Artifice Chapter 4

Dusk was settling over the land as Daniel and the Minarans drew closer to the village. A full moon illuminated their path, giving them a clear view that was only hindered by the shadows cast by the tall trees on either side. The air was turning cooler and a light breeze carried the scent of some rose-like flower.

Daniel walked between Urngarn and Tharis who continued to grip his arms. He found himself glancing from side to side, memories of his previous visit replaying in his mind. It wasn't long before the flicker of lights could be seen through the dense foliage. Daniel knew they were being watched, but the only sounds in the nearly still evening air were the chirping of insects.

A low growl from somewhere in the brush to his left made the hair on his neck stand up. He could feel the tension pass through Urngarn and Tharis' hands as they continued to grip his arms. As one, the group stopped, glancing nervously from one side of the path to the other. The men carrying spears held them level as they took protective stances around the others. Urngarn gestured for them to continue walking, but a few steps down the path, several large, human-shaped forms burst through the trees, landing on the path directly in front of them. Despite the moonlight, their faces remained hidden.

Urngarn took a step forward, pulling Daniel with him, and called out, "Greetings, people of—"

He never finished his sentence as the shadowed figures lunged at the small group. Daniel vainly held up his hands in surrender, but to no avail. A heavy body slammed into him, knocking him to the ground and squeezing the breath from his lungs. His mouth moved uselessly as he tried in vain to speak, to make himself known. Sharp teeth sank into his shoulder and he let loose a silent scream as he tried to fight off his attacker. All around him the cries and screams of the Minarans filled the air. The heavy weight pressing into him stilled and he opened his eyes, looking straight into the intense red gaze of the Verdian.

"It is you," the gravelly voice hissed.

Daniel recognized one of the villagers he'd met on his first visit. Again he moved his mouth, trying unsuccessfully to answer, settling instead for nodding his head.

"You break our agreement." The corners of the Verdian's mouth pulled back to reveal rows of sharp, pointed teeth.

Daniel shook his head vehemently, but the man opened his mouth wider. Just as he leaned towards Daniel's neck, a loud crack pierced the air and Daniel suddenly found himself suffocating under the weight of a limp body.

The sound of weapons fire—Earth weapons fire—filled the small clearing. Screams were replaced by moans and the sound of boots hitting the dirt path. Maneuvering his arms between his body and the dead Verdian, Daniel was finally able to shove the man off of him. He lay panting, feeling blood trickling from his shoulder down his chest.

"Daniel!"

At the sound of Sam's voice, relief flowed through him. Now if he could just muster the energy to sit up, but for some reason his limbs felt like lead. She found him anyway, her hands going to his shoulder, his forehead, checking his body for injuries. Looking up, he smiled weakly at her, the worry lines on her forehead smoothing out as she returned the smile.

"Are you hurt anywhere? Other than your shoulder?" she asked.

He opened his mouth to answer and found he was still mute. Concern spread across her face again as she leaned closer, feeling the back of his head, obviously looking for an injury. Jack suddenly appeared over her shoulder. Or was it Urngarn? What if they weren't really his team, but Minarans instead? He tired to force his unresponsive limbs to move, to get away, but it was futile. Turning his head and closing his eyes, he waited. Waited for the torture to resume, or, if his prayers were answered, for some sign this was really his team.

"Hey, it's okay, Daniel," Sam reassured him. "We're here."

"The area is secure—for now," he heard Teal'c's voice state, "but I fear the sounds of battle may have carried to the village."

Daniel turned his head back and opened his eyes, gazing warily at each of them.

"What's wrong with him? Is he hurt?" Jack asked, peering down at him.

Daniel searched the dark eyes for anything that would tell him this was truly his friend, and found no malice in them, only concern. Glancing from Sam to Teal'c, he saw the same lines of worry etched in their features—something that had been totally lacking in the faces of his captors. He breathed a sigh of relief—his nightmare was over.

"I don't know—he hasn't answered me, yet." Sam gently placed her hands on either side of his face and spoke slowly. "Daniel, can you talk? Can you tell me where you're hurt?"

Reaching up with one hand, he touched his throat and shook his head.

"Something happened to your throat?"

He nodded, frustrated that he couldn't tell them what had happened. Unable to think of any other options, he mimicked a writing motion.

"Paper? Sure—you know me, always taking notes on these lovely little jaunts we go on," Jack said sarcastically.

Daniel smiled at Jack's concern disguised as snarkiness—he had no doubts now that this was his friend. Snarkiness. Was that even a word? He'd have to remember to look it up when he got home. Home. He was actually going to see it again, and that made him smile even more.

"Daniel?" Sam gently tapped his cheek and he opened his eyes, not even realizing he'd closed them. He was just so tired.

Teal'c pulled out a notepad and pencil, handing them to Daniel. "Will this do, Daniel Jackson?"

Daniel smiled weakly as he accepted them and scribbled a few words, his fingers struggling to hold the pencil.

"We really don't have time for this!" Jack groused. "And since when did you start carrying paper and pencil?" he asked, giving Teal'c an incredulous look.

"I have found that it comes in 'handy' on occasion," Teal'c replied.

Daniel handed the pad to Sam who read aloud, "'Urngarn said temporary'."

"Good to know, but we need to get a move on," Jack said, pinning Daniel with his gaze. "Can you walk?"

Daniel nodded, wishing he hadn't when dizziness swept over him. Jack offered him a hand and Sam steadied him as he reached out and took it, swaying as he got to his feet.

"How 'bout that—no argument for a change."

Ha ha, Daniel mouthed as Jack put an arm around his shoulders and gently eased him forward.

"Remind me to ask Urngarn how he did that trick—I'd like to try it myself." Jack's words combined with the accompanying smirk, was too similar to Urngarn's taunting, and Daniel turned away.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Jack's voice quickly lost its teasing tone. "I was just joking."

Daniel felt Jack's hand tighten on his shoulder and he turned his head back, glancing sideways at him.

Jack's eyes narrowed. "We'll talk about this later."

Giving a slight nod of his head, Daniel turned his eyes to the path, not looking forward to that conversation, only to get his first glimpse of the aftermath of the fight. All around them, the bodies of Minarans and Veridians were strewn across the path and he suddenly felt sick at the thought that he was responsible for this massacre. Stopping, he turned his eyes to Jack and mouthed, Dead?

Jack's jaw twitched as he replied, "Not all of them." He nodded towards the members of SG-5 who were hurriedly patching up a couple of the Minarans.

Daniel closed his eyes again, dizziness washing over him. Teal'c joined Jack, both men taking firm holds on his arms, and he couldn't help flinching as memories of being held by the Minarans assailed him.

"Hey, take it easy—don't want you taking a nosedive." Jack's voice had grown even gentler and Daniel relaxed slightly, allowing his friend to steady him. "Let's get you home. We can sort this all out later."

It was the best offer he'd had in ages. Opening his eyes, he nodded his head in agreement. Jack and Teal'c resumed their firm grips on his arms and he winced as their hands touched the bruises left by the Minarans. Jack narrowed his eyes and looked as though he wanted to punch something, but instead loosened his grip and pulled Daniel's arm across his shoulders. Teal'c did the same and they started back down the path towards the 'gate. Daniel stumbled along, his bruised and scraped feet adding to his misery.

As they passed, Daniel saw the members of SG-5 lift the surviving Minarans—two men and a woman whose names he didn't know—to their feet. Urngarn, no longer wearing Jack's face, lay sprawled in the middle of the path, his neck torn open and his unseeing eyes lifted skyward.

Daniel stopped, removing his arm from around Teal'c's neck, and grabbed a handful of Jack's shirt. Staring his friend in the eye, he mouthed, Don't leave them.

Jack wrapped a hand around Daniel's wrist. "Sorry, Daniel, but we don't have time to haul them back to the 'gate." As if to punctuate his words, a piercing howl echoed through the forest. "That's our cue. Teal'c? Some help?"

Teal'c took hold of Daniel's arm and guided it back across his broad shoulders, gently but urgently pulling him forward.

"Let's step it up!" Jack called unnecessarily; the teams were already double-timing it back down the path.

~oOo~

Each step towards the 'gate became more difficult. Daniel's muscles ached as they struggled to keep his limbs working. His abused feet stung with each step and he couldn't shake the dizziness that was keeping him off-balance. A shimmer of blue through the trees beckoned him, the promise of a soft bed pushing him onward. He wouldn't even mind that it would be an infirmary bed.

He stumbled and would have gone down if Jack and Teal'c hadn't held him firmly.

"Hang on, almost there," Jack encouraged him.

Images of the dead seeped back into his thoughts and he wondered again if there had been another option—anything that would have produced a different—better—outcome. And it hadn't just been Minaran lives that were lost; what would happen to their tenuous arrangement with the Verdians?

He tried to dig in his heels, but neither his feet nor his legs were cooperating. Instead, he focused all of his energy on speaking, surprised when he was able to make a sound, albeit a soft one. "J... k."

They were at the bottom of the 'gate platform now, and he could hear the plop plop of people stepping into the wormhole; but Jack heard him.

"Daniel?"

He turned his head, making eye contact with his friend. "T... trea... ty."

"With the Verdians? That's one treaty I won't be sorry to lose." Jack must have seen his wince, because he quickly added, "Not your fault."

"Y... s. Is."

"Let's worry about that later. I know a certain pit bull of a doctor who's gonna be happy to get her hands on you."

"Tell," he huffed with a sound almost like a laugh.

"You'd better not," Jack warned. "Remember who just saved your butt back there."

Daniel would have smiled at that but his dizziness swelled and he closed his eyes, giving himself into his friends' care. "Th... th..."

"Anytime, Daniel, anytime."

~oOo~

"When's he gonna wake up, Doc?"

"I'll let you know as soon as I consult my crystal ball," Janet replied without missing a beat.

"Next you'll be telling me you're gonna treat him with eye of newt."

"Fresh out. Looks like I'll have to fall back on modern medicine. Why don't you go get something to eat and I'll let you know when he wakes up."

He'd been enjoying the familiar banter and the soft bed he was lying on, but Daniel decided he'd better let them know he was conscious. "Awake... now," he said in a hoarse voice, opening his eyes.

"Hey, Daniel," Janet greeted him, leaning over to flash her penlight in his eyes. "How are you feeling?"

He squeezed his eyes shut briefly as the bright light seared his retinas. "Been... better."

"Your voice is definitely gettin' better," Jack said.

"That eye of newt must be working." Janet smiled and winked at him. She held up both hands, palms towards Daniel. "Can you push back for me?"

Daniel placed his hands on hers and pushed, finding the task more difficult that it should be. "Muscles... sore."

"They will be for a while, but I promise it will get better," she assured him.

"Hope... so."

"Does your throat hurt?" She pulled his chin down, shining her light into his mouth.

"Huh uh," he said with his mouth open.

"Right—that's why you're still using two-word sentences," Jack said crossing his arms.

Daniel tried his best to glare at him.

"I can give you something to soothe it," Janet offered, making a note on his chart.

"Why don't you hold up on that, Doc, at least until after our next briefing. Just think how much shorter it'll be if he's only using two-word sentences."

"Funny," Daniel responded as Jack gave him a smirk.

"Hey, Daniel!" Sam called, walking into the room with Teal'c at her side. She stopped next to him and reached for his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "How are you feeling?"

"Only... one... pain."

"What's that?" Janet asked, looking concerned.

"Jack."

"Touché," Jack replied, giving him a genuine smile.

"It is good to have you back, Daniel Jackson."

"Thanks. Good... to be... back." He couldn't begin to tell them how good it really felt. He turned his gaze to Janet. "When... can I... get... out... of here?"

"Oh, I don't think you'd better make any plans for at least a week."

"Week?" As comfortable as the bed was, he really didn't want to spend a week in it.

"Three days tops, Doc," Jack countered. "If he gets his voice back completely—two days. You'll be begging him to leave."

Daniel shook his head, enjoying the banter, which was so different from the harsh words that had come out of Jack's mouth when Urngarn used it. An image of Jack's face leaning over him, twisted in anger, flashed through his mind.

"Daniel? Are you in pain?" Janet asked. His discomfort must have shown.

Daniel lifted his eyes and looked into her concerned brown ones. Three other pairs of eyes watched him intently, and he decided to keep those details to himself for now. "No. Tired." And he was—he couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so run down. "Why... so... weak?"

Janet gave him that serious look that meant she was going to relate some important information, the kind he wasn't sure he wanted to hear. "There's a substance in the Verdian saliva that's affected your muscles. They use it to, uh, keep their victim from struggling. It'll wear off soon, trust me," she quickly added.

Daniel knew about the Verdians' 'appetites', but hadn't been privy to the details of how the 'process' worked. He inwardly shuddered at the thought of what would have happened to him if his teammates hadn't shown up. At least the effects were temporary, as was the damper Urngarn had put on his vocal chords.

Janet must have seen his discomfort, because she placed a hand on his arm. "What happened to you when were with the Minarans? How did they silence your voice?"

Daniel looked down at the blanket, not meeting any of the eyes focused on him. He really preferred not to think about what he'd been through at the hands of the Minarans—the torture of not being able to breathe, of having his body sent from burning hot to freezing cold, losing his sight, and watching innocent people lose their lives because he refused to give them what they wanted.

"Daniel." Janet's voice was so soft and gentle, he couldn't resist meeting her concerned gaze. "I need to know what happened to you."

Taking a deep breath and letting it out, he tried to placate them. "Everything... they did... to me... they healed."

"Everything?" Jack's demand for details was disguised as a question.

"Healed?" Janet said at the same time.

"Does it... really matter... what they did? It's over—I'm... fine now."

"Oh, for cryin—"

Janet silenced him with a glare, but softened her features when she turned back to Daniel. "I really need to know; we need to make sure there aren't any lasting effects."

Time to bite the bullet, he thought, bracing himself for their reactions. "They could... use their hands... to affect different parts... of my body. First... they did something... to my lungs—couldn't breathe. Then... they made my... body temperature... rise and then... lower." Jack crossed his arms again, his jaw clenching tightly, but didn't comment. Daniel continued, feeling his voice grow stronger. "Urngarn also... took my... sight."

"Oh, Daniel," Sam said, her face scrunching as though the pain were her own.

"When I still refused... to... give them addresses..." He paused as the image of the dying villagers filled his mind. "Urngarn... killed some of his own people."

"That's not all, is it?" Jack pursed his lips into a thin line, the muscles of his jaw twitching.

"No. Urngarn . . . did everything . . . while wearing your face." Daniel could see the effect his statement had on his friends; their sympathetic gazes told him they understood how difficult it had been to watch a close friend do the things Urngarn had done. All but Jack—his eyes burned with contempt for the man who had used his friendship with Daniel against him.

"I'd say he got what he deserved, then." Jack's voice was cold, as cold as when Urngarn had used it.

"They were desperate, Jack. There's something in the human body... that they need... to survive. They lost their list... of 'gate addresses... and have been stuck on that world... for a long time."

"They required your knowledge of Stargate addresses," Teal'c surmised, "to open new worlds for them."

"And they punished you because you wouldn't give them any," Sam added.

Daniel simply nodded, his energy fading fast.

"We know about their adrenal deficiency," Janet explained. "I think we can help them so that they won't need to—"

"Suck people dry?" Jack's voice held barely restrained fury.

"I told them," Daniel closed his eyes and let his head sink back into the pillow. "I offered our help. They didn't believe me."

"Why did you take them to Verdia?" Jack demanded. "You knew it wasn't safe—you're lucky you weren't killed."

And there it was. Jack had a penchant for expressing his fear as anger. And it was doubled because he really was mad at Daniel for taking the risk. But he hadn't seen the woman or the boy and girl die by Urngarn's hand. If he had, Daniel knew Jack would have done the same thing.

"I couldn't stand by... and watch him kill... any more people. I took them to a world that looked simple—innocent. But I knew the Verdians... wouldn't be easy prey."

"You were the prey, Daniel!" Jack nearly shouted.

"Colonel, keep your voice down," Janet admonished. "I think it's time for you all to leave. I'm going to need to run some tests to make sure his body is really back to normal."

"What about—"

"Colonel," Janet held up her hand, cutting him off, "whatever it is can wait. You can come back later."

"Fine." He looked at Daniel, his gaze softening. "Take it easy." And then he turned and left.

"Glad you're okay, Daniel," Sam said squeezing his hand again before releasing it and following Jack.

"We will return after you have rested," Teal'c added, joining his exiting teammates.

Daniel had the feeling his next encounter with Jack wouldn't be very restful.

"All right, Daniel, let's get started," Janet said offering him a sympathetic smile.

TBC