Chapter 17 –Sam
I lay in bed it was cold I was still wearing the clothes the woman had given me earlier. A tear escaped trickling down my cheek, what was going on, why were these people being so nice, where was Aphosis? Was this a test or was I truly safe? I lay there shivering, there was a blanket there but I knew Aphosis would punish me for using it. I lay awake for hours before they came. They knocked, then opened the door, it was the 3 men from the other planet where I last saw Aphosis, the same men that haunted my dreams. Daniel, Jack and Teal'c.
"Hey Sam we brought breakfast" Daniel told me coming into the room sitting on my bed, Teal'c placed a tray on my lap. I sat there looking at it, I couldn't eat without permission. Jack looked up at me
"Carter eat" he ordered. I hesitantly picked up the spoon it was cornflakes my favourite. It was an order and I had to do what they said, I started eating. Finishing my bowl I had no order to stop, I couldn't stop until they said or it would mean punishment, I reached over grabbing Daniels toast. I ate in before grabbing Jack's fruit loops, I didn't even like fruit loops but ate. Jack went to grab his bowl back.
"Sheesh Carter you can stop eating now, save some for the rest of us" He half joked half ordered, gratefully I stopped.
"Sam everything OK?" Daniel asked, "Were you hungry?" they were all looking at me, Daniel went to put his hand on my arm, I curled into a ball, they couldn't hurt me in my ball.
"Jack what do we do?"I heard Daniel ask,
"Call Doc Frasier" he ordered. I felt hands grab me, "Sam Sam, CARTER snap out of it" I stayed curled up rocking slightly, I heard more people come in.
"Sir what happened?" it was Janet, I felt her hands on my arm then the sharp prick of a needle then blackness.
Chapter 18 – Lisa POV
I was peed off I'll admit it, there I was at home with a full day of clinics when members of the Air force came and asked me to go with them. You really didn't say no. They drove to this mountain, where to my relief I saw Janet an old friend from medical school.
"Janet what is going on?" I asked, she grinned. "Come with me I need you to sign some papers standard non disclosure and I will tell you and show you everything, needless to say I have someone who needs your help, really needs it." Intrigued I followed her inside.
I had just signed the papers and been told about the Stargate when the PA announced Janet was needed in an isolation room, she took off at a jog I followed her. We arrived to a scene of chaos, 3 men surrounded a woman one an older male was shaking her. Janet sedated her, to calm her down. I guessed this was who I was here to help.
"OK let's get her to infirmary" Janet ordered the orderlies who followed. I looked at the 3 men.
"I want a word I need to know everything leading up to this point"
"But Sam..." the one with glasses protested.
"Will be sleeping that sedative off, firstly I'm Lisa Banton the new trauma therapist here to help Samantha, to do that I need to know everything." They sat on the bed, telling me everything they knew. It was going to be a hard slog to get Samantha through it but at least now I had an idea on where to start.
I walked down to the infirmary escorted by Samantha's friends. Arriving I asked them to leave we didn't need an audience for this. She was sleeping when I arrived so I asked to get in touch with the General from the things Samantha's friends were telling me this was going to require a different way of getting through to her.
She started to stir as I got the last of arrangements sorted. I sat by here bed watching carefully as she woke up, that process in itself told you a lot about someone. Sam started to stir silently then froze rigid dead stiff. I stood up approaching silently.
"Hey Samantha Carter," she kept still this was no doubt training, I read from the story she could only obey orders, what Aphosis did it was unforgivable the worst torture I could imagine no escape forever. Everyone broke under torture eventually even the very strong those that think otherwise have never been there. My job was to pick up the pieces afterwards. Aphosis had her for 2 months, it was a long time, especially when there was no going to far, death was just another method of torture.
"OK so my name is Lisa Banton, you can call me Lisa, I was brought here to help you get over what Aphosis did to you, now come on we are going for a walk" I said, she didn't like it I could tell but stood up, I knew I had given her an order and she would have to obey. I handed her jeans and a t-shirt that someone had got from her locker, "and wear this" She began stripping, like a robot not caring who was watching, I quickly closed the curtain before anyone could see. She had been taught to obey and probably at great cost, those Maichinas things. Still I wanted to show her she was on earth and not in some sick reality Aphosis had created and to do that we had to take a walk upstairs.
Noticing Sam had finished changing she re-opened the curtains. "Come on lets go for a walk" We walked side by side to the elevator, getting in I heard whispers from personnel about Samantha, she didn't react at all, it was like she was a zombie. We reached the surface. Samantha squinted at the brightness of the sun.
"Come on I've been told there's some woods up the top" she followed me up to the top where I sat on a rock looking at the view.
"What do you think Sam, beautiful isn't it?" she looked panicked it wasn't a closed question so remained silent. "You can speak" I told her.
"It's the most beautiful place on earth" she whispered, so faint I barely heard her.
"I know it's hard to believe Sam but you are really hear you got away you are safe, it's going to take some time for you to believe that so we will take all the time you need"
"OK, she whispered.
"So Sam what do you want to do?" I asked, she stayed quiet
"Whatever you want to do is fine" that answer wasn't unexpected
"OK I want to do whatever you want to do" she considered this deeply
"I want to stay here see the stars" I nodded knowing although it was only 10am that we had to do this for her,
"OK, we will start with that, stay here" I walked the short distance to where a guard was, "We are going to need food, water, blankets please were going to stay up here till it gets dark" they nodded use to obeying orders.
We sat in silence for the most part; for 12 long hours. I knew she needed time to process to learn to feel safe. As night fell we lay on our back side by side, she began crying silently I remained silent.
"There they're all of them this is real I'm free" she whispered, "I couldn't remember them all I knew when I saw these stars I'd be home, I'm really here aren't I no tricks I'm really home" I smiled this was a breakthrough.
"Yes you are Sam, your safe" I told her,
"It's cold can we go back inside now?" she asked I nodded. It was progress.