Author: Flatkatsi

Email: flatkatsi@optusnet.com.au

Status: Complete

Category: Angst, Drama, Hurt/Comfort

Pairings: None

Spoilers: None

Season: Before Jonas.

Rating: PG - 13

Content Warnings: Violence, Jack whumping, Language

File Size:142 kb:

Archive: Jackfic

Summary: Jack's quiet fishing trip turns nasty

Disclaimer: Stargate Sg-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author.

Author's Note: Thanks to Kelly for the wonderful beta and Annie & Jackie for the advice (all the usual suspects)

Fishing With Worms "What the hell?" Colonel Jack O'Neill was confused to put it mildly. He remembered sitting at the side of the lake near his cabin, fishing, enjoying himself in the warm sun, having a few cold beers, and drifting off into a pleasantly slightly erotic day dream. Had the daydream turned into sleep? It was possible considering how relaxed he had been, the first chance to relax in months. He had grabbed the opportunity offered by General Hammond to go on a short leave with both hands and run with it. Straight to Minnesota, his sanctuary. The last few days had done wonders to restore his tired body and even more tired mind

. Surely he couldn't have slept for so long? It was dusk and with the sun sinking taking the temperature with it Jack felt positively cold. Anyway, he sure as hell wouldn't have gone to sleep on the grass when he had a perfectly good chair next to him. A chair specially designed for relaxing in while fighting all those vicious fish.

Jack lay quietly, contemplating his position. Not comfortable was one way to describe it. Maybe he should uncurl himself, get up and go get something warmer to put on. Maybe a snack.

Or a few more beers.

Maybe he would just lie here for a while.

Yes, that would be much easier than getting upÉ.

Jack lay at the side of his lake slowly, but surely dying.

____________________

It was completely dark when Jack woke again, shivering. The rain had begun an hour or so ago and he was totally soaked. His shirt clung to his torso like a giant slug.

Water dripped off his nose and pooled in puddles around his curled body and under his legs.

Ok, now it really is time to get up He still wasn't sure what he was doing lying on the grass but it couldn't be good for his bad knee. Arthritis for sure, Jack. With a careful movement, Jack began to straighten out his legs.

Gooooooddddddddd!

Jack wasn't a praying man. Far from it. But he found himself praying harder than he had done in a long time.

Please God! Oh God. Stop the pain. Stop it. Just make it go away. God!

He clutched at his stomach, trying to stop the agony. With an effort he looked down. In the dim light he could just make out the long deep gash across his stomach, the glistening white of intestines showing through. The rain wasn't the only thing pooling under him. Red, hot blood streaked the water and coloured his shirt and jeans.

Jack started to move his hands cautiously to the blood splattered earth. He began to very very slowly drag himself towards the darkened cabin, leaving a wide trail of burgundy red behind him.

__________________

The rain marked the carpet where it had entered through the open door. Jack's deep shuddering breaths broke the silence. He felt a profound despair as he looked around at the ruined room. Nothing was untouched, unbroken. It was as if a miniature tornado had hit, hard & fast. Any item of value was gone, not that he had kept much here. The thieves must have attacked him as he slept and then taken it out on the cabin when they found nothing of real value in what they had seen as a rich man's retreat. One swift slice to the belly should have been enough to ensure that the owner never came looking for them. They had obviously come and gone long before, leaving him where they had found him. By his lake

No cell phone. They must have taken it too. No way of contacting the outside world. No one would know that anything was wrong until he didn't show up at the base in three days time. Three days. Plenty of time to die. He had died in much less than three days several times.

Jack lay quietly on his floor, soaking it even more. The pale blue carpet slowly turned to mauve and then to a deep purple. His eyes slid slowly closed.

__________________

"I'm sorry that I had to recall you, Major Carter, Doctor Jackson." The General apologised to the two people standing in his office. "The diplomatic mission to PX3 Ð 794 hasn't been going too well. The High Counsellor has requested SG1's return to his planet to complete the negotiations." He smiled slightly. "For some reason they feel that they can trust Colonel O'Neill above any other ambassador from Earth. I tried to persuade them that it was unnecessary for Colonel O'Neill to return to the planet, however they insisted."

"That's OK, General" Daniel Jackson hadn't really minded being dragged away from his apartment. He had found himself getting just a bit sick of sitting reading all day. "Have you managed to contact Jack yet?"

General Hammond gave them both a concerned look. "I haven't been able to reach Colonel O'Neill on his cell."

"Perhaps he has gone hiking, General" Major Carter speculated. "He could be out of cellular range, especially in those mountains."

"I'm sure that the explanation is quite simple, Major. I've despatched someone to contact him if he is at his cabin." The General paused "Although what we will do if he has gone hiking, as you suggest, I don't really know. The High Counsellor was most insistent that Colonel O'Neill be sent as soon as possible"

"Would it be any help if I speak to the High Counsellor, myself, General? His advisor and I got on quite well. Maybe I could continue the negotiations until Jack arrives" Daniel was eager to go back to PX3-794. He had found the people pleasant and their architecture fascinating, reminisant of ancient Mayan. He gave the General one of his pleading looks. "I'm sure that I can stall until Jack arrives, Sir."

"I'm sure that you can, Doctor Jackson." General Hammond turned to Major Carter. "What is your assessment of the situation, Major? Would it help if Doctor Jackson returns to the planet ahead of Colonel O'Neill?"

Samantha Carter glanced at Daniel. "Daniel is correct, Sir. The advisor did seem to have a lot in common with him and I'm sure that he could help hurry along the negotiations." She looked over at Daniel and smiled. "May I suggest that Teal'c goes along to keep him company, Sir?"

"I don't need a baby sitter, Sam. I'm capableÉ" came Daniel's indignant protest.

"No, Doctor Jackson." The General cut Daniel off in mid sentence. "You don't need a baby sitter, however you are a valuable member of the SCG and, as such, I shall send along the best form of protection that I have. Teal'c will accompany you, as Major Carter has suggested. I expect you to be ready to gate to PX3-794 within the hour. Hopefully, by then we will have some word from the Colonel."

____________

Sergeant Jason Collins hadn't minded being ordered to travel all the way to Colonel O'Neill's cabin just to give him a message from the General. He was carrying reports on the progress of the negotiations on PX3-794, so that the Colonel could familiarise himself with them on the plane trip back to the SGC. It wasn't often that the Sergeant got out of Cheyenne Mountain and into the fresh air these days, plus there had been speculation for years about where Colonel O'Neill went on leave. The chance to report back all the gossip about the Colonel's cabin had made him very pleased. He would be a popular man for weeks when he got back to the SCG.

Not far to go now. According to his map the cabin should be just up and around the next couple of bends. Beautiful country. He could see why the Colonel liked to come here as often as he could. Peaceful. He whistled happily as he drove.

The cabin door stood open and inviting as Sergeant Collins parked the Air Force car. He got out, putting on his cap and straightening his uniform as he did so. At least the Colonel must be at home. Makes it all much easier. Feeling a little like an intruder, the Sergeant climbed the small flight of steps to the open door. As he stretched out his arm to knock, his eyes took in a scene completely different than the one that he had expected.

Sergeant Collins was stunned by what he saw.

The inside of the cabin was a shambles of torn and broken furnishings, books and ornaments. There didn't seem to be a thing left in one piece. What had happened here? Where was the Colonel? He stepped hurriedly into the room, calling as he did so.

"Colonel O'Neill! Sir. Are you here?"

It was just then that his horrified gaze fell upon the huddled figure just to the left of the door.

"Colonel!"

Collins threw himself on his knees next to the body. As he did so he felt the carpet give a little as if it was damp. He looked down at the hand he had placed on the floor to steady himself. It was covered with crimson red blood and more was oozing from between his fingers from the saturated carpet. Gently he turned the Colonel over. There was a slight squelch noise as something fell from where the Colonel's hands had been clutched protectively over his stomach. Jason Collins felt his gorge rise in his throat as he hurtled from the cabin, barely making it outside before he vomited on to the grass.

Christ! Colonel O'Neill was dead.

He had to be.

There must be enough blood for two people soaking into that carpet.

Still shaking Collins returned to the house and knelt once more by the Colonel's side. He placed his hand gently onto the pulse point in the neck and held it there. When he felt the weak flutter under his fingertips he almost couldn't believe it. His eyes reluctantly travelled to the Colonel's stomach. No one could survive a wound like that, not even the legendary Colonel O'Neill. But here was unmistakable proof that someone could and had. But not for much longer if he didn't do something quickly. He hesitated for a moment and then came to a decision. From the first aid kit in the car, he got a large bandage and wrapped it as tightly as he could around the wound, then he reached down and lifted the Colonel gently. He staggered under the weigh, before hurrying to the car. Placing the unconscious officer along the back seat, he started off on the road down the mountain.

_____________

Sheriff Richards arrived at Redlands Hospital and strode up to the inquiries desk.

"Where's the man that you reported with stab wounds, Sally?" He asked the young blond girl behind the counter.

"Operating theatre, Mike. The soldier that brought him in is over there." She pointed to a distraught looking young man in a blood stained Air Force uniform, leaning against the wall of the corridor.

At the sound of voices, Sergeant Collins looked up. "Thank God. Sheriff, they wouldn't let me call the base until you arrived. I need to report to my CO."

Sheriff Richards sized up the obviously shaken man.

"Tell me what happened first, Sergeant, then we can talk about a phone call. How did this man get stabbed?" He moved towards the sergeant cautiously. "Who is he?"

"Colonel Jack O'Neill. I have to ring General Hammond and let him know." His voice lowered to almost a whisper. "I should have called the General first, but I didn't think that I had any time to waste. He looked dead when I got him here. Is he dead?" Collins wiped his face with his hand and sat down heavily in to a nearby chair. "He is dead, isn't he?"

"Sally, what's going on with the stabbing victim? What's the word?" Richards knew that the Sergeant needed some news before he could get rest of the story from him.

Sally gave a slight shake of her head. "Sorry, Mike. I've no idea what's happening. He's still in the OR" She leant forward and spoke quietly. "It's pretty serious. They called in another surgeon."

Mike frowned and turned back to the Sergeant.

"Alright, Sergeant. I want a straight story out of you and I want it now. This Colonel of yours seems to be in bad shape. The quicker you give me the details the quicker you can tell your boss."

_______________

Doctor Janet Frasier had been having a relatively quiet day. Most of the SG teams were on world with the exception of SG2 and half of SG1. She didn't expect any trouble from Daniel. Teal'c would keep him safe. PX3-794 was as friendly a planet as you could get, from all accounts, not that that would have stopped SG1 from getting into trouble anyway, but she felt safe with Colonel O'Neill still on Earth. He seemed to attract trouble like a moth to a flame.

The call from the General took her completely by surprise.

"Bad news, Doctor. I've just received a call from the airman that I sent to find Colonel O'Neill. Jack has been seriously injured. I have ordered a helicopter to take us to Peterson. It'll be here in a few minutes."

Janet stood, stunned for a moment. There were so many questions going through her mind that it took a second for her professionalism to kick in.

"What type of injuries, Sir?"

"According to Sergeant Collins, he has been stabbed. They are operating on him now."

"What about, Major Carter, General? Does she know?" Janet knew that Sam would never forgive her if the helicopter left without her.

"Yes, Doctor, Major Carter is meeting us up top. Get up here as quickly as possible." General Hammond sounded as worried as she had ever heard him. She put down the phone and hurried towards the elevator.

___________________

Sheriff Richards sat with Sergeant Collins in the OR waiting area. The Sergeant seemed more in control now that he had been able to contact his superiors and tell them the bad news. The Colonel had been in the operating theatre for several hours now and there was still no word on his condition. It looked like this might turn into a full-scale murder enquiry and with the military involved, who knows what might be at the bottom of it.

The quick clicking sound of shoes alerted Mike to the arrival of several people. Two were women in Air Force uniforms and the third obviously the General that Collins had been so anxious to contact. They hadn't taken much time to get here, he thought. At the sight of the General, Sergeant Collins snapped to attention, a look of relief on his face.

"Sheriff, I'm General Hammond, Colonel O'Neill's Commanding Officer. Can you tell us what the situation is?" The General got straight down to business.

"It seems that the Colonel was attacked in his cabin, General. I have men there now and they have reported that the place has been ransacked. I'll be able to tell you more after I've visited the scene myself"

"General." The shorter of the two women interrupted, "With your permission, I'd like to find a doctor that can give me some idea of Colonel O'Neill's condition."

"Permission granted, Doctor Frasier, Report back as soon as you know something."

With a brisk nod, the woman hurried towards the OR.

Sheriff Richards continued. "Sergeant Collins found the Colonel just in time and brought him straight here." He looked over to the man still standing stiffly beside them with his eyes pinned on the General.

"Thank you, Sheriff. I would like to speak to the Sergeant privately. Is there a room which we can use?" General Hammond turned to the remaining woman. "This is Major Samantha Carter, the Colonel's second. Would you please give her any other information that you have?"

The General seemed to be completely in control of the whole situation within a few minutes of his arrival. Mike supposed that it was this quality of command that made an officer into a general. He pointed out an unused room and turned to the Major as the others walked away. She looked pale and worried, glancing up the corridor towards the operating theatre. With an obvious effort, she moved to one of the chairs near the window.

"Why don't we sit down, Sheriff? I'm sorry, in the rush, I don't think that I caught your name."

______________

Janet had finally managed to find someone in authority on the medical staff that had been able to apprise her of Colonel O'Neill's condition and she hadn't like what she had heard. From all accounts he was critical, unlikely to survive the night. She had reported everything that she had learnt to the General and informed him that they would be unable to move Jack to the SGC until he was more stable. Privately she felt that the likelihood of him being moved any time in the near future was very slim. His injury was severe. He had a single deep knife wound to the stomach. It was one of the worst and most painful injuries that she had ever seen in her career. It carried with it an almost 100% chance of infection. Jack had lain, bleeding for hours. Now the odds were stacked against him.

She rubbed a hand over her tired eyes.

"Janet" Sam's voice came from the doorway. She was standing silhouetted by the harsh light of the corridor.

"Hey, Sam. How are you doing?' As Sam came into the room, Janet could see dark circles under her friend's eyes. She sank into the chair nearest Janet, giving a small sigh as the soft chair cushioned her body.

"Not good, Janet. You?" Sam looked across at the doctor and gave her a slight smile. "Any news on the Colonel?"

"He's out of surgery and in the recovery room now, Sam. You won't be able to see him until they transfer him to the ICU." Janet was glad that Sam hadn't seen Colonel O'Neill wheeled through from theatre. He had looked as still and pale as a person could without being actually dead. She shuddered to think just how close he had come to dying. She tried desperately to shake the image from her mind.

. "Where is the General?" She knew that she should speak with Hammond and ask that Daniel and Teal'c be recalled to Earth. They needed to be here.

"Talking to Sheriff Richards. He asked me to go with the Sheriff in the morning and see if I could give him any help at the cabin." Sam swallowed. "I don't want to leave the hospital, Janet. What if the Colonel wakes up with none of his team here?" Janet could tell that the prospect of Jack waking wasn't what really worried Sam. It was the possibility of him not waking at all.

"You should get some sleep, Sam" Janet managed to avoid a direct answer to the other woman's question. "In the morning you may be able to see the Colonel before you leave for the cabin."

With a weary movement Sam rose and stretched. "You're right, Janet. But you should rest too." She looked at her friend. The chances of Janet leaving the hospital tonight were slim to none and Sam knew it.

"I'll get some sleep as soon as I've spoken to General Hammond" Janet got up and walked towards the door with Sam. Pausing for a moment as she reached for the door handle, she looked up into the taller woman's face.

"You know that his chances are slim, don't you, Sam?"

Sam blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. "Yes, Janet, I know, but Colonel O'Neill is the toughest man I've ever met. He'll be awake and complaining about being stuck in bed again in no time." She bent and gave her friend a hard hug. "He will, Janet. I'm sure of it."

-----------------------

Sam arrived at the Sheriff's office the next morning not feeling any more rested than she had on going to bed the night before. The few hours sleep that she had managed to get had been disturbed by bad dreams, the rest of the time had been spent worrying over the Colonel. She felt like hell and was pretty sure that she looked like it too.

A visit to the hospital did nothing to ease her anxiety. If anything it only increased it. Seeing him had only cemented the fact that it wasn't all a bad dream. Colonel O'Neill had been moved to the ICU, with a nurse watching him round the clock. He had been surrounded by machines and covered with IV lines. It was the first time that Sam had seen him since he went on leave and she was shocked by the lines of pain in his face and by his paleness.

Sheriff Richards was just pouring himself a coffee when Major Carter was shown to his office. "Like one?" he asked, holding up the pot invitingly. Sam nodded her acceptance of the offer.

"I've had an update from the hospital on Colonel O'Neill's progress." Mike glanced up as he poured. "They seem quietly optimistic now that he has been moved to the ICU."

"Yes, I visited him before coming here." Mike watched as the Major slowly sipped the hot liguid. She appeared tired and he bet that she hadn't got much sleep last night. He wondered just how much help she would provide at the crime scene.

"Shall we go?"

The trip through the mountains was spent in silence. Neither of the car's occupants felt inclined to make conversation. Mike parked the car alongside that of one of his deputies.

"Pete?" Sheriff Richardson called through the open cabin door. "Ok to come in?" A short, brown skinned man looked up from where he knelt to one side of the room.

"Sure, just be careful where you tread. We've photographed the main site and we'll move on to the rest of the house soon. It'd probably be better if you didn't go into any of the other rooms just yet."

"We'll stay here for the moment then, Pete. This is Major Carter the victim's second." Mike could see the Major flinch at the word "victim". She was looking around, clearly upset by the state of the cabin, but trying not to let it show.

"Is this where Colonel O'Neill was attacked?" The Major surprised Mike by walking over and crouching next to his deputy by the large stain on the carpet. The sight of her CO's blood obviously didn't worry her.

Pete moved over slightly to give Sam room. He shook his head. "No. That's what we thought at first, but we've found evidence of blood leading from here back to the side of the lake. It looks like the attack took place there and the Colonel managed to crawl to here. It was raining, so most of the trail has been washed away." He turned and looked at his superior. "Hell of a long way to crawl in his condition."

Mike stared from the door to the lake. "Christ, yes. Seems that your Colonel O'Neill is a very determined man, Major. Maybe we shouldn't be too worried about him after all."

Sam smiled grimly up at the Sheriff. "Maybe we shouldn't be."

__________________ Jack looked around in puzzlement. He wasn't at his cabin. He wasn't in the infirmary. So where was he? He tried to think back to the last thing that he remembered but it was too hard. His eyes began to drift shut again. Wherever he was, it was too damned hot. They should turn the heating down and open a few windows.

Too damn hot by half.

Janet Frasier looked up from her chair by the Colonel's bed. She was sure that she had seen him move. Typical! Shut your eyes for a second and you miss something! She turned to the nurse beside her.

"Did Colonel O'Neill move then, Nurse?"

The nurse gave a startled glance at the Air Force doctor. She had been so quiet that the nurse had almost forgotten that she was in the room. "I don't think so, Doctor"

Janet stood and placed a hand on Jack's forehead then looked at the reading from one of the monitors. "His temperature is up another degree, Nurse. Looks like he has an infection."

The greatest danger in cases like these was infection. It was almost impossible to prevent and it looked like they hadn't been lucky with Jack.

____________

Daniel Jackson hurried to the hospital's reception desk, closely pursued by Teal'c. Sally looked up to find herself confronted by one very agitated untidy young man and one very intimidating, older and much larger one.

"Where's Colonel O'Neill's room?" the younger one asked urgently. Wordlessly, she pointed down the corridor towards the ICU and watched them stride away.

Doctor Frasier turned as the door to Jack's room opened. She was pleased to see the familiar figures of Teal'c and Daniel enter.

"How is O'Neill, Doctor Frasier?" Teal'c was the first to break the silence. All three sets of eyes were fixed on the figure in the bed.

"Not good. Teal'c" replied Janet. "He seemed to be improving slightly, but now he's developed an infection. We are treating him with massive doses of antibiotics but it is spreading fast."

"Where's Sam, Janet?" Daniel spoke for the first time. He had expected to find Sam at Jack's bedside.

"She's with the Sheriff investigating the attack, Daniel. The General ordered her to keep an eye on the investigation." She paused. "I think that he wanted to take Sam's mind off the Colonel."

Daniel nodded. General Hammond had explained the reason for their recall when they had returned through the gate. Although the negotiations had to be paused, yet again, the news of Colonel O'Neill's "illness" had been enough for the High Counsellor to farewell the team from Earth with wishes for Jack's speedy recovery. They had decided not to disclose the real reason for the Colonel's absence, an attack on the Colonel on their home planet might not have given the government of PX3-794 a good impression of Earth.

"Can we stay, Janet?" Daniel had no intention of leaving the room, but he felt obliged to ask. Teal'c had no such reservations. Pulling a chair from the corner, he sat, and composed himself for a long vigil beside the Colonel's bed.

Janet caught Daniel's eye and they both exchanged a small smile. With a sigh of fatigue, Daniel hooked another chair with his foot, pulled it over and sat on the opposite side of the bed. He watched as Jack's chest rose and fell in tune with a nearby machine. The steady beep of the heart monitor reassured him and he felt himself slowly falling into an exhausted sleep.

___________________

"DanielJackson" Teal'c's insistent voice woke Daniel from a deep sleep. He peered bleary about him. Teal'c was standing with Janet looking down at Jack. He was moving uneasily, turning his head first one way and then the other. The monitors were sending frantic signals.

"What is it? Has something happened?" He scrambled to his feet, pushing his glasses back on to his nose.

"O'Neill appears to be waking, DanielJackson. However it seems that he is in some discomfort." Teal'c calm voice steadied Daniel's fears.

"Colonel? Can you hear me?' Janet bent over Jack waiting for a response. The ICU nurse studied the monitor readouts intently.

Jack could hear Janet's voice, but it seemed muffled as if it was coming from far away. He couldn't quite make out the words and he strained to hear. He tried to open his eyes, but the lids were too heavy. There was another voice now too. Daniel's? Jack couldn't hear what he was saying. Probably not important, he thought as he drifted back to sleep.

________________

"Jack"

That sounded like Daniel again. What did he want? Couldn't he just leave him alone.

Jack opened his eyes just a slit. The figures standing over him became clearer as he blinked. Daniel. Teal'c. And of course, the Doc.

Shit! Again. Did he have a target painted on him? What happened this time? At least he didn't have that damned tube down his throat for a change.

"Hey, Daniel" Jack cleared his throat and tried again. "Doc." He swallowed again. "Hot in here"

Janet leaned a little closer. "You've got an infection, Sir. Nothing to worry about."

She turned to the nurse standing nearby. "You better call the Sheriff, Nurse. Let him know that the Colonel is conscious."

"Sheriff?" Jack was puzzled. Why was there a sheriff at the SGC?

His eyes shut before anyone could answer.

_____________

"I'm sorry, Sheriff Richards. Colonel O'Neill is still lapsing in and out of consciousness. It might be a few more days before he's able to talk to you." Janet was a little embarrassed at having called the officer to the hospital only for him to find the Colonel asleep.

"That's OK, Doctor Frasier." Mike could see the worry on the faces of the people surrounding the bed. "Perhaps we could speak privately for a moment?" He gestured for the doctor to step out of the room with him.

"What would you like to know, Sheriff?" Janet asked as soon as they were in the corridor.

"Colonel O'Neill looks pretty sick to me. Is there any point in me waiting here?" Mike hesitated. "I guess what I'm really asking, is if the Colonel is going to wake up at all?" He gave Janet an embarrassed look. "Sorry if I'm being a bit blunt, Doctor, but we don't have any leads at the moment and the Colonel is our only witness."

Janet could understand the Sheriff's worry. The Colonel had come very close to dying this time. Much too close.

"We are optimistic that the Colonel will make a full recovery. When his temperature drops he should be awake enough to speak to you." She smiled confidently. "It may be a while, but he will wake up, Sheriff. I'll see that you are called as soon as he does."

______________

"Jack?"

There was that voice again. Daniel seemed to have been calling him a lot lately. Every time he woke up, in fact.

"Hi, Daniel. You still here? No home to go to? Nothing better to do?"

Daniel grinned broadly. Maybe this time Jack really had woken up. Not like the last Ð what was it? Ð four or six times. His fever was gone and he seemed to be getting some colour back. The ghostly pale look really hadn't suited him. He was just relaxing back into his chair when Jack's eyes snapped open again.

"What the Hell?" Jack asked, his eyes sweeping the room, spotting Teal'c in one corner and the unfimialr obligatory nurse in the opposite one.

"You OK, Jack?" Daniel was concerned by the sudden change in his friend. Jack had gone from sleepy to wide awake in the space of a couple of seconds.

" "What the Hell happened? I was fishing, for God's sake!" Jack made a move to get up, stopping when pain began to blossom from his stomach. Daniel was at his side immediately pushing his friend gently back to the mattress.

"That's what we would like to know, Colonel O'Neill" Jack didn't recognise the man that had just arrived at his bedside, but he walked in with someone that he did know.

"Carter?" Jack said, raising his head from his pillow.

Sam could hardly speak around her smile. "Colonel. You're awake."

"Knew I couldn't fool you, Carter. Was it the open eyes that gave it away?" Even feeling as bad as he did, Jack couldn't let that one pass.

"No, Jack it was the sarcasm." Trust Danny not to miss a chance.

Mike interrupted with a laugh. "I see that you're feeling better, Colonel. Can you tell us what happened to you?" He took his notebook from his uniform jacket, preparing to take notes.

Jack glanced at the notebook. "Don't think that you need that, Sheriff. There isn't really much to write," He thought for a moment. "I remember fishing, then waking up on the ground. Didn't see or hear anything. Whoever attacked me must have caught me asleep." He saw the incredulous looks on the faces of his team.

"Asleep, O'Neill?" Teal'c raised one eyebrow and gave Jack a look of disbelief.

Jack gave an embarrassed grin. "So I'd had a few beers." The look on Teal'c's face said it all.

"Aw, come on! We'll all human, you know. Can't be perfect all the time, guys."

"As you say, O'Neill we are all human. However, I do not agree with the second part of your statement." Daniel laughed outright. Sam and Janet tried desperately to restrain their giggles.

Mike gave a slight cough. He didn't want to break the happy mood, but he needed the Colonel's statement.

"Sorry, Sheriff." Jack knew that the Sheriff was waiting. "I don't remember much else. It started raining so I got myself into the cabin."

"Got yourself into the cabin! You crawled to the cabin, Jack. Must have been a hell of an effort withÉ.." Daniel hesitated, looking at Jack.

"With my guts hanging out? Yeap. Don't remember much of it though, Daniel."

He broke the uncomfortable silence. "I got inside, out of the rain." His voice stopped. Jack looked up at his friends.

"Fucking bastards." Jack grunted, carefully shifting his position.

The atmosphere in the room changed. Mike almost felt the temperature drop. It wasn't what Colonel O'Neill had said, so much as the look in his eyes. Cold, dead and dangerous. Mike felt a chill go up his spine.

"Did you notice anything missing, Colonel?" Mike needed some sort of lead. They didn't have much to go on.

The answer came short and fast. "Sound system, CDs, DVD, TV. The obvious. My insurance company will have the details." Jack stared fixedly ahead.

"Doctor Frasier." The nurse indicated the monitors with an upward look. Janet gave her a quick nod of acknowledgement. She had arrived back in the room while the Sheriff was speaking to O'Neill.

"I think that the Colonel needs to rest now. You can continue this in the morning, Sheriff." Janet herded all four people towards the door.

"Can't I stay, Janet?" Daniel had seen the look in Jack's eyes. He needed to be with him, talk to him.

"No, Daniel. The Colonel's very tired." She looked up into the scientist's face. "And so are you. Get something to eat and some sleep." She smiled. "That's an order."

"Yes, Ma'am." Daniel grinned and snapped a reasonable attempt at a salute at her, before turning and reluctantly following the others.

With all the visitors gone, Janet was free to turn her attention Colonel O'Neill. He looked flushed and hot. But that wasn't what worried her the most. It was the look in his eyes.

"Sir?" She spoke softly, watching for his reaction. "You have a fever caused by the infection. I'm going to increase the dose of meds. It should help." She was surprised when Jack didn't even make a token protest.

"OK, Doc. Whatever gets me out of here quickest" She would have thought that that was the annoying patient she was so use to treating if it wasn't for the coldness in his unemotional voice. He didn't sound like the Jack O'Neill that she knew. It was as if he had been replaced by a hardened Special Ops soldier that he once was.

_________________

Daniel sat across the table from Sam in the little restaurant near the hospital. He eyed her over the rim of his coffee cup as he raised it to his lips and took a small sip.

"Have you noticed something odd about Jack, Sam?"

"The Colonel does seem a little É", Sam paused uncomfortably and then continued. "Cold"

"Cold. Yes, that's exactly how I would have described it. It's like one part of his mind is there talking to you, but most of it is thinking about something else." Daniel was glad that he wasn't the only one who found Jack's behaviour strange. "Maybe it's the medication?"

"No, I don't think so, Daniel" Sam slowly chewed her mouthful of lettuce before continuing. "Janet said that the infection is under control and the Colonel is only on small doses of precautionary antibiotics."

"So you've checked it out with Janet." Daniel smiled slightly. "Has she any explanation?"

Sam looked a little embarrassed. "She's worried too, Daniel. I was talking to her the other night at the motel."

They sat silently for a few minutes, picking at the food on their plates without any real enthusiasm.

Daniel broke the silence. "I'm worried about him too, Sam." He looked down at his plate. Without raising his eyes he continued. "I have to tell you the truth, Sam. I'm not just worried." He swallowed. "I'm frightened. I've never been scared of Jack before. It's not a feeling that I like very much."

Sam reached across and touched Daniel's hand, making him look up. "I'm sure that it's just that he's not feeling himself yet. He was hurt pretty badly. It must have been unsettling for him to be attacked at his own cabin."

"It's more than that, Sam. It's like Jack's not there any more and it's a stranger looking at me. He sounds like Jack. He looks like Jack. But he isn't acting like Jack. He isn't getting mad. He isn't getting bored. He isn't getting anything!"

Sam couldn't argue with that. She had felt the same way every time that she had visited the Colonel over the last few days. Something was definitely wrong.