Chapter Four
"How much?" Jack asked into the red phone on his desk. "Million? ...Billion?! You're kidding? No, I...uh...I've got the numbers here. I just haven't had a chance to go over them, Sir."
Sam peeked into Jack's office and when she saw him on the phone she started to duck back out. Jack shook his head and waved her inside. She sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk and waited with a file folder in her hands. Jack winced as the person on the other end of the line suddenly yelled.
"Yes, Sir, I'll make time for it today." Jack apologized. "Dr. Jackson? He's doing well, he's working on an important translation at the mo... No, Sir, he hasn't shown any signs of being a danger... Yes, I know he's a risk, but I take full responsibility for him...and Gabriel. ...Yes, I fully understand, Sir."
Sam gave Jack a sympathetic look as he hung up the phone and put his head down on the large oak desk. She was just about to say something when he suddenly sat up. Opening up the draw he pulled out a hand full of pencils. Picking up his coffee cup he drained the last of the cold, dark drink. He placed the pencils in the mug and pushed it across the desk towards Sam.
"Sir?" Sam asked cautiously.
"Carter, I need you to go out and sell those." Jack explained.
"Are the losses from the Alpha Site that bad?"
"Let's put it this way, if wasting taxpayer money was a Federal offense I'd be on death row right now."
"Along with the rest of the Administration."
Jack was forced to smile. He took the pencils back and dropped them back in the drawer. He looked around his office as if he expected it to disappear at any minute. Sam had to admit she was getting the feeling that it might.
Nothing seemed to be going well lately and tensions were mounting. It had been a nearly a week since Teal'c had confronted Gabriel in the cafeteria. She'd seen very little of anyone involved since. Not only was she still struggling with the last Crystal, but Daniel and Gabriel had taken to locking themselves in his office, while Teal'c had pulled a similar disappearing act.
"Carter?"
"I'm sorry, Sir...did you say something?"
"No. You just had that far off, out of focus look in your eyes that Daniel does so well."
"I was just thinking."
"About how to save your career on this sinking ship?"
"This is the Air Force, Sir."
"Yeah, but the analogy doesn't work as well. It's harder to bail out of a downing plane."
"Which is why I have no plans to."
"Well then...I'll see you in the ground." Jack chuckled hollowly. "Is that folder for me?"
"It's actually for Daniel." Sam admitted. "It is what little I had left to get off the second to last Crystal. However I figure he's got enough work at the moment."
Jack held out his hand in a silent demand for the folder. He opened it and scanned the cryptic text even though he knew he had no hope of understanding it. Putting the folder down he picked up the Base phone and punched in an extension.
"Get your ass up here now." Jack growled into the phone and hung up.
"Sir?" Sam asked alarmed.
"Trust me, Carter."
Sam wasn't comforted by Jack's words. She waited uneasily for a work and stress weary Daniel to join them. She hoped that Jack wasn't blaming him for the costs of the Alpha Site, but she couldn't think of any other reason for him to speak so harshly to him.
When the door to Jack's office opened Sam was surprised to see Teal'c enter the room. He was slowly regaining his strength and only required one crutch to move around. However it was still clear that every step caused him pain. He greeted them both with his usual bow. Jack stood up and held out the folder for Teal'c.
"Take this down to Daniel." Jack ordered.
Teal'c hesitated to take the folder, but he did so. Without saying a word Teal'c turned around awkwardly and left on his mission. Sam knew what Jack was trying to do, but she wasn't so sure that it was a good idea.
"Si..."
"Carter," Jack interrupted "what did I say about trusting me?"
Teal'c knew what Jack was trying to do as well and was no more sure about it than Sam. A hapless Airman took a step back as Teal'c joined him in the elevator. They traveled down into the depths of the SGC in silence, although the young Airman could feel the tension radiating off the large Jaffa.
Even though the Airman had originally planed to get off on the same floor that held Daniel's office he simply stayed behind as Teal'c hobbled out into the hall. Teal'c had never even noticed him. He was too busy with thoughts of his own.
Reaching the door to Daniel's office Teal'c was surprised to find it closed. He had never known Daniel to close the door. He reached out to knock but froze solid when there was a sudden heartbreaking cry of anger and frustration behind the door that was quickly followed by the sound of a violent breaking of glass.
Teal'c put his hand on the knob and slowly opened the door to let himself in. Daniel had his head buried in his folded arms on the desk. There were books and notes overflowing onto the floor in what seemed like true disorder rather than Daniel's usual systematic chaos.
Teal'c looked down at the broken glass that lay in a puddle of water near his feet. Moving around the glass he moved closer to Daniel. The noise of Teal'c's crutch caught Daniel's attention. He looked up sharply with tear and stress reddened eyes. He pulled his sleeve across his face and opened up a book which he pretended to read.
"Daniel Jackson?"
"Maybe." Daniel returned sullenly. "Or possibly just a helpless willing pawn to a soulless animal."
Teal'c furrowed his brow as though Daniel's reaction to him came as a surprise. He looked directly to his right and noticed that Gabriel was laying on the bottom of his aquarium listlessly. When Teal'c leaned down to get a closer look Daniel looked up from his book annoyed.
"If Jack sent you tell him I have enough to deal with right now."
"He simply wished you to have this folder."
"Fine, put it down."
Teal'c nodded and put the folder down on the counter that held Gabriel's aquarium. He turned around and caught sight of the pool of water on the floor again. He had been told of what Ba'al had done to Daniel and found his own stomach knotting at the seemingly harmless puddle. Rather than leave he turned to face Daniel again.
"Why did you break this glass?" Teal'c asked quietly.
"What do you care?" Daniel snarled.
When Teal'c didn't answer Daniel turned his attention back to the book that he wasn't reading. Teal'c stayed statue still for a few minutes, studying the young man. With a new found resolve Teal'c lifted the lid to the aquarium and placed his hand inside.
"What are you doing?!" Daniel cried in alarm.
"I wish only to speak with him."
"If you want to talk to him, give him to me and he can talk to you through me."
"It is not the same." Teal'c replied.
"Teal'c, please, don't hurt him."
"I promise I will not."
Gabriel had retreated to the far corner of the tank when Teal'c had first lifted the lid. Now he slowly uncoiled himself and swam up to the surface and placed his delicate body in Teal'c's powerful hand. Teal'c brought him up out of the water with practiced ease. Daniel turned away as Gabriel made his way into the atrophied pouched in Teal'c's stomach.
"Come with me, Daniel Jackson."
"Teal'c...what are you do..."
"Come with me."
Still nervous Daniel followed Teal'c out of his office and down the hall. It didn't take him long to realize that Teal'c was taking them to his room. The ever present candles were already lit from when Teal'c had been disturbed by Jack. Jack had always feared that one day Teal'c was going to burn the Base down, but he kept that fear between himself and Daniel.
Wordlessly Teal'c brought out two pillows and placed them on the floor. Sitting on one of them he invited Daniel to do the same. With a shy smile Daniel settled himself on the other pillow with his legs crossed, facing Teal'c. Teal'c bowed to him slightly.
"I have not entered Kel'nor'reem in some time, so I wish to guide you in meditation first and I will follow."
Daniel just nodded, fearing that if he said the wrong thing now he'd lose Teal'c's freindship forever.
"Close your eyes and find your Center as I have shown you before."
Beginning to relax Daniel closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath of the spicy scented air. It took him a long time to reach a point where his mind began to settle. However his teacher was patient and waited without a sound. Teal'c watched for the moment where he could see the muscles in Daniel's shoulders and neck finally ease their tension.
"Daniel," Teal'c spoke softly "I want you to imagine yourself in the water."
"Teal'c no...I'm not read..."
"Do not fight against it, simply float and allow it to support you as Mother Ocean holds her children. Feel a soft warm rain striking the salty surface of the cool sea. You can not fear something as gentle and life giving as the rain."
Tears slipped from Daniel's closed eyes, but as they did so the vice around his heart loosened its painful grip. He had not even noticed the pain in his chest until it had been lifted. Breathing deeply again Daniel allowed his mind to slip beneath the imaginary surface of the water.
Teal'c closed his eyes and began the process of trancing as well. He quickly discovered that this was not something that Gabriel had ever done before. His birth had been once of innocents and so had his life, until he had been ripped from the waters that he loved by the Ancient scientists. Teal'c guided Gabriel into a state of meditation the same way he had with Daniel until a connection was made.
"I feel something I did not expect." Teal'c said silently.
"I love them as you do."
"More than that...I feel your forgiveness."
"You can not be blamed for your fear and anger, you only want what is best for Daniel." Gabriel explained softly.
"You wish that as well." "More
than anything." "You do not
need saving."
Teal'c shared the warmth that washed over Gabriel. Gabriel asked wordlessly for permission to heal the damage to Teal'c's back. The injury bothered the Jaffa more than he had admitted to anyone. The nerves had been left raw and every motion he made caused a flare of grating agony. He hadn't even realized how much pain he had been in until it was taken from him.
Daniel wasn't sure how long he spent thinking of nothing, but when he surfaced again he felt like he had slept soundly for days. He slowly opened his eyes and found that Teal'c was watching him. Seeing that Daniel was awake Teal'c lifted up a small cast iron cup and offered it to Daniel.
"Drink this." Teal'c instructed.
Without even thinking about it Daniel reached out and took the cup. The hot fluid within had an inviting herbal scent to it. Daniel recognized the alien tea as one of his favourites. He looked to Teal'c and the usually stoic Jaffa smiled encouragingly. Daniel smiled brightly in return and easily swallowed the mellow tea.