"Danny, honey, just stay over there out of the way, okay?"
No... God, no... please, not this...
"Careful with that cover stone."
No... not again...
"Yes, Dr. Jackson."
Please, God, make it stop...
"Jake, it's swinging a bit."
Get out, Mom! Please get out! It'll fall! It'll kill you!
"It's swinging."
"It's okay, it's fine, we'll be fine..."
No, Dad, you won't be fine! Get out of there!!
Screaming... thud... crash...
Mommy! Daddy! No!!
"This is Danny Jackson. Danny, this is your new family. This is Kyle, his wife Patty, and their son Bobby."
"Pleased to meet you, Danny. I'm sure you'll fit right in here and have lots of fun. Won't he, Bobby?"
Please, don't touch me, Kyle... please leave me alone...
"You think you're better than us, Danny boy? Well, you ain't. Your parents may have had their fancy PhD's and whathaveyou's, but they're dead and gone now. And you know what orphan boys with 'holier than thou' attitudes get? They get a whuppin', that's what."
No! Somebody help me, please! He's drunk... he'll kill me... please stop!! Gotta get away... God, please make him stop hitting me!! Whatever I did, I won't ever do it again, I swear!
"Hey, Danny, wanna know what it feels like to fly?"
Fly? No, I don't want to fly...
"Come on, Danny, it'll be fun. Just climb up on the roof of the shed, grab onto the washing line, and jump. I do it all the time. You sail right across from one pole to the other. It's fun! Don't worry, I won't let you fall."
Are you sure I won't get hurt?
"Geez, Danny, you're such a chicken."
I'm not a chicken! I'll show you...
Help me! Oh God, it hurts! Bobby! Where did you go? Somebody help me! I can't move!
"Looks like you'll have a nasty scar above your eye there, Danny. You're lucky you didn't do more than fracture your arm. What were you thinking, jumping off a roof, huh? God, I don't know what I'm going to do with you boys."
Please don't be angry, Patty. Bobby said if I held onto the washing line I'd swing right across and it'd feel like flying. I didn't know it would break...
"So you tattled on me, huh? I'll teach you for tattling..."
No, Bobby! Please don't hit my bad arm! Please, I won't ever tattle on you again!
"How many times do I have to tell you boys not to mess around with that washing line? I think you both need to be taught a lesson this time."
I'm sorry, Kyle! It won't happen again! Please, not the belt...
Eyes flash... Goa'uld? Kyle's a Goa'uld? That's not right... he can't be... what's going on?
"Kneel before your god!"
This can't be happening... where am I? What's going on? Why can't I move?!
As soon as Major Carter went off in search of O'Neill and Dr. Fraiser, Teal'c moved back over to Daniel Jackson's bedside. He was alarmed at the burning heat coming from the man's skin, knowing what damage such a high fever would be causing to his body.
"Please, God, make it stop..."
Teal'c took a fresh cloth and dipped it in the bowl of cool water by the bed. "It is alright, Daniel Jackson," he soothed as he wiped the ever-present sweat from his friend's brow. "This will soon pass, and you will be well again."
"Get out, Mom! Please get out! It'll fall! It'll kill you!"
Teal'c had long ago been told about the deaths of Daniel Jackson's parents, and how their young son had witnessed the entire thing. There was no doubt that this event was what the sick man was seeing now.
"Mommy! Daddy! No!!"
Daniel Jackson's cries tore Teal'c's heart to shreds. He was amazed that such a young child could have experienced such trauma all alone, and still become the brilliant, courageous man that lay before him.
"How's he doing, Teal'c?" Dr. Carmichael asked as he came to stand beside him.
"He remains a prisoner to his own past," Teal'c replied without looking up.
Dr. Carmichael shifted his weight from one foot to another and folded his arms across his chest. "That's a very succinct way of putting it," he said. "And he will be until there's simply nothing left to haunt him."
Teal'c gave the doctor a sharp look. "You believe he will lose his memory completely?"
A look passed over Dr. Carmichael's face as though he had ingested something distasteful. "If what Brom has told me is correct... yes. I'm sorry, Teal'c."
"Daniel Jackson has lost his memory once before. It returned to him when he was once again surrounded by people and places familiar to him." He could hear the growl that had entered his voice, but he was feeling too angry about his friend's uncertain fate to attempt to soften his tone.
Dr. Carmichael was unfazed, however. "I realize that," he said gently. "But those were completely different circumstances. This virus isn't suppressing his memories, it's actually eating away at his brain tissue. I just don't think there will be anything we can do to..."
"Please, don't touch me, Kyle... please leave me alone..."
Both men turned their attention to Daniel Jackson at his childlike whimper. He was quite distressed and appeared to be in great pain as he tried to shrink back into his pillows. Teal'c could see that were it not for his restraints, he would have curled up into a fetal position.
"There is no one here to harm you, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c laid his hand on his friend's arm, but it made him flinch and try even harder to shy away.
"No! Somebody help me, please! He's drunk... he'll kill me... please stop!!"
Teal'c looked helplessly up at Dr. Carmichael, who shrugged and winced in empathy as Daniel Jackson squirmed and cried out in pain.
"Gotta get away... God, please make him stop hitting me!! Whatever I did, I won't ever do it again, I swear!"
"Oh my God."
The quiet voice broke through the sound of Daniel Jackson's sobs, and Teal'c glanced over his shoulder to see O'Neill entering the ward. His eyes were wide as he stared at his friend, understanding immediately what he was hallucinating about this time.
"The bastard beat him."
"O'Neill?" Teal'c asked, not understanding the colonel's reaction.
"His first foster father, Kyle Stenson," O'Neill replied, his words clipped with anger. "The son of a bitch beat him. No wonder Daniel's never talked about it."
"No, I don't want to fly..." His voice was so quiet it was almost a whisper.
"What now?" O'Neill muttered as he came closer to the bed. He sat down on the edge and took Daniel Jackson's hand in his own. The other man didn't even acknowledge the contact.
"I'm not a chicken! I'll show you..." he murmured. A moment later, his sudden cry made all three men jump in surprise. "Help me! Oh God, it hurts! Bobby! Where did you go? Somebody help me! I can't move!"
O'Neill shot Dr. Carmichael a withering glare. "I can't stand this much longer. Isn't there anything you can do?"
"Believe me, Colonel, we've tried."
"Well, try harder!"
Dr. Carmichael was not to be intimidated even by Colonel O'Neill's most irate tone. "We're doing the best we can, Sir," he said, his voice calm and steady.
"No, Bobby! Please don't hit my bad arm! Please, I won't ever tattle on you again!"
O'Neill seemed to lose all will to fight over the issue as he heard Daniel Jackson's cries of pain. He merely turned back to his friend, giving his hand a comforting pat.
"I'm sorry, Kyle! It won't happen again! Please, not the belt..." Daniel Jackson's voice was becoming so weak it could barely be heard, and his body suddenly went limp with defeat.
"I swear, if that bastard wasn't already dead..." O'Neill growled, letting the threat hang in the air for the imagination to complete.
Suddenly, the sick man's breathing quickened and he stared at a spot just over Teal'c's shoulder, squinting as if to see it more clearly. "Goa'uld?" he whispered. "Kyle's a Goa'uld? That's not right... he can't be... what's going on?"
Teal'c, O'Neill, and Dr. Carmichael shared questioning looks as they all leaned in closer to the man in the bed.
"This can't be happening..."
"Daniel?" O'Neill waved his hand before Daniel Jackson's line of sight. To their surprise and hopeful joy, his eyes followed the hand and moved with it to rest on O'Neill's face.
"Where am I?" he asked fearfully. "What's going on?" He tugged at his restraints, keeping his eyes locked on O'Neill. "Why can't I move?!"
O'Neill glanced up at Dr. Carmichael, but the physician looked just as amazed as he was. "Daniel, you're in the hospital. You're sick, and we had to tie you down so you wouldn't hurt yourself. Everything's gonna be okay." He smiled down at his friend and gave his arm an encouraging rub.
"Wh... where's Kyle? Is he here?" The fear in his eyes was painful to see.
"Kyle's gone, Danny," O'Neill consoled him. "He's gone and he's never coming back. I'm Jack... remember me?"
Daniel looked confused for a moment and shook his head. Then he glanced nervously over at Teal'c. "Who... who's he?" he whispered, trying to edge away from him.
"I am Teal'c. I mean you no harm, Daniel Jackson. I am your friend."
Daniel Jackson seemed to relax at his soft tone, and he turned back to O'Neill with wide eyes full of tears. "I want to go home now," he pleaded.
O'Neill leaned forward and rested a gloved hand on the side of his friend's face. "Soon, Danny. We're going home soon. You just get some sleep now, okay?"
With one more tentative glance over at Teal'c, he gave a tiny nod and closed his eyes. Within moments, he was fast asleep for the first time since he had become ill.
O'Neill moved his hand to lay it across Daniel Jackson's forehead. "Still hot as hell," he said. "Teal'c, hand me that damp cloth, would you?"
Teal'c did as he was bidden. "He is sleeping soundly," he observed. "It is a good sign."
"I'm afraid not, Teal'c," Dr. Carmichael said gravely. "It's just the calm before
the storm."
To be continued...