Chapter Eleven
"Come on, Jackson, you have to eat something."
Jackson looked up at Daniel briefly before laying his head back down on the floor. Daniel sat down next to the pouting Wulf-mutt. He stroked Jackson's fur to try and comfort him. Jackson whimpered pitifully.
"I got you a top of the line steak, cooked just how you like it: raw."
Getting to his four feet Jackson got up and went over to the silver bowl. Daniel was hopeful that his partner was finally going to eat something. However, Jackson made it clear that he was going to continue his hunger strike by pushing the bowl away with his nose. Jackson came back over to Daniel and flopped down on the floor next to him.
"You are just as stubborn as Jack sometimes, you know that?" Daniel growled. "I don't know why you two both seem to think this is my fault. Do you think I enjoy any of this? Do you two think I'm not worried sick? More than that, do you think I don't realize that everyone is going to blame me if something does go wrong? And now you're going to starve yourself to death because Sam made her own decision to stay?"
Still sitting on the floor Daniel leaned against the cabinets of his kitchen. He closed his eyes and tried to fight the mounting stress. Jackson got up and licked under Daniel's jaw apologetically. In no mood for a shallow apologies Daniel pushed the Wulf away.
Jackson turned his head to the side and studied he partner for a moment. Going back over to the food dish that he had pushed away he ate the gourmet meal with gusto. Licking his lips he nuzzled against Daniel's chest. This time Daniel ruffled the fur between Jackson's ears.
"Thank you."
Daniel found himself suddenly pinned to the floor by a hundred and fifty pounds of excited Wulf-mutt. Jackson licked Daniel's face until he was helpless with mirth. Still chuckling Daniel pushed Jackson away affectionately.
"Okay, okay, enough!" Daniel laughed.
Undeterred Jackson persisted in his saliva attack.
"That's it!" Daniel said in mock ire. "Let's see how you like it."
Daniel switched placed with his partner and licked up the side of his face. Jackson cried out in a combination of shock and laughter. He retaliated by starting a full wrestling match. Daniel finally broke up the fight by sitting back and wagging his tail. Jackson reached up to his human face and ruefully rubbed the wet saliva.
"I didn't think you'd appreciate that." Daniel smiled as he returned to his own body.
Jackson dropped down in to a play bow.
"Not now, we're going to be late getting to the Base as it is."
Upon hearing the word 'Base' Jackson raced for the door. Daniel had taken the tug off the front door to keep Jackson from going on anymore escapades, just in case he ended up back in a sarcophagus somewhere along the way. Daniel wasn't quite ready to rush out the door, but Jackson stood guard while his partner got ready.
Back on Base everything seemed to be running as though nothing was wrong and no one was missing. Daniel knew that he had a large pile of translation work from SG-7's last trip to comb through, but at the moment he wasn't in the mood for it. When he got into the elevator he had a moment's worth of indecision on which floor to go to.
Jackson seized the opportunity to jump up and hit the button that would take them to the Stargate level. Daniel rolled his eyes, but allowed the elevator to take him further away from his office. He figured it wouldn't hurt to check in on Jack anyway.
When he stepped off the elevator the sounds of the Gate dialing caught his attention. Jackson has noticed as well and had perked up his ears. He looked to Daniel and hesitantly wagged his tail.
"Sam has three more days before we contact her."
Jackson lowered his tail in disappointment. Suddenly worried that Jack may be just as eager to dial the Wulf world Daniel picked up his pace. Jack was in the control room with the regular round of technicians watching the Gate slowly dial.
"You're not dialing Alaria's world, are you?"
Daniel failed to notice the way his words caught Jackson's attention.
"Good morning to you to, Daniel." Jack huffed.
"Just checking."
"The show must go on." Jack shrugged.
Daniel glanced over at the computer and read the dialing sequence. It was not one he was familiar with. Not really knowing what to say Daniel simply joined Jack in watching the Gate. As the wormhole opened there was suddenly some commotion down in the Gateroom.
"What is going on down ther…" Jack grumbled over the intercom.
"Jackson!" Daniel cried. "Stop!"
Jackson had slunk away from Daniel while he was watching the Gate and had run down the stairs into the Gateroom. Seconds after the event horizon had established he'd launched through it. Daniel raced down the spiral staircase after his wayward partner.
"Close the iris!" Jack ordered.
Jack followed Daniel down into the Gateroom. Daniel skidded to a halt at the bottom of the ramp when the iris snapped shut. He turned on Jack with a horrified expression.
"Jack! Open the iris, I have to go get him!"
"Daniel, that's a new Address, we have no idea where it goes. We haven't even checked the atmosphere, you could be dead the second you step through."
Daniel looked over at the MALP that was standing at the ready to explore the new world. Growling in frustration Daniel stepped off the ramp, he knew this was an argument that he was not going to win. When it was clear that Daniel wasn't going to dash through the Gate Jack gave the orders to open the iris and send the MALP through. Jack stepped up beside Daniel as they watched the machine disappear.
"Why did Jackson do that?" Jack asked.
"Because he heard me asking you if you were dialing Alaria's world."
"But I told you that I wasn't."
"Not directly."
"Sir," the intercom squawked "the atmosphere on the other side has 90 less oxygen…"
"Jack…"
"We'd better be quick."
Daniel ran up the ramp and took a deep breath before hitting the event horizon. The thin air on the far side of the Gate was ice cold and burned at his skin. Jack appeared at his side seconds later and from his expression he was no more prepared for the freezing temperature either.
Jackson had barely made it off the Gate dais before collapsing. He was laying on his side gasping for breath in the vapor like atmosphere. Daniel collected him in his arms as Jack dialed back to the Base. The effort it took to lift the Wulf forced Daniel into taking a breath. The inhospitable air lanced into his lungs, but offered little relief from his oxygen deprivation. His thoughts were so clouded that Jack had to come over and pull him out of the way of the snapping vortex.
Staggering through the Gate they found that a medical team was already waiting for them. Jackson had to have an oxygen mask placed awkwardly over his muzzle. Jack and Daniel both insisted that they'd be fine after a few deep breaths of the Base's air.
Jackson started whimpering and fighting against the medical staff. Still panting for breath Daniel sat down next to him and smoothed out his fur to calm him. After five minutes of pure oxygen Jackson was able to get to his feet once more. He tucked his tail and lowered his head in submission.
"It's okay, Jackson, I'm not angry." Daniel assured. "Just, please, don't do that again."
"Jackson," Jack said as he knelt down next to the Wulf "you are one crazy mutt."
"Jack?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm starting to think that we should contact Sam."
"No, we need to give her the time we said we would."
"Why is it that we never have the same opinion about anything at the same time?"
"I have no idea."
"What made you change your mind?"
"Jackson knows…ask him."
"He doesn't seem to agree with whatever logic you came up with."
"I'm not sure I totally agree with it either, but it was Carter's choice and we need to respect that."
"Now there's something I never thought I'd hear you say."
"Well, I also came to the conclusion that if I do mess up Carter's one chance of being human she'd come back with some fairly sharp teeth…"
"And there wouldn't be a jury in the world that would convict her for using them."
"Exactly. Well, with perhaps the exception of Animal Control."
