Part Two
Daniel's hospital bed was curtained off in an attempt by the medical staff to encourage him to rest. Visitors were, by order of his doctors (the hospital's Dr Jenkins, and Dr Fraiser), reduced to a maximum of one at a time.
Teal'c and Jack waited outside, Jonas had disappeared off somewhere, and Janet was busy sorting out a transference for Daniel from the public hospital to the SGC infirmary. Sam was Daniel's current visitor, sat in the plastic chair at his bedside.
"How are you feeling, Daniel?"
Sam's words were gentle enough and her expression suitably concerned, but Daniel sensed some inexplicable hostility. He'd noticed it earlier too. Her manner seemed to indicate that he had done something wrong, that he'd offended and hurt her somehow. He searched her face for answers, but all he saw were her eyes staring at him with relentless anger pasted over with genuine but thin worry for his wellbeing. He decided to not leap blindly into the deep end, feeling too weak to swim in such choppy waters as he saw in his friend's emotions. Instead, he would act normal and see if she gave any hint to what was bothering her.
Daniel gave Sam a wan smile.
"I'm finding it hard to take everything in. It feels weird being Human again," he grimaced looking down at his bandaged ribs, "and it's painful."
"Poor you," Carter said, with uncharacteristic biting sarcasm. "I guess you'll have to stick around now."
She ignored Daniel's shocked and hurt expression.
"I'll drop by again later, if I'm not busy off doing things of greater importance," she told him, icily, suddenly standing up.
"Sam?" Daniel called after her frostily turned back, his voice weak and pleading.
Carter didn't turn around. Instead she continued to stride away and drew the curtain shut behind her.
"Sam!" Daniel cried to no avail.
"Major, what's wrong with you?" O'Neill demanded.
Through the blue curtain that separated him from the rest of the world, Daniel saw the outline of the colonel step in front of Carter, obstructing her path.
"Jack, get out of my way."
She tried to brush past him, but Teal'c moved to block her escape.
"Carter, you're not leaving until you tell us what's up," O'Neill stated, angrily.
She sighed, clearly irritated.
"I don't know what you mean."
Jack perched on the end of an empty bed and indicated firmly to the seat beside it. Reluctantly, Sam sat down. She crossed her legs and nervously twisted the end of her jumper with her fingers. Teal'c stood imposingly off to one side.
"I think you do, Sam," Jack said, trying to soften his tone. "We finally get Daniel back, but instead of welcoming him with open arms, you're snapping at the poor guy. He's lying in a hospital bed, damn it. He nearly died. Again!"
"I know…" Sam whispered, regretfully. "It's just…Oh! Sir, I'm sorry!"
"It isn't me you should be apologising to."
"I didn't mean to say those things to him. I…it's difficult to explain…I think I'm angry with him."
"Why?" Jack's eyebrows raised in surprise.
"He…left us," she explained, shame filling her face. "He ascended into a so-called higher being and…forgot about me. He never came to visit me…unlike you and Teal'c…"
Jack frowned. "He couldn't interfere with us, you know that. See for yourself what trying to help others has done to him," he said, pointing in the direction of Daniel's bed.
"But…"
"I only saw him when I was tortured by Ba'al."
"Oh," Sam mumbled, and looked down in shame.
"And Daniel Jackson only appeared to me while I was sharing my symbiote with Bra'tac," Teal'c put in.
Carter swallowed against the pressure guilt clasped on her throat.
Hidden behind the curtain, Daniel tried to sit up. However, his desperation to speak to Sam was thwarted by the extreme weakness of his bruised body. Breathing hard, Daniel admitted defeat and sunk exhausted against the pillows. He closed his eyes to shut out his spinning vision.
The sound of metal rungs scrapping along the curtain rail brought his eyes snapping open. He gradually managed to focus on the figure that softly stepped forward to stand beside him.
"Sam…"
"Daniel, I'm sorry!" She clutched at his frail hand, a tear sliding down her cheek. "I'm so sorry."
"Didn't you know I was there?" Daniel asked her, his forehead troubled. "When you were alone, didn't you feel me with you?"
"Yes," Sam admitted, softly, meeting his blue eyes with her own. "But I was afraid to believe it was really you."
"I wouldn't leave you, Sam."
"I know," she told him. "In my heart, I always knew."
~ End ~
