Life & Death

Author: Geonn

Email: neil_j_miser@yahoo.com

Rating: R

Pairings: Sam and Janet, established relationship

Category: Drama, Action/adventure

Date: July 6, 2001

Disclaimer: Not mine. None of it. I even borrowed the letters that make up the words. If you want to be nitpicky, Burdett and Brubaker are mine.

Spoilers: Upgrades, eensy one for Small Victories, Past and Present, Bloodlines, Shades of Grey, Tin Man, There But For The Grace of God, The Other Side, Out of Mind and Foothold. I spoil a lot, it seems...

Series: First story in my "Ampersand" series.

Notes: Innumerable thanks go out to John for catching my countless brain farts while writing this.

Summary: SG-1 is told they have brought back a deadly virus through the gate and must return to the world where they were infected. But how trustworthy is their guide?

Thank you to San for the book covers.


Janet stood at the back door, two cans of soda forgotten in her hand. She was smiling in the direction of the swing set, where Samantha Carter was playing hide-and-seek with Cassandra. Brilliant scientist, universe traveler, beautiful woman... Janet smiled as she watched Sam press her face against the bar of the swing set, covering her eyes with one hand as she counted off the seconds. "Ten Mississippi. Eleven Mississippi..." Janet caught Sam peek once or twice as Cassie and her dog, Jack, bounded back and forth looking for a hiding spot.

Once Cassie found the perfect place, Sam began to exaggerate her counting. "Fifteen Mississippi. Eighteen Mississippi. Twenty-two Mississippi..."

Janet held back a laugh as she walked out onto the back porch, placing the soda cans next to the paper plates Sam had set up before embarking on her game. Janet checked the grill and announced, "Burgers are done!"

Cassie burst from the bushes and said, "'Bout time!"

Sam spun around and said, "Fifty Mississippi!"

Catching the teen girl around the waist and swinging her around, Sam cackled, "Gotcha, munchkin! Gotcha!"

"No fair, no fair!" Cassie laughed. She wiggled free from Sam's grasp and broke towards the picnic table. "Race you to the table!"

As Cassie plopped onto the bench, leaving Sam in the dust, Janet couldn't help but remember that Sam had once outrun the explosion of several pounds of C4 on a Goa'uld ship. Odd how she couldn't outrun a sixteen year old. Sam dropped onto the seat next to Cassie and said, "I'll get you next time, Cass. I guess I'm just worn out."

"S'okay," Cassie shrugged. "Happens when you get old."

As Janet placed a burger on Cassie's plate, Sam snatched it up. "Happens when WHAT?"

Cassie looked longingly at the burger, held just out of reach. "Happens when you get... uh..." She glanced at her mother for help.

"Happens when you get incredibly beautiful?" the doctor supplied as she sat, giving Sam her own burger.

Sam smiled and returned the burger. Cassie scrunched her nose at the mushiness of the statement, but was happy since it had gotten her the burger. She turned her attention to the food as Sam slipped her sneaker off, sliding it up the bare calf of Janet's leg.

Janet closed her eyes, increasingly glad she had worn shorts that day. She was also glad Jack and Daniel had turned down her offer to join them. If they had shown up, Sam would never have been this bold. The toes of the major's sock worked their way past the bend of Janet's knee, settling in the warm spot between the doctor's legs. Janet peeked at Cassie, then motioned at the girl with her head.

Sam caught the hint and turned her attention to the various condiments that lined the picnic table. Janet couldn't help but stare at the beauty across the table from her. She reached across, picking up the squeeze bottle of Heinz Ketchup and removing the bun of Sam's burger. Shaking the bottle slightly, she began to squirt a message onto Sam's burger. When she was done, it read "J LUVS S."

Sam smiled broadly, a slight blush coming to her cheeks. She picked up the ketchup bottle and proceeded to squeeze a message onto Janet's burger. Janet kept her eyes on Sam's face as the message was spelt out. Only when Sam finished did she look down. "J IS CORNY."

Janet's lips curled into a bemused smile and she tossed a french fry at Sam. Sam chuckled and mouthed, "I love you, too."

The two women were aware of Cassie watching all of this and turned to face her at almost the same time. Cassie smiled and said, "Mom and Sam, sittin' in a tree..."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Aren't you a little old for that song?"

"Aren't you a little old to make goggly-eyes over a table?"

"You starting with that old stuff again, kid?"

Cassie smiled and finished off her burger. She ran off to play with Jack rather than answer.

Janet looked down at the plates in front of them. "She finished an entire burger in the time it took me to sit down?"

"One of the advantages of being young, granny," Sam rasped. They laughed together, putting the buns back on their burgers and destroying the declarations written in ketchup.

---

Sam stepped out of the bathroom, her skin glistening from the shower. She ran the towel through her dripping blonde hair before tossing it into the hamper and walking to the closet to find something to sleep in. Janet rose from where she lay on the bed, resting her head on her hand as she watched her lover walk across the dark room in the nude. The light from the bathroom was providing just enough light to make Sam's wet body shimmer. Janet sighed, "Amazing."

Sam turned, striking a pose. "All those exams, all these years we've been sleeping together, it's good to know you're still amazed by my body."

Janet shook her head. "Not your body. The fact that you're walking around naked when, during your first night here - I couldn't get your shoes off, let alone your bra."

Sam smiled, walking to the bed. She had decided exactly what she was going to wear to bed. Pulling the blanket back, she climbed in next to Janet and stroked the doctor's stomach through the nightshirt she wore.

"I had good reason to be. I was sure that at any moment O'Neill would burst through that door and my career would be destroyed." Sam's fingers slowly began to work at the buttons of Janet's shirt, eager to make her as naked as she was.

"Don't be silly," Janet said. "I only have Jack over when you're at the base late."

Sam chuckled, having worked her way halfway down the front of Janet's shirt. She could see the strapless bra within and licked her lips in anticipation. "So that's why he never interrupts when me and Teal'c are getting it on."

Janet pulled Sam's face close and said, "I love you more than anything, Samantha Carter. I would retire from the Air Force," she kissed Sam's eyes. "Move to a third world country." She kissed Sam's nose. "And renounce my citizenship if I had to," she kissed Sam's lips. "For you."

When she looked into Sam's eyes, she saw tears shimmering on the corners. "I love you, Janet Fraiser."

They kissed passionately as Sam's hands slipped into the gap of Janet's shirt, finding and caressing the soft flesh of one breast. Janet moaned into Sam's mouth, using her knee to push apart Sam's legs. As her thigh rubbed against the wetness she found there, a shrill ringing came from the bedside table. Janet groaned and pulled Sam close, trailing kisses along her jawline. "Don't answer it, Sam. It's the base and they'll just want to pull you away from me."

Sam sighed, wrapping one leg around Janet's waist as the phone continued to ring. "I don't wanna answer it, babe... but what if the Goa'uld are attacking earth?"

Janet nibbled on Sam's ear lobe. "Then I'd rather spend my last minutes in bed with a naked Sam than watching you drive away."

Sam smiled, slowly rubbing against Janet's hip. "What if the... mmm... Asgard need my help again? What if Thor needs another stupid idea?"

The phone rang again.

"Then he can beam you up onto his ship... and I would like to see the expression on his face when you show up like this."

Sam laughed, sliding her hands down Janet's back to cup her ass. She groaned. "I have to answer it, babe." "I know," Janet whispered.

Sam reached across the bed, plunking her cell phone from behind the alarm. She clicked the button and cleared her throat. "Carter here."

"Major... did I wake you?" It was General Hammond. 

Sam sat up in bed. "No, sir, General, sir. Uh... I was just resting. What's up?"

"It appears we have a problem, major."

"Problem?"

"Concerning one of your recent missions. I'd rather not get into it over the phone. Can you get to the base within the hour?"

"Yes, sir. I'm on my way now, sir."

"If you would... would you wake Dr. Fraiser and bring her along?" It was common knowledge that Sam had moved into Janet's house to help take care of Cassie. What wasn't common knowledge was the real reason they shared quarters. No one, not even other members of SG-1 knew the real reason. "I believe she could be of
assistance here."

"Of course, sir. I'll wake her up now. Good-bye, sir." She hung up.

"What is it, Sam?"

"Something happened on a mission. Hammond wants us to go to the base within the hour. Janet, could... could something have happened?"

Janet wrapped her arms around Sam, squeezing her gently. "Hey... we have excellent screening procedures. If there was anything wrong, we would have caught it."

Sam shook her head, chewing her thumbnail.

Janet kissed Sam's cheek. "Your last mission was over a week ago, Sam. If anything were wrong, don't you think it would've shown up by now?"

Sam sighed and said, "I have to get dressed." She slid off the bed, bundling the sheets around her.

Janet stood, turning Sam around by her shoulders. "Listen to me, Sam. Nothing is wrong. You're fine. Jack is fine, Daniel is fine, Teal'c is fine. Everything is fine." She raised herself slightly so she could kiss the corners of Sam's mouth, then pulled the sheet back. "Get dressed. We'll go to the base and Hammond will tell us what small thing is wrong. And it will be fine by morning."

Sam nodded weakly, then kissed Janet, her tongue invading the brunette's mouth. When they finally broke for air, Sam whispered, "Thank you, my love."

Janet smiled and gave Sam a quick swat on the behind. "Get dressed," she laughed.

---

Despite their delay in getting started, Sam and Janet weren't the last to arrive at the impromptu meeting. Daniel and Teal'c were in the briefing room with two officers when the women arrived and stood at their entrance.

"Sam," Daniel said.

"What's going on, Daniel? Did they tell you anything?"

"No... only that they received a radio message from P24-C3X at approximately ten pm and they allowed whoever it was through the gate. Then they started calling us here."

Sam checked her watch. 12:19. It had to be important to call the team in the middle of the night. She felt very bad about this entire affair. She sighed as she dropped into one of the chairs. "Call us up in the middle of the night, then make us wait. Typical..."

Daniel smirked. "Sounds like someone didn't want to get out of bed."

She glanced at Janet and said, "Definitely not."

The door connecting Hammond's office to the briefing room opened and the general stepped out, followed closely by a short, bald man in gray scrub-like clothes. Sam recognized him immediately. His name was Laszwell; he had been the diplomat who had greeted them when they arrived on P24-C3X. It had been over two weeks since that mission. What had changed?

He bowed as the team members present greeted him and took a seat next to General Hammond. Janet slowly sat next to him. Hammond sighed. "Folks, we have a bit of a problem here. Laszwell has informed me that while on his planet, SG-1 may have been submitted to a form of viral infection."

"A virus," Daniel asked, sitting forward. "Is... is it deadly?"

"Not if treated properly, no. Unfortunately, you will all have to return to my world in order to undergo the treatment."

Sam cleared her throat. "Could the procedure work here? I mean, if we had the resources?"

"It is possible," Laszwell said. "But risky. It is more likely to work on my world."

Teal'c turned to examine the room. As if the thought had just occured to him, he asked, "Where is Colonel O'Neill?"

Hammond sighed. "Denver. He's on his way here now."

Daniel sighed. "This... is a lot to take in."

"There is more," Laszwell interjected. "I am afraid I will be forced to ask a very personal question now. General Hammond has informed me of a virus on your world known as AIDS. It most resembles the virus with which you may have been infected."

"Oh, God," Daniel muttered, leaning back in his chair. "We're going to, uh..."

"No, I assure you," Laszwell said, steepling his fingers on the tabletop. "It is not as deadly as your AIDS. But it can prove fatal if not treated. The thing I must ask... have any of you engaged in sexual practices since your visit to my world?"

Sam's eyes shot to Janet immediately, only to find the doctor's deep brown eyes staring back at her.

Daniel shook his head. "The, uh... last woman I was involved with was Keera. I figure she's safe..."

Teal'c nodded his agreement. "I have been chaste for quite some time. My last lover was Sha'nauc." His face darkened momentarily at the thought of her, but he covered it as he did all of his emotions.

All eyes turned to Sam. She smiled weakly and said, "No. My last lover was, uh... was Jonas."

Daniel's eyes widened behind his glasses. "Jonas? Wasn't that..."

"Over two weeks ago? Yes, just barely," she answered curtly. "Can we, uh... move on, please?"

Laszwell nodded, his head slightly bowed. "Yes. I apologize. When can you be ready to travel to my world?"

Hammond answered, "Jack should be here within the hour. I'll brief him and SG-1 will immediately go through the gate. Also... Lieutenant Colonel Brubaker and Captain Burdett will accompany you through the gate to make sure you arrive safely."

Laszwell seemed pleased with this and stood. "Very well. May I be allowed to rest as I await your final member?"

Hammond nodded, motioning for Siler to take Laszwell to a VIP guest room. They disappeared down the stairs and the general turned to the quartet gathered before him. "I apologize for any lack of sleep you had to endure. Laszwell assured me this procedure is absolutely necessary for survival once a person has been infected."

"Will not my symbiote protect me?" Teal'c asked.

"He never came across a Goa'uld larvae before. He's uncertain as to what the symbiote will do to stop the virus, if anything. I feel it would be best if you went through the procedure."

Teal'c nodded his agreement.

"That's all for now," Hammond said. "You're all on stand-by until O'Neill shows up. Dismissed."

Sam looked up in time to see Janet was already halfway to the stairs. Sighing, she stood and followed Daniel to the locker room to get changed for their mission.

---

Daniel chuckled nervously as he finally got his jacket zipped. "I'm nervous. I don't know why. It's not like I may have contracted a virus as deadly as AIDS or anything." He shook his head. "Jack is going to go ballistic when he..." He turned to see that Sam was sitting motionless on the bench. "Oh. Did you want me to wait outside? I just kinda figured you'd slip the fatigues on over your clothes like I did... but if you want me to go..." He headed towards the door, then noticed Sam hadn't moved. "Are you okay?"

She glanced up. "Huh? I'm... in shock, I guess."

Daniel sat. "I understand. It's a big thing to take in. But, hey... Laszwell says that they have the technology to heal us on their world. Just a little jump through the Stargate and we'll be fine. It's... it's not about that, is it?"

"I lied."

"About... what?"

"When Laszwell asked us about our sexual relations. Jonas wasn't my last lover. I wish I could come right out and say who it was, but... but.... it would probably mean the end of my career."

Daniel frowned. "I... don't see what the problem is, Sam."

"What? This disease is AIDS-level."

"But... Jack is going to go through the gate to get healed with us."

"What does that have to do with anyt... You think Jack was my last lover?"

"He's not?"

"NO!"

"Well, then, why can't you say who your lover is? If it's not Jack, or... is it someone below you in rank?"

"Not exactly..."

"I don't see the problem, Sam. Is it something that I shouldn't pry about?"

"Exactly." Sam rubbed her face and shook her head. "I need to know more about this procedure. I need to know
if it can be performed here."

"So you can help your... lover... without having to compromise the relationship?"

"Exactly."

Daniel shrugged. "I'm the curious one of the group, right? I'll just ask Laszwell to explain the procedure so I can determine whether or not it's safe. My skepticism has worked out in the past, right?"

Sam smiled weakly. "That would be great, Daniel. Thanks."

Daniel stood, putting a hand on her shoulder. "And I'll keep your secret a... secret."

Sam stood, pulling her t-shirt off. As soon as she was dressed, she would have to find Janet and tell her they had found a possible solution.

---

Sam closed the door to Janet's lab, turning the lock as she noticed that the shades were already drawn. She turned and saw Janet sitting on the edge of her desk, playing with the hem of her uniform skirt. Sam smiled. "Hey."

Janet looked up, as if she hadn't heard Sam enter. "Hey."

"Well... this is a little bit of a problem."

Janet tried to smile, but failed. "I'm scared, Sam. What if... what if we're kicked out of the Air Force?"

"That won't happen, Janet."

"Do you want me to go with you to tell Hammond?"

"Tell Hammond? Janet, we can't tell Hammond."

"Wh... well, what's your solution?"

Sam sighed. "Daniel's figuring out right now. The way I see it, we'll go to the planet, have the procedure done, then bring back whatever we need to heal you."

"You mean steal it?"

"Right... I guess... but if it helps save you..."

"Sam! Do you realize what you're saying? You want to stick some alien technology into your pocket, come through the Stargate and use it on me?"

"Yes! It's the only way to save your life and your career! And, if we're successful, maybe we can retrograde something like it here and help millions of..."

"SAM! This is exactly what Colonel O'Neill did to Tollana. This is what Colonel O'Neill got *court-martialed* for. This can't be your idea!"

"Take it or leave it," Sam said. "Because we can't tell Hammond about our relationship. It's out of the question."

"Why? Why is that your sudden decision?"

Sam walked to the couch, sitting down on the edge. "Janet, if we tell Hammond, he could kick us out of the military. Our careers would be over."

"Look at it this way, Sam. If you steal the cure from Laszwell and Hammond finds out before you give it to me, I'm dead anyway. You're out of the military anyway. And this whole damned mission would have been for nothing. But if we just TELL Hammond, he'll let us be cured before he boots us. We have to tell him, Sam."

"You may be willing to give up your career," Sam whispered, "But my career is my life."

The office was silent. When Janet finally spoke, it was in a strained whisper. "You would rather protect your career... and risk my life on a mission to steal some cure? Sam, what if you can't get it?"

"Then we'll think of something else."

Janet began to pace slowly. "Sam... we have to tell Hammond. We have to hope that he'll let us stay in the program."

"He won't, Janet. Please, just let me try my plan."

"I don't want to die, Sam."

"I don't want you to die, either. You think I want you to die?" She stood, pulling Janet into her arms.

"Look... I already told Daniel without revealing too many details. I can be just as vague with the Colonel and Teal'c and they'd be glad to help me bring the cure back."

"Sam, even if you succeeded, Laszwell said the procedure was risky unless it was performed on his world. Please. Tell Hammond." Her voice was filled with tears.

"I can't," Sam sobbed, holding Janet tightly. "God, I don't want you hurt, but I can't."

Janet suddenly pulled out of Sam's arms. "Fine. Then I'll tell him. I'm not going to die because you love your career more than me."

"Janet, I don't--"

"I would sacrifice my job, my house, my LIFE for you, Sam. In a perfect world, you would do the same for me."

"Janet, it's not about my career or..."

"Wrong!" Janet snapped, wiping her cheek with her palm. "It's completely about your career. You'd rather risk my life than your job." She stormed past Sam and out of the office, letting the door slam as she exited.

Sam collapsed onto the couch, hugging herself tightly as she continued to sob.

---

Janet knocked on the open door of General Hammond's office. "Sir? If I may have a moment?"

Daniel turned in his seat, then stood to let her sit.

"What can I do for you, doctor?"

Janet came in, sitting in Daniel's seat and placing her hands on her lap. "I, ah... have a confession to make, sir. SG-1 wasn't being completely truthful with Laszwell."

"Explain," the general said, glancing in Daniel's direction.

"Sir... I was sexually involved with--"

"I thought we weren't going to tell him," Daniel interrupted.

Janet turned, gaping at Daniel. "Uh... we..."

"Sir," he said, hanging his head slightly. "a few nights after we returned from P24-C3X, Dr. Fraiser and I went out for some drinks. We got... pretty wasted and ended up at my apartment. It was a one-time thing, sir. We didn't feel it deserved mention."

Hammond sighed. "Which is why you were asking so many questions about the procedure?"

"Yes. I was hoping I could find a way to bring it back and administer the cure here. Janet and I really didn't want anyone to know... about us..."

Hammond sighed. "Of course I have to allow Dr. Fraiser travel through the Stargate now. Will this... affair... have any repercussions on your duties?"

"No," Daniel said. "I assure you, General, we decided it was a mistake. It won't happen again."

"Never again," Janet added.

Hammond nodded once. "Very well. Dr. Fraiser, be prepared to go within the hour. Dismissed."

As soon as they were out of the office, Janet closed the door and grabbed Daniel's arm. "Spill, Jackson."

He shrugged nervously. "Sam wasn't exactly cryptic when she asked me all those questions. She only referred to you as her 'lover' and never mentioned a sex. Said it was against regulations, but it wasn't with Jack. I sort of put it all together."

"Thank you, Daniel."

"You were going to reveal that you and Sam..."

"Let's not think about that, huh?"

"Shouldn't Sam have come with you? I mean... it does affect her."

"It does and she should have come. In a perfect world." She pecked Daniel on the cheek and said, "I have to go get ready. Thanks again..."

Daniel watched her go.

---

Jack O'Neill was dressed and debriefed faster than any of the others. Fifteen minutes after he arrived, he was in the gate room ready for departure. Daniel and Teal'c stood at the bottom of the ramp with Brubaker and Burdett, describing the process of space travel to the neophyte Burdett. Dr. Fraiser was pacing slowly by the doors. Jack sighed, drumming his fingers on his thigh. He felt decidedly naked without his gun but, as Laszwell had said, why did they need weapons when goodwill had already been established. Hammond had agreed. The only ones armed were Burdett and Brubaker, and they only had a revolver and a zat. Jack had a very uneasy feeling as the Stargate began to rotate.

The door to the gate room slid open as Chevron 4 locked and Sam Carter entered. Her face was freshly scrubbed and devoid of the tears she had been unable to stop until a few minutes ago. Jack turned, frowning at his second-in-command. "You okay, Carter? Your eyes are a little red..."

"Fine, sir," she said, rubbing absently at her eye. "Just tired."

"Understand that. Ever double-timed it from Denver in the middle of the night? Not a lot of fun." He sighed, adjusting his cap. "How do you feel about this Boswell fella?"

"Laszwell," Sam corrected. "He seems sorry for what happened. I think he only wants to fix what went wrong."

"I just feel... odd, is all."

"Should we postpone the mission, Colonel?"

"Nah... just be ready to make a break for the gate, Major." He smiled as the Stargate roared to life a few feet ahead of them. Burdett had to duck to avoid the 'kawoosh' effect. Sam turned, noticing that Janet was trailing behind everyone else. They locked eyes, and then Janet climbed the ramp ahead of Sam.

Sam watched the smaller woman march up the ramp, following closely. She reached out to touch Janet's shoulder, just to let her know she was there... but the shoulder disappeared into the event horizon just before her hand made contact. Sam sighed, lowering her hand. Taking a breath, then slowly blowing it out, she stepped through the gate.

---

P24-C3X, known to the locals as Khrais, appeared to be situated entirely within a huge bunker-type building. O'Neill had immediately voiced his aversion to Stargates in labs when they had arrived two weeks ago. When Sam asked why he hated indoor gates, he immediately offered her Harlan's world, the world with Daniel's quantum mirror and Alar's world. Now, two weeks later, he still had misgivings about it. "I hate when we show up indoors."

Daniel shrugged. "What about our gate? It's indoors?"

"Yes," O'Neill said, "And any unannounced guests are splattered against an iris like bugs on a windshield. I'd say that's a bad experience, wouldn't you?"

Laszwell motioned down a long hallway. "If you would follow me to the treatment center, I shall begin the process immediately." The team moved to the corridor he had indicated and followed him into the semi-darkness.

Sam realized Captain Burdett had made his way to her side. "Hey, Captain," she said cheerfully. "How was your inaugural trip through the 'gate?" She noticed in the dim light that his skin had a slight sheen to it, but that was probably just from gate travel.

He smiled in the darkness. "It was definitely a trip, Major." He was silent for a moment, then said, "Permission to speak freely, ma'am?"

She was surprised at his request, but said, "Sure, Captain."

"I, uh... not to sound crass or anything... but I found it hard to believe that your last lover was four years ago."

She blushed slightly. "And you know that because..."

"I was in the briefing, ma'am."

"Ah, right... Well, believe it, Captain."

"It's just a little hard to believe. I mean, you're so... What I mean to say is that I'm sure there are dozens of men at the base alone who wouldn't mind breaking your dry spell."

Sam was glad the hallway was dark. "Captain, I think we're getting into some dangerous territory. Was there anything else?"

"Yeah," he said, after a moment. "Got any aspirin? I have a wicked headache..."

She pulled the small white bottle from her side pocket and tossed it to the captain. She turned her attention back to the corridor ahead of her in time to see Janet's head turn back to the front. Sam smiled slightly at the thought of Janet eavesdropping. 'If she's jealous,' Sam reasoned, 'that means she still cares... she's not too mad...'

The procession stopped in a large, brightly lit room. Beds lined both walls and were illuminated by hidden lamps. Janet frowned. "This doesn't look like any infirmary I've ever seen. Sterile is one thing, but... this room is empty save for the beds."

"I assure you, Dr. Fraiser. This is more than enough to complete the procedure. Please, lay upon the beds and we will begin the healing process."

Jack shrugged, walking over to a bed and testing the mattress. He jumped up onto it, testing the firmness of the mattress before laying down. "Sure beats the hotel I was planning on staying at tonight..."

Laszwell motioned for the others to follow. They complied. Soon, Laszwell, Burdett and Brubaker were the only ones left standing. The lights began to slowly pulsate. "This will place you in a state of deep relaxation," Laszwell explained. "It is necessary for the procedure."

After several minutes, SG-1 and Janet were unconcious. Brubaker nervously shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "How long will this, uh... procedure last?"

Laszwell shrugged. "Approximately ten minutes. Fortunately, you will not have to wait."

Before Brubaker could ask what that meant, someone grabbed the lieutenant from behind. He tried to fight off his attacker, but was overpowered in a matter of seconds. He fell to his knees and felt the pinprick of something being injected into his neck. He grunted, falling face-first onto the hard tile. As he passed out, he spotted Burdett falling as well.

Once the two chaperones were dealt with, Laszwell clapped his hands together once and addressed his guards. "Now. Let the procedure begin."


Part Two

Burdett's consciousness returned to him slowly, burning from the back of his neck to the front of his skull. The headache that he had taken the aspirin for had since increased a hundred fold. He struggled to push himself up, but couldn't find the strength. He opened his eyes, immediately regretting the move. The light burned and he had to lower his eyelids once again. The last time he had felt this bad was when he was poisoned at the Kung Pu Chicken Hutch... but even that was bearable. This was like someone trying to rip your insides out. With a shovel. A blunt shovel.

He groaned quietly, finally moving his arm to push half of his body up. Every muscle in his body ached. He vaguely remembered being overpowered by Laszwell's people and being injected with something. He risked opening his eyes again and saw that Brubaker was still prone next to him. He turned his head with the greatest of effort and saw the room was empty. From his position near the floor, he could see the only boots of SG-1 where they lay on the bed.

Wincing, he lowered himself once more, letting his body rest on the cold tile. 'All right,' he told himself. 'Assess the situation. SG-1 is unconscious. Brubaker and Fraiser are unconscious. Why was I spared?'

He tried to remember anything that he had done differently than the others. What did he do that no one else had? Slowly, he became aware of the lump he was laying on. Something was in the front pocket of his fatigues.

Shifting painfully, he reached down and felt out the lump. Carter's aspirin! He had taken a couple of pills right before entering the infirmary. Maybe something in the aspirin had blocked the effects of whatever had knocked him out.

As he felt the pain in each muscle of his body, he popped the top of the bottle and poured a few more aspirin onto the floor. He pinched a couple between his fingers and raised it to his mouth. He swallowed them dry, leaving an awful taste in his mouth. He coughed, but noticed the pain was quickly subsiding. He weakly chuckled, "Gotta remember to tell Fraiser 'bout this."

When the pain was tolerable, he grabbed the edge of the closest bed and pulled himself to his knees before he had to stop and take a breath. He exhaled softly, then said, "What'd I do today? Well, I traveled across the galaxy and then couldn't pull myself to my feet without stopping for a breather. What did *you* do today?" He finally managed to stand fully, leaning against the bed. Carter, O'Neill and Teal'c were on beds along the opposite wall. Fraiser and Daniel were the closest to him. All five were covered to their necks with a blanket.

He started at Fraiser, lightly tapping her cheek. "Doc? Hey, Doc, can you hear me?" No response. 'Man, like talking to a corpse...' he shook his head, admonishing himself. 'Can't think like that, Burdett. There are no corpses in this room.' He checked her pulse, just to reassure himself, and felt a light pulse. In doing so, he moved the blanket down a centimeter. It was enough to reveal that her shoulder was bare.

Burdett frowned. He glanced at Jackson and, realizing that he would be more comfortable looking at a topless Daniel, moved to that bed. He slid the blanket down to Daniel's chest, noting the marks on the archaeologist's skin. Two large circles had been drawn over his pecs, along with a smaller one in between them.

He moved from Jackson to O'Neill, inspecting his chest as well. Only one large circle was drawn on the colonel's chest; on the right side of his body. A second large circle was drawn over his abdomen. Teal'c's chest was the same, save for a large square drawn around the symbiote pouch.

Burdett stepped back, looking at the bared chests of the males of SG-1. Were the circles of some sort of religious important to Laszwell's people? Maybe they had medical impor...

His eyes widened. Medical. The large circles on the chest were directly over where the lungs would be. The circle on O'Neill's stomach was probably for his lower intestine or bladder. Teal'c symbiote was an obvious one and... he looked over at Daniel. A smaller circle between the lungs. The heart. "Oh, my God," he whispered. "They're harvesting organs."

---

Sam was aware of things; movement, people touching her body, vague sounds... but she couldn't place them. Everything she heard or felt just brushed by her consciousness and was immediately forgotten. She was in a place of peacefulness. Solitude. Quiet. The only place in the universe that rivaled this peace was within the wormhole, and that was over far too quickly. No lights, no loud sounds, no anything to disturb her happiness.

Something was wrong.

She floated somewhere between life and death, between shadow and light...

Colors rolled through her vision, wrapping around her in ribbons before evaporating into wisps of smoke. She inhaled the colors, smelling their beautiful scents as she drifted deeper into the darkness. All sounds, all feelings were slowly fading. Oranges, blues, greens, yellows, reds... they all swam around her as she flew.

Never before had she felt such freedom. Never before had she felt so unencumbered.

Something was wrong.

She didn't know what exactly. But something was amiss. She shouldn't let her guard down like this. Something was wrong, something deadly was wrong. Like a swimmer who suddenly realized how deep she was, Sam began to frantically claw for the surface. She fought, climbed, crawled, strained towards the edge of the blackness, but no matter how hard she fought it still seemed so far away. Pain began to seep into her bones. This was paradise, there WAS no pain! Her joints ached as she continued to climb. It was a fruitless effort, but she had to try! It was within her sight now! Just as she was about to reach the apex, something wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her back down into the darkness.

"NO! I don't want to stay here! PLEASE!"

---

Burdett turned. Carter was moving slightly under her sheets. He moved to her bed, glancing at the doors to make sure they were still alone. He placed a hand on her shoulder to still her. "Major? Can you hear me?" She was mumbling incoherently, her face covered with a sheen of sweat. He pulled the aspirin bottle from his pocket and slipped a few between her pale lips. He hoped she would swallow them... he hoped it would work on her like it had for him.

"Major Carter, I'm going to get you out of here. I just need time to--" The door locks were disengaging. Burdett hurried back to where he had first awakened and laid face-down again. He hoped they wouldn't notice if he was in a different position, but there wasn't much he could do at the moment.

The doors opened quietly. Burdett counted off the footfalls, mentally adding up how many people had just entered. If he counted right, there were three men. He heard Laszwell say, "Find some more beds. I don't like stepping over people." He felt a boot kick him in the side.

It was now or never. Summoning all of his strength, he pushed himself up and rushed the closest man in a half-crouch. He hit the man in the stomach, knocking him over onto Daniel's bed. The guard grunted, pulling at something on his belt. Burdett found it first and pulled the weapon free and flipped something with his thumb. The device began to hum quietly.

Strong hands clamped down on his shoulders, pulling him back. Once he was off of the first man, the second one spun him around and kneed him in the stomach. He doubled over, dropping the device he had stolen from the first guard.

The first guard returned, grabbing Burdett's arms and holding them back. Burdett winced as the second guard's fists began pounding the hard muscle of his stomach. Several blows glanced across his jaw and he felt a tooth get knocked loose. When the blows ceased for half a second, he took his window of opportunity and brought his boot up, kicking his attacker in the chest. The puncher fell backwards over Fraiser's bed, his balance hopelessly thrown.

His feet back on the ground, Burdett lurched forward, bending at the waist. The guard holding his arms back flew over his head and hit the floor with a sickening thud. Burdett turned, searching for the third man.  He quickly found him.

A spear of light shot from the doorway and burnt through Burdett's arm. He screamed, grabbing the charred limb, and fell to his knees. Through his tears of pain, he saw that the third man was Laszwell. The bald man who had lured them to this place held a glowing rod and was slowly approaching. "How did you resist the serum?"

"Bite me."

The rod swung in a high arc and snapped across Burdett's jaw. The tooth that had been knocked loose was now free in his mouth. He spit to avoid swallowing it, a bit upset when he saw the trail of blood that accompanied the spittle. The bloody tooth landed on Laszwell's boot. The alien peered down at it, then swung the weapon again. Burdett was knocked to the tile floor again, this time truly unconscious.

Laszwell turned to his guards, who were nursing their wounds from the small bout with Burdett. "Find out why he managed to stay awake." He turned and walked swiftly from the room.

The two guards picked up Burdett's limp body and carried him out of the infirmary, locking the door behind them.

---

Her mouth was filled with white powder. She swallowed several times, trying to work up some saliva, but it was useless. Something had been put in her mouth. The darkness wasn't so all-consuming now. It was bearable... normal. Testing her limits, she wiggled her fingers. There was something solid beneath her. Soft, but solid. She slowly began to feel things around her; the mattress beneath her back, the pillow holding her head, the sheet over her body... her *nude* body, she realized with a start.

She opened her eyes, the sudden brightness startling her. She blinked a few times, before realizing that the brightness was really just dim lamps installed over each bed. She looked around the room without moving her head, just taking a brief recon of her situation. Teal'c and Colonel O'Neill were on either side of her and Janet was across from her. She could see Daniel laying next to the doctor, his chest exposed. Several black circles marked his chest in vital areas. Brubaker and Burdett were nowhere to be seen. Safely assuming that she was alone, she took the opportunity to examine herself.

She slid the sheet down, noting that there were black marks over her chest as well, in the same vital areas as Daniel. She traced one of the lines over her breast, frowning at the precision. It was like a blueprint of some sort. It was then that she realized where the marks were located. 'Surgical outlines,' she told herself.

Her lungs and heart were, apparently, marked for harvest. An odd shaped circle just below her stomach was probably for her ovaries or other reproductive organs. 'Laszwell, you bastard,' she thought. 'You lied to us... put my relationship with Janet in danger... all because you wanted to harvest organs? When I get ahold of your bald ass, I am going to rip you apart with my bare hands.'

There was, however, a slight problem. They had taken her clothes and, unlike the situation in Hathor's prison, there was no scientist/Goa'uld to steal clothes from. And she wasn't about to go after Laszwell in the buff. Save that kind of thing for the B-movies. She sat up in her bed, holding the sheet to her chest. From this vantage point, she saw a pair of combat boots laying on the floor in front of her bed. She craned her neck slightly and saw a pair of legs attached. The legs were too thick, too muscular to be Burdett.

She slid out of bed, kneeling next to Brubaker and rolling him over. The lieutenant colonel was unconscious and looked like he was going to stay that way. She winced at what she would have to do and shrugged. "Sorry, sir. Looks like this is my only choice if we want to get outta here." She unzipped his jacket.

---

General Hammond paced nervously, his hands planted firmly on his waist. "Anything?"

The technician shook his head. "No, sir. Our messages haven't been answered by SG-1 or anyone else."

The general sighed. "Laszwell assured me that the procedure would take no more than three hours. It's been five. What could possibly be keeping them from responding?"

"Sir, the MALP is picking up movement on the alien world. Someone's approaching the Stargate."

Hammond bent down, pulling the mic to his mouth. "This is General George Hammond. Where are my people?"

A few second passed. Suddenly, all readings from the MALP cut off. That was followed by laserfire through the gate. Scorchmarks indicated where the wall had been hit. Hammond ordered the iris closed and it was done a second later. As Hammond straightened, the tech asked, "What the hell was that?"

Hammond frowned. "I believe Khrais just cut off our diplomatic relations."

---

Sam stood, zipping Brubaker's jacket over her torso. She had left the lieutenant colonel with a t-shirt and boxers, which meant she had to make due with pants with no underwear and a jacket with no shirt. It was a very uncomfortable outfit, but it beat streaking through the halls of an alien facility. She tried on his boots, but found them a few sizes too big. She left them, deciding it would be easier to go barefoot than to trip over her own feet. She squeezed her toes, imagining she was standing in shag carpet. According to a movie she had once seen, it was supposed to be relaxing. 'Bruce Willis, eat your heart out,' she thought as she headed for the door.

She straightened her jacket, feeling the pocket for weapons Laszwell had overlooked. She found several bullets, a grenade, a zat and Brubaker's service revolver. She slipped the gun under her belt and stood, examining the room. The only light came from the hallway, filtered through the glass of the door. The rest of her team and Janet took up the only beds in the room, which was probably why Brubaker was still on the floor. She stepped over him, heading for the door to the room. Locked. 'No problem,' she thought. Stepping back, she shot the panel with the zat. It sparked, but nothing moved. She sighed and held the gun by it's barrel, pounding at the mechanism with the butt. After several strikes, the controls sparked and the doors parted slightly.

After checking to make sure the coast was clear, she slipped into the hallway and headed right after flipping a mental coin. She'd have to come back for the others later, once she found a way out.

---

Laszwell stood before the charts, examining the readouts he had received. Hundreds of the Khairn had applied for the new organs that he had procured. No one asked how, no one asked where. A kidney was a kidney was a kidney. Laszwell smiled. The team had been so gullible, so eager to trade for superior technology. Little did they know what it would end up costing them. He already had buyers for Major Carter's heart and Daniel Jackson's right lung. For those two items alone he was a rich, rich man. Once he sold the rest - especially the Jaffa's larval Goa'uld - he would never have to work again.

The only infuriating part of his plan was how long it took him to determine how to lure the humans back. It was so simple. It was obvious how scared they were of new viruses, how worried they were that they would cause a contagion that they came through the Stargate in contamination suits. When they had gone home, Laszwell had been furious he had let them get away. But it was all coming together now.

As soon as the buyers arrived with their credits, he would begin the surgeries to remove the requested parts. Hell, while he was at it, he would sell minor things. Eyes, hands, fingers, hair plugs. Money would no longer be an object for him.

The doors to his office slid open and he half-turned. "Laughn. What have you to tell me?"

"One of the humans has escaped."

Laszwell spun around. "Who?"

"The blonde female."

"Major Carter," he grimaced. "I knew she would be a problem. Is Janet Fraiser still prisoner?"

Laughn frowned.

Laszwell sighed and elaborated, "The brunette female."

"Ah. She remains, sir."

Laszwell smiled. "Good. Take her to the holding cell."

"Sir, if I may inquire... why the female? Would it not make more sense to bring put the Jaffa in the cell?"

"I spent much time with the Tau'ri. I have noticed how the females act when they are around each other. If we wish an emotional response from Major Carter, we will put Janet Fraiser in the cell."

Laughn bowed slightly and scurried off to comply with his master's orders.

---

Sam knelt in an alcove next to the room which housed the Stargate. She could hear people talking back and forth, which ruled out sending for help. She listened to the men guarding the gate and soon discovered they had destroyed the MALP and opened fire on the open wormhole. She prayed no one in the SGC had been injured.

She clutched Brubaker's gun, ready to open fire if discovered. Frankly, she wasn't up for a firefight. Her muscles still ached from the drug they had used to knock her out. She could still taste the aspirin-like powder in her mouth.

She rolled her head against the wall, trying to think of what her next course of action would be. She assumed she could make it back to the gate, dial home and bring reinforcements. That was out.

She couldn't count on Janet and the rest of the team since they were all down for the count. She closed her eyes, wondering why she had to be the one who woke up. Jack would've been so much more qualified. If Daniel had awakened first, he would have had the opportunity to negotiate with Laszwell. Maybe end this peacefully. Teal'c... well, he would probably have knocked Lasz-well around until he let everyone go. Even Janet could fare better than her.

Tears began to roll down her cheeks. It would be the best for everyone if she just stuck the damn gun in her mouth and pulled the trigger. Just end this all. Bite the bullet, as it were. She turned the gun towards herself, staring down the inky black barrel.

'What the hell am I doing?!' she screamed at herself. She lowered the gun, staring at her hands as if they had betrayed her somehow. She was trembling awfully and she knew what had happened. She was coming down off the drug. Whatever they had pumped into her to knock her out, it was slowly leaking out of her system. Just like any other drug would do. She clenched her fist. She wouldn't let her team down because she couldn't handle a little withdrawal.

Searching through the pockets of the jacket again, she found one of the bullets for the revolver. She held the zat in her right hand and the bullet in her left. She peeked around the corner, spotting the two guards leaning against opposite sides of the outer rim of the Stargate. She counted to three and hurled the bullet down the opposite corridor. It hit the far wall with a hollow ring.

The guards jumped at the sound, and one craned his neck to see who was coming. "Who's there?" When he got no response, he pushed off of his resting place and sauntered over to the entry of the corridor. "Hey! Someone there?"

His friend had turned to see what was going on. Both of their backs were turned to her. She came out of her corridor in a crouch, firing the zat at the closest guard; the one standing at the gate. He fell to the floor without ever seeing what had hit him. She rolled, stopping herself behind the DHD. The still-upright guard opened fire on her position. She raised her arm over the DHD and fired once. The shot went way off, but caused the guard to cease fire for a moment. Sam used his distraction to her advantage and rolled out from behind her hiding place and fired once. The blast hit the man in his chest and knocked him against the wall.

Sam stood, quickly dialing in the address for Earth. As soon as the gate was active, she hit her radio. "General Hammond, this is Major Carter. Come in, sir!"

Seconds passed like hours until, "Hammond. What's going on there, Major?"

"Don't know, sir. Laszwell knocked us out and apparently had intentions of harvesting our organs. Burdett is missing and everyone else has been drugged. It's a powerful sedative, sir. I barely woke up myself."

"How did you wake up?"

"I don't know... I woke up with some sort of chalky taste in my mouth. Tasted like aspirin. Sir, requesting you send reinforcements through the gate ASAP. SG-1 has been compromised and is requesting immediate assistance."

"They're on their way, Major."

"Thank you, si--"

"ATTENTION MAJOR SAMANTHA CARTER."

She stopped, looking at the ceiling. The PA system echoed through the hallways.

"Major Carter," Hammond asked. "What was that?"

"I'll, uh..." she turned to see if anyone was watching her. "I'll call you back, sir." She clicked the radio off as the wormhole disengaged. The room was eerily silent again.

"I AM LASZWELL. WE ARE QUITE SURPRISED TO FIND THAT YOU HAVE ESCAPED FROM YOUR HOLDING CELL. BRAVO PERFORMANCE, TAU'RI. HOW-EVER, WE FEEL YOU WILL SOON FIND YOURSELF OBLIGATED TO RETURN YOURSELF TO ME."

"Why would I do that?" she asked, assuming he could hear her.

"WE HAVE DR. JANET FRAISER. IF YOU DO NOT RETURN, WE WILL TAKE YOUR SHARE OF ORGANS FROM HER. YOU HAVE TEN MINUTES TO RETURN TO THE CELL FROM WHICH YOU ESCAPED."

Sam grabbed hold of the DHD to keep herself from falling. "You wouldn't..."

"WE PLAN TO EXTRACT ORGANS FROM EACH OF YOU ANYWAY. IT DOES NOT MATTER TO ME HOW MUCH I TAKE FROM ONE SOURCE."

She rubbed her face, dropping her zat gun. "I'm going back."

"YOU HAVE MADE A WISE DECISION, MAJOR CARTER."

She shook her head. This time the tears weren't from drug withdrawal.


Part Three

Sam leaned against the wall in the alien facility, clutching her sides and trying to heave the contents of her stomach onto the floor. Unfortunately, it had been a while since she had eaten and she wasn't getting very far. She felt sick. The actual act of throwing up would have helped her immensely, but even that was out of the question.

Thinking back, she remembered the last meal she had eaten. The burgers. Cassie in the back yard, "S LUVS J" written in ketchup, laughter and playing footsie. Tears rolled down her cheeks. It seemed like ages ago; laughing with Cassandra, playing hide-and-seek with the young girl. Now, hours later, she was playing hide-and-seek with organ harvesting aliens that were holding Janet hostage.

She didn't doubt Laszwell's threat for a second. The man had thought his plans out, she would give him that. Never before had she been caught so off-guard. In hindsight, everything had seemed so obvious. She pushed away from the wall and glanced at the Stargate. Hammond would send reinforcements soon, but it didn't matter if Laszwell killed Janet before they arrived. She turned back and started to the lab she had initially broken out of.

---

"I don't get it," Cassie complained.

Janet smiled over the little girl's head, meeting Sam Carter's eyes in the semi-darkness. "What don't you get, sweetheart?"

"Who are we shooting at?"

Sam chuckled aloud at this. "No one, Cass."

"Then what are all of the explosions?"

Sam and Janet sat on either side of the young alien girl that they had rescued about six months before, their picnic snack spread out around them on the flannel blanket. They had had to fight Jack for this spot atop Cheyenne Mountain, but the colonel had finally backed down when they reminded him it would be Cassandra's first Fourth of July. He had said something about going down to O'Malley's with Daniel and Teal'c, who would also be celebrating the holiday for the first time. Janet explained, "This is a celebration, honey. You see, a long time ago, America wasn't a free country. We went to war to be free and we won. So, every July fourth, we shoot fireworks into the sky to remember how lucky we are."

Cassie frowned. "It doesn't seem so free."

Sam glanced nervously at Janet. "What do you mean, Cass?"

"If it were so free, wouldn't you and Jan... you and Mom be able to get married? Or even tell people that you're in love."

Janet wrapped an arm around the girl. "I said it was free, Cass. I didn't say it was perfect." She kissed her daughter on top of the head and said, "Watch the fireworks, sweetheart."

As the fireworks exploded, Janet felt like she could feel each one in her bones. Every 'boom' echoed through her small body until she was physically convulsing. "Janet?" Sam asked. "You okay, hon?"

She shook her head. "It's not Cassie's first Fourth..."

Cassie glanced at Sam. "It's not?"

"This was... four years ago, Sam. I'm..." Another seizure gripped her and she fell back. Her body was now trembling. She held herself tightly, trying to regain her composure. 'I'll be fine,' she told herself. Just as soon as I can get my eyes open... I just have to get my...'

---

'...eyes open. Open.' She tried to command herself, hoping she could frighten her body into responding. She'd never felt such pain. Her brain felt about three sizes too big for her skull. Finally, she was able to move her arms. She gingerly touched her face, feeling for cuts or sensitive areas. Finding none, she pulled her eyelids up. They fell as soon as they were open. Cursing under her breath, she rolled herself over onto her stomach.

A boot pressed against her right arm. Finally gathering her strength, she forced her eyes open. Green fatigues. One of the team was laying next to her on the greasy, dirty floor. She slid across the oily tile until she was face-to-face with him... and gasped. His left eye was swollen completely shut and several bruises tracked from his forehead to his chin. Blood trailed from his nose and his split lip. Looking past all of the damage, she could tell that this was Captain Burdett. She lightly touched his forehead, finding a thick sheen of sweat. She moved to wipe her hand on her jacket or slacks... only to discover she was wearing neither.

'Strip the women bare, keep the men clothed. What is this, a Roger Corman flick?' She grumbled. She immediately grinned, glad she still had a sense of humor. Ignoring the aches and protests of her muscles, she pulled Burdett free of his jacket and wrapped it around herself. Black circles marked her torso. She frowned, trying to make sense of it. Her mind was too drug-addled to make sense of anything.

The last thing she remembered clearly was Laszwell knocking them out to administer the cure for the virus. Had something gone wrong with the procedure? Maybe the Khairn had been wrong about human physiology. Oh, God... the marks. Did they indicate failed organs? Panic gripped the doctor and she hugged her knees. The others were dead, weren't they? Tears sprung to her eyes as she tried to come to terms with the fact that Jack, Daniel, Teal'c and Sam were dead. Sam.

Sam was dead.

Janet sobbed, tears pouring down her face. Her chest heaved as she cried, the thought of Sam dying doing more damage than whatever drug she had been given. 'Oh, God,' she thought. 'Sam died thinking I was angry at her... She's gone and we never had a chance to make up.' She tried to catch her breath. She was a doctor. Laszwell might need her help to save the others... if they were still alive.

The doors slid open and Laszwell stepped in. He was carrying a long, glowing rod in his left hand. "Hello, Dr. Fraiser. Are you crying?"

She stood, trying to hide her nudity. Luckily, Burdett's jacket was long enough on her to cover most of her. "What went wrong?"

"Pardon?"

"With the procedure. Did... did something go wrong when you were purging the virus?"

Laszwell glanced at the small man behind him. "We... weren't going to tell you this, but there was a complication."

"I knew it," she sobbed. "Are they... are they gone?"

"No, Dr. Fraiser. I assure you, they are all recovering nicely. Almost all."

"Almost?"

"It appears that Major Carter has had an adverse reaction to our serum. She attacked Captain Burdett and escaped from the infirmary."

"Sam? What... why did she hurt Burdett?"

"I am not sure. We fear it could be a chemical reaction."

"Tetrachloroethyline," Janet muttered.

"Pardon?"

"It's a compound on Earth. Exposure causes hallucinations and paranoia. Maybe your chemical caused a similar reaction to tetrachloroethyline."

"Perhaps," Laszwell nodded. "We feel that Major Carter will respond to you. We've convinced her to come back to the infirmary so we can explain the danger."

Janet nodded. "Could, uh... I get my clothes?"

Laszwell smiled. "Of course. We had to remove them in order to reverse damage done to your internal organs. Your uniform will be returned immediately."

She smiled. "Then lets go get Sam."

---

Sam knelt in the hallway a few feet from the infirmary entrance. Just a few feet from her goal. As she clutched her rolling stomach, she thought maybe it would be best if Laszwell harvested her organs. At least she wouldn't feel like crap anymore... She sighed, rubbing her forehead. Just a few more feet... She stood, her knees shaking as she took several steps in the direction of the doors. Her knees buckled again, her bare feet slipping on the tiling. As she pushed herself up, she heard someone approaching from the opposite direction. She tucked herself into the alcove, peeking around the corner to see who was coming.

The first person she saw was Laszwell, holding what appeared to be the same kind of weapon the guards at the Stargate had carried. He entered the infirmary followed by...

Janet?

It would be different if she were flanked by guards, maybe if she had a gun in the small of her back. But she was walking of her own free will. Sam tightened her grip on the zat. She chewed her lip and glanced back the way she had come. If Janet was going willingly, she had probably been drugged into thinking Laszwell was still her friend. Maybe even drugged to think of Sam as the enemy.

She stood once the hallway was clear. She'd made up her mind; she would go back to the 'gate, wait for Hammond's reinforcements, and bring them to the infirmary. It was the only way they had a chance to save everyone. She turned to find herself face-to-face with a man wearing the same style of uniform as Laszwell. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of her and he opened his mouth to speak. She punched him before he could say anything, the force of the punch knocking him into the wall. She ran on, ignoring the pain in her knuckles.

---

The Stargate was already active when she arrived. She peeked cautiously around the corner, seeing if the new arrivals were friend or foe. She saw two men in black uniforms crouched by the DHD, their weapons trained on her. She raised her arms. "It's okay! Major Carter, SG-1."

Griff removed his goggles. "I recognize you, Major. What the hell is goin' on here?"

Sam watched as the rest of SG-3 stepped through the gate. "Laszwell tricked us. He made up the whole story about the virus in order to bring us back here and harvest our organs."

"Harvest? Carter, these people welcomed diplomatic relations. They offered superior technology for barely anything in return."

"Barely anything? They're obviously hostile. Did you try to reach us by radio?"

"Yeah," Griff admitted quietly.

"What happened?"

"They, uh... shot at us and destroyed the MALP."

"Exactly. Now come on. I know where they're holding SG-1."

---

Laszwell looked up as Laughn stumbled into the infirmary. "What happened to you?"

"The blonde female. She attacked me in the hall."

"What? Where did she go?"

"She was heading towards the Stargate."

Laszwell turned to Janet. "Dr. Fraiser, you must understand. If she tells your people we're dangerous..."

"They'll probably send reinforcements."

"You have to bring her back here to be treated for her reaction."

Janet nodded slowly. "I just can't understand why Sam is the only one who is having this reaction."

"The Jaffa also reacted violently. We sedated him before he managed to escape, but Major Carter slipped away. Please, Dr. Fraiser. You must hurry."

Janet nodded and left the infirmary. Her mind was racing with questions. Teal'c had been sedated, but SAM had been too difficult for them to apprehend? She finally decided that so many people had been worried about Teal'c that no one had noticed Sam until it was too late. That was the only possible explanation, right? It had to be.

She turned a corner and almost ran into Sam and Major Griff. SG-3 was close behind. The group stopped in their tracks, silence reigning in the hallway.

Finally, Janet closed her eyes. "Reinforcements, Sam? Why?"

"Because Laszwell wants to harvest your organs."

"Sam, you're obviously having an adverse reaction to--"

"Adverse reaction, my ass. Open your damn eyes, Janet! Laszwell is playing you for a fool! He's turning you against your own people."

Griff sighed, "Dr. Fraiser, we just want to take our people home. The Khairn opened fire on Earth through the Stargate, so we have to assume they're a threat."

"They might have been shooting stun guns at Sam. Laszwell explained it to me on the way to the infirmary. He'll explain it to you, too, if you would just--"

Sam cut her off. "Do you understand what you're saying? Do you realize how stupid you sound right now?"

Janet stared at Sam in disbelief. "I do not believe you just said that. But it's just the drug talking. If you let Laszwell treat you--"

Sam rolled her eyes. "Oh, for crying out loud." She steadied the zat and fired once.

Janet's body jerked slightly as she was shot, then fell to the floor with a thud. Sam watched her lover's body fall, her mouth slowly parting in a silent scream. Sam dropped the zat. "What did I just do?" she whispered to no one in particular.

Griff knelt next to Fraiser, then turned to one of his team. "Mazzur, get her back to the 'gate and take her to Earth. Carter and I will get the others."

Mazzur nodded, bending to lift the doctor.

As Griff stood, a pair of Khairn soldiers came around the corner. They froze upon seeing the intruders and raised their weapons. Sam immediately regretting dropping the zat and grabbed for Brubaker's revolver. Griff was quicker. He fired twice with his own zat, knocking out both soldiers. He sighed. "Let's get a move on. They obviously know we activated the Stargate."

---

Laszwell hit a control on his wrist, closing the infirmary doors that Sam had disabled earlier. It would take some doing to get the doors opened now. He pulled the med supply from the wall and pulled a laser scalpel from the drawer. He couldn't wait any longer; if he was going to get any money for these organs, he would have to start cutting immediately.

---

Griff took point at the corner near the infirmary doors. Sam inched slowly down the walls, holding the rifle she had taken from Lieutenant Mazzur. The doors that she had forced open earlier were again closed. She paused, glancing back at Griff. He was nervously checking the corridors that crossed at this juncture, expecting more guards. She indicated she was ready and prepared herself for a big bang.

Griff steadied his rifle and opened fire on the doors. The glass shattered, giving her a doorway. She ran to the side of the door, stepping on shattered glass as she went. She had to ignore the pain as she heard a weapon charging inside the infirmary. She counted to three, just to pace herself, and ducked into the hole Griff had made. Laszwell was standing next to Teal'c's bed, a scalpel poised in his left hand. His right hand held the glowing rod she had seen on two occassions. She'd never seen the weapon in action, but it still gave her a bad feeling when it was raised in her direction. She raised the rifle and opened fire on the bald man.

The rod in Laszwell's hand fired, the beam enveloping the bullets she shot and destroying them. Sam cursed, fumbling on her belt for the zat. Laszwell dropped the scalpel and leapt over the bed, swinging the rod in a downward arc. It caught her across the jaw, knocking her over onto the bed previously occupied by Janet. Laszwell gripped her by the back of her jacket, lifting her off the mattress and flinging her against the wall and knocking the wind out of her. Laszwell's knee collided with the small of her back and she hit the wall again. Gunfire from the hall told her Griff and his team were occupied with guards. She was on her own.

He pulled her away from the wall, keeping a tight hold on her jacket as she tried to collapse. He lifted her up, punching her in the stomach. She coughed, grabbing his tunic. "You're... ruining your... merchandise..."

Laszwell sneered, "For the honor of killing you, I'll sacrifice a few credits." He ripped her hand away from his tunic and threw her over the beds. She hit the wall and slid to the floor in an exhausted heap. She was so tired... she had stayed up late the night before they left, been running around the Khairn facility and was also suffering from withdrawal from the drug they had used to knock her out.

She laughed to think the only sleep she had gotten was drug-induced.

Laszwell grabbed her by the collar and heaved her to her feet. "What's so funny?"

She head-butted him, knocking him backwards. She pulled free of his clutches and finally pulled her zat gun free. "Fry, bastard." The zat came to life and hit Laszwell solidly in the chest.

He stumbled slightly, but found his footing quickly. Sam, shocked, fired again. He stumbled, clutching O'Neill's blanket in a futile attempt to remain upright. He glared at Sam. "You... stupid... bit--"

She fired a third time. Laszwell's body jerked and he finally fell still.

Breathing heavily, she fell to her knees in relief. But, according to the sounds outside in the hall, the battle was far from won. Her muscles went limp, the zat falling to the floor with a clatter. Her arms ached. Her bare feet bled where she had walked through the broken glass of the door. Her insides burned from the drug or, perhaps, lack of it. She closed her tired eyes and was suddenly scared she wouldn't be able to open them again. Just to prove that she could, she raised her eyelids. She didn't want to move. She couldn't move. The sounds of battle outside had ceased. If Griff had won, he would soon come in and help her get back to the Stargate. If the Khairn had won, she would be forced to go back to being a prisoner. There was no way she could fight back. A figure appeared in the shattered doorway and she closed her eyes. She didn't want to know her fate just yet. Wanted to revel in the silence.

"Major Carter?"

Griff. He had won. Sighing, she fell forward onto the floor. When she felt Griff's hands on her shoulders. "Major? You okay?"

"Take me home, Griff."

"You got it, ma'am. Next stop, terra firma. Literally."

 

--Epilogue--

"So, anyway, we're all sitting around feasting on some fine Abydonian cuisine, when Daniel gets up to show us this map thing. And Sha're plants a kiss on him that made his face disappear for a week."

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Jack, do we have to hear this at every get-together?"

"Yes, Daniel," the colonel said, matter-of-factly. "We do."

Across the porch from the men and their barbeque grill, Sam sat in a lawn chair watching as Cassie and her dog scampered around the pool. It had been two weeks since the debacle with the Khairn and she had seen Janet a grand total of two times; once when they were being checked out in the infirmary and again when Janet kicked her out of the house.

She was still trying to come to terms with what had happened. The scene at Janet's front door replayed in her mind like a bad movie that would never end...

---

"What're you talking about, Janet? Put my bag back in the closet."

Janet held the suitcase firmly in one hand and Sam's jacket in the other. Tears brimmed in the doctor's eyes as she stood her ground on the threshold of the house. "No, Sam. I... I think we need some time apart from each other."

Sam stepped forward, causing Janet to move back. "What happened, Janet? Are... is this because..."

"It's because of the whole damn thing, Sam. You risking my life to protect your career. You shooting me with a zat. The..." She turned away from her lover, remembering what had passed through her mind when she came to in the alien prison. "I thought you had died, Sam. I thought that your life was in danger and I let my personal feelings get in the way. I almost handed you over to Laszwell."

"Janet, it doesn't matter that you let emotions cloud you this one time. You don't go on missions enough for it to be a problem."

"Maybe you don't let them cloud your judgement enough. When we thought there was a virus - and thank God there wasn't - you chose to risk me. You knew how small the chances were for you to bring back a sample of the cure but you made that choice anyway. Can you imagine what that would have done to Cassandra?"

Sam hung her head quietly. From the corner of her eye, she saw one of Janet's neighbor's pretending to water the lawn. She meekly said, "Janet, can we talk... inside?"

Janet shook her head, tears rolling down her face. "If I let you in, I won't be strong enough to kick you out. So please, Sam. Go."

Sam stayed frozen for a moment, then finally reached out and took her suitcase from the doctor. "This is it?"

Janet nodded slowly. "This is it. For now."

Sam absent-mindedly toyed with her keys, then turned and walked back to her car. As she unlocked the door, she heard Janet's strangled sob as she went back inside.

---

"Wandering mind?"

She jumped, not realizing anyone was on this side of the porch with her. She looked up, blocking the sun with one hand. Mark Burdett was smiling down at her, his face healing nicely. He extended a chilled bottle of beer and she eagerly snapped it up, twisting the top off. Burdett knelt next to the lawn chair and said, "I guess you're hurting pretty bad right now." Her heartbeat quickened. Could he know? How could he?

"What do you mean?"

He chuckled. "C'mon, Major Carter. Don't be the hero. You walked through broken glass, fought with Laszwell, took down a couple of Khairn guards, all while fighting off drug jones. You must be in agony."

She smiled. "Agony was last week. Now I'm just in blessed numbness." The answer was true for both pains she was suffering. Across the lawn, she saw Janet emerge from the pool house wearing a lime green one-piece suit. Sam squeezed her eyes closed and laid her head back. She muttered, "That's the last thing I need to see right now."

Burdett shrugged. "Ah, c'mon, Major. Doc Fraiser's got nothing on you."

"No, I'm... I'm not jealous of Janet's body. It's just... well, a little complicated."

Burdett nodded as if he understood the cryptic statement. Finally, he said, "I have to ask... did the General explain ANY of this to you? He kind of kept it quiet from me and Brubaker after we got back."

"Ah... Hammond sent a Black Ops team to P24-C3X after we got back and found quite a little story. You want the juicy details?" she asked.

"The juicier, the better."

"The Khairn were apparently victims of mass drug poisoning. Decades ago, a new drug was circulated that eventually permanently fused with the user's blood cells. About a third of the population became hopelessly addicted, like crack only a hundred times worse - it was, it is contagious as hell. You could catch it just by drinking out of the same water glass as an infected person..."

"So like the urban myths about AIDS?"

"Right. As the tainted blood moved through various organs, it sort of... shorted them out, collapsed them, in effect. So, while reputable scientists and doctors are struggling to reverse the problem, black marketeers like Laszwell are trying to make money by selling organs for transplant."

"But... wouldn't the transplanted organs be contaminated with the person's blood?"

"Yes, but it gave them a little extra time until a cure was found."

He shook his head. "So Laszwell found the Stargate and used it to his advantage?"

"Exactly. He happened to choose a base of operations with the 'gate buried beneath it. Call it bad luck. When we explained our situation to the authorities on Khairn, they offered sincere apologies and arrested everyone who was associated with Laszwell's organization. SG-9 is negotiating a new treaty with them now."

Burdett nodded, looking over the back yard as he took a sip of his beer.  They sat in silence for a moment. Finally, Burdett managed to ask, "So, Sam. You seein' anyone?"

"Not a good time, Captain. And besides, I outrank you. Regulations tend to frown on that sort of thing."

Burdett chuckled. "They do, don't they."

Their attention was drawn to the pool, where Cassie was screaming playfully. Janet had the girl's towel and was waving it over her head. Cassie jumped for the proferred towel and accidentally bumped her mom, knocking them both off-balance. The two tumbled into the pool with a monstrous 'splash!'

Janet quickly surfaced and brushed the hair from her eyes. Sam couldn't take her eyes off the beautiful doctor; the way the water was sliding down her throat, the way her hair stuck slightly to her forehead, the way her bathing suit clung to her body. Sam closed her eyes and rested her head on her hand. The image of Janet diving was burnt into her mind. She sighed and sat up, handing her beer to Burdett. "I'm tapped... I can't take this any more."

"Something wrong?"

"No. Yes. I just... I have a headache." She brushed past him and slid between the banister and the deck. She was halfway to her car when she heard someone say, "Your... burger isn't ready."

She turned and saw Daniel following her, his hands deeply sunk into his pockets. He raised his eyebrows and said, "You okay?"

"Fine. I just... I'm getting too much sun. I have to get home and sleep."

Daniel was close enough to whisper now. "It's not the sun and you know it, Sam. How have you been handling... y'know... the break-up?"

"How do *you* know?"

He winced. "Janet kind of... told me. She needed someone to talk to."

Sam looked at her keys. She was spending a lot of time fumbling with her keys. "She talks about me?"

"Sam, she doesn't hate you. She's mad at you. People get mad at each other, but they still love each other. On Abydos, Sha're once burnt one of my journals in a bonfire. I was... furious... but I got over it. Give her time."

"She doesn't want time," Sam said softly. "She wants someone else."

Daniel pulled her into a hug. "Sam, I know you. And I know Janet. And I know the two of you, together, is the best thing that could possibly happen." He backed away, brushing her hair out of her face. "It'll be okay, Sam. Trust me?"

"I want to, Daniel. I do. But you didn't see her when she kicked me out." She turned and unlocked her car. "Thanks for listening." She got into the car and slammed the door.

Jack leaned over the railing. "Hey, Danny! How does Carter want her burger?"

Daniel sighed, walking back to the yard.

When he came back onto the deck, Janet was standing next to the grill, wrapped in a towel. She looked up at him, questioning him with her eyes. Daniel set his mouth in a firm line and shrugged gently.

Jack glanced up, craning his neck to look at Janet's face. "Doc? Are you crying?"

"No," she said, shaking her head and brushing her face. "It's just the smoke. That's all."

end


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