Chapter 29

Jack quickly wiped at his face when he heard Grace make her way back.

"Okay, Daniel..." she paused a moment as she aimed a look at the two men. "Am I interrupting something?" she asked eloquently. Both men appeared dazed and confused. Thankfully, one of them seemed to register her question.

"No..." Daniel shook his head.

"Okay, Daniel... I'm going to have to stabilize your foot before we lift you off of the floor." Daniel nodded as he glanced at the contents in her arms: a small blanket, a few pieces of cardboard, and three leather belts. He raised his eyebrows, questioning her motives while she lay the objects out on the floor. "Relax, it won't hurt anymore than it is hurting you now." Grace smiled at him while she began to put her hands at work.

Before she grabbed the white blanket, Grace decided to examine Daniel's foot a little more extensively. It was noticeably swollen; his skin was turning a dark greenish color. "You know..." she said in thought, "Come to think of it, you may have broken your ankle, not your foot. It's quite hard to tell without an X-ray. Where exactly does it hurt?" Daniel nearly laughed out loud at the question. Where does it hurt? It hurt everywhere! "From the middle of my leg all the way down to my toes!"

"Okay, well I'll stabilize that whole area just in case --" Grace stopped in mid-sentence. The noisy sound of the elevator doors interrupted her. Moments later, her husband's figure came into view at the end of the hall. It was quite obvious he was having trouble breathing as he jogged back to his apartment door.

"John? What is it? Why are you back so soon?" Grace's voice was clearly concerned at her husband's odd behavior. John tried to avoid his wife's inquiring eyes as a dull flush was already working up his neck.

"I forgot the keys," he managed to mumble as he disappeared into the apartment. Daniel tried to stifle a laugh. It was a funny image. A man in his late sixties, running down a hallway at four in the morning in his bathrobe and boxers. Grace rolled her eyes and looked back at Daniel.

"I'm telling you, as they get older, they lose more and more of their minds!" she exclaimed, her voice lacking any kind of humor. Daniel grinned at the comment.

"What's your name?" she turned to Jack.

"It's Jack."

"Jack, I want you to gently wrap Daniel's leg from here..." she pointed her finger to a spot right under his knee, "... all the way down to there." She handed him the white blanket while she reached out and grabbed a few pieces of cardboard.

A few minutes later, Daniel's leg was wrapped in its entirety. "Good. Now, Daniel, hold still..." Grace began to outline his leg with the long strips of cardboard. Upon finishing that task, she reached out for one of the belts. Her head jumped up as the door to her apartment swung open. "Watch out! What are you trying to do, kill us?" she yelled after her husband who was now dressed in gray pants and a button down shirt. "If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it a long time ago!" John yelled back before he turned the corner. Grace snorted. She continued her ministrations while she muttered under her breath, "Jeez, with that voice, he's gonna wake up all the neighbors..." This time, Daniel laughed out loud.

Grace rubbed her hands together. "Okay, Daniel, all done. It's time to go to the hospital." Daniel shuddered at the word. He shot a cursory glance at his leg. The makeshift splint was quite impressive. The three leather belts held the blanket and cardboard pieces firmly against his leg. "Let's get you off of the floor first... shall we?" Both Grace and Jack took hold of his hands as they pulled him up from his horizontal position. Immediately, his stomach churned in protest. He ignored it. "Good. Daniel... you'll have to lean on Jack for the time being." She smiled as she rubbed at her lower back. "My back is not as strong as it used to be."

Jack took Daniel's arm and secured it around his own neck. "You okay leaning on me for a while?" Jack asked him, his eyes caring, sympathetic. Daniel reflected on Jack's choice of words. To anybody else, it was a simple question... but to him, those words meant so much more.

Daniel knew he was the one at fault. He had put their entire friendship at risk with his stupidity and selfishness and Jack had been the one to pay for it all. Daniel definitely had to talk to Jack... but until then, he needed to assure him that everything between them would be okay. Daniel could feel his own eyes begin to swell as he looked up at his friend... his best friend.

"Yeah" he finally answered. There was a world of expression in that single syllable.

Jack thanked Grace and John one last time before he closed the car door and guided Daniel into the Emergency area of the hospital. Daniel hopped over to the closest chair while Jack approached the nurses' desk. After a few moments of conversing with one of the nurses, he made his way back to Daniel and took a seat next to him.

Daniel looked up and grinned shyly. "Thanks," he said, unable to stop the tremors in his voice. Jack glanced at him and nodded in understanding.

"No, Jack... really... thank you." Daniel's eyes were earnest, filled with unspoken words.

"I know, Daniel... I know..." Jack patted Daniel gently on the cheek before he had to turn away.

A nurse approached them, smiling politely in her white uniform. "There is still going to be a bit of a wait so in the meantime, can I get you something for the pain?" Daniel sighed in relief and nodded tiredly. "I just have to know if you are currently taking any other medications?" The moment Daniel heard the question, he couldn't help but flick a glance up at Jack. Seconds later, they both began to laugh... It felt good to laugh again.

Daniel opened his eyes only to see a white ceiling above him. He was lying down on something hard... a bed? He scanned his surroundings, noting the different objects and colors... or lack there of. White sheets... white walls... beeping machinery... He swore inwardly. He was in a hospital! Suddenly, events from the previous day invaded his mind.

Daniel sighed and rubbed at his temples, a headache was setting up residence just under his skull. Although the room was still dark, he could easily make out Jack's sleeping form. The familiar pressure from down below was begging for his attention once again. Daniel sighed in resignation. He had to get out of bed or he would be forced to relieve himself right then and there.

He would have to take matters into his own hands!

A quick move to the left proved to be a mistake. A sharp pain had suddenly shot up from his ankle in protest. He looked down and caught a quick glimpse at his leg. It was enveloped in a large cast, resting on top of a large stack of pillows. "Damn it!" he cursed out loud. He'd have to wake up Jack.

"Jack!" he whispered loudly... His sleeping friend didn't reply. "Jack!" he repeated, his tone louder. No response. Daniel decided the best approach would be to yell when all alternative methods proved pointless.

"Jack!" Daniel grinned with success. Jack began to stir, moaning and mumbling as he lifted his head. "Jack, I need your help. Wake up!" Daniel's voice became urgent.

"Yeah... I'm up... I'm up!" Jack muttered as his heavy eyelids fluttered open. He slowly got out of his chair and trudged over to Daniel's bed.

"I need to get out of bed, Jack."

"Okay... okay... just give me a second." Weary, Jack kneaded at the muscles at the back of his neck. "Okay... what's wrong, Daniel?"

"Jack... I need to go to the washroom."

"Okay... fine. How do we do this?" Jack asked no one in particular. He stood a moment, staring at the contraption of a bed in front of him. It was quite high... it came up to his waist. Jack examined a side lever. He pushed it cautiously... the bed rail slid down in response. "Okay, Daniel, just grab onto my shoulders while I pull you closer to the edge of the bed." Daniel nodded and followed Jack's instructions.

"Teal'c... I think the colonel said it was this floor." Sam took out a small scrap of paper. "Room 345." She looked up at the room numbers in front of her. "He's further down."

"What did Colonel O'Neill reveal about DanielJackson's current condition?" Teal'c asked, his face and voice both neutral. He was dressed in a gray suit... a large cowboy hat covered his gold emblem.

"Well, he called this morning to say that Daniel had broken his ankle and that they were going to spend the night in the hospital... but that was all." Teal'c nodded and followed his co-worker down the hall, ignoring the stares and looks he received from the nurses who passed him by.

When Daniel was closer to the edge of the bed, Jack took his arm and placed it around his neck. "Okay, I'm going to ease you off..." While Daniel's good foot finally touched the floor, he slowly brought the injured one down too. "Good... okay, now try and get off," Jack urged him forward.

Daniel slid his body off of the bed, resting all of his weight on one foot while one hand leaned on Jack for support. Almost immediately, the world dipped sideways as nausea surged through him. If it weren't for Jack's tight grip, Daniel would have plunged to the floor. Jack assured Daniel as he looked into his terrified eyes. "It's okay... it's okay... I've got you..." Daniel nodded nervously, his foot still not stable on the ground. "Okay, one step at a time." Jack said softly as he moved forward. Daniel kept his casted leg bent in the air as the other one struggled to keep up with Jack. Daniel could feel the perspiration build up on his forehead; he was already exhausted from the effort.

"Come on, Daniel..." Jack said softly. The nausea grew in intensity as Daniel continued to hop forward. He closed his eyes and prayed for the room to stop spinning. Suddenly, without warning, his foot slipped out from under him. He tried desperately to grab onto Jack's shirt as he tumbled to the floor. Jack, unprepared, didn't have enough time to prevent the fall. Daniel hit the floor hard, his knee crashing into the nightstand on the way down. He cried out as the cast made contact with the hard ground. Jack quickly got down on his knees, his eyes filled with nothing but concern and worry.

Daniel tried to muster his feelings, but instead, his face twisted in pain as tears began to blur his vision.

"Jack... I can't do it..." he managed to say around the lump in his throat.

"Daniel... don't say that. You can just get back up and we'll continue --"

"No Jack... I can't do this anymore! The cancer... the foot... any of it!" He waved his hands wildly in the air. "I can't do it anymore... It's too hard..."

"No, Daniel... you can do this. You made it this far. Only two weeks to go..."

"I can't..." Daniel's voice hitched. Jack watched in dismay as Daniel lost control of himself. His muscles began to quiver violently. Daniel tried desperately to hide the tears from Jack. He couldn't hold out any longer...

Daniel was crying; fast, choking sobs racked his entire body. All the pain and suffering he had kept bottled up over the past few weeks were slowly making their way to the surface.

Jack grabbed Daniel's shoulders and pulled him into a warm embrace. He quickly began to rub Daniel's back in a soothing gesture... a gesture of caring, friendship. "Daniel, you can do this. You hear me? I know you can do this!" Jack could only faintly hear Daniel's muffled reply.

"I can't, Jack... I just want to stop the treatment... stop everything..." Jack paused. He grabbed Daniel and pushed him away slightly. He needed to look him straight in the eye.

"No, Daniel... I don't want to hear that talk... especially from you! You are going to make it through this till the end! You're not going to stop anything! I'm serious, Daniel! You are not going to do anything stupid. Two more weeks, Daniel... You can make it through two more weeks... I'll be there for you every step of the way."

Daniel nodded weakly, but it didn't last. Jack was still not convinced. He had to make Daniel understand..."Daniel, think about Sha're... she needs you." Daniel's head popped up at the mention of her name. "You need to get better so that you can find her, Daniel! You need to get healthy again." Daniel stared into Jack's face. Jack's eyes were filled with determination. He knew that Jack was right.

Daniel closed his eyes... he pictured Sha're in his mind, the Abydos sun behind her, her thin fingers caressing his face... He allowed another tear to slip down his cheek. "You're right, Jack..." Daniel nodded and smiled softly. "You're absolutely right..."

Sam stopped in front of room 345. The door was slightly ajar. "Janet gave me specific orders to bring Daniel back to the base where she can check on him herself... I'm just going to make sure that he's not sleeping." Teal'c nodded. Sam quietly approached the door. Before she entered the room, she had to stifle a gasp. Both Jack and Daniel were on the floor... Daniel was crying in Jack's arms.

Sam pulled back immediately... she didn't want to violate their privacy. She turned around and joined Teal'c at the nurses' station.

Sam leaned on the desk and smiled inwardly... Daniel was finally letting go...

"What is the matter, Captain Carter?"

"Nothing Teal'c... we'll have to wait a little longer... Daniel needs a bit more time to heal before we take him back..."

Chapter 30

Daniel woke up only to be greeted by a heavy darkness. The familiar sounds of the infirmary caused him to wince inwardly. 'Ah... Home, sweet home!' he mused.

Daniel surveyed his surroundings weary-eyed. The room he was currently in was a semi-private. To his relief, the bed next to him was not occupied. The door was wide open, giving him the 'fantastic' view of one of the base halls. He figured it was either late at night or early in the morning judging from the unusual silence.

Daniel lifted his arm to check the time but quickly paused. A sharp twinge of pain had caught him by surprise. An IV was securely taped to his vein. 'Great!' he sighed aloud. 'What now?' He dropped his head back in despair. The movement seemed to have caught the attention of a nurse who had been lurking in the back of the room. He hadn't even noticed her there.

The nurse cautiously approached his bed and put her hand to his forehead.

"How are you feeling, Dr. Jackson?" Daniel couldn't ignore the gleam in her eyes.

"Umm... I'm fine... I think." He lifted the arm that was unpleasantly attached to the IV. "What's this for?"

"Oh." She smiled sincerely. "That, I'm afraid, Dr. Fraiser will have to explain to you. In fact, I'll go and find her right now."

"Thank you," Daniel called out after her as he rubbed at the area around the tape. While he waited, he stole a quick glance at his cast. What the...? He quickly grabbed for his glasses that were conveniently placed on the nightstand next to him. He stared back down at the leg. Different colors ranging from red to green were scattered all along the length of the white plaster. They were... letters? He put on glasses... No. They were words... messages. He attempted to read the first one.

Hey, Danny-boy! Can't wait till this is all over! Three words: beer, TV and sports... or the Discovery Channel... or whatever it is you archaeologists watch. (I'll be nice and let you hold the remote for a change!). Okay... so this cast may be on for another four or five weeks but hey, think on the bright side, we can always use those crutches to our advantage, right? In case you're wondering what I mean... They're a great babe magnet! So... I might need to borrow them from time to time. Anyway, hope you get better soon! Jack

Daniel smiled. There was a little drawing beside his messy handwriting. Daniel squinted his eyes. It was Jack's poor attempt at art. He had drawn a happy face... or at least he had tried to...

Daniel's eyes moved on to the next message. The writing was neat, proper... It must have been from Sam.

Hey Daniel, work is just not the same without you! Hope you feel better! Get well soon. Love, Sam.

The author of the next message was unmistakable. It was a single signature, TEAL'C, clearly written in bold black letters. Daniel allowed his lips to curve into a grin. He had good friends... good, sneaky, friends...

His thoughts were interrupted by an approaching figure.

Janet.

"Well, good morning. You've been out for nearly thirteen hours. How are you feeling?"

"Fine... but, why is there an IV attached to me?"

"Well Daniel, when they brought you here the other day, you had a very high temperature. You were also extremely weak and tired... After observing you for a while, it was quite obvious that you were severely dehydrated. The IV in your arm is feeding you fluids, it should eventually restore your energy. Colonel O'Neill has also told me that you have been feeling very dizzy lately. He mentioned that you were vomiting a whole lot in the past few days. To me, that didn't make much sense. The Zofran I gave you is very strong and it should have helped you with the nausea. This got me thinking. Dehydration, vomiting, nausea, weakness... a broken ankle..."

"What does that have to do with it?"

"Well, from what I was told, you broke it by falling down in the hallway of your apartment building. Normally, a person breaks a bone if they fall off of a bike or they were doing some sort of physical activity like running, or playing sports. Now, don't get me wrong, it is possible that a person can break a bone simply by falling, but I wanted to be certain that it wasn't due to a lack of calcium in your bones --"

"What? A lack of... how could that be?"

"Well... just listen. At that point, I still wasn't sure if there was anything abnormally wrong. The thing that definitely caught my eye was your weight. When I weighed you, you were 160 with the cast! You dropped nearly 15 pounds in two weeks. Usually, patients under cancer treatment gain an average of ten to fifteen pounds. This convinced me to take a blood test... you remember the one I gave you yesterday?"

"How could I forget? I was nearly going to throw up all over you." He forced a grin. Janet smiled back, delighted by the fact that he was dealing with the situation using a bit of humor for good measure. "Well, anyhow, the blood work up revealed the problem... you have a condition called hypercalcemia. "

"What is that?"

"Hypercalcemia is a disorder in which the level of calcium in the blood is much too high. It occurs in 10-20% of cancer patients... Some cancer cells actually secrete substances that cause calcium to be absorbed into the bloodstream from your bones. The diagnosis is quite difficult since most of the symptoms resemble those associated with chemotherapy. It's a good thing we caught it early... Now, I have to know, are you having problems with your bathroom habits? Are you urinating excessively?"

"Yes! Oh G-d yes!" He was relieved. Finally, he was going to get an explanation for his bladder's unpleasant behavior!

"Well, that's just another side effect. The vomiting, nausea, fever, lack of appetite... all side effects. I'm going to prescribe another drug... hey, don't give me that look! Either you take the meds or you'll be camping out in the bathroom for the next two weeks! " Janet looked down at the file in her hands. "Okay... It's called calcitonin."

"What is?"

"The drug I'm prescribing to you."

"Oh."

"Now... it's been quite a few hours that you've been hooked up to the IV. You should already be feeling better." Daniel reflected on her comment. He was almost surprised to find that she was right. He actually felt... normal. For the first time, he didn't feel the urge to urinate, vomit or faint. Although he was still a little tired, he felt relatively good.

Seeing the weariness in Daniel's eyes, Janet patted his arm sympathetically. "Daniel, you should get some rest... can I get you anything before you go back to sleep?"

"Actually... I could use something to eat. I think I'm hungry." Daniel was not used to the grumbling in his stomach. It was the first time in a while that he craved for some sort of nourishment.

"I'll arrange for food to arrive as soon as possible..." Janet began to walk away but then turned around, a large grin spread across her face. "See, Daniel, you're already feeling better!" Daniel simply closed his eyes and smiled to himself... he liked the sound of those last words.

Smells... voices... sounds... He could feel the presence of a crowd around him: the comfortable conversations, the sound of their shuffling hands and fingers...

"Pass the salt, will ya?" He heard Jack's familiar voice next to him.

"Wow, this pizza's really good! Where'd you get it, Janet?" That was definitely Sam, he silently noted to himself.

"Oh... from this cute little place down the street from me... it's called... um... Pizza Italia." Daniel's stomach grumbled at the wonderful smells that surrounded him. He forced his eyes to flutter open. He nearly gasped out loud when he caught a view of the scene in front of him.

Food.

There was so much food! Food on his bed, food on his night table, food displayed on the chairs next to him... However, the thing that had him the most confused was the crowd of people that surrounded him. Sam, Jack, Teal'c, Janet and even General Hammond were all seated around his bed... eating.

"Hey, Danny... finally up?" Jack's smiling face came into focus. "We decided that this anorexic... or bulimic... or whatever diet thing of yours wasn't working out too well so..." He waved his hand around the room. "... We wanted to have a picnic in your honor!"

"Here, Daniel, we brought you spaghetti... your favorite." Sam held up a delicious looking plate of Italian cuisine. "Dig in before it gets too cold." Daniel stared at his friends. He looked at their faces, their eager faces. Each of them was smiling... at him, waiting for a reaction. A lump suddenly stuck in his throat, Daniel forced the tears down. This was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for him. They didn't have to do it, but they did... Without noticing, a tear escaped him and slid down his face.

"Daniel..." Sam whispered with a smile. She moved closer to him and embraced him with a hug. He wrapped his arms around her, accepting her warmth, her friendship.

"Thank you," Daniel whispered, his voice shaking with emotion. By the time Sam backed away, Daniel's cheeks were wet.

"You're welcome, buddy... you're welcome." Jack's words were soft, compassionate. The silence in the room lingered on for a few moments...

"Umm... could someone pass me the garlic bread?" Daniel broke the uncomfortable silence. Jack reached for a piece of bread and handed it to him.

"No, Teal'c... when you eat a pizza, you don't start with the crust!" Jack yelled at the larger man who was seated across from him.

"Then how does one eat it, O'Neill?" Daniel laughed as Jack's voice turned into lecture mode. Janet and Sam were giggling at Jack's passionate instructions while the general sat quietly, a grin spread across his face. For the first time in his life, Daniel felt like he truly belonged. These were people who cared about him, they were there for him... he would never let them go... never. Warmth suddenly filled his heart...

He would survive...

Chapter 31

Daniel needed to get up. He needed to move around or he would eventually go insane! Staring at the telephone in front of him did nothing to calm his nerves. If he was going to make it through the night, he would have to distract his worried mind.

Daniel paced his living room floor as he tried to find a place to put his fidgeting hands. Frustrated, he stuffed them deep into his pockets. He could feel a bead of sweat already forming above his brow. He was nervous. He had the right to be! This night was extremely important to him, an underlying event in his life.

The clock above the television read 7:13 p.m. Unconsciously, he took his hand out of his pocket and brought it up to his neck. It was a movement that had become so common over the past seven weeks that he was almost surprised to find that there was nothing there to rub. The large lump had completely disappeared... Without further thought, Daniel passed his hand over the top of his head, allowing his fingers to run through the newly grown hair. It was still considerably short-quite a difference from the long floppy coif he had always kept ever since he was a child. He rather liked the short look. It was a new change... a new look... a new him.

Daniel's mind soon wandered back in time. Although still unpleasant, the last of the two treatments were not that bad. The drugs Janet had prescribed to him had helped him tremendously where nausea and vomiting were concerned. In fact, the last time he had actually thrown up was five weeks ago, in the hallway of his building where he had taken the tumble.

Although nausea-free, the cast on his leg had restricted him from doing most things. He shuddered at the memory of being unwillingly immobilized in his own apartment. In fact, Daniel was sure that once this whole ordeal would finally be over with, he would move out... get away from the memories...

Looking at his watch once more, Daniel recalled that it had been exactly three weeks ago to the day that he had received his last chemo treatment. It was surely a day he would never forget. Jack, Sam and Teal'c had decided to celebrate by taking him out for a night of karaoke, beer and food. He smiled at the memory. Jack had nearly cleared out the entire club when he had sung "Love Me Tender" by Elvis. The owner had warned him never to step foot in that place again.

His friends... he was very fortunate to have them... very fortunate. They had been there for him every day... always encouraging him, always urging him onwards. Never a night without a visit, never a day without a phone call...

They were all he had... all he needed.

Daniel glanced down at his leg. A plastic brace now covered his ankle. Thankfully, the cast had come off two days ago, the crutches returned to Janet. Things were starting to look better... much better... Now there was just this... His stubborn eyes gazed back at the telephone. He quickly tore them away again.

Daniel rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. The past three days had been considerably tough on him. He had gone through numerous tests and examinations. From CAT scans to Gallium scans, he had been through them all. Now, he just needed to know...

The sound of the phone made him jump. It was time. The second ring echoed in the still air. The phone was not two feet away from him yet he stared at it like it was some foreign object. Man's simple invention to relay information back and forth. The third ring... Daniel's hand was frozen in place. Did he want to answer it? He wasn't sure anymore. The fourth ring... He'd have to answer it or he would never be able to sleep. Daniel reached for it and paused, he was uncertain... unprepared. The fifth ring. He closed his eyes and recited a quick prayer... he wasn't exactly sure to whom it was addressed but if there was a G-d, he needed his help. Daniel blinked as the answering machine picked up. The familiar beep sounded, yanking him out of his trance. He swiftly reached out and picked up the receiver.

"Hello? Yes, Janet... I understand... Uh huh... Uh huh..." His throat constricted, Daniel was having trouble breathing properly. "... Yeah... I'm still here... I just... I have to go... I know... but I have to... go... I'm sorry." His trembling hands closed the phone down in its rightful position, uncaring that he had just hung up on his friend.

Daniel reached out for the phone again and dialed Jack's number. He needed to talk to him. Annoyed after six rings, Daniel hung up and dialed Sam's apartment. Similarly, nobody was home. Teal'c was off world visiting his family, so he was out of the question. Daniel sighed.

Where was everybody?

He hesitantly rose from his chair and made his way over to his answering machine. He pressed on the flashing red button, his fingers fumbling for the fast forward at the same time. When he finally found the last message, he let it play out loud.

Daniel took a seat and listened to Janet's voice explain to him about the results of his tests. Daniel closed his eyes and leaned back. He was waiting to hear the last of the message... before he had hung up the phone... Janet's last words to him..."Daniel, you are officially in remission!"

Daniel woke up with the sun on his face. His cheek twitched in response, the light rays bringing him out of his comatose induced sleep. Unlike previous mornings, Daniel had to be somewhere... work. Any other day, he would have hobbled over to his window and pulled down the blinds... but not this morning. He was a healthy man now. The last thought brought a smile to his face. He was a healthy man, he repeated it to himself. He still couldn't quite get used to that fact, no matter how unrealistic the idea was.

Daniel suppressed a grin. Today, he was going to announce to his friends that the cancer was gone. The general had set it up so that Jack, Sam and Teal'c wouldn't know that he would be coming in.

It would be a surprise.

Daniel glanced at the clock and nearly cried out. He was going to be late! The first day back and he was going to be late! He cursed at himself as he tried to slide off of the mattress. Although the cast was off, his foot was still giving him a more than a few problems! Daniel pulled on his plastic brace. He limped towards his dresser and opened the doors. A gasp was caught in his throat, his mouth wide open in dismay.

It was empty!

The entire closet was empty! No sweaters, no pants, no T-shirts... It was all gone. He quickly hopped over to his underwear drawer. He nearly choked when he saw that it too was completely bare... He all but tumbled backwards. How the hell was this possible? Was he stuck in some sort of dream or was this merely a projection of his own imagination? He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. When he opened them, he was still standing in front of an empty drawer. He passed his fingers through the short hair. What the hell was going on? Who would steal his underwear?

Daniel picked up the wallet that lay next to his bed. He was immediately surprised to see that all twenty dollars were accounted for. 'That's odd... ' he thought to himself. Had someone broken into his apartment with the sole intention of stealing his clothes?

The journals! His journals!

Sh-t! Daniel ran as fast as his foot allowed him skidding to a halt in front of the bookshelf. Journal 1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... 7... 8... 9... 10... Wait! Where was journal 11? That was his latest journal! There was an empty space in its place. This could not be happening to him now! Not after everything he had gone through. Oh Jeez! This was going to be bad... real bad.

Daniel slowly walked towards the kitchen phone as his heart drummed hard against his ribs. He picked it up and dialed the base. After going through the regular security spiel, he finally got through to one of the airmen. "This is Daniel Jackson, I have to speak to General Hammond."

"I'm sorry, Dr. Jackson, the general isn't here at the moment, he's..." Daniel's heart jumped in his throat. This just wasn't happening!

"No... I need to speak to him now. It's an emergency... it's concerning a... um... a breach. "The moment the last word left his mouth, Daniel could hear a sharp gasp from the airman on the other line.

"I'll page the general at once. Are you at home?"

"Yes."

"Then I will have him call you immediately." The airman hung up the phone. Daniel paced the room, a thousand thoughts flooding through his mind. How did he not wake up? What would the thief want with a journal and his clothes? Why didn't the perpetrator want the rest of the journals? Why only the last one? The general was going to kill him.

Seconds later, the phone rang. Daniel wasted no time. He quickly picked up the receiver and brought it up to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Dr. Jackson... I'm at the airport right now... why was I paged to call you? What happened?"

"Well Sir, there's been a... breach."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Um... Sir...?"

"The phone line is secure Dr. Jackson... now tell me what the hell you are talking about!" The general's tone was harsh.

"Sir, my 11th journal is missing... Sir."

"How could that be?" Daniel could hear the anger stirring in the general's voice.

"There was a break-in. My clothes are gone as well, Sir." Daniel's voice was already shaking.

"Doctor, I couldn't care less about your clothes right now. What I do care about is that journal! I am not happy, Doctor. I want you to meet me here at the airport immediately where I will discuss this with you further. And believe me, Doctor, we have got a lot to discuss! Your carelessness and negligence will be dealt with. I'll send a driver to pick you up immediately." The general hung up abruptly.

Daniel kicked his kitchen cabinet. He was frustrated and confused. Why the hell did these things only happen to him?

He was in big trouble.

Chapter 32

Daniel looked down at himself. This was all just too much. He was currently standing next to his kitchen sink, wearing nothing more than a white sock on his uninjured foot. This was definitely not good. He was getting picked up in less than fifteen minutes and he had nothing remotely acceptable to wear.

Daniel was on a hunt for clothes. His first destination? The hamper... Daniel approached the large container and lifted the top lid. To his dismay, it was completely empty. Daniel nearly laughed out loud. So, his dirty clothes were also taken... This was getting out of control! His situation reminded him too much of a dream he once had as a teenager... an embarrassing naked dream. He shuddered at the thought.

Daniel did a quick scan around his room. It was no use. There was nothing there that could be considered as a dignified piece of material. Daniel sighed and began to make his way towards the phone. In the worst-case scenario, which most definitely applied to his present situation, he could always call John down the hall and borrow a pair of pants and a top. Even though he was aware of the fact that they would be too large on him, he was desperate for anything.

Just as Daniel reached out for the telephone, a thought suddenly occurred to him. Maybe he didn't need to call John after all. Daniel looked down at his bed. He grabbed onto the mattress and carefully eased himself on the ground. He grumbled in pain as the edge of the plastic brace pressed down on his leg. When he was finally on his stomach, Daniel lay his head down on the floor and peered under the bed. He nearly yelped in surprise when his eyes focused on the contents found. There, staring back at him, was an old magazine, a few pairs of socks and a tangle of clothes just out of his reach. Daniel leaned in until his shoulders would not allow him to go any further. He wiggled his fingers. Fortunately for him, he succeeded in dragging the pile of clothes closer to himself. When he finally found the leverage he needed, he took hold of the clothes and pulled his hand out. As he untangled the mess, Daniel let out a big sigh of relief. In his hands he held a pair of gray sweat pants and a plaid button-down shirt. If they were placed under his bed on purpose or simply overlooked by the 'robber' he was not completely sure. What he was sure of was the fact that he was happy as hell to have found them... no matter how ridiculous they were going to look!

His smile suddenly faded. Underwear... there was no underwear! He spared another glance under the bed but came up with nothing. Damn! Daniel glanced at his wristwatch in a panic. He didn't have much time left. That simply translated into the realization that he'd have to go with or without underwear. Unfortunately for him, it was the latter rather than the former.

With the time he had left, Daniel put on his newly discovered treasures. He didn't even bother looking at himself in the mirror before he grabbed a coat and wallet and left the apartment. What was the point? He already knew how foolish he looked in his 'new' attire. Hopefully, he thought, the general would understand considering his situation.

Daniel sat silently in the car, allowing his thoughts to disperse in his mind. Why was the general at the airport? He never left the base without a good reason. Daniel nearly slapped himself on the forehead. Jack had mentioned something about the general's excursion. His granddaughters, Kayla and Tessa, were visiting cousins elsewhere and were arriving that day at the airport. How could he have forgotten about that? Upon realizing the aforementioned, Daniel already knew he was going to be in big trouble. It was one thing having his journal and clothes taken from him, but it was quite another having interfered with the general's personal family time. This was not going to be a pleasant day for him... or for the general.

When the car pulled to a complete stop, the airman scrambled out of the driver's seat and rushed to Daniel's side. "Thank you but that's not necessary." Daniel smiled shyly at the driver who was trying desperately to help him out of the vehicle. Daniel hated feeling helpless and the fact that the airman was nearly lifting him out of his seat did not make things any better. When he was finally on his feet, Daniel thanked the younger man and watched the car drive away.

Daniel sighed. He looked down at the folded piece of paper in his hand. The driver had given him instructions to meet the general at gate 514. Gate 514? Daniel looked up at the signs. The arrow pointed left for gates 200-600 and so he followed its direction.

As he walked past the hundreds of people scattered throughout the airport, Daniel desperately pulled his coat closer to his body, hopefully covering the clothes beneath. 'I already looked like a bum off the streets so why advertise it to the rest of the world?' he mused as he turned the corner.

Daniel stopped in front of gate 514 and surveyed the area in search of the general. People were seated in chairs, their luggage at their feet, talking or sipping at their hot coffees. Daniel frowned. General Hammond was nowhere in sight. 'That's odd' Daniel thought. In a way, he was almost relieved. The general's absence meant he still had some time to spare before he would be lectured in private and eventually suspended.

Daniel took a seat on one of the plastic red chairs, stretching his foot out in front of him. On his right was an old woman speaking Spanish to her husband and to his left was an empty seat and a piece of abandoned luggage. Daniel yawned and laid his head back against the chair. He would just have to wait then. Maybe the general had to escort his grandchildren to the washroom or... Daniel didn't want to linger on it any longer. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes...

Daniel's head popped up, his heart in his mouth. The loud speaker had woken him up from his sleep. Daniel glanced around the area. There was still no sign of the general. He stole a glance at his watch. He had been asleep for ten minutes.

This was getting too weird.

Daniel pushed himself off of the seat in an attempt of attaining a vertical position. Instead, he stumbled and tripped backwards over the large piece of luggage next to his seat. Daniel cried out in pain as his back hit the floor hard -- his leg still tangled with the suitcase he had tripped over.

Daniel looked around with embarrassment. Fortunately, the Spanish woman next to him had disappeared and nobody else seemed to have witnessed his unceremonious fall. Daniel tried to push himself off of the ground, but it was to no avail. He'd have to take his foot off of the suitcase first before attempting to get up.

Daniel paused a moment as he stared at the stubborn piece of luggage that refused to release him. The large case looked very familiar... in fact, he could have sworn that he had something similar in his closet. Daniel dismissed it. There were many coincidences in the world and he didn't have time to dwell on them at the moment. All he wanted was to simply get off of the dirty floor.

Daniel tried to lift his foot off of the suitcase but hissed in pain as the strain on his leg was beginning to take its toll. Daniel grumbled in frustration and quickly pulled his foot down. Unfortunately, his jerky action had caused the gray suitcase to come down along with his leg. The suitcase toppled over on its side, the majority of it landing on Daniel's injured ankle. Daniel winced at the added pressure. Before he could push the large object off of his leg, his eyes caught sight of the nametag attached to the handle. Daniel pushed himself up on his elbows and squinted, trying to focus on the letters...

D. Jackson

Daniel nearly choked. It was his suitcase! He couldn't believe it! Had he found the thief who had robbed his house? Could this be a complete coincidence on his behalf? With adrenaline pumping through his veins, Daniel picked himself up from the floor ignoring the stinging pain in his ankle. He raised the suitcase so that it would stand upright and immediately began to unzip it. When he lifted the flap, he wasn't surprised to see all of his clothes neatly folded. Daniel stuck his hands into the case, moving his clothes around from side to side. He needed to find the missing journal... he was desperate! By the time Daniel had given up, all of his clothes were piled on top of each other in a mess.

The journal wasn't there.

Before Daniel moved his hand away, he felt a piece of paper brush by his fingers. Daniel furrowed his brows. A long envelope lay under the pile of clothes. He carefully looked around before he pulled it out and zipped the suitcase closed. Daniel fumbled nervously with the envelope, his unsteady fingers pulling out a piece of paper. Upon examining it, Daniel found it to resemble a plane ticket. Before he proceeded in reading it, his eyes focused on a row of payphones lined against the wall. He quickly hobbled his way over, keeping a careful eye on his luggage before lifting the receiver. Within seconds, Daniel dialed Jack's cell phone number. He doubted that Jack would pick up...

Daniel suddenly jumped when he heard his friend's familiar voice on the other end. "O'Neill."

"Jack?"

"Daniel? Where the hell are you? Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"Jack... just listen to me. There was a break-in."

"What?"

"Jack, someone broke into my apartment. They took my pants, my sweaters, my underwear... my journal."

"What!"

"Wait... that's not it. I spoke to the general about it and he told me to meet him at the airport. I'm at the airport right now and he's nowhere in sight! The weirdest part is that I found one of my suitcases here with all my clothes! The journal wasn't there! Jack, the thief must be here somewhere!" Daniel's voice was higher than usual. He was nervous and confused.

"Okay, Daniel, listen to me. I'll be right there. Where can I find you?"

"Gate 514."

"I'll be there as soon as possible." Jack's voice was reassuring and surprisingly calm.

Daniel hung up the phone and looked down at the envelope in his hands. He hadn't even checked where the thief was planning on flying. When he turned around, he suddenly bumped into someone.

"Sorry..." Daniel mumbled without even looking up from the white envelope.

"It's okay..." Daniel's head shot up at the familiar voice.

"Jack?" His voice was more of a gasp. Jack stood in front of him, smiling while waving his cellular phone. He was out of uniform wearing a pair of khaki pants and a black shirt. "Jack, what... what are you...?" Daniel was at a loss for words.

"Come with me, Daniel..." Jack motioned Daniel to walk. Daniel followed him in a daze, a look of total confusion etched on his face. Jack approached the gray suitcase and picked it up. He looked back at the archaeologist. "Why don't you look over there and wave..." Jack pointed somewhere in the distance.

Daniel's gaze followed Jack's finger. A sudden flash caused him to go blind for a few moments. When the bright light finally faded, Daniel tried to focus. There, fifteen feet away, Sam was pointing a camera at him. She was sitting at one of the tables in the airport coffee shop. Right next to her was General Hammond and Teal'c. They were all dressed like civilians, smiles planted across their faces.

Daniel was frozen -- his mouth open in shock. He didn't move even as Sam and the others got up from their seats and walked over to him. Sam's face was beaming with a smile as she embraced him. "Surprise!" she whispered in his ear. When she backed away, Daniel needed to blink a few times before his mouth finally began to cooperate with his brain.

"I don't... I don't understand..." Daniel stumbled over his own words.

"Open it, son." General Hammond nodded at the white envelope still firmly gripped in Daniel's hands. Daniel looked down and took out the ticket. He read it carefully. Soon afterwards, he looked up at his friends with eyes that sparkled with unshed tears.

"Egypt? I'm going to Egypt?" His voice was unsteady.

"No, Daniel... We're going to Egypt!" Jack said out loud, waving a similar envelope in the air. Teal'c and Sam were holding their tickets in their hands as well.

"I'm ordering you and the rest of SG-1 to take a three week vacation." The general's face was lightened with a sincere smile.

"How long were you...?"

"We've been planning this for the last four weeks, Daniel." Sam smiled at him warmly.

Just as Daniel was about to respond, the speaker above bellowed out. Jack patted Daniel on the back. "Come on, time to take off..." Overwhelmed with surprise, Daniel turned towards the general and offered his hand. "Thank you, Sir." Daniel smiled.

"My pleasure, son..." The general shook his hand firmly.

Soon his friends were pulling Daniel towards the line of people. His bottom lip trembled as he addressed his friends. "Thank you..." Nothing more needed to be said. The emotion behind those simple words was enough. As Sam looked into Daniel's appreciative eyes, she too was forced to push back her own tears.

Daniel broke the intense silence. "How did you guys know I...? I mean Egypt is exactly where..." He couldn't trust himself to speak.

"Well, Daniel... considering you're an Egyptologist, we figured there was no better place than Egypt." Jack's voice had a tinge of harmless sarcasm. "... And anyway, I figured your lectures would be a hell of a lot more interesting if I could actually see what the hell you are talking about..." Daniel and Sam laughed, even Teal'c's face creased into a grin. Daniel's smile suddenly disappeared as he turned to Jack, his eyes filled with worry.

"Jack... the journal --"

"Right here." Jack said as he patted his own bag.

"But how --"

"You're a heavy sleeper, Daniel. You didn't even so much as twitch while we emptied your hamper and underwear drawer. By the way, nice clothes." Jack pulled on Daniel's jacket, revealing the clothing beneath. "Did I ever mention that you have wonderful taste when it comes to fashion?" Daniel rolled his eyes.

"Oh, and Daniel... important question... what's it like going commando?" Jack's eyes were smiling. Daniel could feel a dull heat already working up his neck. Realization suddenly settled in.

"Jack... you did it on purpose! How could you do that? You should have at least left me one pair of boxers or something!" While Sam began to giggle, Daniel was already opening the zipper to his suitcase.

"Don't even bother, Daniel... you won't find any underwear there."

"Why not?" Daniel's voice was accusing.

"Because they're in your other suitcase which is already in the cargo area of the plane."

"What! You mean to tell me I have to sit on a stuffy, crowded and noisy airplane for over twelve hours without any underwear?"

"Shhh! Not so loud..." Jack turned his head away from his friend and grinned. He handed his ticket to the flight attendant standing in front of them with an over-exaggerated smile on her face.

"Don't forget hot, Daniel... we're on our way to a desert. It's definitely going to be hot on that plane," Jack said as the woman gave him back the ripped ticket.

"Jack!" Daniel's face was pleading, almost desperate. "How could you do that to me?"

"Because I had to get you back..." Jack smiled smugly as he began to walk down the jetway towards the entrance of the plane. Daniel shook his head in disbelief as he accepted his ripped ticket. He followed Jack down the hallway with an elusive grin of his own. He knew Egypt like the back of his hand... he would surely find a way to get back at Jack... it was all just a matter of time...

Daniel suddenly jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head to the side to find Sam walking in step with him. She stared ahead of her, motioning at the figure in front of them.

"Don't worry, Daniel, Teal'c and I already have a plan... we'll get him back for you..." She ruffled his short hair and put her arm through his. Daniel couldn't help but laugh. There would be a lot of that for the next three weeks... he knew that now. He had faced the ultimate test and now it was time to celebrate... time to enjoy friendship, happiness, health and most importantly... life!

© May 26, 2000 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.

Author's Note: I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of my beta readers, Jmas, Spacemonkey and Maria, for their wonderful encouragement and advice. Thank you, guys, you really helped a lot! This fic was very hard to write and I'd like to express my appreciation for all those at the Stargate H/C list too -- without your constant encouragement and feedback, I probably would have never finished this baby.

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