A Hidden Threat

Chapter 12

Stargate Command:

"Off world activation, Repeat Off world activation!" Walter shouted through the intercom. Hammond walked very fast out of the office to see what was going on.

"Who is it Walter?" Hammond asked, knowing there were no teams off world due back for several hours.

"It's SG1 Sir.... " Walter stated wondering why they were returning so soon.

"All defense teams, stand by!" Hammond shouted not knowing what was going to come through that gate.

"Open the Iris. Get a medical team down there!" Hammond shouted through the intercom.

SG1 came flying through the gate. O'Neill had Carter over his shoulder, and Teal'c had Amiri. Dr. Frasier was already in the gate room. General Hammond walks in, with a look of concern.

"Stand down." Hammond ordered.

"What happened?" Dr. Fraiser asked as the medical team moved in.

"I don't know Dr. we exited the worm hole, and suddenly Amiri collapsed." Teal'c stated.

"And Carter was right behind her" O'Neill interjected. You could tell that he was quite concerned for his 2IC.

"Get them to the infirmary NOW" Dr. Frasier shouted.

Colonel O'Neill, SG-1 couldn't have been deployed for more than an hour ago, what happened?" Hammond asked. O'Neill was already making his way off the ramp, not realizing that his CO was just asking him a question. He had to know that Carter was going to be ok.

"O'Neill?" Hammond called out.

"Sorry Sir" O'Neill apologized. "It was gone. Everything. The entire planet burnt up" O'Neill began to explain.

"What?" Hammond asked in shock. "Was it the Goaul'd?" Hammond asked.

"It could likely have been General Hammond" Teal'c stated.

"Sir, all I know is that we weren't even there 5 minutes, and suddenly Amiri fell to the floor in pain." O'Neill stated.

"And Major Carter?" Hammond asked.

"As soon as Amiri fell, Carter did too" O'Neill said, but he was ancy wanting to get to the infirmary.

"Sir, there are definitely connected. A lot more than we assumed" Daniel interjected.

"Fine. Get to the infirmary and we'll debrief in an hour" Hammond said. O'Neill didn't even let him finish his last word. He rushed to the infirmary. He couldn't get there fast enough. As he reached the door he can see the nurses, thrashing about with every type of medical equipment he had ever seen.

"Doc what's going on?" O'Neill asked, wanting answers fast.

"I don't know Sir." Dr. Frasier stated puzzled. "Is there anything else you can tell about what happened?" she said, as she worked on Carter.

"There's not much to tell. We were barely on the planet. Amiri went down first and then Carter right behind her. They both grasp their stomachs in screamed bloody murder" He stated.

"I have never seen Major Carter scream in that type of pain" Teal'c interjected. O'Neill jumped not knowing that Teal'c and Daniel were right behind him. They were just as concerned as O'Neill was.

"Well all I can say is that Amiri and her are suffering from the same symptoms. Elevated heart rates, high temperature, and some type of enzyme in their blood that I have never seen before" Frasier stated.

"Are they going to be o.k.? Daniel asked.

"I don't know...I've never seen anything like this?" Frasier stated with worry in her voice.

"Are you sure there wasn't anything else that happened on the planet?" she asked, hoping they forget to tell her something. Some clue as to what was happening to Amiri and Carter.

"Amiri did state not to return through the gate, but to retrieve to the caves, as she was knelt in pain?" Teal'c stated.

O'Neill quickly looked at him, and gave him that, "I was getting to that" look.

"Sir?" Fraiser questioned O'Neill.

"Amiri kept saying not to come through the gate...but I'm sorry Doc. We have no idea what was going on, and I thought the best thing was to turn back and get them to the infirmary ASAP." O'Neill stated.

"we have to go back" Daniel said.

"DANIEL" O'Neill yelled. "I know, I know" O'Neill knew they had to return. The answer to whatever was happening to Amiri and Carter might very well be in those caves.

"Sir, I don't know what this is. But they are deteriorating fast. I don't know how much more I can do." Fraiser said.

O'Neill was worried. Did he make the wrong decision? Was he decision based more on his feelings for his 2IC, the unspoken ones, or was it protocol?

He ran his hands through his hair, like he usually did when he couldn't think of what to do. He looked at Carter laying there fighting for her life, and suddenly he snapped into action.

"Let's go" he said. Teal'c and Daniel were right behind him. They made their way to Hammond's office.

"Colonel" Hammond asked, wondering why they were all in his office, when there were to brief him, on what happened in an hour.

"Sir..we need to go back." O'Neill said with urgency.

"Colonel..what the hell is going on?" Hammond said starting to worry a lot more.

"Sir...when Amiri went down, she kept telling us, not to go through the gate. We were to take them to the caves..." Daniel interjected.

"Daniel....I got it" O'Neill stated, annoyed at how Daniel kept giving information before he did.

"The caves? What caves?" Hammond asked

"Of that we are not aware of General Hammond" Teal'c stated.

"Sir, all I know is, Carter is laying there, and there is not much more the Doc, can do for her. "And Amiri" Daniel again interjected.

This time O'Neill gave him the look of "if you say one more word Daniel" ...At which Daniel shut up.

"Sir we got to go back to those caves, Sir." O'Neill stated.

"Colonel do you even know where they are. You said so yourselves the planet is basically been destroyed. How do you know the Goaul'd aren't still occupying the planet?" Hammond asked.

"That is not likely General. If the goau'ld were the cause of this destruction, they would have nothing to gain by remaining on the planet." Teal'c stated.

"Sir, the caves mostly likely are preserved. If deep enough, the blast might of not affected them" Daniel stating hoping his assessment was right.

They all stood in Hammond's office. Hammond looked at all them. He knew how concerned they were for Carter. Especially, O'Neill. No regulations were ever broken. O'Neill and Carter knew they could never act on their true feelings, as long as they were in the military, and he was her CO. But Hammond knew that they had cared much more for each other than they were leading on.

"Fine..as long as you take SG2 & 3, with you as back-up." Hammond said.

"Thank you Sir" O'Neill stated as he headed out of his office, and straight to the locker room to get geared up. Of course, Daniel and Teal'c right behind him.

They gathered in the locker room. No one saying a word. They had no idea where these caves were. All they knew was, it was Carter and Amiri's only change of survival. Suddenly Teal'c broke the silence.

"Carter is strong O'Neill. She will fight this" he stated, as he placed his hand on O'Neill's shoulder.

O'Neill didn't say anything. He just looked at Teal'c. Teal'c knew he appreciated his sentiments. But O'Neill was never really one much for words.

"Let's go" O'Neill immediately stated. He knew the longer it took for them to find these caves and whatever it was that might help them, the less time Carter and Amiri had. Would his decision be wrong? Should he have brought her back through the gate? Where his feelings for her clouding his judgement? All he could hope for was that his decision was right.