"Oh God."
"Tealc?"
"Daniel Jackson will be fine."
Jack and Sam moved further into the tent observing their friend. A look of deep concern on their faces. Daniel was lying on the floor a single tear running silently down his too pale cheek. He looked so small and vulnerable, the scene rendered Jack speechless. Tealc was kneeling on the floor at Daniels feet, making the archaeologist seem even smaller. Jack doubted Daniel even realised they were there. His eyes were open, but he was staring intently at the lifeless features of the woman lying beside him.
Jack was finding it increasingly difficult to comprehend the situation. He noticed the red mark making its self known on Daniels forehead, ‘a ribbon device? Aw for cryin’ out loud Danny, what the hell happened?’.
They remained in silence for a while longer, unsure of where to go from here. Jack could see Carter out the corner of his eye. She was shifting from one foot to the other, obviously fighting the urge to reach out and comfort Daniel. He had to admit he was doing the same. It looked as if Carter was about to lose the inner battle as she opened her mouth to speak when out of nowhere a sob erupted from Daniel.
"Jack?"
His voice was shaky and strained, but Jack read the message loud and clear. He was at Daniels side in a flash, helping him to sit up. Daniel immediately wrapped both arms around Jack and buried his face into his shoulder. Jack reciprocated in kind pulling Daniel closer to him.
"I’m here Daniel it’s okay." Jack was a little taken aback by the force Daniel was holding onto him. Daniels usual M.O. in personally painful situations was to go cold turkey. Granted this situation was far from the usual, but still the sudden dependence seemed out of character somehow. Glancing at the fallen body of his friend’s wife he studied the staff blast burn on her chest. Jack felt minute tremors begin to run through Daniels body, followed by a wet patch on his shoulder. Daniel had begun to cry.
"Hey, shhh it’s okay" Jack soothed again.
Daniel held onto Jack for dear life, not wanting to let go, ever. To say he was a little unsettled about what had just occurred would be an understatement. He was frightened if he let go the whole scene would change again, he so hoped this was real, it had to be. Daniel could feel the tears coming but was unable to stop them. Jack was saying something, he couldn’t really make out the words, but Daniel heard the concern in his tone. He tried to make sense in his mind what had just happened but found his brain felt all fogged over, he couldn’t think straight. He lost all the will to fight it and just slumped even further against Jack.
Sam didn’t know where to look. She felt she was deeply invading Daniels privacy by watching his breakdown in the Colonels arms. Tealc was the opposite, his focus never drifted from the emotional wreck cuddled against O’Neill.
‘God what a mess’ Jack sighed to himself. He pulled back slightly so he could get a good look at Daniel. Tears were still running down his face and his eyes were glazed over as if he wasn’t even there anymore.
"Think you can make it to the gate?"
Daniel immediately dropped his head low, avoiding eye contact. His manner indicated to Jack that he was embarrassed for losing it so badly in front of his friends.
‘Unbelievable, for cryin’ out loud! It’s not like I’ve never seen him cry before.’ Then Jack remembered the other two witnesses in the tent. Yes Jack had seen Daniel cry before and had always been there for Daniel to cry on. However to his recollection he’d never had to do it with an audience. Jack suddenly understood Daniels unease and was again reminded how peculiar his behaviour was. There was definitely something else going on with Daniel and Jack was damn sure once they were back home, with Daniel tucked nicely into an infirmary bed, he was going to find out what it was. Jack pushed that thought to the back of his mind for now. He needed to focus and get his team back to the SGC safe and sound.
"Daniel?" Jack questioned again since he’d got no immediate reply the first time.
"Yeah, I can." Daniels voice was hushed, barely audible. If it wasn’t for the mute nod that accompanied it Jack might have asked him to repeat it.
"Good boy" Jack squeezed Daniels arms still in his grasp. He turned to face Carter.
"Carter. Go gather the other teams together make sure the areas secure and everyone gates back. We’ll be following."
"Yes sir." Sam’s voice was solemn. She was every bit as upset as her younger teammate. Glancing in Daniels direction, again opening her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Instead she offered an apologetic smile and exited the tent.
Jack then moved his focus onto Tealc, all the while still keeping a strong hold on Daniel. Their Jaffa friend looked as if in shock. Jack hoped Tealc could pull himself together enough to make his way back to the Stargate. No way could he cope with him and Daniel.
"Tealc?" Jack said as he tilted his head towards Shar’res prone body. Tealc immediately rebuked and Jack wondered if he’d said something wrong. However Tealc quickly regained his equilibrium and bowed his head in acknowledgement. Standing he moved over to Shar’re and bent at the knees to lift her. Before doing so he threw a glance in Daniels direction as if asking permission. Jack followed the gaze; Daniel was staring intently at Tealc. For a few seconds there was nothing, then Daniel slowly lowered his head and raised it again. At his approval Tealc lifted Shar’re into his arms and proceeded to exit the tent. Jack watched him leave then turned swiftly back to Daniel, who surprisingly enough was looking right at him no longer avoiding eye contact.
Daniel looked deeply into Jacks brown eyes, he so desperately wanted to vocalise the fear he felt slowly consuming him. As far as he could tell what he thought he’d experienced over the past few Days hadn’t been real at all, only minutes had past apparently. He couldn’t get his head around it, he was so confused. Shar’re had spoken to him, he was sure she had. ‘She wants me to find the boy’ the words echoed in his mind. He felt tears begin to prick at the back of his eyes again, distressed with his helplessness and the pain flaring up in his temple.
Jack couldn’t make out the expression on Daniels face. If he had to describe it he’d say it was a toss up between being absolutely petrified and oddly relieved at the same time. He brought up his right hand and brushed a stray tear away from Daniels cheek.
Daniel automatically brought up his arm and wiped his face on his sleeve, ridding himself of all traces of wetness.
Letting out a long sigh Jack took it as a sign Daniel was ready to head back to the gate. Positioning himself on his knees Jack assisted Daniel to stand. He was shaky on his feet to start with but seemed okay enough to walk. Jack kept one arm around Daniels back as he slowly guided him back towards home.
They’d walked most of the way in silence, Daniel stumbling along.
"Jack?"
"Yeah Daniel?" Jack kept his tone hushed, he had a feeling Daniel wanted to tell him something.
"I think I need to tell you something…"
Jack felt his lip quirk a little.
"…it may sound strange but I need you to listen okay?" Daniel pleaded; he hoped to god he was doing the right thing. What if it was all his imagination, what if…? ‘Christ sakes Daniel.’ Jacks voice vibrated in his head mockingly. ‘Just tell him’ he mentally chided himself.
"Daniel what is it?" Jack had stopped and turned Daniel to face him.
Daniels mind began to wander again, his head felt like it was full of cotton wool. What had gotten into him? He couldn’t just blurt out everything that had just happened to him. For one he had no idea where to start and two he’d just come off sounding like a loon. ‘I need to have a clear head, I...OW!"
Jack was becoming increasingly concerned with Daniels behaviour, if he was right and that was a ribbon burn then it’s possible Daniel could have some kind of head injury. He was just about to nudge Daniel forward again when the young man just sort of fell into him, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.
"Daniel!" Jack shouted as he caught the failing body. Jack looked down from the hill they were standing; he could see Carter by the open event horizon. In one swift move Jack bent and moved his left arm under Daniels knees hoisting him up to rest against his chest. He began to make his way towards the Stargate, Daniel unconscious in his arms.
"Sir! What happen?" Sam came running the moment she saw the colonel and his burden.
"He past out Major, need to get him back ASAP!" Jack met Carter at the DHD. They entered the wormhole together.
**********************************************************
"Janet he’s waking up!"
"Hey Daniel, I need you to look at me okay?"
‘Janet? Where the hell am I?’ Daniel scanned the room despite what he’d just been told.
"Daniel do as the Doc says."
"Jack?"
"Yeah I’m here Daniel, just listen to Janet for a minute will ya."
Daniel did as asked. ‘Infirmary! I’m in the infirmary, why? Err…Arh!’
Janet shone the pen light in his eyes. "Can you tell me your name?"
"Daniel Jackson" ‘haven’t I already done this?’ He was getting a strange sense of de ja vu.
"And your date of birth"
"July 8th" ‘oh I’ve definitely done this’. Then like a bolt of lightening it all came flooding back to him. Rescuing the Abydonians, Ammonet, getting ribboned, Shar’re talking to him, Tealc firing his staff…’oh god she’s dead’. The impact of those words hit him like a ton of bricks. He remembered waking up like this before all right, only that wasn’t real was it. None of it was. He remembered the tent, Jack holding him, him crying and the terrible pain in his head. Wait he wasn’t remembering the pain he could feel it, it was still there.
"Daniel? Do you remember what happened?" That was Sam. Daniel scanned the room again, this time noticing the people surrounding his bed. Jack, Sam, Tealc even General Hammond. Daniel felt a flush raise in his cheeks, touched at the concern showing on their faces.
"I…I think so. Shar’re?" It was a meagre attempt, he was fairly sure he already knew the answer but needed to ask anyway.
"She’s Dead Daniel. Sorry." Jack answered, just as he had done before.
"Ah huh." Daniel whispered faintly. He suddenly didn’t feel like saying much more. His eyelids felt heavy so he closed them and drifted back into oblivion.
"Hey Daniel."
"Hey Jack."
Daniel blinked several times, adjusting to the low lighting.
"What time is it?"
"It’s late." Was Jacks cryptic reply. Daniel had been in and out of consciousness all day.
"Why are you still here?" Daniel knew even before he said it, it was a stupid question. That assumption was confirmed by the ‘well duh’ glare Jack was giving him.
"Do you need anything?" ‘God kid you look like hell’.
"Water" ‘I’m glad he’s here don’t wanna be alone’.
Jack lent over him to reach the cup of ice chips left by the nurses.
"Feeling better?"
Daniel just stared at Jack, as if he didn’t want to answer. Jack got the message loud and clear.
"You're going to be okay Daniel" Jack spoke purposely.
Daniel knew Jack wasn’t just talking about his physical injuries. ‘I hope your right Jack.’
"Go back to sleep Daniel, I’ll be here." Jack squeezed his hand to let him know it was safe to sleep, to dream. Jack would look after him. "We’ll talk more when you’re feeling better."
Daniel nodded he understood before closing his eyes again entering a drug induced sleep. His final thought was of shar’re and his hope that she’d finally reclaimed her freedom.
Author’s notes: Not really much plot, just a little extra for all those like me who felt it ended too soon.
© December 2003 I don't own them sadly enough. They are the property of MGM/Sci-Fi and god knows who else. Please don’t sue I have nothing of value.