Colonel Jack O'niells quarters 11.00 p.m
What was he doing here? He should be by Daniels side right now. He had to be there if...when he woke up. He had to apoligize for being so thick headed. Why had he not seen there was danger? Daniel had senced it but he had trusted Jack to know the signs better and it had cost him dearly. Well...even if Daniel had refused he knew he would have forced him into it anyway as his CO. It was one of their military goals to make allies along the way. Daniel himself had made sure of that alongside with the archological stuff. But it was not his fault this had happened. What he didn't understand was why the beings had attacked so fircely and why Daniel? Why not him? He was the leader of the team. On Earth you always went for the chief. That would break the rest of the team. But he had to admit that the beings had made a clever stratical move here. Taking out Daniel, the one the all relied on for comfort in the need of comfort couldn't have crushed the spirit of his team more effeciently. His team was shattered. Daniel was in a coma. Carter was completely out of it. He had heard her crying more than once since they got back. Teal'c seemed deep in thoughts all the time. He was without a doubt haunted by what happened on the planet. And Jack himself. What had he done? Yelled like a child at his superior officer. That was a big no no in the airforce. Always respect the chain of command. Hammond had the right to be angry but he still disagreed with him. He still felt they had to go back and teach those god damn rainbow coloured thingies...what was their name anyway...exactly what happens when you mess with the Tau'ri. Give them a true and harsh rainbow whooping!
How long had he been in here now? It seemed like forever. He hated these quarters. All the same. All without a personal touch. No windows. So cold. He had his own house for cryin out loud. Hammond knew that. And he also knew exactly how much Jack disliked these rooms. That was without a doubt the reason he had been placed here. He missed his house. The nights on the roof just looking at the stars. He loved stargazing. He remembered when he had taking Daniel up there with him the same night they returned from Abydos. Daniel had looked so lost in that hall. So sad and without hope that Jack just couldn't leave him alone there. They had talked a little and then Jack had proposed that they went up on the roof because it always made him feel closer to Skaara and maybe it would do the same for Daniel with Shau'ri. It had taken his every strenght to convince Daniel to climb that ladder but he had managed. The kid was so afraid of hights. But everything had went great after that. Daniel had talked about Shau'ri. Jack had opened up about Charlie. They had had many beers and Daniel had fallen asleep on the maddres which wasn't odd concidering the gate lag he had been suffering from. Jack had observed him and the stars to the break of dawn. It had to be one of his favorite memories of Daniel. That and the chicken thing. He laughed at the memory of Kawalsky and Daniel: "We don't wanna affend them, now do we Daniel?" and then Daniels very very very bad impression of a chicken: "Taste like chicken...gluck gluck". Who was he kidding? Daniel was his friend. Probably his best friend now that Kawalsky was dead. And he had never even giving Daniel a hint about how he felt nomatter how many times the young man had shoved he cared. Something had to change when all this was over. There was a knock on the door and Hammond entered. Jacks mood lifted. He chance for escape.
"Heeey General...how's the justice department? Did you say hi from me? You know how the just love me up there right?" He said with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Jack". Hammond tried to hide the growing wide smile on his lips but too late. Jack had seen it. He stood up from the bed and walked to Hammond.
"So George...i can call you George right?" He didn't give Hammond a chance to answer. "How is it hanging?"
"Jack...this is a serious matter...try and be serious for once...". He got a dark expression in his eyes that concerned Jack.
"It is Daniel? Is he...". He couldn't even say it.
"No...there is still no change in Dr. Jacksons condition". Jack let out a sigh of relief.
"Christ George...you scared the hell out of me there...".
"You should be scared Jack...i just got of the phone with the justice department...if Dr. Jackson doesn't make it i'm history and you will have to answer to a man called Kinsey. I believe you know who I am talking about.".
"WHAT? No no no no...not...gonna...happen...over my dead body!"
"I'm afraid you don't have a choice and neither do i...".
"What about the President? Thought you guys were so chubby?"
"We understand one anoter...but his hands are tied Jack...he has to follow the rules...i know you don't regard the rules as...". Jack interupted him.
"Well...aren't they more guidelines that exact rules?" Hammond sighed.
"Jack please."
"I know George...just trying to ease the tention...i know this is serious...but i have more important things on my mind".
"Dr. Jackson." It was more a statement than a question.
"Yeah...listen...". He suddenly got formel again. "General...i am sorry for what i said...i lost control but i still think we should go back".
"That's guite alright Colonel." He adopted Jacks formality. "I know how you are feeling...i lost my best friend in Nam so i will cut you some slack this time but please try not to put me in this position again."
åØå"I shall do my very best General...but now promises". He saluted and smirked.
"Just go the the infirmary for christ sake". Hammond saluted back with a smile.
"Yes Sir...and by the way...Daniel is gonna make it...we are talking about a man who bounced back from dying for crying out loud". And then he was out the door.
Hammond smiled a sad smile and sighed. If he just had the confidence in Dr. Jackson as Jack had. But somehow Jacks words had still made him feel a little better. Then he stood a little and looked around in the room. They really should make them more comfortable. The soldiers who lived on base deserved a warm place where they could feel at home. Not a cell. He could see why Jack hated them so much. He would see to it if he got the chance which was questionable at best right now. Then he left. He had phonecalls to make.
Daniel Jackson
It was dark and cold. He body felt naked but he couldn't move. Where was he? Where was Jack? And Sam? And Teal'c? He could feel something cold pressed against his back and hear voices. Someone was talking to him. "Stay with us Daniel". Who was she? He suddenly felt a strange sensation across his hand like somebody was giving him a light squeeze. It felt comforting. Like he wasn't completely alone in this dark place. He suddenly got the movement back and tried to sit up. He was lying on a steel table. Then a light came on and it jerked his memory. The planet. The light. The beings. What the hell was going on? He couldn't remember anything other than Sam screaming and a sharp pain. Then darkness. He had definately been hurt but this was not the SGC infirmary. He looked down and discovered that he in fact WAS comepletely naked. It had not just been imagination. He got a chill and watched as the goozebumbs covered his body. It was then he noticed the burns, cuts and marks after needles. He even noticed a long scar across his abdomen. He touched it in shock and let his hands search for other marks. He felt the familiar touch of scared skin over his back. And anger otherwise rare in the gentle nature of the linguist raised inside him over what had been done to him. It was almost white rage the boiled in him and he felt like punching something. The feeling was so unfamilier and he was shocked by it. He looked around for something to cover his body in and found a kind of blue suit in the near facinity. It fitted him perfectly almost like it had been layed out for him on purpose by someone. That made sense. Voices again. "Don't give me that doctor crap...that's a member of my team lying in that bed!" Jack? He sounded angry and concerned. But where was he?
"Jack?" He shouted out but got no response. Only silence.
He decided to investigate his surroundings. All he could see was the table and a small circle around it that was ilumenated by the light. But something about the floor looked familiar. It was white with carvings. Those carvings. Where had he seen them before? He kneeled down and let his fingers stroke them. Suddenly the scene changed. He was in the big white room on the planet. He was in unifom and Jack and the rest of SG-1 was there with him.
"Yeah...it's..big."
He looked up and saw Jacks face.
"Jack?"
He didn't answer but turned to Sam.
"It's just quarts Sir".
He looked from one to the other and they looked back at him like they expected him to do something. Then the scene changed back to the dark place. He felt sick and a headache had shoved it's ugly face.
"Whoa...dejavu...", he said mostly to himself and hoped that he wouldn't experience that again. He wasn't sure his stomach could take it.
He stood up when the nausia had subsided a bit and tried to feel his way in the dark. Cold walls, no windows yet. He continued for a while and when he turned around the table and the light was far away. He decided to go back. He had no luck and if he got to far away the light would fade and he wouldn't be able to find his way back. A voice again. "The thing about Daniel is that he just...he touches everyone he comes in contact with Janet. On some level whether they know it or not. He has so much heart." That was Sam, he thought. Nice words but were they just his imagination? He tried to call out again.
"Sam?" No response of course, he thought.
Who is Janet? He didn't know any Janet. Wait a minute. The doctor. The petite infirmary doctor that had sent him strange looks when he came running down the halls with a cup of coffee. He had never gotten the chance to ask why she had been looking like that at him. "This is my fault O'niell".
"Teal'c?", he called out with not answer. Why was he yelling? It was clear that they weren't here otherwise they would answer him.
"He is in a coma, but stable for now Colonel...".
Coma? Coma...COMA! What? This wasn't right!
"Hellooooooooooooooooo? Jack? I'm right here! I'm not in any coma!". This was disturbing.
Nothing. Not even an ecco of his words eventhough there should be one. Something was terrible wrong with this place. He felt so alone. His friends sounded so close and yet they weren't there. What was this? Nomatter what it was it was much worse that he could hear them than if there had been complete silence. Right now their voices just confirmed that he wasn't in the right place. That he was alone. He hated the feeling. He had been alone and lonely most of his life. Now the loneliness was back only magnified by the dark and the cold. He missed Shau'ri but right now he actually missed Jack even more. He would have known what to do. He suddenly felt tired and layed down on the table again. He crumbled together like a child both to keep warm and because it always made him feel a little safer. He closed his eyes and before he fell asleep he whispered a few hopeful words into the dark.
"Please find me...Please Jack...come for me...".
The infirmary late night
"Jack? I'm right here! Please Jack...come for me...".
Jack awoke suddenly.
"Danny?" He tried to call out but if was barely a whisper. He lifted his head that had rested on the infirmary bed and looked up at Daniel thinking that he had regained counsiouness. His left hand had Daniel's right in a firm grip. He didn't remove it. He needed the touch. He noticed that Daniel felt strangely cold. It was not right. Something was off somehow. The young man wasn't awake. He remained in a coma. But Jack was sure he had heard Daniel call out for him. It was Daniel's desperate voice that had awakened him. His cry for help. Or maybe it had been a dream?
He looked at Daniel's face. He looked white as a sheet but that really wasn't odd considering that he was in a coma. Doh Jack! But he did look different without his classes. He looked older. If you didn't know him he could actually pass as a soldier. But he wasn't. Daniel was a brilliant man but still a geek that needed the protection of his CO. And what a good protection you have given him Jack, he thought to himself. He was torn from his thoughts as a familiar voice startled him. "Jack...come for me".
"What the hell?" He starred at Daniel. That had been Daniel's voice. He was a hundred percent sure and he was also sure that he was awake and not asleep. Then he heard it again. He starred at Daniels lips but they weren't moving. The voice was screaming now. It was so loud he had to cover his ears. It continued in and endless high note just repeating itself.
"I'm right here!"
"I'm right here!"
"I'm right here!"
"Doc!", he yelled.
"I'm right here!"
"Doc...get in here!"
"I'm right here!"
"JANET!"
"I'm right here!"
The doctor came running into the room.
"What's going on Colonel?"
"I'm right here!"
Jack still stood holding his hands over his ears. The voice continued to raise in volume but Janet didn't seem to notice. She just stood there looking at him funny.
"Can't you hear him?"
"Hear who Colonel?"
"Daniel...he is screaming!"
"I'm right here!"
Janet went to Daniel's side where she checked his vitals. They were normal. There were no change. He was in a coma and he was not screaming. She went to the Colonel's side and grapped his arm.
"Calm down Colonel. There are no screams. Daniel is still in a coma".
"I'm right here!"
"No...you're wrong Doc...i hear him!"
"Listen to me Colonel...there are no screams...it must have been a bad dream".
"But i'm not asleep".
"I'm right here!"
Jack dismissed the doctor's attempt to help and turned to the bed where Daniel was lying.
"I hear you Danny! I hear you and i WILL come for you! But be quiet!", he yelled. The screams stopped right away and Jack removed his hands from his ears.
"Colonel?"
"It's alright Doc...he stopped...he know i have heard him..."
"Colonel...i would like to have a look at you...please come with me." She send him suspicious looks and grapped his arm. "This way please".
He stopped her. "I'm fine Janet".
"You're hearing voices Colonel...that is not being fine". She took his arm again and pushed him down to the examination room. "Now you can stay at your own free will or i can force you...but i'd rather not."
"For cryin out loud...you don't understand...i have to get him out".
"Get him out from where...he is right there...". She pointed to Daniel in the bed. "He is safe in the SGC Colonel...you got him back...there is nothing more you can do".
"I can't explain it Janet...". He looked in Daniel's direction and pointed. "But i don't think that's Daniel". They both starred at the young man lying limp in the bed. Janet looked like she was thinking the possibility over but then dismissed it and turned to the him.
"Are you sure you didn't hit your head too Colonel?" He gave her a sour look that she ignored. "Come with me...let's check you out". He followed but he wasn't happy about it. All he cared about was solving this mystery...before it turned even more strange. He felt just as confused as Janet looked. But as he observed the person in the bed only a few feet away he got even more confident. That was NOT his Spacemonkey.