Janet flipped to the next page of her notes, comparing them with the test results she had received from Doctor Timothy Harlow and his lab assistants. She had to admit, from a scientific point of view, this was fascinating. The alien DNA was present in four of the "alien" Daniels, but in decreasing numbers, similar to the amount the first Daniel carried. All carried a higher concentration of human DNA.
But the anomaly didn't stop there. Doctor Harlow wanted to continue his testing, but based on initial results, he had hypothesized that not only were these doubles carrying two strands of DNA, they were actually fused. Almost like they were hybrids.
But not quite. Something just didn't sit well with that theory.
Sighing, she placed the notes down, shifting her weight in her already uncomfortable seat. She had been sitting here for the past couple of hours, working feverishly with the information as she received it, all the while keeping an eye on her patient.
Cocking her head, Janet peered to her right, studying Daniel. She was pleased that his fever had gone down a notch, but it was still high enough to cause her concern. Though, his coloring had improved, and he had started to move around in his sleep. All positive factors.
The best news had to be the fact that even though he had traces of the alien chemical in his blood, he did not have the alien DNA in his system.
She could breathe a sigh of relief over that, at least.
Smiling softly, she reached over and took his hand, squeezing it gently. It felt warm to her touch, but she kept it locked within her grasp, trying to reassure him through his muddled haze that everything would be okay.
In response, he moaned slightly, and for a moment, Janet thought he would open his eyes. But that moment was fleeting and he shifted again, drifting back into a quiet slumber.
Disappointed, Janet sighed, and patted his hand.
"Doctor Fraiser?"
Janet sharply withdrew her hand, her head snapping up as she glared at the airman standing in the doorway. "Yes?" she answered quickly.
"Doctor Fraiser, I have someone here to see you. He was rather insistent."
Frowning, Janet leaned forward in her seat, struggling to catch a glimpse of the shadowy figure standing in the hallway. "Sure, let him in."
The airman nodded, ushering the gentleman inside.
Janet immediately sat straighter. One of the Daniels appeared in the doorway, a little hesitant at first, but more relaxed once he caught her gaze. Smiling, he took a step forward, entering the room.
Quickly, she glanced over to the airman, making sure he remained alert.
"I'm-I'm not going to hurt you, you know," Daniel said softly, keeping some distance between them.
"After your little display earlier with Colonel O'Neill, I'm not so sure," she stated firmly.
At first, Janet was sure he was going to laugh, but he didn't. Instead, he frowned, knotting his forehead in that way Daniel did, and studied her curiously.
"You know which one I am?"
She nodded. "I'm a doctor. And you are my patient. All of you. I need to have a keen eye to tell you apart, wouldn't you say?"
He nodded, a grin spreading across his lips. Then, abruptly, he grabbed a chair, dragging it over to the bed, and positioned it across from her, causing her to start. When he made no move against her, and just settled into the seat, Janet held up her hand to the guard, tipping her head once to acknowledge she was all right.
"What did you want to see me about?" she asked him, keeping to business.
Daniel folded his hands, looking down at the floor for a few seconds before he shot his head up to look at the unconscious Daniel. "How's he doing?" he asked curtly.
Out of habit, Janet glanced over to him and rubbed his arm. "He's improving, but he's not out of the woods." Cautiously, she pressed a little farther. "Why? Are you concerned for him?"
He snorted. "He's the problem. He's the one that started this whole mess."
"Why do you say that?"
"Isn't it obvious?" he replied angrily. He pointed at himself. "This isn't normal. I don't need to tell anyone that."
"No, you're right. It's not normal." She smiled nonetheless. "But we'll help you get through this and make sure we continue to monitor your health."
He eyed her suspiciously. "And what good will that do?"
"Well," she began, folding her hands on her lap, "I'm not going to lie to you. I've never dealt with anything like this before. But, all of you seem to be in good health, except for—" She doubted saying "the real Daniel" would get her far in this conversation, so she opted for a small motion with her hand to her bedside occupant. "And we have dealt with many different cases here at the SGC over the past few years. I've treated various people from offworld."
He seemed to consider her words, mulling them over as he tilted his head from left to right. "Yeah, I know," he said finally.
Curious, she asked another question. "How do you know?"
He shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "I don't know. Just a feeling I get."
"A feeling?" She leaned forward slightly. "Can you describe that for me?"
He sighed, and shook his head, refusing to meet her gaze. Then, he turned away, bowing his head as he became lost in a world of his own.
A little nervous, Janet placed her notes aside and picked up her stethoscope, as well as a large blood pressure cuff. Without another word, she walked over to him, slipping the cuff on his right arm, ignoring his wary glance. Quietly, she started to inflate the cuff.
"What's this for?" he asked, tilting his head upward to watch her.
"Just checking up on you," she said gently. "You look stressed."
"I'm always stressed," he muttered. "Or, at least, for as long as I can remember. Oh, that's cold."
She smiled as she pressed the stethoscope to his skin, keeping an eye on his numbers. "Well, you're fine," she said, deflating the cuff. "But do you want to tell me about these memories of yours?"
"All to help him, right?" he asked, his gaze never leaving her.
She wasn't sure what she saw in his eyes, but something about his gaze made her heart beat faster. While she was sure there was anger, sadness, and confusion dwelling inside, she also believed she saw longing and anticipation.
Longing and anticipation?
Janet decided she had asked enough questions for now. She smiled again, but kept her thoughts to herself. Carefully, she leaned over, starting to undo the cuff on his arm. As her leg brushed against his thigh, she stiffened, frowning when she thought she felt him squeeze her closer with his legs.
Breathing out slowly, Janet told herself that she was being silly, and was just imagining things. Yet despite her self-lecture, she felt uneasy, and quickly, she removed the cuff from him.
"You're all set," she told him. "So, unless you have anymore—"
She stopped, a little unnerved by the fact he was still staring at her. Then, slowly, he rose to his feet, practically towering over her. His gaze only intensified.
"Glasses? I was wondering you had any extra pairs of glasses," he said softly. "We're not allowed into Daniel's office to snatch his spares."
Janet cleared her throat and nodded. "I always keep a couple of spares in the infirmary."
When she noticed he had edged closer, she decided to take charge. Turning, but keeping her gaze on him, she walked over to one of her cabinets and opened a drawer. Fumbling slightly, her fingers finally found the spare she kept in this room. Quickly, she handed them over to the man with Daniel's face and made her way back to her seat.
"Thank you," he said, smiling, slipping the glasses on his face.
Janet blinked. You would have never known he was a different man.
"You're welcome," she replied. Holding her head up, she motioned for the guard to come forward to retrieve the man.
Daniel pouted in response, sending her the most pathetic look she'd ever seen. Sighing, she folded her hands in her lap, and glared at him.
"I won't say a word," he said.
Despite his calm voice, she knew she saw the mischievous spark in his eyes. This time, it wasn't her imagination.
"I'll just stay here…" He reached over and grabbed a spare notebook and pen that had been resting by Janet's notes before sitting down quickly. He scribbled down a few words before he paused, raising his eyebrows as he peered at her over the rim of his glasses. Eliciting no response from her, he smiled, hastily bowing his head to scribble some more.
Janet didn't know what to say. In many ways, he was like Daniel, and in other ways, he wasn't. But he hadn't made any move to harm anyone since they arrived, and despite the unease she felt near him, she didn't think he was dangerous.
If having a little company helped her solve the problem that plagued the real Daniel, then there was no harm in allowing him to stay.
That made sense, she thought, patting the unconscious Daniel's arm.
Finally, Janet waved away the guard, allowing him to take up his position back at the doorway. No harm in being a little cautious though.
Shaking her head, Janet blocked out the man's behavior and dug back into reviewing her lab results.
