A Life Unlived, by Amaranth Traces

-- Chapter 3 --

Sam blinked rapidly as Daniel pulled away from the kiss.

Daniel finally seemed to become aware of her confusion. He wrapped his arms around her and rocked her gently. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“Please, Daniel. I don’t want to be here anymore.” Sam wasn’t completely sure what was going on, but she certainly knew that she wanted to get away from this hospital. She needed time to think, and privacy to talk to Daniel about classified matters.

“Okay, let’s go home.”

Daniel took care of the paperwork for her hospital visit while Sam cleaned the ultrasound gel off of her abdomen. She followed him to a car and they drove away in silence. Daniel periodically cast concerned looks in her direction. Sam stared out the window at the passing scenery, processing what she had observed at the hospital. She was pregnant. How was that possible? Was this some alternate reality? Was she hallucinating? Was this the future? Sam was still going over the possibilities when Daniel pulled the car into an unfamiliar driveway. She looked at him, confused.

He smiled. “Come on inside.”

Daniel got out of the car and started walking around to her side. Sam opened the door and stepped out. He took her hand and led her up the walk into the house. He unlocked the door, they went inside, and he settled her onto the sofa.

Sam looked around the room; it had been decorated in her preferred modern style, but also included several ancient artefacts that practically screamed of Daniel. The bookshelf nearby held an eclectic mix of astrophysics, linguistic and archaeology books.

She leaned back on the sofa, dazed, and Daniel knelt on the floor in front of her, worry creasing his face. “Now, do you want to tell me what’s wrong?”

“Where are we?”

“What do you mean? We’re home.”

“We’re—” she glanced again at the room then back at the man in front of her. “Daniel, something’s not right.”

“What do you mean?” he repeated.

Sam studied him and bit her lip. “What year is it?”

“What?” He gave her a funny look. “Sam, you’re really starting to scare me.”

“Just...answer my question...please.”

“It’s 2001, Sam.”

Sam sighed. So much for this being the future. “Daniel, I want to tell you something, but I need you to promise me that you’ll listen, not make judgements, and not assume I’m crazy and have me locked up in a padded cell.”

The concern on his face deepened and he got up from the floor and sat on the sofa next to her.

“Sam, honey, you know me better than that.” He touched her face gently. She hesitated a moment before pulling away from his touch. He frowned but made no further attempt to touch her.

She took a deep breath and began. “Before I woke up in the hospital, I wasn’t...” She waved her hands around at the room. “...here.”

Daniel tilted his head and waited for her to continue.

“I think it was another reality – a parallel universe or something. Maybe—” She thought of something and leaned forward. “What happened just before I passed out?”

He blinked at the phrases ‘another reality’ and ‘parallel universe’. It took a moment before he answered her. “We were out in the park, taking a walk.”

“There wasn’t a mirror or anything that I touched?”

“A mirror? No. We were just walking down a path together.”

Sam leaned back again. With a sigh, she continued, “I don’t remember being in a park. The last thing I remember is being on P23-8X5. We were examining an artefact and you were translating a text we found nearby, while the Colonel made annoying comments about rocks.”

She paused, remembering every detail. “The centre of the artefact had a large clear stone. I was looking at it and it—it glinted at me. I reached out to touch it, and the next thing I knew I was in the hospital.”

Daniel’s eyes were wide as he listened to her explanation.

“Look,” Sam said softly, “Something’s wrong, Daniel. I think we should get back to Stargate Command and have Janet check me out to find out what’s happening.” Sam frowned, I can’t believe I’m volunteering to visit Janet’s infirmary.

“Sam,” he said slowly. “The Stargate program has been shut down for years.”

Sam blinked at him.

“And who’s Janet?”

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