Teal'c followed Daniel Jackson down the steep steps and into the dark tunnels that comprised the extreme lower levels of Saint Christina's Hospital. According to Major Carter's report she and O'Neill were down here somewhere, and O'Neill was injured.
He hurried, his desire to rejoin with his friends warring with his training that there could still be threats in these tunnels.

The medical personnel clattered behind him and Teal'c realized that they at least felt the scene was secure…or they were in too much of a hurry to reach their patient to exercise the necessary caution.

"Sam?" Daniel called out, causing the jaffa to wince. The tunnels were far from acoustically sound but if appropriate stealth were used they would be able to maneuver quite close to O'Neill and Major Carter's position before being discovered.

"Daniel. Over here." He heard Major Carter call out. With the sound of her voice he relaxed a bit. If she felt the scene was not secure she would have used the com. He also noted a lack of panic and urgency in her voice. She had said O'Neill was injured, however it must not be serious.

They rounded a corner and the beam from the flash light revealed Major Carter kneeling beside a prone figure he assumed to the O'Neill. He saw her hold up her hand to shield her eyes from the bright beam.

Daniel Jackson quickened his pace and Teal'c also hurried to catch up with his friend.

"Jack. You ok?" Daniel asked, joining Major Carter at his side.

"I've been shot Daniel…What do you think?"

"The vest stopped one of the bullets," she reported.

"I keep telling ya, we need sleeves on these things," Jack complained with a groan.
Daniel shined the light at his friend and Teal'c could see the dark stain on his sleeve. It was not too large. O'Neill would be fine. Major Carter on the other hand was a different matter.

As if reading his thoughts Jack looked at Sam who was still kneeling at his side, a pistol clasped in her hands. Daniel reached out and took the weapon from her. "Sam, why don't you and Teal'c head up top. Give these guys some more room to work?" Daniel pointed towards the paramedics struggling with the gurney on the uneven tunnel floor.

Teal'c reached out and pulled his teammate to her feet. "We will await you in the office," he said, leading his friend away. Even in the dim light he could see the effects of her experiences in the past week. She was pale and he could feel tiny tremors when he laid a guiding hand on her back.

He ushered her up to the now empty office where he and Daniel Jackson had entered the facility. She didn't protest as he sat her down on one of the office chairs. He watched her look around almost as if she hadn't realized she was no longer in the tunnels. "Major Carter. Are you well?" he asked, watching her rub her hands together.

She looked up. "What? Oh yeah. I'm fine just…. cold," she said.

He slipped off his overcoat and offered it to her. The temperature in the abandoned hospital was far from warm and he knew the thin cotton clothes she was wearing were not a decent barrier from the chill air.

Spying a decanter he crossed to the small table. He looked for and found a clean mug, pouring her a sugar laced cup of coffee.

When he turned back she had slipped on the coat, her hands not quite reaching the ends of the sleeves. He handed her the mug and stood back a few feet keeping a wary eye out in case they had not neutralized all of Zetatron's employees. He watched her absently sip the steaming coffee, her hands wrapped around the mug tightly, not appearing to notice the extra sugar in the bitter brew. He knew she did not prefer sweetener in her coffee but also knew that it was an aid in preventing shock and it would give her an energy boost.

She stared blankly at the far wall and he knew his friend was trying to process the events of the past several minutes, likely the past several days if their suspicions were correct.
He had seen the room where she'd been kept and the equipment contained within. He knew all too well the impotent feeling of being restrained to a bed, helpless to prevent those around you from doing whatever they wished with your body, or in his case his symbiote. A thought occurred to him that his friend might not have escaped her ordeal as unscathed as they had believed.

"Major Carter, do you require medical assistance?" he asked quietly, making her jump.

"What?"

"Did they harm you? Do you need to accompany O'Neill to the medical facility?"

"No. Teal'c. Thank you. It's…I've got a few too many drugs running through my system but…I don't think they even saw me…that way. I was just a big old lab rat to them," she finished bitterly; the slight smile she'd graced him with fading.

"For cryin out loud I can walk," they heard a voice grouse. Teal'c got to his feet and stuck his head out the door of the small office. The two paramedics were manhandling the gurney through the narrow door and out into the main hall. The elevators in the ancient building were operational however they had yet to locate one that would descend to the boiler room.

"Jack don't be an ass," Daniel admonished following his friend, carrying his coat and the ruined vest over his arm.

"Well that's something I should be grateful for. The SOB didn't shoot me there."

"I don't know why. It's a larger target," the archaeologist muttered as they walked past the office.

"What? What did you say?"

"I said you're lucky the general sent the Lear jet," Daniel said, shooting Teal'c a look. "At least we're not going to be riding in the back of a C-130 on the way back. The 'C' sure as hell doesn't stand for comfort."

"We are returning to Cheyenne Mountain?" Teal'c asked.

"Soon," Daniel said. "We're going to take Jack to the base hospital here than go home. The general is on the phone with the leader of the SWAT team right now. Those two doctors are going to be taken into Federal Custody, it being a kidnapping and all. But we all know just how reliable that is," Daniel briefed him with a shrug. It was far more likely that the NID would spirit the two men away in an effort to gain whatever knowledge they had attained from their tests on Sam. And after that…Teal'c found himself not caring about their fate, as long as they never crossed his path. As he had once told the Hataka Maybourne, he would be well within his rights to dismember them…and looking at the slightly shell shocked face of his friend, he would take great pleasure in such an act.

"Major, we should take you in too. Get you checked out," one of the paramedics suggested.

"No," Sam said with a slight shake of her head.

"Ma'am, it would really be best if we had a doctor take a look at you," he insisted, reaching out to take her arm.

"No! I'm fine and I've had enough poking and prodding to last me a life time," Sam yelled, stepping back from the man.

"Major Carter does not wish to go with you," Teal'c insisted, stepping between them.

"Sam's got her own doctor back a home, we'll be there in a few hours," Daniel tried to reason, closing the distance between himself and the helpful paramedic.

"You heard her. And trust me you do not want this woman pissed at you. Leave it," Jack ordered the man.

The man looked at the trio and decided discretion was definitely the better part of valor. "Whatever," he said, throwing his hands in the air. He nodded to his partner and they took their positions to roll the gurney out the door.

"I'll ride with Jack. Teal'c, can you meet us at the base?" Daniel pulled the keys to the car they'd been given when they'd arrived at the base and tossed them to the Jaffa.

Teal'c caught the keys deftly. "We shall rendezvous with you there." Daniel nodded and hurried after Jack.

Teal'c turned back to Sam. "If you are ready to depart General Hammond arranged transportation."

Sam nodded and set down the now cold cup. "Please get me the hell out of here."

<><><><><>

"You can wait in here," an airman told Teal'c, opening the door to a small lounge near the airstrip on the base. "I'll call over to the hospital and tell them you're here. I'll check but I think your jet is ready to go as soon as you are," he reported.

"Thank you," Teal'c answered watching his friend cross the empty room and curl up on one of the unitarian couches. "Is it possible for you to arrange some clothing for Major Carter?"

"Yeah. Sure. That's no problem," the airman answered giving Sam a sympathetic glance. "Just a set of BDU's?"

"That would be sufficient," Teal'c replied. "And would it be possible to obtain a meal?"

"I'll have something sent over. It won't be too fancy, they're done with lunch but I'll bet we can rustle something up." The airman left the room, closing the door behind him and
Teal'c went over to join Sam on the couch. She was sitting there staring out the window at the passing people and vehicles visible through the glass. He let her maintain her silence, knowing that when she was ready to talk she would, but not before.

"Was I imagining things or did I see Maybourne?" She asked, looking at the far wall.

"You were not. O'Neill enlisted the aid of Maybourne in solving the mystery of your disappearance."

"That's good, I guess. For a second I though I was hallucinating. Why him?"

"Both O'Neill and General Hammond believed the NID was involved in your disappearance. And O'Neill felt he would be able to gain access to information through Maybourne."

"But it wasn't the NID it was…that Conrad guy. And how the hell did they get their hands on a symbiote?" She demanded, looking at him.

"Apparently the Russian SGC captured a Jaffa on one of their missions. The Jaffa's primta was nearing maturity and he was kept prisoner until that time. Maybourne arranged for Adrian Conrad to gain access to the symbiote in exchange for payment."

"He did what?" Sam asked astonished.

"According to O'Neill Maybourne professes that he did not know Adrian Conrad's plans. He assumed the symbiote would merely be used for research."

"He's still an idiot," Sam said, pushing her hands through her hair.

There was a knock at the door and it opened to reveal the airman, carrying a bundle of clothes. He crossed the room and handed them to Sam. "Let me know if they don't fit. I have a buddy in supply and he can have another set over here in a few minutes."

"They'll be fine. Thanks."

"Paul's bringing over some lunch, just sandwiches and soup. He's on his way. And your friend Doctor Jackson called. They're going to be here in about an hour," he told Teal'c.
"Sir. Ma'am," he said, and after Sam's acknowledgement he left.

Sam looked around and saw the door to the ladies room. She set down the clothes and got to her feet, pulling the coat off. She handed it to Teal'c and jerked her head towards the door. "I'll be right back." She picked up the bundle of clothing and left the room.

Teal'c sat in the empty of the room fighting the urge to slip into Kel-no-reem. He was tired, they were all tired, especially O'Neill who had now flown to both coasts in the past four days. Resolutely he sat up straighter. There would be time enough to rest when they returned to the safety of the SGC.

The main door opened again and two airmen walked in both carrying trays. "We brought enough for your friends in case they want some too."

"Thank you very much Airman Woolfe," Teal'c said reading the man's nametag. "I will be sure to mention your efficiency to my commanding officer."

"Just doing my job sir," he answered and then left Teal'c alone again.

He waited a few minutes; sure that Major Carter would have heard the sound of the man's arrival and departure. When she still did not emerge from the bathroom he grew alarmed. What if they had not apprehended all of the perpetrators? He got to his feet and crossed the small room, knocking on the door. "Major Carter?" Not getting a response and afraid something may have happened to her he opened the door and walked into the room. His friend was huddled on the tile floor of the bathroom, her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms crossed over them. She wore only her fatigue pants and her bra. Even across the room he could see faint shadows of bruises. Despite being 'fine' she hadn't escaped totally unscathed.

He crossed the room and slid down to sit beside her. "Major Carter…" he started.

"They were going to kill me," she whispered.

"What?"

"When the colonel arrived they…they were going to kill me and then I think they were going to dissect me," she said, rubbing her right upper arm. He could see the faint red line across her bicep and the raw places on her wrists. He recognized the marks. His wrists bore similar injuries the times he'd been a prisoner and fought the bonds restraining him.

"They thought I could just tell them how to make a symbiote leave. That I'd beaten Jolinar somehow…that it was that easy. They didn't understand that nothing I did made a difference. The no matter how hard I fought her I only survived because she wanted me to. That there's no way to just make it leave, it won't leave. Conrad was so afraid of death and he's got one of those things inside of him. They thought getting rid of it was like pulling a splinter or something…"

"Major Carter…"

"How do I know they won't come back? That maybe next time they'll take me somewhere where you guys won't find me? That I won't end up cut open on some slab?"

"Conrad's assistant is dead and the two doctors are in custody. They will not be able to harm you again," he reassured her.

"Conrad's still loose."

"The goa'uld will never relinquish control of the host. Nor will it be able to abstain from seeking power. It will not hide forever. We will find and kill it," he promised.

"It's not fair Teal'c. We're supposed to be safe here. I mean I can handle it on other worlds but…damn it I should be able to go to walk the streets without looking over my shoulder."

"Yes you should," he agreed quietly. They sat in silence a few more minutes. "Airman Woolfe brought some food. It would be best to consume it before O'Neill returns."
She nodded but made no move to get up. "I can bring the food in here," he offered.

"Huh? No. No. I'll be out in a minute," she promised, reaching for the t-shirt.

He left the room and busied himself pouring the soup from thermoses into large mugs provided by the airman.

Sam exited the bathroom a few minutes later, buttoning her shirt as she walked. While she still looked shaken he could see that she was more in control than a little bit ago.
She sat down and he offered her a mug of soup and a sandwich. He took a seat across from her and picked up a sandwich, taking a large bite. It had been quite some time since he'd eaten, he remembered, as his stomach growled in response.

"Junior doesn't like it when you skip meals?" She asked, peering over the edge of the mug.

"Since my symbiote derives nutrients from the food I eat it is not content if I do not eat regularly. There are certain Tau'ri foods that do not meet its approval. I do however, eat them anyway."

The door to the room opened and Airman Woolfe ushered in Daniel who was pushing Jack in a wheelchair. The colonel had a scrub top on in place of his shirt and his jacket was across his shoulders in deference to the sling on his right arm.

"Colonel." Sam got to her feet. "Are you ok?"

"Oh just peachy," Jack said as Daniel came to a stop with the chair a few feet away from the table. "Damnit Daniel, could you get me any further away from the food?" Jack reached out with his left hand to try and snag a sandwich.

"Well if you'd just be patient," Daniel complained, rolling his eyes and handing Jack a sandwich.

"Colonel O'Neill is indeed a patient. And will soon be Doctor Fraiser's patient."

"He's just not a patient patient."

"And he tries Janet's patience," Sam quipped.

"I have heard Doctor Fraiser contemplate several course of action after O'Neill's last period in the infirmary."

"Ooh that was after…"

"When she wanted to…."

"Didn't Sam talk her out of it?"

"Major Carter was indeed instrumental in forestalling that procedure."

"So you see colonel, you owe me one." Sam gestured with her mug.

"Wha…how did this get turned around to…"

"He'd still be a Popsicle on Hathor's ship."

"Don't forget about Machello. He and Teal'c would still be switched."

"I believe he would still be marooned in Edora."

"So if it wasn't for Sam you'd be a frozen bald Jaffa making your own nails," Daniel concluded with a grin.

Teal'c watched the trip before him enjoy their banter and comradeship. They were not merely co-workers, they were friends. Friends with bonds forged from five years of shared experiences and hardships. Bonds that were stronger than the most advanced alloy. Bonds that he was blessed to share.

~Fin~

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