Colonel Jack O'Neill checked his watch, then sighed. As much as he hated doing it, it was time to pull Daniel away from his new toy. It always pained him to see the devastated look on Daniel's face when he wasn't allowed to look at something.
"Daniel, it's time to go home." Jack told his best friend, who looked up at him with pleading blue eyes.
"Jack, please! This writing is evidence that the Greek gods actually did exist! I mean, look at this!" Daniel pointed to a section, which just looked like a bunch of lines to Jack. "It's fascinating!"
"Yes, I'm sure it is, and I'm sure Dr. Lucas will find it equally amazing. Now, come on, start packing up." Jack rolled his eyes when Daniel pouted and batted his eyelashes. "And don't even think of trying to get your way by doing that, it's not gonna work today."
"Fine," Daniel grumbled, reaching for his pack. Jack grinned triumphantly. He hadn't needed to bribe Daniel this time, and he was proud of himself for that. Jack reached down and pulled Daniel up, then handed him the rest of his tools.
"Thanks." Daniel muttered, still pouting slightly. Jack grinned again.
"Least you taped every nook and cranny in this room. Who needs the real thing when you have that!" he said, patting Daniel on the back. Daniel smirked.
"Yeah, I suppose. I mean, I should be used to this by now, not being able to finish what I started, but it still hurts every time it…Jack? Hello?" Daniel stared at Jack for a moment, and then looked over to see what had caught Jacks interest.
"What are you looking at?" he asked when he didn't notice anything.
"That section over there; it looks like there is light coming out from behind it." Jack said, stepping closer. Daniel followed him, frowning.
"You're right, it does," he stepped up, running his hand over the writing.
"What does it say?" Jack questioned after a moment. Daniel's brow furrowed, a sure sign that he was deep in thought.
"It says 'access to one's knowledge is found here'" Daniel told him. Jack frowned.
"That's a bit odd. How do we access it?"
"Well, I guess we just do this." Jack watched as Daniel pushed the panel in. It made a grating sound as it went in, and suddenly Daniel was engulfed in a blue light.
"Whoa!" Jack exclaimed.
"I think it's scanning me." Daniel said in wonder. Jack nodded, watching as the light moved over Daniel's body. Daniel gasped, stepping back as the light disappeared.
"Daniel?" Jack asked worriedly, grabbing Daniels arms from behind.
"I'm fine; it just gave me a bit of a shock." Daniel said breathlessly.
"You sure?" Jack studied his friend carefully. They had had quite a few bad experiences with things like this.
"Yeah, I'm sure," he turned to Jack, sighing slightly. "Let's go home." Jack nodded. Home sounded like a good idea.
"So, then he was stuck on this island for three days, and he had no idea how to get off of it." Major Samantha Carters voice drifted from her lab as Jack walk past. He stopped and entered the room, hoping he would find Daniel in there. He did.
"Hey kids!" he exclaimed, smiling widely.
"Hi sir," Sam said, smiling back.
"Hi Jack. So, how did he get off?" Daniel questioned eagerly.
"He roped a couple of sea turtles," Jack explained. "You've never seen 'Pirates of the Caribbean?"
"No, I never got around to it. What did he use for rope?" Daniel asked, a frown forming on his face. Jack and Sam smiled at each other.
"Human hair," Sam informed him.
"From his back," Jack added.
"Okay then." Daniel said, a grin covering his face. "Tell me more."
"We have a briefing to go to…five minutes ago." Jack reminded the pair.
"Crap!" Sam exclaimed, jumping up from her seat. "I completely forgot!" Jack watched his two scientists run out the door, a small smile on his face. And they called him the irresponsible one.
"Basically sir, it should be a straightforward mission, if all goes to plan." Sam finished. General Hammond nodded.
"If it all goes to plan." Jack added, rolling his eyes. Teal'c cocked an eyebrow at him.
"O'Neill, usually a mission only goes poorly after you say that," he said coolly. Sam smirked at the comment, then bit her lip when the Colonel gave her an icy glare.
"Not every time," he muttered. Teal'c smiled slightly.
"Dr. Jackson, you have something to add?" General Hammond questioned, trying to get his briefing back on track.
"Yes." Daniel got up from his chair and made his way over to the projection screen. "As you know, SG 13 found some ruins located approximately 2 miles from the Stargate," he clicked the remote, making an image of the ruins come up on the screen. "The ruins are filled with four different writings: The Asgard, the Furlings, the Nox, and the Ancients. They also found a pedestal, similar to the one we found on Ernest's planet 6 years ago."
"Meaning of life stuff?" Jack questioned, sitting up in his seat. Daniel nodded eagerly.
"The place isn't falling apart like last time is it?" Sam questioned, looking anxious.
"No, it is in excellent condition." Daniel said, smiling widely.
"Dr. Jackson, how long do you think it will take to translate?" Hammond questioned. Daniel's face fell slightly.
"Well, I don't know. It could take the rest of my life," he said softly. Jack sighed. "Look, I know I only have two days, but this is really…" Daniel paused mid sentence, his face being overcome with a vague look.
"Daniel?" Jack said softly after a few moments. When he didn't answer, Jack got up from his chair and made his way over to his friend. "Daniel?" he repeated, taking the archaeologists arm. Daniel slowly turned his head to face him.
"Something is happening," he said, his voice eerily calm. Jack stared at his friend, confused as to what he was talking about.
"What?" Jack whispered, his hand tightening on Daniels arm.
"It's happening. And you can't stop it." Daniel said, in the same voice as before.
"What's happening Daniel?" Sam asked softly. Daniel looked at her, then back at Jack, his face tranquil.
"I don't know," he whispered. Jack frowned, his eyes never leaving Daniel's face. What happened next was something no one could have expected. Daniel tore his arm away from Jack, his hands going up to his head.
"No!" he screamed, backing away.
"Daniel!" Jack exclaimed, grabbing Daniel's hands and roughly pulling them down. Daniel struggled against his hold, screaming again. Jack desperately looked at the group assembled at the table.
"Get help!" he yelled at his shocked friends. Hammond was already on the phone to Janet.
"Oh god, it's hurting her!" Daniel howled, a look of horror covering his face. Jack watched in shock as Daniel was torn from his arms and thrown three metres back onto the ground. He rushed over and bent down, ignoring his creaking knees.
"Daniel? Danny?" he whispered. Daniel stared at the ceiling, his eyes unseeing.
Sam sat down next to Jack, gently rubbing his back.
"Still no change?" she asked softly. Jack shook his head, motioning towards Daniels bed. The archaeologist lay still, his eyes staring at nothing.
"Fraiser said that he must have had a massive shock to his brain to render him catatonic like this," the colonel said quietly. Sam nodded.
"He said 'it's hurting her'" she said softly.
"I know." Jack said shortly.
"Do you think…he was seeing something?" Sam ventured quickly. Jack looked at her, frowning.
"You mean, like a vision?" he asked. Sam nodded.
"We know that they are possible. Jonas had visions last year," she reminded him.
"Yes, but he had a brain tumour. Fraiser said that all Daniels tests came back negative. He's in perfect health. Except for this." Jack jerked his hand towards the bed.
"I know. I'm not suggesting that. I'm just saying it is possible." Sam took a deep breath, then continued. "Sir, you said that the wall at M94 372 scanned Daniel?"
"Yeah." Jack answered, frowning again.
"You also said that the wall said 'access to one's knowledge is found here'."
"Yeah," he repeated.
"What if it wasn't scanning him? What if it was implanting some sort of skill into his body. Visions show the future, and could therefore give access to knowledge that no one believed was possible." Sam rushed, her eyes flitting back to Daniel.
"You've been thinking about this for a while, haven't you Carter?" Jack said, smiling grimly. Sam nodded. "You think that the wall on M9 whatever caused this?" he pointed at Daniel. Sam nodded again.
"Perhaps it was a gift?" she suggested.
"What sort of gift would do this to someone?" Jack snapped.
"I don't know sir. I'm going to request we send a team back to M94 372 to check it out further." Sam said softly. Jack nodded.
"Okay," he muttered. Sam smiled, and stood up, squeezing Daniels hand before leaving the room. Jack rubbed his face with his hands. How was it that Daniel managed to get hurt by the littlest things?
"Jack?" a voice whispering his name brought Jack out of his reverie. He lifted his head to find Daniels blue eyes staring at him.
"Hey, welcome back." Jack said softly, smiling at his friend.
"How long was I out?" Daniel questioned, his voice sounding hoarse. Jack picked up the Styrofoam cup on the counter and helped Daniel take a drink.
"Just over 15 hours," he answered when Daniel had had enough. The archaeologist looked at him in surprise.
"15 hours!" he exclaimed. Jack nodded.
"You were in a catatonic state," he informed his friend. Daniel frowned, looking down at his hands.
"Dr Jackson! Nice to see you awake!" Janet Fraiser said as she made her way over. "Thank you for telling me he was conscious Colonel." She said dryly.
"He only just woke up!" Jack said defensively. Janet rolled her eyes and turned her attention to her patient.
"How are you feeling Daniel?" she asked softly.
"I feel fine," he answered. Jack and Janet shared a look. "Seriously, I feel fine!"
"Daniel, you had a psychotic episode and were catatonic for 15 hours." Janet reminded him.
"I know, but I feel normal," he insisted. Janet frowned, reaching over to feel his pulse, while checking the machine Daniel was hooked up to. Jack bit his lip, looking at his friend.
"Pulse and blood pressure are normal, and all your tests came back negative." Janet said after a minute, still frowning. "I can't find anything wrong with you."
"Besides the fact he freaked out in the middle of a briefing." Jack added. "Unless you were faking it to get out of the briefing." Daniel and Janet both rolled their eyes. "What? Have you been to one of those things! Sometimes I would rather be caught by Ba'al then sit through them!" Jack exclaimed.
"What happened Daniel?" Janet questioned, ignoring Jack completely.
"I don't know. I was talking, and then it felt like I wasn't in control of my own body anymore." Daniel chewed on his lip, his brow furrowing. "Jack was talking to me, and I was answering him, but I had no idea what I was talking about."
"You said something was happening and I couldn't stop it." Jack informed him. "But when Carter asked you what was happening, you said you didn't know. Then you started screaming. You said it was hurting her, then you…I dunno, passed out or something. It was weird." Daniel frowned, looking at Jack thoughtfully.
"I saw something," he whispered.
"A vision?" Jack questioned eagerly.
"I don't know. Maybe. Something was happening. There was water, and Sam," Daniel's eyes widened. "Something was wrong with her! She was so upset, and was hurting! I could feel it!"
"Okay, calm down Daniel." Janet said softly, her eyes shining with concern. "Was that all you saw?" Daniel shook his head.
"There was a clock. 5:47. They were on a planet, Teal'c touched something. And it opened up." Jack glanced at Janet worriedly. Daniel wasn't making any sense. "That's all I saw."
"There was a clock, but they were on a planet?" Jack asked slowly. Daniel shook his head again.
"I don't know, it was all so fast," he whispered, turning to face Jack. "You have to save her Jack! She's gonna get hurt!" Jack watched the tears well in Daniel's eyes.
"Danny, she's trying to find out what is wrong with you. She won't come back if we tell her to." Jack informed him.
"You don't understand! Jack, she could die!" Daniel stared at him with wide eyes, then turned to Janet. "Janet, please, I have to stop her!"
"Daniel, I can't let you go off world like this," she insisted. "But, I can let you leave the infirmary, as long as you stay on base."
"Janet, you have to believe me! Sam could…" Daniel was interrupted by the sound of the Stargate starting up.
"Unscheduled off world activation!" Sergent Walter Harriman's voice boomed over the speakers. Daniel practically leaped off of the bed, and nearly fell to the ground.
"Whoa, Danny!" Jack exclaimed, grabbing Daniel's arms. Daniel pulled out of his grasp, and bolted out the door.
"Daniel!" Janet yelled after him. She glanced at Jack, exasperated.
"I guess I should follow him," Jack said, raising an eyebrow, before walking towards the door.
"Make sure he doesn't fall over anywhere Colonel!" Janet ordered Jack's retreating form.
"Yeah, sure." Jack called over his shoulders. Janet looked at Daniel's now empty bed, then rolled her eyes in annoyance.
Jack arrived closely behind Daniel, almost running into the back of him. He looked over Daniels shoulder to see Sam and Teal'c walking down the ramp.
"Sweet!" Jack exclaimed, following Daniel as he quickly made his way into the gate room.
"DanielJackson!" Teal'c said, sounding as surprised as he was able to.
"Daniel! You're awake!" Sam exclaimed. "How are you feeling!" To her surprise, Daniel rushed forward and enveloped her in a hug.
"You're okay!" he said breathlessly, then pulled back. "You are okay, right?"
"Yes, I'm fine! What is going on?" she questioned.
"Daniel thought that you would be hurt on the planet." Jack piped up. Sam frowned, glancing at Daniel.
"What? Why?" she asked, confusion etched across her pretty face.
"I saw it." Daniel said softly. "You were so upset."
"I'm fine Daniel, I promise you." Sam insisted, still frowning. Daniel turned to Teal'c.
"Did you touch something Teal'c? Something that opened up?" he asked urgently, a strange look on his face. Jack recognised that look. It was his 'please tell me I'm not losing my mind' face, that he had used when Machello's little bugs had made him go crazy.
"Indeed I did, DanielJackson." Teal'c answered, cocking his head slightly. Daniel nodded, looking relieved.
"Was Sam near at the time?" he questioned quickly.
"Yeah, I breathed in a bit of the dust, but I'm fine." Sam answered, still looking confused.
"Is everything alright Colonel?" Hammond's voice boomed. Jack gave him the thumbs up.
"Everything is fine sir!" he answered loudly. Daniel grabbed Sam's arm and started to drag her out of the room.
"Daniel! Please, I'm fine!" she exclaimed, starting to look worried.
"Humour me." Daniel said tersely as they left the room. Teal'c looked at Jack with a raised eyebrow.
"I'll explain later." Jack promised, patting Teal'c on the shoulder before following his team mates.
"Daniel, honestly, there is nothing wrong with her!" Janet exclaimed, looking slightly frazzled.
"There has to be!" Daniel insisted. Sam frowned at him.
"Thanks for the bout of confidence Daniel," she said sarcastically. Daniel shot a pained look at her before rubbing his forehead.
"Daniel, sit down before you fall down!" Jack ordered, starting to really worry about his friend.
"I'm fine." Daniel said tightly. Jack gently but firmly took Daniel by the shoulders and sat him down on the bed. Daniel glared at him, but Jack chose to ignore it.
"Did you find out anything helpful on the planet?" he questioned.
"No, nothing," Sam answered, sounding annoyed. "There was no text that dealt with the thing that Daniel touched. Dr Lucas checked everywhere."
"What about the thing that Teal'c touched?" Daniel asked, seemingly over his annoyance.
"It didn't have anything written on or around it. I think it was just a loose block." Sam said, sounding irritated. "Can I go now? I have a lot of work to do."
"Yes, you're free to go." Janet said softly. Sam got up and headed towards the door.
"Sam, wait!" Daniel called after her.
"Drop it Daniel," she snapped, walking out the door. The group watched her retreating figure in surprise.
"I'm not crazy." Daniel said softly after a moment's silence.
"We don't think you are Daniel!" Jack exclaimed. Daniel looked up at him with pleading eyes.
"Something is going to happen to her Jack," he insisted. Jack nodded.
"I believe you. I'll make sure she doesn't go off world again till this whole thing is sorted out, okay?" he promised. Daniel nodded, still looking upset. And tired, Jack decided. Janet obviously noticed this too.
"Daniel, why don't you go lay down for a while. I have a VIP room set up for you," she said softly. Daniel nodded again.
"Okay," he said in a quiet voice, before getting up and leaving the room. Jack and Janet watched him go.
"Doc, do you think he needs to see a shrink?" Jack asked after he was sure that Daniel was gone. Janet sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly.
"It may be a good idea. I could see what Dr. Mackenzie thinks," she suggested.
"Mackenzie!" Jack practically spit the name out. "Oh no, he is not going near Daniel again. He's just itching to lock Danny up again!"
"Sir, I know how you feel about Dr. Mackenzie, but he is a very competent doctor, I assure you." Janet insisted, then sighed when Jack rolled his eyes. "Okay, I will see if Dr. Kovaks will talk to him. But someone is going to have to tell Daniel first. And he's not going to like it," she sighed again. "He's terrified that he's going to lose his mind again."
"I know." Jack said softly. "But he's not going to." Janet nodded, patting his arm before turning and walking away. Jack sighed.
Daniel rolled over in bed, trying to get comfortable. Usually he could fall asleep in a heartbeat, but something was troubling him.
"My impending insanity perhaps," he muttered, then sighed, rolling back over. After a few minutes of attempted sleep, Daniel sat up, annoyed at himself. He glanced quickly at the clock, then did a double take. 5: 47.
"Oh my god," he whispered, jumping off the bed, eyes wide. "She wasn't necessarily off world." Daniel stared at the clock for a moment longer, then turned and raced out of the room.
"Sam? Sam, are you here!" Daniel yelled, rushing into her lab. Silence answered him. "Shit!" he exclaimed, hurrying out into the corridor, and running straight into Teal'c.
"DanielJackson! O'Neill informed me that you were resting." Teal'c said in surprise.
"Teal'c! Have you seen Sam?" Daniel asked quickly.
"MajorCarter left the base for her home over an hour ago. Should you not be resting?" Teal'c asked in a stern voice.
"She went home? Crap!" he exclaimed before pushing past Teal'c and quickly making his way down the corridor.
"DanielJackson!" Teal'c yelled after him, but his shout was ignored.
Daniel knocked impatiently on Sam's door. He had dodged as many people as possible back at the base, and had managed to leave without getting caught. He would have been proud of that fact if the situation wasn't so serious.
"Sam!" he yelled as loudly as he could, still pounding on the door. When there was no answer, he cursed under his breath and pulled out his keys.
"Where is it, ah!" he triumphantly slid the key into the lock and turned, pushing the door open and stepping inside.
"Sam? It's me! I hope you don't mind, I let myself in," he called nervously, fearing the worst. The house was dark, he noted as he closed the door behind him. He had been to Sam's house so many times over the years, and every time he had come here, it had been bright, and smelt of vanilla, just like Sam. Now, it was gloomy, almost sinister, and had a musty smell to it, like it had been shut up for years, which Daniel knew was not true. This fact left him with an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Sam?" he called again, walking down the corridor and into the kitchen. An opened bottle of Vodka sat on the counter, half empty. Daniel bit his lip nervously. Sam was not a heavy drinker. "Sam, please! I just want to talk!" he pleaded, starting to sound desperate. A sound caught his attention, and he turned towards the sink. The tap hadn't been turned off properly, and was dripping incessantly. Daniel made a move to turn it off, but stopped when something caught his eye.
It was a prescription of sleeping tablets. And it was nearly empty. Daniel glanced from the pills to the vodka.
"Oh my god," he whispered, whirling around and bolting towards the bedroom. He pushed the half closed door open and gasped. Sam was lying sideways on the bed, her eyes closed. Most would assume she was sleeping, but Daniel knew better.
"Sam? Sam, wake up," he pleaded, rushing over to her side. He touched her pale face, then moved his trembling fingers to her neck, breathing a sigh of relief when he felt a pulse. It was weak, but it was there. Daniel placed his hand above her mouth, noting with horror that she wasn't breathing.
"Shit!" he cursed, letting panic overcome him for a second, as his brain automatically sorted through everything he knew about drug overdoses. The answer came to him and Daniel quickly but carefully gathered Sam's limp body in his arms and rushed out of the room. He quickly made his way into the bathroom, and threw open the shower door, not bothering to close it behind him. Holding Sam upright with his left hand, he used his right to turn the cold water on full-bore.
"Come on, come on," he whispered tearfully, running a hand through Sam's dampening hair while holding her body close to him. "Come on, damnit!"
Suddenly, Sam gasped for breath, choking on the water that was running down her throat. Daniel rubbed her back as she vomited the water, alcohol and pills back up.
"It's okay, you're okay now," he murmured, tears of joy running down his cheeks. "Oh god, you're okay now."
Daniel handed Sam a glass of water, then started rubbing her body dry with a towel he had retrieved from the closet. Sam lifted the glass to her bluish lips, her hands trembling violently. She shuddered as water dripped from her hair down her back. Daniel had stripped her of her clothes, leaving her wearing only her bra and underwear. Daniel finished drying her body, and gently wrapped her in her bathrobe, before moving the towel to her hair. Sam trembled again, but not because of the water. What had just happened hit her like a ton of bricks, and she bit her lip to stop the impending sob from escaping.
Daniel smiled what he hoped was a comforting smile as he finished drying Sam's hair. Her blond locks were sticking up in all directions, making her look like a little kid. The tear stained cheeks did nothing to sway Daniel from those thoughts. He chewed his lip as he stared at her, suddenly remembering why those tears were there. Sam stared back at him, her eyes wide. Daniel cupped her cheek with his hand, then slowly wiped the tear tracks away.
"You're gonna be okay Sam," he whispered. Sam let out a little sob, trying to turn her head away. Daniel gently turned her to face him.
"I'm so sorry Daniel," she whimpered, speaking for the first time. Daniel pulled her into his arms, holding her shaking body close to him. He didn't say anything, knowing that his attempts of comfort would prove to be useless. Instead, he held her for as long as she needed to bed held, hoping that, when she was ready, she would talk.
"It just….it hurt so much," she whispered finally, her words muffled against Daniel's chest. "I couldn't stand it…I wanted to end it, but I-I don't know what it was. I was so angry, and then it was like I couldn't breathe, the pain was just so strong!" Her words were punctuated by sobs, which caused Daniel's heart to break. He ran his hands through her hair, placing a gentle kiss on her temple.
"I-I couldn't control it Daniel, I'm so sorry," she said softly. "I was so upset, I don't know why, but I never wanted you to see me like this. I'm so sorry."
"Hey, you have nothing to be sorry about Sam," Daniel said in a soft but firm voice, pulling away to look into Sam's blue eyes. "I know that this was not you. Something made you do this, and I am going to find out what. Okay?" Sam bit her trembling lip, then nodded. Daniel smiled gently at her. "I'm just glad I got here in time."
"So am I," Sam whispered, smiling shakily back. Daniel pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes.
"Come on, we better take you to see Janet," he said after a while, opening his eyes. Sam's eyes widened in horror, and she shook her head.
"No! I don't want them to know!" she exclaimed, pulling away. "I am an Air Force Major, damnit, and I am not supposed to be so-so...weak! I can't let something like this defeat me, I am better then that!"
"Yes you are Sam. I know that, you know that, and everyone else knows that," Daniel said softly. "That's why they are not going to be disappointed about this. You aren't weak Sam, you're just human." Sam stared at Daniel, her eyes filling up with tears again. Daniel once again smiled at her, pushing her messy hair out of her face.
"Now, come on, you're body just went through a major shock, and you know as well as I do that you have to get checked out." Sam frowned at him, but nodded slowly.
"Okay," she said in a small voice. Daniel grinned.
"Okay," he repeated.
A/N Whew, that was fun! I'm a bit stuck at the moment sadly, but i should hopefully have some more written soon!...I hope!
