Page 15

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"Yes, sir. Understood, sir."
Jack hung up the infirmary extension with relief.
The General had been putting a hundred things into motion at once and now expected Jack to do the same.
The Tok'ra had been contacted so that Jacob could be there for his daughter's funeral, the President had been contacted to confirm Capt. Carter's death, and Maybourne had once again been politically thwarted in his efforts to get an SG-1 member's remains for study.
That last made Jack physically ill.
He didn't know how Maybourne had found out, but he did know the man would die if he got within spitting distance of Sam's body.
He had actually thought he had a good enough case to demand her body for research.
She'd been a Tok'ra and had been exposed to countless planetary conditions as well as extensive gate travel.
Jack steeled his jaw against memories of his Captain.
He couldn't allow anyone to know how close he was to losing it.
He'd lost good friends before and this was no different.
It would never stop hurting, but he'd survive somehow and try to give the death meaning...just like he always did.
He also needed to be there for Daniel and Teal'c.
Not to mention Janet.
Just as he thought to ask where she was, she appeared in her office doorway.
"Hi."
"Hi."
Well that was good.
Jack slid off her desk where he'd been sitting while talking to the General and took a good look at her.
She looked awful.
"Can I help?"
Janet's eyebrows drew together in frustration.
"I just came from Daniel's office. He's not taking this well at all...I mean, no one is, but it's ripping him apart."
Jack sighed heavily and shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Yeah....I know. He was restless all night and woke up this morning hallucinating she was still alive."
Janet looked up sharply at that, her gaze piercing.
"What do you mean 'hallucinating'?
Aack. Well that was great. Why don't you just hang a sign saying 'Wanted: Padded Room' around Danny's neck.
"I don't mean..."
"Jack, don't give me that. I can always tell when you're about to lie to me. What exactly did Daniel do or say?"
Jack, deciding against reprimanding her for her lack of respect to a superior officer under the circumstances, shot her a hopeful glance.
"I don't suppose we could do this 'off-the-record', could we?"
Janet's mouth opened to say what was undeniably going to be a scathing retort, but then she closed it abruptly.
Before Jack could say anything, she shut and locked the office door.
Facing him again, her arms tightly crossed, she motioned him into a chair.
He thought of declining, but one more look at her stance convinced him to just do it.
Janet slid onto the desk where he'd been a few moments before, crossing her legs and trying to get out what she wanted to say.
"I think Daniel can see Sam."
Whatever he'd been expecting, it sure wasn't that.
"Wha-huh?"
His expression must've been a bit too incredulous because her eyes filled with a defensive fire he was well acquainted with.
"I know how it sounds, but while I was in there, I heard her talking and he was looking at the spot the sound seemed to be coming from. At first I thought we were just projecting our grief, but the more I think about it, the more things just don't add up."
Jack squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing the bridge of his nose in an effort to relieve the headache that was rebuilding.
"Okay...so Daniel sees dead people?"
"Jack, you know I'm not someone that tends toward flights of fancy. When I tell you I heard her talking, I mean I heard her talking."
"Okay, okay. I believe you think you heard her...a...a..and..."
He held up a hand to ward off her indignantly glacial glare.
"...and I believe you and Daniel both think he can see her. What we need to determine is a way to prove it. I certainly can't go to the General with something like this."
"I wasn't even thinking about going to the General with this."
Jack raised his eyebrows at her.
"Jan, you know that we can't allow anyone to get a hint of this without the General to back us up. Without proof, he's not going to back us up, and how long do you think Daniel's gonna keep quiet about this?"
Janet tensed.
"If she's really dead..."
"Ummm...she's dead."
"Jack..."
"Janet, she's dead. Even if she'd been immortal somehow, she lost her head. She's dead."
They both were pale from their personal memories at this point.
"All I'm saying is that maybe she was removed from her body differently than when someone dies. This isn't the first time Daniel's been near a colleague that's died, but it is the first time he's been able to see them."
"Are you sure?"
"What?"
"How do you know Daniel doesn't see lots of dead people walking around the base all the time and it's just because of how close he and Sam were that he let it slip this time?"
It was obvious that hadn't occured to Janet.
"I guess we should go ask him."
"While we're with him, we might as well reiterate the fact he needs to be quiet about this. I really would rather not go through more shrink-rap than neccessary."
Janet grimaced at the pun and lightly punched him in his good arm.
Jack jumped to his feet and pulled her into a strong hug.
"Tell you what. Go wash your face and get cleaned up. I'll meet you in front of Daniel's office when you're ready. Okay?"
Janet hugged him back and nodded as they released.
Jack's eyes softened as she picked up her travel bag she always kept in the office for days where she couldn't get home.
Janet waited until he'd left to start brushing out her hair.
"What have I gotten myself into this time?"

* * * * * *

"Colonel?"
Jack suppressed a grimace at the stoic woman dogging his heels.
Realizing there was no polite way to avoid her, he formed his face into the same intimidating expression his basic training instructor had used on him.
That particular face had caused half the unit to drop out with newly formed anxiety disorders and the other half to have nightmares for 3 years straight.
Jack had practiced it in the mirror until he'd gotten it perfect and scared the daylights out of his bunkmates.
It had served him well ever since.
He now turned it on an unsuspecting Dr. Corvores and felt great satisfaction at the way her face paled and her eyes widened.
Maybe she'd even run?
Nope, not quite that lucky.
"Colonel, I must speak with you. It's about Dr. Jackson."
Jack went rigid.
She couldn't know.
Janet would never tell.
Unless someone had eavesdropped...
"What exactly are you talking about?"
He had to give the woman credit.
She was obviously terrified of him, but she wasn't backing down.
"Sir, I really think you'd prefer to speak of this in private rather than in the corridor."
If anything, that suggestion had made her even paler.
Interesting.
"Fine, doctor. Lead the way."
Please don't let this be about Danny's current choice of company.
Dr. Corvores opened the nearest storage room and after flipping on the light, slipped inside.
His eyebrows practically touching his hairline, he followed.
As soon as he was inside, she shut the door and locked it.
Curiouser and curiouser.
Corvores turned to Jack and took a deep breath.
"Colonel, I have two things to tell you."
Trying not to grin at how much she was hating this, Jack made an encouraging motion with his hands.
"Sir, I received an email from Colonel Maybourne this morning, demanding to know if I was serious in my attentions to him or not."
It was all Jack could do not to relax from the sheer wave of relief that coursed through him.
"You're involved with Maybourne? Why?"
Corvores turned bright red.
"That's just it, sir. When I emailed him back, wondering why he thought I was interested, he forwarded the email card I had supposedly sent him. Sir, It was disgusting and I most certainly hadn't sent it."
That's when Jack realized what it was she was talking about.
With all that had happened, Daniel's prank had completely slipped his mind.
"Okay. What exactly do you want me to do about it?"
"I want you to find out if it was Dr. Jackson that sent it. He's the only one besides Capt. Carter that had access to my email during the time the card was sent."
Great.
Just what they needed.
"Doctor, I'll look into it. Ummm...you said you had two things?"
"Yes sir. Well, technically, I should probably tell Dr. Jackson this, but as his commanding officer and as he's obviously having difficulty dealing with Capt. Carter's..."
Jack's face started towards the intimidation expression again, prompting her.
"I believe Dr. Jackson's eyesight is changing."
"Changing as in how?"
"Ever since the incident on P4X-75H2, his eyes have apparently begun correcting themselves and more. I believe he'll begin being able to see in spectrums we normally can't consciously view. That's speculation, of course, but I am curious if he's been seeing anything lately that wouldn't normally be seen by us."
Jack just stared at her.
Danny's seeing things because he's going to be seeing lots of things.
He's not hallucinating.
Either Sam's not dead or she is and Danny's just able to see dead people now because of this change.
What a freaky thought.
Better than Danny going insane, though.
This might be fixable.
"Not that I know of, but I'd appreciate it if you'd get all your paperwork and theories on this to Dr. Fraiser immediately since Daniel will probably be seeing her for other things soon, anyways."
"Yes, sir."
He could tell she was disappointed she wouldn't be continuing this particular medical investigation, but she also wasn't going to cross the line he'd just put down.
"Was there anything else?"
"Ummm, no sir. Not right now."
"Very well. Dismissed."
Corvores turned and left Jack alone in the storage room almost before she'd realized it.
He chuckled to himself at the relief in her eyes and the speed of her departure.
Now, to get to Daniel before someone else did.

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