A/N: Okay, I don't think this story is going to be as small as I'd planned since in my original plan it would already be in the finishing bit. Oh well, more whumpage for my lovely fans?? Reward me with reviews?! The more reviews the happier I am and the faster I can get the chapters out!! Pleeeease! Oh yeah, plenty of Jack whump in this chapter!
Chapter 4
Daniel gritted his teeth practically crawling forward. Everything jerked and lurched around him, tossing him back and forth. Was it the world spinning or him? He really couldn't tell. His legs buckled under him and he began to heave violently. The nausea was worse than he'd ever faced. It was unbearable. He trembled harshly as he heaved, begging for an end. Daniel felt so tired, so sick. He really didn't have the strength to care what happened now. The rain drummed seeming to beat him down.
So tired. His whole body ached, cold permeating his being to the very bone. He lay totally still, too exhausted to move. Trembles wracked his body violently, nausea washing over him in wave after wave. He was numbly aware of it as he drifted semi-conscious.
When was Jack coming? When would he take him home?
--oo0oo--
Jack groaned loudly as more hail pounded against him viciously. His whole body was afire with the blows of mother nature. He would have gotten to shelter if there had been any that would protect him from the hail. The only logical solution he saw was to keep moving and find Daniel. He hoped he wasn't caught in the hail storm as well. He couldn't shake the nagging feeling that Daniel was in trouble. He tried to think positive and keep his mind clear, focus on the task at hand. Finding Daniel.
He longed desperately to sit and rest. Sleep. He was exhausted beyond reason. Only force of will kept him standing, of that he knew. It was why he fought so hard to keep moving. Once he stopped he was never moving again. He looked around holding his arm above his head protectively from the hail.
"Would you stop already! What did I ever do to you!!" Jack snarled enraged at the clouds. The hail stopped. Jack blinked in surprise. It had been so long since the hail had started that he could still feel the drum of it like a ghost beating down on him. He stood totally still as the feeling drained away. It was so quiet all of a sudden. It was almost eerie. Jack breathed a sigh of relief. At last, mother nature was giving him a rest.
CRACK!
Jack froze.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
He turned slowly as an agonized groan split the air with more cracking. It happened in slow motion he was sure as he looked upon the giant tree, exploding and splintering at it's base with phenomenal power, tipped towards Jack. His eyes went wide as saucers he stumbled backwards two steps then turned and bolted. It was a race against gravity and Jack lost, by a mile.
Twigs limbs and leaves slammed against him hard, crushing him into the ground. He felt as if he were being ground into mush. He squirmed and wriggled desperately the overwhelming weight shifted slightly followed by a loud snap and a blow to the head. Pain erupted through his shoulders and head and he fell into oblivion.
--oo0oo--
Crawling.
Pain.
Cold.
Exhaustion.
It ruled him like gravity ruled falling. Daniel wasn't aware how he was moving. It simply seemed to be happening. He wanted to be warm. He wanted to be home. He had to find Jack. Jack could take him home. It was a constant mantra running through his head without control. He didn't even try. He stopped. He couldn't move his arms any longer. He looked backwards tiredly seeing that he'd hardly moved ten feet, if that. Daniel let his head sink to the soft wet mud weakly, eyes drifting shut as sleep took him again. He just needed a little more sleep until Jack came. He hoped it was soon.
--oo0oo--
Spinning. He was spinning. It made him sick. Jack gulped thickly holding back a wave of bile. He didn't want to get sick, not here. He shifted slightly, pulling his arms towards him. Fire erupted through his shoulders stealing the breath from his lungs. He gritted his teeth and slowly, very slowly forced his body to take a long deep breath. The world settled a few breaths later and he pulled his arms closer to him struggling to push up to his knees but something held him down. He grunted as a wave of pain washed over him again.
Jack faintly remembered the loud cracking and the tree launching to attack him then darkness. He grumbled something about an unwilling tree hugger and began to squirm. His way out of this clearly wasn't up, but just maybe he could scoot out from under whatever large limb was atop him. His shoulders and head buzzed and smarted at the smallest of movement. He grunted and groaned quietly wishing to be stoic but finding it impossible. He was glad there was no one around to see.
It was slow going and tiresome as he squirmed gradually the overwhelming weight upon his back lessened. Riddled with exhaustion, time spent unknown getting free he rocked up onto his knees. The world did a loop de loop. Jack had to dig his fingers into the mud to stay sitting up. It passed after a moment and he stumbled to his feet. He had to find Daniel. The only one allowed to harass the space monkey was him, not even mother nature made the list.
Jack didn't know how long he walker…erm, staggered. It seemed like forever. He looked down at his watch curiously and grumbled. It had stopped.
"You're supposed to be waterproof you stupid machine." he growled. He was sure he'd lost his mind when it growled back. He blinked confused. His watch growled?? He looked up and around looking for a men bearing straight jackets coming to get him. Clarity came.
Ahead of him, maybe twenty feet ahead, with glowing yellow eyes locked onto only him was a cougar like looking cat. It growled low and dangerous slinking forward, fast. Jack backed away hand searching his hip for a weapon, preferably a gun, but the holster was empty, the knife was gone too. He had nothing. He was severely at a disadvantage, sharp claws extended, teeth bared, pouncing. Jack scrambled away, the sound of the cat far too close behind.
The beast crashed into him hard the two collapsed in a heap. Jack screamed as claws tore into his back. He writhed hand landing against a large stick. He acted without thinking bashing his only weapon against any part of the cougar he could get. It screeched lurching off of him. He launched to his feet, holding the branch like a bat, feet spread far apart struggling to maintain his balance. The cat growled constantly circling him slowly, assessing its prey. Jack kept it in front of him at all times. If this thing really chose to go at him he wouldn't be any match for it. It seemed to melt into the mud, shoulder blades bouncing successively, the movement almost alluring. It flew through the air in one smooth movement. Jack swung fast hitting the creature full against its side just as the cougar sunk its teeth deep into his shoulder.
Jack screamed his head tossing back with a thud against the ground, back arched, swinging his weapon crazily the pain from the movement blinding him. The cat bellowed as blow after blow hit it. Growling once last time it plodded away in search for easier prey. Jack stood, swaying dangerously, using the branch as a staff to hold him up. He looked warily for the evil cat but he saw it nowhere in sight. He took two clumsy steps, find Daniel, the only thought in his head, when the ground came rushing up to meet him.
Drifting.
Floating.
Not quite conscious.
Not quite unconscious.
His focus enraptured by the feel of the blood dripping ever so slowly down his back, his shoulder. A bone throbbing to his heartbeat somewhere near his shoulder. He willed it to go away, to let him sink into sleep, but the ache continued.
Drifting.
Floating.
Pain.
Cold.
Jack jolted awake, or to alertness as a cascade of ice rain bombarded him. The awful feeling of bone chilling wetness. He blinked his vision clearing slightly though darkness exuded the landscape. Daniel. He had to find Daniel. He was hurt. He had to get him home. Jack rolled onto his stomach intent to push up to his knees, grunting to stifle a cry, his left shoulder giving out, fire erupting through the muscles.
"F'r the love of onions" he slurred angrily trying again. He blinked back pained tears ignoring the repercussion as he forced his left shoulder and arm to push his weight upward, unsure how he made it to his feet. Cradling his left arm against his ribs he stumbled forward, hoping he was going in a straight line, or that he would at least stay on his feet. Everything was spinning around him. He had to focus on his four feet to keep from vomiting. It didn't even register that he had too many appendages.
"Daniel! Daniel! Daniel!" He shouted loud as he could, hoping that the archaeologist could hear him over the pounding rain. He could scarcely hear himself, just the rain and an incessant ringing. He fell to his knees at least twice, unsure whether he'd stood again or just continued on his knees. His skin crawled under the slow ooze of blood from his back, twitching for relief yet none was to be found.
"DANIEL! DANIEL!" Jack's throat burned, raw from shouting. He panted hard for air. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. He shook with exhaustion, doubting if he could stand even a minute longer when his blurred eyes locked onto something on the ground. His first thought was log, but logic told him that logs, even ones on alien planets, did not wear shoes. He collapsed next to it, swaying even on his knees, but he pushed it aside.
Daniel lay on his stomach, one arm stretched ahead of him and one behind, his face sinking into the muddied water as it rose. He was pale and motionless the bruises more garish against his skin than humanly possible. Jack feared the worst, afraid to verify his imagination with the lack of pulse. Gulping hard he pressed two fingers against his friends neck, holding his breath. He cried out with relief the thready, faint pulse fluttering under his fingertips, just barely noticeable. Jack turned Daniel onto his back, noting the lack of reaction.
"Daniel, Daniel wake up. C'mon space monkey you gotta wake up now." Jack slapped his cheek gently hoping to rouse him from sleep or unconsciousness, he guessed the latter. No reaction, not even an eyelash twitching. He felt deathly cold to the touch. Too cold to shiver. There was a pile of vomit next to Daniel and another about ten feet back, a path of drag marks leading to his current position.
Off in the distance, a distance Jack wished were far more distant, he could see the flood waters approaching steadily. In all other directions was land, some of it curving up into small hills, but the terrain was generally flat, and would stay that way. Either way Jack knew they had to move. They would be under water soon if they stayed. They might anyways but with moving he figured they had a better cha--
Pain ripped this his stomach like a knife of dry ice.
Burning.
Freezing.
Ripping.
He hit the ground unaware he'd fallen. Everything was lurching every which way and he couldn't keep up. He gasped for air clutching his stomach desperately, squeezing hard as if to push the pain too deep within himself to feel it.
Trembling.
Writhing.
The agony shredded him like a paper doll, blackness consuming him, sound and touch all that remained. He couldn't breathe. He needed air. The pain was too great. Short harsh gasps were the best he could manage. They didn't suffice. The new pain stopped. The old pain lingered.
Drifting.
Floating.
Falling.
Jack couldn't decide what was happening to him. He became aware he was on his side, staring at Daniel's shoes, hyperventilating. Shivers from pain wracked his body still. It seemed like ages before he could take a deep breath, before the hyperventilating dissipated. Even longer still came the ability to move. He shook so badly he doubted himself as he tried to sit up.
Three tries it took, each more exhausting then the previous, more painful. He swayed on his knees. Then he looked in the direction of the flood waters and gasped, eyes wide with shock and fear. Where the water had been at least fifty feet from them before it was now no more than ten feet away, and five feet a serious consideration. How long was I just lying there? How long was I being a wimp? The questions shot through his mind like arrows. He looked around his surroundings doubtfully. Where would they go? Could there be another cave? Could they really get that lucky? Jack looked down at Daniel again.
He was so pale and still. Too still. His pulse was faint and erratic. Wincing from the movement he pressed an ear against his chest gently to listen. His breathing was harsh and sporadic. Shallow gasps with a sharp intake and minimal exhale. There was something else, something off. He continued to listen, right arm trembling from supporting his weight, left still cradled by his stomach.
There. Jack heard it now. With each harsh breath Daniel took there was a rattle. This is bad, real bad. Jack didn't know what to do. He was barely keeping himself up physically. The water was rising fast. He was far off if coming at all. He was lost, cold and hurt. He looked in all directions, indecisive, hesitant. He had to find higher ground, shelter if whatever god out there that wasn't false was favoring them. He couldn't carry Daniel and sure for who knew how long to find somewhere safe to wait it out. Jack doubted he could carry him even when he did find safety. He looked around again. The water was too close, safety was too far. He checked his friend again finding him very much unconscious and very much going to stay that way it seemed to him. He hated himself for doing it. He didn't see another way. He swore aloud to the his friend that it was the only way. It was one of the hardest things he ever had to do.
Jack left Daniel behind.
