Chapter 34

Spending time with Michael was nothing short of an absolutely refreshing joy. With each passing moment Daniel could feel weeks' worth of tension slipping away. Everything Michael saw interested him and the expression on his face was that of a delighted child. There was a bazaar in one of the plazas downtown, and Michael was perfectly happy to wander through it, taking things in and experiencing it all. He'd seen it going on from the car and had asked to stop.

"What is this?" Michael asked, keeping his voice low as they walked up the center aisle.

"It's called a bazaar. People come and set up stands with things to sell and sometimes there are performers."

Michael looked ahead. "The stand where people are playing music?"

"Yep. What do you think?"

"I think it's wonderful," he said, looking around. "Can we stay a while?"

"Sure thing," Daniel said. Being in the bazaar would allow him to observe humans and he might find a souvenir or two to take home.

They wandered the stands and Michael stopped at each one and examined a sample of what was on sale, but he didn't buy anything. Daniel ticked the different stands off in his mind: they visited a leatherworker, a stand with trays and trays of glass beads of all shapes, colors and sizes, a woman selling brass windchimes, another person selling wire jewelry, a stand selling just about anything made out of macramé, a place selling stained glass pictures, a stand selling folk art dolls and stuffed animals, and a place where you could purchase the supplies to make your own sand art. Beyond that was a stand selling scented candles, soaps, and lotions that made his nose itch, but Michael seemed to love it. He kept sniffing the candles and soaps most of all but Daniel suspected that was because they had the sweetest scents.

"Oh, I love this," Michael said, sniffing one jar candle for the fourth time.

"What scent is it?" Daniel asked, examining the label. "Oh. Spiced pumpkin pie."

"This has to be the most incredible thing I've ever smelled," Michael told him, his nose still over the open candle.

"Well, we'll get it for you," Daniel said. "That way you can take it home with you and smell it while you're there."

"I'd like that," Michael said, still sniffing. He kept sniffing all the way through buying it and declined having it wrapped or put into a bag.

"You'll make yourself light-headed if you keep doing that," Daniel cautioned him as they continued through the bazaar. "If you close it up and give your nose a break it'll smell just as good when you open it up again."

Michael took his suggestion. "Sorry about that. It just smells so good."

"No need to apologize," Daniel assured him. "What would you like to look at next?"

Michael looked around. "There's a stand selling books!"

Daniel grinned. "Let's go look there, shall we?"

Several hours later Daniel and Michael returned to the car with the scented candle, two books (one all about the Earth and the other all about its peoples and history), and a package of chocolate fudge for Michael to take back with him. Michael had had a sample of the fudge and had shivered when he tasted it, so Daniel was unable to resist buying him some.

"I have to ask," Daniel said as they fastened their seat belts. "What happens to you when you eat chocolate?"

Michael looked surprised and a tad uncomfortable. "Um…why do you ask that?"

Daniel noticed his discomfort. "It's all right, you don't have to tell me; I just wondered," he said. "Jack had mentioned your reaction to the chocolate power bars and you'd mentioned taking some home with you, and earlier I saw you eat a chocolate cookie and you did the same thing."

"I'd forgotten how observant you are," Michael said as they drove away. "I think there's something in the chocolate that acts as…well, something. It acts on our bodies the same way Pater's dopamine chemical acted on you, but eating chocolate is much more intense, it seems."

Daniel looked at him and then looked back at the road, alarmed. "So it's like a drug? You won't get addicted, will you?"

"No, I won't become addicted," Michael promised him. "We're not able to become addicted to any foreign substance. It's not in our genetic makeup. And the chocolate isn't like a drug, really. Not in the sense you mean. It's more like…something that tastes really, really good and that sense of good can be felt in my whole body."

Daniel glanced at him. That was very thought-provoking. "If I ate food from your world would the same thing happen to me?"

Michael considered this. "I have no idea. It might taste good, it might taste awful, or it might poison you. I'd rather not find out if that is the case. We could test it to see if you could eat it, though, if you'd really like to try."

"I'll think about it," Daniel said lightly. "Speaking of food, would you like to get something to eat? Are you hungry?"

Michael looked surprised. "I think this is part of being human," he chuckled. "Yes, I believe I am hungry."

"Okay, we can find someplace to eat." Daniel glanced at him again as if wondering whether he should ask something or not.

"What is it?"

"Well, I was wondering how human you were," Daniel confessed as he turned right.

"How human I was?" Michael said, vastly amused.

"Yeah, do you just look human, or are you so human no one would ever be able to tell, or..."

Michael laughed. "I see. The curious peaceful explorer has questions."

Daniel rolled his eyes. "C'mon. Have you ever known me when I didn't have questions?"

Still grinning, Michael paused as if thinking about it. "Nope, not really. Even when you were asleep you were asking questions."

"And will I get answers?" Daniel pressed.

Michael shook his head in amusement and laughed. "All right, incorrigible one. I am just about as human as you are, really. My self and my personality are as they always have been, but my body has become human. Before I made the change, I implanted a neural trigger in my subconscious mind that would operate when I heard three key words. I don't even know what they are since I asked General Hammond to assist me in this and he chose the words. When the neural trigger hears those words, my subconscious mind will take over and change me back to normal form."

Daniel felt worried very quickly. "Isn't this dangerous? I mean, what if you were hurt while you were in human form? You wouldn't be able to heal yourself."

"We will only be in town for today, Daniel."

"Yeah, but bad things have a way of happening very quickly in a short time," Daniel reminded him.

"That's only if you aren't careful," Michael pointed out. "Lately you've been under so much stress that you won't have any inclination to be less than hyper-vigilant."

Daniel considered that. "I guess so." As he thought about it, he realized it was true. He'd been watching the people around them all day, checking to see if anyone was acting in a suspicious manner or watching them, all of his skills from his training sessions with Jack coming to the fore. When he thought about it, it was amazing how much different he was from the man he'd been when he'd joined the Stargate program. Back then, he wouldn't have noticed if someone were watching or following him, but he'd been watching for that since they'd left Cheyenne Mountain. Interesting.

"Is there any type of food you'd like to try?" Daniel asked.

Michael looked thoughtful. "I don't know. How about you choose for me and we'll see if I like it?"

Oh, so he was up for a taste adventure, then. Okay. "All right, I know the perfect place." Ten minutes later and they were there, a quiet, understated restaurant that Daniel loved to go to. He'd taken Sylvia there once because the atmosphere was quiet and the food was incredible. If Michael wanted a taste adventure, then he'd like this place. Each order you placed came with an appetizer, an entree with two sides, a dessert, and drink 'creations,' as they were called. The restaurant didn't have a liquor license so they couldn't serve alcohol, but they were pretty good at creating iced or hot drinks with any flavor--or flavors!--you wanted. There were times when he drank more than he ate at that place.

An hour later and Daniel was certain that Michael was enjoying it. For lunch they had mushroom and rice soup, and for an entree Daniel had a steak with two vegetables and Michael chose stuffed pork chops with mashed potatoes and peas. For dessert they both had chocolate cake and to drink...well, they had so many that they couldn't name them all.

"I see why you like this place," Michael said, leaning back in chair with a glass of something that smelled like a fruit salad. How many flavors had he asked for in that glass of iced tea, anyway?

"It's a comforting place to be," Daniel admitted. The old-fashioned decor and the crackling fire in the fireplace helped foster the impression of ease and peace. "So, where would you like to go after this?"

Michael thought about it. "Somewhere outside? I've seen plenty of your buildings but I haven't seen very much of the outdoors."

"Sure. There's a park not too far from here. We can go there. There's a lake and nature trails and a butterfly garden, so you'll get to see a lot of things. I keep a digital camera in my car, so you'll be able to take pictures to show to everyone at home."

"They'd like that," Micheal said. "Memories you can touch!"

It didn't take them long to get to the park and Michael loved it, Daniel could tell that right away. As he and Michael walked along the side of the lake and fed the ducks and geese, he realized that the hyper-vigilance he'd been feeling since the Ashah had taken him was starting to melt away. He was home. He would see his friends that night, and he was showing a good friend his world. There were no crises to take care of, no imminent danger of the planet being attacked, nothing that needed taken care of right now. It felt very, very good.

"Why do the ducks make the noise they do and why do geese make the noise they do?" Michael asked as the birds fought over the feed they'd just scattered into the water.

"Well, ducks quack and geese honk," Daniel said. "They've always made sounds like that."

"The geese are louder than the ducks," Michael observed, smiling when he saw two geese fighting over a pellet that a duck made off with a moment later.

"During medieval times in Europe, people would keep geese to guard the house against intruders," Daniel said. "They're louder than dogs, especially when there are a lot of them, and they swarm anyone who approaches their territory, so to speak."

Hearing the geese, Michael grinned. "I can believe that."

They stayed at the park, walking, talking, and taking pictures all afternoon until about seven, when Daniel suggested that it was time they got something to eat.

Michael looked surprised. "Is it time to eat again already?"

"Yes, it was about one when we had lunch, and it's been six hours. Do you feel hungry?"

Michael paused. "So that's what that is. My stomach's been making noises for the past hour and I couldn't figure out what it was."

Daniel laughed. He couldn't help himself; it was just too funny. "All right. Let's go get something to eat." They headed back to the car, chatting, and took a shortcut along a short nature path that would get them there at least five minutes sooner. As they walked, Michael chatted about how much he'd liked the park. "I can't wait to show everyone else the pictures. They won't believe some of the colors on those butterflies!"

"You liked them?"

"Of course I did," Michael assured him. "We don't have creatures like that at home. They were very interesting."

"What'd you think about the water birds?"

Michael laughed. "Loud."

Daniel had to laugh at that, as much from what Michael said as from his expression.

"Do you think we could do something like this again?"Michael wanted to know, carefully picking his way along the edge of a muddy patch.

Daniel turned his attention to getting around the mud himself. He did not want to track enough mud to make mud pies into his car. "Sure thing. I think--"

"DANIEL!" Michael shouted, seeing something behind his friend that made him jump forward in an effort to ward it off.

A loud crack against the back of his head and Daniel felt himself falling. A moment later everything went dark.

--

"Looks like someone hit him on the head," Daniel heard. "You call for an ambulance yet?"

"They're on their way," someone else said. "Why would someone do that? It doesn't look like he was robbed--his wallet is still in his pocket and there's money and credit cards still in it. He's still wearing his watch and he's got his cell phone. Did you call his ICE number?"

"His in case of emergency? Yeah. Some guy called Jack. Works at Cheyenne Mountain and he sounded almost panicked when I told him what had happened. Said he was on his way and hung up."

The sound of sirens lanced through his head and Daniel groaned.

"Hey, he's coming around! Mr. Jackson, can you hear us?"

"No," Daniel moaned. "Oh, my head! What hit me?"

"We don't know, but it looks like someone jumped you. Can you open your eyes?"

"I don't want to," Daniel said, his head pounding like crazy.

"Well, the EMTs are here to check you over, so you kind of have to now."

"Where's here?"

"The ranger's and first aid station," the first man said. "C'mon, open your eyes."

Daniel forced his eyes open and as he expected, light lanced through them and made his head pound even harder. He was lying down somewhere and he could feel a neck brace around his neck and he hurt. He groaned. "Owww." With him he saw two park rangers and two EMTs. The rangers explained what had happened--he'd been found lying on one of the nature trails cracked on the head and unconscious--and the EMTs began to check him over. "You were right," one of them said. "No neck injury, but it looks like he has a concussion. We'll need to check him over at the hospital to be sure. Whoever hit him got him pretty hard. No serious trauma, though, since his pupils are the same size."

"Can I go back to sleep?" Daniel begged.

"Not yet," the closest EMT said. "We need to make sure you're all right."

"But it won't hurt while I'm asleep," Daniel pointed out. That was when he remembered. "What about Michael? Is he okay?"

"Who?" one of the rangers said.

"My friend who was with me," Daniel explained.

"Was he the one who hit you?" one of the EMTs asked.

"No! He's a friend. He's a visitor to the base and I was showing him around Colorado Springs."

A car screeching to a halt outside made Daniel groan and clutch his head again. A second car stopped without the screeching and Daniel sent up a silent prayer of thanks for that. However, in the next minute the door crashed open and Jack ran in. "Daniel? What the hell happened?"

"Hi, Jack."

"Don't you 'Hi, Jack' me," Jack said, sounding ready to kill. "You're not even back for a week and something happens. From now on, you're confined to the base, got me?"

"I'm a civilian, Jack," Daniel reminded him. "Could you stop shouting, please?"

"Fine, I'll get General Hammond to confine you to base. That's the only possible way to keep you out of trouble!"

"Colonel, could you turn on the overhead lights?"

The added light helped Daniel to see that Janet and Sam were also there, along with Teal'c, who was sporting a baseball cap. Janet started to check him over. "Hi, Janet. Hi, guys."

"Hello, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said. "How do you feel?"

"Awful," Daniel said honestly.

"No serious trauma," Janet said after examining him. "We'll need a CT scan and possibly an MRI to be sure, but I don't see any obstacle to moving you."

"I just got out of the infirmary," Daniel muttered, wishing his head would stop hurting.

"Well, now you get to go back and have nurses fuss over you," Janet told him. "You'll be there for a while until we're sure you're okay. Do you feel nauseous? Dizzy?"

"No, just my head hurts," he said. "I think I'll be okay if I could get some Tylenol."

"You're going to the infirmary," Jack said, still sounding furious. "For the love of all that's holy, Doc, do you think you could keep him in restraints? That way we'll know where he is and that he's safe!"

"You're making too big a deal, Jack," Daniel told him as two orderlies brought in a stretcher. "Oh, Janet, you didn't bring one of the base ambulances, did you?"

"Of course I did," she told him. "Now be quiet. No complaints."

"What about Michael? He was with me," Daniel wanted to know.

"General Hammond's taken care of that," Janet told him as Daniel was wheeled outside and into the ambulance. "All you need to focus on is getting better."

"But--"

"Understand, Daniel?"

"What about security?"

"Colonel O'Neill's taking care of that," Sam said, climbing into the back of the ambulance to sit with him. "How's your head?"

"Painful. I hope Michael's okay."

"I hope so, too."

--

It had been such a long time since he'd experienced actual pain that it came as a shock. He opened his eyes and tried to sit up to determine why he was hurting, but restraints on his wrists and one across his chest stopped him. He sank back into the pillows behind him and tried to remember. This place was like the SGC infirmary, but it wasn't. The whole layout was wrong and there was no one there. The lights were too dim for him to see much, anyway. What had happened? Why was he in a strange place and why was he restrained? Where was Daniel?

"Hello, Lieutenant Campbell," he heard.

It wasn't a voice he recognized and the amount of coldness in it immediately made him wary. "Who's there?"

"Call me Simmons," the man said, stepping where Michael could see him. "It's good to meet you."

"Who are you?" Michael asked, wishing his head would stop pounding. "Where am I? What do you want with me?"

"I'm a friend," Simmons said. "You're in our infirmary in one of our facilities and for the time being, all we want is for you to get well."

"Where's Daniel?"

"Daniel? You mean Dr. Jackson? He's probably back at the SGC."

"What happened?" Michael asked. If he was here, then wasn't Daniel supposed to be there as well? "Why do I hurt?"

"Well, you took a nasty bump on the head, but our doctor says you'll be all right soon. Once you're better, then we can start to get to know you. We want to learn all about you. I'm quite looking forward to it."

"I don't understand," Michael said. Simmons. Why did that name sound so familiar? It was a name that had been in Daniel's mind, but he couldn't remember the connotation, whether Simmons was someone good or someone to be avoided.

"Try not to worry about it," Simmons said, pouring a glass of water and putting a straw into the glass. "Here. You must be thirsty by now."

Quietly and calmly Michael sipped at the water but his mind was running overtime. "Do you know Daniel?"

"Of course."

"Why am I here? If you found me, shouldn't you have taken me back to the SGC?" Was this man affiliated with the base in some way? Was that how he knew Daniel?

"No, we didn't want to take you back to the SGC," Simmons said, setting aside the cup of water once Michael indicated he'd had enough. "They wouldn't have allowed us to talk with you, and that's what we want. We know a lot about you already, but now we want to know more."

Now he was confused. "What do you mean?"

"We know that until a short while ago you were not human at all. We know that you were an alien being that simply used the name Being and you were instrumental in removing the Ashah from Earth. We want to know all about the alien being who was able to do what he did against the Ashah. We want to know all about you, your people, and your planet."

"What are you talking about?" Michael said, pulling at the restraints on his wrists. This was not good! This man knew the truth!

"Oh, come now, Lieutenant Michael Campbell," Simmons said, as if the name and rank were a private joke. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Once you're better, you'll talk to me. That, I'm sure of."

Michael lay there, not certain what to do or if he could do anything.