TITLE: Real Nightmares
AUTHOR: Demon Faith
EMAIL: rosabeth@hotmail.com
CATEGORY: Sam/Daniel, Action/Adventure, Angst,
Drama, H/C
SPOILERS: A few for ‘Just Dreaming’, the prequel to
this.
SEASON/SEQUEL: Set after ‘Just Dreaming’. All after
Season 4.
RATING: PG-13
CONTENT WARNINGS: Injury, major angst, character
death and strong language
SUMMARY: What happens when the nightmares become
real?
DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I don’t own them. Probably just
as well.
AUTHOR’S NOTES: This is one of my last major
projects. I hope it’s not too disappointing.
BANG!
Sam’s eyes flew opening panic. Where was she? What
had happened? That sound, it was just like…an air tank blowing. She squirmed
violently, realising that she was surrounded by water. As her eyes darted
wildly around the area, she saw something that froze her heart.
Daniel. Surrounded
by shattered fibreglass, his still form sank slowly to the bottom of the ocean.
Sam was determined she would save him. She found a jagged rock wall to her left
and raised her bound hands, deftly severing the ties. She dived powerfully
towards him, soaring through the still waters. She was suddenly jerked back as
the mask line tightened to its limit. //Daniel’s running out of time here.//
She would have to take a leap of faith.
Sam pulled the mask off and descended blindly to
the bottom. Her fingers closed on soft material and she hefted Daniel in her
arms. Pushing off from the rocky seabed, Sam shot towards the surface, all too aware
of the dying man in her arms.
Sam burst
through the surface, lifting Daniel’s head up. She shook her head and spat out
the salty water. She glanced around her and dragged Daniel to the rocky
landscape before her. She staggered onto the beach, laying Daniel gently on the
sand. Her fingers probed at his neck, desperately afraid. //Pulse.//
“Thank God,” she murmured.
Daniel’s chest rose and fell, steady breathing
throbbing relief through Sam’s jubilant mind. She smoothed the hair off his
forehead, marvelling at how innocent he looked without his glasses. Then, she
remembered the others. Rushing back to the shoreline, she saw a wooden platform
stretching into the ocean. And two murky shapes beneath the water. Mustering
all her strength, she heaved the first shape to the surface.
Jack burst through the water, momentarily
disorientated. He hauled himself onto the wood, detaching his air tank, and
squeezed out his shirt..
“Sir, we need to get…”
“O’Neill; Major Carter!”
Teal’c vaulted easily onto the harbour, soaking Sam
and Jack even more.
“Teal’c,” Sam finished weakly.
She grinned for a moment, before sprinting back to
Daniel. Jack and Teal’c glanced at each other briefly, before charging after
her. It had started to rain and the water felt like nails digging into their
bodies. Sam sank into the mud beside Daniel, silently berating herself for
leaving. She drew him to her, trying to protect him from the rain. Jack and
Teal’c arrived seconds later.
“We need to get to shelter.”
The wind whipped Sam’s words away but Jack caught
the meaning. He threw Daniel over his shoulder, heading for the nearby cliffs.
Sam stumbled after him, Teal’c practically dragging her along. As the first
lightening bolt shot across the sky, the bedraggled SG1 reached the shelter of
the caves. Barely checking the rocky hollow, Jack lay Daniel gently onto the
soft, mossy rocks inside. Sam thudded to the ground beside him, checking his
pulse again. Jack watched her movements carefully, not failing to notice the
dulled panic behind her actions. She squeezed out her jacket and placed it
under Daniel’s head. Her hands gently probed the fibreglass cuts marring his
face. Jack placed a hand on her shoulder.
“What happened?”
Sam looked up at him, then back at Daniel.
“I woke up to an explosion. I saw Daniel, broke
free and lifted him to the surface. Then I came after you and Teal’c, sir.”
Jack nodded to her, and then frowned. What had
happened before that?
“Carter, what do you remember of…before?”
Sam was puzzled for a few seconds, then she
frowned.
“We were exploring the planet…um…we found
some…people, Daniel said hi…then…then…”
“You can’t remember either.”
Sam shook her head and Jack turned to Teal’c.
“I am unable to recall, O’Neill. Except to inform
you that Daniel Jackson was extremely agitated during this mission. However, I
do not remember why.”
Then, the memories flooded Sam, recollection
pulsing through her mind.
“I know. It was Hathor’s new homeworld. We were
just going to continue, but Daniel panicked. He told us he would rather die
than see her again.”
Sam sobbed then, clasping Daniel’s freezing fingers
in her own. Jack rubbed her back, letting Sam cry.
“That’s all I remember, sir. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, Carter. Really.”
Sam rubbed Daniel’s fingers between her own,
needing to do *something*. Jack and Teal’c backed off, trying to start a
fire.
Sam watched over Daniel, glad that he was gradually
getting warmer and the colour was returning to his cheeks. She touched his face
lightly, and he began to stir.
“Sir! He’s waking up!”
Jack knelt down beside them and Teal’c loomed in
the background. Sam leaned over Daniel fingers tightening their hold. His eyes
slowly fluttered open and Sam smiled down on him.
“Hey you. You had us worried.”
Daniel closed his eyes for a second, gathering his
thoughts.
“Wh…what happened?”
Sam touched his arm gently, smiling to herself.
“We’re on P3X 249. We think we were ambushed. You
had a close-call with the ocean.”
Daniel smiled wearily, and Sam grinned back. He
reached out his hand and Sam supported him into a sit, careful to hold him
tightly. Jack leaned closer, backing off slightly when Daniel started to cough.
Sam looked up at him, eyes wide.
“Sir, we need basic supplies; our packs would be
helpful.”
Jack nodded, motioned to Teal’c, and stepped
outside.
Sam desperately tried to recall the mission, but
all she could remember was a strange dream…
Daniel started to cough again, dissolving her
daydream.
“Hey, take it easy. You’ve been through a lot; just
take it slow…”
Daniel tried to nod, but it just brought on more
coughing. Sam was getting worried now; for Daniel’s health and the obvious gaps
in her memory. She could remember the dream (it still made her pulse quicken)
and then sleeping beside Daniel, the security, the love…Hathor. Before camp,
before the dream, the villagers had told them Hathor was coming. But Jack had
made them camp, saying there was no point rushing for a dead goddess. Though
not so dead, perhaps.
Sam could remember voices, coming for her, taking
Daniel, her protests, her screams…then darkness. The jigsaw slid into place and
Sam gasped. Hathor was HERE!
~
Jack and Teal’c wandered aimlessly up the hill,
hardly noticing the rocky surface evening out.
“Well, can you see anything?”
“I cannot, O’Neill.”
Suddenly, the ground began to shake, sending
tremors through every fibre of their being. Jack and Teal’c were thrown to the
ground, conveniently rolling behind a rock formation. Jack braced himself
against a boulder, and gasped with shock. The cliff was collapsing…and Daniel
and Sam were inside it.
~
“You need to rest.”
“Okay, if I must.”
Sam grinned and slid out of Daniel’s vision.
“Okay, you can lie down now.”
Daniel felt guiding hands take his shoulders and
lower him slowly onto something…soft. And warm, definitely warm.
“Better?”
“Much. Where am I?”
“Well, your head is resting kinda on my stomach.
Softest part of me, I guess.”
Daniel smiled, and settled down. Sam absently
fondled his hair, looking at the peaceful figure before her. Then, the earth moved.
Quite literally.
“Daniel? What’s going on?”
“I don’t know, Sam, but we’re soon gonna find out…”
Daniel raised his arm towards the wall, where a
large crack was forming.
“Oh shit…”
The cliff face fell away, taking Sam and Daniel
with it. Sam grabbed hold of him, and tried to shield him, but they just
bounced mercilessly down the cliff.
~
The tremors stopped and Jack slithered out of the
rocks, nearing the cliff edge and hesitantly peering over. Teal’c joined him,
frowning.
“O’Neill, what is that?”
Teal’c pointed to the large metal sphere embedded
in the cliff, glinting in the sunlight. And at the bottom of the slope, a red
box of lasers snapped on, drawing their attention to it. For inside, was a
dirtied ball of material, and scarily, blood. And Jack’s two best friends were
part of it.
“Oh crap, Teal’c. That’s Danny and Carter in that
box, and they’re not looking so hot…”
“I concur, O’Neill. We must save them.”
“Easier said than done, my friend.”
~
Sam awoke to pain. Lots of pain. She cursed softly
as she caught sight of Daniel Carefully, she pulled herself up, mentally
damning Hathor to hell, or Sokar, or whatever. She gingerly turned him over,
grimacing at cruel injuries that covered his frail body. Gashes and cuts from
the vicious rocks were everywhere, and Sam was unsure where to start. She
looked around the small area and was relieved to find her jacket intact. She
ripped pieces of cloth from it and dressed the worst wounds. There was a nasty
gash just above his eye, and she applied gentle pressure, hoping he wasn’t
dying. She wasn’t sure how dangerous leaving him asleep was; he could be brain
dead…
Sam refused to think it. She just watched over him,
hoping with all her heart that he would be alright.
~
Jack quickly assessed the situation. A figure was
stirring down there, vaguely moving around the other. Jack had no doubt that
was Carter. The other was motionless, sending cold shivers down Jack’s spine.
Daniel…dead? No, it couldn’t be…Jack swallowed down those horrible thoughts, and
concentrated on a plan.
A plan? Huh, that was a laugh! No weapons, no
supplies, no nothing. Even MacGyver needed *something* to work with!
Jack sighed. This had the signs of a long day.
~
Daniel was
vaguely aware of movement around him, and a dull pain in his every muscle. //Oh
well, this is just peachy!// Daniel forced his eyes open, glad to find the sun
just setting.
“Daniel?”
Sam saw him shake his head, and she knelt down
beside him, smiling cheerfully.
“Keep still, Daniel. You fell quite a way.”
“So did you,” he croaked.
Sam sighed. Always her first, never him: it had
always been this way. In Antarctica, finding her had come first, even though he
was practically laid out afterwards with his concussion.
But right now Sam was terrified with him. Almost
drowning, falling down a cliff and now trapped in a box of lasers: this really
wasn’t his day.
“Daniel, I need you to tell me where it hurts.”
“Nowhere really. I’m getting used to it.”
He shifted a little, then winced. Sam shook her
head in mock despair.
“Oh Daniel, what am I going to do with you?”
Her imagination dutifully supplied her with
flashbacks of her dream, and she hurriedly pushed it away. She didn’t need
distractions, not now, not when Daniel was so precariously clinging on to his
precious life.
“Well, I’ve dressed most of your injuries…”
“Sam, you’re bleeding!”
Sam gently touched her cheek, where she could feel
the warm blood dripping down her jaw.
“Oh, it’s just a scratch…”
“No, it isn’t. Let me see.”
Somehow, Daniel managed to pull himself up,
grasping Sam’s shoulder, and touched her face gently.
“It looks quite deep. You should see to it…”
Daniel started to cough again, but this time, more
startlingly, little specks of blood splattered onto the ground. Sam grabbed
hold of him, as he quickly lost his strength.
“Wow, steady!”
She laid him gently across her lap, figuring she
was softer than the rocky ground.
“There, rest now. Save your strength.”
Suddenly, Daniel frowned.
“What about Jack? And Teal’c? Where’ve they got to?
~
“They’ve both moving, that’s one blessing at
least.”
“I concur, O’Neill. However, they are still
confined.”
“Well, I think we can help them.”
Slowly, Jack slid a few metres down the cliff,
shivering slightly at the wind-chill. Teal’c followed, a little to the left, to
avoid showering Jack in rocks. Jack stopped on a ledge just about the metal
sphere. He felt around in his pocket and pulled out his knife. He flicked out
the blade and carefully positioned it in the sunlight.
“What are you attempting, O’Neill?”
“Wait and see, my friends, wait and see.”
~
Sam leaned back against the rocks. It looked to be
about midday, and Sam was thankful. When night came, it would get a lot colder.
She glanced up towards the metal sphere, and frowned. Something was glinting!
“Daniel? Look towards the cliff.”
“What? Beside the sphere? Oh, the flashes!”
Well, she wasn’t hallucinating. Slowly, she slid
from under Daniel, laying him down gently and squinted at the light.
“C-A-R-T-E-R – Carter!”
Sam was excited now. She looked around and spotted
a piece of scrap metal lying on the ground. She carefully positioned it in the
light, and began to sign.
“C-O-L-O-N-E-L-?” she murmured to herself. The
returning flashes excited her further.
“Y-E-S, space, H-O-W, space, I-S, space,
D-A-N-I-E-L-?”
“How is Daniel? Why’s he signing that?”
Sam glanced over at Daniel and smiled.
“O-K,” she lied, hoping that he would buy it.
Daniel just smiled tightly at her, before leaning up on his arms.
Sam read the last few flashes, and then turned to
Daniel.
“He says he’s going to help. We have to hang on.”
“Well, I’m not going anywhere, Sam.”
She smiled and sat down beside him, letting the
breeze ruffle her hair. Breeze?
“Daniel, I can feel the wind.”
“Well, we’re pretty exposed…oh!”
Sam looked around the laser box, trying to work out
where it was coming from.
“It’s coming through the gaps, Sam. Nothing we can
use.”
Sam stopped, knowing he was right, but unwilling to
let go of her hope.
“Daniel, how good are you at botany?”
He frowned at the sudden subject change, then
considered it.
“Okay, I guess. Why?”
Sam pulled a handful of plant material from the
ground and held it out to him.
“Don’t suppose you can work out what’s edible?”
~
“Okay, I told Carter I had a plan. Now we just have
to come up with one.”
“A white lie, O’Neill?”
Jack looked sorrowfully at his friend.
“Yes, but what can we do? How does it all fit
together?”
“The cage is being controlled from the sphere.
Since we know of Hathor’s presence…”
“Oh for crying out loud! She’s been dead for two
years. How can she…”
“Apophis was presumed dead. Hathor is alive,
O’Neill. And she had captured them. For what, I cannot guess.”
//But it
won’t be pretty// Jack thought grimly.
~
“Um…I wouldn’t advise the red stuff. The green,
maybe. Oh look!”
Daniel pointed to a bush outside the cage. A small
rabbit-like creature was nibbling at the green leaves, from the same clump of
bushes as Sam had picked hers. The rabbit ate the leaves, before bouncing off.
“Okay, I guess they’re okay then…”
Another rabbit hopped over, but this time it
nibbled at the red leaves.
“Oh, I got it wrong!”
Sam ignored him, as the rabbit gave a little
shudder and keeled over.
“Wrong, eh?”
“Or…not.”
Daniel picked up the green leaf and took a hesitant
bite, then grimaced.
“It tastes like…”
“Chicken?”
Daniel frowned at her.
“I was going to say MRE.”
“So, chicken then.”
Daniel laughed, wincing when his side hurt.
“Hey, careful.”
Sam put her arm around him, and he leaned into her
embrace, head resting on her shoulder. Sam felt like she could stay there
forever. But Daniel could be dying: she could feel him getting weaker second by
second.
Sam looked
to the sky. The days were only 10 hours long on this world, and dusk was
already beginning to fall. Sam shivered, as the wind began to pick up. Daniel’s
breathing became steady and rhythmic: he was asleep. Sam eased him off her
shoulder, and onto the ground. She looked down on him, sleeping peacefully
there, and she kissed him lightly on the forehead, running her fingers through
his hair.
She sighed to herself, getting to her feet and
moving towards the edge of the force field. She picked up the piece of scrap
metal, grimaced slightly, and then began to tear it. The metal dug into her
fingers, and a jagged edge caught her palm, but soon she had two pieces of
metal in her numbing hands. She dropped them on the ground, while she gathered
a small pile of dried leaves and grasses near to Daniel. She picked up the
metal again, and held them close to the pile. She drew one piece over the
other, and a spark jumped from the metal to the leaves. One of them caught, and
the flames slowly spread from leaf to leaf, until the whole pile caught. Sam
gave a whoop of joy, before quickly gathering a supply of fuel to keep the fire
burning. She returned to Daniel’s side, and sat down on the stony ground.
“Sam the Girl Guide?”
Sam looked down at Daniel and smiled. She helped
him sit up, wincing at her cut palm.
“Sam, what’ve you done?”
Daniel held her hand in his, as she supported him
with her free arm. He took another piece of Sam’s jacket, and bound it around
her hand.
“There, be careful.”
“Hey, same goes to you.”
Sam shivered, suddenly missing her jacket. Warm
arms encircled her, and she sank into Daniel’s embrace. He guided her gently to
the ground, letting her rest on his shoulder.
“Thank you, Daniel.”
“You’re welcome, Sam.”
~
Jack shivered. They couldn’t risk a fire: - too
obvious. He hugged his knees to his chest, secretly envious of Sam and Daniel,
all warm and cosy…//Okay, I am not thinking these thoughts. I’m not, no way,
not them…oh hell, they aren’t, are they?//
“Teal’c, your eyesight’s good…what are they doing…I
mean, how are they?”
“They are fine, O’Neill.”
Jack heard the Jaffa’s bemused tone, and felt
himself reddening. //Does everyone know? Janet? Hammond? But, hang on,
nothing’s actually happened, has it?//
“O’Neill, you are worried.”
“Yeah, Teal’c, I’m worried.”
//More than I should be. What *are* they doing down
there?//
“O’Neill, they appear to be asleep. They are
not…doing anything…untoward.”
Jack smiled to himself. //Well, at least, I’m not
the only one//
~
#There is no sign?#
Her First Prime shook his head. She relaxed against
the side of her throne, allowing her head to sink into the cushions.
#It is of no consequence. It is my Chosen I want
with me#
“So, what of the other?”
Hathor stretched her hands against the arms of her
chair, feeling the disease grip her. But, she was still a Goddess here.
#Kill her#
~
Sam was soon asleep, but Daniel was kept awake by
the persistent pain. Not to mention the cool rain that fell like mist all
around them. He hugged Sam to him, unconsciously mirroring last night. Last
night - when Sam had woken from her dream, and then resettled herself *with him*.
Daniel looked down on her then, and smiled sadly. He would lose her soon, he
would lose everything – he had felt like this before, when the light had
afflicted him. This feeling was dying. Slowly destroyed from the inside – and
then condemned to darkness.
Suddenly, Daniel heard a low whistle, and part of
the force field sparked, then flickered out.
“Sam? Sam! Wake up! Look at this!”
Sam opened her eyes lazily, as Daniel pointed to
the blank space where the lasers had been.
“You think its safe?”
“Yeah. You have to go…”
“What? What about you?”
Daniel took her face in his hand, letting tears
prick his eyes.
“Sam, I’m dying,” he whispered.
“No, Daniel, I can’t believe that…”
“Believe it, Sam! I can’t even get up. Get out of
here, while you still can…”
“But I don’t want to lose you.”
They were both speaking in whispers now, voices
thick with emotion.
“Go.”
Sam got up, as the rain poured down, and lightening
flashed across the sky. Sam kissed Daniel softly, before running towards the
gap, and rolled through. Seconds later, the lasers snapped back, and Daniel
watched her run for the cover of the scrub.
Bang! A shot of fire headed towards her position,
and she dived. Daniel was alert now. It was a trap!
Suddenly, Jaffa burst onto the scene. Daniel’s
heart beat wildly: they were after Sam! He had sent her out there, and they
were going to slaughter her!
Then, something strange happened. An arm grabbed
her, and she was thrown into a bush. Daniel watched in horror, as the Jaffa
advanced, but they stopped. They called to each other in confusion – where is
she? They’d lost her. Daniel sighed in relief. A Jaffa turned towards the laser
cage, pressed a button on his armband and the whole thing vanished.
“Your friend may have escaped, Daniel Jackson, but
you will not be so lucky.”
//Okay, he knows my name!// Daniel couldn’t find
the strength to move, as the Jaffa approached, a sadistic smile on his face.
Now, Daniel was worried. //Hell, they weren’t after
Sam// The Jaffa stopped, and fired his cattle prod. //They were after me//
~
Sam fought back tears, struggling against Jack’s
iron grip. Daniel’s body was tossed like a rag doll in the electric turbulence…
“Sir, he needs me…”
“You’re no use to him dead, Sam.”
They stopped the electricity, and gloated over his
motionless form. Then, they grabbed his arm and dragged him roughly up the
mountainside. Sam finally broke free of Jack, but was stopped by Teal’c’s hand
on her arm.
“No, Samantha, you cannot help him yet.”
Sam collapsed to her knees and buried her head in
her hands. Jack awkwardly put his arm around her shoulder. He cared for Sam,
more than he had any right to, but he knew she would never feel the same.
However, Daniel…the total emptiness when he was gone, the absolute joy when he
returned, and the strange, consuming affection for each other that stunned
worlds. But it was undeniably present, in everything that they did.
“Sir, we have to help him. I should’ve stayed, to
protect him. It’s all my fault…”
“Sam, you can’t think like that. We’re going to
save him.”
//There’s no other way//
~
Hathor stared at the bruised and bloodied form of
her most Beloved. She summoned enough strength to slip off her throne and brush
back his hair.
#You should’ve taken him carefully. You have made
him suffer#
The Jaffa was taken aback, but Hathor looked up at
him, mischievously.
#Dress him in fine silken cloth. Then, place him in
my chamber. My time is near.#
The Jaffa bowed, and took the limp form away.
Hathor stared after him, then glanced at the blood on the floor. She smiled
sadly. She could not die making love – so, she must die with her love.
For he would serve her into eternity – dying by her
side.
~
They made their way up the steep embankment, Sam
striding ahead. She ignored her injuries, and protesting limbs. She must see
Daniel again, if only for precious seconds…Sam blinked back tears. She hadn’t
told the others about his condition. They mustn’t know how bad he was – they
would dishearten, crumble, fail. Like Sam was doing inside. She knew he
wouldn’t ‘bounce back’ – he may not even survive. Seconds made all the
difference, and Sam wouldn’t waste one.
She ran straight into the clearing. Jack and Teal’c
shouted behind her, but followed blindly. A young Jaffa ran towards them,
pointing his staff weapon shakily towards them.
“I have caught the Destroyers!” he breathed
excitedly. He reached for his ring transporter, obviously very pleased with
himself. The rings crashed around them, and Jack started to count.
“One…”
They began to materialise inside the base.
“…two…”
The rings shifted back into the ceiling, and the
Jaffa was very excited now.
“…THREE!”
Sam turned and wrestled the staff weapon away,
whilst Jack and Teal’c checked the corridor. Sam pointed the weapon at the
cowering young man, and knelt down beside him, pulling back his head.
“Where has Hathor taken…her Chosen?”
“To…to…to the ch…ch…chambers.”
Suddenly, the Jaffa seemed to regain his control,
and Sam fired. He fell back, limp. Sam strode off into the corridor, followed
by an astounded Jack and Teal’c. They moved soundlessly through the hallways,
inching towards their goal.
Jack just hoped they’d reach him in time; Sam knew
it was already too late.
~
Hathor lay back on her soft bed, as her Chosen was
laid out beside her. His breathing was quite laboured now, and she gently lay
her hand across his chest. She turned weakly to her Jaffa.
#When I breathe my last, you are to slit his
throat. Then, return to the natives of this world – offer them as a sacrifice
to me. That is all#
The Jaffa shifted uncomfortably. His goddess was
dying – but gods did not die. As she had got weaker, her host had surfaced –
but nothing of the host survives. The goddess wanted her Chosen with her, she
loved him – but gods were above emotion. His mind was rife with confusion.
Somehow, ritual suicide didn’t seem so appealing when there was nothing to die
for.
He left the room quietly, trying to forget these
nagging feelings of doubt. He ran towards the armoury, and was confronted with
three Tau’ri. His eyes widened.
“Please, do not kill me. Are you here to rescue the
Chosen?”
Sam stopped, and frowned at the Jaffa. Jack and
Teal’c looked at each other.
“Your equipment is this way.”
The Jaffa turned, and marched down the corridor.
Sam shrugged, and followed. Jack thought this was a bit too easy - a Jaffa
willing to help? //Actually, not too unfamiliar// Jack thought, glancing at
Teal’c. He gestured to a small side room, and their equipment was stuffed in a
corner. Sam dived in and grabbed Daniel’s small handgun, and his small bag,
before racing off down the corridor. Jack and Teal’c grabbed what they could
and ran after her, hearts pounding wildly.
Sam skidded round the corner, to meet a fully armed
Jaffa platoon. The whole scene took on a sense of unreality, as they, as if in
slow motion, raised their staff weapons. Sam let out a volley of shots,
knocking over a couple of warriors. The others opened fire, and Sam rolled to
the floor. Jack, Teal’c and the renegade Jaffa had reached her now, and she was
caught in the crossfire. Slowly, she slithered to the wall, and edged along the
floor, as all hell broke loose.
The corridor, with its noise and searing heat,
faded into the background, as she moved towards the doorway that lay ahead. At
last, she moved out of the firing line, and slipped silently through the
doorway.
The room was shadowed, black, grey – a sense of
death pervaded this place. But, wasn’t that appropriate? For she had not come
to save her love; she had come to die with him.
She could make out their shapes on the bed, two
weakened figures, lying side by side. Abruptly, one turned, and an eerie light
filled the room. Sam raised the gun and fired twice. The figure slumped back,
life draining. Sam walked slowly around the bed, chest tightening. His fever
bright eyes stared back at her, as she gently lowered him off the bed and into
her lap.
“You came,” he said simply.
The mayhem continued in the hallway but they were
oblivious. Sam gently pulled her hand away from him for a moment, reaching into
his bag and removing the notepad and pen.
“What are you doing, Sam?”
“It doesn’t matter.” //Nothing matters anymore//
As he began to fade away, she wrote, writing smooth
and flowing words. Clarity began to pervade her senses like awakening from a dream.
This was dawn, and the sun was shining, calling them.
Slowly, gradually, almost silently, he slipped from
her grasp. She gently closed his eyes, trailing her fingers down his chilled
features. She stared down at the paper, the words melting before her, and she
wrote one, last message. Heaving her gun into her hand, and holding Daniel’s
body close to her, she whispered:
“Our love does not end in death”
Slowly, she raised the gun to her temple, feeling
the sun shining brighter than it had ever done before.
As Jack downed the last Jaffa, a shot rang through
the silent hallways.
The nightmares were real – and death was queen.
‘A natural thing’ follows