Chapter 6
About an hour later Raphaella gave up trying to sleep. She needed to get to Daniel. She quickly dressed and left for the infirmary, thankful that Baram was still with Cassie. Teal'c was in the same place she'd left him an hour before. He opened his eyes, "There has been no change in DanielJackson's condition."
Raphaella nodded her thanks to Teal'c and turned to Daniel. His face was completely drained of color except for the dark circles under his eyes. He looked so helpless and lost. Raphaella approached his bed until she was standing with her hip against the mattress. She looked back to see that Teal'c was watching her. He nodded at her, apparently understanding her need to be there. She looked back at Daniel and took his hand.
Emptiness. Daniel wasn't here! His body was, but his soul was gone. Raphaella flung herself away from Daniel, shock evident on her face. Teal'c stood and came around to her to keep her from falling.
"Oh, my god, Teal'c, he's gone. He's not here. We've lost him!"
Janet was awakened from a light sleep by the quiet commotion in the room. She dashed in to check on Daniel. All his vitals signs remained normal and stable, except for the continued slight fever. She turned to Raphaella, "He's still alive, just in a coma."
"No, doctor, you don't understand. His body is here, but he's not. I feel no emotions, no thoughts…nothing. He's gone." Raphaella wrapped her arms around herself and began rocking forward and backward, as a mother would to comfort a frightened child.
Janet, remembering when Sam's consciousness had been put into the computer, wasn't discounting what Raphaella said. "We need to get an MRI and an EEG stat," as she moved to carry out what she had just said.
"Teal'c, let me touch him again. Maybe if I look deeper I can find him." Stepping back, Teal'c bent his head slightly in agreement.
Raphaella moved forward to again take Daniel's hand. She paled even further as she closed her eyes and began to concentrate on the unmoving man in the bed.
"Empty. Cold, Lonely. Deep sadness. Fear. Teal'c, he's so far inside himself I can't read his thoughts, just his emotions. Oh, god. He's so frightened. He's so lonely." Raphaella began reaching down to send her thoughts to him. Friendship. Love. Need. Desire.
Nothing. No reaction at all.
Janet returned to take her patient for more testing, but Teal'c placed his hand on her shoulder and held her back. She looked up at him in anger that someone would keep her from her patient. Teal'c gestured toward Raphaella and shook his head no. Janet then understood that Raphaella was attempting to reach Daniel.
Raphaella removed her hand from Daniel's and placed the palm of her hand on his forehead. She sat on his bed and reached for his head with her other hand so that she now had both hands on his head.
Daniel? Are you here? I'm coming to get you and bring you home.
From a great distance Raphaella could feel a stirring in him. It was as though a slight breeze had moved a fallen leaf on an autumn morning.
Daniel. Come home. We want you. We love you. We miss you.
Very softy Raphaella heard him answer. Home?
Yes, my love, home. Raphaella tried to project pictures of warmth, comfort and caring to the distant voice.
Love? You love me?
Yes, Daniel. We all love you. We need you. Without you we are not complete.
Raphaella, don't leave. Stay. I'll find you.
Raphaella stretched herself next to Daniel to try and get as close to him as she could. Janet checked the machines, they were still all normal. She looked over at Daniel and thought she could see a bit more color in his face. She took his temperature found it was still slightly elevated, but no higher that it had been. As she watched him she began to see movement beneath his eyelids, as if he were dreaming.
"Daniel. Daniel. Can you hear me?' Janet shook his shoulder very gently.
Daniel eyes fluttered open for a split second. "Janet…sleeping…go away." Daniel turned slightly to one side, threw his arm over Raphaella and pulled her up against him.
"Well, he seems to be sleeping now and out of the coma. If he checks out OK in the morning, I'll probably let him go. But he'll have to stay on the base for a couple of days to make sure. Teal'c, you can go let Jack and Sam know he's better and then go get some sleep. Raphaella, I take it you'll be staying here?" At Raphaella's sleepy nod, Janet continued. "Well, I'll go get some sleep as well. Cassie's bring Baram to the base I the morning for you, OK?"
Raphaella nodded, almost asleep herself now.
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Morning came with Jack, Sam, Teal'c and Janet standing around Daniel's bed. Daniel opened his eyes slightly and was greeted with the sight of Jack's grin. "Sleep well, Spacemonkey?" Jack nodded toward Raphaella, who was still sleeping in Daniel's arms.
"Wha…how…huh?" Daniel was still trying to make sense of everything. Daniel closed his eyes again and threw his forearm over his eyes. "Infirmary again?"
"Yep."
"What happened this time?"
"Well, Daniel, you stepped through the gate, screamed like a girl and curled up into a roly-poly bug." Jack shoved his fists into his pockets and rocked on his heals, pleased that his friend showed signs of normality.
Janet began shoving everyone out. "You people go get some breakfast while I examine our patient. I should be done by the time you get back."
"I knew he'd do almost anything to get a woman into his bed, but this…!" Sam punched Jack in the shoulder and Teal'c raised his right eyebrow as they left the room.
Janet unhooked Daniel from the machines and the IV while trying not to awaken Raphaella. Daniel slipped from the bed and sat on the neighboring bed. Janet did a quick check of Daniel's vitals and pronounced them normal. "Daniel, what do you remember?"
"Not much. I remember coming through the event horizon and feeling as thought every cell in my body was on fire. Then I woke up to Jack's face."
"You were in a coma and I haven't been able to find a reason for it. All your vital signs were normal. Raphaella came during the night and I'm not really sure what happened, but after she touched you, you became responsive and slipped into a normal sleep pattern. She seemed to need to be next to you, so she climbed into the bed with you and immediately went to sleep. I should see how she's doing. She was pretty upset by what happened to you. She's not used to you 'dying' like the rest of us." Janet's relief at his speedy recovery was apparent in her gently teasing words and the pat she gave him on his arm as she turned back to Raphaella.
She checked the still sleeping women as well as she could without waking her. No fever. Pulse strong and regular. Lungs clear. OK. Janet turned back to Daniel. "Why don't you go get a shower, then come back and I'll have a tray waiting for you. You can leave the infirmary later this morning, if you're still OK, but I want you on base at least one more day."
Daniel nodded, slipped off the bed and stepped over to look at the woman sleeping in the next bed. Her hair had tumbled all over the pillow and her face, just allowing her nose to peek through. He reached over and tenderly pushed the hair off her face so he could see her. He'd never seen her without the ever present headscarf before. It's a good thing Janet's not here, because my pulse rate just went through the roof! God, she was beautiful! He leaned over and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek (At least it wasn't her forehead. Making progress!), then turned to head for the showers.
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Several hours later Sam and Cassie were in Raphaella's quarters where she was feeding Baram.
"Raphaella, what do you know about the device that injured Daniel?"
"Well, the mel'c came with my people from Earth about three thousand years ago when the Goa'uld brought us to Heb'ra. It has been passed down through the female line to the husband who becomes the chieftain and village priest. He holds it when he's doing official business. The story is that it guides him and helps him to make sound and just decisions. My father would have instructed my husband on its use, as only the current and future chieftains are allowed touch it. That is all I know. I have never seen it doing anything like what it did to Daniel. I have never seen it glow or get hot."
"Would it be OK for me to see if I can discover something about it? How and why it injured Daniel? I noticed that it quit glowing this morning and I'm wondering if that was connected with Daniel's getting well."
"Of course. If it's dangerous I don't want to pass it on to Baram or have it injure anyone else."
Sam nodded her thanks, patted Raphaella on the shoulder, made a face at the baby, who responded with a giggle, and left for her lab to get to work.
Cassie played with the baby while Raphaella continued her studies, occasionally helping her out by explaining a word. When the baby showed signs of needing a nap, Cassie put him down in the crib, hugged Raphaella and went off to wait for her mom's shift to end.
Early that evening, Daniel dropped in to see if Raphaella and Baram wanted to meet with everyone else in the commissary for something to eat. Daniel grabbed Baram while Raphaella got the diaper bag. Earth babies sure need a lot of stuff! Back on Heb'ra you just took a couple of changing rags.
Daniel seemed back to normal and the group, including Janet and Cassie, enjoyed their dinner together. General Hammond even dropped in for a few minutes to have a cup of coffee. After dinner Raphaella cleaned Baram up and took him out of the highchair that had appeared mysteriously when Baram came to the base. She said good night to everyone and returned to her quarters.
Janet and Cassie left for home along with Jack and Sam, leaving Teal'c and Daniel alone at the table.
"DanielJackson, I would like to speak with you about a matter of some importance."
"Sure, Teal'c. Let's go back to my lab. I have some work I want to finish up tonight."
"I believe this would be better spoken of in your quarters."
"Ok, if you think so. Let's go."
When they returned to Daniel's room, Teal'c took two chairs and placed them in the middle of the room facing each other about two feet apart. Daniel's eyebrows went up in a silent question, but he took one of the chairs and Teal'c sat in the other.
"DanielJackson, I consider myself a good friend of yours."
"Yes, Teal'c, you are a very good friend."
"For this reason I believe it becomes my responsibility to confront you."
"What? Confront me? What did I do wrong?"
"You have done nothing wrong…yet. I believe what I am going to say is for your happiness." Daniel was really confused by now, but waited, knowing that his friend would say what he meant when he was ready. "Do you not remember anything that transpired last night in the infirmary?"
"Uh, no, I don't. Well, not really. I have vague impressions of burning up and then being cold. Of being very far away and alone, then someone pulling me back."
"Last night while I sat by your bedside, Raphaella came to you. She placed her hands upon you and with some effort was able to heal you. Dr. Frasier could not find a reason for your illness, but Raphaella said that your soul had somehow left your body. She brought you back. I believe, DanielJackson, that you owe her your life."
Daniel sat staring, open mouthed, at his big friend for a moment and then stood and paced in the small room. Occasionally, he'd stop and stare at Teal'c only to begin his trek around the room again. Finally, he returned to sit in the chair again facing Teal'c.
"Teal'c, you know how your name means 'strength' and my name means 'god is your judge?' Well, in Hebrew, Raphaella means 'god has healed.' It's not only her name, it is what she does and who she is. Teal'c, I'm really confused. Between my feelings for her and her need to bring some stability to her life and Baram's… I just don't think now is a good time to pressure her. I've told her how I feel, so now I have to wait until she lets me know how she feels before I can act any further. I think I need to just back off a little and let her learn to know her new life."
"DanielJackson, I believe it would be a mistake to 'back off.' I believe that Raphaella would gain strength from you as you have gained healing from her. Do not wait too long, my friend. We have only to look to example of Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter to see the pain that waiting can cause." With that said, Teal'c stood, bowed his farewell and left the room.
In truth Daniel was afraid of a relationship with Raphaella in spite of what he had said to Jack about taking a risk. He'd lost everyone he had loved and he knew that if he loved Raphaella, he'd lose her too and he didn't think he could take one more loss.
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A/N: Thanks for the feedback. As always it helps keep me going. Maddy Deep Lake, this is not only my first SG1 fanfic, but the first creative writing I've ever done since those hated assignments in high school. I had myself convinced that I had no imagination and that I hated to write.