Chapter Nineteen: Unwelcome Visitor
Daniel lay on the bed staring up at the ceiling and marveled at the lessening of the pounding in his head. Zale must have healed him a little before Jack stopped him, Daniel was glad Jack was more worried about Zale staying safe than Daniel's speedy recovery since he wasn't going to die from the wounds that he got in the attack.
He knew he needed to open his mouth and speak to Jack but he didn't know how just yet. If he told Jack it was Henry, what would happen to his family? What would Jack do to Henry for harming Daniel? It wasn't a pleasant thought. What Henry did to him still reverberated inside his head and throughout his battered body.
And even now, suffering as he was, Daniel would do all he could to protect Jack from the violence that Jack had so recently determined to leave behind when he chose to retire for Daniel and their children. Jack was determined to just be husband and father but this would muddy the water of his family to the point it could never be clean again.
He could still feel Henry pushing his pants and boxers down around his ankles. He continued to fight despite the ringing in his ears and the stuffiness in his head from the hits against the cement of the wall. He recalled when Henry's thumb pushed inside and Daniel wanted to scream when Henry's hand slipped around to cover his mouth. He kept up the painful assault on Daniel's anus for several minutes, causing discomfort and tears to slip from Daniel's eyes. Daniel couldn't help but feel devastated that an act that had always been so loving with Jack could be so painful. When Henry pulled away to pull down his own pants, to complete the damage he wished to rain down on Jack and Daniel then he was given a slight opportunity to fight back. Daniel snapped his head back and caught Henry right in the nose.
The other man shouted in pain as Daniel slipped down the wall but pulled enough power from his depleted reserves to turn against the wall and gave a swift uppercut to Henry's privates. As the assaulter sore and limping slammed Daniel into the wall a few more times before he stumbled away just as the doors opened to reveal his sons looking down at him.
He might not have been raped but Daniel didn't know how to speak to Jack, to tell him that his brother was the one who attacked him so Daniel didn't speak. He cried silently when Jack left the room and held Jack's hand when he was here. He wanted to kiss Jack but every time he thought about touching Jack beyond holding hands he flashed back to Henry jerking his pants around his knees and the blood slipping down his face to stain his best suit, the suit he married Jack in the same day.
Daniel couldn't stand the idea of disappointing Jack so he didn't speak, he didn't touch unless it was hand in hand or Jack's palm caressing cheek gently. He couldn't allow himself to show Jack that his kiss across the neck would make him think of the violence he'd endured at the hand of someone Jack trusted to call brother.
"Hello Daniel, seeing you so soon again is blessing," someone said from the door. The voice that he wished he wouldn't hear for some time, until he had the chance to talk to Jack and get away from the area before Henry licked his wounds and came back to make sure Daniel never spoke of this.
"Leave me alone Henry," Daniel husked, his voice sore from Henry's hands around his neck and from not speaking for the last day or so.
"I need to make sure you don't ever speak of this to anyone," Henry said coldly as he walked over to the bed. Daniel wasn't so sore that he couldn't get out of bed but he didn't want Henry to know that yet. He was attached to a painkiller IV, which was on the lowest setting, but all the other man would have to do is break the stopper and Daniel could overdose. Daniel pulled the pillows out from under his head and threw them across the room so if Henry wanted to suffocate him, he would have to put his hands on Daniel to do so.
"Help!" Daniel shouted as loudly as he could before he slammed his thumb down on the call button as well just as Henry wrapped those too familiar fingers around Daniel's throat. He struggled to pull the bruising grip from his neck even as his eyes started to dim and fade. He tried to kick out against Henry but the man just climbed up on top of Daniel's chest and pushed down against his chest. Now with the dual pressure against his sternum and throat Daniel was losing consciousness faster than he could fight against.
His struggling weakened, his eyes darkened and all he heard was a shout before he fainted away.
Jack heard the shout and knew the voice that yelled and took off running through the halls of the hospital and threw open the door to Daniel's room to find Daniel fighting for his life against, "Henry!" he shouted in terrifying recognition.
He watched as Daniel stopped moving underneath his brother's body, Jack watched the insanity bloom and present in Henry's gaze and wondered when that happened. When did Henry lose his sense?
"Get away from him now!" Jack shouted and rushed towards the bed and pulled his younger brother off. He threw his kin to the floor, pulled back to punch him across the face. He was pulling his throbbing fist back again when someone grabbed him from behind. Jack found a couple of orderlies holding him back. "This man attacked my husband, the one who should be safe within your hospital. Find a security guard and place this man under arrest immediately!"
The orderlies left the room and Jack turned to wrap his fingers around Henry's throat. He felt Henry's finger grapple at Jack's fingers but Jack just put more pressure on his throat. "Why would you attack Daniel here after he was hurt at our wedding reception?"
Henry glared at him, "Don't you understand? I hurt Daniel; I would have destroyed him if I could. He destroyed you and I am going to return the favor!"
Jack stared down at his brother, remembering the conversation he had with Henry outside his parents' house, "Daniel didn't destroy me. He healed me!"
"You were my hero, now you're just a boy loving freak!"
Jack shook Henry mightily, his teeth clicking together violently. "I guess then you are going to go to jail and be punished for your assault on Daniel, I promise that we won't be giving you any leeway and I hope you find the consequences worth the actions you took."
With that, the police officers walked in through the door and pulled Henry away to put cuffs on his wrists and escort him from the room and hopefully the building. Jack didn't want his deranged brother any where near Danny.
Jack turned and moved to lean down to touch Daniel's cheek gently. His throat was badly bruised, showing the outline of Henry's fingers and Jack had to take a few deep breaths before he followed Henry so he could kick the crap out of him until he looked as bloody as Daniel did when Jack found him the previous day.
He could feel the breath slipping under his hand through Daniel's chest and come out of his mouth in a wheeze. "I'm so sorry Danny, I had no idea that he was capable of such violence towards someone so good and loving as you are." He whispered the words against Daniel's bandaged forehead and rubbed his hand through the hair at his temple.
General O'Neill?" Doc Frasier called as she walked into the room, "Someone called as said something about an attack. What happened?"
Jack could barely stomach the words he would need to say, "My brother is the one who attack Daniel, and he came back and tried to kill him in his bed."
Janet gasped then moved quickly to check Daniel's vitals and the new injuries he had now. As she flitted around Daniel and Jack who was standing next to the bed and crooning quiet words to Daniel's closed ears. "I was worried on how I would tell you that particular bit of news. Daniel made Henry bleed somewhere along the way and the DNA came back to a familial match to you. I didn't know who exactly it was, just that it would be father or brother."
Jack shook his head, "I can't believe it! You should have told me as soon as you knew! I would have known not to leave Daniel unattended, if it had just been violence without something personal going on then Daniel was safe here but Henry and the rest of the family were welcomed to visit as he is family to them as well."
"I just learned it myself while I was driving here from my hotel. It looks like Daniel is doing well, better than I could dare to hope. You know anything about that?"
Jack couldn't discuss Zale's abilities even with someone so beloved by their team as Janet was still a member of the Air Force and if she were questioned she would have no right to ignore the order. There were people within their fine institution who would sell them all out.
So he shrugged and continued to rub at Daniel's hair. Janet looked over some charts and watched Jack, "What?" he asked quietly.
"You need to get him to talk Jack, I can't determine what happened to him medically."
Jack nodded and heard as Janet walked out of the room, Jack pressed his lips to Daniel's forehead gently and waited until the younger man started to waken, slowly and woodenly. He opened his eyes and found Jack's looking down at him and Daniel's blue eyes fill with tears; the first Jack had seen since everything started.
"Oh love, I'm right here okay."
Daniel sobbed, tugging Jack close so Daniel was pressed against Jack's throat. Jack was strangely glad to hear the sound despite the sadness and devastation in the sound because it was more than the disturbing silence up till now.
"Let it out and let it go."
"It was Henry," Daniel cried.
"I know Danny, I know. He's not going to hurt you ever again, and I am never leaving you alone ever again because seriously man!" he said the words with humor and a mild dose of fear.
Daniel forced out a choking laugh and continued to grip tightly at Jack's shirt and his back. Jack just crooned into his hair and gripped the back of Daniel's neck gently. He didn't worry about the words, just told Daniel all the reasons he loved him after all these years, all the old reasons as well as the new. He placed gentle kisses on Daniel's eyelids and his nose and cheeks then his lips. Daniel seemed to have been waiting for such a touch because he struck forward and took Jack's mouth in a deep kiss that shocked Jack to his core and though he responded because Daniel was hard to ignore at any time let alone when he was passionate, he didn't want this to be a response to the trauma he suffered. Jack gently pulled away from Daniel's lips when the sobbing started up again despite the kissing so Jack stayed where he was till everything calmed down once again.
It was a while later when Daniel fell into a fitful slumber and Jack moved to sit in the chair next to the bed. He watched Daniel, his hands holding one of his lover's hands between his and thought about what had happened here. What they would have to do as a family, Daniel would need to press charges though Jack witnessed attempted murder which maybe would be enough to keep Henry contained for a long time. He had to call his father and mother and let them know what happened and realized why Daniel held his silence. He didn't want to be the one to tell Jack his little brother had caused pain and injury. Even when he was hurting, when everything should have been about Daniel; the young scientist still tried to protect every one else.
"Daniel, one day you are going to realize you are worth so much to so many but until then I guess I will have to keep telling you." Jack kissed Daniel's palm again and looked up as General Hammond walked through the door. Jack stood at attention to which George waved away laughing.
"Jack, we are now of equal rank plus I am a civilian right now, coming to check on you and Daniel." Jack resettled in his chair next to Daniel as George came forward and touched a gently hand to Daniel's uninjured cheek. "How is he? I would have him and the rest of you come back the Springs where I can keep a closer eye on you."
Jack grinned, "It wouldn't matter George, Daniel finds trouble where ever he is."
"Did that happen a lot where you were for all that time?" George asked. Jack thought back over the last ten years of his life, some of the best years he'd had in a long time. He thought of the first weeks they were there.
"Oh yeah it did, his chest got crushed by a beast the first week we were there," Jack said with a chuckle.
Daniel's weakened voice joined the conversation, "Yeah well you were kidnapped during the same fight." He muttered the words in annoyance.
Jack grinned, "You're right love, I am just as much trouble to you as you are to me."
Daniel huffed a laugh, "Hey General, what brings you to my side?"
"Janet told me about the attack and who is guilty of it," George looked to Jack who looked over to Daniel and smiled sadly.
"I'm sorry Jack," Daniel whispered and George took several large steps out of the way as Jack rushed to Daniel's side at the words.
"Don't you dare be sorry Danny, this is not your fault. I fell in love with you because of who you are. I fell in love with you for the beautiful soul you have and this thing that happened to you isn't your fault. You didn't corrupt me, you saved me."
Daniel nodded, reaching out to pull Jack close, their foreheads touching each other gently. Jack wanted to lean down and talk Daniel's lips but he wasn't going to push him. Jack needed to talk to Daniel, not make out with him. Jack wished he could make out with Daniel right now but until they could work through the betrayal and whatever was floating around Daniel's head. They would both have to work through this, Daniel being hurt and Jack walking away when he'd been holding the premonition in his arms.
Jack couldn't wait to get them out of this city but he had a feeling that the trouble with Henry was going to go on for a while but right now; getting Danny and the children home to somewhat familiar footing.
"Get yourself and your family home to the Springs as soon as possible," George said and Jack just nodded, not taking his forehead from Daniel's. He wouldn't remove himself from Daniel's touch as long as his spouse needed him even for a man he respected like General George Hammond.
He heard the door open and close before he pulled back a little to look into those bright blue eyes that seemed a little too dull even now. Daniel looked up into Jack's gaze and smiled.
"Hey Danny?" Jack asked.
"Yeah Colonel Jack," Daniel whispered up at him.
"Hey, that's General Jack to you," Jack responded pointing an offended finger at Daniel. The younger man just reached up and took Jack's finger in his hand and stared at him in silence. "I wanna go home."
"The Springs?"
"No Danny, I wish we could go home to where I could be sure you won't ever be attacked like this ever again."
Daniel shrugged in his hospital gown pulling at his shoulders, "We're going home to the Springs Jack."
Jack smiled and nodded, "That's General Jack."
"Not from me, never from me," Daniel whispered and pulled Jack down to kiss Daniel gently. It was close-mouthed and innocent. It lasted no more than a second but it was something, it was hope.