The tension in the briefing room the next morning was palpable.
Jack scrubbed a hand wearily over his face, exhausted to the bone; Daniel sat opposite him radiating nervous energy – obviously dying for a face-off with Jack. Teal'c sat stoically, eying each of them in turn, ready to intervene at a moment's notice should the need arise. Janet Fraiser shuffled her medical files but said nothing.
General Hammond entered the room. Everybody stood.
"As you were people" he said as he took his seat at the head of the table. Daniel leafed through a file and then threw it to the table in disgust, unable to contain himself any longer.
"Care to tell us what was so important that you couldn't be here Jack?" he exploded.
"Dr. Jackson …" General Hammond said gently.
"No … really Sir … I'd like to know" he fixed Jack with a glare.
"Daniel, believe me .."
"She called for you Jack … every moment that she was conscious she called for you. Do you have any idea how hard that was for the rest of us? There were five of us in that room and we might as well have not existed."
"Daniel …"
"I sat by her for four days Jack … FOUR DAYS. There was only one thing she wanted and you weren't there."
"Daniel I'm sorry …"
Daniel got up and sauntered over to Jack's side of the table, looming over him threateningly.
"But you know what the saddest part was? She made excuses for you .. she forgave you for abandoning her. She refused a symbiote because she was afraid you'd reject her … and you rejected her anyway, you self-centred…"
"Daniel Jackson …desist." Teal'c clamped a hand down on his shoulder. "I do not believe that O'Neill had control over this situation. Had he been aware of the situation he would have been here. Of that I am certain."
Jack stood up. Daniel forved himself to look him in the eye and was floored by the depth of emotion he found there.
"I would have been here if I had gotten those messages Daniel …"
"She died alone Jack."
Tears appeared in Daniel's eyes.
"She died alone … in spite of the fact that we were all there with her."
His body shook with emotion. "I just need to know that you didn't stay away because you couldn't face this. I miss her Jack …"
Jack felt the last bit of his resolve crumble and instinctively reached out for him, feeling Daniel's need to be grounded.
"I miss her too …"
They stood there, with Teal'c standing by maintaining his grip on Daniel's shoulder, all three linked in their grief over their lost team mate.