Janet studied each face she saw as she sat eating the toast hearts that the funny Mr. Jack had brought her. She hoped she would see Daddy or someone else she knew, but everyone around her was a stranger.
She wondered why everyone was wearing such strange clothes - not like Daddy's hospital scrubs at all. Where were all of the pretty nurses dressed in white? Where were all of the doctors in their long coats? She had seen a couple when the lady doctor had examined her, but since then she had only seen people dressed all in green with big boots on.
Except for Dr. Daniel. He wore blue. And the old man with no hair wore a white shirt. Even the blonde lady, Sam, was wearing the strange green suit. It made Janet nervous.
She liked Dr. Daniel. At least, she thought that was his name. Some people called him Dr. something, but most people called him Daniel. Well, whatever his name was, she felt safe with him. When he told her he was going to stay with her, she believed him. When he told her bad things had happened to her but he was going to fix it, she knew he would. She didn't understand what had happened to her - all she knew was that she'd fallen asleep in her own bed and woken up here - but as long as Dr. Daniel could fix it, she would try not to be afraid.
When the big, scary, dark-skinned man came in, she hid her face in Dr. Daniel's shirt so she didn't have to look at him. He hadn't done anything to hurt her, and he seemed to be Dr. Daniel and Mr. Jack's friend, but he just looked so big and scary.
"Major Carter has turned VIP room one into a playroom, and General Hammond suggests you restrict the child's movements to that room, the commissary, and the infirmary."
"Thank you, Teal'c," Dr. Daniel said.
Janet could feel him stroking her hair, and it made her feel warm and safe again. She dared to look up at him and ask, "Are there toys there?"
Dr. Daniel smiled at her. "I don't know," he said. "Want to go find out?"
Janet nodded, so he picked her up and carried her out of the cafeteria.
She kept her face tucked into his neck as they made their way through the halls, because she found the looks of this building rather scary. It wasn't like any building she'd ever been in before, especially not a hospital. There weren't even any windows, and she was sure that some of the men they passed were carrying guns. Dr. Daniel didn't seem to think there was anything to be afraid of, though, so she didn't cry. She knew he would keep her safe.
"Here it is," Dr. Daniel announced as he opened a door and carried her into a room.
Janet brought her head up to look around. It didn't look like any playroom she'd ever seen before - there was a big bed in the middle, a table in one corner, and a few things scattered over them that looked like toys and books.
Dr. Daniel carried her over to the bed and picked up a teddy bear that was sitting on the pillow. "Hey, look at this guy," he said. "Isn't he cute?"
Janet nodded, but didn't say anything. She did think it was a very nice teddy bear, but she didn't know whether he was offering it to her or not.
He sat down on the bed and held her in his lap. "Would you like it?" he asked.
Janet gave him a tiny smile. "Yes, please."
Dr. Daniel smiled back and handed her the teddy bear. She cuddled it as he reached for something else. "How about this doll?" he said. "Would you like to play with it, too?"
Janet looked at the thing closely, but it didn't look like any doll she'd ever seen. It had a funny face that was too big for its body, with huge eyes that looked almost scary. She wrinkled her nose and shook her head.
"No, it is kinda weird looking, isn't it?" Dr. Daniel said, tossing it aside. "I don't know what Sam was thinking bringing you that." He picked her up again and carried her over to the table. "How about some books? Would you like to look at some books?"
"Okay," she said quietly.
She felt scared for a second when Dr. Daniel set her down in a chair by herself, but then he sat down in the chair beside her and started looking through the books on the table. "Here's a nice colouring book," he said. Then he picked up a yellow box. "Oh good, crayons, too. Would you like to colour a picture?"
Janet nodded and took the crayons when he held them out to her. She opened the box as he flipped through the book to find a good picture. There were so many colours inside that her mouth fell open in surprise. "Is every colour in the world in here?" she asked in wonder.
Dr. Daniel laughed. "Pretty close," he said. "How's this picture?" He turned the book around to show her a picture of a dog playing with a ball.
Janet nodded and took the book.
"Mind if I help?"
Janet felt a wave of shyness come over her at Dr. Daniel's gentle question. No one had ever wanted to colour with her before. She ducked her head and nodded, taking out a brown crayon and starting on the dog's face.
Dr. Daniel chose a red crayon and started colouring the ball. She watched the movements of his hand as he worked and tried to copy him. He never went outside the lines, not even once. She hoped she'd be able to colour that well someday.
After a few minutes, she looked over her shoulder to see if Mr. Jack was still there. He'd followed them to the playroom, but she didn't remember seeing him come in. "Where did Mis... Jack go?" she asked when she couldn't see him anywhere, remembering that he didn't like being called "mister" as she said it.
"He had to go talk to someone for a minute," Dr. Daniel said. "He should be back soon. How are you feeling?" He brushed his hand over her forehead again as he asked. Janet liked it when he did that. He had big, gentle hands, just like Daddy's.
"I'm okay," she said. "When's Mommy and Daddy coming?"
"Not yet," he said. "But soon."
She nodded, but she felt sad. She missed Mommy and Daddy, and she knew they must be missing her. The dog in the picture reminded her of her dog Mush, too. She wished he could be here, even if Mommy and Daddy weren't allowed.
Thinking of her family made her want to cry again, even though she was trying to be brave. She buried her face in the teddy bear's fur, hoping that Dr. Daniel wouldn't see what a fraidy-cat she was.
She guessed he must have anyway, because she felt his arm wrap around her shoulders and he gave her a gentle hug. "It's okay, Janet," he said. "You're being very brave. I'm really proud of you, and I know your mommy and daddy would be, too."
"Really?"
"Yeah, really." He hugged her for a little while longer, but then he let her go and said, "We should give your teddy bear a name, don't you think? What should it be... Mr. Bear?"
Janet shook her head and sat the bear in her lap to get a good look at him. "Mush," she said. If she couldn't have her dog, at least she could pretend he was there.
Dr. Daniel smiled. "Mush? Yes, that's a good name for a teddy bear." He took one of the bear's paws in his hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you, Mush. My name's Daniel."
Janet gave him a tearful smile. "He says it's nice to meet you, too."
"Well, he's a bear who knows his manners," Dr. Daniel teased.
Janet giggled. "Can you read me a story?" she asked timidly.
"Sure," he answered right away. "Which one would you like me to read?"
Janet looked at all of the books on the table and settled for one that she recognized as Winnie the Pooh.
Dr. Daniel smiled when she handed it to him. "Good choice," he said. He took the book, stood up, and held his hand out to her.
Janet took his hand and followed him over to the bed, where he sat down and pulled her up onto his lap. His voice was so soothing as he started to read, that before long she'd forgotten about being scared and wishing for her family and her dog. Dr. Daniel and Mush the teddy bear were somehow enough.
By the time Daniel had finished reading the Winnie the Pooh story, Janet's head was leaning heavily on his shoulder and he could feel the heat from her forehead right through his shirt. He took a quick look at his watch, and then shifted position a little so he could reach into his pocket for the medication Dr. Brightman had told him to give Janet for her fever. They were just small, chewable tablets, so he was hoping there'd be no trouble getting them into her.
"Time for your medicine, Janet," he said softly as he broke two of them out of their sealed packet. He hated to disturb her as she was drifting off to sleep, but he couldn't take any chances with this mysterious fever.
Janet lifted her head and looked at the pills on Daniel's hand with glassy eyes. "That doesn't look like medicine," she said.
"It's a new kind of medicine," Daniel said. "You chew it. Open up."
Janet obediently opened her mouth, and Daniel quickly popped the two pills inside. She made a face as she chewed them, but she swallowed them down and then leaned against his shoulder again.
Daniel gave her a gentle squeeze. "That's my girl," he whispered, placing a gentle kiss on her burning forehead.
Jack chose that moment to reappear, thankfully entering the room quietly enough that he didn't startle Janet. "How's she doing?" he whispered as he approached the bed.
Daniel knew Janet was still awake, so he didn't voice his fears. He shot Jack a worried look and shook his head slightly instead. "We've been doing some colouring and reading Winnie the Pooh," he said. Then he looked down at Janet and stroked some loose hair back from her face. "Haven't we?"
She gave a vague nod and snuggled in closer to him. "I'm hot," she said.
"I know. You've got a bit of a fever, that's all."
Jack edged closer and said quietly, "When did that flare up again?"
Daniel shook his head. "A few minutes ago. It happened fast."
"Should I bring Brightman down here?"
"No, I think I'll wait and see if the stuff I just gave her has any effect," Daniel said. "If not, I'll take her back to the infirmary."
"Okay. Need anything while I'm here?"
Daniel sighed. "How about a TV? Maybe someone could find some kind of kid movies she would know? I don't really see that these books and things will keep us both entertained all day."
"I'll see what I can do," Jack said with a nod. "What movies?"
"Um..." Daniel looked down at Janet again. "Janet? Are there any movies you'd like to watch?"
"We're going to the movies?" she asked, half asleep.
"No, honey, we're bringing movies here for you to watch... on television. Do you have a favourite?"
There was silence for a moment, but then she looked up at him and said, "May I please watch Cinderella?"
Daniel smiled, pleasantly surprised yet again to see what a lovely, well-mannered little girl Janet had been. Somehow, though, he felt it shouldn't come as a surprise at all. "Of course you can," he said, giving Jack a meaningful look that said, 'Find it at any cost.'
"Coming right up," Jack said, and then he quickly left the room.
Daniel sighed and stroked Janet's arm as she dozed on and off. He was glad that Teal'c was keeping his distance for the time being, as he only seemed to frighten Janet when he was nearby, and he was glad that Sam and Dr. Brightman were busy looking for a way to fix this horrible mess, but he wished there was someone who could help him look after her more.
Jack was doing his best, and for that Daniel was grateful, but right at that moment he wished there was someone else in the room with him. Not for the company, exactly, nor to take her off his hands for a while. He just wished someone were there to tell him this wasn't his fault, to assure him that they'd find a way to reverse it, and most of all, to tell him that the nagging feeling in his gut was just his imagination - that Janet wasn't going to die.
That thought had been eating away at him ever since they'd entered the commissary and she'd been just a dead weight in his arms. The strange fever must be caused by something, and it wasn't going away. In fact, it seemed as though it was getting worse, though the medication appeared to be helping a little. If they didn't find a way to fix this soon... he didn't even want to complete that thought.
Jack wasted no time in finding a TV and a couple of Disney movies, so pretty soon, Daniel found himself wrapped up in the story of Cinderella with a feverish little girl cuddled up against his side. He pressed his hand to her forehead every now and then to check her temperature, and to his great relief, it seemed to go down somewhat. He half expected her to fall asleep, but she kept her eyes trained on the screen through the whole movie.
"I'm going to marry a prince someday," she said as the animated couple on the screen got their happily ever after.
Daniel smiled at the mental picture that gave him of Janet dressed up as royalty, but then he felt ashamed of himself. He knew that Janet's ex-husband had turned out to be anything but Prince Charming. He was a drunk and a bully, but thankfully Janet had come to her senses and left him before things could get really bad.
He held the little girl a bit tighter as these thoughts ran through his mind. He knew it was ridiculous - she hadn't gone back in time, after all, so this Janet wouldn't experience the same things the adult Janet had even if this was permanent - but he was starting to feel very protective of the little tyke. The thought of her going through some of the things he knew Janet had gone through during her lifetime made his skin crawl. He figured that must be how fathers feel about their children, and the thought of him acting as Janet's father confused him to no end. That wasn't how he felt about Janet at all. In fact...
"I'm hungry."
The soft words brought Daniel's mind down out of the clouds, and he quickly glanced at his watch. "Whoa, I didn't realize it was so late," he said. "I'm sorry, sweetie. Yes, let's go get some lunch."
He went to get up off the bed, but Janet clamped her hand around his arm and looked up at him fearfully. "Can't we eat here?" she asked. "I don't like it out there."
It hadn't even occurred to him until that moment just how scary a place like the SGC must be for a little girl. He felt terrible for not realizing that sooner. "Yes, of course we can," he said. "What would you like to eat? I can send Jack for it."
Janet bit her lip as she thought this over. "Peanut butter and jelly sandwich?"
Daniel smiled. "You got it."
He put a call through to Jack, and within minutes their lunch had arrived. Daniel was glad to see that Janet had an appetite, though she still felt a little warm. He made sure she drank a lot, just in case.
The rest of their afternoon was spent watching more movies, colouring another picture together, and playing Snakes 'N Ladders. He took her back to the infirmary after their supper of chicken soup, and while he was disheartened by the fact that they hadn't made any progress towards a way to get Janet back to normal, he was pleased to hear Dr. Brightman say that the girl was doing just fine. She still had no explanation for the fever, but it didn't appear to be dangerous just yet.
Between Dr. Brightman, Jack, Sam, and Daniel, they decided that Janet shouldn't be alone through the night, but that Daniel should have a break and sleep in his own bed while someone else stayed with her. Unfortunately, Janet had other ideas.
The four of them took Janet back to her room, and as Daniel tucked her in, they told her that Sam was going to stay with her until morning. Janet immediately started to look panicked, and clung to Daniel's arm as he was pulling her sheets up to her chin.
"But you said you wouldn't leave me!"
Daniel felt like he'd been knifed right through the heart. "I... said I wouldn't leave you alone, Janet, and I'm not going to do that. Sam's going to be here. You'll be safe, I promise. There's nothing to be afraid of."
"Can't you stay, too?" she pleaded.
"I'm sorry, I can't..."
"Please?"
"No, honey, I can't do that. I have to go sleep in my room. But it's just down the hall..."
Janet promptly burst into tears. "I want Mommy!"
Daniel sighed and looked over at Jack, Sam, and Brightman. They were just standing there, offering no help at all.
Jack shrugged. "Stay with the kid till she goes to sleep, Daniel," he said. "Carter can take over once she's out."
Daniel nodded reluctantly, and took Janet's face in his hands to make her look up at him. "Okay. I'll sit in the chair until you go to sleep, okay? But you have to be a good girl and stop crying."
Janet sniffled and swallowed the rest of her sobs. "O...okay."
Daniel waved piteously at the others as they quietly left the room, and then he settled into the chair by the bed to wait.
How she managed to stay awake for the next hour, Daniel didn't know. He was almost falling asleep in the chair he was so exhausted, but Janet remained wide-awake despite his repeated commands to go to sleep. She just lay there hugging her teddy bear to her chin, sneaking glances at Daniel when she thought he wasn't looking and otherwise squeezing her eyes shut tight so he would think she was trying to sleep.
Finally, Daniel couldn't take it anymore. Thoughts of his own nice, warm, comfortable bed were driving him crazy, as he hadn't had a proper night's sleep in as long as he could remember. He leaned forward and stroked the child's forehead, noting as he did so that she felt cool for the first time. "You have to go to sleep now, Janet," he said wearily. "I need to go get some sleep, too."
"I want Mommy and Daddy," she whispered, her dark eyes wide and glistening with tears again.
Daniel's heart melted. How could he refuse that face? With a resigned sigh, he sat back and started to remove his boots. "Well, it was worth a try," he said. He got up onto the bed beside her, took off his glasses, and laid down, wishing he could get under the covers and get comfortable but knowing that wouldn't really be appropriate. "I'll stay, okay? Go to sleep now."
Janet turned over and tucked Mush under her arm as she snuggled up to Daniel's side.
The last of Daniel's embarrassment and hesitancy faded away as he put his arm around her and let her lay her head on his chest. It felt really good, though he hated to admit that to himself.
"Night night," she said as she drifted off to sleep.
Daniel almost laughed at how easy that was after all that time of sitting there waiting for her to fall asleep. "Night night," he repeated, dropping a kiss onto her hair.
Within moments, Daniel felt himself joining her in a deep, restful sleep.