Whatever happens: don't panic!
Sound advice, under any circumstances. Keeping a cool head is essential if you're to stay alive. It's one of the first things they teach you in the military; panicking can result in death. Unfortunately, Sam Carter wasn't quite able to see her situation that way.
"Don't panic? DON'T PANIC??" Sam teetered almost comically on her left foot. "I'm standing here on one leg, swaying like a drunken flamingo, about to join my ancestors in several different pieces and you're telling me not to panic?!"
Jack looked extremely uncomfortable. "Well... yes..."
"You are unbelievable!!" Sam yelled at him, and held out her arms to try and keep her balance. "You couldn't have warned me?"
"We did try." Daniel pointed out.
"You just screamed 'mine'."
"Yeah..."
"WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU SAY 'LAND MINE'???"
"Erm..."
Sam didn't bother snapping anything else, but tried to move the leg she was holding off the ground so she wasn't as unbalanced, but it proved to be an almost fatal movement, as she yelped in pain and almost fell over.
"Sam? What is it?"
"Cramp... in my leg..." she gasped, then glared at her CO. "THIS ISN'T FUNNY!" she snapped.
"Of course not." Jack said, trying to regain a composed expression. "Teal'c I don't suppose you can identify this thing?"
Teal'c looked at the mine under Sam's left foot then back at Jack. "It is a land mine." he said flatly.
Jack tried to quell the urge to shoot Teal'c. "We can see that." He said slowly, as if talking to a child. "What can you tell us about it?"
The team had arrived on P6X541 earlier that day, and instead of back-tracking their steps when returning to the gate, they had gone in a circle to return to the Stargate. What they hadn't anticipated was the minefield that the long-dead natives of the planet had put in place in the region around the gate as a precaution against their Goa'uld overlords returning. The mines had been stolen from the Goa'uld, and obviously the natives hadn't been expecting anyone else to come through the gate.
"It is a pressure sensitive mine. Although it appears to be old. It may not go off the instant that Captain Carter steps off it."
"So... our best bet is running?"
"Um..." Sam looked uncomfortable. Although it might have just been her stance. "I hate to break this to you, but I have muscle fatigue in my left leg and cramp in my right leg, running isn't going to play a major part in my immediate future."
The three men of the group exchanged glances. "So... who gets to carry her?"
"Carry me? I am /not/ a baby!"
They pointedly ignored her.
"Don't look at me." said Daniel. "I don't think I could pick her up."
They looked at Teal'c. Unfortunately, there he was carrying several heavy pieces of equipment that no one else could pick up, along with his staff weapon, they'd undoubtedly be damaged if he abandoned them to grab Sam. Damaged equipment equals extremely irate and murderous scientists.
That left Jack. Sam rolled her eyes.
"Oh great..." she muttered, and braced herself for what was to come.
Daniel and Teal'c hid behind a conveniently placed large rock and Jack prepared to run towards Sam, who was looking like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a car.
He expelled a slow breath and then ran full speed towards her. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her off her feet, hearing her loud cursing as he did so. Behind them, the upscaling whine of the mine building to full power could be heard.
The shockwave of the explosion knocked them both to the ground and they rolled in synchronisation behind a stone which shielded them from the heat and energy released in the conflagration. It took several seconds for the sound to die down and a few more for the debris to stop falling.
From where they lay entangled on the ground, Jack looked up at Sam, their faces only an inch or so apart from each other. They were so close he could see the flecks of colour in her eyes, and feel her breath on his cheek.
"You're obviously extremely pleased to know I'm alive." she told him, and there was absolutely no doubt in Jack's mind what she was referring to. They quickly disentangled themselves and Jack pulled first himself, then Sam to their feet.
"Daniel, dial us home." he told the scientist, who quickly hit the keys on the DHD.
If the cooling effects of the gate didn't work, he was /really/ going to need a cold shower back at the base.
-Fini
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Feedback is nice,
Send me some feedback,
Or I'll send in the mice.
Flames will be fed to an obliging Dragon, after I've composed a rather scathing retort and sent in the Feedback Mice! (TM)
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc, are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plots are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. ... [ read more ]