The Hedonistic Malcontent
Sam handed Daniel their official papers, noting and not liking how her friends hand shook. She was actually amazed that he was conscious let alone holding a conversation with the Egyptian official at the border gate leading to the city of Cairo.
The curse of the Goa'uld ribbon device had struck the archaeologist again and that no matter how much Daniel had tried to re assure them that he was getting used to it she knew he was hurting and hurting a lot.
The hour-long journey through the desert, no matter how carefully she'd driven, must have jolted Daniel enough to increase what was she knew was already a monster migraine. He had been woozy and unsteady on his feet as he'd helped get the seriously injured Stephen Rayner onto the jeep and had then sat with his head in his hands most of the way, only lifting his head to help Sam when she was unsure of which way to go.
Unfortunately, they needed Daniel to be firing on a few cylinders though as he was the only one who understood Arabic and that would be a necessity when they reached the hospital and judging by the grim look on Janet's face, they needed to get there as quickly as possible.
Daniel nodded his thanks at the official and then handed the papers back to Sam. "Let's go," he gave her a wan smile and, after Sam had turned onto the main highway leading to Cairo she watched him bury his head in his hands again.
He was so not getting used to it.
Xxx
Sam pulled into the accident and emergency parking lot at As-Salam international hospital Cairo, turned, and gently shook Daniel's shoulder.
"We're here, Daniel," she told him and he slowly lifted his head and squinted at her.
"What?"
"We're at the hospital. You need to…"
"Yeah, yeah," Daniel slowly nodded. "I'm going." He gingerly climbed out of the jeep and made his way to the back of the vehicle. "How's he doing?" He asked Janet as he propped himself up against the trunk.
Janet glanced up from her patient. "He needs surgery and quickly. I think we're looking at his spleen."
"I'll get someone." Daniel pushed himself off the jeep and literally staggered into the accident and emergency department.
"أنا بحاجة إلى مساعدة. وقد سقط صديقي. أنه ينزف داخليا" He told the nurse at the station that Stephen had fallen and was bleeding internally but the nurse looked blankly at him.
"Do you speak English?" He ventured, hoping that she or someone did as his head hurt enough without having to try to translate into Arabic.
Thankfully, the nurse smiled. "I will fetch Doctor Ezzat." She told him and hurried into a back room.
Daniel lent against the desk and closed his eyes to the spinning room, wanting nothing more than to lie down and sleep his migraine off but he knew that Stephen was in a serious condition. He needed to pull himself together until his friend was in the hands of the experts. He could collapse after that.
"I am Doctor Ezzat."
Daniel managed to open his eyes and give the elderly Doctor who then stood before him a quick smile. "My friend, he needs urgent help. He fell…"He quickly began to explain as he led the way to the jeep.
"This is Doctor Janet Fraiser," he introduced Janet. "She is physician from the United States and part of our archaeology research party," he stuck to their cover story. "She found Doctor Rayner. We think he fell off a wall."
Doctor Ezzat nodded and climbed aboard the jeep. "What are his vitals?"
While Janet filled the Egyptian Doctor in with the story they had quickly concocted, Daniel joined Sam who was putting her things back in her pack her pack after giving Janet their official papers and the contact details for their contact at the American embassy. "Hey," she glanced up a smiled. "How's Stephen?"
"A doctor is with him now. Thankfully he speaks English."
"Good." Sam nodded and pulled out her flask of water. "Here," she passed Daniel the flask. "You should drink something."
Daniel pushed her hand away. "That's not a good idea at the moment, Sam," he groaned and rubbed his stomach. "I find that if I drink anything within five hours of being ribboned, it comes straight back up."
"I suppose you're an expert on the ribbon devise now," Sam smiled sadly.
"Suppose I am," Daniel shrugged equally as sadly.
Sam sighed. "Are you sure you don't need to be in hospital yourself?"
"No," Daniel massaged his temples against the jackhammer in his head. "I just need to sleep, throw up and sleep."
"Daniel?" Sam was not convinced by Daniel's quick attempt of bravado.
Daniel gave her a reassuring smile though. "I'll be fine, honest Sam. I've been through this enough times to know that I'll feel much better after a good night's sleep."
Sam frowned and went to continue to argue but the arrival of a team of medical personnel and a stretcher halted the conversation.
Janet jogged over. "They're taking him straight to surgery," she explained.
"Prognosis?" Daniel asked.
"Full recovery if they can stop the bleeding."
"What can we do?" Sam asked.
"Not a lot," Janet smiled sadly. "We'll know more after he's out of surgery," she told them and then gave Daniel her full attention, not liking the fact that he was slumped against the truck rubbing his temples. "How are you doing?" She asked softly.
"Migraine," he admitted.
"Do you need to be admitted?"
"You know that explaining a Goa'uld ribbon induced Migraine is not easy," he sighed. "I just need some pain killers and a good sleep."
Janet stood and took in his pale features, the angry red burn mark on his forehead and his shaking hands. Daniel was right. Attempting to explain his symptoms as a bog standard Migraine would resort to a barrage of tests and they couldn't risk that. They had to stay under the radar.
"Okay," she sighed. "There are some Advil and anti-nausea tablets in the med kit. Try to drink and get some sleep. I'll see if I can bring some stronger pain relief back with me later."
"Okay," Daniel managed to smile back. "Thank you."
"Do you need me to stay with you, Janet?" Sam asked.
"No. I don't think Daniel should be on his own."
"I'm fine," Daniel quickly objected. "Sam should be with you."
"Not happening, Doctor Jackson."
"But…"
"I've got this, Daniel. I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. I'll stay until Stephen is out of surgery and stable. We will need to fill the SGC in after that."
"Yeah," Daniel sighed knowing how difficult that would be. The fact that Osiris had escaped would not go down well and neither would the fact that Stephen might be compromised. Daniel wasn't sure what his friend would remember from the incident when he came round from the surgery. Hopefully the cover story would work but knowing Stephen like he did, he was convinced that he would question them all the way and that wasn't something he could deal with until he felt better than he did now.
No, they needed to regroup and wait until they had a clearer picture before making contact with General Hammond.
"Doctor Fraiser?"
Janet looked up when Doctor Ezzat called her name. "Coming," she called back and turned and jogged to catch up with the medical personnel who were pushing Stephen's gurney into the hospital.
Sam and Daniel watched her go and then Sam helped a very wobbly archaeologist in to the jeep.
"We'll soon have you tucked up in bed," she told him as she started the engine, not totally convinced that her friend didn't need to be hooked up to a bag of Janet's good stuff.
xxx
Sam stirred Daniel over to his bed in the hotel room. "Sit down," she gently help him sit and Daniel immediately placed his head in his hands with a groan.
"G'd it hurts, Sam," he admitted softly.
Sam frowned as she quickly closed all the drapes. "I thought you were getting used to it?"
"I lied. Feel like crap."
After switching on the fan over Daniel's bed, Sam knelt at his side and started to remove his boots. "Let's get you into bed."
Daniel unbutton his loose shirt with shaking hands. "What time is it?"
Sam quickly tossed his boots into the corner of the room. "Just gone six," she told him. "It's beginning to cool down now."
"Good. It's so hot." Daniel let his hands flop down at his side, the actually act of holding them up proving to be exhausting.
Sam took pity on him and gently pushed him down on the bed. "I've got this," she told him as she pulled off his socks. "Try and relax."
Daniel groaned and covered his eyes with an arm. He allowed his friend to remove his pants and his shirt, feeling slightly embarrassed yet grateful at the same time.
Sam then pulled a sheet up to his waist. "Don't go to sleep yet," she advised. "You need to take some medication."
"Uh huh," Daniel shifted slightly until his aching hips felt more comfortable. "Thanks Sam," he mumbled, feeling helpless.
Sam ran her fingers through his hair. "No problem. I won't be long," she promised and then quickly made her way to the bathroom, poured some water into a glass and soaked a towel. When she returned to Daniel's bedside, she found him groaning and weakly rolling his head from side to side.
"How bad is it really, Daniel?" She asked as she grabbed the medication out of her pack.
"B-bad," Daniel admitted.
"Scale of 1-10?"
"A-bout a 20," he groaned again and panted in an attempt not to cry out in agony.
"Easy," Sam soothed and then gently eased his head up off the pillow slightly. "Just take a small sip," she told him as she brought the glass of water to his lips after giving him the medication. "We need the tablets to stay down."
Daniel took a couple of quick sips and sighed in relief when Sam lowered his head back down and started to gently wipe a cool cloth over his forehead, down his cheeks and then across his chest.
"How's that?"
"Nice."
"Good. Just try and sleep."
Daniel struggled to relax, struggled to sleep. The pain in his head was all consuming as was the nausea rolling in his stomach. "How do you think Janet is getting on?" He asked trying take his mind off how awful he felt.
"I should think that Stephen is still in surgery," Sam said as she folded the damp cloth in two and then placed it on his forehead. "We'll know more soon, Daniel. Just take some deep breaths, let the medication work."
"I'm trying," Daniel took a shuddering breath. "I really am."
"I know." Sam sighed heavily. "Just give it time."
Sam sat Daniel's bedside willing him to sleep and when, after what seemed to be hours to her, his breaths finally evened out, she sighed in relief.
At least while he slept he wasn't in pain.
Xxx
A ringing phone pulled Sam out of a light doze and she quickly picked it up so it didn't disturb Daniel who had been sleeping for nearly three hours now.
"Hello?" She whispered as she turned her back on Daniel to keep the noise down to a minimum.
"Hey Sam. It's Janet."
"Good to hear your voice. How's Stephen?"
"Out of surgery and stable."
"Thank goodness."
"Yeah. He's heavily sedated but out of danger now. They managed to stop the bleeding and thankfully were able to save his spleen."
"That's great."
"He's got a couple of broken ribs and a fractured wrist but he should make a complete recovery."
"Has he been lucid at all?"
"Nope. They're keeping him sedated overnight so we've got a bit of time to come up with a believable explanation."
"Good."
"How's Daniel?"
"He's," Sam turned and watched Daniel as he turned onto his back with a groan. It was the first movement he'd made since he'd fallen asleep. "He's getting restless," she told Janet. "Thankfully he's been asleep most of the time. He had a killer migraine but the medication worked quickly, thank goodness."
"Good."
Daniel groaned again and turned onto his side and Sam could see he was getting uncomfortable which was probably due to the medication wearing off.
"How long are you going to be?" She quickly asked Janet.
"I should be back in about an hour. I just want to settle Stephen and then I'll make my way back. Do you need anything?"
"Food of some sort?"
"I'll pick something up."
"Okay."
"Sam?"
Sam turned when Daniel whispered her name. "Hey," she smiled. "I'm just talking to Janet."
"Stephen?"
"Is going to be just fine."
"Uh huh." Daniel nodded slightly and covered his eyes with his hand. "Is there any more Advil?"
Sam returned her attention to the phone call. "I've gotta go, Janet."
"Of course. Make sure he drinks something, Sam. I'll be as quick as I can."
"Will do. See you in a bit. Be careful."
"Okay."
Sam said her goodbyes, disconnected the call and went to Daniel's side. "Here," she shook two Advil out of a pill bottle and grabbed a glass of water. "Can you sit up a bit?"
Daniel nodded and slowly inched up in bed but had to pause when the room looped violently around him. "God," he groaned and ducked his head.
"Daniel?"
"Dizzy," he admitted. "Really dizzy." He sat, head bowed, trying desperately to bring his surroundings into focus but wave after wave of hot nausea washed over him. "Gonna be sick," he moaned eventually as he swung his legs off the bed.
Sam quickly stood and steadied him. "Easy," she soothed as she then guided him over to the bathroom.
"I've got this," Daniel managed to lift his head when they got there.
"You sure?" Sam frowned as he swayed in the doorway.
"Uh huh," Daniel mumbled before feeling his way along the wall until he reached the toilet where he then knelt and waited out the inevitable.
Within minutes, he lost the battle with his nausea
xxx
Daniel sat back with a groan and rested back against the bathroom wall, the cold ties feeling wonderful against his overheated, sweaty body. He tipped his head back, closed his eyes and wrapped an arm round his still churning stomach.
"Have you finished?"
He slowly shook his head when Sam knelt at his side. "Don't think so," he managed to whisper. "I still feel really sick."
"What can I do?"
"Nothing," he turned his head to face his friend. "I'll be okay," he managed to reassure although he felt far from okay. The vomiting spell had been particularly violent and had left him feeling weak and shaky.
Sam sat down and handed him a damp cloth. "Janet will be back soon."
"Uh huh." Daniel took the cloth and wiped his face, the coolness causing him to shiver and break out in goose bumps as his temperature began to rise. The fever that usually went hand in hand with the effects of the ribboning was kicking in fast. He handed the cloth back to Sam. "Thanks," he gave her a quick smile and rested his head back again. "I'm so tired."
"I know you are," Sam, sighed. "You would be better off in bed you know."
"Don't want to risk it. I want to stay here. I'm going to be throwing up for a while I'm afraid, Sam," he told her knowing that the vomiting would more than likely go on for several hours or perhaps several days like it had after his run in with Ammonet.
"I could bring you a bucket?"
Daniel just shook his head in response and listed to one side, desperately wanting to lie down again.
Sam seemed to read his mind. "Why don't you lie down, Daniel? Rest your head in my lap."
Daniel wanted to protest but he was exhausted so welcomed the gentle hand that helped him lie down. "I feel awful," he admitted as he turned onto his side and rested his aching head in his friends lap.
"I know you do," Sam sighed as she started to card her fingers through his sweat soaked hair. "Try and rest. Janet won't be long."
Daniel nodded and closed his eyes, trying his hardest to concentrate on Sam's soothing action rather than his aching body and the rolling of his stomach.
This was so not the way this day was supposed to end.
Jack was going to be so pissed.
