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PART TWO
Jack knew Daniel was downplaying his illness. Even before they’d begun their relationship, Daniel had always had trouble with someone fussing over him when he was sick. But as their relationship changed from one of friendship to intimacy, Daniel had slowly allowed Jack through his defenses and acquiesced to letting Jack care for him when he wasn’t well. But Jack thought there was more to it this time. Daniel’s adamancy earlier to keep going when they’d had a chance to turn back had been a not-so-gentle reminder to Jack that their mission came first.
Daniel stumbled over a protruding rock and Jack grabbed Daniel’s arm to keep him steady. A few moments later he stumbled again. Jack snaked his arm around Daniel’s waist, keeping him from tumbling to the ground. It took Daniel a few seconds to regain his equilibrium, and when they continued on, he was leaning heavily against Jack.
The ascent was steep but easily manageable to someone who was in fairly decent shape. But Daniel was definitely on his way to being dehydrated, hadn’t kept food down in two days and had a fever of at least 102 if not higher. The unusually high heat wave this land was currently experiencing was debilitating on the healthy, let alone the ill. Daniel needed to be in bed, and not being forced to walk up a steep hill. What Daniel truly needed was a soft bed, one of Fraiser’s IVs stuck in his arm, supplemented by whatever drugs that could ease the fever and pain he knew Daniel was undergoing.
When Jack had first heard that they needed to evacuate the wagons, he had at first thought it was Kathein’s way of punishing him for his having more or less ignored her these past hours. But then he’d heard the people talking amongst themselves and had learned that the Lareina had never used this route since her son’s death. Necessity had forced them here, and fate was forcing Daniel out of his sick bed and out into the heat.
Jack heard thunder rumble behind him and he glanced back, seeing the storm clouds approaching in the distance. He could hear the huge beasts lowing and grunting to his left as they struggled to pull up their heavy loads up the nearly impossible path. Only half had made it to the top so far and he hoped the rain stayed away until all of them had reached safety. Rain would make the treacherous path slick with mud, rendering it almost impossible to climb.
The wind picked up, the breeze feeling good against his skin even though it was fanning hot air against him. His pants and tee shirt billowing against his legs and abdomen, he relished the feeling as the gusts dried the sticky sweat from his body.
Most of the group had already made the climb, only a few stragglers other than SG-1 remained. Jack glanced up, seeing they were barely halfway to their goal. It was slow going, but he knew that Daniel was giving it all he was worth. This worried Jack because Daniel hadn’t had that kind of energy to spare to begin with.
Jack heard Daniel moan softly, his free hand clutching at his tee shirt which was flapping in the wind. Although Daniel kept his eyes on the ground before him, Jack had noted how dilated his pupils were and he suspected that Daniel was seeing nothing but a beige blur.
Daniel began to slow down, his steps unsteady. Jack was thinking of stopping in order to give Daniel a break when suddenly he became a dead weight in Jack’s arms.
“Teal’c,” Jack breathed as he went down under Daniel’s weight, trying to prevent the fainting man from crashing to the ground. Teal’c’s quick reflexes took some of Daniel’s weight from Jack, allowing Jack to maneuver himself underneath Daniel and cradle his head and shoulders on his lap.
Carter was there, her hands on Daniel’s neck, taking his pulse, checking his breathing. Jack reached back and took out his canteen, pouring water into his hand and wiping his dripping hand over Daniel’s face and neck. It took a minute but finally Daniel began stirring.
“Sir, he won’t make it up this hill by himself,” Carter said, her hand lying flat on Daniel’s chest. “I’m going to go see if I can find a spare mount.”
Jack nodded, knowing that Teal’c could easily cart Daniel up the rest of the way if Carter couldn’t get him a ride. All of the animals had been appropriated to help lighten some of the heavier wagons, it was doubtful that any could be spared at the moment.
Jack continued to wet down Daniel’s face, and when he was responsive enough, had him swallow a few sips of water. Daniel began shivering, and Jack knew that his fever was mounting. Daniel curled up on his side, his hands clutching at Jack’s thighs.
“Shhh, it’s okay,” Jack soothed.
“God, Jack, make it stop,” Daniel whispered.
“What? Make what stop?” He stroked a hand through Daniel’s sweat-soaked hair.
“The wind. Please, it hurts.”
That was when Jack realized the wind was whipping the fabric of their clothes against their bodies. Daniel’s skin had been hurting him… shit!
He shifted around so that his back was taking the brunt of the breeze, and Teal’c moved beside him, trying to make as much of a windbreak as they could between the two of them. He looked at Teal’c, and was ready to ask him if he would carry Daniel up when he heard the sound of hooves coming towards them.
Kathein rode towards them on her personal mount; he could see Carter at the top of the hill looking down at them. The Lareina came to a stop before them, and motioned for them to come.
“Put him up behind me,” she ordered, turning the animal around so it was facing uphill once more. Jack and Teal’c grabbed Daniel’s arms and lifted him to his feet. They managed to get Daniel astride the animal, where he slumped against Kathein, half conscious. With Jack and Teal’c on either side of Daniel, they held onto him to ensure he didn’t fall off and continued on up.
An enormous tent had been set up where most of the people were preparing to shelter from the storm. Some were inside the wagons, but the majority were resting under the canvas, enjoying the now cooler temperatures.
It was with relief that they finally made it to their wagon. Teal’c climbed onto the steps and lifted Daniel’s unresisting body off the animal’s wide back. Carter went in right behind Teal’c, but Jack took a moment to look back at Kathein.
“Thank you,” he said, standing on the wagon’s steps, bringing him up to the same height as the woman. She raised a hand and stroked Jack’s jaw with a finger. He held himself still, trying not to flinch away from her touch. Without a word, she turned the beast around and trotted off to her own conveyance.
The normally tidy interior was littered with their supplies, which had fallen off the shelving as the wagon had gone up the incline. Carter was tossing everything into a corner and had cleared the sleeping area. Teal’c had put Daniel down back onto the mat, and Jack squeezed by the two to sit at Daniel’s head.
Daniel was restless and in obvious pain; the interior was stifling as the wagon was sitting crosswise to the blowing wind. He moaned and tried to pull away as Carter began removing his boots and socks.
“Easy,” Jack soothed, bending down close when he saw Daniel open his eyes. He placed a kiss on Daniel’s temple, feeling the dry heat of his skin beneath his sensitive lips. Daniel’s fever had risen, Jack wished he had a thermometer, but at the same time was afraid to know the results. Daniel clutched at Jack’s tee shirt, and Jack gently pried his fingers from the material, holding them in his own.
“We need to get his fever down,” Carter said as she tucked Daniel’s socks inside his boots.
“There’ll be plenty of water soon,” Jack said, hearing the boom of thunder follow almost immediately after a blinding flash of lightening. “Maybe we can fill a container, give Daniel a bath…”
A gust of wind rocked the wagon, and the splatter of rain quickly darkened the light-colored canvas that was their ceiling. Within seconds, the spray became a downpour, then a torrent. The sky had darkened considerably, lit from without by the almost constant lightening.
“Or maybe a shower?” Carter suggested, looking at the sheets of water that seemed to cut them off from their neighbours. She had to raise her voice over the sound of the deluge.
A loud clap of thunder deafened them, and the wagon was buffeted again by the wind. The solidly constructed wagon easily withstood the elements, although Jack realized had they stayed in the flatlands, they could easily have been subjected to floods if this rain kept up. Then nearly as suddenly as the storm had begun, the wind died down.
No longer swept along by the wind, the rain fell straight down. Soon it began easing in its intensity, and Jack could hear people outside, laughing and talking. Carter craned her head outside and turned to look at Jack.
“Sir, now would be a perfect time to…”
Quickly stripping Daniel’s pants and tee shirt from him, they pulled the feverish man out onto the wagon seat. Jack sat on its edge and tried to make Daniel comfortable. The falling rain was blessedly refreshing, and after Jack settled Daniel near-naked body against the cushioned seat, Jack lifted his face to the rain to wash off the sweat and dust.
After a few minutes, Daniel raised his head from where it had been lying against Jack’s chest and asked weakly, “Is there a party?”
Jack laughed; after the incredibly hot days of travel, everyone was outside enjoying an impromptu shower. “No Danny, no party. Just a bit of a celebration.”
“Oh.” He closed his eyes and relaxed against Jack again. After a few minutes, he shifted a bit. “Um, Jack, why am I outside without my clothes?”
Jack heard Carter snort at the question. Apparently Daniel did too because he turned his head towards the sound.
“I’m sorry,” she said, leaning close to them, still smiling. She placed a hand against Daniel’s cheek, and smiled. “Your fever was pretty high. The rain brought it down a bit.”
“Feels good,” Daniel said sleepily. He moved on the seat to make himself more comfortable, nuzzling his face into the crook of Jack’s arm. He fell asleep within seconds despite the rain falling over him.
After several more minutes, Carter suggested, “I think that’s enough, Sir. We wouldn’t want him getting chilled.”
“Right. Daniel, can you sit up?” Jack asked, pulling a groggy Daniel up into a seated position. Daniel pushed his legs over the side until he was sitting on the seat, facing the interior of the wagon. Teal’c entered before them and by the time Jack and Carter helped Daniel inside, the Jaffa had enveloped Daniel in a blanket and had him settled back onto the mat.
Letting the covering absorb the droplets from Daniel’s skin, Jack rummaged through Daniel’s pack, looking for clean dry clothes. He and Teal’c dressed Daniel in his underwear and tee shirt, and covered him with a dry blanket. Once Daniel was comfortable, the three of them quickly changed into dry clothes.
By the time they’d finished dressing, bells were being rung, warning of their imminent departure. They had just enough time to eat before the wagons started up. Jack stayed with Daniel, who was had fallen into a restless sleep once more. Teal’c and Carter left the wagon to go map out their new route, leaving Jack alone with Daniel.
Jack watched Daniel toss and turn in his sleep as Jack worried about his lover’s health. If things didn’t improve by tonight, he was going to ask Hammond to evacuate Daniel out when the General opened the Stargate for an update.
- - - - - -
Jack blinked in the harsh sunlight, his eyes not quite adapted from the dark of the mines. He listened with half an ear as Carter discussed what they had just seen on their tour with Howain and Kathein, being more interested in staying out of the noticeable strain between husband and wife.
Kathein had latched herself onto Jack during the tour, hooking her arm in his whenever they stopped to examine something, touching Jack needlessly all the while taking obvious pleasure in taunting her estranged husband. It made Jack very uncomfortable, and after the first few affectations, Carter, bless her, had tried to keep herself between the Lareina and Jack in an attempt to thwart Kathein’s flirting. The tall, dark, well-built man seemed to take it all in stride, ignoring his wife’s antics and giving Jack his complete attention.
Catching Carter’s eye, he glanced towards where they were camped and she nodded, understanding that he wanted to go check on Daniel. Teal’c had stayed behind with the ailing man. None of SG-1 had wanted to leave Daniel alone, especially since they’d finally had to resort to giving him some morphine to help alleviate his pain.
After excusing himself, he hurried through the mining site and spotted Teal’c talking with Jaceen and another woman. The stranger appeared upset and was gesticulating towards their wagon. As Jack approached, he managed to get the gist of their conversation. She was a healer and had been requested to look at Daniel.
“I insist you allow me inside,” the woman huffed. “It is my duty to look after anyone who is ill, and it is negligence on your part to withhold the sick from my skills.”
Teal’c remained a stolid obstruction before her as she tried to peer over his shoulder into the wagon.
“Is there a problem here?” Jack asked, wondering if this might be Braggain, the Leroi’s lover. Howain had sent for the healer as soon as he’d heard of Daniel’s illness, but had also informed Jack that Braggain was at one of the other mines and it would take a bit of time to return. Jack wasn’t very impressed if she was Howain’ lover; the woman obviously thought too much of herself, her perfume already tickling his nose. Wrinkling his nose, he couldn’t help but wonder how this would make Daniel sneeze in the close confines of the wagon.
“There is no problem as such, O’Neill,” Teal’c said succinctly. “This person was sent by the Lareina. I have informed her we have no need of her services, but she does not appear to understand.”
“Ah,” Jack said. “Right. Sorry, we have everything under control. You can go on home now.”
“You have no right!” she exclaimed, trying to push past Teal’c. “I am in the Lareina’s employ. I demand to be let through.”
“Well, you see,” Jack said as he leaned casually against the wagon, “we’re waiting for the Leroi’s healer. So unless your name is Braggain, I’d suggest you keep your voice down. You’re disturbing the sick.” He made little shooing motions with his hand as he said the last, and stifled a grin as the woman’s mouth opened and closed several times in surprise. She finally closed her mouth with an audible click and turned around, stomping off angrily. Jack watched to see what direction she’d head for. He wasn’t disappointed; she went straight for the royal wagon.
Jack sighed. As Teal’c stepped away, Jack hauled himself up the steps. He peered inside, noting that Daniel was still asleep. “How is he?” he asked as he stepped back outside, leaving the sleeping man to rest in peace.
“His temperature is beginning to climb once more,” Teal’c said. Jack had expected the news, but his heart dropped when he heard it said. “The injection has helped, though. He has slept peacefully since you left.”
“Thanks for staying with him,” Jack said, placing a hand on Teal’c’s shoulder. The Jaffa inclined his head, smiling gently.
“Do you trust this healer who the Leroi has sent for?” Teal’c asked suddenly.
“I don’t see we have a choice,” Jack admitted, sitting heavily on the wagon seat. “We can only hope she can recognize whatever it is that Daniel’s caught. But I’m not holding my breath here; this world is so technologically behind we’re gonna be damn lucky if she can diagnose him.” He played a tattoo on the seat cushion with his fingers before telling Teal’c his decision. “I’m going to ask Hammond to send an evac team here.”
“Indeed, that is most wise. DanielJackson has grown weaker every day.”
Jack surveyed the camp, relieved that Teal’c agreed with his decision. He wished he could speed time forward; get that damned healer here to look at Daniel and then push on to the appointed time when Hammond was scheduled to contact them again early that evening. He looked at the sky, noting there were still a few hours before sunset.
Daniel coughed. Jack glanced at Teal’c and entered the wagon. Seeing that Daniel was more or less awake, Jack grabbed the canteen; the first thing he needed to do was get some more water into Daniel. He saw his lover’s eyes were sunken, his face grayish white. As he helped Daniel sit up and brought the canteen to Daniel’s lips, he could feel the fever raging inside the man. He gave him some more Tylenol and helped Daniel settle back onto the mat.
Daniel coughed again, and suddenly he was vomiting up the water and pills. Jack hurriedly pulled Daniel towards him, trying to turn him onto his side. The spewed water ran down Jack’s arm as he held Daniel close to him, feeling his body shake from his efforts.
“Sorry,” Daniel mumbled as Jack tried to blot the excess water from Daniel’s tee shirt. He let Jack rock him gently in his arms afterwards, his eyes closing as weariness and illness overwhelmed him.
Carter and Howain found them like this twenty minutes later. A second man, his long, curly blond hair neatly tied back in a ponytail, brushed by them as he entered the wagon, his long slender fingers gently pulling Daniel from Jack and laying him on the mat.
When Jack opened his mouth to protest, Carter quickly spoke up.
“Sir, Braggain finally arrived. We brought him here as fast as we could.”
Jack looked in shock at the person who was efficiently examining Daniel. Braggain was a man? Hell, that explained some of Kathein’s reaction towards Daniel.
Braggain mimicked what Fraiser would have done had she been examining Daniel without benefit of any of her medical paraphernalia. At the healer’s urgings, Jack described Daniel’s symptoms to him, portraying how he had seemed to be getting better only to quickly worsen. Braggain was efficient and gentle, and his questions were direct and intelligent. The only thing that had him confused was Jack’s description of the pain Daniel had been suffering.
“He does not appear to be in any great pain at the moment,” he said, sitting back on his knees.
“That’s because we’ve given him some medicine to take the pain away,” Carter explained. Jack wondered how they were going to explain morphine to someone who probably had no inkling of what something as simple as Aspirin or other pain killers were.
“This potion also makes him drowsy?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Jack said, noting that Daniel was semi aware, his heavy-lidded gaze trying to follow the conversation.
Braggain moved down to Daniel’s feet and gently ran a finger from arch to ankle. Daniel gasped and attempted to pull his foot away. The healer patted his foot in apology and placed it back down onto the mat, throwing the edge of the blanket over his feet. He did the same with Daniel’s arm, this time nodding to himself when Daniel again expressed the sensation of pain.
Jack realized the morphine was wearing off. He made a mental calculation and knew that Daniel would soon need another shot to keep the pain at bay. He saw that Carter had come to the same conclusion and was removing another pre-prepared syringe from their kit.
The healer watched with avid curiosity as Carter gave Daniel the injection. He was asking many questions which neither he nor Carter had the medical knowledge to impart, making Jack wish again that Fraiser were here, both to care for Daniel and to answer this man’s avid mind.
As the healer knelt back on his knees, finished with his assessment, he gave Howain a strange look before turning to Jack.
“Your friend has been poisoned,” he told him.
“Poisoned?” Jack repeated stupidly. Of all the scenarios he had come up with, that had been one that had not once come to mind.
“The signs are unmistakable,” he said sadly. “I have an antidote, but he is so weak… he requires liquids but his illness prevents his body from accepting it.”
“You’re sure about this?” Jack asked, once again seeing Braggain look towards the Leroi.
Braggain nodded then stood up. “It will take me a few hours to prepare the antidote. I will return as quickly as I can. In the meantime, do not move him, but do try and make him drink.” As he left, he stopped beside Hawain and dropped a hand onto the man’s shoulder, squeezing once before caressing the man’s cheek and leaving the wagon.
“My wife has used such poisons before,” the dark-haired man said sadly as he looked at Jack.
”Kathein did this!” Jack exploded. He stood up quickly, intent on confronting the woman.
“I am sure she never meant it to go this far,” the other man said gently, holding a hand forward to stop Jack. “She normally does this in order to temporarily incapacitate one in order to lure the other to her bed, foolishly thinking the one being lured can simply ignore the illness of a loved one.”
“She had no right. She could have killed Daniel.” Jack stopped suddenly, realizing that Daniel could still die. Poison! So she could get Daniel out of the way and Jack into her bed? Of course she’d do it. She’d had no qualms drugging Jack to make him more compliant towards her. Obviously she didn’t learn that a person wouldn’t willingly leave an ailing loved one to jump into bed with her.
He saw Daniel trying to stay awake, the painkiller beginning to take effect. He tried to get more water into Daniel, encouraging him to take small sips until he fell asleep in Jack’s arms.
- - - - - -
Tired. He was so tired. He was hot, burning up, and irritably he shoved the heavy blanket aside. He was surprised at how heavy and weak his body felt. He licked dry lips; he was so thirsty. The thought of water quickly evaporated when his stomach cramped painfully.
Daniel heard raised voices outside, recognizing Jack’s but unsure as to whom the woman he was arguing with was. With a groan he pushed himself up into a seated position, grabbing at the wall when the small room he was in spun sickeningly around him. He panted through his mouth for a minute, afraid he was going to throw up and remembering how often he had done so in the past little while and how much it had hurt. His shoulders, neck and chest hurt, making it difficult to take a deep breath.
When he thought he could move without puking or toppling over, he grabbed his pants and pulled them on before making his way to the entrance of the wagon. Jack was standing outside towering over a red-haired woman whose regal bearing appeared familiar to Daniel. Their words snaked through his brain, he knew he should understand them but making sense of them was beyond his cognitive abilities at the moment. He knew the words they spoke but couldn’t seem to be able to string them together to understand the sentences.
Suddenly his heart froze when one word spoken by the red-haired woman stood out. “Beloved.”
Daniel gasped, trying hard to understand what they were saying. Other words followed, burning a path into his brain. ‘Host, snakes, mines, goa’ulds.’ Oh God, Hathor! Hathor was here, and she was going to implant Jack with a snake while he was inside the mine.
- - - - - -
“I did not mean for your beloved to become so ill,” Kathein had said to Jack when she’d come scratching at their wagon a few minutes ago. “I had never intended this, I simply wished him to stay away for a night or two so that we could...”
“So you poisoned him? And drugged me? And expected me to fall to my knees thanking you for a great time in bed? These the new duties of a host?”
“You do not understand,” she said in a soft voice. “My husband…”
“Oh I understand all right.” Jack had jumped off the wagon and stood facing the contrite woman who had been uncharacteristically playing with the fringes on her sleeves. “You saw that Daniel and I were together and you decided to try and split us up, like you’d love to do with your husband Howain and his new partner.”
Her eyes flashed as she had glared at Jack. “His beloved is a ghoul, twining himself into my husband’s life like a snake, drawing him away from me. My people hunt snakes in the mines, and take pleasure placing a knife behind their necks and cutting their heads off.”
“So you would kill the man who loves your husband? Why? Because he’s making your husband happy since you obviously won’t. Or can’t. Or is it just because he’s a man?”
“My husband is not the saint you believe him to be!”
“And you are?”
“Jack.”
Daniel’s voice intruded into Jack’s consciousness, and he realized that he’d been hearing the sound for the past minute, but had pushed it aside as his argument with Kathein had heated up. He turned quickly and saw Daniel hanging onto the wagon seat, trying to make his way down to them.
“Jesus, what the hell are you doing up?” Jack scolded as he rushed towards Daniel before he ended up falling head first onto the ground. His legs did give out just as Jack reached him. Jack caught him and lowered him carefully to the ground, kneeling beside him while holding him steady.
Daniel struggled in Jack’s arms, looking up at Kathein in horror, trying to push himself away. He grabbed Jack’s arm with surprising strength. “Get away from her, Jack. She has a Goa’uld larva, she wants to make you into a host!”
“Daniel, it’s okay,” he murmured, feeling the fever-heat rising off of Daniel beneath his hands. He looked around for someone to help him get Daniel back into the wagon as Daniel continued to resist.
“No! Hathor! Jack, she’s here!”
Jack realized then that Daniel was delirious, his fever and illness finally taking their toll. Daniel was mistaking the red-haired woman standing behind them for the Goa’uld queen who they’d killed over a year ago.
“Shhh, it’s not Hathor. She’s dead, remember?” He turned his full attention on his lover when suddenly Daniel’s eyes widened as he stared up at Jack.
“Nooooo!” Daniel wailed, pushing Jack away. “She got you!”
Jack grabbed Daniel’s hands, looking around wildly for someone to help calm Daniel. He pulled Daniel to him, hugging him close as the distraught man fought him. “Nobody’s got me, Danny. You’re just dreaming. Everything’s okay, I promise.”
Jack saw Kathein rush away from them and a few minutes later she returned with Teal’c and Carter trailing behind. Both rushed to a stop beside them and knelt beside Daniel, talking softly and trying to calm him.
Daniel had continued to try and push himself away from Jack but Jack wouldn’t let go, waiting until Daniel exhausted himself and finally he half sat with his head quietly on Jack’s shoulder. Jack’s knees and back ached from the awkward position he was in, holding most of Daniel’s weight in his arms.
Teal’c and Carter eased Daniel up onto his feet and helped him into their tent. They had left Daniel sleeping inside the wagon earlier, not wanting to disturb him until he woke. Jack stood up slowly, feeling his age. He was tired from lack of sleep and worry over Daniel’s plight.
He followed them into the larger sleeping area as they laid Daniel onto the mat. As Jack stood just inside the entrance, he heard Daniel calling for him.
Teal’c moved so Jack could squeeze by to sit down by the head of Daniel’s makeshift bed, taking one of Daniel’s hands in his.
“What’s that smell?” Daniel asked, his unfocused gaze trying to find Jack.
Before Jack could answer, Daniel suddenly tensed and squeezed Jack’s hand painfully. As Jack tried to extricate his hand from Daniel’s death grip, Daniel began convulsing.
“Shit! Shit! Shit!” Jack exclaimed. Knowing there was nothing they could do until the seizure played out, Jack used his other hand to stroke the hand that held his so tightly.
After what seemed like forever, Daniel’s body relaxed. Jack and Carter moved in unison to turn the unconscious man onto his side. Jack looked at Carter helplessly, wishing there was something more they could do.
Carter wiped the saliva away from Daniel’s mouth while Jack realized that they needed to remove Daniel’s now sodden pants. Teal’c spoke to someone outside and soon they had fresh water with which to clean Daniel with. As they slipped Daniel’s pants past his hips, Jack was dismayed at the small amount of urine Daniel’s body had released. They desperately needed to get liquids into him. They continued to bathe him, hoping to bring his fever down and try and rouse him with the water.
The tinny sound of Hammond’s voice came to them and Jack looked around for the radio. Damn, he’d lost track of time and had forgotten their scheduled contact. Teal’c grabbed the radio and answered the summons.
“GeneralHammond, DoctorJackson is in desperate need of medical assistance. We must speak with DoctorFraiser immediately!”
A few seconds of silence and Fraiser’s voice came across to them. “I’m here. What happened?”
“DoctorJackson has experienced a seizure. He is currently unconscious and is non-responsive.”
“How long ago was the seizure?”
“No more than twenty minutes ago.”
“Teal’c, it’s normal for a patient to remain unconscious for a while afterwards. Keep talking to him; he’s going to be confused when he wakes up.”
“Understood,” Teal’c said as Jack kept returning his gaze to Daniel’s still form. “However, we have been informed that DoctorJackson has been poisoned. His fever is currently very high and he is unable to take in acceptable amounts of liquid.”
Jack half-listened to the explanations both Teal’c and Carter gave the General and the SGC’s Chief Medical Officer. From what Fraiser described, they were doing the right things for Daniel with the limited medical supplies they had.
Carter explained to Hammond that they’d postponed their visits to the other mines; Braggain had deemed Daniel too sick to be moved and they were all hoping that whatever the healer had gone to prepare would nullify the poison quickly.
Jack continued to talk to Daniel all the while, in case he could hear them but was just too weak to let them know. Close to an hour later, Daniel finally opened his eyes partway and moaned.
“Daniel,” Jack called out immediately. The dull blue eyes tried to track, but wouldn’t focus. Jack stretched out his length beside Daniel so his face would be at the same level as his partner’s.
“Hey,” he said softly as Daniel finally looked at him. Jack brought a hand up and stroked the too-hot face. His fever had come down a bit, but not by much.
“J’ck,” Daniel said, his hand coming up and weakly trying to grasp Jack’s arm. “Wha?” he asked, his tongue coming out to lick his cracked lips.
“Shhh, you’ve been sick,” Jack consoled.
“Thr’sty.”
Jack reached over and supporting Daniel’s head and neck, lifted him up a bit so Carter could get some water into Daniel. He managed a few swallows and Jack put him back down.
“Where?”
“We’re still offworld. You’ve been sick for a few days, remember?”
“No… t’red… hurts,” Daniel complained, his eyes closing. “Wanna go home.” Daniel reached out blindly with his hand and Jack grasped it.
Jack swallowed a lump in his throat at the words. Hearing Daniel admitting he wanted to go home told him how badly off his lover was. He pulled Daniel to him and settled his fevered body against him. Daniel snuggled his face into the crook of Jack’s neck, relaxing against him.
“Go to sleep,” Jack whispered in Daniel’s ear as he kissed the top of Daniel’s head. A soft sigh was Daniel’s only response.
- - - - - -
Braggain arrived a short time later, flushed and out of breath.
“I just heard. How is he?” he asked as he reached over to gently turn Daniel onto his back in order to examine him.
“Weak. He’s been sleeping ever since he had the seizure,” Jack said as he sat up.
“Yes, that is to be expected,” he said in a preoccupied manner, his attention on his patient.
When he finished, he sat back and looked at Jack. Jack knew the look; things were just about to get worse.
“His heart beats irregularly; I do not know if it is from the poison or from his lack of liquids. Hopefully it is not too late for the antidote and he will begin to rally quickly.”
They tried to rouse Daniel but he remained asleep or unconscious. Braggain motioned for Jack and Teal’c to raise Daniel into a partial sitting position as he measured out a thick, gooey substance and mixed it with a few spoonfuls of water. Using a device that looked like a small spoon with a raised edge, he dribbled a bit of the sticky liquid onto Daniel’s tongue.
It took a few moments for Daniel to register the taste because he tried to spit it out. Braggain deftly added a few drops of water and held Daniel’s mouth shut, forcing him to swallow. Daniel came partially awake and they took the opportunity to give him more water, and the rest of the medication.
Jack took Daniel back into his arms again and Daniel sighed Jack’s name as he lay limply against him. Jack buried his head in the sweat-stiffened hair. There was nothing more to be done but wait. And pray.
- - - - - -
It was the worried cries outside that woke Jack and not the sound of the approaching motors. It took him a moment to understand that the alarm had been raised; these people had never seen anything motorized and had no idea what was approaching. For that matter, neither did Jack.
A small lamp had been left burning in the corner of the tent where the healer sat vigil. Jack met Braggain’s anxious gaze.
“It’s okay,” Jack told him, realizing the healer had no idea what was going on outside. “I think it’s the cavalry,” Jack said as he slid from beneath Daniel. “I hope,” he muttered beneath his breath.
Daniel hadn’t moved during the time Jack had dozed. Jack berated himself for having fallen asleep; Daniel had remained unconscious for the past several hours, and they’d been unable to get any more liquids into him. Jack and Braggain had been constantly bathing Daniel’s body with water, hoping to keep his fever down.
As Jack stood up to go outside to see what was happening, he automatically placed a hand on Daniel’s forehead. He thought Daniel’s fever was starting to creep up again. “Stay with him,” he ordered Carter after he shook her awake and dug his P-90 from the bottom of the pile of stuff that had been carried inside the tent. He stepped outside and climbed onto the steps of the wagon. From his vantage point, he could see two head lights approaching, dipping and weaving as the small vehicle made its way around obstacles as it entered the camp.
“I believe that General Hammond has sent us some aid,” Teal’c said from behind him, startling Jack with his silent approach.
“Ya think?” Jack stated grumpily as he jumped off the wagon and began hurrying towards the nearing vehicle.
As he approached, he realized it wasn’t one, but two vehicles. The drivers had been forced to come to a stop where the crowd had gathered, preventing them from moving any farther inside the camp. By the light of the lamps and torches the throng was holding, Jack could make out two All Terrain Vehicles, their drivers momentarily hidden from view as the inhabitants of P3A 006 crowded around for their first view of Earth’s version of a ‘garunless carriage’.
Teal’c pushed through the curious miners, making a path directly for the smaller of the two drivers. It was with knee-weakening relief that Jack recognized Fraiser.
“Doc,” he called out. She stopped a moment from where she had been unbuckling the straps holding three large boxes to the rear of the ATV and smiled at both Jack and Teal’c.
“Sir,” she said. “I was beginning to think we’d been given wrong directions.” She looked over at the other SGC member who had accompanied her and Jack recognized Ferretti, similarly undoing more supplies. “Lou,” Jack said in greeting as he picked up two of the boxes, Teal’c hefting several more. Ferretti grabbed his share of the supplies and they headed off for the wagon. Jack could see Kathein and Howain examining the ATVs, a look of wonderment on both their faces.
“How’s Daniel?” she asked as they left the crowd.
“Not good,” Jack told her as he pointed their tent out to her. She went inside and hurried to Daniel’s side. “He’s been unconscious for over three hours”
Jack saw her smile a greeting at Carter and glance curiously at Braggain, then all her attention became focused on Daniel. A cursory examination had her rifling through the supplies she had brought.
Two IVs were quickly hung and oxygen administered. Jack sat back out of her way, allowing Carter to move forward and assist the doctor. Braggain began questioning her actions and although working quickly, Fraiser was answering the healer’s questions without losing a beat. The poor guy probably thought Jack had brought a quack to treat Daniel as he stared at the IVs flowing into Daniel’s veins.
Jack had to hand it to the man, though; when Fraiser placed a Foley catheter into Daniel, Braggain simply flinched and accepted her explanation. She drew a bit of blood and inserted it into a hand-held Blood chemistry analyzer, then added another IV to the lot.
“Doc?” Jack questioned when the flurry of activity finally calmed a bit.
“It’s not good,” she confirmed. “He’s severely dehydrated and shocky. I’ve given him potassium and magnesium to start replacing his electrolytes so hopefully that’ll help with his heart arrhythmia, and something to get his blood pressure back up. His fever is over 104; we need to get it down quick.”
Braggain went to get fresh water and Jack helped turn Daniel onto his side so that Fraiser could administer fever-reducing medication.
Throughout the rest of the night they waited. Daniel’s fever fluctuated, eventually creeping back up as the sun rose. Braggain administered more of the antidote, having to patiently smear minute amounts in Daniel’s mouth until he’d taken the full dose.
Finally Jack couldn’t take it anymore and left the tent to get away from the sight of his lover’s suffering. Somehow he’d thought if he could get Daniel to Fraiser, he’d be all right. But he’d expected too much… Daniel wasn’t improving, and Jack had to tell himself at least he was holding his own.
He walked across the small town that had been built around the mine, trying to ease his tense body. He stopped by the mine, remembering their mission and realizing he needed to send Carter and Teal’c off to the next mine regardless of Daniel’s outcome. Fraiser was here now; Daniel’s care was no longer their responsibility.
But he couldn’t stay away for long and soon he found himself standing outside their tent. With a deep breath, he walked in. His eyes went straight for the sleeping mats where Daniel still lay, totally still, his pale and unshaven face making him look gaunt. Fraiser was taking his vitals, recording everything on a pad she kept beside her.
He heard a noise behind him and turned to see Kathein sitting beside Carter. She had risen when Jack had entered and stepped up to him.
“I came to see how he was,” she said remorsefully. “Please believe me when I say I never meant for him to become this ill. He was only supposed to be unwell for a few hours.”
“That’s supposed to make me feel better?” Jack answered sarcastically, turning away from her and wishing she’d leave. He ignored the wounded look she put out and approached Daniel. “How is he?” he asked the doctor, expecting the same answer as he’d gotten all night.
To his surprise, she smiled. “His breathing is better and his fever’s dropped two degrees.” Fraiser furiously ran her pen in circles on the edge of the pad. “Do either of you have an extra pen?” she sighed as she clicked her dry ballpoint closed and pocketed it.
“Daniel has several,” Carter offered, picking up Daniel’s pack and looking for his store of writing implements.
Jack smiled despite himself and sat down beside the mat, picking up Daniel’s hand and stroking it gently. As Carter handed one of Daniel’s mangled Bics to Fraiser, Kathein shrieked.
“No, do not!” She rushed forward and batted the mutilated pen out of Fraiser’s hand. “That is how Daniel sickened. I placed the poison on his quills.”
“What?” Jack exclaimed, realizing immediately how Daniel had been poisoned as he recalled Daniel’s habit of chewing on the ends of his pens.
“But I did not know of his obsession with the paper and quill. No one writes that much. I was unable to remove them for cleansing afterwards, and he kept taking them out and ingesting more of the poison in the process.” Kathein looked at Jack and must have seen the rage burning in him as she dropped her eyes and stared at the ground.
Fraiser immediately picked the pen up and placed it in a plastic container, along with the rest of Daniel’s supply of Bics. She handed Sam a sterile wipe and bade her to wash her hands, doing the same herself.
“Please, I am sorry.” Kathein moved closer and got down on one knee beside Jack and Daniel. “I only wished to have someone care for me again,” she whispered.
“So you chose me at the cost of someone I love very much?”
“I… yes,” she admitted.
“And you thought you could find happiness with me by drugging me?”
“I thought if I could please you, you would begin to desire me.”
“Lady, it doesn’t work that way.”
“I know, I just… I miss my…” She looked up at Jack with tears in her eyes, brushing them away impatiently as they began to flow down her cheeks. “I could not forgive my husband when our son died at his hands, and now…”
“You want him back but he found someone else.”
She nodded.
“And you’re trying to get back at him by going after someone *I* love? Because I care for a man?” Jack hissed savagely, lowering his voice to a bare whisper at the last accusation.
“No!” she exclaimed, looking at Jack in horror. “I found you attractive; you are noble, kind, and I believed you could care for me.”
“You thought I was better than your husband because he hurt you? God! I was married, Kathein. My wife left me because I did the same thing your husband did. My son… our son died because of my mistake. It was my fault, and you think I’m a better man than Howain?” Jack laughed at the irony. Here both men had been responsible for the deaths of their sons, their wives hadn’t been able to live with the consequences and both men had found happiness with another man.
“My wife forgave me, but it took me years before I could forgive myself for Charlie’s death. Daniel helped me find the way to do that.” He looked away from the grieving woman and gazed at Daniel a moment.
“Kathein,” Jack said softly. She raised purple eyes and stared at Jack. “You need to start by forgiving yourself for your child’s death.” Her face closed at his words and he saw the anger reflected by the narrowing of her eyes. “You were there that day, weren’t you? You knew the route was dangerous. Did you know your son had been left in the wagon? Did you go and make sure yourself that he was safe before making the climb?”
“How dare you!” she shrieked. She pulled herself up and Jack could see her body quivering with rage. “How dare you blame me for his death!”
“I’m not blaming you. You’re doing a fine job of that yourself,” Jack said gently. “You need to accept what’s happened and stop putting blame on both of you.”
Kathein sat back and hugged herself, eerily reminiscent of Daniel when he was upset or worried. “I was there,” she whispered. “I knew the way was risky and I did not wish my son to distract me from supervising the caravan, so I said nothing when I heard he was asleep in the wagon. I should have removed him, but we had gone that way many times without mishap.”
“You need to talk about this with Howain. Accept what happened, and put it all behind you.” She nodded, sniffling like a child as she wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand. “And get rid of the drugs! Howain’s your husband, but you have to accept that he’s moved on. If you’re lucky, you’ll find someone else who will love you. But don’t force the issue.”
She smiled at that and nodded. She rose to her feet and froze. Jack followed her gaze and saw Braggain staring at them from the corner. They had forgotten the man was there. Kathein nodded at Braggain and left the tent.
“Words of wisdom,” Braggain said softly. “I shall hope she heeds them.”
“Yeah, well, I just wanted to make sure she doesn’t put some other sucker through the same mess,” Jack groused. He hadn’t forgiven her, but talking had helped get rid of some of the stress he’d been under. He didn’t understand why he’d been compelled to tell Kathein these things instead of throwing her out of the tent. He suspected some of Daniel’s values had rubbed off on him. God, he hoped Daniel would be okay.
- - - - - -
Daniel woke up to unending pain. His head throbbed with it, his shoulders, chest and stomach burned with it, and his whole body ached as he lay on an unfamiliar mattress. He tried to turn around and find a more comfortable position, and groaned helplessly as the nerves in his back and legs protested vehemently. Fire ran up and down his body and he panted with the agony.
He felt a painful touch on his face and intelligible sounds assaulted his ears. After what felt like an eternity, the torture began to ease and he recognized the touch to be Jack’s hands on his cheek and his voice whispering in his ear. Even though his thoughts were fuzzy, he remembered the pain and illness he’d been experiencing and began to panic. He forced his eyes open, looking for the comfort that was Jack. He wanted to be swept up in his arms, told that everything was going to be okay.
He couldn’t make anything out; everything was a huge, stomach-churning colorful blur. He snapped his eyes closed and moaned Jack’s name.
“I’m here, Danny,” Jack whispered, so close that Daniel felt his breath tickle the hairs behind his ears. Daniel reached out blindly with a hand that felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. Cool skin touched his and squeezed it gently. Daniel grasped his hand and pulled it towards him, tucking the only part of Jack he could hold onto beneath his chin, trying to curl his body around it.
He felt Jack’s breath against his neck, preceding the soft touch of cool lips against the fine hairs there. The feel of it sent a shiver down his spine. The hand he was clutching gently squeezed his fingers and then Jack’s body was carefully melded against his back.
“Go back to sleep,” Jack whispered in his ear. Comforted with Jack’s presence, Daniel listened to his lover’s breaths as he fell back asleep.
- - - - - -
Jack felt Daniel’s hands relaxing their grip around his fingers as he slipped back into sleep. God he’d been in so much pain. Fraiser had rushed to get some morphine into him; thankfully that had done the trick and Daniel had finally been able to relax as the drug temporarily obliterated his pain.
Jack took a few more minutes to greedily savor the feel of Daniel’s fevered body beneath his, glad he had been able to comfort him in the few minutes he’d been awake. Reluctantly, he pulled back, adjusting the oxygen mask that Daniel had pushed askew when he’d tried to escape from his pain.
He laid another kiss on the back of Daniel’s neck before sitting up and rubbing his hands tiredly over his face. He felt his unshaven cheeks and decided that shaving was too much of an effort at the moment.
When Fraiser came to sit next to him, he said, “He was in so much pain, Doc. Shouldn’t the antidote start taking care of that?”
“It doesn’t work that way, Colonel. Whatever Braggain gave Daniel, it stopped the poison from doing more damage, but it’s going to take time for Daniel’s body to get better and he’s already very weak. The neuritis will probably take a couple of weeks to subside, maybe even a few months. He’s going to be pretty sick and in a lot of pain for quite a while yet.”
“Damn,” Jack breathed.
“Sir, if he’s more stable by tomorrow morning, I’d like to get him to the SGC.”
“You gonna take him on the ATV?”
“I don’t think so. I really want to keep him out of the sun and any kind of travois we MacGyver up will be uncomfortable and hot. Do you think we can take him back in the wagon? I can send Ferretti back to the SGC for enough supplies to last us… what, three days?”
Jack nodded. “I don’t think Howain will mind. We can keep the ATVs here and Carter and Teal’c can catch up with us when they’ve finished at the other mines.”
“Fine, I’ll make up a list of what I’ll need.”
- - - - - -
Jack yawned and stretched, then glanced at his watch. Surprised, he realized he’d slept for eight hours without waking. He turned onto his side, needing to check on Daniel. Carter was sitting beside the sleeping man immersed in her notes, her right hand gently stroking Daniel’s head. Jack cleared his throat and she looked up at him and smiled.
“Morning,” she whispered, glancing over at the blanket-covered lump near her which he assumed was Fraiser.
“Morning. How is he?” Jack asked in a whisper, trying not to wake up the doctor. Fraiser had sat with Daniel for the past two days and nights with only a few catnaps in between. She’d only acceded to Jack’s urging to get some rest once Carter and Teal’c had met up with them late yesterday afternoon.
Jack sat up, feeling more or less human now that he’d gotten more than one or two hours’ sleep in a single stretch.
“Both of them slept through the night,” Carter answered, smiling.
Jack leaned over Carter and pressed his hand against Daniel’s cheek, noting that although Daniel’s fever was still in evidence, it wasn’t quite as high as it had been when they’d first set off. Daniel had finally woken up long enough last evening to answer Fraiser’s questions, leading Jack to realize that Fraiser had been worried about brain damage. The painkillers she’d been forced to give Daniel, along with his weakened condition, had made him so sleepy during their trip home that he’d do nothing except open his eyes for a moment before falling right back to sleep.
Ferretti popped his head in the door and waved when he saw Jack was awake. “Wagon’s ready to go as soon as everyone’s up,” he said softly.
“I’m up, I’m up,” Fraiser grumbled from beneath the blankets. She sat up and pushed her tousled hair from her face.
“Hey Doc. I’ll get you two some breakfast.” Ferretti disappeared and Jack could hear him talking to someone outside.
“Did he wake up?” Fraiser asked Carter.
“Nope, slept like a baby. His temperature’s the same. I changed the IVs and gave him his meds as per your instructions.”
“Good,” Fraiser said as she climbed out of her sleeping bag and made her way over to check on her patient herself.
Ferretti returned a few minutes later and handed them all the usual meatrolls. Jack wolfed his down then headed outside to empty his bladder. He passed Teal’c on the way out, clapping him on the shoulder in greeting.
When Jack returned to the wagon, the tent was already in the process of being taken down, and Teal’c and Ferretti were getting ready to bring Daniel inside. Jack grabbed the IVs and the oxygen tank while Teal’c scooped Daniel in his arms. Ferretti helped Teal’c and Jack guide their patient, tubes and equipment into the tent while Fraiser settled Daniel, and Carter helped clear the camp.
As he hung Daniel’s IV, Jack saw his lover’s eyes were open and he squeezed by Teal’c and Fraiser, while Ferretti left the wagon.
“Morning,” Jack greeted him as he raised Daniel up so that he was leaning against Jack. Daniel’s eyes were dulled by pain and drugs, but he appeared to be pretty much awake.
He smiled at Jack, shifting a little to make himself comfortable in Jack’s arms.
“Morning,” Daniel said, then smiled at the rest of his friends.
“How are you feeling, Daniel?” Fraiser asked as she took his pulse.
“Tired. Thirsty.”
“Okay, there’s not much I can do about your fatigue except let you rest, but I think we can handle your thirst.” She reached into her supplies and took out a small sponge and dipping it in a cup of water, allowed Daniel to suck the liquid from it.
“Where are we?” he asked, licking his cracked lips.
“Heading for the Stargate, still on P3A…” Jack paused as the planet’s designation eluded him for a moment.
“006,” Carter provided as she stepped into the wagon. “Hey Daniel,” she greeted. “You’re awake.”
“Hi Sam.” Carter came over and kissed his cheek, grinning widely at Daniel.
“Think you’re up to a bit of juice?” Fraiser asked after she’d allowed Daniel to sip at a bit more water.
He hesitated a moment, then nodded before laying his head back, relaxing against Jack’s chest. Janet handed Jack the small glass of pale yellow-colored liquid and Jack slowly allowed Daniel to sip from it. Jack noticed he seemed hesitant to drink it, but dutifully took a sip.
“Apple juice?” Daniel questioned after his first taste.
Jack raised the glass to his own mouth and took a sip of the tepid liquid. He let it roll on his tongue, savoring the flavor... “Yep, apple juice. Not that sticky stuff you hate so much.”
“How did… you said we were going to the Stargate. How’d you get apple juice?”
Jack smiled, hearing the confusion in Daniel’s voice.
“Well, the Doc brought some back with her, that’s how.”
“Janet?” Daniel raised a shaking hand and scratched his nose. “Oh,” he said when he understood. “You came?”
“You know, guys, as much as I like going offworld, I really wish it wouldn’t be when one of you four are hurt or injured.”
Daniel smiled then tugged at Jack’s hand that was holding the juice. Jack obediently let him take a few more sips.
When Fraiser had said he’d had enough, she smeared some cream over Daniel’s chapped lips. By then Daniel was fading fast. When Jack went to put him down, though, he muttered something sleepily and held onto Jack’s arm. Daniel was a heavy weight so Jack shifted slightly to make himself more comfortable, happy to have Daniel sleeping in his arms.
- - - - - -
“You all set?” Jack asked Daniel as he placed the bag of meds Fraiser had just handed him into Daniel’s overnight bag. Jack peered inside, seeing only Daniel’s dirty pajamas and his shaving kit. Jack pawed the clothes aside and noticed the few magazines and books that Carter had brought Daniel, none of which Daniel had read, to Jack’s knowledge.
Without answering, Daniel slid off the infirmary bed on which he’d been sitting quietly and grabbed his jacket. Jack picked up the overnight bag and waited till Daniel seated himself on the obligatory wheelchair. He was strong enough to go home but Fraiser had been adamant that he not tire himself walking to the parking lot.
The trip to the elevator was made in silence, something that Jack still wasn’t comfortable with. Daniel had said he wasn’t angry or upset with Jack, but from the time Daniel had gotten strong enough to stay awake for more than several minutes at a time, he had begun to withdraw from Jack.
Oh sure, Daniel was almost his usual talkative self with Fraiser, Carter and Teal’c, and even Hammond had him laughing at one of his jokes earlier this morning. But when it was just the two of them, those quiet times when they should have been reconnecting, Daniel was sending out busy signals.
Daniel fell asleep soon after Jack pulled out of the mountain, making the drive a little easier than the hard-to-fill silence which had permeated the vehicle. Once Jack pulled in and parked in his driveway, he sat back in the driver’s seat and watched Daniel sleep. Actually Jack spent a lot of time during the past week watching Daniel sleep in the infirmary. And although it was a slumber resulting partly from his weakened condition and partly from the powerful painkillers he still needed to take for the neuritis, it had been a healing time for Daniel.
Well, make that a time to heal physically, because there was definitely something bothering the man Jack loved. He hoped Daniel would come to terms with it soon; Jack wished Daniel would confide in him but knew his lover well enough that he’d do so only when ready. Until then, Jack would take care of Daniel to the best of his ability and wait.
“Daniel,” Jack said, shaking Daniel awake gently. Deep blue eyes popped open and looked around, startled. “We’re here,” Jack said, trying to help Daniel figure out where they were. He knew the painkillers confused him sometimes when he woke up.
“Oh,” Daniel said, smiling at Jack. Then a mask descended over Daniel’s face as he probably remembered what was upsetting him. He pushed the door open and began walking up to the house, leaving Jack hard pressed to grab Daniel’s bag and meet him at the door. Daniel already had his keys out and had the door unlocked, but Jack reached over and pushed it open.
“Do you want to lie down?” Jack asked. Daniel simply shook his head. Remembering that Daniel had picked at his breakfast that morning, Jack asked, “Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something? Without saying a word, Daniel made for the kitchen, seating himself at the table. Jack poured Daniel some juice while he set about heating some soup and making them a couple of sandwiches.
At least Daniel made an effort in eating his lunch; nibbling at half a ham sandwich and a few spoonfuls of vegetable soup, followed by a glass of milk. His nearly non-existent appetite was something that Fraiser had said would soon return once he got stronger. Jack polished off Daniel’s leftovers and took out some brownies he’d picked up earlier for dessert, placing one on the table before Daniel.
“Do you mind if I eat that later,” Daniel said as he fiddled with his napkin. “I think I might go lie down now.”
“No problem,” Jack answered. As he cleared the table, he watched Daniel out of the corner of his eye as he made for the bedrooms. Daniel paused momentarily before the guest bedroom before continuing into theirs. That small hesitation nearly broke Jack’s heart.
Jack quickly finished cleaning up in the kitchen and entered his bedroom. Daniel had stripped to his boxers and tee shirt and was sliding under the covers. Jack quickly removed his own clothes and climbed in beside him.
Daniel didn’t look at Jack, turning his back to him. Jack shifted over and spooned behind Daniel. His lover tensed as Jack snuggled against him, but Jack simply placed his hand over Daniel’s shoulder and stroked the warm skin. He buried his head in Daniel’s neck and said, “I’ve wanted to take you in my arms for the past week, but Fraiser was watching me like a hawk. Besides, her beds are a bit too small for my taste. Just go to sleep, I’ll be here beside you.”
Daniel’s body slowly relaxed as sleep overtook him. After several minutes, Daniel sighed softly and turned to face Jack. He moved closer, bringing his leg over Jack’s and throwing his arm over Jack’s ribs, seeking contact with Jack in sleep as he refused to do when awake.
- - - - - -
The sound of a soft groan wrenched Jack from a deep sleep. When the sound was repeated along with the movement of a mattress dipping as someone got up, Jack realized immediately that he was home and that Daniel wasn’t well.
“Danny?” Jack exclaimed, sitting up in a rush and seeing Daniel stumbling towards the bedroom door.
“I’m fine,” Daniel replied as he reached the door, pausing and holding onto it for support.
Casting a glance at his alarm clock, Jack realized he’d fallen asleep and had slept for over four hours. Belatedly he realized that Daniel was overdue for his pain pills, and their impromptu meal had thrown Daniel’s schedule off. He threw the blankets off and sped after his lover, who was in very obvious pain.
“Daniel, I’ll get your pills. Get back into bed,” he ordered. Daniel threw Jack a relieved look and turned around, returning to the bed. Jack wanted to help ease him back under the covers but knew from experience that his touch would prove to be painful at this point.
He found the pills in Daniel’s bag and grabbed some juice and some cheese from the fridge. He found Daniel sitting up on the bed, both pillows heaped behind his back, the blankets bunched at his feet. Daniel eagerly swallowed the medication and a few bites of cheese then sat there with his eyes closed.
“God, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” Jack admitted as he sat beside his lover. But the combination of warm, comfortable bed and having Daniel close by had lulled him into a feeling of security. He’d unwittingly made up some of the hours of missed rest which he’d spent sitting by Daniel’s side during the past week.
“It wasn’t your fault,” Daniel replied, his eyes still closed. Jack inched backwards until he was leaning against the headboard, the wood digging uncomfortably into his back. He eyed Daniel’s pillows longingly.
“You were tired,” Daniel said, moving forward slightly so Jack could remove his pillow. Instead, Jack leaned closer to Daniel and shared the edge of the pillows. Daniel leaned slightly into Jack, resting his weight against him. Over the next several minutes, as the painkillers slowly began to take effect, Daniel slowly relaxed, leaning more on top of Jack than the bed. By the time the pills had kicked in and Daniel had relaxed completely, Jack had his pillow back and Daniel was using Jack as one too.
As Jack carded his hand through Daniel’s hair, Daniel squeezed Jack’s ribs.
“God, I missed this,” Jack breathed. Even though Daniel was still recuperating, just the thought of having him in the same bed made everything feel like it was back to normal.
“I missed you, too,” Daniel replied, his voice muffled because his face was buried against Jack’s chest.
Jack lowered his head and kissed Daniel’s temple. He was relieved to feel his skin at a normal temperature, recalling the last times they’d sat like this, Daniel had been burning up with fever.
“What? Checking for fever?” Daniel asked sleepily.
“Well, I kinda got in the habit on the planet,” Jack admitted with a smile, glad that Daniel was finally talking to him.
“I’m sorry about that,” Daniel said.
“About getting sick? Like it was your fault?”
“Actually yes, it was,” Daniel said, pulling away and rolling onto his back. Jack immediately missed Daniel’s weight and heat, and turned on his side to look at him.
“Now that’s a stupid thing to say. You were poisoned, how could you not get sick?”
“But Kathein poisoned me because she saw our relationship as a threat. You know, we’re so careful here at home to hide ‘us’ from everyone, and as soon as we go offworld for a couple of days, we let down our guard and look what it nearly cost us.”
“Oh for crying out loud, Daniel,” Jack blurted. “We did so not let our guard down. Kathein thought I was witty and handsome and she wanted me, she just made you sick so the way to me was clear.” Jack huffed, his pride at turning at woman’s head at his age warred with the thought that said woman had made his lover sick in order to get to him. “At least I think she did,” Jack added, thinking suddenly maybe Kathein had seen through their careful ruse and had attacked them because they were lovers and not because she had found Jack attractive.
“Well I must have done something to turn her against me, because she sure didn’t want me in her bed.”
“You’re jealous,” Jack said incredulously. “You’re jealous she wanted me and not you!”
“I am not,” Daniel said with a pout. “I’m just frustrated that I must have done something to show that we’re… close, and because of my mistake, I nearly cost us the mission.”
“Daniel, you did nothing wrong. Believe me, it wasn’t your fault. This is what’s been bothering you?” Jack stretched a little and kissed Daniel’s mouth chastely, not wanting to push but needing to let Daniel know that Jack was there for him. He pulled back when Daniel relaxed.
“Even if she did recognize you and me as being together, and maybe we were giving off some kind of vibes she recognized since her husband is living with another man. But it’s nothing that you, in particular, did. And don’t tell me that your life isn’t more important than a bunch of rocks.”
“Those rocks meant a lot to many people,” Daniel replied. Jack bit back a smile, hearing the whining in Daniel’s voice. Give his lover a combination of strong painkillers and get him to talk when he was half asleep, and his childish self would come sneaking out at times.
“I don’t give squat about them. It’s you I care about. It’s you I love. And I nearly lost you back there.” Jack reached over and stroked Daniel’s cheek with his thumb, Daniel’s eyes, wide and slightly dilated from the meds, stared at him in open wonder.
“And the mission didn’t get scrubbed; we’re getting more than our quota of rocks and the people there are going to benefit from better medicine and an introduction to mechanics.”
“You don’t think we’re moving too fast? Shouldn’t we hold back our knowledge… you know the Nox and the Tollans…”
“Yeah, we’ve discussed all of that to kingdom come. Carter’s going to simply explain the basics of a few things to their more brainier people and let nature take its course. Fraiser, though, is getting together with Braggain. He was really impressed with her medical things and he wants to try and replicate some for his people.”
“All of this just so we can get more rocks,” Daniel complained.
“Daniel, we can’t play watch watchdog over everyone we meet in our travels. They saw the ATVs and the IVs and stuff; it’s normal that they’re curious and want some of those for themselves.”
“Like I said, we’re going to contaminate a world with technology because of me.”
“Ack,” Jack groaned, frustrated at Daniel’s one track mind. “Okay, what if some large predator had come sneaking around one night and attacked Jaceen. Now let’s say there was nobody close enough to save her but you. Would you have taken your firearm and shot it if you’d had a clear shot?”
“Of course I would.”
“And the same holds for me if I was the one with the P-90 and a clear shot?”
“Yes.”
“Teal’c? Carter?”
“Of course. Jack, what are you trying to get at?”
Jack smiled; happy for once that Daniel’s drugged mind was letting him get the upper hand in their discussion.
“And so everyone comes running when they hear the shots and they see this really honking dangerous beast lying dead with a bullet wound or two or three, or maybe a smoking hole in its head from Teal’c’s staff blast. And of course the big powerful hunter is standing with one foot on top of his kill, smoke pouring from his gun’s barrel and the heroine is simpering all over him.” Jack looked at Daniel to see if he was following Jack’s trend of thought.
“Do you see where I’m going with this?”
Daniel blinked. “Smoking barrels? Simpering heroines?”
Jack sighed, and took a deep breath. “Daniel, if we’d shown them our weapons rather than our vehicles, don’t you think they’d want a gun of their own?”
“Oh. Right.”
“So we’d have saved a life, but would have introduced those people to far more dangerous things than an ATV.”
Daniel giggled after a moment, and then the giggles turned into laughter.
“What?” Jack asked, wondering what was so funny. Daniel turned to Jack and buried his face in Jack’s neck, his body shaking with mirth.
“Just picturing Kathein’s wagon train being pulled by a bunch of ATVs instead of those big herd animals. How many ATVs will it take to pull a wagon, Jack?” Daniel said when he finally managed to stop laughing, giggles punctuating his words. He lifted his head up far enough to wipe his eyes, then dropped his head back onto Jack.
“Danny, we’re not giving them ATVs…” Jack replied.
“You’re not? But you said... oh no, you’re gonna give ‘em guns? Jack, you can’t!”
“What are you talking about?” Jack asked, confused. “We’re not giving them guns or ATVs. I told you Carter’s gonna show them ways to improve their way of living, and just maybe steer them onto the road of self-development. What’s gotten into you?”
A sudden thought had Jack reaching for the bottle of prescription pills on the bedside table where he’d left them. Glancing at the label, he groaned when he realized he’d given Daniel the nighttime prescription instead of the daytime one. He shook his head, realizing that Daniel would probably be sleeping the rest of the afternoon and evening.
Daniel remained relaxed and half asleep so Jack decided to get up and let him sleep.
“Where you goin’?” Daniel asked, blinking as Jack sat on the side of the bed and contemplated his clothes, thinking a shower might wash away some of the cobwebs the nap had placed in his brain.
“I’m gonna go take a shower then go and make some supper. Why don’t you stay here and get some more rest, okay?”
Daniel nodded and shut his eyes. Jack got up and went to the bathroom, turning the water on. He stripped and just as he went to step into the shower, he felt a hand on his back. He turned and saw Daniel standing beside him.
“Hey?” Jack questioned.
“Shower?” Daniel asked as he swayed slightly before Jack.
“Yeah, but you might do better to wait until tomorrow, whaddya think?” He’d thought for sure Daniel would have gone straight to sleep.
“I think shower sounds good.” Daniel blinked slowly.
“I think bed sounds better.”
“Jack, I want a shower,” Daniel insisted, putting a hand out for the shower door.
Realizing that it would probably be easier to go along with Daniel at this point, Jack grabbed Daniel’s arm and turned him around to face him. “Wait. Okay, but maybe you’d like to strip first?”
“Huh?”
Daniel looked at himself, seeing he was still wearing his boxers and tee shirt. “Oops,” he said, chuckling as he stripped.
Jack kept a hand on Daniel as he stepped into the shower cubicle and followed him in. Daniel just stood there, letting the hot water stream over him, his hands braced against the tiled wall. Jack quickly washed and then turned Daniel over to face him. A small smile graced Daniel’s face and he had his eyes closed.
“Do you wanna…?” Jack asked, but knowing already what Daniel was going to want. As Daniel shook his head, Jack grinned to himself. He soaped up the washcloth and began washing Daniel’s body. Daniel soon leaned his forehead against Jack’s shoulder and let Jack do all the work.
They’d done this before for one another when the other was exhausted or sick; Jack enjoyed touching Daniel but it also brought home the fact how weak and vulnerable his lover still was. When Jack warned Daniel he was going to kneel down and wash Daniel’s legs and feet, Daniel almost toppled over when he wasn’t able to steady himself.
Jack decided he’d had enough and turned the water off, leading a more asleep than awake Daniel back to the bed. After sitting him down, he quickly toweled him off and then nudged him back under the covers. As Jack leaned over to kiss him he knew that Daniel was already dead to the world. He kissed the corner of Daniel’s mouth, then his closed eyelid, when the reality of all that had happened in the past ten days hit home. Daniel was home, safe, recuperating, but he could so easily have died out there.
As the shock hit Jack, he had to catch himself on the bed. Breathing hard, his throat threatening to choke up, Jack realized he’d held back all his emotions while Daniel had been dying of the poison and then recuperating in the infirmary. Seeing finally that Daniel was better, and would recover, almost overwhelmed Jack.
He sat beside Daniel for a long while, watching him sleep, listening to him breathe, until he found himself shivering. He’d never dried himself off and his body was chilled. He hurriedly dressed, the sweats warm and comfortable against his skin.
He wasn’t able to leave the room, though. He made it as far as the door and then came back to the bed. Was Daniel right? Had Daniel almost died because some woman couldn’t stand the fact that two men loved one another and couldn’t love her?
Jack crawled back onto the bed and sat against the headboard, watching Daniel sleep. He was hungry, but not that hungry. He would sit here for a while longer and just feast his eyes on the man who was the center of his life.
- - - - - -
Jack sat back and indulged himself, watching Daniel across the table from him as Daniel enthusiastically waved his hands around, trying to convince the assembled people the merits of choosing P3Y 181 for their next mission. Carter had a smug look on her face and Teal’c’s lip was curled up slightly. Jack smiled to himself, enjoying seeing Daniel looking healthy and excited about his work.
It had been a long five weeks, but every day, Daniel had gotten stronger and stronger. Fraiser had eventually allowed him back to work for light duties, and yesterday Daniel had gotten the all clear for offworld travel.
The planet Daniel was so interested in would be an archaeologist’s dream. There were ruins galore, and Daniel had been salivating over the pictures taken by the MALP three days ago from the moment he’d seen them.
Jack glanced over at General Hammond and the older man met Jack’s gaze, his eyes twinkling. Yep, Daniel was going to be exploring those ruins in a couple of hours’ time.
As Daniel came up for breath, looking around at his teammates, gauging their reaction to his arguments, Jack leaned forward in his chair, ready to tease Daniel a little and lead him on. Daniel saw the look on Jack’s face and frowned slightly, his hand tapping the writing pad before him nervously with his pen.
Jack opened his mouth to speak and saw the dreaded pen move up towards Daniel’s face. He wouldn’t, would he?
The second Daniel’s teeth touched the plastic edge of the writing implement, Jack was yelling as he reached over the table, Carter was half lying on the table and Teal’c simply put a hand out towards Daniel. Three pairs of hands grabbed the small pen and pulled it out of Daniel’s grasp, leaving Daniel staring at them, mouth hanging open, fingers still curled around the now-missing ballpoint.
Carter and Teal’c relinquished the Bic pen to Jack, who shook it at Daniel accusingly.
“Will you never learn?” Jack exclaimed loudly as he let himself fall back into his chair. His heart was pounding and he was enveloped in a cold sweat.
“What? What did I do?” Daniel sat there looking befuddled, his eyes on the pen as Jack dropped it onto the table like a hot potato.
Shaking his head, Jack reached into his pocket and took out the gift the three of them had bought for Daniel. They had been going to present it to him later in the gateroom as a welcome back present, but Jack figured now was the time. With an apologetic look towards the General, Jack slid the long, slim box towards his lover.
Daniel picked it up curiously, his eyebrows going up when he read the name inscribed on the box.
“Montblanc? Jack, I can’t… do you know how much these things cost?”
“Well, I should hope so since the three of us had to pay for it.”
Daniel was holding the shiny ballpoint up to the light, admiring it. As he scribbled on a corner of his pad, testing the feel of it, Jack added, “And since you do too, I hope you’ll keep the damned thing ‘OUT OF YOUR MOUTH’!”
FINIS << BACK TO PART ONE
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