Whoops! Sorry guys, had company this week and a chapter of Left Behind to write. If ya haven't read chapter 19 of that story yet, by the way, there are a few nice surprisein there. ;)

But anyway, back to this story, lol. I can't wait to hear what you think of this chap, hehe. It took forever to straighten out for some reason grr. Sorry I didn't have it up sooner. So I hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you think. Thanks!

Chapter 5

Jack stared at Teal'c and Vala incredulously for a moment. The three had sequestered themselves in Vala's room across the hall from Daniel so she could explain and problem. And it was a whopper.

"So, bottom line, you're telling me that because of this weird connection thing, you can help him, but he won't let you?"

Vala nodded. "Basically."

Jack shook his head. "That stubborn son of a--"

"O'Neill," Teal'c interrupted. "Now is not the time to vent frustration over how stubborn Daniel Jackson can be. We must convince him to allow the help."

"Are you sure you wanna do that though?" Jack asked, eyeing Vala. "I mean, from what you said, it helps him but it hurts you, and I would understand if--"

She nodded again, more vigorously this time. "Of course I really do want to help. And it doesn't literally hurt me; it just lets me share what he's feeling so it's not all on him. I think. I still don't know how, though."

"Well, that's not important…" he stood. "I guess I should go talk to him again then, shouldn't I?"

"I'd appreciate it," Vala agreed.

Teal'c nodded too, and Jack sighed and moved toward the door. "I gotta go let Hank know I'm here, and then Daniel's going to be hearing from me; I can promise you that."

So he headed toward Landry's office, wondering why Daniel was always complaining about that girl. Vala didn't seem as horrible as he sometimes made her out to be when ranting about her latest antics over the phone. Right now she actually seemed pretty decent. Anyone who would willingly do what she wanted to do for one of his friends was all right in Jack's book.

Daniel opened his eyes again when he heard the door open, and squinted through his blurred vision at Jack as the general came back in.

"Hey," Jack said casually. He strolled over and sat on the edge of the bed again, looking at him. Daniel consciously tried harder to fight the pain back so as not to alarm his friend.

"Hi again….what took you so long?" he asked, attempting a wry smile. He only got halfway there.

"I was talking to Teal'c and one Vala MalDoran," he informed him. "They had some interesting information for me."

Daniel closed his eyes to escape the searching gaze Jack was fixing on him now. "Great…" Even though his mind wasn't at it's sharpest at the moment, it wasn't hard to figure out what that meant.

"Why won't you let her help you, Daniel?"

He started to reply automatically. "I don't need--" But he was cut off by sudden wave of agony and gasped, grimacing.

"Daniel?" Jack asked in concern.

He waited for it to stop, but it didn't go away after the first wave, which only lasted a couple of seconds. It came again, and again….Daniel knew he was trembling, but there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't stop the moaning, either. Faintly he heard Jack curse and slide closer to him. One of his friend's hands went into his and squeezed, and the other clamped on his shoulder.

"--ld on, Danny, hold on…" Jack's voice became clearer as the pain finally faded back to its usual lower level, and Daniel pulled in a deep breath and opened his eyes. Jack was looking at him with a thoroughly worried expression.

"Daniel?" he asked again. "You okay?"

Daniel forced a tight smile. "I'm okay," he nodded weakly. Jack nodded and let go of him, sighing.

"You know, you really should re-think the whole 'I don't need help' thing."

"Jack…I'll be fine. This'll be over in a day or two; there's no reason to inconvenience anybody else."

"But if it's only going to be another day or two, then why not let her help make it easier on you? She wants to," he countered.

"I just don't want her doing it, Jack."

"Why not?"

"I told you."

Jack looked skeptical. "Uh-uh. So you don't want her doing it, huh?"

"Right…"

The general stood, crossing his arms and looking thoughtful. "Okay, I get it now."

"Get what?" he asked, confused.

"It's all about you."

"What--??"

"Ah ah, don't interrupt me. You don't want her to help you because you don't want her to be in any pain because of you, so you don't have to feel bad about it."

Daniel sighed. "Jack, that's not what it is at all."

"Oh? Then what is it?"

"It's just--" But he stopped. "Never mind…" It was almost too embarrassing to explain, the real reason. If he told them, neither Jack or Vala would ever let him hear the end of it.

"What?" Jack asked, sitting down again. Daniel shook his head and looked away. "Well, whether you ever get smart or not, I repeat that I'm not leaving until you're okay."

That he didn't have a problem with--as long as Jack didn't get in trouble for staying away from Washington. He turned to face his friend again and voiced that concern.

"Ah, it's okay. I'm in charge of Homeworld Security now, remember? I can do whatever I want," Jack assured him with a cocky smile.

Daniel smiled just a bit at that. "But that doesn't mean you don't have responsibilities."

Jack put a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eyes. "Daniel, don't worry about it. I'm staying, so you're stuck with me for another few days. And don't think I won't keep bothering you about the other thing either."

It was annoying, because Daniel knew Jack would bug him about it, but even so, the way he said it was funny, just because Jack was being Jack. He chuckled, but only got half of it out before he cried out and doubled over, sending a painful twinge through the healing wound in his stomach.

"Daniel! Crap…" Jack caught his shoulder and pulled him back again. It was worse this time, even though the last time had only been a few minutes ago. Hopefully that meant it was coming to its peak and would begin to taper off soon--or just stop. However it worked. Not knowing didn't help any.

It was even longer, and wave after wave of pain fuzzed out the world for a few moments. This time when the pain faded again and his gasps toned down enough for him to perceive the world around him once more, Daniel found Jack holding onto him tightly. He wasn't leaning on his pillows, he was leaning on his friend.

"J'ck?" he questioned weakly.

The general gently pulled Daniel away from him and laid him against his pillows. But this Daniel saw that Jack's face wasn't only worried. He almost looked afraid--or something.

"Is it supposed to get that bad?" was the first thing he asked.

"--don't know…" he answered truthfully, barely managing to shrug.

Jack swallowed visibly. "Well, just…hold on. Don't worry; I'm not going anywhere."

Daniel nodded and let his eyes close.

Teal'c and Mitchell drifted in and out of Daniel's room the rest of that day, going back and forth between helping with the stricken archaeologist and keeping Vala calm. She remained upset over the fact that Daniel refused to allow her help, and wouldn't come out of her room.

Jack stayed with Daniel through the entire, long, terrible day. It all went downhill from the morning, and only got worse. By evening Daniel was suffering horribly and barely conscious, but neither was there any way he was getting to sleep. Jack watched another tremor of agony shake his friend's body, heard the choked sob that escaped from his throat, and his jaw clenched.

He gave Daniel's hand another squeeze and stood from his chair beside the bed.

"That's it. I'm not gonna sit here and watch this anymore."

Teal'c looked at him from his similar station on the other side of the bed and raised an eyebrow. "O'Neill?"

Jack started for the door. "Stay here with him; I'm getting Vala." He heard Teal'c say something in the affirmative from behind him, so he opened the door and swept out into the corridor, going quickly to the door across the hall.

After a moment it opened and a tired-looking Vala looked out at him. "What?"

"You need to get over here and do something--now?"

She perked up a bit at that. "Did he change his mind?"

Jack scowled. "He's half conscious. He can't change his mind right now, but I don't care. I'm not going to let him suffer alone like that anymore if something can be done. As long as you still want to, that is."

Vala looked at him for a moment, then frown. "No, I don't want to. If he doesn't want me to, why should I help him?"

He stared at her for moment. "What are you talking about?"

She started to back up. "I'm not doing anything if he's still being stubborn." Then she closed the door in his face.

Vala closed the door and leaned back against it, tears springing to her eyes. Daniel had let it get that bad without even asking for her help?

There was a moment of silence outside the door before Jack started pounding on it. "Vala! Come on, don't do this! You've gotta help him!"

She wanted to. She didn't want him to suffer any more than his friends did. But he didn't want her to. Why didn't he want her to? Did he hate her? Was that why he wouldn't allow her help? Because he didn't want her near him?

"Vala!"

"Leave me alone!" she called through the door. She tried to keep her voice from wavering, but didn't entirely succeed.

"Look, you can't ignore this just because Daniel hasn't cooperated. I know he can be an obstinate idiot sometimes, but just because he'll never admit to needing help doesn't mean he doesn't need it!"

Vala crossed her arms and tried to keep ignoring him, but now he was beginning to make sense, and it was breaking through her own stubborn barriers.

Jack pounded on the door from the other side again. "Vala! Please!"

Somehow that got through. Maybe it was because she understood what he was saying, or maybe it was only because he seemed like the kind of man who would never normally beg, and when he actually did, it meant something. It was important. She wasn't really sure herself. But Vala turned around and opened the door again.

"All right," she said. "I'll do it."

Jack sighed and nodded, lowering his arms from where he'd been about to knock again. "Thank you." The general turned and swiftly headed back toward Daniel's room, and Vala followed him. She was unsure about whether she was doing the right thing until she stepped into the room. Immediately, she saw Daniel and knew that she was.

He looked so much worse than the last time she'd seem him the previous morning that it was heartbreaking. He was lying still, eyes closed and if he was conscious at all he couldn't be aware of much. He probably didn't know she was in the room.

Vala exchanged glances with O'Neill and Teal'c, who both nodded. Sighing, she sat down where she had before and took his uninjured hand in hers. After that there was nothing to do but wait. The general paced tensely, and the jaffa stood impassively. She didn't know where Mitchell was until he came in a moment later. When he saw her there his eyebrows went up, but he said nothing.

It took several minutes, but finally she began to feel discomfort, and then slight pain. But the expression on Daniel's face didn't ease at all, as it had before. He must have been hurting too much. Only taking on this much of it wasn't really helping any. Swallowing, Vala waited anxiously for it to get worse, for it to be enough to be helping him…but it never did.

"What's wrong?" Mitchell asked when she frowned deeply.

"It's not working…"

"What?" Jack quipped.

She took a breath. "I mean…well, it is working, but I'm not feeling anything worse than what I did last time, and I know he has to hurting a lot worse than that. Just look at him."

"Perhaps you are only capable of taking a certain amount of the pain from him, and that limit has been reached," Teal'c suggested.

Vala winced to herself before answered. "Maybe, but…that can't be right. I have to be able to do more than this; this isn't going to help him at all at this stage."

There were a few moments of silence.

"Maybe you need more contact," Mitchell said slowly.

Jack looked at him and repeated, "What?"

The colonel shrugged. "I don't know, but maybe little contact equals little help and more contact equals more help. Don't ask me; it's just a hypothesis."

O'Neill looked thoughtful for a moment, then shrugged. "Well, it's one worth trying, I guess." He looked at Vala for confirmation, and she nodded. Keeping hold of his hand, she stood and started trying to pull his body up off of the bed some. The men came over to help, and pulled him up so that she could sit behind him. Once she was situated sitting back against the headboard, still clutching his hand so as not the break the connection, Jack and Teal'c lowered him back so he was leaning against her shoulder.

Vala wrapped her arms around him, and the men stood back and waited. Jack paced again. Daniel shuddered in a wave of agony, and Vala felt a sudden spike in the pain she was feeling, too. That went away, but after another few moments, the pain grew steadily worse. She pulled in a breath and grimaced, holding onto him tighter. Daniel shuddered again, but this time it was only a slight shiver. A moment later he sucked in a ragged breath and opened his eyes.

"W-what…?"

Vala glanced down at him and smiled a bit around the pain. "Hi."

But he was already frowning. "What are you doing?"

Jack came closer and answered before Vala could say anything. "Uhm, yeah, Daniel, I know you really didn't want me to, but I kind of had to call in the cavalry anyway. It was getting ridiculous"

Daniel just stared at him.

"I don't guess you're still not going to forgive me, are you?" the general smirked.

"I don't know; I haven't decided yet," he answered dryly.

Jack snorted, then looked thoughtful for half a second before clapping his hands once and rubbing them together. "Well, boys, I suggest that we leave these two alone for a little while now. I think they had a few things to discuss."

Thank you, Jack O'Neill. Vala certainly had a piece of her mind to give to Daniel, but she hadn't been about to do it around the others.

Daniel seemed to pick up on this. "What? No…it's okay, Jack, you…you don't have to go anywhere."

O'Neill just smiled, and herded Mitchell and Teal'c toward the door. "I don't mind; don't mention it."

"But--"

But it was too late. Jack, Mitchell, and Teal'c left, and Daniel was left sputtering in Vala's arms. The moment they were gone he started squirming.

"Vala, I'm fine. You can let go now, thank you."

But she knew he wasn't fine, because she was feeling what he was. Instead of wasting energy arguing with him, she just held onto him tightly until he slumped back against her, gasping shallowly from exertion and the pain he was still feeling himself.

"All right, Daniel…spill. Why don't you want me helping you?" she said then.

His eyes closed as he took deep breaths. "I just…I don't need help," he insisted.

"You know, Daniel, you think you're good at lying, but you're really not very good at it at all."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means…" She had to pause to gasp once herself. "I don't believe you for a minute."

Daniel seemed about to snap something back to that, when the pain spiked, and both of them cried out at the same time.

But it didn't stop.

It wasn't a wave, it was a straight increase. What would have happened if he'd had to take that alone, as bad as he'd already been?

Vala pried her eyes open and saw that Daniel looked really worried now.

"You…should really…let go now," he hissed, eyes clenching shut.

"Are you kidding?" she gasped. "As bad as it is for both of…us right now, it could …kill you if I let go now."

Her vision was blurring from the intensity of just her half of it already. Her thoughts were jumbling. This couldn't be good. How could it have gotten so bad so quickly? But it wasn't even finished yet.

Daniel shouted as it jumped up again, and Vala shrieked.

"AH! What was that!" she yelled in alarm.

"Don't ask me!"

"This is bad."

"Let go."

"Are you insane?!"

Daniel glared through his shouts of pain. "No, you are!"

"This is a really stupid to--OWW!--be arguing about right now!"

"I know--AH!--that! So stop it!"

"I am NOT letting go!"

"Vala--!!" He was going to continue that, she was almost sure of it, but she didn't have time to wonder what or why, because at that moment the pain erased all other thoughts. Faintly she could hear screaming, but she couldn't tell if it was one or both of them, or what. For several seconds--but then again, it could have been minutes, or longer, or only one second; she couldn't think--it was that bad….and then it stopped.

The pain abruptly stopped, and the world faded to white, and then to black, and then brightened to white again.

White?