AN: This story is not a sequel to Omitted. It was written in response to a challenge on the Alpha gate list during the same time frame. It needs some proofing, but I'll post each chapter as I clean it up. Never fear, it's all done, so it won't take so long to post. I expect a chapter every few days. I think putting the challenge at the front of the story would give too much away, so I'll put the challenge it was a response to at the end of the last chapter. Because I was meeting the challenge requirements, there may be some similarities to Omitted, so I had considered not posting this one—but I decided to go ahead anyway, because they are different enough, I think. Despite how it may seem early in the story this is NOT a Jack bashing story.

This story is set right after the episode "The Other Side" and so has big spoilers for that episode, and possibly for earlier eps.

Chap 1:

Each step took every bit of energy Daniel could muster, and after each step he had to repeat the effort… and then repeat it again…and again… and again. The effort became too much, his feet too uncooperative. Daniel fell.

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The day, which had started with Jack snapping at Daniel for being late, had done nothing but get worse. First, because of his tardiness, he hadn't had time to check his pack. When he'd started working on translating the glyphs SG-3 had discovered inscribed on one corner of a vine covered temple wall he found he was missing a needed reference. He remembered taking the book out of his pack the day before to cross check a translation he'd been frantically trying to finish before this mission. Of course, to get it out of the pack, he'd first had to remove several tools, now also missing from his pack. This discovery did nothing to ease his pounding headache, which was a large part of the reason he'd been late in the first place. He'd woken this morning and rapidly come to the firm conviction that he had the flu. Never mind that he'd gotten his influenza vaccine this year along with the rest of the SGC. Feeling this rotten could only be due to the flu. His muscles had ached, his chest had felt heavy, and his legs had been strangely uncooperative. Their misbehavior had only gotten worse as the day progressed, and now his arms seemed to be intent on following his legs example.

"Daniel! Get a move on!" Ahead of him, Jack was bellowing back at him, and even at a distance Daniel could tell Jack was exasperated.

Daniel hadn't mentioned to Jack how he was feeling. He'd intended to tell. He'd even considered asking to be excused from the mission. There was certainly nothing time critical about the trip. But Jack's glare and pointed glance at his watch had communicated his feelings clearly, and Daniel simply hadn't had the energy to explain why he was late. Jack would excuse him from the mission, of that Daniel was certain. But Jack would bitch, moan and whine about it, and turn it into a major production. The mere thought of the energy it would consume was too much for Daniel to even contemplate. So he'd kept silent, and hoped that the extra-strength Tylenol would kick in soon. When the day had brought no improvement, he'd found himself unable to concentrate. Jack's constant background muttering hadn't helped. Daniel tried to ignore him, but the snide comments were hard to miss.

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Sam and Teal'c had been going about their work in near silence. The tension that existed between the members of the team since Euronda had reached a new high. Sam couldn't understand the source of Jack's ire. Oh, she could understand how upset he'd been at Daniel's insubordination, and she supported her CO on that issue. But… Jack had been wrong, too, to dismiss Daniel's concerns just because of the way they'd been presented. Jack's anger at the loss of the technology, and even more at the fact that he had been nearly become a part of a terrible war, was eating at Jack- and his anger at himself and the situation had been transformed into anger at Daniel. Which, Sam acknowledged, was unfair. She, too, had been irritated at the way the archeologist had chosen to voice his concern in public, rather than to the team privately, but ultimately he'd been right. Still, he had to have known how Jack would react to being publicly challenged.

Sam wondered if some small part of Daniel wanted to show Jack up. Even when he was right, Daniel seldom got in the last word. Jack usually managed that. Had Daniel, maybe, in a small way, wanted to be publicly proven right?

Sam sighed. There was more than enough blame to go around. She hadn't been faultless either. Daniel's insubordination had irked her, too, and she knew that had colored her perceptions of his opinion, and she hadn't given it enough credence. Certainly she hadn't given it the consideration she normally would have. She remembered the hurt in his eyes when she'd announced that she agreed with Jack. And Teal'c, weary of the bickering between his teammates, had simply ignored the entire debate and not weighed in on either side. While Teal'c didn't use words carelessly, he could be counted on to speak up if an issue was important enough. Inexplicably, he hadn't said a word about the conflict, either during or after the mission. Sam wondered if he was experiencing his own guilt. She knew the Jaffa didn't wallow in guilt, as humans might. If he felt responsible for a situation, he would take direct action, so his inaction was surprising.

Sam wished she knew a way to break the tension, to put things right again. Today the strain had been nearly unbearable. Jack had started the day in a less than stellar mood, and it had rapidly worsened as the minutes ticked away in the gateroom, and Daniel had not arrived. By the time Daniel appeared at 8:05, looking harried and a little pale, Jack's expression had been black. She'd been on the verge of asking Daniel if he was all right, but Jack had snapped "move out", without even greeting the archeologist.

And the day had gone downhill from there.

Sam, and Teal'c, too, she suspected, had been immensely relieved when Jack had called an end to the mission. Even Daniel didn't argue, although he didn't seem to have accomplished very much. When Jack grunted, "Pack it up, Daniel," the archeologist had simply given a weary sigh, and began packing his gear.

Sam had knelt on the grass by the wall, and began handing Daniel his tools. He gave her a tiny smile. "Thanks," he said softly. Sam noticed his hands were trembling, and she resolved to make sure Janet knew that something was wrong with her teammate. Sam wasn't going to let him out of the mountain until they talked. Helping him to his feet, they'd moved to catch up with Jack and Teal, already fifty meters ahead.

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"Damn it, Daniel," Jack muttered under his breath, looking back to where the archeologist was struggling to rise. Daniel had been nothing but trouble today. For the last several days, in fact. Since the mission to Euronda the archeologist had seemed to go out of his way to antagonize Jack. Pushing on every little issue, every detail, seeming determined to question Jack's authority at every turn. Take today, as an example. Jack had made it clear during the mission briefing that he wanted to get an early start. And what had Daniel done? Deliberately shown up late. Just a few minutes, not enough so Jack could really call him on it, but enough to subtly thumb his nose at his team leader. And then, to top matters off, he'd been unprepared. Jack was familiar enough with the contents of Daniel's pack to notice when something was missing, and watching Daniel working, it was obvious to Jack that the archeologist didn't have everything he needed. Daniel had been trying to brush off the dust covered wall with his fingers, rather than the little brushed he normally used. The lack of professionalism stunned Jack. This was a new low for Daniel. When it became clear Daniel wasn't making much progress on the translation, clearly hampered by his lack of proper tools and the thick reference he normally carried, Jack had called an end to the mission. The sole purpose of this trip had been to humor the archeologist, who'd been lobbying Hammond to be allowed to study the glyphs first hand. And Daniel had wasted the opportunity. Jack intended to speak with Hammond. This state of affairs could not continue.

Jack stalked back to where Daniel was still trying to rise intending to give the man a piece of his mind. However as soon as he reached the archeologist side, the lecture he'd been about to deliver evaporated. Daniel's eyes were wide with terror.

"Jack," Daniel gasped. "I can't get up!" He tried to push himself up with arms that shook, only to collapse back onto the ground.

"Okay, okay, relax. You're just tired. Here, let me give you a hand." Jack reached down. Daniel reached out with a shaking hand, but his coordination was off. Jack leaned forward, and grabbed the wavering arm, and tried to pull Daniel to his feet. Even with Jack's assistance, Daniel wasn't able to rise, and Jack could see the panic setting in.

"Teal'c," Jack called. "Could you give us a hand over here," Jack called, trying to keep his voice steady, fighting his own fear. Something was seriously wrong with Daniel, and his mind flashed back over the morning. Immediately everything took on new meaning. With a flash of guilt, he realized he'd been ignoring all the warning signals Daniel had been sending that something was wrong, and rather than offer concern and helpl he'd berated his youngest teammate all morning.

Teal had also hurried to Daniel's side, and together he and Jack lifted the archeologist to his feet, only to discover that even from the upright position Daniel wasn't able to support himself. Draping Daniel's arms over their shoulders, and holding onto his arms to keep them from sliding off, they pulled the archeologist along, his feet dragging between them on the ground. They weren't far from the gate, but the effort of pulling a full grown man who was unable to help support himself was hard work, and all three men were exhausted by the time they reached the gate— Jack and Teal'c from their exertion, and Daniel from fever and fear. Sam had activated the gate and was waiting anxiously for them. She joined them and as a group they entered the event horizon.

TBC