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The body lying on the debris-littered ground was the first thing Jack saw as he entered the bright sunlit room. For a second he saw the blood and he nearly panicked. But then he realized the man wasn’t wearing BDUs, so his heart crept out of his throat and worked quickly to make up for those skipped beats he had scared out of it.
Carter crossed over to the man and carefully turned him over onto his back, her hand going to his throat in a smooth motion. Although she shook her head to indicate there was no sign of life, there was no mistaking that Antol, their guide, was dead; the several bullet holes in his chest were testament to that. Yep, dead as a doornail.
“O’Neill.”
The one word conveyed both fear and alarm as Teal’c pointed out the other form he had just discovered across the ancient room. Carter quickly turned and with a glance at Jack, rushed over to check the BDU-clad body that had been partly hidden behind a piece of broken wall.
“He’s alive,” she breathed, checking his pulse as Jack quickly made his way his lover’s side.
“Daniel?” Jack said tentatively as he saw the blue eyes staring straight ahead. He reached a shaking hand and cupped the man’s cold, clammy cheek, noting Carter was carefully checking the unresponsive man for injuries. Daniel didn’t react to either Carter or Jack’s touch, and Jack’s heart began hammering quickly as he realized something was definitely wrong here.
All they could find was a reddish mark on his right temple which was quickly turning into a bruise. It didn’t seem serious enough to warrant a concussion, and Daniel wasn’t exactly unconscious, but he also wasn’t aware of his surroundings. Jack removed his jacket and covered Daniel’s torso with it, while Carter removed hers and folding it, gently placed it beneath Daniel’s head.
Daniel’s gun was still tightly clutched in his hands, and Jack had to pry his fingers from around the handle. He removed the magazine and counted the bullets, noting that six bullets were missing, matching the number of bullet holes in Antol’s body
“Teal’c,” Jack said, pocketing the gun and avoiding the worry reflected in Carter’s eyes. “Go and get the authorities and then contact the SGC. They need to know what happened here.”
“Sir, why would Daniel have shot Antol?” she asked as Teal’c left the building. “Do you think he tried to kidnap or hurt Daniel?”
“I don’t know,” he answered, looking carefully around the room for clues of any kind. Daniel and his guide Antol had been missing for the past three hours. The government authorities had given SG1 free rein to visit the city while they discussed the trade agreement that Earth was proposing. Having been at loose ends, Daniel had expressed a desire to visit the old ruins at the southern edge of the city of Gaphe. Antol, who had been their guide during the last two visits to P3K 778, had eagerly led Daniel to one of his favorite haunts.
It was only when Daniel hadn’t reported in when he was late in returning to the city had they become worried. The ruins weren’t big and it hadn’t taken them long to find the missing men.
Now with nothing left to do but wait for a medical team to arrive, Jack sat down beside Daniel and began talking to him softly, hoping he’d soon come out of this fugue state or whatever the hell was wrong with him.
- - - - - -
“Well, I’ve run every test I could think of,” Janet Fraiser said as she seated herself before three quarters of SG1, General Hammond and Murdol, Representative of Gaphe. “Doctor Jackson remains in a deep coma, and I can’t find any physical or medical reason why that is.”
Jack thought back to his last glimpse of Daniel lying so still in his infirmary bed, wires and tubes seeming to be attached to every part of his body.
“That is unacceptable,” Murdol declared, hands fisted so tightly that his knuckles were white. Jack had had a very difficult time convincing the Gaphe authorities to allow them to bring Daniel home, where their medical facilities were more sophisticated than those of P3K 778. The only concession was that a representative accompany them to Earth and be permitted to report on their findings. Hence… Murdol.
“Mr. Murdol,” Fraiser said, turning her diminutive fury on the six foot five alien. “Whether or not Doctor Jackson’s medical condition is unacceptable to you is moot. My patient is physically unable to tell us the reason why he shot one of your people, and I’m afraid that until I discover what happened to him, he may never be able to answer your questions.”
Jack closed his eyes at the blunt diagnosis Fraiser blurted out in anger. She had already more or less informed them of her findings before the meeting, but hearing them come out like this nearly tore him in half. He felt a hand on his shoulder and swallowing hard, opened his eyes to look at Teal’c. He saw the worry for their friend reflected in the Jaffa’s eyes. Carter’s bright blue eyes were shiny with unshed tears as she looked across the table at him. The people in this room, except for Murdol, all cared for Daniel, nearly as much as he did. They also knew of his loving relationship with Daniel, and wholeheartedly supported both men in this.
“Doctor Fraiser, is there nothing you can do?” General Hammond asked, giving the doctor all of his attention.
She shook her head regretfully. “Not unless Mr. Murdol comes up with samples of plants, drugs, toxins… anything on P3K 778 that might have caused this illness.”
“I know nothing of these but I will have someone contact our medical personnel with the criteria you want,” Murdol conceded.
“If Daniel had been given something,” Carter supposed, “like you just pointed out, Janet, maybe it caused him to hallucinate, and he shot Antol without meaning to.”
“It’s possible,” Fraiser admitted, “but his blood work showed absolutely nothing suspicious, nothing out of the ordinary. Other than a small contusion on his temple there is nothing physically wrong with Daniel.”
“Except that he’s in a freaking coma,” Jack blurted. He rubbed his hands roughly over his face, apologizing to General Hammond for his outburst.
“Mr. Murdol, if you would be so kind as to get the information Doctor Fraiser requires, maybe we can get to the bottom of this and hopefully resolve this problem between our two worlds.”
Hammond stood up, bringing the meeting to a close. Carter and Teal’c escorted Murdol to the Stargate where he would go gather whatever data the Doc required. Jack, on the other hand, needed to go sit with Daniel and pray he woke up soon.
- - - - - -
The slow beep of the heart monitor told Jack the man lying on the bed before him was still alive. As irritating as the noise was, it was comforting to know some parts of Daniel were still working all by themselves. He was breathing on his own, which also had to be a good thing.
But seeing his lover lying still and unmoving, his eyes half opened, staring unfocused at some distant point in the room, sent frissons down Jack’s back. He’d been sitting with Daniel for the past three hours, talking to him quietly, stroking his arm and holding his hand, praying for the slightest response. The nurses would come by every so often and do a variety of checks, some of which looked painful. Daniel never twitched or reacted to anything they did.
He knew Fraiser was worried about the brain wave patterns exhibited by the EEG, the leads of which dangled from Daniel’s forehead and temple, and onto a display sitting on the table opposite Jack. He could see the unchanging patterns, Fraiser had said something about Daniel not responding to stimuli. Which unequivocally meant he couldn’t hear Jack, and didn’t even know Jack was sitting beside him.
But that didn’t deter Jack in his efforts. Who knew, maybe somewhere, somehow, Daniel was listening to Jack’s voice and was trying to find his way back to him.
A pretty redheaded nurse came to change one of Daniel’s IVs, smiling gently at Jack as he watched her go about her duties. She had been with the SGC from its inception, a regular who had spent many hours caring for both Jack and Daniel and the rest of the team on those occasions they’d been sick or injured.
“Hey Donna,” Jack said in greeting.
“Colonel,” she answered back with a smile. She was about to say something else when he saw her glance at the equipment and monitors. It wasn’t until she spoke that he realized the beeping of Daniel’s heartbeat had begun to speed up.
“Doctor Fraiser,” she called out, her eyes still on the EEG. Jack craned his head to see around her slim body, noting there was more activity now than there had been the whole time Daniel had been hooked up. He turned towards Daniel, noting his lover’s eyes were moving.
- - - - - -
Pain from the device that had been attached to his temple burned through his brain. Sounds, words, light, physical contact, movement… all were combined in a cacophony of sensations and experiences which became too dizzying to follow.
The portion of Daniel’s brain that had been cut off from the outside world found a small fissure, allowing some of these feelings to seep into his brain. At first, events which took place eight hours ago began filtering through, every sensation, every sound, every moment that had occurred to and around Daniel had been stored in unused portions of his brain, waiting for this very moment to come and tell him their story. The small trickle, like a dam that was overflowing, quickly burst through the barrier and within seconds, overwhelmed Daniel’s brain, flooding him with eight hours’ worth of physical sensations that had been put on hold.
It fought to escape the rushing tide of events, not memories, but actual events lost in the melds of his mind, held captive until the doors were finally opened and all at once, allowed to let loose on a vulnerable mind.
Self preservation caused his brain to attempt to swim against the current, but like a giant whirlpool, it was swiftly sucked under.
- - - - - -
At first Daniel became restless, mumbling under his breath. Jack leaned over him, calling his name.
“Come on, Daniel, that’s it, wake up.”
He didn’t react to Jack’s voice, but continued to move around sluggishly. He began to make a low keening sound deep in his throat, and his movements became more violent. Jack finally had to hold him down, feeling Daniel struggling underneath his hands. Two nurses had to hold his legs while Fraiser examined him.
Then Jack realized something bad was happening when Daniel’s back arched and his eyes rolled back in his head. His muscles suddenly began contracting violently, his breath coming out in an odd, gasping sound.
“He’s seizing!” Fraiser called out. “Get me 10 mg Valium.”
The nurses quickly obeyed her orders, and within moments Daniel’s body relaxed as the drug calmed the involuntary contractions. As Daniel lay limp on the bed once more, Fraiser gave another order. “Dilantin, 1 gram IV.” While one nurse whose name Jack couldn’t remember followed her instructions, Donna wiped the saliva that had frothed around his mouth when the seizure had begun. Fraiser was quickly checking the monitors and he saw her staring at the EEG. Jack glanced at that monitor and saw that the squiggles were jumping all over the place.
“Doc,” Jack said worriedly, realizing that although Daniel’s body had calmed, the electrical activity in his brain was still firing haphazardly.
“I know,” she said, looking back at Jack. The monitor continued to show the electrical storm for several long minutes, until finally Daniel’s brain waves smoothed out into more even patterns.
“It’s over,” she confirmed to Jack. “His EEG is showing more normal activity now, although I don’t know what caused the seizure.” She fussed with the sheet, pulling it up to Daniel’s chest. Jack could tell this episode had unnerved her, which began to scare Jack even more.
“Colonel, I’m going to order more tests. The Valium is a sedative so we’ll have to wait for it to wear off before we see if Daniel’s going to wake up. The EEG tech will be here in a few minutes, and the neurologist I requested should be arriving anytime.”
She picked up Daniel’s chart and as she made notations, Jack could see her hands shaking. Adrenaline, he realized. His own body felt shaky and he sat down hard in the chair.
- - - - - -
Daniel’s eyelids fluttered as he slowly fought the sedating effects of the drugs. All four of them, Jack, Carter, Teal’c and Fraiser leaned forward slightly, waiting and hoping for Daniel to wake up and smile fuzzily at them.
Another familiar nurse was standing behind Fraiser, waiting to see if she would be required to assist. Barb, another petite redhead, was diligently studying the monitors as the rest of them kept their eyes fixed on Daniel. Jack wondered what it was with Fraiser and her nurses, they all appeared to be as diminutive as she was, but loud-mouthed marines accorded them the same amount of respect as they did Teal’c when these ladies stood before them with a needle in hand.
Daniel sighed softly, and his movements ceased. Jack leaned back against his chair, running his hands through his hair in exasperation. Fraiser tapped Daniel lightly on the cheek, calling his name.
Daniel’s reaction startled them all when he opened his eyes and screamed loudly. He curled up on the bed, covering his head with his hands. As he was very close to the edge of the mattress, Jack and Teal’c reached out to prevent him from falling off.
“Daniel, it’s okay, it’s just us,” Jack yelled, trying to make his voice heard above the screams coming from Daniel. “Daniel!” he commanded, hoping his military voice would shock the man into silence.
If anything, Daniel screamed more loudly. Jack could feel him shaking and for a moment he thought he was seizing again, until he realized he was trembling violently. He saw Barb inject something into Daniel’s IV and after a minute, the screams softened to soft mewls, although the shivering continued long after Daniel was asleep.
- - - - - -
The tests seemed to take forever as Jack sat in the commissary with Carter and Teal’c. A plate of meatloaf and vegetables sat congealing before him as he toyed with a half-empty coffee cup. Fraiser had suggested he go eat something as it would be a while before Daniel was returned to the infirmary, but Jack had found he had no appetite.
The three sat in companionable silence, each lost in their own thoughts. The chatter from the other tables flowed around them, neither intruding nor distracting. It was only when Donna, the nurse who’d been there with Jack when Daniel had begun seizing, entered the commissary and came to stand beside him, did he look up from his worrisome thoughts.
“Colonel, Doctor Fraiser has the results of the tests. She’d like you to please join her and General Hammond in the infirmary.”
Jack pushed his chair back, wincing as the feet grated irritatingly against the linoleum. His heart began beating faster and his palms were sweaty as he followed the petite redhead back to the infirmary. He was aware of Carter beside him and Teal’c behind him, but he kept his eyes on the slim shoulders before him, as if they were his salvation and were leading him back to sanctuary.
Donna led them to Fraiser’s medical lab set just off of the infirmary. General Hammond was already there, standing beside a table where several photographs were laid out. He nodded at his premiere team as they entered. Jack walked up to the table and glanced down at the pictures. They were obviously PETscans taken of Daniel’s brain. He didn’t know how to read these but he thought that they probably boded ill for his friend and lover.
Fraiser looked up at them, her expression serious. As he feared, she picked up the photographs and began pointing out what had been discovered.
“The areas of Daniel’s brain that relates to touch, sound and vision appear to be overly active,” she explained as she pointed to three large red spots set amongst the more muted diagram of a brain. “These pictures show the electrical activity of Daniel’s brain. Something triggered these parts of his brain, probably causing it to overload and short-circuit, which caused the seizure.”
They all dutifully examined the pictures, and Jack finally understood how much of Daniel’s brain was being affected when Fraiser showed him a similar shot taken three months prior when Daniel had been hale and healthy. All the red spots appeared as pinpricks whereas in the new shots, they seemed to have exploded onto the photos.
“Daniel is experiencing sensory overload,” Fraiser explained. “It’s like those parts of his brain are extremely sensitive and anything having to do with touch, sound or sight is causing either extreme discomfort or pain. He’s probably also very confused and isn’t able to make sense out of what he’s seeing, hearing or feeling.”
Jack dropped the picture he was holding onto the table and locking his elbows, leaned forward onto it. With her words he just realized he’d caused Daniel pain. He’d been yelling at Daniel earlier. He’d grasped Daniel tightly to hold him onto the bed and had yelled at him. He’d hurt Daniel. Not intentionally, but they had probably all been part of the cause of Daniel’s panic and withdrawal.
“I’ve sedated him for the moment, but I’m going to have him moved into the Iso room and see if I can lower the amount of sedation till he’s at a point where he can be aware and not be overwhelmed by everything. It’ll mean very minimal contact with people in order to keep the stimulation to the bare minimum.
“I want to be there,” Jack said in a low voice.
“Colonel,” Fraiser began, but Jack interrupted.
“He trusts me. He should have someone who he knows won’t hurt him intentionally. Either me or Carter or Teal’c, but one of us should be in there with him at all times.” He looked towards General Hammond for permission. “I’d like it to be me, Sir.”
The General stared at Jack, and an unspoken message swept between them. “I have no objections, unless Doctor Fraiser…”
She stared at Jack and said, “I’d rather keep it to trained medical personnel, Sir.”
“God damnit, Doc!” Jack yelled, losing his temper. “Just tell me what to do. But he shouldn’t be locked up in a room with a bunch of people who he doesn’t know, not when he’s hurting this much.”
“Colonel,” she began, her eyes blazing and her nostrils flaring slightly in her anger. “I understand your concern, but…” She stared intently at Jack, then raised her hands up in resignation. “Fine, you’re right, and it probably won’t hurt to have someone familiar there with him.
- - - - - -
Most of the lights in the Isolation room had been turned off, the main light source being that of the monitors, which had all been carefully turned to face away from Daniel. A soft glow from a lamp with a special bulb set off to the side barely illuminated Daniel’s sleeping form.
Cushioning had been placed underfoot to mute the sounds of footsteps and everything metallic that could or would make noise had been replaced by less noisy substitutes.
Jack had been admonished not to speak, and if he had to, to keep his voice as low as possible. They had begun lowering Daniel’s sedation thirty minutes ago, and Daniel was now beginning to show signs of waking. The buzz of the electrical equipment and the soft tread of the nurses as they went about their duties all seemed too loud in the dark room, making Jack wince as he imagined what it must sound like to Daniel’s overly-sensitive ears.
He glanced up at the observation room, noting both Teal’c and Carter sitting there in the dark, watching intently. Daniel moved sluggishly, trying to kick the blankets aside and turn onto his side. Fraiser immediately went towards the side of the bed where he lay facing, and softly called his name.
Jack saw him flinch, his face screwing up in pain. He curled up once more, bringing his knees to his chest, and Jack realized he was trying to hide from the unfamiliar sensations his brain was experiencing.
Fraiser said his name a second time, and Daniel began making small noises of protest. Jack swore under his breath, realizing that the noise Daniel was producing was going to hurt him even more. He curled himself into a ball, panting and moaning.
Fraiser shook her head and motioned to Barb to administer the sedative. In a moment, Daniel’s body relaxed once more, and Jack got up to help the doc reposition Daniel’s body more comfortably on the bed.
“I don’t know,” she said when Jack raised his eyebrows at her in question. “Maybe it’s just a matter of time. I can keep him sedated for another few hours and we can try again.”
Carter’s voice came from the open door.
“Janet,” she said quietly as she tiptoed towards them. “What about trying to desensitize him?”
“What do you mean?” Jack asked as he turned to look at his Second.
“I mean introduce those things that hurt him, but at a very low level. Something like… I don’t know… music, maybe. Played at a low volume where he can tolerate it and then slowly raise the volume and see if he can get used to it.”
“That’s a great idea, Sam. What kind of music does Daniel like?” Fraiser asked, her eyes lighting up with the idea.
“Anything and everything under the sun,” Jack groused, remembering Daniel’s eclectic tastes and hating many of the selections he chose to listen to. But he realized that he knew the perfect albums to offer.
Sending Carter to his home to search for two particular CDs, ambient music which Daniel often used when he wanted to meditate or relax. They were soothing and monotonous, and probably the best choice for the experiment.
In the meantime, Jack sat down and placed his hand next to Daniel’s, the closest that he could get without actually touching. He ached to take this man in his arms and hold him close, chasing away all the hurts and kissing him better.
Donna caught Jack’s eye and motioned towards the open door. He turned and saw General Hammond standing there. Reluctantly, Jack got up and went out to speak to the General in the hallway. Fraiser came out to join them a moment later.
“Murdol just contacted us,” he said, speaking quietly even though they were out of earshot of anyone in the room, handing a folder over to Fraiser. “It seems that his government has some kind of secret… device, which supposedly can forcibly take information from someone’s brain and transplant it directly into the brain of another.”
“Mind reading?” Jack hazarded a guess, his attention half on the doctor as she read the contents of the folder.
“Something of the kind. Mr. Murdol says it’s all speculation and rumors, there’s nothing official about it, but he did say that the device is purported to having side effects such as Doctor Jackson is experiencing.”
Jack slammed his hand into the wall, refusing to wince as the pain jarred up his arm.
“They fucking couldn’t ask? They lured Daniel away and that bastard of a guide Antol just took whatever information they wanted from Daniel?”
“Colonel,” Hammond said, the steel in his voice quickly causing Jack to straighten up. “We don’t know what happened out there. Mr. Murdol implied that plans to this device may have been stolen by an opposing government, but there are factions in both governments who are accusing us in the supposed theft. Again, neither the device nor its theft are official, but the reports of its side effects are just too coincidental to dismiss.”
“You’re right, Sir,” Fraiser said, closing the folder and clutching it against her chest. “This information states that the victim experiences a shutdown of sorts, where everything he’s exposed to for several hours afterwards is recorded in his brain. Then when the effects wear off, those several hours’ worth are suddenly replayed within a couple of minutes. The patient is so overwhelmed with sensations that he withdraws from the real world.” She swallowed, then looked at Jack. “It says that most don’t recover.”
Jack stared at them in shock, then turned on his heels and returned to the Iso room. He stopped by Daniel’s bed, wondering what information had been so vital that they’d do this to someone. He reached down and stroked Daniel’s forefinger, keeping his eyes on the EEG monitor. Relieved to see that there was no change, he sat down and continued with the gentle touch.
- - - - - -
Teal’c’s CD player had been hooked up to speakers positioned on either side of Daniel’s bed. The music was hardly audible, not even loud enough to mask the cold sounds of the machinery which surrounded the bed. Doctor Fraiser had done some research, and they were waiting once more for Daniel to wake up from the sedation.
As Daniel slowly returned to consciousness, the volume was raised in minute increments until he showed signs of discomfort. The volume was then lowered slightly to what was a comfortable level. The music softly flowed around the bed, gentle and comforting.
Daniel opened his eyes, staring at a distant spot. Fraiser deliberately placed herself into his line of vision to see his reaction, but the movement caused him to jerk back violently and pull away. She then cautioned everyone all to walk slowly around the room, and to make no sudden movements.
After twisting out from beneath the blankets, Daniel began tracking either Fraiser, Barb or Donna as they went about their business. Over the next few hours, his head would follow their cautious walk around the room. Jack caught the nurses’ nervous looks. He realized that Daniel was making them a little edgy, worried that they’d inadvertently cause Daniel to withdraw once more.
Jack felt a little superfluous at the moment. His futile attempts at covering Daniel up with either the sheet or blanket always resulted in Daniel pulling or kicking them off. He wasn’t able to touch or talk to Daniel yet, although he’d been encouraged the few times that Daniel’s gaze had passed over him. The last time Daniel appeared to actually ‘look’ at him for several seconds before his eyes drifted away.
When Daniel dozed off, Fraiser whispered to Jack to meet her outside in the hallway. He was surprised to see Carter meet them there.
“Colonel,” Fraiser said, “I think Daniel would be more comfortable with bedding he’s used to. I know that our supplies aren’t exactly the most luxurious, but the texture is obviously bothering him. I was hoping that Sam wouldn’t mind going back to his apartment and getting something he’d be more comfortable with.”
After describing three of Daniel’s favourite blankets, which he knew would be much softer than the scratchy woolen ones supplied here in the infirmary, Jack handed her his keys once more. He was grateful that both Carter and Fraiser knew about his and Daniel’s relationship; he had no need to explain why Carter was heading off to his house to get the bedding.
As he watched Carter walk down the hallway towards the elevators, he was surprised when Fraiser handed Jack a soft-bristled brush with instructions on what to do the next time Daniel woke. She was pleased with his progress so far, and had decided to lower the level of sedation even more.
An hour later, when Daniel’s muddled blue eyes were open once more, as per Fraiser’s directions Jack began to stroke Daniel’s bare arms with the brush. Softly at first, barely making contact with the skin, then with firmer strokes when the ministrations were not adversely received.
At first Daniel simply lay there, staring off dreamily into the far corner of the room. Jack felt silly doing this, but Jack had wanted to help and this had been the next step on the list of things to try. But after a while Daniel turned his head, his eyes following the slow strokes of the brush as it moved up and down his arm. When Jack stopped, Daniel looked up at him. His heart pounding, he was sure Daniel actually ‘saw’ him for a moment before his eyes lost their focus and shifted over his shoulder.
It was slow going and exhausting. He’d been here with Daniel for nearly eighteen hours straight, and little progress was being made. Daniel was sleeping now and Fraiser suggested Jack go and get something to eat.
Carter returned as he made to stand and leave. Taking the blankets from her, Jack carefully exchanged the ones on the bed with the softest one, covering Daniel’s sleeping form with it. Daniel stirred slightly, sighing softly as he grabbed the edge of the soft covering and pulled it over his shoulder.
As he left the Iso room, Teal’c descended from where he’d been watching and joined Jack and Carter. Both his team mates had spent many hours providing moral support. The harsh lights out in the corridors hurt Jack’s eyes and he felt a headache coming on. Hoping it was simply due to hunger, he followed Fraiser’s suggestion and went to the commissary.
He glanced at his watch, surprised to see that it was the middle of the night. He poured himself a coffee and grabbed a pre-prepared sandwich and piece of pie, eating both without much of an appetite. Teal’c and Carter sat quietly beside him, lending silent support. His headache did disappear, though, so he was grateful to Fraiser for sending him out for nourishment.
He returned to the Iso room, standing in the doorway until his eyes accustomed to the dim lighting. He saw Daniel moving restlessly on the bed, the blanket pulled up so that his bare feet were exposed. Before he could take a step towards him, Fraiser was pulling him back out into the hallway.
“Something’s bothering him,” she said in a soft voice, pulling him away from the open door so Daniel wouldn’t be disturbed by their voices. “He woke up and seemed to be in pain. I just wanted to warn you before you came inside and saw him like that. I hate to put him back under, but we can’t seem to figure out what’s causing this.”
Jack nodded as he followed her back into the room. He moved to the bedside, carefully skirting the wires and medical paraphernalia. Daniel was lying half on his stomach, half on his side, squirming on the bed. His head was scrunched up into the pillows, his face screwed up in pain. His breathing sounded harsh over the soft music. Jack slowly lowered his head until it was on an even keel with Daniel’s, listening intently. As he moved back up, he realized that from Daniel’s vantage point, the hum of one of the medical machines sounded much louder.
Waving his hand, he pointed the machine out to Barb. Understanding lit her expressive face and she repositioned the machine. Immediately Daniel calmed, his breathing evening out, his body relaxing.
Jack forgot himself and reached out to caress Daniel’s face. For a moment his fingers stroked the soft skin above his stubbly cheek, and Daniel let him. Then Daniel’s eyes snapped open in shock and he jerked away from Jack’s fingers.
“Sorry,” Jack whispered, remembering at least to move his hand slowly away. To his surprise, Daniel grabbed his hand, grasping it like a lifeline.
“Danny?” Jack said softly, ignoring Fraiser’s dark look from across the bed.
“J’ck?” Daniel croaked loudly, then he screwed his eyes shut as the sound of his own voice must have reverberated through his still sensitive brain. His hand squeezed Jack’s for a moment, then relaxed as the hurt eased off.
Stroking the callused skin gently with his thumb, Jack’s heart beat an unsteady rhythm at the knowledge that Daniel had recognized him. He couldn’t help but grin; Daniel was in pain, but he had come out of that pain-riddled world for a few seconds. He allowed Jack the contact for several more seconds before shuddering and pulling his hand away.
The next few hours passed by slowly, with Daniel alternating between sleeping and staring off into space, with an occasionally foray into the real world. Jack found himself dozing on his chair when Fraiser shook him awake.
“I’m going to put Daniel to sleep for a couple of hours so that we can run more tests,” she said. “Now I want you to go to bed and get at least five hours’ worth.” As Jack opened his mouth to complain, she added, “That’s the minimum amount of time this is going to take. He’s going to be asleep and there’s nothing more you can do for him at the moment. I’ll have someone come and wake you when he’s settled back here.”
Jack nodded, and as Donna injected the drugs into Daniel’s IV to put him to sleep, Jack dragged his tired body to his assigned room, falling asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.
- - - - - -
“And so, General Hammond,” Fraiser summarized, “there is no way Daniel will be able to tell us what happened in the very near future. I’m afraid that the Representatives of Gaphe will have to wait until Daniel recovers, however long it will take.”
Jack nervously flicked the edge of the pen he was holding on top of the yellow writing pad in front of him, holding back his ire at the General’s request. Of course, the man’s hands were tied. The trade agreement was an important one between Earth and Gaphe, and their accusations that Daniel had tried to steal this mind swapping device along with Antol’s murder had all but scrapped the negotiations. Now they were demanding retribution and the President had gotten involved. Jack feared that they were going to sacrifice Daniel’s good name in order to make atonement for something Jack was certain Daniel didn’t do.
He was in a crappy mood, having woken up cranky and irritable from too little sleep only to be escorted to this meeting rather than to Daniel’s bedside. Fraiser looked just as exhausted as he felt, and just as angry. Jack had seen the small progress they’d made in the first twenty four hours, and he recalled the information received from Murdol stated that many victims were rumored not to have recovered from the effects of the device.
He listened to the General’s dismissal and saw him push back wearily from the table.
“Doc,” Jack said, stopping her before they all left the room. She looked over at Jack, clearly impatient to either get back to the infirmary or to go to bed.
“The info Murdol gave you, did it say that both people using the device ended up like Daniel, or just those on the giving or receiving end?”
Her expressive brown eyes widened in shock as the realization hit her. But Carter was the one who spoke up.
“The device doesn’t produce a two-way communication,” she confirmed. “It’s those who were on the ‘giving’ end that experienced the type of injury that Daniel’s suffering. Ironically, the person ‘receiving’ the information experiences nothing more than a mild headache. That’s why they scrapped the—”
“Then Daniel didn’t tell them anything!” Fraiser exclaimed. “They wanted something ‘from’ him. They took it directly from his brain. I don’t think that Daniel would be stupid enough to…”
“Daniel’s done some stupid things, but I don’t think he’d willing try an alien gizmo voluntarily, at least not without telling us and our testing it first,” Jack confirmed. He looked at General Hammond. “Sir, I think that this is our proof that Daniel didn’t steal the device. He was on the receiving end, and if he supposedly knew enough about the device to steal it, he wouldn’t foolishly incapacitate himself in trying to test it on himself.”
General Hammond nodded, making a notation in the now open folder before him.
“There still remains the death of Antol,” Teal’c added.
“Maybe he tried to stop whoever had the device from using it on Daniel,” Sam hypothesized.
“But you found the gun in Daniel’s hand,” Fraiser countered.
“Doc, in the condition Daniel was in, he would never have been able to point and shoot a gun, let alone put six bullets in someone. Anyway, Daniel was at the shooting range two days prior to the mission. Forensics evidence shows that he did fire a gun, but the evidence is too inconclusive to prove whether or not he’s the one who shot Antol. Most likely someone else shot him with Daniel’s gun and put it into his hand, making it look like Daniel did it.”
“Of course,” she agreed, massaging her forehead with her fingers.
“Doctor Fraiser,” Hammond called. She looked up at him, squinting through what Jack suspected was a wicked headache. “I believe that Doctor Warner is now on duty.”
She nodded yes.
“Then may I suggest you give both him, Colonel O’Neill and your medical staff any relevant information they may need for the next eight hours, and then hie yourself to bed.”
Fraiser looked at him in surprise, then smiled. “Yes sir, hieing myself off to bed in twenty minutes.”
- - - - - -
As Jack walked into the infirmary, he saw Daniel was just waking up from the sedation. He was still dazed, lying on his side and staring at his hand. Jack knew that he wasn’t to try anything until Daniel was more alert, so he slowly took his seat and closed his eyes, listening to the soothing music.
He must have dozed off because he jumped when a light touch on his thigh woke him. He opened his eyes and saw Daniel’s hand trying to reach for his own, which was lying loosely on his lap. He slowly moved his fingers down his leg so they were just beside Daniel’s. The younger man first tentatively touched his fingers, then his palm, rubbing his fingers lightly over his skin.
As if the sensation was too much for him, Daniel pulled back quickly, tucking his hand between his knees. His shoulders hunched up, and he curled up on himself. Jack’s elation over Daniel’s attempt at contact was short lived when his lover withdrew for the next hour.
When he showed signs of awareness once more, Barb brought Jack the items that Fraiser had requested. Taking the soft brush once more, Jack began to pass it over Daniel’s arms. Daniel sighed, and turned onto his side, giving Jack better access. After several minutes, he concentrated on Daniel’s open palm. With a shaking hand, he traded the brush for his fingers, and began gently stroking the warm skin.
Daniel’s hand trembled slightly at the change of sensation, but he allowed Jack to continue. Jack cast a glance at Daniel’s face and noted that his mouth had relaxed into a slight smile. Encouraged, he moved his hands onto Daniel’s forearms, gently stroking from elbow to wrist, and then back along his palm. Daniel was watching the movements of Jack’s hands with avid interest.
Jack continued playing his fingers down one arm and then the other until Daniel had had enough and he retreated into himself. Jack let him rest, thinking that just this much had been a huge improvement over the past day.
Doctor Warner joined them with the results of Daniel’s latest tests. The PETscans showed a marked improvement. The doctor was encouraged, and told Jack to continue with Fraiser’s suggestions.
Which meant that sound was next. When Daniel began taking interest in the outside world once more, Jack cleared his throat and offered a silent prayer. In a low, controlled voice, he said, “Hey Danny.”
Daniel’s head whipped up and he stared right at Jack. His mouth worked slightly, as if he was going to respond.
“Yeah, it’s me,” Jack continued, keeping his eyes on his lover’s face. He forced a smile, glad that the sound of his voice hadn’t sent Daniel into overload.
“Kind of a strange situation here, huh?” he forced out of a tightening throat. “See what happens when I take my eyes off of you for a few hours. You go off without me and look at some rocks, and you end in the infirmary again.” Jack’s voice broke at this point and he couldn’t go on.
“Ar ti facts,” Daniel said with a grimace. He frowned, and Jack realized that the sound of Daniel’s own voice to him must be louder than Jack’s.
“Sorry, artifacts,” Jack corrected, grinning madly. “Daniel,” he said, waiting to make sure he had Daniel’s whole attention. “Try and speak softly, it won’t hurt as much.”
“Why?” Daniel rasped, his voice sounding a bit softer.
“Why what?” Jack asked, confused. “Why does it hurt?”
Daniel nodded.
“Something happened on P3K 778,” he began, then stopped when Daniel raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“What? You think you’re the only one who can remember planet designations?” Jack said in mock outrage. At Daniel’s low chuckle, then subsequent wince, he sobered.
“Anyway, we don’t know exactly what happened, but you experienced some kind of overload to your brain. Doc says that you’re extremely sensitive to sound, touch and sight. That’s why the lights are low and you’re in the Isolation room.”
“Music… nice,” Daniel said, closing his eyes.
“Yeah,” Jack agreed, remaining quiet when Daniel didn’t open his eyes. Jack was exhausted, but elated.
While Daniel slept, Jack slipped out to get a quick shower and something to eat. He missed Teal’c and Carter, whom General Hammond had sent back to the planet along with Major Paul Davis, to try and prove to the Government officials that Daniel had been the victim and not the guilty party. He felt torn between his duties; he wanted to return to P3K 778 and ram the info they had down those sanctimonious idiots who’d accused Daniel of theft, and at the same time the last thing he wanted to do was leave Daniel here alone.
When he returned to the room, Donna was raising Daniel’s bed so that he could sit up, and he was looking much more alert. His eyes lit up in recognition when he saw Jack, and he smiled at him when Jack took his usual seat by the bed.
“Hey,” Jack said in greeting. “You’re looking chipper this morning.”
“Hi,” Daniel replied. “Thirsty.”
Jack glanced at Donna and she nodded before getting Daniel some water.
“We’re going to do this slowly, okay Doctor Jackson?” Donna said as she sat beside him on the bed.
He nodded, watching her curiously. She took the small plastic cup she had brought back and placed his hands around it. She then took his finger and dipped it into the water, letting him feel the liquid. Daniel took his dripping forefinger and brought it to his mouth, sucking on it. She repeated this three more times before taking the plastic cup and dribbling some water onto his lips.
His tongue came out and he licked his lips, savoring the sensation. She then dipped some water into his mouth and they both watched anxiously until Daniel swallowed the mouthful.
Both Jack and Donna were grinning widely when Daniel managed to drink the remaining water by himself.
“Good,” Donna said. “Maybe you’d like to try something to eat?”
Daniel glanced over at Jack a moment before nodding.
Jack smiled, definitely encouraged by the progress that Daniel was making. As Donna got up from the bed, Jack saw Daniel’s bare feet which were perpetually sticking out from beneath the blankets. Knowing that Daniel constantly complained about cold feet, Jack took the edge of the fluffy covering and flicked it over his feet.
Daniel’s reaction surprised both himself and Donna. Kicking at the blanket wildly, Daniel began yelling loudly. The noise he was making startled Daniel further and he nearly toppled off of the bed and into Jack’s arms.
Jack kept a firm grip on him while trying to push Daniel back onto the bed. Daniel struggled in his arms, constantly yelling while Donna attempted to remove the now twisted blanket caught between Daniel’s thrashing legs. Doctor Warner came running into the room, having seen the happenings on a monitor which Jack knew was in the infirmary 24/7.
Jack was afraid to let Daniel go, but he finally managed to heave Daniel onto the mattress and quickly let go of his arms. Daniel began whimpering, curling up into a fetal position.
As Donna prepared an injection as per Warner’s directions, Jack stood back and helplessly watched Daniel regress back into an unresponsive state. Finally, Warner decided against the sedative, deciding to see if Daniel would return to them on his own. As the lights and music were lowered, Jack carefully spread the blanket over Daniel’s shivering form, taking exaggerated care not to touch his feet with it.
After several minutes, Daniel’s hand slowly crept out from beneath the blanket and curled around the edge, his fingers stroking the pilled material.
It took three hours, but little by little, Daniel came out of the cocoon where Jack’s inadvertent faux pas had sent him hiding.
They decided to try the food once more. Barb came in with a tray that held some juice, apple sauce and yogurt. She handed Daniel the juice after having gone through the same process as Donna had done with the water earlier. As he happily sipped the apple juice, Barb took a spoon and some apple sauce from the tray and handed them to Daniel.
He was a bit clumsy at first with the implement, but he managed to spoon some apple sauce into his mouth. Jack breathed a sigh of relief at seeing Daniel feeding himself, and wearily he leaned back on his chair, closing his eyes in exhaustion.
The sound of Daniel gagging had him leaning forward quickly as Daniel spit out the food. As Daniel wiped his mouth with the back of a shaky hand, Jack took the bowl away, casting an accusatory eye at Barb for bringing something that mustn’t be fresh.
“Sorry,” Daniel said, his head hanging low in shame.
“The food is perfectly fine,” Barb shot back at Jack’s wordless look. As if daring her to be wrong, Jack stuck his finger in the mush and tasted it. He blushed as his taste buds confirmed that the apple sauce was cool and sweet.
“Danny, there’s nothing wrong with this,” Jack said, spooning up a portion and handing it to Daniel.
“I can’t,” Daniel said softly.
“Come on, try it again. You haven’t had anything to eat in nearly two days. It’s not surprising that your stomach isn’t very happy.”
Daniel reluctantly took it and put it into his mouth. Within seconds he began to gag, both the sauce and juice coming back up involuntarily. Jack knew that this reaction wasn’t right because Daniel usually liked applesauce.
“Do you want to try something else, Doctor Jackson?” Barb asked once they’d cleaned off the worst of the mess. She pulled the tab off the container of yogurt before handing it to him, along with the spoon.
At the first signs of retching, Jack took the yogurt from Daniel and held a napkin to his mouth so he could spit it back up. He looked helplessly at Barb, who picked up the food and said she’d be right back.
Daniel looked worried, so Jack took his fingers and slowly stroked them. The small movement seemed to console him.
“It’s okay, Daniel. Not your fault,” Jack said.
“It didn’t feel right,” Daniel said. “I tried, Jack. Really, I tried, but I couldn’t swallow it.”
Doctor Fraiser took that moment to enter the room, smiling at them both. She looked much better than the last time Jack had seen her, the rest having done wonders. Upon seeing her, Daniel smiled.
“Hey Daniel,” she said in greeting as she walked up to the bed. “I hear you’re having a problem with your breakfast?”
Daniel’s smile faded and Jack ached to be able to do something more than just hold his hand. “He tried to eat but he couldn’t even swallow it,” Jack explained.
“Yes, I know. So we’re going to try something with a different texture, okay? Maybe some toast or crackers? Barb’s gone down to the commissary to see what she can bring back. It won’t be too long. In the meantime, do you mind if I have a look at you.”
Jack reluctantly let go of Daniel’s fingers and moved out of Fraiser’s way while she checked Daniel out. With surprisingly little adverse reactions from Daniel, she managed to get her examination done very quickly.
Jack heaved a sigh of relief when Daniel finally managed to chow down two pieces of dry toast with some more juice. While Daniel ate, Jack mentally noted Daniel’s feet and soft foods were taboo for the moment.
He saw that Daniel was tiring and knew he’d be wanting to nap fairly soon. But Fraiser had one more thing she wanted Jack to do before letting Daniel settle down. Helping Daniel remove his soiled top, she had Barb bring some warm water and a cloth.
She handed Daniel a small cup filled with the water, having him put his hands around it and feel its heat. Next, she had him dip his fingers in it, getting used to the sensation of the liquid. A larger basin was brought out and his hand was immersed. Daniel felt around with his fingers, and smiled. With a wicked look in his eyes, he flicked his hand at Jack, spraying the water over his face.
She handed Jack a washcloth and he dipped it into the basin. With slow, gentle movements, he took Daniel’s hand and began wiping his fingers with it. Daniel permitted him to do so, so Jack moved onto his arm. Working his way slowly towards Daniel’s torso, he began to give his lover a bath.
By the time he’d finished, Daniel was half asleep, soothed by the gentle strokes. When Jack reached Daniel’s feet, Jack looked up at Fraiser for direction. She nodded, and Jack took a deep breath before warning Daniel.
“Danny, I’m going to wash your feet, okay?”
Daniel’s only answer was an ‘ummm hmmm’, so Jack moved his hand from where it was resting against his shin, his fingers creeping over Daniel’s ankle. He used both hands, one to wipe with the cloth, the other to support Daniel’s foot. Daniel twitched a time or two, but his eyes remained closed. Finished with one foot, Jack moved onto the other, again moving from his leg down to his ankle after giving Daniel warning of his intentions.
Grinning at Fraiser, they got the sleepy man dressed and covered, allowing him to go to sleep. ON TO PART TWO >>
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