Flames over Phoenix

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Jack(s)
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Re: Flames over Phoenix

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Hello everybody, here comes the next section...
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Xxx

Eric and Connor walked back to their village. On the way, the two boys had agreed not to tell anything in the village about what they had seen. The smell of freshly cooked dinner hung in the air and the little tummy’s started rumbling.

“Mum, what`s to eat? I am starving,” Eric shouted from a distance as he saw his mother coming out of their house.

“I made your favourite. Clean yourself up. Is Connor staying for dinner or is he eating at home?” his mum wanted to know and smiled at the sight of her son.

“I will ask him.” He ran off to ask his friend who was at his home by now. But as so often happened there was nothing to eat and he took the invitation for a warm meal with gratitude.

The meal didn’t take the friends very long and after everything was cleared away, they went off playing in the forest again. The perfect playground for kids their age.

“Connor, I want to see if we find anything. What if there is somebody in need?” Eric explained his train of thoughts.

“I was thinking we agreed already on the matter to leave it be?” Connor looked at the young boy in surprise.

“You said it. I never agreed on anything and if you don’t like to come with me, then I will go alone and check it out.” Eric was determined in his endeavour.

“Ok, I will come with you. But we will only check it out. If we don’t see anything, we let it be. I don’t want to look every day now. Understood?” Conor replied in a slightly annoyed tone.

Xxx

More blood was running freely now and with every drop that was falling to the ground, the risk became higher that it would attract wild animals.
The General was starting to stir in his seat. The straps were still holding him tightly in place. A soft moan escaped him before he managed to crack one eye open. Lifting his head, he tried the second eye which wasn’t that easy.

Lifting his right hand, he wanted to know what happened and started to investigate. Just a small touch and he flinched. Looking at his glove, he could see the dark colour of blood. He knew from experience that it wasn’t good to have a cut in the area of his temple and eye.
He took stock of his situation and realised that he had a bit of a problem. His head hurt and everything was spinning. After he had realised that he was hanging in a tree Jack tried to work on a plan on how to get down.

That’s when he heard it. The deep growl of a mountain lion. Jack tried to stay as still as he could while trying to have a peek at the ground. He needed to know what was going on. Another growl which was already nearer than the first one he had heard.
Ever so careful he shifted himself in a position which allowed him to check out where the animal noise came from.

Xxx

General Landry placed the phone down. His face had changed colour shades from normal to ash grey onwards to red. He was angry. The call he had received just had told them that his friend General O`Neill was reported missing. He had found it a stupid idea from the start to send him into an air battle. It wasn’t his call; he just was notified. Now he had to tell the news Lt. Colonel Carter.

He knew already that she would not stay on the base. Knowing her by now as good as it gets, she would fly down and search for him.
Picking up the phone again, he called her lab to summon her to his office. This was a delicate situation and not something you just tell over the phone.

A few minutes later he heard the knock on the door he was waiting for. “Come,” he demanded. Taking a deep breath and steeling himself for the situation that would arise in the next minute or so.

“General? You wanted to speak to me?” Sam entered and took the seat she had been offered opposite her CO.

“Yes, Colonel. I’ve got some news for you. I am sorry but I think you will not like it.” He cleared his throat and searched for the right words. It didn’t help to see the irritated look on Sam’s face.

“It’s about General O`Neill.” he waited a few seconds to let the news reach the brain cells of the officer in front of him.

“The General has gone MiA. The battle over Phoenix had gone very well and was short-lived. We only lost one aircraft. Unfortunately, it was that of the General.” He paused again and saw how the blood drained out of the Colonel’s face.

“A pilot near him stated already that he thinks General O’Neill managed to escape with his parachute. It was confirmed that Jack had called before that he couldn’t save the aircraft and had to punch out. The next problem is that nobody really had an idea of where to start searching. Of course, the search troops are starting at his last known location, but it still can take days or even weeks till they find him. I am not sure if the General has that long.” Hank looked at his fingers which were at his desk playing nervously with a pen.

Sam looked at him in disbelief. What she had just heard didn’t make any sense to her at all. Why was it him again? He had a desk job in Washington D.C. . He should be safe and not somewhere in the wilderness fighting for his life. Standing up she had only one request “Permission to take leave, Sir.”

“I was expecting that. Take Doctor Jackson and Teal`c with you. You all three have a flight from Peterson to Andrews in…” he checked his watch to make the correct announcement “one hour and twenty minutes. Go and pack all that you need. Take as long as you need, Colonel.”
Sam was on the way out when she heard her name called again, turning around she looked at her CO. “Sam, bring him home. Will you?” Hank Landry was concerned. He didn’t know what to expect at all. He knew his friend was a survivor but still, he wasn’t the youngest anymore.

“General, if someone can do it, then it is Jack. I know him. We will find him, and he will be alive. I am sure of it.” She tried to make a point. For her CO and for herself she had to believe her own words. Otherwise it was all lost already.
She left the office, called on Daniel and Teal`c and around half an hour later all three had been transported to Peterson.

“Sam, how come Mitchel isn’t coming?” Daniel wanted to know.

“I don’t know and right now I don’t care. The General only told me that you two are coming with me.” Sam replied dryly, her facial expressions empty.

“Colonel Mitchel is on leave for family matters. He has not returned to the base yet.” Teal`c stated and clarified the answer for Daniel. Daniel nodded a silent thank you in Teal’c direction.

Xxx

“Eric, which direction did you think you saw whatever you saw?” Connor asked his younger friend before going in the wrong direction.

“It was in that direction, just not sure how far we have to walk.” Eric stated in a voice which he liked to indicate how all grown up he was already. “I just hope the dude is still alive.”

“You are absolutely sure that what you saw was a human?” Connor shook his head in disbelief. He had heard and seen the battle in the distance going on but from what he had heard on the radio the good guys of earth had won with no casualties on their side. He knew that the city was a few miles away from Phoenix and with the trees around the access would be very difficult if they really would find someone.

The walk continued for several hours by now and Connor was about to tell his friend that it would be better to head home. By the time they would be back in their village the sun would be down and the stars high above in the firmament.

“We can’t. I know there is someone. He needs help and I will give it to him. If you want to go back, go. But I will continue my search.” His little face showed determination and fury at the same time. He was not going back and that was the end of it so far as he was concerned.

“Ok and what do you think we will tell our parents when we get home? They will be really angry and if we do not come home, we will never be allowed to play with each other again. Have you considered that? Have you, Eric?” Connor was raising his voice by now.

“No, I have not, but, Connor, someone dying or just us not being allowed to play with each other. How do you expect me to live with that for the rest of my life if I never checked out what I saw? Just because you didn’t see anything, it doesn’t mean it isn’t there. I don’t know what I will tell my parents, but I know I have to check.” Eric tried to explain to his friend what he was thinking, even if he couldn’t explain where the strong feeling was coming from.

Xxx

Sam, Daniel and Teal’c arrived at Andrews Air Force Base around noon. The sun was high up already and no visible clouds had been on the horizon.

“We need to speak with someone who knows where the plane came down. That gives us a radius where to look for the General,” Colonel Carter stated to her friends while looking around to find the office to talk to an officer.

“I believe we will find help in this building over there, Colonel Carter.” Teal’c pointed to a white building to the left.

“Ok, let’s see what we can find out. Maybe we can take one of their cars. Otherwise, we just must hire a car. Time is precious, guys. Move out.” The Colonel announced and started to walk over to the high building without waiting to see if her friends would follow.
It didn’t take the trio long to find the office of the commander of this base. Knocking on the door they waited. Sam was hoping that someone would expect them, and it wouldn’t take long to get what they needed.

“Come” they heard a voice from the other side. Inviting them into the room.

“General Casey?” Sam as the highest rank of them took charge to speak.

“Colonel Carter?” The General stood up and held out his hand. “I was expecting you and your friends. General Laundry already informed me as to why you are here. I printed out the coordinates where the plane was seen last on the radar. My chief engineer should have a Humvee ready for you by now. Here is a card and I marked the spot there is well. I also highlighted the easiest route to get there. The point where the General had been last registered is in the middle of a forest with nothing around. You must walk for several miles.” He handed the paperwork over and saluted the officer in front of him.

“Good luck and I really hope you find the General. I have met him once years ago. A nice guy. He is lucky to have friends like you. We got search troops all over that forest already but maybe you are the lucky ones who will find him. So far there has been no positive result. One can only hope he is still alive. The nights are pretty could out here.” He smiled tightly.

“Thank you, General Casey. We will do our best in finding him. Thank you for your help and all the paper material. I am sure it will help us in finding the General.” Colonel Carter returned the Salute and all three were dismissed.

It did not take long to get the vehicle they had been promised and on the road. Sam was driving while Daniel told her where to go. It only took them about an hour to reach their destination. From this point on, they only had the option of hiking. Securing their packs on their backs, Teal`c took point, Daniel in the middle and Sam covered their six.

“Keep your eyes and ears open. An ever so small clue could lead us to the General.” Sam pointed out, knowing well it wasn’t really necessary to tell her friends what to do but she felt better with it. Silently she was praying that Jack was still alive. How long would he survive in the wilderness without anything? In what state was he in? would they find him in time?

Sam had so many questions floating around in her head and no answers to it, it seemed like her brain was running in overdrive.

Xxx

Jack was still strapped up in his seat, hanging about 15 feet up high in the trees. He had lost his consciousness again after he had heard the cries of some wild animals which he assumed were mountain lions. As he had tried to check it out earlier, he hadn’t found out anything as he couldn’t see anything underneath him.

His wound on his temple was still giving away some blood and the wound on his leg was feeding the ground underneath. The fresh blood would attract more and more animals.

The General was lifting his head slightly from his chest. Jack realised that the sun was about to set, and he was not very safe from where he was. But right now, he could not do anything. He was still better off high up in the air and tried to sit there overnight rather than trying to get down in the shadows of the dawn and run into some bears or bobcats with a big appetite.

Looking up, he saw the leaves rustle in the light wind. The temperature was dropping rapidly, and he wasn’t sure if he would even survive the night. He had no blanket to cover himself. He needed medical attention and he felt so alone. His thoughts went to his beloved Colonel. What would she do right now? Would she be able to look for him? Was she even allowed to join a rescue party?

Jack had so many questions right now and no answers; it just drove him mad. He closed his eyes and tried to get into a state of Kelno'reem. He remembered some years back that Teal`c had shown him how to practice this method.

Xxx

The true colour of Eric came out at last. The light faded and he got scared of the shadows and the noises the forest had to offer. Connor had told him that he had to stick to his plan now as it was far too late to return to the village. Both boys made a fire to keep wild animals at bay and to get a bit of sleep. The night was cold and dark.

When the first light broke out the next morning, Eric was awake. His little body was stiff as a board from the hard and cold ground. Sitting up, he saw the remains of the fire and the little smoke it still gave away. He knew they had to find whatever he had seen today. Otherwise he would never get the chance again and would have to live with it for the rest of his life. In his mind, today was the day he would become a man.

Connor was starting to wake up as well, his body stiff and cold. “Eric, morning. We need something to eat and to drink. Any idea where to get it?” the older boy looked questioningly to his friend.

“Nope, but we will find something. There are berries around and I am sure we will find a spring or a little creek.” Eric announced innocently.

“Ok, if you say so.” Connor replied not convinced at all. He put a bit dry earth on the smoking fire before they left the campsite to look further for the ghost of Eric.

Xxx

Jack awoke with a groan. His head was still spinning, and he guessed that he had a bad concussion. But still, he was feeling better than yesterday, so he decided to try to head towards civilisation.

Loosening his seat belt, he nearly fell out of the seat already. His legs had been numb by now and his upper body didn’t give him much support either. Hanging on, with what seemed like the last strength his body could offer, he looked down. `That`s high’ he thought before leaning back looking up where the blue sky provided him with a nice morning.

Taking all his courage, he climbed out of his seat and let himself hang from it. After trying to reach the tree and realising it was too far away, he closed his eyes and let go. The fall seemed to take ages and when he hit the ground, he screamed before everything went dark.

Xxx

SG1 had their camp in the forest. It was cold and as much as they had tried the day before they could not find their missing General. Sam was the first one to wake up in the morning. It was cold and moist from the ground which crept up on her.

Making some coffee for when her friends would wake up and studying the card, she tried to find out where was the most likely point the parachute would have landed. She only could hope that Jack was still alive, and they would arrive in time to help him.

She had no idea how far they had to walk to find him, but she was determined and certain that all three of them would not give up till they had found him.

Daniel and Teal`c came out of the sleeping bags now as well. A slight smile crossed the archaeologist’s face because of the smell of fresh brewed coffee and as he reached the Colonel from behind, he squeezed her right shoulder.

“Sam, we will find him. So, I don’t want to make you any hope, but still. Hope always dies last. Keep this in mind. Thanks for the coffee by the way.” He sipped on his hot beverage and watched Teal`c how he had already packed their belongings together.

“Thanks, Daniel. Sometimes it is just hard to keep hope alive. But I will try.” She replied and then turned towards her alien friend. “Morning Teal`c. How are you doing? Had a good sleep?”

“Indeed, Colonel Carter” He was finished with packing everything up and had chosen just an energy bar for breakfast.
The sun was not up yet, and dawn was still fighting with the night to let go for a fresh day full of possibilities and opportunities.

“Which direction do you suggest, Sam?” Daniel questioned while finishing his coffee.

“I had long thought about it. Guys have a look. Here is the point where the General said he had to punch out. I checked the weather that day and it was only a few knots of wind to the west. I have no idea where everyone is looking for him, but I would like to check out this area today. It seems the most likely one. What do you guys think?” Sam showed them on the map what she had figured out and where she would like to search for their missing Officer.

“Ok, that where we will go then” Daniel agreed with his friend and started already to get his pack on his back. A minute later the team were on their way again in the hope of finding what they came looking for. General Jack O`Neill.
----------------------------------------
TBC

Hope you all enjoyed that chapter, reviews welcome :)
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Re: Flames over Phoenix

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Ooooo - love this chapter. Hang on Jack, help is on the way! :D :D :D
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Re: Flames over Phoenix

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Thank you Jacky,
it´s always fun to read your stories.
Who will find the General? Ist es SG1 or little Eric?
Hopefully we´ll find out soon.

From Monika with love
"As long as I always think of you and wish me somethings which I think is unattainable, there is no reason to be hurt by others."
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Re: Flames over Phoenix

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That's a good question... stay tuned and you will find out...

Very happy camper here to read that it is fun for you 😊😊😊
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Re: Flames over Phoenix

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bftlovesRDA wrote: Wed Oct 07, 2020 10:54 pm Ooooo - love this chapter. Hang on Jack, help is on the way! :D :D :D
You sure? 😂

Thanks for reading and leaving a comment. It's so very important to read replies...
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Re: Flames over Phoenix

Post by Jack(s) »

Here comes the next chapter. sorry for the long wait. I was busy and actually forgot about the FF :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:
Hope you all still enjoying it. have fun as always...
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Xxx

“Connor, did you hear that?” Eric searched the eyes of his friend.

“Yes, it came from over there. You may have been right after all. Come on. Let’s check it out,” Connor replied and started to walk in the direction he had pointed out before from where the boys had heard the scream.

Another ten minutes had passed. Eric was the first one to notice something on the ground near a very tall tree. “Over there.” And off the little boy went not waiting for his friend.

Connor ran after him. He saw a body of a grey-haired man lying on the ground not moving, in a green suit covered in blood. Thinking to himself that this is a stuff nightmare had been made of and definitely not something his young friend should see. But it was already too late anyway. By the time he had reached the scene, Eric was down on his knees next to the stranger.

“Eric don’t get too close. He maybe is dead already.” Connor advised with concern in his voice.

“He doesn’t look dead. Just white as a ghost covered in blood.” The boy exclaimed.

`Boy, you never have seen dead people.’ Connor thought but did not say anything. Getting closer he took the picture in. However, this adventure would end, the picture of a little boy crouching over a pilot on the ground, he would be not able to ever forget.

“You think we should take his helmet off?” Eric wanted to know, he wanted to do something to help the man before him.

“Let’s check for a pulse first. If he is still alive, we need to get him some help. If not, we can bury him.” Connor got down to the same level of his friend and with shaky fingers, he touched the neck. The skin felt cold and clammy. It took the older boy a lot not to retrieve his hand. He wanted to be an example for the younger ones. So, he searched and poked.

“And?” Eric bit nervously on his bottom lip.

“I don’t know,” Connor replied, deciding the man was dead. He was not able to find anything that indicated that the pilot was still alive. Looking into the eyes of his young friend and seeing the tears climbing into his eyes, he didn’t dare to tell him what he was thinking.

“You are feeling a pulse?” Eric tried his hardest to act all grown up and swallowed his fear down.
Connor tried again, in school he had attended a first aid course and knew where to check for a pulse. It took him another few tries and different areas on the neck of the stranger until he found a very weak signal of life.

“I got a pulse, Eric. But it’s very weak. I have problems in really locating it. So, I guess he is still alive, but I have no idea for how long. We need to get some help. Problem is, we are very far away from the village. It took us already nearly a day to get here. How do we get him back or get someone to come to help us?” Connor looked around him.

“I could try and run to the village; it will take a while, but I haven’t another idea just yet,” he announced quietly.

“It’s too far for you. I will not let you go alone; the wild animals could get to you in the darkness. I won’t take that chance. But I have another idea: we get lots of branches and build a stretcher out of it, roll the guy on it and pull him to the village. That way we stay together and can keep an eye on this one,” he pointed with his head to the still unconscious man.

“OK,” was all that Eric had to say. He was up on his feet in no time and started searching for two large, straight branches which would be used as the side poles.

Eric was going after some large leaves and looked for some plant stuff he could use to fix the branches together. With the supply the forest had provided, it didn’t take the two boys more than an hour to collect and build a stretcher. Looking proudly on the finished result, the next question arose.

“How do we get him on it?” Eric asked with concern.

“I take him by his shoulders and try to roll him onto his side. You push the stretcher under him as far as you can then I let him back down. I hope his upper body will be on it and we just must take his legs and place them on top as well,” Connor explained, silently hoping all would work out.

It took the two boys about twenty minutes to get the task done, but they had the injured man where they wanted him to be. On top of the makeshift stretcher to carry home.

“Eric, it will take us both everything we got. The dude is heavy, and we are young. But we can do it. Remember it was your idea. You wanted to help the man so now it’s the time to show what you are made of.” Connor pushed the buttons on his friend in the silent hope the eight-year-old would find the strength in him somewhere to pull the stretcher over the bumpy ground of the forest.

“I will not let you down,” Eric promised and his face changed from a young innocent boy to a boy who was set to do a task. He would not give up. He wanted to save this life, the life of a strange man he never met before and, still, he felt a connection somehow.

Xxx

Eric and Conor had made it quite far. The distance they covered seemed a lot and the pair were proud of themselves.

“We need to take a little break. No good to get all exhausted too quickly. We still have far to go. Sit down, Eric. I will check on the guy.” Connor suggested and continued with a question to distract his younger friend. “Have you noticed that he is military?”

“Of course, there was a battle up there. I don’t think the pilots who fought the aliens were all civilians.” Eric replied annoyed over such a dumb question missing the point why it was asked in the first place.

“Ok, mister smarty pants. What do you think which military party it is? Navy or Air Force?” Connor grinned while checking for the pulse of the General.

“Hard to tell but from what I know, flight suits are all green. This looks like a G-Suit. So, he was in a jet, I assume. Navy is more water and sea; I would go with the Air force. His face looks old. I wonder why such an old guy is still flying. Are there not younger pilots?” Eric concluded out loud but spoke more to himself than to his friend.

“He is still with us. Pulse is still very weak and hard to find, but so long he is holding on, we will try our best. Shall we?” Connor announced the status of the patient and basically told his friend that the break was over. Both youngsters pulled the stretcher forward and nearer to the finish line.
The two boys made some good progress. The sun came further up and started to warm the earth through the trees. Every half an hour they made a break to catch their breath and check on the injured man. So far, he had not regained his consciousness. Connor kept a close eye on him. By the looks of his legs, he was thinking how twisted they had been that he must have broken them when he fell.

Recalling the picture of the seat in the tree high up above where they had found him, it was a miracle itself that he was still alive. The question just was for how long. So far he always found the weak slow pulse. He had observed the man very closely and realized that his chest was not really moving anymore. Trying to keep it together, he pushed his younger friend to the extreme. They still had a long way ahead and he would not forgive himself if the Officer would die now just because they made a break too long.

Time was running away. As Connor had checked his watch again, while they had another break, the time showed him that it was early afternoon. He wished that some folks of his village would come looking for them and could help to drag the stretcher even faster to the small village where proper help would be provided.

Xxx

SG1 had made good progress in covering a large area. But so far they had no luck of finding anything that would indicate that an Air Force Officer has been in the area.

Just as the sun began to set and Teal`c called for a halt to make camp, Sam saw some kind of a shadow in the trees.

“Teal`c, I will go and check something out. I will be right back.” With that, the Colonel left the two teammates behind.

She walked fast but careful not to trip over any roots. The daylight was not as good anymore and she wanted to save the batteries on her flashlight. Walking up to the tree she had in mind, Sam looked up. Her eyes widened and she wasn’t sure what to think. Right now, it felt like she had found the holy grail.

“Guys come here. I found something.” Now she got her flashlight out and pointed up, high above into the tree. The beam caught the bottom of a fighter jet seat tangling in the wind on some strings. The picture she saw had drawn her into a trance-like state. Just as Daniel and Teal`c had been standing next to her, she snapped out of it.

“Look, that could be the General’s chute. It would fit in the parameter.” Sam explained even knowing her friends were probably thinking the same.
Taking his flashlight out, Teal’c let the beam glide over the ground. He saw lots of roots, and dry leaves. Looking carefully, he stopped at a particular interesting trace.

“Colonel Carter, over here.” He called on his friend.

Sam came over to where Teal`c was standing and looked in the direction her teammate pointed. She could see tracks in the ground. From what it looked like something heavy was tracked away.

“What’s your opinion, Teal`c?” Carter questioned while coming up already with an idea in her own mind. Daniel had joined the duo by now and checked out what was there in front of them.

“It appears that someone pulled wood branches over the ground.” The Jaffa stated the obvious.

“Could it be that someone had found the General and dragged him away?” Daniel asked in the silent hope that he was right.

“It could be. We could follow the trail and see what’s at the end off it. I don’t think that there is another way for the General to disappear from here.” Sam checked the seat above them again before continuing. “It is pretty high. If he had fallen down here, I doubt that he could walk after. He was probably injured, and someone helped him” Sam offered her trail of thoughts.

“I think we should follow the track” Daniel suggested and was already on the go, his friends catching up with him soon after.

Xxx

Eric and Connor did what they had to do. Pushed each other with words to drag the barely alive man behind them.

“I believe it is not very far anymore, I recognise some of the trees. Just a few more hours to go my friend. We can do it.” Connor encouraged his friend, turning around he added “and you better stay alive. I don’t want to have done this for nothing.”
In the distance there were voices shouting, Eric looked at Connor, opening his mouth and closed it again. He was too exhausted to speak. His friend had understood anyway.

“This could be men from our village, looking for us. We were gone for over a day without telling anyone where we would go. We should shout and hope that they can hear us.” Connor suggested and agreed with Eric. The little boy just smiled.

“Here,” Connor shouted as loud as he could, hoping that it was loud enough to make himself known. It seemed to work as he recognised that the voices came closer. It took another fifteen minutes till he could see a group of five men. He recognised them indeed as people from his village.

“Over here.” Connor and Eric shouted now with all the power they had left.

Dropping the stretcher carefully to the ground, they sat next to it and waited. The boys waited for the group to arrive and waited to be getting the wrath of some of them. It never came.

“Eric, Connor. Thank the Lord you are all right. We have been concerned about you. Where have you been?” a dark-haired big man stepped in front of the group and smiled with relief. “And who is that?” he pointed to the unconscious figure on the stretcher

“It’s a long story, but this man is the reason why we went for so long. He needs help immediately. If you can give us a hand to get him to the village where we can call a doctor.” Connor explained and realised now how exhausted he really was.

“Sure, you guys have done enough. We will take care of him. I can’t wait to hear the story you boys have to tell. Your mothers are dying a thousand deaths right now not knowing what happened to you both,” he explained and appointed two of the men to take care of the General.

The group began to walk home. Now it was faster and easier without the heavy weight the two youngsters had to pull.
------------
TBC

that's it for now, hope you enjoyed it
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Re: Flames over Phoenix

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Awesome chapter, Jacky! Yes, enjoyed it very very much! thank you!
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Re: Flames over Phoenix

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Hi Jacky,
I can only agree with Bettie.
I´m looking forward to more.

From Monika with love
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Re: Flames over Phoenix

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Thank you both, makes me such a happy camper to read your comments 😊😊😊
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Jack(s)
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Re: Flames over Phoenix

Post by Jack(s) »

Next part is coming right now. My apologies for the long wait. I was busy and had some family matters to attend to which were not easy. hope you guys like the new chapter. Let me know in a comment after reading...
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Xxx

SG1 had a brisk tempo with their walk and trying to catch up with whoever they were following. Occasionally they made a stop. Teal`c inspected the trail and commented on it from time to time. By now it was clear that whoever was in front of them was small and light. Teal`c commented on it when it looked like they made a break as the track was deeper for a bit before getting lighter again.

Sam checked her watch and it was already noon. She called for a little break, time to eat and drink something as none of them had much in the morning anyway.

Silently eating another energy bar, Sam drifted away with her thoughts. She was concerned but knew she had to get a grip on her feelings. The Colonel had to prepare for the worst-case scenario. Even she didn’t want to admit it.

Daniel seemed to pick up on her mood, stroked her right arm gently and gave her a reassuring smile. “We will find him. Whoever found him first will take good care of him!”

Sam nodded in agreement. While finishing her last bite she took another sip of water from her canteen before shoving everything back to where it belonged. Teal`c had watched the interaction between his friends and realised it would be better just to remain silent. There was nothing he could add to it to make the Colonel feel better.

He knew the special bond the General and the Colonel developed over the years and that they were dating now since he moved to Washington D.C.
A couple of minutes later, the trio was ready and, on their way, again. None of them knew how far they still had to walk but knew it was worth it.

Xxx

It was late afternoon as the small group arrived back in the village. Women and men came running out of their houses to welcome them.

“Eric!” the mother of the young boy shouted from far away and started running to get her son back into her arms. The same happened to Connor. By now, the two boys could barely stand any longer and nearly dropped to the ground where they were standing just being held upright by their mothers.

“We need a doctor. This man is injured badly and needs urgent medical assistance.” A man called out. The stretcher had been placed on the floor. Jack was still out for the count. His breathing even more shallow than it was all day.

“Mum, the pilot needs help. We found him deep in the forest. Please.” Eric cried out. Hoping that it was not too late for the stranger.
A few men gathered around the still figure and transported him into a house where it was warm. The doctor was already on his way to check out the patient.

Xxx

Teal`c announced after another short stop that whoever dragged the General to this spot must have gotten some help. Lots of footprints been on one spot.

“It is getting dark soon. I have no idea how far we still have to walk. I would suggest we make camp here and take the last part tomorrow. It seems that the General is in good hands.” Sam explained while looking up into the sky. Dark clouds covered most of the area above.
“Indeed. I will produce fire.” With that, Teal’c went and gathered some dry wood while Sam and Daniel started to put up a tent. It looked like rain and none of the trios wanted to get wet. That would mean soaked clothing and it would be getting really cold. The threat of catching a cold or, even worse, pneumonia nobody wanted to risk.

Xxx

Jack was placed in a bed near a fire to warm up. A knock on the door and the doctor entered the house. In the dim light, the General’s face looked whiter than a ghost. Stepping closer, the doctor took a deep breath muttering to himself “stay with me” while starting to get to work.

“Who found him?” the doctor asked the man standing behind him while taking out his stethoscope.

“Eric and Connor,” the man replied with a deep voice.

“I need to speak to them. I need to know how long he’s been like this and what happened. His pulse is weak and so is his heartbeat. The breathing is shallow. From what I just can see he has definitely got broken legs. The rest I will know after I have examined him properly. But he needs a hospital.
I can’t give him the care he needs if he even survives that long.” He put his stethoscope away and started to check his patient over. Opening up the suit completely and seeing dark bruises, he feared for the worst.

The man had already given word for Connor or Eric to come to answer some questions and as a light knock was on the door, Eric appeared with his young face full of concern.

“How is he doing? Will he live?” the young boy asked, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

“He is very sick and needs better treatment than I can give him. Eric, I need to know some stuff. You ok with me asking you some questions?” The doc had finished and was just putting his equipment away.

“Sure, what do you need to know?” Eric stepped from one foot to the other, not sure if he should get closer to the man laying all wrapped up now in bed.

“When did you find him?” the Doctor wanted to know

“Hmm, it was yesterday morning. It just took a while to get him to here. The dude is heavy if you have to pull him all the way. But I do hope he makes it.” Eric stated and answered a few more questions after that.

Xxx

The fire was going and SG1 was sitting around it trying to warm themselves as good as it was possible, just finishing their MRE`s. Sam had tried to contact the officials but, in the forest, surrounded by mountains the reception was too bad. She had not gotten through to anyone.

“You think he is still alive?” Daniel asked a bit absent with his mind.

“He better be. Otherwise, I will hunt him down myself.” The colonel replied, staring into the flames.

“I believe O’Neill is still alive. He is too stubborn to give up that easily. I recall him saying to me once that due to his character not even the devil will have him.” Teal`c replied with a small smile.

“Sounds like Jack, alright.” Daniel agreed. Silence fell once again over the three friends.

Xxx

The Doctor had already made a phone call to the nearest hospital and requested a chopper. That way the General could get the help he needed sooner than anyone would have guessed a few hours ago. The sound of the rotor blades sounded in the distance. A few people gathered outside to see the landing chopper coming in.

It didn’t take long at all to get the injured officer on a portable stretcher and into the waiting helicopter. The doctor had given all the information he had and the medication he had given already to stabilise Jack in his condition as good as he could to the paramedic. Hoping against hope for the best, he knew that the odds were bad and it would take a miracle for the man to survive.

Xxx

Three pair of eyes stared up in the sky. A deep flying helicopter approached and half an hour later it came back. Not one of them could recognise what it was saying on the side. Sam was the first one to break the silence again with raising a question. “Medic Heli?” she cleared her throat and added nearly with a whisper, “for Jack?”

“It would appear so,” Teal`c concluded.

“I think so too. The tracks lead in the direction the chopper came from. There seems a village nearby. They probably phoned the medics from a hospital to get help. He will be alright. We should try and get some sleep. The sooner we are sleeping the sooner it is tomorrow, and we will find out what happened to Jack,” Daniel stated and started to crawl into his sleeping bag.

Xxx

Jack was still unconscious. There were two paramedics in the back of the Heli with him who were doing their best to help him feel better. Monitors had been attached and an IV line connected to his arm.

The flight was short, and the pilot had given notice in advance that they were coming soon with a critically injured male person, mid-sixties.
As the helicopter arrived on the hospital roof, an emergency team was already waiting having a gurney ready to transport the patient as soon as possible to the designated room.

It didn’t take long at all and the well-trained team had Jack soon hooked up on all sorts of machinery and IV lines. An MRI and x-ray were done so the first prognosis was in.

“Do we know who he is? Does he have relatives who need to be notified?” a nurse asked the doctor who worked on the General with a bunch of paperwork in her hand.

“He didn’t have any paperwork on him. But I assume it is the missing pilot from two days ago. I heard in the news that there was a plane shot down when the air battle happened over Phoenix. I will, or you can do it if you wish, contact the Air Force, and ask them about him. Describe him. Maybe they know him. If not, we will have to go through the police and their missing people files. But my bet lies with the Air Force.” He concluded as he followed his train of thoughts.

“Air Force it is then. Is there a genuine number or how does it work?” the nurse asked with concern in her eyes.

“There is a number you can call, but I doubt there is anyone by now.” Checking his watch to confirm his suspicion he added “Google the number from Andrew Air Force Base. Maybe they can help.” With that, he left the nurse to her own devices and turned his full attention back to his patient.
Checking the pictures from the different scans on the computer, he realised that with a very bad concussion, the injured man also had six broken ribs, a broken left hip, the right knee was shattered and both legs were broken in multiple places. The back was badly bruised and right now it was a miracle that his patient was still alive.

Turning back to the man in question he started talking to him. “And now to us. I don’t know what you have for a reason to fight like that but whatever it is, hold on to it. Right now, you are doing a good job in just staying alive. I hope that your vitals are better by tomorrow. We need to set your broken bones and put them in casts. I know that is not pleasant but a necessity. I will give you something for the pain and hope that you will wake up sooner than later. When I checked your eyes earlier, they were not good in responding but that will have to do with your concussion. That’s why it is important for you to wake up, but I know all in good time.

I hope we will have a name for you soon and that may help you to recover better. I think and believe that when patients listen and have been spoken to with their name that they are feeling more comfortable and looked after. Gosh, I am babbling with you the whole time. Where are my manners? I am Doctor Michael Townsend I will look after you, my friend.” He checked the vitals again and noted them all on a clipboard on the end of the General’s bed.

A couple of minutes later, the nurse arrived back with a smile on her face which the doctor indicated as good news. “And? Who is he?” he questioned impatiently from behind his desk.

“Well, we have a General on our hands. Say hello to Major General Jack O`Neill. You were right with the Air force. They indeed have missed a pilot for about two or three days. I was told that someone will drop by to check on him. I didn’t say anything about his condition for confidential reasons. So how is the General doing?”

“Well, considering his injuries, he is alive, still fighting to stay that way and as usual, the next 48 hours will be the most critical. I hope that he wakes up and I hope we don’t miss anything.” Doctor Townsend replied with concern.

“It is late, why do you not get some rest. I will check on the General regularly and if something happens, I will get you immediately.” The nurse suggested while eyeing the doctor who yawned already.

“OK, but just a few minutes. Our patient has priority.” He replied with another yawn.

“Yes, but if you are tired you are not good for anyone. So have a good rest and then you will have the energy to deal with whatever comes your way,” she commented with a sly smile.

“You are right as always. What would I do without you?” he questioned while moving to his field bed behind his desk.

“Good night, Doctor.” Leaving the room and turning the light off, the nurse headed to the room where Jack was laying in bed. Checking on him and satisfied that his condition hadn’t worsted, she left to take up a book she read when it was quiet. The alarm clock was set for 30 minutes. Even the Doctor hadn’t said anything, and the monitors would sound an alarm if something was wrong. She liked to check on the officer in short intervals.

Xxx

The next morning arrived and due to a cold night. Sam felt very stiff when she woke up. It had taken her a bit to come around and realise where she was. Throwing some earth on the rest of the smouldering fire, she woke Daniel. Teal`c was up even before Sam and had made coffee knowing his friends were very fond of the dark liquid.

“I hope it isn’t too far to walk anymore.” Daniel hoped while putting his shoes on. His feet were hurting and didn’t like the abuse of having the tight shoes around for another day.

“I just hope that the General is ok. I hope someone will tell us what happened.” Sam replied with concern and hope in her voice at the same time.
Teal`c didn’t say anything. There Had been no words needed at the time. He packed his stuff together and waited patiently till his friends were ready to go, just a couple of minutes later.

It took the trio another two hours till they had reached the village. The sun was standing high on the horizon and competed with the ground fog over the morning.

The streets were still empty. Sam wondered where to ask for help. “Is there a village store or something?”

“Could be, that’s normally where you get all the information and gossip from,” Daniel replied and looked around. “Over there, looks like a local merchandiser,” he pointed to his left in the direction they needed to go.

“I will remain outside.” Teal`c declared and took his position while his human friends entered the shop to get the information they been after.
Sam and Daniel went through the door. A little bell announced the customers to the owner of the shop in the back.

“Good morning, what can I do for you?” an elderly woman came through and smiled while asking.

“Good morning, we are from the Air Force. We believe a pilot was found and brought into the village. Can you help us and tell us where to find him?” Daniel had taken the word.

“The poor guy the boys have found?” She questioned with a hint of surprise.

“Probably,” Daniel hesitated and looked over to Sam.

“There was a helicopter last night that picked him up. The doc said it doesn’t look good and he can’t give him the care the poor man needs. But that’s all. I can give you the address from Doc Sully.” After seeing the duo nod in a synchronic manner, she took a piece of paper and scribbled the name and the address down.

“That should help you. Good luck” she smiled, handed the paper over and went back from where she came from. Outside, the Colonel told Teal`c what they learned and headed to the new given address. Around five minutes later all three were standing in front of a red door. The little house which was attached to it looked like it came straight out of a wild west movie. Knocking on the heavy door, it took just a few seconds till it was opened. But for Sam, it seemed like forever.

The conversation was over before it really has begun. They got the name of the hospital where Jack was brought the night before and with the kindness of the Doctor, he arranged transport to get SG1 to the destination.

Xxx

A soft groan escaped the still man lying on the bed, tucked in with blankets, covered in bandages and attached to lots of machinery. The head nurse stepped closer and took the vitals. She checked her patient over and as she heard his soft noise, she encouraged him to finally wake up.

“Come on now, General. You have slept long enough. Show me your eyes. I would really like to know which colour they are.” She teased him.
Eyelids were fluttering open and after a few tries, they stayed open. The nurse could see that the brown orbs were not focused on anything and gave Jack some time to come around.

“I must say, General, you’ve got very nice dark brown eyes. One of my hobbies is ancestors. By the colour of your eyes I would say somewhere down the line you got Indian blood mixed in it. Am I right?” she didn’t expect an answer. She just wanted to keep him coming around and with a bit of a chit chat, the time would go faster and would stimulate her patient further.
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TBC

that's it for now. stay tuned for the continuation
"Dogs are my favorite people !!!"
"I've got to have fun or it's not worth it."
RDA
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