Part 2
Daniel woke up in a very comfortable bed. He popped his head over the top of the blankets that were on the bed. He couldn't see anyone. It was dark outside. He took a quick look around the room, he could see a chest of drawers against the wall and a chair beside the bed. He heard footsteps coming along the corridor and closed his eyes.
He heard the door open and someone come in. He heard the person sit down on the seat beside him. He heard the rustle of paper. He opened one of his eyes very slowly. He could see a man sitting on the seat but he couldn't see his face. His eyes were getting heavy again and he must have fallen asleep again.
When he awoke for the second time it was light and the man was gone. He carefully got out of bed and made his way to the chest of drawers. What the hell was he wearing? He had on a large white night shirt that was down below his feet. He opened the drawers to see if there were any clothes but they were empty. Damn! He'd have to look somewhere else.
He went out the door and looked along the corridor, there was a set of stairs at the end so he made his way along to the top of them. He looked over the banister. No one! Maybe he could sneak out, but he couldn't go looking like this, he'd have to find his clothes.
He started to climb down the stairs, he was nearly at the bottom when the front door opened, "Well hello," the man said.
"Jack?" Daniel stuttered. What was Jack doing dressed in a cowboy outfit. He even had a cowboy hat on. He couldn't help staring.
"You're right about my name although I'd prefer if you called me Mr. O'Neill but I don't recognise you. Do you live in town?"
"Jack, it's me Daniel."
"I don't know any Daniel's. If you tell me your parent's names I might be able to place you." Daniel stared at him. What on Earth was wrong with Jack? Why was he asking about his parents, he knew they were dead.
"You must know me, we've worked together for four years. On the Stargate."
Jack laughed, "Worked with you, I don't employ children on the ranch, it's far too dangerous. And I don't know anywhere called Stargate. Is it your parents ranch?"
Children, what the hell was Jack talking about. He must have hit his head. That was when Daniel realised that he was having to look up at Jack. There wasn't that much difference in their heights usually. Then he looked down. His feet looked smaller. He walked over to the mirror that was on the wall. He really didn't want to look in it but when he did all he could see was a young boy of about 10 or 11 looking back. "Oh shit!"
"That's enough of that language. I'm sure you're parents wouldn't approve of you using words like that. Now I need to know how to contact them to tell them you're okay. It's not safe to go into the part of the country where I found you. No one goes there."
"You did."
"That's beside the point, I'm an adult."
"So am I." Jack laughed and Daniel flew at him fists ready to punch, however the night shirt was so long he tripped up and fell in front of Jack.
Jack picked him up. "Maybe your parents treat you like an adult but as far as I'm concerned you're a boy."
"I'm not, I'm 36. I work with you at the Stargate." Daniel could feel tears welling up in his eyes.
He heard a door open behind him and he turned," Catherine?"
"Mrs. Littlefield to you, young man," she said. This is just getting weirder by the minute, Daniel thought. How could she be Mrs. Littlefield unless .... and before he could get the thought out Ernest appeared behind her.
Jack was looking at him strangely.
This must be an alternate reality Daniel thought. Everyone was here but they were all somehow different. He should play along. If he wasn't careful they'd be locking him up for being mad.
"How do you know our names?" Jack asked.
"I must have heard them in town," Daniel replied. Jack didn't look as if he believed him. "I'm sorry I'm so confused, I must have got a hit on the head."
"Poor boy," Catherine said. "I've got some breakfast ready but you'll need to get dressed."
"I couldn't find my clothes," Daniel said.
"Where did you get those strange clothes. I've never seen anything like them. And they were far too big for you. Jack can you find the boy some clothes?"
Jack still didn't look too sure of him but he went off up the stairs and returned with some clothes over his arm. "You could do with a bath first," he said to him.
"I'm fine, I'll get a bath when I go home."
"And where's that?"
"Stargate."
"I've never heard of that place. It must be quite a distance from here."
"If you just give me a horse I'll ride home."
"I'm not letting a young lad like you ride around on his own, once you're fed I'll ride with you."
"You don't need to." There was no way he wanted this Jack to come with him. He was going back to the Stargate and home. He hoped.
Ernest came in, "Bath's ready."
"I'm not taking a bath," Daniel stated angrily. Would these people not listen to him.
"Yes you are," Jack said. "You may get to do what you want at home but for now you're in my home and you'll do as you're told or face the consequences."
Daniel didn't know what to say. He'd never been spoken to like this except by his father and that was years ago. "No!" he shouted. A loud smack was heard and Daniel said," Ow!" He put his hands back to cover his backside.
"That's enough of that," Catherine said. "Now get through to the bath house or I'll be getting my wooden spoon and I can assure you, you won't like that."
For just a second he thought about arguing but looking at Catherine he could see she wasn't joking. He almost ran into the bath house. He slammed the door shut. A large bath was filled with water. He pulled off the night shirt and sat down in the bath. His backside stung as it hit the water. No one had ever hit him when he was a child, his parents hadn't believed in hitting children. He picked up the soap and washed himself. He was really dusty. When he finished the water was a reddy brown colour. Most of the sand had come out of his hair. he looked around but couldn't see a towel.
Jack walked in, "Catherine thought you might need this," and he held up a towel. Danny stood up and let Jack wrap it round him. Once dry he looked around for the clothes. He couldn't see any boxers to put on. He wasn't going to go without them. He picked up something that looked like a child's romper suit except it didn't have feet. "Hurry up and put them on," Jack said.
They were strange things, they had a button flap at the back and buttons at the front. He pulled the trousers on, they had buttons as well. Had no one heard of zips?
When he was dressed Jack took him into the kitchen. Catherine had prepared a lovely breakfast for them and he tucked in. He was so busy eating he didn't hear someone enter.
"O'Neill the men are ready." He turned and there stood Teal'c. Mind you he had never seen Teal'c dressed like this.
TBC
