Jack cursed softly as he stood motionless in the open doorway and stared out at the storm-induced darkness and wind-swirled snow of the still-raging blizzard. There was no telling how long they'd be stuck on this godforsaken block of ice before they could hike the two miles, through who knew how many feet of snow, to the gate.
They'd brought supplies for a three day mission but, since the readings from the MALP and UAV indicated that winter should still be several weeks off for the planet, they were wearing their basic olive drab BDU's and not their warmer winter kit. The blizzard, and its accompanying temperature drop, had caught them off guard.
He turned to go deeper into the building that they'd taken refuge in. Of all the ruins they'd come to examine, this squat stone building was the only one with any kind of roof that would provide them the shelter they needed. Not that the roof, if it could even be called that, offered much protection. Something had ripped holes in it and although it allowed the smoke from the fire they'd built to escape, it also meant a good deal of their heat left with it. They might not turn into popsicles but as much as the temperature had dropped in the ten hours since the storm had started, that wasn't saying much.
As he walked back to the fire, he took note of the rest of his team. Carter was curled up in one of the sleeping bags on the far side of the fire. He'd give her another ten before he woke her to take watch. On the other side of the fire, Teal'c sat with Daniel propped up against him. They'd wrapped the remaining three sleeping bags and two of the survival blankets around Daniel to keep him warm as warm as possible.
The first two days they'd been here, Daniel had seemed to be coughing and sniffling a lot but, when asked about it, he'd just said it was his allergies. The full brunt of his illness hadn't hit until after the storm had started and they'd decided to wait it out. By then, it was too ferocious outside even to think about making the hike to the gate.
Jack's sense of restlessness and need to move out was heighted by the fact that he could hear the wheezing of Daniel's breathing from several feet away. His condition had progressively worsened over the last eight hours. He needed a doctor and the sooner the weather cut them a break, the sooner Jack could get him to one - and get them all home.
He dropped to one knee by the two other two men and pulled the sleeping bags more snuggly around Daniel then brushed his hand against his cheek "How's he doing?" he whispered not wanting to wake the sleeping man.
Before Teal'c could answer, Daniel opened red-rimmed, glassy blue eyes, let out several deep, painful-sounding coughs and rasped irritably, "He's doing fine."
"Sure, if coughing up a lung is your definition of fine." Jack tugged the sleeping bag that had come loose closer around his friend's neck. "I thought you were sleeping," he said by way of apology explaining why he'd directed the question to Teal'c and not Daniel. Sometimes it didn't take much for the younger man to get irritable if he thought others were speaking on his behalf. Right now, Jack wanted to avoid getting him worked up and exacerbating the illness. The fact that he'd said he was fine was typical of Daniel's stubbornness and not an accurate measure of how he really felt. He could be sitting there with his leg hanging off and he'd still say he was fine. Jack was torn between being grateful that Daniel hadn't given into illness yet and irked that he was denying the state he was in.
He pulled the med kit closer, rummaged in it for the thermometer strips and ripped one open before holding it to Daniel's forehead and waiting for it to change color. "103," he said when the squares above 102 and 104 changed from black to yellow and red respectively. "You're just fine and dandy."
"Fit as a fiddle," Daniel agreed with a smirk then doubled over as more painful coughs were ripped from him. If it weren't for Teal'c's hold on him, he would have tumbled over on his face.
Once the coughing stopped, Teal'c leaned around so he could better see Daniel's face. "I do not understand what a Tau'ri musical instrument has to do with your health, Daniel Jackson, but I do not believe you are 'fit as a fiddle'."
Daniel leaned back weakly into the big man's hold and looked up so he could see his friend's face. His mouth opened to explain the colloquialism but, instead, he just shook his head slightly. He didn't have the energy right now to try to explain. "Maybe you're right," he mumbled instead. "I guess I don't feel so good."
The words brought a cold fear to Jack as he exchanged a worried look with Teal'c. "Yeah, I know, Daniel," he said softly. "You just hang on. As soon as this storm blows over, we're gonna have you back in Doc Frasier's care and she'll have you feeling better in no time."
At the mention of the doctor's name, Daniel winced, although he didn't say anything. Jack caught the reaction and knew what prompted it. After what Daniel had gone through with Machello's little Goa'uld killers, he still hadn't fully regained his trust in Janet Frasier…or the medical establishment in general. Sometimes, Jack wasn't sure if Daniel had regained full trust in him. "Damn it, Daniel! You hid how you were feeling at your pre-mission checkup, didn't you?" he asked in an exasperated tone that meant he already knew the answer. "There's a reason we have those and it's not just to see how creative you can be covering things up."
"I thought it was just a cold or my allergies acting up or something and it would be ok. There's no indigenous population I could possibly endanger. This mission was important. There's so much we can learn from these ruins. I just didn't want to del..." A series of barking coughs prevented him from saying anything else. "Sorry," he whispered hoarsely, when the latest bout of coughing was under control and he was once more leaning weakly against Teal'c.
Jack pulled in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I know." Once again, he adjusted the sleeping bag around his friend then looked at Teal'c. "I'll sit with him for a while. Mind waking Carter to take watch and you can do your kel no reem."
Teal'c nodded his assent before slipping out from behind Daniel so Jack could take his place. "I will take the next watch while Major Carter sleeps."
"Sure," Jack agreed as he settled back against the wall. Ferocious heat burned his skin through the fabric of his BDU's where Daniel leaned against him while icy shivers racked Daniel's body. Jack pulled the younger man protectively in to lean more snuggly against his chest.
"You don't have to hold me. I can lie down," Daniel said softly as he tried to push away.
Jack tightened his hold, pulling Daniel more securely against him. "We tried that already, remember. You can't breathe if you're not propped up. Besides, we can share body heat this way...make sure you stay warm."
Daniel started to protest but was cut off by another fit of wracking coughs. Jack rubbed his back until the fit ended then pulled him back against his chest again. "No more talking," he gently chastised. "You're doing enough coughing without bringing it on by talking." He pressed his hand gently against Daniel's forehead encouraging him to lean back on him. "Just rest and save your strength." It wasn't long before Daniel became a heavier weight against him as he drifted back to sleep.
He studied Teal'c's silhouette in the doorway for a moment before adjusting the sleeping bags to make sure Daniel stayed warm. Once everything was arranged to his satisfaction, he leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. Everything was as 'in place' as it could be for the moment and he needed to get some rest so he could get them all home when the time came.
The only sounds coming from inside their shelter were the crackling of the fire, the occasional soft snore from Carter and the wheezing of Daniel's breathing. Try as he might, Jack couldn't ignore the hypnotic effect the monotonous roar of the wind was having on him and he soon felt his eyes growing heavier as sleep pulled him under.
He had repositioned himself to get more comfortable when Daniel tipped his head back so he could fix fever-glazed eyes on him. "Gonna leave?"
"Leave?" Jack questioned, as he came suddenly awake with the sound of Daniel's quiet whisper. Had he heard the question correctly? "We're all going to leave as soon as this storm blows over." He looked toward the door and the heavy snow blowing outside of it. "Which is gonna be any time now," he added in a command that nature heed his orders.
"No, you," Daniel clarified. "You gonna leave me alone?"
Jack leaned over so he could see Daniel's eyes. "No. I'm not going anywhere. You don't have to worry about that. I told you a long time ago that you're not going to be alone anymore and I meant it."
"But you did," Daniel said softly as he looked away. "Before. You did." And there it was. Finally out in the open. They'd all left Daniel alone in that padded, white room.
Jack knew it had to be the fever that finally prompted Daniel to confront what had essentially been abandonment by his friends. Once they'd gotten Machello's little bugger out of Teal'c, Daniel hadn't talked much about it; other than to say that he understood why they all did what they did. For the next five weeks, any time someone tried to broach the subject with him, he'd given a tight smile and said he didn't want to talk about it. It seemed he was ready to talk now.
Jack tightened his hold on his friend. "I know we did, Daniel, and there's no excuse. It was just plain wrong to leave you there," he croaked, "But McKenzie seemed so damned convinced he knew what was wrong with you and we were all stupid enough to listen to him instead of you."
Daniel turned his head enough to rest his cheek against Jack's chest. "You wouldn't come near me. I was so scared but you wouldn't come..." His words died off in a fit of coughing.
Jack couldn't hold back a wince at both his friend's painful words and the equally painful sounding coughs. "He told us touching you might set you off, that we should stay back. I was afraid I'd hurt you more," he muttered as he banged his head lightly against the wall. Even to Jack's ears, the words sounded pathetic, lame and weak and nothing he'd be proud to claim as his own. Why the hell had he listened to McKenzie? When Daniel had needed him the most, he had listened to that quack and broken a promise that left his friend terrified and alone.
"...needed something to hold onto," Daniel continued as if he hadn't heard what Jack said. Ragged breaths punctuated his words. "…needed all of you…but there was nothing..." He took a shuddering breath. "...no one would touch me unless…it was to hurt me...or stick me with needles and...drugs."
Each of Daniel's words were like a stab in Jack's heart. He remembered how they'd watched the aids manhandle Daniel to the floor and restrain him while medicating him. Neither he, nor Teal'c, nor Carter had said one thing about how Daniel was treated. For days afterwards, Daniel had had bruises on both arms from the multiple injections as well as the way he'd been handled. "I am so fucking sorry, Danny. That never should have happened to you. I shouldn't have left you like that and I shouldn't have let them do that to you."
"I was scared," Daniel repeated in a small voice as he pushed further back into the shelter of the strong arms that held him. His brows drew together for a moment as if he were trying to figure something out then a tiny smile briefly came to his face. "You came for me. You believed me."
"Too little, too late," Jack snorted. "I should have believed you from the start."
"You came," Daniel reiterated in a voice that was little more than a whisper as his eyes fluttered closed.
"Yeah, I came," Jack agreed with the now-sleeping man. "Should've never left."
Again, the only sound in the building came from the roaring storm outside but this time it didn't pull Jack toward sleep. Instead, he sat, calm and alert, and did what he should have done five weeks ago. He kept protective watch over his friend when he was too weak to do it himself.
It may have sounded like Daniel was willing to forgive him and that he still trusted him but Jack wasn't going to let himself off the hook that easily. He was grateful that his friend was still able to trust him but he knew he should have done more. This time, he would.
He looked down at the face of the man he held. Daniel's normally fair skin seemed almost translucent in the flickering light of the fire. "We're gonna get through this," he promised the sleeping man.
Although Jack didn't fall asleep this time, he felt himself lured to that twilight place between sleeping and wakefulness. He was vaguely aware of Carter and Teal'c exchanging places on watch and the continued roar of the wind but, other than that, he wasn't aware of much else until he felt Daniel jerk in his arms and let out a sound somewhere between an aborted yell and a groan.
"Daniel?" Jack questioned as his arms instinctively tightened on the other man. "It's ok. You're ok," he said slowly when Daniel's agitation continued.
Pushing at the arms around him, Daniel slid unsteadily away from Jack. "No," he gasped while shaking his head back and forth. "D-don't make me go...I don't want t-to."
Jack cautiously pushed himself closer to Daniel not wanting to alarm the obviously frightened man. Seeing Carter moving toward them, he shook his head slightly warning her to back off and let him take care of things right now.
When he was less than an arm's reach away from Daniel, he held out his hand to him. "It's ok, Daniel. It's ok," he said soothingly. He didn't touch him, waiting for Daniel to make the first move.
Daniel looked questioningly at the hand held out to him then up at Jack's face. "Jack?" he questioned as he reached for the hand.
"It's me, Daniel," he reassured. Once he felt Daniel's hand touch his, Jack grasped it tightly and moved closer to his friend. "It's ok. It's just a dream. Just a bad dream," he said very slowly hoping to break through the fear he still saw in his friend's eyes.
"No," Daniel said again shaking his head. "I don't wanna go." The words kept repeating over and over broken up by coughs and gasped breaths.
Jack reached to cup the younger man's face in his hands to stop the wild shaking. "Daniel! Stop. It's ok. Tell me where you don't want to go."
The wild shaking and gasped words stopped although Daniel didn't answer the question. "You're safe," Jack said softly. "It's ok. Tell me where you don't want to go."
"The...the room. The w-white room," Daniel stuttered. "Don't...don't make me."
"Oh Danny," Jack breathed out sorrowfully knowing what it was his friend must have been dreaming about. Behind him, he heard Carter pull in a short breath. He lightly rubbed one of the cheeks his hand rested on, feeling the continued heat of the fever. "No one's going to send you there. Never again."
Daniel watched Jack for a long moment as if analyzing the truthfulness of his words before licking his lips and asking, in a shaky voice, "Promise?"
"I promise," Jack reassured his friend solemnly before pulling him to him. "You never have to go anywhere you don't want to go...not while I'm around to make sure it doesn't happen."
"K," Daniel agreed then let himself sink into the warmth and strength of his friend's shoulder.
Jack wrapped his arms around his friend, feeling him tremble both from the chills that wracked his body as well as the residual fear. He'd wondered earlier if Daniel still trusted him and he had his answer now. Just before Daniel had leaned into him, he'd gotten a good look at his eyes and had seen something there that he could remember seeing in his son's eyes - complete trust. Daniel trusted him to keep the promise he'd made and to keep him safe. He'd be damned if he'd let that trust be compromised again.
He continued to hold Daniel, rubbing circles on his back and letting him soak up all the comfort he wanted until he started coughing again. It was only then that Jack started to move him around so he could sit propped up and ease his breathing. When Jack started to move him, Daniel made a small distressed sound and reached to grab onto him. "It's ok," Jack soothed. "I'm not going anywhere. I just want to make you more comfortable so you can breathe better."
With the reassurance, Daniel stopped resisting Jack's maneuvering and allowed himself to be settled once more so that he was leaning back against the other man's chest.
Once Daniel was still, Sam squatted down to help fix the sleeping bags and blankets back around him. She exchanged worried looks with Jack as she did so but didn't say anything. She waited by the two men until Daniel drifted back into an uneasy sleep. "He's getting worse, Sir," she whispered. "I think it might be pneumonia."
"I know," Jack agreed as he tried to hold back a sigh. "We need to get him back but if we try in this, we'd probably just end up walking in circles for hours and never find the Stargate. We just need to hang tight 'til this blows over."
"I know, Sir," she agreed obviously displeased with the forced inaction. "Do you want me to sit with him for a while?"
"Not right now. Let's not disturb him again." Jack looked down to where he could see a pale hand escaping from the sleeping bags to grasp his wrist. Even in sleep, he could see Daniel was keeping a firm hold. "I don't think he'd let go right now anyway."
"No. Probably not," Sam agreed with a sad smile. She met her CO's eyes, the smile falling from her face. "We really hurt him, Sir."
"I know," Jack agreed softly. "And we'll make it right," he continued confidently. He hadn't been sure of that before but after seeing the trust in Daniel's eyes, he felt more confident about it now.
It was another day before the storm finally blew itself out. During that time, although Daniel hadn't grown worse, he was also no better. The other three took turns sitting with him and keeping him propped up so that he could breathe more easily.
The fever remained high often causing moments of delirium. During those times, Daniel would call out that he didn't want to be sent to the white room again. His agitation wouldn't decrease unless it was Jack who was holding him. In his fever-induced delirium, he'd latched on to the older man as a sort of savior and protector. If it helped Daniel in anyway, Jack was only too happy to take on the role.
He hadn't called on the gentle tenderness he used to soothe his friend and calm him down since his son's death but, somehow, it seemed right. He called the other members of SG1 his kids and had, on more than one occasion, referred to them as family. Daniel had become the little brother of this rag tag family.
Jack would only allow himself to get any sleep when he was sure that Daniel was in a deep sleep and wasn't likely to call for him. Even then, he was vigilant. He was jarred from one of those times by a sound; rather, it was the absence of a sound. The wind that had been roaring for over forty-eight hours had died down.
"O'Neill," Teal'c said as he crouched down by him. "The storm has passed. It appears we will be able to make our way to the Stargate now."
"Thank God," Carter said as she got up from where she'd been sleeping by the fire and moved over to the others. She rested her hand on Daniel's forehead. "How's he doing?"
"Same," Jack answered. "He's been sleeping for a while now." He looked over to the open doorway. Although it was still dark out, he could see the faintest lightening of the sky from black to gray. Daylight was coming. "How much longer 'til the sun's up do you think?"
Carter also looked toward the darkened door. "I'm not sure. Maybe an hour or so."
"That's what I figured." Jack was silent for a moment as he weighed the best course of action. "Ok, here's what we're gonna do. I'm gonna wake sleeping beauty here and get some more Tylenol and water in him. You two figure out what we don't need to take with us and clear it off the FRED then make up a bed on it. We'll use that to get Daniel back to the gate since there's no way he's going to make it under his own power. We'll head out at first light."
"Do you think that's a good idea, Sir? We don't know how much snow is out there or even if the FRED can get through it. Maybe Teal'c and I should go ahead. We can break a path to the Stargate and get the DHD dug out then you can follow with Daniel," Carter suggested.
"What if another storm pops up," Jack countered. "This one caught us by surprise and we've got no idea if or when another one might blow through. You and Teal'c could make it back to the gate but we'd still be stuck here." He looked down at Daniel and protectively pulled the sleeping bag higher around him. "You said it yourself. He needs a doctor and we can't risk delaying that anymore."
"No, sir," Sam agreed reluctantly. "I just don't like the idea of having him out there more than necessary. That can't be good for him either."
"Can't say it's on the top of my 'to-do list' either but, right now, it's the lesser of two evils. He gestured to where the FRED was loaded down with the rest of their supplies. "Get to work on that. I want to get going as soon as there's enough light."
Sam nodded and moved off to carry out her orders. As she and Teal'c worked at getting the FRED ready to transport Daniel, Jack watched for a few moments then pulled in a deep breath and looked down at Daniel. He was sleeping peacefully right now - something that hadn't happened much during the long night. Jack regretted having to wake him but he did need the Tylenol to see if the fever would come down any and he wanted to make sure he was getting enough water so he wouldn't dehydrate.
He gently tapped on the pale face, calling his friend's name softly. The only result his efforts garnered was a slight wrinkling of Daniel's nose before he shifted so he could bury his face against Jack's neck.
Calling Daniel's name again, only louder, he jostled him slightly. This time, sleepy, blue eyes opened and squinted up at him. "Jack," Daniel half stated, half questioned.
"In the flesh," Jack joked. He gave Daniel a few more seconds to wake up a little more before sitting him more upright then reaching over to pull the med kit closer. Using one hand to keep his friend supported against him, he used the other to paw through the medkit to find the Tylenol.
"Tired," Daniel complained as he lazily watched Jack looking through the medkit.
"I know," Jack agreed. Having located the blister packet, he pulled it out and popped two of the tablets out of it. He took Daniel's hand and dropped the medicine into it. "Hold on to that while I get you some water."
Daniel looked at the two white tablets then closed his hand loosely around them. "Wanna go home."
"Just hang tight a little longer. Snow's stopped and as soon as it's light outside, we're going to head back to the gate." Jack pulled the cover off the canteen he'd grabbed then encouraged Daniel to take the Tylenol he was holding and drink some of the water.
"Sleep in...my bed...tonight," Daniel forced out after he'd taken the Tylenol.
Jack heard the way his friend was working to breathe and doubted he'd be anywhere near his own bed tonight or for the next several, for that matter. It was more likely he'd be seeing a bed in the infirmary instead although he wasn't going to bring that up right now. There was no sense in agitating Daniel by telling him that. He didn't want to lie to him either, though, and tell him he could go home.
Daniel caught the hesitation from Jack. Even ill, he was correctly able to interpret what it meant. "Promised I don't...have to go...anywhere…don't want."
"I know," Jack agreed trying not to let frustration creep into his voice. He'd meant it when he'd made that promise earlier but now realized that he should have qualified it. "You need to get better, though." He saw the stubborn glint that came to his friend's eyes but he also saw fear. "I'm not going to let that happen to you again," he said firmly. "You have to trust me."
Daniel held his eyes for a few moments before giving a small nod. "Trust you." He closed his eyes and relaxed back against Jack. "Don't trust them," he murmured.
Pulling in a breath, Jack blew it out slowly. "At least that's a start."
The sun still wasn't quite up by the time Sam and Teal'c were done with the FRED and Jack decided they had enough time to eat a quick breakfast before leaving. As much as they all tried to tempt Daniel to eat even just a few bites, he adamantly refused and, instead, continued to doze as he leaned against Jack.
"Ok, Campers. Let's get going," Jack said once they were done with their breakfast and it was light enough.
Jack and Teal'c pulled Daniel up to his feet and helped him over to the FRED. When he saw the arrangement of the sleeping bags and blankets on it, it pulled to a stop. "I can walk," he forced out before he nearly double over coughing.
"I do not believe that would be wise, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c advised as he helped to steady the ill man.
Jack rubbed Daniel's back looking at him worriedly when the coughing didn't seem like it was going to stop. After several minutes, it did and Daniel leaned against him. "Let's get you comfortable," he suggested and, with Teal'c's help got Daniel situated on the FRED with the sleeping bags and blankets layered around him. "Why don't you try to get a little more sleep," he suggested as he arranged the coverings to his satisfaction. "We'll be at the gate in no time."
It was tough going through the snow that was drifted nearly hip high in some places. They continually had to break a path through it that was wide enough for the FRED and there were a few instances when Jack thought it was going to stop working before they made it to the Stargate.
Eventually, after nearly three hours of hiking through the cold and still-blowing wind, they were in sight of the gate and Jack was sure he'd never seen a more welcoming site. "Hold up." Once the others had stopped, he moved to check on Daniel and found his friend awake. "You doing' ok?"
Daniel nodded slightly then tried to burrow down into the nest he'd been cocooned in.
Jack pulled off one of his gloves and lay the back of his hand against the pale cheek of the other man trying to gauge how high the fever might be. He didn't like the heat he felt but tried to smile for Daniel's benefit. We're going to have you warm and toasty before you know it. He turned to where the other two members of the team were standing. "Carter, you go on ahead and dial through. Let them know we're going to need a medical team when we get there. Teal'c and I'll bring Daniel."
"Yes, Sir." Before leaving, Sam leaned down over Daniel. "I'll see you in a bit and you do what the Colonel tells you."
Daniel nodded slightly. "Tell 'em to get the coffee on," he tried to joke but another fit of coughing took away the effect.
As soon as the coughing started, Jack quickly moved to put an arm beneath Daniel's back and pull him to a sitting position hoping it would help. "Go on," he said looking over to Sam. Once she was on her way, he turned his attention to Daniel supporting him and rubbing his back until the coughing fit finally ended.
"Just breathe slow," Jack advised as Daniel sank back against him. "Just get your breath back."
"Don't...think...I can," Daniel forced out with a little shake of his head then added on, "This sucks."
"Yeah, it does," Jack commiserated as he bundled Daniel up again. "Let's get this show on the road." He picked up the remote for the FRED, but, stubbornly, the vehicle wouldn't do more than make a whining sound. "Oh for crying out loud," Jack exclaimed realizing the machine had finally quit on them. He threw the remote down in disgust. "Teal'c, you think you can carry him the rest of the way?"
Teal'c inclined his head slightly, handed his staff weapon to Jack, and then bent down to scoop Daniel up. Before he did, Daniel planted a hand against his chest, weakly pushing him away.
"Don't. Can walk."
Jack caught the look Teal'c gave him, silently asking what he should do. The walk from where they were to the gate was probably not much greater than the length of a football field. On a good day, that would be nothing for Daniel but this wasn't a good day. He was just going to gesture to Teal'c to go ahead and pick him up when he caught his friend's eyes now on him as well and saw the silent request in them - Let me keep my dignity - and he knew he couldn't strip that away from him. No matter how quickly he wanted Daniel back at the SGC and getting medical care, forcing him to be carried there would betray the promise he'd made earlier that he wouldn't force him to do something against his will.
"Help him up, Teal'c," he said with a gesture toward Daniel then watched as the big man assisted their friend to his feet with a gentleness that belied his outward appearance. As soon as the younger man was up, Jack moved in position on the other side of him to lend his support.
They'd only taken a few steps in the direction of the gate when Daniel pulled to a stop. "Camera," he said looking back at the FRED.
"Don't worry about that right now. Let's just get you back."
"No," Daniel said with a shake of his head. "In my pack...need it...recordings of the rui..." his voice trailed off in another coughing fit that, were it not for the support of Teal'c, would have sent him crashing to the ground.
"Easy, easy," Jack said helplessly. He could do no more than lend his own support and rub his friend's back as he was wracked by the relentless cough. Through it, Daniel kept trying to talk, gesturing for, Jack guessed, the camera.
"Perhaps it is wise to bring Daniel Jackson's camera, O'Neill," Teal'c suggested looking from one man to the other. His look clearly communicated that doing as Daniel asked would put less stress on the man.
"Yeah, ok." Jack slid out from under Daniel's arm, reached over to the FRED and grabbed his friend's pack. "Ok. I have it right here. Let's get back now."
"Thanks," Daniel said breathlessly.
It took them longer than Jack thought possible to cover the distance to the Stargate and he had to stop himself a couple of times from calling a halt to their strange procession and asking Teal'c to pick Daniel up and just get him back. The wormhole that had been established when Carter went through hadn't disengaged yet and, from that, Jack knew that although it had taken them a fair amount of time to cover the distance, it wasn't quite as long as it had seemed to them. "Almost there," he said softly as the three men approached the glistening blue event horizon. After making sure he and Teal'c both had a good hold on Daniel, the three stepped through.
It was a good thing they made sure their hold was firm because as soon as they stepped through and were on the metal ramp at the SGC, Daniel's knees buckled and he started to collapse. It was only Jack and Teal'c's hold that kept him from going all the way down.
This time, Teal'c didn't wait before sweeping Daniel up in his harms. The way he did it made Daniel's six foot nearly 175-pound frame seem no bigger than a child's.
"Set him down here," Janet said indicating the gurney that had been brought to the Gateroom.
As Teal'c did as he'd been instructed, Jack added, "Not flat. He can't breathe when he's flat."
Janet nodded and the head of the gurney was pulled up to a 45-degree angle. As soon as Teal'c had put Daniel on it, it was quickly moved from the Gateroom with Janet and the rest of the medical personnel trailing along.
As Jack started to follow, General Hammond put a hand on his arm to stop him. "What happened, Colonel?"
Jack looked between the doors the gurney had gone through and his commanding officer. His gut was screaming at him to stay with his friend but years of ingrained responses to the chain of command held him in place. "Storm came up. Daniel got sick," he explained as succinctly as possible.
Hammond gently patted Jack on the shoulder. He could see that the colonel wanted to be with his friend and knew, in the frame of mind he was currently in, that he wouldn't be getting much more information than the bare-boned explanation he just got. "Go on, Jack. We'll debrief later."
"Thanks," Jack mumbled before hightailing it to the door. He stopped long enough to hand his weapon to one of the airmen then was off at a jog. He was only vaguely aware of the rest of his team following along behind him.
Jack was sure he knew exactly how many tiles were in the floor and how many cinderblocks were in the walls of the corridor outside the infirmary and Dr. Frasier still hadn't come out to let them know how Daniel was. He hadn't sat in the entire time they'd been waiting. Instead, he'd been pacing back and forth. His steps were carefully measured – four steps towards the door that led into the infirmary, pause for a second as he glanced at it, four more steps, turn and repeat.
Sam had made one aborted tempt to try to get him to sit down and even Teal'c's threatening look hadn't been enough to put an end to the pacing. He hated not doing anything so he was doing the only thing he could. If that meant he wore a hole in the floor or frazzled his team's nerves, well, they'd all just have to deal with that.
The only thing that brought a pause to his steps was General Hammond's arrival. "General?" he asked with eyebrows raised, wondering why the man was here. "Problem?"
"No problem, Colonel," Hammond responded as he seated himself in the empty chair by Sam. "I was just wondering how Dr. Jackson was."
Jack was just ready to respond when the door behind him opened and Dr. Frasier appeared as if conjured up by Hammond's question.
"It's definitely pneumonia," she informed General Hammond and the assembled members of SG1 before focusing an annoyed look at O'Neill.
"What?" Jack asked while shifting guiltily from foot to foot. "You think I got him sick?"
"No, but I've spent the last two hours fighting with him to keep him in bed. It seems someone told him he didn't have to stay here or do anything he didn't want to do." She put her hands on her hips, facing Jack squarely. "Seems that someone was you." She drew herself up to her full height standing toe to toe with Jack. "Why would you tell him that?!" The difference in their height didn't seem to bother her as she carried on her diatribe. "I had to resort to sedating him after he pulled his IV twice, and it took two orderlies to hold him down for the blood draw."
At first, Jack felt guilty that his promise to Daniel had caused problems, but as Janet continued to describe what had been happening in the infirmary, anger started to take over. "You restrained him and drugged him?" he accused. "Why the hell didn't you kick his puppy while you were at it?"
Janet flinched and took a step back in an attempt to distance herself from the sudden hostility pouring off Jack.
"Colonel," Hammond reprimanded. "Doctor Frasier's just doing her job."
"With all due respect, Sir, she did exactly what I promised him wouldn't happen again...what he was terrified of." He brushed a hand through his greying hair, stepped away from Janet before whirling back to face the room at large. "Damn it! How the hell is he supposed to trust me now?"
"Again?" Janet questioned. "What do you mean by again? What reason would Daniel have to be terrified of me?"
Jack looked at Janet and wondered, just for a moment, if she'd been replaced by a clone with no memory of the past, while the thought of shaking her until she understood hovered appealingly in the back of his mind." How could she not understand this? "Oh, I don't know," he said flippantly. "Maybe 'cause a couple of weeks ago, he was drugged to the eyeballs and locked away in the funny farm? Maybe 'cause no one bothered to listen to him?" Jack turned away from her for just a second then quickly turned back, throwing his hands up in frustration. "Geez, Doc, did you ever even apologize to him for all that?" He swung his gaze around to take in the rest of his team and General Hammond. "Did any of us bother to apologize? Hell, we might not have locked him up but we sure as hell abandoned him. All of us were responsible for that." He shoved his balled fists into his pockets as his anger gave way to guilt at what they'd done to their friend. "And you, sir, you signed off on it.
A silence descended over the room that soon seemed to be as loud as the shouting before it. As Jack looked from person to person, none could meet his gaze; each bowed head an acknowledgement of the part they'd played in hurting the man they all considered a friend. The silence lengthened, growing more uncomfortable. Finally, Janet braved it to say, "Daniel and I have talked about that. He said he understood why it happened."
"He understood? Did he really?" Jack asked in a deceptively calm voice before the heat was back. "Did it occur to you that this is Daniel we're talking about? He understands a lot of things. He understands that his wife's got a snake in her head. He understands his parents were killed because a couple of tons of rock fell on them. He understands that he never had a stable home after his parents died 'cause no one quite knew what to do with a precocious kid, who was probably smarter than most of the adults in the homes they put him in. He still woke up screaming most nights 'cause he was seeing his parents die again. Oh, Daniel understands a whole hell of a lotta stuff, but that doesn't mean the stuff he understands doesn't still haunt him and keep him up nights!"
Jack took a few steps away then turned back around to face Janet again. "You should've been on that iceberg with us, Doc, when he was begging me not to send him back the white room. You should've heard how he told me he'd been so scared and alone. And we," he swept his eyes to take in Teal'c and Sam, "just stood there while he was manhandled like a sack of grain or something." Jack started pacing again, with short abrupt steps that seemed to punctuate each word. "We couldn't forget how uncomfortable we were seeing him like that. It was so much easier to let someone else deal with it and walk away instead." He stopped and whirled around to face the others. "Or maybe we couldn't help thinking we were looking at our own futures and ended up forgetting he was our friend...someone we're supposed to care about. We just abandoned him there like who knows how many other people in his life have abandoned him. And now he's just supposed to understand?" Deflated, Jack dropped to one of the chairs. "I can't do that to him," he said, his voice now defeated instead of angry. "We can't do that to him. We're supposed to care."
Once more, silence fell in the room as each one took in what Jack had said. Eventually, it was Janet who dared to break the silence. "I didn't realize," she said in a sad voice. "I never even thought. He just seemed…" she trailed off ending on a shrug.
"Yeah, Doc, he just seemed. He has a real knack for doing that – for hiding how he's feeling if he doesn't want anyone to know. Stick him on an ice ball with a raging fever, though, and he's not so good at hiding. You would have done the same thing as me…made the same promise if you were there and saw him. If you saw how afraid he was and how much he just wanted someone to tell him things would be ok, you'd have made the same promise I did and to hell with the consequences. I…none of us gave him what he needed when he was locked in that padded room. I wasn't going to do that to him again."
Janet sat on the vacant chair by Jack and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "That still leaves us with a problem, Colonel. Daniel's very sick. He needs to stay here so I can treat him and I don't want to keep sedating him. It wouldn't be my choice anyway but, given what you've said, it'll only hurt him more…and there's no way I can use restraints on him."
"I know," Jack agreed suddenly feeling very tired and very old. He leaned back in the chair so his head was against the wall and looked up at the ceiling. "No matter what, something's going to hurt him."
"It doesn't have to, Sir. We don't have to let it hurt him," Carter said into the silence.
Jack looked in her direction, confusion plain on his face. "You wanna let me in on what you're thinking' Carter…and use small words 'cause I don't have it in me to figure stuff out right now."
"Well, what if one of us stays with him…reassures him, that kind of thing all the time. We make sure he's not alone and that he knows he's not alone. I'd be willing to stay with him."
"As would I, O'Neill," Teal'c added.
"Might work," Jack agreed. "He'd probably like that. What do you say, Doc? You willing to let one of us stay with him round the clock?"
Janet nodded quickly. "Who's first?"
"We can put a schedule together," Hammond said authoritatively. "That way we can make sure Dr. Jackson isn't left alone."
"Sir?" Jack questioned, surprised to hear his superior not only agree to the plan but also want to take an active part in it.
"Don't look so surprised, Jack. As you so nicely pointed out, I had my hand in that situation as well. It's only right I do my part to fix it."
Jack winced at the not so subtle remind of his very recent insubordination. "Um…sorry about that, Sir. I guess I was a little out of line."
"A little," Hammond agreed. "But it doesn't mean you weren't right. Let's just make sure it doesn't happen again."
"Yes, Sir," Jack quickly agreed then got up from the chair. He took a tentative step in the direction he guessed Daniel was then stopped. "I guess I should take first shift…explain to him why he has to stay."
"That might be a good idea," Janet agreed. "I'll take you back to him."
They were approaching a curtained off area that, Jack guessed, must be where Daniel was, when they heard a crash and the curtain moved slightly.
"Oh, now what," Janet asked clearly exasperated and reaching her wit's end.
"I thought you said he was sedated," Jack asked as they hurried their steps.
"He was but I didn't want to risk a strong sedative. It was enough to get the IV in him again and finish the tests." They reached the curtained off area before any of the nurses could and Janet waved them off then pulled back curtain.
"Ah, Daniel," Jack sighed when he saw his friend by the bed on his knees furiously picking at the tape that held the IV in place. A splint prevented him from bending his arm at the elbow where the iv catheter entered and the pole that the IV had hung on was laying on the floor beside him.
When Daniel heard Jack's voice, his head came up and he held his arm out to his friend. "Help me?"
Jack swiftly knelt beside his friend on the floor, ignoring the protest from his knees, and put his hand gently over Daniel's to stop him from pulling on the tape. "You need to leave that there, buddy. It's helping you."
"I don't like it. You said..."
Jack cupped one of Daniel's cheeks in his palm and tried to ignore how hot it felt. He made sure to keep his voice low and gentle. "I know Daniel, but this is different. You're very sick and you need to get better." He pointed at the IV tube where it disappeared under the tape. "This is giving you medicine that will help you get better. You want to get better don't you?"
Daniel slowly nodded. "Do I have to go to the white room?" he asked in a small, nervous voice.
Jack swiftly gathered his friend to him, cupping one hand behind his head and rubbing his back with the other. "No, Danny. No white rooms. I promised you you'd never have to go there. You just need to stay here for a little while 'til you feel better."
"Don't like it here," Daniel said as he loosely wrapped his left arm around Jack's waist. His right arm, with the IV in it, hung limply at his side. "Wanna go home."
Janet knelt beside the two men. She could now see the fear and confusion that Jack had been describing earlier and felt her heart break knowing that she bore some responsibility for this. "It's just for a little while, Daniel," she tried to reassure him. "Just until you're well again." She reached out to brush her hand across his cheek but he recoiled from her touch. She tried to keep her hurt and disappointment to herself when he did concentrating, instead, on solely what her patient needed.
"Hey, it's just Dr. Frasier," Jack explained hoping to break through the disorientation of Daniel's fever. "She's not going to hurt you."
For just a few seconds, it looked like Daniel was going to argue. Instead, a shiver went through his body and he tried to pull himself closer. "Cold."
"Well, that's what happens when you decide to camp out on the floor. How about if you get back in bed, instead, where the blankets are."
"No," Daniel protested, tightening his one armed grip around Jack. "Don't want to be alone."
"You're not going to be alone, Danny," Jack reassured. "I'm staying right here with you." He rubbed his hand up and down Daniel's back as he felt another shiver course through him. "C'mon, you'll be a lot warmer in bed and a lot more comfy, too."
"You'll stay?"
"Hey, a horde of Goa'uld couldn't drive me away. You're stuck with me, buddy."
A faint smile touched Daniel's face and he muttered something too low for Jack or Janet to hear. "What was that? I didn't catch it," Jack asked as he lowered his head until his ear was by Daniel's mouth.
"Nest," Daniel repeated a little louder.
Jack looked over to Janet wondering if she had any clue what Daniel meant by a nest but was met with the same questioning look in her eyes.
"Sure, we can make a nice warm nest for you," Jack agreed hoping that was what Daniel was talking about.
"No. You said a horde of Goa'uld but a group of snakes is a nest," Daniel explained as, again, the faint smile came.
Jack chuckled at his friend's explanation. This sounded like Daniel and not the scared little boy he kept retreating into. "Yeah, a nest. What was I thinking?" He pushed back a little preparatory to getting up. "You think you can stand up if I help you?"
"I think so."
"Ok. Here we go." Jack got his arms under Daniel's and helped to get him up off the floor. When he saw Janet right the fallen IV stand and move it closer so the tubing wouldn't pull, he walked Daniel back the couple of steps until he was seated on the edge of the bed then sat down beside him, his arm around his shoulders. "Now, I know I said you didn't have to stay anywhere you didn't want but I think we need to amend that just a little. You do need to stay here for a couple of days until you're feeling better." He felt Daniel stiffen and quickly continued, "You're sick, Daniel. You need let Dr. Frasier treat you or you're going to get sicker and then you're not going to have a choice. Now, I promise, no one's going to do anything that's going to hurt you. It's not going to be like last time and we're not going to leave you alone. You have my word." He leaned forward to he could see his friend's face better. "We got a deal?"
After mulling over Jack's words for a few seconds, Daniel started to nod tentatively. "Just 'til I'm feeling better," he agreed. "And no more needles and restraints."
"Not so sure about the needles but I can guarantee there'll be no more restraints." Jack looked over to Janet waiting for her to weigh in on Daniel's constraints.
"No. No more restraints," Janet quickly agreed. "And if you don't pull out that IV again, the only needles will be to take some blood so we can make sure you're getting better." She smiled and held her hand out to her patient. "Deal?"
"Deal," Daniel agreed taking the hand held out to him.
When he released her hand, Janet brushed hers across his cheek. "Daniel, I am sorry. I know I haven't said it before."
Daniel reached up to grasp her hand again. "I know...have known. I didn't blame you. I just..." a deep coughing stopped him from continuing and it was only the hold Jack had on him that stopped him from tumbling off the bed. Finally, the deep coughing stopped and he leaned to the side, letting Jack support him. "Tired."
"I bet," Jack agreed as he rubbed up and down his back. "Let's get you settled in bed and you talk later." He got up and, with Janet's help; they settled Daniel back on the bed with the covers pulled up over him.
Janet reached for the discarded oxygen cannula where it lay on the bed and settled it back in place. "Leave that there to help you breathe she advised, "And try not to talk too much."
"I'll make sure he doesn't," Jack said but there was a smile to take away the sting of the threat.
Jack waited until Janet had left before settling in the chair by Daniel's bedside. He reached over and started to run his fingers up and down Daniel's arm. Eventually, the younger man's eyes fluttered then stayed closed as he gave in to healing sleep. Jack still left his hand on his friend's arm, although he stilled the hypnotic rubbing.
He watched as Daniel slept peacefully. After the time on the planet, he was alert for any nightmares that might make Daniel's sleep something other restful but they didn't come. Occasionally, Daniel would shift his position, his eyes would open and he'd look around the room. As soon as his vision alighted on Jack, he'd let out a small sigh and fall right back to sleep. "You're not alone," Jack whispered the fourth time it happened. "I'm right here." This time, as Daniel fell back to sleep, there was the smallest smile on his face.
Over the next week, Daniel's fever dropped as the antibiotics he was being given fought off the infection. During that time, he was rarely left alone as either one of the other members of SG-1 or General Hammond sat with him. There were a few reoccurrences of the delirium and dreams he'd had on the planet but each time that happened, the softly spoken words of reassurance from his friends would break through the fear and soothe him.
The week proved to be one of healing not only physically for Daniel but also for his relationships with his other team members and the general. None of them had realized how those relationships had been impacted by Daniel's time in mental health but the time gave them the opportunity to heal and rebuild trust.
At the end of the week, Daniel was chomping at the bit to leave the infirmary. Janet finally agreed to discharge him as long as he stayed at Jack's house where the other man could keep an eye on him while he was still recovering. The cough still lingered and it didn't take much to tire him.
He was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for Jack to come with a change of clothes for him and then drive him home when he finally returned to the apology Janet had offered him the week before. "Dr. Frasier, I need to know something," he said softly. It had been hard for him to think of Janet as anything other than 'Dr. Frasier' over the last five weeks. "After all we've seen out there, why did you buy into what McKenzie said so quickly? Why didn't you ever consider it could have been something else that made me hallucinate those things...that I wasn't schizophrenic?"
"You don't ask the easy questions." Janet sat in the chair that was still by the bed so she could be closer to eye level with Daniel and thought about her answer for a moment. "Do you know what the hardest part of my job is?" She waited until he shook his head to answer. "It's that people I care about, people I call friends come in here and sometimes I just don't know what to do to help them but I have to somehow detach myself from how much I care about them." She leaned forward and clasped Daniel's hands in her own, an intensity in her voice. "I wanted so much to help you, Daniel, but there was nothing...nothing that I was familiar with so I did what I thought was the best thing. I consulted with Dr. McKenzie because the symptoms you were presenting with fell into his specialty. All of your symptoms fit his diagnosis and he was able to present a treatment plan - something that could help you. So I grabbed on to that. I should have asked more questions - especially when the medication wasn't helping you the way it should but I couldn't detach myself from you enough to stop clinging to the hope that Dr. McKenzie had the right treatment and we just had to give it time to work." She let his hands go and got up from the chair, pacing in the small space by the bed. "Then, the next thing I know, another person I care about is sick and possibly dying and I have no answers for that either." She stopped pacing, her back to Daniel. "I made a mistake...a mistake that cost you so much." She turned around to face him, sorrow in her eyes. "I can't change what happened. All I can do is apologize to you and hope you can somehow find it in you to forgive me someday."
Daniel was silent for a moment as he digested what she'd said. "What if it was Jack...or Sam or Teal'c," he asked. "Would you have done anything different then? Would you have looked for something else or was it because I'm..." he shrugged at a loss for words. "I don't know...different...a civilian?"
Janet shook her head slightly. "Honestly, I don't know. All I know is that in the situation I was presented with, Dr. McKenzie's diagnosis and treatment made the most sense. It offered the best hope that we could have you back whole again and that's all I could think about. I let that cloud my judgment and stop looking for other answers.
"At least you didn't say 'yes'," he said with a wry smile. He took a deep breath, got up from the bed, and took the couple of steps that separated them. "I can't lie to you and say what happened didn't hurt...doesn't still hurt. But, I think I understand a little better now. He grasped her shoulders lightly and stooped down a little so he could see her downcast eyes. "Janet, don't ever think caring is a weakness. If you didn't care, you wouldn't fight for us the way you do. Hell, some of us might not even be alive today. You didn't want to give up on me and it might not have been right choice or the right treatment but it was the one you thought would help the most and give me the best chance. And in the end, you did listen and you did look for another reason and if you hadn't worked as hard as you did - if you hadn't been able to guide Sam on what to do, Teal'c would be dead."
"That may be true but what about you, Daniel? Can you trust me not to make that kind of mistake again - not to do something that can hurt you like that again?"
Daniel nodded slightly. "I do trust you, Janet. I don't think I ever really stopped trusting you...or the others. I just..." he trailed off.
"You just needed to hear it," Janet filled in for him. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him. "I don't want to lose you as my friend, Daniel."
"I don't want to lose you either, Janet". Daniel said as he returned the hug. "We should have talked before this instead of letting it get bigger than it should have been." He stepped back from her and sat on the edge of the bed again. "I told you I understood and made you think everything was fine but it really wasn't. Maybe I wanted to believe that," he said with a shrug. "Then I could just put it aside and forget about it."
Janet sat by him on the bed. "I don't blame you for wanting to forget about it. Just the short experience I had with those things…I try not to think about it and I knew what it was. So, what now?"
"Now, I'm going to go home," Daniel said with a smile. "Unless you've changed your mind about that." He grew more serious as he continued, "In the future, we need to talk about things, all of us," he said raising his voice slightly, "and not try to pretend it didn't happen."
As Daniel finished speaking, Jack came from behind the curtain where the other two could see him. "Ok, how'd you know I was there?"
"I didn't think the curtain grew feet or learned to move on its own," Daniel pointed out. "Those for me?" he asked referring to the small pile of clothes Jack was holding.
"Huh? Oh, yeah." Jack handed the clothes over to Daniel than stood looking at him for moment.
"What?" Daniel asked as he grew self-conscious of the other man's stare.
"Nothing, Daniel," Jack answered with a smile. "Just glad that you're going to be ok."
"Riiiight," Daniel said not quite believing his friend's explanation but not pushing for a different one either.
"Why don't you get dressed," Janet suggested as she got up from where she still sat on the side of the bed. "I'll make sure the colonel understands your prescriptions and then you can be on your way."
"Uh huh," Daniel agreed eying the two with a small degree of suspicion. Even though he didn't voice his thoughts he knew what Janet wanted was a chance to talk about him with Jack without him hearing. "I'll just be getting dressed." He watched as the two left.
"Ok, spill it," Jack demanded as soon as he knew they were out of Daniel's hearing. "I know this isn't just about his prescriptions. There something wrong you don't want him to know about?
Janet worked to hold back a small grin at the concern she heard in Jack's voice. "No, nothing wrong. I just want to make sure you know what to look for. I'd rather keep him here another couple of days but I think if I try, he really might stage a revolt."
"Hmmm," Jack murmured not completely convinced.
"Really, Colonel, I just want to make sure you have everything you need to take care of him." She handed him a small bag with the prescriptions she'd mentioned and then a sheet of paper. "This outlines what he has to take when…and make sure he's eating or that antibiotic is going to wreak havoc on his stomach. Make sure he's resting…at least eight hours of sleep every night. And I know this is going to be the hardest but…no coffee for at least the first couple of days."
"Oy! No coffee? You trying to get me killed, Doc? You know what he's like."
"I'm sure you'll be able to get through it. Just…just take care of him."
"Yeah," Jack agreed, his voice gentling. "I plan on it."
"I know you do," Janet answered with a smile. "You better get back out there or he might just take himself home without you."
Jack nodded then left Janet's office, returning to Daniel. When he got to the bed Daniel had been using, his friend was dressed and sitting on the edge of it, swinging his feet back and forth impatiently. "Can we go now?" he asked as he jumped up as soon as he saw Jack. He did his best to muffle the cough that followed.
"Hey, no jumping around," Jack cautioned as he lay a gentle hand on his friend's shoulder. "As long as Dr. Frasier says you're free to go, we'll get going." He looked over to Janet and received a small nod from her. "Ok…let's go, then," he said as he put the bag with the prescriptions in his pocket then grasped Daniel's elbow to lead him from the infirmary.
"Jack, I can walk by myself," Daniel said with a sigh trying to contain his impatience.
"I know," Jack agreed but didn't let go of the other man. "Just be lucky you're getting out of here on your own two feet and not in a wheelchair."
Daniel let out another small sigh but didn't argue the assistance anymore. By the time they reached the surface and gone through the security checkouts, he was beginning to wish someone had insisted on a wheelchair.
"Why don't you sit here and I'll bring the truck up," Jack suggested as he guided Daniel over to a bench just outside the door.
"Sure," Daniel agreed with a note of impatience then slumped to the bench.
For a second Jack thought of saying something along the lines of Daniel having to give himself time before he was back to a hundred percent but then thought the better of it. He'd been where Daniel was now and as true as sentiments like that were, they didn't tend to help much. Instead, he patted his friend lightly on the shoulder the jogged over to where he'd parked.
Once they got to Jack's house, Daniel was quieter than he normally was. Jack attributed it to the fatigue he was still experiencing.
While Daniel napped on the couch, Jack busied himself in the kitchen putting a simple beef stew together for dinner. As much as he and the rest of the team would joke about his inability to cook, he was actually quite adept at putting simple meals together. Gourmet might continue to elude him but beef stew he could do.
He woke Daniel shortly before the meal was ready and overridden any of the younger man's protests that he wasn't hungry. His appetite had been scant during his illness and it was only now slowly making a comeback. Consequently, Daniel had lost weight that we could ill afford to lose.
Jack was happy to see that, despite the claims of not being hungry, Daniel emptied the bowl of stew that had been put in front of him as well as a couple of slices of bread. It wasn't the usual two bowls Jack had seen him wolf down in the past but it was a start.
Daniel tried to help Jack with the cleanup after they ate but he was quickly shooed into the living room. By the time Jack had finished washing the dishes, and joined Daniel in the living room, he'd started to doze off once again. Hearing Jack moving around the room, he jerked awake. "This is really getting old," he complained as he rubbed his hands across his face trying to banish the grogginess.
"Give it time," Jack advised. "You'll be back to your old self again sooner than you think. In the meantime, you might as well enjoy it. It's not often you get to be a complete slug."
"Hmmm," Daniel agreed, though not happily. "I'm not going back to bed," he quickly said. A couple of soft coughs escaped him before he continued. "I'm tired of being in bed."
"Did say you have to." Jack leaned forward and grabbed the remote from the coffee table. "Just so happens there's a game on tonight. I figured we could watch that and then turn in. That work for you?"
"Hockey?" Daniel asked and got an answering nod. "Yeah, I guess so."
By the end of the second period, Daniel had drifted off again curled up in a corner of the couch. Instead of waking him, Jack grabbed the blanket folded over the back of the couch and draped it over him.
Once the game was over, he made sure the house was locked up then roused Daniel enough to for him to take his meds and move into the guestroom. He was immediately asleep again as soon as his head hit the pillow. "'Night, Danny," Jack said softly as he tucked the covers in over him.
Jack wasn't sure what woke him but he was awake. He blearily looked over at the alarm clock. It was only one in the morning.
Thinking that it must have been something outside that had woken him; he settled back down to sleep when he heard it again. A sound, vaguely like a dog barking, coming from the guestroom. When it repeated several more times, he pulled himself from the bed and made his way down the hall to the guestroom.
"Daniel?" he whispered leaning into the partially open door. If his friend were still asleep, he didn't want to wake him.
"Sorry," Daniel said as he attempted to muffle a cough in his pillow. "Didn't mean to wake you."
Jack moved further into the room and, after warning Daniel, flipped on the small lamp on the bedside table. He reached over Daniel for one of the extra pillows on the bed. "Sit up a bit and I'll put this under you. That should help."
Daniel nodded and did as he was asked. "Can I have some water?"
"Sure," Jack agreed. "I'll get the stuff Janet gave you for the cough, too. "I should have made sure you took it before you went to bed." He returned with a glass of water, the bottle of codeine, and a thermometer. Once Daniel had taken the codeine and drunk the water, he helped him to lay back again. "I'm just gonna take your temp. You feel a little warm and Janet said we should keep a watch on it."
"It's because I was coughing," Daniel tried to argue but gave up and tilted his head slightly so Jack could put the tip of the thermometer in his ear. The two stared at each other until it beeped.
"It's up," Jack said unhappily as looked at the readout.
"What?" Daniel questioned suddenly having visions of being in the infirmary once more.
Jack turned the thermometer so Daniel could see the readout. "99.7. That's more than a degree above normal. I'm gonna give Janet a call."
He was already moving out of the room before Daniel could form any kind of protest or stop him. "Great," he muttered. "Not even out twenty-four hours and he's going to take me back." He lay in bed for a few moments as he rode out another coughing fit then, throwing back the covers, he padded out to the living room. He was just in time to hear Jack apologize for calling so early in the morning, thank Janet, then hang up. "I'm not going back," he said before Jack had a chance.
"Don't worry. Janet said you didn't have to." Jack sounded almost disappointed.
"Don't sound so glum." Daniel slouched down on the couch, looking over his shoulder at his friend. "So, what did she say?"
"That a low-grade fever is normal and not to worry unless it's over 100…and the cough is normal."
"So, just what the discharge instructions said?"
"You read those?" Jack asked in some surprise.
Daniel shrugged. "I wanted to know what they said." He let out a small sigh, hoping it wouldn't trigger a cough. "So, can we go back to bed now?"
"Yeah." Jack patted Daniel lightly on the shoulder. "C'mon. Let's get some sleep."
As Jack poured himself a second cup of coffee, he watched Daniel carefully. Although still pale and drawn, Daniel was definitely more rested than Jack was. Once they'd gone back to bed, Daniel had fallen almost immediately back to sleep. Jack, on the other hand, had gotten up several move times in the night to check on Daniel and make sure his temperature wasn't any higher. He was rather proud of himself that he'd managed to take his temperature twice without waking him.
Despite the fact that Daniel was more rested, Jack could tell there was something bothering him by the way he was disinterestedly playing with the food on his plate. "You planning on eating those waffles or pushing them around the plate all morning," he asked as he sat opposite Daniel. He cradled the cup of coffee in his hand and was trying not to yawn.
"Huh?" Daniel said as he quickly looked up in Jack's direction. "Oh," he said then cut off a bite of the waffles and put it in his mouth. "I was thinking," he said after he'd swallowed.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to do that before breakfast," Jack joked but gestured Daniel to go on.
Daniel stared at Jack for a second then brushed off the joke. "I...uh...I don't remember much about what happened on the planet...or when we first got back...but I've got a feeling I might have said some stuff or done some things that...well...you know..." He trailed off unsure of how to describe what he'd been thinking.
"You were sick, Daniel, and you were delirious with fever for a lot of it so don't worry about it."
"And I was scared...really scared." He pulled in a deep breath, looking squarely in Jack's eyes. "Thank you."
Jack stopped with the fork halfway to his mouth, syrup dripping back to the plate. "Thank you?"
"Yeah. Thank you." Daniel started pushing the waffles around again. His eyes dropped down to follow the trails of syrup on the plate. "You made me feel safe...grounded." His eyes came up to Jack's again. "So, thank you."
A smile blossomed on Jack's face. He'd been worried, at the time, that he may have lost Daniel's trust. Although Daniel's actions had put that worry to rest, his words now sealed it. "Any time, Daniel. That's what friends are for." He pointed at his friend's plate with his fork. "Now, stop playing with your food and eat it."
"Yes, sir," Daniel said with a smile and mock salute then reached for the mug by his plate. "I don't suppose I could talk you into some real coffee, could I?"
"You want to explain to the doc?"
"Decaf's fine," Daniel quickly answered.
Two and a half weeks later, SG1 was waiting at the bottom of the ramp for the wormhole to open. After a week at Jack's place doing nothing and another week on light duty at the SGC, Daniel was finally cleared for off-world travel.
Jack looked to his left at the other three members of his team and couldn't help but grin. As soon as the wormhole whooshed to life and settled, he led the way up the metal ramp. "Let's go, kids. The yellow-brick road awaits." He didn't have to look back to know they'd be behind him. They'd weathered a storm together - literally as well as figuratively - and he knew as long as they kept trust in each other they could handle anything that came their way.