The hallways were, oddly enough, empty. Jack usually had to steer around lab technicians, scientists with their hands full of odd paperwork and the occasional soldier. But because of the lockdown, everyone was making a point of making sure that they knew where everyone was. That meant staying put in their little corners. So the hallways were empty of the sounds of heavy boots against concrete floors. The hallways were also empty of the coming and going sounds of conversations of the passerby's.
Because of the emptiness, Jack had heard the two shots quite clearly.
With a shout, Jack whipped his sidearm out and ran down the hallways to the infirmary. As he went through, the back of his mind made note that the guards he had put up on either end of the hallways were missing. That was noted for later though, as Jack reached the doors to the infirmary. Resisting the urge to just barge in, Jack edged over to the small window of the doors and peered in. What he saw made him threw caution in the wind and rush in.
"What the hell happened?" Jack demanded as the one person he saw still moving, got up on shaky legs. "Harper? You all right? What happened to Teal'c?"
"It was the Guada." Harper stood up straighter with Jack's help. "It was Lasting. He was Guada. Teal'c tried to help me but was unsuccessful. I had to shoot Lasting." He indicated to the dead soldier with the bullet hole in his head. "He is dead."
Jack didn't approach the body, not wanting to take the chance that the Guada might still be alive. "Call for the Doc and get some people over here." Not waiting to see if his orders were being followed, Jack went over to Teal'c.
The Jaafa was unconscious. Jack saw the wound on his chest. It wasn't bleeding a lot, probably because of the healing powers of the Go'uald. Go'uald or not, Jack thought grimly, he still needs stitching up. He wondered if the pulse rate was the same for Teal'c as for them. He checked anyway and was a bit satisfied that the pulse was steady by human terms. Carter was right. It was the 'scarred' ones. The Guada-
Jack stopped. He knew that Carter sometimes had the memory of Jolinar, the To'kra who once reside within her. He remembered Carter said it was Guada and translated it to the scarred ones- no. That wasn't it. Carter may have the memories, but their strange language was still elusive to her. How did she know Guada meant scarred?
Shit.
That was all Jack could think before he whirred around with his gun, aiming for-
Harper, who had made no move to call for help or to assist Jack. Jack knew the reason why now.
"Don't move." Jack ordered, standing up and away from Harper. He placed one hand on the wall; feeling for the phone that he always knew was there. "Stay right where you are."
Harper made no sound. His eyes didn't glow and Jack, for the briefest moment, wondered if perhaps he was incorrect in his deduction. His hand found the phone and he eagerly snatched it, put it over his ear, before he realized that the line was dead.
"If you just cooperate, O'Neill, it would be over quickly."
Jack glared at the soldier before him. The voice that spoke had wavered from human to Go'uald like as if bad connections in a phone call. Bad connection. Perhaps that was why the Guada hadn't completely taken Harper over, although Jack wasn't sure about that. There was a maniacal gleam in Harper's eye as he approached Jack.
"Don't move." Jack ordered, pointing the gun right at Harper. He wondered where all the guards were, why no one else seems to have heard the shots except for him.
Take him now, the voice hissed to Harper, but Harper couldn't understand him. The harder he tried to concentrate, the more garbled the voice became. Harper paused, frowning inwardly.
Seeing that Harper was distracted for some reason, Jack took the opportunity. He had to get him away from here! He shot forward and tackled Harper mid-section. The two tumbled, sliding to a crashing halt to the foot of Carter's bed. Jack could feel Harper struggling for his own gun, which he had hidden from Jack in his belt. The colonel slammed his fist hard on the hand, causing the hand to flinch and let go of the gun. Then Jack remembered the Guada.
Can't get close to him, Jack realized that he was vulnerable to a takeover at such close proximity. He lurched away, tumbling over the discarded pistol. Harper shouted, no, he roared as he grabbed Jack by the shoulders, pinning him to the ground. Jack grunted, tried to get his arms up but was held back by the man's surprising strength. Harper was looking around for his gun, his arms still pinning Jack to the floor, but Jack knew he wasn't going to find his weapon.
The gun was underneath Jack. He could feel the metal grinding into his back.
Red eyes glowed at Jack angrily. Jack jerked a knee up but didn't have the leverage to make contact.
"You are so foolish." There was that voice again. "I would have thought you would have tried to talk and attempt to reach my host." It sounded amused at Jack's struggling.
"I rather beat the shit out of you." Jack grated out as he tried once more to get Harper to let go. Where the hell is he getting his strength?
"No matter." The voice sounded so smug, so arrogant. Jack wished he had just shot at him the moment he knew. "It wouldn't have done any good. My host had freely allowed me to come."
"Bullshit."
"He too saw you humans as weak." The Guada laughed, mixing his eerie voice with Harper. "How ironic. I had thought him to be weak, too." The Guada eyed Jack, "I still do. The merging was not complete. The fool humans knew this and manipulated him in hopes of a contract."
"Contract?" Jack nearly stopped his struggling, but the cold surveying eyes convinced him not to.
"What contract?"
"A contract." The Guada smiled as if he was just talking to a friend, not in a struggle hold with one. He leaned closer, dropping his voice to a conspiring whisper. "It seems your role here was not satisfactory."
"No one's ever happy." Jack snarled, suddenly swinging his head forward. His forehead rammed Harper's painfully. It probably didn't hurt the soldier with his enhanced strength, but it sure as hell had surprised him enough to loosen his grip. Jack wiggled free a bit, gaining enough leverage to bring his legs up and out. They made contact to Harper's chest and pushed forward hard. The Guada had made no verbal sound as he stumbled back and crashed into the monitors.
"Now that made me happy." Jack panted as he got up. He kicked the gun until it slid halfway across the room, landing under the curtain beneath Daniel's bed. Jack couldn't spare a glance over to his friends. He didn't dare remove his eyes on Harper. Where the hell are all the guards?
Harper got up, looking like as if he was going to tear Jack in half. His eyes seem to burn red. The Guada was in full control now. Harper appeared to have been lost. Jack fought the urge to take an involuntary step back. He steadied his gun at Harper again.
"You won't shoot me." The voice dropped lower again. Jack swallowed. The colonel knew he had to keep away from Harper. He was not going to be taken by him. Jack rather put a bullet through his own head than let that happen, but he sure as hell was not going to go down alone then.
"I can give you such power. You would never had felt anything like it." Harper's mouth curled to a smile. Jack wasn't fooled.
"Yeah, and be dissected. No thanks." Jack cocked the barrel of his gun.
The double doors of the infirmary opened. Turner, in hastily dressed uniform, skidded to a halt behind Jack.
"Holy Shi-" Turner started.
"Not now," Jack barked, his eyes glued to Harper. "We can comment on the situation with some of my favorite words later. Right now, I could use an extra gun on him."
Harper made no move. He didn't even look upset at the extra man he now has to contend with. Turner pulled out his gun and pointed it at Harper.
"Did you see any guards on your way over here, Turner?" Jack asked tightly.
"No, sir. Not one."
Jack nodded and indicated to Harper to kneel down. The possessed soldier still didn't move. He just studied Jack silently. Jack hated those red eyes looking at him.
"Turner, try the phone by Carter and see if you can a line. We need more men here."
"You don't need anymore men, sir." Turner said to Jack.
Jack didn't have a chance to react to that, because suddenly the colonel felt a hard object struck the back of his head. Stunned, Jack fell to his knees. His nerveless fingers released the sidearm and Turner calmly kicked it away. With a quick click, he handcuffed Jack's hands behind him. Harper cocked his head to Turner with a raised eyebrow.
"Don't just stand there!" Turner's voice turned harsh all of the sudden. "Finish what you agreed to do and then get away from this area. I'll cover up."
"Who are you?" Harper's eyes glowed at Turner. The possessed soldier was making no move to do what Turner told him.
Turner looked up in surprise. "Well, shit. I guess the men upstairs were right." Turner looked down at the barely conscious Jack. "I guess the takeover wasn't complete after all." He made a face. "You worm heads really are more trouble than what you're worth." Turner could see Harper's eyes were at Jack. "Guess you would want to jump ship now." Turner gave Jack a hard shove. The colonel gave a grunt as he fell face down to the floor. "I would volunteer- well, then again, maybe not. But I guess you already made your choice."
"You are working with them?" Harper stated flatly.
"Oh, that's real brilliant." Turner said sarcastically. "I knew when I ran into you down that hallway that something must have been wrong. I could have done a better job." Turner nodded towards Daniel's area and then to Teal'c. "Get rid of those two then jump ship."
"What about the To'kra?"
Turner snorted. "Don't you remember anything?"
Harper's eyes lost its red glow for a moment. "No."
"Shit." Turner cursed as he cocked his gun to hand over to Harper. "Upstairs wants her for other purposes. She may remember stuff about those worm heads that we could use."
"She saw my face."
"That's why you're jumping ship." Turner repeated exasperated.
Harper paused for some strange reason. Turner shook his head. "Listen! I don't care how much you remember! Your agreement will all come back once you gain a new host!"
For some reason, the voice inside Harper was fading. Harper was losing the euphoric feeling of power. Whatever Turner was saying, was not making sense to him. Why would he want the Guada to leave? Harper looked at Jack, feeling anger returning to replace the confusion. No! He didn't want it to leave. Harper wanted it to stay with him. He just had to - Harper felt a hand grabbed his wrist. It was Turner.
"Look, get O'Neill right now, then finish up!" Turner practically dragged him over to Jack. Turner roughly pulled Jack up. The colonel was glaring at Turner with half slit eyes.
"Bastard." Jack breathed as he struggled to get away from Turner's grip. He could feel Harper standing over him, his damned eyes boring right at him.
"Colonel." Turner refused to look at Jack. "I'm just doing my patriotic duty here."
"What you're doing is selling out to serpent heads!" Jack shouted. Turner gave him a vicious swipe at his head again. Jack fell back to his knees with a groan. Turner glared at Harper.
"Will you hurry up and do your whatever you do?" Turner snapped. "Doc Fraiser is going to wake up pretty soon from that tranquilizer I gave her and soon this whole place will be singing with god damn alarms!"
Jack could feel Harper standing over him now. The possessed soldier placed his hands on Jack's shoulders, pressing him down to his knees so the colonel wouldn't be able to move. Jack tried once more to kick back at Turner, who was behind him. Turner efficiently dodged Jack's foot and stomped down on Jack's ankles so that the colonel wouldn't try that again.
"Too bad, colonel." Turner gave a laugh. "I remembered you from the last mission. You were okay for a co. I'll try to remember you that way."
"Remember this instead." A shaky voice said from behind.
Jack heard a metallic bong as he felt Turner's feet stagger away from his ankles. Then he heard a shot from a few feet away. As Harper stepped back involuntarily, Jack rolled away. As he righted himself, he saw two things that made him stop.
First was the fact that Carter was shakily on her feet, gripping an IV stand over the downed Turner. She looked pale and barely on her feet, but she looked very angry.
"One person as a former host is enough for this team." Carter said as she gripped the metal pole that she had struck Turner on the head with, very tightly.
The second was by the curtained area. Jack could see one of the curtains pulled slightly back. Daniel was on his knees, by the floor with the gun Jack had kicked under his bed. Smoke wafted out of the gun due to the bullet the Egyptologist had fired just over Harper's head.
"Jack, are you all right?" The younger man shakily asked. Daniel's face was pale with the exertion of getting out of his bed. He kept his eyes on Harper, who was a few feet away from Jack. The soldier was looking right at Daniel right now.
"Yeah." Jack managed to say as his throat had suddenly went dry.
"Sir, get away from him." Carter said as she bounded Turner up with IV tubing that she found. She looked at Harper with a mixture of anger and fear. "He's the one, sir. He's the one who attacked me down at the labs. He's Guada."
"You think?" Jack quipped weakly. He tried to straighten up, but it was difficult with his hands cuffed behind him.
Carter rummaged Turner's pockets and found the key. She unlocked Jack's cuffs. The colonel gave a curt nod of thanks, then promptly went over to Harper. The soldier stepped forward to Jack, but then Daniel fired another shot between the two men. Jack winced as he felt the bullet whizzed by his face. Either Daniel is getting to be a very good shot, Jack thought as he swiftly cuffed Harper's hands, or I had better get that gun away from Daniel really quick. Jack gave the cuffs a quick tug to check if they were secure, then Jack turned Harper around so Jack could see him face to face.
"Colonel!" Carter warned as she bend over to check on Teal'c, who was beginning to stir. "Step away from him."
"I want to know who!" Jack snarled as he jabbed a finger to Harper's chest. Inside, Jack agreed with Carter that he should step back, but there was a part of him that remembered his team members were lying in this infirmary injured. It was that part that demanded answers.
"Who was it that you made the deal with?" Jack demanded. "Who wanted to eliminate some of my team members?" Jack heard Carter gasp at that piece of news. "Who?"
"I do not remember." Harper looked at Jack.
"Bullshit!"
Harper's eyes glowed suddenly and Jack took a step back before he even realized it. "They wanted you all dead. The To'kra woman was to be spared for now."
"Who?" Jack demanded.
Harper just smiled, which infuriated Jack. The colonel was about to grab him when the doors opened again and a groggy Doctor Fraiser with four soldiers busted in.
"Is everyone okay here?" Fraiser asked as she took in the damage. Teal'c was sitting up, a bullet wound on his shoulder. Carter looked like she was going to pass out and Daniel was still clinging on to the edge of his bed, too exhausted to get back on it again. And Jack- Jack looked like he was ready to explode.
"Get this guy in the brig." Jack snarled, as he jerked a thumb towards Turner. "And this one," Jack pointed to Harper, "an isolated cell with two guards."
The two were taken away. Jack looked ready to follow Harper when he heard Daniel's voice calling his name weakly. Jack didn't give Harper a second look as he crossed the infirmary to Daniel. Fraiser was tending with Teal'c while trying to tell Carter to get back to bed.
"Jack." Daniel whispered as Jack gingerly took the gun away from the younger man.
"Thanks for the assist, Danny." Jack said quietly as he helped Daniel back up to his bed. Daniel winced a bit, but smiled at Jack anyway.
"For a while back there, " Daniel weakly joked, "I was going to ask Teal'c to keep it down, but then I heard the Guada." The Egyptologist shuddered at the memory. "Jack, it was like they said. The takeover wasn't complete, but- god, Jack. The man was trying to fight it. He was trying to keep it." Daniel's eyes were round with the revelation. "Do you think Harper was aware of what was happening to him? That he knew what was inside of him and didn't care-"
"I don't know." Jack told Daniel as he pulled the covers over Daniel carefully. Frankly, Jack didn't care. Harper was caught and now Jack could get some answers.
"Wh-who would want us dead, Jack?" Daniel's hand came up to grip Jack's sleeve. The colonel was telling him to remain calm, but Daniel's head was spinning with the horrible knowledge that someone had wanted them dead. "Harper said that it was one of our own. I don't understand, Jack."
"Harper was just saying that to throw me off guard." Jack lied as he darted a concerned glance back to where Teal'c was. The Jaafa was standing on his own and had nodded towards Jack to confirm that he was fine. "He didn't have me fooled one bit." Jack grinned crookedly at Daniel.
Daniel looked at Jack, a bit angry at the obvious lie. "Then what about Turner, Jack? Are you telling me Turner was willing to go along with this...lie?"
Jack frowned at Daniel. "Get some rest, Daniel." He straightened up and was about to head over to Teal'c when suddenly Daniel snagged a piece of Jack's sleeve again. Jack turned around again.
"You don't think he's lying, Jack." Daniel said, not really asking. At Jack's reluctant nod, Daniel sighed. He was hoping, for a brief moment that Jack would lie to him. Daniel didn't like the idea of his friends being targets just because they were unfavorable to someone's agenda.
"I guess we've been stepping on too many toes, Danny." Jack said with another crooked grin. He turned around again to leave, his hand gently pulling Daniel's hand away from his sleeve. "I'm going to go find out who, right now."
"Good, because we'll probably still keep on stepping on those toes since I don't really know how to dance, Jack." Daniel said, wincing at the pull of his wounds.
Even though Jack had his back towards Daniel, the colonel must have heard the wince in Daniel's voice. Daniel could almost hear the frown in Jack's voice as he said one last thing before he left. "Stay put, Danny. If Doc tells me you've been getting up again to shoot some half crazed alien..." Jack turned his head to Daniel with a half-hearted frown. "I'm chaining you to that bed."
Daniel gave a weak salute to Jack as the colonel walked away.
Teal'c brushed aside the hands of the medical aides as they adjusted his arm into a sling cast. He glanced over to Carter, who was gingerly getting back into bed under the watchful eye of Doctor Fraiser. Carter kept on insisting for a bed closer to Daniel. The doctor muttered in a bothered voice, commenting that Carter wouldn't be much help as a bodyguard for her friend right now. Nevertheless, she got Carter in another bed, adjacent to Daniel's. The doctor, Teal'c noted, was none too steady on her feet either.
"Aren't we a sorry looking bunch?" Jack quipped as he approached Teal'c after his talk with Daniel. The Jaafa said nothing, his eyes was surveying the damage around the infirmary. Jack could see the disapproval in the Jaafa's eyes, but Jack also knew it was for himself.
"Teal'c?" Jack quietly asked again when Teal'c didn't answer the first time. "Are you alright?"
"The Go'uald inside will heal me-"
"I'm not asking about that." Jack waved his hand impatiently. The colonel had seen the self-disapproval in the Jaafa's eyes. He wanted Teal'c to tell him what was wrong.
"I had failed again." Teal'c said simply, his eyes dark as he remembered how Harper got the better of him. "I allowed the man to put Daniel Jackson and Captain Carter in danger."
"You didn't know that Harper was the shooter." Jack pointed out. The colonel remembered something. A look of disgust crossed his face, "And neither did I. Christ, I was the one who had him posted here to guard the infirmary."
"You did not know he was Go'uald." Teal'c protested as Jack was muttering to himself in anger. The colonel looked up at Teal'c suddenly.
"Well," Jack clasped Teal'c's good shoulder. "Neither did you. So you see, Teal'c. You didn't put anyone in danger. Rather, you fought hard to stop him."
"I didn't succeed in his capture." Teal'c seemed insistent on his blame.
"Teal'c." Jack looked right at the Jaafa sternly. "We're not here to put blame on anyone. That's not how I do things here. You didn't know about Harper and neither did I. The main thing is that he was caught and we'll be able to get to the bottom of this. Got it?"
Teal'c studied Jack for a brief moment, before nodding. "Understood, O'Neill."
The cell Harper was in was the same one Captain Sam Carter was in when it was discovered that a To'kra was inside her. Harper surveyed the cell with disgust.
To think they would put me here in the same place as the To'kra. It reeks of weakness!
Harper nodded, getting a nervous glance from the soldiers who were guarding him a few feet away. Everyone had instructions to not approach Harper. The Guada inside, raged at the inability to escape into another host.
You can hear me; Harper questioned the parasite with a bit of surprise. Since his capture, the Guada was silent and Harper had found his own memories clearing. To his astonishment, he could hear the Guada clearly without having the Guada to resurface over him first.
Yes. The Guada refused to say anything more.
We can call those you've made the deal with, Harper told it. They will help us.
You are a bigger fool than I had first believed if you think that they will continue to help us. The parasite gave a bitter laugh in Harper's head. We are dead, as the scholar and the traitors should have been.
The door flew open and a man in a white lab coat, whispered something to the two soldiers guarding him. Harper watched disinterested as the soldiers suddenly collapsed to the ground. The man in the white lab coat gave a quick glance outside to make sure no one saw him. He shut the door quickly and paused before the cage before him.
A pistol with a silencer screwed over the barrel was pulled out of the lab coat. Suddenly, Harper knew how Jackson must have felt when Harper had pulled out a similar gun at the scientist back in the elevator.
General Hammond stopped Jack down the hallway on his way to the brig to see Harper. "Colonel O'Neill. We've found the two guards who were assigned to guarding the hallways leading to the infirmary."
Jack didn't like the grave look in the general's eyes. "Dead?" he guessed quietly, his heart sank when the general nodded.
"I'm afraid so." The general nodded once more as he glanced at the door where the infirmary was. "And I've called the military hospital. Doctor Letter's nowhere to be found."
"He was the one who made the recommendation for Harper to be sent to DC." Jack remembered.
"Someone, "the general said in a quiet voice as the two men proceeded to walk together over to the brig. "Is covering their tracks."
"General." Jack paused at a turn. "Someone is hoping to change the agenda of this project." Jack's eyes narrowed as he remembered what Harper and Turner had said. "Someone who had wanted Carter for their own purposes. That means someone who knew about the To'kra."
Nodding, the general agreed. "I will be seeing to the investigation, Colonel O'Neill, but-"
"You don't think you'll find anything." Jack finished. He tried to keep his temper on check.
"No." General Hammond said solemnly. "I don't." The general's eyes reflected the same anger as Jack's now.
Teal'c sat down by Daniel's bedside again and watched as the scientist tossed and turned in his sleep. The Jaafa wondered if he should wake him. Before he could decide, however, Daniel awoke on his own.
"Teal'c?" Daniel mumbled as he tried to sit up.
"Do not move, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c said. He eyed the infirmary, wondering if he should alert the doctor, who was now over by Carter. Daniel nodded wearily and lay there, staring at the ceiling. He glanced over to Teal'c with a look of concern. Pausing, Daniel thought of how to approach him before he spoke.
"I wanted to thank you." Daniel whispered as he winced.
Teal'c was astonished. "Thank me?" Teal'c looked at Daniel with surprise. "I have done nothing."
"You tried to stop Harper."
"I had tried." Teal'c looked away and then back at Daniel again. "But I had failed."
"No, you didn't." Daniel insisted. "Teal'c, you did your best, that was all that mattered."
"Half successes equals to none." Teal'c told him, remembering his training from long ago.
Daniel sighed, wondering what he could say that would ease Teal'c's guilt. "Teal'c, why do you think you must take the burden?"
The Jaafa said nothing as he stood there, eyes staring ahead, over Daniel's head. It gave the scientist a feeling of the stone soldiers that lined up a Chinese emperor's tomb. So still, always watching and never saying one word of complaint.
"This-" Daniel found himself talking before he could stop himself, "This has nothing to do with just the sh-shooting, is it, Teal'c?"
"I do not understand Daniel Jackson." Teal'c finally spoke up, his voice was as stiff as his back.
"I've always noticed," Daniel continued softly as if Teal'c's non-reaction didn't bothered him, "that you seem to be on the look out for me on every mission, as if-" Daniel swallowed, "as if you believe that I can't take care of myself."
Teal'c looked at Daniel with surprise. "There is no lack of faith in your abilities, Daniel Jackson."
"Then why are you so insistent in protecting me more than the others?" Daniel persisted with his questions.
"I-" For the first time since Daniel had first known him; the Jaafa was stumbling over his words. It gave Daniel an uneasy feeling, more so than if Teal'c had not spoken at all. "I wish to repay my debt to you."
"Debt?" Now it was Daniel's turn to be astonished.
"It is the only way I know how." Teal'c told the scientist quite seriously.
"What debt?" Daniel started to ask then froze as he realized what Teal'c was thinking of. "Oh."
"I was responsible for the taking of your wife." Teal'c said softly, knowing that he need not remind the scientist. "This has caused you many pains since then." Teal'c looked at Daniel with wise, understanding eyes. The Jaafa had seen days when Daniel had loosened his rein on despair, not realizing Teal'c had noticed.
"Teal'c, remember Cor-ai?" Daniel asked quietly. When Teal'c nodded, Daniel continued. "Like I had said, I had wanted to hate you for it, but I couldn't." Daniel sat up before Teal'c could stop him. "You were not responsible for your actions. Apophis was. In fact, you could say I owe you a debt."
"Me?" Teal'c's eyebrow darted up.
"Had you not turned your back against Apophis, one you had believed was your god, we would have all been dead. Then-" Daniel looked down at his lap for a moment, then back up at Teal'c, his blue eyes unusually bright. "There really would have been no hope for Sha'uri and Skaara. We're alive right now, Teal'c. That's my debt." Daniel stopped there, waiting to see if how Teal'c would react to that.
"There is," Teal'c managed to respond after Daniel's surprising statement, "and shall never will be a debt, Daniel Jackson."
"Then we're even." Daniel said solemnly to Teal'c. He stuck his hand out, IV and all, towards Teal'c and waited.
Teal'c studied the hand, then Daniel. The Jaafa nodded and shook Daniel's hand carefully, minding the IV attached to it. Daniel could see by the relaxed shoulders that everything was okay.
"We are even, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c agreed. "However," Daniel cocked his head at that word, "I must insist on aiding you in training in self defense."
"Could I decline the offer for now, Teal'c?" Daniel winced at the pull of his stitches again. "I think I would rather lie down again for now."
Teal'c went over and helped Daniel lie down. "Of course, Daniel Jackson. But as soon as you are feeling well, I will train you."
Daniel groaned. Then at Teal'c's worried look, shook his head to show it wasn't because of the pain. "Okay, Teal'c, but I remembered how it was for Jack and it's not making me look forward to it." Daniel grinned to show he was kidding. His smile faded as he looked at Teal'c anxiously. "You're okay now, Teal'c?"
"Yes." Teal'c said without any hesitation.
Daniel looked at Teal'c and smiled as he was satisfied with Teal'c's response. He yawned and closed his eyes as he said, "Good, because I'm real beat. I think I'll go to sleep-" Daniel never finished his sentence because he fell asleep at his last word.
Looking at the younger man, Teal'c allowed himself a brief smile. Glancing about to see if anyone else had noticed, Teal'c sat down in the chair besides the bed to guard Daniel's sleep.
Carter had overheard the conversation and smiled despite her pounding head. Leave it to Daniel, she thought. Can't keep him down for long. Carter thanked once more whoever was responsible up there for protecting her friend. She waved an irritated hand at Doctor Fraiser, who was checking her pressure once more.
"I feel fine, doctor." Carter said with an annoyed voice as she refused the thermometer.
"You have stitches on your head and you feel fine?" Fraiser looked at Carter with an equally annoyed look. "You, captain, have been hanging around Colonel O'Neill too long."
"I would think that is a good thing, doc." A voice from behind spoke wryly. Carter grinned at the familiar face.
The doctor rolled her eyes upwards. She left, but not before casting another annoyed look, this time at Jack, with a reminder for the colonel not to stay too long.
"Colonel." Carter greeted as Jack sat down on a chair besides her.
"Carter." Jack smiled tightly. "How's the head?"
"Hurts like hell." Carter admitted. "Almost as bad as that hangover I had from that celebration we after our return from that Go'uald battleship."
Jack chuckled at the memory of what Carter was referring to. "Even I never had a hangover that bad."
Carter gave him an irritated look. It was then that she realized that Jack's laugh was forced. "Sir? Is everything al-"
"Harper and Turner are dead, Carter." Jack suddenly said. He could see, out of the corner of his eye, that Teal'c had sat up from the news.
"H-how?" Carter sat up at the news.
"Shot in the head. General and I found the guards asleep with tranquilizers." Jack frowned as Teal'c started to get up. The Jaafa obediently sat back down at the shake of Jack's head. "Someone has gone and cover their tracks very bloodily."
"We'll never know who did this, then." Carter murmured, feeling every bit as frustrated and angry as Jack was.
"Maybe not now." Jack narrowed his eyes, looking very dark and dangerous again. "But I'll definitely know somehow." He looked at Carter with a grin that held no humor in it. "And put a stop to it."
Carter couldn't help but shiver at Jack's eyes.
"This has been a fiasco since Letter's recommendation."
"It would've worked."
"That is of little comfort to me."
"The Go'uald, I mean, the Guada had been unstable since day one. It was already injured when it had invaded Harper. What did you expect?"
"I knew that thing couldn't have been trusted. And your idea of eliminating Jackson was even worst."
"He's too unpredictable to be allowed to remain in the project. I thought it best for the project if the...unnecessary was taken care of."
"So loyalty for the work he's done was of no consequence?"
"You didn't think this way when I had first approached you with Harper and the idea."
"I had wanted the To'kra woman intact! Your damn...assassin would have killed her!"
"Well he didn't...and he never will again."
"...You are very ambitious Sa-"
"No names!"
"You are also very paranoid. No one will hear us on this line."
"I am not taking any chances with my career with the overconfidence on a flimsy phone."
"Are you going to try again?"
"Perhaps...we do still have another."
"Yes...another."
"I have to go. The general wishes to speak with me. I'll see you in the committee then."
"Yes. Another day, then."
Click.
© 1998 The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa’uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd. Partnership. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.