PX-579
October 11th, 2004
3:00pm
Alexia stepped back from the wall, frowning. Something was wrong: she was having trouble breathing and the wall was becoming increasingly blurry. She had felt a little nauseous since coming to the planet, and had dismissed it as nerves, but now she wasn't so sure. She turned to the side of the room that Daniel was working on, "Daniel," she called, walking toward him. She was surprised to find that her body wasn't cooperating the way that it should have, and had to fight to stay on her feet.
Daniel heard her say his name and turned toward her, surprised at what he saw. She was very pale and appeared to be having trouble walking. He walked over to her, "Hey, what's wrong," he said, reaching out his hands to steady her.
Alexia looked at him, scared at how blurry he was. She had perfect vision, he shouldn't have been blurry, "Something's wrong," she managed before everything went black and she collapsed in his arms.
"Alex!" Daniel called as she collapsed in his arms. Quickly and gently laying her down on the floor, he felt for a pulse. He sighed with relief when he found one and ran out of the room. The rest of
SG-1 was talking to Orac, the leader of the people on the planet. "Jack," he called, as he ran up to them.
Jack turned, surprised to find that Daniel had fear in his eyes, "What's up, Daniel?"
"Something's wrong with Alex. She just collapsed, and is unconscious," he said.
Jack, Sam, Teal'c, and Orac quickly followed Daniel back to Alexia. Sam and Jack knelt beside her, "Carter?" Jack asked, knowing that she most likely would not know what was wrong.
"She's very pale, and even though she's unconscious, you can still hear how much trouble she's having breathing. We should get her back to Earth as quickly as possible. Janet will know what to do," Sam said.
Jack nodded, and turned to Orac, "Well, Orac, we thank you for your hospitality, and will probably be back again," he said, picking Alexia up.
"You are always welcome, Colonel. I do hope that Dr. Miller will be ok," Orac said.
"Indeed do we all," Teal'c said, and followed the others out of the room. They made their way as quickly as possible back to the gate. Daniel dialed and typed in his IDC code, hoping that Janet would be able to find out what was wrong with Alexia.
Daniel stepped into the gateroom. "We need a medic," he yelled as Jack came through carrying Alexia. Two medics appeared with a stretcher and Jack placed Alexia on it. They followed the stretcher to the infirmary, where Janet was waiting, "What happened?" she asked, checking Alexia's vital signs.
"Um, she said something was wrong. She was very pale and seemed to be having trouble walking. Then she just collapsed in my arms," Daniel said, running a hand through his hair.
General Hammond appeared, "What happened people? I thought the Ittans were peaceful people."
"They are, she just collapsed. We don't know why," Sam said, as Janet began to run tests.
An hour later, after they had all been checked over themselves, they were anxiously awaiting Janet's news about Alexia. Janet walked over to them with a grim expression on her face.
"What's wrong with her, Janet," Daniel asked.
"She's had an allergic reaction," Janet said, "to something in the planet's atmosphere."
"What?" Sam asked.
"Well, as far as I can tell, Xenon," Janet said.
"Well, am I wrong, or does Earth have Xenon, too. Why isn't she sick when she's here?" Jack asked.
Sam turned to him, "Well, sir, the Earth's atmosphere has many trace gases in it. Several gases that make up less than one percent of the Earth's atmosphere. Xenon is one of these gases. However, on Ittan, while Xenon is still a trace gas, it makes up almost 5 of their atmosphere. If she's allergic to Xenon, on Earth, she wouldn't even be able to tell that it was there, but on Ittan, her body would know because there's a lot more of it."
Jack nodded, "Oh."
"Can she be cured?" Teal'c asked, as Daniel walked over to Alexia's bed, his back to them.
Janet sighed, "There is nothing that we can do for her. If she is going to get over this reaction, it's going to be on her own. I do have her on a respirator, not because she needs it, but because I'm hoping that a little more oxygen will help her filter out the Xenon."
"What's going to happen to her?" Daniel asked, quietly, not turning, trying to keep his emotions in check.
Janet looked over at him, knowing that this was hardest on him, "If she doesn't wake up within the next 36 hours, the chances of her waking up at all will decrease by 75. If she doesn't wake up within 48 hours, chances are she won't."
Daniel nodded, keeping his back to them, and put his head in his hands. He sat down in a chair by her bed and looked at the face, so pale now, that, only hours ago, had been full of life, and eyes that were full of excitement because they were going off-world. Ever since the night that they had cooked dinner together and she had told him of Adam, they had been closer than ever. Daniel thought back to how much fun they had had unpacking and decorating her apartment those two days long ago. Might he never see her smile again, or hear her laugh? He placed his head in his hands and rubbed his eyes.
Five hours later, when Jack walked into the infirmary with Teal'c, Daniel was sitting just as they had left him earlier. Walking over to him, Jack tapped him on the shoulder, "Come on, Danny-boy," he said, "we're getting you some food. Teal'c said he would sit with Alex. If she wakes up, he'll tell you."
Daniel nodded, not really hungry, but knowing that if he didn't go with Jack that Sam would just come in and bug him too. He got up and followed Jack to the mess hall. He picked up a little food and he and Jack sat across from each other. Daniel picked at his food for a while and then turned to Jack, "Jack, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, Danny-boy," Jack said, "what's on your mind?"
"Well, I need some advice," Daniel said, wondering how to broach this subject. It was something they all knew but all denied. He didn't know how Jack would react if he brought it up.
Jack thought he knew where this was going, and decided that the base was not the best place to discuss it, "About Alex?" he asked.
"Yeah," Daniel answered, "how did you know?"
Jack smiled, "Daniel, you are pretty good at hiding your feelings, but not to the people who have spent nearly every day of the past eight years with you. It's obvious to us all that your feelings for Alex go beyond friendship," he said, standing up, "Why don't we take a walk outside, and you can ask me anything."
Daniel nodded, throwing away his uneaten food and following Jack outside the base.
Once they were outside, Jack broke the silence, "So, Daniel, what is it you want to ask me?"
Daniel put his hands in his pockets and stared at the ground, still a little apprehensive to how Jack would react to this, "I was wondering how you deal with it?"
"Deal with what?" Jack asked, even though he had a good idea.
"How do you control your emotions when she gets hurt, Jack? How do you deal with the fact that she could die on any mission?" Daniel asked.
Jack didn't even have to ask who 'she' was. He knew perfectly well who Daniel was talking about, "Oh, that," he said, looking at the ground, "Well, I do it because I have to, Daniel. We'd be court-martialed, and, as hard as it is, I know I have to do it. She knows it, too, and she knows that she has to do it, and I know that she has to."
Daniel nodded, "But don't you ever just want to quit and stop walking the line? Don't you ever want to just cross it?"
"Well, yeah, and I've thought about it, but in the end, I know that I'd much rather be able to keep her safe myself, and never have her, than to have her and not be able to keep my eye on her. It's a hard decision to make, and I have to make it everyday, but I also know that it's the right one," Jack said, and stopped and turned to Daniel, "This is how you deal with it Daniel, you do your best to keep her safe, knowing that sometimes you won't be able to. You let her make her own decisions, but also try to regulate how dangerous of a situation she is putting herself in. You can't keep her safe all the time Daniel, and in this case, you couldn't have even known that she was in danger."
"I know, Jack, it's just that I don't know what to do anymore. I'm confused," Daniel said.
"Well, imagine that, Daniel confused," Jack joked, then turned serious, "Listen, your situation is different, because neither you nor Alex are in the military. You don't have to walk the line Daniel, you can cross it. I'd just advise you to wait until she's off of SG-1, because then you are no longer even working together, and you won't have to worry about her going off-world. Besides, Hammond will be a little more open to the idea then," Jack said.
Daniel nodded, "I figured that would be the best way. Besides, I still need time to think, and she probably looks at me as a brother or something anyway. I just wanted to know how to deal with, and I figured you would be the best person to ask," he said.
Jack laughed, "Listen to me Daniel, and listen good, Alex, in no way, looks at you as a brother. Teal'c and me as brothers maybe, but not you. I've seen the way she looks at you, and it's the same way you look at her. It's the same way I look at Carter, and she looks at me. It goes beyond friendship, beyond just about anything," he said, turning back toward the base.
Daniel smiled, "Thank you, Jack," he said, "and Alex looks at you as a father, Jack, not a brother."
Jack nodded, and they walked back to the base in silence. They walked into the infirmary where both Teal'c and Sam were now waiting. Daniel sat down in a chair, "Any change?" he asked.
Sam shook her head, "Janet says that the Xenon is almost out of her system, but we still don't know how much damage it did to her."
Daniel nodded, and Teal'c stood up, "I must go do my Kel'no'Reem. Please retrieve me should AlexiaMiller wake up," he said, and left the room.
Sam left also, leaving Jack and Daniel alone. An hour later, Jack stood up, "I'm going to go and get some sleep," he said, clapping Daniel on the shoulder, "You should, too."
"I don't think I could if I wanted to," Daniel said, "but thanks."
Jack nodded and left the room. Daniel got as comfortable as he could in the hard plastic chair and settled himself in for the night. Twenty minutes later, Janet walked over to him, "I suppose me telling you to leave would do no good, so here," she said, handing him a blanket, "It gets really cold in here at night."
Daniel accepted the blanket, "Thank you, Janet," he said, and she left him alone.
Daniel wrapped the blanket around himself and attempted to sleep. He actually fell asleep around two a.m., hoping against hope that she would wake up in the morning.
Four hours later, Alexia groggily opened her eyes. Her head was killing her, but she was glad to find that her vision had returned. Looking around her, she determined that she was back on Earth in the infirmary. Her eyes fell on Daniel, asleep in a chair by her bed. Alexia smiled and decided not to wake him. Instead, she focused on the tube down her throat. Deciding that Janet had it there for a reason, she reached above her and hit a button, hoping that she wasn't waking Janet up.
Janet appeared a few minutes later, and indeed, Alexia knew that she had woken her up. Janet leaned down to her, "You've had a lot of people worried about you," she whispered, pulling the respirator out of Alexia's throat and giving her a glass of water.
Alexia eagerly accepted the water, and gulped down half the glass, "Thanks," she whispered, "how did I get here."
"Daniel said that you collapsed in his arms and they brought you back here," Janet whispered, "You had an allergic reaction to the Xenon in Ittan's atmosphere. We were kind of worried there for a while that you weren't going to make it. We had no way to treat you, but your body must have decided you needed to stay alive."
Alexia smiled, "How long have I been out?"
"Almost 18 hours," Janet answered, "Everyone's been worried about you. Especially him." She gestured to Daniel, "We should probably wake him up. He's liable to hurt us if we don't."
Alexia nodded, "How long am I going to be in here," she said, tapping Daniel on the knee.
"I'm going to keep you in bed for another day to keep an eye on you," Janet said, "but I see no reason why you won't make a full recovery. I'm going to go and tell General Hammond that you are awake." She checked Alexia's vitals and walked away, leaving Alexia and Daniel alone.
"Ok," Alexia said, now gently shaking Daniel, "Daniel, wake up."
Daniel felt someone shaking him and then heard someone say his name, and he woke up with a start. He looked around him, disoriented, until his eyes fell on Alexia who was sitting up in her bed, and he grinned in relief. Standing up, he clasped her hand in his, "You're awake, thank goodness," he said, "we've been really worried about you."
Alexia smiled, "so I've been told. Why are you sleeping here, and not in a bed?" she asked.
Daniel sat on the edge of the bed, "I wanted to be here when you woke up," he said, and looked at the floor, "or if you didn't."
Alexia squeezed his hand, "I'm going to be just fine, Daniel. We'll just have to watch out for Xenon on future planets."
Daniel looked into her eyes, "I was so scared," he admitted.
Alexia pulled him into a hug, which he returned fiercely, "I'm sorry I scared you, Daniel," she said.
Daniel pulled back, and smiled, "Just don't do it again, got it," he joked.
Alexia smiled back, "I'll try," she said.
"So, how are you feeling?" Daniel asked.
"Well, except for this headache, I feel fine," she answered.
Daniel nodded and stood up, "I am under strict orders to retrieve Sam, Teal'c, and Jack should you wake up, so I will be right back, ok," he said, and kissed her cheek, "get Janet to get you some aspirin."
Alexia nodded and leaned back into the pillows, "She went to tell General Hammond that I was awake, but I will when she gets back."
Daniel nodded and left the room. Janet returned a few minutes later with General Hammond in tow, "How are you feeling, Dr. Miller?" he asked.
Alexia smiled, "I have a headache, but, other than that, I feel a little weak, but fine."
"Well, I'm glad to hear that," General Hammond said, as SG-1 walked through the door. General Hammond smiled at her, then left the room.
"Hey kiddo," Jack said, walking over to her bed, "how you feeling?"
Alexia grinned at him, "I feel fine, Jack."
"I'm going to get you some aspirin, Alex," Janet said, and Alexia smiled at her gratefully.
"I am glad to hear that you are feeling better, AlexiaMiller," Teal'c said.
"Thanks, Teal'c"
"Hey, you still look a little pale, are you sure you feel ok," Sam asked.
"I just have a headache," Alexia said, "and I'm a little tired."
Janet handed her some aspirin, and then turned to everyone else, "Ok, Alex needs rest, so I'm going to have to kick all of you out," she said, and seeing Daniel about to protest, "Yes, all of you."
Jack nodded, "I'm glad you're feeling better, kiddo," he said, and left the room.
"As am I," Teal'c said, smiled at her, and followed Jack out of the room.
"Get some sleep, Alex," Sam said, "and rest, ok. No studying, that's not resting."
Alexia smiled, "You know me too well. I promise, no studying."
Sam smiled and left the room. Daniel turned to Alexia, "Well, it seems that I, too, am being kicked out. Get some sleep, ok," he said, kissing her forehead, "I'll see you when you wake up."
Alexia nodded, "Hey, you get some sleep, too, got it," she said, clasping her hand in his.
Daniel squeezed her hand, "Yes, Ma'am."