Chapter 13

Explaining

Daniel closed his eyes quickly when he heard the door open, just in case it was a nurse coming to poke and prod again. Only half faking the sleepy stillness that filled his limbs, he listened to the low murmur of voices that were slowly filling the room. He recognized Jack and the surprisingly high pitched voice of Sam. There was, however, another voice he didn't recognize, at least not right off. He cracked his eyes and got the blurred impression of a young man.

"So you're telling me that you're the same people I met five years ago?" the man asked with an obvious Texas drawl and just a hint of skepticism.

"Sort of. These are our bodies in the present, but our minds are kinda from the future." Daniel's eyes opened wider, his sluggish brain finally making the connection of who the strange man was.

"Hey, wait a minute," a young boy's voice interjected, "I thought you said you were all aliens! No one said anything about the future."

"Shut up, Mark," another youthful voice answered, "Us grown ups are talking."

"You ain't no grown up!"

"Are not a grown up," Jack mumbled, though his attention was obviously elsewhere even as Sam exclaimed, "Am too! You heard him, my mind is all grown up, it's just my body that's small."

"Gen'al Hammond?" Daniel whispered, looking towards the stranger in confusion. Though his voice was soft, he got everyone's attention immediately. Thankfully, Jack noticed his squinting and placed his newly acquired glasses over his eyes. Now he was able to put the face with the voice, though for a moment he was completely disoriented when the features didn't match his memory.

"Lieutenant Hammond," Jack corrected gently, "You remember?"

"Nyet," Daniel answered, smiling and Jack grinned back.

"He's still a little doped up," Jack explained to the others.

"I wanna know the truth!" Mark exclaimed suddenly from where Sam had wrestled him to the floor, "If he isn't an alien why does he have a snake thing inside him? And there is no way my little sister is from the future. And how do any of you know him, and don't give me nothing about pen pals from New York!" He pulled on Sam's hair for emphasis, earning an ear splitting shriek and a kick to the shins.

"Jacob Hammond. George Hammond," Teal'c rumbled disapprovingly.

"And why does he keep saying my name?" Hammond demanded, "I think I'd like an explanation as well."

Jack sighed, looking around the crowded room and then back towards Daniel. Daniel struggled to stay awake, deciding this was much more interesting than his usual visits.

"It's okay," Sam insisted, "If it works out he won't remember anyway. And if it doesn't, we already changed things drastically, right?"

"I like these changes," Daniel mumbled, remembering foster care the first time around without a friend in sight. Now he had six people looking after him, assuming Hammond didn't decide they were all crazy and walk away. Jack stroked his hair gently, and Daniel felt his eyes closing again.

"Sir," Sam said, untangling herself from Mark and approaching Hammond, "Why are you here in the hospital?" Daniel opened his eyes again, listening hard, though already he felt his lids drooping again. Jack's hand was still stroking his hair in a soothing pattern and it was hard to resist the lure of sleep.

"I'm here for my daughter," Hammond answered, glancing involuntarily towards Daniel, "We were here on vacation when she said her tummy hurt really bad. The doctors called it appendicitis. They had to do surgery."

"Ouch," Daniel murmured, his unbound arm coming up protectively over his abdomen.

"Did you have that, son?" Hammond asked kindly, catching the movement.

"Not yet," he answered. Hammond blinked at him, then turned back towards Jack and the others.

"My wife is already with her," Hammond continued, a definite note of worry in his voice, "Theresa is just four years old."

"She'll be fine," Jack assured him, "The Theresa I know is a beautiful woman with two lovely daughters of her own."

"Right," Hammond answered, "Well then, as it is, you'll understand why I would like to hurry things up and get to her. So, are you those children in the news? And is he the one they are saying kidnapped them?"

"I did not 'kidnap' anyone," Teal'c answered in an offended tone, "It was, in fact, Samantha Carter's plan."

Daniel was only half listening now, though he made an attempt to raise his hand to reassure Teal'c. He understood why he would take such offense at kidnapping charges, after what Apophis had made him do. Finally, Sam launched into a long and detailed explanation. Daniel listened more to her lecturing tone than the words and stifled back a giggle. Mini Sam going on about wormholes and time bubbles just sounded strange. Jack was stroking his hair again, and his limbs felt strangely heavy. He rode upon the waves of Sam's voice, his eyes mere slits until, finally, they slid shut completely and everything faded away.