Chapter Thirty-four

"What's wrong with the monitors?" asked Vala, pointing out the static on the screens showing Daniel's vital signs.

"For some reason he's giving off an EM field, it's not uncommon when a person has developed psychic abilities," said Lam checking Daniel's chart and making some notes.

"But this didn't happen before," said Vala.

"We just didn't register it before, but now it's increased to a noticeable range."

"So he's getting worse?"

"Not worse per say, his synaptic activity has increased significantly, I'd say he's getting stronger, more powerful."

"Is that good?"

"I really don't know, Daniel's been changed to accommodate these gifts as it were, but we just don't know how to measure and gauge what he's going through."

Vala looked confused, so Lam tried to explain.

"His metabolism has increased by over a hundred percent, so we're stuffing nutrients into his system very quickly to keep the levels up, now this would normally show wear in his organ function and blood work up, but it's not! It's as if what's happened in his mind is able to adapt the body to match, his organs aren't being overworked despite the extra input, they've been strengthened somehow," Lam shrugged, "I can't explain it, I can't predict how much adaptation is possible before the power really is too much and overwhelms him, frankly I'm surprised he survived the trip back to earth in his condition."

Vala sat back down next to Daniel's bed and grasped his hand, "Daniel's strong," she said holding him gently, as he struggled against invisible bonds and monsters in his dreams. "Its okay, Daniel," she told him, "I'm going to protect you, and you're going to be alright."

Daniel stilled instantly, his body went rigid and he squeezed Vala's hand very tightly and began to seize. Sparks flew from the machines around his bed, and Vala tried to get free so she could hold him down, but she couldn't undo his grip, he only held on tighter. As sparks and then flames started exploding off of Daniel himself, a line of flames and sparks started to arc across his body shorting all the monitors at once, the fire spread to the sheets, and the bed flowing across the floor like water, coating Daniel's body and lighting the room in an eerie candlelight effect. Nurses, Doctors and technicians fled the room, but all the while Vala stood untouched by the heat and fire that was passing through Daniel and the rest of the room. Daniel stilled and opened his eyes and looked straight at Vala the flames reflected in the sightless orbs, "Hallowed are the Ori," he whispered and went limp.

The fire snuffed out just as quickly as it had erupted. Vala pulled her hand from Daniel's now lax grip, and winced when she tried to make a fist. She looked down on her friend his face covered in sheen of sweat from his struggles the blankets were tatters at his legs, and his eyes were still moving beneath their lids. Daniel moaned and opened his eyes, "A dream," he sighed, and then he saw Vala and the mess around him.

"A flashback," said Vala.

"Bad?" asked Daniel.

"You tell me," she said.

"I had to walk into the fire and be lost," he said, "so I could survive long enough to be found."

"And we did find you," said Vala.

"No," said Daniel shaking his head, "I found myself, and showed you where to look. It took you so long to come," he said shuddering, "too long."

"I'm so sorry it took us so long, but you're home now, you're home and you are found," said Vala reaching out to pull him into a hug, "and I promise to never lose you again."

"So what the hell happened?" asked Jack pacing his Pentagon office as he waited for a reply on the speakerphone.

"We're still not sure Jack," said Hank, his voice slightly distorted over the phone.

"You said he was alright!"

"Physically, Dr Jackson is fine," Jack rolled his eyes, "he's just a little fuzzy on the details of what happened."

"What about what's her name? The bounty hunter, Vector?"

"Ventrell?"

"No, the other one, the chick."

"She spilled pretty easily, wanted to make sure we knew that Daniel did more damage to her than she did to him."

"So what exactly did she do to him?" asked Jack a dangerous tone in his voice.

"The cell she uses for her bounties is also used to transport livestock," said Hank, "the techs that are examining the ship said it would be something akin to an all over cattle-prod, times a hundred."

"Shit!" said Jack, "So how'd she end up in the cell and Daniel end up taking a nap next to the Cajun Shellfish Alien?"

"We're not sure she was a little fuzzy about that, something about him getting the upper hand when she went to check on him, and then we're assuming the alien beamed in a shock-grenade and then ringed over himself."

"There's nothing on the ship that would explain why he's now a crispy critter?"

"They've not found anything to explain it yet."

"I guess Daniel can explain when he's up and about."

"He says the last thing he remembers is looking down on himself from far away," said Hank hesitantly.

"Well, that doesn't sound good," said Jack, then he turned back at the tone of Hanks voice. "What aren't you telling me?" he asked.

"There was an incident in the infirmary."

"What kind of incident?"

"By all accounts, Dr Jackson burst into flames."

"What?" cried Jack, "Daniel was immolated and you don't tell me this straight off the bat?"

"He's fine Jack, not even a scorch mark, Vala's made the suggestion it was some sort of a flashback to his time as a prisoner."

"Being burned alive?" Jack winced, "That wasn't in his report."

"No, no it isn't," said Hank, "But then he never actually went into any detail as to the nature of his imprisonment." Jack heard the hesitation in his voice, before he continued,

"We just assumed…"

"That he'd cracked almost immediately," Jack sighed, "it is okay Hank, we were all thinking it, or in my case hoping it. I just don't think we want to think about what happened to him up to the point when he let Merlin take over, or what she did to him that made him do that."

"After watching the footage from the infirmary, I still don't think I want to know."

I made this a bit longer to make up for such a long interval. I hope you're all enjoying the story so far and I'll to be better at updating as often as I can.

Later, Cynic