Candle
Author's Note : Thanks to my lovely beta Naliza for checking this one over. Hopefully it's not too horrific :) Also, I'd like to make some shoutouts – to Kay (I'm not Daniel!) and to macisgate and iamari , for being such faithful reviewers of all my stories - hugs all round
Out, out, brief candle - Life's but a walking shadow....
Daniel turned, closing the door carefully behind him with a click and leaning his aching shoulders against it, closing eyes burning with fatigue. The faint scent of roasting coffee crept to his attention, barely discernable amongst the smells of disinfectant and unaired clean sheets that pervaded the corridors. A tug pulled at his stomach as he realised with a nauseating feeling that he hadn't eaten in the last thirty-six hours.
And there's me thinking that I couldn't even go half a day without some coffee, he thought grimly, reaching up absently to rub his cheek, skewing his glasses slightly. Straightening them again he opened his eyes with a sigh. No time like the present for getting on with things.
Hah.
Letting a muttered curse slip out he pulled himself upright again and straightened his legs. He left a palm lingering flat on the green hospital door for a few heartbeats before resolutely taking a few steps away and catching the attention of a nurse hurrying past. After discovering where the cafeteria was, he slowly made his way to the lift.
He had been a bit disconcerted to find himself sharing a lift with a two- star general, but it was a military hospital after all. The man ignored him studiously; Daniel shrugged and just stood there, wrapped up in his own thoughts. A slight beep announced that they were at the ground floor. The linguist jerked out of his reverie and headed towards the seating area where the fragrant smell wound around the hallways in the small hours of the morning.
As he brought back his plastic tray, the food looking unappetising under the fluorescent lighting, he caught sight of a large dark-skinned man, sitting hunched around his drink, a dark beanie hat pulled firmly down around his ears. Changing direction, Daniel limped over and set the tray on the table, lightly touching the man on the shoulder.
"Hey, Murray."
"Daniel Jackson." The man's voice held a slight hint of surprise in his bland deep voice, he raised his head to look frankly at the Doctor. "I did not realise that you had left your vigil in the intensive care unit."
"Janet kicked me out. Told me to get some food," Daniel said wryly, sliding the tray along the table and sitting opposite Teal'c.
"I would surmise that she meant for you to take more than that," Teal'c nodded towards his tray. Daniel looked down at his meagre sandwich and large coffee mug.
"I guess I'm not that hungry," he shrugged, picking up the mug and blowing gently across it to cool it down. "I see you only have water," he pointed out mildly.
"I have been keeping my intake of food and drink regular," replied Teal'c with a slight hint of reproach. "Whereas I believe that you, Daniel Jackson, have not eaten anything since we returned from the field excursion."
Daniel did not answer; instead his eyes flicked upwards in the direction of the room he had recently vacated. Teal'c transferred his own gaze to look critically at his friend.
He obviously had not been eating and had very little sleep. His skin, apart from the fading purple bruise at the temple, was almost grey with fatigue and his eyes were downcast and tired. He had not shaved either and was still wearing the clothes he had thrown on angrily in the locker room, after having been forced to change out of his BDUs. Teal'c knew how concerned he had been, after all he felt almost exactly the same - but he also knew that his continued vigilance without taking care of himself would be detrimental to the situation.
"Why could we not have dealt with this in our own infirmary?" Daniel broke the companionable yet strained silence as he fretted aloud for the umpteenth time that day. Teal'c tilted his head to the side.
"You know our infirmary does not have the facilities to deal with the extent of the injuries sustained by so many."
The unspoken thought passed between them that having sixty wounded aliens in the military hospital would not be good - there was no way that the Morkanians could be passed off as human. Therefore the injured humans of the SG teams had been moved offbase.
It was Teal'c turn to break the thoughts.
"Since you have left the room, may I inquire as to whether there has been an improvement?"
Daniel sighed and swirled his coffee around listlessly before looking up with an edge of pain in his blue eyes.
"I'm sorry, Murray. Both Jack and Sam are still unconscious."