Impact - by Biltong

The Gou’ald are being their usual nice selves to our favorite Colonel.

I stared at Colonel O’Neill, willing him to wake, but wondering if he ever would.

It was the impact, you see. He told us straight that it wasn’t the drop he minded; it was the sudden impact at the end.

I had laughed slightly, figuring that he was joking, gallows humour to keep our spirits up, then that bloody Gou’ald had ordered some of our Jaffa captors to grab him. And they just pushed him over the cliff. I seemed unreal. One minute I was looking at him and he me, then one of them punched him in the stomach, and when he doubled over in agony, they simply…pushed.

He had told us that they were going to do that to one of us, but I thought that he was joking. Why would they? I should have remembered that a Gou’ald didn’t need an excuse for sadism.

The robed son of a bitch then forced us to the edge, where we could see the Colonel’s broken body lying there, at the bottom of what looked like a seven story drop. I stared at him intently in the little time that they gave us before yanking us back.

He was lying crooked, the impact had obviously broken some bones, and he was still.

Hopefully, if he had…

I took a deep slow breath and tried again. Hopefully, if he had died, his death had been quick, that’s all I asked for. A man such as he did not deserve to suffer. He had done that once in his life already, the impact leaving him alive but thankfully able to move. This time it was different. I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, this was very different from a place a million light years away called Iran.

I stared defiantly at our captors, trying very hard not to let my shock and grief show.

" You arrogant seven foot tall snakehead…" I almost smiled as I subconsciously heard the Colonel’s voice echo alongside mine. This is just what he would have said, assuming the he was still up here, alive and in one piece, instead of down there…

Oh God, I couldn’t even think it.

" What do you want?"

He looked down his nose at us, unimpressed with my defiance.

" Why, for you to die, slowly, knowing that your friend is still alive, but you are unable to help him." I stared at him aghast as they roughly tied our hands and feet and left us lying there at the top of the cliff. He saw my expression and smiled.

" He is alive still, one of my Jaffa has returned and told me of this, but he will not last long." He gave me a sweet smile, his expression one of benevolence. A saint with cold dark eyes.

" I would love to stay and watch your struggles to free yourself, but Lord Annubis calls me away." He leaned in close, roughly cupping my one breast, despite my struggles and Daniel’s hoarse cries " If I had my way, you would be my queen. Alas, it is not to be." He stood abruptly. "Jaffa…Kree!"

Then in a swirl of blue light, they were gone.

The silence was stunning for a few moments before we started struggling, to no avail. The bindings on our hands and feet were tight and held fast.

" Oh God Sam." Daniel’s voice was despairing.

…………

The Gou’ald and his Jaffa had been hiding in the caves so the MALP hadn’t seen them, and had fallen upon us immediately we exited the wormhole. We hadn’t stood a chance, but we had put up a hell of a fight before each of us had been knocked unconscious. I felt that we might have won if Teal’c had been with us instead of taking care of some urgent business for Master Bra’tac on Chulac.

Nevertheless, it had been three against ten, excluding one minor system lord, and we had killed at least four and injured more before being overwhelmed.

I had woken to hear the Colonel matter of factly tell us that the Gou’ald had demanded retribution for the couple of dead Jaffa, and he was to be thrown over the cliff. He was glaring at his captors, his eyes spitting fire as two of them dragged him towards the cliff edge

I really hadn’t believed him until it actually happened.

I’ll always remember him standing at the edge, looking regal as a king as he stared down the Gou’ald, then one of the Jaffa punched him in the stomach, and he was…gone.

He didn’t even scream, not that I expected him to.

And now we were alone, and the Colonel was relying on us.

" Scoot closer. Maybe if we…the bindings…"

Daniel always was the eternal optimist, but we had to try something, so I rolled towards him until our backs were touching.

" The bindings are leather Daniel," I hissed, " and unless you have a pocket knife stuck somewhere ingenious where the Jaffa didn’t look, you won’t undo anything. Leather knots are almost impossible to open with human fingers, no matter what the strength."

I heard his despairing groan.

" Dammit Sam," he hissed, " Jack can’t die alone. That’s his greatest fear, and you know it."

" I know, Daniel" I whispered my voice breaking, " But what can we do? It’s not that we can get up and hop through the stargate…"

" Oh God… Holy Hannah!"

Our exclamations came simultaneously. From words of sheer frustration, sheer genius had emerged. Why not indeed just hop through the Stargate?

" Daniel, can you dial home with your hands tied behind you?"

His grin was exultant. " Easy, with you looking on to guide me."

We both took less than a minute to reach the DHD, oblivious to the dust or torn skin we accrued along the way. No matter what hurt, the Colonel hurt worse. Then we were at our destination and Daniel was frantically trying to get to his feet, not an easy task considering his hands were also tightly bound behind his back.

Finally, after numerous attempts and a lot of help from the solid DHD, he managed.

" Sam, help please?" he said quietly, his blue gaze steady. I was already on it. Thanking the Ancients foresight in sloping the DHD design thus making it easy for a person to see all the glyphs from ground level, I slowly guided Daniel home.

"Up and right two…no, your right."

For a moment I registered his set expression as he stared sightlessly at me, all his attention on his hands behind his back, then his fumbling fingers found what he had been searching for.

" One." He said flatly, and jabbed a couple of fingers down, making sure.

And so it went, me guiding, him jabbing, until we got to the seventh symbol, the one for earth. The symbol was set almost at the top of the DHD, and was way out of Daniel’s reach, no matter how he tried.

" Sam," he whispered, his eyes frantic. " I can’t reach. No matter how I try, I can’t reach…"

I had been waiting for this to happen, waiting for the inevitable, knowing that it would mean a lot of pain for me if I was proved right, and Daniel couldn’t reach high enough.

" Daniel, hold on. I’m gonna try and bring my hands in front of me." I had done this once before in my life, sitting on my bound hands, then threading my legs through until my hands were in front of me, back in basic training. That was with handcuffs that moved slightly around my wrists, and I still ended up with a dislocated shoulder. I was now going to attempt it bound with tight leather straps.

Ah well, no pain, no gain girl, and the gain was the life of Colonel Jack O’Neill, assuming he was still…

" Aargh."

Daniel, bless him, was silent as I desperately tried to regain my equilibrium after that stunt. Ignoring my definitely dislocated shoulder was a very hard thing to do, but somehow I managed to make my way towards where Daniel was standing.

" Sam." His eyes were shining. " That was a very brave thing to do."

I snorted and gently pushed passed him, lest he overbalance and hit the floor with a thud.

" Time to go and get help, Daniel." My voice was husky with pain, something I hoped he didn’t hear.

Carefully I pressed the last glyph, making the stargate activate with a welcome whoosh.

" Danny, come here." He knew what I needed to do, offering his left arm to me, allowing me to key in our code into his GDO.

Then we were frantically bucking and rolling our way towards the blue event horizon.

" Medical emergency!"

Daniel and my voice rang out together as we rolled down the ramp, startling the SF types who had obviously been expecting to see three people walk through. They really should have known better, in all the years we had come through that gate in all manner of ways.

I looked up painfully to see General Hammond stare down at me, the welcome form of Teal’c standing next to him.

" Major Carter, where’s Colonel O’Neill?" He asked, his voice tight.

"Still on the planet sir. We encountered Gou’ald…they threw him off a cliff to one side of the Stargate before departing. He needs help, and quickly sir. Please." I gasped, expelling last of my air.

There is one thing to be said about General Hammond, when he gets moving, he really gets things done fast. I lay there panting and listened to a true master in action.

" Teal’c get SG3 and go to that planet as quick as you can. Take rope." He spun to the startled medical team. " Get a paramedic rescue team up here, a team used to abseiling, and whilst you’re at it, fetch someone to get these people cleared from the ramp. He clapped his hands together, galvanizing a whole lot of startled people. " Go!"

" Can these people get cleared now?" came the plaintive voice of Daniel Jackson from somewhere on the ramp behind me, making me smile. Then a large SF Sergeant holding a wicked knife knelt in front of me. " Major?"

" Glad you’re on our side," I muttered, making him smile as he carefully cut my bindings. " Major, can you stand?" His voice was a deep sexy rumble, set in a handsome package, making me want to hold onto him for a bit longer. If only my pride would let me swoon, dammit.

" Dunno, let me try." Using my good arm to hold onto him I slowly swayed my way off of the ramp to sit gingerly on the abandoned gurney. There I saw SG3 beginning to assemble at the bottom of the ramp, making reality return with a thud.

" Thanks Sarge, I murmured, my eyes not leaving Teal’c as he gracefully made his way towards Colonel Coburn.

" Colonel?" I saw SG3’s capable commander nod at Teal’c.

" Just waiting for the medic’s, Teal’c…ah here they are." Suddenly the wormhole activated, and they were gone.

" …And our hopes and prayers go with them," Daniel muttered, sitting down next to me. Feeling totally exhausted, I leaned against him and shut my eyes, uncaring of soft hands probing my shoulder.

…………

Oh boy, I couldn’t remember the last time I had hurt as badly as this.

The numbness had worn off ages ago, leaving me with a sick kind of hurting ache that I knew from experience that only got worse until one of two things happened. You ether got rescued and put in chemical oblivion, or you died.

Hopefully that sneaky snake-headed son of a bitch had left the rest of my team alone. The thought of what might have happened up there was making me feel cold. Or maybe it was the loss of blood that was making me feel cold. Whatever.

At least they weren’t down here with me.

Oh God. Maybe they had been taken as hosts.

If that ever happened to any member of my team, I swear right hear and now, I will never rest until I find them and put them out of their misery with a well aimed bullet to the back of the head. Nobody, and I mean that, deserves to go through the remainder of their lives as a slave to some despotic snake. If that ever happened to Daniel, Carter or Teal’c, I wouldn’t hesitate for an instant. Hopefully neither would they if it ever happened to me.

Ah shit, muscle spasm.

Luckily I had the presence of mind to land on my feet, like I was trained to do so long ago. Of course, back then I had a parachute, something this Gou’ald had neglected to supply me with.

Yeah right.

At least I can wiggle my fingers and toes, albeit slightly, which meant no spinal injury.

Gee how nice. When I died, at least I could walk in the afterlife.

Oh damn, the pain is intense. I wish I could move, but I can’t. I can’t even breathe properly, something that is really beginning to bother me.

This is almost a carbon copy of Antarctica, with a couple of major differences. Difference number one is the fact that the Major isn’t here. Besides that, things are almost the same, without the cold, thank goodness. Okay, this time I probably have a few more broken bones than I did back then, but besides that, I have the same internal injuries etcetera. I think.

Oh shit it hurts.

Maybe if I stare up at the sky things won’t hurt as much. Or maybe I’ll fall unconscious.

Experience has taught me that it doesn’t hurt nearly as much when you’re out of it.

"…SG 3."

" Wha?"

For a moment I could have sworn that someone had spoken over the radio in my vest pocket, making me listen intently. After a while I figured it was probably my imagination playing tricks on me.

I’m not surprised.

I so want my team to find me. I want to go home. I want to see their faces and know that they’re okay, and more importantly I want to be free of pain.

Is that too much to ask?

………….

Coburn and the other Tau’ri warriors are trying valiantly to search for O’Neill, but I sense they wish me to take their lead. I understand. My eyes are trained by a hundred battles; my ears have done me justice for many years.

I may not see my fallen friend, but the evidence of what transpired is clear, if they so chose to look. I still find it odd that these Tau’ri manage to fight on, despite their limited senses. They do not see the signs that O’Neill has left for me to find. The boot print, the…button. They do not hear his tortured breaths as he struggles to survive.

I do, as I know O’Neill would, had he been in my place.

He is my friend. No, he is more than that. He is my brother. And I will not let him die.

" Here, he is down here."

My wild waving brings the Tau’ri to me, and I step back from the cliffs edge. I can see what they cannot. My friend has little of life left in his body. Wordlessly I tie the end of the rope I carry to a large bolder and leap from the cliff, ignoring the cries of the others.

I have no time for a stretcher. Neither does O’Neill.

My descent is quick. The rope burns minor. I pause only to scoop up my friend, placing his unresisting body firmly over one shoulder before ascending to the waiting medical personnel. Once there I place him on the stretcher and stand back. Now it is their turn.

I profess to have little knowledge of Tau’ri medical practice, even though I have read extensively on the subject from the vast library Doctor Fraiser maintains in the infirmary. I find the idea of blood transfusions and the setting of bones to be strange, my immature symbiont protecting myself from harm. Nevertheless, it seems to work for these Tau’ri, even though they take a long time to recover.

I stand and watch as the paramedical team stabilize O’Neill before moving him back through the gate. Pausing a moment, I carefully school my expressive face into impassibility. For I fear for my friend. The fall was great, and he is but just a Tau’ri.

A great man, but still, just a Tau’ri.

…………

So here we go again. I think there is a song entitled that. If there is I must buy a copy and give it to the Colonel as a gift.

My scattered thoughts screech to a halt as we hit the infirmary.

Damn, why does everything nasty always happen to this man? Nodding to my team we start working on him again, as we have so often over the years that it is almost second nature to us now. Finally I step back and hand him over to Doctor Warner for surgery, praying that he will survive this impact as well.

Walking to the hallway I stared at his team sadly, noticing their anxious faces, even Teal’c’s. I wish I had some good news, some encouraging news, but I don’t. All I can tell them is that it is serious, that he is in no pain. I cannot tell them that he has arrested twice already, and may not make it through surgery. How can I?

………

It’s serious this time. I know Janet too well.

As she talks to us she hugs her body, just like I do on occasion, especially if I’m unsure about something. Seeing as Jack is her only patient it doesn’t bode well.

" Janet?" I asked gently. " What did they do to him?"

We stared at her, aghast, as she reeled off a litany of injuries, some I wasn’t even aware that one could receive in a fall, like a fractured skull. Apparently the back of his head must have hit unforgiving rock when he finally hit bottom.

" But he’ll be okay now?" I want reassurance, as does Sam and the silent Teal’c by my side, but she has little to offer.

" If he survives the surgery, then we’ll see," she said gently, looking over my shoulder at the General.

" He’ll survive," General Hammond said, his voice emphatic.

Okay, I’ve been in this situation before, flat on my back, unable to move with mysterious beeping machines surrounding me. It’s a strange skewed-up feeling to have, but I’m always so pleased to see them at first. Them, and the infirmary ceiling.

It was close this time, this I know without even having to ask anybody. This time it was almost it, only my stubborn streak kept me here, that and my desire to see that my team are okay.

" Colonel?"

I think that she has been talking to me for a while without me actually comprehending anything, but I’m with her now, totally aware if her brown eyes staring at me closely.

" You’re okay now. You’re back at the SGC. You’re team are fine."

I blink my gratitude at her; small bytes of information are always welcome, especially about my team.

I can relax now, and sleep again. I’m safe, they’re safe, and we’re home. Okay fine.

It’s his eyes that get me, every time.

It’s not that they’re dark brown. Hell, other people have such dark eyes as well. No, it’s not their color that affects me so, not at all. Although, come to think of it, that’s nice as well, especially contrasting with his gray hair.

No, what gets me about his eyes is the intensity behind them. Whoever said that the eyes are the windows to the soul must have had Jack O’Neill in mind.

There he was, looking like a bandaged mummy, a machine helping him breath, staring at us with deep searching eyes, relief clearly evident.

" We’re okay sir, promise. No one was hurt, apart from yourself, and that Janet is working on." When he blinked that he understood, I gently brushed his cheek, feeling him nuzzle my hand. Okay, so it’s not usually the sort of action between a Major and a Colonel that the Air Force approves of, but I believed that he needed tactile contact, and from his reaction I was proved right.

" Sleep now," I whispered, feeling my heart break as he obeyed, trustingly, like a small child. I saw Janet start to walk towards me and gave her a brilliant smile, seeing her smile in return.

He is mending, slowly but surely. Thank God.

Once more SG1 survive.

Intact.

* EINDE*