Walter hung up the phone
and picked up General O'Neill's schedule book with a weary sigh of
resignation. The moment his CO had disappeared out of sight with the
Infirmary as his goal, the Air Force Sergeant had started making some
mental computations. He'd had the suspicion then that the visit wouldn't
go well, and judging from the fact that the General was now a patient
there, it hadn't.
'Face it, Walter, when it
comes to whatever happens to the members of SG-1, past and present,
there were bound to be complications. It's as if Murphy's Law was
written with that particular group of four humans in mind. Wait, make
that three humans and one Jaffa. Although he's the size of a human
mountain and just as strong, he does look like a human being.'
From their very first
mission, the gray-haired technician had been watching SG-1 walk through
the Stargate, and their luck or lack of it never ceased to amaze him. It
was his personal opinion that the key ingredient that had kept them all
alive, more or less, for eight years was their leader, the now General
Jack O'Neill.
Walter hadn't been sure
if he'd like O'Neill at first, as reckless, dimwitted, and full of
himself as he seemed at first glance. However, over the years he'd
learned that beneath the mask of the uncaring gung-ho military mind beat
the heart and soul of a man who truly cared about his team, that his oft
spoken slogan of "We don't leave our people behind" was much more than
just words to him. Beyond the shadow of any doubt, he knew these words
were indelibly seared into his CO's soul, put there by his own grim
experiences.
Sometimes it paid to be
the anonymous Gate Tech because it made you virtually invisible. This
was a definite plus when things got hairy because it allowed you to
observe first-hand how your superiors dealt with the pressures and perks
that went with command.
As the anonymous Gate
Guy, he'd seen the General at his best . . . and worst. He still
remembered how he'd changed into a violent Neanderthal caveman type and
tried to beat the living crap out of Dr. Jackson when they'd all ended
up infected by that virus in their first year of operation.
From his perch in the
Control Room, he'd also watched O'Neill suffer through hours of hanging
impaled to the wall of the Gate Room, as everyone there raced against
time to save him from death and their planet from annihilation. Colonel
O'Neill had sobbed in agony then, but in Walter's opinion, that had only
made the man more human, more approachable as the 2IC of the SGC.
When Walter witnessed the
General facing down his former captor Ba'al, he'd wanted to cheer.
Instead, he'd had to settle for renewing a vow to do everything within
his power to ensure that this courageous man who'd long ago won a lowly
Air Force Sergeant's respect would do well in his new position as
Commander of the SGC. So it was a given that when Colonel Reynolds had
requested a show of support from the personnel of the SGC, that he'd be
there in the front row giving his leader the absolute best salute that
he possibly could.
Sergeant Walter Harriman
checked over the General's schedule and did some mental juggling. Most
of the items could wait to be addressed in a couple of days. His
immediate chore was organizing the meeting that was to take place in
about half an hour. Dr. Brightman, Dr. Mackenzie, and Kay had requested
that it take place in the Briefing Room. The topic up for discussion was
the situation and treatment of General O'Neill and Colonel Carter.
He frowned in thought. As
the acting 2IC, Colonel Reynolds needed to be there. Since it involved
members of their team, it wouldn't hurt to have Teal'c and Dr. Jackson
there too, not that he could've kept them away even if he tried.
However, since they'd accompanied both General O'Neill and Colonel
Carter when they'd been rescued from the Replicators, a case could be
made that they might have some vital intel that could shed some light
into what the heck was going on inside the two Officer's heads.
With the half hour he had prior to the meeting,
he would have just enough time to make copies of the mission report from
the rescue and contact all the parties that needed to be present. Walter
turned to the phone and began making the arrangements.
***
Kay Dow slid her keycard
in the slot and opened her door, trying to ignore the way her hands
shook. Just a few more seconds and she could let it all out, she
promised herself. She had about half an hour before the meeting in the
Briefing Room, but there was something she had to do first, something
that wouldn't be put off much longer.
Flicking the lights on in
her office, she closed the door resolutely and leaned against it for a
moment. Then she forced her trembling legs to carry her to the chair in
the corner with its waiting box of tissues.
Sinking down into its
comfort, she bent with her face propped by her hands as the tears began
to flow down her cheeks unchecked. As her chest heaved, the sobs shook
her entire body as she relived the previous hours. Reaching blindly, she
grabbed a couple of tissues in one hand and blew her nose loudly. Tears
cascaded down her face and dripped off her chin as she moaned, the sound
of it echoing in the confines of her closed office.
Her body shuddered as
sobs continued to wrack her slender frame and thoughts ricocheted
helter-skelter through her reeling and spent mind.
'So much pain there,
too much for me to handle at once. I wanted to take it all away and I
couldn't, it just kept getting worse. Both of them could've died. Did I
make it worse?'
She wrapped her arms
around her chest and rocked back and forth in the chair as she
considered the question. Meanwhile the tears dripped off her chin and
onto her arms.
'No, Kay, don't answer
that question, not right now. You're in no shape to answer it
objectively. You know you aren't.'
Her lower lip trembled
and she wiped her dripping nose with a tissue and then wadded it in her
fist. 'But what if I did make it worse?'
She shook her head
angrily and bit her lip. 'Hush, girl. Later you can gather all the
information and let the experts decide. Give yourself a fricking break
and recognize that you're probably making a mountain out of a molehill
and basing all your thoughts on emotions run wild. After all, you should
realize by now that you can't think clearly when you're like this, so
just wait till later. Just feel, don't try to think, you know your mind
isn't capable of doing that right now anyway. So just let it all
out.'
This was something she'd
grown to expect and . . . accept about herself and her own personal
reactions to stress. During a crisis, she would stay cool as a cucumber,
no matter how long it took to bring it to some sort of resolution.
Later, after it was all over, she'd sometimes fall apart and had learned
through experience to find someplace private where she could shake and
bawl her eyes out for a while. Once she'd done that, she'd be okay and
ready to lock and load once again.
Even during that awful
riot, she'd been able to stay relatively calm, considering the
circumstances. She'd only lost it after they'd raped her, and then only
for a short time. Just long enough to get her through the remaining
hours until their rescue. Later, when she was safe in her hospital bed,
she'd broken down and cried for what seemed like forever, leaving her
feeling dry and lifeless as a withered twig in the desert.
The memory alone was
still enough to make her body shudder, but due to some timely therapy,
it no longer paralyzed her. She could gain strength from the realization
that she'd survived, that the ones who'd attacked her had NOT won. They
had paid for their crime, were safely locked away, and wouldn't be
getting out anytime soon, not alive anyway.
Josh had been there with
her then, holding her and comforting her. She knew that he couldn't be
with her now though. This was something she had to get through on her
own.
Initially she'd tried
doing this with others around, her fellow professionals or even Josh.
That hadn't worked very well though, because they were uncomfortable
with her tears and felt a need to 'fix' her.
Her pleas that she would
be fine and didn't need to be 'fixed' had fallen on deaf ears, so after
a while, she'd learned that the best thing she could do was accept that
this was something that she had to do, that trying to hold it in only
made it worse. Her solution had been to do what was best for her own
mental health, but the end result benefited everyone who depended on
her.
She'd picked this very
office with this particular situation in mind when being shown around.
It was large enough to suit her needs as a therapist, had an adjoining
bathroom, and was private enough so that it could become her own
hidey-hole when she needed a place to let it all hang out.
Today was just such a
time, she knew she badly needed the catharsis if she were to attend the
upcoming meeting and be the professional she'd been hired to be. She
took a deep cleansing breath as her body and mind calmed. The adrenaline
that had kept her going all through the crisis with her two patients in
the Infirmary was being purged from her bloodstream, leaving her feeling
weak and tired.
Blowing her nose once
again, she reached for a clean tissue to dry her face of all tears. As
she did so, her eyes fell on the donuts from earlier in the day.
By now, her body would
need something to replenish the calories she'd already burned while
dealing with the emergency. In the past, Kay had been told that she was
one of those people with a high metabolic rate and needed to eat small
high calorie snacks throughout the day to keep her weight on.
Those donuts would be
just what she needed. The pastries and a Coke would accompany her to the
meeting. Chances were good that the others there would appreciate a
little something to pick up their spirits too. The Lord knew it had been
a trying day for everyone, and it was only noon.
Briefly she considered
calling her husband, Josh, to let him know she was okay. By now he
would've heard about the incident in the Infirmary and her part in it.
It was best if she let him know herself that she was okay and that she
might be late coming home, if she made it home at all.
Taking a bite of her
glazed donut, she stood and walked over to her desk, noticing that she
was no longer shaking and her hands were steady. She sighed with relief
that the tremors were gone, that she was well on her way to reclaiming
control of her body and emotions.
Kay took another breath, picked up the phone and
dialed his extension. After a few rings, someone picked up at the other
end. "I'd like to speak to Josh Dow, please."
***
Samantha Carter moaned in
her sleep as her mind searched for the link that had to be there, the
connection she'd relied upon to keep them both alive. Her arms thrashed
and unbeknownst to her, pushed urgently against the side rails on the
bed, put there as an incentive to keep her in the bed, or at least slow
her down if she tried getting out again before she was released to do
so. When she sensed him, she relaxed, certain in the knowledge that her
Jack was close by.
With him there, she was safe once again and knew
that he would protect her from whatever came their way. With the
combination of her brains and his strategic know-how, they were
unbeatable. Her body quieted and no longer fought the side rails as she
fell into a deep, healing sleep. One arm pushed through an opening
between the rails, stretched toward the man in the bed beside her in a
seeming invitation for a more concrete connection.
***
Jack moaned low in his
sleep as his dreams took a turned dark and evil. He sucked in his breath
with a hiss as his eyes flickered, making the heart monitor's tone skip
a beat and then settle to a more rapid pace. His fingers plucked weakly
at the crisp sheet covering his chest.
'Jack backed against
the railing of his rooftop observatory as he sought to escape the
clutches of the 'almost but not quite Sam'. He knew with a certainty
that it wasn't her, had known it the moment she stepped onto the floor
of his safe haven.'
'When she'd revealed
who, no WHAT she was, he'd been horrified. That meant that Sam's evil
twin had stuck its hand inside his head. What was worse was that IT
seemed bent on raping him.'
'It wasn't enough that
IT'd already sullied his safe haven by choosing this particular place to
stage ITs seduction from hell. That tinker toy model gone wrong had not
only raped his mind, but was planning to have its way with his body as
well.'
'Well, that was so not
going to happen if he had any say in the matter. He was so not into
doing it with some sort of New Age Bride of Frankenstein wanna be. When
the seemingly solid and reassuring railing edging the observatory at his
back changed into something more hard and unyielding, he hissed, gulping
in air as the emptiness above the railing morphed into a wall made up of
a regular pattern of metallic blocks.'
'Seeing him trapped
with nowhere to retreat, Sam's evil twin swaggered seductively toward
him, moving with the grace and promise that he'd always dreamed of
seeing. As his eyes flicked to the right and left, automatically
searching for a nonexistent exit, IT laughed, low in its throat and the
hard blue eyes seemed to grow colder.'
' "See something you
like, Jack?" ITs lips curved into a smile as artificial lips were slowly
and sensuously licked. "Would you like to know what you're missing? I
could show you. I assure you that I'm anatomically correct in all
aspects and fully functional." IT smiled and stepped forward, molding
its body against his, lightly tracing one finger along his jaw line in a
parody of intimacy.'
'"Nope." Jack growled
a warning. "Stay away from me, you Techno-Bitch."'
'The automaton shook
its head and stroked his cheek. "Afraid I can't do that."'
'Jack flinched away
and stared horrified as replicator restraints grew and snugged over his
arms and legs. He struggled to move them, but couldn't. He squeezed his
eyes shut and shook his head as the Bug version of Sam caressed his arm
and then moved to his chest, stopping just long enough to rip the
buttons off his flannel shirt, leaving his chest bare and
exposed.'
' "Oh, I like what I
see, Jack." IT purred, running appreciative hands over his torso.'
'Jack's skin crawled,
as he struggled to move away from her touch that sickened him. "It's the
crunches."'
'He opened his eyes
and stared into dead ones. His glare seemingly had no effect on the
artificial life form before him, other than to make IT smile with
delight. "Come on, Jack. I can show you what you've been missing." ITs
head cocked to one side and the chin stuck out in a gesture so familiar
that it seemed somehow obscene when a mere copy demonstrated it.'
'ITs hand slid behind
his neck and cradled the back of his head as mechanical lips parted in a
parody of a kiss. His head was drawn inexorably down and forward toward
the intended goal. He struggled to jerk his head away from the tight
grasp and groaned when his efforts failed. As Sam's evil twin grinned,
he spat, his saliva landing on target.'
Before his horrified
gaze, the globule of saliva was captured by miniature replicators that
disappeared beneath the surface of the skin with their prize of watery
spit.
'IT released his head
and let the freed hand return to caressing his bare chest. "You're
right, you know."'
'Jack's eyes widened
in dismay as those fingers on his skin had the intended effect. In
desperation, he tried to shift away from her. "What?" His voice sounded
raspy and guttural, even to him.'
'"This is the closest
you'll ever get to knowing what it would be like to make love to her.
You had your chance and you blew it. She finally realized what you've
known all along."'
'The ice blue eyes
bored into his. "She does deserve better than you." The hands paused and
then resumed as they headed farther south. "That's why she chose Pete,
and not you."'
'Jack responded by
squeezing his eyes shut and desperately telling himself that this could
not be happening. No way, it could be happening to him, not in a million
years, as in nope, nada, no way Jose. The feel of fingers on his bare
skin told him that his mantra of denial wasn't' working so he opened his
eyes again and swallowed hard.'
'Yep, it was official,
he'd gotten a double whammy visit from the "oh shit fairy". He clamped
his mouth shut and swallowed hard to trap the scream of rage that was
growing in his throat.'
'When the roaming
fingers dipped below the belt of his pants, he sucked in another breath.
"Don't do this." He gritted out between clenched teeth. "Please don't do
this."'
'Seemingly female hips ground against his
groin, further arousing him despite his repugnance. In an effort to
distract himself, he bit his lip. Hard. Feeling his arousal, the hips
continued their obscene bump and grind and then upped the ante. Sam's
face leered back at him as the fingers jerked his shirt out of his black
jeans and unbuckled the belt.'
'When Jack felt
fingers fumbling with his zipper, he redoubled his efforts to escape.
Frantic now, his hands struggled with his restraints. An unexpected
loosening of his bonds had his arms flailing about wildly. Suddenly, his
thrashing hands met with familiar living flesh that he knew
instinctively could only belong to the original, one and only genuine
item, his Sam.'
'He shuddered out a
relieved sigh as the image of bug Person vaporized in front of his eyes
and the restraints melted away into nothingness.'
Beside him, Nurse Wells,
made a notation in both charts as she observed the clasped hands of
General O'Neill and Colonel Carter linked in the space between the two
hospital beds. As she watched, the beeping heart monitors slowed to
regular tones that mirrored each other, beat for beat.
She sat back in her chair
and sucked on her lower lip in amazement. To her knowledge, both
patients had not regained consciousness since their placement in the
same room in the Infirmary. The new counselor had insisted on them being
in the same room, maintaining that they'd be calmer if they were kept
together.
The tall brunette pushed out of the chair and
headed for the phone on the wall. With quick movements, she tapped out
the number for Dr. Brightman. "Doctor?" She paused to listen. "I've got
something here that you should see." Her head shook from side to side.
"No, it's no emergency, but, it's . . . unusual." She smiled and nodded
as she listened to the Doctor's response. "Good, I'll see you in a
jiffy." Then she hung up the phone.
***
By the time Kay made it
to the Briefing Room with the remaining donuts, most everyone else was
already there. She laid the half-full box in the middle of the table and
then sat down in her chair next to Dr. Mackenzie, scooting up to the
table. Once situated, she slipped her right foot out of her loafer,
shifted in her seat and then folded one leg under her on the chair.
Across from Dr. Mackenzie
were Dr. Jackson and Teal'c, which was no surprise to Kay. Since they'd
been banned from the Infirmary, she'd figured that those two would beat
her to the meeting. As she picked up her pen, Dr. Brightman walked into
the room and sat down next to her. Walter and Colonel Reynolds came in
last. With obvious mixed feelings, the Colonel took the chair usually
reserved for General O'Neill.
Teal'c's eyes glowed at
the sight of the donuts and he immediately commandeered one, licking his
fingers with relish. Kay smiled at him and couldn't help but notice how
Daniel rolled his eyes. The counselor automatically filed away that
little tidbit of info for later use as needed in her detailed analysis
of the personnel of the SGC.
Reynolds cleared his
throat nervously and nodded acknowledgement to those already seated.
With an expectant look on his face, Sergeant Walter Harriman sat poised
with a pen and pad ready to take down the minutes of the meeting.
Taking a deep breath,
Reynolds laid his hands palm down on table. "As you know, the purpose of
this meeting is to get more information about what happened to General
O'Neill and Colonel Carter while they were being held by Fifth. It is
our hope, and that of the Joint Chiefs and General Hammond, that this
combined intel will result in speedy treatment and recovery of these two
invaluable individuals."
He turned to Dr. Brightman. "Doc, what can you tell us about their
present conditions?"
The CMO consulted her
notes and then laid her clasped hands on the files in front of her.
"Both are suffering from extreme physical exhaustion and malnourishment.
I believe this is a direct result of their previous imprisonment." She
paused and rifled through her paperwork. "According to my notes, both
patients had complained of persistent nightmares in which they relived
these traumatic events accompanied by a loss of appetite, depression,
anxiety, and a lack of sleep."
Dr. Mackenzie broke in at
this point. "I met with both patients on several occasions after a
referral from Dr. Brightman. However, our sessions were . . .
unsatisfactory. He licked his lips nervously. "It is my belief that the
appropriate level of trust could not be established due to previous
experiences which had, as you say, left a bad taste in their mouths."
The psychiatrist glanced
at Dr. Jackson and Teal'c before lowering his eyes nervously.
Teal'c raised his eyebrows to his hairline. "Indeed."
For his part, Daniel
pursed his lips and looked down at the tabletop, saying nothing.
Dr. Mackenzie cleared his
throat. "Yes, well, that is why I approved the hire of Ms. Dow here. It
was my feeling that the most important matter of consideration was not
my ego, but rather the mental health of our patients."
His eyes shifted to the
others seated around the table, the dark brown eyes seeming to ask
forgiveness for his earlier errors in judgment.
Daniel cleared his throat
and spoke in sarcastic tones. "Well, there's that, I suppose."
Teal'c laid a restraining
hand on his wrist and nodded. "That was a wise decision, Dr. Mackenzie,
and shall prove beneficial to O'Neill and Colonel Carter."
Dr. Mackenzie's eyes
shifted nervously from Daniel's truculent gaze to Teal'c's hard obsidian
eyes and then rearranged his notepad in front of him. "Ms. Dow, what can
you tell us about their conditions?"
The psychiatrist's eyes
held a plea in their dark depths that she couldn't help but answer. His
admission of his previous misdiagnosis had surprised her, as she
realized it must have cost him much to do so in front of so many
witnesses. Not many professionals of any type would've been able to do
such a thing and her respect for her new supervisor and coworker went up
another notch.
I have met with both
Colonel Carter and General O'Neill today, albeit in rather . . .
strained circumstances."
Her mouth quirked in a
half smile as she heard an answering snort from Dr. Brightman then
pushed her glasses back up her nose and smiled before continuing. "I too
believe that both patients are suffering from PTSD, or Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder. Untreated, these symptoms can cause the body to break
down due to the combined extra stressors of physical exhaustion and
malnourishment. The seriousness of this condition was amply illustrated
by today's events."
She turned to the female
Doctor sitting beside her. "Dr. Brightman, can you explain why Colonel
Carter was acting as if she could feel and hear the replicators?"
"Yes I can. According to
our lab tests, both General O'Neill and Colonel Carter's test results
showed a low potassium level in their blood. This would account for
their odd and aggressive behavior, heart palpitations, muscle cramps and
auditory hallucinations. I believe this was the cause of the Colonel's
belief that she was dying. As for the General, his collapse seems to
have been a case of a combination of extreme stress, fatigue, and
hyperventilation. This coupled with a lack of sleep would make anyone
have trouble distinguishing what was real, and . . .what wasn't."
Teal'c spoke with a hint
of reprimand. "I too have been subjected to invasion of the mind by the
Replicators. While under their domination, they sift through all
memories and one is forced to relive certain . . . distasteful
experiences. I too had much difficulty in discerning what was real and
what was fiction." His chin lifted in challenge. "It is not an
occurrence that I would choose to undergo again."
A flush of embarrassment
colored the Doctor's cheeks. "I meant no criticism toward either of your
friends. Their courage and valor have never been in question, at least
not by anyone sitting here." She looked straight at Teal'c. "I merely
was stating that the Colonel was not able to differentiate between what
was real and what was in her mind."
She looked around as
several heads nodded in understanding. "However, I have some news that I
need some help with." She paused and fumbled with her pen, aware that
all eyes were on her. "Both patients have insisted on having some sort
of connection between the two of them. They were insistent, to the point
where they believed that they would die if they were separated. Because
of this, they were placed in the same room in beds side by side." She
knitted her brows. "In fact, my nurse observed each of them offering
comfort to each other after having separate periods of distress."
Kay brushed her hair
behind her ears and half-turned in her chair. "What are you saying?"
Dr. Brightman looked
nervous. "What I'm saying is that each one of them, first Colonel
Carter, and then the General, each seemed upset, probably from
nightmares. They reached out their hands and immediately quieted after
they were able to touch each other."
Colonel Reynolds spoke
with guarded tones. "So? What's so unusual about that?"
Dr. Brightman looked
puzzled. "To my knowledge, they shouldn't have known that they were
together." She turned her gaze to the others around the table. "They
never regained consciousness, and I've had someone with them constantly
since their collapse. How could they have known that the other one was
upset and offer help?"
Colonel Reynolds spoke to
break the silence. "I see. Perhaps Dr. Jackson or Teal'c might have an
explanation?"
Kay watched as Daniel and
Teal'c exchanged telling glances. Then the Jaffa raised an eyebrow and
nodded.
Daniel puffed out a
breath. "When we first found Jack and Sam, they did have such a link.
According to Ernie, the Asgard Doctor, he discovered that Fifth had
placed devices of some sort in both their brains that linked them in
such a way that they couldn't be farther than three to five feet apart
from each other without dying. These same gadgets were also transmitting
radio waves that reported their status and position to Fifth and his
replicators."
Kay leaned forward. "Did
they report any sort of mind link, like telepathy or being aware of each
others thoughts?"
Teal'c answered. "They
did not. However, what one felt, the other did also."
Daniel bit his lip.
"You're right, Teal'c. I remember when we were eating. They both had
nosebleeds and passed out at exactly the same time." He looked around
the room. "But, Ernie's tests said all those things were removed after
we rescued them the second time."
Teal'c nodded. "Indeed.
The Asgard did report that all such devices were removed after their
retrieval. It does not explain their present abilities." He looked
around the table, as if daring anyone to disagree with him.
Kay nodded. "You're
right, it doesn't. Anyone have any ideas?"
When no one answered her,
she continued. "Come on. I'm the new kid on the block. You all know
their histories much better than I do."
In the hopes that someone
might have some insight into the problem, she paused and tried a
different avenue of approach. "Has either of them showed any unusual
mental abilities in the past?"
The counselor smiled when
this question was greeted by multiple snorts from around the room.
Daniel smiled. "Well,
Jack did receive two downloads from the Ancients library of knowledge.
After both, his brain scans showed an accelerated amount of brain
activity."
Teal'c nodded. "However,
after the second such occurrence, O'Neill was awarded the Ancient gift
of healing as was demonstrated when he healed Master Bra'tac of his
mortal wounds. Although he was unable to communicate by speaking, he
seemed to sense my thoughts on numerous occasions."
Doctor Brightman looked
puzzled, but excited. "I've read those reports too, but I thought that
all that knowledge was successfully removed by the Asgard."
Teal'c pursed his lips
and steepled his fingers. "From all evidence, this does not appear to be
the case."
Kay's mouth hung open, as
did Dr. Mackenzie's. Curiously enough, Neither Colonel Reynolds or
Walter looked surprised, their expressions looked to be that of
vindication.
She closed her mouth.
"Are you saying that General O'Neill and Colonel Carter really do have
this link? That they aren't making it up?"
Teal'c smiled. "Evidence
would seem to support this hypothesis." He reached for another donut and
Kay pushed the box to him. The rustle of the box sliding on the tabletop
was the only sound in the room. Everyone seemed stunned into silence as
they thought about the possible ramifications.
Kay puffed out a breath
and sighed her astonishment. "Wow."
Daniel chuckled. "That
would certainly explain a lot." He eyed his fingers as they rubbed
rhythmically against each other. He frowned in thought. "So, do they do
this all the time, or just when they're in trouble?"
Kay looked around the
room for answers, but everyone else seemed as dumbfounded as she was so
she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. "I don't know.
Maybe we should ask them."
She turned to face Dr.
Brightman. "How long before we can talk to them again?"
The CMO bit her lip as
she considered the question. "I'd like them able to think more clearly
before you try that." She tapped her pen on the files. "Probably not
before tomorrow. That would give them a chance to get some much-needed
rest and for their body chemistry to start returning to normal
levels."
Colonel Reynolds shifted
in his chair. "Well, on that note, I propose we adjourn until tomorrow.
In the meantime, I've got a phone call to make to General Hammond. He's
been worried about the situation here and is considering flying down to
take over command until General O'Neill is back on his feet."
Dr. Brightman broke in.
"I don't see them getting back to duty for at least a week, sir. I'd
like to keep them in the Infirmary where I can monitor their food intake
and general condition. Part of the problem last time was that they
weren't being entirely . . . honest about their symptoms and compounded
the problems. I don't want that to happen again."
Reynolds nodded and
smiled. "I'll pass that along to General Hammond, Doc."
Daniel smirked. "You plan
to keep Jack in bed for a week? That'll be the day."
Teal'c added his smile.
"Indeed. You shall require our assistance in this endeavor as O'Neill
has shown himself to be a formidable opponent when it comes to
circumventing the orders of his physician in the past. If it is
permissible, I shall take first watch."
Dr. Brightman looked
uncertain. "If you're quiet, I'll let you sit with them, but they aren't
to be disturbed. They really need their rest."
The Jaffa bowed. "I shall be silent as a small rodent."
Daniel's eyebrows rose. "You mean, quiet as a mouse?"
One eyebrow rose on the
Jaffa's inscrutable face. "That is what I said."
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