Huddled in a shivering, bleeding heap, Daniel moaned softly. A booted foot kicked him again, sending yet another dose of pain streaking through his battered body. The conversation going on above him filtered through suffering-fogged senses to his mind still clinging desperately to awareness. Part of him wanted so badly to give in to the blackness waiting to engulf him in soothing insensibility, but part of him knew he had to hang on long enough to learn whatever he could to help the others, no matter the cost to himself.
"We'll get no more out of him. The lone use left for him is as bait to catch the others."
"How do you know they'll come after him?"
"They were starting to follow even as we rode out of the village."
"Do you think he really could be a peaceful explorer as he claims?"
"Doubtful, seeing that he came through the ring. If he is, then he's of no use to us... and no more are his friends. We'll kill them all."
A final, negligent kick followed by fading footsteps marked his tormentors' departure.
Left to himself, Daniel whimpered hopelessly. He was being used to lure his teammates into a trap. They would die and it would be all his fault.
The mission had started out in such a promising way. The people on this world had welcomed them in the most cordial manner. All of SG-1 had been engaged in friendly conversation when the raiders had attacked.
He himself had been having a fascinating discussion with one of the elders about the local religious rituals. Thundering hoofbeats had interrupted as a cry of "The Black Raiders!" had passed through the horrified crowd. Daniel had looked up to see his friends and the villagers taking cover as savage horsemen wielding swords had galloped through their midst, attacking all who stood in their way.
On the verge of joining them, his attention had been diverted by a couple of children playing in the dirt street. Dashing forward to get them out of the way of the danger, he'd been captured by one of the riders. The man had grabbed him by the jacket and hoisted him across the saddle, a blow to the head with his sword hilt stilling Daniel's struggles. The scientist knew nothing more until he awakened deep in the forest surrounded by raiders who beat him almost back into unconsciousness when he wouldn't answer their questions about the Stargate.
Now they were obviously preparing to attack his friends in the same way... and Daniel was helpless to stop them.
He never doubted they would come after him. He knew Jack would not rest until he'd recovered any member of his team in trouble. How could the colonel know he was leading the rest of the team into an ambush? Daniel had to find a way to warn them.
He lay abandoned in the center of a clearing. The raiders were no doubt concealed in the surrounding trees.
Every movement brought a fresh wave of agony. Tears of frustration welled in his swollen eyes. He hadn't the strength to crawl away, even had he not been tied in place. A rope knotted tightly around his neck was attached to an isolated, sturdy bush, its roots firmly embedded in the ground. In his condition it would take him hours to undo the knots, and he had nothing with which to cut the rope.
Suddenly he heard a new set of footsteps approaching.
"Daniel."
It was Jack's voice. How could his name carry both the heaven of hope and the hell of despair?
His friend knelt by his side, fingers reaching out to lightly touch his hair. "Aw, Danny."
Danny. The nickname evoked a flash of memory. His parents had called him Danny when he was a child. After their death, he had refused to answer to it, insisting that everyone call him Daniel. Danny belonged to the childhood he had lost, crushed beneath the coverstone with his parents that day in the museum. For years he hadn't allowed anyone to call him by that name... until Jack. Somehow he didn't mind when Jack used it. It was almost as though he found in Jack a measure of the warmth and security he'd known with his parents so long ago, and so it seemed fitting for Jack to use the name his parents had. Daniel instinctively knew he was safe with Jack. But now Jack wasn't safe with him, and he had to tell him so.
"Ja-ack." Daniel barely managed to croak his friend's name.
"Don't try to talk, Daniel. We'll get you out of here." Drawing his knife, Jack began to saw at the rope.
Daniel made another effort to communicate. "T-trap."
Once again a hand rested comfortingly on his head. "Shh, it's okay. We know it's a trap. Carter and Teal'c will take care of it. Let's just concentrate on getting you to safety." With a final slice, the rope was cut in two. Jack helped Daniel stagger to his feet.
The woods erupted with men running towards them, but rifle fire and staff weapon blasts stopped their charge and gave Jack and Daniel cover to escape. Beyond the clearing, Jack half-led, half-carried Daniel to a horse-drawn wagon the villagers had provided. They headed for the Stargate, Teal'c and Carter following close behind, protecting their retreat.
They made it to the gate, where Jack assisted Daniel from the wagon while Carter dialed home. The four teammates plunged into the wormhole, leaving the peril of the Black Raiders behind.
"Hey, Sleeping Beauty. About time you woke up."
Blinking away the last wisps of his drugged sleep, Daniel focused on Jack's grin. He remembered. He was safely back at the base in the infirmary. Unsurprised to see his friend keeping vigil at his bedside, he felt a moment of relief followed swiftly by a pang of guilt. He knew Dr. Fraiser would have performed her customary exemplary repair of his body, and the painkillers were keeping his physical aches at bay, but the ache in his soul would not let him relax in the comfortable bed. Nervously he ran his tongue over dry lips. "Jack, I'm sorry. It was all my fault you almost got killed."
"Don't apologize for being a hero, Danny boy."
Daniel blinked again in bewilderment. "A hero? Me? I'm no hero. You're the hero, Jack. You rescued me."
Jack shook his head. "You don't get it, do you, Daniel?"
"Get what?"
"The way you insist on helping everyone... you saved those children's lives."
"They're okay?"
"A little shook up but they'll be fine. The mother said something about undying gratitude, but I couldn't hang around and listen. We were kind of in a hurry to get going."
"Because of me." Daniel sighed. "Have I thanked you yet for saving me?"
"Don't." Jack clipped off the command as his lips compressed into a grim line. "I shouldn't have let you get captured in the first place. I was just doing my job by getting you back. It wouldn't have been necessary if I'd done it right to begin with."
"No, I'm the one who was careless," Daniel objected. "I let them use me to endanger the rest of you. I should have prevented that somehow."
Jack shook his head. "I can't deny you have a talent for rushing into trouble, but I should expect that by now. So we both messed up."
"I guess when you put it that way..." Daniel trailed off doubtfully.
"I could put us both on report. Don't see as how that'd accomplish anything other than a black mark on SG-1's record."
Daniel looked dismayed. "That doesn't seem fair to the team."
"I have a better idea. When you're feeling up to it, how about we brainstorm some contingency plans for the next time this happens? Because you know as well as I do there's going to be a next time." Jack's solemn expression lightened into a smile.
Looking past the surface, Daniel saw the determination in the dark eyes. He knew he acted like a loose cannon sometimes. The thing was, so did Jack. Maybe that was why they worked so well together. Or it could be why SG-1 encountered more than its fair share of trouble. Either way, Jack was right. He didn't foresee either one of them changing their natures any time soon, so they might as well try working around them. "Count me in," he agreed with a yawn.
"Good, that's settled." Jack stood up. "I'm gonna take off before Doc comes and kicks me out. You get some more sleep. Even heroes need their rest." With a pat on Daniel's shoulder, he turned and walked away.
Daniel snuggled down under the covers. Jack sure had some strange ideas sometimes. Him, a hero! Daniel smiled drowsily. He knew a hero when he saw one, and he'd just seen one walk out the door.
© May 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.