12:56 p.m.

Finally after what had to be a few hours, Daniel's eyes were starting to get used to the pure darkness of the place. When he was first thrown inside, he truly felt as if he had gone blind. He couldn't see anything whatsoever. However, when the guards had finally left him and locked the metal door, it didn't take him long to figure out that the cell that they had put him in couldn't have been bigger than the size of a walk-in closet. The moment the door was locked, his heart began to race. Ever since Daniel was small, he was always afraid of closed-in areas. Even as a kid, he would never sleep with the door closed.

Now, at the age of thirty-four, he was still extremely uncomfortable with his current situation. His breathing began to pick up pace until it reached the point of almost suffocation. It was clear that he was hyper ventilating.

'Calm down. You have to deal with this like a man. Instead of freaking out, try and deal with the situation and figure out which Go'uald we are dealing with.'

His mind quickly took charge and he finally began to calm down. The height of the cellar was much higher and he easily determined that by throwing up one of his pens that he always made sure to bring on every mission. He had to throw it pretty hard until he finally heard it hit some sort of metal ceiling or covering. He predicted the height to be about twenty feet. He sat down on the damp floor and tried to evaluate his situation and make sense of what happened to him and the rest of his team.

When they stepped out of the gate, they seemed to have entered some sort of temple of some kind. There were large pillars and markings all along the walls. What struck them as odd was that the Stargate was right in the middle of the temple as though it was some sort of religious monument. Jack had asked Daniel to take a look at the markings in order to give them some sort of hint as to what kind of civilisation they should expect. Before he had time to reach the wall, about a dozen guards were pointing Go'uald weaponry at them. Jack only had time to let out a fast "Oy" before they were ordered to start walking. After about an hour walk in silence, they reached a type of building that Daniel concluded must be some sort of jail. He remembered trying to plead with the guards by explaining that they were only peaceful explorers but he was only rewarded by a painful slap across the face by the staff weapon. Jack jumped up with obvious anger at the violent and unjust act but before he could even raise a finger, the guards began to separate the four members of sg-1. Two large guards grabbed onto Daniel's arms and forcefully dragged him to one of the cellars where only darkness and a gross stench awaited him. The doors locked and the last sound that he heard were the two men walking away.

4:43 p.m.

So now, after what must have been at least six hours, Daniel was sitting in his cell. The room was sealed tight and the air was musty and old. Complete silence surrounded him except for a continuous drip from the ceiling. By using his sense of touch, he concluded that the stench came from the remains of a decomposing rat. In the beginning, he had to cover his nose and mouth with his SGC jacket in order to prevent from puking but after the first half an hour; he was forced to get used to it. There was no bed or toilette, which probably meant that it was only a temporary shelter. Thank G-d for that! His thoughts quickly reverted back to his friends. He was not sure if they were put in the same type of place or not but he could only hope that they were in better conditions.

8:34 p.m.

It seemed like he had been there forever and his muscles were already stiff from being in the same position for hours. When would they let him go and when will he be able to see his friends? His stomach was starting to grumble despite the horrible stench that continued to make him sick to his stomach. Boredom had definitely taken its toll and he kept forcing himself to keep thinking about Sha're and other good thoughts.

6:07 a.m.

His eyes fluttered open only to be welcomed by the darkness and the deafening silence once again. He must have fallen asleep for a few hours judging by his soar muscles. He had no way of knowing the time seeing that there was no window to look out from and that it was much too dark to look at his watch. He slowly got up and decided that a good stretch just might do the job. Once he was up, he stuck out his arms as not to hit the wall. Completely disoriented, he took only three steps before his hands already felt the cool cement surface. Pausing, he felt a few rough areas under his fingers. They seemed very much like scratches on the cement. After feeling around, to his surprise, these scratches ran all along the walls everywhere. Pure horror paralysed him as he realised that human fingernails produced these scratches! Feeling them over as if he was blind, he was able to conclude that some of these scratches actually spelled words judging from the spacing of the letters and from the way they flowed. Unsure if the language was in English or not he continued to try and read the messages.

Suddenly, a bright light hit his eyes painfully. He looked up and squinted as he was forced to close his eyes from the pain that the light was causing him. It seemed like the guards opened a little square in the wall. He heard one of the guards yell something about food and he quickly made his way towards the light.

"Put your head through the square!" the guard yelled furiously. Hesitantly, Daniel stuck his head through the square and into the light. Almost immediately a staff weapon pinned him at his throat choking him in the process.

"What is the code to enter through your Stargate?" the guard asked authoritatively. Waiting a few seconds without an answer, the guard tightened the hold of the staff against Daniel's Adam's apple and repeated the question.

"WHAT ARE THE CODES?" The only response was the sound of Daniel's wheezing and coughing. "Very well, you will only receive half your rations of food until you are ready to share this information with us."

The man brought down the staff weapon and lifted up what seemed to be a dirty metal plate. Daniel pulled his head back inside the cell and lifted his hands up towards the opening and took in the plate. As soon as the plate was through the hole, the guards shut the small opening and the cell was pitch black once more. Not being able to see the contents of the plate, he felt with his fingers. All he received were a few half eaten bones sitting in water. With his only other option of hunger, he picked up the bones and scraped off what was left of the meat.

1:35 p.m.

He was slowly dozing off when a sudden beeping noise startled him. It was the alarm on his watch. Finally after hours of not knowing the time he knew that it was 1:35 p.m. because that was when he had to take his pills everyday. How much more of this hell could he take? How much longer were they going to keep him there? His mind was full of questions but he knew that they would have to wait as sleep slowly drew his eyes shut.

9:47 p.m.

It had started to get really cold a couple of hours ago and so he figured that it must be night. He curled up in a ball on the filthy floor and listened to the silence. Sometimes he would hear little noises as he concluded that they were tiny insects. At times he was glad that it was dark because he didn't even want to imagine what other creatures he was sharing his cell with. He kept trying to distract himself from the boredom by trying to review some of his recent work on artefacts that they had discovered on previous worlds in his head but even that was beginning to prove as pointless since his memory betrayed him. The more he lay there, the more he was able to remember his wife and the life that he had on Abydos. He closed his eyes and pretended that he was with her in their small home just holding each other and whispering to each other only sweet things. A warm feeling took over his body as tears began to form but he let them slowly slide down his cheek as he prayed to God that his friends were all right.

1 day later

At times it felt like he would never get out but he knew that he couldn't allow himself to think like that or he knew that he would go crazy. He had got used to the darkness already and he was starting to understand the schedule.

Once a day, the guards would come and give him his "food" or scraps of it and every time they would ask him if he were ready to tell them the codes. It at least relieved him that nobody else on the team had told and that they were probably going through the same hell as he. Daniel was starting to feel pain in his bladder area since he had not relieved himself from the time he was put in. He knew that he had to do something about it or it could lead to infection. He slowly walked to one side of the cell, unzipped his military pants and urinated.

As uncomfortable as the situation was, he had to do it. All he could do was just pray that they would let him out before he would have to do that again.

Two days later

He had finally accepted the fact that if he wasn't going to tell them the codes, then he definitely was going to die in that cell. However, there was a little part of him that still had hope that eventually, they would be freed.

How long would it take for General Hammond to send a rescue mission? Would they be able to find sg-1 once the rescue team would arrive?

Everyday, he decided that the best thing to do was to at least keep himself as healthy as possible and that would mean exercising regularly. Everyday, he would get up and walk back and forth from wall to wall.

Eventually, he calculated that it took him about eight steps to get from each wall. He tried to do as many sit ups and push ups as possible as well. During the day, he would try and read the scratching on the wall but unfortunately it was of another tongue which proved his theory that he and the rest of sg-1 were being held by Go'uald.

Five days later

As each day passed, Daniel was truly beginning to feel the affects of malnutrition. He would only get fed tiny scraps once a day soaked in dirty water. He was definitely dehydrated and his throat was beginning to bother him. He had caught a very bad cough and his lungs were beginning to hurt whenever his dry throat would start up again. He had also realised that his clothes were starting to get looser and he was beginning to lose weight. Thank goodness for his watch that allowed him to count the days according to the alarm. He was on his second week and he just didn't know how much longer he could last for.

Four days later

The stench in the cell was unbearable. Not only did it smell of an unwashed body, but it also reeked of human waste. Daniel felt like an animal. What had he done to deserve this treatment? How could people be so cruel? Lately he found it harder and harder to concentrate and it took him much longer to think clearly. His health had diminished terribly within the last few days. His breathing had turned to continuous wheezing and coughing. He also found that he was exhausted after only walking for ten minutes. His hands and fingers had started to shake for two days now. The air was getting more and more stale and his clothes were beginning to rip.

As he sat in the corner, he heard the familiar opening of the square. He moved towards the light and as usual, the guards were waiting.

"The codes?" Again, Daniel remained silent. The guard then raised the plate of scraps to Daniel's shaking hands. To his horror, the shaking and weak grasp had caused to plate to fall to the floor outside of the cell.

"No!" Daniel found himself screaming as he stuck his hands through the square in pure desperation. The guards simply shoved his hands back in and closed the opening. Daniel, filled with anger and rage, slammed his hands on the door and slid down to the floor. He knew that he now had to wait another twenty-four hours before his next meal. He lay down on the floor and knew what he had to do. If he wanted to survive, he needed to eat something and what was better than eating insects? He closed his eyes and concentrated on the sounds of the insects on the floor. When he heard one next to his ear, he slammed his palm down on it. Then, he squeezed his eyes shut as hard as he could and opened his mouth. He placed the insect inside of his mouth and forced himself to swallow. He put his hand over his mouth and waited till the nausea passed before hunting for his next victim.

One week later

He had not got up in days. Everything lacked energy. He had almost forgotten why he had to survive. Sha're. The vision of her face and his memories of her comforted him in this small hell. Another coughing fit racked his body once again. His throat was so dry it was even a challenge for him to swallow. Pain everywhere. Even the teeth inside of his mouth were beginning to bother him. Cavities. One of his big teeth in the back was loose. The worst realisation was that he was probably going to die. Then sleep took him over.

Four days later

Sha're...Jack........ need help ......... pain ..........need to survive.........Sha're............Another coughing fit and more pain. Suddenly, he tasted blood in his mouth and it didn't take him long to discover the empty space where a tooth once was in the back of his mouth. He took the loose tooth out and let his tongue feel for the empty spot. Anger took over. He couldn't take it any longer. This had to stop. With the energy that he had left, he pulled himself up and made his way to the door. He banged on it over and over again and yelled for the guards as loudly as he could. Immediately the guards were there and they opened the square. Right when Daniel's head appeared, once again the staff was placed against his Adam's apple.

"There better be a reason for your misbehaviour!" The guard spoke with hatred.

"I know the codes." Daniel managed to whisper. At that response, the staff hold on his neck was loosened.

"What are they?" The guard ordered. A long pause followed the question. Daniel's mind was running wild.

'What are you doing?' he thought to himself. 'Are you about to put all of earth in danger in order to save your own life?'

"Well?" the guard barked.

"I...I...forgot." Daniel managed to whisper. Fear replaced the burst of energy that he had only a few moments ago and he was not sure as to what the guards would do next. To his surprise, they pushed his head back inside the cell and closed the opening. However, only a few seconds later, he heard his door being unlocked. The heavy metal door was pushed open and the light hit him. His eyes squinting from the pain, the two guards stepped inside and closed the door behind them. As one of them pinned back his arms, the other stood in front of him.

"Are you mocking us? This will surely not go unpunished!"

Suddenly, Daniel felt a strong punch into the pit of his stomach. With that hit alone, he felt as if he was going to pass out. As each blow got stronger and firmer, Daniel's whimpering got louder and louder. The only thing stopping him from collapsing was the second guard holding him up. Punch after punch Daniel kept pleading for him to stop but it was only in vain.

Finally, after ten minutes of continuous beating, the guards threw him down to the dirty floor and exited locking the cell door behind them. Daniel lay breathless on the floor shaking and coughing uncontrollably. For the first time in three and a half weeks, he allowed himself to cry. Tears streamed down his face as his whole body shook from his violent sobbing that now racked his body.

One day later

He must have been sleeping for a while because he awoke to the guards opening the square. Daniel didn't make any effort to move. His body ached too much and he knew that there must be internal bleeding. He also no longer cared. In fact, he wanted to die. This meant that he had to cease all nourishment. The guards seeing no response closed the opening and left him back to his sleep. His final thought before dozing off was the image of his wife. The familiar warm feeling took over his body as he whispered, "I'm sorry that I could not save you."

The next time that he was awoken, he actually felt someone touching or rather examining him. He felt gentle fingers moving up and down his legs and stomach. He didn't even have the energy to open his eyes so he relied on his hearing. All of a sudden, a pain stung one of his eyes as light entered into his pupil. But just as quickly, darkness returned.

"He's severely dehydrated and is running a high fever." He recognised the voice as belonging to Carter who seemed extremely concerned.

"He's shaking, let's get him a blanket over here!" That was definitely Jack's voice. Daniel felt a warm cloth being wrapped around him. He felt hands rubbing his back. This couldn't be. Was he dreaming? He couldn't tell what was real or fake anymore. Was he going crazy?

"Sir, we need to get him back as quickly as possible. He must have been beaten pretty badly judging from some swollen areas. We need to get food and fluids in his body now." Carter sounded so real. It had to be real.

"Alright, lets get him out of here. The next time I see one of those son of a bitches, I'm going to kick their fucking asses!"

Daniel was vaguely aware that someone was talking to him. It was a gentle and sweet voice.

"Daniel...Daniel..." Carter bent down and massaged his face praying that the young man would respond. To her surprise, Daniel reached out his hand and put it over her hand that rested on his face. Sam smiled as she tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to escape. She couldn't imagine what was done to him over the three weeks. He had lost a lot of weight and he didn't even look strong enough to walk let alone stand up by himself. She knew that if anything Daniel was the last one to ever deserve this treatment. He was a good man who had a good heart. She faintly heard some sort of whisper. She lowered her ear to his face and tried to make out what her was trying to say.

"You're real." Sam couldn't hold it in any longer and she allowed her tears to roll down.

"Yes we are, Daniel. We are going to get you out of here ok?" Daniel felt himself being lifted by strong hands. It could only be Teal'c. Even he noticed that the young scientist was much lighter than before.

"Sir, I think that we should give him your sunglasses before going outside. Who knows how long it has been since his eyes were exposed to light."

Jack nodded and carefully put on his glasses on Daniel's pale face. It took him a few seconds to take in just how his friend looked, swallowed and walked out of the cell with the rest of his team following behind.

Throughout the whole walk, Daniel coughed continually. Jack and Sam would continuously glance nervously at each other and then back at Daniel who was being carried by Teal'c. From time to time Jack would walk over to Daniel and would wipe the blood from the side of Daniel's mouth while whispering encouraging words to his sick friend. After walking for over half an hour, they had decided that it would be best to stop and rest a little by the river in order to get a little fluids into Daniel's body. Teal'c lay him down gently by the river.

Sam cupped her hands and gathered as much water as she could and raised it to Daniel's mouth. Daniel opened his mouth a little and allowed a bit of water to enter but as he tried to swallow, another coughing fit arose causing him to choke on the precious liquid. More blood started to run down the side of his mouth.

Jack knew the urgency of the situation and he knew that he had to get Daniel out of there. Just as he was going to get up and order his team to keep walking, Daniel's hand grabbed his sleeve.

"No....Jack....I need to tell you....please..." Jack got back on his knees and lowered his ear to Daniel's lips, which were severely parched and dry.

"I need.... to speak ....to each of..... you." Daniel was struggling to allow the words to get through his lips.

"Daniel, stop it. You are not going to die!" Jack began to say but was interrupted.

"JACK.......PLEASE...." Daniel said as loudly as he could. "Sam...is ...first..." another coughing fit racked his body.

"He wants you Sam." Jack said to Carter in a sad tone that was uncharacteristic of his usual joking self.

Sam got down on her knees and listened to what Daniel was saying to her.

"Sam....thank you...so....much ...for always ...being...there. You have....become ....one of ....my...truest...friends...and I ...haven't ....had....many of...them over....the years.... I would be ..... honoured .....to.... kiss.... you." She leaned further down so that his lips could touch her cheek and she felt a tiny dab. Her own strength betrayed her as the tears began to flow freely. She knew that this was going to be goodbye. She looked into his beautiful blue eyes that were full of pain and suffering as she herself bent down and kissed his forehead. She then got up in a calm manner and wiped the tears from her eyes and motioned for Teal'c to go to Daniel. The large Jaffa bent down on his knees, which was a position that nobody had ever seen him take before.

"Teal'c....you are.... one of the..... bravest...... men I..... know and I ......am sure...... that one .....day, you will have....... the strength....... to free all........of your people....... from the...... Go'uald. You ......have been a good..... friend and..... I thank you..... for being.....my friend." Teal'c bowed his head in respect and stood up.

Daniel lifted his head up and looked at Jack. Another coughing fit and more blood was coughed up. Jack made his way to his friend, sat down and put Daniel's head on his lap. He wiped away the blood with his sleeve.

"Jack" Daniel began and Jack could see his blue eyes begin to glisten from the salty moisture. "All along Jack... you were .....my..... assurance. You were..... the one ......who kept my feet .....on the...... ground. I know you Jack...... and I..... also know..... that you ......are one of...... the best men......that I know. You have...... a good heart...... ......." More coughing interrupted him and Jack had to wipe off more blood. "I hope...... that I can say....... that over the past...... two years, we have........ become more....... than part of a team...we became...... friends. Your...... friendship..... is what kept me grounded....... whenever I..... missed ......Sha're. Jack, do you........ remember the...... promise you...... made me when...... we came back from that .......mission on Chulak? I know...... that you'll...... find her Jack. Only you....... can find her." All of a sudden, Daniel's eyes began to roll back and his whole body began to shake.

"No Daniel, listen to me! YOU ARE NOT GOING TO DIE DAMMIT!!!" Daniel's glazed eyes focused on Jack one last time and he whispered, "Tell her that I never stopped trying and that I love her........" And with that, his body went limp.

"No dammit! You can't do this to me Daniel. Not like this! Not here, not now!!!" Jack had already started to do CPR.

"Sir...Sir.." Jack was ignoring Carter. He continued his attempt at reviving his friend. Sam walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Sir, let him go."

"NO!" He pushed her hand away and continued with the compressions. Throughout the whole time, he hadn't noticed that tears were running down his face. "COME ON DANIEL!!!" Jack stopped and waited. Daniel's chest was motionless. "DAMMIT!" Just as he was about to restart CPR, Carter moved in front of him.

"Sir, it's over..." Jack glanced back at the pale face of the man who he considered as a son.

"I...no...I...can't..." Jack was rambling on. Obviously he was in shock. Teal'c moved to Jack and caught him just in time before he fell. Teal'c eased him down next to Daniel on the floor in a sitting position. Jack's hands were shaking. Carter got down on her knees and took him in her arms and rocked him as the both of them cried. They were too late.

© June 20, 1999 The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa'uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd. Partnership. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.