Where the Wind Won't Blow, chapter three
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
"Unscheduled off-world activation! We have unscheduled Gate activation!"
Airman Reynard looked over her shoulder at the Officer of the Day as he came bounding up the stairs behind her. The late night SGC had been, until now, quiet, and the sudden engaging of the chevrons at 0130h had jolted her into alertness.
"Close the iris," Lt Colonel Asher commanded as the vortex subsided. Security forces poured into the Gateroom, rifles at the ready. "Do we have a GDO code yet?"
Reynard paused, then nodded. "Special Code Two. It's Bra'tac again, sir."
"Wonder what he wants," Asher muttered to himself. "Let's open it."
Reaching out, he placed his hand on the scanner, triggering the iris to contract. Moments later, a Jaffa in battle-scarred armor stepped through. It was Teal'c. The humans stared in shock at a figure they had never thought to see again. Reynard finally found her voice.
"I thought… didn't he die, sir?" Getting no answer, she tore her eyes from the resurrected Teal'c to see Asher on the phone.
"Yes, sir, General. It seems that Teal'c is alive. Yes, sir, we'll be expecting you." Asher looked from the figure in the Gateroom to Reynard.
"How…?" she repeated faintly.
Asher shrugged. "Ten to one it was a covert mission. The general didn't seem too surprised when I told him Teal'c was back." He moved to go to the Gateroom, then paused. "The colonel…"
Reynard nodded, Asher not having to say anything more. When Colonel O'Neill- the other Colonel O'Neill, that is- found out Teal'c had always been alive, there was going to be hell to pay. Reynard just hoped the colonel found out after her shift ended.
~~~~
The faint sounds of an opening wormhole and the announcement of an unscheduled Gate activation woke Joanna from a restless sleep. She lay in Teal'c's bed, staring unseeing at the wall before slowly getting up and walking toward the bathroom. A quick twist of a knob, and the tub began filling up with warm water.
Silently she moved through his room, making the bed, taking her field knife from its sheath and setting it on the side of the tub, straightening odds and ends that were out of place, slipping off her loose pajamas and placing them in the hamper. Catching sight of herself in the dresser mirror, Joanna frowned at the mess tossing and turning in bed had made of her hair. She undid the braid and shook out her hair, pushing the silver and brown strands behind her ears. The second pebble from P3D-572 caught her eye, and she picked it up, taking it with her.
Entering the bathroom, she saw the tub was over half full, and as she eased into the water, it rose up to the overflow drain. The faucet was turned off as efficiently as it had been turned on; leaning back with a sigh, Joanna sank down until just her shoulders and head were above the surface. Mindlessly, she rolled the pebble between her fingers. The water had turned it a dark gray, the same way she felt. Only the sound of water pouring through the drain could be heard now, the water's heat sending a lassitude through her, so familiar these past few days.
Joanna frowned. How long had it been? Two weeks exactly, she realized. A week, a month, a year, it didn't matter how much time had passed; the pain and emptiness would never leave.
Lifting her hand, she placed the pebble on the edge of the tub, then reached for the knife, her wet grip resolute on the handle. With the tip of the blade, she drew a practice line down her wrist, a red scratch quickly appearing and blood welling out slightly. Just two quick cuts, and it would be over. She could join Teal'c, and Sha're, and Charlie…
Now why had she thought of Charlie and Sha're? Puzzled, Joanna paused, the blade inches over her wrist. Jack and Daniel had lost the ones closest to them, and they hadn't succumbed to suicide. Jack had told her the story of how he had sat in Charlie's room for so long with the gun that had killed his son, and Daniel recently had shared with her how desolate he had been after Sha're was killed, but they had kept going.
Teal'c had been the center of her world, but he was gone. She'd rebuild, like Jack, like Daniel. O'Neills were tough, and with help she could do it. Not with MacKenzie, though; there had to be someone else she could open up to and not be scared she was going to lose her command.
With a disgusted snort at herself, Joanna tossed the knife away; it skittered over the tiles and came to rest against the base of the toilet. With a sigh for the future, she slid under the water, letting it relax and warm her.
~~~~
"I am fine."
Teal'c's normally tranquil tones were beginning to take on a decidedly irritated shade. He glared at Dr. Warner, and the physician quailed slightly but stood his ground. Watching as the doctor made some notes on the chart in front of him, Teal'c attempted to gain control over his impatience as Warner spoke to his pen.
"I realize you're eager to see Colonel O'Neill, but you know the drill: any off-world visit ends here. Truth be told, we were beginning to worry about her- she hasn't been taking the premature news of your death very well at all-"
Teal'c jumped off the examining bed at those words, the doctor stepping back in alarm. Pushing past a startled corpsman, Teal'c strode down the corridor to the stairs, not willing to wait for an elevator. Something drove him on, something that wouldn't let him remain until the examination was over.
The few members of SGC he passed in the hall quickly got out of his way, their "Welcome backs" dying on their lips. Finally reaching the door to Joanna's room, Teal'c burst in, not bothering to knock. He stopped short at the empty bed, the bare room cold and obviously unoccupied. Swiftly, he went to his own room, the neatly made bed seeming to mock him before the rectangle of light spilling out of the bathroom caught his eye.
"Joanna?" Calling to her in the darkened room, a deep sense of foreboding went through him. Teal'c walked to the half-closed door, slowly pushing it open, his eyes taking in the room. The sight of her still and unmoving under the water froze him, bringing back memories of Drey'auc and Shau'nac's deaths, along with the same feelings of anguish and helplessness. He could not lose her like he had them. Teal'c bolted to the side of the tub, heaving Joanna from the water.
Strands of her hair were tickling her nose as they floated over her face, and Joanna tried to hold her breath longer, but knew she'd have to come up soon. The choice was taken from her as rough hands grabbed her arms, yanking her out of the water. Her vision blocked by the tangle of hair over her face, hearing dulled by the water in her ears, Joanna struggled to find purchase on the wet tile floors while fighting off whoever was attacking her. He was big and tough- most of her hits were blocked, though a few were connecting.
Damn, this guy won't stop! Who the hell is he? Lacking the ability to see was hindering her, and Joanna suddenly found herself in a half Nelson. A well-placed blow and the fact that she was naked and wet got her out of it, though with a cry of pain she realized the effort dislocated her shoulder. Her foot landed on something hard and bumpy: Joanna had found her knife. She bent down to retrieve it and was up again in a flash, brandishing the weapon at the imbecile who thought he could come in and attack her.
As she lunged for a cutting slash at him, her hair parted enough for her to see who it was. His bellow of her name finally registering, her stunned realization of who it was, and a large puddle all came together to cause Joanna to slip and knock her head against the side of the tub. She lay unconscious on the floor, her whisper of "Teal'c" still on her lips.
~~~~
"General Hammond, sir." Stopping the general from getting off the elevator, Asher got on board and pressed the button for the 21st level. "You're needed in the infirmary, sir."
"The infirmary?" Hammond glanced at Asher, puzzled. "You didn't mention Teal'c was injured."
"Teal'c is fine, sir, other than a few bumps, bruises, and cuts." Asher paused, trying to figure out an easy way to inform the General. "It's Colonel O'Neill, sir. Teal'c said she tried to- um, well- apparently she has a dislocated shoulder and is unconscious from a concussion. Sir."
"She has what?" Confusion turned to astonishment. "When did this happen?"
"Just now, sir. I think Teal'c would be the best one to explain what happened, as he was there. He alerted the infirmary and brought her in himself."
Hammond shook his head as the elevator doors opened and the two officers stepped out. Asher held the infirmary door open for the older man, following him to the back corner where Teal'c stood with his hands behind his back, a silent statue, watching the concentrated workings around one of the beds.
"Teal'c." Looking over the Jaffa, Hammond saw that he was drenched from mid-chest down, a small pool of water at his feet. "What happened?"
Hammond wasn't sure Teal'c was going to respond, but finally he spoke, his voice taut as he explained what he had found. His eyes flicking back and forth from Teal'c to Joanna as the Jaffa spoke, Hammond finally asked, "Will she be all right?"
"I do not know."
The three watched the medical team work on resetting her shoulder: Warner was up on a stepstool, leaning over Joanna to get enough leverage, and with a sickening pop the bone went back in its socket. A few seconds later, a green-tinged Asher excused himself to get back to his duties. Not long after, Jack came running into the infirmary.
"What the hell happened? Herbert said something about Joanna trying to kill Teal'c, but he knocked her out?" Jack clearly had trouble believing the jumbled story the airman had told him.
Hammond merely gestured to the bed in front of them, half-hidden by medical personnel. Once more, in a too-patient voice, Teal'c explained. "In addition, I had noticed an open bottle of sleeping medication on the counter that was discovered to be empty. Dr. Warner thought it prudent to pump her stomach."
"Aw, Christ… " Running his hands through his hair, Jack tugged on the cropped strands in frustration, turning away to kick at the wall before facing Teal'c.
"I swear to God, if I had even thought- I was going to talk to her today, after she got back…"
"Did you see no warning that Joanna had come to this point?"
"Dr. MacKenzie had been helping Colonel O'Neill come to terms with your death, Teal'c." Hammond's response saved Jack for confessing his avoidance of his clone.
Teal'c finally turned a searching gaze on Jack but spoke to the general. "He would not discover anything if she did not want him to. Joanna is much like O'Neill in that regard."
Unable to look Teal'c in the eye, Jack instead watched as Dr. Warner gave a last instruction to the corpsman and walked toward them, peeling off his latex gloves as he did so.
"She's fine," he said without preamble. "Worse thing is her shoulder. There were no pills in her stomach, by the way, and only a scratch on her wrist that I put some gauze on to be safe. If she was trying to kill herself, which I'm not sure she was, she certainly didn't go through with it."
Jack sagged in relief, Hammond close behind, while there was a miniscule relaxing of the tense set of Teal'c's shoulders. "Why then was she submerged? What of the scratch on her wrist, and the fact that her field knife was in the bathroom with her?"
Warner shrugged. "You'll have to ask her that. It will be awhile before Colonel O'Neill comes around; someone should be here when she does," he added, barely getting the words out before Teal'c spoke up.
"I will stay."
"No." This time the doctor didn't look away at the Jaffa's glare. "It would be too much of a shock. You said she didn't recognize you when you pulled her from the tub. Someone else."
"I'll call Rose," Jack interjected.
Resigned, Teal'c bowed his head.
~~~~
Consciousness slowly returned, and Joanna's eyes fluttered open, taking in the infirmary's gray ceiling and fluorescent lights. She closed them against the sight as a small wave of despair rolled through her. First day of the rest of my life. But what the hell am I doing in the infirmary? She shifted on the bed. And why do I hurt so much?
"Hey." Someone spoke, the voice seeming too loud.
She felt Rose take her hand in her small one, squeezing slightly. Swallowing, Joanna turned toward her friend, opening her eyes again to see her worried face.
"Hi."
Rose gave her a smile. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired. Achy." Lifting her free hand, Joanna stared at the white gauze bandage around her wrist, then at the IV hooked to her arm. "What is this? Why am I here?"
Rose sighed, her smile fading. "You dislocated you shoulder and knocked yourself out last night, um, slipping on the tile in your bathroom," she said, fudging the truth a bit, hoping Joanna wouldn't ask about her stomach.
Joanna frowned, thinking. "I don't remember. Oh, jeeze, I was taking a bath. Who found me? Was I naked? Was it Jack? I was naked, wasn't I? Oh, fer cryin' out loud…." Her hand over her face, Joanna wondered if she could get away with never seeing Jack again. She knew he would rag her mercilessly about him finding her naked and unconscious on the bathroom floor- she would certainly do it to him.
"Ah…" Rose floundered for the moment, put on the spot.
"What?" Joanna peered out from between her fingers, then looked at Rose straight on as the other woman became more and more uncomfortable; the tense, uneasy feeling of two weeks ago came back. "Rose? What is it?"
Rose threw a wild glance down the near-empty infirmary, then covered Joanna's hand with both of her own and took a deep breath. "The mission Teal'c went on with SG-2 was the beginning of a covert operation. Apparently his death was just a cover. He just came back this morning. Teal'c's alive, hon."
"What?" With a strange sense of déjà vu, Joanna stared at Rose, trying to process what she was saying. "Alive?" She frowned, trying to wrap her mind around the word 'alive', but her mind was fuzzy from the painkillers, and she was finding it hard to think. "No, you said he's dead. You told me he's dead. How can he be alive when they saw him die?" Shifting restlessly on the bed, Joanna pulled her hand from Rose's and ran it over the sheet.
One word broke through the litany of 'alives' in her mind. "Cover?" Her eyes narrowed, and her hand stilled, clenched into fist around the sheet. "He was never dead?" Rose shook her head, silent at the cold, furious voice so like Jack's. "Who else knew? Hammond, I'm sure; Jack, of course… the rest of the team? Daniel? Sam? You?" Joanna's livid eyes snapped to the other woman, but Rose held her ground.
"Joanna…" Rose extended a hand toward her, but Joanna ignored it.
"Great acting, by the way. Convinced the hell out of me. Almost drove me to-" Joanna cut herself off, not wanting Rose to know how close she had come to killing herself. She shook her head ruefully. "Alive. SON OF A BITCH!"
This time Rose did flinch, giving Joanna the chance to tear the IV out the hep-lock in the back of her hand. By the time Rose realized what she was doing, Joanna had slid down off the bed, untangling herself from the sheets and blanket.
"Bastard. That Goddamn Jaffa bastard. I'm going to kill him. Him and Jack both." Stumbling a bit, she leaned against the bed as a wave of dizziness passed through her.
"You shouldn't be out of bed, not with that concussion. Get back in and I'll bring Teal'c to you." Rose hovered ineffectually, reluctant to try anything physical with the injured woman who towered over her by almost ten inches and outweighed her by fifty, finally opting to call for help. At her cry, the corpsmen who had been giving them space came running.
Ignoring the hands that tried to force her back, Joanna persisted in making her way down the infirmary. "I swear to God, he's dead meat. He's already been declared dead; I'll save them the paperwork of him coming back." Vaguely, she realized Rose and the corpsmen had stopped their maddening fluttering about. Glancing up, she saw Teal'c standing before her, Jack a few steps behind.
Joanna just stared, the sweet relief of seeing his beloved face again flooding through her before rage overrode caution and she hauled back and slapped Teal'c. "How dare you put me through that! You complete bastard! What the hell were you thinking? Do you realize what you…" She trailed off, her entire body shaking from fury and nausea.
Taking her hands in one of his, Teal'c placed them against his chest, cupping her cheek with his other hand. Joanna tried to pull away, her body still tense with anger, but he took a step forward, closing the distance between them. Their focus totally on each other, neither of them saw Rose tug on Jack's arm, leading him and the corpsmen away.
"Tal ma'te, tau'ret…" The deep, familiar voice sent shivers down Joanna's spine.
She hardened herself against him, staring at the contrast of the white bandage against the black of Teal'c's shirt to keep from throwing herself at him.
"Don't. Don't even. I thought you were dead. My world fell apart and I… did you know I thought about killing myself because I had no reason to stay in this place without you? So don't you dare come back after what you did and expect to find me acting like all is forgiven."
"I do not."
"Damn straight you don't!" Wrenching her hand out from his, Joanna brought it down hard on his chest. Teal'c released her, unflinchingly letting her take out the anger, despair, and betrayal of the past two weeks on him. Not until her clenched fists stopped raining blows and her furious words had tapered off did he gather her close.
Hiccupping through her tears, Joanna leaned into him, physically and emotionally spent. While she was still furious at him, a part of her didn't care what he had done, didn't care why; all it cared about was that he was back. Dimly, Joanna registered Teal'c leading her to the bed, helping her up and covering her with the sheet before exhaustion overcame her.
~~~~
Jack didn't need to look closely to see the hard line of contained fury that composed Rose's spine. She didn't turn to face him but kept working on her laptop, keyboard clicking at a furious rate. He gently closed the door behind him and stood waiting.
"You bastard," she hissed, still not facing him. As he moved nearer, Jack could see that she was typing a request for reassignment. From behind, Jack gripped Rose's shoulders, fighting down the surge of panic and anger shooting through him.
"Yes."
"You LIED to me!"
"No. I never said Teal'c was dead. Not once."
"You KNEW, Jack- don't play lame-assed semantic games with me! You KNEW and you let us all grieve for him. You damn near let Joanna DIE for him!"
Jack's hands on her shoulders tightened to an almost painful grip, but she didn't shrug them off. He leaned down close to her ear and spoke harshly.
"Don't drop that bullshit on ME, Rose. Joanna didn't exactly broadcast her intentions to any of us. And as for knowing about Teal'c, I fought both Hammond and Bra'tac over the mission. Not that you'd give a damn, I suppose, but neither Teal'c nor I were thrilled to cut the heart out of the team for this. I get my orders, file my protests, and then carry out the assignment, Rose; it's what life in the service of your country is all about."
"Then tell me, was it WORTH it, Jack?"
Rose twisted herself free from his grip and glared up at him, tears streaking her face. Jack looked down at her, feeling pride and love at the sight of her fierce blue eyes. Steeling himself, he nodded, and Rose lifted her chin to say more, but a deep rumbling voice rang through the office.
"O'Neill has stood unflinchingly by my side through this dark deception," Teal'c announced gravely. Rose turned to face him, blinking rapidly. He spoke again. "He has told you the truth concerning his moral objections, but not the extent of them, Rose. General Hammond was ordered to remove Colonel O'Neill if he refused to cooperate. Rather than leave the mission in lesser hands, O'Neill agreed to oversee my assignment, thus greatly increasing my chances of returning."
Rose sighed, a long, slow exhalation that seemed to fill the room. She got up from her chair and walked over to Teal'c, leaning back to look up into his impassive face.
"Deception is dishonorable, Teal'c."
"It is preferable to the deaths of thousands of Jaffa. My heart bears the weight of Joanna's life against theirs, and truth forces me to admit hers is the greater to me. And yet, the voice of my tau'ret echoed in my thoughts, compelling me to carry out what she herself would have done in my stead."
Rose moved, slipping her arms around Teal'c in a hug that he didn't return.
"You are compassionate beyond measure, Rose, but I am not worthy of your forgiveness. In time, perhaps, I will regain your esteem. I must leave now and attend Joanna."
So saying he stepped away from Rose and out the door, leaving her to turn and face Jack. To her shock, he was trembling.
"Rose," he began in a choked, low voice, "I didn't WANT-"
He got no further. Rose reached for him, pulled him into her embrace; Jack scooped her up and swung her to the desk, his face buried in the warm haven of her chest. The silent sobs shook his shoulders, and Rose clung to him, crying herself in the dark office.
Chapter Four
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
"Unscheduled off-world activation! We have unscheduled Gate activation!"
Airman Reynard looked over her shoulder at the Officer of the Day as he came bounding up the stairs behind her. The late night SGC had been, until now, quiet, and the sudden engaging of the chevrons at 0130h had jolted her into alertness.
"Close the iris," Lt Colonel Asher commanded as the vortex subsided. Security forces poured into the Gateroom, rifles at the ready. "Do we have a GDO code yet?"
Reynard paused, then nodded. "Special Code Two. It's Bra'tac again, sir."
"Wonder what he wants," Asher muttered to himself. "Let's open it."
Reaching out, he placed his hand on the scanner, triggering the iris to contract. Moments later, a Jaffa in battle-scarred armor stepped through. It was Teal'c. The humans stared in shock at a figure they had never thought to see again. Reynard finally found her voice.
"I thought… didn't he die, sir?" Getting no answer, she tore her eyes from the resurrected Teal'c to see Asher on the phone.
"Yes, sir, General. It seems that Teal'c is alive. Yes, sir, we'll be expecting you." Asher looked from the figure in the Gateroom to Reynard.
"How…?" she repeated faintly.
Asher shrugged. "Ten to one it was a covert mission. The general didn't seem too surprised when I told him Teal'c was back." He moved to go to the Gateroom, then paused. "The colonel…"
Reynard nodded, Asher not having to say anything more. When Colonel O'Neill- the other Colonel O'Neill, that is- found out Teal'c had always been alive, there was going to be hell to pay. Reynard just hoped the colonel found out after her shift ended.
~~~~
The faint sounds of an opening wormhole and the announcement of an unscheduled Gate activation woke Joanna from a restless sleep. She lay in Teal'c's bed, staring unseeing at the wall before slowly getting up and walking toward the bathroom. A quick twist of a knob, and the tub began filling up with warm water.
Silently she moved through his room, making the bed, taking her field knife from its sheath and setting it on the side of the tub, straightening odds and ends that were out of place, slipping off her loose pajamas and placing them in the hamper. Catching sight of herself in the dresser mirror, Joanna frowned at the mess tossing and turning in bed had made of her hair. She undid the braid and shook out her hair, pushing the silver and brown strands behind her ears. The second pebble from P3D-572 caught her eye, and she picked it up, taking it with her.
Entering the bathroom, she saw the tub was over half full, and as she eased into the water, it rose up to the overflow drain. The faucet was turned off as efficiently as it had been turned on; leaning back with a sigh, Joanna sank down until just her shoulders and head were above the surface. Mindlessly, she rolled the pebble between her fingers. The water had turned it a dark gray, the same way she felt. Only the sound of water pouring through the drain could be heard now, the water's heat sending a lassitude through her, so familiar these past few days.
Joanna frowned. How long had it been? Two weeks exactly, she realized. A week, a month, a year, it didn't matter how much time had passed; the pain and emptiness would never leave.
Lifting her hand, she placed the pebble on the edge of the tub, then reached for the knife, her wet grip resolute on the handle. With the tip of the blade, she drew a practice line down her wrist, a red scratch quickly appearing and blood welling out slightly. Just two quick cuts, and it would be over. She could join Teal'c, and Sha're, and Charlie…
Now why had she thought of Charlie and Sha're? Puzzled, Joanna paused, the blade inches over her wrist. Jack and Daniel had lost the ones closest to them, and they hadn't succumbed to suicide. Jack had told her the story of how he had sat in Charlie's room for so long with the gun that had killed his son, and Daniel recently had shared with her how desolate he had been after Sha're was killed, but they had kept going.
Teal'c had been the center of her world, but he was gone. She'd rebuild, like Jack, like Daniel. O'Neills were tough, and with help she could do it. Not with MacKenzie, though; there had to be someone else she could open up to and not be scared she was going to lose her command.
With a disgusted snort at herself, Joanna tossed the knife away; it skittered over the tiles and came to rest against the base of the toilet. With a sigh for the future, she slid under the water, letting it relax and warm her.
~~~~
"I am fine."
Teal'c's normally tranquil tones were beginning to take on a decidedly irritated shade. He glared at Dr. Warner, and the physician quailed slightly but stood his ground. Watching as the doctor made some notes on the chart in front of him, Teal'c attempted to gain control over his impatience as Warner spoke to his pen.
"I realize you're eager to see Colonel O'Neill, but you know the drill: any off-world visit ends here. Truth be told, we were beginning to worry about her- she hasn't been taking the premature news of your death very well at all-"
Teal'c jumped off the examining bed at those words, the doctor stepping back in alarm. Pushing past a startled corpsman, Teal'c strode down the corridor to the stairs, not willing to wait for an elevator. Something drove him on, something that wouldn't let him remain until the examination was over.
The few members of SGC he passed in the hall quickly got out of his way, their "Welcome backs" dying on their lips. Finally reaching the door to Joanna's room, Teal'c burst in, not bothering to knock. He stopped short at the empty bed, the bare room cold and obviously unoccupied. Swiftly, he went to his own room, the neatly made bed seeming to mock him before the rectangle of light spilling out of the bathroom caught his eye.
"Joanna?" Calling to her in the darkened room, a deep sense of foreboding went through him. Teal'c walked to the half-closed door, slowly pushing it open, his eyes taking in the room. The sight of her still and unmoving under the water froze him, bringing back memories of Drey'auc and Shau'nac's deaths, along with the same feelings of anguish and helplessness. He could not lose her like he had them. Teal'c bolted to the side of the tub, heaving Joanna from the water.
Strands of her hair were tickling her nose as they floated over her face, and Joanna tried to hold her breath longer, but knew she'd have to come up soon. The choice was taken from her as rough hands grabbed her arms, yanking her out of the water. Her vision blocked by the tangle of hair over her face, hearing dulled by the water in her ears, Joanna struggled to find purchase on the wet tile floors while fighting off whoever was attacking her. He was big and tough- most of her hits were blocked, though a few were connecting.
Damn, this guy won't stop! Who the hell is he? Lacking the ability to see was hindering her, and Joanna suddenly found herself in a half Nelson. A well-placed blow and the fact that she was naked and wet got her out of it, though with a cry of pain she realized the effort dislocated her shoulder. Her foot landed on something hard and bumpy: Joanna had found her knife. She bent down to retrieve it and was up again in a flash, brandishing the weapon at the imbecile who thought he could come in and attack her.
As she lunged for a cutting slash at him, her hair parted enough for her to see who it was. His bellow of her name finally registering, her stunned realization of who it was, and a large puddle all came together to cause Joanna to slip and knock her head against the side of the tub. She lay unconscious on the floor, her whisper of "Teal'c" still on her lips.
~~~~
"General Hammond, sir." Stopping the general from getting off the elevator, Asher got on board and pressed the button for the 21st level. "You're needed in the infirmary, sir."
"The infirmary?" Hammond glanced at Asher, puzzled. "You didn't mention Teal'c was injured."
"Teal'c is fine, sir, other than a few bumps, bruises, and cuts." Asher paused, trying to figure out an easy way to inform the General. "It's Colonel O'Neill, sir. Teal'c said she tried to- um, well- apparently she has a dislocated shoulder and is unconscious from a concussion. Sir."
"She has what?" Confusion turned to astonishment. "When did this happen?"
"Just now, sir. I think Teal'c would be the best one to explain what happened, as he was there. He alerted the infirmary and brought her in himself."
Hammond shook his head as the elevator doors opened and the two officers stepped out. Asher held the infirmary door open for the older man, following him to the back corner where Teal'c stood with his hands behind his back, a silent statue, watching the concentrated workings around one of the beds.
"Teal'c." Looking over the Jaffa, Hammond saw that he was drenched from mid-chest down, a small pool of water at his feet. "What happened?"
Hammond wasn't sure Teal'c was going to respond, but finally he spoke, his voice taut as he explained what he had found. His eyes flicking back and forth from Teal'c to Joanna as the Jaffa spoke, Hammond finally asked, "Will she be all right?"
"I do not know."
The three watched the medical team work on resetting her shoulder: Warner was up on a stepstool, leaning over Joanna to get enough leverage, and with a sickening pop the bone went back in its socket. A few seconds later, a green-tinged Asher excused himself to get back to his duties. Not long after, Jack came running into the infirmary.
"What the hell happened? Herbert said something about Joanna trying to kill Teal'c, but he knocked her out?" Jack clearly had trouble believing the jumbled story the airman had told him.
Hammond merely gestured to the bed in front of them, half-hidden by medical personnel. Once more, in a too-patient voice, Teal'c explained. "In addition, I had noticed an open bottle of sleeping medication on the counter that was discovered to be empty. Dr. Warner thought it prudent to pump her stomach."
"Aw, Christ… " Running his hands through his hair, Jack tugged on the cropped strands in frustration, turning away to kick at the wall before facing Teal'c.
"I swear to God, if I had even thought- I was going to talk to her today, after she got back…"
"Did you see no warning that Joanna had come to this point?"
"Dr. MacKenzie had been helping Colonel O'Neill come to terms with your death, Teal'c." Hammond's response saved Jack for confessing his avoidance of his clone.
Teal'c finally turned a searching gaze on Jack but spoke to the general. "He would not discover anything if she did not want him to. Joanna is much like O'Neill in that regard."
Unable to look Teal'c in the eye, Jack instead watched as Dr. Warner gave a last instruction to the corpsman and walked toward them, peeling off his latex gloves as he did so.
"She's fine," he said without preamble. "Worse thing is her shoulder. There were no pills in her stomach, by the way, and only a scratch on her wrist that I put some gauze on to be safe. If she was trying to kill herself, which I'm not sure she was, she certainly didn't go through with it."
Jack sagged in relief, Hammond close behind, while there was a miniscule relaxing of the tense set of Teal'c's shoulders. "Why then was she submerged? What of the scratch on her wrist, and the fact that her field knife was in the bathroom with her?"
Warner shrugged. "You'll have to ask her that. It will be awhile before Colonel O'Neill comes around; someone should be here when she does," he added, barely getting the words out before Teal'c spoke up.
"I will stay."
"No." This time the doctor didn't look away at the Jaffa's glare. "It would be too much of a shock. You said she didn't recognize you when you pulled her from the tub. Someone else."
"I'll call Rose," Jack interjected.
Resigned, Teal'c bowed his head.
~~~~
Consciousness slowly returned, and Joanna's eyes fluttered open, taking in the infirmary's gray ceiling and fluorescent lights. She closed them against the sight as a small wave of despair rolled through her. First day of the rest of my life. But what the hell am I doing in the infirmary? She shifted on the bed. And why do I hurt so much?
"Hey." Someone spoke, the voice seeming too loud.
She felt Rose take her hand in her small one, squeezing slightly. Swallowing, Joanna turned toward her friend, opening her eyes again to see her worried face.
"Hi."
Rose gave her a smile. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired. Achy." Lifting her free hand, Joanna stared at the white gauze bandage around her wrist, then at the IV hooked to her arm. "What is this? Why am I here?"
Rose sighed, her smile fading. "You dislocated you shoulder and knocked yourself out last night, um, slipping on the tile in your bathroom," she said, fudging the truth a bit, hoping Joanna wouldn't ask about her stomach.
Joanna frowned, thinking. "I don't remember. Oh, jeeze, I was taking a bath. Who found me? Was I naked? Was it Jack? I was naked, wasn't I? Oh, fer cryin' out loud…." Her hand over her face, Joanna wondered if she could get away with never seeing Jack again. She knew he would rag her mercilessly about him finding her naked and unconscious on the bathroom floor- she would certainly do it to him.
"Ah…" Rose floundered for the moment, put on the spot.
"What?" Joanna peered out from between her fingers, then looked at Rose straight on as the other woman became more and more uncomfortable; the tense, uneasy feeling of two weeks ago came back. "Rose? What is it?"
Rose threw a wild glance down the near-empty infirmary, then covered Joanna's hand with both of her own and took a deep breath. "The mission Teal'c went on with SG-2 was the beginning of a covert operation. Apparently his death was just a cover. He just came back this morning. Teal'c's alive, hon."
"What?" With a strange sense of déjà vu, Joanna stared at Rose, trying to process what she was saying. "Alive?" She frowned, trying to wrap her mind around the word 'alive', but her mind was fuzzy from the painkillers, and she was finding it hard to think. "No, you said he's dead. You told me he's dead. How can he be alive when they saw him die?" Shifting restlessly on the bed, Joanna pulled her hand from Rose's and ran it over the sheet.
One word broke through the litany of 'alives' in her mind. "Cover?" Her eyes narrowed, and her hand stilled, clenched into fist around the sheet. "He was never dead?" Rose shook her head, silent at the cold, furious voice so like Jack's. "Who else knew? Hammond, I'm sure; Jack, of course… the rest of the team? Daniel? Sam? You?" Joanna's livid eyes snapped to the other woman, but Rose held her ground.
"Joanna…" Rose extended a hand toward her, but Joanna ignored it.
"Great acting, by the way. Convinced the hell out of me. Almost drove me to-" Joanna cut herself off, not wanting Rose to know how close she had come to killing herself. She shook her head ruefully. "Alive. SON OF A BITCH!"
This time Rose did flinch, giving Joanna the chance to tear the IV out the hep-lock in the back of her hand. By the time Rose realized what she was doing, Joanna had slid down off the bed, untangling herself from the sheets and blanket.
"Bastard. That Goddamn Jaffa bastard. I'm going to kill him. Him and Jack both." Stumbling a bit, she leaned against the bed as a wave of dizziness passed through her.
"You shouldn't be out of bed, not with that concussion. Get back in and I'll bring Teal'c to you." Rose hovered ineffectually, reluctant to try anything physical with the injured woman who towered over her by almost ten inches and outweighed her by fifty, finally opting to call for help. At her cry, the corpsmen who had been giving them space came running.
Ignoring the hands that tried to force her back, Joanna persisted in making her way down the infirmary. "I swear to God, he's dead meat. He's already been declared dead; I'll save them the paperwork of him coming back." Vaguely, she realized Rose and the corpsmen had stopped their maddening fluttering about. Glancing up, she saw Teal'c standing before her, Jack a few steps behind.
Joanna just stared, the sweet relief of seeing his beloved face again flooding through her before rage overrode caution and she hauled back and slapped Teal'c. "How dare you put me through that! You complete bastard! What the hell were you thinking? Do you realize what you…" She trailed off, her entire body shaking from fury and nausea.
Taking her hands in one of his, Teal'c placed them against his chest, cupping her cheek with his other hand. Joanna tried to pull away, her body still tense with anger, but he took a step forward, closing the distance between them. Their focus totally on each other, neither of them saw Rose tug on Jack's arm, leading him and the corpsmen away.
"Tal ma'te, tau'ret…" The deep, familiar voice sent shivers down Joanna's spine.
She hardened herself against him, staring at the contrast of the white bandage against the black of Teal'c's shirt to keep from throwing herself at him.
"Don't. Don't even. I thought you were dead. My world fell apart and I… did you know I thought about killing myself because I had no reason to stay in this place without you? So don't you dare come back after what you did and expect to find me acting like all is forgiven."
"I do not."
"Damn straight you don't!" Wrenching her hand out from his, Joanna brought it down hard on his chest. Teal'c released her, unflinchingly letting her take out the anger, despair, and betrayal of the past two weeks on him. Not until her clenched fists stopped raining blows and her furious words had tapered off did he gather her close.
Hiccupping through her tears, Joanna leaned into him, physically and emotionally spent. While she was still furious at him, a part of her didn't care what he had done, didn't care why; all it cared about was that he was back. Dimly, Joanna registered Teal'c leading her to the bed, helping her up and covering her with the sheet before exhaustion overcame her.
~~~~
Jack didn't need to look closely to see the hard line of contained fury that composed Rose's spine. She didn't turn to face him but kept working on her laptop, keyboard clicking at a furious rate. He gently closed the door behind him and stood waiting.
"You bastard," she hissed, still not facing him. As he moved nearer, Jack could see that she was typing a request for reassignment. From behind, Jack gripped Rose's shoulders, fighting down the surge of panic and anger shooting through him.
"Yes."
"You LIED to me!"
"No. I never said Teal'c was dead. Not once."
"You KNEW, Jack- don't play lame-assed semantic games with me! You KNEW and you let us all grieve for him. You damn near let Joanna DIE for him!"
Jack's hands on her shoulders tightened to an almost painful grip, but she didn't shrug them off. He leaned down close to her ear and spoke harshly.
"Don't drop that bullshit on ME, Rose. Joanna didn't exactly broadcast her intentions to any of us. And as for knowing about Teal'c, I fought both Hammond and Bra'tac over the mission. Not that you'd give a damn, I suppose, but neither Teal'c nor I were thrilled to cut the heart out of the team for this. I get my orders, file my protests, and then carry out the assignment, Rose; it's what life in the service of your country is all about."
"Then tell me, was it WORTH it, Jack?"
Rose twisted herself free from his grip and glared up at him, tears streaking her face. Jack looked down at her, feeling pride and love at the sight of her fierce blue eyes. Steeling himself, he nodded, and Rose lifted her chin to say more, but a deep rumbling voice rang through the office.
"O'Neill has stood unflinchingly by my side through this dark deception," Teal'c announced gravely. Rose turned to face him, blinking rapidly. He spoke again. "He has told you the truth concerning his moral objections, but not the extent of them, Rose. General Hammond was ordered to remove Colonel O'Neill if he refused to cooperate. Rather than leave the mission in lesser hands, O'Neill agreed to oversee my assignment, thus greatly increasing my chances of returning."
Rose sighed, a long, slow exhalation that seemed to fill the room. She got up from her chair and walked over to Teal'c, leaning back to look up into his impassive face.
"Deception is dishonorable, Teal'c."
"It is preferable to the deaths of thousands of Jaffa. My heart bears the weight of Joanna's life against theirs, and truth forces me to admit hers is the greater to me. And yet, the voice of my tau'ret echoed in my thoughts, compelling me to carry out what she herself would have done in my stead."
Rose moved, slipping her arms around Teal'c in a hug that he didn't return.
"You are compassionate beyond measure, Rose, but I am not worthy of your forgiveness. In time, perhaps, I will regain your esteem. I must leave now and attend Joanna."
So saying he stepped away from Rose and out the door, leaving her to turn and face Jack. To her shock, he was trembling.
"Rose," he began in a choked, low voice, "I didn't WANT-"
He got no further. Rose reached for him, pulled him into her embrace; Jack scooped her up and swung her to the desk, his face buried in the warm haven of her chest. The silent sobs shook his shoulders, and Rose clung to him, crying herself in the dark office.
Chapter Four