Tag #10 – Connections
Daniel's mind wandered often to Sha're as he and Sam followed Kendra over the mountains and through the Cimmerian forest. Kendra had been a host once…but no longer. The Goa'uld insisted that nothing of the host survived, but she was living proof that it was a lie.
Sometimes, at night, he'd lie awake and delude himself into thinking that Sha're was reaching out to him, calling for his aid, professing her love and faith in him. He'd never told his friends, thinking they'd start wondering about his sanity, but he just couldn't shake the feeling that it was genuine.
Kendra's immediate affirmation of his belief in their connection had bolstered his resolve to save his wife from the creature in her head. Unfortunately it seemed that Sam the skeptic had overheard his comment as well.
He tried to ignore her narrow-minded arguments as they walked along the ridges of a manmade aqueduct, but her cynical counterarguments chipped away at him. Even as he leaped over to face her on the same ridge, his annoyance at her petty closed-minded approach grew as she stubbornly insisted that Kendra was lying.
"Daniel, your belief that Kendra can somehow help bring Sha're back to you, it doesn't make it true..." she pushed on, and Daniel turned away, shoulders shaking in anger. How dare she? Sha're could still be saved! "And it certainly doesn't make her reliable!" Sam's voice called after him, still insisting on her very flawed ideas.
Daniel whirled around, taking a step back towards her. "Haven't you ever had a feeling that made absolutely no logical sense and it turned out to be right?" he demanded, voice raised in anger.
Sam closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again he could see confusion, irritation, and even a hint of pity. For God's sake, she won't even listen to me! he realized bitterly, and his eyes narrowed at her. He didn't know how to explain how he knew things, he just…did. Apparently his teammate was too single-minded to accept that in any way.
"This way," Kendra called from up ahead, and Daniel turned his back on Sam, following where his heart told him he would find what he sought. He jumped over onto a different ridge to get away from her persistent negative arguments, and was thankful when she remained silent.
They walked for a long time, not speaking of each other at all. Finally, after about three-quarters of an hour, Sam spoke up. "Daniel…I'm sorry."
He was slightly surprised at her willingness to apologize. "What?" he asked, looking over at her.
"I didn't mean to try and shoot down your hope," she clarified, touching his arm gently. "I'm just…naturally suspicious of things that aren't scientifically plausible at first glance. I've been thinking about it a lot, and it does make a bit of sense. I know how much you love Sha're, and that you'd do anything to get her back, but…I do get feelings sometimes too, and I get the feeling that this won't quite help you. I do believe it works," she hastened to say as his anger flared again, "but I don't feel like this is going to turn out like we all hope it will."
Daniel stared at her for a moment, trying to discern the truth of her confession and finding no deceit. Lifting his hand, he placed it over hers. "Apology accepted, Sam." He smiled faintly at her. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I hope your feelings are wrong."
"Yeah," she agreed. "Me too."
Their moment was broken by Kendra's cry of, "There!" Climbing up to the cliff face, Daniel saw the sign of Thor's Hammer carved into the rock.