The Jaffa wouldn’t have stood a chance if it hadn’t been for that damned ledge.

One moment I had been flying down towards the stargate and those handy waist high boulders that I could use for cover, the next…well, the ledge just disappeared from under my feet, sending me tumbling head over heels all the way to the bottom, where the stargate itself finally arrested my forward momentum.

Damn it hurt.

I lay there, struggling to breathe, struggling to stay alive, staring up at them staring down at me. I knew the end was coming, as did they, smiling as their prime crouched down to my level.

" Tau’ri." His voice seemed to come from far away, even though he was right next to me, his skullcap gleaming burnished silver in the light of the open wormhole. "Suffer slowly for us, but do not die."

His grin was feral at my start of surprise.

I had thought that I was dead.

He leaned forwards, dipping his hand in my blood. " If I had my way, you would be in Kheb by now, revenge for the deaths of countless of my brothers, but alas, I cannot kill you."

" Yet."

He grinned, silver teeth complimenting his skullcap as he slowly drew lines down my face, using my lifeblood as face paint.

" My Lord has other plans for you."

" Know that we will meet again, Tau’ri O’Neill. You will recognize me when I introduce my mature symbiont into your brain, my loyal Jaffa holding you down as you scream for mercy."

He stood up, towering over me and pressed a hand to his pouch.

" It will not be long now," he hissed. " Look over your shoulder always Tau’ri, for I, Talliff, will soon come for you."

I tried to speak, to hurl insults, to do anything, but I was too broken up inside to do anything but glare at him as he slowly backed away into the wormhole, his fellow Jaffa following him.

And then the wormhole closed with a snap, putting the planet back into darkness, and me with it.

…

I awoke to the smell of soft floral perfume, a very distinctive smell only used by one member of my team, thank God.

Smiling I reached down to where the sound of soft snoring was emanating from, the place where I couldn’t move my leg because of the weight on top.

" Carter? Hey Carter?"

I became aware of two things at once, one was that both of my arms were heavily bandaged, and two was that she really did look pretty when she first woke up.

" Wha…Colonel?" She looked at me, concern etched on her face." How long have you been awake?"

" Oh, hours," I lied. " I was quite content to listen to you snore."

" Bullshit, sir." She stood and stretched, making me envy her. " You’ve been awake for a minute or two at most," she said, sitting neatly in her plastic chair.

I raised an eyebrow, trying not to yawn. " Oh, and how does the great Major Carter know this?"

" Because the great Colonel Jack O’Neill’s eyes are looking dreamy, something they only do when he is drugged up to the eyeballs."

" That, or first thing in the morning after a great night of…True, I guess."

I raised my eyebrow innocently when she blushed. " Carter?"

I tried to sit up, only to gasp in pain, my aborted action causing one of the machines to squeal unhappily.

She was instantly on her feet, leaning in close. " Sir, are you okay?"

" I will be, give me a minute or so." Keeping absolutely still, I willed my thundering heart to a slower pace, aware that Carter had pressed my call button.

" Colonel O’Neill. You shouldn’t be awake just yet." I looked up at a tiny dynamo called Doctor Janet Fraiser.

" Sorry, it just happened." She frowned at me, her twinkling eyes giving her away.

" And why did the heart monitor get so upset?"

" Because I tried to move?"

This really got her upset. " Colonel, the only moving you’re going to do for the next month will be in a wheelchair."

That got me. " Pardon?"

"You broke your legs when you hit the stargate sir."

I looked blankly at Carter. " Oh."

" Yes, oh." Janet’s voice softened. "Didn’t you realize that you were in traction?"

I shook my head dumbly.

" Well, you are, and will be for another two weeks until we are satisfied that the thigh bone injury has healed correctly."

" So what actually happened?" Doc asked.

" Oh no. That can wait until tomorrow." I scowled at Doc Fraiser, unable to stop her as she deliberately injected some clear liquid into my IV.

" Nightie night Colonel."

………

They were after me. They were faceless, nameless and wanted my soul. I tried to face them but she they just too strong, to powerful. So I ran.

Moaning and sobbing I ran and ran and ran until I reached the side of a deep ravine and I could run no more.

" Tau’ri." Their voices echoed all around me, making me cry out in fear.

" Tau’ri O’Neill, our Lord wishes for you to accept his gift. His pimta has matured and is waiting for you…"

Then someone was in front of me. Someone with silver eyes, and a silver skullcap, reaching out to me with his clawed hands, forcing me to take the only route I had left.

Sobbing in futile fear, I took a step back, into the abyss.

And fell out of the hospital bed with a crunch, IV bottles flying and machines screaming before unconsciousness swiftly took me.

…

" What in tarnation happened here?" I became aware of General Hammonds voice sounding furious, a very rare occurrence.

" Colonel O’Neill was apparently having a nightmare, causing him to convulse violently and throw himself out of bed." Dr Fraiser answered, sounding upset.

" Almost killing himself in the process."

" Oh, I wouldn’t go that far, sir," Dr Warner answered.

" I would," General Hammond thundered. " When I got here, he was lying on the floor, completely unconscious, with not one single doctor or nurse in sight."

He stressed every syllable, making them aware of how very annoyed he was.

" Not one person."

Pausing for breath, he continued. " Someone around here is guilty of gross incompetence, something I nor the Colonel, whose life was so very nearly lost, will tolerate."

I decided to give the doctors a break.

" Wha…what hap…pened." Actually, I really was finding it hard to get the words out, worrying me.

Both doctors’ heads snapped round at the sound of my voice, with Dr Fraiser immediately rushing to my side.

" How are you feeling sir?"

" Numb."

She nodded sympathetically. " That was quite a tumble you took." I just looked at her blankly, deciding not to let on what I had overheard. That was between the General and the medical staff; I was feeling too sick to care.

" Your fall, do you remember it?" I didn’t reply, forcing her to make light of it.

" Never mind. We’ll let you sleep now."

The two doctors and one unhappy General disappeared into Dr Fraiser’s office allowing me to once more sleep in peace.

…

He wanted to pin me to the tree with two sharp iron spikes, his eyes glowing brightly in anticipation of the pain it would cause.

" Come Tau’ri", he crooned in a dual voice. " Accept Talliff’s gift, or your friends will die." He pointed to other trees where the rest of my team were sagging, nailed to the trees just like I was, making me realize that if I allowed him to do this to me, not one of us would survive.

" No, you bastard," I screamed at him defiantly, making him cackle maniacally. No. No, no, nonononono…"

…

" Colonel!" I felt strong hands press me down, restricting my movement, as a soothing voice whispered treacherous things into my ear about being safe.

" Restraints", someone snapped, totally immobilizing me.

" No" I screamed, knowing that Talliff had won. I was helpless to stop him now.

" Nononononononoooo."

" Defib!" the voice warned.

" We’re ready - clear!" someone else said, and then the darkness came roaring in.

…

" Hello…Jack, can you hear me?"

" Da…Daniel?" My voice sounded rusty, as if I hadn’t used it in years.

" Yes it’s me. Can you open your eyes?" He sounded really worried.

" Bright." I moaned, opening my eyes.

" Oh." Suddenly the lights dimmed, allowing my eyes to adjust easier. I saw a figure sat next to me slowly coagulate into the form of Daniel Jackson.

" Danny," I whispered, " you look rough."

He did actually.

His hair stood up on end and he had deep rings around his eyes.

" Well, gee you should talk. I should get you a mirror so we can compare faces," he said grinning. Suddenly he was leaning over me, his blue eyes staring at someone standing on my other side. " Can I remove the restraints now?"

" Restraints?"

Daniel nodded, his deft fingers removing thick leather straps. " Um. You were having pretty violent nightmares for the past week."

" Past…week? Shit, I was sounding like an echo, not that I could help it.

" What happened?"

As I expected, Doc Fraiser moved into view. " Hi Colonel," she said, her fingers cool on my throat as she checked my carotid pulse.

" I’m sure I have a heart monitor nearby that can tell you if I’m still alive much quicker than your fingers can," I murmured, making her smile.

" Maybe, but I get better job satisfaction this way," she replied. " So, how are you feeling?"

I thought about it for a while. " Hot, but more aware." I looked up at her as she fiddled with my IV. " I lose myself when I’m so heavily drugged."

" So we’ve noticed," she said wryly, " although the nightmares can also be blamed on your fever and an allergy to a common sedative."

" Okay," I said cautiously. " And why am I feeling a bit too warm and toasty?"

She looked sympathetic. "You have broken legs, remember? You have a fever, but are responding nicely, so you should be feeling much better in a few more days."

" A few more…days?" I asked, dismayed.

She smiled. " It’s okay Colonel, you won’t be awake to see them." She glanced at my IV bottle, then down at me again. " I’ve changed your medication. You were reacting quite badly to the other sedative, do you remember?"

I nodded, my eyes heavy.

" Chased, Gua’old after me…" I whispered, before sleep claimed me once more.

………

" And strangest of all is to hold my wife’s hand again, and to think that I have counted her, and she has counted me, among the dead."

Teal’c closed HG Wells’s book reverently, silent for a moment in quiet reflection.

So was I.

I had awoken during the ironclad ‘Thunder Child’s’ heroic attempt to stop the Martians from toasting the steamer trapped in the bay, and had listened, enthralled until the end.

" Damn Teal’c, you can read well," I rasped, my throat feeling as dry as the Sahara desert.

Such is the man from Chulac’s iron control, he did nothing more than to raise an eyebrow and look down at me.

" Indeed, I have had plenty of practice on both you and Daniel Jackson over the years."

He rose. " I will summon Doctor Fraiser to your side

A moment later he returned with a bright-eyed Janet Fraiser, who lost no time in burying her nose in my medical chart.

" Hmm."

I would have reacted if I hadn’t noticed her small smile, and realized that she was deliberately trying to provoke me.

" Are you sure I deserve that tone of hmm? Surely something longer would be more appropriate for your favorite patient?" I rasped, making her laugh.

" Shush and drink some orange juice."

I felt Teal’c slowly raise the back of my bed, and lift a glass of orange juice towards me. Casually I reached towards it, only to realize that my arm was heavily bandaged from elbow to the tips of my fingers.

" Oh."

I reached for the inviting juice with my left hand only to see that arm encased in a heavy cast.

" Damn, I muttered. " I sure took a tumble."

Teal’c’s calm expression didn’t change.

" Indeed."

He positioned a straw against my mouth. " It will be my honor, O’Neill."

Feeling like a helpless baby, I meekly accepted the proffered straw and drank, until all the juice was gone. It was embarrassing, but worth it, because it was delicious.

" Thanks Teal’c," I said, settling back with a happy sigh, feeling almost human again.

" Colonel, welcome back." Smiling, I slowly turned my head to see Daniel and Carter walk through the door.

" Hi kids," I said softly, for some reason inordinately pleased to see them all together. " How is everyone?"

As usual, Daniel answered for them. " All the better for seeing you awake and aware."

" Great. Now get me out of here."

There was a polite cough from somewhere behind me. " I tend to your wounds, slave away at your recovery, and this is how you thank me? Asking your loyal team to help you escape, not ten minutes after waking up?"

I smiled at Doc Fraiser. " I knew you were there."

" Bull."

I tried to look wounded. " I did, I swear."

She wasn’t convinced.

" No escape. Not today." My face fell.

" Colonel", she said, sounding exasperated. " You have been unconscious for over two weeks and…"

I broke her off. " Two weeks?"

She nodded. " And two days."

"That is why you aren’t going to move from that bed for a while, okay?"

Truth be told, I was beginning to feel exhausted, not that I would ever tell Doc Fraiser about that.

" So what happened sir?" Carter asked.

"All we know is the fact that you were separated from us by that Jaffa attack. When Teal’c Daniel and I eventually managed to fight our way to the Stargate, you were already there, albeit unconscious and badly injured."

She paused thoughtfully.

"Teal’c says that you were probably thrown off the cliff above the gate."

I nodded. " He’s almost right. The ledge collapsed under my weight, and I tumbled straight down to the stargate, eventually using it to stop myself."

I shrugged self depreciatingly. " I was conscious at first, but unable to move. Do you know how frustrating that is, to know that the gate and DHD are right there, but be unable to even crawl?

From their uneasy silence, they had a good idea.

"Then I had a wonderful Jaffa pay me a visit." I raised an eyebrow at Teal’c. "Someone by the name of Talliff?"

Teal’c shook his head. " I have not heard of such a Jaffa, O’Neill." He shrugged. "Then again it has been some time since I denounced the false gods."

I nodded, feeling haunted.

"He and I had words, then he was gone."

" Maybe we’ll meet again," Carter said, frowning ferociously.

" We will, I murmured. "That he has promised me."

I couldn’t help the shiver that ran down my spine.

" He said we would see each other again, and soon."

I sighed, a feeling of resolve permeating my body.

"However, I have every intention of seeing him first."

*EINDE

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