First things first: I totally apologize for it taking me so long to update this story. My muse has had other things on her mind, unfortunately, and real life hasn't been the smoothest ride. However, I have a renewed focus for the time being, and I plan on taking full advantage of it. Thank you so much to all of you who have stuck with me! And trust me when I say that I *will* finish this! Enjoy the newest chapter, and feel free to let me know what you think!
The mission to P3C-716 went as well as everyone had hoped, Daniel's transition as well as the adjustment to a five-man team going very smoothly. They'd even managed to bring back some interesting soil samples and a box that gave off unique energy signatures and was covered in an ancient script that Daniel in particular couldn't wait to work on translating. Add to that Danny telling Sam he'd had fun with Jon while she'd been gone although he'd still missed her very much - the teenager hadn't been able to move into Janet's place due to a medical emergency that had come up on base and Cassie's social schedule keeping them from even starting to clear out the spare room - and the weekend arrived on quite a high note.
Jack came through on his idea to have a barbecue, even having Sam drag Sabrina along after Danny's delayed weekly session. What Sam found weird was that the colonel had her get a hold of Janet to have her and Cassie join the party, claiming he'd tried once and didn't get an answer, and now had to finish getting the ribs prepped. She'd have to see if she could figure out what was going on.
It was a weird get-together. Jack and Janet avoided each other the entire time while doing their very best not to make it look like they were doing just that. Cassie pulled out the bocce ball set from Jack's garage and made people play, then only half-heartedly joined in herself. Teal'c tended to gaze around at everyone with an odd look in his eyes that no one had seen there before and couldn't really identify when the Jaffa didn't think anyone was watching. Sabrina was going through bouts of growing irritation when her cell phone would ring and she would silence it swiftly after checking the caller ID. Jonas was in an incredibly "up" mood and had been since the team had gotten back from their latest mission. And Daniel stood leaning against one of the rails of the colonel's deck staring - sometimes at the bocce players, sometimes not - with a deep, thoughtful look on his face and was, in general, quieter than normal.
From what Sam could see, the only one acting completely in character was Danny.
Sam sighed during a bathroom break in the game and continued to watch her friends acting strangely. Cassie, it seemed, was coming out of her funk, picking up Danny and running around the yard with him and away from Jonas, the self-appointed tickle monster. Teal'c stood and watched their antics with muted amusement. Janet and Sabrina were inside, and Jack was now on the deck checking the grill… and Daniel, not that he ever would have admitted it. The blonde astrophysicist moved from the deck to lean against the back corner of the house to avoid the potential argument between the two men; Daniel still didn't care for Jack's mother hen routine when the issue was mental or emotional, and whatever was bothering the archaeologist had all the earmarks of fitting into one or both of those two categories.
With another sigh, Sam leaned her head against the building behind her just as she heard an electronic beep from around the corner.
"Marconi," she heard Sabrina say, apparently into her cell phone. "What can I do for you, Colonel?" There was a brief pause. "Lau? What the hell are you doing?"
Sam was surprised at the complete change of tone from curious and respectful to outraged and angry. It was that surprise that kept her firmly in place when she would have normally slipped away quietly.
"You know full well that today was my day with my patient, and that means all day. That would be why I was ignoring your calls. And what you just told me could have easily waited until tomorrow - and should have! It's not like I'm going to do anything about it until then, anyway."
Sam blinked at the intense ferocity during another brief pause.
"Lau, I'm hanging up now. I will not be answering any other calls from you. And if you dare to call me from the colonel's phone again, you had better hope you're not the first person I run into when I get back to the compound! Goodbye!" There was another beep and the sound of a flip phone being snapped shut.
Just as Sam was thinking about shifting away so she wouldn't be caught eavesdropping, Sabrina came walking around the corner of the house struggling to appear calm. "Um, hi," the major said when the other woman came to a stop just before plowing into her.
Sabrina sighed and let her eyes shut. "You heard, didn't you?" It was more of a statement than a question.
Sam swallowed nervously and nodded. "I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I guess I got startled by how angry you sounded that I just…"
The psychologist waved off the explanation. "Don't worry about it; you didn't hear anything you shouldn't have. And I would have been curious about it, too."
"That doesn't excuse what I did. I know better."
"But I still forgive you, and would really rather let it go," Sabrina said simply.
Sam released a short breath and nodded. "So, who's Lau?" she asked hesitantly.
Sabrina rolled her eyes. "An idiot who also happens to be my field team leader. He hates the fact that my special assignment means I'm not always actively a part of team activities. And he seems to have gotten the idea that no one else can do my job in my absence."
Sam smiled. "It's good to be needed."
"This isn't need, it's want," the black-haired woman refuted. "But apparently something big has come up. I'll be heading back to Boulder tomorrow morning." She paused and looked at Sam. "I don't know how big this is going to end up being; it has to be huge to call me in like this considering the situation. I mean, I'm officially on loan to the SGC for the duration except for emergencies. I may not be able to get back in time for next week's session with Danny."
"And how many times have I had to reschedule?" Sam asked in return. She smiled in understanding. "We'll be all right. You just do what you need to do." The smile grew a bit wider. "I can't blame the CIA for wanting one of their best agents for something important."
"Oh, please," Sabrina said with another roll of her eyes, a smile of her own forming. "I'm good, but I'm not irreplaceable. They've been fine so far."
Sam's expression softened. "But I doubt anything your team has been involved with has been all that big up to this point. You're just going to have to accept that your team values you and the talents you bring, and doesn't want to go without."
Sabrina just looked at her for a long moment, then her gaze turned gentle and her expression grateful and slightly embarrassed. "I'm glad you think that way about me, Sam. It means more than I can say."
Sam simply nodded, her smile never fading, then took a deep breath and leaned back against the side of the house. She noticed that Janet had come back outside and Jonas was apparently taking his turn in the bathroom. "Can I ask you something?" she asked the psychologist who took up a similar pose right next to her.
"Silly question," Sabrina responded.
"Have you noticed anything… off about everybody today?" Sam summarized what she'd noticed earlier. "Cassie seems to be getting better, but everyone else is just acting strange," she concluded.
"Hmm," Sabrina mused, her brows coming together in thought. She looked around the yard and saw what her companion was talking about. "Well, I have to admit to knowing what's going on between Jack and Janet, but it's not my place to say. It's something they're going to have to work out for themselves."
Sam nodded. "As long as there's a reason."
Sabrina chuckled. "And Teal'c, well, I don't think I can even guess with him. I haven't really had a lot of conversations with him, so I can't read him all that well. Add to that a great stoic mask, and…" She shrugged.
"Yeah, it took me a while to be able to read him," Sam commiserated. "His tells are really subtle, but once you can recognize them they're pretty clear."
"I hope I can get to that point," Sabrina murmured with a tiny smile, then returned her attention to the rest of the yard. "Anyway, considering you told me your mission went very well, I'm guessing Jonas is just feeling very good about his place here. He'll calm down in a few days, I'm sure."
"I didn't think about that," Sam said, blinking in slight surprise. "With everything that happened with Jon and the colonel, I forgot about how much trouble Jonas was having adjusting to Daniel coming back. You're sure he's okay?"
Sabrina nodded. "He'll be fine. He just had to work out a few things with himself and with Daniel."
Sam smiled with relief. "I'm glad to hear it."
The psychologist gestured at Daniel who was still leaning against the railing of the deck but was now facing Jack who stood at the grill. They were apparently having a conversation of the usual half bickering, half trying to figure out each other's issues kind by the expression on the older man's face and the tenseness in the archaeologist's shoulders. "Now Daniel I can't say for a totally different reason," Sabrina said, gazing at the squabbling pair speculatively. "He's definitely thinking about something, very deeply in fact, but I have no idea what it is. He seems to have most of his memories back and is adjusting well to them from everything I've seen. I just haven't gotten any clues from the conversations I've had with him recently."
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking, too, and I don't have any better idea than you about what's on his mind," Sam said, frowning a bit. "I think maybe I'll try to get him alone later and see if he'll talk to me about it."
"That sounds like a good plan," Sabrina said with approval in her tone. "And if Cassie's earlier attitude is still bothering you, that's what I'd suggest for her, too. You've got a good relationship with her; if she's willing to share, I'm sure you'd be one of the ones she'll do it with."
"You know, I'm willing to listen to you, too," Sam offered, glancing at the friend at her side. "If this thing with your team is bothering you…"
Sabrina turned to face the blonde woman fully and gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you, but I'm fine. I always knew I could get called back temporarily for something important, and that's what this sounds like it is. What really bugged me was that Lau refused to wait until tomorrow to get a hold of me, even knowing I wouldn't leave here until then. He hates the fact that I'm not there with the team, like I'm going to get myself into all this trouble if he's not around to run the show." She gave a brief laugh and shook her head. "It's his protective instinct combined with his need-to-be-in-control streak in action."
Sam smirked. "I can think of someone else that has that combination going for him in spades," she said with a subtle gesture toward the deck to their left. "And I'm not talking about the guy with the glasses."
"Yeah, that's a pretty accurate diagnosis," Sabrina said matter-of-factly.
Just then, Jonas returned from inside, and Cassie loudly announced that it was time to get back to the game. Sam and Sabrina shared a warm look and went back to the party, each of them hoping their friends' issues would be resolved soon.
The next three days went without incident, and Wednesday came along before anyone knew it. Sam and Danny had breakfast together before the boy and his plush ape were taken to Jon's quarters so the Air Force major could get ready for SG-1's next mission. The young man was hoping to move out of the mountain that weekend, but that would be after SG-1 was supposed to get back so it wouldn't be an issue in regards to Danny.
It was just after noon and Jon and Danny had just finished lunch when the announcement of an unscheduled off-world activation had the teenager's instincts kicking in and the young man himself running for the control room, Danny right behind him out of confusion and a little bit of curiosity. Jon drew himself up short before dashing up the back stairs, suddenly realizing what he was doing, and then conceding to himself that his height combined with the usual crowd of technicians wouldn't allow for a good view of whatever was going on in the gate room anyway. He didn't notice Danny just as silently joining him, the little boy's eyes darting around the hallway while flinching at the sounds of gunfire and explosions that came from the control room speakers not that far away.
It was only a few moments before Jack O'Neill's voice came through over the sounds of violence. "Teal'c! Let's go! Base, this is it! We're on our way!"
"Open the iris," General Hammond ordered.
The two boys heard the protective shield slide away to be quickly followed by the explosions of staff weapon blasts hitting the control room window. Both children jumped, then released quiet breaths of relief as the loud clattering of hurried footsteps on the metal ramp reached them.
"Teal'c's right behind us!" Sam shouted.
There were a few beats where there were no sounds but those of discharging staff weapons, and then a single set of running footsteps clanged down the ramp, quickly followed by automatic gun fire. Then the gate shut down, more clomps could be heard on the ramp, and Hammond called out, "Clear!"
Jon practically held his breath for the next few quiet moments, then gritted his teeth almost painfully when the general's voice called for the medical team to enter the gate room. At least one person had gotten hurt in the short skirmish; he could only hope it was no one from his team. The teenager pulled his thoughts up short at that. SG-1 wasn't his team any more. But they were his friends, and that validated his concern.
"Teal'c?" Janet's voice called out.
Jon froze. Teal'c had been hit?
"Not getting a pulse," one of the male nurses announced.
"Start CPR. Give me one milligram epi."
The rest of Janet's orders faded away to background noise as Jon's concern became full blown terror. Teal'c's heart wasn't beating. He'd been injured severely enough to require CPR.
Teal'c could die.
Jon took an involuntary step backward at the thought and nearly tripped over the little boy behind him. "Danny?" he blurted in surprise, then paused as he took in the wide eyes and pale complexion of the small child.
Crap. Danny was hearing all the same things he was, and probably was confused about what it all meant beyond the fact that the doctor was working. Jon knelt down to look the tiny blond in the eye. "Danny, are you all right?" he asked gently.
Danny nodded, focusing all his attention on the teenager. "What is Doctor Fraiser doing to Teal'c?" he asked in a whisper.
"It sounds like Teal'c got hurt by one of the staff weapon blasts we heard, and Doctor Fraiser is helping him," Jon explained.
"She's trying to make him feel better?" Danny asked.
"Something like that," Jon said, reluctant to admit how hurt Teal'c had to be.
Danny considered things for a moment. "Will Teal'c be okay?"
Jon sighed. "I sure hope so, kiddo. If there's any chance at all, Doc Fraiser will find it, you can be sure of that."
"Okay," Danny whispered.
"We should get back to my room, make sure we stay out of everyone's way," Jon said, rising to his full height and offering his hand to the younger boy. He smiled reassuringly when the offer was accepted. "We'll find out everything later when everyone comes to see us, I just know it." He began to lead Danny down the hall back to the elevator.
They were forced to pause when Janet and her team rushed into the open car, still working determinedly on the still form of the injured Jaffa. Jon kept himself and Danny out of sight, flinching when he looked down at his small charge and saw his eyes get wide once again at the blood that could be seen around the edges of the wound. Oh, he was going to be kicking himself for this little maneuver for a long time to come. How could he not have realized Danny was with him? For that matter, what had he been thinking when he ran down here in the first place? Yeah, it had been instinct, but he was supposed to be able to control that. Especially when he was in charge of a little boy who really, really didn't need to see this.
Jon was about to kneel down and soothe the other boy's fear once again when a shadow fell over them. "What in the hell are you two doing here?" a familiar voice said quietly.
The teenager turned his head and thought that there was probably going to be an interesting new definition of kicking himself in his future, at least if the look in Colonel Jack O'Neill's eyes was anything to go by. He swallowed nervously, but before he could even think of anything to say, Sam darted around him and scooped up Danny.
"Oh my God, Danny," she gasped into the little boy's hair. "Are you okay? What did you see?" She didn't even bother to spare a glance for Jon.
"I saw Doctor Fraiser take Teal'c into the elevator," Danny's muffled voice replied, his arms tightening around her neck. "Are you okay?" he asked shakily.
"I'm fine. I'm fine, sweetie," Sam reassured her ward, her eyes falling shut as she rocked him back and forth gently. "The rest of us are fine."
Jack cleared his throat. "You didn't answer my question," he said darkly. Daniel and Jonas stood behind him, watching a bit warily. It was obvious they wanted to know the answer to that question themselves, though.
Between the guilt trip he was already packing for and the fear he was feeling for Teal'c, Jon felt something rise up inside at the attempt at intimidation from basically himself. "I don't owe you any kind of explanation," he snarled, his eyes narrowed. He turned to Sam before the flash of rage that started to burn brightly in his adult self's gaze could manifest itself. "I'm sorry, Sam," he said to the woman who focused her attention on him in surprise at his tone. "The klaxons went off and I heard the announcement of the unscheduled off-world activation and just took off on instinct. I wasn't thinking, and Danny just followed me. I didn't even realize he had until after the doc was working on Teal'c. He didn't see anything!" Jon said quickly at the horrified expression that transformed Sam's features at his words. "We were in the hallway by the back stairs of the control room. We could only hear what happened. I was trying to take him back to my room and out of the way when Fraiser's medical team came hurrying through, and then you were here." He took a deep breath to calm himself down. "I promise this will never happen again if we're on base when I'm watching him. I promise."
Sam stared at him for a long, silent moment, her expression the most serious Jon could remember, and then she blew out a small, controlled breath. "It will never happen again," she said firmly. "Or I will never trust you with Danny again." There was a thread of steel in her tone.
"Never again," Jon repeated, flinching unconsciously at the justifiable threat.
"Okay, Danny," Sam said to the child in her arms, her voice suddenly soft and gentle. "I need you to go with Jon to his room so the rest of us can check on Teal'c and get our own post-mission physicals. Will you be all right?"
Danny hesitated then nodded. "Will you come to see me when you're done?" he asked meekly. He'd never heard Sam speak the way she had to Jon before, and only the fact that she hadn't been aiming those words and that tone at him kept him from shying away from her.
Sam smiled. "I'll try," she told him. "If I can I probably won't be able to stay long because we're going to have to tell General Hammond about what happened. But if we don't have to go straight to the debriefing I'll come see you as soon as I get out of the infirmary."
Danny relaxed somewhat and managed to return Sam's expression. "I'm glad," he said simply, then sighed as the blonde major hugged him again.
Sam placed him back on his feet and ran a hand over his hair, suddenly thinking he was probably going to need a haircut soon. "I'll see you soon, then," she said, shoving the random thought aside. She looked at her teammates. "I think we should get going."
"Right," Daniel said when he realized Jack was too busy glaring daggers at his clone to answer for himself. He gestured Jonas ahead and looked at the silver-haired colonel. "Jack? We can worry about this later, although I think Sam handled it just fine on her own. We need to get to the infirmary and check on Teal'c."
"Daniel's right, Colonel," Jonas added from where he had just pushed the call button for the elevator car. "And they might even have some news for us."
It was only when the doors opened that Jack tore his vicious glare away from his younger counterpart. "Let's get out of here," he said quietly before stalking to the back of the elevator car. He pointedly ignored the two kids who entered after the rest of his team, relaxing a fraction when they exited on the floor of Jon's VIP suite. "I can't believe you're letting him off the hook, Carter," he said darkly once the car was on the move again.
Sam glanced at her superior officer. "He didn't do it on purpose, sir," she replied quietly. "And I trust that he won't do it again."
Jack's eyebrows rose. "You trust him?"
"He may be trying to become a different person now, but he still has your memories as his core," Sam explained. "And I would trust you to keep your word in that situation."
"I never would have been in that situation," Jack refuted.
"You can't say that," Daniel said as the elevator doors opened at their destination. "Besides, even if it wouldn't have been that exact situation, the point is still valid. If you made a mistake with Danny and promised Sam it would never happen again, she would trust that you'd keep your word. That's what Sam is saying here."
Jack waved off the distinction as he strode purposefully out of the car and down the hallway. "I think we should just worry about what's going on with Teal'c," he said as the others followed him. "That's what's most important right now."
Daniel shared a look with Jonas and Sam that spoke of his exasperation with Jack, then shook his head and entered the infirmary right behind the older man. From there, the focus for all four of them switched entirely to their injured teammate. They could only hope and pray that he would be all right.
Around four o'clock that afternoon, Sam finally made her way to Jon's room a bit tired and a little worse for wear. "Hey, guys," she greeted the two boys with a small smile once she'd been bid enter.
Danny smiled back. "Hi, Sam," he said softly, putting down the book he'd been reading.
Jon tossed aside his comic book. "Hey, Carter. I take it you guys went through your debriefing."
"That's where I came from," Sam confirmed. She stepped inside the room and closed the door behind her. "And now I think we all need to have a little chat."
"About what?" Danny asked as Jon's expression became guilt-ridden once again.
Sam sat down next to the little boy on the bed. "What happened earlier." She looked at him and smiled gently. "First, I want you to know that Teal'c is going to be fine. Janet came into the debriefing and let us all know. It's going to take him longer to heal than he's used to, but he'll still get there faster than the rest of us would in his place." She paused as Danny smiled and Jon blew out a quiet breath of relief. "Now," she continued, "did anything you saw or heard scare or bother you?"
Danny's smile faded and his eyes dropped to his lap for a moment. "It was really loud," he murmured as he brought his gaze back up. "And at first I was scared you were hurt. Then I heard you yell about Teal'c and you didn't sound hurt, but all the noise was still there. Then it all stopped, and I heard the general, and then I heard Doctor Fraiser, and she sounded all worried about Teal'c, and I didn't know what was going on. Then Jon told me she was trying to help Teal'c and that we should go back to his room so we wouldn't get in the way. And when we got to the elevator, Doctor Fraiser and Teal'c were there going in so we couldn't, and you and Jack and Daniel and Jonas were there and saw us."
The rambling explanation was reassuring in a couple of ways. First, the fact that Danny was so willing to talk about what had happened spoke to a limited amount of trauma that would likely be easily recovered from. She'd have to double check with Sabrina when she saw the psychologist next, although by that time she'd most likely know for sure if she watched the boy closely enough. Second, Danny was willing to talk at length about what had happened. That fact spoke for itself, considering Danny's usual lack of wordiness. Sam smiled slightly.
"Was there anything else?" she asked.
"Well…" Danny's gaze dropped again. "When Doctor Fraiser went in the elevator with Teal'c, I saw blood on his stomach, and he didn't do anything when she pushed down hard on it. And it had to hurt. That kind of scared me, even though Jon told me Doctor Fraiser would be able to save Teal'c if she could. And I was still scared you were hurt until I saw you and you hugged me."
"I can understand that," Sam said soothingly, putting an arm around the boy's shoulders. She couldn't resist placing a gentle kiss into his soft blond hair. "Does knowing Teal'c is going to be okay help you feel better about what you saw?"
Danny considered it. "I think so. I still remember being scared, but now I know that he's okay so it'll be okay."
Sam squeezed his shoulders. "I'm glad. But if you ever want to talk about it, I'll always be willing to listen." She smiled when she got a small smile in response, then turned her attention to the nervous-looking teenager standing off to the side from where she was sitting. "And now for you," she said seriously, her expression growing serious.
"I meant it when I said I was sorry and that I wouldn't let it happen again, Sam," Jon said quickly.
"I don't doubt that, to be honest," Sam replied, "but I think I need to tell you just what I was feeling when I saw the two of you near the elevators. I panicked, Jon. I had no idea where you'd been and what you'd seen. We'd just come in hot and had a firefight in the gate room. For all I knew you'd slipped inside and gotten injured. And that's not taking into account what happened with Teal'c. I just couldn't believe you would have Danny so close to that kind of danger. I mean, what would have happened if more than one Jaffa had gotten through before they closed the iris? What if they'd gotten out of the gate room?"
Jon winced. "I've gone over all of that since we got back here. I was an idiot. All I can tell you is that we'd just left the commissary when the klaxons went off and the announcement came over the PA that there was an unscheduled off-world activation. My instincts…" He sighed and shook his head. "Jack O'Neill's instincts kicked in and I took off for the control room. I didn't even think about Danny, who followed me without having a clue about where I was going or what I was doing. And I had no idea he had. I didn't know he was there until I practically tripped over him when I tried to back away from what I could hear going on with Fraiser and Teal'c."
Sam stared at him for a long, silent moment. "I'm going to trust that you'll control those instincts from now on, Jon. I know it has to bother you that you accidentally took Danny into a dangerous situation, so I know you'll do whatever it takes to keep it from happening again. You have to, because I don't think I could take losing him." She hugged Danny again without looking away from Jon, then gave the young man a half-smile. "And I don't want to lose you, either, just so you're clear on that.
"Thanks, Sam," Jon whispered, truly touched by both her last statement and her forgiveness.
"Don't worry about it," Sam said warmly, then took a deep breath and released it. "So I bet you want to hear about how we got into the firefight that sent us running through the gate," she said, deliberately changing the subject.
Jon's eyebrows rose. "Was there any doubt?" he asked with slightly forced lightness.
Sam smiled in return. "Well, things were pretty uneventful until we'd been in the temple for a while," she began, jumping straight into the story knowing the teenager was already aware of the goal of the mission. "Daniel and Jonas had just finished videotaping the writing on the walls of the main chamber when the Jaffa showed up. We managed to hide before we were spotted, although we could hear that they knew someone was there. That's when the colonel snuck out and planted my radio in the underbrush away from our position. He began broadcasting to create a distraction, and about half of the Jaffa left the temple. That was enough for us to be able to slip out ourselves, but it wasn't long before they were hot on our trail, firing at us the whole way. Jonas got ahead of us and dialed Earth while the rest of us covered him and tried to slow the Jaffa down, Colonel O'Neill radioed in that we were coming in hot while Teal'c did his best to keep them back just that little while longer, and I think you know the rest." She shrugged and looked down to give a wide-eyed Danny a reassuring smile that was returned after a moment of blinking.
"So whose Jaffa were they?" Jon asked curiously.
"Amaterasu," Sam answered. "We think that she's getting bold and taking advantage of the prestige defeating Anubis has given her."
"That makes sense," Jon said, nodding.
Sam sighed. "We're not sure what that means about the current balance of power amongst the System Lords, but the general is sending a message to the Tok'ra to hopefully find out their take on everything."
Jon scowled. "Yeah, like we're going to get any information of value from that quarter," he grumbled.
Sam shot him a look. "They may not always be the most forthcoming, but they are our allies," she reminded him. "And if my dad has something to say about it, we'll be all right."
It was Jon's turn to sigh. "Okay, you got me there. Your dad's one of the good guys."
"It's good that you remember that," Sam said with a small smirk. Then she took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, her expression fading. "I suppose I should head to the infirmary. The colonel, Daniel, and Jonas all headed straight there after the debriefing to see Teal'c."
"He's up for visitors?" Jon asked. Danny also sat up a bit in anticipation of the answer.
Sam nodded. "Janet said as much when she came into the debriefing."
Jon hesitated before asking his next question. "Do you think we could go with you to see him?"
Sam smiled. "I think that would be all right. I'm not sure any of us should stay long, but it'll do us all good to see that Teal'c's okay in person."
The two young men returned her expression, and then the three of them left for the infirmary.
Two days later, Jonas offered to watch Danny for the day to allow Sam some uninterrupted time to work on an experiment that had reached a critical stage while Jon was taking some tests to determine his placement in school. The two of them read some books together, then watched some television. Jonas had been researching children's shows in anticipation of the day, and wasn't surprised when they both learned some things about American culture thanks to the experience.
After lunch, Jonas asked if Danny wanted to go and see Teal'c, and the boy agreed. As they exited the elevator they saw Daniel in the hallway just outside the Jaffa's room looking back inside with furrowed eyebrows and a slightly worried expression. The Kelownan couldn't help but wonder what had just happened, but wasn't sure if he should ask.
"Is Teal'c all right?" Jonas asked once Daniel had noticed them and walked over.
"What?" Daniel said, surprised at the question. "No, no, Teal'c's fine. He's healing like he's supposed to."
Jonas narrowed his eyes slightly. "So what has you worried?" he asked, catching that the other man had left something unsaid.
Daniel sighed. "He blames himself for getting injured. He said he fell behind."
Jonas blinked. "But Teal'c was covering us while I opened the stargate," he refuted.
"I know. That's what I told him. And that's when he told me he wanted to be alone." Daniel's eyes closed as he pursed his lips and shook his head.
"Should we not go in, then?" Jonas asked.
Daniel opened his eyes. "Maybe you should. I just wouldn't say anything about having talked to me." He smiled down at Danny, the little boy having been silently listening to the conversation with wide eyes. "I really think he'll like having you visit," the archaeologist told him warmly, only a tiny spark of doubt in the back of his gaze any indication that he didn't fully believe what he was saying.
Danny returned the smile with a small one of his own. "I'll try to help Teal'c feel better."
"I know you will." Daniel glanced at Jonas. "I know you both will." He sighed again and pressed the call button for the elevator. "I'm going to get back to the office and work on that tablet from P2S-927. Good luck." With one last smile, he went through the now-open silver doors and disappeared behind them when they closed.
"Well, I guess we should go see Teal'c," Jonas said after a moment. "Just remember not to mention Daniel, okay?"
"All right," Danny agreed quietly.
The two of them walked down the hall and Jonas knocked on the doorframe of Teal'c's room, the door being open. "Hey, there," the Kelownan greeted his friend with a smile when the Jaffa turned his head toward the source of the sound. "I'm taking care of Daniel here today and thought we'd come see how you're doing."
Teal'c paused before responding. "I am doing well," he said with a note of resignation in both his tone and his eyes.
"I see you've already had visitors today," Jonas continued, gesturing at the five small cups - four eaten and a pair of spoons in a couple of the empty containers - of green Jell-O on the overtable next to the bed.
"O'Neill brought them," Teal'c said simply.
"The colonel is thoughtful that way." Jonas paused as he tried to think of what else to say. Teal'c wasn't making it easy; the Jaffa's body language was anything but welcoming although his tone was neutral.
Danny didn't have that problem. He stepped up to the side of the bed and looked at Teal'c earnestly. "I'm glad you're doing well," he said, smiling shyly.
Teal'c tensed slightly, but gave the child a shallow nod of acceptance. "Thank you."
Danny nibbled on his lower lip for a moment. "And thank you for keeping Sam and the rest of SG-1 safe and helping everybody get home," he said quietly.
The Jaffa's jaw muscle began to twitch and he closed his eyes, his body tensing completely. He was quiet for a couple minutes before he turned his head away from his visitors. "I must rest," he ground out through gritted teeth, not opening his eyes.
"Oh, right. We'll just go then," Jonas said quickly, blinking in surprise at the reaction. He placed a hand on Danny's shoulder and gently led him toward the door. "We'll come back another time and see how you're doing then." There was no reaction, so Jonas and Danny left without another word.
"Oh wow," Jonas muttered when they were halfway back to the elevator. "He really is feeling guilty." He stopped walking and looked back at where they'd come from, his expression unknowingly showing as much worry as Daniel's had earlier.
"Did… did I do something wrong?"
The meek little voice drew Jonas away from his musings about Teal'c and had him looking down at a tiny heartbroken look. Blue eyes were large as they looked up at him, making him need to make the pain go away. "No, of course not, Daniel," Jonas tried to reassure the boy. "Teal'c feels bad about getting hurt. And he's tired and probably in pain. It wasn't personal against you."
Danny thought about it then sighed. "I didn't help him feel better, then."
Jonas knelt down to look Danny in the eyes. "I'm not sure he's ready to feel better yet," he said, the idea just occurring to him. "Maybe when he's closer to being completely healed."
"So he'll still be okay?"
"I think so," Jonas said with a small smile. "And we'll keep trying to help him along the way. Underneath it all I think he appreciates it."
Danny sighed again. "Okay. I just want Teal'c to feel better."
Jonas nodded. "I do, too." He checked his watch. "And now I think it's time for your nap. Let's go back to your room and get ready."
They continued on their way to the elevator. And as Jonas got Danny settled into bed, Sunshine beside him, the Kelownan couldn't help but wonder just how hard it was going to end up being to help Teal'c the way they all wanted to. He just knew there was no way Teal'c was going to make things easy for himself.