"Down Memory Lane" take three.
Dr. Fraiser had finally finished examining Daniel. She wanted him to take a nap, but he wouldn't hear of it. He wanted to see Teal'c, Jack couldn't blame him, and besides, they needed Daniel to get to the bottom of this to save Teal'c. So Jack promised Dr. Fraiser that he'll get Daniel to take a nap after they had gotten all the information they needed from Daniel.
Daniel was standing at Teal'c's bedside, tears again falling down his cheeks. Jack went to get a chair and placed himself in it and put Daniel on his lap.
When Dr. Fraiser got the test result back, she went to Teal'c's infirmary room. "Daniel, your dopamine levels are back to normal, well, as normal as they can be for a four year old," Dr. Fraiser said.
"Doc, what about the drugs you were worried about, that were given to Daniel, before he got shrunk?" Jack asked worriedly.
"No trace of them, sir."
"Thank God…."
"But sadly the blood test didn't say anything about how Daniel got shrunk," Dr. Fraiser said sadly.
"I'm… back to normal, Doctor Janet… What, Jack?" Daniel looked questioningly up at Jack when he frowned.
"Well, Danny. You're not quite back to normal yet."
"What do you mean by that, Jack? I'm not delusional anymore."
"You're sitting on my lap, aren't you?"
"Yes…" Daniel said and looked down at his body. "Oh yeah. I'm still shrunk. That's what you meant. No, you're right. I'm not quite back to normal."
Carter interrupted them and said, "Okay, let's say your concept about Machello's Goa'uld killing invention is right, why did it take so long to go into Teal'c?"
Daniel still sat on Jack's lap and he put a finger on his lips and thought for a few minutes, then said, "I don't know. Maybe it needed a close proximity to sense his Goa'uld larva…"
Carter looked a little sceptically at Daniel.
"Look, I had a lot of time locked in that giant room to think about this. It make sense. Why am I back to normal… I mean mentally… Jack stop, looking at me like that… And, coincidentally, hours after touching me, Teal'c is sick."
"Alright, why didn't I get sick or shrunk when we were playing cards few nights ago, and you were jumping all over me? And if this thing is a Goa'uld killer, why did it get you shrunk, instead of killing you?" Jack asked.
"Because last I heard you and I don't have a Goa'uld larva. Maybe the side effect to humans that don't have a Goa'uld larva is psychotic episodes and de-aging."
"Alright, but Daniel, look, we ran every test we have, MRI, CAT scan, x-ray, full blood workup. There is nothing foreign in Teal'c or his symbiote."
"It's there. I know it! I saw it!"
"Daniel, those bodies had only been there a month. Machello's been dead for six months. How could he be responsible?" Carter asked.
"What if he planted those killing devices there six months ago? Or a year ago? And the Linvris walked into their meeting and…" Daniel said.
"Like… a land mine." Jack mused aloud.
"Yes, Jack. Like a land mine. World War One mines are still going off in France today even though the soldiers that planted them are long since dead," Daniel said. He climbed off of Jack's lap and went to the computer, followed by Carter.
"Daniel, you think that Machello made this thing, right?"
"Right."
"We crated off everything in Machello's lab to Area 51 and it's all in our database. Let's see if we can find something that looks familiar," Carter said as she called up images of Machello's creations on the computer. Jack and Janet walked over to join them.
Jack spotted something on the computer and said, "Right there! Right there, back it up."
Carter did as asked. It was a picture of a tablet and a page turning device.
"I picked that up in the Linvris chamber," Daniel said.
As Carter turned to another page with a dozen page turning devices, Dr. Fraiser asked, "Why did he make so many page turning devices?"
"Could be our land mine," Carter answered.
~oOo~
In a lab, Carter and Dr. Fraiser were examining the tablet and the page turning device, which was sealed in a glass quarantine chamber. In the meantime, Jack sat on a chair, watching them. Daniel also wanted to come with them to the lab, but Jack would have none of it, and when it looked as though Daniel was about to insist, Jack reminded him of the three choices he had and he reluctantly stayed in the viewing room above, so that he at least could observe them from there. Daniel kneeled on a chair at the observation window. In front of him was a microphone so that he could communicate with them.
"On the right is the PTD from the Linvris and the one on the left is from Area 51," Dr. Fraiser said.
"They look like the one we found on Argos. The Linvris probably thought it was one of their own," Carter said.
"It's a good way to hide a mine," Colonel O'Neill said.
"Yeah. The question is, how do we set it off?" Carter asked. She then tapped on the page turning device to see if something happened, but it didn't.
"No. Okay, let's see what happens, when we use it on the tablet," Dr. Fraiser said.
Carter used the page turning devices over the tablet and 10 odd looking organism suddenly slithered from the device.
"There they are. I am counting five… ten altogether. So if all PTDs are the same, we're looking at about ten per device," Dr. Fraiser said.
"That explains how I got infected. There were nine Linvris," Daniel said over the microphone.
Carter looked up at the observation window and said, "And when you activated the device, the last one went into you."
"Okay, let's try and immobilize one and put it under the 'scope."
The glass chamber and the gloves weren't enough protection because two of the odd looking organism penetrated Carter's gloves and the others escaped from the glass chamber.
"The gloves are breached!" Dr. Fraiser shouted and a warning siren started up.
"Whoa!" came from Carter. She and Dr. Fraiser backed away and they were rubbing their arms. Too late! The organism were inside them.
Some of the organisms jumped toward Jack. Jack reared back. "Whoa!"
"General Hammond to B-Hazmat Observation right away!" came a worried, boyish voice over the intercom system.
Dr. Fraiser watched, horrified, when she saw one of the organisms move beneath her skin on her arm.
"Aagh! Great!" came from Jack and, "no!" from Fraiser.
General Hammond arrived at the observation deck and Daniel filled him in on what had happened.
Dr. Fraiser told General Hammond that as long as they remained inside the lab, the base would probably be secure.
After the General had called Dr. Warner, Jack asked the General, "Sir, do you mind, get Daniel out of there and get him to take a nap…"
"No, Jack, please. I don't need a nap. I want to stay here!"
"Daniel!" Jack said firmly. "Please, Daniel, do as you're told, I'm not in the mood to argue with you," Jack said in a less firmly voice. I don't want you to see me go nuts and get flashbacks from your time in the padded room, Jack thought to himself.
"But…"
"No, Daniel, no buts…Sorry, General, for the interruption. Let Daniel take a nap in the infirmary and let a nurse keep an eye on him, to make sure he doesn't leave."
"Consider it done, Colonel."
"Thank, you, sir."
"Come on, Daniel. You heard what Jack said."
"General, please, I need to be here for them. Those organisms left my body. I might be immune. I may be the only one who can help them."
"We don't know that, Doc… Daniel. I can't let you risk it…" the General said to Daniel and then told Carter, "Major Carter. Dr. Warner will stay here. We'll get whoever else you think can help, but you're going to have to figure it out in there."
"I understand, sir," Carter said.
General Hammond lifted a stunned Daniel from the chair he was kneeling on and placed him on his feet on the floor.
"General, please. Let me stay here."
"Sorry, but the Colonel said it's your nap time and when I look at you, I agree with him."
Jack could hear everything that went on in the observation deck, somehow the microphone was still on. He could hear Daniel was starting to protest again. He wondered how the General was going to handle that.
~oOo~
After Carter had made an antidote to Machello's Goa'uld killer organism and all of them were dead, they were allowed to leave the lab and get directly to the infirmary for a physical.
The General waited there for them.
"Sir. How is Daniel?" Jack asked worriedly.
"He's fine, Colonel. He went out as a light as soon as his head touched the pillow and he's still sleeping."
"Good to hear that, sir. At the lab, when you were going to take him for his a nap, it sounded like he wasn't too happy. How did you handle that, sir?"
"I just asked him how you handle them and he told me that you're giving him three choices. I told him that I would then do the same. He asked me if I was really going to force him into a timeout or even spank him if he didn't stop his "making a point."
Jack couldn't help laughing. "So he also told you, that he doesn't do temper tantrums, because that would be too childish of him. That he only is making a point."
"Yes, Colonel. That he did."
"That's our little linguist for ya. So how did you answer him?"
"That I would, if he chose not to stop his "making a point." General Hammond said and smiled.
"I can imagine that he wasn't happy about that."
"He sure wasn't, Colonel."
"I want to go check on him."
"Not now, Colonel. Doctor Warner needs to check you out first and then you can go see him."
"Okay sir… General, as long as Daniel is a child… I want to be the one to take care of him, and if we… don't find a way… I want to adopt him, sir."
"I'll make all the arrangements, Colonel and as long as no one else wants to get custody of him and you aren't de-aging to a child too, I can't see any problem."
"Well, I'll gladly share custody if Carter, Fraiser and Teal'c want to get joint custody."
"I hope that you'll allow me to become Daniel's substitute Grandfather."
"Yes, sir, of course, sir."
"Good, Colonel. Report to Dr. Warner immediately, so that you can visit your charge ASAP."
Jack saluted and said, "Sir, yes sir!" And smiled brightly.
~oOo~
When Jack arrived to see Daniel, he was still sleeping. Jack didn't want to wake him, so he just sat there and watch him sleep. Just as Jack was about to fall asleep as well, Dr. Fraiser came and told him that she was ready to give Teal'c the antidote.
"I'd better wake Daniel up. I'm sure that he'll have a major temper tantrum and choose not to stop and I'll be forced to fulfil my promise to him, if I don't give him the chance to be there when we are saving Teal'c's life."
"You'd better do that, Colonel. I don't think I'll be enjoying to see Daniel struggling to sit down without any pain. I'll wait to give Teal'c the antidote till you and Daniel get there, but please don't take too long."
"Thanks, Doc. I promise we'll get there ASAP."
When Dr. Fraiser left, Jack gently brushed with the back of his left hand over Daniel's right cheek.
"Hey, Danny. Time to wake up. Carter made an antidote and Dr. Fraiser is going to give it to Teal'c."
As soon as Jack said the name Teal'c, Daniel woke up with a startled frown.
"Wh't. T?" Daniel said, trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes. "Wher' 'm I?" he said and looked around.
"You're in the infirmary, Daniel. You just had a nap."
"Jack!" Daniel jumped from the bed into Jack's arms.
"Hey, hey. Easy, kid. I know we're in the infirmary, but still I don't want you having any accidents."
"Jack. How are you… and how is Sam and Doctor Janet! Last time I saw you, you all were infected with Machello's Gould killer invention. How did you get out of that? Did you all go crazy like I did? Did you? Did you, Jack?"
"Hey, hey, slow down, kid. Carter wasn't affected, the organism died in her because they thought that the Gould larva had died."
"Because of Jolinar! Right, Jack?"
"Yes, Daniel. Because of Jolinar. Carter found a way, with Dr. Fraiser's help, to make an antidote out of the protein marker from her blood."
"Cool! So you're all okay? Right, Jack?" Daniel asked worriedly.
"Yes, Daniel. We are all okay, but now we need to make sure that Teal'c will be all right too. So let's go. I promised that we'd be there ASAP."
Daniel pulled himself from Jack's embrace, "Then let's go, Jack," he said while he grabbed Jack's left hand. Jack noticed that Daniel stood funny, like he needed to pee, but hadn't the time to take care of business.
"Daniel. First you have to visit the bathroom and then we'll go to Teal'c."
"I don't need to go. The only place I need to go is to Teal'c."
Jack grabbed Daniel's shoulders and pushed him gently toward the bathroom.
"Bathroom, now!" Jack said firmly and when he noticed that Daniel was about to complain, he said, "No buts, Daniel. Bathroom now!"
"Oh man. I just knew I was going to hear that a lot," Daniel said while he walked in the bathroom. He was about to close the door, when Jack walked in there too.
"Oh, no, Jack. I don't need your help in here!"
"Well, I'm sorry to tell you this, Daniel, but I'm afraid that you won't be able to reach the toilet or the sink."
Daniel walked to the toilet and he turned his face down to the floor when he noticed that Jack was right.
"I'll help you, Daniel. I'm sorry I didn't think to buy you a step stool when we were at the mall, but I promise you that I'll buy one ASAP."
"Okay," Daniel said reluctantly. His face turned red from embarrassment when Jack helped him.
~oOo~
After Dr. Fraiser had given Teal'c the antidote and Teal'c said the name Ma'chello, Daniel went to Teal'c with a smile as big as Mount Everest.
"Teal'c. I'm so glad that you're going to be okay!"
Teal'c turned his head and looked at the little boy who was talking to him. "Sorry, child. Do I know you?"
"Yes, you do, Teal'c. It's me, Daniel! Dr. Daniel Jackson!"
Teal'c looked confused at the kid then at Jack who stood right beside Daniel, with a protective hand on the boy's right shoulder.
"O'Neill. Is the child telling the truth?"
"Believe me, T. This boy here is definitely Daniel Jackson. Memories intact, but gets temper tantrums like any normal four year old."
"Jack! That's not true! I'm only making my point!" Daniel looked up at Jack, with a hurt expression on his face.
"Oh, it's so true. T, you'll soon find out that I'm right."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow, and a few seconds later, closed his eyes and went to sleep.
They all left Teal'c to his rest.
Outside Teal'c's room, Daniel asked, "What now, Jack. Are we going home to your place? You always take me home to your place after I've been in the infirmary, to recuperate."
"Not today, Daniel. Dr. Fraiser and I aren't allowed to leave the SGC for a week. So you and I are going to share a VIP room."
"Why aren't you allowed to leave? I thought you were all well after you got the antidote," Daniel said worriedly.
"Let's talk about this in the VIP room."
When they arrived in their VIP room, Jack sat down on the bed and asked Daniel to sit beside him.
"Daniel… Dr. Fraiser and I will be under observation for any signs of de-aging."
"What? Y-you mean that you're going to get shrunk too? If you do who is going to take care of me? I-I'm afraid that General Hammond won't allow me to take care of myself. I don't want to end up in foster care again." Daniel started to cry.
Jack got Daniel on his lap once again and did his best to comfort his sad little friend.
"Daniel. It isn't certain that we're going to get shrunk too. You had the organism in your body a few days, you were pumped full of drugs and you didn't get the antidote as we did, and we only had those organism in us for under an hour."
"But you got more than one in you. Maybe you will get shrunk down to a baby!" Daniel said between hiccups.
"If I do you can be my big brother and you'll change my diapers!"
"Yuk! Jack."
"Yuk? Hey! That the thanks I get for helping you. What a little ungrateful little brat…" Jack said teasingly while he lay Daniel on the bed and started to tickle him.
"Stop… Jack… please!" Daniel said between laughs, while he tried to get away from Jack's tickling hands.
"Not until you say that you're sorry and that you promise to change my diapers. If I get shrunk to a baby."
"Jack. I'm… only… four!… How… can… I… change… your… diaper!" Daniel said between tickling.
"So now you're four, eh? Well, I'd better remember that and help you remember, when you won't do as I tell you to. Well, I'm waiting, Daniel."
"Sorry, Jack. I'm sorry…"
"And?"
"And… I… promise… to… change… your… diaper… if you get shrunk."
"Good boy, Danny. I think it's time for you to get something to eat. Let's get to the commissary."
"I'm not hungry, Jack. I want to get to my office. Since I was committed to mental health, I'm afraid that my pile of translations, that needs to be done, has grown a lot!" Daniel got out of bed and ran to the door. "I'm going to my office now. See you later, Jack."
"Not so fast, Daniel!" Jack said while he hurried to catch up with him.
"The only place you're going today is the commissary and then back to the VIP room for a bath and then it's bedtime for you, young man."
"Jack, you can't be serious! It's not that long ago I had a forced nap and you're expecting me to go to bed that early. I'm not really four, you know. I'm an adult in a child's body."
"Well, Daniel, as I recall, you said only a few minutes ago that you're only four and four year old boys do go to bed that early."
"But, but "
"No buts, Daniel. Commissary, bath and bed in that order. You've been through a lot in the last few days and you need some rest. End of discussion," Jack said firmly.
"Oh, man!" Daniel whined when they walked to the commissary.