Daniel sat up on the infirmary bed, impatient to get back to Sha're. He knew that by now she'd be concerned about why he was taking so long. She should be used to his absences by now, but this was a strange place for her and he wanted to reassure her.
"Sam, please find out when the doctor will let me go." Daniel scrubbed his hands over his face, then groped around for his sunglasses. The glare of the florescent lighting was giving him a headache.
"Daniel, you know she wants you to stay for a couple of hours. You're dehydrated, your blood pressure was up a bit, you're exhausted and under a lot of stress." Sam handed him his glasses and patted his arm. "She wants the IV to finish rehydrating you before you leave."
"But Sha're…"
"I'll go get her and bring her here. General Hammond has ordered a complete physical for her anyway. This is as good a time as any to do that." Sam gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze and left to get Sha're.
XXXXXXXXXX
Several hours later Daniel sat with Sha're as the base medical staff completed her physical. He had stayed with her, holding her hand and explaining softly in Abydonian what was happening. He watched, both amused and sympathetic, as her eyes widen in fear while unfamiliar fingers probed her in places no one but he had ever touched.
"Well, she appears to be in good condition. She's also slightly dehydrated, but a couple of glasses of fruit juice should take care of that." The doctor turned to Daniel. "Did you know she's about six weeks pregnant?"
Daniel could feel the blood trickling through his veins as it drained away from his brain. He plopped into the hard plastic chair by her bed and shook his head, both to answer the doctor's question and to try to encourage some blood flow back into his brain.
Sha're saw his shocked expression and wondered what was so wrong with her that could cause such a reaction in him. "Dan-yel? Tell me. What is wrong with me?" She spoke in Abydonian, not yet familiar enough with English to understand long and complicated medical explanations.
Daniel blinked rapidly, trying to gather some wits about him. He'd been so careful to avoid this very thing. He grunted in self disgust. Apparently not careful enough! Kasuf had looked forward to becoming a grandfather and now he was going to miss out on the whole experience. Daniel became more determined that he would bring Skaara back to Abydos when that year was up and bring back Kasuf's first grandchild at the same time. At least Sha're was on Earth, where she could get good medical care.
"Dan-yel? Your silence is frightening me." Sha're sat up on the examination table and grabbed his hands.
"A baby, Sha're. We're going to have a baby." Daniel thought those words sounds beautiful in Abydonian. Must nicer than harsh English.
"Oh, Dan-yel!"
Daniel couldn't see when the worried frown vanished from her face to be replaced by tears of joy. He was, however, very aware when she pulled him down onto the exam table with her and hugged him until he couldn't breathe.
Jack chose this moment to poke his head into the doorway. He saw Sha're lying on the exam table, Daniel in her arms and tears flowing down both their faces. His gut clenched in fear. There must be something very wrong with Sha're. Daniel did not need any more loss in his life. He pulled his head back and was leaning against the wall, trying to figure out what he could say to the young man, when he saw Captain Carter coming toward the exam room.
O'Neill's hand reached out to prevent her from entering the room as he shook his head no. Still holding her arm, he tugged her a few feet down the hallway. "I just poked my head in there and I think they've just been given some bad news. They were both crying."
Sam bowed her head and chewed on her lip. "Let's go get some coffee. By the time we get back, Daniel may be ready for some support."
Jack nodded his agreement and the two officers headed off with heavy hearts.
XXXXXXXXXX
"Maggie, commissary," Daniel commanded the shepherd as they left the infirmary. The doctor had released them both, provided they both immediately drank at least two glasses of juice.
"Oh, Dan-yel. Finally, a baby. Father would be so happy and Skaara…" Sha're's voice dropped off when she remembered that her brother wasn't around to share in her joy. He would have loved to be an uncle. She could picture him teaching his nephew – for it would be a boy, she was certain – how to play jokes on his friends.
Daniel, knowing in which direction her thoughts were wandering, pulled her to the side of the hallway and wrapped his arms around her. "I'll find Skaara and bring him home to you and your father. That's a promise." He tilted her chin up so he could look into her eyes. "Have I ever broken a promise to you?"
"No, my husband, you have not. I know you will do everything possible to bring him home to meet his nephew."
Daniel leaned down and rested his forehead against hers, a grin on his lips. "A nephew? You're sure about that? What if I want a little girl, just like her mother?"
"Next time. This one must be a boy. We'll name him Skaara."
They entered the commissary quietly, sobered by the thought of her missing brother. Jack spotted them as they headed over to pick up some juice.
"Carter, they just came in."
Sam turned and waved at Sha're to come join them. "We can't say anything. We have to give them time to get used to whatever bad news they just received."
Jack raised an eyebrow at the younger officer. "I'm sensitive to people's feelings." He feigned hurt with a hand clasped over his wounded heart.
Sam just made a face at him. "Yes, sir." She remembered their verbal duel when they first met in the briefing room. Sensitive, my Aunt Fanny! (This is what my mother used to say to replace the "a" word. I thought it went well with her "Holy Hannah!")
Daniel set the tray down as the young couple took their seats with Sam and Jack. Jack glanced between the six cartoons of juice on the tray and Daniel before he remembered that the younger man could not see the subtleties of his facial expression. "Planning a party, Daniel?"
"No, Jack, we're under doctor's orders to drink lots of liquids or we'll both be back in the infirmary with IVs stuck into us."
Jack and Sam exchanged a guarded look as Sam showed Sha're how to open a juice container.
Jack cleared his throat. "So, the needle pushers gave you both a clean bill of health?"
Sam groaned inwardly. Subtle, Colonel, very subtle.
Sha're choked on the tangy orange juice and her dark complexion deepened to a dusky red. Daniel reached across the table and clasped her hand. "Are you all right, Sha're?"
She nodded, coughed a few more times and took a small sip of the juice to sooth her throat.
Daniel, finally assured that she would be okay, turned to Jack. "We're both dehydrated, thus the many juices, but we're fine."
Jack leaned back in his chair. "You sure?" He squirmed in his chair and then declared bluntly, "I saw the two of you crying in the infirmary. What was that about?"
Now it was Daniel's turn to blush. "That was good news." He reached across the table again and played with Sha're's fingers. "We're going to have a baby."
Sam grinned and hugged the young woman next to her. "Congratulations! That's great news!"
Jack's face darkened and he forced his features into a neutral expression. "Daniel, didn't know you had it in you. Congratulations."
Daniel nodded and clasped Jack on the back briefly. He knew what was going through Jack's mind. Neither Sam nor Sha're knew how hard this must be for the older man. Daniel listened to Sam chattered excitedly to Sha're about some of the things an Earth baby would need.
"Come, Sha're. Let's take the rest of these juice cartons back to our room. You should get some rest. It's been a very long, stressful day." He reached out and Sha're placed her hand in his. "Maggie, home."
Jack watched the young couple leave the room, led by Maggie. He dropped his eyes back down to the table, closing them briefly as the memories of Sara's pregnancy flooded through his mind.
"Colonel? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Carter. I have to get back to my office. There's a mound of paperwork waiting for me about this mission."
Sam watched as he stood abruptly and strode out the door as if a horde of Jaffa were on his heels.
XXXXXXXXXX
Daniel paced back and forth in their quarters while Sha're lay on the bed watching the rest of "The Lion King." Just yesterday life had been so easy. He just had to slowly introduce enough technology to the Abydonians to make their life easier, healthier and more productive. He had time to explore as much as he wanted and he'd found enough to keep him busy for the rest of his life. He just had no one to share it with. No way to publish his findings for the academic community that had been his life before Abydos.
He was home. He still could get his head around that fact. He'd never in a million Abydos years have thought he'd ever be on Earth again. Yet deep beneath the pain of losing Skaara and Abydos, he had to admit that he felt joy at being back home. He'd have a chance to publish what he'd found and maybe lead some expeditions back to Abydos. He could become a leader in the archeological community. That excited him.
All of this flashed through his mind as he paced. But his first concern was Sha're. She was so excited to be carrying his child and he couldn't honestly share that with her. He thought about how a child would change his life. He couldn't hope to be the father to his child that his father had been for him. God, I wish my father were around to ask about this. George and Jack were the only people he knew who were fathers. George wasn't speaking to him and there was no way he'd bring that pain to Jack. Once again he was alone to deal with changes in his life.
Maggie lay curled in the corner she'd staked for her space, her eyes following her master. She could feel his frustration and confusion. She thumped her tail on the floor each time his circuit brought him near her spot, but he ignored her offer of comfort. She finally gave up, sighed deeply and closed her eyes, determined to use this time for a quick nap.
Sha're couldn't focus on the singing lions any longer. She was so wound up. Her life had changed completely this day. She'd lost her family, her home; everything she'd ever know and loved, except Daniel. But she'd learned that they were to be blessed with a child. A gift. She wanted to share her joy with Skaara and her father, however that would have to wait. But Daniel… She felt that he wasn't as happy as she'd hoped about the child. She couldn't figure out why. A child was always a joy, a blessing, a gift. They'd waited so long for this gift. A part of her wished she could tell all those women who had blamed her for not being a good wife and giving her husband the son he deserved. Well, next year she'd show up on Abydos with Skaara, Daniel and their child.
"Dan-yel. Stop. You are going to wear a hole in the floor." She scooted to a sitting position and patted the bed next to her. "Come. Sit with me." She knew ways to distract him from his sad mood.