Part Three
~ Å ~
Sam, Teal’c and Jack followed the gurney into the hospital room, shuffling to one side to give the medical staff space to move Daniel into the large bed in the centre of the suite. The flurry of efficient carers drew back and revealed Daniel lying still and unresponsive. His pale features stood out against the brightly furnished room. The large picture windows along one wall gave a stunning view of the city.
The flight back to the city of Sorenia had been chillingly uncomfortable for the SGC personnel. Pheidias had been bundled off into another of the aircraft; most of the SGC troops had clambered into the one bearing Daniel. There they had sat, in silence, watching Daniel’s team gently try to coax him back to awareness. Nothing had worked. The soft calls, touches on his face and body, hands gripping his, nothing had brought even the slightest sign that Daniel knew his friends were there. He breathed. He blinked. And that was it.
Two hours of examinations by a bustle of medicos, including their own Doctor Fraiser had brought little comfort. Janet moved over to SG1, indicating for them to make themselves comfortable on the couches along one wall, as she brought them up to date.
“Okay. Physically, Daniel is pretty much fine. Autonomic and bodily functions are all within accepted parameters. Mentally, he shows no awareness of where he is, of anyone around him. He’s completely unresponsive. His blood work will be back soon and we should have a better idea of what we’re facing.” Taking in the frowning displeasure of the Colonel, she hurried on. “I suspect he is under the influence of some kind of foreign agent. When we get the results back I’m sure we’ll be able to implement a working care plan. In the meantime, I think Daniel would benefit from knowing the three of you are near him. If you can sit with him, talk to him, you might just be able to break through to him.”
Jack sighed. “Teal’c, Carter, go be with Daniel. I’m gonna check in on SG3.” He headed over to the open doorway, only to run straight into Doctor Llewellyn. Jack took in her flushed, earnest face and found hope crawling up a level. “Doctor?”
“Sorry, sir. We just got back. I think we’ve found something that might help Doctor Jackson.”
“Spit it out Doctor.” Jack stepped to one side to allow Fraiser to peer around him.
Kate thrust a small container bearing several vials of dark green liquid into Fraiser’s hands. “Doctor Fraiser, we found this substance within the apparatus Pheidias was using on Daniel. It was being pumped into the room he was found in. We don’t know what it is - but it might help.”
Janet’s eyes lit up and she snatched at the container, already pushing past Colonel O’Neill and making for the medical labs, her calls to her Ehren colleagues floating in the air behind her.
Jack looked down at Kate, her fatigue evident. He suddenly realised that dawn was nearing. They had all been on the go since the previous dawn, and now everyone’s nerves and stamina were stretched. “Go get some rest, Doctor. You did good. Thank you.”
“Thank you, Colonel. How is Daniel?”
“Still the same, so far. But I’m expecting that to change real soon.”
“I hope so, Colonel. I can’t imagine the SGC without Daniel running around telling us what to do in that politely undiplomatic way of his.”
Jack smiled at the memories of Daniel herding his geeks into their labs like some over eager, polite sheepdog. “You won’t have to Kate, count on it.”
“Night, sir." She left him with a smile, certain that Daniel was in the best of hands.
In thirty minutes Janet was back, the Ehren C.M.O. Doctor Chiann surging along in her wake. “Okay, people. We think we may be onto something here.” Motioning for Sam and Teal’c to move back from their positions on either side of Daniel, she seized his IV tube and with a flourish injected a bright green solution into it.
Doctor Chiann spoke up from the monitors she was resetting. “We believe Doctor Jackson was subjected to a very rare drug - one which was stolen from an experimental facility a few days ago. Its primary purpose seems to be to render the victim completely susceptible to outside influences, such as suggestion or the will of another person. His sudden withdrawal from the substance could be the cause of his current unresponsive state.” She smiled briefly at the three soldiers clustered around their friend, hoping her tone did not imply any accusation. “Or it could have been caused by too high dosages being administered within a short time span. Regardless, we have the antidote - Doctor Fraiser has just administered the first dose. We should see some response very soon.”
Teal’c straightened his already ramrod posture and favoured the Doctors with a frown. “Will there be any harm caused to Daniel Jackson as a result of this drug?”
“We don’t know, Teal’c,” Janet replied, her gaze focused on Daniel as she took his pulse. “There appears to have been very little research done on the drug, certainly none seems to have been done on a human. The few notes we have seen indicate it affects certain areas of the brain, particularly the limbic system and the hippocampus - the areas that deal with emotion and memory. Beyond that it’s mostly guesswork.”
“Can we do anything to help, Janet?” asked Sam, over the mumblings from Jack in the background.
“Well, I would say you could all use some food and rest by now.” Janet took in the matching stubborn expressions on the three and forged ahead, “But I know you want to be here with Daniel, so I’ll get some food brought in for you.”
Mollified, Jack plumped down on the couch between Teal’c and Sam. Only to spring back up as Daniel suddenly came to life with an ear-piercing howl. His eyes flew fully open and his whole body seemed to contort in a painful seizure. His back arched, pushing his head back into the pillows as his legs drew up and his arms flew out sideways, hands curling into fists in the sheets. As several sets of hands reached to contain and comfort him, Daniel’s mouth gaped open, dragging in tortured gasps of air.
“He’s cramping. Everyone grab a leg or arm and see if you can massage it out,” Janet’s voice rang out urgently.
“Help… help me… can’t find my way out… Lost… Shouldn’t be here. Jack? Mama? Daddy? Sha’re! Sha’re… where…? No - Hurts. Hurts. Stealing my soul..."
“Daniel! Daniel, it’s okay. It’s Jack. I’m here, we’re all here. We’ve got you now, you’re safe. Can you hear me, Daniel? You’re safe now, just relax, just relax.”
Another painful shudder rippled through Daniel’s body, as he gradually began to relax. The two doctors, Sam and Teal’c were all gently massaging his limbs, trying to work loose the crippling cramps knotting his muscles. Bewildered eyes finally focused on Jack’s face, floating somewhere above him. “Jack?” he whispered.
“Hey! There you are! Nice to see you again, Daniel.”
“… happened?”
“Oh, long story. Don’t worry about it just yet. Just relax, buddy.”
Daniel’s next question was choked off in a plaintive cry as the cramps returned with renewed vigour.
“Doc? What’s doing this?”
Janet grimaced in sympathy as she worked the iron hard muscles in Daniel’s arm. “We think it’s a side effect of the antidote. Unfortunately we can’t give him anything else to ease the muscle spasms because we just don’t know enough about these drugs to rule out any further, more serious side effects.” She ducked as Daniel’s arm flailed out of her grasp. Swiftly recapturing it she continued her part of the soothing massages. “Talk to him, Colonel. See if you can distract him from the pain.”
Jack leaned back over Daniel’s face, reaching out to brush the sweat soaked hair out of his eyes. “Hey, Daniel. You with me here?”
“Jack, hurts… Make it stop - please…”
“Just relax Daniel. Let the guys do their best. It’s not every day you get a massage from three lovely ladies at the same time.”
“Who…?”
“Well, there’s Doc Fraiser on your right arm. Doc Chiann is on your right leg, and Carter is pounding away on your left arm.”
“Sam…”
“Hey, Daniel. I’m not pounding. But let me know if I’m hurting you, won't you?” Sam threw a half meant glare at the colonel and kept on gently kneading Daniel’s knotted biceps.
“Leg…?”
“Huh? Oh - other leg? Er, that’s Teal’c doing the Jaffa special down there.”
“Te…”
“Kel’sha Daniel Jackson. I am pleased to once again be able to assist you with Pha’tok na.”
“Wha'?” Jack glared at Teal’c, demanding English.
“Delights of thousan’ fingers, Jack,” came the strengthening voice of Daniel. “Massage. Teal’c does fab’lous massage… mmmmmm…”
Jack looked down at Daniel’s face, taking in the drowsy half-closed eyes and slow smile spreading across his face. He threw a ‘you’d better explain that one later’ look at Teal’c. To Daniel he said, “Does he really? You wanna share with the rest of the kids, Danny?”
“’Pendix blew. Hurt - oh - no - hurts so much. Make it stop… please…” Daniel suddenly began twisting and twitching in pain again. “Please…” His eyes lost their focus on Jack, tuning into the memories of agony suddenly surging through his mind and body. Under the caring hands his body tried to fold in on itself, curling into the remembered pain of his exploding appendix as if it were happening again.
The combined voices of his friends all tried to reassure him that the memory was just that - a memory. Through them all Daniel latched onto the firm, softly spoken words of Teal’c, trying to follow them to a place where there was no pain.
“Daniel Jackson, you remember the Pha’tok na sessions I gave you when you were recuperating. Focus on them, on how good they made you feel.” The others fell silent, as Teal’c’s words seemed to be reaching Daniel. “You said it made you feel like you could fly. Fly now, Daniel. Fly up and away from the pain and bad memories. There is only peace and comfort here for you.”
Daniel was definitely relaxing now, the pain visibly ebbing from his features. “After… when you got back from bug hunt… was stiff and sore… T’ gave me nice massage… nice Phatoknaaaa…” He drifted off, sighs of pleasure gusting gently between his lips.
Jack looked askance at Teal’c, wondering how many more hidden talents the man had. Turning to the doctors, he said, “Yeah, well, whatever. It seems to be doing him some good, don’t ya think?”
“Indeed. It would seem that the memory of his appendicitis brought pain to Daniel Jackson, and that a good memory brought a release from that pain. Could such an occurrence be a side effect of these drugs, Doctor Fraiser?”
“Either that or the antidote, Teal’c. We’re flying by the seat of our pant, here. We’ll just have to monitor Daniel, and if the symptoms become too severe I’ll have to sedate him. I’d like to keep him as aware and conscious as possible though.”
Daniel floated, half-aware of the people around him. His mind refused to latch onto coherent thoughts, instead sliding through disconnected memories and emotions in a confusing tumble. Every now and then a few words from those nearby would pierce the fog and offer a bright strong hope to latch onto. But even as he would reach out toward it, to try desperately to connect with another living soul, he would loose his way again, the fog closing about him and pulling him under, away from the warm words and gentle hands to sink in a miasma of half remembered terrors and phantom images.
Over the next two hours Daniel surfaced from his drug induced fugue three more times, each time shouting in horror and pain, convinced he was experiencing a moment from his past that was particularly unpleasant. Each episode prompted his carers into a flurry of soothing motions, each of the three team members and two doctors almost vying with each other to be the one to bring peace to Daniel’s tormented mind and body. They found, with practice, that by diverting Daniel’s focus to a happier memory than the one currently causing him anguish, he would quickly settle and become lost in the better feelings brought on by revisiting happier times.
As Daniel subsided once more into a relaxed mumbling semi-sleep, Janet sighed and looked around her at the exhausted faces of SG1. “Okay, people. It looks like we’re in for a long haul here. Daniel is definitely more responsive when stimulated with positive memories and also with personal contact. I think it would be to his benefit if you can take turns being close to Daniel, even holding him, and try to get him to focus on as many happy memories as you can. Daniel seems to respond best to you three, so I’d suggest you take shifts.” She paused, watching as Sam gently stroked her fingers through Daniel’s hair. “You’re all exhausted. Why don’t two of you go get some food and rest?”
Sam and Teal’c traded glances with Jack. Jack merely shrugged in acceptance, stripped off his boots and jacket and climbed onto the big bed. As Janet and Dr Chiann raised Daniel into a sitting position, Jack slid in behind him. Settling into the mounds of pillows he reached out and wrapped his arms around Daniel’s shoulders, guiding him back to rest against his chest, Daniel’s head lying heavy on his shoulder. Jack caught Daniel’s hands in his own and snugged their joined arms around Daniel’s chest. Wondering if Daniel was finding as much comfort from the embrace as he himself was, Jack let out a sigh of relief. Somehow, the simple act of hugging Daniel seemed to make the situation brighter, as if he could make his friend well again by believing hard enough. Looking up at his team, he smiled grimly.
“Let’s do it.”
~ Å ~
2135 Hours
Day Two
Daniel’s soft moans filled the silent night.
Sam reached out and touched Daniel’s cheek gently. It was an hour since the last injection of antidote, and he was becoming restless once more as the drug sent fiery trails throughout his nervous system. “Daniel? Tell me what it was like the first time you saw the Stargate.”
Immediately Daniel’s eyes brightened again. He smiled, quickly lost in the wonder of seeing the magnificent stone ring for the first time. “So big,” he whispered. “So beautiful. The cover stones were amazing, but the Gate - I just wanted to touch it, make sure it was real. Catherine said ‘There’s your Stargate.’ My Stargate… The craftsmanship was exquisite, the carvings, the star signs; they were all there, all around the ring. The symbol was right there. And the event horizon, so pretty… like the bluest deepest water you’ve ever seen, but it wasn’t wet… Cold. No air. It was dark. Ferretti had these flare things, made my eyes ache. But the smell - it was the desert! Even in the Gate room I could tell we were in the desert. So dry - flavour of heat. And stele - at the bottom of the causeway. Jack went up the dune. Followed him. Turned around - and I was RIGHT. It was there - the proof. A pyramid. Sam, I was right. I knew it, I knew it, I was right, dammit. Should have believed me. Knew they didn’t build them. Knew it. Knew I wasn’t crazy…”
Daniel started to rock from side to side, his eyes loosing focus, grimaces of pain on his face. “Knew I wasn’t…not crazy…’m not… not… not real… it’s not real… it’s - it’s a Goa’uld - Goa’uld . Jack… in Jack… no, it’s not … not real… not crazy… I’m NOT CRAZY!!” Daniel suddenly arched his back, pain and distress sweeping through him. A reflexive jerk cracked his skull against Sam’s chin. “Don’t put me in here… don’t LEAVE me here… I’m not… Teal’c! Teal’c’s sick. Jack? JACK!!”
“Whoa! Okay, that is SO not a happy memory.”
Sam clung onto Daniel’s struggling body as hard as she dared. Jack and Teal’c both were endeavouring to try to calm their friend. The quick patter of Janet’s footsteps sounded as she moved forward armed with another dose of sedative.
~ Å ~
0357 Hours
Day Three
“Jack.”
“Hey, Daniel. How’re ya feeling buddy?”
“Jack.”
“Yeah, Daniel. I’m right here. You okay?”
“Jack.”
“Daniel.”
“Jack.”
“Dan… Oh, fer… I’m here, Danny. I’m here.”
“Jack.”
Sigh. Jack tightened his arms around his lost friend.
“They’re stealing my soul.”
Dear God.
~ Å ~
1256 Hours
Day Four
“How many butterflies were in this enclosure, Daniel Jackson?” Teal’c shifted slightly, bringing Daniel’s head to rest more comfortably on his chest. He could feel the thrumming of Daniel’s nerves as his body fought to repair the damage done.
“Hundreds, thousands, millions, squillions…” Daniel burbled happily, lost in a childhood memory of standing in a zoo’s butterfly house, surrounded by fluttering motes of colour.
“Squillions?”
“Mmm, ‘s a technical term. Means lot ‘n lots ‘n lots ‘n lots ‘n…”
“I see. I would like to see a butterfly house one day.”
“You can come with me. I’ll ask Mrs Fletcher if she’ll take us again. She’s nice. She got me some paints so I could paint the flutter-byes.”
“Flutter-byes?” Teal’c had to smile at the childish words coming from the adult Daniel’s lips.
“Flutter by Butterfly…”
~ Å ~
1525 Hours
Day Five
Sam felt Daniel stir again and gently tightened her grip around his chest. Her chin still ached from the impact of his skull the previous day. She craned her head down to get a glimpse of half-opened unfocused blue eyes. He had woken again caught in the throes of pain inducing terrors, this time fighting Ra’s Jaffa on Abydos, seeing Sha’re cut down by a staff blast before him. Now, a half-hour later he was settled again, but restlessly stirring, as if seeking something to ground him.
Thinking back to the original mission reports she asked, “So Daniel. Tell me how you managed to go skiing behind a mastage.”
He huffed a little laugh. “Never yell in a mastage’s ear. They’re very sensitive. Got my foot caught in the harness lead. She dragged me up and down the dunes… got sand up the wahzoo. Took us near to the miners' rest tent. Met the family. Sha’re gave me some water. So beautiful. I could see her soul in her eyes. Think I fell in love right there. Jack said I only stayed because Kasuf gave her to me, but the moment I saw her - I knew. This was home. This was where I belonged. Wherever she is - is home.”
~ Å ~
0410 Hours
Day Six
Daniel’s legs kicked futilely at the bed sheets, sending them cascading once again onto the floor. Clad only in pyjama bottoms, his sweat soaked torso writhed in Teal’c’s grip. Large dark hands slid on slick pale skin, determinedly anchoring his friend both to the bed and reality. Daniel’s breath slowly evened out, heaving lungs settling once again to a normal rhythm.
“God, Teal’c. When is this going to end? Can’t take much more.”
“Doctor Fraiser is confident you are improving steadily, Daniel Jackson. The periods of rest you are experiencing between attacks are becoming longer and longer. Do not despair. We will see you well again, and in a short time. Of this I am certain.”
Daniel sighed, the departing attack of pain to every nerve ending he owned leaving him feeling faint and adrift. “What were you asking about, before?”
“You were telling me about the wedding of Robert Rothman. Something to do with camels, I believe.”
“Oh, yeah. Poor Sandy. Robert’s wife. We were on a dig outside Esna. They decided on a spur of the moment to get married. Even talked one of the local Coptic priests in to marrying them. The locals love any excuse for a party. The boys brought along a herd of camels. Being young and mostly drunk we started having camel races by attrition.”
“Attrition?”
“Yep, we kept racing till the last man standing. Standing being the operative word, here. Ever raced a camel, Teal’c?”
“I regret I have not, Daniel.”
“Be glad you haven’t. They’re fine for long haul walks, but running… Gods, it hurts! The camel is coming up as you’re going down. My butt was black and blue for days. And Robert won - kept going till he was the last man standing. ‘Cause he couldn’t sit down for a week after. Put a bit of a crimp into his honeymoon!”
Daniel relaxed into Teal’c’s embrace, the memory of Sandy’s face every time she even glimpsed a camel brought a smile to his face. Once again, he could feel the fog being pushed back from his mind, as his past surged forward to reclaim its rightful place.
~ Å ~
1546 Hours
Day Seven
Daniel was half aware, muttered words floating from him in disconnected rambles. Jack listened with half an ear, his head buzzing faintly from lack of sleep and the prolonged hours of sitting propped in the bed being Daniel’s pillow. Hours would pass by with barely a murmur from Daniel as he slept or drifted in a dazed, unaware state. Periodically, usually just when Jack had managed to drift off himself, Daniel would spring to life, caught sometimes in the throes of painful memories, other times lost in a wonderland of love and happiness. Jack smiled to himself. The military way of life never changed - hours of boredom interspersed with minutes of sheer terror. Sadly this time the terror was all Daniel’s, the best they could do was interrupt the bad memories and try to divert his mind into something more pleasant. Pity Daniel had such a wealth of bad stuff to draw upon. Still, for a guy who had experienced so much sadness in his life, he had a remarkable amount of happy memories to counterbalance the rough stuff. Daniel’s mumbles became clearer, a few words dragging Jack back from the brink of sleep.
“… teach… shoot baskets…”
“Daniel? Didn’t know you played basketball?”
“Taught Skaara … back home…” Daniel’s eyes cranked open a bit further, a soft smile gracing his lips. “Didn’t tell Sha’re… used her washing basket… we were a bit drunk… she was having a girls night in so I decided to show my lil’ bro’ how to dunk.”
Jack’s laughter bounced Daniel up and down, waking him further. “You and Skaara tied one on and played basketball? You tearaway, you.”
Daniel chuckled, the memories playing in his mind clearly. “We had a ball the boys used. It didn’t bounce very well, but it was great for shooting hoops. ‘Cept we didn’t have a hoop, so I stole Sha’re’s washing basket. Ball was a bit heavy though - Skaara kept slamming it in so hard it finally smashed the bottom of the basket. Hee hee… he was so gonna get it. He was really scared of her. We tried to hide the basket but Skaara gets really clumsy when he’s drunk and he tripped over the water barrel. Tipped over… went everywhere. Soaked Sha’re’s clean washing, the bed, everything. We tried to dry it, but we were laughing so much… pretty hopeless. Got mud on everything, us included.”
Daniel straightened up a bit in the bed, the happy night on Abydos bringing him much needed strength. “And she came home EARLY!! Found us lying in a big mud puddle in the middle of our room, no water, all her clean robes rolled up in a big muddy ball. Skaara tried grovelling, naturally. He crawled round the floor, gathered them all up and threw them in the basket. Then he gets to his feet, grabs up the basket and announces to Sha’re that he’ll go wash them for her - and everything falls out the hole in the bottom. Jack, you should have seen his face! Ra could’ve taken lessons on inspiring fear from Sha’re. Skaara took one look at her, pitched the basket over his head - which landed on my head, I might add - and ran for it!”
Jack grinned down at Daniel, imagining squads of Jaffa fleeing in terror before one disapproving look from the pocket dynamo that had been Sha’re. He hadn’t known her long, but her fiery spirit and bright courage had made a lasting impression on him. “She let you have it?”
Daniel’s smile grew even brighter as the image of his bright, beautiful wife played before him. “Oh, Jack. She stood there looking at me, I couldn’t think of a single thing to say. She leant over, pulled the basked off my head, helped me up, dragged me over to our bed. I thought for sure she’d kick me out and make me sleep in the mastage pens, but… Gods… she stripped both of us, shoved me on the bed and made the most beautiful love to me that we’d ever shared.”
“Wow!”
“Yeah. That was my girl.”
“Made you pay the next day, huh?”
“Oooh, yeah! Skaara and I found we’d volunteered to clean out the animal pens for the next week.”
“Ergh, stinky. Women are a whole different species, aren’t they?”
“Yup.”
Jack felt himself bracing for the expected onslaught of pain in Daniel, sure that the mention of Sha’re would segue into the despair over her death. As the minutes ticked by, he slowly began to relax. Daniel remained lying peacefully against him, a smile still gracing his lips. A few minutes more and Daniel’s eyes began to drift shut. His voice floated softly up to Jack, “Doesn’t hurt this time, Jack.”
“Getting better, Danny. Getting better.”
~ Å ~
Eight days. Eight long days and nine even longer nights since they had discovered Daniel in Pheidias’s lair. Jack sighed as he awoke to gentle sunlight beaming into his room in the hospital wing that had been given over to the off-world visitors. His first full night's sleep since Daniel had been kidnapped, and it had been a good one. Must get Kovachek to put some of these mattresses on the trade list too.
Jack took another moment before rising to savour the feeling of peace and relief that had sent him to his rest the night before. Eight long days battling to bring Daniel back to himself had taken an emotional and physical toll on all three of them, but finally the drug and its antidote had cleared Daniel’s system and he had not suffered an attack at all during the previous day. He and Sam had hit the bedrooms offered them with a vengeance, leaving Teal’c kel’noreeming at the foot of Daniel’s bed.
And finally, today they could gate home. All four of them.
Jack met up with his team at their usual breakfast spot - Daniel’s room. This time they were all dressed. Daniel looking pale, shaky and trying not to show the emotions still flowing too near to the surface for his comfort. He was up, dressed, mobile and determined to stand on his own two feet again, knowing that should he stumble there would be no lack of hands to catch him.
Jack beamed at his team, glad to see Daniel was making an effort to eat some of the Ehren version of waffles that Carter and Teal’c were packing away. “So, kids. Are we ready to head home? Holiday’s over, time to pack your bags, say so long to the nice folks here, pick up a memento or two, take a last happy snap…”
“Have some waffles, sir. They’re really good.” Sam couldn’t help interrupting the saccharine flow of comments. At least the colonel seemed to be over his desire to single-handedly destroy the Earth - Ehren treaty. When he hadn’t been caring for Daniel he had been making his feelings known to anyone within earshot, his opinion of certain sociopathic artists who felt the need to make off with, and nearly destroy, certain archaeologists. Major Kovachek had resigned himself to following in his wake, soothing feelings and mending diplomatic fences.
Jack plopped down at the table, helping himself to a large stack of waffles and eyeing the line up of syrups suspiciously. Trying not to sound too like a mother hen, he took in the improvement in Daniel’s appearance and asked, “So, Daniel. How’re you doing this morning?”
Daniel smiled up at him. “I’m good, Jack. Slept the whole night through.”
“Good. Any nightmares?”
“Nope, not one. Well, actually - I had this really weird dream. I was a milkshake and someone kept sticking a really big straw in me and kept drinking and drinking and drinking and they wouldn’t stop…”
“What flavour?”
“What?”
“Huh?”
Daniel laughed. “Never mind. I’m alright, though. Thanks to you guys. I couldn’t have made it through this without all of you. I just, well, I appreciate it, really.”
“Our pleasure, Daniel.” Sam smiled at him, still revelling in her own feelings of relief that he was his old self again.
“Indeed, it is our honour to be able to assist you in such a manner, Daniel Jackson,” Teal’c beamed at him.
Jack’s hearty slap on the back nearly made Daniel choke on his waffle. “You might want to remember that when you get the bill, Danny boy.”
They met the members of SG9 in the lobby of the hospital. SG3 had returned to Earth on the second day after Daniel had been recovered. Janet had followed on the third day, when it became clear that Daniel was responding favourably to the treatment. Six hourly updates from SG9 had kept her informed of his progress.
Daniel turned away from Doctor Chiann, his sincere thanks leaving the woman blushing and happy. He moved slowly over to his team, feeling tired and washed out and more than ready to go home.
Before Jack could give the order to head for the hills and the Stargate, Major Kovachek jumped in.
“Sir, before you go, the Ehren authorities have asked if Doctor Jackson could spare a short amount of time to assist them in the disposition of the, er, artworks.”
Jack scowled at the major, not wanting anything further to stand in the way of getting Daniel safely home. “I’m sure they can do that themselves, without draining what little there is of Daniel’s energy, Major.”
Jack clamped a hand onto Daniel’s shoulder and urged him forward, not giving him the chance to offer his own opinion.
Kovachek danced a couple of steps to place himself in front of the colonel. “Actually, sir, I’m sorry but according to Ehren law they do need Doctor Jackson. If he cannot do this now, he would be required to return here at a later date, and until he does the legal proceedings against the accused cannot commence. I’ve been assured that it will not take very long, sir.”
Before Jack could launch his opinion of the Ehren legal system, Daniel jumped in. “What exactly do they want me to do, Stan? I can’t identify any of the people who kidnapped me. I don’t remember anything after going to bed that night.”
“It’s not that, Doctor Jackson. It’s the artworks that were produced by the accused during your, er, stay at the house in the mountains. According to Ehren law they are the property of the, um, excuse me, victim. They need your decision as to what you want done with them.” Kovachek grimaced apologetically at Daniel, not wanting to distress him further.
Jack’s hand tightened on Daniel’s shoulder. He could feel the waves of disapproval flooding from Teal’c’s direction behind him. “Fine. Burn the lot. Let’s go.”
He should have known better.
“Jack, they can’t do that!”
“Sir. Forgive me, but as I understand it, the people on this planet value art most highly. To destroy any artwork is considered near to a criminal offence. It is, of course, Doctor Jackson’s right to dispose of them as he wishes, but it must be his decision, sir.” Kovachek wisely kept the part about the General’s orders not to ruin the new treaty to himself.
“Oh, for crying out loud!”
“It’s okay, Jack. I can do this. Actually, I wouldn’t mind seeing them.” Daniel gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile to Jack’s concerned features.
Jack tried to push down the chill that seemed to creep over his bones at the thought of Daniel seeing what that maniac had kidnapped him for. “Thirty minutes, Daniel. Then we are so out of here.”
They were taken back to the Constabulary headquarters and shown to a pleasant room overlooking the bay. This whole planet was just a bit too pleasant now, for Jack’s liking. He was looking forward to getting back to their regular trips to ice/desert/lava land. Darmen Whey met them and before he could utter a word was whisked off to a far corner of the room by Jack.
“Look, I don’t like the idea of Daniel seeing these pictures. He seems to think he’ll be fine, but who knows what might trigger a relapse. I’ll let him do it on one condition - get rid of the last one. Understand me? No way in hell is he seeing that.” Jack spoke flatly, giving no room for compromise.
Darmen Whey looked at his tired face and agreed without hesitation. “It shall be as you request, Colonel.”
Within minutes they were ready to move into the next room where the three pictures awaited Daniel’s decision about their fate. He paused at the open door, suddenly nervous about viewing himself depicted as… who knows? The others had told him who had taken him and why but it had seemed so unreal that he had not given it much thought. He lifted his chin, bracing for whatever he might face. He felt the warm solid presence of his three friends close around him, and knew that what ever awaited him, he would not be facing it alone.
He stepped into the small room, his eyes going immediately to the three huge pictures propped along one wall. His eyebrows rose and his mouth dropped open as he found himself gazing at - himself. Purely and perfectly depicted, his own, very nude, body was posed romping under a waterfall, surrounded by rather odd looking women in red, and perched high on a moonlit mountain top. It was - bizarre. Gently, Daniel touched the closest one, trying to identify the medium used to capture his image more perfectly than any digital camera on Earth could. Faintly aware that his teammates, and particularly Sam, were getting quite an eyeful, he found that while he felt he should be embarrassed, offended, humiliated, peeved… or something, he really felt a bit flattered.
Daniel turned around to see the expressions on Jack, Sam and Teal’c’s faces ranging from annoyance, appreciation and anticipation of his imminent collapse. He gave them a shaky grin and turned back to the pictures. They really were very good. It would be a shame to destroy them; after all he felt a fair bit of his own soul had been poured into them. And yet, he couldn’t see himself returning to the SGC with them. They really would clash with the décor of the commissary.
Partly to allay the fears of his team, partly to cover his own uncertainty, he stepped back and gave the pictures a considered perusal. “Hmmm, well, you know… I think he caught my good side,” he offered. An impish grin slipped over his face as he caught the double takes from the others.
Jack managed a glare at Daniel, aptly covering the anticlimactic sigh, as Daniel didn’t relapse into his emotionally shredded state of the last eight days. “I’m sure the general would love one for the briefing room, Daniel.”
Daniel surprised them all again with an outright laugh. “It might be one way to keep you concentrating on the briefings, Jack.”
Turning to Darmen Whey he continued, “I don’t want to take them, Darmen. I’m happy for them to stay here and you can do what you wish with them.”
Darmen Whey acknowledged his decision with a bow. “Thank you, Doctor. I do appreciate your decision, and I would like to pass on the sincere apologies of all our people for the terrible injustice done to you.”
Daniel flicked a small smile across his face, suddenly very weary and more than ready to go home.
As Jack pushed him towards the exit, Teal’c’s steady presence at his side, Jack’s bellow nearly deafened him.
“Carter! Quit ogling the damned pictures, will ya? We’ve got the real thing, anyway!”
~ Å ~
High up in a white padded room on the top floor of the main Sorenia hospital, a small red-haired man sat crouched on the floor. Facing into the wall, he gripped a soft crayon in his hand, methodically etching the outline of a man’s face onto the wall’s surface. Treated with the best doctors and the best drugs available, Pheidias nonetheless steadfastly continued to draw the face of his obsession into every square inch of the walls and floor of the room that would be his only home for the rest of his days.
The carers who monitored him constantly were soon inured to the muttering of the sad little man.
“Mine, mine, mine, mine, all mine. You are nothing but mine, I created you, and I will make you live forever…”
~ Å ~
Epilogue.
Soft yellow moonlight bathed the campsite on P2R 497. It was several weeks later and the team’s first mission after the disturbing events on Ehren. Sam was surreptitiously watching Daniel frown into his journal.
“Daniel, you’re very quiet tonight.”
“Oh, um, sorry… I just - I’m trying to work out what Pheidias saw in me.” He smiled at his friend’s raised eyebrows. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to be vain or… anything. It’s just - I can’t see why he took such a liking to ME. I didn’t even look anything like his lover… What?”
Indulgent smiles were beginning to replace the dancing eyebrows. He stared back, wondering if he had his dinner stuck in his teeth or something.
“Oh. I get it. He was really blind, wasn’t he?”
Sam gave a long-suffering sigh. Offering up a quick prayer for the terminally clueless, she rose and moved to crouch in front of her friend. Critically she took his chin in her hand. Gently removing his glasses, she turned his face to study his profile from both sides, Daniel’s eyes swivelling round in his head to try to keep in visual contact. She softly ran her fingers over his face; down his cheek bristly with evening stubble, along the determined jaw, down the nose, across hesitantly smiling lips, up and over those wonderful animated eyebrows. Gently grasping his ears, she drew the attention of those beautiful far-seeing eyes to her own.
“Daniel.” Her tone was serious, but lit with delight and love. “Having spent my working life in a predominantly male society, I can say in all honesty that you are the most beautiful man I have ever met. You are kind, compassionate, intelligent and giving. You have the face of an angel and the body of a Michelangelo sculpture. And I love you dearly.”
She wrapped her fingers around the back of his neck and pulled him into a blistering, in-no-way-sisterly kiss. Parting with a loud wet suck on his lower lip she sat back to admire her handiwork. Yep - eyebrows hanging off the clouds, eyes a confused and crossed sparkle of blue, red moist lips parted, gasping, mouth hanging waaay open - my work here is done.
Sam sweetly patted Daniel’s cheek, tapped his mouth shut with one finger, and casually returned to her seat, humming softly as she resumed stripping down her P-90.
Night sounds settled around the campfire; the chirp of unseen insects, a zipping buzz from some unseen night bird, muffled snorts and chuckles from the colonel, a gentle sighing and clacking of the wind brushing through the reeds along the creek, a soft wondering “ummmm…” from Daniel.
“Which sculpture?” Jack challenged.
“Sir?”
“One of those cute little cherub things?”
“No, sir. I was thinking more of the statue of David.”
“Ah!”
“Mmmmmm.” Daniel's soft voice was filled with delight.
Sam glanced over at Daniel, the glow of the firelight gilding his expression. If she was expecting blushes and stutters after her little assessment, she was to be disappointed. Daniel had a huge grin plastered across his face and was licking his lips appreciatively.
“Nice kiss, Sam.”
“Thanks. Not so bad yourself, sport.”
Jack made an effort to pull himself together and began to brew up some more coffee.
“Major Carter is correct.”
Uh oh, pronouncement from the Oracle. He shot a grin at Teal’c. “What, you gonna kiss him too?”
“No.”
Oh.
Teal’c merely scowled at O'Neill. “Daniel Jackson is indeed a beautiful human being. While his features and physical appearance are found attractive by many people, it is the beauty of his soul that makes him shine. To be so caring and compassionate towards others, despite the hurts that life has given him, is a gift to be cherished, and to be protected. He is an inspiration to us all.”
“Wow. Thanks, Teal’c.” Daniel smiled at his friend, a little unsettled at receiving so many compliments at one time. His inner devil making its presence known, he gave Jack a wicked grin and decided to go for three out of three.
“So. Jack. What do you think?”
Jack scowled at him. Aaah, let me count the ides…. Archaeologicide, linguicide, anthrocide… suic… No. No. Not THAT. Never that. Not any more.
Stretching his legs out in front of him, Jack took a good hard look at Daniel. This man who had become one of the most important people in his life. A man who had shown him compassion in the face of derision. A man who had brought meaning into a life devoid of purpose. A man whose courage and simple faith in people was a shining example to him. A man who could infuriate and astound him in a single moment. A man whom Jack could not imagine living his life without.
“You inspire me to be a better man, Daniel. To look outside my world view, see the other side of situations I wouldn’t normally consider. To see the good in people - to see the good in me.”
Daniel looked at his friend, his smile simply acknowledging a rare friendship that flourished in the face of their differences. “Thank you, Jack.”
Silence settled comfortably over the four friends as they sat under the twinkling stars. The gentle sounds of the night birds and insects in the reeds filled the air.
“So, Daniel. Puffy PINK clouds?????”
The End.