Spyridon- Sorry for the long update but I hope Jedimastersandy doesn't go Jaffa on me. Hope you like.
REVEIWS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED!
Chapter Two: Check My Vital Signs
SG-1 was gathered around the briefing table, the colonel haggard and ragged. Doctor Fraiser and Major Ferretti were also present, both looking worriedly at Jack along with everyone else. Sighing Janet started when the general motioned for the meeting to start.
"I don't know what wrong with him, General. I have tried to stop the bleeding but the wounds won't seem to stop bleeding and start to heal. Tests have showed that the white blood cells are refusing to work properly which is leading me to believe that his natural healing ability has seemed to shut down temporarily. But other tests have showed that his body is producing more red blood cells to replace the ones being lost. In short, the amount his body makes is the same amount that is lost." Janet flipped the folder shut. "The poison from the snake has been cleared out thankfully to blood loss but that's the only good thing. Daniel at the moment is in a comatose state."
Jack ran his hands through his grey hair. "Will he wake up soon?"
"I can't really say. I'm out of my league here. The only thing that I can tell you is there is also something present. It is unidentifiable at the moment but my only guess at the moment is that it's the one that's causing the grief at the moment. Whatever it is, is not killing him but rather placing him in a very, very deep sleep. The only thing I can do for now is make sure he doesn't come into contact with AIDS, HIV, and other viruses. I wouldn't want him to get infected so I'll be putting him isolation with added medical security. I don't want anybody going in there without a HAZMAT suit."
"God, I'm sorry, Colonel." Ferretti said features downcast. "I should have been watching my men more carefully.
"It wasn't your fault, Ferretti. You'd would have never have guessed Perez was a crazy son of a bitch." Jack thumped his hands on the table, causing some coffee mugs to rattle. "I want to know how the hell those two passed our evaluations!"
"According to the records, they were captured by another Goa'uld queen a few months back. After a quick rescue, they were brought here to the SGC by the Tok'ra. Perez and Gonzalez had been used by the queen to breed more troops for Sokar. The report also said that the doctor assigned to the team, Doctor Juan Garcia, had made an error when reading the Temple inscriptions which ultimately lead to their capture." Sam said, handing copies of the report to the General, Ferretti, and Jack.
"What does it have to do with Dr. Jackson?" General Hammond asked, opening the folder.
"Perez in his proceeding with the psychiatrist expressed extreme hatred toward civilian scientists, and especially Daniel Jackson, General Hammond." Teal'c stated.
"Garcia was also handpicked by Daniel for the time but he wasn't well-versed in Latin and considering he is more Middle-East oriented than Medieval history, made him a target for Perez. A month after coming back on missions, the good doctor was killed in an accident on P92-Z02 when negotiations had taken a dive. SG-2 barely made it back alive."
"You're guessing he got capped off by one of them, general?" Jack asked the older man.
"After what I'm seeing today, I'll be calling investigations onto what really happened during the negotiations."
"But that still doesn't answer how they were placed back on an SG team. After what the shrink said, they wouldn't have a hell's chance on getting back." Jack thumped the folder before him.
"Not if somebody switched the psychiatrist's report, then they wouldn't." Sam mumbled, a frown marring her features as she studied the general's report and her own. "Somebody must have falsified the actual report because on mine it said that he was recommending against placing Perez and Gonzalez back on a team due to their stressful experiences under the Goa'uld. But in General Hammond's, it states they were fit for duty, that there was nothing averse in their response that made them not qualified for being placed back." Sam handed the report back to the general.
"There's a snitch inside the SGC." The thought came unbidden to Jack's mind. "Someone's wants Daniel killed."
"Dr. Jackson has unfortunately made a lot of enemies since his time with the SGC, colonel."
"Or they could be trying to get back at you, sir." Ferretti spoke up. "You did bring down their little operation a few months back. They know you and Daniel are close."
Were. Jack thought darkly. I doubt he's still my friend after what I've done to him these past few years. "It's been a while, Ferretti."
"Long enough for your guard to go done."
"The NID might also take advantage of Daniel Jackson being unable to defend himself." Teal'c said. "With him incapacitated, he is a prime target for the dark actions of their operatives."
"I'm going to have to place a guard on him just in case and I'm also placing SG-1 and SG-2 on stand down until all this is sorted out."
"Sir, I would like for SG-1 to go and visit the planet SG-1 had that little encounter with natives on the mission before the incident with Reese. I just had my nurse check over Daniel's blood work and they have noticed the substance is present in the tests taken after the mission."
"So, he must have picked it up then, but it never activated."
The general leaned back. There was a possibility that Dr. Jackson was in direct threat with the NID but first they had to cure him of the illness that had placed him in the infirmary. "Fine, doctor; SG-1 will head back to the planet and talk with the council there. Major Ferretti and SG-3 will watch the infirmary for any signs of suspicious activities."
"What happens if Daniel doesn't wake up from this?" Sam asked.
"Don't think like that. Daniel will make it through this like he's done before." Jack snapped at her.
"I'm sorry colonel but it could be a possibility." Janet said realistically. "If I can't help Daniel, he will stay in solitary quarantine just like those who do not have immune systems. He will have to have his bandages changed every four hours and moved by specialized nurses so he won't develop lesions. That's the best possible future if Daniel doesn't wake up."
"Colonel, get your team ready to depart within the hour." General Hammond said as he stood up from the desk.
"Yes, sir." Jack slumped back in the seat as the general left. "Shit."
"I'm sorry, sir."
"It isn't your fault, Ferretti." Jack looked up at his old time friend. "It just seems everything is out to get Daniel."
"That boy's a trouble magnet." Ferretti gave a small grin. "Thank god he bounces back."
"I hope he does." Jack stood up. "I'll see you when we get back." The major nodded as the colonel left right behind his team.
"ALANA!" A little girl of about seven turnings of the sun entered the little hut where the elder lived surrounded by her many herbs. "Alana, the travelers from the ring has come here."
Alana wiped her hands on the cloth of her dress, standing straight as she could as she looked at the young child. "Lin, slow down. Your words are tumbling over each other and I can not understand. What did you say?"
"The first travelers from the stone ring have come through again. They are asking questions about one of the young man with the golden hair. They say he has fallen sick and they wish to speak to the council." The child clarified, pronouncing each word as slow as she can while bouncing from one foot to another.
"Ah, they wish to know of the one called Dan'l?" The little girl nodded empathetically. "Go tell the other councilors I will be there shortly." The girl gave a small bow before running off again. I wish I were young again. Alana thought as she turned back to her herbs to study what she would need to bring.
Jack shifted his gun as SG-1 waited for the last councilor to show up. So far, the council wasn't talking and that wasn't helping the colonel's temper much. In his mind, he could hear Daniel telling him to calm down, to have patience; all with a single look. At the moment, he needed Daniel's calm presence because he was going out of his mind. But then they wouldn't need to be here, would they? Jack sighed.
"I am sorry for my lateness." Councilor Alana walked into the council's hut, carrying a small satchel. She took her seat at the head of the table. The other two councilors looked at her. She nodded at the door, quietly telling them to leave. They left, closing the cloth door behind them.
"Ma'am, we came here to see if there was anything on how one of our friends could have gotten sick." Sam started but the old lady waved her explanations off.
"I know what is happening to your friend, young one. I know because I am the one who gave him the serum." Alana stated.
Okay, that did it. Jack stomped up to her, slamming his hands flat on the desk and leaning toward her as his eyes blazed with a dark fury. "You are the one that gave him the poison?! You're the one that placed him in the coma and you're sitting there calmly telling us you are the one that gave him the SERUM?" Jack hissed.
"Your anger will not help you much in the situation you now face." Alana stated calmly.
Teal'c came up and helped Jack into a seat. "You should probably do well to calm yourself, O'Neill. This could be the only way to save Daniel Jackson." Jack didn't answer.
"How can we save him?" Sam asked.
Alana turned toward her, dark eyes filled with something indescribable. "You see, your young friend has much darkness within his soul." She held up a hand as Sam opened her mouth. "It is not evil, young one. Just dark. For you see, each being that has ever lived, does live, or will live carry this darkness, their other side. We all have grief, pain, sorrow, hate, fear, and death. But Dan'l is refusing to deal with the dark gifts of life, pushing it and containing it within his subconscious. Now, it has grown, spreading to every part of his mind, creating doubt, self-loathing, when there should be none. The only way to overcome it is to face it and accept it."
"Well that'll be easy." Jack said.
Alana shook her head. "No, it will not, colonel. Few decide to face it and even fewer accept it. There are fine lines between accepting it, repressing it, and letting it take over. He must accept it or it will win."
"What happens if Daniel fails?" Sam asked, afraid of the answer deep inside.
"There are two possibilities. One, he will forever stay trapped in his own mind and continue to sleep deeply or two, the other will take control, rising to surface and take control of the body. This is rare but when it does, it is dangerous. If that should happen, you must kill him or he will kill others, inflicting pain and hate on them as revenged to what had been done to him. You will know when this happens."
Sam gasped. Her mind couldn't quite grab at the concept of a murderous Daniel. Of course, she had glimpse when Daniel had been under the influence of the sarcophagus. If that had only allowed him to lose his self-control temporarily, what would happen if the good side of him was completely erased?
"Can we help him through this?" Jack asked. He wasn't the one to let someone face their worst nightmare alone, not if he could help it. Especially when it came to Daniel, he needed to be there or die trying.
"He will need help to be freed from his dark side so he can face it. When one sleeps, it means, the darkness has already captured him. You must free him again."
"So how are we gonna do that?"
"You must each consume part of this potion. Add one drop of his blood into it so it can tune to his mind." Alana placed the satchel on the table. Jack opened it up and revealed a bottle containing a sluggish brown liquid. His stomach twisted at the thought of downing that. "This will help you reach him in his sleep. Once there, you will able to communicate. But the potion has a limit which I cannot tell you as it is random among drinkers. All I can say it use it wisely."
"One more thing, Alana. Why is Daniel bleeding and why can't he heal?" Sam asked, remembering what Janet asked her to ask the council.
"You see, the serum is red in color, much like that of blood. To the old shamans of our people, they believed the serum was the blood of the phoenix who was rose from the ashes of the previous phoenix to live again, more brilliant than ever before. Life through death, you can say. It was said, when the person took the serum, the wounds on their bodies reflected the sorrows held within their souls or ancient hurts that were never dealt with. They were called the Bleeding Lords due to this. The serum became forgotten after a terrible disease swept through our lands when fewer and fewer people were waking up. Finally, the first council banned the use of serum until it was forgotten."
"So you're saying the cuts that are opening up on Daniel's body are reflections of past hurts, and emotional wounds that he has suffered since he was born?"
"Yes."
"Oh shit." Sam cursed, blushing when she realized she said it out loud.
"Fits the situation, Carter." Jack said. The same thoughts were going through his own head. Daniel did have a lot of shit on his plate. A lot of grief and emotional stress. No wonder he had a lot of wounds and not just from the stupid snake. "But why did you do it?" He asked her.
Alana stared back. "A tower built with false material and unstable foundations will fall sooner or later. It is best to destroy it before the tower grows any higher and rebuild with true materials and firmer ground."
"Huh?"
"Dan'l was building his life around the wrong supports, colonel. He need to reaffirm what he is doing is the best path to what he wants to achieve. And he needs to decide what it is he wants to achieve while not losing sight of himself along the way." Alana simply said.
"It would have been better if you said that." Jack grumped.
"You should head back now, colonel before Dan'l slides deeper into the darkness."
"Okay." Jack got up and headed toward the door. He turned back as Sam and Teal'c slipped through the cloth door. Alana sat there, staring back at him.
"I hope you succeed, colonel or your team will have lost a bright beacon in the darkness of the war you fight."
"I hope so too, Alana." Jack gave a small nod before leaving.
"Are you sure you want to do this, colonel?" Janet asked the vial filled with Alana's potion in her hand. She was dressed in a HAZMAT gear her helmet tucked under one arm.
"At this fucking point, I'm willing to do anything. Sorry sir, but that's how I feel." Jack was leaning against the door of the observation deck. Below, Daniel was lying on the bed, the white bandages slowly turning to red as the blood continued to seep on through. It was about time to change bandages.
"So the councilor told you if Dr. Jackson was conquered by his dark side, there is a chance that he will become a murderer, colonel?"
"That about sums it up."
"What symptoms did she tell you should that happen?" Janet asked.
"Um, that we should know."
"I think it's already happening. I just noticed when you got back; his hair has been turning black."
Spyridon- Here it is, the next part of 'The Bleeding Lord'. Oh, and that part of the Phoenix was something that I created to fit the story. Next up, a little dive into Daniel's mind which is my version of LP's Crawling video. Oh, and don't forget to DROP A REVIEW!