Chapter Eight: Blue Bayou

The sand was warm and felt good between his toes as he walked along the deserted beach. Palm trees whispered in the breeze and the waves were breaking gently along the spotless, virgin shoreline. The sky was mostly clear, there were only a few clouds off in the distance along the horizon. Gulls and terns flew overhead and danced on the breeze. He could smell the salty tang of the ocean and the sweet perfume from the exotic flowers that grew in wild profusion on the hill behind him. He'd never seen such clear, blue water before. The ocean was unpolluted and he could see dolphins leaping in a cove to his left. To the right, the beach went on and on.

He wasn't wearing much, only a loin cloth made of some soft material- maybe linen. His well muscled body was brown from exposure to the sun's warm rays and the wind ruffled his hair, which had gone blond at the tips and had grown a little bit longer than he was used to. He didn't need his eyeglasses to see and was surprised that he wore no contacts on his bright blue eyes.

"Where am I?" He was sure he'd never been here before. He would have remembered this. "It's a nice place but…" He looked around to see if he was alone. He was, so far as he could see, so he turned to his right and headed towards the trees. The path led into the cooler environs of a Equatorial forest. Tropical fruit trees were scattered about and Macaws chirped from branches, high above. A path led deeper and deeper into the foliage and the sky was blotted out, leaving diamonds of sunlight dancing across the forest floor.

After a while, he could see a clearing ahead and as he crested a hill, he saw a mountain in the distance, covered with lush, green vegetation. He continued to look around but could see no signs of human life. A stream of cool water gurgled along to his left so he knelt down, cupped his hands and drank deeply. He heard a thunderous sound coming from somewhere upstream so he followed the noise to another clearing to find a magnificent waterfall cascading down the side of an outcropping of rock. It splashed into a deep aquamarine pool and as he stepped into the water he found it warm to the touch and very inviting. He stripped of his loin cloth and dove in, experiencing a rush as the silky water glided over his body. He could see fish swimming about and sea weed graced the bottom of the pool, waving like strands of long hair. He surfaced and reveled in the relaxing atmosphere that surrounded him.

Sitting on a rock near the edge of the pool was a frog. It looked like any ordinary frog except for the fact that it opened up it's mouth and said, "Darling, I think I'm pregnant and there's a one in ten chance it's yours."

Daniel looked at the frog and said, "Not unless you're under some spell and you're really a woman."

"How do you know that you're not the one under some spell and you're really a frog?"

That answer surprised him. He blinked and the frog was gone.

"I'm definitely not in Kansas anymore, as Jack would say."

He turned and swam back across the pool and then floated on his back for a while, watching the clouds in the sky. The sound of the waterfall and the smell of the wild flowers lulled him into a feeling of complacency and growing weary, he stepped from the pool, found a spot of thick grass and sat down against a palm tree. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

There was a slight hissing sound coming from somewhere nearby and a slow steady beeping that confused him as he slowly came to the surface of awareness. A tube down his throat made it impossible to speak and he couldn't move or see. He started too panic and soon heard the voice of someone talking to him. He heard the beeping sound speed up and realized it was a heart monitor that he was hooked up to.

"Daniel, don't panic! You're in the Academy hospital. Can you open your eyes?"

He tried but they felt so heavy and he only managed to open them a tiny bit before he closed them again.

Carolyn noticed mere slits as he tried but that was all. A tear rolled from the corners of each eye and she figured he must be in some pain.

"That's okay. You have a lot of swelling and that's what's making it difficult to open them. You're hooked up to a respirator and we need to leave you on it for a little while yet. Try not to fight it. Can you squeeze my hand?"

He tried but it felt impossible. He managed to lightly tap Carolyn's hand with his index finger and then gave up.

She smiled at him and said, "That's good, Daniel. You're getting the feelings back in your limbs. It's gonna take time but we have a lot of that, so don't worry. I'm going to give you some pain medication and it will probably make you sleep. You're doing fine. You just need some rest." She injected some morphine into the IV line and watched as his heart beat slowed a bit and he fell back to sleep.

Vala stood to the left and watched his struggle. When he drifted back to sleep, she sat down, relieved. "Thank the god's, he's coming back!"

"Yes, he is. I'm encouraged that he can move his finger. It's a very good sign. He's stronger than I gave him credit for. It's only been 24 hours."

Jack was standing at the end of the bed and said, "That's our Danny, the original Come Back Kid!"

Carolyn smiled and said, "From what I've read in his medical file, I would have to agree. He's come through over and over again."

Jack said, "I know. I could tell you stories about him that would curl your hair."

"Well, you should all go get some breakfast. Maybe then go home for showers and clean clothes. He's gonna be out for a while. I promise to call you if he's starts to wake up, but it shouldn't happen for some time."

"Come on, Vala. Time to get a little exercise and something to eat." Jack took her hand and led her towards the door. "We'll be back."

They went into the sitting room and woke the rest of the gang up. "Hey, children, time to wake up!"

"I am not a child, O'Neill." Teal'c rose from a sitting position along the wall.

"Yeah, I know, you're twice as old as me."

"Has there been any improvement?" Sam sat up on the couch and tried to smooth down her hair.

"Yes," Vala said. "He was awake for a few minutes. And he could move his finger. Dr. Lam thinks he's better." The smile on her face was contagious and the whole gang looked happy to hear it.

"That's wonderful news! Can we see him?"

"Not now, Sam. Carolyn gave him some pain meds and he's out. She said she'd call us if he woke up. Let's all head for the cafeteria for breakfast."

"Sounds good to me, sir," Cam said. "I need to get the kinks worked out of my back. That recliner chair is nice but I don't think it's meant to be slept in.

They slowly made their way down the hall towards the elevator, feeling much better than they had when they'd arrived the day before.

0 0 0

He woke up under the palm tree and stretched his arms and legs. He was hungry so he donned his loin cloth and went in search for food.

'I guess I don't really need to dress but I wouldn't want to scare the natives, if there are any. Or the frogs.' He laughed quietly to himself at that thought.

He found some bananas and pineapples and filled up on the sticky, sweet fruit and then headed back to the pool to wash his face and hands. He sat on a rock with his feet dangling in the water and tried to make sense of things. How he got here was a mystery but he was sure he hadn't gated here.

He looked up to see that the sky was growing dark and he could hear the sound of thunder in the distance. 'I better find some shelter,' he thought as he looked around. The trees blocked his view so he wasn't sure which way to turn. The wind was starting to pick up and he could feel the first drops of rain hit his face and chest. He ran to the opposite side of the pool and scanned the surface of the cliff. It looked like there was a cave about 25 feet up and if he was careful, he could climb a rocky path that looked like it led to it. It started pouring as he made his way up managing to get most of the way there before he slipped and scraped the side of his ankle on a slippery, rain soaked boulder. The pain was sharp and took his breath away for a moment but he ignored it and finished the trek to the cave opening. He turned to look at the ground below and found that the torrential downpour blocked his view. He turned and walked through a cleft in the rock and found a dry spot to sit and wait things out. His ankle throbbed in time with his heartbeat and was bleeding freely but it didn't look too bad. He sat on the ground, his back to a rock and before long, he was sleeping.

0 0 0

Carolyn noticed a change in Daniel's monitors, indicating he was possibly waking up. She leaned over him and said, 'Daniel, can you hear me?"

Daniel's eyes seemed to open a crack and his blue orbs peered at her from behind his long eyelashes. 'Okay, I'm back in the infirmary,' he thought. He could feel Carolyn's hand on his shoulder and noticed that she had her trusty pen light out.

After checking his eyes, she said, "I think we can take you off the respirator." She turned to the nurse and said, "I'm gonna need your help with this. I want you to watch the monitors while I extubate him."

She looked Daniel in the eyes and said, "This is gonna hurt. A lot. But I want you to stay calm. Once we get this thing out, I can guarantee you'll feel better."

It only took a few seconds and then she was finished. The pain was awful! His lungs felt like they were on fire and his throat felt scraped raw.

"Okay, Nurse, I want you to send General O'Neill in now, please."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Carolyn could see that Daniel was in a lot of pain. She went into the bathroom and came out with a warm, wet washcloth and wiped his face. "Feel better?"

Daniel smiled but didn't try to talk.

Jack was soon there and grinning from ear to ear to see Daniel was breathing on his own.

"Sir, I think it's time to get the nursing crew from the mountain in, now that Daniel will be able to talk."

"Okay, sounds like a plan." He walked over to the side of the bed and looked down at his friend. "Hey, Daniel. Good to see you're back."

Daniel looked up at him in confusion. He managed to croak out, "What happened?"

"You got hit by a bus. Well, your Jeep did. Do you remember any of it?"

"No," he whispered. He made eye contact with Carolyn and said, "When?"

"Friday. It's Sunday morning. Let me explain some things to you. You've had a severe neck injury. It's best described as a sprain. The muscles around the spinal cord in your neck swelled up. You were paralyzed for a couple of days but the feeling in your limbs is slowly coming back. Do you remember my asking you to wiggle your toes this morning?"

"No."

"That's okay. You were on some heavy duty pain killers. I've eased off on the morphine and added acetaminophen. I'm sure you know the routine, Daniel. If you need more, press the button on the pump. It won't allow you to overdose."

"Okay." He was tired and fighting sleep. "Can't rest."

"Let me guess, weird dreams?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, since I've lowered the dose, you shouldn't have any more problem with that. If you do, tell me and we can try something else. Right now, you need your sleep so no visitors for a while. Just relax."

"Jack?"

"He can stay.

"Vala?"

"Do you want her to come in?"

"Yes."

"Fine, but I want you to sleep. No trying to stay awake to visit." She knew that they needed to talk about their problems, but that would have to wait.

"Okay." But, before Vala could enter the room, he was already out.

She asked how he was doing.

"He's in some pain but I think I took care of it. What he needs right now is rest. I don't want him to get anxious about anything. Okay?"

Vala looked at her and the silent message of "It can wait," was broadcast from Carolyn very clearly. For now, she would keep quiet about her leaving him.

0 0 0

Daniel slept most of Sunday and Carolyn noticed that he did talk in his sleep a bit but it was mostly in some language she couldn't identify. She asked Vala if she knew what he was saying.

"He's going through his desk, looking for something, by the sounds of it."

Carolyn smiled. "He's a workaholic. He needs to find a hobby."

Jack said, "I tried to talk him into stamp collecting but he said he thought it was boring. This, coming from a guy who can sit for hours and look at rocks. Go figure."

0 0 0

On Monday, Daniel was more alert and seemed to need less pain meds. Carolyn came into his room after her medical rounds and said, "I'm gonna try raising you to a sitting position and let's see what happens."

She pushed the button on the side of the bed and watched Daniel carefully as he was slowly raised but still laying back.

"How does that feel?"

"Okay, I guess."

"Good. Daniel, we haven't talked much about what happened to you. So, let me tell you what's been going on. You were hit by a city bus on Friday morning. You had just pulled out of the Starbuck's on Main. Sound familiar, yet?"

"It wouldn't be the first time." He smiled at her.

She smiled back at him and said, "Right, I forgot about your coffee addiction. You probably live at Starbuck's. Well, right after you turned, the bus plowed into your Jeep. It pushed you into a light pole."

"Sorry, Danny." Jack said. "The Jeep's a gonner."

Daniel didn't say anything. He was trying to remember the accident but nothing was coming to mind.

"Okay, You've got a concussion, which is hardly surprising since you just about went through the front window. Lots of cuts on your scalp. The medics said that you landed on the dash and that when the engine got pushed into the front seat, you got pushed back and the dash pinned your legs against the seat. So, you ended up with two broken legs. Your right leg had to be repaired surgically. Three broken fingers on your left hand. You also have a sprained left wrist and a dislocated left shoulder. Broken ribs and a punctured lung, also on that side, which we repaired surgically. And, both your kidneys are bruised."

Jack winced, "Too much information, Doc."

"Sorry, but most people want a thorough explanation."

Daniel said, "She's right. It explains a lot." He looked at his bandaged left hand and said, "Is this going to be okay?"

"I'm sure it is. You were paralyzed for a while, so let's see if you can grip my fingers?"

She held her hand in front of him and he reached over with is right hand, grasped it and squeezed slightly. Then she moved down to the end of the bed and lifted the blanket, exposing his feet. She rubbed his foot and said, "Can you feel that?"

"Yeah, and it feels wonderful."

She smiled and said, "See, you're already doing a lot better. You're probably gonna be transferred to the mountain tomorrow, barring any unforeseen complications."

Daniel closed his eyes and seemed to drift. Carolyn wondered if he was falling back to sleep until he opened his eyes and said, "What happened to the bus driver?"

"She fell asleep at the wheel, that's why she hit you. She was thrown through the window and ended up with a broken right arm. It's amazing, really. Some cuts and bruises but she's gonna be fine."

"Anyone else hurt?"

Carolyn hesitated. She knew this was going to bother him and wondered about waiting to tell him the rest.

He noted her hesitation and said, "Tell me."

"The drivers of two other vehicles hit the bus and both died."

Daniel closed his eyes again and swore quietly.

Jack said, "Daniel, they never knew what happened. The cops said they were doing about 45 and died instantly from the impact. And there were no passengers on the bus. It could have been worse."

"I guess."

He looked upset so Carolyn decided to change the subject. "You've got a bunch of people in the other room who want to come in and say 'hello.' Are you up to it?"

"Yeah. I think so."

"Okay, before they come in, tell me something. On a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst, where's your pain level right now?"

Daniel thought about it for a few seconds and then said, "Seven."

"Okay. We'll try you on something different for the pain. I'll go get something and while I'm gone, your friends can come in. Meanwhile, I want you to be extremely careful with your neck. The brace should help keep it from moving but I want you to remember to try to keep still."

Daniel looked worried until she added, "Don't worry, the swelling is down and you're gonna be fine. But, this is like no neck pain you've ever had before so it will hurt less if you don't move. Okay?

"Okay."

She left and Jack looked over at him. "It's good to have you back, Daniel. We were worried about you."

"Sorry."

"Hey, don't be. It wasn't your fault. You didn't do anything wrong. Do you need anything?"

"Some water. And, my glasses."

Jack reached over to the bed side table and got them for him. Daniel tried to put them on with his uninjured hand but the needle from the IV in his arm was making it a bit difficult so Jack helped him. Then he held up a cup with a straw in it.

After taking a drink, Daniel said, "Thanks."

"No problem."

The door opened and Sam, Teal'c and Cam came into the room.

Daniel accepted the kiss from Sam and nods from Cam and Teal'c.

"You look a lot better than the last time I saw you." Cam handed him the newest 'Archaelogy Today' and said, "I checked your mail and thought you might want it."

"Thanks."

Teal'c asked, "Do you require anything else, Daniel Jackson?"

"I can't think of anything."

"How are you feeling? I know, dumb question." Sam smiled. "Had to ask."

"I'm okay. The pain meds are helping. Except for the weird dreams."

"Oh, yeah?" Jack looked interested.

"Yeah, I was on a deserted island. Palm trees, waterfalls, lagoons."

"Scantily clad women?" Jack grinned.

"Not unless you count the frog."

"What?"

"Believe me, you had to be there."

They each gave him a puzzled look, especially Teal'c. Daniel grinned. The look on Jack's face was priceless.

Daniel looked around and then asked, "Where's Vala. Did she leave?"

"No," Jack said, "she's in the other room. She wanted to give us a chance to see you first. She hasn't left your side for three days. We practically had to drag her out of here to get her to eat. She slept in that chair over there in the corner."

"Would you guys give me a few minutes alone with her? Please?"

Sam said, "Sure, we'll be back later." She gave his fingers a squeeze and then turned to leave. The others said they were glad to see him and then left.

A few minutes later, Vala came in and shut the door behind her. She walked over to the side of the bed and took Daniel's right hand in hers.

He looked into her eyes and said, "I'm glad you're here."

"I couldn't go. I had to see you through this."

He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb and said, "I'm sorry."

"Daniel, we need to talk about this, but not until you're better."

"That could be a while."

"It can wait. I'm not going anywhere."

"Okay, but could you answer just one question?"

"Maybe." She looked a bit uncomfortable.

He waited for a few seconds, trying to come up with just the right words. "Can you forgive me for being a selfish idiot? And, can you understand that I have my reasons for the things I do?"

She smiled and said, "That's two questions and yes, I can forgive you and try to understand. Can I ask you the same two questions?"

"The answer is 'yes' and 'yes'. We can talk about the rest, later, Vala. For now, let's call a truce."

"Well, that's a good place to start over." She leaned over and gave him a light kiss. He smiled and drifted off to sleep with a feeling of hope in his heart.