Ficlet: Ganging Up (PG, team)
Written for the LeapGate comment ficathon.
G, gen, team. 719 words.
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It had been like herding cats, all day. Every time he got one of them back, another would wander off, spot an incredible find and dive into a side chamber, silently evaporate to investigate a suspicious noise, get distracted and forget they were supposed to be a Captain first and a scientist second...
"Jack, I'm just going-"
"No, Daniel."
"But you haven't even-"
"NO." And a glare for good measure. "We're going to find Carter and Teal'c, and then we're getting the hell off this rock." His spidey-senses had been tingling since he got here. He wasn't going to spend another minute more than he had to on this damn planet, and he didn't care how paranoid that made him look. He resisted the urge to grab Daniel by the collar, and keyed his radio. "Carter, Teal'c, report - over."
Silence, and then a crackle. "Sir, this is fascinating. Permission to take another couple of hours? Over."
Jack gritted his teeth. "Permission NOT given, Captain. You and Teal'c get back to the main chamber. We'll meet you there, and then we're all heading back to the Gate. Over."
"But sir, this may be a significant scientific discovery. The deposits in this rock..." Jack deeply regretted that it was impossible to interrupt someone over a radio. "...Stargate technology, and maybe even some..." Really, was it too much to ask? "...might need Daniel to translate..." Maybe he should get Carter to look into it. She was a genius, after all. "...mining operations! Over."
"Captain," said Jack, with hard-won patience, "you are aware of the concept of chain of command? Over."
A pause, in which he'd swear he heard her sigh, and then the radio crackled again. "Yes, sir. Main chamber. Carter out."
He grabbed Daniel's collar as the archaeologist began to drift towards an interesting turning, and stomped on towards the main chamber. Like herding cats. He didn't know why he put up with it.
For a second, he thought Daniel had shoved him, because suddenly he was tasting grit - but then the pain caught up with him, and he greyed out. He came back to the sound of gunfire, deafening in the enclosed tunnels, and a feeling of being dragged. He willed his muscles to fight back, but they weren't responding. "Jack," snapped Daniel, between shots - and Jack realised that it was Daniel pulling him back around a corner, firing a gun at the same time. He wouldn't be hitting a thing. "Jack!"
"I'm okay," he said, surprised how slurred the words sounded. Up, commanded his brain. Get up. You're being defended by an archaeologist with a P-90. He shoved himself up on to his elbows, but unconsciousness threatened again, and he slumped back down.
"O'Neill!" said his radio, and he moved his arm, groaning involuntarily, and pressed the radio button, awkwardly trying to move his head closer.
"Ambush... Be careful..."
"We will be there momentarily."
The next few minutes were just vague impressions. The slamming of staff weapon fire around them... Familiar gunfire from another direction, growing fainter as it all got quiet... Pounding of boots, a scuff of grit being kicked into his face... "Sir! Teal'c, take the Colonel - Daniel, you..." Being lifted - a sharp agony that almost brought him back to full awareness... Two tall bodies either side of him, and movement... Daylight... Grass tangling his feet...
When he next resurfaced, it was to a steady, familiar beep, and a house of cards around his ankles. "Wha-?"
"Don't move your feet, Jack," snapped Daniel. Jack blinked at him.
From another direction, a cup appeared, and he sipped gratefully at the cold water, and nodded up at Teal'c. "Thanks, buddy."
"You are welcome, O'Neill."
He lifted his head slightly to see where Carter was helping Daniel with his card structure. "Ugh," he said, and dropped his head back down.
"Hey, Colonel - decided to rejoin us at last?"
He huffed a laugh, and then groaned. "Ow. Oh, very funny."
"Sir?"
He waved a hand, tiredly. "The universe, Carter. It's a smartass." His eyes had closed again, but he knew by the pause that his team were exchanging puzzled glances over him. Most of the time, it was like herding cats - but when it was important... "Thanks, guys," he murmured, sinking back under drugged waves. "Nice... teamwork... out there."
---
END.
G, gen, team. 719 words.
---
It had been like herding cats, all day. Every time he got one of them back, another would wander off, spot an incredible find and dive into a side chamber, silently evaporate to investigate a suspicious noise, get distracted and forget they were supposed to be a Captain first and a scientist second...
"Jack, I'm just going-"
"No, Daniel."
"But you haven't even-"
"NO." And a glare for good measure. "We're going to find Carter and Teal'c, and then we're getting the hell off this rock." His spidey-senses had been tingling since he got here. He wasn't going to spend another minute more than he had to on this damn planet, and he didn't care how paranoid that made him look. He resisted the urge to grab Daniel by the collar, and keyed his radio. "Carter, Teal'c, report - over."
Silence, and then a crackle. "Sir, this is fascinating. Permission to take another couple of hours? Over."
Jack gritted his teeth. "Permission NOT given, Captain. You and Teal'c get back to the main chamber. We'll meet you there, and then we're all heading back to the Gate. Over."
"But sir, this may be a significant scientific discovery. The deposits in this rock..." Jack deeply regretted that it was impossible to interrupt someone over a radio. "...Stargate technology, and maybe even some..." Really, was it too much to ask? "...might need Daniel to translate..." Maybe he should get Carter to look into it. She was a genius, after all. "...mining operations! Over."
"Captain," said Jack, with hard-won patience, "you are aware of the concept of chain of command? Over."
A pause, in which he'd swear he heard her sigh, and then the radio crackled again. "Yes, sir. Main chamber. Carter out."
He grabbed Daniel's collar as the archaeologist began to drift towards an interesting turning, and stomped on towards the main chamber. Like herding cats. He didn't know why he put up with it.
For a second, he thought Daniel had shoved him, because suddenly he was tasting grit - but then the pain caught up with him, and he greyed out. He came back to the sound of gunfire, deafening in the enclosed tunnels, and a feeling of being dragged. He willed his muscles to fight back, but they weren't responding. "Jack," snapped Daniel, between shots - and Jack realised that it was Daniel pulling him back around a corner, firing a gun at the same time. He wouldn't be hitting a thing. "Jack!"
"I'm okay," he said, surprised how slurred the words sounded. Up, commanded his brain. Get up. You're being defended by an archaeologist with a P-90. He shoved himself up on to his elbows, but unconsciousness threatened again, and he slumped back down.
"O'Neill!" said his radio, and he moved his arm, groaning involuntarily, and pressed the radio button, awkwardly trying to move his head closer.
"Ambush... Be careful..."
"We will be there momentarily."
The next few minutes were just vague impressions. The slamming of staff weapon fire around them... Familiar gunfire from another direction, growing fainter as it all got quiet... Pounding of boots, a scuff of grit being kicked into his face... "Sir! Teal'c, take the Colonel - Daniel, you..." Being lifted - a sharp agony that almost brought him back to full awareness... Two tall bodies either side of him, and movement... Daylight... Grass tangling his feet...
When he next resurfaced, it was to a steady, familiar beep, and a house of cards around his ankles. "Wha-?"
"Don't move your feet, Jack," snapped Daniel. Jack blinked at him.
From another direction, a cup appeared, and he sipped gratefully at the cold water, and nodded up at Teal'c. "Thanks, buddy."
"You are welcome, O'Neill."
He lifted his head slightly to see where Carter was helping Daniel with his card structure. "Ugh," he said, and dropped his head back down.
"Hey, Colonel - decided to rejoin us at last?"
He huffed a laugh, and then groaned. "Ow. Oh, very funny."
"Sir?"
He waved a hand, tiredly. "The universe, Carter. It's a smartass." His eyes had closed again, but he knew by the pause that his team were exchanging puzzled glances over him. Most of the time, it was like herding cats - but when it was important... "Thanks, guys," he murmured, sinking back under drugged waves. "Nice... teamwork... out there."
---
END.