She hadn't really intended to come. She'd been warned away from one, and there was no indication that this one was any less off-limits. But she'd come anyways. She was drawn to him by her own curiosity and by the fact that she knew he'd been hurt.

He opened his eyes when he felt her close by, and looked up at her from his bed.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to check on you. To see how you were."

"So how am I?"

She shrugged.

"I'm not a doctor."

"Well, thanks for stopping by." Sarcasm wasn't normally his forte, but he'd been around Jack a long time, and was a quick learner. She smiled.

"I warned you to keep an eye on him."

"I tried!" Daniel was well aware that he was to blame for Jack being hurt. "I-"

"You are not to blame."

They didn't see anyone, but there was suddenly a presence with them that both of them felt quite clearly. A powerful one. Xara shied away from it, but Daniel felt only friendship and love from it.

"I was told he was in danger and I didn't-"

"Daniel." The masculine voice cut him off. "Watching Jack O'Neill is not your responsibility. It is mine. She placed a duty on you that she had no business handing you. An impossible duty. And it distracted you. Much as other things she said distracted Jack. This will not happen again."

There was a menace in the voice, now, and still Daniel felt no fear. The menace was real, but it wasn't aimed at him. It was focused on Xara.

"You've been warned away."

"From Jack."

"From all of them!" Now there was anger as well. "You have worn out your welcome, and put them in jeopardy with your warnings and mysticism. Stay away from all of them. Return, and I'll kill you myself."

Daniel absently thought that the threat sounded like something Jack would say.

"I didn't come to them, they came to me."

"You're here, now."

"I'm curious."

"Stay away. From all of them."

"You can't keep-"

The defiant words were interrupted by a familiar snarl, and a moment later Xara was gone and the two of them were alone.

"Did you kill her?"

There was a surge of amusement.

"Nah, but she's not going to come back, I promise you."

"Who are you?"

The inquisitive part of Daniel was alive and well, obviously.

"That would be telling, Daniel." The voice said, still amused. "Get some rest."

"But-"

He started to say something else, but the presence was gone and he was alone.

"Easy..."

"I'm fine, Sam."

Jack eased himself into the chair by Daniel's bed, unable to stay on his feet too long. Daniel was asleep in his bed, but he had good color, and he looked like he was just sleeping. Which was what Sam had said. He wasn't even hooked up to any machinery.

"He went a little crazy when he woke up," Sam explained, sitting down on the edge of Daniel's bed. Jaffer came over and sat next to Jack, leaning against his leg, and O'Neill scratched his ears as he watched Daniel sleep. "So Janet put him out and said she was going to keep him out until he woke up on his own."

"When's he going to wake up?"

"Sometime tonight."

They turned at the sound of the new voice. Janet Fraiser was standing in the doorway, frowning.

"You're not supposed to be out of bed."

Jack gave her an innocent look.

"You didn't tell me I had to stay in bed."

"How do you feel?" She came over and ran her hand along his cheek and forehead, checking for fever. He had good color, and she couldn't see any indication that he was in much pain.

"Fine."

"Uh huh." That was the usual answer. She was looking for something a little more specific. "No pain?"

"A little. How's Daniel?"

"He's sleeping. Did you feel any serious pain while you were walking here?"

"Just a little stiff. When will he wake up?"

"When his medication wears off. Let's get you back to bed so I can check out that wound."

"It's fine, Doc," Jack said, scowling when she stepped between him and Daniel's bed so she could get his full attention.

"It's not fine until I say it is, Colonel." Janet said, wondering what it was about Jack that made him argue with her.

"Doc..."

"Colonel. He's not going to wake up any time soon. Get back in your own bed before I decide to give you a shot, too. With a big needle."

Jack scowled.

"Now, Colonel."

He sighed, and got to his feet, hiding the grimace of pain when he stretched the stiff muscles in his chest with the motion. Yeah, that was a little painful. Janet noticed immediately, and she gave him her arm for a bit of support, which he accepted gratefully, even though he knew it would give her that much more ammunition to keep him in bed. He'd work on that later. First he actually had to make it back to his bed.

Sam took the other side, sliding her arm around his waist, more to simply hold him than to give him support, although he did lean against her, allowing her to take a bit of his weight off his tired legs. The two women helped him back to his room under the watchful eye of Jaffer, who trailed enough behind that no one would trip over him. As soon as Jack was back in bed, the black lab hopped up beside him, causing Janet to scowl – although she didn't tell him to get down. It wasn't like he was going to listen to her if she told him to. He was a lot like Jack, she noticed – not for the first time.

"Sam? I need you to give us a little alone time, please." It was a lot easier to examine someone when there wasn't someone else hovering over you, worrying. "Would you go let General Hammond know Colonel O'Neill's awake?"

Sam didn't want to leave, but she knew that Janet had to have a reason to send her away or she wouldn't have. She squeezed Jack's hand gently, "I'll be right back."

He nodded, giving her that smile that was reserved only for her. It was the tired version, but it reached his eyes and lit them up.

"I'll be here."