It was later that evening, or rather earlier in the morning, when Daniel decided he was peckish. After all, he'd had nothing to eat. He managed to talk to guard into letting him out of his room for a quick trip to the commissary, unaccompanied. The guard had no orders to follow him, he was merely supposed to keep an eye on his room, but did say Daniel was supposed to call for an escort. "Fine, I'll get Stan to come with me," he said, and ducked into the elevator.

The last shift change was under effect, as most of the personnel headed home, and the day crew due in. Daniel couldn't find Stan in his office. Probably went home. He sighed, and noticed a scrap of paper on the small desk. He tilted his head to look at it, then raised it to his eyes for a better view. Then he bolted out of the office.

Daniel ran down the corridors as fast as he could, forcing his way past a tide of people. He skidded around a corner and slammed into the closed elevator doors, then cursed and headed for the stairs. He was near the vault when he heard shots fired.

He yanked on the door handle, to no avail. One of the MP's who had happened to come upon the incident pulled out his pistol and shot at the handle with a metallic ping, then kicked it in. Daniel rushed inside and looked quickly around, seeing a dead man propped on the shelves across from him. "Stan?" He started a quick sweep of the area and found his friend on his side in the corner. "Stan!" He ran to the injured man and slowly turned him over. "Oh god. . ."

"Daniel. . ."

"Nonono, don't move, I'm calling for help. Just lie still."

"I just radioed, Dr. Jackson," the MP said as more joined him. Daniel nodded his thanks and turned his attention back to his friend.

"God it hurts. . ."

"I know, I know, just hold on, help's coming."

"I didn't mean to kill him. You've got to believe me.. He just came at me. . .never thought it would be Brooks. . .known him for years. . .didn't mean to kill him. . ."

"If you didn't you'd be dead. It was self defense." Daniel applied pressure to the wound, wincing at the man's tortured groan. "Sorry, I need to do this."

"Daniel. . ."

"No. Don't say anything, just hang on."

"No, listen to me. He wanted the artifact. He was looking for it, he didn't know you had returned it to the planet."

Daniel frowned and pulled back slightly. "What?"

"Daniel?" A new voice echoed down the hall, a voice that carried more than it's fair share of tension.

"In here!" Daniel shifted the pressure as he moved to the side and allowed Dr. Frasier access. He reluctantly backed away as she waved him off, and felt a hand grab his elbow.

"You okay?" Jack asked, his gaze switching from his friend to Stan.

Daniel was becoming dizzy with the sudden influx of people. "I-I'm fine. Didn't even see what happened, just heard the shots."

Jack gave a solemn nod and released him. "That's our man over there, then? You know him?" He stepped aside as more personnel filed in and surrounded the dead man.

"No clue. Stan knew him though. He's pretty torn up about this."

"Guess he would be." Jack glanced around the crowded room. "Look, let's go out into the hall. Janet'll be on your ass if you hover."

"Yeah, okay." Daniel cast one more look at his colleague and followed the Colonel into the hall, just in time to meet Sam and Teal'c. Great, more people to dodge. Daniel's sudden temper was quelled by the fear in Sam's eyes. Teal'c looked displeased, and his careful scrutiny of Daniel betrayed his concern, but Sam openly threw her arms around Daniel, then just as quickly pulled back.

"What happened?" she asked breathlessly.

"Stan got him. That's all I know, really. He walked in on him, and shot in self-defense."

"God." Sam shook her head.

"Jack, Stan said he was looking for the artifact. He said this man didn't know that I had returned it. I-I found a note in his office, saying to meet this man down here. . ."

Jack frowned and pulled Daniel aside as Stan was rushed out of the door on the way to the infirmary. He pressed his hand to the man's shoulder in a gesture to stay put, then walked back into the room and address a young, black captain. What was his name? Stenner? "Any idea who this man is?"

"Yes sir." The young captain stood and wiped his hands. "Reginald Brooks. Transferred here about four weeks ago. Can't remember where he said he was from, you'd need to do a profile check, sir. He wasn't on any outbound teams that I know of."

"Still in training?"

"Think so, sir."

"Any idea how he knew about this place?"

"This vault isn't a well-kept secret. We just can't get in. Sir."

"Right. No idea how he got in then?"

"Bamboozled the guards somehow. As of this moment we don't even know where they are, when we arrived it was just Greyson, an MP, Brooks, and Dr. Jackson."

Jack nodded and pulled him aside. "Look, Stenner, I appreciate your help. I've got to go talk to the General, but I need you to do something for me."

"Sir?"

"Pull a personnel file on the victim here, and one on Stan Greyson. This is the second time he's been conveniently close."

"Yes, sir."

Jack released Stenner and turned to see Daniel standing behind him. "Jack, Stan has nothing to do with this."

Jack thought back to the photos that Simon had produced. "We don't know that."

"I don't supposed you could just take my word for it?"

"No, I can't, Daniel. Too many people are dying. Now he may know something, he may be holding out."

"Come on. . ."

"Now you listen, . ."

"He wouldn't do that!"

"Right, well, there was a time when I didn't think you would do that, you know?" Jack elbowed past him.

"Why can't you just forgive me for an error in judgement?" Daniel asked, tailing Jack.

"I can. Just not right now."

"Then when?"

"When I'm satisfied that you haven't made another error in judgement with your friend here." Jack turned to give Daniel a grim look, then rounded the corner. Daniel clenched his fists in frustration then sighed and sank back against the wall as the MP's continued to investigate four doors down. This was not a good week. Or month.

The day passed in a blur, and when night rolled around once again, Daniel looked in on Stan. The man was pale, his once ruddy complexion now melding with the stark sheets. The ventilator pumped his chest. Machines blipped, machines he himself had been attached to at one point or another. They saved his life, performed the same functions that it was performing on Stan at that moment. But Daniel knew. He saw it in the glances that Janet gave him, in the way the nurses walked by almost respectfully. He saw it in the sallowness of his friend's cheeks, in the way his eyes didn't flicker in sleep behind closed eyelids. Daniel leaned in. "I never gave you a chance to be my friend," he said softly, "you'd think with all the death I've seen, I'd know to pay more attention. We still have time. I still want to show you that coffee shop, it'll remind you of Chicago." He smiled slightly. "What I'm saying is, don't you dare give up on me. 'Cause I'm not giving up on you." Daniel gripped Stan's hand and squeezed it, then stood. He had to get out of there. He sent a silent apology and left.

Jack found him in his office thumbing through documents at a speed that showed he wasn't paying the least bit of attention to what they said, rather he was keeping his hands moving, looking busy. The Colonel lingered in the doorway until Daniel looked up and motioned him in. "I can't find my notes on the Adrani," he muttered, "I just had them and now they're gone."

"Daniel. . ."

"I'm so stupid. I know where they are. . ." He shouldered past and tried to make his escape down the hall but Jack caught him by the arms. The expression on his face said it all. "When?" Daniel asked quietly.

"Just a few minutes ago. I was with the General when he got the call. Said I'd . . ." he shrugged, "you know. . ."

"Janet's with him."

"Yeah, she's doing what she does, look, I know. . ."

"Jack, don't." Daniel pushed away.

"I did like him. More because you did, but still." Jack's eyes met Daniel's. "He didn't deserve this."

"Who does?" Daniel succeeded in getting past Jack, but pause when he heard his name.

"Want company?"

"No thanks." Daniel glanced over his shoulder and gave a nod. "I'll see you later." He left Jack standing in the hall. Jack hesitated, then sighed and walked the other way.

He was too still. Everything was too quiet. The machines were off, there was only the sounds of the surrounding medical personnel tending the other patients. Daniel just stared at Stan Greyson. Dead. Gone. Janet came up behind Daniel and rubbed his arm. Daniel gave a little smile of appreciation before his expression sobered.

"He was a good guy, ya know? Hard worker, another month and he'd have been running laps around me. I wanted him as an assistant, he was good. Really good." He gave a small laugh, capped by tears. "He had a way of storing facts in his head. It was like thumbing through a card catalog when you asked him something. He was going to make my books obsolete." Daniel smiled, then clinched his fist and turned away. "I really hoped he would pull through."

"Massive infection," Janet said gently. "Loss of blood, there was nothing I could do."

"I'm sure you did all you could."

Janet's eyes sought her friend's face. "You gonna be okay?"

A sarcastic laugh escaped Daniel's lips. "Sure. Not the first time I've lost someone." He pushed away Janet's attempt to hold him back. "I'm fine. I'm going home, after all this," he waved his hand in the air, "I've got clearance. I just need to be alone, okay?"

"Okay," Janet replied softy. She watched Daniel leave, then picked up the phone.