6. Choking Vine

Jack took deep breaths, feeling the shock of what he had done coursing through him. He had kissed Daniel. Years of attraction slowly blossoming from friendship into love and suddenly he couldn't hold himself back any longer, having to act. So he kissed his friend. And Daniel had looked back at him with such a mixture of fear, hope, confusion and, well, love that Jack felt sure he had stumbled into an alternate universe somehow and that none of this was real. From the confusion in Daniel's face, he suspected that Daniel felt much the same way.

"Jack?" Daniel whispered, and then tears were tumbling down his cheeks and he whispered, "We can't."

"Why?" Jack asked. And the answer came in a flood of stuttering confusion. From the midst of the babbling confusion, Jack drew out the conclusion that Daniel couldn't love Jack because his love would destroy him, and he had promised someone, and Jack would get hurt, and how could Jack want him anyway, as worthless and disgusting as he was. Though Daniel said none of this in exact words, his attempt at an explanation, mixed with the expression on his face and the tears coursing from his eyes were enough. Finally the speech stopped with Daniel turning his head away in his shame.

"Tell me who," Jack insisted, "Who hurt you, and I will destroy them." But Daniel wouldn't answer. Jack refused to leave for a long time, gently stroking Daniel's hair, until he was sure Daniel was asleep. Then he finally had to leave, feeling the need to sort through his own emotions and to understand what was happening. Unwilling to go far, though, he slipped out to the nearest restroom.

He wanted to kill whoever had hurt his Daniel. Janet and the other doctors hadn't wanted for him to know the extent of what they had discovered in the bruises on Daniel's body, but he had insisted that, as Daniel's commanding officer, he needed to know. When even that didn't get him anything more than the fact that there were 'signs of abuse', he had finally broken into Daniel's file. What he had read there had sent his blood burning cold through his veins. But Daniel refused to give any names.

Sighing, Jack forced himself to relax before he left the bathroom, walking slowly back towards Daniel's room. As he approached, he saw a man leaving.

"Major Davis," Jack barked sharply and the man jumped to attention. Jack glared coldly at the man for one moment, a dark feeling of unease uncurling in his stomach. He remembered his earlier suspicions that Daniel had been seeing him, suspicions that led towards darker suspicions which in turn led towards a sudden desire to snap the majors neck in two. Jack's need to return to Daniel suddenly blossomed fiercely in his chest, and leaving the major standing in the hall he rushed past him towards Daniel's room.

"Jack!" Daniel gasped when he burst into the room. He was struggling against the restraints in panic, fear flooding his eyes as he struggled to breathe. Jack moved swiftly to his side, hitting the call button and grabbing Daniel's hand.

"Easy, Danny," Jack said, trying to keep his voice steady and calm, "Just breathe."

"Jack," Daniel gasped again, "Said…hurt…Sam…hurt…you! Stop…don't let…Jack!" Finally, the doctors and nurses on call came running into the room. There were several long minutes of flurried activity before Daniel was finally calmed, breathing easily, aided by a mask and a light sedative. Jack never left his side. Finally, when they were alone again, Daniel was able to speak.

"You have to stop Paul," he pleaded, "I broke the rules, I wasn't supposed to hurt myself, I wasn't supposed to…he was so angry and I couldn't move, and then I couldn't breathe…he said he'd hurt Sam…he was going to hurt you! Stop him, Jack!"

"Did he hurt you?" Jack asked quietly. Daniel looked away, still pulling feebly at the restraints on his bed.

"Danny," Jack whispered, softly. Suddenly, Daniel turned towards him again.

"He had pictures," he whispered, "Pictures of you. With a man. He was going to expose you. I couldn't let him Jack. He said he wouldn't if…if I…we had some rules. I would be his…and he wouldn't hurt you."

"I broke the rules, Jack," Daniel continued suddenly, "He was so angry. I told him I wouldn't tell but he wanted to hurt me. He…he broke that plant next to my bed and said something about Sam."

"I will protect her," Jack answered, and silently to himself he added, 'and I will kill him.' Daniel was growing sleepy from a combination of his panic attack and the sedative.

"I love you, Danny," Jack whispered softly. His defenses down and doped up on his medication, Daniel answered, "I love you, Jack." Then he was asleep.