Author's Notes:  I debated for some time about posting this one. I felt it was flawed, but couldn't figure out how or what to do to fix it. I figured if you came up with the reason, you'd let me know *grin*. I have no problem with updating it, but it was starting to cloud my thinking. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know if you do. My confidence took a real nose-dive during the writing of this. Hopefully the next effort (in progress) is okay. Many thanks to Chrisbod. There is a really bad pun in this dedicated to you with my thanks. Your comments give me the gumption to continue, and put a smile on my face. Also Yvonne who came up with some great ideas and more than a few giggles.

DISCLAIMER: All characters and property of Stargate SG-1 belong to MGM/UA, World Gekko Corp. and Double Secret Productions.  This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment and no money was made from it.  Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended.  Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.  Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author.

Jack O'Neill glanced at the team around him as he sat on the lush grass, a piece of hay dangling from between his lips. The others were busy collecting samples, as they had been for the past three days since they gated to the planet. He looked at the terrain around them. As the MALP had shown in it's readings, P39- 527 was a fertile world. It was also devoid of humans, and the only animals they had come across appeared to be harmless.

The team had been systematically covering survey blocks, working from the gate outwards. They were looking for any potential benefits of this planet, be they mineral, or organic. Thus far, they had collected several hundred samples which were ready to send back through the gate to Earth. This was their second to last full day, before they were due to return home. Once their findings were catalogued, decisions would be made about the viability of the planet, with regards to future consideration.

Jack was feeling a little bored at this point. He wasn't a scientist, nor did he pretend any interest in this kind of expedition. He was a military man, and while this mission was restful, he was finding himself itching for something more. He glanced over at two of his team-mates. Sam and Daniel were engaged in friendly banter. Jack smiled as he watched the animated friends. Who would have guessed that only scant years ago, he would be travelling to different worlds with an astrophysicist, an archaeologist/ linguist, and an alien. Jack turned his gaze on the Jaffa who stood watching over the site.

Teal'c was a man of great integrity and loyalty, and Jack counted himself lucky to have him on the team. It had been touch and go if the Jaffa would be allowed to remain with the SGC, let alone help defend it, which he had done on numerous occasions.

Jack stood abruptly. Undecided about what he really wanted to do, he allowed his legs to make the decision for him. He debated about informing the others of his decision to go walk-about, but the laxity of the planet seemed to have infected him as well. He consoled himself with limiting his walk to only a short distance. Turning away from the others, he quickly walked away. About twenty minutes later, he came to a small hill, which he scaled. As he crested the hill, Jack drew in a surprised breath, at the unexpected sight that greeted him. Looking below him, Jack was treated to an incredible view. A thick, seemingly endless carpet of blooms covered the ground at the bottom of the hill. Their perfume was subtle, as it wafted along with the breeze, and the flowers gently swayed on their stalks. Transfixed, Jack walked down the hill, and into their midst. There he stood, momentarily frozen.

For all his military bearing, Jack was a lover of beauty, whether that be the strings of a violin concerto, or the soulful sounds of the saxophone in a jazz piece. He enjoyed art, and he was enjoying this. Flowers licked at his body as he turned in a slow circle, taking in the sight. To his eye, they looked like orchids, which he mentally dubbed them. They were white, softened by touches of red. The hues ranged from soft pink, to fiery crimson. The stalks were thick, and long, moreso than Jack would have expected with such delicate blooms. The flowers rose to his waist, with some achieving even greater heights. The stamen in the centre of each bloom was covered in light yellow pollen. Jack noticed that some flowers contained significantly more pollen than others, and he subconsciously wondered if that was an indication of age.

Jack slowly walked through the field, when he noticed something odd. Not far ahead, were the remains of what appeared to be a building jutting out from the flowers. He started to move closer, when he tripped. He caught himself before he fell, then looked to see the cause. It was a building block, with another just past it. Slowly Jack moved around to investigate. All around him were the skeletons of buildings, broken and crumbled. As Jack continued to look, it occurred to him that they did not appeared to be that old. They showed no signs of the wear that was typically present on the ruins they had encountered. It was almost as though some force had recently pulled the stones apart. If he had to venture a guess, he would have said it seemed as though the flowers had performed the task. Jack shook his head at the mystery. This planet was uninhabited, yet here were signs of civilisation.

Deciding that he had left the others for too long, Jack started back across the field. As he walked, some of the flowers threw their pollen into the air, forming a cloud of the palest yellow. Thanking his lucky stars that he did not suffer the same allergies as Daniel, Jack walked unmindfully through it. He climbed back up the hill, turned and took another look at the strange field. An eerie feeling crept over him, as a cold chill ran up his spine. For a second, he thought he heard the ghostly echo of screams, carried on the breeze. The feeling passed quickly, and Jack shrugged it off…….almost. He decided to ask Hammond if they couldn't come back and investigate. Something had lived here, and he wanted to know who, or what, it was.

Short minutes later, Jack was back in sight of his team, who appeared not to have noticed his absence, or chose not to comment on it. As he walked up to the packing box where today's samples were being stowed, he became aware of some odd looks. "What?" he growled, uncomfortable with their gaze.

Daniel snickered. "What have you been doing Jack? You're yellow". He was glad that he had remembered to take his antihistamines that morning, or he would be sneezing by now, despite the distance still separating them.

Looking down at himself, Jack realised that he was indeed covered in fine yellow dust. "Oh man" he mumbled to himself as he brushed off the pollen.

"What have you been doing Colonel?" Sam grinned.

"I went for a walk over the hill, and found some flowers. I found something else as well". Jack looked at Daniel as he spoke.

Noticing the look, Daniel was quick to question "What?"

"Some buildings, or rather, what I guess were buildings. There was some rubble anyway". Jack watched for Daniel's expression, and grinned when it came as expected.

"Where are they? Can we go now? How far did you say they were? Did you find anything else. I thought this place was uninhabited…….." Daniel stopped abruptly as Jack moved to cover his mouth.

"Sorry Daniel". Jack scanned the skyline. "We don't have long before sunset. Let's deal with the rest of this stuff". Jack indicated the boxes that still needed loading, and the remaining area to be sampled. "After we debrief with Hammond. I'll ask him if we can't have a little more time here to check things out. Okay".

Daniel knew that Jack was being as fair as possible, and grudgingly agreed.

The sun finally set a couple of hours later. By then, the team had everything accomplished that it needed to do for the day, and preparations were made for the next phase of their mission. They were seated around a cheery campfire. Having finished a dinner of MRE's, they were now enjoying an after dinner coffee, their one indulgence.

"So Colonel, what did the buildings look like?" Sam asked.

"It was hard to tell. They weren't standing any more. Most of the rubble was covered by the flowers". Jack paused for a moment, thinking. "I had such a strange feeling when I was there", he continued.

"Strange how?". Daniel was curious. Jack typically was not the one to pick up on moods and environments, unless weaponry was concerned.

Before Jack could answer, Teal'c spoke up. "O'Neill, it appears as though you have blood coming from your nose".

Jack moved his hand to his nose, and felt the trickle coming from it. "For crying out loud". He reached out and took the kleenex that Daniel pushed in his direction. "Thanks Danny". He pinched the bridge of his nose with his left hand, while he used his right to wipe up the evidence.

"Don't mention it". Daniel suffered from a myriad of allergies, and sought to single-handedly keep the paper company in business. He never went anywhere without antihistamines and tissue. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. It's just a nosebleed. Nothing to write home about". He removed his hand. "See, it's stopped already".

Sam and Daniel looked at each other, and shrugged. As Jack had just pointed out, it was only a nosebleed.

Continuing as though there had been no interruptions, Jack returned to the previous topic. "There didn't appear to be any signs of who might have lived there. It just seemed as though the whole place had been overtaken by the flowers".

"Colonel, can you describe the flowers to me?"

"Sure. I haven't seen them on this planet until now. They reminded me of orchids, but the stems had the height and thickness of hollyhocks". Jack glared at her as he caught sight of her rolling eyes. "Can't I know a little something about flowers?" he growled at her.

Sam giggled. "I'm sorry Sir. You just don't seem the type".

"And what type is that 'Major'?" Jack put a definite emphasis on her rank.

"Um, nothing Sir", she looked at the ground sheepishly.

Jack smothered a grin, then decided to take pity on her. "Actually, I keep a garden". While the team had actually been to his house on numerous occasions, they had never seen the back-side of the house where he grew his prize flowers.

The rest of the team looked at him, disbelief clear on their faces.

"I like to watch things grow", he said. No-one responded as they realised the deeper meaning in that comment. Jack had lost his son in a tragic shooting accident several years earlier. While he declined to talk about it with his friends, they knew the sadness of that incident carried through in everything the Colonel did. Jack's past was pretty much a closed subject with the group, in fact, the whole SGC. While the team knew about his son Charlie, and the subsequent break up with his wife, the information all but stopped there. They were aware of his time with Black Ops, but knew there was a lot more to the Colonel's history.

Daniel skilfully changed the subject. "Isn't it odd, how we didn't know that there had been a settlement here. I mean, we found no signs of agriculture, no other buildings, not even animals that might indicate farming".

Sam piped up. "You're assuming that it is was a settlement Daniel".

"True", Daniel mulled a though over. "If it was though, they probably weren't here for very long".

"Why would you say that Daniel?", Jack asked.

"Well, without actually seeing the site", Daniel looked pointedly at Jack, "I can't say for sure, but it seems to me that if they had been here for a while, we would have found something else".

Jack heaved a long suffering sigh. "Tell you what Daniel. When the job has been completed here, I'll show you where I found the field. You can look, but no touching until we get permission to come back. Fair enough?"

The look on Daniel's face spoke volumes, as his eyes lit up with the thought of new discovery. "Thanks Jack".

"Welcome". A weary feeling came over Jack, prompting his next comment. "Well gang, I'm ready to turn in. See you bright and early". Having found the planet to be safe, they had dispensed with guard duty at night. Jack got up and moved to the flap on his tent when he was stopped by a tentative question from behind.

"Sir, are you sure you're okay". Sam wasn't used to Jack volunteering to go to sleep. He was usually the night owl of the bunch. He always claimed it was due to his training, that he didn't need that much sleep. Sam always suspected that it was more that he didn't like to give himself time to dream, although she would never voice that thought to anyone else.

"I told you Carter, I'm fine". Before anyone else could say anything, Jack ducked into his tent. As he sat on the floor of his tent, he contemplated Sam's question. Was he okay? Jack gave himself a mental shake. Of course he was fine. A little nosebleed never hurt anyone. With that thought, he climbed in his sleeping bag, and fell unexpectedly into a sound sleep.

Jack woke up in the middle of the night, shivering. He took a minute to get his bearings. While he was accustomed to waking up to bad dreams, he didn't think that was the cause this time. This realisation proved correct as he felt something trickle from his nose. It was blood.

"What the hell?" Jack spoke aloud, he voice sounding foreign in the night. As he once again pinched off the flow of blood, he realised that he felt even more fatigued than earlier. A wave of dizziness washed over him, and Jack lay his head back on his bed. The dizziness passed, and his nose stopped bleeding. Jack gave a deep sigh, then drifted off to sleep.

Morning greeted the team with a beautiful sunrise. Heads poked out of their perspective tents, and then finally emerged. Jack was uncharacteristically the last to be seen. As he joined the rest of the group, Teal'c handed him a coffee which he accepted gratefully. He sat down by the now re-lit campfire, set the cup on the ground at his feet, then rubbed both eyes which were reluctant to fully open.

Daniel, Sam and Teal'c looked on. Jack's actions caught their attention. His late rising was as odd as his early retiring. Daniel approached his friend. He took note of flecks of blood around the Colonel's nose, and some more on his partially exposed collar bone. He assumed it was the remnants from the previous evening, so he didn't comment.

"So, did you sleep okay last night?" he asked instead.

Jack moved his hands away from his face and looked at Daniel. Shadows darkened his eyes, and his appearance told Daniel that his night had not been restful.

Jack contemplated the question, and to his surprise, with the exception of the nosebleed, he had slept well. "Actually Daniel, I did". Jack downed the rest of his coffee then stood. "Well gang, we go home tomorrow, and there's still lots of work to do".

The team took the hint, and got back to work. Within hours, the last of the survey block had been depleted of soil and plant samples. Daniel and Sam sorted through bags of samples, catalogued them and packed them in crates for shipping home. Teal'c and Jack took on the chore of loading the heavy crates on to the skid they had on site. The sun was hot, and the work was tedious, and all four were grateful to finally stop and have a rest. Lunch was a simple affair, consisting of cold MRE's and canteen water. Nevertheless, the team all felt better for it.

Jack was feeling more than a little tired, although he was not quite sure why. The seedy feeling he had woken up to had not diminished as he had hoped. He glanced at the three members of his team. While they were certainly looking flushed from the warm day, they did not seem to suffering from anything else. Sam was leaning over towards Daniel as they shared a joke he had only peripherally heard. Even Teal'c had a slightly amused look on his face, although if Jack wanted to be totally honest, it could simply have been a shadow. Deciding that the fatigue was the result of too little activity over the last few days, Jack decided to stretch his legs. He figured the exercise would help to clear his head. As he moved to stand though, his body decided to disagree with him. It voiced it's protest in the form of a coughing fit. By the time it had passed, Jack's chest hurt and he struggled to catch his breath.

Sam, Daniel and Teal'c abruptly ended their conversation as they saw Jack. Sam moved to his side with a canteen which he gratefully took a sip from. She looked at him, concern clearly etched on her face.

His face was pale, and the shadows they had noticed under his eyes that morning seemed to have grown. As he noticed Sam's continued gaze however, Jack straightened his shoulders, and gave her his patent 'I'm a Colonel and I'm fine so stop asking' look.

Sam wasn't buying it. "What's going on here Colonel? First you get a nosebleed, then this? Are you coming down with something?"

Jack looked at his second. "I'm sure it's nothing Major. Probably just a cold". Getting embarrassed by all the attention, Jack changed the subject. "We leave tomorrow gang. What's say I take you to my discovery". Jack looked squarely at Daniel as he asked this. He was not disappointed by the reaction.

The archaeologist quickly forgot his worry, as he was presented with the opportunity to investigate a lost civilisation. He leaped to his feet in anticipation.

Jack realised he would have to reign in his friend right off the bat. "Daniel" he spoke in his best no-nonsense tone. "Just so we get this straight, you can look, but no touching this time. When we debrief, I'll ask Hammond to okay a return trip so you can investigate. Fair enough?"

Daniel was disappointed, but knew the alternative was to not go at all. Besides, he knew the General would most likely give permission. He usually did when Jack asked. He nodded his consent.

Jack indicated for the others to follow him. It was just a short walk to the hill, and an easy climb to the top. When the crested the slope, Jack turned to his team to get a look at their faces as they took in the view for the first time. He was not surprised by their reactions.

Sam was enthralled by the beauty of the scene, as she looked upon the living carpet below her. Jack had been right. They did look like orchids. Millions of them in shades of white. As she looked, a feeling of sadness came over her. She flashed back to the scene of her mother's funeral. Similar flowers had rested on the casket, flowers that she, herself had laid there. The memories were so strong, that tears sprung to the corners of her eyes. She was startled from her reverie by a strong hand on her shoulder. She looked up at a pair of brown eyes staring intently at her.

"Sorry Sir. What did you say?" Sam 's voice had a catch in it that Jack didn't miss.

"I asked if you were alright Carter. You seemed kind of out of it". Jack remembered the eerie feeling this place had given him, and worried that it might be having the same effect on Sam.

"No, I'm fine. I was just remembering……..something. I'm fine", she reiterated as much to soothe herself as her commanding officer.

"You sure Carter? Want to talk about it?" Jack's voice was quiet, but concerned.

She flashed him a bright smile. "Really Sir. It was something that happened a long time ago. For some reason, this place just reminded me of it".

"Alright Major. If you say so". Jack was still not convinced that everything was okay, but could do no more about it for now. He turned his attention to Daniel who seemed to be chomping at the bit to get closer to the structure he had finally spotted in the distance. Teal'c had a gently restraining hand on his shoulder.

Jack grinned as he took in the scene. This was not unexpected, and he was grateful that Teal'c at least was taking him seriously about not approaching the field.

"So Danny-boy. What do you think?" Jack couldn't keep the amusement out of his voice as Daniel whirled on him, a pleading look on his face.

"Jack, this is fascinating. Look at this. Whatever it is down there, it looks as though it was just …..swallowed up by these flowers. Please, can't I just go down and take a few minutes of video?" Daniel held up his ever-present camera. "Please". He was so excited about the prospect of exploring, that he couldn't keep the pleading tone out of his voice.

Jack on the other hand was shaken by what Daniel had inadvertently said. The word 'swallowed' had struck a chord in him. It brought back the same feeling of unease that he had experienced here previously, and he was determined that his team would go no closer for now. "Sorry Daniel. Next time buddy. We'll bring lots of film, and you can explore to your heart's content. For now though, I think we should head back to camp and see about packing up for tomorrow".

While Daniel understood Jack's words, he really wasn't ready to leave just yet. Something about this place was drawing at him. He could almost feel the abundance of life stirring below him, although if he wanted to be completely honest with himself, he realised that there was more to it than that. Whatever it was he was feeling though, was fleeting. He was unable to get a real grasp on it. Still, he geared himself up to argue for a few more minutes, when he looked at Jack, whose nose had begun to bleed again. This time, the flow was heavier than before.

Teal'c had spotted the blood even sooner than Daniel and was already moving over beside Jack, who had lowered himself to a sitting position on the grassy slope.

"O'Neill, this is the second time that you have lost blood from your nose. What is the cause of this?"

Jack was beginning to wonder that himself. He had not told the others about the previous night. Coupled with the fatigue and cough, he realised that maybe he was coming down with something. It was not like him to get sick though, and as he looked at the scene below him, an uneasy feeling came over him and he began to wonder if it wasn't something more.

The team waited for the blood flow to cease. Moments later, Jack headed down the hill to their campsite, followed by the rest of the team. By the time they arrived back in camp, he was inordinately tired, and allowed himself to be led to a seat around the fire-pit. Without thinking, he accepted the drink that was placed in his hands. He realised that he was in fact very tired, and he closed his eyes and allowed his thoughts to drift while the other three moved around him. His awareness grew at the smell of dinner, being heated over a crackling fire. As he opened his eyes, he saw a pair of blue ones scrutinising him.

Daniel's face was a mask of concern. He had seldom seen Jack with so much as the sniffles, and he was finding this worrisome.

"Are you feeling better now?" he couldn't help but ask, knowing how annoyed Jack was getting with that particular question.

"Peachy Daniel". Jack knew it was unfair to use that tone on his friend. He could see the concern there, but dammit, he was feeling worse now than even just half an hour ago, and if the truth be told, it was worrying him as well. "Sorry Daniel. Actually, I'm still kind of tired".

That part Daniel didn't need to be told. Fatigue was etched firmly in Jack's face. He appeared pale to Daniel's eye as well.

Sam walked over with a plate full of dinner. "Here you go Sir. It's our last dinner on this planet, so I made it a special one. Macaroni and cheese".

Jack smiled. "I bet it tastes like chicken too, right?"

Seeing her CO joking eased her mind a little. Like Daniel and Teal'c, Sam was worried as well. Jack didn't look good, and the little incidents were starting to add up to a picture she was not comfortable with. If he had a cold, then it was like none that she had seen before.

Dinner went smoothly. The team all ate, albeit with somewhat less than relish. Teal'c and Carter began to discuss the transport of the skid. It was loaded rather heavily, and they wanted to ensure it didn't get stuck en route to the gate. Daniel set about cleaning the dishes, and Jack sat. As he stared at the mesmerising flames in front of him, he was unaware of the surreptitious looks being cast in his direction. Daniel was just approaching with some freshly brewed coffee, when another coughing attack hit him.

Jack was left sore and breathless when the spasms finally subsided. He was also aware that the hand he had covered his mouth with was wet. As he held the offending appendage in front of him, he realised that it was not the phlegm that he had expected, but blood.

Daniel grabbed Jack's hand before he had a chance to protest, and turned it so the others could see. "What the hell is going on here Jack?"

"You're asking me? What do I look like….. Janet?" Jack tried to make light of the situation, but his effort convinced no-one.

"Dammit Jack. You're sick. When were you going to say something". Daniel fought hard to keep the anger from his voice. He was well aware that Jack would fight for any of them, but not for himself.

"Daniel, I swear. I didn't know I was. I had a couple of nosebleeds yesterday, one today and then this. Other than that, I felt fine. I still feel fine, except for being rather tired". Jack's eyes conveyed the truth behind those words, and Daniel relaxed somewhat.

"You said you had two nosebleeds yesterday Sir? I only saw one. When was the second one". Sam was more worried than she cared to admit. She didn't know what was going on with her friend, but she had the feeling she wasn't going to like the answer.

"I woke up last night with one. It wasn't bad, and I fell right back asleep. I had almost forgotten about it until the last one". Jack was starting to feel a little light-headed, and his head was starting to hurt. With his elbows propped on his knees, he dropped his head into his hands.

"Jack?" Daniel spoke beside him. In place of an answer, Jack fell over to the ground, unconscious. His skin was ashen, and a line of blood trickled once again from his nostril.

"O'Neill!". Teal'c was beside the fallen Colonel in a heartbeat. He scooped him up effortlessly, and moved him inside his tent. Sam and Daniel followed.

"Does anyone know what we might be dealing with here?" Sam questioned the others as she took Jack's pulse. She found it steady, but to her it seemed a little weak. As she took in the negative shakes from the two men, she started to think aloud. "We need to get him back to the SGC. I think we should inform Janet that we may have encountered a possible contagion here. Whatever has affected the Colonel is no cold. We have to go under the assumption that something here is causing this. We need to try to figure out what, so we can isolate it and come up with a solution".

"What can we do to help Major Carter?" Teal'c was his usual steady self, and Sam smiled in appreciation.

"First of all, how are you two feeling? Have you noticed any of the symptoms the Colonel showed? Any fatigue, nosebleeds, coughs? No, okay. I'm fine as well. So has the Colonel done anything that the rest of us haven't? Touched something we didn't, eaten something……..?"

Daniel looked thoughtful for a moment, before blurting out "the flowers!"

Sam looked at him. "Daniel, we all went there".

Daniel looked at her impatiently. "Yes, but Jack walked in amongst them. Remember how he was covered with pollen when he came back".

Teal'c spoke up. "You are correct Daniel Jackson. I believed we all laughed when we saw him".

Sam looked at Jack for a moment, then at the other two, realisation crossing her face. "If whatever is causing this was contained in the pollen, then it's just a matter of time before we get sick too".

The team was quiet for a moment as they contemplated her words.

Sam broke the silence first. "Okay, let's contact Janet, notify her about what's going on, and tell her we will need to be quarantined until we can figure this out. We also need to get a sample of that flower for her to study".

Daniel hopped up. "I'll go send the message". As he left the tent, Teal'c spoke.

"I will obtain the sample Major Carter. Perhaps my symbiote will provide me with greater resistance".

Sam looked at him uncertainly. "I'm not sure that's a good idea Teal'c. The base can send a team back here with the right equipment to safely acquire a plant".

Teal'c looked levelly at her. "Major Carter, that will take time. If the plant is indeed responsible for O'Neill's condition, then it appears to be a fast acting contagion. If that is the case, then time will be of the essence in finding a cure".

Sam couldn't fault Teal'c's reasoning, as she happened to agree with it. She looked at the Jaffa, and nodded. Hoping she had done the right thing, she watched the huge man depart from the tent, then turned her attention to the Colonel.

The blood coming from his nose had stopped on it's own, leaving a red trail that ran down the side of his face, on to his neck, and out of view. Looking at the sight served only to remind her that they may be facing a dire situation.

Teal'c left the tent and went to the crate containing unused sample bags. He withdrew four and headed in the direction of the field, hoping that the diminishing light would hold out for a while longer. He realised that he should bring a flashlight, but didn't want to waste the time it would take to find one. Running in long, easy strides, he approached the hill quickly. Soon, he was up one side, down the other and at the edge of the flower field. Taking one sample bag, Teal'c reached over and plucked a flower, mindful to hold his breath to prevent inhaling the pollen. He repeated the procedure with the second bag. Once both were sealed, he took the added precaution of double bagging the blooms. That done, he turned in the waning light, and headed back for camp.

Daniel was already back, not needing much time given the near proximity to the gate. He looked up as Teal'c lifted the tent flap and entered. He nodded approval as Teal'c held up the bags for them to see. Sam wrinkled her nose in distaste as she viewed the potentially lethal bloom.

"Were you able to arrange for help Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c enquired.

"Yes. I was just telling Sam here, that Janet is preparing a team to send through, complete with Haz-mat suits for us. They should be here within the hour. She is also readying the isolation ward for us. She wants us all together in case we show the same symptoms as Jack.

Jack began to stir at the mention of his name. As the others watched, he tried to awaken, but his motions brought on another fit of coughing. When it had passed, Jack was once again unconscious, unaware of the blood he had brought up lying on the ground next to him, and the shocked look on the faces of his team-mates.

Before the promised hour was up, the Haz-mat team came through, bearing four extra suits. Once the team were securely ensconced in their perspective suits, Jack was placed on a litter, and Teal'c's samples were placed in a hazardous materials transportation case. Two of Janet's medics took one end of Jack's litter, Teal'c took the other, and the group made their way to the gate.

As usual, the trip through the stargate took no time at all. As the group entered the gateroom of the SGC, they were greeted by a team also clad in the protective suits. Quickly they were hustled out of the room, down the corridors, up the elevator two floors and into the isolation ward. As promised, Janet was waiting for them there, clad in a similar suit. She approached the litter and peered at the Colonel through a double layer of transparent mylar. While it obscured her vision somewhat, it was not enough to hide the fact that the Colonel did not look well. His face was drawn and pale, with dark shadows under his eyes, and traces of blood still flecked on his face. She looked up and signalled to the medics to go ahead and place him in the chamber. They moved him into the outer airlock and waited for the doors behind to seal. When the air had exchanged, the inner door opened. Once inside, he was lifted off the stretcher and placed on the nearest of the four beds that lay within. The medics then turned and left in the same manner. As they exited from the airlock, they left the room to de-contaminate. Daniel, Teal'c and Sam followed the same procedure of entering, then turned and watched as the doors sealed shut behind them.

The isolation chamber was well named. While it had windows on all four sides, it was indeed cut off. It had it's own complement of medical equipment, and life support system. The air was cleaned, filtered and returned without ever mixing with the rest of the building's. While it drew it's power from the main system, it had it's own back-up generator which kicked in automatically in the event of a power failure. An airlock quickly stole all the potentially contaminated air, then returned it with clean, filtered oxygen. An incineration chute was placed on the wall, unobtrusively in one corner. The three able team members shucked off their suits, then Jack's, and stuffed them down the chute were they fell into the incinerator. When all of that was accomplished, they sat down and turned to watch as Janet entered the room.

She smiled a quick greeting at them as she moved to Jack's bedside. As she took his vitals, she questioned them about the onset of his illness, nodding as she listened. With her hand so heavily encased in gloves, it was impossible to take a pulse, so she hooked him up to the EKG. It showed a weak heart-rate. He was hypotensive with a blood pressure of 80/50. As she started to record his readings, her frown was apparent. Her years of practice showed as she deftly inserted an IV, despite the heavy encumbrances that tried to hinder her motions, then took a blood sample from the crook of his arm and labelled the vials. She looked out the window at the nurse who stood waiting. "I want a chest x-ray done stat ". She rechecked his BP and was pleased to see that the addition of extra fluids had helped to raise the readings a margin higher. That done, she turned to the other members of the team. She approached them one at a time, and inquired about the presence of any symptoms, as she took blood from each of them. She put those vials in a tray alongside the Colonel's, then placed the tray in a smaller airlock to be accessed from the outside.

Sam waited until Janet was done with her work, before stopping her with a question. "So, how is he?"

Janet looked steadily at her as she replied. "He seems stable enough, although weak. At this point I have no clue as to the problem. I'll run some tests, and let you know as soon as we find anything. In the meantime, I suggest you get comfortable. You might be here for a while". With that, Janet left.

Jack groaned from his bed, and slowly woke up. He put his hands to his head as he shut his eyes against the bright overhead light. "Whoa. What a hangover", he croaked. The rest of the team moved swiftly to his side and helped him to sit up.

"How do you feel, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked, concern apparent in his voice.

Jack groaned again, but this time it was in response to the question. He hated being asked that, as it tended to involve him being skewered, infected or shot. This time the word infected sprung to mind. As he took in the faces of those around him, he realised he was being selfish. They were worried, and he was indulging himself. He sat up straighter. "I'm okay Teal'c. Got a bit of a headache, and feel like I could sleep for a week, but that's about it."

His words might have soothed them if it was not for the fact that his nose chose that moment to bleed once again. Daniel silently handed him the box of tissue that sat on the table beside the bed. Jack nodded his thanks as he proceeded to tend to his now too frequent nose-bleed. He heaved a heavy sigh as he realised that this routine was getting old, fast. When the bleeding had finally stopped, although it seemed to take longer each time, he let his head fall back against his pillow. He felt tired, old and worn, and his head was starting to pound even more than before. He thought about asking Janet for a painkiller, but knowing how worried everyone already was, he thought that might just add to it. He decided to wait it out. Maybe the pain would ease off. He let his eyes fall shut, and before he knew it, he was fast asleep.

Understanding the need to let Jack rest, the rest of the team moved to the bed furthest away, and sat down to wait for some word from Janet.

Miles away, a phone rang, and an unknown voice answered. "I have something you might be interested in".

"Doctor Fraiser, come and take a look at this" the tech called.

Janet moved quickly, and adjusted the viewer on the microscope, bringing the sample into focus. Her quickly inhaled breath told the technician that what he had seen wasn't his imagination. As Janet watched, Jack's blood was being slowly consumed in front of her. She looked up with an expression of shock, and disbelief, before turning back to the sample. She put the images on the videoscope, then digitised them into the computer. With a quick word to the technician to continue running tests, she left to see the General.

She was admitted to his office after only the briefest of waits.

"Doctor Fraiser. Have you found anything?" the General asked without preamble.

Janet nodded. She indicated his computer. "May I?" At his nod, she quickly called up the images she had recorded in the lab. "This is a sample of Colonel O'Neill's blood. I believe this", she indicated one of the oval shapes, "to be a spore from one of the flowers Teal'c took samples of. We are running comparisons right now to confirm this. What you are seeing General", she paused for effect "is the destruction of blood cells".

Hammond looked at, not quite understanding. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is……this spore…….seems to be eating the blood. From the increase in size it has shown, it appears as though it is converting the Colonel's blood into a food source." Janet realised the implications of what she had just said, as did the General.

"You mean that this spore is killing the Colonel in an effort to grow and maybe reproduce?"

"General, I'm not sure about much just yet. What we do know for sure is that there were signs of inhabitation on that planet, in the only spot this flower was shown to grow. There are no people there any more, and now it appears that the Colonel is affected. This is not exactly unprecedented in nature, as you know. While we don't have man eating plants, we do have carnivorous ones. Look at the Venus Fly Trap, and the Pitcher Plant. We have to go on the assumption right now that this organism is the cause". Jack was a friend of hers and she was as worried as anyone about what was happening to him.

A horrified look crossed Hammond's face as a thought came to him. "You mean that the field that the team described was a……..a mass grave……….caused by those flowers?"

Janet's voice spoke of profound sadness. The same thought had occurred to her when she became aware of the nature of the contagion. "Yes Sir, I believe it is".

Shaking off the thought, Hammond turned his attention to something he hoped they still had control over. "What about the Colonel? Can you help him? Is there any way of killing this thing?" He was frustrated. His second in command was most likely dying, and he was unable to do more than supply his CMO with the resources that she needed, and hope it was enough.

Janet understood his frustration, as it mirrored her own. "The Colonel is weak Sir. His blood work indicates a significant reduction in his red blood cells. While this organism uses all components of blood, the red and white cells, as well as the platelets, it seems to prefer the red. I will set him up with a transfusion when I leave from here. As for killing this, we are trying several ideas. Since it is organic, it should be possible, It's just a matter of finding the means. Obviously chemicals are not an option without causing serious harm to the Colonel, and we cannot remove the food source".

"What's left then?"

"Well Sir, I think we will have to look at environmental means".

Hammond could see her thinking of different alternatives even as she spoke. Knowing the urgency of her task, he decided that further dialogue could wait. "Doctor Fraiser, I want you to go and figure this thing out. Use whatever, and whoever you need. Let me know if anything further develops".

"Yes Sir. Thank you". As Janet turned to leave the room, she was stopped by a final question.

"Doctor, are the rest of the team all right?"

She saw the concern on his face and hoped her answer would help. "So far they are showing no signs of being infected. I will take another series in an hour or so and compare the results". Seeing his dismissive nod, Janet left.

The General stared unseeing at the wall. When he had been assigned this command, he never expected events like this. He rubbed his temples wearily, then turned back to the report on his desk. The Defence Secretary had been notified of the possible contagion, and wanted to be kept constantly up to date.

Janet was greeted by four sets of expectant eyes as she re-entered the Iso. Unit. She had taken the time to stop by the lab to check on any possible developments, before going to inform the team of her findings thus far. Jack had awakened some time earlier, and spent the last half hour reassuring his friends that he was fine. When he saw Janet, he lit up at the thought of some confirmation. It didn't take long to realise that she wasn't returning with good news.

As she started to set up the transfusion, which Jack bore with a look of utter distaste, Janet turned to look him squarely. "Colonel, it seems as though you have been infected by the spore from those plants that Teal'c brought back. You inhaled it, and it settled in your lungs. The x-rays came back, and showed a disintegration of the lining of your lungs. That's why the cough hit so hard". Before Jack could interrupt, she continued. "The organism has entered your blood stream is feeding on your blood and soft tissues. I'm giving you blood to replace some of the volume you've lost". She finished the transfusion and set about taking a fresh set of blood samples.

Jack was stunned by what he heard and was not sure how to respond, so he reverted to form. "Talk about consumption". It was lame, and he knew it, but it helped him to banish the visions of leaves sprouting from his body that had suddenly sprung to mind.

Janet did not appear amused.

When he saw her prepare his arm for more blood, he decided that a change of topic was in order and asked in a plaintive voice, "What's the point of putting blood in, if you're just going to take it right back out?"

Janet smiled in understanding. She pulled out some oxygen tubing, and placed a nasal canula on him. "This should help your lungs Colonel".

Sam called out. "Won't the extra oxygen just exacerbate the growth rate?"

"Not in the tests we've run so far. Nothing seems to effect it very much. We've tried different percentages of oxygen, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide".

Sam thought for a moment. "What about light. Have you tried using different filters".

Janet nodded. "We've tried all different spectrums. While the growth rate is slowed somewhat, particularly when we filter the ultra violet, it is not significant enough to pursue as a cure at this point".

A thought occurred to Sam. Plants required photosynthesis to produce food. While these spores were using a different food source, they would most likely still need some light to grow, or at the very least, germinate. As they were in the blood stream, they would travel through the circulatory system to the layer under the epidermis, thereby exposing them to light. Perhaps if altering that source wasn't successful, maybe complete removal of it would be.

"Have you tried eliminating all light?" As Sam asked the question, she caught sight of Janet's suddenly shocked look and mistook it for recognition of a possible solution. Then she felt it. The slow trickle of blood coming from her own nose. Her hand shook as she raised it to touch the blood. "Oh my God," she whispered. She knew that the rest of them could be infected, but enough time had lapsed that she started to entertain the notion of being out of the woods. Now the reality hit that she might very well be condemned to a slow death. "Janet…….."

A few quick strides took Janet to Sam's side. While Sam was military, and trained to contain her emotions, the strain of the last few days, and this new development had caught up with her. The three men looked on helplessly as Janet pulled her into a quick, although awkward given her suit, embrace. "It's going to be okay Sam", the brunette whispered into Sam's hair. "We'll find the cure". Janet gave Sam another quick, reassuring hug.

As Janet was about to leave, Jack started to cough again. She ran and grabbed a basin, and held it to his lips. The cough came, left and came again, violently. At each interval, he would spit out the blood before another fit seized him. Finally he quieted, and leaned back in exhaustion, his body shaking. Janet moved to the medicine cabinet, removed a syringe and a vial. She drew out a measure, returned to the Colonel and introduced the sedative into his drip to help him rest. She looked over to see Sam watching the terrifying scene, horror written clearly on her face, knowing she was watching her own fate. Sadly, Janet left the room, bloody basin in hand.

The soldier was asked to repeat his orders, which he did with complete accuracy. Once dismissed, he left the base and started to drive.

A tired looking Janet Fraiser checked the latest test results with trepidation. It had been several exhausting hours which she had spent between the isolation unit, and the lab. The tests had all produced discouraging results, and she didn't expect this batch to be any different. As she pulled the sample from the black box, a smile crossed her face for the first time in hours. She called the technician over to double check the results. He confirmed them. Three hours without any light source had slowed the take over of cells by fifty percent. Even if this was not the cure, at least it would at least buy the team some time. She raced off to inform the General of her findings.

The soldier quietly entered the lab. The engrossed technician was poring over a microscope, and never even bothered to look up. The soldier moved over to the table where Janet had been working. By the time he left, only a minute had passed, and the table was minus one sample bag, a vial of the Colonel's blood, and the results from the black box.

After speaking with Janet, General Hammond followed her down to the infirmary. He approached the glass of the isolation unit warily, unsure what he would see. Jack lay on the bed motionless, his eyes closed. During the past hours, his condition had deteriorated rapidly, in direct proportion to the growth of the spores. While their numbers did not appear to multiply, they were steadily increasing in size. Janet knew it was only a matter of time before they began to germinate, and she was desperate to find a cure before that happened.

Jack's pale face was now partially obscured by the intubation tube and tape holding it in place, as his ability to breathe unaided had become severely compromised. Twin bags of blood ran into the vein under his collarbone. Janet had to put in the subclavian line as his need for greater blood volume had increased. The spores were voracious, and showed no signs of ceasing their consumption rate. The heart monitor at his side beeped monotonously.

As the General looked on, he saw Teal'c and Daniel apparently talking to a very pale Sam Carter. She was now getting assisted with oxygen via a canula. While she did not yet need blood, she was on an IV, with orders for a transfusion if her blood count dropped any lower.

Hammond looked over at Janet. "Why are Teal'c and Doctor Jackson doing so well?"

"I'm not sure. We think Teal'c's symbiote is protecting him, and our best guess is that Daniel's antihistamines helped him. His blood is still not showing any signs of infection". Janet glanced down at the chart she was holding. "Major Carter is slowly losing ground, but not at the same rate as the Colonel. He has a much greater density of the spores in his blood. He was infected first, but he must have been exposed to a much higher dose than her, to be so much worse".

"Why can't you give those two some antihistamines?"

"We ran some tests with that in mind General. They appear to have worked prophylacticly in Daniel. Once exposed, they no longer help. In fact General, I would advise giving all personnel a dose as a precaution".

"See to it Doctor". Janet nodded at the nearby nurse. They had already planned a vaccination program when the benefits became apparent.

The General swung his gaze back to Jack. "What is his condition?"

"Not good Sir. The spores are devouring blood cells as fast as we can get them in. We had to intubate him to ease his lungs, but the damage is extensive. Even if we are successful in dealing with this infection, it will take some time for him to heal". Janet noticed the expression crossing the General's face. She was well aware of his paternal feelings towards Jack and the rest of SG1.

"With your permission Sir, I'd like to try something. We ran a test on the spores at Major Carter's suggestion. We deprived them of light for three hours. The growth of the spores slowed down considerably. I'd like to try the same thing on the team, although it would have to be for a longer period of time. I'm hoping that the spores will not only slow, but actually start to deteriorate".

"How long do you need Doctor?" Hammond was ready to try anything.

"I'd like at least twenty-four hours. We have a series of samples being tested right now. We plan to check them at various intervals. Hopefully we find the right amount of time to do the job. At the very least, it will buy us some more time to look into other options". Janet looked at the General with what she hoped was a confident expression.

Hammond nodded. "Go ahead and try Doctor. Let me know how things are going. In the meantime, I have to let the Secretary know where we're at. I don't think he will be too pleased. At least the problem appears to be contained". The General turned and slowly left the room, his shoulders drooping from the strain.

Janet put on her suit and entered the unit. She quickly checked on Jack. Despite assistance, his breathing was still strained, but thanks to the transfusions, his blood pressure was holding.

She moved to the group around Sam's bed. "We think we may have come up with something. We took your suggestion Sam. The spores don't do well in the complete absence of light. We haven't had enough time yet to find out if they can actually be destroyed that way, but it looks promising".

Sam turned tired eyes on her friend. "So you want to put us in a completely light deprived environment?"

Daniel looked shocked. "You're kidding right?" The thought of being in a black-out shook him. Daniel had never needed to disclose his dislike of the dark, as the situation had never come up. There was always a light on in the SGC, and in his apartment was the aquarium he left lit, day and night. Thinking about it, he realised that even when he stayed at Jack's, something was always giving off light. Funny how he had never realised that before. As the others turned to him in surprise at his reaction, he tried to come up with an argument that would satisfy them. "What about Jack. How do you plan to tend to him in the dark?"

Janet had not considered that. She looked across the room at the supine man, as she thought about it. " I guess I'll have to stay in here with you. We have all the supplies we need, and if I have to, I'll risk a flashlight".

"Doesn't that defeat the purpose?" Unwilling to admit how much the plan scared him, Daniel sought to find holes in it.

Janet sighed. "Yes Daniel, it probably does. But I don't have any other ideas. I think we can keep the use of the flashlight down to a minimum so it shouldn't have too much of an effect. I can't think of anything else right now, and time's running out". Janet took in a shaking breath. She was tired, worried and more than a little frustrated. Blood eating spores were a little out of her league. As Daniel looked quizzically at her, she realised that more elaboration was required. "From what little we have learned so far, we have made a few deductions about these things".

"Such as?" Sam asked, always the scientist.

"It appears that these spores are quite unlike those that we are familiar with. Typical spores only live about 24hours. These appear to survive much longer. Now that they have a food source, we have to assume that germination will occur soon. What we don't know is if germination is determined by the growth of the spore, or by the chemical make-up of the host.

"I do not understand Doctor". Teal'c was listening intently to the conversation, but biology was not his strong suit.

"Well Teal'c. The body undergoes certain biochemical changes when depleted of blood. The spores had already attacked the Colonel's lungs and soft tissues before we were able to transfuse him. We think that our intervention is why the damage had not progressed beyond that. My guess is that if untreated, the spores kill the host by decimating it's blood supply thus triggering these changes. Germination then occurs, with the host's body providing the necessary nutrition for growth. By providing the Colonel with new blood, we seem to be keeping germination at bay, although the spores continue to grow. We can't keep transfusing him indefinitely though. That carries severe risks as well. These things keep eating up everything we give him anyway". Janet paused and looked over at the sleeping Colonel before resuming.

"Of course, this is all supposition. These things are alien and behave unlike anything we've seen before. Our task now is to figure out how to destroy these things, and Sam's suggestion is the only thing showing any promise so far, without risking the host. In this case, Jack."

With Janet's comments bringing them full circle, Daniel quashed his feelings of anxiety with an effort. He knew he would have to deal with his fears if he wanted Jack saved, which he desperately did. He gave Janet a slow nod of approval.

Janet breathed a sigh of relief then continued. "I'm going to give each of you a mild sedative. That will help you rest. Hopefully if you can get some sleep, you won't notice the time so much. I also want to start a nutrient drip on you, since room service is probably not going to happen. Any questions?"

No one bothered to ask anything, as they knew there really wasn't much choice but to go with the plan. Janet settled each person on their bed. She started IV's on Daniel and Teal'c, as the other two already had them. She then added a nutrient bag to each line, including Sam and Jack's. Next she administered the sedative.

Teal'c looked at her. "What about you Doctor Fraiser. Will you not suffer from hunger?"

She grinned at him. "It's okay Teal'c. Once I discussed this plan with the General, I stopped by the commissary. I had them make me up a sandwich". She pat the small cooler she had previously set by the medicine cabinet. "Okay everybody, all set?"

Three yeahs were heard with varying degrees of enthusiasm. She nodded to the nurse who stood in the doorway. He hit the light switch and the room plunged into darkness, with the exception of the light coming in from the doorway. That lasted only seconds, as the same nurse left the room and closed the door behind him.

Once the darkness descended, and no-one could see, Janet silently slipped out of her suit. She knew the risks she was taking, and that she could be severely reprimanded when the General found out, but she was confident that the cure would be found, and in the meantime, the suit was compromising her ability to treat her patients. She hoped that the General would see her decision in the same light.

Miles away, on another base, a smug looking officer accepted a package from the soldier. He dismissed the man. As he retreated to his office, a voice spoke to him from the shadows. "Do you have it?"

"Safe and sound. It appears we may have the makings of a potent weapon!"

The voice sounded pleased. "Good. I was told you were the right man for the job".

The officer couldn't keep the pleasure from his voice as he responded. "You were informed correctly. We may also have an unexpected bonus".

"How so?" the voice asked.

"It appears as though O"Neill may be the first casualty". This time the officer didn't even try to hide his smile.

"That was not part of the plan".

"No, but it sure is a nice fringe benefit, don't you think?" The officer found himself alone.

A voice over the intercom startled the dosing group. "Doctor Fraiser. We checked the next set of samples. At twelve hours, the smallest of the spores showed signs of shrinking, while the larger ones did not appear to be affected."

Janet accepted the news gratefully, but declined to reply in the hopes that her charges might go back to sleep.

The sedatives that Janet had given the team had been effective. Daniel, Teal'c and Sam had joined Jack in sleep. That had been eight hours ago. Janet had only needed to use the filtered flashlight minimally to check on the team. Sam's condition had not worsened, much to her Doctor's relief. Jack had suffered another nosebleed early on. It was a bad one that took Janet some time to stop. His blood pressure had dropped accordingly, but was slowly showing signs of improvement to her great relief.

Daniel spoke up, his voice raspy from the drug induced sleep. "So, did we miss anything?"

Janet grinned. It seemed as though Daniel was picking up some of Jack's sarcasm without even being aware of it.

"Well Daniel", she replied, "we have some promising news. The last samples were showing the beginnings of deterioration".

"How long did that take?" Hearing Janet's disembodied voice was more disturbing than Daniel cared to admit.

"About eight hours. How are you doing?"

"Fine"

Janet waited a while to see if any more information was forthcoming as something in Daniel's voice told her that was probably the opposite of what he was feeling. The silence hung heavily in the air disturbed only by the rhythmic breathing of her patients, and the soft beeping of Jack's EKG. She began to think that Daniel had indeed dosed off.

A subdued voice broke the silence. "Janet?" It was Daniel.

"Daniel. Are you okay? You're not feeling any symptoms are you?"

"No". His voice sounded small.

"What's going on Daniel?" she asked in a soft, quiet voice.

In the complete darkness, it was easy for Daniel to picture that he and Janet were alone, or maybe he just wanted to. It made it easier that way. "I was just remembering when I was nine".

Janet knew something about Daniel's early life. He had been orphaned at a young age. His parents dying tragically in front of him. After that, it was a matter of being bounced from one foster home to another, a life that would have been hard enough at the best of times, but couple that with an overly bright, misunderstood child and you had the recipe for disaster.

"What happened when you were nine?" She deliberately kept her voice quiet and soothing.

"I was moved in to my new foster parent's house. They were an older couple. They had two children. Boys. Both were older than me".

Janet prompted him to continue, knowing there was something about this that he needed to purge himself of.

Daniel sat in silence for a moment, unaware of other sets of ears listening quietly. Sam and Teal'c had both woken up to the intercom. Neither had spoken while they shrugged off the effects of the sedatives. By the time they felt better, Janet and Daniel had begun. Sensing the delicacy of the moment, they remained silent.

Unknown to the rest of them, one more member of the team was awake. Jack had pulled himself from the depths of his subconscious hours before. He woke to a world of hurt and confusion. He had been asleep when the team was apprised of Janet's plan, and waking to absolute darkness, had thrown him. He wondered briefly if he had gone blind, until he was caught sight of the faint glow from the EKG machine alongside his bed. Somewhat reassured, he lay there, taking stock of the situation. His chest and head hurt. As he moved his arms cautiously, he became aware of the tubes running into him. There seemed to be a number of them. He realised from previous experiences that the foreign object in his throat was an intubation tube. He heard the quiet, steady beeping at his side and knew that he was in an infirmary. He assumed from his hazy memories that he was in the SGC, but couldn't be sure. Realising that he seemed to be in one piece, he lost that particular distraction, which left him to stare blindly out in space, lost in his thoughts.

Jack didn't like the dark. He didn't like the feelings it brought out in him. Even at home he always kept a light of some sort on. He had ever since Iraq. He learned to dislike the dark when he was there. 'Who are you kidding,' he mentally lectured himself. He was downright afraid if the truth be told. He had learned the hard way that the dark could be a frightening place. He spent the next couple of hours counting the beeps from the EKG, and listening to the sound of his own breathing, albeit assisted. Anything to distract himself from the memories the situation was dredging forth. The voice from the intercom had taken him completely by surprise. Until then, it had just been him and his heartbeat. When he heard Daniel and Janet start to talk, he debated about making some noise to alert them that he too was awake, that is, until he heard Daniel's voice. Like Janet, he knew there was a problem. Unable to go to his friend, or even talk to him, Jack resolved to at least be there for him by trying to understand.

Daniel tried to struggle through his feelings. He was embarrassed to be seen as a coward. A grown man who was afraid of the dark was laughable, yet here he was……..afraid. He knew that Janet would understand, as she always seemed to, and he would never have a better opportunity to unburden himself. With the others apparently still under the effects of the sedatives, it was just the two of them. He also knew that they had a long time left to go, and he didn't know if he would be able to stand much more without doing something. Already his heart was pounding, and his palms were sweaty, all classic sign of an impending panic attack.

Janet moved surely, even in the total blackness. This was her territory, and she knew it like the back of her hand. Quickly she gained the foot of Daniel's bed. Feeling along the right hand side-rails, she moved to the head and sat in the chair that was waiting there. Silently, she reached out in the darkness and found Daniel's hand. Taking it in hers, she waited for him.

That sure, gentle touch meant the world to Daniel. As a child, he had learned to let go of the hope of a mother's loving touch, or a father's sure grip. Foster parents, or at least the ones he had, didn't seem to go for that kind of stuff. Not that they couldn't be physical, just not necessarily gentle. He learned quickly what he could, and could not do. For all of Jack's gentle joking with him that he needed to learn to duck, he actually had, years ago. Now it was to avoid being shot with some sort of weapon, back then a fist was the weapon, or whatever else was handy to hit with.

Daniel took a deep breath as he wondered how to start. "I used to run away a lot. I kept hoping that if I could just get away, things would be better". His voice was so childlike that Janet felt her heart clench in response. She squeezed his hand in encouragement.

"I would get so mad when my case worker would show up and chew me out for being disruptive, and difficult". Anger was seeping into his words. "I mean, if Cassie ran away, wouldn't you question why?"

Janet could feel his eyes bore into her, even in the dark. Knowing he couldn't see her nod, she gave a soft yes in reply.

Across the room, Sam and Teal'c listened on. Already the picture was becoming clear, and it wasn't pretty.

Daniel continued. "My dad would find me sometimes, other times it was the police, or a concerned neighbour". He laughed harshly at that. "Isn't it ironic. They were concerned, so they would take me back there".

Janet could feel a shudder run through him. She brought her second hand up and wrapped it around their already joined ones. The tension that was pouring off him in waves, subsided a little.

"They had a closet for me. It was my punishment closet. They used to laugh about that. They'd even show it to their friends. 'Oh look, that's Daniel's closet' they'd say and everyone would think it was so funny……..everyone except me. I would sit in there for hours, contemplating my sins". He spat those last words out, as if they left a bad taste in his mouth.

He gripped Janet's hand tighter. "It was so dark, and I would get so scared. I never wanted to go in there. I would do anything not to go in there………." Daniel's broken voice trailed off.

Janet stood up, reached over and pulled the man into a hug. He gripped her with all his strength. She felt his tears run onto her shoulders, and her heart wept with him. This man who was so kind and gentle, had been through so much. She held him until he finally began to relax. She took the flashlight from her coat pocket and pressed it into his hands.

"Take this, and use it if you need to. It will bring the light back".

Daniel handed it back, and spoke equally gently. "I think it already has. Thank you".

Janet wasn't the only one who smiled.

She moved to check on Jack, using the flashlight to see him, and was surprised to find him awake. Before she could speak, he moved his head from side to side, and took her hand in one of his own. He didn't need to speak. She understood the look in his eyes perfectly. Standing up straight, she made a point of checking his vitals. They hadn't changed which she counted as a blessing at this point. She changed the saline bag on his IV, and hung a new unit of blood. She moved to make some notations on his chart. When she was done, she gave him a last look, then moved to check on the others.

Teal'c feigned sleep as she approached. She only needed a moment to reassure herself that he still appeared to be fine. When she moved away, he opened his eyes to follow her retreating form in the dim light that travelled with her as she walked over to Sam's bed.

This time Janet wasn't surprised to find another patient awake. Sam was wiping away the last traces of tears as her friend approached. Knowing that Sam had overheard her conversation with Daniel, she realised that they all sought to protect his privacy. She smiled her acknowledgement and gratitude at the sick woman. As she checked Sam's pulse, the Major noticed her attire. Sam knew that Daniel still thought she was asleep, but as she couldn't speak in that state, she decided it was time to wake up.

"Janet?" she called in what she hoped was a sleepy voice.

Janet played along. "Sorry Sam, I didn't mean to wake you up. How are you feeling?"

Sam thought about that for a moment. "Actually, I think I feel better".

"Well, your vitals are somewhat stronger. I'm still going to leave you on oxygen though. Even if these spores are being affected by the darkness, you still have sustained some damage to your lungs. I believe they will heal, but it will take time". Janet was feeling a little encouraged by Sam's condition. She did seem stronger, although without being able to do some more elaborate testing, it was just a hunch, backed with little data.

Sam looked at her critically. "Janet, where is your suit?"

"Oh, that. I took it off. I can't be expected to treat you effectively when I'm all wrapped up now can I?"

"Janet!" Sam was shocked. It was one thing to be exposed to something like this accidentally, but to deliberately take a chance on exposure was something else.

"Listen. I took a healthy dose of antihistamines before I took the suit off. Now Daniel appears to be symptom free, and I believe that's why. He had the same drug in his system. I also believe that we are on the right track with this. So, the way I see it, there really isn't much risk, and the benefits far outweigh those. Now, I want you to try to get some sleep. You still look tired".

Sam couldn't argue with that. She was tired. She flashed Janet an appreciative smile, and closed her eyes.

Janet was feeling a little weary herself. It had been a while since she had really rested. Between trying to find a cure, treating the team, and now this talk with Daniel, she was starting to feel frayed. Leaning her head back to rest against the wall, she closed her eyes.

Jack's head was hurting. To distract himself, he thought about what he had heard between Daniel and Janet. He was grateful to the Doctor who was once again there to patch them up, physically, and it appeared mentally. Jack had known some of what Daniel had gone through, but not all of it. His nails had dug deep crescent shaped cuts into both palms as his fists had tightened more and more throughout the conversation. Suddenly, the pain in his head flared, and his eyes rolled back in his head. He was unaware of the blood flowing violently from his nose and ears.

The officer picked up his phone. The unknown voice on the other end answered. "What is our status?"

The officer smiled. "We have isolated the spores, and are now in the process of growing them".

The voice replied "Did you find a satisfactory repository?"

"Eminently". With that the officer hung the phone gently up on it's cradle.

Jack woke with a start. The pain in his head was excruciating. He tried to see where he was, but there was no light. He realised that they had probably put him in the pit again, although he couldn't remember what he had done this time. His body ached from what he assumed were the blows they so enjoyed raining on him. As he moved his hands to his face, he felt something hindering his movements. He touched one hand to the other, and felt the offending needles that pierced his skin. Frantically he grabbed them and tore them out, painfully, ignoring the blood that flowed from the wounds. He tried to yell a protest, but realised that something was in his mouth, preventing his words. Panicking, he grabbed for the object, assuming it was a gag. His hands encountered the plastic tubing, but his mind was to deeply ensconced in the nightmare to register what he was doing.

Janet barely heard the Colonel stir. She was so sleepy. It wasn't until she heard him thrashing that she fully awoke. She jumped to her feet and grabbed the flashlight at her side. She ran over to the Colonel's bed, unsure of what was going on. He was grabbing at his intubation tube, and appeared to be trying to pull it out.

"Colonel", she yelled, unintentionally loud, her cry alerting the others to the problem. She tried to grab his hands, but they were slick with blood, and she couldn't hold them. Teal'c appeared beside her, and grabbed them for her.

"Colonel, can you hear me?" It was obvious to Janet that Jack wasn't anywhere near. His eyes were wild, and showed no signs of recognition. "Can you hold him?" she questioned Teal'c, who nodded. She leaned over him. "Jack, it's Janet". Beside her the EKG was beeping crazily in time with Jack's heart.

She sensed movement beside her, and looked to see Daniel and Sam moving to her side. Both of them heard the commotion, and fearing the worst for Jack, they left their beds and moved into the faint light cast by Janet's flashlight.

Jack turned to look at her, but didn't understand what he was seeing. His head was pounding, and his captor was holding him down. He tried to break free, but couldn't. He wanted to yell, but was prevented from doing so. His body and mind rebelled at the situation. His breathing was coming faster, but the respirator wasn't keeping up. He began struggling to simply gain a breath.

Janet realised what was going on. She decided to remove the tube, feeling that she could always put it back in later. Right now though, Jack was in danger of suffocating. She tried to grab Jack's head to hold it still, but he wouldn't co-operate. He fought like a man possessed, and even Teal'c was having a hard time trying to restrain him. Daniel moved up to the side of the bed and grabbed Jack's flailing legs. When she saw the two men had Jack somewhat immobilised, she took the light and ran to the medicine cabinet where she prepared a fast acting sedative . As she returned to the bed, she realised Jack had pulled his IV's out. She handed the flashlight to Sam to hold, and injected the substance directly into his bicep. Jack's struggles were weakening as his oxygen was depleted, and the sedative began working, allowing her to finally pull out the tube. He gasped painfully as he tried to pull air into his damaged lungs. Such was his desperation though, that he still managed to find the breath to gasp out "I'm not telling you anything!" His energy depleted, he lay back on the bed silently, chest heaving, eyes uncomprehending.

Now that he was somewhat more calm, Janet was able to take a good look at him. His nose was bleeding copiously, and she caught sight of blood trickling from his ear. She cursed about not having the equipment necessary to fully determine what was going on. His breathing was still harsh, but the wild look was leaving his eyes as the sedative continued to work. She nodded at Teal'c, who released Jack's arms, then stepped back into the shadows. Daniel did likewise, although somewhat reluctantly. What he had seen shook him more than he cared to admit.

"Janet?" Jack croaked, as he started to calm down and regain his senses. "Is that you?" He appeared unaware of the presence of the others, as they blended in with the dark backdrop.

"Yes Jack. You gave me quite a scare. Are you all right?"

Jack mumbled so softly she could scarcely make out his words. "Sorry, thought you were someone else".

"What was that Jack, I couldn't hear you". She hoped he might elaborate, which he didn't.

"My head really hurts Janet". The pain was obvious in his voice.

"I know. Listen, you pulled out your IV lines. I'm going to put them back in, then I'll give you something for the pain, okay?"

Jack nodded wearily, scrubbing his bloody hands across his face.

When Janet had finished reinserting the lines, she made sure she taped them securely. She checked to make sure the subclavian was undisturbed, and gave a silent thanks that Jack had left it alone. She gave him a dose of morphine, then set about trying to stop the bleeding from his nose. It took some time, but eventually it stopped. She elected to use the nasal canula once again, as it was apparent that he was under some emotional duress, and the breathing tube had exacerbated things. She would have preferred to use a mask, but decided to forego that until he was ready. It was obvious how much of a toll the episode had taken on him though. His head drooped with fatigue, and he was weak from blood loss. Still, he managed to look up and give her a weak grin, although she could see in his eyes that he was still not completely with her. His body shook spasmodically as suppressed memories vied for attention.

Not sure what had just happened, Janet decided to take things slow. "How's the head?"

"It's been better."

Janet was surprised. Jack never let her know how bad anything was. It was part of his makeup, as much as his one-liners and flippant attitude. Whatever had triggered his actions, it still had not completely released it's grip. Janet was unsure if this was a bad thing or not. Part of her wondered if she would be able to get him to open up and talk, while the other part argued it would be taking advantage of his present condition.

Cautiously she ventured a question. "Who did you think I was Jack?"

At first she didn't think he would answer, as he leaned his head into the pillows and closed his eyes. "Someone from another time, another place", he whispered.

Daniel and Sam moved closer to one another. Both had been frightened for Jack. When it seemed like he would be okay, they had moved to leave, but were held in place by the scene being played out. For the first time, it sounded as though Jack might actually reveal something of himself.

"Where Jack?"

Jack was so tired. He was still confused. One minute he was in the pit, the next he was somewhere else, still in pain, still in the dark. Images of friends and enemies flashed across the lids of his eyes. He felt caught somewhere between the past and present. In both places he was hurting, confused, and being questioned in the dark. One phrase came to mind. One that he had said over and over, time and again. "I'm not telling you anything". He flinched as though waiting for the blow.

Janet didn't know what to make of that. It was the second time in minutes that he had used that phrase. She sat gently on the side of the bed, and took his hand as she had earlier with Daniel. Beside her, the EKG monitor continued to slow it's pattern as the patient continued to relax.

"Jack, it's Janet. If you want to talk, I'm here. If you don't want to, that's fine too. Would you like me to leave?"

There was no response.

A thought crossed Janet's mind. "Jack?" she questioned softly, "do you know where you are?"

Still waiting to for the punishment, Jack replied without thinking. "The pit".

Sam and Daniel looked at each other in the pale light. Daniel mouthed the words 'the pit' at Sam, hoping she knew what they meant. She shrugged her shoulders.

"What pit Jack?"

Again Jack answered before thinking. This time his voice was fainter. "The one they put me in when I don't answer their questions". His eyes opened, although his gaze appeared to be seeing something other than the scene in front of him.

Janet felt sick. Her friend would never open up like this if he weren't hurting and drugged, his confusion obvious, and she was pumping him for information. Still, she felt compelled to see what more he would tell her.

"Did they hurt you?"

Jack's voice was flat, emotionless. "Yes". His lack of elaboration was chilling.

"How long were you there Jack?" Janet's voice was softer still.

Jack closed his against the memory. "Four months", his whisper barely audible. A kaleidoscope of images presented itself in his mind. Leering faces, torturous devices, the mouth of the pit and the sounds of suffering all flashed by, leaving Jack shaking. His heart beat was starting to race, and his eyes snapped open, the wild look returning.

Janet realised that she had pushed too hard. She lay her hand on Jack's pale cheek, and whispered soothing words. Slowly he started to calm down, until finally, he closed his eyes again and fell into a drug assisted sleep.

Janet and the others, each pushing their IV poles, moved to the other end of the room, to Sam's bed. Absently she placed the nasal canula back on Sam, and checked her IV. Sam glanced over at the other woman's face, and immediately took Janet's arm and guided the Doctor to sit on the bed beside her.

Janet looked like a shock victim, and in effect, she was. She looked at the three friends around her. As she spoke, her voice shook. "I didn't know. I mean, I knew there were some medical records in his file from Iraq, but they were sealed. I guess now I know why".

The quartet looked across the darkness at their silent friend, each trying to absorb what they had heard, and each knowing they could never mention it again once they left this room. They were all shaken by the incident. Their fear for their friend had only increased, knowing he was battling not only the spores which threatened to quite literally, consume him, but his memories as well. Memories that were of a terrifying nature, and which he had deliberately kept from them.

Daniel spoke up, his voice slow, remembering. "So that's what Jack meant on Hudante, when he said he'd been to prison". Now things in Jack's home made more sense. The constant presence of light meant as much to Jack, as it did to him. He too was taken back by what he had heard. He knew there had to be much more to the story, but realised that they had all heard about as much as they ever would.

Beside him, Sam yawned hugely, her body still weak from the infection, and worn from worry. They all took the hint. Teal'c and Daniel went back to their beds, and Janet hopped off of Sam's. Rechecking that the other woman seemed all right, Janet left her to sleep.

Knowing that she had too many emotions running through her, Janet decided not to try to regain her interrupted rest. Instead, she moved to sit in the chair by the Colonel's bed. She wanted to be nearby if he needed her. She lay one arm on his mattress, and rested her head on it. Without planning it, she fell asleep, the flashlight in her hand casting a soft glow about the bed.

In his office, General Hammond was yelling into the phone. "I don't care what time it is! Someone came into my base, took vital and classified materials then just disappeared? That's not good enough. You check all security tapes, and all check ins. That's the point of having guarded entrances. You get to monitor the people that get in here!" He listened to the person on the other end. "You're damn right I want him found. Yesterday!" Once again he listened. "That's right. You report only to me and I don't care how unimportant you think it is, you let me know. Dismissed". He slammed the phone down.

Jack woke up several hours later. This time he was able to see, albeit the light was poor. He looked to his side to see Janet peacefully in slumber. His head felt better, and although his chest still hurt, he was able to breathe without as much trouble. He vaguely recalled waking up earlier and not being able to catch his breath, although he wasn't sure if he hadn't been dreaming. He glanced at his watch. It read 06:30 hours. That told him it was morning, but not what day.

His movements, although slight, woke Janet. She saw him looking tired, pale, but alert. She did the same thing he had just done, and checked the time.

"Good morning Colonel. How are you feeling?"

"Okay I guess. I still have a bit of a headache, and I feel like I just ran a marathon". He gave a little smile.

Janet smiled as shades of the old Colonel seemed to be peeking through. "That's to be expected. You had a rough night".

All Jack's warning bells went off. Last night was a blur to him. He remembered a few strange dreams that he would just a soon forget, and certainly not share.

Janet saw his defences go up and she tried to reassure him. "It's okay Colonel. You suffered a serious nosebleed. It took some time, but we got it sorted out".

"We?" The question was asked as stiffly as the man himself was.

Janet mentally kicked herself, and now was looking for some damage control. "Teal'c just came to hold the light for me so I could work on you", she said soothingly.

He must have accepted her answer as she could see some of the tension drain out of him. "So, where do we stand?"

Janet walked around the bed to check his vitals. "We should be getting an update soon. Until then, we don't know any more than before. You should rest Jack. These bags need changing", she indicated the units hanging from the IV pole. "I'll be back in a few minutes". The area around Jack grew gradually darker as she walked away with the light, but this time he wasn't as bothered by the dark.

The officer went to check on the test subject, who so far appeared unaware that he was the carrier of the world's greatest new biological weapon.

The next report that came through was listened to closely by the five men and women in the Isolation Unit.

"Doctor Fraiser. The latest samples just came out. At eighteen hours, the large cells have begun to shrink. Although they have not yet ceased ingestion of blood cells, they have slowed down. The smaller cells have expired. I will check in again in four hours".

The relief in the room was palpable.

The officer listened closely to the instructions coming over the phone.

"It appears we have a setback. The latest report filed by Hammond indicates that the testing on the subjects appears to be working. They seem to have found the solution. That is not in our best interests. Change data if you have to, but fix it".

The officer smiled, but it was not a pleasant one. "It will be my pleasure".

The click on the line indicated the conversation was at an end. The officer pressed down on the receiver, then released it to make another call. The soldier answered.

"I have another job for you". When the officer was finished detailing the task, he hung up. He smiled once again. Some days he really enjoyed his job.

Back in the lab, the technician came back on duty and went over all relevant details with the man he was relieving. He noted with satisfaction the progress the experiment was making. At the rate the spores were decaying, he estimated another twenty-two to twenty-six hours before they were all dead. At that point, he would begin experiments to see if a person could be re-infected, or if they developed an immunity to the contagion. If that was the case, they could try to create a vaccine that would kill the spores before they were able to take hold in the host's blood cells.

The team was sitting around Jack's bed. Janet had released Sam from the oxygen, but she still had everyone on IV's. It was rather crowded with all of the poles surrounding them. Jack was sitting up. He was still experiencing difficulties breathing, but since the last nosebleed, there had been no more incidents. As everyone looked at his pale, drawn face, it was hard not to visualise the scene from the previous night. More than one person wanted to ask about it, although no-one would. Perhaps an opportunity would present itself in the future, but that time wasn't now. Jack was an intensely private person, and would be more than a little uncomfortable knowing he had unwillingly disclosed a small piece of his past, especially something so horrific.

Janet brought forth some cards to help while away the time. She questioned the safety of using the flashlight like this, but decided that the mental health of the team was an important factor in their physical well being. Before long, the sounds of betting filled the room, as the team played poker under the dim light of a single flashlight.

The technician looked up from his latest set of tests, to find his view filled with a rapidly moving fist.

The soldier dragged the limp man to a nearby storage closet. He removed the technician's lab coat, then tied and gagged the man. His final step was to lock the door, then jam the keyhole. He looked around furtively to ensure no one had entered the room. Satisfied, he put on the lab coat and walked to the table recently vacated by the technician. He pawed through the files of newly collected data. Carefully, he rewrote the numbers, to show a much greater reduction in the spore counts. Double checking his work, he was satisfied it looked authentic. He placed the files in the folder destined for Hammond's desk. He also included a conclusion that indicated the success of the test, and the safety of discontinuing it. That done, he waited for word to finish the job.

General Hammond was pleased when he opened the files. It appeared as though his people had come through again, in finding a cure at the eleventh hour. He wasted no time in calling the lab and giving them permission to conclude the experiment.

The soldier contacted Janet. "Doctor Fraiser. The latest numbers came through. The spores are 91.3% destroyed. Upon re-exposure to light, they did not recover. I am pleased to tell you that General Hammond has given the all clear, and you may conclude your experiment. Congratulations Doctor and SG1". The soldier cut off the intercom, shucked off the lab coat which he folded and placed on the back of the chair, then left the room.

In the isolation unit, the mood was upbeat for the first time in days. Daniel wasted no time in finding the lights. All felt the sting as their eyes tried to adjust, but welcomed the feeling. Janet left the isolation unit, turned on the lights in the rest of the infirmary, and opened the doors to the rest of the complex. She walked back to the team, and deftly removed the tubes that Teal'c and Daniel were still attached to, much to their relief.

"Okay, first order of business is we get Jack into a regular room. I have some tests I need to run on him, and I would rather not do it from here". Distaste was apparent in her voice as she glanced around the room. She had spent far too much time in it for her liking. "Sam, I want to do some more tests on you as well".

Within twenty minutes, she had the two patients settled in to their new quarters. She turned to Teal'c and Daniel. "Might I suggest that you two go and get some real food", she said with a smile. "While you're at it, bring me back something too will you?" She ignore the protests coming from Jack with a grin.

The two men didn't need to be asked twice, and disappeared quickly.

Janet turned to Jack. "Well Colonel, it appears as though you've done it again".

Jack looked at her quizzically.

She explained. "Once again you beat the odds. Just don't go off smelling the roses again any time soon okay?"

After discussing Sam and Jack's care with the duty nurse, and ordering all relevant tests, Janet left for a meeting with the General before trying to get a much deserved rest.

The officer answered the phone.. "Is the job done?"

"Yes Sir. The team is out of isolation. The archaeologist and the Jaffa are moving around the base".

The officer nodded. "And Colonel O'Neill?"

"He is in the infirmary. He seems to be in better shape than reported".

The officer dismissed the soldier and hung up. He looked at the open file on his desk, and from it he picked up a picture of O'Neill. As he studied the face, he muttered aloud "Time will tell soldier, time will tell". He dropped the picture and watched as it landed face down on the folder.

Four hours after Janet finally fell asleep, a summons from the infirmary came. As she ran down the corridors, she went past the open door of the lab. The sound barely registered in her hurry, but it was enough to cause her to enter the room. A thudding came from the closet. She tried to open the door, but the lock was jammed. Muffled sounds were coming from inside. Not wanting to spare anymore time, she entered the hall. A Sergeant passed her and she grabbed his arm. "I think there's someone trapped in the lab. Notify the General and get some help getting him out". The Sergeant nodded and hurried into the room.

Janet flew into the infirmary. As she feared, the problem came from Jack's room. As she entered, she was taken in momentarily by the sight of blood. Jack was in the midst of a coughing fit, and was struggling to breathe. "What happened here?" she barked.

The nurse glanced frantically over his shoulder at Fraiser. "He was complaining about a headache, then he started coughing and couldn't stop. At first it wasn't too bad, but then he started bringing up blood. That's when I had you paged".

Janet started barking orders. "What's his pulse/ox?"

"83"

"Okay. Give him 2cc's of Versed. We need to intubate. I also want two more units of blood going".

She turned to Jack and looked him squarely in the eye. "Colonel, I know you don't want this, but I need to intubate. Your lungs are bleeding again, and we need to get your oxygen levels up. Now we're going to give you some medicine to relax you and make you sleep. Do you understand?"

Jack managed to nod as he was gripped by another bloody spasm.

Janet leaned over, brown eyes on brown. Softly she whispered the words only he could hear, "I won't leave you alone. Promise".

As the Versed kicked in, Jack started to relax and his eyes drifted shut. The cough tapered off leaving Janet to insert the hated tube. She closed her eyes against the tear that caught her unaware. As she looked at her friend, she whispered a quiet "I'm sorry Jack".

With her patient stable for the moment, she ordered some blood work and more chest x-rays, then went to check on Sam, who for the moment appeared unaffected.

"What's going on?"

Janet looked at her. "That's what I want to know. Jack was getting better. The test had worked". Janet remembered the noise in the lab. Before she got to tell Sam about it, the General entered the room.

"Doctor Fraiser. I need you to look at something". Janet shot Sam a curious glance, but followed the General unquestioningly.

He led her to the lab where the rescued technician was holding an ice-pack to his black eye. "Son, I'd like you to tell the Doctor what happened", the General instructed him.

"I actually don't know too much. I just looked over the latest test results, and next thing I knew, I woke up in the closet".

Janet lifted one of the papers from the desk. She held it out for the technician to see. "You mean these results?"

He peered at the paper through his good eye. "Yes……..I mean no. These aren't the numbers I saw. This says the counts were much lower than what mine did".

Janet took the paper and peered closely at it. She could see faint signs of erasing. Signs that would not be seen without close inspection. She picked up the copy of the file that had been sent to the General. Flipping through the pages, she came across the conclusion. The name at the bottom was the same as the technician's. She showed him the paper.

"Is this your writing?"

"No Ma'am, it's not".

Janet looked at the General. "Sir, these results have been falsified".

He looked at her curiously. "For what reason Doctor?"

Janet thought for a moment, then presented the General with the only conclusion she could come up with. "To get the team out of the only environment that would kill the spores. Sir, I think someone wants the team dead".

The General looked at his CMO, and realised that she did not know of the earlier theft of the specimen. "We have a real problem then. The second flower, as well as some data and blood samples were stolen yesterday. We have as of yet been unable to find the culprit. I don't understand though, why they would not have used a different method of trying to eliminate the team, if that is their goal. You seem to have a viable cure, and they have all recovered".

Realising that the General was of yet unaware of the downturn in the Colonel's condition, she started to inform him. "I'm not so sure about that General. I don't know how much more damage has been caused by allowing the spores to re-grow. Sir, I need to move the Colonel and Major Carter back into the isolation chamber. The infection is still active in them. Although the situation had improved, the Colonel has now suffered a serious set-back.

The General looked horrified. "Do you mean to tell me that the rest of this base could be infected as well".

Janet thought for a moment. "No Sir, I don't think so. We vaccinated all personnel before the contagion was released. We will have to test everyone to make sure, but I think we are okay". Janet was anxious to get back to her patients. "With your permission Sir?"

"Of course Doctor. Keep me informed". The General watched her leave then turned back to the technician. "Are you feeling up to going over these reports Son?"

"Yes Sir". With that they started the logistical nightmare of separating fact from fiction.

Janet decided to make this stay in the isolation ward a little easier on all of them. She had ruled out Daniel as being infected, and Teal'c's symbiote seemed to have rid his system of all traces of the spores. She found herself wishing that she could patent his symbiote for medical purposes. It had pulled the man through many situations.

She chose to sedate the two remaining patients, and this time, she planned on keeping them that way. She knew she couldn't handle another situation with the Colonel on her own, nor did she want to expose him to more trauma.

With both patients soundly sleeping, and all medical aids in place, she once again gave the signal for the lights to be turned out. This time, she told herself grimly, would be the last. Sighing in the dark, she settled herself in for a long night.

The officer picked up the phone and listened. The smile that had started quickly turned into a frown. "I did not agree to that. That was never part of the plan".

"Well now it is, and I expect you to carry it out. Do you understand?"

"Yes Sir".

"This is the last dealing we will have".

"What about O'Neill Sir?"

"It appears as though he will survive. That is not helpful to our cause. He has been a thorn in our side, and I wish to pluck it. Carry out your assignment, and I will tend to details. You know what to do".

The officer retrieved his briefcase. He placed it on his desk and spun the combination dial until it unlocked. He lifted the lid. He then unlocked top drawer in his desk. He reached inside for an envelope. He placed it inside his briefcase and locked it. He paused to close the drawer in his desk, took his briefcase and left his office.

Daniel and Teal'c got the summons to see the General only two hours after Sam and Jack went back into the isolation unit. As the reached his office, they heard him in discussion on the phone. Daniel poked his head in to inform the General of their arrival.

Hammond beckoned for Daniel and Teal'c to enter as he finished his call. As they entered the room, they closed the door behind them. "Yes Mr. Secretary. Thank you Sir. I will pass on your best wishes. Yes. I will send the report as soon as all aspects are wrapped up. Yes. Good day to you too Sir".

As the General hung up, he grimly looked at the two team-mates. He indicated for them to sit. "Gentlemen, we have a problem. That was the Secretary of Defence. He heard about the falsified reports and demanded to know what was going on. I reassured him that we have everything in hand. I think he believed me, and now I'm hoping to get to the bottom of things before I have to send any more reports through".

Teal'c immediately picked up on the General's tension. "How may we be of assistance General?"

"About half and hour ago, a body was found by our maintenance crew. It was a man. He carried no identification, and wore civilian clothes".

Daniel looked puzzled, "How did he get in then?"

"Right now, given the lack of blood on the clothing, we are going under the assumption that the killer changed the man's clothes after he died. He must have been wearing a uniform to get on base".

"How did the man die General Hammond?" Teal'c asked.

"He took a single bullet between the eyes. Whoever did this was a professional".

The conversation was halted by a knock on the door. The General opened it and accepted the note handed to him. He gave a quick salute, then closed the door again. He walked to his desk and sat on the edge of it as he unfolded the paper. He scanned it quickly, his expression turning dark.

"What is it General?" Daniel asked.

"We know who the body is. His fingerprints came up in military records. His name is Lieutenant Gary Jacobs, and get this………" the General looked pointedly at them. "He worked at Nellus".

The implications of that statement were not lost on the two friends. Nellus was also known as Area 51, and all of their discoveries were sent there.

Daniel looked at the other two before speaking. "What do you want to bet that a certain Colonel who shall remain nameless, has a lethal flower in one hot little hand, and a smoking gun in the other." Daniel did not even try to disguise the contempt in his voice.

"Careful Doctor Jackson. That's some pretty shaky ground you're stepping on there".

"Sorry Sir". Daniel wasn't able to make the sincerity realistic, but the General chose to ignore that.

The General looked at the note thoughtfully, seemed to come to a decision, then stood up fully and squared his shoulders. "I have a job for you two. I want you to go to Nellus and see what you can find out about this man". He shook the paper. "I need to know why he was killed and why he was left here for us".

Teal'c looked speculatively at Hammond. "I do not believe that they will welcome us at that base General"

"Don't worry about that Teal'c . I'll make sure you go there with all the authorisation you need. No-one, not even Maybourne will be able to prevent your investigation. I am hoping however, it will not prove to be a problem".

"When would you like us to leave?" Daniel wondered why he asked when he already knew the answer.

"Immediately. I'll have a plane ready at your disposal in five minutes".

"Yes Sir". Daniel and Teal'c saluted the General who returned the gesture. As they moved to the door the General halted them.

"We don't know what we're dealing with here, so I caution both of you to be careful". With that, Hammond turned back to the phone to make the necessary calls, and the two exited the room.

The officer sat in his office, looking uncomfortably at the phone he had just hung up. Word had just come down that two members of SG1 were on route, and were to be afforded all courtesies. They were to be allowed access to all areas with the exception of those requiring level three clearance. This was not an unexpected turn of events, but the officer wished that someone else had been sent. Those two had the tenacity of blood hounds on the scent. Especially the big Jaffa who held a personal grudge against several members of Area 51. The officer was sure he would leave no stone unturned in this investigation. He was just grateful that his superior had foreseen this, and planned ahead.

Daniel and Teal'c were escorted into the Nellus Military base four hours after leaving the SGC. The Captain who was to serve as their guide, greeted them at the airfield, and drove them personally to the base. Their first stop was to look in Records, where the Lieutenant's file was waiting for them. It showed nothing spectacular. His military history wasn't outstanding. He did well in training, his academic history was acceptable, and his yearly performance appraisals were satisfactory. Nothing explained why he was now lying dead in the morgue.

They moved on to the man's quarters, which appeared undisturbed. They asked the Captain to excuse them, and closed the door behind him as the man waited in the corridor. They began checking the room. Teal'c started going through the man's personal belongings, while Daniel started searching the desk. The first thing he noticed was a picture of the Lieutenant with a smiling woman and child. His family. As he looked closer at the picture, he realised that the child was flashing a beaming smile from the confines of a wheelchair. Daniel sadly put the picture back in it's place, and began to leaf through the stack of papers sitting on one end of the desk. He found personal letters, bills, many of which were medical, and work orders. Nothing incriminating.

Teal'c had finished searching the man's drawers and closet with no success. He went to pick up a box of assorted items that he spotted on the floor by the bed, when something grabbed his attention. A tiny corner of a file peeked out from under the man's mattress. Teal'c moved closer and pulled the file free, then lifted the mattress to see if there was anything more. Satisfied that the file was the lone item, he sat on the bed and opened it. In it were copies of the stolen data, as well as scribbled numbers that he thought matched the falsified ones in the General's report back on base. Thoroughly alarmed, he showed the file to Daniel. As the archaeologist spotted the discrepancies, his eyes widened.

"We have to get this back to the base. Hammond needs to see this".

Teal'c nodded in agreement. "I concur".

They left the room, and instructed the Captain to phone ahead and notify their plane of an imminent take-off. As they left the base with the file in hand, they were unaware of passing an unmarked, level three, secure room.

Inside the self contained room, the man was happily enjoying his promised big screen TV, while he sat in the soft leather of his recliner. For someone who had been previously homeless and starving, this offer had been too good to be true. The words to the old adage never crossed his mind as he absently wiped a thin trickle of blood from his upper lip.

As Janet heard the newest test results, she breathed easier for the first time in hours. Sam's latest blood work had shown a complete absence of the spore. She had not shown the same deterioration in the face of the exposure to light that the Colonel had. In fact, aside from some remnant lung irritation which would not take long to clear up, she was as good as new.

Jack was still very sick though. While the spores were dying, the remaining counts low, the damage to his lungs was still extensive. He was also suffering from the effects of multiple transfusions. His body had been through a serious ordeal, one which it would be slow recovering from.

Tests showed a rapid decaying of the spores. At the present rate, she allowed a safe margin of another four hours before the Colonel could be exposed to light. That fact was of no concern to him at the present as she still had him sedated, although she had lessened the amount. She discontinued the drip on Sam altogether, to allow the Major to waken.

The General was made aware that SG1 was on it's way home. He gave instructions for them to be escorted to his office as soon as they were back on base.

Janet watched Sam wake up. The Major blinked the sleep from her eyes and looked at her friend who sat haloed in the wan light created by the flashlight.

"Good evening. Did you sleep well?"

Sam sat up and took a sip of water from the cup waiting on her bedside table. Licking her dry lips, she looked at her friend trying to gauge the current situation. As Janet's face revealed nothing, she spoke up. "I slept great. I still feel a little fuzzy though".

"That's from the sedative. It should pass soon". Janet waited for the inevitable question. It didn't take long.

"How's the Colonel?" Sam glanced over in the direction she knew his bed lay in.

"He's not so great. He took a significant downturn in those hours before you were brought back here". As Sam's crestfallen look, she hurriedly continued. " The good news is, he hasn't gotten any worse since we moved him back in here. In fact, the spores are dying at a fast rate, and it should only be a few hours before the rest are destroyed. Then it's just a matter of damage control". Janet knew she was making it sound a little easier that the case actually was, but they had all been through enough, and she was confident that he would recover.

Sam looked pleased to hear that the infection was dying. "How am I doing?" was her next question.

"Your last tests showed a complete absence of the spores in your blood. Aside from wanting to run a few more tests, which can wait a while, you are free to go". Janet grinned at the smile on Sam's face.

"You mean now?"

Janet though about it. There was no need for Sam to remain any longer, and she could escort her to the door with the flashlight, but she was hesitant to expose Jack to the strong light that would come in when the outer door was opened. She could also understand Sam wanting to leave with no further reason to stay.

Sam could almost read Janet's thoughts and understood her dilemma. She decided that with all that Janet had done for them over the last few days, she could make life a little easier for now. "Actually Janet, if you don't mind a little company, I wouldn't mind staying until the Colonel can leave".

Janet knew what Sam was doing, and appreciated it. With her two patients in a drugged sleep, she had been left alone in the dark with her own demons. Nothing as dramatic as Daniel and Jack had shared, but enough to leave her feeling emotional nonetheless. It had also left her with time to think about their current situation. She had come up with a theory on what was going on. Now that Sam was awake, she had someone to test it on.

Sam hopped off the bed. Sleeping for hours on end might have been good for her health, but it was bad for her complaining limbs. They were stiff and sore from inactivity. She ran through a series of stretches, while Janet presented her theory.

"I have been thinking about these spores, and why someone wanted you out of the test site".

"And what have you come up with?" Sam was sounding slightly winded as she continued to exercise.

As she talked, Janet hopped up on the bed. "What if…….. whoever stole the plant is worried that SG1 might be able to provide a vaccine against it's effects. We haven't been able to test this yet, but what if you now have an immunity against it?"

"But that doesn't make any sense Janet. Why would they worry about an immunity. All they would have to do would be to put anyone that happens to get infected in the dark, the same as us".

Janet hesitated. "Yeessss, but what if……….what if they engineer the spores to be more resistant. You know how they make strains of wheat that need less water and can take more sun? What if they breed these spores to need less light?"

Sam thought for a minute. "I don't think so Janet. I mean, I can see needing less light, but no light……..they would need some to germinate".

"Yes, but what if the spores don't actually die without it? What if they simply go dormant?"

Sam was horrified at the implications of that. "Then you would have a ticking time bomb, with no way to stop it". Sam stopped exercising and looked at Janet. "We have to tell the General".

Janet held up her hand. "Easy Sam. We will when we get out of here. Right now, I can't think of anywhere that's safer for you and the Colonel. No-one can come in here".

"Yes, but what about Daniel and Teal'c. They might be in danger".

"I've been thinking about that too, and I don't think so. Whoever stole the data will know that Daniel was never infected, and that Teal'c never showed any signs of the infection. I'm sure he won't have made any antibodies to the spores since his symbiote acts in that capacity. That just leaves you and the Colonel. We can come out of here in a few hours. When we do, I will have to set Jack up in the infirmary but maybe you can report this to the General".

Sam quickly realised something. "Janet, if you're right, and we have produced an antibody, then Jack will be the likely target".

It was Janet's turn to look puzzled. "Why?"

"Well, he was exposed to the greatest amount. His system would have a greater concentration of antibodies than mine, and they'll know that from stealing the data".

Janet turned to look in the direction where she knew Jack lay. Once again he would be in danger. She just hoped they could protect him. A great weariness fell over her, and she lay her head back for just a minute while she waited for it to pass.

Sam restarted her stretches, when she realised that the conversation had ground to a halt. Sam asked a question, and received no answer. Curiously, she looked over. Janet was lying back against the pillow, fast asleep. Sam grinned. She took the flashlight from it's resting place on the bed and made her way across the room, to check on her other sleeping friend.

While not trained in medicine, Sam had done enough bedside vigils to understand the readings on the monitors, and what she saw reassured her more than Jack's appearance. He was pale, even give the lighting. The shadows that had graced his face for days showed no signs of fading. He looked as though he had lost weight. Blood still ran down the thin tube to a spot on his chest concealed by the sheet, and a machine was still assisting his breathing. Clear bags of solution hung on the IV pole, dripping drugs into his debilitated system.

As she looked at his calm face, she couldn't help but remember his remarks from the previous evening.

Sam and Jack had not hit things off very well. He was Mr. Military, and she was female, and a scientist. He had informed her from the start that it was her profession and not her gender that he had a problem with. She had not believed him at first. She took him to be the same as all the other old school types that she had encountered during her career. It had not taken him long to prove her wrong. They had quickly developed a trust level that was matched only by that of the other members of the team. That was one of the reasons why they were so effective. Over the last few years though, she had come to respect him for more than his military mind. He carried himself with great courage and conviction that gave a sense of hope to everyone around, even in the face of overwhelming odds. He was perpetually looking out for the welfare of his people. Now that she had seen a glimpse of his past, she marvelled at that ability.

She realised that the few remarks he had inadvertently shared with them were but the tip of the proverbial iceberg. His was a long, distinguished career. She knew he had attained the rank of Colonel through deeds, not politics. While she was not privy to his file, she had seen enough in their years of fighting together, to know that he seen more than his share of combat. She had also seen the myriad of scars that patterned his body during their many trips to the infirmary. Given this new knowledge about him, she couldn't help but wonder how many came from that time. Losing herself in her thoughts, Sam continued to sit with the sleeping man, watching over him.

Shortly after landing, Daniel and Teal'c were ushered into the General's office. They presented him with the file. He scanned it briefly, taking it's contents seriously. He put the file on his desk and turned to the men. "Gentlemen, well done. This puts Lieutenant Jacobs at the scene. I think we have our man". He took in the expressions on the faces of the two men.

"Is there something you would like to tell me?" He looked at each man in turn.

Daniel cleared his throat. "Um, yes Sir. It seems like this was just a little too easy".

The General looked worried. "How so Doctor Jackson?"

"Well Sir, Teal'c and I were talking. Here you have a man with a sick child and financial worries. All of a sudden he's here falsifying reports, and leaving the evidence lying around. I mean, how did he get back there to Nellus to leave the report, then return here. Sir, I think maybe he did change the reports, but I think the evidence was planted for us to find".

The General looked thoughtful. It had been too easy, and the soldier had not shot himself.

Teal'c spoke up. "We have determined that the files were falsified in an attempt to eliminate SG1. The spores were expected to flare up again, thereby eliminating us. That attempt was unsuccessful. The questions now are threefold. Who wished us deceased? Are they satisfied with their failure, and who killed the lieutenant?"

Daniel and the General looked at each other. That another attempt on one or more members of SG1 was a real possibility. The question remained, why.

The assassin reported in. "Everything is as you said it would be."

The voice answered. "Good. Did you have any problems getting past security?"

"None. Your instructions were perfect".

"Carry out your assignment. You will stay there until he's dead. Do I make myself understood?"

"Perfectly". The assassin hung up.

Jack and Janet had awakened at the same time. The technician had come over the intercom with the most recent results from Jack's blood work. The last of the spores had disappeared. He was cleared to move. Janet hopped off of Sam's bed, somewhat embarrassed at falling asleep on her patients, yet realising that she had been pushing herself to her limits.

Sam walked over to the light switch, and with an unseen flourish, she flipped the switch. All three squinted against the blinding light, although they would welcome it shortly.

When Janet's eyes had adjusted enough, she moved to Jack's side. He still looked poor, but the readings beside him indicated an improvement in his vital signs. He indicated the tube that was helping him to breathe. She understood the gesture immediately.

"I know you want that out Colonel, but you have to answer some questions for me first. I want complete honesty, understand?"

Jack nodded.

"On a scale of one to ten, how much are your lungs hurting?"

Jack looked thoughtful for a moment. He then held up two hands. Some fingers were extended, some tucked against his palm.

Janet counted. "Six?"

Jack shook his crooked finger again.

Janet had to grin. "Six and a half?"

Jack nodded.

"Okay. How much did they hurt before I intubated you?" Janet was looking forward to this.

Without hesitation Jack held up nine fingers.

Janet searched his face. Despite the pleading expression, she found honesty there. She heaved a heavy sigh.

"All right Colonel. You win". She reached for the tube. "Okay Colonel, you know the drill. I want you to take a deep breath, then blow it out while I pull. Ready?"

Jack nodded.

"Go ahead". Janet removed the tube, then rubbed Jack's back as he started to cough. She stepped back as he caught his breath.

He looked at her in gratitude. "Thanks Janet" he croaked.

"Anytime Jack. Anytime". With that, Janet left the room to arrange transport for Jack. She wanted him in a regular room as soon as possible.

Having been delivered to the infirmary, Jack sat propped up by pillows in his bed. The curtains of his cubicle had been left open so he wouldn't feel so isolated. He was unhappy about wearing the oxygen mask, but knowing how important it was to his recovery, he demurred.

After Janet had removed the intubation tube, she had given him stern lecture on keeping his mask on, or she had threatened, she would put the tube back. He had argued for a canula if she had to use anything at all, but she wanted to give him a course of ventilin to assist his lungs in their recovery, and the mask was the easiest way she had of giving him the kind of dosage he needed, as well as continuing the flow of oxygen his damaged lungs demanded.

Jack kept the argument to a minimum. He was still very tired, despite the amount of sleep he had received over the last few days. Janet had informed him that the fatigue was a result of both the infection and the number of transfusions he had received. It would pass, given time and care.

He lay there, watching the comings and goings of the staff. Even with a light patient load, the infirmary was a busy place. He found himself dosing. He heard a slight rustle at his side, and saw a nurse injecting a clear fluid into his IV tubing. In his sleepy state, he absently noted that he didn't recall seeing the nurse before, but realised that he did not know all of the medical personnel. The thought came and went as dizziness overtook him. His vision blurred and he fell into blackness.

The nurse looked furtively around to see if anyone was paying attention. His actions appeared to have gone unnoticed. He put the needle in the bright yellow box mounted on the wall, where it fell amidst the other hazardous materials. As it lay there, it was clearly distinguishable from the rest of the contents, as it was the only syringe to still be connected to it's body. The nurse then casually strolled from the room, discarding his white coat in the laundry hamper at the door, leaving him in his fatigues as he entered the hall. He walked right past the guard who had been posted. The guard had arrived after he had, and ignored him as he strolled away. The soldier was watching for anyone entering the room without authorisation, not for someone to exit it.

Janet was finally off duty. She couldn't remember ever being so tired. She took a deep relaxing breath and let it out slowly. Wondering if she should go home or stay on base where she could be closer to the Colonel, she elected the former. She missed Cassie, and ached to see something other that the sterile walls of the base's infirmary. She consoled herself with making a final check on Jack before she left.

She could see something was wrong as she approached. His unconscious face was pasty, and she could see a sheen of sweat on it even at a distance. She quickly bridged the distance and grabbed his wrist to gain a pulse. His hand hung weakly, his pulse racing, and his breathing was far too rapid.

"What the hell is going on here?" she yelled aloud. She pushed the alarm over his bed, and watched the duty nurse arrive in a rush.

"Get me the Colonel's latest test results, and take a new blood series", she barked as she lowered the head of the bed and pulled the pillows from under Jack.

The nurse was quick to respond.

Janet bit her lip in frustration. She had no idea why Jack was displaying all the symptoms of severe shock. She watched the nurse prepare Jack's arm for the blood work. It appeared as thought the woman was working in slow motion. Janet none to gently took the syringe and moved the nurse aside. As she inserted the needle, she instructed the nurse to inform the General that something was happening. The final vial had just filled when the nurse reported back. Janet handed her the tubes to take to the lab, with the order to put an 'extreme rush' on the results. Janet herself took the needle to the disposal box. As she dropped the pointed tip into the opening, her sleeve caught the valved mouth. When she moved to leave, her sleeve pulled the box open and the contents spilled on the infirmary floor. Janet was just about to walk away to call an orderly, when the sight of the recently discarded syringe caught her eye. She moved carefully amongst the debris, and picked up the syringe. While unable to identify the contents, she noted that some clear substance remained. Given the events of late, she had a sneaking suspicion that it was the source of the Colonel's lasted crisis

Sam was standing in front of the viewing windows of the briefing room, filling General Hammond, Teal'c and Daniel in on Janet's theory concerning the spores. Teal'c listened carefully. This answered the question of why the theft had occurred, as well as why the team had been fed false information concerning their status. It also confirmed his suspicions they were not yet out of danger.

He was interrupted from his course of thought by the jangling of the phone. Hammond, annoyed at the interruption, grabbed it and barked an acknowledgement. His angry expression quickly turned to one of worry as he listened. He did not even provide a dismissal to the voice on the other end as he returned the phone to it's cradle. He looked at the others.

"It's Jack. They need us". He did not wait for the inevitable questions, but instead strode purposely out of the room, followed by the others.

Hammond barged through the infirmary doors, followed closely by the rest of SG1. Before he had a chance to speak, Janet moved past him to Teal'c. She handed him the needle, and asked him to take it to the lab where he was to wait for the substance to be identified. The Jaffa left immediately.

She turned her attention to the three remaining people. "Sorry General. I think the Colonel has been injected with something from that syringe".

"Can you treat him?" Hammond was looking over her shoulder to the unconscious form of his number two.

"Not until we identify the substance. Until I know what that is, anything I do could just worsen his condition". Janet moved to Jack's side in readiness for action. She was already ticking off possible courses of action.

Daniel, Sam and the General just looked at each other. While they had known this was possible, they couldn't believe that the Colonel's life was in jeopardy once again.

Time seemed to stand still while they waited for the lab results. Every rise and fall of Jack's chest seemed like it would be the last. Minutes seemed like hours. Finally Teal'c returned to them with a note in one hand which he delivered to Janet. She scanned the results and assessed the situation. The substance in the syringe proved to be Insulin. She moved quickly to set up a glucose drip into the subclavian line. She had been thinking about removing it and was grateful that she had elected to leave it in for one more day.

She turned to the waiting group. "He's in insulin shock. The sugar should help to reverse the effects shortly".

Daniel was quick to pick up on the word 'should'. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

Given all they had been through over the last while, Janet was hesitant to heap more on them. She looked at Daniel and his expression begged for honesty, and she realised that she could do nothing less than honour that.

"Insulin shock can have multiple consequences, the worst of which is the destruction of brain cells. Given his condition of late, and not knowing how much he was injected with, I'd have to say that is a distinct possibility. We won't know for sure though, until he wakes up". Janet was tiring rapidly of being the bearer of bad news, and hoped for all their sakes that Jack would once again surprise them.

"When do you think that might be Doctor?" The General knew he was being unfair asking her for a timetable, but he needed reassuring as much as the others.

"I'm sorry General. I can't tell you that. There are too many factors involved to judge. It's possible that there may be extensive damage and that he may not wake up at all. All I can do is monitor his condition and let you know".

The General cleared his throat before speaking. "Thank you Doctor. Please do. In the meantime, we have a security violation that needs attending to. SG1, will you please accompany me to the briefing room?" With that, Hammond left, followed by the three friends who all sported looks ranging from grief to revenge.

Janet turned back to acknowledge the nurse who had just arrived with Jack's latest results. She let out a slow whistle as she read over the numbers. Whoever the assailant was, he wasn't messing around. The levels of insulin in Jack's blood were disturbingly high. If she hadn't stopped to check on him and treatment hadn't begun when it had, Jack would have been dead within minutes. Now, she was faced with once again watching his recovery.

Janet slumped into a nearby chair. As a doctor working for the SGC, she was constantly being challenged with new and different cases. She had dealt with unknown illnesses, viruses and weapon damage, but the crisis situation that she had been living in for the past few days was starting to take it's toll. She began to shiver in reaction. Drawing her knees up to her chest, she wrapped her arms about herself and drew in tight. She rested her chin on her knees and began rock back and forth, ever so slowly.

The duty nurse had moved to the station to update the Colonel's charts. As she looked over at his bed, she spotted Janet. She sighed, knowing that the present reaction, and the earlier irritability she had seen in Janet were all signs of a doctor and friend who had been pushed to her limits. Knowing she could do nothing more, she walked over and drew the curtains around the cubicle, leaving Janet to her thoughts and her privacy. She returned to the desk, and began to focus on the task at hand.

Up in the debriefing room, one irate General was pacing back and forth. "How is it possible, that in a secure, military instillation, we seem to be so vulnerable to attack. First it was the theft, then the planted technician, and now a personal attack on the Colonel………..and no-one seems to know anything".

The team sat in silence, knowing the General needed to vent some of his frustration. They all felt the same anger. Jack was not only their superior officer, he was their friend and someone seemed determined to see him eliminated. The General had doubled the guard posted outside of the infirmary immediately upon arriving upstairs. Even that did not provide much measure of relief, given the events of late.

The General cooled off quickly, realising how unproductive his behaviour was. He quickly turned back to business.

"Teal'c. I want you to review the surveillance tapes taken in the corridor outside the infirmary. See if you can see anything. Look for people you don't recognise, or ones who don't display the correct security identification tags".

Teal'c nodded and left the room.

Hammond turned to the other two. "I want you to find out who might have access to medical equipment. Unless our perpetrator brought his own drugs and syringes with him, which I think unlikely given our security precautions, he must have got them from here. Check the logs against all personnel who are allowed access. See if there are any discrepancies".

Sam and Daniel rose quietly and left the room, and the General. He moved to the viewing window that overlooked the Stargate. As he caught sight of his reflection, his expression hardened and he turned and left for his office. He had a call to make to the President.

Jack woke groggily. He looked opened his eyes apprehensively, not sure what sight would greet him. There had been so many strange things happening lately, he didn't trust things to be simple. A look to his right told him that he was still in the infirmary, with the lights on. He gave a little smile. So far so good. That was the last thing he remembered seeing. As he turned to the left though, the sight was considerably different. Janet was curled up in the chair beside him, eyes fixed at a point on the floor. He caught the rhythmic rocking motion that she appeared unaware of.

Slowly he sat up and was worried at her lack of response. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, and removed the oxygen mask, dropping it on the bed beside him, where it continued to hiss, unused. He sat for a moment, contemplating the woman beside him. He had seen shock before in the field, and it hit him that she was showing all the signs of it. Feelings of guilt overwhelmed him, as he realised that he was the probable cause. He knew that she had taken care of him over these last few difficult days, unmindful of her own needs. Realising that self recriminations would not help, Jack acted.

He stood slowly, and waited until the world stopped spinning. He was disgusted at how weak he felt, and how such a simple task as standing could leave him gasping for breath. He began to recover, and lowered himself to his knees, to bring himself level with the doctor.

Janet's gaze had not shifted. She was completely non-responsive. Jack reached out and took her hands in his own. He looked down and noted how small those life giving hands appeared to be. He squeezed them gently and called her name. She turned slowly to face him, although her dull eyes did not appear to recognise him.

"Janet", he tried again. "It's Jack. Can you hear me?"

This time a hint of recognition showed, and it quickly blossomed into full awareness.

"Jack?"

"Yeah, it's me. Are you okay?"

She shook her head and lowered her face from his as a tear came unbidden to her eye. Jack took one of his hands from hers and reached around to pull her into a gentle hug. Gratefully she leaned into his embrace, her body shaking minutely. There they sat, not as colleagues, but as friends. Gradually Janet relaxed. Jack could feel the tension start to leave her. He released her hands and reached for her chin to turn her face back to his.

"Feeling better?"

A wry smile came to her face. "Aren't I supposed to be asking you that?"

"Maybe, but sometimes the Doctor needs a little doctoring herself". He flashed her one of his rare, genuine smile, without any trace of sarcasm. He let go of his embrace, and drew her from the chair to a standing position. Without letting go of her hands, he guided her to the bed behind him, and sat her down. He then sat himself beside her.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked in a low, quiet voice.

"Not really".

"Isn't that my line?" he gently quipped.

That brought the expected smile. "Really Jack. I think all of this just got to me……." Janet was going to say more when a thought crossed her mind. "Jack, you're awake?".

"You sound surprised".

Janet realised that he was unaware of his latest crisis. "Someone came in here and injected you with a large dose of Insulin. You went into shock, and almost died. You know, you really have to stop doing that to me".

Jack looked at her, surprise on his face. "Do you know who did it?"

"No. The General is looking into it now". The doctor in Janet kicked in as she studied Jack, taking note of the exhaustion lining his face, and his shortness of breath. It had also not escaped her notice that he was not using his oxygen mask.

He seemed unaware of her scrutiny as a faraway look crossed Jack's face. As he searched his memory, something came to him. "I remember someone coming up to me. He was dressed as a nurse. He injected something into my IV. I didn't give it much thought. Someone's always putting some new medicine in me these days it seems".

Janet was taken aback. As sick as Jack was, he never let his training fail him. "Can you describe the man?"

Jack continued to search his memories. "Yeah. I don't think I'd seen him before, but I'm sure I'd know him if I saw him now". A thought occurred to him and a glint of a military Colonel shone through. "Janet", he turned and looked her in the eyes. "You said he gave me a lethal dose, right?"

"Yes………?"

"Does anyone know it didn't work besides us?"

"Common knowledge is that you are still unconscious, with an extreme possibility of not waking up again".

Jack absorbed that sobering fact, then shelved it for later examination. "I have an idea for finding this guy. Are you game?"

Janet couldn't help but grin. Seeing Jack back in form, somewhat anyway, was the best medicine she could have prescribed for herself. While she knew she shouldn't encourage him in his weakened state, she also knew that he wouldn't rest once he had set a course of action. "What do you have in mind?"

An hour later, Janet was in the conference room, updating a quartet of disbelieving faces. She had left Jack only moments before with strict orders to the duty nurse that he was not to be disturbed. She had also threatened him with a full physical every week by student nurses if he didn't rest and wear his mask while waiting. His meek expression as he dutifully picked up the mask and put it on still caused her to grin when she thought about it.

General Hammond looked searchingly at her. "Are you sure about this Doctor Fraiser? One minute you're telling me the Colonel might never wake up, or if he did, he might be brain damaged, and now your telling me he wants to initiate a sting operation?"

Teal'c cocked his head quizzically to the side at the General's words.

Daniel caught the look and nudged him in the ribs. "I'll tell you later Teal'c", he whispered.

Teal'c nodded at the familiar words, then turned his attention back to the conversation at hand.

"That's right General. Apparently, he saw the man who poisoned him. He is hoping that the right bait will bring him back to finish the job".

The General thought about it for a moment. While he realised that the plan might work, and that they had had no success as of yet in catching the perpetrator, he was worried for Jack's health.

"Is he up to this Doctor?"

"If you want my opinion purely as his physician, I'd have to say no. If you want it as his colleague and his friend, then I'd have to change my answer". Janet looked at Hammond and held him with her gaze. "General, as long as this man is out there, who knows what damage might be done, either to the Colonel, or someone else. Even to the base itself. I think the Colonel is right Sir. I think we have to try this. Instead of spending our time reacting, let's run this our way. If we are careful, we can minimise the danger to the Colonel, and everyone else". Janet couldn't believe what she, of anyone, was suggesting.

The General turned and looked out the viewing window before coming to a decision. "All right. We'll run it the Colonel's way".

He turned to the Jaffa who stood ready. "Teal'c, I want you to get into that infirmary without being seen. Can you do that?"

Teal'c had studied the layout of the base well enough to know about the ventilation shaft the ran above the medical wing. "I can General". At the General's nod, Teal'c left the room to ready himself.

Hammond turned to Sam and Daniel. "Doctor Jackson, I want you to go and relieve the guards at the infirmary. You have my permission to spread about word that we have a suspect in custody, and that the danger to the Colonel is now nullified".

Daniel grinned. He knew how fast work spread about this base. For once, he would be the one to start the rumour.

The General continued. "Major Carter. I want you to approach Sergeant Tylor. Let him know what's going on. If we are being watched, then we need to have an actual person in the brig.".

Sam nodded. Sergeant Tylor was a perfect choice. He had joined to military to avoid some petty charges. He had also developed a reputation for trouble-making off base. Hammond had kept him around as he had since proven his worth as a valued member of the SGC. She knew that Tylor would jump at the chance of a little payback.

"Doctor Fraiser. Do you think you could arrange for the Colonel to be left alone for some reason". Janet nodded in agreement. She had already discussed this with Jack, and they had worked out the scenario prior to her meeting with Hammond.

"In the meantime, I think I owe a call to Nellus to tell them about the results of our investigation". Hammond grinned. He thought that he might like this farce after all.

Janet checked on Jack behind the privacy of the curtains. The first thing she noticed was the mask, still sitting on his face. For his benefit, she stifled her grin. She pulled the chair beside his bed up close, and whispered in his ear. They had no way of knowing how close the assailant was, and she did not want to be heard.

"Everything is in place. Are you ready?"

Jack nodded. He was more than ready. Seeing Janet earlier had driven the point home. He had come to realise how much this was effecting everyone, and he was determined to see it to fruition, no matter the cost.

Janet left, but not before giving Jack a final warning look. She made sure that the curtain was closed as she exited the cubicle. She glanced about the room quickly, seeking the location of the waiting Jaffa, but could not spot him anywhere. That fact did not surprise her though. Teal'c had done this sort of thing before, and knew his role well. She moved to her office.

It wasn't long before Hammond arrived. He left the door slightly ajar as he entered her domain. Both players made sure they spoke in louder than normal voices for the benefit of anyone who might be making an effort to listen.

When the assassin heard that Jack was starting to show signs of recovery, he realised that further action needed to be taken. While word had spread that some Lieutenant was in custody for the attempted murder, he realised that O'Neill had seen him. That information meant nothing to a dead man, but was rather useful to a living Colonel. He moved out of earshot, unnoticed by either the General or the Doctor.

He moved to the quarters that he had procured. It had been a great source of amusement to him that such a high security base had proven so easy to infiltrate. Now he set about establishing his plan of attack. He had seen the guards relieved of their task, but he still needed a plausible reason for being near the Colonel. It did not take him long to come up with a likely identity.

Teal'c tried a light form of meditation to relax the cramped muscles in his legs. He had been crouched in his hiding spot, waiting at the ready, for hours. It had started to cross his mind that the perpetrator might have already left the base undetected, when the infirmary door opened. With all of his senses on the alert, Teal'c sought to identify the man. It was a lab technician, armed with his tray of paraphernalia. The man stopped in front of Jack's cubicle and checked the name on his clipboard with the name on the wall plate. To Teal'c's eye, the man seemed to confirm the name, and he entered the Colonel's room.

Jack was feigning sleep as the curtain rustled. He was aware of the presence approaching his bed. The rattle of the tray being set on his side table kept him apprised of the unknown person's actions. When he heard faint but unrecognisable sounds, he chanced a peek. He opened his eyes a tiny crack, just enough to get a look at the man he had previously seen. As before, the man was once again injecting a foreign substance into his IV line. While the man concentrated on his task, Jack slowly withdrew his right hand from under his sheet. It emerged, complete with pistol.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you". Jack's voice was low, but deadly as he levelled the gun at the man's head.

The would be assailant dropped the syringe, grabbed the IV pole and knocked it into Jack's face. Jack managed to squeeze the trigger with his right hand, while pushing away the obstacle with his left.

The assailant felt the impact of the bullet, but ignored it as he fled the room, only to run full tilt into the waiting Jaffa.

Teal'c grabbed the man, swing him around and pinned his arms in place. Once restrained, Teal'c felt the man sag. Jack slowly stood up, and moved to the end of the bed as General Hammond, Janet, Daniel and Sam came running into the room. They had observed the proceedings from a newly placed, hidden camera, and come running when the events had started to unfold.

"Is everyone alright?" the General called as he skid to a halt.

Janet had already moved past him to Jack's side. She tried to examine him, but he brushed her off and was moving towards Teal'c's hostage.

The man hung limp in Teal'c's arms, his face towards to the floor. Jack reached out and lifted the man's chin to expose his face. It became quickly apparent that the unknown man was dead. Jack's shot had caught him in the heart. Had Teal'c not stopped him, he would most likely not have even made it out of the room. Whatever secrets he carried, died with him.

Jack groaned in frustration. They had been so close. Now it was unlikely that they would ever find out who had commanded this chain of events, nor would they know if this man worked solo, or had a partner.

Janet approached him again. This time he allowed her to lead him back to the bed, which he climbed wearily into. As she righted the fallen pole, she noticed the abandoned syringe on the floor. Horrified, she picked it up and showed it to the watching group before turning her attention back to Jack.

"He didn't give you this did he?" She was already ticking off possible treatments in her head as she anxiously waited for his answer.

"Actually, he did", came the reply.

Janet heard the tone of his voice and looked uncomprehendingly at him.

Jack pulled the tape off the back of his hand to expose the unattached needle. He had pulled the IV out as a precaution, feeling he would rather face Janet's wrath, than an assassins.

The watching group all smiled their relief.

A security detail arrived to relieve Teal'c of his burden, Hammond left to release the Lieutenant from the prison with his thanks. The remaining group gathered around Jack's bed.

He gave them all a tired grin. "We have to stop meeting like this you know. People will talk". Seeing that he had worn himself out, they congratulated Jack on a plan well executed, then left his room.

Janet checked him over and concluded that the Colonel needed nothing more at the moment that a good rest. She pointedly put his oxygen mask back on, as his breathlessness had not escaped her attention. She debated about giving him a sedative, but the tired droop of his eyes told her it wouldn't prove necessary. Instead, she took his gun from where it lay forgotten on the bed, and placed it in the drawer on his bedside table. She rearranged his pillows, and pushed him on to them gently. He fell asleep almost immediately. She gave one last smile as she turned to leave.

It didn't take her long to find the rest of the team, as they had taken it upon themselves the provide their own guard to protect the Colonel as he slept.

The unknown voice answered the phone. He listened intently before answering. "It seems our professional was not up to the task. Very well. He knew nothing that could give us away. I saw to that myself. For now, I want you out of there. We have more important things to deal with. Perhaps we can turn this situation to our advantage. Someone as resourceful as O'Neill might just prove useful to us in the future". With that, he slowly hung up the phone.

Three weeks later found SG1 back in the conference room. During Jack's convalescence, full security checks had been conducted. The source of the infiltration had not yet been discovered. The assassin had been identified, and had proven to be a civilian. The assumption was, he had first been hired to kill the Lieutenant, then the Colonel. The first hit had followed his MO precisely. How he had come to be in the SGC was also unknown. Few answers had been found, but many disturbing questions had been raised during the investigation. General Hammond, together with O'Neill and the Secretary of Defence, had implemented some changes that they hoped would prevent any future problems. Those changes included having all personnel approved for positions within the SGC by both Jack and the General.

Janet had finally cleared Jack for full duty, and they were now being briefed on their next mission.

"The MALP has sent through some preliminary data. This appears to be an uninhabited planet. I want you to assess it for potential uses.

Jack groaned. "Oh, deja-vu".

Daniel grinned at him, as he withdrew something from his pocket. "Here Jack. Janet asked me to give you these".

Jack took the small bottle curiously. He couldn't help but grin when he read the label. She had sent him some of Daniel's antihistamines, and on the label had written a prescription. ' to be taken for MY good health '.

Miles away in another base, a team in Haz-mat suits gathered around a batch of newly bloomed orchids that had sprung up from the seat of a leather chair.

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