Icy rain pelted the vehicle’s windshield with a force that seemed likely to cause damage at any moment. The single wiper struggled in vain to clear the quickly thickening sheen of ice that kept visibility at minimal. Not that getting the ice cleared would have improved the situation. Outside, the rain was hammering the landscape, obliterating the rough dirt track they were trying to follow. They slowly rounded a barely seen curve, rear wheels fishtailing momentarily before regaining their tenuous purchase and inching them forward again.

Sam clutched the armrests of her seat, wishing again that the Pelaris engineers had designed seatbelts.

“Perhaps we should return to the city,” observed Teal’c calmly. The vehicle skidded again as they began to climb a slight incline.

“It’s too far,” answered the vehicle’s driver.

“Teal’c is right, Caren,” cautioned Sam. “We can’t go on in this mess.”

“We’re over halfway there,” said the young man. “I’d rather get you to the ruins so you can return to your home. Your Colonel O’Neill said you must make a report to your superiors.”

“It can wait,” explained Sam. “The colonel didn’t expect the weather to turn this nasty so suddenly.” None of them had. “And anyway,” she continued, “What are you supposed to do if we make it to the gate? Go back on your own?”

“There is shelter at the site,” Caren replied. “Our historians spent many cycles studying the ruins before abandoning them,” he told her. “I will be able to wait out the storm safely.”

Only if we make it there, thought Sam as the wheels began spinning again. The vehicle lurched forward. They had crested the small hill.

“Does your world always experience such weather?” asked Teal’c as Caren nudged the vehicle slowly down the incline.

“This is unusual for this time of the year,” admitted Caren. “We have had some unusually warm weather recently. Normally, these mountains would be covered with snow.”

Sam recalled the data from the UAV they had sent before coming through the gate. The gate on P3X-953 was located in the foothills of a large mountain range. In actuality, the terrain was very similar to the area around Cheyenne Mountain but the Pelarans had yet to construct a more permanent roadway to the gate. The gate site had simply been an often under-funded archeological curiosity for their historians, at least until Sg-1 had come tramping down the mountain pathway and introduced themselves to the residents of the small town they called Miner’s Crossing. A nice four-lane freeway would be good right about now, thought Sam as the vehicle jigged slightly sideways when its wheels hit yet another icy patch of mud. A weather satellite wouldn’t be so bad either, she thought ruefully. Caren had been certain they could beat the worst part of the storm, but conditions had quickly become more severe than had been thought possible.

Traveling back to the gate in the ground vehicle had seemed like a good idea at the time. The colonel had joked that it sure beat a hike of nearly fifty klicks in the freezing rain, even if it wasn’t exactly a humvee that was being offered. Caren’s transport was run by a simple four-stroke diesel engine and had minimal luxuries but at least they were dry and halfway warm.

Sam wondered if General Hammond would mind sharing a few simple ideas with the Pelarans as a goodwill gesture. The Pelarans were in the midst of a booming industrial revolution, but anti-lock brakes and four-wheel drives were a long way off. The transport skidded again. Heck, simple snow tires would be useful at the moment.

She hoped the colonel was comfy back at Miner’s Crossing.

* * * * *

Colonel Jack O’Neill was aimlessly pacing in front of a window that looked out on one of the city’s small open squares, wondering why he even bothered trying to see something through it. His sleeve was damp from his constant use of it as a low-tech defroster. The clear spot he’d just created in the fogged up glass was already rapidly disappearing. He impatiently wiped his shirtsleeve across the surface again and stuck his nose to the glass. Nothing, he told himself. The rain was making it impossible to see more than a few feet out anyway. He could feel the chill of the icy wind-blown downpour even through the double-paned window glass.

Jack couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that had been bugging him for the last hour or so as he’d watched the weather outside get steadily worse. Why hadn’t he just waited to send Carter and Teal’c to the gate instead of letting Daniel and that kid talk him into letting them leave? Daniel hadn’t wanted to go back yet. He was too busy wowing the natives with his linguistic expertise and ability to translate Goa’uld writing. Caren had insisted the weather would hold and that his ‘car’ would make it with no problem. It was a trip he had made many times. Jack had been skeptical but Carter had wanted to go ahead anyway. Hammond was expecting the team back tomorrow and she’d been worried that the coming storm would make things more difficult if they waited.

The door at his left opened with a bang and O’Neill cursed inwardly as the rain blew in, threatening to soak everything within reach. Daniel stepped in, stomping his feet in the doorway.

“Damn it, Daniel! Close the door!” shouted O’Neill. What the hell good was stomping your feet, he wondered, when the wind was driving the rain halfway into the room anyway? He shook his head and refrained from adding a few more choice words for Daniel’s benefit, deciding instead to simply close the door himself. As he pushed past Daniel to close the door, he felt the icy sting of the rain as it pelted his exposed skin. The temperature was dropping rapidly, he realized. The Pelaran’s so-called warm spell was definitely over, he decided. Wasn’t it just his luck to drop his team out of the gate just two days before what would likely turn out to be the biggest storm these people had seen in a decade? Should’ve been here last week, he thought to himself. Isn’t that the way it always goes?

Daniel pulled back the hood of his parka and ran a hand through his damp hair. Unzipping the jacket, he shrugged it off managing to douse O’Neill with yet another shower of water droplets. He tossed it in the corner to join the colonel’s own still soaked parka and their packs where they lay on the floor. He took off his glasses and wiped ineffectively at them with an un-tucked shirttail as he walked across the room to stand in front of the metal register that radiated heat and warmed the room.

“It’s getting colder,” he informed Jack.

“Thank you for the weather report, Daniel.” Daniel turned his back to the register when he heard Jack’s tone of voice. He sounded anything but grateful. Jack was standing at the window by the door again, hands shoved into the pockets of his fatigues, a serious look on his face. “Are you done playing with your new best friends?” he asked coldly. Daniel sighed. Jack was in one of his moods.

“For today,” he said carefully, hoping to avoid an O’Neill temper tantrum. “They have a lot more they want me to look at. Rayna and her students are anxious for me to help them finish those translations. With my help, they’ve gotten through more in one day than they’ve managed on their own in the past year,” he explained. He wasn’t boasting. It had been simple enough to accomplish, considering he was fluent in the Goa’uld language. “I have a rough estimate of how long it’s been since the Goa’uld abandoned the naquadah mine after it played itself out. At least a couple of centuries…”

“Are they gonna show up again in the next week?” snapped Jack, sounding irritated. Daniel briefly considered braving the elements again and asking Rayna if he could stay at the museum and work through the night.

“Uh, no…” he said instead. “I seriously doubt it, Jack.”

“Well, then,” snapped Jack, turning to face the window again, “who the hell cares how long it’s been?” Daniel sighed again, but wisely refused to comment. Jack was definitely headed for a full-blown O’Neill blowup.

Daniel thought again of beating a hasty retreat but knew it would just set Jack off that much sooner. Rather than start an argument, he opted for lighting the fire. The wood was already stacked in the fireplace; Jack just hadn’t bothered to strike a match. Despite Jack’s annoyance at his wet entrance, Daniel didn’t really think his mind was on the weather that much. Or at least it wasn’t on how it affected his comfort at the moment. Daniel knew Jack’s mind was most probably focused on the likely whereabouts of Carter and Teal’c. Daniel also knew with a sick sort of certainty that it was just a matter of time before Jack’s thoughts focused on something else…like just who had convinced him that it wasn’t necessary for all four of them to return to Earth in order to update General Hammond. Sam had been excited at the level of technology the Pelarans had achieved. Caren had been thrilled when Sam had heaped praise on his ‘car’. The kid had just about busted with excitement when she actually seemed interested in his tale of how he’d rebuilt the engine himself. Jack had laughed with Daniel, commenting on the fact that the Caren would probably wet himself if he had an inkling of the types of ‘transports’ they had back at home. Good thing he’s not here now, thought Daniel. Jack would probably describe them in detail just to be spiteful.

With the fire starting to blaze, Daniel let himself collapse into one of the high-backed chairs positioned near the fireplace. His back ached from the hours spent pouring over musty smelling books with Rayna’s students. Rotating his head to work the kinks out of his neck, he risked a glance at Jack. O’Neill wiped viciously at the window with the sleeve of his jacket in a doomed attempt to see outside. He reconsidered his earlier relief that Caren wasn’t around to be on the receiving end of Jack’s volatile mood. If Caren had been here then, by logical extension, Sam and Teal’c would be around also and Jack wouldn’t be so edgy. Daniel stared into the fireplace, watching silently as the larger logs began to catch.

“Where’s the professor?”

Daniel abandoned his meditative stare into the fire’s flames and looked up at Jack. He disregarded the urge to correct him in his use of the word ‘professor’ knowing it would only fuel the fire he saw in Jack’s eyes. Rayna wasn’t a ‘professor’ as Jack had used the word; she was more like an archeologist, teacher, and storyteller all rolled into one neat package.

“She’s still working with some of the students,” answered Daniel. “She told me we should make ourselves comfortable and she’d be back later.” They were in her home. She had graciously offered to play host to Sg-1 during their stay, claiming it would be good to fill up the big old empty house. With a husband several years dead due to some sort of long-term illness, and two older daughters married and caring for families of their own, Rayna had seemed genuinely happy to have guests to fuss over. Caren barely seemed to need her anymore, she had cheerfully complained. With her son nearly seventeen, she had explained, it wouldn’t be long before he was on his own also, leaving her in the house by herself.

Not likely, thought Daniel. In the two days that he’d been here, the house had been filled to the rafters with visitors, mostly students, who seemed to consider themselves a part of Rayna’s extended family. If they hadn’t been so intrigued by the puzzle of the translations he’d been helping with, he figured they would have been sleeping in the corners when Rayna had appropriated the available bedrooms for the members of Sg-1. He’d gotten the impression that Rayna’s home usually served as a de-facto dorm and gathering place for the tightly knit group.

“I thought you said you wanted to work with them. Isn’t that why we stayed?” Jack crossed the room to stand in front of Daniel.

“I have been working with them, Jack. I thought I’d better check-in with you to see if you had heard anything from Teal’c and Sam.” Daniel waited for what he knew was coming next.

“Oh,” said Jack. “I can see how concerned you are.”

“Don’t blame me for the weather, Jack,” warned Daniel. “None of us had any idea it would get this bad.”

“You’re the only reason we’re sitting here,” was the reply. “We should have all gone back to report to Hammond. They’ve tried for years to figure out that stuff. Waiting a few more days wouldn’t have killed them.”

“Your right,” admitted Daniel. “I just thought it might be a good idea to start things off on the right foot with the Pelarans if we plan to establish any sort of trade with them.”

“What do they have that we want? Gas heat and electric lights that were considered old on Earth 60 years ago? Cars just slightly more advanced than a horse and carriage?”

“So we’re only supposed to care about cultures with technology more advanced than ours?”

“Yeah, well…if you’ll remember, Daniel,” snapped Jack, “I believe that’s somewhere in the job description.”

“This planet offers a lot of natural resources. They haven’t spent the last century sucking every bit of crude oil they can find out of the ground and cutting down rainforests. I’m sure someone in the Pentagon will see the potential benefit in establishing trade so they can point out the flaws in the Pelaran industrial plan.”

“Daniel, if you’re that worried about how we’re gonna screw up their planet why are you so anxious to become chummy?”

“Maybe it’s because I think we have something to offer to them, Jack. Would you rather treat them they way the Tollan and Asgard have treated us? Are they too ‘immature’ as a race to be trusted with our level of technology?” Jack just glared at him.

“It’s not the same,” he countered. “The Goa’uld don’t seem to be interested in wiping them out. I don’t think the Pelarans have done much lately that would piss off any system lords.”

“No, they haven’t,” replied Daniel. “The only person around here who seems to be pissed off is you. Why don’t we fight about what’s really bothering you, okay Jack? Sam and Teal’c are headed for the gate in the middle of an ice storm and you blame me for the fact that we aren’t out there with them.”

Jack gaped at him in surprise. Daniel rarely passed up an opportunity for a philosophical debate on the importance of understanding and appreciating another culture. Today, however, he’d already had enough of Jack’s mean-spiritedness and he really was starting to worry about Sam and Teal’c.

“Did you try the radio?” asked Daniel. Jack had ordered Sam to check-in when they reached the gate. “I’m sure they would have called in by now if they had run into any major trouble, but I don’t think Sam will feel to put out if you tried checking on them.”

“Carter knows when to report a problem,” said Jack. Daniel wondered which of them he was trying to reassure and was grateful that Jack’s anger seemed to have been dialed back a bit.

“Get her on the radio, Jack,” suggested Daniel. “Then we’ll both feel better.”

* * * * *

“Carter. Do you read me?”

Caren twisted his head to look at Sam. Keep watching the road, she begged in her head. The boy was fascinated by the radios. She’d nearly had to physically restrain him to keep him from taking one of them apart to learn how it worked. She thumbed the transmit button on the radio.

“Yes, sir,” she answered. “I read you.”

“Where are you?” demanded the colonel. Smiling at the question, Sam looked at Teal’c. She thought about making a joke but the colonel sounded way too serious.

“I’m not sure, sir,” she told him. “It’s difficult to see the landmarks and it’s been slow going. The weather has turned pretty serious.”

“Turn around and come back to town,” ordered O’Neill. Sam threw Caren a look that said I-told-you-so and thumbed the button on the radio again.

“Sir, I’m not sure if that’s such a good idea. We’re over halfway there and Caren is planning to wait out the storm at the gate site before returning. I don’t want to be on this road any longer than necessary.”

“Carter, is that contraption you’re in gonna make it that far?”

“Yes sir. I think so,” she responded, ignoring the hurt expression on Caren’s face.

“Okay then,” came the colonel’s voice. “Carter, if the going gets too bad, you tell that kid to pull over and hunker down ‘til the weather improves. You got that?”

“Understood, sir,” she acknowledged.

“Report immediately if the situation changes,” he ordered.

“Yes sir. Colonel, you don’t suppose the Pelarans have anything like Triple A yet? Just in case?” she joked.

“Carter, just tell that kid to watch what the hell he’s doing and it won’t be an issue!”

“Yes sir!”

“I’m not finding too much to laugh about right now,” he said. “Keep me updated. O’Neill out.”

“Yes, sir,” she repeated. “Carter out.”

Sam took her hand from the radio and looked at Teal’c and Caren.

“He’s just concerned for our safety,” she explained to Caren as a way of apologizing for the colonel’s remarks. “I should have let him know how we are doing before now,” she told Teal’c. “He expected us to reach the gate by now and check-in.”

“We could not have anticipated the change in conditions,” said Teal’c. “O’Neill is angry with himself for allowing us to be in this situation when it is due to something beyond his control.” Teal’c understood the colonel a lot more than many people realized, mused Sam. He was blaming himself. O’Neill was always in a dangerous mood when he wasn’t cracking jokes.

“Poor Daniel,” said Sam. “He probably wishes he were with us instead of stuck back in town with an irate colonel.” Teal’c didn’t comment, which said more about what he was thinking than most people might imagine. The wind rocked the transport from side to side and they skidded across the road again. Sam sighed and hoped fervently that the worry she had heard in the colonel’s voice would come to nothing.

* * * * *

“See, Jack. Sam knows what she’s doing,” Daniel said reassuringly.

“She shouldn’t be out there,” growled O’Neill.

“They can handle themselves. Sam won’t let Caren do anything stupid. She’ll make him stop if she feels it’s necessary. And anyway, Teal’c is there. Do you really think Caren will argue with him?”

Jack supposed Daniel was right, although he didn’t admit it aloud. Caren was a little in awe of all four of them actually. They had breezed into his life and changed his worldview entirely.

“I just wish we’d had some warning that the weather was gonna turn this quickly. I’d have never let them go.”

“They’ll be fine, Jack,” said Daniel certainly.

* * * * *

The slipping and sliding was becoming a familiar routine. Sam had long since stopped tensing every time the wheels began spinning or when they moved sideways instead of forward. Although the cloud cover and blowing rain had made visibility extremely poor it was now getting worse. Daylight was fading quickly. Their progress was minimal and when Caren stopped, it took her a moment to even register the fact that they were no longer moving.

“What is it?” she asked.

“The river,” answered Caren. “It’s running really high.” Sam remembered the river from the UAV photos and from their hike to Miner’s Crossing when they had arrived. The road ran across it at a shallow point that created a natural ford. The team had removed boots and socks and had waded across rather than complete the trek in soggy boots. The colonel had joked that he thought he’d gotten frostbite from the icy water because he could no longer feel his toes. Sam strained to make out the scene in front of them.

‘Running high’ was an understatement. The river had overflowed its banks and was nearly half-again as wide as it had been previously. The water was churning violently and Sam saw lots of debris being tossed around as it was carried downstream. The road dipped down sharply from this side before leveling off and vanishing into the roiling water. It reappeared on the opposite side where it climbed the far bank. Caren accelerated again, moving the vehicle down the incline toward the river.

“I do not believe we should attempt to make the crossing,” warned Teal’c. Sam agreed but Caren spoke again before she could say so.

“I just want to get out and get a closer look,” he explained. “You don’t really want to trudge up and down this hill and get any wetter than we have to, do you?” As they reached the bottom of the incline, he stopped again. Sam saw the small pile of stones where she’d sat and put her boots back on after they had waded across. Those stones had been at least six feet from the river’s edge but now they were nearly underwater. Caren grabbed his hat and pulled it down over his ears.

“Caren, I don’t think you need to bother…” began Sam, but the young man was already opening his door.

“It might not be as bad as it looks,” he said hopefully. He closed the door. Sam sighed and looked at Teal’c.

“We better go talk to him,” she said. “It looks like this is the end of the road.”

Teal’c looked again at the rushing torrent ahead of them.

“Indeed.”

Sam and Teal’c pulled the hoods of their parkas up as they got out. With the icy rain beating down on them, Sam wondered why she had even bothered with the hood. They were almost instantly soaked. Caren was standing at the river’s edge, shoulders hunched against the freezing rain. He turned toward them as they came to stand behind him.

“Caren, we need to find a place to hole up until we can make it back to town,” explained Sam gently. “There’s no way we’ll get across that,” she told him, nodding her head at the river behind him.

“But you need to get to the gate!”

“You heard what Colonel O’Neill said on the radio. He ordered us back to Miner’s Crossing if we ran into any problems. I think this qualifies.”

“O’Neill would not want us to risk our lives,” added Teal’c. “He will not find fault with you for having to turn back.”

“He said the transport wouldn’t make it,” Caren said sullenly. “Would the transports from your world be able to cross?” he asked turning to walk back to the vehicle.

“I doubt it,” lied Sam. She motioned Teal’c to follow him. “I need to update the colonel,” she told him quietly. She didn’t want to embarrass Caren any further by letting him hear the sure to be scathing remarks from her commanding officer. Teal’c nodded and moved to stand near Caren by the vehicle. Sam reached inside her parka and slipped the radio from its loop on her shoulder. Zipping up her parka again, she thumbed the transmit button.

“Colonel, this is Carter. Do you read?” She was surprised at how quickly he responded.

“Yeah, Carter. I read you. Problems?”

“Well, sir. Sort of,” she said, picturing the look on his face. “That river that crosses the road is flooded. Teal’c and I don’t think Caren’s ‘car’ will make it across. We’re going to hole up for awhile until we can turn around and make our way back to town.”

“Damn it! I knew that heap wasn’t gonna handle this ice storm.”

“Sir, you really shouldn’t blame Caren. He didn’t know what we’d be dealing with out here.”

“Whatever,” he snapped back. “Let me know when you start to head back so we know when to expect you.”

“Yes, sir.” Sam hoped he would have enough time to calm down before they made it back to town. She wasn’t sure if the colonel had yet realized that he’d picked up another number-one-fan in Caren. Caren hung on his every word whenever the colonel was around.

Sam turned to head back to the vehicle. She heard a distant roar from upstream. Instinctively, she turned to face it and saw the wall of rushing water as it came around the river bend. Flash flood! She was amazed at her mind’s ability to process the phenomena and recognize it an instant even as she understood with a sense of dread that there wasn’t time to reach safety.

“Teal’c! Caren! Run! Up, up! Go up!” she yelled frantically as she started running herself. She saw them recognize the danger. Caren tried to come toward her, but Teal’c grabbed his arm and began pulling him up the slope. Sam refused to look at the wall of water as it thundered towards her; she simply ran. I might make it, she thought as she tried to push her body to move faster but the icy mud under her feet made things more difficult. She slipped- losing precious seconds, but was able stay on her feet. She had almost reached the car when the world spun out from under her.

The shock of the water as it slammed into her knocked her breathless. Cold! Numbing cold that wrapped itself around her and sent her tumbling into the river’s depths. It felt as if a gigantic fist had swatted her to the ground. A second jolt sent pain streaking through her right shoulder. In some still rational corner of her mind, she realized that she just been pounded into the river bottom. She struggled to comprehend which way was up but she was being tossed around like a cork. Her lungs burned. I can’t breathe, she screamed in her head. She felt a knee grind painfully and desperately pushed with her feet.

Her head broke the surface and she sucked in a welcome lungful of air before the rushing water forced her under again. She kicked violently and tried using her arms to force her way back to the surface. Her right arm was useless. Suddenly, she surfaced again. She took another breath and tried to point her feet downstream. Bashing her head in was the last thing she needed. The current threatened to pull her under again, but she managed to keep her head up this time. She was no longer in the front wave of the flood of water that had snatched her away. It had rolled over her and moved on and now she was simply being swept away by the raging current at the river’s center.

She tried to look ahead to see if there was a place on either bank that offered her a chance to get to shore. All she could see were steep banks that would be impossible to climb with a useless arm. She spotted nothing that she might grab hold of to stop her downstream tumble. She could places where trees had been nearly uprooted by the water’s power. She tried not to think of Teal’c or Caren. She hadn’t seen if they had made it to safety before the flood had washed her away. The cold was a physical ache in her entire body. She tried not to panic when she realized the radio was gone; she’d still been holding it in her hand when the water had hit. Even if she made it out of the river, without help she’d likely freeze to death before she could find shelter.

A whirling eddy sucked her under again, spinning her like a rag doll. She surfaced, breathed, and tried to orient herself again. Trying to turn her feet downstream again, she never saw the uprooted tree. Her body slammed into it, once again driving the air from her lungs. The current pulled her legs under the tree trunk and smashed her into the barrier a second time. She screamed as her ribs were crushed painfully against the tree. The current seemed to reach out and grab her legs, trying to yank her under. She clawed with her left hand, trying to grab hold of the tree trunk, hoping to pull herself to relative safety. It hurt to breathe. She managed to hook her arm over the tree trunk and hung there momentarily. She couldn’t catch her breath and the cold had sapped her strength. The current seemed to renew its attack and she slipped lower into the water, her cheek scraping against the rough bark. The river tugged viciously and Sam lost her grip. She slipped under; certain that, this time, she would not resurface.

* * * * *

“Major Carter!” Caren screamed as Teal’c pulled him to the top of the rise. “Major!” Caren pulled himself from Teal’c’s grip and looked down to where she had been. She was gone. So was his transport. “Major Carter!” he yelled again.

Teal’c surveyed the scene below him. Major Carter could not be seen. The flash flood had obliterated the low-lying flat space where Caren’s vehicle had been stopped. He looked downriver; hoping to see the major although he understood there was little possibility of finding her so close. The force of the water had been very powerful.

“Shouting will not help her,” said Teal’c.

“She’s dead! She’s dead and it’s my fault,” cried Caren. “I should have turned around when you asked me to… It was stupid to think we could cross!”

“You are not to blame,” rumbled Teal’c. “The flood could not have been foreseen.”

“I’m sorry,” sobbed Caren, falling to his knees. “This shouldn’t have happened…”

“You are not helping the situation,” admonished Teal’c. “There is a possibility that I will be able to locate her downstream.”

“What?” Caren looked up at the big man standing over him. “You can’t think…”

“Major Carter has survived many terrible events. I have learned not to underestimate her will to live. There is little time, however. It will be dark very soon.”

“What are you going to do if you find her? Even if she is alive, she’ll probably be hurt badly. You don’t have any medical supplies. Everything was in the transport!”

“I will not abandon her,” explained Teal’c. I will inform O’Neill of the situation. They must send help. If Major Carter is still alive, she will need medical assistance.”

“You’ll freeze! It’s going to get colder when night comes.” Caren was already shaking with cold. The rain had lessened but he was soaked through.

“I will be fine,” assured Teal’c. His symbiote would help sustain him a longer period of time than Caren could manage. “You must return to your home. I will instruct Colonel O’Neill to send someone to meet you.”

“I’m not leaving. I want to help you find Major Carter,” pleaded Caren.

“You will die,” said Teal’c. “You must go back. There is no time for argument.” Teal’c’s tone was hard. The boy regarded him with a shocked expression. Teal’c was unmoved; there was no time to soothe hurt feelings. He reached for the radio that was still clipped to his shoulder. It was time to inform O’Neill of the situation. O’Neill will not be pleased, thought Teal’c as he thumbed the button on the radio.

* * * * *

Jack sat uneasily in a chair by the fireplace. The radio crackled in his lap and he snatched it up.

“O’Neill. It is Teal’c.”

“Teal’c?” Jack asked, feeling an unexpected sense of dread. “Where’s Carter?” he demanded. Daniel sat up in his chair and looked at Jack quizzically.

“There is a problem.” Jack shot out of his chair to stand on his feet; his body went rigid.

“Where’s Carter?” he repeated, unaware that he was yelling. Carter was supposed to report in, his mind kept telling him. It should have been Carter on the radio, not Teal’c.

“There was a flash flood. She was swept away.” Jack had difficulty processing the words. I just talked to her, he thought. This can’t be happening!

Daniel had gone pale. They’ll be fine, he’d said. His chest tightened and his eyes burned. It was beyond his comprehension.

“Teal’c, what the hell happened?” yelled Jack.

“She did not have time to make it up the bank. Caren’s transport was also washed away. I intend to search for her, O’Neill.”

“Where’s the kid?”

“Caren is here. We were nearer to the bank. We reached safety before the floodwater could reach us. I am concerned for the boy’s well-being. The temperature is decreasing rapidly. I have instructed him to return toward the town. You must send someone to assist him.”

“Understood. We’ll be heading your way ASAP. What’s your supply status?”

“The packs were lost with Caren’s transport. We have nothing.”

Jack winced and took a breath. Even if Teal’c found Carter…

“Okay, Teal’c. We’ll bring what we can.”

“You must hurry, O’Neill,” said Teal’c. “If I am able, I will bring Major Carter back upriver to the road when I find her. If we are not there, then you must make your way downriver. I will be following the river’s path.” When he finds her, thought Jack, not if. He wished he felt as confident as Teal’c sounded.

“Understood. Let me know…” said Jack, his voice trailing off as he considered that he might not want to know. “Good luck,” he said simply. “O’Neill out.”

“Thank you, O’Neill. Teal’c out.”

Feeling numbed, Jack lowered the radio. I should be moving, he thought. Doing something. He mentally gave himself a kick. Moving to the corner of the room, he picked up his parka.

“Daniel, what kind of medical help can the Pelaran’s give us?” he asked, slipping into the parka and zipping it up.

“Jack…” Daniel’s voice caught in his throat. He couldn’t seem to get the words out. “She…” he looked away, unable to meet Jack’s gaze.

“Damn it, Daniel! Don’t you dare lose it now!” he shouted. “Don’t think about it; just help me figure out the quickest way to get to them.”

“We, uh… need to talk to Rayna,” said Daniel hesitantly. “She’ll know who we need to see.” He walked over to stand by Jack, who picked up his parka and tossed it to him. Jack snatched up his pack and settled it on his shoulders. He buckled up the straps and secured the radio while Daniel put his parka on.

Daniel shouldered his pack and fumbled with the straps. Jack was already headed for the door. Ahead of him, Jack opened the door and stepped outside without bothering to look back to see if Daniel was behind him. Daniel secured the straps and quickly followed, slowing only momentarily to pull the door shut behind him.

The museum was a few blocks over, situated on the town’s main square. Jack strode along rapidly, seemingly immune to the cold. Daniel followed a few steps behind, but tugged up the hood of his jacket. The rain was stopping, only to be replaced by falling snow. He tried not to imagine what the temperature would feel like to someone who had been immersed in floodwater coming from mountain runoff. He remembered just how cold that river had been when they had waded across it a few days ago. That flood had been caused when the recent warmer temperatures had melted the snow and ice up higher in the mountains. No doubt that water was even colder than he remembered.

As they crossed the main square, streetlights began flickering to life casting faint halos of light in the deepening gloom. The growing darkness and falling snow increased Jack’s sense of apprehension. Was it simple bad luck or fate he wondered that seemed to constantly dog his team’s every footstep. He dodged a group of people who, although bundled up against the cold, were laughing and chatting as they strolled unconcernedly along the path. Ignoring their startled outbursts and protestations, he picked up his pace and headed for the building ahead that served as a museum, university, and archeological research center. He was already up the steps before he remembered to see if Daniel had stayed with him.

Daniel was just crossing the street. He’d offered a hasty apology to the group of people Jack had plowed through and had jogged to catch up with him. He saw Jack turn, note his whereabouts, and push open the door. Daniel ran up the steps and stepped inside just behind Jack. The main hall was deserted. Jack hesitated, turning to Daniel impatiently.

“Where?”

“Library. Top floor.” Daniel pointed to the doorway on the left that led to the stairwell. Jack headed towards it. “Jack, wait.”

“No time, Daniel,” said Jack.

“Jack, let me tell Rayna,” Daniel called. “Her son…”

“Isn’t likely to be in danger of suffering from hypothermia or worse!” shouted Jack, pushing open the door to the stairwell.

“Jack, please!” Daniel begged as he followed him up the stairs.

“Daniel! We don’t have time for weeping mothers and hand wringing. Carter’s my concern, not Caren. Teal’c said he was fine.”

“I don’t think she’s the hand wringing type,” said Daniel. “I just don’t think you should go barging in there shouting orders at everybody.”

“Fine, Daniel. You talk first, but you better make it clear that we gotta move quickly!”

They reached the fourth floor landing and Jack yanked open the door. Rayna and a half-dozen young men and women were working in groups at several tables. Books, papers, and charts were piled on top of nearly every available space. The room hummed with several conversations all happening simultaneously. One table, carefully placed away from the texts and papers they were working with, held the remains of an earlier meal. Daniel was struck by how similar the scene was to his research days as a graduate student. They didn’t exactly live on pizza, beer, and caffeine; but there seemed to be several Pelaran equivalents available. The group would have fit right in at any university, he decided.

“Hello, Daniel,” Rayna said distractedly, her attention currently on what a young woman was explaining to her softly. A few of the other students waved a hello, or nodded to welcome him back, but no one stopped working. Beside him Jack shuffled impatiently.

“Rayna,” called Daniel. “I need to speak with you,” he said uncertainly. “It’s very important.” Rayna looked at him intently. She put a hand on the young women’s arm and spoke softly to her. The girl nodded and Rayna came over to where Jack and Daniel were waiting.

“What is wrong?” she asked, noticing their packs and realizing when she studied their faces that the reason for their arrival had to be serious.

“Caren’s fine,” said Daniel, not wanting to scare her unnecessarily. “But there was an accident and we need your help.”

“An accident?” she questioned calmly.

“Yes,” said Daniel. “Caren wasn’t hurt,” he said, wanting to make it clear. “They couldn’t get across the river. They were going to wait out the storm and return to town. There was a flash flood and Major Carter was swept downriver. Teal’c and Caren made it to safety but the transport is gone. Teal’c’s gone to look for Carter and Caren is on his way back towards us. We need transportation and we’ll need someone who can give Carter medical help when we find her.” Rayna listened quietly. She nodded quickly when Daniel finished.

“Danar,” she called. A young man Daniel recognized as one of her older students looked up from the book he was leafing through. “Go find Barak and tell him there is an emergency. He’s to gather whatever he might need and we will meet him at his place very soon. Then you need to go to my house and get as many blankets as you can.” The young man nodded, glancing at Daniel and Jack. “Take Alara with you to help carry things back to Barak’s. Get the lamps, too. It’s getting dark and we’ll need them.”

The students had realized by now that something was happening. Conversation had stopped as they had heard Rayna speaking to Danar. Rayna called out to Danar and Alara as they headed for the door.

“Tell Barak we don’t know what kind of injuries Major Carter might have but that she’ll be suffering from exposure to the cold.” Rayna took a breath and surveyed the faces of her students while considering several options. “Sellene, does your father still have the cover in place on his transport?” she asked.

“Yes, Rayna,” said the young women she had addressed.

“Run and get him. He’s to meet us at Barak’s. We’ll need him to drive us to Low Ford. We can bring Major Carter back to town in the back of it and that cover will keep us out of the worst of the weather.”

“The road is bad,” said Jack quietly, “and it’s starting to snow.” He was relieved to find that Daniel had been right about Rayna. The woman certainly knew how to take charge of a situation. She nodded and called out to another student.

“Marten go get Tiran and tell him to meet us at Barak’s with the transport they’ve been using to haul those sandbags. He’ll have to come with us. We made need his help to get past some places in the road. As Marten followed Sellene, Rayna considered the two remaining students. “Kirlen,” she said to the young women she had been speaking with when Daniel and Jack had arrived, “take Roben and go to the eatery. Tell Mistress Leana to prepare food for us to take along. We need enough for…” she paused, counting the number of people in her head, “nine or ten,” she decided. “Tell her payment will be arranged later and that this is an emergency. Bring everything to Barak’s as quickly as you can,” she added.

Rayna turned back to Daniel and Jack as the last of her students left the room and headed down the stairs. Jack reconsidered his earlier dismissal of the ‘professor’ and discovered that he was feeling extremely glad that they had made the acquaintance of such a capable woman.

“Thank you,” he told her, as she began to put on a long hooded coat.

“You’re welcome,” she told him. “We’ll do everything we can to help your Major. Barak is an excellent healer,” she assured him. Together, the three of them headed for the stairs.

* * * * *

Sam shivered violently as she lay on the riverbank. Her chest hurt when she tried to take a breath and her entire body ached. Thankfully, the cold seemed to have numbed some of the worst hurts. Her shoulder throbbed and her arm was still useless; she guessed it was either dislocated or broken. She was amazed to be alive.

After the current had pulled her back under, she had believed she would never make it out of the river. She had no idea how long she’d been pulled along. It had felt like forever. Although she’d had little hope of survival she had still struggled desperately. It seemed like pure chance when the river widened suddenly and turned sharply to the right. Sam had been tossed up on the shallowly covered sandbar like a piece of flotsam. Feeling solid ground beneath her, she had scrambled to the safety of shallow water. Her luck had held and the riverbank was a gentle slope that she had been able to negotiate, although it hadn’t been easy.

Move. Move now, she told herself. She forced herself to her feet; ignoring the sharp and sudden pain in her knee. If I don’t start moving I might as well have let the river have me, she thought. The cold would kill her if she let it. She assessed the situation. Pretty grim, she thought morbidly. The rain had stopped and it was now snowing. She was soaked through, could barely walk or breathe properly, and felt like she’d been run over by a freight train. No radio, no shelter- and it was getting darker. Her only chance was to head upstream and hope Teal’c and Caren had made it and had called for help. She started walking.

She stumbled along the riverbank, still shivering. The colonel was never going to let her live this down, she thought. She could just imagine what he would say when she explained how she had lost her radio. I should have held onto it, she told herself. The shivering made her teeth rattle. Her legs ached from the cold and she was walking stiffly. It hurt to move. I’ll be fine she rationalized. I’ve just got to make it to the road. Clumsily, she tried to step over a fallen log and tumbled to the ground. She lay there momentarily, shaking and trembling, before pulling herself upright again. Disoriented, she turned the wrong way. Stupid, she told herself, when her shin hit the log again. She righted herself and headed upriver again.

* * * * *

Teal’c moved as quickly as he dared, scanning the riverbank on each side for any sign of Major Carter. Periodically, he stopped, shouted her name, and waited to hear any response. There had been none.

The rain had given way to falling snow. Teal’c understood that Major Carter’s chances of survival were severely limited. Even if she had made it to shore, she would be wet, cold and tired- possibly injured. Hypothermia was a certainty under such conditions. If she was conscious, she might not be thinking clearly. If she wandered away from the river, he would have no hope of finding her and she would die.

* * * * *

Jack had decided that Rayna had a knack for command that rivaled even Hammond’s. She had directed her troop of students with a precision that bordered on the miraculous. In less than thirty minutes, they had found themselves heading out in loaded vehicles that could be described as trucks if you wanted to be generous, although the vehicles they were in now were a step or two above what Caren had been driving. He and Daniel were passengers in the lead transport, with the man named Tiran as driver. Tiran claimed they would reach the river faster than Caren had, despite the road conditions. Tiran it had turned out was the resident expert on winter road maintenance. His vehicle was loaded with sandbags and several shovels. It seemed he was a one-man de-icing crew for the town. Rayna and Barak were riding in the second vehicle with Kellan, Sellene’s father. Kellan’s ‘truck’ boasted a water-proofed cloth cover, stretched over a series of metal ribs that were bent over rear of the truck. It looked like a cross between a standard troop transport and a covered wagon. Jack hadn’t bothered to ask what Kellan usually carried.

Barak had been ready and waiting when they had arrived at his clinic, loaded with bags of medical supplies. He had asked a series of questions about Carter- age, physical condition, if she knew how to handle herself in extreme situations. When Jack had answered all of them Barak had tried to reassure him that he believed Carter had a better chance of survival than most people in similar circumstances might have. Despite the doctor’s calm demeanor, Jack had heard the unspoken ifs- if she hadn’t drowned, if she wasn’t severely injured, if they could reach her in time. Long experience with Doctor Frasier had taught Jack that medical experts rarely wanted to discuss worst-case scenarios.

As they drove past the outskirts of the town, Jack activated his radio.

“Teal’c, do you read?”

“Yes, O’Neill.”

“We’re on the way. Anything yet?”

“No, there has been no sign of Major Carter.”

“Teal’c, we should make better time than you did, but it will still be about an hour before we reach the ford.”

“Understood, O’Neill. I hope to find Major Carter before you arrive.”

“Right. I’ll call you again when we get there. Their doc brought a stretcher along so we’ll head downriver if you haven’t made it back yet. Keep me posted. O’Neill out.”

“I will keep you informed. Teal’c out.”

Jack returned his attention to the road ahead of them. The snow was falling pretty heavily. Tiran already had the vehicle’s headlights on, although Jack thought they seemed to be doing very little to improve visibility. It was nearly fully dark.

“Your man Teal’c, will he not require medical assistance as well?” asked Tiran. When Jack made no move to respond, Daniel answered for him.

“Teal’c is not like us,” he explained. “There is something in his body that helps sustain him. He will be able to withstand the cold for a much longer period of time than any of us.” Tiran nodded, accepting the explanation with the same placidness with which he had accepted the arrival of people from another world. Tiran had arrived at Barak’s, acknowledged hasty introductions, and calmly listened to Rayna’s description of the situation before assuring O’Neill that he could get them where they needed to go. Now, he simply focused on the task at hand, not wasting any effort on unnecessary conversations or questions.

Jack chafed at the slow pace but consoled himself with the knowledge that they were making better time than they would have on foot. As they left the outlying farms, the road they were on became little more than a dirt track that meandered around the foothills in wide curves and inclines that were slowly becoming steeper. The tires began slipping as the road began to climb, yet Tiran eased them upward. Kellan, in the vehicle behind them, did his best to stay in their tracks. Their progress slowed even further and Jack tried to remain calm.

* * * * *

Sam struggled to force her way through the thick brush that blocked her path. She tried to pull the deadwood aside but she couldn’t seem to get a strong enough grip with her good hand. She ached all over and she was feeling really tired. At least I’m not shivering anymore, she thought happily, finally pushing her way through the underbrush and stumbling forward. Her chest still pained her with every breath but the shaking that had wracked her body had nearly stopped. Must be the exercise, she told herself. She didn’t feel as cold as she had before. Teal’c and Caren are just up ahead, she thought. Won’t they be surprised when they see I’m fine and that they were worried for nothing?

* * * * *

“Major Carter!” Teal’c shouted. He listened again but heard nothing. “Major Carter!” It was a process he had repeated many times in the last hour and it had the same outcome as his previous attempts. There was no answer. He moved on, pushing his way through the underbrush to create his own trail when the path he followed seemed to disappear. In the darkness, he was afraid he might miss her if she was unable to answer his calls. He considered returning to the road to wait for O’Neill and begin again when they had lights to assist the search. The cloud cover and falling snow would make the darkness nearly absolute very soon. He pictured O’Neill’s reaction to the news that he was giving up the search. It was not something his friend would understand, despite the circumstances. Teal’c continued to make his way downriver.

* * * * *

Jack tossed the shovel into the back of the truck and stepped back to stand next to Daniel.

“Try it,” he told Tiran. Tiran climbed behind the wheel and started the engine. Jack tensed as the vehicle slowly rolled forward and began to climb the hill. “Climb, you bastard,” said Jack under his breath as the truck reached again the spot that had defeated them so far. The wheels spun and Jack bit back another curse. They had tried to make it up this hill twice and each time the wheels had been unable to gain enough traction to make it up the incline. They had grabbed shovels and spread sand, hoping it would negate the effects of the icy mud that was causing the problem. The wheels slipped again and Jack shook his head. “Shit! We’ll just have to go on foot from here,” he said angrily. He turned to walk to the second vehicle and share the bad news but Daniel’s voice stopped him.

“Jack, wait.” The engine raced as Tiran pushed it harder. The wheels spun, throwing icy mud up behind them. He watched as the tires bit deeper. Slowly, the truck began climbing. It lurched forward and finally shot up to the top of the hill. Tiran pulled farther up the road before stopping and shutting the engine off again.

“Colonel O’Neill,” Tiran called as he got out of the vehicle. “We have to spread more sand or they’ll never make it up.”

Jack nodded. He glanced at his watch as he jogged up the hill. He hoped they wouldn’t have to do this again. It was taking way to much time.

* * * * *

Sam’s knee twisted painfully and she lost her footing. She went down hard, the impact driving the air out of her lungs and sending waves of pain through her ribcage. She wheezed loudly, struggling to catch her breath. It was dark. She could no longer see where to put her feet. I should have reached them by now, she thought. I must have gone farther downriver than I realized. She tried to sit up but her chest felt like someone was sitting on it. She couldn’t seem to get enough air in her lungs. She curled up on her left side; her other shoulder hurt too much when she lay on her back. It felt good to rest. Moving is what hurts, she decided. It was too much. I’ll just rest for a moment, she told herself. She closed her eyes.

* * * * *

They were moving again. The second truck had made it up the hill on the first attempt. Jack resisted the urge to tell Tiran to hurry, understanding that they were making the best possible time.

“Are you going to check-in with Teal’c?” asked Daniel quietly. Jack shook his head.

“No, Teal’c will report if he finds anything,” answered Jack.

“He’ll find her, Jack,” said Daniel, hearing something in Jack’s voice that scared him.

“I’m sure he will, Daniel,” said Jack. “But will it do any good by the time he does?” he asked bitterly. “It’s been nearly an hour and half since she went in. How long do you think it takes to freeze to death?”

“We’re doing everything we can,” said Daniel. “I won’t give up until I know there is nothing else we can do. And neither should you.”

“Ever the optimist, right Daniel?” snapped Jack.

“She’s made it through tough times before- we all have!”

“This isn’t some damned alien computer virus, Daniel. I haven’t seen a sarcophagus or any of the Knox around here. Have you? Hell, we don’t even have Doc Frasier this time.”

“Jack, don’t discount Barak. He’s…”

“It’s Caren,” interrupted Tiran, slowing to a stop.

“What?” asked Jack, confusedly.

“Caren,” repeated Tiran, pointing at the road ahead. In the dim glow of the headlights, Jack could see a figure in the snow, waving arms gesturing them to stop. Jack threw open his door and climbed out. Behind them, Kellan also stopped and Jack heard Rayna’s voice as she, too, got out and ran towards the young man.

“Caren!” Rayna ran past Jack and hurried to her son. Jack followed close behind her. The boy was shivering with the cold; his mother gathered him up and hugged him to her. As Jack drew closer, Caren saw him and pulled away from his mother.

“Colonel O’Neill,” he said, “It’s my fault. I’m so sorry,” he whispered. He looked down at his feet and shook his head. “I should have turned back…” his voice broke and he started sobbing. Jack just stood there, watching as Rayna put her arms around her son again.

“Jack,” whispered Daniel from just behind him. O’Neill spun and gave Daniel a look that silenced whatever he’d been about to say. Turning to face Caren again, Jack took a breath.

“You didn’t know,” he said finally. “It’s not your fault. It wasn’t your decision to make.” Caren looked up at him in surprise and relief, while Daniel let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Jack turned to Barak, who had joined them. “Get him in the truck,” he ordered. “We’ve got to keep moving.” He waited until Barak nodded before turning and going back to the vehicle. He stood by the door, watching as Rayna, Barak and Daniel got Caren loaded into the back of Kellan’s vehicle. Daniel secured the cloth flaps and jogged back to the lead truck. He didn’t speak as he and Jack climbed back in and closed the door. “Let’s go,” said Jack, and Tiran urged the vehicle forward again.

* * * * *

Sam eyes fluttered open. Why am I on the ground she wondered, trying to figure out just why she was laying in the snow. She was supposed to be going somewhere but the reason seemed to be escaping her at the moment. I should get up. She tried to sit up but moving hurt and she lay back down. Tired, she thought, closing her eyes again.

“Major Carter!” Her eyes flew open again. Teal’c, she realized. Teal’c was calling her. She couldn’t tell where the voice was coming from. It was too dark. It was too dark to be moving around, she rationalized. That must be why she had been sleeping.

“Let me sleep,” she mumbled, closing her eyes again.

“Major Carter!” Teal’c shouted again. Why won’t he shut up, Sam wondered. Colonel O’Neill can’t possibly want them to move out in the middle of the night. “Major Carter!” he yelled, sounding even louder. Sam groaned.

“Teal’c, it’s the middle of the night!” she yelled back. “Tell the colonel it’s too early,” she begged, closing her eyes again. She wanted to sleep.

“Major Carter, are you injured?” Teal’c asked, as he pushed through the bushes and knelt by her side.

“I’m fine,” she told him. “I’m trying to get some sleep.”

“You must not sleep,” said Teal’c, reaching out to touch her shoulder. Sam screamed. His touch sent shooting pain through her shoulder. She panted, trying to regain her breath. “I am sorry, Major Carter. Do you have any other injuries?” Sam was confused. She’d been sleeping, hadn’t she? Why did everything hurt so much?

“Colonel?” she asked.

“Colonel O’Neill is on his way with help. You must not sleep,” said Teal’c again. “You are suffering the effects of the cold. The water temperature was very low.”

“Water?” Sam did remember something about water, she decided, but it wasn’t very clear.

“There was a flood,” said Teal’c. “You were washed downriver.”

“A flood?” Sam tried to remember. She remembered being cold. She had been cold, but now she was just sleepy. “I’m tired,” she told Teal’c, hoping he’d understand and leave her alone.

“You must not sleep,” said Teal’c again. “Major Carter, get up.”

“No,” she told him. “I’m tired. My chest hurts. I need to sleep.”

“Major Carter, you are tired because you are too cold. If you sleep you will die.”

Sam just shook her head and closed her eyes again. Teal’c regarded her calmly. He reached for his radio and thumbed the button.

“O’Neill, do you read?”

“Yeah, Teal’c. I read you. Any news?”

“I have located Major Carter. She is alive but she is injured. She is having difficulty breathing and she is trying to sleep.”

“Teal’c, don’t let her sleep. You get her up!” O’Neill sounded relieved but still worried.

“She does not understand the danger. She is not rational.” Teal’c watched as Sam’s eyes opened again.

“Sir?” She held her head up and stared past Teal’c into the darkness. “Colonel, I didn’t mean to lose the radio. I’m sorry. I should have held on to it.”

“Teal’c you’ve got to make her understand. Tiran says we’re nearly there.”

“Major Carter, the colonel is not here. You must get up so we can go to him,” said Teal’c to Sam. He thumbed the radio again. “O’Neill, you must talk to her. I believe that she will listen to you.” He turned up the volume on the radio and moved it closer to the woman lying on the ground.

“Carter? Carter, you’ve got to get up!” Sam stirred again.

“Colonel, is that you?” she asked, trying to sit up again. Teal’c reached out and carefully helped her sit up, trying not to jar her shoulder.

“O’Neill, you must keep talking to her. She is sitting up,” explained Teal’c.

“Carter, you wake up and you get your ass moving. Do you hear me, Major? The Air Force doesn’t pay you to sleep on duty! You sleep on your own time! Do you understand me, Major?”

Sam tried to make sense out of what she was hearing. The colonel was angry with her? He never yelled like that.

“Sir?” She tried to focus, but he kept yelling.

“Major Carter, you get on your feet now! That’s an order! Get up and get moving!”

“Yes, sir,” she replied, scrambling to stand up. Teal’c moved to help her.

“O’Neill, she is up. We will begin moving back towards the road now. I will do everything I can to keep her moving,” said Teal’c into the radio.

“Okay,” replied O’Neill. “Good job, Teal’c. Thank you. We’re on our way. O’Neill out.”

“Stay by the river and you will find us,” explained Teal’c. “Teal’c out.” He put away his radio and moved to assist Major Carter. “This way, Major Carter,” he told her as he guided her back the way he had come.

* * * * *

Jack closed his eyes as relief at Teal’c’s news washed over him. It was short-lived, however, when the realization that she was not completely out of danger hit him.

“Thank God,” said Daniel beside him. “We should let them know,” he added, meaning the group behind them. Jack didn’t want to delay their progress even slightly but he nodded. Tiran stopped the truck.

“I’ll go,” he said.

“Make it quick,” replied Jack, as Tiran opened the door. He shut it quickly and ran back to speak to Kellan who had stopped behind them.

“I knew Sam wouldn’t give up so easily,” said Daniel happily.

“It’s not over yet,” warned Jack. “You heard what Teal’c said. She’s injured.”

“She’s alive,” protested Daniel. “That’s more than we might have hoped for an hour ago.”

“For now,” whispered Jack. “We just have to hope Barak can keep her alive until we can get her back to Earth.”

“Jack,” began Daniel.

“No, Daniel. Don’t lecture me about trusting a culture that’s at least eighty years behind ours. She could still die and there’s nothing you or I can do about it and you know it!”

“I’m just saying” said Daniel softly, “that things are looking better now than they did before. I’m the eternal optimist, remember?” Jack’s expression was unreadable.

Tiran opened the door again, saving Jack from having to come up with a reply.

“Barak says it is good news that she is still conscious,” he told them as he started moving the vehicle forward again. With his attention on the road, he missed the look that passed between Daniel and O’Neill.

* * * * *

“This is it,” said Tiran, slowing the vehicle. Jack and Daniel saw the road dip down sharply ahead of them. “We’re at the river.”

Jack was nearly out the door before they had completely stopped. Daniel and Tiran followed right behind him. Kellan pulled up next to them and shut the truck off. Jack moved to the rear and undid the ties that held the flaps together. An oil lamp, swinging lazily back and forth, hung suspended from one of the metal ribs that supported the waterproof covering. Caren was seated against the back, bundled up in blankets. Barak and Rayna were on either side of him.

“We’re here,” he told them, pulling his pack out where he’d thrown it and digging for his flashlight. Daniel came around to stand beside him and Jack tossed him his pack. Caren began to unwind his blankets. “You should stay put,” Jack told him gently. “You’ve been out there long enough.” Caren started to protest but Jack cut him off. “It’s not a punishment,” he explained. “Stay with your mother. She’s been worried enough.”

Barak climbed to the rear and began handing out supplies. Tiran and Kellan lit two lamps while Daniel and Jack removed the stretcher and piled the blankets on top of it. Barak jumped to the ground and shouldered a large bag.

“Can someone carry this?” he asked, indicating another bag at his feet. Jack nodded and picked it up. He was surprised at its weight and at the warmth it radiated.

“What’s in it?” he asked.

“Heated water bottles kept warm with stones from my fireplace,” explained Barak. “Someone grab the other end of this thing,” he said, bending his knees so he could take hold of the stretcher’s handles. Kellan handed his lamp off to Daniel and bent down to help Barak lift the stretcher. “Every moment counts,” he said. Jack nodded and led them off the road and down the path toward the river. He thumbed his radio.

“Teal’c, do you read?”

“Yes, O’Neill.

“We’re at the river. We’re heading your way on foot now.”

“Understood.”

“How’s she doing?”

“Major Carter is in great distress. Her breathing is very painful. I believe she may have several broken ribs. She is getting weaker.”

“Tell her to hang in there, Teal’c. We’ll be catching up to you soon. O’Neill out.”

“I will try to make her understand, O’Neill. Teal’c out.” Jack let go of his radio and picked up his pace.

* * * * *

“Major Carter, they are very close. You must keep moving,” coaxed Teal’c. Sam breathing was labored and shallow. Teal’c tried to hold her upright without putting pressure on her rib cage but she was having a hard time keeping her balance.

“I need to stop,” she pleaded. “It hurts too much.” Sam tried to sit down but Teal’c wouldn’t let her.

“Colonel O’Neill ordered you to keep moving, Major Carter. You should not disobey a direct order.” Sam’s body went limp.

“Let me sleep,” she begged, dropping to her knees. Teal’c had to lower her to the ground. She curled up on her side again and closed her eyes.

“Major Carter!” Teal’c shook her gently, but she failed to respond. Teal’c scooped her up in his arms and lifted her gently. He resumed walking upriver, carrying the unconscious woman in his arms.

He moved as fast as he dared in the darkness, feeling his way as best as he could. Major Carter’s breathing slowed and he wondered if he should stop and call O’Neill. He decided, instead, to keep moving. She needed no further delays in getting medical attention. He focused his attention on each next step ahead of him, hoping that O’Neill and the others were as close as he guessed they might be.

The lights, when he finally saw them, seemed to come from nowhere. Teal’c stopped.

“O’Neill!”

“Teal’c?”

“Over here, O’Neill,” called Teal’c. The lights bobbed as they hurried closer. O’Neill came first, his flashlight momentarily blinding after so long in darkness. Daniel was close behind him, with a lamp in one hand and a flashlight in the other. Two other men carried a stretcher and a third man followed them with another lamp.

“I thought you said she was awake,” said Jack accusingly, as he took in the sight of an unconscious Carter in Teal’c’s arms.

“She has not been unconscious for very long,” said Teal’c. “I could not keep her awake.”

“You did well,” said one of the men, as they put the stretcher on the ground. Teal’c watched as the man removed the blankets that were piled on top of it.

“Teal’c, this is Barak. He’s a doctor,” explained Daniel. Teal’c nodded at the man as he lifted a bag off his shoulder and began rummaging through it.

“Lay her down,” ordered Barak, indicating the stretcher he’d covered with a blanket. Teal’c placed Major Carter on the blanket and Barak eyed her carefully. “We’ve got to get her out of these wet clothes,” he said.

“Her shoulder may be either dislocated or broken,” warned Teal’c. “And I believe she has several broken ribs as well.” Jack put down a bag he was carrying and knelt down beside Barak.

“She won’t feel a thing,” promised Barak, as Jack looked at him concernedly. “Help me.”

Teal’c watched as they stripped her. He heard O’Neill’s sharp indrawn breath when the bruises that covered her body were exposed. Her shoulder was set at an odd angle and was severely swollen. Her entire chest was one massive bruise. Her right knee was also severely swollen and discolored. Rather than try to lift her completely, Barak cut her pants free. They had to slice her boot strings since the knots had tightened so much they were impossible to untie. Daniel brought Teal’c a blanket, which he wrapped around his shoulders.

“Her hands and feet have some signs of frostbite,” said Barak as he examined her. “I can’t tell if her shoulder is dislocated or broken right now, but that can wait. Her pulse is very slow. Our first priority is to get her warmed up. Hand me that bag,” he told Daniel. Jack watched as Daniel handed over the bag. Barak opened it and pulled out a water bottle.

“Not quite as warm as I’d like, but it’ll have to do for now,” he said. He arranged the water bottles all around her body. Jack realized he was positioning them near major arteries. Holding back two of the water bottles, he placed the still warm stone on the stretcher with Carter as well. He dug in the first bag again and pulled out four squares of soft cloth. He soaked these in warm water from the two bottles and wrapped one each around Carter’s hands and feet. When that was done, he pulled the blanket around her like a cocoon. “More blankets,” he said, motioning Daniel to bring them. They wrapped her in several more blankets, until she resembled a swaddled infant. Barak dug in his bag again and pulled out two large straps. “When she wakes she may not understand what’s happening. We need to secure her to the stretcher,” said Barak as he handed one of them to Jack. Daniel and Tiran helped them lift the stretcher so they could slip the straps underneath. Jack buckled each one, checking carefully to be sure they weren’t too tight.

Teal’c stepped forward, removing the blanket from his shoulders as he did so. He stepped to the front end of the stretcher.

“I will help you carry her, O’Neill.” Jack nodded. Daniel passed the poles to him as Teal’c waited for Tiran to do the same with him. Barak repacked his bag and stuffed Teal’c’s blanket into the one that had contained the water bottles. He and Daniel each shouldered a bag and picked up the flashlights. Tiran and Kellan picked up the lamps.

“Let’s go,” said O’Neill.

As they retraced their steps, he studied Carter’s face. Her left cheek was scraped and bruised, her lips cracked and split. So pale, he thought. He couldn’t see the slow rise and fall of her chest due to the cocoon of blankets that surrounded her. It was eerie. He had to force himself not to make them stop so he could make sure she was still breathing. A stupid accident, he told himself. After all they had gone through, she was nearly dead because of a damn freak of nature and bad timing. At least the Goa’uld are predictable- or nearly so, he thought. He realized Daniel was speaking- asking Tiran something about the river.

“A few days most likely,” said Tiran.

“Any way for us to get across any sooner?” asked Daniel. Jack was surprised. After all his arguments about Barak’s competence, Daniel seemed to be trying to determine how quickly they could get Sam though the gate. After seeing the massive bruises covering Carter’s body, Jack understood the change in attitude. No matter how competent Barak might be, it would never be comparable to Frasier’s abilities. They just didn’t have the same resources.

“I don’t know,” Tiran answered. “We might be able to come up with something to get you across, but you’d be on foot. There’s no way one of our transports will get across with the river running this high.”

“We’re over due at 1630 tomorrow,” Jack reminded Daniel. “Hammond will send another team through the following morning if we haven’t reported in yet. If the river’s still up when they come through, we’ll have them send over a pontoon bridge.” Two days at most, he calculated. Carter just had to hang on until then. Sam’s eyelids fluttered open. “Carter?” he said quickly. Teal’c stopped.

“Sir?” Jack signaled Teal’c to lower her to the ground.

“Carter?” he said again, when they had her settled. “How are you doing?”

“I lost the radio,” she told him.

“Forget the radio,” he ordered. Barak knelt beside her and motioned for Jack to take the flashlight. He pulled the blankets aside and placed his hand alongside her neck. Sam flinched away from him, thrashing violently.

“No,” she said, turning her head away from his touch.

“Carter, he’s a doctor. Let him help you.”

“No, let me go!” She struggled, but the straps held her securely in place. “Colonel, I can’t move,” she cried. Jack knelt down on the opposite side of the stretcher.

“Carter, this is Barak. He’s here to help you,” said Jack softly.

“I don’t need his help,” she hissed. “Let me up!”

“I can’t do that. You nearly froze to death and you’re hurt.”

“Please, sir. I’m fine. I was just a little tired but I feel better now…”

“No. You’re not thinking clearly. Let us help you. No one will hurt you, I promise.” Jack could see the fear and confusion in her eyes. “Teal’c and Daniel are here. No one is going to hurt you,” he said again.

“Sam, listen to Jack,” said Daniel. “You need medical help.”

“Where’s Janet?” she wheezed, her breathing becoming more rapid. “Why isn’t she here?” She looked around, her eyes wild. “I don’t know where I’m at,” she told him.

“Colonel, you must calm her down,” said Barak. “Her pulse is erratic. Her heart could fail if she doesn’t settle down.”

“Can’t you give her something?” asked Daniel. “Some kind of sedative?”

“No, it’s way too risky. It’s best that we keep her conscious until her body temperature returns to normal,” explained Barak.

“Carter, listen to me,” pleaded Jack. “You’re safe. Everyone just wants to help you. You’ve got to relax,” he told her.

“You were angry with me,” she told him. Jack was confused. He didn’t understand what she was talking about.

“O’Neill, she is referring to when you spoke to her on the radio. She mentioned it several times before she lost consciousness,” explained Teal’c. Jack nodded, feeling guilty. He had shouted at her, ordering her to get moving.

“I’m not angry now,” he told her. “You did good, Carter. You followed orders and now you need to do it again and calm down. Do you understand me?” She looked at him and nodded.

“Don’t leave me alone again,” she told him. “I kept shouting and nobody could hear me.” Jack looked at Teal’c. Teal’c shook his head.

“The entity,” suggested Daniel. “That’s what she said after we transferred her consciousness back to her own body.” Jack understood. It made sense that the pain and fatigue would cause that incident to be dragged out of her subconscious mind. Barak looked at them in surprise as he realized what Daniel had said.

“Carter, you’re not alone. We’re right here,” Jack told her, placing a hand on her forehead. “See,” he told her, brushing back hair that was still damp, “I’m right here.”

“Don’t leave me alone,” she said, closing her eyes again.

“I won’t,” he told her.

“Try to keep her alert,” said Barak, reaching to feel her pulse again. “Her heart rate is slowing again,” he added with a nod. “She mustn’t exert herself again. We should get going.”

Jack nodded and started to move away so he could pick up the stretcher again, but Carter stopped him.

“Don’t leave,” she said again, as he broke contact with her.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he explained. “We need to get you out of the open.”

“I’ll help Teal’c,” offered Daniel, handing his flashlight to Barak. “Talk to her, Jack,” Daniel suggested as he and Teal’c got ready to lift her.

“Carter, we’re getting ready to move you again,” he told her.

“Where are they taking me?” she asked him.

“Back to Miner’s Crossing,” he explained. They lifted her and he stood also. He positioned himself at her shoulder, where she could see him walking beside her.

“Where?” she asked again.

“The town where Caren is from, remember?”

“Caren? Caren was driving us to the gate.”

“Yes, but there was an accident. Carter you’ve got to stay with us. Do you understand?” demanded Jack when her eyes drifted closed.

“Yes, sir,” she told him. “I’m cold.”

“I know Carter. We’re taking you someplace warm.” Her eyes closed again. Jack looked at Daniel and shrugged. He wasn’t any good at stuff like this. He didn’t know what to say.

“Just talk to her Jack,” prompted Daniel.

“Carter, tell me why the Goa’uld left Pelaris.”

“Sir?”

“Tell me why the Goa’uld left Pelaris,” he repeated. “P3X-953. Why did they abandon it?” Jack could always count on a question like that to cause Carter to spout enough information to fill up a good-sized book. He hoped it would spark something in her now.

“The naquadah,” she answered.

“What about it?” Jack encouraged.

“The naquadah ran out at the mine site.”

“So they just left? Carter, that doesn’t make any sense. What about the Pelarans?” he argued. “Why did they leave them behind?”

“They didn’t, sir,” she told him more forcefully. “Daniel says their historians tell stories about a group that managed to hide,” she explained.

“Why haven’t the Goa’uld been back?” he asked. “You’re telling me they just up and left this entire planet?”

“Sir?” He watched her struggle to focus her thoughts.

“Tell me, Carter,” he demanded. “Why haven’t they come poking around in all this time?”

“No reason to stay,” she finally said. “Teal’c said the planet has no strategic importance to any System Lord. Colonel, we’ve been over all of this,” she protested weakly.

“I forgot. You know how I am,” said Jack. “Tell me again so I can explain it to General Hammond.”

“I was going to report to him,” Sam said, remembering that it was important for some reason. “I’m supposed to tell the General about P3X-953.” Her speech was slurred.

“Later,” said Jack. “Right now you need to tell me. Tell me what you know about Pelaris.”

“There was a naquadah mine in the mountain range to the west of the gate, but only trace amounts remain. It was abandoned a long time ago.”

“What else,” Jack prompted.

“The UAV map showed several small towns. The closest one is about fifty…kilometers north of the gate. There were some signs of industry but…we didn’t pick up any radio transmissions.” She spoke slowly, stumbling over the words. “You know all of this,” she complained. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore,” she informed him, closing her eyes again. “I want to rest.”

“No,” he said hurriedly, reaching down with his hand to touch her face again. “Okay, let’s talk about something else,” Jack tried. “Carter, I need you to keep talking to me!”

“Colonel, we can talk later,” argued Sam.

“No,” he insisted. “It has to be now,” he demanded. He tried to think of something that would make her responsive. “Tell me why you joined the Air Force,” he said desperately.

“What?”

“Why did you join the Air Force, Carter? You’ve never told me and I’ve never asked, so I’m asking now.”

“My dad…” she began.

“Come on, Carter. That’s a cliché. You joined to get your dad’s approval? What’s the real reason?”