So here I am again, with another chapter. Still no plan as such but I've got an idea about where to take this, no please don't die of shock!! Anyway, I've got chapter 8 almost ready for posting, finished touches etc. to do but that should be posted in the next couple of days!!
A big thank you to Naliza for betaing this for me and a thanks to those who sent feedback, you guys rock!!! :)
I don't know when I last said this but SG-1 aren't mine and they never will be, I'm just messing with their heads for a while but will fix them up when I'm done!!
*~*~*
Daniel rolled over and silenced the buzzing alarm clock with bitter emotions running through his head. Despite the amount of times in the past that he had to rise before the sun, he still found it extremely difficult. Actively forcing himself to wake up completely he rolled off the bed and dragged himself into the shower. He winced as he stepped under the cool spray, he hated cold showers but it was the best way to wake him up, that and multiple cups of strong coffee.
He threw on some clothes and after spending a few minutes tracking down his keys he was ready to leave. With a sigh, he heavily put down his keys on the small table by the door. He shrugged off his jacket as he went back into the living room, kicking off his shoes as he sunk deeply into the couch, releasing a small sigh of delight as he did.
He reached for the phone and dialled the SGC switchboard from memory.
"This is Doctor Daniel Jackson, could you give Colonel Jack O'Neill a message. Tell him I won't be coming in today. I don't want to," he said quickly as soon as the female voice answered.
"Yes Sir," she replied slowly. It was definitely unusual for any personnel to call in to take a day off but she had never known someone to say that they just did not want to come in. She was particularly surprised as it was Doctor Jackson, who was famous for putting in long hours on base.
"Thank you," Daniel replied before hanging up.
Dropping the phone on the couch, he stood. Peeling off clothes as he went, he fell back into bed and promptly fell asleep.
*~*
Airman Olivia West sat at the security station, waiting for either Colonel O'Neill or General Hammond to arrive on the base. The message she had just received from Dr. Jackson was weighing in her mind, it was strange, even for the SGC.
She looked up as she heard someone approach. She was relieved to see that it was Colonel O'Neill walking up to the station. He smiled at her as he went through the familiar procedure of signing in.
"Excuse me Colonel," she said once the security checks had been completed.
"Yeah," he replied turning to face her.
"I have a message for you from Dr. Jackson."
"Really?" Jack asked, momentarily taken aback.
"Yes Sir. He said that he wouldn't be coming to the base today."
"And did he say why?"
"Um, yes Sir. He said he didn't want to."
"What?" Jack asked, trying to refrain from shouting at the young Airman who was only relaying a message. Daniel, he could shout at.
"That was all he said, sorry Sir," she said apologetically.
Jack just shook his head, both to absolve the Airman of any responsibility she may feel for Daniel's message and shock at the actions of the Archaeologist.
He stalked to his office and right away started dialling Daniel's home number, the phone was quickly picked up but then almost immediately hung up. Cursing him, Jack tried his cell phone, but it appeared to be switched off.
He left his office and found General Hammond in the corridor just outside.
"General. Apparently Daniel doesn't want to come in today," he said, his voice was dripping with sarcasm
"So I heard," Hammond replied.
"Well he doesn't want to answer his phone either. With your permission I'd like to head over there."
"Good idea Colonel," Hammond agreed.
*~*
Jack hammered on Daniel's door, who either was not in or choosing not to answer. He grabbed his keys from his pocket and let himself into Daniel's apartment using the spare key.
"You'd better be here Daniel," he muttered. He was not in the mood to search for the errant Archaeologist.
"Daniel, you here?" he called out.
There was no sign of him but his jacket was thrown over the back of the couch and a pair of shoes had been kicked under the coffee table. Jack went to the bedroom, tripping over a shirt and a T-Shirt as he went. As he pushed open the door he saw the room was dark, the drapes firmly closed.
Jack could just see Daniel's feet sticking out from under the covers. Jack opened the drapes, flooding the room with light. Daniel did not stir at the influx of light, it was only when Jack pulled back the covers that he started to wake up.
"What?" Daniel grumbled as the light assaulted his eyes.
"DANIEL, GET UP NOW," Jack bellowed, as he realised that Daniel did not look or sound unwell.
Daniel sat bolt upright as Jack's voice reverberated through the room.
"What do you want? Isn't it too early for this Jack?"
"Too early, it's 09h00 Daniel," Jack said, disbelieving.
"What, that can't be right," Daniel replied, his brow furrowed. He looked over at the clock by his bed, his eyes widening as it confirmed what Jack had said. "I must have slept through my alarm."
"Or not," Jack said, his voice angry but softening slightly as he looked at his friend sitting up in bed, looking very confused.
"Jack, what's going on?" he asked.
"You don't remember calling in to the SGC saying you weren't coming in?"
"No," he replied. Still obviously confused.
"You said that you didn't want to come in."
"I did?" he asked, still confused and obviously embarrassed, the faintest pink tint appearing on his cheeks.
"Yeah Daniel, you did. You really don't remember?"
"No, I think I'd better see Janet," he muttered.
"Yeah, get dressed. I'll give you a lift in."
"Thanks. Sorry Jack"
"Hey, don't worry about it," he replied, leaving Daniel to get dress. Although neither of them had mentioned it, Jack was pretty sure that their capture during the last mission must have something to do with Daniel's memory lapse and that did not sit well with him.
After a minute Daniel emerged. He looked deep in thought, which was not an unusual look for him but to Jack there was something different about his friend's current appearance. Something deep was contained in the innocent face.
They drove to the mountain in near silence, Jack made a couple of half-hearted attempts at conversation but with Daniel offering one word answers the dialogue quickly died out.
"You catch the game last night?" Jack asked in a last ditched attempt to get a reaction from Daniel.
"No," Daniel mumbled.
"Tie game almost to the end of the third period."
"Great," came the monotone response.
With a sigh, Jack gave up and switched his full attention back to the road. Daniel sat and stared out of the window for much of the journey. He knew something was wrong, something that could probably be traced back to their time on P2X-739. Whenever he thought of the mission he got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach and that was something that he did not understand. That particular feeling was usually reserved for the really bad missions and the latest mission did not fit into that category. Not yet at least.
*~*
Janet sat in her office, Daniel's ever expanding medical file was open on the desk and his latest CT scan was being displayed on the monitor. General Hammond had warned her about Daniel's unusual behaviour. She had been trawling through the information she had recorded the previous week. Just like then, she was unable to find anything out of the ordinary.
She looked up from the paper strewn across her desk as she heard Colonel O'Neill's voice in the infirmary. She went out to meet him, smiling slightly in greeting as she saw him and Daniel.
"Colonel, Daniel, everything alright?"
"Apparently I've had another memory lapse," Daniel admitted.
"Yeah, he phoned in and said he didn't want to come in today."
"Okay, how are you feeling Daniel. Any headache, nausea?"
"No, I feel fine Janet."
"Okay, well take a seat and we can take it from there. Before I get started, Colonel, how are you feeling?"
"Can't complain, you know."
"Okay. General Hammond asked that you go to his office when you arrive."
"Thanks Doc."
Leaving the infirmary, Jack went to see Hammond, he was not particularly looking forward to the conversation. The General was not going to be pleased that Daniel was showing bizarre symptoms, not that Jack was overly pleased about it himself.
After giving Hammond the low-down on what had happened at Daniel's apartment, he went to Carter's lab.
"Hey," he said as he entered the lab, the door was open as usual. He saw Carter with her lower arms lost inside some piece of alien technology. He looked around the lab quickly, wondering if all the lights on the units served some sort of purpose or if they were simply there for decoration.
"Colonel," Carter replied, carefully extracting her hand and wiping the grease on her shirt.
"You feeling alright Carter?" Jack asked bluntly.
"Yes Sir," she replied confused.
"No lapses in memory, no apathy?"
"No Sir, is anything alright?"
"Daniel called in, saying he didn't want to come in and now doesn't remember a thing."
"Really?" she asked. Her eyebrows suddenly shot up in surprise.
"Oh yeah, Doc Fraiser's checking him over now. I just thought I'd come and check you weren't missing bits of your day too."
"No lost time," she replied quietly. She wondered if she should mention her flashbacks.
"What is it?" Jack asked, sensing that she was hiding something.
Inwardly she cursed O'Neill for being able to spot when she was keeping something back.
"I've had a couple of flashbacks."
"Flashbacks?" he asked with concern, his eyebrows creeping skywards.
"Just Alamagor shouting 'Later', that's it," she admitted.
"You sure?"
"Yes Sir," she replied, relieved that she had said something and also that O'Neill had accepted it and not suggested she was crazy, not yet at least.
"I think you should get Fraiser to check you out though," he offered.
"Okay," she sighed, knowing that Janet would probably overreact to this. "I just need to finish up here first."
"Okay," he shrugged. "I'm going to see if Daniel still remembers me."
"Yes Sir," Sam smiled.
Jack left her alone in her lab, she was just about to reach back inside the alien device when she suddenly stopped.
O'Neill thought she was crazy, she had lost it and was going to tell Janet to lock her away. She could not go to the infirmary, not if that would be the consequence. She backed herself into the corner of the lab, tears stinging her eyes.
*~*~*
So there was chapter 7, let me know what you thought. Thanks!!!!