Chapter 7
On the thirteenth day, Jack remembered the planet.
The wormhole disengaged, the Stargate making a hiss-snap-shut sound behind him. Standing on the small pedestal that housed the Gate, Jack took a moment to study his surroundings.
Ah, trees, he thought, smiling. How he'd missed trees.
The planet looked like any other planet that he remembered. Trees, bushes, grass, mud, dirt…that spoke for about ninety percent of the worlds that the SGC explored. Though, according to Carter, this planet had three moons, something that supposedly was a lovely sight to watch just before dawn.
How he missed going off world just so that he could remind Carter not to be nature hiking at the wee hours of the morning.
Breaking out of his thoughts, Jack stepped down the platform and walked to the greeting party that was awaiting him in the near distance. Teal'c stood vigilant, his hands clasped behind his back, but the big guy had a smile on his face that was at least a mile wide. It contrasted sharply with how Jack remembered Teal'c in the old days, and even more so against the timid and fearful men that were standing next to him.
"Teal'c?" Jack met them and forced a diplomatic smile. "Friends of yours?"
"O'Neill, this is Tar Val," Teal'c informed him, motioning with a slight turn of his head to the old, somewhat wrinkly, man that stood to his right. Then, with a gentle turn to his left, he tipped his head to another man, a younger man with bright red hair. Bright, bright red hair. "And this is Olin San."
"Pleasure," Jack said flatly. He adjusted his P-90, taking a quick scope of his surroundings once again. "Jack O'Neill."
"We have heard much about you, O'Neill," Tar Val said energetically. "It is honorable of you to come all the way from your kingdom to meet with us personally."
"Yeah, well, I do what I do." Jack really didn't have time for pleasantries and he'd rather just get down to business. "So, where's this lab that Carter and Daniel are so sweet on, anyway?"
Jack put down his playing cards, his mind wrapping itself around the latest flashback that had assailed him. He wasn't sure what to make of it, or why he was beginning to have flashbacks to that one fateful mission. Why not something else? Why now?
He could have sworn that Schneider told him that he'd start remembering once he started taking his medication. Jack wasn't on medication. So was she lying?
Frowning, Jack started to feel uneasy. What if something more sinister was happening?
"Daniel," Jack said sternly. He looked across the table to his silent companion. "You've got to tell me what's going on, somehow."
Not surprisingly, Daniel didn't respond. He was having a particularly bad day, and hadn't made a move to acknowledge Jack at all. After several attempts to rouse him, Jack had admitted defeat, but had refused to leave. Instead, he'd pulled out a pack of cards and had started to play solitaire. He'd been going at it for quite some time when the flashbacks had begun.
"You can join in at any time," Jack said, gazing at Daniel. "Any time now."
Daniel didn't even grunt. He continued to stare at the table and the cards that were laid out in front of him. Jack had to admit that the other man had him a bit concerned, but when he'd called for Herman to come and check on him, the aide had told Jack that sometimes Daniel got this way. Only, Jack had never seen it get this bad.
Sighing, completely frustrated by his situation, Jack leaned back in his seat and scanned the room. For once, he wished the walls could talk, and offer him some clue to Daniel's condition, his condition, and what happened to all of their lives.
Ten years, dammit.
Jack was about to make a comment about his lapse in memory when a book lying on Daniel's bed caught his attention. With a frown, Jack eyed it closely, wondering when the book had gotten there. He didn't recall it being there when he'd walked in the room earlier today, and Daniel certainly hadn't taken it off the shelf. Curious, Jack rose to his feet and picked up the book.
"Huh," he said aloud, opening the cover. The book was a collection of archaeological essays. Boring. Something about old Roman battlefields and the castles of Old England and Brittany. Closing the cover, he gestured to Daniel with the book. "Next you're going to tell me that you're into Arthurian legends, right?"
Daniel's blank gaze on the table never wavered.
Normally, that's when Daniel would jump in with a comment or two, just to tick Jack off, or to show him that his mind was as sharp as ever. Daniel was the one that kept Jack on his toes. Now…
Jack placed the book on the table, allowing it to thump on the surface and scatter the cards. Daniel didn't even flinch.
Carefully, as not to startle him—since that obviously didn't work—Jack laid his hand on Daniel's shoulder and shook him once. In response, Daniel blinked sleepily, slowly moving his head so that he could look at Jack. That gaze was hazy and empty.
"Dammit, Daniel," Jack said under his breath, squeezing his shoulder. He hated to see him this way. Why the hell did this have to happen? Shaking his head, he grabbed the book and reshelved it, before coming back to Daniel's side. "Can you talk? Grunt? Anything?"
Daniel's head drooped.
Not a good sign.
Jack stepped away, swallowing hard, as he tried to think straight. His mind seemed foggy these days, and he couldn't seem to keep focused on any one thing for long.
He had not forgotten ten years of his life. He was not a psycho. He…
"Oh, Daniel?" Jack asked, mildly annoyed as he came to a stop outside of a…what was that?
"Yes, Jack."
"Whatcha doing?"
Daniel arched his eyebrows, those all knowing eyes of his peering at him from beneath his glasses. Then, he glanced back, running his hand down the long smooth surface of the wall before turning back to Jack, his face full of confusion and interest. Jack just sent him a smug smile in return, knowing full well they were playing the game they always played.
"My job," he replied, a hint of arrogance in his voice.
Of course, Jack thought, suddenly feeling a chill over the cool freakish feel in this Frankenstein place.
"And, what would that entail?" When Daniel just glared at him, Jack moved to say some other sarcastic comment, but stopped when he found something sparkle in Daniel's hand. "Hey, what do you got there?"
"Oh, you mean this?"
Daniel held up the object, allowing for light from one of the multicolored lamps to catch its metallic lining. The object was thin, and long, and reminded Jack something else, something he couldn't quite put his finger on…
"Just a medical device. It's called a 'hemmir'…"
As reality snapped back into focus, Jack stumbled, nearly tripping over his feet. He found himself grabbing onto Daniel's bed for support, chasing away the black dots from his vision, and willing himself to remain focused. He had to remain focused.
Watching as Daniel drooped a little more, Jack turned and moved toward the phone. If there was something wrong with Daniel, there was no way he was going to sit back and watch this time. Dialing for the nurse, he waited.
Cursing, he shifted his weight and glared at his watch. What was taking so long?
He would ask again. "What's taking so long?"
"It will not be much longer," the pudgy little man that uncomfortably reminded him of Harlan said, as he stood outside the High's chambers. "My priests are cleansing the room for the exchange."
Which sounded suspiciously like some sort of ritual, Jack thought with a frown.
He glanced down at his watch. "Does your leader always take this long with meeting his guests?"
The man smiled nervously. "Our High has the task of protecting us from those that would destroy us." He cocked his head, slipping his hands into his robes. "Do you not do the same?"
Jack remained impassive. "I thought only the High and I were allowed to discuss things?"
The small man nodded quickly, his cheeks flushing red. "Of course. Forgive me for the intrusion."
Jack titled his head as he regarded the man, chewing on the inside of his lip. "You're…forgiven."
The little bugger actually looked relieved. "Thank you. You are most kind. Oh!" he said suddenly, leaning to his side to gaze around Jack. "Here come your subjects."
Jack clutched the phone harder, feeling himself sway. Pushing onto the wall for support, he dialed the number again, fighting hard against the flashbacks.
Jack followed the man's gaze, watching as Daniel, Carter, and Teal'c rounded the stone staircase of the castle. He couldn't help but notice that Carter looked annoyed, Daniel appeared distracted, and Teal'c looked…like Teal'c.
"Having fun?" he threw at them, resting his arm on his P-90.
"Indeed," Teal'c answered, but looked anything but happy. "We have spent the greater part of this afternoon viewing old draped materials."
Inwardly, Jack cringed. Carter gave him a nod of confirmation.
"So, while I've been standing here waiting for…" Jack had to pause to remember the guy's name. "Bec…Lofar, you've been looking at…"
"Tapestries," Daniel answered. "And ceremonial flags."
"And this is important how?" Jack asked, still musing over the stupid names these people picked for themselves.
"You can learn a lot about a society through their material culture," Daniel replied indignantly. "Not everything in life can be understood through words alone."
Daniel and his need for communication on all levels…Ignoring the little man behind him, he continued. "And did you learn anything?"
"They like bright colors," Carter answered, biting her lip to keep from laughing.
Jack did not miss the look of betrayal that Daniel sent her. Not like that would stop Daniel anyway.
"Well, actually, Tar Val and I had some interesting discussions on life here and the society as a whole," Daniel said excitedly. "Apparently…"
"High Lofar is ready for you now," the little man announced timidly, almost as if he were afraid to interrupt them. "You may enter."
"Hold that thought," Jack told Daniel, straightening his back and snapping out the kinks. After he took in a deep breath, Jack motioned to the small man. "Lead the way."
"Please move, Sir."
Jack blinked, dropping the phone as a handful of doctors entered the room. They brushed right by him, and immediately started working on Daniel, bringing out all kinds of equipment that he'd always avoided in the infirmary. After a few minutes, they conferred with each other, shutting down Jack and his every request, and…
Jack frowned, his annoyance and discomfort taking a new turn of dread. They'd wheeled in a gurney.
Something was wrong with Daniel.
"Hey, someone tell me what's going on," Jack demanded.
A doctor he didn't recognize approached him, nudging him towards the door. "I'm afraid you'll have to leave," she said sternly. "We're going to be transporting him to the hospital."
He couldn't believe his ears. "What's wrong with him? What happened?"
"Sir, we need to treat him. Information will be released soon." Her gaze was hard. "Now, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
Before Jack even knew it, he was being pushed into the corridor. All the events blurred like a whirlwind in his mind, leaving him stunned and confused. Soon, they were gone, Daniel was gone, and he was alone again. Feeling hollow, Jack stared into the vacancy of Daniel's room.
Two days. Two days he struggled to make any headway with the clods over at the USAF hospital and he kept getting nowhere.
Apparently, he didn't have enough clearance to go and see Daniel. Which was a bunch of bull. Jack knew that even if he'd retired from the military, he still had certain allowances and hell, Daniel had worked for him. He seriously doubted a man that couldn't speak and spent his days staring at things was a huge security risk. Besides, if Daniel were this severely hurt he would have been cut out of the Stargate Program ten years ago, which meant he had no new information to share anyway.
Something was wrong. Something was off and there was no fooling Jack this time. He could smell a skunk a mile away.
"I said my name is Jack O'Neill. General Jack O'Neill," he stressed, leaning over the counter, practically in the nurse's lap. "I've come to see Daniel Jackson."
She typed at her keyboard nervously, flashing him a plastic smile every now and again. "I'm-I'm sorry, Sir, but you're not allowed—"
"Look, I don't really care if I am allowed or not." His voice dropped and he wiped any trace of warmth from his face. "Take me to see Daniel Jackson now."
She blinked, her breath short as she looked around the room. "Sir, I-I can't—"
Jack practically growled at her. "I said—"
"O'Neill."
Jack froze, unable to keep himself from whipping around to the man behind him. Teal'c was just as he'd remembered him, tall, sturdy, and unmovable. He was as massive as ever, standing like a stone pillar, his hands clasped behind his back. He waited patiently while Jack continued to gawk at him.
"Teal'c?"
That was the best Jack could come up with at this point.
"It is good to see you well, O'Neill," Teal'c said evenly, though Jack thought maybe he heard a bit of mirth in his tone somewhere.
"Good to see you too, T," Jack replied, hoping he wasn't dreaming. This was the best thing that had happened to him yet. "Really good."
Teal'c seemed to appreciate the remark, arching his eyebrow. He then turned to the receptionist. "There will be no need to call secured forces. This man is with me."
She hesitated, her gaze shifting quickly to the computer screen and then back to Teal'c. "You're here to see Mr. Jackson?"
"Indeed I am. You will find the relevant information in your computer systems." He glanced at O'Neill. "We will wait if need be."
She nodded, keying in a few entries before nodding. With a sigh, she cocked her head, shooting Jack a disapproving glare before smiling at Teal'c. "You know where to go?"
"Yes."
"Okay." She shook her head, sending Jack one last icy look, and returned to her work. Teal'c bowed ever so slightly, and began a slow stroll down the corridor.
"Will you be accompanying me, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked loudly, remaining on his path and never looking back.
Jack moved quickly to catch him. "Thanks. These idiots just can't get anything right."
Teal'c was silent for a moment, keeping his vision directed in front of him. Jack thought he almost looked reflective, even sad, as he kept his chin high, and his hands clasped behind his suit. Finally, he spoke.
"Did you expect that everyone would welcome you so kindly after ten years?" Teal'c asked.
Okay…Jack should have figured Teal'c would have gotten right to the point. Then again, since everyone was acting so weird and he'd been fed nothing but a pack of lies since he woke up into this bizarre reality, Teal'c's normalness was throwing him for a loop.
Teal'c normal? Now he was sure the Goa'uld were messing with his head.
Jack chewed on the inside of lip, trying to think of something to say to him. How could Jack even respond to that? He didn't remember anything. But something told Jack to go with his gut on this one, and to trust Teal'c. Be truthful. He owed him that much.
"I don't remember," he said plainly. "I don't remember a damn thing, Teal'c."
Teal'c stole a glance in his direction, nodding, and returned to his slow straightforward walk. "Colonel Carter informed me of your condition," Teal'c said, choosing his words carefully. "Is this true?"
"Of course it is, Teal'c," Jack said, trying not to sound too offended. "I woke up a little over two weeks ago and everything was different. Nothing was the way it was supposed to be."
"Have you considered these memory lapses could be from missing your medicines?"
Jack stopped, glaring hard at Teal'c. "I took the damn pills one night and they made me sleepy. You think I am going to take something when I don't even know what they're for in the first place just so I can get doped up again?" He rubbed his face and then held his neck in frustration. "No, I don't think so."
"They are for your condition," he said simply. Teal'c moved back down the hall.
"I don't have a condition," Jack snapped, once again rushing to catch up to him. "I went to bed fine and I woke up like this."
"I see."
Jack narrowed his eyes. "Don't you get condescending with me, Teal'c. I know this is not right."
"And how can you know this?" Teal'c asked him, his tone firm but warm. "How can you be certain what you see is what it is?"
That was enough for Jack to stop again. "What?"
Teal'c started walking again. "Your injury has given you great difficulty in determining reality from fantasy, O'Neill. This, you know. How can you be certain that you were fine one day and not the next, as you say you were? Perhaps you have been deluding yourself all these years."
Jack could not believe what Teal'c was telling him. He should be the one taking the crazy pills, not Jack. "Teal'c, it's not like I've made a fantasy of my life for the past ten years. According to everyone, I've lost ten years. If I was going to make up some twisted fantasy, it sure as hell wouldn't be here." He paused. "I'd be on a beach somewhere, having fun or something."
This time it was Teal'c who stopped, placing a hand on Jack's shoulder. Teal'c was studying him, his eyes scanning his face, looking deep into his eyes.
It must be a Jaffa thing.
He frowned, withdrawing his hand and pressed the elevator button. "And you believe this?"
"I'm telling you if, and that's a big if, ten years have gone by then I don't remember a second of it."
The two of them stepped into the elevator. It began to ascend. "What is the last event in your memory?"
"His name is what?" Jack asked.
"Bec Lofar," Carter told him. The two of them were standing in the archway of one of the hallways in the main wing. "He's the people's equivalent to a king. Before you meet him, Daniel will run through the rules and customs for greeting him."
Jack rolled his eyes. He was so tired of rules and customs. But with Daniel's attention to detail, they shouldn't screw it up too much. Unless Jack forgot half of it.
"And I'm his counterpart? I'm not going to a marriage ceremony or something, am I?"
Carter fought back a smile while shifting her weight to her left leg. "That's why you're here, Sir. He won't talk to anyone but you."
"I take it we're leaving out a few details here, like how I'm really not his equivalent," Jack said, watching Carter's cheeks turn pink. Of course, there was no way they'd be shipping the president out here anytime soon. His gaze fell to the two people talking in the next room, gazing over a dozen or so strange objects. "I take it we're using these same liberties with Daniel?"
Carter glanced over her shoulder, catching sight of Daniel and his counterpart pouring over the objects. She gave Jack a sheepish smile, gesturing vaguely to them. "They don't really understand what kind of doctor he is."
"I don't think he understands what kind of doctor he is." Though, he could say the same about Carter, too. "Medical supplies, I take it?"
"Yes, Sir. Daniel's been conversing with both Eli Karn, the head doctor here in this town, and also Tar Val, who's the village historian." Jack must have looked puzzled because Carter filled in a few more details for him. "Tar Val was one of the men that greeted you upon your arrival," she reminded him.
"And Karn…would be him?" Jack asked, pointing to the tall man talking with Daniel.
"That's right, Sir.
Jack sighed. This was the part of going off-world he didn't miss. Returning his attention to Daniel, he watched his movements, his expressions, and the rest of his body language. From the looks of it, he and the doctor seemed to really be lost in conversation, and Jack was about to wager that any moment Daniel would slip from being the doctor to the experiment.
And there go the hands…
"Alright," he told Carter, starting to move into the room where Karn and Daniel were talking. "Time to see what the good people of Aria have for us."
As Jack finished recounting his latest flashback, he and Teal'c stepped out of the elevator and walked toward the room at the end of the hall. Teal'c appeared thoughtful, listening to Jack as he spoke, finally stopping to pause outside the room.
"And you are experiencing several of these flashbacks from the mission?" Teal'c asked him.
"Yeah."
"And nothing more?"
"Nadda, Teal'c. That's it," Jack answered. He rubbed his face, and leaned a little closer. "You got to admit that if I'd lost ten years, I'd have flashbacks other than just one trip, wouldn't you say?"
"Indeed," Teal'c agreed, a frown touching his lips. "Though, still you speak as if you doubt ten years have passed."
Jack glared at him. "I doubt a lot of things. I'm just telling you that something isn't right."
"Agreed." Teal'c stopped, waiting for a nurse to pass by them. When she was gone, he focused his attention solely on Jack. "I find it disturbing that these events are transpiring against you, O'Neill."
Jack stared. "Then, you believe me?"
Teal'c didn't give him a hint either way, but he could tell he'd at least tapped into something much deeper. "I believe events are not unfolding as they should. But I do know that years have passed in my life, and of this passing of time, I am certain." The comment brought Jack's spirits down, but at least he was getting somewhere. "I concur that there is something of value missing from your experiences."
Jack felt like shouting and shaking his fists in the air in triumph, but he felt restraint in a hospital might be best. He smiled to Teal'c, though, showing him his appreciation. Teal'c understood. He bowed slightly, guiding Jack to the door.
"Shall we see DanielJackson?"
Somehow, seeing Daniel lying there hooked up to a bunch of machinery didn't bother him. It almost made him feel like he was back on base, watching over one of his old teammates. Though, as much as Jack wished it were something that simple, and that at any time Daniel would sit up and demand an explanation as to what had occurred, Jack knew it just wasn't going to happen.
He…couldn't really have missed ten years of his life, could he? He knew who he was. He knew where he was in his life.
But even Jack could admit his insistence that the Goa'uld were involved, or that something was messing with his head, was starting to falter. The longer he remained trapped here, without any break, without any help, the more likely he realized this could really be happening. Maybe he was that sick. Maybe he'd been deluding himself all these years.
As Jack continued to gaze at Daniel's sleeping form, Teal'c came to stand beside him. He was silent, joining Jack in his quiet observations. It was only when the nurse came back into the room that any kind of conversation began.
"How is his health?" Teal'c asked the male nurse.
"He's stable," the nurse replied. "He was awake earlier, but drifted off about an hour ago." He glanced over Daniel's vitals, scribbled something on his chart, and then smiled at the two of them. "You can sit with him if you'd like, just don't disturb him and allow him to wake on his own."
Teal'c nodded, watching the nurse head for the exit. But Jack wasn't done. He stopped the man, beckoning him closer.
"What is it?" he asked, gesturing to Daniel's still form. "Brain hemorrhage? What?"
The nurse gazed at Jack sympathetically. "He had what's called a transient ischaemic attack." He paused, noting Teal'c's impassive face. "In layman's terms, it's—"
"I know what it is," Jack said, his voice biting, his thoughts drifting back to memories of his father, and also to Charlie's second birthday. "My old man had a bunch of mini strokes before he had the big one. How bad was it?"
"Luckily, not bad at all. We caught him just in time, and it was fairly mild." The nurse forced another smile. "Daniel hasn't shown any signs of further impairment. It doesn't look like he had any additional brain damage this time."
Jack stared. This time?
"Like I said, you can visit with him, but let him rest," the nurse told them, finally leaving the room. When he was gone, Jack muttered under his breath, glancing over at Daniel, and collapsed into the nearest chair.
"You do not look well, O'Neill," Teal'c said, his face flickering with concern.
"I think I'm fighting the flu or something," Jack admitted. "I thought I was over it but…" He shifted uncomfortably, rubbing at his right side. "Guess not. I get a lot of aches and pains."
"Perhaps you should go to your home for some rest," Teal'c suggested. "I will remain and watch over DanielJackson."
"No. No, that's okay," Jack said. He rubbed at his side once more and closed his eyes. If only he could shake this haze that kept washing over him. "I'll stay. You…"
"Look, Teal'c, why don't you hang around with Yolen a little longer, see if there's something we're missing here," Jack told Teal'c, careful to keep his voice low.
Teal'c leaned closer to him. "Do you suspect something of ill intent, O'Neill?"
"Maybe." He patted Teal'c's shoulder, smiling for show. "Just keep your eyes open."
"My eyes are always open, O'Neill."
Jack was about to comment, when a sly grin spread across Teal'c's face. Damn him. Then, Teal'c bowed his head, and slipped down the staircase. That left Jack, Carter, and Daniel to go ahead into the chamber to meet with Aria's king.
"Are you ready now?" the man asked them, sounding a little impatient.
Jack glanced over at Daniel and Carter, giving them a nod of consent, before he turned back to the little Harlan-type man. "We're all set now. Wouldn't want to offend the old guy, would we?"
The man frowned and for a second Jack was positive the man thought he was crazy. But the frown quickly passed, and he beckoned them closer. "The High awaits."
"O'Neill?"
"Yeah." Jack forced his eyes open, despite the haziness. Just how many flashbacks was he going to get?
"Another flashback?"
Jack nodded, touched by the concern in Teal'c's voice. "They come and go. Never know when I'm going to get them."
"Perhaps you should rest."
"No, I need to stay here." He didn't know why he felt compelled to stay. Maybe it was due to years of guilt hanging over his head. "I want to stay."
"Very well."
So that was it. Jack remained quiet, sitting in his chair, passing in and out of sleep, but this time without incident. Teal'c remained standing by Daniel's side, quiet, watchful, and focused.
The silence was driving Jack insane.
"What happened Teal'c?"
He cocked his head, his face calm, as he studied Jack carefully. "Do you not believe you should remember on your own accord?"
"Nope."
Teal'c did the Jaffa equivalent of a sigh, and pivoted his body to face Jack. "As you know, the mission to P3X-329 did not go well."
"So I've heard."
Teal'c tipped his head in acknowledgment before he continued. "The people of Aria were deceivers."
"They deceive," Teal'c said, a snarl to his voice.
Jack placed his piece of fruit down, turning to look at Teal'c. The Jaffa was beyond angry, his temples throbbing as he glared at the High Lofar.
"Teal'c?" he asked, assessing the state of Carter and Daniel. They appeared equally as shocked over Teal'c's outburst, giving Jack that funny feeling in the pit of his stomach that the good people of Aria weren't so good after all.
"They lie," Teal'c muttered, his accusing gaze directed at Lofar. "They hold Goa'uld weapons in their possession."
"What?" Daniel asked, sounding shocked.
Teal'c narrowed his eyes. "Not only do they possess Goa'uld technology, they have also acquired forms of biotechnology."
Jack's face feel. Bioweapons?
Turning back to the High Lofar, he set his jaw and spoke angrily. "You have bioweapons? What the hell?"
"Damn," Jack muttered, feeling cold. "They had bioweapons."
"You remember." Teal'c seemed pleased. "They indeed held weapons of great power. My guide attempted to steer me to other regions, but I was persistent. I was able to persuade Yolen to allow me to see the warehouses."
Somehow Jack thought persuasion had very little to do with it. "And this is where you found the goods."
"Only they were not good, O'Neill," Teal'c said sternly. "The Aria had many weapons of great devastation."
So, obviously Teal'c had been out of the loop concerning Earth culture for a while. But Jack would take whatever information he could. "I'm going to take a jump here and assume that something happened with the weapons with you, me, and Daniel?"
A flicker of confusion passed over Teal'c's face at Jack's comment. "I was not injured on this mission."
No?
"My shrink said you were."
"I can assure you, O'Neill, I was not injured on our mission to P3X-329." If Teal'c was ever emphatic about something, Jack felt this was it. "Your doctors must be mistaken."
About a lot of things, Jack thought to himself, feeling uneasy. He didn't trust MacKenzie or Schneider to save his life, but now he felt his suspicion being to grow beyond mild distrust. Teal'c wouldn't lie to him about something like this, would he?
"Schneider told me that you, me, and Daniel were injured off-word," Jack told him. "I didn't imagine it. It happened just a couple of weeks ago."
Teal'c seemed doubtful. "Are you certain?"
"Yes! She said you were injured, too. Just not as bad."
Teal'c didn't bother to respond to him, but stood there, thoughtfully, considering Jack's words. Though, just when he was sure that Teal'c was finally going to comment, and give him some insight as to the discrepancy in their stories, he paused, turning his full attention onto Daniel.
Daniel remained unconscious, sleeping quietly, as he'd been doing since before Jack and Teal'c had entered the room. Not a change. Nothing.
"DanielJackson," Teal'c intoned at once, the power emanating from his voice. "Are you attempting to play a trick on us?"
A mischievous, sly smile curled at the corners of Daniel's mouth, despite the fact his eyes remained shut. Shocked, Jack watched as Daniel seemed to fight breaking out into a fit of giggles, his face distorting in a variety of different expressions as he bit back his amusement.
Jack was dumbfounded.
"DanielJackson," Teal'c tried again. "What form of amusement is this?"
Once more, Daniel squirmed, keeping his eyes shut, as he tried in vain to hold back. Finally, the pressure was too great and he burst out into laughter, sharing with them that horrible wheezy sound that was starting to annoy Jack. But, even so, Jack had to admit he welcomed the irritation compared to its alternative.
But Teal'c wasn't finished. "Perhaps I was wrong," he said to Jack with a knowing smile. "DanielJackson rests comfortably. We shall leave and return when he is awake."
At this comment, Daniel gasped, snapping his eyes open before reaching over to grab Teal'c's arm. It wasn't out of distress or malice, or even desperation. The two of them grinned at each other and though mentally worlds apart, they shared a warmness that left Jack cold. As he watched him, Jack become acutely aware of their differences, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't fight the sorrow that washed over him. Even though Teal'c remained off-world, doing his thing, he and Daniel had obviously remained close somehow. That was something Jack could never claim, watching as the outsider looking in at the two people he once called friends but now saw as strangers.
"So, he plays jokes," Jack said, surprised. "I thought he had trouble interacting with people and things."
Again, Teal'c frowned at him, eyeing him with caution and pity. "This is not so."
"No?" Jack asked. His frustration over his confusing state of being was beginning to take its toll, and he could feel his anger threatening to bubble to the surface again. "That's not the story everyone around here is telling me."
"How do you mean, O'Neill?"
"What I mean is that someone is lying to me and I don't take kindly to it." Jack rubbed his face, shifting his weight as he stood at the foot of Daniel's bed. "I've been told—No, I've seen Daniel just zone out and be useless. Now, after a mild stroke, he's bouncing and carefree?" Jack shook his head. No way in hell. "Teal'c, come clean with me. I deserve it."
"I have been nothing but clean with you," Teal'c replied bitterly. "Perhaps it is you who have been mistaken, O'Neill. Did I not tell you that your mind is not what it once was? Did I not say that what you see and hear may be untrue?"
"Yeah…" Jack mumbled, not at all happy with the way this conversation was turning. "And didn't I tell you that there is something seriously wrong with this scenario?"
"Indeed," he said curtly. "But perhaps it was I who misjudged the nature of your health."
Jack stared at Teal'c. That didn't sound like good news for him.
"Come on, Teal'c," Jack said, almost pleading. "You're the only one I can trust here. I need you to give me a clue."
And as if right on cue, Daniel smiled, one of those really dumb smiles that the naked aliens that sang to plants used to have, with the immediate effect of calming them both. Finally, Teal'c released himself from Daniel's grip and focused on Jack.
Sighing, he nodded once. "Colonel Carter and I were proceeding to the Stargate when both you and DanielJackson fell behind. When we went back to retrieve you, we had discovered that the people of Aria had decided to enact revenge on you. They used their weaponry and attacked you, leaving you immobile. It was I that carried you back to the Stargate." He glanced over at Daniel, forcing a soft smile. "And the rest is, as you would say, history."
"History I can't remember, Teal'c."
"This I understand, but I am unable to provide details of events for which I was not present." He paused again, allowing Jack to see the regret and sadness that he held inside. "It was not long after the battle at Aria that I had to return through the Stargate to continue the battle with the Goa'uld. I wish this decision could have been different, but it could not."
"I understand," Jack said softly. Teal'c had to keep fighting. Jack would have wanted him to keep pushing, to keep seeking freedom for his people. If he didn't, everything that they had fought for would have been worth nothing. "You did what you had to do."
"If events had turned out differently, I would have taken DanielJackson through the Stargate to build anew. But it was not so."
If only events had turned out differently, Jack thought wistfully.
"Teal'c, look, I'm sorry…"
"There is no need to apologize for actions that you cannot recall." He placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder, bringing him back to their reality. "But perhaps now you can rest and live in peace now in the present."
Jack nodded. If he really had lost ten years of his life, he couldn't get those years back. But he didn't want to give up that fantasy, to believe that what he was experiencing now was real. There had to be more. There had to be something better. His life had not been full of hardship just so he could end up here.
His gaze fell to Daniel, who had become engrossed in trying to rip the wires from his body, while simultaneously playing with the device that was taking his pulse. Frustrated, he grunted, kicking at the covers, while whining and mumbling something that was unintelligible.
Had everything they had done in their lives amounted to this?
"DanielJackson," Teal'c scolded. "You do not wish to put that in your mouth."
Daniel grunted at him and turned his back. Jack had to smile. It felt like all he had left.
All that he had left in this blackness. Darkness.
A darkness that was threatening to consume him, he realized, as he lost his footing and his legs buckled under his own weight. Shock overcame his body. He felt detached, the black spots growing in front of his vision, while everything slipped out of his reach. Gasping, he struggled to fight the grip of unconsciousness, willing himself to stay afloat and conquer this sudden onslaught. But before he knew it, he was gone.
