Title: Jack’s Fangtastic Adventure

Author: Flatkatsi

Email: flatkatsi@optusnet.com.au

Status: Complete

Category: Hurt/comfort, Adventure, Angst

Pairings: None

Spoilers: None

Season: Fiveish

Rating: PG-13

Content Warnings: Blood and general yuckiness

File Size: 199kb

Archive: Incoming Wormhole, Jackfic

Summary: Not all doggy creatures like Jack, unless it’s as an entrée.

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: Sorry – I said I wouldn’t post it as a cliff-hanger, but I lied. This is a continuation of the drabble I wrote for ‘toothache’ because people asked where Jack got bitten. Thanks to Nutty for the beta & Dee for the discussions. I have to admit that I completely went against Nutty’s advice re the title <g>.

 Jack’s Fangtastic Adventure

“Damn it, Carter, that hurts!”

Jack squirmed against the grip on his arms, unable to hold back his cry of indignation.

“I know, Colonel, but it’s in deep.”

Sam looked up briefly, giving her companions a nod. Daniel and Teal’c tightened their grasp, one pair of eyes shutting in anticipation.

Sam took a deep breath and pulled, her face anguished as the Colonel gave a sharp, harsh yelp.

Her teammates eyed the long, ivory object in Sam’s hand, the blood making it glisten.

“I just hope it’s got one hell of a toothache.” Jack muttered sardonically, “Teach it to use me as a pincushion!”

Teal’c released his commander’s arm and stood, his eyes tracking across the vast, grassy plain.

“The creature appears to have rejoined its pack.”

“Give me a hand up.” Jack straightened, pulling himself up, using Daniel’s still tight grip on his upper arm as leverage. “And get me my gun.”

Sam sat back on her heels, a hint of exasperation showing in her face. “Sir, will you please stay still, at least until I bandage this.” She pushed her damp hair off her face, dropping the large tooth onto the dry soil as she did so. “It’s still bleeding.”

The wound in the Colonel’s thigh was not large, more a deep, narrow hole than a gash, but the blood was still running freely, beginning to darken his torn trousers as it soaked into the fabric.

“I do not believe there is any hurry, O’Neill. The animals seem to be resting in the shade of that large stand of trees.” Despite his assurances, Teal’c raised the end of his staff weapon slightly from the ground, his expression grim.

The unexpectedness of the attack on the Colonel had left them all somewhat stunned, and even the experienced Jaffa was having a hard time restoring his normal equilibrium. The area around them was clear, and seemingly without hiding places, and yet the dog-like animal had leapt from concealment, latching on to the Colonel’s leg and pulling him to the ground with surprising strength. Only Daniel’s quick actions had saved Jack from more serious injuries, a hard blow from the butt of his weapon to the creature’s head, breaking its grip.

Sam and Daniel had immediately gone to the Colonel’s aid, but to Teal’c’s chagrin, a flash of tanned hide was all that could be seen of his attacker, as it once more seemingly disappeared into thin air.

As Sam began the painful task of bandaging the Colonel’s wounds, Daniel moved forward to stand beside Teal’c, carefully manoeuvring himself to take advantage of as much of the other man’s shadow as possible.

He frowned, his eyes narrowing against the sun’s glare.

“Where did they all come from?” He took a step closer, trying to get a better view, only to have the Jaffa’s large hand pull him back. He nodded distractedly, acknowledging the wisdom of not getting any nearer. “They look similar to hyenas. Other than that I can’t really tell much from this distance.”

“What’s to tell?” Jack rubbed at the bridge of his nose, a line forming on his brow. “You can check them over all you like, as soon as I get within shooting range of the bastard that bit me.” His tone was tense and the rubbing intensified as he inhaled sharply. “You finished yet, Carter?”

“Just about done, sir.” She nodded, reaching into the medical kit to pull out a small packet of tablets. “Animal bites are notorious sources of infection. You better take some antibiotics just to be on the safe side.”

Jack grunted as he took the tablets and canteen the Major held out to him, swallowing the small pills with a grimace. He gingerly touched the thick dressing on his thigh, before rolling a little, bending the knee of his good leg.

“What are you doing?” Daniel hurried to his side, distracted from his perusal of the creatures by Jack’s movement.

“What’s it look like I’m doing?” The reply was swift and annoyed. “I’m getting up off my backside and putting on a fresh pair of pants. Feeling a little exposed here, Daniel.” Jack indicated the ragged remains of his BDU trousers. “I can’t go hunting like this.”

“You won’t go hunting at all.” Daniel gave a small push and the Colonel collapsed back onto the ground. “You’ll stay here. You saw how fast those things could move. Do you really think you’re in any condition to track one?”

“I don’t need to track one.” Jack pointed past his friend’s shoulder, indicating the pack of animals under the trees. “They’re right there.” Then he paused, before turning his pointing finger back to the other man. “Anyway, who died and made you leader?”

“You almost did, you idiot, now be quiet and rest while we set up camp.” Daniel’s words were tempered by a smile of affectionate exasperation.

“Set up camp? What? Here, next to them?” Jack indicated the animals with a wave of his hand. “I don’t think so! So not a good move.” He pushed up again, this time gaining his feet. “We need to put some distance between us and them, find a more defensible position that’s less out in the open.”

He stopped, biting off his words and wavering slightly. Daniel put a hand out to steady him.

“You can barely stand upright, let alone walk. Why don’t we set up camp here? Most wild animals are scared off by fire, plus I don’t think that they’ll be a match for our weapons.”

“Daniel’s right, sir. The sun’s setting, and you really shouldn’t be moving just yet, at least not until we’re sure the bleeding has stopped.”

Teal’c’s voice joined that of Sam’s. “I do not think it would be advisable to attempt to travel after dark.” He nodded towards the trees. “The creatures are stirring.”

The pack appeared to have grown, now numbering approximately fifteen of the animals. Several of the larger ones were moving around, pacing backwards and forwards between their still sitting companions, their heads swinging on large, slopping shoulders. Even as SG-1 watched more stood, stretching, their mouths opening impossibly wide as they yawned, long teeth matching the one still discarded at the Colonel’s feet, showing.

Jack nodded, finally accepting the wisdom of their advice.

“Okay, we camp here tonight then head home in the morning.” He wiped sweat from his face with the back of his hand. “At least it should cool down a little after the sun sets.”

He couldn’t conceal a shudder as the throbbing pain that had taken up residence in his leg ever since he had been bitten, intensified, sending his headache to even more excruciating heights.

 **********

The Colonel was to regret his words about it cooling down as he lay shivering in his sleeping bag. The temperature had dropped rapidly, and despite the shelter the tents provided, he and his teammates were finding them of little benefit.

Rustling sounds came from beside Jack as Daniel edged himself out of his bag, preparing to relieve Carter from watch. Jack knew that it would be several degrees colder outside, especially with the breeze that had blown up as dark fell and felt a momentary twinge of guilt as he huddled up to conserve warmth, pulling his knees as close to his chest as possible. The tug of the bandage on his skin was a painful reminder of just how useless he would be if he were out there, so he burrowed his head down and tried to sleep.

 **********

Daniel woke to the sound of Jack turning, the soft sound of cloth moving a counterpoint to the small moans of discomfort coming from the injured man. He flicked the cover off his watch. Forty minutes – barely time to warm up and get to sleep after he had finished his watch.

Jack moaned again.

Maybe he was cold. Rather than wake him up, Daniel sat up and peeled off his jacket, piling it on top of the other man’s sleeping bag, hoping the added warmth would help. He lay for a while, listening until it seemed that Jack had settled, then drifted off to sleep himself.

 **********

“Daniel”

Jack’s voice woke the archaeologist. He opened his eyes to the blinding beam of a flashlight shining directly in his face.

“Hey! What are you doing?”

He didn’t try to conceal his annoyance – it wasn’t as if Jack O’Neill hadn’t frequently chastised him many times on their early missions for doing exactly the same thing.

“Ah…I think I have a problem here.”

Jack’s reply was hesitant, his normally strong voice shaky in the extreme. The flashlight was turned away and Daniel blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to clear them.

“What’s wrong?”

There was a movement and the beam of light was redirected, illuminating a hand held outstretched towards him.

A hand, shining with moisture.

Dark, red moisture.

Daniel lurched forward, his feet tangled in the confines of the sleeping bag. It seemed to take forever, but finally he was at Jack’s side. The face that looked up at him was pale, the eyes holding a hint of worry carefully concealed.

The bag’s zip was twisted, and Daniel fought with it for a moment before drawing it down.

“Oh crap!” The Colonel’s comment was muttered, but none the less heartfelt, as he shone the light downwards.

“I better call Sam.”

“Not planning on going anywhere, “ was Jack’s answer as Daniel crawled the short distance to the entrance, pulling aside the flap.

 **********

Sam couldn’t help grimacing as she carefully pulled the sodden bandage from the Colonel’s thigh, wrinkling her nose at the acrid scent of fresh blood.

“I don’t understand.” She prodded the wound gently, watching as a small, but steady stream of thick liquid ran out to join the growing dampness soaking the sleeping bag. “There’s no reason for it to start bleeding again, unless…” she raised her gaze and looked at the Colonel speculatively, “did you do anything to aggravate the injury, sir? Try and get up?”

Jack shook his head, his eyes tightly closed. “No, nothing.”

“He was a bit restless earlier, Sam.” Daniel chimed in in support, “but other than that he’s just been lying there.”

“That’s odd.” Sam took a new dressing, applying it to the Colonel’s leg. “Hand me the roll of bandages, Daniel.” She gave a tight smile. “You won’t be able to put your trousers back on over this, sir, I’m afraid.”

“Aw, come on, Major.” Jack waved his hand in the air, “You can’t expect me to go back through the gate like this!” The hand descended to point at his lower body, clad only in boxer shorts. “I’d never live it down.” He narrowed his eyes at her slight smirk. “If the prospect of my humiliation doesn’t move you, Carter, think of the mean case of sunburn I’ll have by the time we get home.”

“I’m sure we can think of something, Jack, but Sam’s right, there’s no way trousers will fit over that bandage.” Daniel eyed the roll in the major’s hand. “At least, not after…”

The sound of a staff weapon blast brought all three heads spinning round to face the entrance. A fraction of a second later Major Carter was out of the tent, her ever present P-90 in her hand.

“Give me some damn pants, Daniel.” Jack growled urgently as he hauled himself up.

The other man didn’t even try and argue, yanking some spare trousers from Jack’s open pack, and throwing them to him, before disappearing through the tent’s flap after the Major.

With a muttered “Crap!” the Colonel struggled to pull the clothing on, ignoring the flare of pain. Deciding that his boots were much too difficult to even consider, he limped hurriedly outside, grabbing up his weapon as he went.

The scene outside was reminiscent of a scene from one of the latest horror movies. Black shapes wove in and out of the shadows cast by the fire, darting in blurred motion at the edge of his vision. In the flash of Teal’c’s staff weapon, Jack caught an impression of rough mottled hair and orange eyes, before there was a loud yelp, and a large body crashed to the ground barely inches from his feet.

“O’Neill!” The Jaffa’s warning was enough, and he brought up his weapon, sending a blast of rapid bullets into the mass of creatures converging on him. On the other side of the camp he heard a staccato echo of his P-90 as Carter fought her own battle, accompanied by the crisp notes of Daniel’s Beretta. 

Then it was over, as swiftly as it had begun.

Jack stood, and turned slowly, watching for any movement. To one side, a paw twitched, and he stepped towards it to send a single shot into the animal’s skull.

“Jack?” Daniel called, his tone worried.

“It’s okay, Daniel. I’m just cleaning up.” He continued on, limping from body to body, holding his weight on one foot as much as possible. The sound of shots from across the campfire indicated that his teammates were also engaged in their own clean up.

A large figure loomed up out of the darkness, but he merely nodded, expecting it.

“I have checked the perimeter and the surviving creatures have departed.”

Jack nodded again, too tired to do more.

“I will finish checking the bodies, O’Neill. I suggest you sit.”

For a second, he thought about arguing, but then the feeling of warm liquid dripping down his leg brought the Colonel back to reality. Again he didn’t speak, contenting himself with a light touch on the Jaffa’s arm to indicate his agreement. Instead of returning to the tent, he moved to the fire, reaching it at the same time as the other two members of SG-1.

“How are you, sir?” Carter asked, coming forward.

He grunted. “My leg hurts, I’ve got a force ten on the Richter scale headache, I’m so tired I feel like I could sleep for a week, and I’m pissed, Carter. How are you?” Without waiting for a reply, he turned to Daniel. “Scared of fire, eh? Shouldn’t find a more defensible position? No need to be worried that we were camping right on top of the frigging things!” The Colonel’s voice rose with each sentence until he was shouting.

Then he fell down.

 **********

One minute Jack was standing, albeit with a drunken kilter, then he was ass down on the ground, his wounded leg bent under him.

“Oh shit!” He writhed, his hands frantically pulling at the offending limb. “Oh shit, that hurts!”

Daniel knelt beside him. “Stay still.” He carefully lifted his friend, allowing Sam to straighten the leg.

Jack slumped back against the younger man, his face even paler than before. “Don’t think about cutting these trousers off, Major. They’re my last pair,” he muttered through barely open lips.

Sam ignored the quietly spoken words, touching a finger lightly to his leg. The light of the fire exposed the wetness where the bite was still obviously bleeding.

“We didn’t get it properly bandaged before, Sam, and with all this activity…”

Sam took a second from her examination to look up at the worried man.

“I don’t think that’s it, Daniel. Look…” She held her figure up to the light. “…the Colonel’s blood seems thinner than it should be, almost like it isn’t coagulating. We need to get him back home as soon as possible.”

“We’re not moving before first light, Carter.” The Colonel looked around at the scene beyond the firelight. “There’s no telling how many more of those things there are out there. Daniel, you go pack up the gear. I want everything moved to as close to the fire as possible. Carter – you watch Daniel’s back, and make sure you stay together.”

“What about you, Colonel?”

“I’ll be okay here until Teal’c gets back from checking the bodies. He shouldn’t be too much longer.”

Sam nodded, reluctantly accepting her orders.

 ************

The first rays of pale light had just appeared in the cloudless sky when SG-1 set out. The rest of the night had been disturbed by the hyenas, as Daniel had taken to calling them, making frequent forays back into the camp. They seemed fixated on Colonel O’Neill, only Teal’c’s staff weapon deterring them.

As the hours had past, the Colonel had become weaker, there being nothing they could do to prevent the steady loss of blood, until he was fighting to keep his eyes open. The bandage had finally been applied, even if it was over the top of his BDU’s. At Sam’s protest, Jack had pointed out that there was no point in trying to do anything more if the bleeding couldn’t be stopped. Despite his frequent complaints of them taking advantage of a sick man to camp on top of the Hyenas from Hell, he eventually drifted off into a restless doze.

About an hour before dawn, Daniel had risen to throw some more wood on the fire, well aware of the eyes following his every movement from the darkness only meters away. With a quick glance at the sleeping Colonel, he sat a little closer to Sam, keeping his voice low.

“Is it just me, or does it seem that the hyenas are targeting Jack when they attack?”

“Indeed, it did seem that way.” Teal’c had his back to the fire, and was standing, alert and ready for further attacks. “I have been thinking on the animals’ actions. Perhaps they are attracted to the smell of blood.”

“Wait.” Sam raised a hand, forestalling Daniel’s reply. “I think you’re on to something there, Teal’c.” She was silent for a moment, as if thinking. “What if we take that idea a few steps further? There could be something in the hyenas’ saliva that prevents their prey’s blood from clotting.”

Both she and Daniel swung their gaze to the Colonel, the blood still wet and moist, spreading ever further down his leg.

“If that’s the case, then it would make it easy for them to track their prey, even if it’s only slightly wounded. They probably wait until it’s weak enough to kill without risk. If they’re anything like hyenas on Earth, they would be carrion eaters as well, so it wouldn’t matter if they didn’t find their prey until it was dead from loss of blood.”

“Well, let’s try not to give them the option, shall we, guys?” Jack’s voice was dry and raspy.

“Here, Colonel.” Sam grabbed a canteen, opened it, and held it out, only to see the hand that reached for it fall limply back to the ground. She exchanged a concerned look with Daniel as she bent and put a hand behind her CO’s head, supporting it. She held the container to Jack’s lips and waited as he eagerly swallowed down a few mouthfuls of water.

“Thanks.” He gave a small nod as she laid him carefully down again. “So they’re vampire hyenas. Shouldn’t they have little capes or something?”

“They’re not vampires in the strictest sense of the word, sir. They don’t actually drink blood…at least I don’t think they…” The Major’s words trailed off at Daniel’s rapid shake of his head. “Ah…sorry, Colonel.”

“Don’t apologise, Carter. It is pretty interesting. Who’d have thought it – killed by the Vampire Hounds of Death. That’ll teach us to camp on top of them.”

Even without his normal force behind the words, the sarcasm wasn’t lost on his listeners.

“What would you have rather we had done, O’Neill? In the short time we had before nightfall we could not have gone far, and we would not have been able to establish a camp as we did. There was no better place, the terrain between us and the Chap’pai is completely flat, plus the animals would have easily caught up to us regardless of how far we travelled.”

Teal’c remained facing out into the darkness, his words sinking into the uncomfortable silence.

“Yeah, okay, sorry.”

Mutter.

“What was that, Jack?’

“He’s right.”

Mutter.

“Could you speak up, Jack, I’m finding it a bit hard to hear you.”

“Oh for crying out loud, Daniel! Sick man here, remember.”

“Yes, Daniel. Leave Colonel O’Neill alone.” Sam grinned over at her companion. “Let him rest.”

Her response elicited a smile from Jack. “Ten points to Major Carter for her excellent support of her CO.” Despite his joking words, his eyelids were drooping shut again.

Sam put her finger to her lips, stopping Daniel before he could speak.

The Colonel was asleep.

That morning he didn’t wake up.

 **********

Sam and Daniel dragged their unconscious leader between them, his feet trailing in the dirt. Any other option had been taken from them by the frequency of the animals’ attacks. Dawn hadn’t deterred them, and they appeared to have been joined by further pack members. The creatures dogged the heels of their retreat, disappearing as soon as a weapon was raised, their actions showing an unexpected degree of intelligence.

Teal’c’s staff weapon was the most effective deterrent in their arsenal, making it impossible for the Jaffa to carry the Colonel. The trail of blood leading back to their camp was far from dwindling, and, to the horror of the human members of the team, several of the larger animals now had muzzles caked with red from where they had been nuzzling the damp soil. Large tongues swiped at mouths, and it was almost as if they could see smiles of pleasure at the taste.

Stopping was impossible, neither the hyenas, nor the Colonel’s rapidly failing health allowed any rest. Sam had taken to touching his forehead whenever she could relax her grip on his arm enough to do so. He felt alternately hot and dry, and cold and clammy, changing from one to the other with disconcerting rapidity.

 **********

They were still several hours from the Gate when it happened. Another attack had Daniel and Sam drop the Colonel unceremoniously to the ground, their weapons raised. Teal’c was already firing, the smell of burnt hair strong in the still air.

The fight was fierce and bloody. The largest of the creatures concentrated their attention on the Jaffa – a new tactic. They snapped at him, darting in from all directions, and he spun on his heels, aiming not so much for individuals, but into the mass of bodies.

It was a few minutes before he realised what they were doing. Instead of fighting back to back with his comrades, he was now isolated, several feet from them, with the pack leaders between him and them. He fired desperately into their midst, but they seemed to shift aside, avoiding most of the blasts.

“Teal’c!” Daniel Jackson’s cry had him turning, his staff weapon tracking with him, its head glowing fiercely.

His teammates were standing over their unconscious leader, Major Carter’s feet almost treading on his legs. Brown bodies surged around them, until, to Teal’c’s dismay, the Major was knocked over, and he watched in horror as she disappeared under a pile of flashing teeth and claws.

Teal’c felt a pull on this arm, and he shifted his stance, his attention stolen by the mass of creatures around him. As he fought, he caught Daniel Jackson’s lunge towards the fallen woman in his peripheral vision, just as his grip on his staff weapon was broken.

Within seconds, he was down.

 ***********

It was the smell that woke him. A sharp, extremely unpleasant smell. The sort of smell he associated with tomcats.

A very hard smell to ignore.

Trying not to breath too deeply, he cracked open one eye, the one not pressed into the soft surface of whatever he was lying on. It took a surprising amount of effort, but finally he was rewarded with a foggy view of a sideways world.

And two very large paws.

He lifted his head, shaking off the haze, and opening both eyes. The animal standing a few inches away from his face snarled, its long teeth showing. Jack couldn’t help but notice the gap on the right side of its mouth, the area around it red and inflamed.

“I was a bit tougher than you thought, wasn’t I.”

The sound of Jack’s voice, rough and dry though it was, sent the massive beast into a frenzy of growling, its hackles raised, the coarse hair between its shoulder blades standing up and making it appear even bigger than it already was. Its head came down, and it took a step closer.

Jack realised that he was at a distinct disadvantage – the hyena was twice the size of a large dog, and built like a linebacker.

He stared at the creature, reluctant to take his gaze from the orange eyes, sensing that a momentary distraction on his part was all it needed to attack.

Then he heard it.

From all around him there was the soft, breathy sound of panting. He threw a look rapidly to each side, quickly gauging his situation, catching the impression of grey depths and shadows inhabited by eyes – too many to count.

Concentrating his stare back on the animal in front of him, Jack struggled to sit, levering up against the damp, rocky wall at his back. When he was positioned as best he could, he quickly patted at his pockets, hoping against hope that by some miracle a weapon had attached itself to him by magnetism, or perhaps, on an outside chance, by magic. No such luck. He didn’t have his vest on, and the emptiness of his BDU pockets reminded him of his hurried change of clothing. .

There was a sound, surprisingly like a sigh of annoyance, and the hyena stepped back, backing off a few paces. Keeping its eyes fixed on Jack, it turned in a circle before flopping down, tongue out, looking for all the world like a dog curling up in front of a fire.

Jack let out the breath he hadn’t realised he was holding, the tension in his muscles loosening slightly. He took a moment to access the situation.

He was in a large cave, the only opening off to his left, showing only as a narrow band of light. Sparsely scattered blades of desiccated grass covered the floor, and they were the only relief from the monotonous rock of walls and ground. That’s if you discounted the scores of hyenas sitting, both alone and in groups, on all sides. From pups to pack leader they were all there.

And they were all staring at him.

Crap.

Jack slowly felt along his upper leg, wincing at the stab of pain that rose as he touched the site of the bite. He dropped his eyes for a second, seeing the only positive thing in an otherwise dire situation – the wound had stopped bleeding. The bandage he remembered Carter tying tightly around it was gone, and his pants were stuck to his leg with a large patch of dried blood.

Carter.

The Colonel’s head spun as a wave of dizziness past over him.

His team.

He frowned in concentration. How he had gotten from sleeping at the campfire with his team to here was a complete blank. Perhaps they had brought him here, finding the cave and making a stand here. Maybe they were somewhere nearby. 

Maybe they were dead, killed by the creatures before him.

“Carter? Teal’c? Daniel?” His shout wasn’t loud, barely more than a croak from between his dry lips, but it was enough.

Enough to evoke a reaction.

With a savage snarl, the pack leader leapt. Dagger-like teeth wrapped around his throat before he could even move to defend himself.

Jack struggled, pressing his hands up into the animal’s face, pushing hard against its muzzle. The pressure on his throat increased, as the full weight of the massive beast was thrown on to him, knocking him completely to the floor. Try as he might, he couldn’t budge the creature, and gradually he felt his consciousness fade as he struggled to breathe.

 **********

“He isn’t here.” Daniel stopped in his tracks, and sat, taking his hat off and wiping his brow with his bandana. “He’s just vanished.”

“O’Neill cannot have vanished, Daniel Jackson. Even if the animals somehow pulled him from the battle, they could not have taken him far. We must continue to search.”

Sam crouched beside Daniel, her face red from the heat. “Teal’c’s right. The Colonel must be somewhere close by.” She took another swig of water, then carefully recapped the bottle, nodding as if she had made a decision. “We need more manpower. We’ll go back to the SGC and request some additional teams for the search. It’s only two hours walk, and we’ll be back here before nightfall.”

Teal’c shook his head. “If O’Neill is still bleeding he may not have two hours.”

“And he may already be dead.” Sam snapped back. “Those hyenas may have killed him by now. All we might find is bones, but at least we will have found him!” For a moment she glared up at her two teammates, her expression furious, then, with an abrupt movement she stood, easing her pack on her shoulders and started walking.

“Ah, Sam?” Daniel quickly rose, throwing Teal’c a questioning look as he did so. “Sam?”

There was no answer from the Major as she continued walking in the direction of the gate. The others hurried to catch up, Teal’c giving a last and almost desperate scan of the area they were leaving before he too strode after the woman.

“Sam, wait!” Daniel grabbed at her arm, tugging at her to make her stop.

She rounded on him, her eyes flashing. “What? What, Daniel? You want to stay here and keep looking for the Colonel? We’ve been searching for hours. There’s no sign of him, and I don’t see what more we can do. We need help.” She shut her eyes for a second, before pulling her arm away.

Daniel took in the stiff back, and the quick glance he caught of the expression in her eyes. Just for a moment, the pain of leaving Jack behind shone through, before the soldier’s mask came down.

He put his hand on her arm once more, but this time, not to stop her, but to support her decision. “You’re right, Sam. We don’t know what we’re dealing with here.” He smiled a little. “We’ll find him. I’m sure we will.”

“I hope that you are correct, Daniel Jackson.” Teal’c stepped up beside them, his voice deep and serious. “There must be something more to these creatures than first appeared. They acted with great intelligence.”

The others nodded in agreement. The hyenas’ attack had ended with a startling suddenness, the animals vanishing completely, leaving only the scuffed ground and a few patches of blood to show they had even been there. They all just disappeared, dead as well as wounded, and it was only when the stunned teammates regained their feet and looked around that they realised Colonel O’Neill was gone as well.

The three turned back towards in the direction of the gate and started walking, leaving their leader behind them.

**********

A low growl insinuated itself into the buzzing that was background noise to the kaleidoscope of light flashing across the back of Jack’s eyeballs. The volume of the sound seemed to depend on his movement. Flinch a little and it grew louder, move his legs and it rose to an angry snarl.

So he stayed as still as possible, his mind slowly cycling through possible scenarios.

Jack began to catalogue his injuries. His leg was aching, but not too badly, just the dull ache of a healing wound. His throat was much worse than his leg, feeling like it been staked out in the sun for hours, hot lines of pain dragging down it. He began to raise a hand to investigate, but found he couldn’t do more than twitch his fingers. He was beginning to feel panic hovering at the edges of his consciousness when he flinched again, startled as cool water was stroked across his neck, making him wonder if someone was reading his mind. It felt unbelievably good – soothing the heat, taking away the pain, and making him sigh in relief.

He must be in the infirmary.

Now if only he could remember what he had done to himself this time.

The damp cloth was wiped down the side of his throat once more. He shivered with the mixture of pleasure and pain, coolness and heat, feeling and numbness, and a sensation of euphoria swept over him.

Jack relaxed, his eyes open and staring, seeing only lightning strikes of colour. The growls, forgotten in the rapture of confused stimulation, diminished as his lethargy grew until they stopped completely.

Soon the only sound was Jack’s harsh breathing, and the lapping of tongues against flesh.

 **********

Jack had no idea how much time had passed. His lips were dry and cracked, the taste of blood on his tongue, and it was his need for water that finally brought him out of the stupor into which he had fallen.

Was it yesterday when he had found himself here? Or the day before? Time had stopped for him sometime in those first hours. All he knew was that he had a thirst that overpowered all other needs. He was on his back, near the back wall of the cave, seemingly in the same spot in which he had awoken before. Carefully, he lifted his head, listening and trying to see.

Maybe this was his chance.

With an effort of will, his arms trembling, he managed to get into a sitting position. He thought himself alone, but vague memories of watchers had made him cautious, so before moving further he stayed leaning against the wall, and peered around carefully. Finding nothing but shadows, he took a chance, pushing upwards, using his back to gain purchase on the hard surface behind him.

It was useless. Try as he might, he was unable to gain his feet, the weakness in his limbs betraying him. So Jack did what he had to do, crawling off into the darkness, because the unknown was better than his current circumstances. Dry grass cracked under him, sounding loud in the silence, and he paused often to listen and try to penetrate the gloom, all his senses waking as his sluggish brain began to function properly once more.

As his mind cleared, he realised he had two goals, finding water was the most imperative, but finding his team came a very close second.

He discovered his first objective only a few feet from where he had lain. A small pool of water gleamed in front of him on a clear patch of rock, fed by a trickle running down the wall. He pulled himself up onto his knees, holding his weight with one hand, and scooped the liquid into his mouth, savouring the coolness as it ran down his parched throat. He did not allow himself to take too much, the temptation to duck his head under and swallow until he burst almost overwhelming.

His thirst sated at last, Jack sat, finding his limbs more able to take the strain. Ignoring the pain behind his eyes, he looked around, flashes of memory filling in the gaps.

He shook his head at the images his mind dredged up. It couldn’t have happened like that – he was remembering a dream.

He must be.

He looked down into the pool, the dull light enough to show his reflection shimmering below him. He choked back a gasp. The face that stared up at him was pale almost to the point of translucence, smears of dirt the only colour, with eyes sunken and dull.

Standing at last, Jack staggered into a patch of blackness, finding a corner between two looming shoulders of stone. Pressing himself into the space, he wedged himself against the rock, in as defensible a position as he could manage under the circumstances.

He clearly remembered waking here, but … he reached up and touched his neck, feeling along the ragged gash he found there. It had stopped bleeding, but how long ago he couldn’t be sure.

The animal had done that, grabbing him by the throat – he was certain of that. It was what happened after that he couldn’t recall. He had thought himself back in the infirmary, but that was obviously wrong.

He shifted, trying to get more comfortable, knocking his left arm against the wall in the process. The burst of agony set his senses reeling once more, and he almost fell – almost – but he knew that once he fell he may not be able to get up again, so he steadied his legs, locking his knees and holding himself as straight as possible, riding out the pain.

It was long minutes before Jack opened eyes he hadn’t realised he had closed and looked down. Running along the length of his forearm was a wound, a long deep gash reaching from wrist to the inside of his elbow. In parts the gleam of white bone showed through, muscles and veins exposed where the skin was pulled back, hanging loose.

This time Jack couldn’t help it – he was on his knees, his right hand gripping the wounded arm as if by holding it, the pieces would stay in place. All his attention was fixed on the throbbing of his blood running unhindered through veins and arteries impossibly whole.

God!

Jack pulled his eyes from the sight, his situation even more desperate than before. He had to get out of here. This could be his only chance to escape and find the others.

He had to take it.

His stumbling run took him to the entrance of the cave within minutes. He held a hand up, protecting his eyes from the blinding light, and looked around. In the background, the vast plain stretched out in front of him, as featureless as he remembered, stunted trees and thorny scrubs the only vegetation.

The foreground was another story entirely.

Jack reached for the gun he no longer had.

The pack stared back at him from where they sat.

Then the leader stood, stretching. He moved from the middle of the group of females that surrounded him, and slowly approached. His tongue lolled out the side of his mouth, saliva dripping in long thick strands from his jowls.

From all sides the other males began to advance, until Jack was surrounded by a semi circle of orange eyes and sharp, gleaming fangs. His only recourse was retreat, back into the cave – find a corner and make a stand. How long he could hold out was debatable, but Jack O’Neill had no intention of going down without a fight. He bent, searching in the dust for a rock, a stick – anything with which to defend himself, cursing his own stupidity for not thinking of it before he left the cavern.

His groping hand found nothing but dry soil and pebbles.

The leader took a step closer, and Jack dropped into a half crouch, ready for his attack, his eyes locked on the creature.

Orange eyes met brown ones.

The brown ones blinked.

Jack did something he swore never to do by choice, not for any enemy. He dropped to his knees, his gaze fixed on the flames within the strange eyes.

And extended his left arm.

It was as if the leader smiled, his teeth showing in a wide grin. The animal shook itself, dirt and dust rising to be taken away by the slight breeze that swept the plain, and took four deliberate paces forward. His eyes still holding those of his prey, he lowered his head and bit, fangs piercing the exposed vein.

For long moments the leader sucked the precious fluid, before stepping back, his tongue catching the last drops that fell upon his chin. Then the other males came, each taking their turn. The day before the females and young had fed, but this time the males needed to build their strength.

They were hunting this night.

Jack knelt, arm out.

He was floating, the euphoria such as he had never before experienced. Each time the blood was sucked from his vein, his whole being pulsed with pleasure, until he was riding a wave of ecstasy. His whole body shuddered, tremors that only caused to add to the exhilaration.

 **********

When his pack mates were done, the leader led the prey back inside to its spot against the far wall. He took one long, last drink, then licked across the wound, closing off the vein. This one was strong, and would sustain the pack for weeks if carefully handled. He padded away, returning almost immediately with a large piece of meat from the kill he had made that day, dropping it beside the prey. He waited for a moment, but the creature made no move to eat, merely sitting, its odd eyes unfocused.

The leader gave a soft growl and turned away. If the prey was hungry, it would eat. If not, it would die.

Such was the way of things.

 **********

Sam stepped out of the gate, and moved off the slightly raised platform. She scanned the area around her, ignoring the familiar tingling sensation up her backbone as the wormhole released each of its travellers with a small slurp. There was no change in the vista before her, it seemed that this area of the planet was locked in a permanent dry spell, the vegetation dry and the patches of green few and far between.

The sheering heat of the day, and the lack of shelter in the freezing temperatures at night would make it very hard, if not impossible for an injured man to survive. Her slight hope that the Colonel would be waiting at the gate had been dashed as soon as she saw the empty landscape.

"Which way, Major?" Colonel Johnson asked from behind her left shoulder. Sam turned, watching as SG-10 spread out, alert and ready.

"Our camp site was fifteen miles that way", she stated, pointing, "But the attack where the Colonel disappeared is much closer, only a mile or so. I suggest we start there, sir."

"Very well." The taciturn officer nodded in agreement. He glanced at the sky. "Alright, head out, it'll be dark in a few hours. Teal'c, take point."

The Jaffa inclined his head in acknowledgement of the order, and strode out. Sam fell in behind Colonel Johnson, Daniel alongside her and the rest of Johnson's team bringing up the rear.

Despite his rapid steps, Sam could see that Teal'c was as alert as ever. To anyone else the Jaffa would appear his usual unflappable self, but after so many years of serving together she could put herself in his position, and knew that he was feeling personally responsible for the Colonel's disappearance. He had been guarding them, responsible for the welfare of his teammates, and he took that responsibility extremely seriously. The fact that he had been brought down by creatures that seemed little more than animals would be doubly galling.

Her shirt, damp with perspiration, clung to her body under the heavy vest, and she took a second to move her shoulders in an attempt at loosening the hot material, but to no avail. A trickle of sweat ran down her back, released by the movement, and she couldn't help wondering if the Colonel was lying somewhere, slowly bleeding to death under the hot sun.

She pulled her mind back to the task at hand. It wouldn't do the Colonel any good speculating like this, and given the creatures ability to seemingly appear out of nowhere, they all needed to keep as alert as possible.

Sam gripped her weapon, holding it ready, and scanned the ground for any sign of tracks.

He couldn't have just vanished. Colonel O'Neill had to be here somewhere.

**********

Jack sucked the last morsel of marrow from the bone he held awkwardly in one hand, before turning it over, making sure that all the meat was gone. At first, the thought of raw meat from some unnamed animal had turned his stomach, but he had eaten worse, and who knew when he would be given more food. So he had swallowed it down, gagging a little at first, his sore throat making it all the harder.

Now, days later, he watched eagerly for the arrival of his irregular meals. As the hours passed, he regained some small part of his strength, and his days had settled into a sort of routine. He found the boundaries set for him by trial and error - he was allowed as far as the pool, and had merely been watched by his ever present guards when he dug himself a latrine in the corner as far from where he slept as he was allowed to go. How long he had been here he could only guess, but by his reckoning it was at least six days - six days of highs and lows that brought vivid memories of the seventies and some really awesome trips. He went from flying to drowning each time the pack took their fill of him. He had decided there must be something in the animals' saliva that not only sealed over wounds, but also had a drug like effect on him. Twice now the gap between feeds had been enough for his mind to clear, and for him to begin a plan to escape, but each time his weakness betrayed him, and he found himself lying on
the ground, drifting.

The one constant was the terrible thirst that assailed him, making him constantly expend his tiny reserves of energy on getting the short distance to the pool. When there, he couldn't help staring at his own reflection, hardly recognising the gaunt, pale ghost that looked back at him from its depths.

He knew that if he didn't get out of here soon, he never would.

He tossed the bone over into the scrap heap, and licked his blood-smeared fingers before wiping the moisture off on a handful of straw. Using his good arm, he eased himself down, pushing the dry grass into clumps to give his aching body as much cushioning as possible, and curling up, holding his left arm protected against his body, he slept.

**********

A wiggling movement against his stomach woke him, and a memory surged up – of lying in a tub filled with Goa'uld lava, wriggling and squirming across his skin, searching for the entrance to the pouch Hathor had cut into his stomach and he flinched, too tired to fling himself away from the possibility. Then the unmistakable feeling of small paws pressing into him made him wrench his eyes open and look down.

Curled up against his body was a tiny pup, sound asleep, legs twitching as it dreamed. Jack realised it was these twitches that had awoken him, and stared in bemusement at the sight. The pup was cocooned within the circle of Jack's body and arms, its silky soft fur tickling the skin.

Seeing his left arm, dirt encrusting the ruined flesh, had him blinking, the cobwebs of dreams falling away.

Careful not to disturb the sleeping pup, he sat and looked around him. All about the cave the females and young slept, legs and heads intertwined. The males had left some hours before, the fourth time in as many days, obviously hunting but returning with no prey that Jack had seen. He hoped this time that they would be more successful, instead of slaking their hunger on him.

The last time he had tried to refuse, fighting the compulsion to be a docile slave to these animals. Kneeling in front of the leader he kept his arm rigidly at his side, fingers hooked into the rough material of his BDU trousers. He had fixed his eyes on a small grey rock in front of him, refusing to look into the compelling orange eyes.

He had learnt his lesson.

They had taken him anyway, and this time the reward for disobedience had been excruciating agony as the leader had ripped into his arm, mangling the flesh and leaving visible scratches on the bone. There had been no euphoria, no drifting - he had been aware of every new set of teeth, every bite, as they sucked him dry. The whole pack had taken their turn this time, Jack falling when they were less than half way through.

The leader had taken a stand above him, feet on either side of Jack's chest, grinning down and making it more than clear that this was the sort of punishment he could expect if he disobeyed again.

When they had finally finished, the leader bit into Jack's right arm, sucking while Jack shook with the pain, before walking disdainfully away and firing a parting shot - urinating on Jack's carefully arranged bed of straw.

The message couldn't have been clearer if he had written in down.

Jack had been left bleeding on the floor for hours, until the leader had returned. When he saw the huge animal padding across the rocks towards him, Jack had struggled to his knees and extended his arms - waiting.

The pup whimpered, and Jack reached down to stroke it back to sleep. The motion tugged painfully at his arms, the two large holes in his previously uninjured one a warning of what was to come when the males got back from the hunt.

This might be his last chance to escape.

Jack stood.

The pack slept on.



Stooping, he picked up the pup, quieting it with a soft brush of his hand, and cuddled it to his chest.

Carrying it, he made his way cautiously between the sleeping forms, heading for
the entrance.

 **********

“Christ, Major, what are these things?!” Captain Liam Jones slid into place next to Sam, causing dust to billow into her face. She held in the cough that rose in the back of her throat, and narrowed her eyes, sighting on another target.

She didn’t bother replying to a question for which she had no answer, instead asking one of her own.

“How’s the Colonel?”

The young, dark haired officer pulled his weapon up into position, resting his elbow firmly on the ground before answering, firing as he did so.

“He says he’s okay, but it’s a pretty deep wound. Doctor Jackson managed to get a dressing on it before the last attack. Colonel Johnson sent me back to tell you that at the first opportunity we’re going to retreat to the gate.”

For a second Sam’s rapid fire halted. “He can’t do that! What about Colonel O’Neill?”

A shape flickered at the edge of their vision and they turned as one, sending a hail of bullets in its direction.

Jones raised his voice above the crack of weapons fire. “We’ve already lost Sergeant Deol, and we’re running short of ammunition. We don’t have any choice.” He glanced quickly across at the Major, seeing her set face, the mixture of sweat and dirt doing nothing to hide her displeasure. “I’m sorry to say this, sir, but the chances of Colonel O’Neill still being alive are pretty slim.”

Sam didn’t answer. She concentrated on firing into the shimmering air that was the only warning of the hyenas’ presence. So far they had managed to keep them at bay, but at a very high cost. Sergeant Deol had been taken the first night they camped on the planet, five days ago, his terrified screams the first inkling that anything was wrong. The next day they found bloody soil covered in large paw prints, and the remains of his uniform, ripped to shreds.

From then on they stood watch in pairs.

Sam had, only to herself, begun to think of the animals as the Reetou Hyenas. They appeared and disappeared in the blink of an eye, darting in to attack and retreating before they could be targeted. Her team had been very lucky when they first encountered them, and she could only surmise that it was because the hyenas were unfamiliar with SG-1’s weapons. Now their tactics had changed.

The last attack had been almost an hour ago. Both teams had taken a stand in the shallow ditch that was the only evidence that water ever flowed across the plain.

Sam glanced towards the depression the others had settled in, a short distance from her own small hiding place. Flashes from Teal’c’s staff weapon were accompanied by the echo of gunfire. She could see the top of the Jaffa’s head, but nothing more. Beside her the Captain was silent. He had lost one of his teammates, in terrible circumstances, and it was obvious to her that he thought enough was enough – that searching for a dead man was not worth more lives.

Maybe he was right.

 ************

Jack got several miles before he collapsed, tumbling to the ground. He had some warning, spinning vision and a sudden feeling of distance, as if he was an observer of his own struggles. Realising what was about to happen a split second before it did, he had just enough time to turn his body slightly, keeping the still sleeping pup from harm by cushioning it with his arms. The resulting impact with the hard ground sent him spiralling into darkness.

 ************

The prey had gone, taking one of the young.

Its mother sat in one corner, her remaining pups gathered around. Across the cavern the young male given the task of guarding the prey was the center of a circle of accusing eyes. He had fallen asleep, thinking the prey too weak to run. When the other males returned he would pay the price for his failure, the packs’ justice swift and deadly.

They waited. The leader would return soon and there was no need to hurry. The trail was clear even to the most inexperienced eyes. The prey would not escape.

The pup would be back with its mother before nightfall.

 **********

Jack’s fingers dug deep furrows into the ground under his right hand, sinking into the moist soil.

He moaned, a low, dull sound that came from deep in his chest, and flopped over to lie face up. The brilliant heat of the sun beat on his closed eyelids and sucked the moisture from his already cracked lips. He moaned again as he tried to swallow, small particles of dust caught in his throat and sticking, there being no moisture left to move them.

Finally, he turned his head, more in an attempt to shade his eyes than to look around. He slowly opened them, blinking, feeling the heat drying them immediately. His forehead creased into a puzzled frown as he tried to interpret what he saw.

The pup moved, feebly crawling away for him.

Jack rolled, tucking his legs under, and rose. One hand was extended, the other he hooked into the torn remains of his shirt. The few feet seemed miles, but he managed them, dropping to his knees with a grunt beside the tiny body. The pup’s fur was caked with dust, and it looked up at him with dull eyes, panting, its tiny tongue lolling from the side of its mouth.

He had never meant this – never meant to hurt the little creature. God knows what he had thought, bringing it with him, perhaps only to keep it quiet. Now he couldn’t remember. But he did know he didn’t want it to suffer because of him.

He bent, touching it with one finger as if to make sure it was real. The blood that ran, rich and red, from the reopened veins, the blood that had seeped into the earth beneath him as he lay, dripped sluggishly down the finger, and the tiny nose sniffed.

The pup opened its mouth, catching the falling liquid. For a moment Jack’s stomach churned, then he saw the orange eyes brighten.

With one hand he moved the little creature, positioning it against the exposed veins in his left arm, pulling back the skin to make room. He bit back a cry when sharp teeth latched onto the vein, and the pup began to suck.

Jack cradled it to him, watching, fascinated, as it came back to life. After what seemed hours, he stood, gauged the position of the sun, and set out.

His feet kicked into exposed branches of dead trees, and he fell, only to rise immediately, hurrying on, bursts of colour exploding on his retinas, waves rolling against his skin, making it ripple.

But through it all, through the overload of sensation, he kept one goal in mind.

Somewhere, across that expanse, the Stargate called to him.

Behind him, large drops of red marked his trail, in places where he fell, deep enough to slack the thirst of the following pack.

 **********

“You can’t do this!”

“I can, and I will, Doctor Jackson.” Colonel Johnson turned away from the agitated man, speaking over his shoulder as he did so. “It isn’t a matter for discussion.” He took the hand Lieutenant Collins held out to him and allowed himself to be helped up. Winching a little, he began walking.

Just like Sam almost a week ago.

Daniel opened his mouth to argue, but shut it just as quickly. He knew Johnson well enough to know he wouldn’t change his mind regardless of Daniel’s protest. So they were doing it again. A week ago they had left Jack behind, going for help, and it had been to no avail. If anything they were worse off now – one man down, another wounded, and Jack still not found.

And the Colonel wanted them to do it again – leave Jack behind.

Even Sam seemed to have given up, just nodding when Johnson ordered them to head out, avoiding eye contact with the rest of her team.

Daniel dropped back to Teal’c’s position behind them.

“We can’t leave. Jack’s still out there somewhere.”

“We cannot stay, Daniel Jackson. We are almost out of both water and ammunition” Teal’c shook his canteen in illustration of his point. “In five days we have been unable to search more than a few miles around the gate. Now the creatures seem to have ceased their attacks and we must take this opportunity to return to the SGC. We do not know when another will present itself.”

Daniel was surprised at Teal’c’s response. He had thought his teammate would support his contention that they should not leave. He readied a scathing reply, but before he could speak, Teal’c continued.

“We shall return to the SGC. There we shall replenish both ourselves and our weapons. Then I shall return to this planet and I shall find O’Neill.”

With that pronouncement he strode off after the others, Daniel following.

 **********

The prey’s tracks were wandering, meandering from side to side, the signs showing where it fell becoming more frequent. It had lain in one place for quite some time, giving the pack a chance to make up more ground.

Considering its obvious weakness, it was travelling surprisingly quickly, heading towards the stone ring from which it had appeared.

The leader picked up his pace, the others following behind, ears back. They stayed visible, not needing stealth to catch such easy game.

As he cleared th