Daniel closed his eyes and willed his breath to slow, pretending he was asleep. He listened intensively for the sounds of his teammates.

They had bunked down in the dormitory, all four taking the chance for some shuteye since the storm showed no signs of stilling. Sam had made sure her patient was stable, and rigged a couple of radios like a baby monitor that she brought with her to bed. She'd fallen asleep promptly, and Daniel could hear her deep calm breaths. A soft snore came from Jack's bed and he smiled. Of course Jack was sleeping. He'd probably fallen asleep before his head even hit the pillow. The unsure card was Teal'c. He did sleep nowadays, instead of the Kelno'reem he no longer needed. However, Daniel knew he still struggled with the concept of sleep and often stayed awake long into the nights.

He strained his ears and held his breath, but he couldn't tell for sure whether Teal'c was awake or not. He pressed a button on his wristwatch and the numbers lit up with a faint green glow. Three AM. He couldn't wait any longer. He'd just have to hope Teal'c wasn't awake.

Carefully he folded away the covers and swung his feet down to the floor. It was cold against his soles, but he didn't stop to put on his boots. It would just add a risky amount of noise to his night excursion. As silently as he could manage he padded to the door, intently listening all the way. Sam was still breathing deep and calm, and Jack made irregular soft snores. And Teal'c…

"Are you unable to sleep, DanielJackson?"

He bit down a curse.

"Just going to the bathroom," he whispered and giving no space for further conversation, he opened the door and slipped out.

The hallway was dimly lit by a single lamp above the bathroom door and spookily silent. He ignored the goose bumps rising on his skin and pushed the door to the lab open. It was dark in there too, with only a small nigh lamp on in the sterile room. It's light was enough to guide him to the glass wall. He pulled the door handle and the door slid open with a soft hiss from the air tight seal.

The 'doctor' – he still couldn't think the word sincerely – was fast asleep, looking innocent in his slumber. Daniel let out a snort of disdain. Innocent, my ass! His hands curled up into tight fist, a subconscious attempt to suppress the anger rising in him like magma in a volcano. Rage was not the way to get what he wanted.

He picked up the radio that stood beside the bed and turned it off. With gentleness in stark contrast to the red hot feelings churning inside him he shook the man's shoulder. His eyelids fluttered and he let out a moan. Daniel shook him a little harder and this time his eyes popped open. They were still glazed with fever, but they quickly found their focus on Daniel's face.

Daniel held his gaze. All of a sudden his heart leapt to racing in his chest. For a moment he couldn't breathe, his head swimming with cloudy memories. He swallowed hard.

"Do you remember me?" he asked.

The man nodded.

"Dr. Jackson."

His voice was thick with pain and drowsiness, but it still made Daniel's skin crawl. He remembered that voice. He remembered it calmly telling him how the drug he administered would steal away his memories. He remembered all too well – especially in the dark of night.

"I remember you too," he said and received a look of surprise in return.

"You do?"

"I take it I wasn't supposed to. But I do. And I have questions." He tried to imbue the words with implications of what might happen if he didn't get answers. I'm really not that good at this. "Most pressingly, what are you doing here?"

The man didn't respond.

Alright, let's try a different angle. "What's your name?"

The man seemed to hesitate, before deciding that relieving his name couldn't do any harm.

"Joseph."

Someone who knew Daniel a little better might have felt inclined to inform the not so good doctor of his miscalculation. Daniel himself however had no such intention.

"Well, Joseph. It is ... nice to see you again. Now what we're friends, why don't you tell me why you're here?"

Joseph smiled, an instinctual grin that turned into a smug smirk as he continued to say nothing.

"Perhaps you don't understand," Daniel said in a mock helpful tone. "The tables are turned. You are not in control this time. I am."

"And what are you going to do? Lecture me? Ha! I've told you before - I know a great deal of things about you, Dr Jackson. You are a scholar, a 'peaceful explorer'." Daniel's trademark greeting rolled off of Joseph's tongue drenched in ridicule. "There's nothing you can do to make me talk - or at least nothing you will do."

Daniel returned his smile with a false grin of his own. He reached out his hand and laid it on Joseph's stomach.

"I don't think you know me as well as you think you do. I may be a scholar by trade, and peaceful at heart, but experience has taught me a lot of things."

The smile froze on Joseph's face. His features twitched with an expression of disbelief, then in an instant turned to pain as Daniel applied a bit of pressure.

"Now," Daniel said, lifting his hand away. "Why are you here?"

"I had a plan. A rather brilliant one actually." He breathed fast and the words came out in gusts of breath, but somehow he still managed to sound conceited. Daniel scowled with annoyance.

"It doesn't appear to have played out the way you intended."

"Actually, most of it did. The plan was to get you here and that worked, didn't it?"

"Yeah, but now you're our prisoner and not the other way around."

The smug smile returned to Joseph's lips.

"That may so, but my associates have your research team. Where did you think they were?"

Daniel floundered for a reply, and opted for contradiction.

"Your 'associates' don't know you're alive. They left you for dead here."

"They know, Dr. Jackson. Trust me, they know. And if you want your researchers to come out of this alive you're going to have to let me go – and come with me."

A nervous laugh forced its way up Daniel's throat. The very thought of going anywhere with this man made him sick to his stomach.

"Sure, 'Dr. Mengele'. I'll go with you and you can do…whatever you did, to me again?! I don't think so."

"Oh." Joseph gleamed with glee. "You don't actually remember that much, do you?"

The sound of delight in his voice grated at Daniel's already raw nerves. Clenching his jaw he did his best not to let the fear and anger show on his face, nut his biggest concern was that the conversation was beginning to slip out of his hands. He needed to take back control.

"I may not remember, but you are going to tell me all about it," he demanded.

Joseph made a mock of deliberating. Then he shook his head.

"I don't think so."

"Think again!"

Daniel slammed his hand down on his abdomen, hard. The pain made Joseph cry out and Daniel hurriedly put his other hand over his mouth. The seconds dragged out, but no one came running. No one had heard. A malicious smirk snaked its way onto Daniel's lips.

"What do you think now?"