He couldn't stand their pity. He didn't want it. It only made him feel worse. But it was inevitable, and he knew that. Of course they'd pity him. And he pitied them for that.
Daniel--the other one, the one from this universe--was sitting on a chair at the other end of the room, staring into the distance. He was having a hard time with this. As much as Daniel hated making it worse, he had no choice.
"So... I guess you can guess I'll have to ask this sooner or later... About Sha're. I told you my story. What about yours?" he asked.
The other one turned to look at him as if he'd forgotten there was someone else in the room.
"Yeah... I guess I knew... Right. It's only been a week. She... We... There was this big attack against her forces... And I found her in a tent, and she used her hand device on me--and she sent me a message through it, telling me about--well, that wouldn't mean anything to you. And..."
"And... They had to kill her so she wouldn't kill you?"
"Yeah..." the other nodded slowly. "Yeah. He had no choice."
"He? Who? Who did it?"
"Teal'c... Teal'c had to kill her. But I'm not angry at him. He did the right thing. I know that."
"Do you really believe that? That there was no other choice?"
The other Daniel sighed. "I'm... It's..." he shook his head. "I think I do. I do believe it. She told me to forgive Teal'c. One of her last wishes. So I forgive him. It's what she wanted."
"Really? She said that?"
"Through the hand device. When she had me in her grip. I know it sounds crazy, but I know it was true."
"Her last words... Her last thoughts... I wish I could've heard those too. I never saw her again. Sha're. After the day I first lost her, I never saw her. Only Amaunet, and then she was gone."
They both fell silent for a while. Daniel had the eerie feeling that they were even breathing in the same time. They were the same. And still, not the same. He was sure their thoughts weren't going the same way.
"So... What do you think about him? Teal'c?" he asked. "What's he like? I... I never got to know him the way you do. They'd just allowed him to join the SGC when he..."
"That's an odd question, really. What do I think about Teal'c? He's one of the best friends I've ever had. Like Jack and Sam. I guess I think of them as my family."
"And... Jack and Sam? Anything between them?"
"Huh? Why do you ask that? Was there something between them in your universe?"
"Oh, no! No, there wasn't. But we did a bit of exploration through the mirror, and found out that there were quite a few universes where they did. Just had to check. I think your universe is one of the most similar ones I've seen. I've only met my counterpart in two other universes, but they were nothing like you and I. Completely different. And I think you're the luckiest of us all."
"But... There's got to be a universe out there where she's still alive."
"So I thought. But I've yet to find that one. If it really exists. Maybe some things are just bound to happen, sooner or later."
"So, Colonel. You're the one who's known Doctor Jackson longer than anyone else in this base. What do you make of this... visitor of ours?" General Hammond asked, when Jack had sat down in front of him, in his office.
That was a tough one. Yes, Jack had known Daniel for a while. He thought he knew Daniel better than anyone else. In a way, that was a weakness, in this case.
"Sir... I think he's... Daniel. He's just so Daniel that it's freaking me out. I can imagine that's what he'd be like if all that bad stuff would've happened to him. Poor guy, really. He's been through a lot."
"You think we can trust him, then? He can't show us any proof of what he's told."
"Sir--he's Daniel, right? I trust him. Daniel doesn't lie unless he's got a damn good reason to do it, and even then, he's never good at it. True, he can't show us any proof, but--he's a fugitive, chased by his own people. Probably didn't have time to collect his scrapbook when he started running."
Hammond didn't look completely convinced. Which was good, in Jack's opinion. He needed to be sharp or he wouldn't be able to run this program. "And what would you propose we do with him, son?"
"I think we should do what we can to help him. The Doc said that gunshot wound is mending nicely. We need to get the mirror here and start looking for a universe with no Daniel, one where he can stay safely. He's got to go through before that nasty entropy thingy starts happening."
"I've already asked for the quantum mirror to be transferred here, but it's going to take a while. In the meantime, since you're so certain that he may be trusted, I won't be putting him under house arrest, but he'll have a guard nearby all the time."
Jack was about to exclaim and protest to that, but then again, maybe it was for the best. He knew he wasn't exactly able to think objectively here. Maybe they'd be stupid to trust this visitor blindly. But, for crying out loud, this was Daniel they were talking about.
The sound of the door opening called Teal'c out of his kel'no'reem. He was slightly annoyed, but it did not matter, he had time. He could continue later.
He looked up, and saw Daniel Jackson--the other one, the one who had long hair. Having a stranger interrupt his kel'no'reem would have made him irritated, but seeing that it was Jackson, he nodded and smiled.
"Teal'c. Hi," Jackson said a bit hesitantly, and sat down, cross-legged, in front of Teal'c.
"Greetings, Daniel Jackson."
"I just figured... I wanted to talk to you. Maybe get to know you a bit better, now that I'm going to spend at least a while in this universe. You know, this is the only universe where I've really had the chance to talk to you. In every other one I've seen, you've either still been Apophis's first prime, or dead."
"This is most disturbing to hear."
"So, you're good friends in this universe, right?"
"There is a strong bond of friendship between myself and Daniel Jackson."
"You'd do anything to protect him?"
"I would."
He would do anything. Even kill Daniel Jackson's wife, when he had no other choice. Teal'c had the feeling that that was what this Jackson had in mind as well, but he did not say it. Perhaps Teal'c was wrong.
Jackson crouched even closer to him.
"Would you protect me, too, Teal'c?"
"Of what do you speak? You are in no danger here."
"But I am!" he said urgently, and then, whispered right into his ear, "Teal'c, I think I'm being followed... I'm almost sure of it. Someone, or something, came through the mirror with me... I think they're in here... In this room... Teal'c, you've got to... Oh God, no!"
Teal'c didn't know what happened, exactly. He saw Jackson flinch, lurch in a strange way, a movement that he should've understood, but he didn't.
The next thing he knew, a blinding pain struck him. Something sharp pierced his pouch. His prim'ta curled in agony.
Teal'c swung his arms haphazardly, trying to hit whoever had attacked him, but it was no good.
He fought to stay in control, to stay conscious. He needed to protect Jackson. But he could not. His symbiote was so badly harmed that it wasn't even moving anymore.
He heard Jackson calling out, "Help! Someone, anyone, please, help!"
He was weak, he had not been able to fight, he had failed to protect Jackson.
Perhaps he deserved this.
There was only darkness.
"What? What's happened? Oh, no!" Sam put down the phone in her lab.
She left her computer open, her notes on the quantum mirror technology still on the screen, and sprinted towards the infirmary.
Teal'c had been hurt. Badly. And Jackson was hurt as well, again.
Both Daniel and Jack joined her on her way there, and they ran in together, only to find that Teal'c was nowhere to be seen, and Jackson was surrounded by medical staff.
A nurse approached them, informing them that "I'm sorry, they're operating on Teal'c right now--I'm sure they'll let you know when there are any news."
She wasn't surprised when Jack instantly stood up against that. "At least you can tell me what's up with him. No one's told us anything except that it's bad."
"I don't think anyone knows exactly. He has a stab wound to the abdomen, and it has seriously harmed his symbiote. They're doing everything they can."
Gods. Teal'c's symbiote had been stabbed. That was where he was most vulnerable. If they couldn't save the symbiote, then there'd be little they could do to help Teal'c, unless they could find a replacement very fast.
"What about... the other me?" Daniel asked.
"A cut to the side, very near to his previous gunshot wound. It's not life-threatening. He'll be all right. Perhaps he'll be able to tell what happened."
"I think I can tell something," a guard suggested. He had blood on his sleeves.
"You the one who found them?" Jack inquired.
"Yes, sir."
"So, speak!"
"I was stationed as Jackson's guard. He wanted to visit Teal'c, so I followed, and stayed just outside the door, as ordered. He'd hardly been inside for five minutes, when I heard sounds of struggle, and then, Jackson was calling out for help. I went in and found them, both lying on the floor, bleeding. So, I called in the medics, and that's it."
"No signs of anyone else in the room?" Sam frowned.
"None that I could see. I did find the weapon they'd been struck with, though, the knife was on the floor right next to them."
Sam nodded. This was really strange. What could possibly have happened? She couldn't help thinking back to what Jackson had told. That he'd found Janet who had been stabbed, and then they'd blamed him for doing it. This was just like that. If there really had been no one else in the room... But this time, Jackson was hurt as well.
"We've got to search the room, there's bound to be something there. And get fingerprints from the knife and so on," she told the others.
"I've already set a team on it, Major Carter," General Hammond called out from the door.
"That's the best you can do, Jackson?" Jack yelled, the look on his face surprisingly cold.
Jackson's story of what had happened was flawed at best, Daniel had to admit that. He'd apparently not seen much of what happened. All he could tell was that he'd talked with Teal'c, and then, something had struck them, but he hadn't seen who or what it was. As far as he could say, it'd been invisible.
"God, you're going to think I did it, too, aren't you?" he said miserably.
Jack looked like he might actually think that. Daniel couldn't believe it. He thought Jack knew him better than that. Thinking that his counterpart, who had lost Teal'c in his own universe, would try to attack him here, that made no sense at all.
"I know you didn't do it," Daniel said to Jackson. "Jack, you've got to believe that too. He can't have done it."
"They've followed me. Someone, or something, has followed me through the gate. They're doing it again. They'll turn you against me, and I'll have to flee again. Maybe I'd better just stop fighting it. Just end it all. Go and join them. Sha're, Teal'c, Sam..." he closed his eyes, gasping, and grabbed his side. Daniel knew it had two rows of stitches now.
He was watching himself talk suicidally. If he'd ever felt like someone just walked over his grave, this was it.
"Danny, just take it easy... I'm not going to jump into any conclusions here," the look on Jack's face had melted into worry and anxiety.
It was so weird to hear Jack using that nickname when speaking to someone else, who really wasn't him. He guessed he felt a bit jealous, childish as it was. But at least Jack had dropped the bad cop act for a while.
Janet had appeared at the bedside, and was casting those killing glances at them.
"I think we've all got enough to be upset about here without you adding to it," she told Jack.
Jack instantly jumped up and turned to look at her. "Teal'c?"
"He's out of the operating room, but not nearly out of danger yet. His symbiote was almost cut in half. It's a miracle we were able to save it at all. We can't expect him to wake up anytime soon."
"But he's going to be all right?" Daniel asked.
"If all goes well. We'll just have to wait and see."