"Janet? Hellooo? Time to wake up, sleepyhead."
"It can't be," she moaned. "I just fell asleep five minutes ago."
Daniel chuckled and turned her over onto her back. Before she could open her eyes, she felt his lips pressed against hers. "Awake yet?" he asked playfully, his words muffled against her mouth.
Janet sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his hair and deepening the kiss. "Mmm... getting there," she answered without breaking the contact.
A niggling thought at the back of her mind told her something wasn't right, but she chose to ignore it. Who cared whether it was right or not? She was safe and warm in Daniel's arms, and that was all she needed to know.
She groaned as Daniel finally pulled away from her, and she reluctantly cracked one eye open. For some reason, her other eye wouldn't open at all.
Daniel winced in empathy and touched the tender skin of her cheekbone.
Janet sucked in a breath at the pain the slight touch sent through her face.
"Sorry," he said. "Still hurts, huh?"
Janet looked up at him, confused. Yes, it hurt... but why did it hurt?
"I really didn't mean to hit you so hard," he murmured, tenderly brushing his lips over the bruised skin. "I feel so bad about it, Janet. You forgive me, though, don't you?"
She stared at him in wonder and touched his face with her fingertips to see if he was really there. He seemed to be. Why was part of her telling her that he wasn't? She gently traced lines along his jaw, over his cheek and up to his forehead, down along his nose and across his lips. His skin felt just the same as it ever did, yet something just didn't fit.
Daniel smiled down at her, clearly amused by her actions. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to figure out whether or not you're real."
His smile widened into a playful grin. "The kiss wasn't proof enough for you?"
Janet didn't return his smile. She had a very bad feeling that this was all just a dream, and that the real Daniel was in some kind of trouble. "Why do I need to forgive you?" she asked.
Daniel's face fell at this question. He took hold of the hand that was still stroking his face and kissed her fingertips. "Because I hurt you," he replied, his eyes full of sorrow. "I should never have hurt you." He began trailing soft kisses from her fingers to her wrist and along the length of her arm. "I'm so sorry," he whispered as he went along.
Even though Janet shivered with pleasure at his touch, her mind was still whirling, trying to figure out what was wrong. "Daniel," she said as the hint of a memory came forward at last, "if you hurt me... you shouldn't be here."
Daniel froze just as he was planting a kiss in the crook of her elbow. After a moment, he slowly lifted his head to look at her. "You would throw me out?" he asked anxiously.
"Of course not," she said. She pulled her hand away from his and reached up to touch the side of his face. "But if you really did this to me, you're not yourself."
The corners of his mouth twitched upwards. "Then who am I?"
"You're sick, Daniel," she said, tears springing into her eyes. "Oh God, Daniel, you've been so sick. I almost lost you!"
Daniel quickly gathered her into his arms as her tears began to fall. "Shhh, don't cry. Please don't cry," he begged as he kissed the top of her head and stroked her back. "I'm here. Everything's going to be okay."
She snuggled her face into his chest and kissed the spot where she could feel his heart beating steady and strong. "I wish this was real," she moaned. "I need you so much."
"I need you, too," he said, his voice thick with emotion as he tightened his arms around her. "I need you more than you can imagine."
"But I can't do anything!" she sobbed. "I can't help you, Daniel. I don't even know whether I can face seeing you again in the state you're in. It's too hard!"
"It won't be, Janet. You'll get through it. I promise you that. Because even though I may not be exactly as I was before, I'm still me. And I still love you, no matter what."
She pushed herself up to look him in the eye, and he brushed her damp hair back from her face. His gentle blue eyes looked deep into her own, and they were so full of love that it took her breath away.
"Will you remember that?" he asked.
Janet sighed and closed her eyes as he cupped her face in his hand. "I'll remember," she said.
"Good."
She opened her eyes to see a sad smile appear on his face. "I still wish I could help you," she said sorrowfully.
Daniel wiped the tears from her cheek with his thumb. "You can," he said.
Janet shook her head. "There's nothing..."
"Be with me."
She stopped mid-sentence and studied him closely. "Be with you?"
His smile never wavered, but his eyes glistened with tears. "That's all you need to do, Janet. Just be with me. I need you more than anything."
She tried to reply, but found she could only nod and force a tiny smile.
"I'm never more complete than when I'm with you," he said. He then drew her back down into another passionate kiss.
Tap tap tap...
Daniel and Janet both groaned at the untimely interruption, but neither of them moved to break the contact. Janet didn't want to lose this moment just yet. She didn't want to wake up...
Tap tap tap...
"Dr. Fraiser?"
Teal'c's deep voice finally woke her up completely. With a wistful sigh, Janet stroked the empty pillow beside her. She half expected it to be warm, her dream had felt so real. It wasn't - the pillowcase was cold and wrinkle free. None of it had really happened.
"Come in, Teal'c," she called as she wiped the tears from her face and propped herself up on one elbow.
The door cracked open, and Teal'c poked his head around the side. "Dr. Fraiser," he said. "Dr. Warner has sent me to see if you are well."
"I'm fine, thank you," she said. "Come on in."
Teal'c swung the door open wider and took a few hesitant steps inside. "Is there anything you require?" he asked politely.
"No, thanks, Teal'c. How long has it been since we got back?"
"It has been four hours."
"Four hours?" Janet rubbed her good eye wearily. "It feels like I just laid down a minute ago."
"You have been under much strain," Teal'c said, his voice gentle and sympathetic. "You must rest. I have been summoned to a debriefing with General Hammond, but I will come again once I am able." He turned to go, but Janet called him back.
"Teal'c, wait."
He turned back to face her and tilted his head as he waited for her to speak.
"You said you're going to a debriefing?"
"That is correct."
"Is all of SG-1 going?"
"O'Neill will remain with Daniel Jackson," he said in answer to her unspoken question.
"Good," she said, relieved. She hated the thought of Daniel being left alone.
"Now I must allow you to rest," Teal'c said again.
"No," Janet said, climbing out of the bed and rising unsteadily to her feet. "I need to call Cassie and go sit with Daniel for a while."
"There is no need. O'Neill is caring for Daniel Jackson, and General Hammond has informed Cassandra of the situation. You must rest."
Janet did a perfect imitation of a goldfish as she tried to think of what to say to this. "General Hammond spoke to Cassie?"
"Indeed. She was most concerned when she heard no word from you, and called the SGC in hope that she would find you. General Hammond spoke with her and assured her that you were well."
"And he told her about Daniel?" Janet asked with a shaky voice.
"I believe so, yes."
Janet winced as she thought of how worried the poor girl must be. Still, she didn't really feel up to handling her daughter's raw emotions just yet. She could barely handle her own. "Do you happen to know how she took the news?" she asked.
"I do not."
Janet nodded. As soon as she felt up to it, she'd have to give Cassie a call and do a little damage control.
"Now I must go," Teal'c said, again moving for the door. "I am sorry to have disturbed you."
"That's okay, Teal'c. I didn't mean to be away from Daniel this long anyway." She went to follow him, but Teal'c shot her a disapproving look that stopped her in her tracks. She sighed. "Teal'c, I know I shouldn't, but... I have to be with him."
As soon as she said the words, the echo of Daniel's voice from her dream resounded in her ear. She did have to be with him, for both of their sakes.
Teal'c studied her closely for a moment, seeming to consider the pros and cons of allowing her to leave her room. Finally, he wordlessly held the door open for her to pass by him.
"Thank you," she said as she exited the room.
Teal'c accompanied her to the elevator and pushed the button for the infirmary level. He was silent throughout the short trip, but when the door swung open he said quietly, "Please take care."
Janet smiled and nodded as she stepped out into the hallway. She saw him incline his head respectfully just before the door closed again.
She then took a deep breath and made her way down the hall. She didn't know specifically which room Daniel was in, but after poking her head into each room along the way, she finally found him.
"Doc, what are you doing here?" Colonel O'Neill said as he saw her in the doorway and got up from his chair.
"It's good to see you, too, Colonel," she said, keeping her voice quiet so she wouldn't disturb Daniel as he slept.
"You know what I mean. You should be in bed."
"So should you, Sir."
He seemed to take the hint at that, as he rolled his eyes and offered her his chair.
Janet declined, instead perching herself on the edge of Daniel's bed. "How is he doing?" she whispered.
Colonel O'Neill sat back down with a sigh. "He's been sleeping on and off. Carter was here for a while. He seemed okay with her."
"That's good."
"Yeah. He's had some nightmares, though."
Janet gave him a questioning look. "Nightmares?"
"Yeah. Every now and then he goes all stiff and starts panting like he's terrified of something. He tosses his head back and forth and mutters a lot, too. Then he wakes up kinda disoriented and freaked out, and it takes us a couple minutes to calm him down again."
Janet's heart ached at hearing this. She had hoped Daniel could at least have a few hours of restful sleep. "Has he been sedated?"
Colonel O'Neill nodded. "Doc Baker tried that, but it just seemed to knock him out, not stop him from dreaming."
Janet gave a heavy sigh and looked down at Daniel lovingly. She wished she could take all of this away from him, but as he had told her in her dream, all she could do was be with him through it. She was determined to do no less.
She took his hand in both of hers and tenderly stroked his fingers, marveling as she often did at how attractive his hands were. Despite the manual work he did every day as an archaeologist and intergalactic explorer, they were always soft and well cared for. Whenever they touched her, she could feel his love for her as well as if he'd bottled it and sprinkled it over her like a gentle rain. She knew firsthand how strong and powerful they could be - even destructive - but his touch was so light that you'd never know it. She loved his hands. To see them lying limply by his sides, his wrists swathed in bandages where his bonds had broken his skin, was heartbreaking.
"Oh, Daniel," she sighed, lifting his hand to rest against her cheek.
"You okay?"
She closed her eyes and stroked Daniel's arm, careful to avoid touching any of his sores as she did so. "I'm fine," she answered the colonel's question. It was more a polite answer than the truth, but she didn't feel like pouring her heart out to anyone just now.
"Want me to leave the two of you alone?"
She opened her eyes then to give Colonel O'Neill an appreciative smile. "Thank you, Sir, but that's not necessary," she said. "I know you want to stay with him, too."
He nodded and settled back into his chair, giving her a sliver of privacy by leaning his head back and closing his eyes.
Janet turned her attention back onto Daniel, noting the tense look that had suddenly come over his face. A lump rose in her throat as she realized he must be heading into another nightmare. She raised his hand to her lips and kissed it, willing her love to break through to him and ease his troubled thoughts.
It wasn't enough. Within moments he was panting hard and thrashing about, whimpering and muttering words she couldn't understand. She stroked the side of his face and murmured encouraging words to him, but he only grew more and more distressed.
Colonel O'Neill's eyes popped open as soon as he realized what was going on, and he leaned forward in his seat as though he was ready to jump into action. This made Janet feel better, but she hoped it wouldn't be required.
Suddenly, Daniel's eyes opened wide, and he looked frantically around the room as he tossed his head from side to side. When his gaze focused on Janet, he gave a loud cry and lurched violently to get away from her. Before she knew what was happening, his hand was ripped from her grasp, and he fell from the bed with a loud crash.
It happened so quickly that for a moment Janet just sat there in shock, staring at the place where he had just been. At a shout from Colonel O'Neill, however, she leaped to her feet and skirted around to the other side of the bed.
Daniel was lying unconscious on the floor, a pool of blood slowly spreading out from
under his head.
To be continued...