Chapter 2

As Teal'c took a step into the desert, he felt Daniel begin to struggle in his arms. "Major Carter," he called over to Sam when Daniel then clutched at his throat, panicking as he tried to take a breath. "Daniel Jackson appears to be having difficulty breathing." He gently lowered Daniel on to the sand and Sam rushed to his side.

"Easy, Daniel," she urged as Daniel stared at her, wide eyed and gasping. "Try and take a deep breath."

"C-can't," Daniel mouthed and began to writhe as he desperately clutched at his chest.

"What's going on, Carter?" Jack fell to his knees next to Sam.

"He's having trouble breathing, sir," Sam quickly explained as she took Daniel's wrist and started to take his pulse. "Please, Daniel, you've got to calm down," she told her friend but Daniel was panicking so much she doubted he heard her.

"Daniel!" Jack placed the palm of his hand on Daniel's cheek and turned it slightly so he was looking directly at him, hoping to gain his attention. "Come on. Ya gotta calm it all down."

"C-can't b-breath," Daniel mouthed. "H-help..." He stared pleadingly at Jack who quickly glanced at Sam for answers

"Carter?"

"I don't know, sir," Sam shrugged. "His pulse is racing." She placed her hands on Daniel's neck, hoping to find a reason for his struggle for breath.

"There's no restriction, sir."

"Well, he can't breathe, Carter."

"I know that, sir."

Daniel frantically grabbed at Sam's hands and, after desperately trying to get some air into his lungs again, his eyes rolled back and he went limp.

Sam placed her hand flat on his chest, expecting him to automatically take a breath but when he didn't, she turned to Jack again. "Sir. He's not breathing at all."

"I can see that, Carter." Jack scrambled round to Daniel's head and tipped his chin back. "How long?" He asked, trying to gauge how long Daniel had gone without taking a breath.

"A minute – two at tops, sir," Sam informed and reached for Daniel's wrist again. "Pulse is thready."

"Okay," Jack sighed. "Starting rescue breathing." He tipped Daniel's chin back further and began mouth to mouth.

"You must bring Daniel Jackson back into the forest."

Sam and Teal'c turned, weapons poised at Dakan when he suddenly appeared at the edge of the forest.

Dakan immediately held his hands up in surrender. "You must bring Daniel Jackson back into the forest," he repeated slowly.

"O'Neill?" Teal'c questioned, his eyes trained on Dakan at all times.

Jack paused from his resuscitating and indicated to Sam to take over.

He struggled up and addressed Dakan. "What the hell's going on, Dakan?"

"You must bring him back into the forest," Dakan nodded slowly.

"The hell we do! We need to get him back to the gate."

"He will not survive the journey. He belongs in the forest now."

"Carter?" Jack turned to Sam.

"I don't know, sir," Sam paused from her rescue breathing. "Daniel needs medical help..."

"...which he will receive in the forest," Dakan informed, his tone calm and calculated.

Jack tugged at his hair in frustration. Dakan was right. If Daniel didn't take a breath on his own, there was no way they were going to be able to artificially breathe for him all the way back to the gate. The decision had to be made and quickly.

"Okay, let's do as the man says." He moved to Daniel's feet. "Watch him, Teal'c," he nodded towards Dakan as he and Sam quickly lifted the unconscious man and literally dragged him back into the forest.

While Teal'c kept his weapon trained on Dakan, Jack then flopped down at Daniel's side and placed a hand on his friend's chest. "Good boy," he sighed in relief as Daniel's breathing slowly returned to normal. He then stared at Dakan. "What the hell just happened?"

"I mean you no harm but, Daniel Jackson must remain here," Dakan bowed.

"And, just why must Daniel Jackson remain here?" Jack spat.

"He has to stay and translate the ancestors."

"Why?"

"Because if he does not, he will not find a cure."

"A cure for what? What did you do to him?" Jack got to his feet.

"I have ensured that, like all Tambraians, he will not be able to leave the forest," Dakan bowed once more.

"How?"

"He is now a Tambraian."

"Which means?"

"Punaran now flows through his body as it does ours. He will need to translate the books to learn of a cure."

"It's a poison?"

"Some view it as a poison, others as a miracle."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jack hissed, getting annoyed at Dakan's vague answers.

"Punaran is our savior as it is our enemy. Daniel Jackson needs to translate the ancestors."

"Translate them yourself!" Dakan was calm and measured whereas Jack was beyond frustrated. Nothing was making sense. Why the hell couldn't the Tambraians translate their own words? "You damn well wrote them!" He snapped.

"Our ancestors spoke in a different tongue, a tongue we do not understand. Daniel Jackson is the first visitor to this planet who has understood their writing. That is why he needs to translate them. If he does not learn of a cure, he will either have to remain with us as a Tambraian or he will die, that is the price we pay for leaving the forest."

"Why didn't you, oh I don't know – just ask him to translate them in the first place?"

"You made it clear that you had to leave."

"We told you that we might come back."

"It was not a certainty. This way, it is a certainty. Now he has to translate the ancestors."

Jack scrubbed a hand through his hair in frustration. It was obvious that Dakan was avoiding telling them anymore, and now was not the time or place to try to get anything else out of him. They needed to get Daniel some help, they needed Daniel awake and alert. After scowling at Dakan, Jack turned to Sam. "How's he doing?" He asked.

"I think he's coming round," Sam glanced up and smiled when Daniel groaned.

"W-what happened?" Daniel mumbled, his hand coming up to rub his forehead.

"Easy," Sam urged as he then started to struggle to sit up. She placed a hand under his arm, gently helped him, and then grabbed his pack so he could lean back against it. "How are you feeling?" She asked as she took his pulse again.

"Muzzy," Daniel admitted. "What happened?"

"Dakan is what happened!" Jack said angrily. "Ask him!"

Daniel turned his head and peered up at Dakan. "What happened to me?"

"You must forgive me, Daniel Jackson," Dakan bowed, "but you must not leave. You have to translate the ancestors."

"I don't understand." Daniel closed his eyes when a wave of exhaustion washed over him.

"They can't leave this forest," Jack began to explain, "and neither can you now."

"Why?"

"Because he gave you something."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. The same stuff that stops them leaving the forest."

Daniel opened his eyes and frowned. "He has?"

"Yeah."

"Oh. What happens if I try to leave?"

"Well, you stopped breathing when you just tried."

"I did?"

"If we hadn't dragged you back, you could have died."

Daniel closed his eyes again and thought for a minute. "So, I can't leave here until I translate your books?" He asked turning to Dakan in confusion.

"That is correct," Dakan confirmed.

"What if I can't translate them?"

"If you can't, you will have to remain with us. You cannot leave the forest."

Daniel started to pull his legs under him. "Well, we'd best get started then."

He held his hand out and Jack immediately helped him to his feet.

"Daniel?" Jack growled, not liking how Daniel swayed as he tried to get his bearings.

Daniel looked at him, blinking uncoordinated eyes slowly. "We're wasting time," he stated breathlessly.

"Fer crying out loud," Jack grumbled and then glanced over at Dakan. "Help then," he ordered and between them, they managed to steer a very shaky Daniel down the path that lead back to the village.

Sam knelt in front of Daniel and started to remove his boots. "How are you doing?" She glanced up at Daniel who was sitting on the edge of the bed, eyes tightly closed and swaying slightly.

Daniel had barely made it back to the village on two feet. In the end Jack and Teal'c had literally drag him after he insisted that didn't want to be carried.

Dakan had led them straight to his house where Kamness had met them and urged them to take the ailing man upstairs and to bed. Jack had a hunch that she'd known what her husband had planned all along. The bedroom had been prepared, there was a bowl of water, a cloth laid out on the bedside cabinet, and a jug of what looked like some sort of Tambraian medicine next to them.

"Hot. Tired," Daniel mumbled in response to Sam's question and she reached up and placed a hand on his forehead.

"He's running a temperature, sir," she turned and told Jack who had appeared at her side.

"Okay, Daniel," Jack smiled at his friend as he reached to remove his sweat soaked t-shirt. "Let's get you into bed, hey?"

Daniel allowed Jack to strip him down to his boxers, feeling too weak to help in any way. His head was still fuzzy and he was fighting waves of vertigo. When Jack gently eased him back onto freshly plumped pillows, he couldn't help but sigh in relief.

Sam handed Jack a thermometer strip. Jack quickly placed it on Daniel's forehead and waited for the reading to appear. "102. 3," he sighed and then turned to Teal'c. "Get a window open, big guy. It's hot in here."

Teal'c bowed before crossing to open the window. A cool breeze quickly wafted the tulle drapes, billowing them over Daniel's bed, causing the sick man to shiver slightly.

Sam stood and dipped the cloth in the water provided, folded in half and then placed it on Daniel's forehead. "Try and rest, Daniel," she gently soothed her teammate and pulled a thin sheet up to his waist. "What now, sir?" She asked Jack as she perched on the edge of the bed and took Daniel's hand.

"I don't know, Carter," Jack admitted. "I suppose we keep him cool and hydrated," he sighed, scrubbing a hand through his hair in frustration.

"You must give him the Lamartum."

"What the hell is Lamartum?" Jack turned and snapped at Dakan, not realiseing that he'd followed them into the room.

Dakan poured a glass of the green mixture and handed it to Sam. "Daniel must drink as much as this as he can, it will keep the symptoms at bay."

Sam nodded and went to accept the glass but Jack intercepted her hand. "Alien substance here, Carter. What about his allergies?"

"If Daniel Jackson does not take the Lamartum he will burn with fever and suffer from the Barban seizures which lead to death." Dakan interrupted. "We Tambraian's need the Lamartum to sustain our lives."

"So, let's get this right," Jack turned to Dakan, "you've got stuff poisoning your bloodstream, preventing you leaving the forest and you have to take that gloopy stuff to stop the poison from killing you anyway?"

"That is correct."

"And, how do you know all this?"

"The knowledge is handed down by our ancestors. We have spent many years testing the theory. Be assured that what I say is true. If Daniel Jackson does not take the Lamartum, he will become gravely ill."

Jack sighed heavily and looked at Sam. "Thoughts, Carter?"

"I think," Sam echoed the sigh, "we can't risk not giving him the Lamartum, sir."

Jack glanced at Daniel who was now listlessly rolling his head from side to side and whimpering softly. This was the exact situation he they didn't want to be in. If he didn't take the medication, he'd die. If he was allergic to the medication, there was no way of knowing how he would react. Either way he could be in trouble. Jack reached over, placed the palm of his hand on Daniel's cheek and was shocked at the heat pouring off his friend. Daniel's temperature was sky high.

Jack scrubbed his hand through his hair. "Okay, Carter. Give him the damn Lamartum," he ordered Sam before turning to Dakan once more. "You'd better be right about this," he warned.

"Daniel Jackson will be well come morning."

"He'd better be."

"Please be assured."

Jack nodded at Sam and she gently eased Daniel's head off the pillows and urged her friend to drink. "Take small sips," she advised when Daniel gagged slightly.

Jack stood and watched as Daniel, after much coaxing, finally managed to drink the whole glass. When the sick man's head fell to one side, he reached and replaced the cloth that had fallen, back on his forehead.

"Let him sleep," he sighed.

"Yes, sir," Sam agreed, smoothing down Daniel's bangs.

"I will leave you," Dakan bowed and backed out of the room. "If you need anything, anything at all – I am only in the next room."

"Yeah, thanks for that," Jack hissed sarcastically, not even turning round to acknowledge Dakan's leaving.

After the click of the door closing, he turned to his team members. "Right, let's get the watches sorted. Teal'c, first watch. I want someone outside this door at all times. You do second watch, Carter and I'll bunk down with Daniel and then take over."

"Are you sure, sir?" Sam nodded as she stood. "I don't mind staying with Daniel?" She offered.

"Nah, I've got him, Carter," Jack stated, reaching to rub his second in commands arm.

Sam smiled back, knowing that the Colonel always tended to the youngest member if injury or illness struck off world. "Call me if you need anything."

"Will do," Jack nodded.

"If he wakes up, try and get him to drink."

"I will, Carter."

"And, if his temperature goes anywhere other than down..."

"I've got this, Carter. I've spent many an hour babysitting a sick archaeologist."

"Yes, sir."

"Get some rest. Wake me if there are any problems, Teal'c."

The Jaffa bowed and then led Sam out of the room.

Sam hesitated in the doorway. "I'm not happy about all this, sir," she sighed.

"Me neither, Carter," Jack agreed, "but we're all tired and we'll think more clearly after a good night's sleep."

"Yes, sir," Sam sighed and slowly and reluctantly left the room.

Jack walked across the room, closed the window slightly and drew the drapes. He quickly washed up, stripped down to his t-shirt and boxers, carefully removed one of the pillows off the bed, and grabbed the spare blanket. After, pulling the covers up over Daniel when he whimpered and turned onto his side, Jack tossed his bedding onto the floor next to the bed and lay down.

If they couldn't figure out what the hell was going on and quickly, he'd call for a medivac. He'd much rather have Daniel's condition in the hands of Earth's experts. Nothing of what Dakan had said made much sense to him. Surely, there must be a way they could get Daniel home without killing him? They only had the Tambraians word that Daniel would die. Perhaps that was just a ruse to keep him here to do what they wanted. One thing was certain, they needed answers and needed them fast. Hopefully, if Dakan was right, Daniel would feel better in the morning and he'd be able to sort on making some sort of headway in the translation.

The sooner they were out of this forest the better.

Dakan slowly closed the door and turned to Kamness who was standing at the window, staring out at the forest. "My love."

"Is it done?" Kamness asked quietly, her eyes never leaving the scene below.

"It is," Dakan bowed.

"You are sure you were not followed?"

"I am."

"And, what of Doctor Jackson? Have you given him the Lamartum?"

"I have."

Kamness turned and slowly smiled. "So, he will not being going anywhere."

"He will not." Dakan took a step closer to his wife. "Everything is in hand, my love. We have to be patient." His smile matched hers as he reached and rubbed her arm.

Kamness patted his hand. "You have done well. The gods will be pleased."

Daniel turned and buried his head into his pillow, smothering the grunts of pain he couldn't hold back any longer. Rolling onto his side, he drew his knees up into his stomach and rocked slightly, hoping that the agony would recede but it was showing little sign of stopping.

The pain in his stomach had woken him from a restless sleep and he had no idea what the time was or how long he'd slept. It was pitch black outside and there was no sign of life so figured that dawn was a still a long way off.

The pain that had started as a dull ache in his hips was now nearly unbearable and Daniel allowed himself the luxury of writhing around the bed to cope with it. Sweat bathed his body and chills made him shiver. Everything hurt, from the near migraine headache to the stiff joints that came hand in hand with a high fever. He'd call for his teammates if the pain wasn't so paralyzing, so he had no other choice than bear it in silence.

Finally, after what seemed to be hours to him, the agony started to ease off and as it did, a wave of suffocating heat replaced the icy chills. With the heat, came the nausea and Daniel inched up in bed, swung his legs over the side, hung his head and took some deep breaths. The change of position woke the Colonel, of course, and he felt a familiar hand on his bare sweaty back.

"Daniel?"

"Give me a minute," he mumbled.

"What's going on?"

Daniel pushed up off the bed and quickly grabbed hold of the bedside cabinet when a wave of vertigo washed over him. The vertigo increased his nausea and the urge to vomit grew. Doubting he'd make it to the bathroom in time, he rested his head on the edge of the cabinet and rocked from side to side.

"Here." He felt Jack's hand on his back. "If ya gona hurl..." A bowl was shoved under his chin and, after a couple of false starts; Daniel violently emptied the contents of his stomach, grateful for the hand that steadied him as he swayed.

He felt awful.

Jack steered a very shaky Daniel back to the bed and urged him to sit down.

"Better?" He asked, turning to grab his friend a glass of water.

"Some," Daniel nodded and accepted the drink.

While Daniel took small sips, Jack turned up the gas lamp on the cabinet to get a better look at the sick man, immediately wishing he hadn't when he then took in his pale features.

"Dakan said you should take some of that green concoction to help with your symptoms."

Daniel rolled the cool glass over his forehead and gave Jack a pitiful look.

"What if it made me vomit in the first place?" he asked sighing.

Jack thought for a moment and then echoed the sigh as he sat on the bed.

"Were you feeling sick before?"

"Nope. Just tired, hot and dizzy."

"Could the dizziness have made you vomit?"

Daniel sighed heavily again, handed Jack his empty glass and rested his head in his hands. "I have no idea," he admitted. "I don't know what I'm dealing with. All I know is that I feel like crap and this was supposed to be an easy day mission."

"Yeah, I know." Jack reached for the water jug and refilled Daniel's glass.

"Perhaps this is as bad as you'll get though," he shrugged, nudging Daniel's arm to get him to take the glass. "Dakan said you'd be feeling better in the morning."

Daniel turned his head and gave him a weary look. "I hope you're right," he sighed and then shook his head when Jack urged him to take the water again. "Sorry, I can't drink anymore, not right now."

Jack placed the glass back on to the table. "Do you need to take anything?"

"I'll be okay in a bit."

"Do you think you can sleep some then?" Jack moved to one side so Daniel could lie down. When his friend started to list slowly towards the bed, he quickly plumped the pillows and helped him lie down where he immediately curled into a ball.

He reached to grab the quilt off the end of the bed. "You still hot?"

"Uh huh," Daniel mumbled and then flipped onto his back.

Jack grabbed the crumpled sheet instead of the quilt and pulled it over his friend. "What can I do?" He asked as he watched Daniel fling an arm over his eyes.

"Nothing," Daniel mumbled.

Jack dimmed the light and then perched on the edge of the bed. "What I don't know," he sighed, "is how Dakan got that Punyran stuff into you in the first place. You didn't eat or drink anything different to the rest of us."

"Shook my hand."

"He did what?"

Daniel removed his hand and turned to face him. "When he said goodbye, he shook my hand hard – really hard." He held his hand up and traced the palm. "I've got little puncture wounds on my palm." He held his hand out to show Jack. "Can't think how else he did it."

Jack ran his fingers over Daniel's hand and felt the tiny marks for himself. "And, you didn't think about telling me about his?" When Daniel just shrugged in reply, Jack rolled his eyes in frustration. When was the archeologist going to learn about sharing important information. He was just about to lecture him when he noticed how ill his friend looked and decided it wasn't the time. "So," he sighed as he changed the subject, "how do they know that the stuff in their bloodstream is the thing that stops them leaving?"

"I have no idea. I suppose, over the years, they've tested the theory out. They were obviously right. Why else would I have stopped breathing?"

Jack scratched his head and then pulled at his hair in frustration. "Damn it. We should have seen it coming."

"We had no reason to be concerned," Daniel mumbled sleepily as he turned onto his side and pulled the sheet up over his shoulders. "We'll figure it out in the morning." He shivered slightly as he tried to get comfortable and Jack grabbed the quilt and gently tucked it round him.

"And if we don't, we'll fetch the doc and high tail you back to the gate."

Daniel slowly shook his head from side to side. "No," he mumbled. "I need to translate the book."

"No you don't."

"Yes I do. The writing has many similarities to Ancient. That was what I was trying to tell you."

"Are you sure?"

"As sure as I can be. I need to study it more and, seeing as I can't go anywhere; I might as well use my time wisely." Daniel ended his statement with a groan as he curled into a ball.

"You gonna hurl again?" Jack quickly asked and grabbed the bowl. When Daniel shook his head and turned on to his other side, Jack placed the bowl on the floor.

"I'll just leave ya the bowl just in case you need it," he told Daniel who just nodded in reply and then stood and watched his friend surrender to his illness and exhaustion.

Maybe the worse was over now but, then again, this was Daniel Jackson.