Spores - part two Tanya
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Jack woke up several hours later. This time he was able to see, albeit the light was poor. He looked to his side to see Janet peacefully in slumber. His head felt better, and although his chest still hurt, he was able to breathe without as much trouble. He vaguely recalled waking up earlier and not being able to catch his breath, although he wasn't sure if he hadn't been dreaming. He glanced at his watch. It read 06:30 hours. That told him it was morning, but not what day.
His movements, although slight, woke Janet. She saw him looking tired, pale, but alert. She did the same thing he had just done, and checked the time.
"Good morning Colonel. How are you feeling?"
"Okay I guess. I still have a bit of a headache, and I feel like I just ran a marathon". He gave a little smile.
Janet smiled as shades of the old Colonel seemed to be peeking through. "That's to be expected. You had a rough night".
All Jack's warning bells went off. Last night was a blur to him. He remembered a few strange dreams that he would just a soon forget, and certainly not share.
Janet saw his defences go up and she tried to reassure him. "It's okay Colonel. You suffered a serious nosebleed. It took some time, but we got it sorted out".
"We?" The question was asked as stiffly as the man himself was.
Janet mentally kicked herself, and now was looking for some damage control. "Teal'c just came to hold the light for me so I could work on you", she said soothingly.
He must have accepted her answer as she could see some of the tension drain out of him. "So, where do we stand?"
Janet walked around the bed to check his vitals. "We should be getting an update soon. Until then, we don't know any more than before. You should rest Jack. These bags need changing", she indicated the units hanging from the IV pole. "I'll be back in a few minutes". The area around Jack grew gradually darker as she walked away with the light, but this time he wasn't as bothered by the dark.
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The officer went to check on the test subject, who so far appeared unaware that he was the carrier of the world's greatest new biological weapon.
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The next report that came through was listened to closely by the five men and women in the Isolation Unit.
"Doctor Fraiser. The latest samples just came out. At eighteen hours, the large cells have begun to shrink. Although they have not yet ceased ingestion of blood cells, they have slowed down. The smaller cells have expired. I will check in again in four hours".
The relief in the room was palpable.
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The officer listened closely to the instructions coming over the phone.
"It appears we have a setback. The latest report filed by Hammond indicates that the testing on the subjects appears to be working. They seem to have found the solution. That is not in our best interests. Change data if you have to, but fix it".
The officer smiled, but it was not a pleasant one. "It will be my pleasure".
The click on the line indicated the conversation was at an end. The officer pressed down on the receiver, then released it to make another call. The soldier answered.
"I have another job for you". When the officer was finished detailing the task, he hung up. He smiled once again. Some days he really enjoyed his job.
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Back in the lab, the technician came back on duty and went over all relevant details with the man he was relieving. He noted with satisfaction the progress the experiment was making. At the rate the spores were decaying, he estimated another twenty-two to twenty-six hours before they were all dead. At that point, he would begin experiments to see if a person could be re-infected, or if they developed an immunity to the contagion. If that was the case, they could try to create a vaccine that would kill the spores before they were able to take hold in the host's blood cells.
The team was sitting around Jack's bed. Janet had released Sam from the oxygen, but she still had everyone on IV's. It was rather crowded with all of the poles surrounding them. Jack was sitting up. He was still experiencing difficulties breathing, but since the last nosebleed, there had been no more incidents. As everyone looked at his pale, drawn face, it was hard not to visualise the scene from the previous night. More than one person wanted to ask about it, although no-one would. Perhaps an opportunity would present itself in the future, but that time wasn't now. Jack was an intensely private person, and would be more than a little uncomfortable knowing he had unwillingly disclosed a small piece of his past, especially something so horrific.
Janet brought forth some cards to help while away the time. She questioned the safety of using the flashlight like this, but decided that the mental health of the team was an important factor in their physical well being. Before long, the sounds of betting filled the room, as the team played poker under the dim light of a single flashlight.
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The technician looked up from his latest set of tests, to find his view filled with a rapidly moving fist.
The soldier dragged the limp man to a nearby storage closet. He removed the technician's lab coat, then tied and gagged the man. His final step was to lock the door, then jam the keyhole. He looked around furtively to ensure no one had entered the room. Satisfied, he put on the lab coat and walked to the table recently vacated by the technician. He pawed through the files of newly collected data. Carefully, he rewrote the numbers, to show a much greater reduction in the spore counts. Double checking his work, he was satisfied it looked authentic. He placed the files in the folder destined for Hammond's desk. He also included a conclusion that indicated the success of the test, and the safety of discontinuing it. That done, he waited for word to finish the job.
General Hammond was pleased when he opened the files. It appeared as though his people had come through again, in finding a cure at the eleventh hour. He wasted no time in calling the lab and giving them permission to conclude the experiment.
The soldier contacted Janet. "Doctor Fraiser. The latest numbers came through. The spores are 91.3% destroyed. Upon re-exposure to light, they did not recover. I am pleased to tell you that General Hammond has given the all clear, and you may conclude your experiment. Congratulations Doctor and SG1". The soldier cut off the intercom, shucked off the lab coat which he folded and placed on the back of the chair, then left the room.
In the isolation unit, the mood was upbeat for the first time in days. Daniel wasted no time in finding the lights. All felt the sting as their eyes tried to adjust, but welcomed the feeling. Janet left the isolation unit, turned on the lights in the rest of the infirmary, and opened the doors to the rest of the complex. She walked back to the team, and deftly removed the tubes that Teal'c and Daniel were still attached to, much to their relief.
"Okay, first order of business is we get Jack into a regular room. I have some tests I need to run on him, and I would rather not do it from here". Distaste was apparent in her voice as she glanced around the room. She had spent far too much time in it for her liking. "Sam, I want to do some more tests on you as well".
Within twenty minutes, she had the two patients settled in to their new quarters. She turned to Teal'c and Daniel. "Might I suggest that you two go and get some real food", she said with a smile. "While you're at it, bring me back something too will you?" She ignore the protests coming from Jack with a grin.
The two men didn't need to be asked twice, and disappeared quickly.
Janet turned to Jack. "Well Colonel, it appears as though you've done it again".
Jack looked at her quizzically.
She explained. "Once again you beat the odds. Just don't go off smelling the roses again any time soon okay?"
After discussing Sam and Jack's care with the duty nurse, and ordering all relevant tests, Janet left for a meeting with the General before trying to get a much deserved rest.
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The officer answered the phone.. "Is the job done?"
"Yes Sir. The team is out of isolation. The archaeologist and the Jaffa are moving around the base".
The officer nodded. "And Colonel O'Neill?"
"He is in the infirmary. He seems to be in better shape than reported".
The officer dismissed the soldier and hung up. He looked at the open file on his desk, and from it he picked up a picture of O'Neill. As he studied the face, he muttered aloud "Time will tell soldier, time will tell". He dropped the picture and watched as it landed face down on the folder.
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Four hours after Janet finally fell asleep, a summons from the infirmary came. As she ran down the corridors, she went past the open door of the lab. The sound barely registered in her hurry, but it was enough to cause her to enter the room. A thudding came from the closet. She tried to open the door, but the lock was jammed. Muffled sounds were coming from inside. Not wanting to spare anymore time, she entered the hall. A Sergeant passed her and she grabbed his arm. "I think there's someone trapped in the lab. Notify the General and get some help getting him out". The Sergeant nodded and hurried into the room.
Janet flew into the infirmary. As she feared, the problem came from Jack's room. As she entered, she was taken in momentarily by the sight of blood. Jack was in the midst of a coughing fit, and was struggling to breathe. "What happened here?" she barked.
The nurse glanced frantically over his shoulder at Fraiser. "He was complaining about a headache, then he started coughing and couldn't stop. At first it wasn't too bad, but then he started bringing up blood. That's when I had you paged".
Janet started barking orders. "What's his pulse/ox?"
"83"
"Okay. Give him 2cc's of Versed. We need to intubate. I also want two more units of blood going".
She turned to Jack and looked him squarely in the eye. "Colonel, I know you don't want this, but I need to intubate. Your lungs are bleeding again, and we need to get your oxygen levels up. Now we're going to give you some medicine to relax you and make you sleep. Do you understand?"
Jack managed to nod as he was gripped by another bloody spasm.
Janet leaned over, brown eyes on brown. Softly she whispered the words only he could hear, "I won't leave you alone. Promise".
As the Versed kicked in, Jack started to relax and his eyes drifted shut. The cough tapered off leaving Janet to insert the hated tube. She closed her eyes against the tear that caught her unaware. As she looked at her friend, she whispered a quiet "I'm sorry Jack".
With her patient stable for the moment, she ordered some blood work and more chest x-rays, then went to check on Sam, who for the moment appeared unaffected.
"What's going on?"
Janet looked at her. "That's what I want to know. Jack was getting better. The test had worked". Janet remembered the noise in the lab. Before she got to tell Sam about it, the General entered the room.
"Doctor Fraiser. I need you to look at something". Janet shot Sam a curious glance, but followed the General unquestioningly.
He led her to the lab where the rescued technician was holding an ice-pack to his black eye. "Son, I'd like you to tell the Doctor what happened", the General instructed him.
"I actually don't know too much. I just looked over the latest test results, and next thing I knew, I woke up in the closet".
Janet lifted one of the papers from the desk. She held it out for the technician to see. "You mean these results?"
He peered at the paper through his good eye. "Yes........I mean no. These aren't the numbers I saw. This says the counts were much lower than what mine did".
Janet took the paper and peered closely at it. She could see faint signs of erasing. Signs that would not be seen without close inspection. She picked up the copy of the file that had been sent to the General. Flipping through the pages, she came across the conclusion. The name at the bottom was the same as the technician's. She showed him the paper.
"Is this your writing?"
"No Ma'am, it's not".
Janet looked at the General. "Sir, these results have been falsified".
He looked at her curiously. "For what reason Doctor?"
Janet thought for a moment, then presented the General with the only conclusion she could come up with. "To get the team out of the only environment that would kill the spores. Sir, I think someone wants the team dead".
The General looked at his CMO, and realised that she did not know of the earlier theft of the specimen. "We have a real problem then. The second flower, as well as some data and blood samples were stolen yesterday. We have as of yet been unable to find the culprit. I don't understand though, why they would not have used a different method of trying to eliminate the team, if that is their goal. You seem to have a viable cure, and they have all recovered".
Realising that the General was of yet unaware of the downturn in the Colonel's condition, she started to inform him. "I'm not so sure about that General. I don't know how much more damage has been caused by allowing the spores to re-grow. Sir, I need to move the Colonel and Major Carter back into the isolation chamber. The infection is still active in them. Although the situation had improved, the Colonel has now suffered a serious set-back.
The General looked horrified. "Do you mean to tell me that the rest of this base could be infected as well".
Janet thought for a moment. "No Sir, I don't think so. We vaccinated all personnel before the contagion was released. We will have to test everyone to make sure, but I think we are okay". Janet was anxious to get back to her patients. "With your permission Sir?"
"Of course Doctor. Keep me informed". The General watched her leave then turned back to the technician. "Are you feeling up to going over these reports Son?"
"Yes Sir". With that they started the logistical nightmare of separating fact from fiction.
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Janet decided to make this stay in the isolation ward a little easier on all of them. She had ruled out Daniel as being infected, and Teal'c's symbiote seemed to have rid his system of all traces of the spores. She found herself wishing that she could patent his symbiote for medical purposes. It had pulled the man through many situations.
She chose to sedate the two remaining patients, and this time, she planned on keeping them that way. She knew she couldn't handle another situation with the Colonel on her own, nor did she want to expose him to more trauma.
With both patients soundly sleeping, and all medical aids in place, she once again gave the signal for the lights to be turned out. This time, she told herself grimly, would be the last. Sighing in the dark, she settled herself in for a long night.
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The officer picked up the phone and listened. The smile that had started quickly turned into a frown. "I did not agree to that. That was never part of the plan".
"Well now it is, and I expect you to carry it out. Do you understand?"
"Yes Sir".
"This is the last dealing we will have".
"What about O'Neill Sir?"
"It appears as though he will survive. That is not helpful to our cause. He has been a thorn in our side, and I wish to pluck it. Carry out your assignment, and I will tend to details. You know what to do".
The officer retrieved his briefcase. He placed it on his desk and spun the combination dial until it unlocked. He lifted the lid. He then unlocked top drawer in his desk. He reached inside for an envelope. He placed it inside his briefcase and locked it. He paused to close the drawer in his desk, took his briefcase and left his office.
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Daniel and Teal'c got the summons to see the General only two hours after Sam and Jack went back into the isolation unit. As the reached his office, they heard him in discussion on the phone. Daniel poked his head in to inform the General of their arrival.
Hammond beckoned for Daniel and Teal'c to enter as he finished his call. As they entered the room, they closed the door behind them. "Yes Mr. Secretary. Thank you Sir. I will pass on your best wishes. Yes. I will send the report as soon as all aspects are wrapped up. Yes. Good day to you too Sir".
As the General hung up, he grimly looked at the two team-mates. He indicated for them to sit. "Gentlemen, we have a problem. That was the Secretary of Defence. He heard about the falsified reports and demanded to know what was going on. I reassured him that we have everything in hand. I think he believed me, and now I'm hoping to get to the bottom of things before I have to send any more reports through".
Teal'c immediately picked up on the General's tension. "How may we be of assistance General?"
"About half and hour ago, a body was found by our maintenance crew. It was a man. He carried no identification, and wore civilian clothes".
Daniel looked puzzled, "How did he get in then?"
"Right now, given the lack of blood on the clothing, we are going under the assumption that the killer changed the man's clothes after he died. He must have been wearing a uniform to get on base".
"How did the man die General Hammond?" Teal'c asked.
"He took a single bullet between the eyes. Whoever did this was a professional".
The conversation was halted by a knock on the door. The General opened it and accepted the note handed to him. He gave a quick salute, then closed the door again. He walked to his desk and sat on the edge of it as he unfolded the paper. He scanned it quickly, his expression turning dark.
"What is it General?" Daniel asked.
"We know who the body is. His fingerprints came up in military records. His name is Lieutenant Gary Jacobs, and get this........." the General looked pointedly at them. "He worked at Nellus".
The implications of that statement were not lost on the two friends. Nellus was also known as Area 51, and all of their discoveries were sent there.
Daniel looked at the other two before speaking. "What do you want to bet that a certain Colonel who shall remain nameless, has a lethal flower in one hot little hand, and a smoking gun in the other." Daniel did not even try to disguise the contempt in his voice.
"Careful Doctor Jackson. That's some pretty shaky ground you're stepping on there".
"Sorry Sir". Daniel wasn't able to make the sincerity realistic, but the General chose to ignore that.
The General looked at the note thoughtfully, seemed to come to a decision, then stood up fully and squared his shoulders. "I have a job for you two. I want you to go to Nellus and see what you can find out about this man". He shook the paper. "I need to know why he was killed and why he was left here for us".
Teal'c looked speculatively at Hammond. "I do not believe that they will welcome us at that base General"
"Don't worry about that Teal'c . I'll make sure you go there with all the authorisation you need. No-one, not even Maybourne will be able to prevent your investigation. I am hoping however, it will not prove to be a problem".
"When would you like us to leave?" Daniel wondered why he asked when he already knew the answer.
"Immediately. I'll have a plane ready at your disposal in five minutes".
"Yes Sir". Daniel and Teal'c saluted the General who returned the gesture. As they moved to the door the General halted them.
"We don't know what we're dealing with here, so I caution both of you to be careful". With that, Hammond turned back to the phone to make the necessary calls, and the two exited the room.
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The officer sat in his office, looking uncomfortably at the phone he had just hung up. Word had just come down that two members of SG1 were on route, and were to be afforded all courtesies. They were to be allowed access to all areas with the exception of those requiring level three clearance. This was not an unexpected turn of events, but the officer wished that someone else had been sent. Those two had the tenacity of blood hounds on the scent. Especially the big Jaffa who held a personal grudge against several members of Area 51. The officer was sure he would leave no stone unturned in this investigation. He was just grateful that his superior had foreseen this, and planned ahead.
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Daniel and Teal'c were escorted into the Nellus Military base four hours after leaving the SGC. The Captain who was to serve as their guide, greeted them at the airfield, and drove them personally to the base. Their first stop was to look in Records, where the Lieutenant's file was waiting for them. It showed nothing spectacular. His military history wasn't outstanding. He did well in training, his academic history was acceptable, and his yearly performance appraisals were satisfactory. Nothing explained why he was now lying dead in the morgue.
They moved on to the man's quarters, which appeared undisturbed. They asked the Captain to excuse them, and closed the door behind him as the man waited in the corridor. They began checking the room. Teal'c started going through the man's personal belongings, while Daniel started searching the desk. The first thing he noticed was a picture of the Lieutenant with a smiling woman and child. His family. As he looked closer at the picture, he realised that the child was flashing a beaming smile from the confines of a wheelchair. Daniel sadly put the picture back in it's place, and began to leaf through the stack of papers sitting on one end of the desk. He found personal letters, bills, many of which were medical, and work orders. Nothing incriminating.
Teal'c had finished searching the man's drawers and closet with no success. He went to pick up a box of assorted items that he spotted on the floor by the bed, when something grabbed his attention. A tiny corner of a file peeked out from under the man's mattress. Teal'c moved closer and pulled the file free, then lifted the mattress to see if there was anything more. Satisfied that the file was the lone item, he sat on the bed and opened it. In it were copies of the stolen data, as well as scribbled numbers that he thought matched the falsified ones in the General's report back on base. Thoroughly alarmed, he showed the file to Daniel. As the archaeologist spotted the discrepancies, his eyes widened.
"We have to get this back to the base. Hammond needs to see this".
Teal'c nodded in agreement. "I concur".
They left the room, and instructed the Captain to phone ahead and notify their plane of an imminent take-off. As they left the base with the file in hand, they were unaware of passing an unmarked, level three, secure room.
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Inside the self contained room, the man was happily enjoying his promised big screen TV, while he sat in the soft leather of his recliner. For someone who had been previously homeless and starving, this offer had been too good to be true.
The words to the old adage never crossed his mind as he absently wiped a thin trickle of blood from his upper lip.
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As Janet heard the newest test results, she breathed easier for the first time in hours. Sam's latest blood work had shown a complete absence of the spore. She had not shown the same deterioration in the face of the exposure to light that the Colonel had. In fact, aside from some remnant lung irritation which would not take long to clear up, she was as good as new.
Jack was still very sick though. While the spores were dying, the remaining counts low, the damage to his lungs was still extensive. He was also suffering from the effects of multiple transfusions. His body had been through a serious ordeal, one which it would be slow recovering from.
Tests showed a rapid decaying of the spores. At the present rate, she allowed a safe margin of another four hours before the Colonel could be exposed to light. That fact was of no concern to him at the present as she still had him sedated, although she had lessened the amount. She discontinued the drip on Sam altogether, to allow the Major to waken.
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The General was made aware that SG1 was on it's way home. He gave instructions for them to be escorted to his office as soon as they were back on base.
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Janet watched Sam wake up. The Major blinked the sleep from her eyes and looked at her friend who sat haloed in the wan light created by the flashlight.
"Good evening. Did you sleep well?"
Sam sat up and took a sip of water from the cup waiting on her bedside table. Licking her dry lips, she looked at her friend trying to gauge the current situation. As Janet's face revealed nothing, she spoke up. "I slept great. I still feel a little fuzzy though".
"That's from the sedative. It should pass soon". Janet waited for the inevitable question. It didn't take long.
"How's the Colonel?" Sam glanced over in the direction she knew his bed lay in.
"He's not so great. He took a significant downturn in those hours before you were brought back here". As Sam's crestfallen look, she hurriedly continued. " The good news is, he hasn't gotten any worse since we moved him back in here. In fact, the spores are dying at a fast rate, and it should only be a few hours before the rest are destroyed. Then it's just a matter of damage control". Janet knew she was making it sound a little easier that the case actually was, but they had all been through enough, and she was confident that he would recover.
Sam looked pleased to hear that the infection was dying. "How am I doing?" was her next question.
"Your last tests showed a complete absence of the spores in your blood. Aside from wanting to run a few more tests, which can wait a while, you are free to go". Janet grinned at the smile on Sam's face.
"You mean now?"
Janet though about it. There was no need for Sam to remain any longer, and she could escort her to the door with the flashlight, but she was hesitant to expose Jack to the strong light that would come in when the outer door was opened. She could also understand Sam wanting to leave with no further reason to stay.
Sam could almost read Janet's thoughts and understood her dilemma. She decided that with all that Janet had done for them over the last few days, she could make life a little easier for now. "Actually Janet, if you don't mind a little company, I wouldn't mind staying until the Colonel can leave".
Janet knew what Sam was doing, and appreciated it. With her two patients in a drugged sleep, she had been left alone in the dark with her own demons. Nothing as dramatic as Daniel and Jack had shared, but enough to leave her feeling emotional nonetheless. It had also left her with time to think about their current situation. She had come up with a theory on what was going on. Now that Sam was awake, she had someone to test it on.
Sam hopped off the bed. Sleeping for hours on end might have been good for her health, but it was bad for her complaining limbs. They were stiff and sore from inactivity. She ran through a series of stretches, while Janet presented her theory.
"I have been thinking about these spores, and why someone wanted you out of the test site".
"And what have you come up with?" Sam was sounding slightly winded as she continued to exercise.
As she talked, Janet hopped up on the bed. "What if........ whoever stole the plant is worried that SG1 might be able to provide a vaccine against it's effects. We haven't been able to test this yet, but what if you now have an immunity against it?"
"But that doesn't make any sense Janet. Why would they worry about an immunity. All they would have to do would be to put anyone that happens to get infected in the dark, the same as us".
Janet hesitated. "Yeessss, but what if..........what if they engineer the spores to be more resistant. You know how they make strains of wheat that need less water and can take more sun? What if they breed these spores to need less light?"
Sam thought for a minute. "I don't think so Janet. I mean, I can see needing less light, but no light........they would need some to germinate".
"Yes, but what if the spores don't actually die without it? What if they simply go dormant?"
Sam was horrified at the implications of that. "Then you would have a ticking time bomb, with no way to stop it". Sam stopped exercising and looked at Janet. "We have to tell the General".
Janet held up her hand. "Easy Sam. We will when we get out of here. Right now, I can't think of anywhere that's safer for you and the Colonel. No-one can come in here".
"Yes, but what about Daniel and Teal'c. They might be in danger".
"I've been thinking about that too, and I don't think so. Whoever stole the data will know that Daniel was never infected, and that Teal'c never showed any signs of the infection. I'm sure he won't have made any antibodies to the spores since his symbiote acts in that capacity. That just leaves you and the Colonel. We can come out of here in a few hours. When we do, I will have to set Jack up in the infirmary but maybe you can report this to the General".
Sam quickly realised something. "Janet, if you're right, and we have produced an antibody, then Jack will be the likely target".
It was Janet's turn to look puzzled. "Why?"
"Well, he was exposed to the greatest amount. His system would have a greater concentration of antibodies than mine, and they'll know that from stealing the data".
Janet turned to look in the direction where she knew Jack lay. Once again he would be in danger. She just hoped they could protect him. A great weariness fell over her, and she lay her head back for just a minute while she waited for it to pass.
Sam restarted her stretches, when she realised that the conversation had ground to a halt. Sam asked a question, and received no answer. Curiously, she looked over. Janet was lying back against the pillow, fast asleep. Sam grinned. She took the flashlight from it's resting place on the bed and made her way across the room, to check on her other sleeping friend.
While not trained in medicine, Sam had done enough bedside vigils to understand the readings on the monitors, and what she saw reassured her more than Jack's appearance. He was pale, even give the lighting. The shadows that had graced his face for days showed no signs of fading. He looked as though he had lost weight. Blood still ran down the thin tube to a spot on his chest concealed by the sheet, and a machine was still assisting his breathing. Clear bags of solution hung on the IV pole, dripping drugs into his debilitated system.
As she looked at his calm face, she couldn't help but remember his remarks from the previous evening.
Sam and Jack had not hit things off very well. He was Mr. Military, and she was female, and a scientist. He had informed her from the start that it was her profession and not her gender that he had a problem with. She had not believed him at first. She took him to be the same as all the other old school types that she had encountered during her career. It had not taken him long to prove her wrong. They had quickly developed a trust level that was matched only by that of the other members of the team. That was one of the reasons why they were so effective. Over the last few years though, she had come to respect him for more than his military mind. He carried himself with great courage and conviction that gave a sense of hope to everyone around, even in the face of overwhelming odds. He was perpetually looking out for the welfare of his people. Now that she had seen a glimpse of his past, she marvelled at that ability.
She realised that the few remarks he had inadvertently shared with them were but the tip of the proverbial iceberg. His was a long, distinguished career. She knew he had attained the rank of Colonel through deeds, not politics. While she was not privy to his file, she had seen enough in their years of fighting together, to know that he seen more than his share of combat. She had also seen the myriad of scars that patterned his body during their many trips to the infirmary. Given this new knowledge about him, she couldn't help but wonder how many came from that time. Losing herself in her thoughts, Sam continued to sit with the sleeping man, watching over him.
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Shortly after landing, Daniel and Teal'c were ushered into the General's office. They presented him with the file. He scanned it briefly, taking it's contents seriously. He put the file on his desk and turned to the men. "Gentlemen, well done. This puts Lieutenant Jacobs at the scene. I think we have our man". He took in the expressions on the faces of the two men.
"Is there something you would like to tell me?" He looked at each man in turn.
Daniel cleared his throat. "Um, yes Sir. It seems like this was just a little too easy".
The General looked worried. "How so Doctor Jackson?"
"Well Sir, Teal'c and I were talking. Here you have a man with a sick child and financial worries. All of a sudden he's here falsifying reports, and leaving the evidence lying around. I mean, how did he get back there to Nellus to leave the report, then return here. Sir, I think maybe he did change the reports, but I think the evidence was planted for us to find".
The General looked thoughtful. It had been too easy, and the soldier had not shot himself.
Teal'c spoke up. "We have determined that the files were falsified in an attempt to eliminate SG1. The spores were expected to flare up again, thereby eliminating us. That attempt was unsuccessful. The questions now are threefold. Who wished us deceased? Are they satisfied with their failure, and who killed the lieutenant?"
Daniel and the General looked at each other. That another attempt on one or more members of SG1 was a real possibility. The question remained, why.
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The assassin reported in. "Everything is as you said it would be."
The voice answered. "Good. Did you have any problems getting past security?"
"None. Your instructions were perfect".
"Carry out your assignment. You will stay there until he's dead. Do I make myself understood?"
"Perfectly". The assassin hung up.
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Jack and Janet had awakened at the same time. The technician had come over the intercom with the most recent results from Jack's blood work. The last of the spores had disappeared. He was cleared to move. Janet hopped off of Sam's bed, somewhat embarrassed at falling asleep on her patients, yet realising that she had been pushing herself to her limits.
Sam walked over to the light switch, and with an unseen flourish, she flipped the switch. All three squinted against the blinding light, although they would welcome it shortly.
When Janet's eyes had adjusted enough, she moved to Jack's side. He still looked poor, but the readings beside him indicated an improvement in his vital signs. He indicated the tube that was helping him to breathe. She understood the gesture immediately.
"I know you want that out Colonel, but you have to answer some questions for me first. I want complete honesty, understand?"
Jack nodded.
"On a scale of one to ten, how much are your lungs hurting?"
Jack looked thoughtful for a moment. He then held up two hands. Some fingers were extended, some tucked against his palm.
Janet counted. "Six?"
Jack shook his crooked finger again.
Janet had to grin. "Six and a half?"
Jack nodded.
"Okay. How much did they hurt before I intubated you?" Janet was looking forward to this.
Without hesitation Jack held up nine fingers.
Janet searched his face. Despite the pleading expression, she found honesty there. She heaved a heavy sigh.
"All right Colonel. You win". She reached for the tube. "Okay Colonel, you know the drill. I want you to take a deep breath, then blow it out while I pull. Ready?"
Jack nodded.
"Go ahead". Janet removed the tube, then rubbed Jack's back as he started to cough. She stepped back as he caught his breath.
He looked at her in gratitude. "Thanks Janet" he croaked.
"Anytime Jack. Anytime". With that, Janet left the room to arrange transport for Jack. She wanted him in a regular room as soon as possible.
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Having been delivered to the infirmary, Jack sat propped up by pillows in his bed. The curtains of his cubicle had been left open so he wouldn't feel so isolated. He was unhappy about wearing the oxygen mask, but knowing how important it was to his recovery, he demurred.
After Janet had removed the intubation tube, she had given him stern lecture on keeping his mask on, or she had threatened, she would put the tube back. He had argued for a canula if she had to use anything at all, but she wanted to give him a course of ventilin to assist his lungs in their recovery, and the mask was the easiest way she had of giving him the kind of dosage he needed, as well as continuing the flow of oxygen his damaged lungs demanded.
Jack kept the argument to a minimum. He was still very tired, despite the amount of sleep he had received over the last few days. Janet had informed him that the fatigue was a result of both the infection and the number of transfusions he had received. It would pass, given time and care.
He lay there, watching the comings and goings of the staff. Even with a light patient load, the infirmary was a busy place. He found himself dosing. He heard a slight rustle at his side, and saw a nurse injecting a clear fluid into his IV tubing. In his sleepy state, he absently noted that he didn't recall seeing the nurse before, but realised that he did not know all of the medical personnel. The thought came and went as dizziness overtook him. His vision blurred and he fell into blackness.
The nurse looked furtively around to see if anyone was paying attention. His actions appeared to have gone unnoticed. He put the needle in the bright yellow box mounted on the wall, where it fell amidst the other hazardous materials. As it lay there, it was clearly distinguishable from the rest of the contents, as it was the only syringe to still be connected to it's body. The nurse then casually strolled from the room, discarding his white coat in the laundry hamper at the door, leaving him in his fatigues as he entered the hall. He walked right past the guard who had been posted. The guard had arrived after he had, and ignored him as he strolled away. The soldier was watching for anyone entering the room without authorisation, not for someone to exit it.
Janet was finally off duty. She couldn't remember ever being so tired. She took a deep relaxing breath and let it out slowly. Wondering if she should go home or stay on base where she could be closer to the Colonel, she elected the former. She missed Cassie, and ached to see something other that the sterile walls of the base's infirmary. She consoled herself with making a final check on Jack before she left.
She could see something was wrong as she approached. His unconscious face was pasty, and she could see a sheen of sweat on it even at a distance. She quickly bridged the distance and grabbed his wrist to gain a pulse. His hand hung weakly, his pulse racing, and his breathing was far too rapid.
"What the hell is going on here?" she yelled aloud. She pushed the alarm over his bed, and watched the duty nurse arrive in a rush.
"Get me the Colonel's latest test results, and take a new blood series", she barked as she lowered the head of the bed and pulled the pillows from under Jack.
The nurse was quick to respond.
Janet bit her lip in frustration. She had no idea why Jack was displaying all the symptoms of severe shock. She watched the nurse prepare Jack's arm for the blood work. It appeared as thought the woman was working in slow motion. Janet none to gently took the syringe and moved the nurse aside. As she inserted the needle, she instructed the nurse to inform the General that something was happening. The final vial had just filled when the nurse reported back. Janet handed her the tubes to take to the lab, with the order to put an 'extreme rush' on the results. Janet herself took the needle to the disposal box. As she dropped the pointed tip into the opening, her sleeve caught the valved mouth. When she moved to leave, her sleeve pulled the box open and the contents spilled on the infirmary floor. Janet was just about to walk away to call an orderly, when the sight of the recently discarded syringe caught her eye. She moved carefully amongst the debris, and picked up the syringe. While unable to identify the contents, she noted that some clear substance remained. Given the events of late, she had a sneaking suspicion that it was the source of the Colonel's lasted crisis
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Sam was standing in front of the viewing windows of the briefing room, filling General Hammond, Teal'c and Daniel in on Janet's theory concerning the spores. Teal'c listened carefully. This answered the question of why the theft had occurred, as well as why the team had been fed false information concerning their status. It also confirmed his suspicions they were not yet out of danger.
He was interrupted from his course of thought by the jangling of the phone. Hammond, annoyed at the interruption, grabbed it and barked an acknowledgement. His angry expression quickly turned to one of worry as he listened. He did not even provide a dismissal to the voice on the other end as he returned the phone to it's cradle. He looked at the others.
"It's Jack. They need us". He did not wait for the inevitable questions, but instead strode purposely out of the room, followed by the others.
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Hammond barged through the infirmary doors, followed closely by the rest of SG1. Before he had a chance to speak, Janet moved past him to Teal'c. She handed him the needle, and asked him to take it to the lab where he was to wait for the substance to be identified. The Jaffa left immediately.
She turned her attention to the three remaining people. "Sorry General. I think the Colonel has been injected with something from that syringe".
"Can you treat him?" Hammond was looking over her shoulder to the unconscious form of his number two.
"Not until we identify the substance. Until I know what that is, anything I do could just worsen his condition". Janet moved to Jack's side in readiness for action. She was already ticking off possible courses of action.
Daniel, Sam and the General just looked at each other. While they had known this was possible, they couldn't believe that the Colonel's life was in jeopardy once again.
Time seemed to stand still while they waited for the lab results. Every rise and fall of Jack's chest seemed like it would be the last. Minutes seemed like hours. Finally Teal'c returned to them with a note in one hand which he delivered to Janet. She scanned the results and assessed the situation. The substance in the syringe proved to be Insulin. She moved quickly to set up a glucose drip into the subclavian line. She had been thinking about removing it and was grateful that she had elected to leave it in for one more day.
She turned to the waiting group. "He's in insulin shock. The sugar should help to reverse the effects shortly".
Daniel was quick to pick up on the word 'should'. "What exactly do you mean by that?"
Given all they had been through over the last while, Janet was hesitant to heap more on them. She looked at Daniel and his expression begged for honesty, and she realised that she could do nothing less than honour that.
"Insulin shock can have multiple consequences, the worst of which is the destruction of brain cells. Given his condition of late, and not knowing how much he was injected with, I'd have to say that is a distinct possibility. We won't know for sure though, until he wakes up". Janet was tiring rapidly of being the bearer of bad news, and hoped for all their sakes that Jack would once again surprise them.
"When do you think that might be Doctor?" The General knew he was being unfair asking her for a timetable, but he needed reassuring as much as the others.
"I'm sorry General. I can't tell you that. There are too many factors involved to judge. It's possible that there may be extensive damage and that he may not wake up at all. All I can do is monitor his condition and let you know".
The General cleared his throat before speaking. "Thank you Doctor. Please do. In the meantime, we have a security violation that needs attending to. SG1, will you please accompany me to the briefing room?" With that, Hammond left, followed by the three friends who all sported looks ranging from grief to revenge.
Janet turned back to acknowledge the nurse who had just arrived with Jack's latest results. She let out a slow whistle as she read over the numbers. Whoever the assailant was, he wasn't messing around. The levels of insulin in Jack's blood were disturbingly high. If she hadn't stopped to check on him and treatment hadn't begun when it had, Jack would have been dead within minutes. Now, she was faced with once again watching his recovery.
Janet slumped into a nearby chair. As a doctor working for the SGC, she was constantly being challenged with new and different cases. She had dealt with unknown illnesses, viruses and weapon damage, but the crisis situation that she had been living in for the past few days was starting to take it's toll. She began to shiver in reaction. Drawing her knees up to her chest, she wrapped her arms about herself and drew in tight. She rested her chin on her knees and began rock back and forth, ever so slowly.
The duty nurse had moved to the station to update the Colonel's charts. As she looked over at his bed, she spotted Janet. She sighed, knowing that the present reaction, and the earlier irritability she had seen in Janet were all signs of a doctor and friend who had been pushed to her limits. Knowing she could do nothing more, she walked over and drew the curtains around the cubicle, leaving Janet to her thoughts and her privacy. She returned to the desk, and began to focus on the task at hand.
`````````````````````````************``````````````````````````
Up in the debriefing room, one irate General was pacing back and forth. "How is it possible, that in a secure, military instillation, we seem to be so vulnerable to attack. First it was the theft, then the planted technician, and now a personal attack on the Colonel...........and no-one seems to know anything".
The team sat in silence, knowing the General needed to vent some of his frustration. They all felt the same anger. Jack was not only their superior officer, he was their friend and someone seemed determined to see him eliminated. The General had doubled the guard posted outside of the infirmary immediately upon arriving upstairs. Even that did not provide much measure of relief, given the events of late.
The General cooled off quickly, realising how unproductive his behaviour was. He quickly turned back to business.
"Teal'c. I want you to review the surveillance tapes taken in the corridor outside the infirmary. See if you can see anything. Look for people you don't recognise, or ones who don't display the correct security identification tags".
Teal'c nodded and left the room.
Hammond turned to the other two. "I want you to find out who might have access to medical equipment. Unless our perpetrator brought his own drugs and syringes with him, which I think unlikely given our security precautions, he must have got them from here. Check the logs against all personnel who are allowed access. See if there are any discrepancies".
Sam and Daniel rose quietly and left the room, and the General. He moved to the viewing window that overlooked the Stargate. As he caught sight of his reflection, his expression hardened and he turned and left for his office. He had a call to make to the President.
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Jack woke groggily. He looked opened his eyes apprehensively, not sure what sight would greet him. There had been so many strange things happening lately, he didn't trust things to be simple. A look to his right told him that he was still in the infirmary, with the lights on. He gave a little smile. So far so good. That was the last thing he remembered seeing. As he turned to the left though, the sight was considerably different. Janet was curled up in the chair beside him, eyes fixed at a point on the floor. He caught the rhythmic rocking motion that she appeared unaware of.
Slowly he sat up and was worried at her lack of response. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, and removed the oxygen mask, dropping it on the bed beside him, where it continued to hiss, unused. He sat for a moment, contemplating the woman beside him. He had seen shock before in the field, and it hit him that she was showing all the signs of it. Feelings of guilt overwhelmed him, as he realised that he was the probable cause. He knew that she had taken care of him over these last few difficult days, unmindful of her own needs. Realising that self recriminations would not help, Jack acted.
He stood slowly, and waited until the world stopped spinning. He was disgusted at how weak he felt, and how such a simple task as standing could leave him gasping for breath. He began to recover, and lowered himself to his knees, to bring himself level with the doctor.
Janet's gaze had not shifted. She was completely non-responsive. Jack reached out and took her hands in his own. He looked down and noted how small those life giving hands appeared to be. He squeezed them gently and called her name. She turned slowly to face him, although her dull eyes did not appear to recognise him.
"Janet", he tried again. "It's Jack. Can you hear me?"
This time a hint of recognition showed, and it quickly blossomed into full awareness.
"Jack?"
"Yeah, it's me. Are you okay?"
She shook her head and lowered her face from his as a tear came unbidden to her eye.
Jack took one of his hands from hers and reached around to pull her into a gentle hug.
Gratefully she leaned into his embrace, her body shaking minutely. There they sat, not as
colleagues, but as friends. Gradually Janet relaxed. Jack could feel the tension start to
leave her. He released her hands and reached for her chin to turn her face back to his.
"Feeling better?"
A wry smile came to her face. "Aren't I supposed to be asking you that?"
"Maybe, but sometimes the Doctor needs a little doctoring herself". He flashed her one of his rare, genuine smile, without any trace of sarcasm. He let go of his embrace, and drew her from the chair to a standing position. Without letting go of her hands, he guided her to the bed behind him, and sat her down. He then sat himself beside her.
"Want to talk about it?" he asked in a low, quiet voice.
"Not really".
"Isn't that my line?" he gently quipped.
That brought the expected smile. "Really Jack. I think all of this just got to me......." Janet was going to say more when a thought crossed her mind. "Jack, you're awake?".
"You sound surprised".
Janet realised that he was unaware of his latest crisis. "Someone came in here and injected you with a large dose of Insulin. You went into shock, and almost died. You know, you really have to stop doing that to me".
Jack looked at her, surprise on his face. "Do you know who did it?"
"No. The General is looking into it now". The doctor in Janet kicked in as she studied Jack, taking note of the exhaustion lining his face, and his shortness of breath. It had also not escaped her notice that he was not using his oxygen mask.
He seemed unaware of her scrutiny as a faraway look crossed Jack's face. As he searched his memory, something came to him. "I remember someone coming up to me. He was dressed as a nurse. He injected something into my IV. I didn't give it much thought. Someone's always putting some new medicine in me these days it seems".
Janet was taken aback. As sick as Jack was, he never let his training fail him. "Can you describe the man?"
Jack continued to search his memories. "Yeah. I don't think I'd seen him before, but I'm sure I'd know him if I saw him now". A thought occurred to him and a glint of a military Colonel shone through. "Janet", he turned and looked her in the eyes. "You said he gave me a lethal dose, right?"
"Yes.........?"
"Does anyone know it didn't work besides us?"
"Common knowledge is that you are still unconscious, with an extreme possibility of not waking up again".
Jack absorbed that sobering fact, then shelved it for later examination. "I have an idea for finding this guy. Are you game?"
Janet couldn't help but grin. Seeing Jack back in form, somewhat anyway, was the best medicine she could have prescribed for herself. While she knew she shouldn't encourage him in his weakened state, she also knew that he wouldn't rest once he had set a course of action. "What do you have in mind?"
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An hour later, Janet was in the conference room, updating a quartet of disbelieving faces. She had left Jack only moments before with strict orders to the duty nurse that he was not to be disturbed. She had also threatened him with a full physical every week by student nurses if he didn't rest and wear his mask while waiting. His meek expression as he dutifully picked up the mask and put it on still caused her to grin when she thought about it.
General Hammond looked searchingly at her. "Are you sure about this Doctor Fraiser? One minute you're telling me the Colonel might never wake up, or if he did, he might be brain damaged, and now your telling me he wants to initiate a sting operation?"
Teal'c cocked his head quizzically to the side at the General's words.
Daniel caught the look and nudged him in the ribs. "I'll tell you later Teal'c", he whispered.
Teal'c nodded at the familiar words, then turned his attention back to the conversation at hand.
"That's right General. Apparently, he saw the man who poisoned him. He is hoping that the right bait will bring him back to finish the job".
The General thought about it for a moment. While he realised that the plan might work, and that they had had no success as of yet in catching the perpetrator, he was worried for Jack's health.
"Is he up to this Doctor?"
"If you want my opinion purely as his physician, I'd have to say no. If you want it as his colleague and his friend, then I'd have to change my answer". Janet looked at Hammond and held him with her gaze. "General, as long as this man is out there, who knows what damage might be done, either to the Colonel, or someone else. Even to the base itself. I think the Colonel is right Sir. I think we have to try this. Instead of spending our time reacting, let's run this our way. If we are careful, we can minimise the danger to the Colonel, and everyone else". Janet couldn't believe what she, of anyone, was suggesting.
The General turned and looked out the viewing window before coming to a decision. "All right. We'll run it the Colonel's way".
He turned to the Jaffa who stood ready. "Teal'c, I want you to get into that infirmary without being seen. Can you do that?"
Teal'c had studied the layout of the base well enough to know about the ventilation shaft the ran above the medical wing. "I can General". At the General's nod, Teal'c left the room to ready himself.
Hammond turned to Sam and Daniel. "Doctor Jackson, I want you to go and relieve the guards at the infirmary. You have my permission to spread about word that we have a suspect in custody, and that the danger to the Colonel is now nullified".
Daniel grinned. He knew how fast work spread about this base. For once, he would be the one to start the rumour.
The General continued. "Major Carter. I want you to approach Sergeant Tylor. Let him know what's going on. If we are being watched, then we need to have an actual person in the brig.".
Sam nodded. Sergeant Tylor was a perfect choice. He had joined to military to avoid some petty charges. He had also developed a reputation for trouble-making off base. Hammond had kept him around as he had since proven his worth as a valued member of the SGC. She knew that Tylor would jump at the chance of a little payback.
"Doctor Fraiser. Do you think you could arrange for the Colonel to be left alone for some reason". Janet nodded in agreement. She had already discussed this with Jack, and they had worked out the scenario prior to her meeting with Hammond.
"In the meantime, I think I owe a call to Nellus to tell them about the results of our investigation". Hammond grinned. He thought that he might like this farce after all.
`````````````````**************```````````````````
Janet checked on Jack behind the privacy of the curtains. The first thing she noticed was the mask, still sitting on his face. For his benefit, she stifled her grin. She pulled the chair beside his bed up close, and whispered in his ear. They had no way of knowing how close the assailant was, and she did not want to be heard.
"Everything is in place. Are you ready?"
Jack nodded. He was more than ready. Seeing Janet earlier had driven the point home. He had come to realise how much this was effecting everyone, and he was determined to see it to fruition, no matter the cost.
Janet left, but not before giving Jack a final warning look. She made sure that the curtain was closed as she exited the cubicle. She glanced about the room quickly, seeking the location of the waiting Jaffa, but could not spot him anywhere. That fact did not surprise her though. Teal'c had done this sort of thing before, and knew his role well. She moved to her office.
It wasn't long before Hammond arrived. He left the door slightly ajar as he entered her domain. Both players made sure they spoke in louder than normal voices for the benefit of anyone who might be making an effort to listen.
When the assassin heard that Jack was starting to show signs of recovery, he realised that further action needed to be taken. While word had spread that some Lieutenant was in custody for the attempted murder, he realised that O'Neill had seen him. That information meant nothing to a dead man, but was rather useful to a living Colonel. He moved out of earshot, unnoticed by either the General or the Doctor.
He moved to the quarters that he had procured. It had been a great source of amusement to him that such a high security base had proven so easy to infiltrate. Now he set about establishing his plan of attack. He had seen the guards relieved of their task, but he still needed a plausible reason for being near the Colonel. It did not take him long to come up with a likely identity.
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Teal'c tried a light form of meditation to relax the cramped muscles in his legs. He had been crouched in his hiding spot, waiting at the ready, for hours. It had started to cross his mind that the perpetrator might have already left the base undetected, when the infirmary door opened. With all of his senses on the alert, Teal'c sought to identify the man. It was a lab technician, armed with his tray of paraphernalia. The man stopped in front of Jack's cubicle and checked the name on his clipboard with the name on the wall plate. To Teal'c's eye, the man seemed to confirm the name, and he entered the Colonel's room.
Jack was feigning sleep as the curtain rustled. He was aware of the presence approaching his bed. The rattle of the tray being set on his side table kept him apprised of the unknown person's actions. When he heard faint but unrecognisable sounds, he chanced a peek. He opened his eyes a tiny crack, just enough to get a look at the man he had previously seen. As before, the man was once again injecting a foreign substance into his IV line. While the man concentrated on his task, Jack slowly withdrew his right hand from under his sheet. It emerged, complete with pistol.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you". Jack's voice was low, but deadly as he levelled the gun at the man's head.
The would be assailant dropped the syringe, grabbed the IV pole and knocked it into Jack's face. Jack managed to squeeze the trigger with his right hand, while pushing away the obstacle with his left.
The assailant felt the impact of the bullet, but ignored it as he fled the room, only to run full tilt into the waiting Jaffa.
Teal'c grabbed the man, swing him around and pinned his arms in place. Once restrained, Teal'c felt the man sag. Jack slowly stood up, and moved to the end of the bed as General Hammond, Janet, Daniel and Sam came running into the room. They had observed the proceedings from a newly placed, hidden camera, and come running when the events had started to unfold.
"Is everyone alright?" the General called as he skid to a halt.
Janet had already moved past him to Jack's side. She tried to examine him, but he brushed her off and was moving towards Teal'c's hostage.
The man hung limp in Teal'c's arms, his face towards to the floor. Jack reached out and lifted the man's chin to expose his face. It became quickly apparent that the unknown man was dead. Jack's shot had caught him in the heart. Had Teal'c not stopped him, he would most likely not have even made it out of the room. Whatever secrets he carried, died with him.
Jack groaned in frustration. They had been so close. Now it was unlikely that they would ever find out who had commanded this chain of events, nor would they know if this man worked solo, or had a partner.
Janet approached him again. This time he allowed her to lead him back to the bed, which
he climbed wearily into. As she righted the fallen pole, she noticed the abandoned syringe
on the floor. Horrified, she picked it up and showed it to the watching group before
turning her attention back to Jack.
"He didn't give you this did he?" She was already ticking off possible
treatments in her head as she anxiously waited for his answer.
"Actually, he did", came the reply.
Janet heard the tone of his voice and looked uncomprehendingly at him.
Jack pulled the tape off the back of his hand to expose the unattached needle. He had pulled the IV out as a precaution, feeling he would rather face Janet's wrath, than an assassins.
The watching group all smiled their relief.
A security detail arrived to relieve Teal'c of his burden, Hammond left to release the Lieutenant from the prison with his thanks. The remaining group gathered around Jack's bed.
He gave them all a tired grin. "We have to stop meeting like this you know. People will talk". Seeing that he had worn himself out, they congratulated Jack on a plan well executed, then left his room.
Janet checked him over and concluded that the Colonel needed nothing more at the moment that a good rest. She pointedly put his oxygen mask back on, as his breathlessness had not escaped her attention. She debated about giving him a sedative, but the tired droop of his eyes told her it wouldn't prove necessary. Instead, she took his gun from where it lay forgotten on the bed, and placed it in the drawer on his bedside table. She rearranged his pillows, and pushed him on to them gently. He fell asleep almost immediately. She gave one last smile as she turned to leave.
It didn't take her long to find the rest of the team, as they had taken it upon themselves the provide their own guard to protect the Colonel as he slept.
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The unknown voice answered the phone. He listened intently before answering. "It seems our professional was not up to the task. Very well. He knew nothing that could give us away. I saw to that myself. For now, I want you out of there. We have more important things to deal with. Perhaps we can turn this situation to our advantage. Someone as resourceful as O'Neill might just prove useful to us in the future". With that, he slowly hung up the phone.
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Three weeks later found SG1 back in the conference room. During Jack's convalescence, full security checks had been conducted. The source of the infiltration had not yet been discovered. The assassin had been identified, and had proven to be a civilian. The assumption was, he had first been hired to kill the Lieutenant, then the Colonel. The first hit had followed his MO precisely. How he had come to be in the SGC was also unknown. Few answers had been found, but many disturbing questions had been raised during the investigation. General Hammond, together with O'Neill and the Secretary of Defence, had implemented some changes that they hoped would prevent any future problems. Those changes included having all personnel approved for positions within the SGC by both Jack and the General.
Janet had finally cleared Jack for full duty, and they were now being briefed on their next mission.
"The MALP has sent through some preliminary data. This appears to be an uninhabited planet. I want you to assess it for potential uses.
Jack groaned. "Oh, deja-vu".
Daniel grinned at him, as he withdrew something from his pocket. "Here Jack. Janet asked me to give you these".
Jack took the small bottle curiously. He couldn't help but grin when he read the label. She had sent him some of Daniel's antihistamines, and on the label had written a prescription. ' to be taken for MY good health '.
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Miles away in another base, a team in Haz-mat suits gathered around a batch of newly bloomed orchids that had sprung up from the seat of a leather chair.
The End