Daniel cracked open one eye, peeking around the room. Blurry blobs of green and blue streaked before his vision, nearly meshing with the lights and the walls of the infirmary. Squinting, he tried to focus, but when the pain in his head became too great, he shied away. When he slowly started to close his eyes, he jerked, feeling a slap on his right arm.

"Oh no. No more sleeping," Jack told him, shaking him again. "And if you wake up and start spewing out Aramaic again or Japanese or something, I swear I'll…"

"You'll what exactly?" Daniel baited, braving a weak but genuine smile.

Jack leaned back in his chair, shrugging as if he didn't have a care in the world. "Nothing."

Daniel gave a half-nod before covering his eyes with his arm. The lights were bright, and he was preparing himself for what was to come next. Might as well savor the moment of bliss before…

"All right," Janet said, tugging at his arm as she pried it away from his face. He quickly shut his eyes, hearing her sigh in response. "You know the drill."

"I know," he muttered. Knowing she was about to begin, he jumped into the anticipated conversation. "Daniel Jackson. July 8th. I'm in the infirmary and yes, I am aware that four of me just went through the Gate." He paused to take a breath. "No, I don't know how it happened, and yes, I remember everything since I've been awake, but it's all a little hazy. I don't know why I couldn't speak anything but Aramaic before, and honestly I hadn't realized what the problem was at the time, and I don't know why I started to speak other languages before I could remember English, my native tongue. And please don't shine the pen light in my eyes. I'm fine, save for a headache and the fact I need a bath." He opened his eyes and smiled sweetly at her. "How did I do?"

Janet raised her eyebrows, trying her best to suppress a smile but failing miserably. "Not too bad. Though you missed the part about the alien substance."

Daniel blinked. "Alien substance?"

"Do you remember, Daniel?" Sam asked him. She leaned forward, dangling her arms between her knees, as she watched him from where she was sitting. "Do you know what happened on the planet?"

He tried to think. His mind was still a little foggy, and certain words were still coming to him in German, but he could understand what was happening for the most part.

To be honest, he couldn't remember what happened. Not fully. He knew that he had been cloned somehow, or as he'd been told, fathered aliens that held a remarkable resemblance to himself. He even could remember some impulses, some flashes of images and of emotion, protective feelings, as he lay alone on the planet surrounded by carbon copies of himself.

He did know the one called Dan had explained the situation as best he could, apologizing and asking for his forgiveness.

There was nothing to forgive. They hadn't done anything wrong. Not intentionally, anyway.

But the how and why? That he couldn't explain.

"I-I remember finding something on the planet," he admitted, lifting his shirt so Janet could listen to his heart and lungs. "Something like jelly or slime. It was fascinating, really."

"Sure. Really fascinating," Jack said, stealing a glance at Teal'c. "So fascinating that it left you in a coma for a week."

"Well, it's not like I'm the one that went after it," Daniel said in a huff. He pulled his shirt down and crossed his arms. "It came after me."

After I threw that rock into it, he added to himself. But no one had to know that part.

"Yeah. I'm positive you didn't instigate it." Jack motioned to Janet with a nudge of his chin. "So, how is he?"

"Chest is fine. Pulse is normal." She hooked the stethoscope around her neck and smiled at Daniel. "Seems like Doctor Jackson is in perfect form. You would have never known that he's—"

"Been busy?" Jack mentioned with a grin.

Daniel narrowed his eyes and glared at Jack.

"I do believe Daniel will be just fine," she said, patting his shoulder. "No matter how bizarre his behavior has been over the past few days."

Something about Janet's tone made Daniel feel unsettled. It was almost dismissive, but held embarrassment and pain under its wing. Confused, he turned his head and mouthed her a question, asking her through both his expression and his body language what she could possibly mean. Just when he thought she might answer, she shrugged him off and hurried away with her chart to check on his vitals.

When Daniel turned his head back to the others, he noticed Teal'c and Sam look away, leaving only Jack with a smug smile on his face.

Leaning forward, Jack beckoned Daniel to meet him halfway. "Maybe you should ease up on the flirting? Or just ask her out already."

Daniel found himself giving Jack a double take. What had he just said?

"What?" Daniel asked, his voice low but full of exasperation.

"You heard me," Jack said softly. "It's pretty obvious."

Daniel could not believe his ears. Sending a pleading look to Sam and Teal'c, he found no help from them whatsoever. They wouldn't even make eye contact with him.

Just what had happened while he was unconscious, anyway?

"What the hell are you talking about?" Daniel asked all in one breath.

"Oh, come on." Jack's smile turned into far more than a tease. "You can see it a mile away."

Definitely, definitely something bizarre. Hallucination? No…it couldn't be. Really, come on, not…

But when he saw that playful glimmer in Jack's eyes, Daniel had a sinking feeling this was no hallucination. This was the real deal.

Daniel felt like he was going to die. Could he go back to being in a coma? No, just send him through the Gate with his other selves, aliens, children, whatever. Banish him. Shoot him.

Innocent. All pure innocence, right? Just some friendly banter between friends. Smiles. Support. Friendly stuff.

He swallowed hard, leaning close enough to Jack until he was nearly in his face. "How long have you known?" Daniel whispered.

"Few months now," Jack whispered back. He swatted Sam away when she started to cough loudly. "You flash it like a neon sign, you know."

"Though it may not be as obvious to some as it is to others," Teal'c said with a small smile, his eyes focused on Jack.

"Nevermind him." Jack kept his back to Teal'c. "All I'm saying is that you only live once." He paused. "Okay, well in your case, a few times, but that's besides the point."

Daniel sighed. "I get it."

"Good." Jack patted his shoulder. "So, since we're all in agreement—"

"Well, it's good to see you are well again, Doctor Jackson," Hammond said brightly as he entered the infirmary. "How are you feeling?"

"A little confused," Daniel admitted. Very confused, actually, since I believe I have awoken into the Twilight Zone. "But I'm feeling fine. A little stuffy, a bit of a headache. Nothing more than an allergy problem."

Janet paused, slowly walking up beside him. "Did you say allergies?"

"Yeah." He wiped at his nose for added effect. "I'm thinking my body is having a bad reaction from being off the medication for a few days. I haven't felt like this since the doctors found out I was allergic to some chemical or medication when I was a kid."

Janet and Sam both stopped dead in their tracks, leaving Daniel to feel like some wasted experiment. "What?" he asked.

"It couldn't be that simple," Sam said, almost chuckling.

"An allergic reaction," Janet murmured. "Even…the other Daniel mentioned something like that."

Daniel eyed them closely. "Wait, what?"

Hammond elaborated for him. "Are you trying to tell me that Doctor Jackson's illness, even the aliens' illnesses, were due to an allergic reaction?"

"It's quite possible, Sir," Sam answered him. She motioned to Daniel with a wave of her hand. "The aliens did have Daniel's DNA. It will probably take some time for them to adjust to the fragmentary alien DNA left in their systems. Daniel on the other hand, just came into contact with the chemical. It makes perfect sense that he could have had a reaction to it."

"Imagine being allergic to yourself," Jack muttered to no one in particular.

"I don't think that will be a problem," Hammond informed them, holding up a note. "I just received word from the Tollan. They wanted to give us one last report on Doctor Jackson's…others." He handed the note to Daniel. "Apparently, they've been sent to live with the Nox, who have offered them a permanent home."

"The Nox?" Jack leaned back in his chair. "Wow, impressive, Daniel."

Daniel couldn't help but find himself beaming. Maybe it was a little odd, or even self-centered since they were clones of himself. But in a way they weren't, and he did feel proud of them, like a father would.

Now that was still a little too weird for him to handle right now. Pushing the thought aside, he looked down at the note, and unfolded it.

As he read through the note, he kept the brunt of his emotions in check. It was a letter, signed by all of them (including a scribble by Danny), wishing him farewell and thanking him for everything.

He struggled not to cry.

"Okay," Janet said softly. "After all that happened, I think it would be best for Doctor Jackson to get some rest. Some real rest." She patted the pillow, urging to him to relax. "Everyone can come by and visit when he's had some time to adjust and recuperate fully."

Hammond nodded in agreement, wishing Daniel well and to report to him when he was feeling up to it. Sam and Teal'c followed reluctantly behind, leaving Jack, Janet, and Daniel alone in the room. Jack stayed a moment longer, wearing another smug smile that Daniel wanted to wipe off his face. Finally, his friend slid off his chair and started towards the door.

"Remember what I said, Daniel."

Daniel watched him leave, feeling that uneasiness creep into him again. Turning to Janet, he waited for the right moment, studying her as she fixed his pillows and smoothed out his bed sheets.

She took such good care of him.

"Doctor Fraiser?" he asked hesitantly.

Was that concern in her eyes? No, ache? Longing? What was that?

"Yes," she said gently.

Daniel found that he was pacing himself, uncertain how to ask this question. Tensing, he tightened his grip on the notepad that he'd hidden under the covers with him. Recalling a certain image, a sketch, that he'd found, he summoned the strength to speak. "Did my, um, did they…Did the others…do anything?"

She stared at him. "Do anything?"

"Yeah, you know." He made exaggerated motions with his hands, realizing he was making no sense whatsoever. "Do…do…something…"

She chuckled, but when Daniel gazed into her eyes, deep into her eyes, he was sure he saw sadness lurking there. "No, nothing. Don't worry about it. Your 'others,' as you call them, were perfect gentlemen."

He nodded, though based on the contents of the notebook, he wasn't entirely convinced.

"Just get some sleep," she said, forcing another smile as she readjusted the level of his gurney. "You have a lot on your mind."

I sure do, he thought to himself, allowing his mind to wander as he stared at the ceiling, mulling over Jack's words as he drifted.