FINALLY! THE NEXT CHAPTER!!! SORRY YOU GUYS HAD TO WAIT SO LONG!!!!! I posted it like a few seconds ago, but had to remove it because there was one serious typo that made NO SENSE whatsoever...so sorry if u got 2 notices about chapter 8...
Chapter 8: Recovering
She stood quietly, leaning up against the door frame of Daniel's room.
"You're not going to hurt him by getting closer you know?" Dr. Lam said as she walked over to Vala's side, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I know. I'm just scared, that's all." She let out a long sigh. "I feel like if I touch him he'll break. He looks so...frail, just laying there." Vala blinked a couple of times; trying to hold back the few tears that were attempting to escape.
"He'll be okay. He's recovering fine. We can't tell for certain if the damage to his spine has caused any permanent paralysis or not. Vala. He needs you now more than ever. Go sit with him at least." With that Dr. Lam turned and walked away, knowing she couldn't force Vala to walk in there. Vala knew that once she came face to face with Daniel, she would have to face everything that happened in the cave. She was terrified he wasn't going to be the same. That he was going to take back everything that was said. If she stayed away she wouldn't have to face that rejection.
She looked at his face, his eyes closed and his mouth relaxed. He hadn't woken up from the surgery yet. Suddenly the thought of Daniel waking up with no one at his side to comfort him crossed her mind, finally convincing her to entire the room. She stopped short of the bed, taking in everything in front of her.
Daniel's body was covered in scratches and bruises. His hands were scabbed and raw. His tanned arms had deep scratches up and down the length of him, most bandaged up. Her hands began shaking as she reached up a touched his cheek. A sigh of relief escaped her mouth when she felt the warmth of his cheeks. All she could think about was how cold he felt in the cave; how she thought he was gone. She let her hand linger on his cheek, relishing in its heat that was letting her know he was alive.
She grabbed his hand and held onto it, drawing small circles with her finger on the back of it. She stared at their hands. Out of all the times Vala had envisioned them holding hands and kissing, this was not the way she ever expected it to happen.
She thought of walking down the halls of the SGC and their hands brushing each other. Then Daniel would subtly take her hand in his and never let go. She pictured them having a picnic, lying underneath a tree, Daniel placing sweet kisses up her neck and on her lips. She imagined them sitting in front of a fire somewhere, Daniel's arms wrapped around her, keeping her warm and secure. She pictured her lying on top of him, her head resting on his bare chest, her fingers playing with his hair. She saw Daniel lifting her chin up and passionately kissing her as his hands roamed over her body. Every dream, every thought, every fantasy was perfect in her head. None ever involved Daniel getting hurt. None ever ended with Daniel almost dying. None ever ended with Daniel battered and bruised lying in a hospital bed. And yet, when she finally got her wish, when Daniel finally admitted that he loved her, they all did. Each and every one of them. Nothing she could do would ever change that.
She never noticed the Jack walk into the room or the rest of SG-1.
"Vala..." Sam decided to be the first to break the silence.
"Hey." She answered, quickly dropping Daniel's hand. "Jack…" She was taken back to see Jack O'Neill standing next to her. "What are you doing here?"
"My best friend just went through some serious shit and you don't think I'd come running over as soon as I heard?!" Jack was obviously hurt by her question.
"Jack…don't" Sam whispered in his ear. It was then that Jack noticed that Vala was no longer looking at him, but back at Daniel, her eyes tearing up.
"Vala, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…Danny will pull through. He's pulled through worse."
"Yeah. He'll be fine." Cam added.
"No. Last time and the time before that he ascended. He seems to make a habit out of it." She tried to hide her fear that he'd leave that way again. She didn't want them to know how much she was hurting.
"Vala. He would never, NEVER, put you through that. He loves you too much." Sam interjected.
"I too agree with Samantha Carter. I can guarantee that thing will indeed work out with you and Daniel Jackson." Teal'c added.
"Teal'c…how can you…?" Teal'c cut Vala off before she was able to ask her question.
"When we were stuck on the Odyssey. Though that timeline was much different than ours is now I do believe that you and Daniel will be happy together as you were then." He explained with a slight nod of his head as if he was agreeing with his own statement.
"See? Everything will be fine. Maybe you should get some rest?" Jack said as he turned to leave.
"Not till Daniel wakes up and I know he's not going to up and disappear in some flash of light."
"It was more like an orb, but that doesn't matter. He won't." Jack nudged Cam telling him that it was time for them to leave and give Vala some time alone. Sam hesitated, worrying about leaving her friend alone in the state that she was in. Jack gently tugged Sam out of the room. "We'll check in later. You better be sleeping." Jack added as they all left the room.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-ONE HOUR LATER
She sat, still holding his hand, counting down the minutes. Her eyes wear red and she had run out of tears. She stared longingly at his face, waiting for his eyes to open. She closed her eyes, letting her mind drift back to her fantasies of them being together.
He gingerly brushed a strand of her hair away from her face. His fingers ran down the side of her face then slowly tracing her lips. "Vala..." He whispered, a smile began to sweep across her face. It felt so real to her, as if he was really saying her name, as if his fingers were really moving slowly across her face. She lifted her hand to her face, touching where she had imagined his fingers were.
Her eyes shot open when she felt someone's fingers on her face. She looked down at Daniel to see his eyes slightly open. He blinked a couple of times before fully focusing on Vala.
"Vala…" he said again hoarsely, his hand falling from her face from exhaustion.
"Daniel!" She screamed, almost falling out of her chair. "Sh-should I get one of the nurses? Are you okay? Do you remember anything? Are you hurting? Do you need anything?" She asked in rapid fire. He smiled slightly and let out a little chuckle, letting his eyes close.
"I'm okay…Water would be nice though. You look exhausted." Vala literally leapt from her chair and ran to the other side of the room, pouring Daniel a cup of water. She walked carefully back to his bed, placing the cup up to his lips. She helped him lift his head as she saw him struggle to do so. As he finished his head fell back on the pillow heavily.
He scooted his upper body over, making room for Vala to lie next to him. He patted the side of the bed. "Have you slept at all?"
"No…" She answered looking at the floor in embarrassment. There Daniel was again, worrying about her and not himself. She hates looking as if she needs help. She doesn't want him to feel that he has to worry for her; she can take care of herself. Though, the thought of someone caring and worrying about her felt nice, felt…loving.
"Vala?" Daniel asked, his voice quiet, as if he was afraid that she might break if he spoke too loud.
"I've been so worried about you, Daniel." She answered, slowly looking into his ice blue eyes. She regretted doing so as soon as she did. Any chance of her keeping herself together was completely thrown out the window as soon as she looked at his eyes. They were big, full of concern, nervousness and somehow, understanding, all at the same time. It was as if he understood her completely. She broke down into tears, flinging her arms around him. She stayed that way for a moment, and then pulled away, wiping her eyes. "You ever put me through this again I will leave you stranded on some deserted planet."
Daniel laughed and patted the side of his bed again. As Vala looked at the welcoming bed and the perfect man laying in it, she suddenly felt completely drained and exhausted.
Vala gently lowered herself down, moving his legs over slightly. "Your legs..." She muttered softly as she looked up at him, realizing what she had just done. She had to move his legs for him, something she was dreading having to do.
"Probably the meds or something. Don't worry. I'll be fine." Daniel answered quickly, knowing that it wasn't true. He couldn't feel anything below his stomach. He was terrified but knew he couldn't let Vala know. She was hurting enough as it was.
Vala knew that he was lying. She could see it in his intense eyes. She stared into them, feeling drawn to them like two magnets. She leaned in and softly kissed his lips. "Get some sleep." She whispered before slowly pulling her lips away.
"You better too."
"You can't tell me what to do." She answered. Daniel was glad to see Vala slipping into her old self again. He liked, and hated, her annoying sense of humor and how she constantly argued with him and got under his skin. How she was able to do all that and still turn him on he hadn't quite figured out yet.
She nestled her head into his shoulder. Her arms were drawn tightly to her side, squished between her and Daniel. By the time they both fell into a deep, and well needed, sleep their legs had become intertwined. Vala's left arm was laying across Daniel's chest and her head was in the crook of his neck. Daniel's left arm was wrapped tightly and protectively around Vala's waist. His right hand was lying on top of Vala's hand on his chest. They fit together perfectly like two pieces of a puzzle.
Hope you liked this new chapter...I wasn't sure if I should make Vala vulnerable or not. I mean, in the show we have seen her vulnerable side, but not really in-dept. I wanted to add more to her by showing her weak side, but I hope it wasn't too OOC...tell me what yea think. KEEP THE REVIEWS COMING...I need some suggestions as to what to do about Daniel's paralysis-ness...permanent or temp?? Tell me what you think I should do. I LOVE reading...and sometimes using...people's suggestions.
~*mandyem92*~
