Those were the last words I ever expected to hear out of Daniel's mouth, but given his track record of non-involvement, I simply sat back down. "And the others, Daniel? What will they say about you helping her?"

His smile tightens and he turns to pace a few steps. "I'm going to show you the way, Jack."

"Bullshit, Daniel!"

*

The briefing room is filled with stony faces. Teal'c, seated beside Jack, is the only impassive one. It must be hard for he and Jonas to believe I can really be who I am, since I'm supposedly dead and all. Jack explained, I'm sure, but only… Sam… would really have been able to do it properly.

"Doctor Jackson…" Hammond begins.

"Daniel, now, sir."

"Daniel," he begins again, looking mildly disturbed, "from what Colonel O'Neill says, you've offered to help save Major Carter's life… but I thought that was prohibited, given your change in position."

"It is, General, if I directly involve myself in the cure."

"So there is a cure?" Janet asks, speaking up for the first time since I've seen her. She had a troubled look on her face since the moment she stepped into the briefing room and saw me here.

"Not so much a cure as a way to block the affects of the infection you've all recently seen."

"Infection?" Jonas sits up, looking evenly at me. "You mean that whatever hit Major Carter infected her with something?"

"Yes and no, Jonas. The device was aiming itself at you, and if it had hit you it probably wouldn't have had the same affects, but because of S-" Catching the dark look that Jack is throwing at me, I amend my speech, "Major Carter's… particular makeup, it caused an infection, the symptoms of which you've all noticed first hand."

"Luminescence of the skin, and an apparent control over electricity?" Janet asks, staring hard at the report in front of her and with skepticism in her voice.

"Exactly."

"So what would it have done if it had hit me, Doctor Jackson?"

Jonas has a valid question, I'm just not quite sure I can see to it to tell him the truth. There is a dead silence in the room for a moment, and then one of the Lieutenants knocks sharply on the door to tell Doctor Fraiser that she's needed down in the infirmary.

"Is Major Carter awake?" Hammond asks, and I can almost see the hope in his eyes. I cast a glance at Jack, who, though he remains seated in his chair in a relaxed position, is obviously chomping at the bit to get down to her.

"Yes, General, she is."

"Meeting adjourned."

*

As soon as Janet is on her feet, I'm right beside her, and for once it appears that she doesn't resent my presence. I recall Jacob's words to me. 'There are other people who care about her, Jack.' Perhaps Janet's also realized that.

In the elevator, I sense Daniel.

"Janet can't see me or hear me right now, Jack."

I don't respond.

"Sam's a friend of mine too, I don't want to sit around and watch her get sicker."

The elevator stops and Janet steps off, without looking back.

"Then why didn't you come when she first got hit with whatever it is she's sick with?" I snap, moving quickly after Janet before the doors close on me.

"I couldn't," Daniel says, and the defeat and sorrow in his voice nearly make me pause and turn to look at him. But I don't. He'll show up when he wants to.

In the quarantine room, which is one of the few private rooms with an observation level, Janet bypasses the armed guard outside her room and steps inside. I follow, but stay back from the bed against the wall, out of the range of the fluorescent lighting.

"How are you feeling, Sam?"

"Confused… Janet what happened?" her voice is shaky. She's scared. Her eyes seek me out and I hold her gaze as long as she lets me.

"You tell me," Janet says, inspecting the machines hooked up to her. "When we all arrived, you were passed out in the locker room on level twenty-nine with all the lighting fixtures strewn around you on the ground… and someone had pulled the medical emergency switch, but we can't tell who."

"That would've been me."

I turn to see Daniel and he is looking at the floor, worrying over his bottom lip. "Daniel? That was… you?"

"What was me?" he seems confused.

"While I was in the locker room… I heard a noise… and then I started to glow brightly… there was a person, I think it was a man outside the door, and he was the only thing that didn't seem to be picking up the glow of the light…"

Daniel doesn't respond.

Janet doesn't look at Daniel, but comforts Sam instead. "Colonel, would you mind explaining to Sam what Daniel's proposing? I've got… other rounds to make."

"Sure thing, Doc."

There's a moment of silence between Daniel and me, and then Daniel vanishes. Jack steps over to the bed and pulls a chair up. "How're you feeling?" he asks gently, taking my hand.

I glance up at the observation deck, but it's blissfully empty, and so I let him take my hand. It's reassuring that he's here, the warmth of his hand in mine is like a lifeline, and I know it's irrational, but I feel a little better just having him here.

"About like what I can only imagine someone who's got a case of night-light syndrome should feel like sir."

He laughs, and it's pathetic and scary to hear the sound come out of him. "Still got that sense of humor, I see."

"What is it that Janet wants you to explain, sir?"

"Oh, just the general state of affairs, Major. It seems I've been elected to tell you what's going on with… your health. It seems that you're sick, Carter."

"Understatements are apparently still your strong suit, sir."

He rubs his temples as though agitated and then continues. "According to Daniel you've got some sort of infection, Carter, one that's causing your… glowing thing… and one that's responsible for the episode you had in the locker room."

"I see."

"Actually, Carter you don't, and neither do I, but according to Daniel whatever hit you in that cave…"

"Temple."

"Whatever. The point is, Carter, that you're going to get worse, unless we manage to do something about it."

"Like Cassie."

"Without the telekinetic powers, but essentially, yes."

Daniel. He disregards our clasped hands, and paces, arms folded. "How much worse?"

"From what information I've gathered, Sam, your body will continue to experience these sorts of 'bursts'. The energy will continue to try and use your body as an outlet in order to be released…"

"And eventually kill me."

He squeezes my hand tightly and I feel my heartbeat speed up. It hurts to be like this. So tied to him and bound to be kept away from him. "But," Jack's voice is reluctant, and as I turn my eyes to his he appears pained as he stares down at me as hard as he's ever done. "Daniel thinks he can get you a cure."

I turn to Daniel.

"I can't get it for you Sam, but I can show the four of you how to get to it… if that makes sense."

"Perfect sense Daniel," I respond, tightening my grip on Jack's hand in response to his obvious distress. "You're still bound to not involve yourself in the affairs of the humans, right?"

Daniel smiles a little, relieved. Jack scowls.

"So when do we leave?"

***

"You know that's what I love about Sam, Jack."

"What?" I reply, stalking forward at double time to try and leave him behind, but he pops up in front of me.

"She was always a faster thinker than you. And she's always had a more open mind." He's wearing a smug smile and I glare at him.

"You know Daniel you don't have to rub it in that Carter's smarter than me, it's already been established hundreds of times."

"You're a lucky man, Jack." Daniel's eyes are even as he looks at me, without malice and unnervingly accepting.

"Lucky?" I almost stutter with that word.

Daniel doesn't respond.