Daniel came back to himself slowly. As he did so, he became aware that the pain from his injuries had the dull edge associated with excellent narcotics. He didn't hear the familiar sounds of the infirmary though. The heart monitor wasn't beeping near his bed, and he couldn't hear the whine of the ventilation system. Daniel knew that the drugs were slowing his thinking. It was a state he'd grown used to over the last couple years so he didn't panic. Instead he willed himself to remain relaxed feigning unconsciousness. Joe had shown up, he remembered that. He'd tried to get Joe to leave, but Joe refused. then he'd set off a concussion grenade, a flash-bang Jack called them. That was pretty much the last thing he remembered, Daniel realized.

"Joe," Daniel called softly finding it took some effort to open his eyes as he did so. "Joe?" he called again louder this time. It was dark wherever he was and smelled of the must of old books.

"Not Joe," a familiar quiet voice from the dark said, "but I hope I'll do." Daniel heard someone moving towards him in the darkness. A second later a light clicked on over his head, and Daniel found himself looking into the face of his old college roommate. "I've been waiting for you to wake up," Adam said. "Joe's getting some sleep in the next room."

"How bad?" Daniel asked noting the worried look on Adam's face.

"Some of the burns are infected," Adam told his friend, "and I think you have some internal bleeding. That may stop on its own, but if it doesn't you'll need surgery. Taking you to a hospital is a risk that, so far, we don't want to take, Daniel."

Daniel nodded. "I need you to call someone for me, Adam."

"Who?" Adam asked.

"Friends," Daniel told him. "They can keep us safe."

"All of us?" Adam demanded, but it wasn't really Adam Pierson making the demand. It was Methos in his persona of Death who had to know just what danger Daniel posed. Methos realized he wouldn't get an answer from the man on the pallet who was once again unconscious. Methos's eyes narrowed as he considered his options. He left the light on as he left the small room. In the next room the others were mostly sleeping wherever they could find a spot except for Nick who stood guard over the unexpected member of their little group. Nick looked up, but Methos waved him back as he stalked over to the man huddled against the far wall. "I think we need to have a little talk," Methos announced as he squatted in front of the other man..

"About what?" Stephen asked pressing more firmly back against the wall as he looked up at the man standing over him.

"We'll start with who you are and what you have to do with Daniel," Adam told him

"My name is Stephen Raynor," the archaeologist answered. "I'm a friend of Daniel's."

"Oh I very much doubt that," Methos refuted breathing menace into each syllable. "Friends don't usually sit by and watch as a person is tortured," Methos said.

There was something in his eyes that frightened Stephen. It even frightened Nick who had come to be friends with the oldest of Immortals in the last few months since becoming Duncan MacCleod's student. That look was enough to break what remained of Stephen's confidence, and the whole story came rushing out of him. Starting with his rivalry with Daniel in graduate school and Daniel's subsequent fall from grace through Daniel's appearance at their mentor's funeral and Sarah's disappearance. Methos barely held his anger in check as this pretty boy explained how he'd betrayed Daniel to the Watchers without even a clue to the danger he was placing them both in. Methos didn't interrupt though wanting to hear the entire story without interruptions.

"And then you showed up," Stephen finished with a nervous swallow.

"Tell me again about Sarah," Methos demanded. "You said her eyes glowed." For the next hour, he and Nick played "good cop, bad cop" with Raynor dragging as much information as they could from him. Finally Methos stood and walked to the smaller of two coolers holding their food. From within, he withdrew a bottle of his favorite beer.

"He's nuts!" Nick whispered leaning down to get his own drink, a soda, in deference to his guard duty.

"I am very much afraid that he isn't," Methos murmured even as he tried to ignore the niggling little thought at the back of his mind that there was something he should remember. Something he must remember.