They all stood around the bed in the infirmary watching as Jonas came to. He may not have got on well with Jonas to start with, but Jack was willing to admit that he had become like a friend to him. Maybe not as much as either Carter or Teal'c, and he could certainly never replace Daniel, but Jonas had tried and had managed to earn Jack's respect. He didn't like watching him like this. Frasier had said that there was nothing that they could do for him, that they should just keep talking to him and keep him company, but even that was proving to be difficult. Carter had been talking to Jonas about something or other, (to be honest Jack really hadn't been listening) when it happened again. Jonas had suddenly tensed and gripped his head in pain, muttering under his breath. There was nothing that they could do. They had to just sit and ride it out as they had the last few times, just watching. Watching, knowing that it was killing him, knowing that nothing could help, knowing that the Tokra were sending people but they wouldn't be here for a while. Jack looked across the bed, and watched the conflict of emotions pass over the faces of his friends. Teal'c had that subdued look, the one that said that he wasn't happy, Hammond had the grim face of determination, the mask of the general; trying to remain detached whilst praying that he'd come through; Frasier, as always, her heart on her sleeve but with an air of professionalism and bitter experience that kept her together, and then there was Carter. Carter was the easiest to read but the hardest to describe. She was like a mirror to his own feelings, the one who could understand how he felt and tell him as much within a look. She must have felt him watching her as she glanced up and stared deep into him, their eyes locked as their feelings and understandings passed between them. He managed to tear his eyes away as Jonas settled down and came to, Frasier reaching out towards him and wiping the sweat from his brow.
"Are you alright?"
Jonas looked round at the faces surrounding him, and Jack could tell that something was wrong. He wasn't made to feel any better when Jonas started staring at Carter, this really weird look on his face. She glanced back towards him, their eyes meeting once more as the same thought must have dawned on her. Jonas had seen Carter. Her eyes betrayed her, showing him that she was afraid, a feeling that he was beginning to share.
"What!? What happened? What did you see?"
Jonas' eyes held fixed on Carter before he finally turned around and looked at Jack.
It was only General Hammond that brought Jonas round. "What did you see this time son?"
"We were, we were on a planet. There was an ambush in some trees. Major Carter was hit."
Jack gulped. Somehow he knew where Jonas was going with this. He had seen Carter's death. He didn't know whether he wanted to hear anymore, but he was too afraid to leave. He hadn't dared think about her dying, at least when he was awake. At night he sometimes dreamt, woke up sweating, the pain all too real. Hearing Jonas talk about it out loud, when there was a possibility that it may come true was going to be too much, it may give him away, show everyone that there was more, more than he ever let on, it would force him to face the possibility; the possibility of losing her, and that was more than he could ever face. Still he stayed, unable to turn away, unable to turn himself off, willing himself to listen just in case there was something he may be able to do to stop it. So what if Jonas' visions had come true so far, they couldn't all could they? There had to be something….
"She fell, but we were already running for the gate. The Colonel yelled at us to keep going so we ran, while he went back for her. He picked her up in his arms, but the natives were getting closer. He started running through the trees carrying her in his arms, but then something hit him. He went down."
Jonas stopped, his eyes staring blankly at the wall behind them. Jack didn't know whether he was really still with it, or whether he was reliving the vision, but he couldn't say anything. He was too wrapped up in what Jonas was telling them. No one spoke, they just waited for Jonas to continue. "he tried again, picking her up before walking a few steps and then tumbling down again. As they lay there he tried to pick her up again, but she stopped him. She said there was no point, she was already gone. There was nothing that he could do, that he should just leave."
Jonas watched as the two figures played out the scene before him, and in that moment he understood. He wasn't there, he was just seeing what was to be and it terrified him. He had just learnt what these two meant to each other, and now he was being forced to watch their last moments.
"Leave. Please. Please Jack."
"I can't. Don't ask me. You know I can't." Sam's eyes glistened with the tears that began to spill over her cheeks. Jack started wiping them away, it was a sweet gesture but got him nowhere as his own tears began to fall and merge with hers.
"You have to. They'll take you too." Her voice was breaking, the sadness overwhelming her as she realised that he was never going to leave.
"Then they'll take me. I'm not leaving you."
"Jack please. You have to live. You have to go, be happy." She reached up to hold his arm, trying to get through to him, trying to reach him, trying to make him listen.
"I can't be happy without you." it was more of a moan than a sentence, an expression of pain as the Jack O'Neill that Jonas knew was being torn apart.
"You can and you will. I love you Jack." Jonas watched as Sam's eyes closed, Jack's hands resting on them as they did, before he gave her one last kiss. A kiss that was filled with pain, a kiss of acceptance, of one that was filled with tears. Jonas watched as Teal'c helped the Colonel through the gate, before the vision faded and he was back in the infirmary. He glanced at the faces around him before slipping into sleep.
Jack sat there motionless. His head rested heavy in his hands as he listened to what Jonas had seen. He felt as if his whole world had been ripped apart. Surely, surely it couldn't happen; surely, now that they knew, they could stop it. Raising his head he watched Carter; her eyes swelling up with tears that she fought to hold back, before she caught sight of him, allowing the fear to rise over both of them.
"Tell me when he wakes up again Doctor." The sound of Hammond's voice brought Jack back to where he was, and he watched as Frasier snapped herself back and left following Hammond. Carter stood up and squeezed Jonas' hand before she left, leaving Jack and Teal'c standing there. He didn't know how long he stayed there, trying to work through everything that he'd been told, thinking of any way that this could be wrong. Coming up with nothing he decided that he had to talk with her. He nodded to Teal'c as he left and then wandered through the corridors to her lab. The door was open and he stepped inside, expecting to find her attempting to lose herself in her work. Instead he found her stood by the wall wiping her eyes. He grabbed her gently by the shoulders and raised her chin so that he could look into her eyes.
"We'll work through this. We'll work through this." He tried to console her, whispering his mantra before stating it more firmly. Trying to make himself believe it as much as for her.
"How?" her eyes swelled up again and he pulled her into a hug, her head resting on his shoulder. Smoothing her hair, and searching for the words, he realised that this was the only comfort he could offer.
"I don't know." He whispered truthfully, "I don't know."
Story Notes: EMAIL: Jo_Cockram@hotmail.com
SPOILERS: story based on spoilers for prophecy. Please note Jonas is in this. Jonas who? – don't read. Know who Jonas is…. Read on.
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
FEEDBACK: sounds good. Please can I have some. Even if it's rotten, my email is thinning out and I need to look like I have friends. (he he he)
SPOILERS: story based on spoilers for prophecy. Please note Jonas is in this. Jonas who? – don't read. Know who Jonas is…. Read on.
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognised characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
FEEDBACK: sounds good. Please can I have some. Even if it's rotten, my email is thinning out and I need to look like I have friends. (he he he)
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 ]