...pandemic started."
Carter straightened up and exchanged a glance with Janet before she looked around. The others seemed exited and hopeful that the two of them had some good news. She swallowed hard and shook her head.
"I'm sorry. We don't know more than you do."
She could almost watch as her words extinguished the hope in their eyes.
"Oh...that's too bad. It's just, we're sitting here since weeks and still don't know what's going on. We'd just been hoping that there was still some part of the government or military out there." Daniel explained with a disappointed face.
The young woman beside him, his girlfriend Sha're, stroked his shoulder gently. She seemed to sense his frustration and muttered something in a foreign language. Sam couldn't understand literally, but the feelings behind those words weren't difficult to interpret. Throughout the whole evening the two of them sat close together and you had to be both, blind and deaf, not to understand that they were head over heels in love. But it was not like a short affair or a crush that flattened out after some time. They were able to read each other's mood and right now, Daniel needed a little encouragement. He answered her equally intimately.
"So, what did you do those last few weeks? I mean, since the outbreak." Kowalski took over the conversation when it was clear that the two lovebirds were in their own world.
"We were locked up." Sam started and quickly explained the rest of their story, when Kowalski's eyes skyrocketed in astonishment.
"In a bunker. We couldn't open the door before the expiration of a deadline. There was someone else with us...but he didn't make it."
Awkward silence spread. Kowalski mumbled "I'm sorry." and the rest of the group agreed with sympatric grumbling.
"And then the door opened and you decided to take a stroll in the city?" asked Charles and for a moment, his question felt like an interrogation. But then Sam reminded herself that these people were living here for a month and apparently hadn't met other survivors yet. They weren't trying to be distrusting, but they sure were curious.
"We had no idea what had happened in the meantime." answered Janet and turned apologetic eyes on Jonas Quinn and Hanson.
"If we would have known how dangerous the city is, we'd never gone there unprepared."
Quinn accepted the excuse with a good-natured grin and Hanson just waved his hand casually. But Janet was not yet satisfied. Her almost fatal error still gnawed on her self-confidence. She felt guilt for what had almost happened and wanted to explain herself.
"I'm really sorry. I know I put you all into danger, but..." again tears streamed down her eyes and she put a trembling arm around Cassie's shoulders.
"...I just had to look for you." Mother's and daughter's eyes met.
"All this time, I knew you were still alive and that I had to find you. I would never give you up, you know that, right?"
The girl couldn't speak and therefore nodded mutely and accepted Janet's damp kiss on her cheek.
"At least we've got our happy ending." commented Daniel and engaged the others into a conversation to give mother and daughter some privacy among them. Sam was really starting to like him. She would repair his glasses first thing in the morning. She was pretty sure she could do better than whoever had patched up the glasses with some tape. He looked like Harry Potter, she remembered and had to suppress a grin. Colonel Jack choose this moment to drop another stack of wood behind them. He grunted laboriously and was gone as quickly as he had appeared. Carter frowned irritated.
"What's his problem?" she finally couldn't hold back her lack of understanding any longer. Daniel shrugged knowingly.
"Oh...that's just Jack being...well, himself. He get's moody sometimes. Don't worry, he'll work it off."
Sam snorted. "Believe me, I definitely don't worry about him. He irritates me."
Daniel chuckled. "Oh yes, he has this effect. But he's really not a bad guy, if you get to know him and if he for once decides not to behave like an ass."
"Ah-ah." was all she could say. Inwardly, she rolled her eyes. Just what she needed. The world was doomed and she had to spent her time in the company of a guy that came with a thick user manual.
Cassie pulled up her nose and charmlessly rubbed her red eyes. She blew her nose on a paper handkerchief and then threw it into the crackling fire. Contrary to the nature of a teenager, she showed no sign of shame for her emotional outbreak, but still didn't like the attention.
"Hey Daniel, tell us again how you and Sha're met." she asked the man. While all women around the fire, except Louise Astor, wore almost dreamy faces, Kowalski and Hanson groaned.
"Cassie, for real? How many times did we have to suffer through this story already?" Charles groused whiny and Hanson agreed. "Seems to me like a 1000 times. I can feel my ears starting to bleed."
The teenager ignored the soldier's lack of enthusiasm.
"Mom and Sam don't know the story." She remained stubborn and added,
"Besides, it's a beautiful story. Very romantic."
Janet looked at her in amazement. "I didn't know that you like romance."
She had just spent a few hours with her found again daughter, but she already knew that Cassie had developed. Something in her had changed, she appeared to be more mature and Janet hoped that her newfound sense of romance was the most severe change.
The girl shrugged. "It's not like we get a lot of distraction here. We had a card game once, but someone threw it into the fire." she said and threw Tony a playfully reproachful look. The big italian cook looked embarrassed. "Scusa! It was an accidente, I swear."
Cassie accepted the apology with a smile and a wink before she turned back to Daniel and his girlfriend. "Well, Daniel? Tell us how you met?"
He cleared his throat and whispered something to his girlfriend. It had to be amusing, because she chuckled heartily and hid her face in his neck. Daniel patted her arm and began to talk.
"We met 9 months ago. I was part of a scientific team at an archaeological dig. We searched for the lost grave of an Egyptian pharaoh."
Carter wrapped her arms around herself. Even in mid summer, the nights in Colorado Springs could get cold. That Daniels profession was archeology and linguistics didn't amaze her. It suited his diplomatic and open minded manner. Before dinner he had arranged a small round of introductions and they used the opportunity to introduce themselves. That Janet was a doctor delighted the group. Her own knowledge as a theoretical physicist made them less happy. Sam tried not to take it personally. In this new world, practical skills were more valuable. She would have to prove her worth, but that was no problem at all. She wanted to contribute and ensure that this group would stay together. There was a lot she could do and give. Starting with Daniel's glasses in the morning. As she looked him over again, she thought that he resembled more a little boy than a grown man with his askew and funny looking glasses.
"Sha're and her family lived in a nearby village. We had hired the men to help us shovel sand and loading equipment. The whole village was very friendly and accommodating and welcomed us into their traditions. During the midday head they served us several jugs of freshly brewed mint tea. That's how we met." Daniel threw his girlfriend a devotional look and took her hand.
"Her father was the village elder and it was the women's duty to serve us tea. One day, it was a particularly hot one, she was standing in front of me. With her pot of tea and looking very nervous. Until she noticed that I speak her language. Since then, it's hard shush her."
Sha're was sitting next to her boyfriend and listened intently. Apparently she had already learned a few words of her new language. She responded to Daniel's interpretation of their love story and her need to talk with a punch on his shoulder. But her eyes said that she wasn't angry with him, but found his story amusing.
"I know, I know. I'm sorry. Forgive me?" They kissed like the protagonists of a tearjerker movie. Hanson and Kowalski rolled their eyes synchronously and Cassie grinned mischievously.
"You have to excuse them. Actually, they are still newlyweds." explained the teenager.
"Congratulations." complimented Sam sincerely. They were a cute couple, maybe a little cheesy, but definitely cute.
"Ahhh, amore." agreed Tony and grabbed his heart melodramatically, electing a laugh from the group.
Sam and Janet joined in. It was good to laugh again and to share it with someone else. Meanwhile, the dark liquid in the pot was boiling. Tony had started to make some coffee a while ago and gave everyone a generously filled cup. Carter took a cautious sip and had to admit that this coffee tasted not as bad as expected.
Daniel inhaled his cup and continued his story.
"We're not officially married. At least, not in the USA. But we had a traditional ceremony in the village. Sha'res father brought us together. To be honest..." he hesitated and rubbed his neck abashed, "...It was quite a surprise for me. In their tradition, it is customary that the bride is given to her future husband as a present and..."
"Wait a minute." interrupted Janet with raised eyebrows, "Do you mean like a gift? And you accepted?"
"Not a gift in our meaning. In their culture, It's a big vote of confidence. The father has to find his daughter a worthy man. If I had refused, It would have been a big shame for Sha're and her family. In the beginning it was a bit...strange. But now I know that saying yes has been the best decision in my life." clarified Daniel.
He looked at the women beside him dreamily, as if he remembered the day of their wedding ceremony. But his muse was interrupted quite rudely. The colonel appeared suddenly out of the darkness. No one had heard him coming. How he'd managed this, Sam didn't know. Either they had all been too distracted with Daniel's story, or this guy could sneak like a panther. He squeezed in between Daniel and Cassie, flopping down on the trunk clumsily. His presence immediately dominated the whole scenery.
"Hey campers, what did I miss?" he asked and reached for the pot of coffee. He took a big gulp, right out of the pot, and showed Tony a thumbs-up.
"Yummy. Is that cinnamon?"
Tony squinted. "No, no cinnamon."
"Must be my imagination, then." shrugged the colonel.
"The shower was probably in your imagination, too." said Daniel from the side and wrinkled his nose. In fact, the man looked as if he'd skipped the time for hygiene after his wood-chopping-marathon. He had taken a shower after his return from the city, but after the physical exertion there was not one clean body part left. His hair was sticking in all directions, soil was smeared on his face and his shirt was completely soaked with sweat and clung to him like a second skin.
Jack looked down at himself. "You got a problem?"
Daniel coughed discreetly. "Well, I don't know how to say this. But Jack, you stink."
Every other man or woman would have felt uncomfortable after such a comment, but not this guy. He just rolled his eyes annoyed.
"It's the smell of hard work. Of course, you don't know much about it, right, professor doctor doctor whatever."
Daniel accepted the ironic accusation with a tired smile. Apparently, he was used to such banter. For Sam, however, this harmless teasing added itself seamlessly to the image that had already formed in her head about this man.
She sniffled disdainfully and muttered "typical."
Unlike some of the other campers, the guy heard her statement and fixed her with dark eyes.
"'Scuse me, you wanted to say?"
His question didn't sound particularly friendly, more like a challenge. Usually, she took no shit from guys like him. But tonight, she had no real desire to argue with a sweaty macho.
"Nothing you haven't heard a hundred times already, I'm sure." she said instead.
At once his eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out the exact meaning behind her words. He was pretty sure that he had just been insulted. In order to gain some time, he took a strategic sip from his coffee. Now, all eyes were on the two squabblers. They were used to O'Neill's trademark whims and cynical comments. The fact that someone was actually willing to contradict him, was new. Daniel sometimes tried, but even his patience came to an end. Debating with Jack O'Neill was like talking to a wall, especially if he thought he was right about something. The man was so stubborn, that every argument bounced off him. All the more interesting, that Carter confronted him.
"Really big talk for someone who could be dead." countered Jack and waited for her reaction. She knew that he wanted to provoke her and she didn't disappoint.
"I am very grateful for your help. But apparently I can't expect civilized behavior as well. Not even that everyone manages to take a shower."
Jack spread his arms, causing Daniel to dodge backwards.
"Oh, we're too boring for you and your big brain. Sorry to hear that." He sneered, but his next words were spoken very seriously.
"If you haven't gotten the news yet, honey, quoting poems and doing linear regression isn't going to help us. It can only work if we all tackle the problem."
Actually, his argument wasn't so wrong, but Sam was oblivious of it. Her thoughts were focused on the fact that, in her opinion, he had called her again by a devaluate nickname. He seemed to think that just because she was a woman and a scientist, she wasn't able to contribute. But she would prove him wrong, him and every single macho asshole she had to put up with in her life. Even if she had to challenge him to an arm wrestling.
"If you address me with anything other that my name again, I swear, you'll get to know a different side of me." she growled. But her threat missed it's intended effect completely. Now it was his time to accept the challenge. Something sparkled in his eyes, almost playful, and a wry grin crept into his face.
"Maybe that's what I want. Getting to know the dark side of you." he grumbled back. His voice was smoky and somewhat saucy.
But before Sam could think of a appropriate response, Cassie used the pause to speak up.
"Wow! I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." she announced and revealed that she must have acquired a good deal of irony in the last weeks.
Some laughed and the animosity instantly vanished into thin air. Well, almost. Across the fire, Carter and O'Neill still stared stubbornly at each other. Finally, Jack drained his coffee and grunted as he stood up.
"Hey, where are you going?" called Daniel behind him.
"Taking a shower. I'm no Neanderthal, after all!"
She could feel every tiny stone trough the thin fabric of her sleeping bag. Nevertheless, Sam tried to lie as still as possible. She didn't want to disturb Janet and Cassie. When the first group members had decided to go to bed, the question about the sleeping place of the new arrivals had arose. The tents were all small and narrow. There was simply not enough space for them. It had been clear that Janet would sleep in Cassie's tent, even if it would be cramped. But it was touching, when Cassie offered Sam a place in her small tent too. The girl believed that without Carter's help, she would never have met her mother again. She was so grateful, that offering her tent to the foreign woman seemed to be the least she could do to repay Sam.
Sam herself wasn't so sure about the importance of her role in their reunion. What had she done? Except making sure that they were locked up in a stinky bunker for a month. Although she didn't like to admit it, finding Cassie had been pure coincidence. Just dumb luck, nothing more, nothing less. It was not easy to acknowledge, especially for someone like Sam, that the amount of control she had of her own life had diminished rapidly. Still, she had accepted the offer. Because her body demanded sleep after the long and tiring day.
But she just couldn't fall asleep. She didn't even dare to toss around. Sam didn't know how much time had passed since they'd laid down. Thanks to her time in the bunker, she had lost most of her natural sense of time. Janet and Cassie had yet to close their eyes, or their mouths. At first they talked softly, exchanged their experiences of the past weeks. But soon, they became emotional. Very emotional. Sobbing and crying, they tried to make good of the time they'd lost and cope with the fact, that they could be dead just as well. They apologized not only for the day they had been separated, but also for all kind of things. Even for incidents that, under normal circumstances, wouldn't have been worth the effort of further words. Like Cassie stealing five dollars from her mother's purse because she wanted to buy herself one of those energy drinks that Janet, as a doctor, could only dislike. Or how Janet had not passed on the massage of a certain Paul because she thought that Cassie was too young for a boyfriend. Small stuff that was usually quickly forgotten. But now, faced with the time they'd lost and the life together that they would never have, even the smallest things could have the biggest importance.
She had no other choice but to listen to everything and feeling terrible about it. Like someone that invaded their privacy unashamed and unquestioned. Like an intruder that forced herself onto a moment that was not intended for her. On the other hand, Sam didn't want to disturb or show them in any way that she was listening. The emotional ballast had to go and it would be insensitive to disrupt this process. But she also couldn't lay here awake and eavesdrop any longer.
As quiet as possible, Carter peeled out of the thin sleeping bag and left the tent. She slipped on her shoes and listened whether there was a response from within the tent. But neither Janet or Cassie seemed to have noticed her leaving. The camp was dark and quiet, the campfire the only light source. Undecided what she should do now, Sam decided to find herself a nice place at the fire and spend the night there.
The grass squealed under the soles of her boots. Thaw was already surrounding the fine green leaves. When she was a few steps in front of the fire, she saw that a lonely figure was already sitting there. She remembered that they had talked about a night watch. Apparently, the group members took turns staying awake during the night to look out for biters, as they called them. Because Janet and she were new and needed more time to adjust into camp life, they spared them from keeping watch the first few nights. But it seemed that Sam would partake in her first watch much earlier.
Curious about whom she would share the fire with, she focused on the contours. It was a man. Sam sighed frustrated when she recognized him. She had to be on a winning streak. It was none other than Colonel Jack. Him, of all people! He sat with his back to her, which allowed her to study his posture in detail. A rifle leaned next to him, arms crossed, leaning back slightly and staring into the night sky. She almost snorted loudly. For someone who had accused her of stupidity and carelessness a few hours ago, he seemed pretty distracted himself. He should at least try to keep a watchful eye on the area and not stare into the sky.
Oh, she would be very happy if she got the chance to tell him a few things on her mind, but she didn't want to fight again. Deliberate provocation was not her typical character trait. She always searched for a different way, tried to stay away from disputes and favoring discussing differenced objectively. But there was something about this guy that told her she wouldn't go very far with discourse. She knew those types all too well. Pompous and jacked up with ego, they weren't willing to acknowledge other accomplishments than their own. Especially not when it was based on brains and not pure muscle power. Her theory was, that those guys felt threatened by intelligence and therefore tried to undergird their position.
The man folded his arms across his chest and poked the fire with a stick. Then he turned around suddenly and fixed Sam with a knowing look, as if he knew that she'd been standing there for some time now. In the night his eyes were almost black and somehow threatening. She wondered. Sam had been of the opinion that she had crept quietly enough. And still he had managed to notice her, without showing her that she had been unmasked.
"You gotta' hear them, before you see them." he said casually and apparently expected her to understand his words immediately. But that was not the case.
"What?" Was all she could say at first, still amazed that with the fact that he had realized her painfully obvious try at sneaking up on him so easily.
"I said, you need to hear them first. If they catch you unaware, it's too late." he explained again, referring to the camp's outlines with a sweeping gesture of his right arm. Confused, she followed the movement of his hand and realized what he tried to say. She saw light sparkling everywhere in the bushes and trees. All kinds of metal and sheet hung between the branches, reflecting the light of the fire. She wanted to slap herself when she understood and wondered why she hadn't noticed earlier. It was pretty clever, she had to give him credit for that. Especially if you considered the limited resources. The metal, rims and empty cans, worked as a kind of alarm system. If one of the biters passed by, it would bump again the metal and produce noise. In this sense, the colonel was right. In the pitch black woods, your eyes could play tricks at you. It was easy to overlook something that was really there, and imagine things that weren't. But an acoustic signal was a clear proof, even in the dark.
She uttered an awfully wooden sounding "Oh". The man didn't flinch and turned back to the fire. Sam thought that he seemed unmistakably confident. Like he had just proven something important to her. His superiority. She paused uncertainly. What now? She really didn't want to sit down with him and so far he hadn't behaved like he wanted some company. But she also didn't feel like crawling back into the tent. Besides, she was no longer tired. Wide awake, actually.
"You wanted something particular?" the colonel's voice sounded annoyed, like he felt disturbed by her presence. Sam tried to think of any plausible reason why she was standing her, looking blatantly uncertain. She didn't want to show any kind of weakness around him.
"Toilet." she blurted out. "I mean, I have to... you know. So, is there a restroom?" she stammered and fought against screwing her eyes. During her career, she had borne up against all kinds of assholes, so why was this particular bonehead rattling her this much?
The colonel turned toward her again and threw her a doubtful look. Then he eyed the camp as if he saw it for the first time.
"Well, I don't see a restroom around here." he remarked cynically. "But feel free to pick yourself a nice comfy bush or tree over there."
Sam opened and closed her mouth again. What could she say to that? Of course she knew that there was no proper toilet. What she had not yet processed completely, was the fact that many of her routines and vocabulary wouldn't function any longer. Little things, like the camping shower for example. Or brushing her teeth. At home, she used one of those high-tech electronic toothbrushes and she loved it. If she wanted to get her teeth any cleaner, she would have to use a sandblaster. But here and now she had not electric toothbrush, not even a normal one. She and Janet had been forced to use their fingers. Anything but clean and hygienic, but better than nothing. Just like peeing to a tree.
"Okay." she muttered because there was nothing else to say about this matter. To say she was surprised was an understatement, when she realized that the colonel stood up wordlessly. He shouldered the rife and apparently planned to follow her.
"Um...what are you doing?" she demanded to know.
He waved his hands towards the bushes.
"I thought you have to take a leak." he said lapidary. As if it was the most normal thing in the world that he wanted to accompany her using the toilet, or the tree. Over my dead body, mister.
"And how does that concern you?"
He folded his arms across his chest stubbornly. "No one goes anywhere alone, especially at night. Too dangerous."
"Look, that's not necessary. I've been doing this alone for almost 30 years."
The colonel raised his hands defensively.
"I hope so. But it's camp rule number one."
Sam snorted. "Like what? Thou shalt not pee alone?"
His expression hardened. "That's not funny. Think about what would happen if one of those walkers caught you with your pants down. Not a dainty way to bite the dust."
"Don't worry about me."
"Oh, I don't even think about worrying. I just don't feel like cleaning up your mess when one of those things gets you!"
Carter gasped. That was a really nasty comment and he knew it. The moment the words left his mouth he realized how tactless his remark was, considering she'd almost gotten mauled earlier.
"You won't escort me. Under no circumstances." she said with more composure than she really felt like and was surprised when he did not object immediately.
Instead, he rubbed his face tiredly and stared over her shoulders in thought. Having made a silent decision, he grabbed his leg holster, pulled out a gun and offered it to her.
"All right. At least take this. Do me the favor."
Sam took the gun and nodded, surprised that he had given in so quickly. Something told her that relenting was not his strength. He seemed to her more as the type of guy that was used to his orders being followed without question. Perhaps he wanted to make up for his disgusting comment. Whatever the reason, she was relieved that she could pee without him watching. That would be really strange. She nodded slightly and then walked over to a group of trees.
"Beware of landmines*." he called after her and she had to resist the urge to turn around, because she was pretty sure that he was wearing a smug grin in his face.
Ten minutes later, she had successfully completed her mission. But not without problems. First off, she had to find a tree in the dark that was free from...well, excrement. She had just this one pair of shoes didn't feel like having to clean them from...stuff. Sam had looked around uncertainly, grabbing the gun with both hands. A breeze blew through the rustling leaves and for a brief moment, she had wished that she hadn't been so stubborn and insisted on wandering off in to the woods alone. Men were better off in this matters. They could just open the zipper and then, weapons free. But as a woman she was extremely vulnerable. After she was done, thank god she had found a paper handkerchief in her pockets, she hurried to get back to the safety of the camp. Despite the gun, she felt unprotected and exhaled a relieved breath when she approached the campfire.
The colonel didn't look up as she stood beside him, but held out his hand, a silent request to get back his gun.
Perplexed, she paused. She still had no desire to return to the tent. And the campfire's warm light was really appealing. Not just because of the light and the warmth, but because of the smoke. All day long, the sickening evaporations of the dead bodies had crept into her nose. Janet had told her that if you once smelled decay, you could never forget the scent. The smoke helped a little, overlaying the foul odor.
Coming to the decision that she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight anyway, she waited until the colonel was forced to act on her presence.
"Do you mind if I sit down?" she asked out of politeness when he looked at her.
He shrugged. "It's a free country."
Without a word she sat down on a trunk and rubbed her hands together. The fire's flame was small and no longer produced any noticeably heat, but it was still strong enough to bathe their faces in a smoky light.
"Sooo..can't sleep?" he asked after they had been sitting there in silence for a while. Sam was taken by surprise that he even wanted to talk to her. Thus, she couldn't think about an excuse and just said the first thing that came to her mind. "No...yes. It's just, Janet and Cassie are talking. Quite private stuff and I don't want to disturb them."
She waited anxiously whether he would answer at all. To her astonishment, he nodded a few times, as if he understood.
"We'll get you your own tent next time we go into the city." he offered and revealed a pragmatic character. Rather than expressing sympathy, he was already planning how to resolve the problem.
Since they'd clarified the reason of her nightly presence, silence spread between them again. Some embers rolled out of the fire and he kicked them back. Carter felt as him thoughtfully watching her from the side. Either he took his time to look her over, or there was something else on his mind.
He cleared his throat awkwardly. "If you wanted to sleep, I guess I could offer you my tent. I'll be up the rest of the night anyway and I think you should get some shuteye."
The colonel didn't look at her while he said this and scratched his head uncertainly. Carter needed a moment to comprehend his offer and the implications, then she rolled her eyes. He must really take her for a naive dullard. Yes sure, of course she believed him that his offer originated from his altruistic motives. She could already imagine what would happen if she accepted. As soon as she would lay down, he would follow, muttering some flimsy excuse and expecting her to be very grateful. Sam clearly remembered the last time she had been forced to share a tent with a man. It had been during her basic training and her tent had mysteriously fallen victim to the campfire, leaving her to share sleeping space with a fellow recruit. The same recruit had decided, because it was terribly cold and he feared to die from hypothermia or something, that it was a good idea to share body heat. When she was done with him, the last thing on his mind had been sharing something because he was busy licking his wounds and puffed up male pride.
In any case, she was not so stupid to fall for the same lousy trick a second time. "No, thanks." she refused unrelentingly, expressing through her declining tone more than just rejection for the offered sleeping place.
Jack sat on his trunk and stifled the impulse to bit his lip. Okay, so maybe his offer didn't sound so great in her ears. But honestly, he harbored no other thoughts. He was aware that this fellows often regarded him as an ass. However, he wasn't that kind of an ass. He didn't need to trick a woman. Especially not miss niminy-piminy beside him.
She was such a typical scientist, he had a sure feeling for that. It was in the way she wrinkled her nose at the mere thought of sleeping in his tent. In addition to her mistake about is intentions, it was probably one of her nightmares to share space with someone like him. She already had him pegged as stupid foot soldier. Only muscle, but no brain. This woman thought that her dozen doctorates gave her advantage over him. That she was better because she didn't have to get her hands dirty. So of course you couldn't expect her to spend the night in some stranger's tent. Oh the horror, she could stumble over one of his socks! The very idea probably gave her an itchy rash. The typical scientist did not care much for hard work and favored his or her clean and gem-free office. Daniel was the an exception. But as an archaeologist, rummaging in the dirt was part of his official job description, so he didn't really count.
Opposite him, Sam had similar, gloomy thoughts. She had noticed how he responded to her refusal. Surely he thought of her as frigid now. In a fit of acute machismo, he was sure that any woman who refused to be reduced to sex was deranged somehow. After all, he had saved her live and therefore could expect some gratitude. Well, if you think I'm that kind of a woman, you're not only barking up the wrong tree, you're even in the wrong forest!
After ten years in the Air Force, she knew pretty much every sleazy ploy. And this one was pretty obvious. Just one more reason to hold his prejudices about her sex against him.
O'Neill screwed up his face as if tormented. After some minutes of silent brooding, he was visibly struggling with himself. A few minutes ago, he'd been completely content with ignoring little miss perfect. But then he realized that from now on, she was part of their group. Part of his team. And he was the boss, so to speak. It was his duty to integrate her into the team, to leady by good example. It was quite possible that they had to struggle in this constellation for a long time. He wouldn't have to talk with her about the deepest secrets of his soul, but a productive cooperation should be possible. For that, however, he had to cool down and make the first move.
Jack sighed and ran a hand over the stubble in his face. Then he held out his hand.
"By the way, name's O'Neill. Jack O'Neill. Two L's. Jack's enough."
Puzzled, she stared at the hand in front of her face. Sam had gotten the message. Friends called him Jack. But she didn't want to be his friend. Rather than that, she was interested in drawing a straight line between them.
"I think I'll stick with O'Neill."
The small wrinkles that were forming around his eyes would have appeared kind in other circumstances and on any other man. But this brusque guy was not the least charming.
"Fine, Carter!" he spat and emphasized her last name, to make it clear that he could do very well without interacting with her on a more personal level. If she wanted to be stubborn, please, no biggie. Quite the contrary. In this camp, he was the master of stubbornness. In this matter, she could learn a thing or two from him.
Silence spread between them again as both indulged in their prejudices about each other. Silence, but not tranquility, thank god. Sam didn't want to be left alone with her thoughts as the events of the day were catching up on her again. Somewhere in the dark, a few insects chirped an impressive concert. Unfazed by the chaos around them. Wind rushed trough the treetops and cooled the air. At the same time, the last flame flickered and extinguished, leaving back smoldering embers and taking light and warmth away. Suddenly feeling the chill, Sam wrapped her arms around herself.
Her discomfort hadn't slipped O'Neill's attention, but he did his best to ignore it. Stubbornness, he was really good at that. Like a mountain goat, just without the horns. Well maybe with one horn, but that's not the point. A small, squeaky and highly annoying voice in his head thwarted his plan of blissful ignorance. The voice sounded suspiciously like his grandmother. Granny had been a kindhearted woman and quite relentless when she saw manners at risk. She'd been unyielding with young Jack when he disobeyed her etiquette. Even now, out of her grave, she reminded him that a real man wouldn't let a woman freeze. Concerning respect towards women, good ole' granny, god rest her soul, had always been traditional and slightly clichéd. But Jack had loved her madly and just couldn't ignore her instructions, even if they came from afterlife. He couldn't help it, he'd never again tasted a lemon pie that good than the one Granny O'Neill had baked for him when he'd been a boy. Therefore alone, he couldn't refuse her.
He grunted in frustration because there were some people in his life, as much as he fought it, whom he couldn't refuse anything. Okay already, I got it, he sent a silent salute to his grandmother and shrugged out of his BDU jacket. Wordlessly he handed the woman across from him the jacket and it didn't surprise him when she rejected this offer too. In fact, he had even expected it. But at least, he had tried.
"No, thanks. I'm not cold." she lied and he took her rejection with indifference.
"Whatever."
An owl made itself felt. Someone started to snore terribly. But between the two people at the died out campfire, not another word was spoken. Although they were sitting across each other, there seemed to be miles between them.
Most people would think that the fact that two people had so little to say would feel awkward, but the silence suited Sam's mood. She could finally get some rest and think. About what had happened in the last four weeks. When not only her life, but maybe even the whole world had radically changed for all people. It would never be the same again, she just knew. Now, she had to adjust fast. She wanted to survive. If this want made any sense or if it would be better to give up and expect nothing, she couldn't know. Sam also tried not to think about Joe. Or about her family and friends. About everything she had achieved so far and still wanted to achieve, her goals and dreams felt worthless and useless at once. Parts of her existence, attributes she identified herself with, that constituted Major Samantha Carter as a person, were no longer valid. The dimension of changes was so big that it threatened to overwhelm her. Her normally capable mind couldn't grasp it.
It was a strange feeling, one she wasn't used to. The feeling of not understanding something was hard to comprehend, let alone to accept. Perhaps she should feel anxiety now and she wondered by she didn't. After all, It would be only natural. But Carter knew that fear and despair wouldn't improve or change anything. All she could now was survive. And at least, she wasn't alone anymore. Didn't have to fight this battle alone. She had allies, even if she would definitely have some problems with some of them in the future. Sam cast a suspicious glance at O'Neill. He had his hands clasped behind his head and watched the sky again. She decided to do the same. It'd been years since she'd last seen the stars in any other form than photos, recordings or prints.
The sight did her good, calmed and helped her to ground herself. It was consoling to know that no matter what happened on their planet, some things would always stay the same. Whatever would occur the next days or weeks, if she lived long enough, she could always count to the stars appearing at night. This certainty, combined with newfound camaraderie, gave her a tiny little bit of hope.