|
PART TWO
"They're still not responsive, sir," Fraiser said to General Hammond. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to recommend that Major Carter and Doctor Jackson be moved to the Academy Hospital where they can be provided with better long-term care."
"Hey, just a second. This morning you said that it was a good thing. Now you're saying you can't do anything more for them?" Jack leaned forward, his hands splayed on the table before him.
"I believed they were coming out of their coma. But the EEG shows the same abnormal spikes accompanied by slowing waves. They're not awake, Colonel. And as good as the medical facilities are here, I don't have the manpower to care for two comatose patients on a long-term basis."
Jack glanced towards General Hammond, hoping for help on his end, but was only met with a sympathetic look. He lowered his gaze, staring at his fingertips.
"I'm sorry, sir."
"You did all you could," Jack managed to say.
"If there aren't any improvements by tomorrow afternoon, I'll make the arrangements for their transfer."
"Thank you, Doctor."
Jack heard the rustling sounds as both Fraiser and Hammond gathered their papers and stood. He waited, still not looking up, intending to wait until their footsteps informed him they'd left the room. Unsurprisingly, he felt Hammond 's hand come down on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, son. I'm going to have to insist you send the alien back to his planet."
"Yeah, I know." And he also realized he hadn't brought Scar any fresh food. Hell, he hadn't brought him anything at all to eat today. Damn. "The thing's cagey, seems to know when I'm trying to get it back to the Stargate."
"How about setting some food in a cage and luring it inside?"
"How about we wait until tomorrow and see what happens? I'll take it home then. It's just... it seems to need Daniel and it's still recovering..."
"Fine, tomorrow."
"I, um, need to go and get it something to eat," Jack said sheepishly.
"Not to worry, Jack."
He looked up at the amusement in General Hammond 's voice.
"Teal'c took care of getting it some fresh food today when we contacted SG14 for an update."
"Oh. Thank you." Okay, one problem taken care of.
"Why don't you go get some rest? You look a little tired."
"I will, I just... I need to go see how they're doing."
"I understand."
Jack continued to sit minutes after Hammond had left the room, hating to go back to the infirmary and seeing his friends lying there, and at the same time, needing to be there in the hopes that maybe his presence might help them recover. It was an egotistic wish, and he knew it, but how many times had he come to with one of his teammates sitting beside him in the infirmary and feeling safe and cared about. He could only do the same for them, and hoped they would feel the same way.
- - - - - -
Daniel lay on his side, staring at the far wall. Carter lay on her back, staring at the ceiling. Jack and Teal'c had been with them for an hour already, talking to them while discussing amongst themselves how to get Scar out of the infirmary tomorrow before they moved Carter and Daniel out to the hospital.
"Evening, Colonel." Jack smiled at the nurse who moved to the opposite side of the bed, obviously preparing to draw some blood. "I'll only be a minute," she said as she quickly and efficiently placed a rubber band around Daniel's right arm and disinfected his skin.
He watched dispassionately as she did her work. But the moment she stuck the needle into Daniel's arm, Daniel moved, and she swore. Scar raised his head and peeked out from where he was lying against Daniel's side.
"Sorry, sorry," she said as she pulled the needle out. She smiled at Jack as she placed a cotton gauze over the pinhole in Daniel's elbow crease, which was already darkening into a large bruise, while untying the large rubber band from his arm. "He moved and I blew the vein."
"Ouch," Jack said in sympathy, glad that Daniel wasn't conscious.
She placed a bandaid over the gauze and picked up her tray containing the vials required to be filled.
"Need a hand? I can hold his arm this time?"
She smiled her thanks as she walked around the bed to come to Daniel's other side. As she put the tray down and was picking the rubber band, Daniel suddenly jerked and pulled his right arm onto his chest, his other hand reaching for the small wound.
"Did you see that?" Jack asked excitedly. "He felt the needle."
"Indeed. It appeared that DanielJackson reacted to the pain." Teal'c had risen to his feet and was leaning over Carter's bed, staring at Daniel.
"He did. He just felt it... later." Jack suddenly realized what those EEG spikes meant. "Go get Fraiser."
"I don't understand," the nurse replied as she reached for Daniel's arm. "He's not awake."
Jack stayed her movement by putting a hand on her arm. "He's reacting, he's just reacting late! I know what's happening." When she didn't move, Jack gave her an order. "Go!"
He bent over the bed and placed both hands around Daniel's face and turned him so he was facing him. "Daniel." He felt Teal'c come to stand behind him as he stroked the raspy cheek beneath his thumb. "Daniel, can you see me? Can you hear me?" He waited anxiously, holding Daniel's head steady, realizing it had taken long seconds before Daniel had felt the pain of the needle's jab. Slowly, Daniel's eyes tracked and focused on Jack's face. A small sound escaped his friend, and his lips silently formed Jack's name.
"Yes, yes, it's me. It's me. I'm here."
Daniel's breathing sped up and Jack felt Fraiser's presence beside him. Slowly, tentatively, Daniel's hand rose until it caught Jack's arm.
"It's me," Jack said around the lump in his throat.
"What's going on, Colonel?" Fraiser asked softly.
"He's reacting. See, he's seeing me. He's just got a... delayed reaction from the time we talk to him to the time he's responding. Those spikes in the EEG, you said they weren't really registering any stimulation. They are. It's just not immediate."
"That's impossible, sir. There's no such thing as a delayed reaction, not unless someone is in a coma, and never with this length of time."
"Then why did he feel the needle almost a minute after he got jabbed? Look, do something, make him feel something so he'll react." As Fraiser grabbed an implement from the table behind Jack, he added, "Just don't hurt him."
"Don't worry, I'll just check his reflexes." She exposed Daniel's feet and lightly ran an implement along his sole. They waited patiently, Jack's attention jumping from Daniel's face to his foot. And just as he'd said, Daniel's foot twitched long seconds later.
"You're right," Fraiser said. "Oh my God! The reaction is there, it's just delayed!" She rushed to Carter's bed. "Sam, Sam, can you hear me?"
Jack looked back down at Daniel, who was still staring at him. "It's okay, it's gonna be okay," he promised his friend.
- - - - - -
Safe. Jack was here. He could see his friend, albeit his face was blurry. He held on tightly to Jack's arm, his skin was warm beneath Daniel's chilled fingers. It was real. It felt real despite the ache in his arm. He wanted to speak, to ask what had happened, where he was, but he couldn't seem to get his mouth to work. He saw Jack's mouth move, sounds floated around him, echoing painfully through his aching head. He realized now the noises he'd been hearing were words, possibly spoken to him, and not understood.
His arm shook, his muscles were protesting and he regrettably lowered his arm. After a while one of Jack's hands left his face and took hold of his hand. His cheek felt cold without the warmth of Jack's skin against him, but his fingers were soon warm.
Something shifted against his side. He started, but Jack didn't move, his smile never faded, so there was no need for concern. He relaxed, and felt something warm wrap against his neck and head. It was comfortable and soothing, and soon he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. He realized that that little bit of heat had been with him all along, warming different parts of his body.
He wanted to thank Jack for whatever it was, but couldn't muster the energy. Maybe he'd try later, when he woke up. He closed his eyes, feeling safe, like he hadn't in what felt a long time.
- - - - - -
Daniel's eyes closed and Jack felt the tense body relax. He was certain Daniel had *seen* him, had *known* him this time. For the first time since Daniel and Carter had rescued the baby alien, Jack felt a surge of hope.
He turned to look over at Carter and was relieved to see her attention was fixed on Fraiser. Jack saw her smile at the doctor, and he knew Carter was also aware. He leaned back on the chair and rubbed the heels of his palms over his face. He was tired but felt like a heavy load had been taken off his shoulders. He watched and waited until Carter drifted off, then with a quick pet to Scar, who had curled up around Daniel's head and neck, Jack left the infirmary with a lighter heart.
- - - - - -
"Get that animal out of here!"
The shouted words greeted Jack as he entered the infirmary. He stopped in surprise, then ducked in shock as something long and white flew right at him. Streams of toilet paper fluttered around him and Jack clamped down on the fragile tissue, breaking the long stream of cottony cascade. Scar quickly turned and dashed towards the fluttering paper and grabbed a chunk in his mouth, soaring towards the other end of the infirmary with his prize.
That was when Jack realized that there was tons of the stuff scattered all over the infirmary. He had to laugh as one of the nurses jumped up, trying to catch Scar as he flew by, but he zigzagged and outmanoeuvred her. Jack quickly clamped down on his sniggering as she glared at him, red faced.
Jack pursed his lips together and whistled loudly. The noise shocked Scar and he dropped the tissue, turned around and made one fast trip around Jack, then disappeared into the far end of the infirmary.
"That... that animal has been wreaking havoc in here all morning!" Fraiser strode furiously towards Jack, arms full of unravelled toilet paper. Her eyes shone with anger as she stopped to look up at him. "First it decided to have breakfast in the storeroom, knocking over half of the supplies onto the floor. Then it shredded several packages of bandages, and then, it got into this."
Obviously frustrated, she blew a few strands of hair that had fallen out of her bun and had fallen into her eyes.
"Looks like the critter's feeling better," Jack said as he reached over and removed a small strand of toilet paper stuck to the top of her head. She glared at him, and in one quick move, dumped the overflowing tissue paper into his arms.
"There's more back there," she said with tilt of her head. "Get this cleaned up, then come and see me." She bent down and grabbed a long streamer, rolled it up and shoved it into the pile in Jack's arm.
Shaking his head and grinning wildly, Jack dutifully began cleaning up Scar's mess.
- - - - - -
"There's been incredible improvement since last night," Fraiser said softly as Jack joined her several bed lengths away from his friends. Daniel was lying on his side, curled around Scar, and his fingers were slowly rubbing circles on Scar's head and neck. The beast was in rapture, and would occasionally roll its eyes back to look at Daniel adoringly. Jack smiled at the strip of toilet paper still wrapped around Scar's body.
Daniel, on the other hand, was staring off into space, but this time his gaze seemed focused. Whether it was aimed inwards or not Jack had yet to determine. But his fingers never lost their rhythm despite their obvious trembling, moving slowly back and forth, around and around.
"Their reaction time to stimulation has doubled," Fraiser was saying. "I don't know if it's because it was finally time for their bodies to heal, or if it had to do with your breakthrough with Daniel last night. But both of them are aware, although they haven't been able to communicate much as of yet."
"Looks to me like Daniel's communicating pretty well with Scar over there."
Fraiser chuckled. "I don't think that beast gave him much of a choice. He was insistent, constantly batting at Daniel's hand until Daniel began petting him. He also spent time with Sam earlier when he wasn't making a nuisance of himself, and she responded well with him also.
"We're trying to keep the noise level down so as to not overwhelm them with too much stimulus. Of course, Scar had other plans."
She patted Jack on his shoulder, leaving him so he could go and sit with Daniel. He pulled a chair so that he could place himself in Daniel's line of sight, and after several seconds, Daniel raised his eyes to Jack. His fingers stilled on Scar's body, and a slight smile graced his lips.
"Hey." Daniel's voice was low and husky, but the simple greeting had Jack grinning.
"Hey yourself." Jack pulled the chair closer so he could reach over and pet Scar in order to still the constant nudging for attention. He had a feeling Daniel would have a problem concentrating on both himself and Scar at the same time. "You doing okay? Do you need something? You thirsty? Hungry? Are you hurting?"
Daniel frowned, his eyes losing their focus for a few seconds. Jack realized instantly that he had bombarded Daniel with too much information.
"You okay?" he said slowly.
Daniel blinked several times, then licked his lips before replying. "Head... head..."
"Headache?"
When Daniel didn't react, Jack repeated the word, saying it a little more slowly. A faint nod was his answer.
Jack could see that concentrating on talking was already tiring Daniel as his eyes lost focus again. When he looked at Jack once more, Jack simply said, "Fraiser." He waited till Daniel nodded his understanding and pressed the call button.
When a nurse arrived, he explained Daniel's discomfort and before he knew it, the doctor was there with an injection. He knew as soon as the drug hit Daniel's system because faint lines of pain relaxed around his eyes.
"Tank...sss."
"Welcome." Jack placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder, predicting that he'd fall asleep shortly. He was right. Daniel's eyelids fluttered and his breathing deepened. He got up and went to see if he could coax his Major to talk.
- - - - - -
Jack stopped by his office to grab a couple of Tylenol for his pounding head. He'd been in a meeting for most of the day with several diplomats from two planets, with Earth trying to form a three way trade agreement. He'd sorely missed Daniel's input and had lost his patience with their nitpicking several times. Finally they'd come to some kind of understanding and their "guests" were off eating supper, hopefully discussing where to dot the T's and cross the I's on the agreement, if there even were letters similar to T's and I's in their alphabet.
Damn, he missed Daniel. And truth be told, Jack's mind had been more in the infirmary than in the conference room.
He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the tension there, and in his shoulders. The stress of the past couple of days was catching up to him. He ignored the piles of paper in his in-tray and closed the door on the work waiting for him, and headed for the infirmary.
To his surprise, both Carter and Daniel were sitting up in bed with trays of food before them. He approached slowly, wondering how much progress they'd made today.
Scar launched himself from beneath Daniel's blankets and almost barrelled into him, flying circles around him to finally land on his shoulders with his head on top of Jack's. He tried to extricate Scar from the awkward position, but the alien simply tightened his hold on his neck. He made soft chuffing noises as he rubbed his snout against the side of Jack's face.
By the time Jack approached the beds, both Daniel and Carter were grinning up at him. "He's feeling his oats today, isn't he? Looks like he's recovering pretty well."
"Janet said... was sick?"
Grinning at Daniel's halting but clear voice, Jack sat at the foot of his bed. "Scar got shot by one of the SFs when he came through the wormhole." Jack spoke slowly, and was relieved to see that the two seemed to understand his words. The alien slid down Jack's chest and made his way onto the bed, then butted his nose at something under the covers.
"Scar?"
Jack turned to Carter, explaining.
"Yeah, he's got this little scar right here so..." Jack stretched a hand and felt the small blemish on the beast's neck. "Now he's got a matching one near his butt."
"You brought... Scar... here?"
"No, he followed us... you, actually."
Daniel frowned. "Why?"
"I don't know. I think he took a liking to you from the first."
"Think... Janet... mad at... Scar." Carter was grinning down at the beast, who seemed determined to get at something hidden beside Daniel's leg.
"Well, he did make a nuisance of himself earlier this morning."
Both Carter and Daniel laughed.
"What?"
With an awkward, shaky movement, Daniel lifted the blanket to expose what Scar had been trying to get at, and Jack saw a stethoscope, several Q-tips, several empty vials, one not so empty and Jack wasn't even going to ask what was in it, some shredded tissues, a scrub top and three wooden sticks, one of which had been gnawed.
"Scar's a packrat?"
"He's... stealing... Janet's angry," Carter explained with a grin as Scar scampered to the exposed treasures and settled down amongst them. Daniel covered the little alien, leaving only a slight lump underneath the blanket.
Jack rubbed a hand over his face, knowing he'd have to send the alien home in a short time.
"Fraiser's not going to forget this soon, is she?"
"Nope."
"Damn." He looked at both his friends carefully, noting the slight glassy look of pain medication reflecting out from their eyes. But they were conscious and alert.
"So, you guys seem to be doing pretty good."
"Better." Daniel lowered his gaze and petted Scar through the blanket. The lump squirmed.
"Still suffering from headaches?"
Carter nodded, then picked up a spoonful of jello and put it into her mouth. She chewed slowly, obviously not relishing the food.
"Anything else?"
"Dizzy... sick..." Daniel put a hand to his stomach.
"Does Fraiser know?"
"Yes... sir." Carter had swallowed her jello and put her head back against her pillow. "Said... eat... help."
"Doesn't look like it's helping much," Jack said sympathetically. She rolled her eyes towards Jack and smiled.
"Look... tired."
"It's been a long day and we really missed your input with the Shlidians and Tortons today." At Daniel's confused look, Jack added, "Treaty, two planets, Earth as intermediary? Trinium as payment for our services?"
"Oh." Daniel adjusted the covers as Scar popped his head out from underneath. "I remem...ber. Did... use my... notes?"
"Notes? What notes?" Jack knew Daniel had been working on the agreement and they had used what he had written so far, but it hadn't been finished.
"Didn't... finish..."
"I know. We used what you had and they seemed pleased with it, but they've gotten stuck on the last paragraphs."
"Notes... computer... might help."
"Great. I'll go have a look." Jack got up and then stuck his hands into his pockets. "I'm glad you two are doing better. I was... worried."
"No need... sir."
"I'll let you know if I have problems with the notes. Thanks, Daniel."
Jack left the infirmary and went to Daniel's office. As disorganized as his office appeared, Jack knew he had a system and within minutes, he had pulled out and printed the relevant information from the computer.
"Well I'll be a monkey's uncle," Jack said to himself when he saw that most of what they'd discussed today was actually there, and worded in such a way that he was sure would please the representatives from both worlds. He folded the sheets of paper, intending to bring them home to read over that night before bed.
He turned the computer off, and was getting ready to shut the light when he heard a scuffling sound coming from a dark corner.
"Hey, who's there?" Jack moved towards the sound, wondering if it was a rat. They'd had a slight infestation a few weeks ago that had come through some supply crates but Siler had said he'd taken care of the problem.
Some books had toppled onto the floor and as Jack bent to pick them up, Scar popped his head out of the small space he'd created in the bookcase. He chirruped at Jack, before pushing another book out.
"Oh no, you don't." Jack reached down and grabbed the light body, allowing it to coil itself against his chest as he held it securely. He noted something else in the small space and pulled out a jacket. He threw it onto Daniel's couch, wondering if Scar had scavenged it from inside the office and had dragged it with him to make a little nest to sleep on. "How the hell did you get here? Did you follow me?"
Scar twittered, then laid his head on Jack's shoulder, seeming perfectly happy to be carried around. Since he had Scar in his arms, he wondered if he should take this opportunity to try and get him home. Decision made, he strode out of Daniel's office and down to level 28.
"Any chance of dialing this fella's home planet?" Jack asked Technician Davis as he climbed the stairs into the Control Room.
"I'm sorry, Colonel. We're in the middle of a diagnostic. The Stargate won't be available for dialing out for another ninety minutes, unless it's an emergency. Um, it's not, is it?"
Jack sighed as the small body squirmed against him. "No, thanks. Not an emergency. I'll try again tomorrow."
Instead of returning Scar to the infirmary, Jack brought him back to his own private quarters. He figured he might as well spend the night here, and give Fraiser a break. As he shut the door, Scar uncoiled himself from Jack and flew off to investigate. Jack toed off his shoes, took his jacket off and threw it on a chair. Making himself comfortable on his bed, Jack unfolded the sheets he'd printed from Daniel's notes. With pen in hand, he began studying the text, aware of Scar's investigation and keeping an eye out so that he didn't get into any mischief.
- - - - - -
Jack came awake, hearing something scuffling in the dark. It took him a second to realize where he was and who was making the noise.
"Scar, will you settle down," Jack grumbled. When Jack had finally turned out the light, the little alien had been curled up on the pillow with Jack. Now it seemed to have decided to go play in Jack's bookcase. Jack swore as he heard a book thump onto the floor.
He waited it out, hoping that Scar would settle. Finally, after much shuffling and snuffling sounds, Scar seemed to quiet. Jack turned in the bed, hoping he'd be able to fall back asleep.
- - - - - -
"Come on, lazybones, time to eat." Jack yawned, wanting to get a shower and shave and a change of clothes before visiting Carter and Daniel, and then hitting the commissary. He pulled his pants on, then looked for his jacket. Not seeing it at first glance, he grabbed his boots and put them on.
He got up and circled the bed, and noted a green sleeve hanging from the lower shelf of his bookcase. Several books were strewn on the ground, evidence that Scar had made himself a little nook. Jack stacked the books as he got down on his knees, intending to pull Scar out and carry it back to the infirmary.
As he put a hand into the bookshelf, he thought maybe he should leave Scar here. It was a secured area and they'd have less trouble catching him and bringing him back through the Stargate than the wide-open space of the infirmary.
He felt a warm touch and scratched the soft skin beneath his fingers. He lowered his body to peek at Scar, and what he saw had him pulling his hand back in shock.
Three heads looked up at him; one was familiar and looking pleased with itself, the two miniature versions of their mother were curled up against her body.
- - - - - -
"Doc," Jack said, carefully shifting the box in his arms so she could see inside. "We have a problem."
"Oh my," Fraiser said as she placed a careful finger along one of the small, squirming bodies nestled amongst the folds of Jack's jacket. "I think Scar was trying to tell us something yesterday."
Jack looked up at Fraiser, confused.
"Nesting instincts, Colonel. She was trying to find a safe and comfortable place to have her babies."
"So, what do we do? We can't just shove them out through the Stargate now."
"You're absolutely right, sir. We don't know how the wormhole will affect these little things. Yes, you're a good girl," she crooned as Scar licked one of the babies.
"But what about feeding? She doesn't seem to have any..."
"Any what?"
"Breasts... tits... Um... milk ducts."
"You're assuming she's a mammal. Her kind might feed their young in different ways. Have you fed her yet?"
"No, I just... came here straight with them."
"Then let's give her something to eat and see what happens. The babies must be starving, and she needs something to keep her strength up."
"Where should I—" Jack looked around for a spot to put the box down.
"How about sitting with Daniel and Sam? I'm sure they'd love to see the babies."
Jack looked at her, his worry over his friends forgotten for a moment over the confusion of the babies. "How are they?"
"Doing better this morning." She grinned at Jack. "Go on, I'll go get some of her food and meet you there."
As Jack walked through the infirmary, Scar started to squirm in the box. By the time he got near to the beds, he was almost running as she tried poking her head over the box to peer out. The babies squealed as they were dislodged from the cozy little nook her body made and Scar moaned in distress. Jack figured she was torn between her children, and Daniel.
Teal'c was standing between Carter and Daniel's beds so Jack simply dumped the box on Daniel's lap.
"What's this?" Daniel asked. He looked up at Jack inquisitively before looking down at Scar, who was ecstatic at the attention Daniel was giving her the moment he saw her. In the one quick look Daniel gave him, Jack could see that Daniel was almost himself. His movements were sure, not jerky or shaky like they had been yesterday.
"Easy, careful," Jack quickly cautioned to both the over-eager new mother and Daniel, who was unknowingly exciting her more. "Look." He shifted the edge of his jacket to show the newborns.
"Scar had babies?" Daniel exclaimed.
"What?" Carter was out of her bed in a flash and leaning over the box. Teal'c peered over her shoulder.
"They're so cute." Carter reached a hand and gave a tentative pet to the mom, who had calmed down once more. Scar happily accepted her caress, then reached down to nudge her children, who were barely bigger than Daniel's index finger. Daniel gently stroked the babies, and they responded to his touch by seeking his fingers when he withdrew them.
"When did this happen?" Daniel looked at him in awe, then back down at the babies. Jack moved aside so Carter could sit beside Daniel on the bed.
"Sometime during the night. I kept Scarlett with me in my quarters and hell, if I knew she was planning this. I'd have at least kept the lights on for her."
"Scarlett?" Daniel frowned at the name.
"Well, she is a girl, for crying out loud."
He ignored the way Daniel rolled his eyes at him and concentrated instead on how his friends were doting on mother and babies.
"Here we go." Doctor Fraiser handed him several choice twigs and leaves and he offered them to Scar. She quickly began eating and to their surprise, once she'd masticated the pulp, she fed her babies with it. All of them stood around watching, sappy grins on their faces.
"So, what are we going to do with them," Daniel asked as one baby squirmed over the other in an attempt to get more food.
"Well, we can't just keep them. We'll just have to wait until they're big enough to go through the Stargate without any lasting effects. Maybe a couple days." Jack fed Scarlett another leaf which she happily accepted for herself. "Hey Squiggle, let Squirt have his share." Jack gently pushed the more energetic of the two back onto his jacket.
"You named them?" Daniel looked up at Jack, confused.
"Why not?"
"Squiggle and Squirt?"
"What, you'd prefer Spot and Rover?"
"Now that you mention it..." Daniel dangled a piece of twig in front of the babies and one reached up for it. He laughed, then gave it to Scarlett, not wanting to tease the babies. "They're beautiful, Scar... Scarlett," he amended while looking sideways at Jack with a small grin.
In turn, Scarlett gave a happy chirrup and continued eating her meal. The babies settled down to sleep, bellies full.
"If you don't mind, Colonel. I'd like to take momma and her babies and see if I can make out more of their physiology."
"You're not gonna hurt 'em, are you?" Jack trusted Fraiser but he knew some of the tests they'd performed on Teal'c's symbiote weren't exactly what he'd call a walk in the park.
"Of course not." She looked up at him with a hurt expression. "I've already examined Scar as much as she'd let me—"
"Scarlett."
"Scarlett," she amended with a grin, "but her anatomy is so different that I couldn't even tell she was pregnant. Maybe by examining the babies and comparing them to their mom..."
"Yeah, okay, as long as she doesn't get upset over it," Jack conceded. He brought the box containing the three aliens to a quiet corner where Fraiser could watch and examine to her heart's content, but not too far away that Scarlett wouldn't be able to keep an eye on Jack and the others.
"So, how are you two doing?" Jack asked as Carter moved back to her bed. He sat down beside Daniel where Carter had been sitting earlier.
"Good. Janet said she m...might release us tonight or tomorrow to our quarters."
Jack narrowed his eyes at Daniel's slight stutter. Obviously he wasn't fully recovered yet.
"How's the headache?"
The look Daniel didn't quite give Jack told him plenty. Which was probably one of the reasons why Fraiser was still insisting on keeping him in the infirmary.
"Comes and goes," Daniel finally admitted.
"Along with the dizziness, disorientation and nausea," Carter added. "But at least I'm not cold anymore."
"It's just hard to concentrate sometimes." Daniel removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose and forehead. "But the headaches *are* better than they were."
"And the dizziness and—" Jack made a twirling motion with his finger.
"Nausea and disorientation. Better, yes. Just... frustrating because one minute I'm fine, the next minute I can't make out what I'm looking at, and then I can't find my way back to my bed. But Janet says that at the rate the symptoms are abating, we should be over this in three days, tops.
"Good. Maybe you'll be back to normal by the time the kids are old enough to travel through the Stargate."
"Colonel, I'm sure transporting them through the wormhole isn't a problem. I can easily adapt a container that'll protect them from the cold—"
"I believe O'Neill is aware of that. He simply does not wish to remove the alien being from DanielJackson's presence at this point. Is it not a well known fact that new mothers are prone to fits of melancholy?"
Daniel smiled and ignored Jack's enthusiastically whispered 'thank you'. "It's an alien, Teal'c. We don't know how she'll react. And you're talking like she has a crush on me."
"Doesn't she?" Jack knew he was smirking but he couldn't help himself, considering the look Daniel gave him. He watched his teammates carefully for the next couple of minutes as they discussed Scarlett's obvious attachment to Daniel. Both seemed fine but tired; there were moments that were very obvious when they suddenly lost their train of thought, but after a short period, they'd seem to shake it off, and join the conversation again.
He could see they were running out of steam. As did Teal'c because he caught Jack's eye and after a short lull in the conversation, they both excused themselves after coaxing the two to lie down and take a nap.
- - - - - -
There were hands furtively touching him, whispers echoing all around. He jerked awake, disoriented, but ready to come up fighting. He opened his eyes and the room blurred around him as he tensed against the hard bands that bore down on his shoulder and hip. Pain flared in his head as he struggled to rise.
"Easy, no sudden moves." Despite the familiarity of the voice, he fought against the hold that kept him pinned to the bed.
"Damnit, Daniel, lie still."
The words and voice suddenly became familiar and Daniel now strained to focus on Jack's face. He realized his friend was holding him still and he forced himself to relax back onto the bed. Jack's face grew into focus, only a few inches away from his.
"Good, that's good." He eased his hold and squeezed Daniel's shoulder before pulling back. "Didn't mean to wake you but we didn't want you squashing the kids." Jack waved towards Daniel's chest and he suddenly became aware of the small bundle of heat against his abdomen. "Here, let me move Squiggle." Daniel felt Jack's fingers against his neck and chin, and suddenly he had a small, squirming white shape in his hands.
"Scarlett sneaked the kids out of her box and came to cuddle up with you," Jack explained as he put the baby alien into the shelter of its mother's body. Scarlett opened sleepy eyes, raised her head and gave the baby a lick before nestling against Daniel once more.
"Where's...?" Daniel raised his head and looked for the second baby.
"Squirt?" He's here." Jack raised the corner of Daniel's blanket that covered Scarlett's lower body, exposing the small tightly curled circle lying between Daniel and Scarlett. Again Jack picked up the baby and laid it down, unresisting, beside its sibling.
Squirt yawned and promptly went back to sleep.
Daniel remembered vague impressions of the hot little body pressed against his during his illness. "She spent a lot of time with me, didn't she?" The memories were comforting, a constant for the most part when he'd woken up confused and in pain.
"Yeah, well, she seemed to know you needed to be kept warm. She and her kind did help keep you and Carter nice and toasty back on the planet during the night, and then throughout the day while Teal'c went to get help."
Daniel placed his hand on her head, surprised as always at how much the shape of it felt like that of a small, short-haired cat.
"Anyways, she'd been hurt, I did tell you one of the SF's shot her?"
Daniel nodded.
"So I guess she was looking for a friendly body to curl up with while recuperating."
Daniel shifted on the pillow and drew the blankets up to cover Scarlett and her babies.
"I don't remember much of what happened on the planet, but wasn't there a baby we were trying to rescue...?"
"Yeah, last time I'd checked, it was fine. Teal'c pulled it out after Scarlett's friends turned off the containment field and we managed to get to you two."
"They what?"
"Got right down on those panels and pushed the crystals into position. Seems like they had been paying attention to Carter. I think they're a lot more intelligent than they're letting on."
"Scarlett must have trusted us to come through the Stargate knowing she was pregnant." Daniel yawned, the medications in his system forcing the headache to recede were making him sleepy.
"Or else she was just attracted to those baby blues of yours," Jack said with a grin.
Daniel smiled and closed his eyes contentedly while Jack explained more of the aliens' intelligence through their antics.
- - - - - -
Scarlett whined pathetically as Daniel leaned wearily against the infirmary's cold cement wall. He closed his eyes as the room blurred sickeningly and swallowed down the bile he could feel rising in his throat.
He felt her bump his shoulder but he needed to rest for just a moment. But he could feel her worry, could sense her hovering close by, waiting for him to continue helping with the search.
Resolutely he opened his eyes and forced his sight to remain in focus. Scarlett flew off, circling the infirmary and calling for her missing child. Daniel continued looking, peering under beds, inside drawers and in any other likely spots that Squiggle could have squeezed into. Hardly a day after their birth, both babies, it seemed, had the ability to fly and were blessed with ten times the curiosity of a kitten. He hoped these little creatures had at least double the number of lives of a cat.
He could hear Sam and Janet's nurses helping with the search, but he knew they'd have to go back to their duties pretty soon.
"I know you're worried," Daniel said to Scarlett when she flew back to him. "We'll find your baby, don't worry."
But Daniel was worried. If Squiggle had made his way out of the infirmary, there were so many places that he could get himself locked up inside of and they'd never find him for weeks, if not months. Hell, even the infirmary had too many hidey-holes, places too tempting for a curious baby alien to stay away from.
He straightened up and swayed, caught himself on the wall, then took a step forward. He looked at the table in front of him, not remembering if he'd searched it yet. Everything was a jumble, had he been going left, or right? He stood there, confused, unable to figure out where he was in relation to his bed, until he felt a touch on his shoulder.
"I think it's time you got back into bed." Janet tugged insistently at his arm.
"Scarlett's baby," Daniel argued, finding himself holding onto Janet, hardly able to keep his balance.
"We'll keep looking. You need to rest."
"I..." Too tired to argue, Daniel lowered his head and allowed himself to be led back. He ignored Scarlett's small squeaks and twitters, the desperate sounds breaking his heart.
They stopped before a rumbled bed and Janet gave him a gentle shove. He climbed onto the bed gratefully, not realizing how much he'd been shaking. Janet pulled the blankets up to his chest, and he turned his head to watch Scarlett continuing her search.
"Found him!" An excited voice called out from across the room and within seconds, one of the nurses rushed to Daniel, Squiggle squirming in her hands. Scarlett was flying around the two, yipping excitedly. She placed the terrified baby onto Daniel's chest and it immediately scurried towards his neck and made its way underneath his scrub top. Scarlett landed beside Daniel and nudged the tiny bump beneath the material, crooning gently. A moment later, Squiggle popped its head out and called pitifully to its mother.
Scarlett climbed onto Daniel and curled around her baby. Her weight was almost negligible, her body heat and presence comforting. Daniel saw Janet take Squirt out of the container where they'd placed him for safekeeping while they'd initiated the search. Both babies cuddled up between Daniel and their mother, both safe, and everyone relieved.
- - - - - -
"Just a second!" Daniel lowered the book he'd been reading down onto the bed and eyed the two babies, who were swooping excitedly around the room. He eased Scarlett off his chest, got up and cautiously moved towards the door. But Squirt and Squiggle followed him, darting around him in a frenzied aerial dance in anticipation of seeing the person behind the door.
Jack was right, these aliens were smart. They'd recognized Jack's voice.
"Daniel, open up!" Jack's muffled voice sent the babies hovering at the point where the door met the jamb.
"Just a minute, I have to..." Daniel turned to Scarlett, who was eyeing him lazily from his pillow. "Do you mind?" he asked her sarcastically, waving towards the babies.
Scarlett rose languidly and herded the two back to the bed, but Squiggle, twice as energetic as Squirt, escaped her and rushed back to Daniel. Maybe it was coincidence or simply an accident, but Daniel instinctively put his hand out and caught Squiggle as he moved back and forth in anticipation. He quickly held the small form against his shoulder, holding it gently but firmly.
Daniel reached out with his free hand and unlocked the door. He stood back for Jack to enter. "Hurry," Daniel urged when Jack simply poked his head through the door. Squiggle struggled fiercely against him and a white streak zipped across the room as soon as Jack slipped inside. Daniel slammed the door shut and let go of Squiggle, glad that for the moment, both babies' attention was on Jack.
He laughed at the picture his friend presented. Squiggle was sitting on top of Jack's head and Squirt was perched on Jack's shoulder. Both were butting their heads against him, demanding their share of attention.
They had grown quickly in the three days since Daniel had been released from the infirmary, having more than doubled in size and width. They were full of energy and curiosity, and both of them, including Scarlett, had since been confined to Daniel's quarters to keep them out of trouble.
General Hammond had said it was for their own protection, but Daniel was sure it was more to ease the nerves of Janet and her nurses, who were constantly being startled by one of the babies poking their heads out of wherever they'd gotten into to investigate. Of course that maddening search through the infirmary for Squiggle hadn't helped matters any, nor had it taught Squiggle a lesson of any kind.
" Hammond says we have a go for tomorrow." Jack picked Squiggle off of his head and held him against his cheek.
"We? So that means..." He nervously petted Scarlett as she made her way onto his lap.
"Fraiser gave the okay, just as long as you and Carter don't overdo it. Our window's for 0600 hours, so just make sure you get a good night's sleep. We got a long walk ahead of us."
Daniel grinned. Not that he wouldn't miss the attention from the aliens once they'd brought them back to their home world, but he was getting a little fed up of being holed up in his room. Even the short time he took to go eat in the commissary ended up in bedlam whenever he'd return. The kids, and he didn't put it past Scarlett to add her share to the mess, tended to take pleasure in knocking everything off his bookcases and bureau and ripping up half his papers. And the reason he suspected Scarlett was that some of the drawers had been opened, and emptied. The children didn't have the physical strength to do so, but she obviously did.
Still, if he hated being cooped up in this room; he could imagine she did, too. Daniel was grateful for General Hammond being so patient and allowing the aliens to remain on the base until he was strong enough to accompany SG-1 in returning them to their home. He was curious to how the babies would be received by their brethren, and also what SG14 might have discovered about them.
And he wanted to see how the baby they'd rescued was doing. If it was still alive, then everything he'd gone through would have been worthwhile.
"So, you hungry? Feel like a little dinner?" Jack sat on Daniel's bed, leaning against the wall. He crossed his feet at the ankles and allowed the babies to crawl down to his chest.
Actually Daniel was starving since he'd skipped lunch, considering the amount of time it had taken him to pick up the mess Scarlett and company had made of his room.
"Yeah, I am, actually, but..."
"But?" Jack grinned at him and Daniel was tempted to shift the beasts to Jack's room for the remainder of their stay.
Daniel looked around his quarters, sighing heavily. Maybe this would be the last time he'd have to pick up after them. "Okay." Daniel straightened. "What's on the menu?"
"Actually," Jack said, not moving from where he lounged. "Chinese."
"Oh. What else?" The fake oriental dishes they served here were barely palatable; maybe he'd be lucky and they'd have meatloaf or pasta.
"That's it. Chinese."
As if on cue, someone knocked at the door. Daniel kept a wary eye on the babies until Jack placed a restraining hand over each, then rushed to open the door. Sam quickly entered with Teal'c right behind her holding an enormous paper bag.
"Hi Daniel." She smiled at him a moment before making a beeline for the bed, and the babies. Squirt and Squiggle happily left Jack and greeted Sam and Teal'c as heartily as they had Jack.
"Good timing, kids," Jack said, sitting up to take the bag from Teal'c. Daniel recognized the name of his favourite Chinese restaurant and grinned at Jack, who grinned back. "So, fancy some Chinese?"
They quickly doled out portions onto plastic plates and sat on bed and chairs, eating and talking. Scarlett showed interest in their meal and to their surprise, took a piece of broccoli from Daniel's plate and ate it. Soon they were all sharing their meal with her and the babies, laughing.
- - - - - -
The babies weren't happy to be boxed up in the insulated container Sam had whipped up for them. He could feel them butting against the box in his hands, and wished the computer could dial the 'gate addresses faster.
"Chevron four encoded."
The voice boomed over the intercom and Daniel turned to glance at Jack, who had a tight grip on Scarlett. She, in turn, was watching the activities in the Gateroom with avid interest, and Daniel saw her constantly glancing towards the SFs relaxing in the back of the room.
He took a step closer to her, hoping to reassure her that everything was going to be okay. Sam adjusted her pack, which reminded Daniel at how much heavier it felt today. He wondered if maybe they weren't truly fit to go out in the field yet. But all they were doing was going for a walk, albeit a long one.
Then again, he and Sam could always ride on the F.R.E.D. if they got tired since it was mostly empty.
"Chevron seven, locked."
The Stargate exploded in a wash of blue, and Daniel realized that most of the people in the room now barely glanced at the wonder that it was. Strange how over the years something as incredible as the Stargate could become so mundane.
Scarlett, on the other hand, was staring at it and to Daniel's surprise, seemed to be stretching towards it.
Yep, she knew she was going home.
With a jaunty wave towards the Control Room, Jack led them up the ramp and out into the waiting wormhole behind the slow-moving F.R.E.D.
The moment he was through, Daniel looked for Scarlett. Jack let her go and she was soaring through the air, and within seconds she was joined by several others of her kind. Daniel went to open the box to allow the babies out, but decided to wait until their mom finished greeting the others, afraid that they might be a little overwhelmed by the open space and might panic.
His team came to stand around him as they watched the aliens twirl around one another mid-air. It was apparent that their kind enjoyed touch, which explained a lot why Scarlett and her babies constantly sought their company.
Finally Scarlett and two others came to hover near Daniel and he slowly opened the box. Two angry babies sped out, only to come to a screeching halt when they realized they were no longer underground. Immediately they sought their mother, but again coming to a standstill when they noticed the other aliens. Daniel and the rest of his team were grinning like loons as they watched the babies introduced to probably what were family members, and Daniel guessed the one that constantly twined itself around Scarlett must be their father.
"Shall we?"
Jack's voice brought them all back to why they were here and Sam got the F.R.E.D. moving. They began walking towards the rock formations in the distance, a trek that Daniel knew would take a few hours.
To their surprise, Scarlett and a handful of the aliens began following them. The babies began to get over their reticence and were interacting with the adults. Their antics kept them entertained as they travelled along.
Two hours later found the two exhausted youngsters curled up in one of Daniel's vest pockets. They had enthusiastically explored everything they could see and find, much to the amusement of SG1 and the adult aliens. Finally too tired to fly, they had come and perched on Daniel's shoulder for a while, then had begun looking for a niche to curl up inside of. Daniel had emptied a pocket and they two had gratefully climbed inside.
Scarlett would occasionally come and coil herself around Daniel as if to say hello, and to check on the sleeping babies. At one time another of the aliens followed her down and both had peeked into the pocket.
Daniel found it odd how he could always pick Scarlett out of the bunch. Even now, simply a shadow set against the late afternoon sun as she languidly flew by, there was something about the way she moved, the angle of her tilted head, the small sounds she made, which were plainly her. He noticed his teammates also had no difficulty identifying her. He was curious how SG14 was faring with the aliens and if they had been able to find anything out about them. Janet had examined them as much as she could and both she and Sam still couldn't explain exactly how they managed to fly.
The other SG team was glad to see them and greeted them enthusiastically. Jack excused Daniel from helping unload the F.R.E.D. on the pretext that he had the babies in his pocket, but he suspected Jack knew how tired he really was. He noted also that Jack sent Carter inside to talk with Lt. Sloan to learn whatever discoveries SG14 had made.
Soon they were sitting around a campfire eating supper, and Daniel found himself hard pressed not to nod off. The walk had really tired him out, more than he liked to admit. He noticed Sam had trouble keeping her eyes open also.
The babies had long since woken up and had disappeared with their family. Jack had pointed out the trees in the distance where they might have gone to eat. Daniel remembered seeing small groves of them all over the place, including near the Stargate. He wondered if that was where Jack had collected the food for Scarlett and her babies over the past few days.
He stood, hoping that activity would keep him alert. He decided to explore the area, as much of the time he'd spent here, he'd been unconscious. He walked around the rock face, noting that many of the aliens had made small nests of sorts in depressions all over the rock. A few flew down to greet him, butting his arms and shoulders gently before they flew back to where they'd been resting. It wasn't until he made the full circuit of the rock formation did he come across the baby they'd attempted to rescue.
There was no mistaking it. Instead of a smooth, sleek body, it was deformed, part of its body pushed into an unnatural angle due to the time it had been stuck in the box. Daniel had no idea how long the poor thing had been trapped; it must have suffered terribly.
The parent that was with it swooped down excitedly when it saw him, twirling around him and chirping non-stop. Finally it hovered near him and rubbed its head against his face. The baby came to see what its parent was so interested in, and Daniel slowly put a hand up. It butted against him, then rubbed its head also, begging to be stroked. Daniel smiled, admitting to himself that having gone through the pain of the last few days had been worth it just to see the little fellow before him now.
"Made another friend, didja?"
Daniel turned to look at Jack, who was now stroking the baby's mother. "I wonder how old it was when it got trapped inside the containment field."
"I bet it wasn't much bigger than the twins."
"What I don't understand is that if that machinery in there is as old as Sam says it is, you'd think there would be remains of other aliens caught inside of it. It can't just be the one that got too curious and went a little too close."
"I know, I've seen Squirt and Squiggle in action myself, remember?" Jack leaned over and gave the baby a pet. "Maybe these guys somehow got the power turned on, or maybe they migrated here recently. I doubt it's something we'll ever know for sure."
Daniel shivered as a cold wind suddenly picked up.
"Come on, night comes fast in these parts, and I know you're tired."
"Have SG14 discovered anything?" Daniel began walking towards the camp, and the two aliens returned to their nest.
"Not yet. Carter says most of the systems aren't working and what power there is was diverted to keep the force field operational."
"So, another of those scientific mysteries we'll never solve?"
"Most likely, although they feel there's still some advantage in continuing to examine it. That's why they're gonna take it apart and bring it back to Earth."
"Well, at least that way there won't be any more accidents with babies getting stuck inside." He wouldn't admit it to Jack, but he had harboured the fear that one of the twins would suffer the same fate as the other baby.
"The strange thing is that Santini said these aliens here have no fear of interacting with them, but if they met up with other... families, although they showed curiosity, they wouldn't get close enough to allow to be touched. Seems that by saving the little one, we gained their trust."
"Didn't they let us pet them before we saved the baby?"
"Okay, then, *you* gained their trust." Jack punched Daniel lightly on the arm.
"Do you think Scarlett went through the Stargate to get intel on us?"
Jack laughed, removed his cap before threading his hands through his hair and replaced the cap. "You know, it wouldn't surprise me one bit."
Their sleeping bags had been rolled out around the campfire and Daniel gratefully took his boots off and climbed into his. Before he could manage to zip it up, Scarlett and the babies suddenly appeared beside him and burrowed inside. Three more aliens squeezed in and his sleeping bag became a large, squirming container of aliens and human trying to get comfortable.
He heard Major Santini chuckling and he raised his head to see everyone watching him. Scarlett made her way near his head and curled up against his chest, the babies curled within the coils of her body.
As the rest of the crew settled into their sleeping bags, they were all joined by more aliens. "Better than a heating blanket, anyday," Santini said.
He caught Jack's gaze as Jack lifted his head to look at Daniel. He caught Jack's wink in the firelight, and smiled back. He lowered his head and relaxed, knowing he wouldn't feel the cold that night.
And, he admitted to himself with a sigh, he was going to miss Scarlett's warm little body when he went back home tomorrow. And the twins' antics. But as he fished out a small rock that one of the babies had brought into the sleeping bag with it, he thought, maybe he wouldn't miss everything.
FINIS
<< BACK TO PART ONE
Feedback makes the difference between writing and posting; please contact me at joag_sg1@hotmail.com |
