Veil, by Eve11 (PG)

[figs_sg1_rec]

Whoo! This is my 200^th rec for the community! Thanks, guys, for making this so much fun. :)

Rec Category: Teamy goodness

Pairing: none
Categories: team, gen, drama, hurt/comfort, friendship
Warnings: none
Author on LJ: eve11
Author's Website: unknown
Link: Veil

Why This Must Be Read: This amazingly realized story spins a marvelous tale for us, as SG-1 encounter a formerly-subjugated culture and come away from it rather the worse for wear.

There is the astonishing method the natives chose to avoid losing people as hosts, and the desperation of a well-written original character that leads to the team’s betrayal. The deep damage woven into Sam and Daniel’s psyches is countered by Sam’s amazing technique for grounding herself in sanity. Teal’c and Jack are perfectly in character, supporting their teammates in their own unique fashions, as we see the solid teamwork that keeps SG-1 going and paves the way to a workable solution to the natives’ dilemma.

Veil is written with intelligence, nuance, and subtlety. Read it carefully, and enjoy every minute of it!
 

"Sir, everything's wrong," she said, panicked. "You, Daniel, me. My hands-- they're not mine. They're not mine.” She started to scratch at the backs of her hands again. New blood pooled and mixed with older stains.

Jack gently took hold of her wrists and she flinched, pulling away as though he had physically hurt her. He tried again and she bit her lip, but let the touch remain. As calmly as he could, Jack lowered her hands to her lap.

"Find something that's still right, Major, and get it together," he said evenly. "That's an order."

"Okay, okay, yes sir, gimme a minute." A few seconds later a smile ghosted across her face, but the panic didn't let it stay long.

"Laplace," she said. "Laplace transforms. L of U of T is one over S. L of E to the A T, U of T is one over S plus A. L of E to the minus A T sine T, U of T is one over one plus S plus A, quantity squared. L of..."

Whatever it was, it was distraction enough for Sam to let Jack wrap her hands in some of the torn linen. It was a crappy field job. Jack felt like a heel. He also felt like running out and murdering the next Shanguan priest he saw.

Instead he asked Carter, "Can you walk?"

"Yeah," she said. "It's better. Moving is better."

"What about you, Daniel?" Jack asked. Daniel nodded, warily opening his eyes and making his way to the front of the cell, staring practically at his shoes.

"O'Neill, we must go," Teal'c said.

They made a strange procession, their two injured teammates walking haltingly in front, with Teal'c and Jack at their blindsides-- two paces behind and flanking them. Neither he nor Teal'c could get any closer than that. Stay back, don't talk, don't touch. It was the only thing they could do to make it easier for Daniel and Sam, and it was the hardest thing to do.

Meticulously, they made their way out of the hospital into the village under cover of night. They made better time in the dark, faces cloaked in the dim starlight. The trip up the stair to the gate was something new for Jack to put on his "Never again in a million years" list. But after a slow procession of stops, starts, terror and Laplace transforms, Jack had his team home.