SG-1 is on another mission, and I stand here, waiting for them to come back. And again, just like the other times, I pray that they all come back, alive and well. This time I didn't get my wish.
I always wondered what could break SG-1 apart. Not only physically, with the things they've gotten them themselves into I knew that that will happen sooner or later, but also what could break them emotionally. I finally found out what I didn't want to know. It was the kind of day you wished you had stayed in bad.
What I saw when they stepped through the gate I saw before only in my worst nightmares. Jack was unconsciousness and bleeding, Major Carter was a wreck. She was wounded, but it was only her arm. She barely responded to anything. Doctor Jackson and Teal'c not only didn't look at her, they actually avoided her.
I ordered everyone to medlab and then to the debriefing room. 'This has got to be good.'
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Daniel was the first one I talked to. Both Major Carter and Jack were in medlab, so I talked to him in my office.
"What happened there, Doctor?"
"Well… I'll tell you as I saw it" he looked at me with some kind of fear, some kind of sadness.
"Please do. "
And then I just sat there, listening to his every word, clinging to some hope that SG-1 will not lose each other.
But his words lacked that hope.
"Well, when we got there we had to split up. Sam wanted to take a look at some mineral she found in the mountains and I wanted to search the old village we found. So I went with Teal'c and Jack left with her. But we didn't know that there was a goa'uld there. I can only say that when we got to the gate where we were meeting Sam and Jack we found him the way you saw him and Sam was crying, and two dead Jaffas. Teal'c got there a bit before me, but I don't know what he saw."
"Colonel O'Neill wounds didn't come from a blast, that I do know." I looked at him, hoping I won't hear what I feared.
"I know, sir, but like I said, I wasn't there," he wouldn't look in my eyes, at me in general. But I also knew that whatever it was he wouldn't tell me, I'll have to ask Teal'c.
"Ok, Doctor Jackson, I'll leave it at that… for now." I looked at him and he knew exactly what I meant.
"Yes, sir. Can I go now?"
"Dismissed," I said with a nod. And he left knowing I'll find out but not wanting to tell me. I wish he had.
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I knew where to look for Teal'c, it wasn't hard, right next to Jack's bed.
I looked at him watching over him. He became a good friend. I could also see that Jack wasn't doing well. He was still unconscious, and he was breathing through a machine. The wound was to his left shoulder and chest, or should I say his heart. 'The Doctors are keeping him a live, but for how long?' the thought wouldn't leave my head. I tried to shake it away and started talking.
"How is he?" I asked, pretending I didn't already know.
"He might not live, General Hammond," Teal'c answered honestly, I knew I could trust him to always do that. I hoped he would do so once again.
"Teal'c, tell me what happened." I tried as I did with Doctor Jackson.
"We split up," he said simply.
"And?" I let him continue, trying not to stop him in his talk to ask what was bothering me.
"When we reached the Stargate to come back to Earth together the battle was already over, General."
"Did you see anything of what happened? What happened to Colonel O'Neill?" I asked the question. I couldn't understand what happened.
"I do not know what happened to Colonel O'Neill, General Hammond," he said with the same voice he always talks in. It bothers me sometimes, but when he acts like this I know how much is inside.
"Thank you Teal'c," I said and he nodded. I couldn't read him the way I did Doctor Jackson, I couldn't see if he was hiding something. But somewhere inside a little voice told me 'if Daniel knows, so does Teal'c' I left the room and went to Doctor Frasier's office to talk to Major Carter. I had to clear it once and for all. Maybe I should've left that stone unturned, I will never know.
The first reaction I got from the Major was "how is he?" after a brief moment and a look from me she added "sir". I understood though, and said nothing about it.
"Major, what happened out there?" I was losing my patience.
As she started talking Doctor Frasier sat on her table and listened. We both did, but were we ready for it? No. We did not expect it. It might not seem big, but it was the last thing I thought I'd hear today. Then again, today was all just a big nightmare that wouldn't end.
"We both heard something when we were waiting next to the gate. We turned around but I heard something from a different direction I turned and fired at the Jaffa. As he went down the other Jaffa shot me, and the Colonel shot him." She stated simply.
"And?" I asked waiting for the one thing that was missing. Was there someone else there? What?
"Nothing, sir," she looked at me blankly or tried to, I could see she was worried about him.
"Doctor, are you finished with her?" I glanced at Doctor Frasier who didn't get where I was going with this.
"Yes, sir," she looked at me questionably, she wasn't sure she'd like what I was about to do, neither was I.
"Come with me, Major," I ordered her.
She replied with "yes, sir" and followed me.
Doctor Frasier came as well. What they didn't know was that I was going to Jack's room in the MedLab. I thought maybe the concern I saw on her face will get some of the truth out, Or all of it. Or maybe I didn't really think it at all.
She looked at him as if she was seeing a ghost. He almost looked like one. Tears were falling down very fast, I wouldn't call in crying, but when she came closer to his bed she whispered "I love you" to him, and then she cried. I wasn't surprised, none of us were, we all knew what those two felt and we knew they were holding back. I was glad she said it, but her tears became anger, I could see it in her eyes. But not anger at anyone really, or was it anger at her self?
"There was nothing you could do," Doctor Frasier tried comforting her, needless to say it didn't work, it even became worse.
"Yes, there was." The tears fell faster. I wanted to say that he wouldn't want her to be like this, but something held me back.
Doctor Jackson came into the room just then, such timing the boy has.
"It's not your fault, Sam," he said worried about her, I could hear it in his voice. I didn't understand anything any more; I just let it flow. One other thing bothered me, what caused this change? When they came through the gate he wouldn't even look at her.
"It was me, Daniel," she almost yelled at him.
"You fell," he yelled back at her.
"I shot him, Daniel! I did this!" she yelled back and cried again in a way that could not be stopped by anyone. Well, almost anyone, I'm sure Jack would've been able to help.
Now I understood why the two of them wouldn't say anything, to protect her. She fell and accidentally shot him. They didn't want everyone to know but they had to know we'd find out.
Jack would've hated this, seeing Teal'c and Daniel still avoiding looking into her eyes. They still held some guilt against her as she did for her self. I did not know exactly what happened, but for the first time I didn't want to know.
I knew. I knew it that day. I knew that if they won't be able to forgive whatever happened and the shooting, SG-1 would break apart. I knew that if Jack won't be all right, SG-1 would never be SG-1 again. I knew that if those two won't be together it would destroy them. I had no doubt in my mind, he would not blame her, but would she be able to forgive her self? Because of that anger and guilt she might be lost forever. They must learn to forgive.
I pray that once again, SG-1 would make it.
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The End.
Story Notes: To all my friends (I am not going to make a list… ) Bug thanks to Ann the doesnt mind my bugging and lack of English grammer in the story :)i wrote this thing late at night... sorry if it sounds a bit (very) weird. BTW it has a Mel warning
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 ]