Daniel! He's alive, he's alive! A grin of pure relief cracked almost painfully on O'Neill's face. And then he saw her, Lila.

"Jack, help her!" Daniel begged, looking up, hunched over her still form. O'Neill froze; waiting for that small movement, that silent rise that signaled that hope was not yet lost.

"J'ck?" her tiny voice whispered as her eyes sought him. He fell to the floor beside her, lifting her gently into his arms. Daniel looked up at him with sorrow filled eyes.

"Jack, she..." O'Neill cut him off with a shake of his head. Carter. Where was Carter? She's had medical training, maybe she could...

"Carter, get in here!" Even as he said the words, he knew she could do nothing. Carter came skidding around the corner, sliding to a stop a few feet away, mouth hanging open.

"Daniel?" she whispered, searching him over as if he would disappear at any moment.

"I'm fine, Sam, but she's hurt bad." His words seem to bring her out of her stupor, and she brushed by Teal'c silent, guarding presence to kneel in front of O'Neill and L'ila. After a quick examination, she shook her head.

"Colonel..." Carter's wavering voice expressed the words she couldn't say. His eyes closed painfully, and he nodded. Carter stood. Brushing a hand across Daniel's shoulder and gesturing towards Teal'c, they left so O'Neill could have what little privacy they could offer.

"It is good to see you well, DanielJackson." Teal'c rumbled quietly as they stood just outside the arena door. Daniel smiled slightly and nodded. Carter just stood there, eyes flickering between Daniel's face and the door, hand clenched tightly around Daniel's wrist.

"She gave her life for me. Who is she?"

"I am unaware. Presumably, she is the female that was imprisoned with O'Neill. She expressed much concern for his welfare."

"This isn't fair." Daniel mumbled; frown etched in his face. Carter looked up at him mutely. "Why do we always have to trade one life for another? Why does she…" He fell silent and looked down, eyes glued to the floor in an effort to hide his shining eyes.

"She gave you back to us. We didn't know she could; we didn't ask her to. She saw how much pain the Colonel was in, we were all in. She made her decision. It's not your fault." Carter felt a sense of déjà vu, repeating her words once more to deaf ears.

A snort of suppressed laughter escaped the still-hidden confines of Daniel's face. "No, none of this is anyone's fault. We're just in the wrong place at the wrong time. And we always take someone down with us." The bitterness in his voice worried Carter and Teal'c and they exchanged a look of mutual concern.

Daniel fingered his pale, undamaged throat and stared at the floor.