Title: The Stuff of Nightmares
Author: Katerina17
Pairings: None
Spoilers: “Abyss”, “New Order”, “Zero Hour”
Season: 8
Content Warnings: Minor language, graphic depictions of torture
Disclaimer: “Stargate SG-1” and its characters are the property of MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Film Corp., Showtime/Viacom and USA Networks, Inc. This story is for entertainment purposes and the author (me) is not getting paid for it. No copyright infringement is intended. (Really.)
Author’s Note: This is just a brief “Zero Hour” episode tag.
Daniel raises broken, mutilated hands to cover his empty eye sockets. The smell of burnt flesh hangs heavy in the air. He breathes in small sobbing gasps and curls up to make himself as small as possible. Everything that made him Daniel has long since departed, leaving behind a broken, whimpering creature. We can never bring him home, not even if we rescue his body.
Rivers and streams of blood run down Carter’s body from the knives embedded in her chest. The blood pools at her feet, forming lakes of congealing red liquid. She tries to breathe and chokes, gagging until blood rushes from her mouth and she starts to asphyxiate. The gleaming metal web behind her collapses and she falls and falls and falls and dies without ever landing.
Teal’c’s skin is dissolved in a dozen places. He doesn’t make a sound, but his hands flutter in small useless agonized motions as his chest liquefies under an onslaught of acid. The smoke of his own flesh burning stings his eyes and tears stream down his face. This time, it’s not so absurd to think he might actually be crying.
They are separated from each other and put through a living hell over and over until they forget everything but the pain.
By then it’s too late, so I watch from a distance and know that the part of me that matters died with them.
Someone is tapping my back.
I roll over, my hands coming up to cover my eyes. I feel like I haven’t slept in weeks.
Gilmor is standing over me, looking vaguely apologetic. “Sorry to wake you, sir.”
“Feels like it’s been ten minutes,” I mumble, surprised the words come out coherently. I try desperately to shake the horrific images from my mind. Hopefully Gilmor thinks I’m just tired, nothing else.
“It has,” he replies. “There’s an incoming wormhole. Ba’al wants to talk.”
Ba’al ...
Daniel with no eyes. Carter choking on her own blood. Teal’c dissolving, one drop at a time.
No, Jack, don’t go there. For God’s sake don’t go there.
I drag myself to my feet and wearily follow Gilmor from the room.
I hate Ba’al, I hate this job, and right now I even hate myself a little, for taking command of the SGC, for being here safe and alive while my team is out there going through God knows what.
I should have been with them. God, I should have been with them.