The reviews have been wonderful - thank-you. This story is clawing to get out so as long as the multitude of too thick books I have to read for grad school don't arrive in the mail too soon I might just finish it! Chapter two may seem like I'm going off on a tangent but please hang on for the ride.

Two hours had elapsed since Sam entered the infirmary. Nurses were checking on her every twenty minutes, making Daniel more nervous. The doctor returned and stood over Sam reading her chart.

"Her fever has gotten higher since we started her meds." The doctor directed her comments to the nurse standing beside her. "Let's get ice packs around her."

"Doctor?" Daniel looked up, concern radiating from his eyes.

"Her fever has reached 104 degrees. We need to use ice packs to lower her temperature so we don't risk brain damage." Daniel's grip on Sam's hand tightened. The nurse returned with the ice packs. The doctor pulled back the sheet that covered Sam and placed the ice packs in her arms pits and groin. A few other packs were spread around Sam's waist, hips, legs, and neck. The doctor walked away making notes after recovering Sam with the thin sheet.

Daniel watched Sam's unmoving form as Teal'c continued to stand ramrod straight at the end of her bed. Colonel Mitchell had left but made frequent trips back to see if Sam's condition changed. Thirty minutes after placing the ice packs around Sam the doctor returned.

"It makes no sense." The doctor looked at the most recent notes in Sam's chart and frowned.

"What doesn't make sense?" Daniel watched the doctor's frown grow.

"Every time we do something to lower her fever it goes up. She's at 105 degrees now." The doctor shook her head.

"What would happen if you stopped trying to lower the fever?" Teal'c's question caught the doctor off balance.

"Well, logic dictates that her fever would be even higher if we weren't giving her medications and packing ice around her."

"Perhaps logic is not in control at this time." Teal'c's point wasn't clear to the doctor who hadn't seen all the odd stuff Daniel and Teal'c had experienced over the last decade.

"What he's saying is stop trying to reduce her fever and see what happens. If it goes up further you can immediately begin again but if it goes down then you'll know you're dealing with something...new." The doctor looked at both men and pondered. She didn't have any other suggestions and another few hours with a temperature this high would result in permanent brain damage.

"Ok, we'll try it." The doctor pulled back the sheet and removed the ice packs. She called a nurse over. "Don't give her next antiviral injection nor any more acetaminophen until I order it. Take her temperature every ten minutes and report any changes to me immediately." The nurse wrote down her instructions and took away the bucket of ice packs.

Daniel watched nervously as the nurse took Sam's temperature every ten minutes. She gave no hint about the results, which made Daniel even more nervous. After thirty minutes the doctor returned.

"It seems you're on to something. Her temperature has gone down to 103 degrees."

"Does that mean it's probably alien?" Daniel watched the doctor contemplate her answer.

"It certainly makes it more likely. Whatever we're dealing with might be intelligent, if it really can react to our attempts to treat it. I'll have one of the science teams begin looking for foreign particles in her blood." The doctor turned her back to leave.

"Thanks." Daniel mumbled.

"You're welcome." The doctor looked over her shoulder before retreating to her office. Over the next three hours Sam's fever came back down to 102 degrees, the same temperature as when she'd arrived in the infirmary. After ten hours Teal'c convinced Daniel to get some rest. Jack had called twice but there hadn't been any changes to report. He made arrangements to fly in late that night. Jack arrived in the infirmary at four in the morning to find Daniel back in the chair beside Sam's bed holding her hand.

"Any change?" Jack sauntered over to the edge of Sam's bed and leaned on the rail.

"No, but I'm glad you're here." Daniel looked up at Jack's tired face.

"Me too." Jack pulled up a chair, sat down, and found Sam's free hand with his. He watched her pale quiet face as the beads of sweat continued to roll down her temple. He brushed back a strand of wet hair and sighed.

"She'll be alright Jack."

"I hope so. I should've known something was wrong. She was so tired and quiet this weekend. That should have sent up red flags. Maybe she could have gotten help before..."

"Stop it. I already went down that path and the doctor said there wouldn't have been any way to see this coming. She needs us not our guilt." Jack nodded his head in acknowledgement of Daniel words.

Sam woke to sunlight. She tried to turn her head but found she couldn't. She used her eyes to search the strange room. She saw Daniel asleep to her right, leaning against her bed.

"Da..." It was as mush as she could get out but it was enough to wake him.

"Sam! Oh, thank god you're awake again. How do you feel? Can you squeeze my hand?" Sam's brow furrowed as she concentrated on her hand. She sent messages to her fingers but she didn't know if there had been a response.

"Da..." Sam tried again to say his name.

"It's ok Sam. It'll take you a while to get it all back. You've been paralyzed for the last four weeks. You just came off the respirator three days ago. Yesterday was the first time you woke up since you got sick. The doctors here are impressed with your progress." A well-dressed man with slightly purple skin and two small ridges at his hairline walked up behind Daniel. Sam's eyes widened. Daniel looked behind him and smiled.

"She's awake and she knows I'm me."

"Well that's excellent news." The alien smiled and secured a spot beside Daniel. Daniel stood and scooted over so the alien was closer to Sam. "I'm Timor. I've been taking care of you since you arrived. I just want to check a few readings and then I will get out of your way." He smiled at Sam again and picked up a pad.

"Whe..." Daniel looked perplexed for a minute and then it registered.

"Where? Of course you don't remember. I told you the last time you woke but you probably don't remember it. That's ok. I don't mind telling you as many times as necessary." Sam was getting tired of his babbling so she tightened her jaw and growled slightly.

"Perhaps it would be best if you let me tell her." Timor sensed her frustration and took over the story. "You encountered an artifact from one of our ancestral planets, a wooden box. While you were examining it you got a splinter in your finger. Although it is rare, some of our people react much as you have to this wood. Our people stopped using it centuries ago for this very reason. The wood caused an allergic reaction, which has temporarily rendered you paralyzed. Your people were unable to care for you but Dr. Jackson was able to translate some of the other artifacts found with the box and locate us. We have been administering a counteragent and healing therapy for three of your weeks. You have made remarkable progress but you still have a long road ahead of you. Now you need more rest." Timor nodded, laid the pad back along the side of her bed and stepped away. Daniel caressed Sam's face.

"Sleep Sam. I'll be here when you wake." Sam's eyes closed against her will. True to his word, Daniel was sitting at her side looking through a book when next she woke.

"Daniel." Sam was relieved to hear the whole word leave her mouth.

"Hey, good afternoon sunshine. Feeling better?" Daniel put the book down on the floor and scooted his chair closer. Sam was able to turn her head in his direction.

"I guess although I don't really remember how bad I felt. How long have I been here and where is here?" Sam's gaze focused on the window behind Daniel's head. She saw trees and a dark blue sky.

"This is Atona and you've been here six weeks." Sam's eyes grew wide and she focused her attention back on Daniel.

"Six weeks! The last I remember I'd been here three." Daniel grinned and brushed his fingers through her hair.

"Time flies when you're having fun."

"Where's everyone else?"

"I'm the only one who could stay. There's trouble with the Jaffa so Teal'c's been making frequent trips to Dakara. Cameron's working with some other teams while you and I are here."

"Oh, how long do I have to stay?"

"They don't yet. The treatments you need can't be done on Earth so you're stuck here until you're well. Luckily they're great people." Daniel smiled again. Timor walked up as Daniel finished his sentence.

"I am pleased to hear you speak of us so highly Dr. Jackson. I had worried you would blame us for the illness to which Samantha has been subjected." Daniel looked up at the alien.

"Of course not. You had no way to know this would happen. I'm just glad you've been so willing to help heal Sam and provide me with lodging."

"Not that you have made much use of it." Timor inclined his head and smiled in a friendly way at Daniel. Timor turned his attention back to Sam. "I would like to assess your progress before you begin today's treatment. It requires that I touch you, as usual. Do I have your consent?" Sam looked into Timor's eyes and saw only a sincere desire to help. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Daniel nod yes.

"Yes." Timor nodded his understanding and slipped the sheet off Sam. She felt his hands move across her temple, along her cheeks, and down her neck. Once he reached her shoulders she no longer felt his hands. Her realization of the loss of sensation terrified her. Her breathing increased and she began to panic. Timor recognized what was happening and placed his hands back on her face.

"Samantha, I know this is hard for you but you must calm down. Your therapy depends much upon your mood and level of cooperation. The more you help the faster I can help you heal." Sam looked into his eyes and began to relax. Timor's thumbs caressed her cheeks as her breathing evened out. "Better. I will do my best to tell you what is happening so this fear will not find you again."

"Thank-you."

Sam was sitting up in bed as a nurse finished feeding her something that tasted a little like applesauce. Daniel slinked in behind the nurse and took his usual seat without speaking. Sam knew something was up but decided to wait until the nurse was gone before asking. The nurse soon cleaned up the tray and Sam. She left after wishing Daniel a good morning.

"What's up Daniel?" Daniel placed a children's puzzle on the table in front of Sam. Sam assumed the animals shown on the puzzle were typical Atona animals since they only vaguely resembled Earth animals. The puzzle pieces had large knobs attached to them. Sam was working on picking up the pieces and placing them on the wooden backboard, a task she'd struggling to master for the last week. She was making good progress with her right hand but her left hand was catching on a bit slower. Sam slid her right hand along the table as Daniel placed the puzzle pieces in front of her.

"What makes you say..." Daniel didn't make eye contact with Sam.

"I've known you for too long to play these games."

"Right. I've been called back."

"Oh." Sam's hand faltered and she dropped the piece she'd just managed to snag. "When do you go?"

"They want me back today." Daniel played with the edge of the blanket draped across Sam's lap.

"You'll come visit?" Daniel locked eyes with Sam.

"Of course I will. Every week...or more if they'll let me." Daniel reached out and stroked her face. The intimate move had become commonplace between them because for so many weeks the only sensation Sam registered was from her face. It had taken three months for her chest and arms to begin to respond.

"I'll be ok, Daniel. Timor will take great care of me. How about bringing back some chocolate and music when you come back?"

"I'll do my best. I taught Marco, one of the sentries, how to use the MALP and Stargate. If you need anything just ask him to send a message."

"I will." Daniel was out of the room before Sam let her tears fall down her face. She was alone on an alien planet an unable to care for herself. Timor found her still silently weeping. He wiped her face with a tissue but didn't speak. He sat on the edge of her bed and lifted her hand. Sam felt the warm glow she associated with her healing sessions.

"You will not be alone. I promise." Sam looked into his eyes. Something about his expression and voice made her wonder if he somehow knew how she felt. He caressed her face and bid her to rest. She let sleep win.

Daniel came as promised over the next five months. Sam regained the ability to use her hands and was beginning to feel her legs. Timor fitted her with special splints that let her stand for brief periods of time but she could tell even while wearing them that her legs had grown weak during the months of disuse. Sam was in the garden reading when Daniel arrived. He was pale and nervously rubbing his fingers along his pants as he sat on a bench near Sam's wheelchair-like contraption.

"Hey Daniel. How's your week been?"

"Good...good. I brought you a birthday card. I'm sorry it's late but well..."

"I understand, really. I hadn't even been keeping up with the days that well. I didn't know it had come and gone." Sam was lying. She knew perfectly well how many months she'd been on Atone and how that correlated with Earth. She took the card Daniel handed her and ripped it open. She read the store bought card and looked at the signatures.

"Why did you have to sign for them? Are they alright?" Sam's worry exploded in her chest as she realized Daniel had signed for Teal'c, Jack, and Cameron. Daniel shrugged and looked down at his feet.

"They're fine. They just weren't around so I signed for them. I'd hoped you wouldn't realize."

"Ah, well General O'Neill signs my cards O'Neill not Jack, at least he did when he was still my CO. I guess that would be different this year." Sam giggled. "After all these years of reading his reports before he submitted them I'd know his signature anywhere." Daniel rolled his eyes.

"I knew that. That was pretty stupid of me. I guess I just had a lot on my mind." Sam's sadness was hidden by her curiosity.

"Like?" Daniel sucked in a big breath.

"I got myself in a spot of trouble."

"Daniel?" Sam leaned forward.

"I haven't exactly been authorized to come and see you as often as I've been doing."

"So how were you getting here?" Sam leaned against her weak legs.

"Teal'c and Cameron would let me gate here while we were on missions."

"Daniel, do you have any idea how dangerous that is?" Sam's near scream didn't surprise Daniel. As a former SG team leader Sam understood the risk his leaving posed to the rest of the team.

"Yeah, last week I accidentally returned during a firefight. Everybody got out fine...no thanks to me. The whole thing might've been prevented if I'd been there to translate and smooth things over. The others also could've left earlier before it got ugly except they were waiting on me to return. The General is really pissed. My visits to see you have been scaled back. I'll only be able to come about once a month." Sam nodded her head.

"I'll be ok Daniel." He looked up waiting for her anger. "Don't you ever pull something so stupid again, especially not for me."