Jack swept into Daniel's office and spotted Teal'c first, sitting at a computer. Before he had a chance to ask where Daniel was, the archeologist brushed past him from behind, beelining toward a table in the back, engrossed in a notebook. Jack watched as he flipped a page before turning to storm across the room without even acknowledging Jack's presence.
"Hey," Jack said, turning away from watching Daniel to peer at Teal'c. "Whatcha watching?"
"A digital recording. I am endeavoring to translate the Goa'uld writings of which Daniel Jackson had spoken."
Jack's attention once more veered toward Daniel who kept walking briskly across the room from spot to spot. It was distracting, but he still managed to focus back on Teal'c's next statement.
"Upon a second viewing, I have discovered a figure moving in the background. It does not appear to be one of our personnel."
Teal'c turned the monitor around for Jack to observe the footage in question as behind him Daniel slammed the notebook down onto the desk in frustration before burying his face in the device again as if intently peering at it with a raw intensity would be enough to uncover its secrets.
Jack bristled but didn't turn away from the monitor as he watched the screen, a shadow crossing in the background. "He never mentioned anyone else," he pointed out before Daniel's presence once again became intrusive.
"What is wrong with this thing?" he snapped. "This thing isn't working." Irritation dripped from his voice.
With a sigh, Jack looked up from the monitor. "Did you check the batteries?" he asked sarcastically.
Daniel narrowed his eyes. "I need to go back to the planet and figure out what's going on."
Daniel's impatience and distracting snark was taxing Jack's patience. "Hammond suggested we do that tomorrow," he reminded him.
"Well this thing isn't working and tomorrow isn't good enough!" Daniel's voice went a half octave higher and he came dangerously close to sounding like he was about to embark on one of the tantrums he'd been known to throw in the early days of SG-1.
"Yes it is," Jack replied firmly.
"I'm going to talk to Hammond." Daniel slammed the device down onto the desk and stormed out, ignoring Jack as he called after him.
Teal'c, who had been watching in his usual silent and stoic manner, turned his troubled eyes toward the team leader and they shared a look of concern before Jack followed him out.
Daniel burst into Hammond's office. "Sir, I need to talk to you," he said without preamble.
General Hammond set down the paper he'd been reading and motioned to a chair. "Dr. Jackson. Have a seat."
"No thanks," Daniel replied, waving off the offer even as Jack slid into the room behind him. Hammond and Jack made eye contact over Daniel's shoulder and Jack could only offer a shrug in explanation.
"Have you slept at all since you returned?" he asked as he looked away from his second-in-command, frowning in concern as Daniel leaned onto the desk and rolled the kinks out of his neck.
Daniel wasn't discouraged by the attempt the General made at changing the subject. "I fail to see what that has to do with anything."
"SG-1 has been hard at it for weeks. I'm not sending you anywhere until you've all had at least a solid night's sleep." Hammond didn't mention that he was especially worried about Daniel. On a good day the archeologist relied on too much caffeine and too little actual shut eye but in the two weeks since Shifu had put him into a near-coma state for several hours under the guise of teaching him through dreams, everyone knew that he had been restless and a touch cranky. Even Jack admitted that he thought Daniel was avoiding sleeping as much as possible, likely because of residual dreams creeping in that he refused to talk about.
It was too bad they didn't have a protocol for mandatory psychiatric evaluations due to lack of rest.
"I'm fine," Daniel protested with an obstinate expression that bordered on insubordinate.
No, Hammond knew he wasn't fine. "You're physically and mentally exhausted."
Jack didn't interject, but his expression showed that the General wasn't the only one concerned.
"I admit I may have been pushing myself a bit," Daniel continued, "But this device could hold the key to everything about that entire place and I can't make any more progress on it from here."
Hammond felt the shift in the mood as Daniel dug in. "You're scheduled to leave tomorrow morning," he pointed out. "One more day isn't going to make a difference."
"I'm telling you it is!"
Jack pushed himself off the wall where he'd been leaning. "Thank you for your time, sir," he said in a too-loud voice, hoping Daniel would get the hint.
He did not.
Instead, Daniel slammed his hands onto the desk and leaned in further. "You know, it is beyond my comprehension how anybody like yourself who has so much power can miss the point entirely!" he shouted.
"Hey!" Jack's voice echoed slightly in the office as he moved toward Daniel and shouted. "Knock it off!"
In comparison, Hammond's voice was calm and collected. And much quieter. "It's alright, Colonel." He gave a slight motion of his hand to the paper on the desk in front of him. "This letter is to Lieutenant Barber's family, explaining that he died in the service of his country. I've spent the last two hours on it. I can't tell them anything about how he died or any of the work he did here. I can only tell them that now he's gone. Do you get the point?"
Jack answered for him, giving Daniel no chance to respond on his own. "Yes sir, he does."
"Get him out of here," Hammond growled. Daniel brushed off Jack's motion to take his arm and direct him from the office, instead preferring to walk out on his own. Jack let him pass before turning and watching the back of his head before following after him.
The next morning found Jack, Teal'c and Carter standing in the briefing room waiting their errant archeologist who was running late again. For someone so determined to get back to the planet without delay, Daniel sure was dragging his feet and Jack glanced at his watch one more time.
Sam was hanging up the phone as Hammond came down the stairs. "What's the delay?" he demanded.
"Daniel hasn't reported in this morning, sir."
Hammond just stared at her for a moment. "What?" He wasn't sure he heard correctly.
Sam motioned to the phone. "I just called him. I think he picked up but now I just get a busy signal."
"I don't understand. Yesterday he was demanding to leave immediately."
Jack slid over, something cold settling into the pit of his stomach that he couldn't explain. "Maybe I should give him a wake up call, sir?" he offered.
Hammond nodded his consent. "Sounds to me like he could use one."