Daniel notched the water temperature higher. Why couldn't he get warm? They'd been back for hours now. Had debriefed and filled in all the essential paperwork. All that was left was to shower and then go home. No, he corrected himself. First he had to go to Jack's place. Check that everything was okay. That was his new role. Housesitter.
Oh God, Jack. The pain of what they'd done cut through him. An icicle dagger straight to the heart.
We never leave anyone behind. Those were Jack's words... Jack's philosophy. But they'd done the exact opposite. They'd left him behind. Frozen in the icy wastes of the Antarctic. He knew they had no choice. The medical team that flew in right behind them had agreed. Technology beyond our understanding, they'd said. Best we just leave him here for now.
For now. What the hell did that mean? A day? A week? A year? Forever?
He reached out to turn the temperature higher. And saw a dark skinned hand intercept his own.
"Daniel Jackson, are you trying to harm yourself?"
It was said with good-humour, but his anger flared at Teal'c's interruption. Then he glanced down and realised his skin was lobster red. Embarrassed he stared at the tiles beneath his feet. "No. I was just..." He sighed. He was a linguist, but words failed him. A shiver ran through him as Teal'c cut the water off and cool air touched his skin. "I can't get warm." He shook the water from his hair, and turned to step past his teammate.
Dark brown eyes studied him solemnly. "It wasn't your fault. O'Neill chose this course of action."
"To protect me!" Daniel snapped. Guilt and frustration wrestled for predominance. Damn Jack. How could he go and stick his head in that machine knowing what it would do to him?
"To save the world," Teal'c corrected gently. "A task that he achieved."
"Screw the world," Daniel muttered, taking the towel Teal'c was holding out to him and wrapping it around his shoulders.
"You do not mean that."
"Yes, I do!" It wasn't true, but he had to direct his anger at something. Right now, the world seemed as good a target as any. He stalked into the changing room. Teal'c followed and Daniel glared at him. "How can you be so calm?"
"O'Neill is not dead," he observed quietly.
"No. Just frozen alive." Daniel puffed the words out in exasperation. "Thanks. I feel so much better." He kicked his discarded uniform out of the way, and then yanked his locker door open.
"O'Neill made a similar comment when I observed you were not dead, but merely ascended."
"He... he did?" Daniel jerked his head round to look at Teal'c.
"Indeed." Teal'c paused and then added. "Now you are here."
"Unascended you mean?" Daniel hadn't spent seven years working with Teal'c without knowing how the big man's thought patterns worked. "And that's your less than subtle way of telling me we'll find a way to get Jack back, right?"
"Indeed," Teal'c repeated.
"Anyone ever mention that you overuse that word?' Daniel said, then quickly turned and raised one finger to stop Teal'c speaking. "Don't say it!"
As Teal'c bowed his head in acquiescence, Daniel turned back to his locker and began to pull on clean clothes... civilian clothes. God, he was sick of wearing that uniform. Sick of duty.
He huffed another breath as he pulled a thick sweater over his head, still trying to chase away the chill in his bones. "I have to go to Jack's place to check everything's okay," he said, trying to sound casual. "He appointed me a kind of caretaker..."
"To look after things until he returns," Teal'c said.
Daniel hesitated. Could he really believe that? More importantly, could he afford not to? He wrapped his arms around his chest as though he could somehow hold in the scant warmth of his body. "Do you want to come? I need someone to drink the beer in his fridge. Someone who actually, you know, likes the stuff."
"I would be honoured to assist in this task," Teal'c said.
Daniel pulled in a deep breath. Forced himself to look at the near future, and then beyond. "Of course, you'll have to replace it later." He hesitated, then made his tongue curl around the words. "When Jack comes back." He could at least do that much. And maybe, just maybe, if he said it enough, he could start to believe it.
Teal'c nodded. `Indeed."
<fin>
Author's notes: This is for Jb<g>
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