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Daniel didn't know which was worse, the pounding in his head, or his burning and throbbing feet. He stifled a groan as he slowly came to awareness. He was cold, his body occasionally tensing in involuntary shivers. He knew that he was lying on his left side; he could feel rocks digging painfully into his hip and ribs. He opened his eyes and turned his head, trying to get his bearings. The movement sent the world a-whirling, and before he could sit up, he found himself violently heaving and expelling the contents of his stomach.
He tried to push away from the ground as he felt warm drops of vomit splatter onto his face. He was disoriented, and for some reason his muddled brain couldn't get his right arm to obey. Coughing and retching, he finally managed to push himself up slightly with his left arm as his body began dry heaving. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly against his pounding headache; he concentrated on breathing while his stomach slowly settled.
Panting, sweat poring down his chilled body, he turned onto his back, and yelped in pain. His right arm was caught beneath his body and he pushed with his feet, trying to turn back onto his side. Fire erupted throughout the soles of his feet. He instinctively curled up on his side, lifting his feet off the ground and bringing his knees up to his chest. He lay there breathing hard, waiting for the pain to subside, shivering from cold and pain.
He remained there for an indeterminate amount of time, until the stench of his vomit finally forced him to move away. Gingerly pushing off with his left hand, he managed to get himself into a seated position. He took deep breaths as the world tilted once more, his vision graying out slightly.
Head throbbing in counterpoint to his feet, Daniel felt like he was having the world's worst hangover. When he was sure that he wasn't going to pass out, he tried taking stock of his body. His right arm was somehow lodged behind his back. Using his left hand to try and feel behind him, his fingers encountered a nylon rope. With a lurch, he realized that his hand had been brought up between his shoulder blades and was tightly bound. The rope had been made into some kind of harness wrapped around his torso, securing his hand against his back. He struggled to untie himself, but was unable to reach the knots.
Swearing under his breath, he gave up the attempt and turned his attention to his feet. He had lost his boots somewhere, somehow, and had obviously been walking in his sock clad feet. The socks were torn and stained with blood, the material sticking to his bruised and bleeding feet. He looked around in desperation, realizing that walking was out of the question.
A quick once over revealed a variety of bruises all over his body, several of which were making themselves painfully felt. He was dressed only in his pants and tee shirt, and he shivered as a gust of cold wind blew over him. He checked his pants' pockets and came up empty. He had no food, no water, no weapons. He'd kill for a knife at the moment; he was off balance with his hand tied up behind him. At least his arm wasn't hurting him, it felt numb, actually.
Daniel looked around, searching for landmarks. He was sitting in the midst of a glade, surrounded by trees. There was no discernible path, but the distinctive bluish green tint of the leaves and grass informed him that he was on planet P4J 164. He rubbed his face with his gritty hand, recalling that he'd gone on this mission when SG8 had contacted General Hammond, requesting the services of an archaeologist. He'd seen the pictures of the ruins that they'd discovered and had quickly volunteered, much to Jack's chagrin. He had joined SG8 two days ago, if his memory was correct. But what had happened? His last recollection was sitting around the campfire after having spent the day transcribing the ancient hieroglyphics.
Where was SG8, for that matter? Who had tied him up? Why had he walked into the woods without his boots? And what the hell had he imbibed to have caused such a hangover? He hunched forward slightly, trying to keep all pressure away from his feet. He needed to take care of those injuries but didn't have anything but his tee-shirt to wrap his feet in, and with the way his hand was hog tied, he couldn't even take that off.
"Hello!" he called out, hoping he wasn't far from base camp. He doubted he was close, though. He suspected he'd been traveling for a while, the way his feet felt. He called out a few more times, hoping someone would hear him. Silence answered him.
As much as he hated putting weight on his feet, he had no choice but to at least try to see if he could spot some landmarks; maybe figure out where he was. With his free hand supporting his weight on the hard ground, Daniel maneuvered his legs beneath him until he was kneeling. With a deep breath, he grabbed onto the trunk of a tree for support. Gritting his teeth, he gingerly placed his left foot down on the ground. The pain was worse than he'd thought it would be, and he closed his eyes as he forced his protesting body up.
His chest scraped on the hard bark as he used the tree to help himself into a standing position. He placed his other foot on the ground and almost lost his balance, taking several small, wincing steps forward in order to keep from falling down. Bruised muscles in his legs and back protested and he'd have had problems enough walking even if his feet hadn't been in the condition that they now were in.
He forced himself to breathe through clenched teeth, his one hand holding onto a tree for support. He peered into the gloomy woods, the overcast sky barely penetrating the canopy. There had to be a trail, he *knew* he had walked here, his feet were very painfully telling him so.
He hobbled carefully around the small glen, unable to make out any sign of his passage here. Trembling from his exertions, he spotted the glint of water amongst the trees. With no other direction to choose from, he opted for the small pond. He needed liquids, and he had to clean the dirt from the cuts on his feet before they got infected.
Every step was agony; he felt each pebble, branch and root as he made his slow way into the woods. Cold sweat poured down his chilled body, causing him to shiver non stop. At least there was less wind here amongst the trees. As he approached the water, he could feel the ground beneath him become damper and colder. He stopped a few feet away from the water's edge, swearing when his nose informed him that the liquid before him was not appropriate for his consumption, or for soaking his feet in. A grayish green scum littered the surface, and bugs flitted happily about.
He turned around and aimed for the brighter patch of woods that he had just left, barely making it out amongst the shadows before him. He was desperate to stop and sit down, but he was afraid that if he rested, he wouldn't be able to bring himself to stand up again. Crawling was beginning to look like an option, except that doing so one handed was going to be difficult. As he reached the edge of the clearing, he almost threw himself down, wincing as his bruised body took the brunt of his weight in his rush to get off of his abused feet.
The wind was more prevalent here, and he tried moving back into the shelter of the woods. After a few half hearted attempts, he gave up and curled up on his side, trying to conserve heat.
Too cold to relax, in too much pain to fall asleep, Daniel lay there in abject misery, unable to clearly remember what had happened to bring him to this predicament. He attempted to concentrate on his last clear memory, which was joking around with SG8 as they all ate their supper. Their banter had been light at first, but a note of darkness began insinuating itself in his memories. He vaguely recalled jeers and insults, and somehow his taunting SG8 with 'I could do it with one hand tied behind my back' kept coming back to him. He suspected he knew now why he'd been tied up in this manner.
- - - - - -
Jack O'Neill stood at the bottom of the ramp leading to the Stargate, his two team members waiting impatiently beside him as the battalion of Marines rushed into the Gateroom. As they fell into position behind him, Jack glanced up at General Hammond, who was staring down at him from the Control Room. Once the last man fell into position, Hammond leaned over the mic and announced, "SG1, you have a go."
Striding determinedly up the ramp, Jack walked through the event horizon without hesitation, trusting that the others would follow behind. The trip through the wormhole to P4J 164 felt instantaneous, and his thoughts continued to twirl through his mind as he looked around for SG8 as he stepped away from the Stargate.
General Hammond had been in contact with the offworld team less than 30 minutes ago. Jack cursed the planet and this particular Stargate; it was powered by the sun and could only be activated every 48 to 72 hours. No amount of jury-rigging would get it to work before its built-in solar battery was charged.
Major Jefferson, SG8's Commanding Officer, had been forced to wait several hours after discovering that Daniel was missing before alerting the SGC and requesting assistance. He'd been unwilling to tie up the Stargate by dialing home and thus preventing a rescue team from coming through for another three days by initiating the wormhole himself, and had waited until the SGC's regularly scheduled contact time later this afternoon.
The man had reported that his team had woken up ill this morning and that Daniel was nowhere to be found. His boots, glasses and jacket were still in camp. They had no recollection as to what had happened; they had all woken up with what appeared to be one hell of a hangover. They had searched the immediate area and the ruins where Daniel had spent the previous days, and had had no luck in finding any trace of their missing archaeologist.
Luckily Jack, Carter and Teal'c had been on base when Hammond had contacted the planet. Keeping the wormhole active, they had rushed to get ready and were now heading in search of their missing teammate. Jack knew that they were now all stuck on this planet for at least two to three days, depending on the amount of sunshine the 'gate would be exposed to. He looked up at the overcast sky; the sun wasn't very evident. He hoped that Daniel wasn't too badly off, if he needed medical help, they were in trouble.
Major Jefferson hailed him as he stepped down the dais leading to the Stargate. Jack stared at the man's black eye a moment before the Major apprised him of the search pattern already undertaken. Not finding fault with what he had accomplished so far, Jack quickly issued orders, expanding the area to be searched. His men quickly deployed. Jack noted that one member of SG8 had his wrist taped up, another was limping slightly.
He, Teal'c, and Carter headed off to the south and eventually split up. Jack continued on into a thickly wooded area while Carter made her way towards a meadow, Teal'c heading for small hills west of the woods. There were no footprints or signs of passage. Constantly calling out his friend's name, Jack kept his eyes peeled as he traversed between the dark and gloomy trees.
He could feel the cold wind on his face and fingers, and all he could think of was Daniel outside without proper clothes in this weather. Jefferson had taken Jack aside and had confided that he thought that somehow, his team had been drugged. He'd also admitted to vague recollections of their dragging Daniel out into the dark, but he couldn't swear whether they were memories or dreams.
He'd looked Jack straight in the eye, and had admitted to possibly having mistreated Jack's friend and unbeknownst to Jefferson, Jack's lover. Jack's admiration for this man had gone up a notch, even when he felt anger at him for possibly being responsible for Daniel's predicament. Jack wondered if SG8's various injuries had been inflicted during Daniel's probable forced disappearance.
Jack realized that one possible reason why Daniel hadn't returned to base camp was the fact that he didn't have any footwear. If he'd been dragged through these woods, he hated to think what condition his feet must be in.
Jack listened to the chatter on the radio with half an ear; people reporting that no signs had yet been found. Jack traipsed through the woods for several hours, covering a southern heading. He knew that Carter was flanking him on the right and Teal'c on the left, but by this time they had probably drifted apart by a few miles.
Jack kept calling out Daniel's name, hoping that his friend would hear him. He heard a rustling sound and stopped, peering to his right. For a moment he thought that he'd found Daniel, until he spotted a kitten-sized furry creature nibbling on some lilac colored moss hanging from a tree. He took a step forward when suddenly the creature hissed at him. He backed off slowly, and the creature glared at him until he was out of sight. Shaking his head, Jack continued on his way. Jack knew from his mission reports that there were no dangerous creatures on this planet; he figured that they must have missed the pint-sized furball.
Jack had to deviate from his path at one point when two small deer-like creatures were caught up in a battle. They totally disregarded him; too intent on their aggressions. He climbed over an old rotting log, his foot slipping on the lilac moss which seemed to cover everything in the immediate area.
The light was beginning to fade and Jack realized that he needed to turn back. He had swept across a very small area of the woods; with a sinking heart he knew that they probably needed more manpower in order to do a proper search.
A small chipmunk-like creature chattered at him from a branch above his head. Before Jack could react, it launched itself at him. Jack reflexively swatted it aside, where it crashed against a tree trunk and lay still. Looking up at the branch, Jack could see the lilac moss the animal had been eating.
He clicked his radio on and called base camp.
"Siera Gulf eight niner, this is Sierra Gulf one niner. Come in."
Jefferson answered almost immediately.
Questioning him about the moss, Jefferson admitted that it had only begun growing the previous day. When asked if they had eaten any, he had quickly confirmed that they had not. But when he admitted that they had burned firewood with moss clinging to it, Jack was pretty sure that that was how they had been drugged. He assumed that SG8 had probably ganged up on Daniel; his lover, although well liked, did at times bring out the best and the worst in people.
He warned Jefferson not to make a fire that night, and to keep an eye out for any possible hostile animals. Jefferson confirmed that he'd noticed the aggressive behavior of the wildlife today. So far Jack had only come across the smaller animals; a larger one could very possibly be dangerous.
Jack reluctantly returned to camp, and spent most of the night lying awake. He felt guilty for being nice and cozy in his sleeping bag where he was positive that Daniel was out there freezing.
- - - - - -
Daniel spent the night curled up in misery. He was freezing and knew that he should move around to stay warm, but his feet hurt too much to support his weight. He had tried to walk around the clearing twice, and the last time only managed to limp a few feet before he collapsed to his knees. To make matters worse, his bruised muscles had stiffened up in the cold and simply sitting up was difficult.
He was hungry and desperately thirsty. His headache hadn't gone away; he suspected the fact that he must be dehydrated wasn't helping it any.
He lay there in a stupor. Occasionally fragments of memories or emotions would come back to him. In a half dream, he saw himself sitting around the campfire, accepting an MRE from Sean O'Connor. From the moment he'd arrived on the planet, the dark haired man had gone out of his way to try and make Daniel feel like part of the team. Last night, they had sat together talking about movies, Daniel missing Jack's company when they talked about one particular movie they'd seen together. Suddenly the conversation had turned into an argument. He'd been feeling oddly angry because Jack wasn't there with him, that he wasn't with his own team... his family.
Daniel didn't remember the words, but he remembered the intent. He had wanted to hurt; and hurt he did. He'd been sarcastic, arrogant, cutting, saying the first things that popped into his mind. The remainder of the team had quickly jumped in to defend Sean, and Daniel had turned his anger on them. Anger; unmitigated, uncontrollable rage.
It had crept up slowly, inexplicably. He couldn't recall Sean saying anything that would have caused those emotions to rise in him. Hell, Sean hadn't said anything that should have upset him in the least. The whole team had been happy to have Daniel with them; he shouldn't have felt like the odd man out. The one thing he knew for sure was that whatever had happened, Daniel had been the one to initiate it. His face burned suddenly in shame; he was going to have some major apologizing to do when they found him. If they found him.
The four members of SG8 had dragged him to the ground when Daniel had boasted that SG1 was a much better team than they could ever hope to be; Major Jefferson having been the one to tie his hand back with the rope after dragging his jacket off of his body. They'd torn his boots off his feet, and had physically hauled him up and forced him to walk in near-bare feet for what felt like miles.
Less clear was the nightmare trip through the woods. His arm and hand aching horribly after it had been wrenched up and secured behind his back, his feet bleeding and bruised, they'd forced him to walk through the dark woods. Kicks and punches had punctuated their commands to keep moving whenever he had faltered from fatigue or pain. And throughout the ordeal, he'd kept taunting them, insulting them, lashing out at them both verbally and physically.
He still didn't understand what had happened, but knew that his punishment was far beyond what he'd deserved. He was anxious for someone to find him; and simultaneously afraid that SG8 would return in the same mood as the one they'd left with late last night. He was vulnerable at the moment, with no way to defend himself or escape.
He was also desperately afraid that he wouldn't be found. Daylight was gone and the temperature had dipped with the loss of the sun. He was shivering constantly now and knew that he wouldn't last long if the temperature kept falling. The temperature had begun to dip the first night he had arrived; SG8 had teased him, telling him he had brought the cold of Colorado along with him. They'd been enjoying almost balmy weather until then.
He was exhausted; how could he be so tired when he had done nothing but lie here all day and night? He squinted into the dark, barely able to make out the trees around him.
He lay his head back down on the hard ground, squeezing his left hand between his thighs to warm his chilled fingers. He'd have preferred to stick it under his armpit but with his other arm bent backwards, it wasn't an option. Strange that he couldn't feel his hand or fingers. Probably his hand was asleep due to the positioning. His feet were cold, too, but there was nothing he could do about that.
He tried to remember when the SGC was scheduled to contact them. He thought that it might have been today, or was it tomorrow? In what condition were SG8 in? If Hammond had initiated contact, would they have even been there to answer his hails? Would they have admitted to their abducting him? He childishly wished that Jack were here; he knew that his own team would eventually have found him had they had been here. But most of all, he just wanted to be held in his partner's arms, to hear his sweet murmurs that everything would be okay. He snorted suddenly at the thought; more than likely were Jack to find him, he'd be giving Daniel a tongue lashing before using his tongue on Daniel in more creative ways.
- - - - - -
Jack was up before daybreak the following morning, and was soon joined by both Carter and Teal'c. They barely took the time to eat their breakfast before they'd packed up their gear and headed off. Each went in the same direction as the previous day, intent on expanding their search area.
The day was spent much as the previous one. The lilac moss was now everywhere, and nearly all wildlife he encountered appeared vicious and ready to attack at the slightest provocation. The foliage on this planet was so springy that minutes after traipsing through it, it returned to its natural form, obliterating any sign of passage. That was why no one could find any sign of where SG8 had left Daniel. And unfortunately, none of the team could remember which direction they had taken that night. They had all seemed to feel that they had wandered around in circles, and had admitted to having had trouble finding their way back to camp afterwards.
Jack wrinkled his nose as he approached what appeared to be a stagnant pool of water. He was tired, his legs were sore, and he was hungry. He hadn't taken any time to rest, and had only wolfed down a powerbar for lunch while on the go. The one thing that kept him going was the fact that Daniel had no food or water, or appropriate clothes.
He'd been searching for most of the day; nobody had had any luck. It was getting late once again and he knew that he had to turn back soon. He circumvented the soggy area carefully. He had taken several steps away from the reeking pool when he belatedly realized he's spotted something in the damp soil. He backtracked and squatted to examine the hardened footprint carefully. Standing quickly, he bellowed, "Daniel!"
He turned his flashlight on and followed the few faint prints illuminated by its glow. They faded as the ground grew less damp, and so he continued on in their general direction. So intent was he on searching for the vague trail that he nearly tripped over the huddled form on the ground. He quickly knelt next to him.
Daniel appeared to be unconscious. He was shivering, curled up into a ball. Relief flooded through Jack as he realized that Daniel was alive. His flashlight revealed what he had feared; bloody and torn socks on his feet. He placed a shaking hand on his love's face, his cold fingers registering the even colder skin.
Daniel moaned and turned his face into Jack's palm, searching for the source of heat. Jack placed a hand on the man's shoulder, staying further movement. He could feel him shuddering beneath his fingers and he quickly shed his jacket, intending to wrap it around the younger man's shoulders. Already warm from his body heat, it would help keep Daniel comfortable until Jack could remove the sleeping bag from his rucksack. Immediately Jack felt the cold air stir goose bumps along his bare arms.
He swore when he saw how Daniel's hand had been ruthlessly pulled up behind his back and tied. He clicked his radio on while one handedly removing the sleeping bag from his pack. He informed the teams that he had located their missing archaeologist. Knowing that it would be impossible to carry Daniel out of these woods in the dark, he ordered everyone to return to camp and to come find them the following morning. Carter argued that she wasn't far from his position and would come and meet him. Teal'c responded with the same reasoning, and Jack acknowledged that he might need their help during the coming night. He left his radio on, knowing that they would easily trace his signal and find him shortly.
Moving quickly and efficiently, Jack lit the battery-powered lamp and placed it nearby, hoping that the light would keep the wildlife at bay since a campfire was out of the question. Especially since all of the available dry wood in the immediate area appeared to be covered with the encroaching lilac moss.
After maneuvering Daniel into the sleeping bag and rolling him onto his side, he dug into his pack and removed several small chemical-heating packs, igniting all of them. Barely conscious, Daniel mumbled something unintelligible as Jack reached down and placed a heating pack behind Daniel's knees, and another against the small of his back. A third and fourth were placed against his stomach.
His shivering intensified as his body worked to maintain his core temperature. Jack turned Daniel partway onto his stomach, his chest and head supported on Jack's lap, so that he could reach the knotted rope behind his back. Before he could cut the rope, Jack heard Daniel talking softly. He lowered his head, listening to the whispered words.
"Please let me in. I'll be good, I promise. Please, Mr. Cathcart, I'm cold. I won't read at the dinner table. I'll be good."
'Aw shit', Jack said to himself. He rubbed Daniel's shoulder and back gently while brushing his lips against Daniel's temple.
He hated to hear Daniel begging in his delirium; he'd had this particular nightmare once before during a high fever. Later he'd explained to Jack that he'd been locked in an unheated porch one winter night when his foster parents had lost their patience with a young boy who had been desperately trying to fit into this overly-strict household.
"Daniel, it's okay. You're safe. Come on, big guy, can you wake up for a minute?"
His words seemed to reach Daniel because he quieted after a moment. "Close the window, Jack," Daniel muttered after a short pause. Jack smiled and squeezed his shoulder gently.
"Sorry, no can do," he answered.
He smiled down at the confused look on Daniel's face as he turned his head to look up at Jack.
"Hey," Jack said gently. The shivering man continued to stare at him, and Jack brought a hand to his face, cupping his cheek, then rubbing his thumb gently in small circles.
"I'm really here," he said to Daniel's unasked question. He stroked alongside the man's stubbly jaw, and kissed him quickly on the lips before turning his attention to freeing Daniel's arm.
"I'm going to cut the rope," he warned as he grasped Daniel's cold right hand firmly in his. One slice and Daniel's arm was free. He carefully brought the arm down until it was lying straight behind Daniel's back, and then maneuvered it over Daniel's hip, laying it gently against his waist before rolling Daniel onto his back. Daniel brought his other hand over and touched his arm tentatively.
"I can't feel my arm or hand," he said in a whisper, forcing the words between chattering teeth.
Jack frowned at the words. "Probably the nerves were pinched. You'll get some feeling in it soon," he said, hoping that he was right. He gently probed the arm and shoulder, relieved that he couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. Which didn't mean that there hadn't been any nerve or muscle damage. Jack reached over and zipped the jacket closed. Using the empty sleeve, he pulled it across the front of Daniel's arm and body, tucking it in tightly into his pants as a makeshift sling.
He reached back and removed his water bottle, offering Daniel a few sips. He watched as Daniel swallowed the liquid, his teeth chattering against the plastic mouth.
Daniel closed his eyes and curled himself into a ball, so Jack decided to have a look a Daniel's feet. He tucked the edge of the unzipped sleeping bag up and over the exhausted man's shoulders while he pulled up the bottom edge, exposing his feet. Daniel tried to pull his feet up into the shelter of the sleeping bag, but Jack deftly caught one retreating foot.
Pulling the lamp closer to better illuminate the damage, he saw that blood had dried onto the ragged cotton material, causing the material to stick to the wounds. Jack knew he'd have to soak the cloth in order to ease it away from the cuts and scrapes. He had a limited supply of water on him, and thought back to the stagnant pool he'd passed by earlier. He could boil the water... but then he'd have to start a fire, and the wood had that damned stuff growing on it.
Letting go of Daniel, he reached for his pack, locating his first aid kit. He removed the antiseptic and bandages first and put them aside, adding his canteen to the items. He noticed that Daniel was becoming restless and he crawled forward.
"What's going on?" he asked as he placed a hand to Daniel's cheek.
"It hurts, Jack," Daniel moaned.
Jack pulled open the edge of the sleeping bag and saw that Daniel was gripping his right arm tightly.
- - - - - -
Daniel couldn't believe his eyes; for a time he'd thought that he was dreaming. He'd heard Jack's voice, felt his fingers graze his skin... his *warm* fingers. It wasn't really until he'd felt Jack's lips brush against his own that he realized Jack was really here. Still too muddled to comprehend how Jack had found him, he lay shivering against his love's warm body as he informed Daniel that he was going to free his arm.
He could feel Jack fiddling with the rope behind his back, but his arm was totally numb. There was no sensation, no pain. When Jack brought his arm forward, it lay heavily against him like a piece of wood, not even feeling like part of his body. He touched it tentatively, afraid that he was now paralyzed.
The water he swallowed was heavenly. Long before he was sated, Jack took it away. The cool liquid, though, caused him to shiver even more violently. Jack pulled the top of the blanket up to his chin and Daniel reveled in the protection it afforded him against the cold wind.
He could feel bits of heat touching his body, but it wasn't doing much to warm him up. A cold draft on his feet had him instinctively pulling them up towards his chest, but a warm, strong hand caught his ankle, holding one foot steady.
Jack.
He began feeling a thickness in his arm, starting from his shoulder and reaching down to his fingertips. It was with relief that Daniel realized he was beginning to feel the sensation of pins and needles. It was uncomfortable, but he welcomed it. He tried to wiggle his fingers, but they still wouldn't obey him.
Jack let go of his foot and placed the blanket over it. He was still shivering uncontrollably, and every little gust of air seemed to make it worse. Cocooned in the blanket, Daniel wondered why he still couldn't get warm.
The sensation in his arm suddenly intensified, and the pins and needles became more than discomfort. He gasped when his arm and shoulder exploded in pain.
Distantly he felt Jack's hand on his face, the heat from his fingers unmistakable. In answer to his question, Daniel tried to speak, the words coming out as a moan. "It hurts, Jack."
The pain was unbelievable. His whole arm was on fire and he writhed as he tried to escape the pain. He forgot about his feet until his thrashing caused them to brush against the ground. He stifled a groan as he fought hands that tried to keep him still.
A sudden stinging sensation in his thigh startled him, but the pain was mild and fleeting. After a time he felt strong arms holding him tightly as he was pulled forward against a warm, familiar body.
- - - - - -
Daniel plastered himself along Jack's length. Jack held him tightly, relieved to have found this man who meant so much to him, alive; but worried about the agony that his arm was giving him and his overall physical condition. Daniel buried his face into the hollow of Jack's neck as Jack covered Daniel's head with the sleeping bag.
A groan came from underneath the covering, and Daniel's cold, uninjured hand moved unerringly, pulling Jack's tee shirt from where it had been tucked into his pants. He jumped involuntarily as the chilled fingers splayed against the warmer skin of his stomach, then held still as Daniel raised a leg and insinuated his knee between Jack's legs. A hiss told him that he'd jarred his injured foot. Jack knew he had to treat Daniel's feet soon also, before infection set in.
He lay there for a long time while Daniel shivered against him, his body tense from the pain. Jack waited for the morphine he'd injected Daniel with to begin taking effect, whispering to him softly. Slowly, Jack could feel the chill begin to leave Daniel's body as he began to warm up. He relaxed more and more as his pain became bearable. His breathing was deep and regular now, only punctuated by an occasional shudder.
The sound of something large approaching in the woods had Jack quickly reaching for his gun, which he had placed within easy reach. Even before he could find a target, he heard Teal'c's deep voice calling, "O'Neill".
"Over here, Teal'c," Jack shouted, knowing that Teal'c had probably seen the light of his lamp, but was making sure Jack knew that it was him. Footsteps quickly heralded the large man's approach before he knelt beside them.
He felt Daniel stir, either his movements or his voice had woken him up.
"Jack?" he asked, blinking in the light as Jack pulled back the sleeping bag which had been covering Daniel's head.
"Yeah, it's me," Jack said with a hint of a smile. "Nice mess you got yourself into," he teased as he ruffled Daniel's hair.
"Why are you here?" Daniel frowned as he squinted up at Jack. Noticing Teal'c for the first time, Jack saw Daniel's eyes widen in surprise. "You're not supposed to be on P4J 164," he exclaimed in a raspy voice.
"Well, let's just say that SG8 misplaced an archaeologist and we volunteered to come and look for him." Jack smiled down gently at his confused love. As Teal'c placed a hand on Daniel's face, checking his friend's condition for himself, he heard Carter warning him on the radio of her approach.
"Oh," Daniel said. After a moment, he looked up at Jack and asked, "Did you find him?"
"Yeah, a little worse for wear, but I found him." He clicked the radio, "Roger that, Carter," he replied into his radio as he smiled down at Daniel.
"What happened to him?"
"Seems like some sort of alien plant gave out fumes in the campfire. It brought out the worst in everyone, and one poor archaeologist seems to have caught the brunt of the hostilities. SG8 is really sorry about what happened."
"Oh, so it wasn't something I said?" Daniel asked. Jack laughed softly at his words.
By the time his 2IC reached them, Jack was sitting up with Daniel leaning against him, the sleeping bag pulled up to his shoulders. Teal'c offered him his canteen and he tipped it to Daniel's mouth. Again, allowing him only a sip or two and wishing for a portable stove, he raised a hand to Daniel's nape as the man tiredly leaned his head against Jack's chest. Teal'c removed a power bar and tearing open the packaging, he silently handed it to Jack.
Taking the proffered meal, he gently squeezed Daniel's uninjured arm. "Hey," he said when the man in his arms looked up at him blearily. "Think you can eat a bit of this?" he asked as he held the bar before his face. Jack knew that they needed to get as much nourishment and liquid into him.
Daniel raised his head, peering at what Jack was offering. At his slight nod Jack broke off a tiny bite, feeding him the morsel. He watched as Daniel slowly chewed and swallowed, his head lying heavily against Jack's shoulder. He continued to feed him; alternating between food and water. He'd shake him awake whenever his exhaustion overwhelmed him and he'd nod off. When Daniel had eaten close to a quarter of the bar, Jack allowed him to succumb to sleep after having him swallow a dose of antibiotics.
All this while Carter had been busily examining Daniel, and at her questioning look at the sling, he'd explained how he'd found Daniel and that he'd had to give him something for the pain. She frowned as she pulled back the jacket to probe his arm and shoulder.
"We need to ice his shoulder, sir," Carter commented. Jack ignored the hiss of pain which her touch invoked. Daniel shifted, arching away from her touch. Jack gently placed a hand on the injured part of Daniel's body, feeling the heat rising off his upper arm and shoulder. He knew that they'd need to keep the swelling down; otherwise recovery would take even longer.
"Ya think?" Jack muttered. Carter removed three cold packs from their medical supplies and squeezed them, activating the products. Jack was glad that they'd taken the time to take a bit of everything when they'd left the SGC, not knowing in what condition that they'd find Daniel. She placed them along Daniel's arm, and secured his jacket tightly once again, holding the packs in place.
"I'd like to soak his feet first," Carter said as she turned her attention to those injuries. Jack nodded, but frowned at her next request.
"If we were to make a small fire and boil some water..." she started.
"No!" Jack countered quickly. "That stuff is all over the place."
"If we were to scrape the moss off of the wood, there would be little contamination, and of course I'd make the fire downwind from us," she argued. Jack knew that warm water would be best for Daniel's comfort, but he couldn't afford to risk exposing any of his team to the effects of that stuff. If trained soldiers like SG8 could be so easily affected by the vapors of a burning alien plant, he hated to think what it could do to his team. And they needed all of their faculties to care for Daniel. He was too vulnerable at this point; injured and unable to escape any or all of them were they to become infected.
"I believe my symbiote would allow me to withstand the effects," Teal'c offered.
"How do you know that Junior won't be affected himself?" Jack argued. Teal'c merely raised an eyebrow, canting his head slightly while staring at Jack with a very slight smile. He sighed. He hated this, but maybe Teal'c could... just a small fire... maybe keep it going just long enough to boil some of that pond water, make it safe for cleaning Daniel's feet.
"Okay," he relented. "Just long enough to get that water safe to use. And Teal'c, you make sure you get minimum exposure. Go MOPP 4."
With a nod, the Jaffa rose to begin the process of starting a fire at the far end of the clearing. Carter got their collapsible container and went back into the woods to retrieve the water at Jack's direction. Before lighting the fire, Teal'c donned the protective clothing, minimizing his exposure to the moss' influence.
- - - - - -
Daniel lay in a twilight state, half awake and half asleep. His arm, feet and head still hurt, even with the drug Jack had given him, preventing him from falling into a deeper and more restful sleep. But the pain was manageable, at least for now. He could hear bits of conversation around him, but it was just too much effort to try and concentrate on the voices. He was still cold, not the bone chilling cold of before, but just enough to make him uncomfortable. He'd love to soak in a warm bath and let the heat of the hot water seep into him. He couldn't complain, though, he was very grateful for Jack's warmth underneath him.
The feel of Jack's hand on his head was comforting. His fingers traced small patterns in his hair. Daniel didn't think Jack was even aware that he was doing it. He roused slightly when Jack's voice became alarmed, and he reluctantly opened his eyes. He saw Teal'c outlined in the glow of a campfire at the other end of the glade. As he watched, Teal'c picked something large and metallic up from the fire and carefully carried it over towards them. As his eyes closed reluctantly, he noted that Teal'c appeared to be wearing protective gear.
He dozed until the sound of raised voices disturbed him. A little disoriented, he felt Jack tense beneath him. He turned his head and saw Teal'c standing nearby, minus the protective gear now, looking down at them with a look of loathing that was usually reserved for the Goa'uld. Sam crouched protectively beside them and he saw her fingering a zat. God, what was going on?
"Jack?" he asked tentatively.
"Shhh," Jack said with a slight squeeze to his arm. He tried to push away to let Jack stand up. Whatever was going on, he knew that by half lying on top of Jack, he was putting his friend in a vulnerable position. The movement jarred his arm and shoulder and reminded his bruised and battered body of its earlier abuse. He bit back a cry as he fell back against Jack.
At the sound of his voice, Teal'c turned towards Daniel. With a look of disdain, the Jaffa spat the word 'Hassak' at him before turning around and walking into the darkness of the woods.
"Teal'c!" Jack bellowed as their friend disappeared. He gently pushed Daniel aside as he got up to go after him, but seemed to reconsider and sat back down, pulling Daniel back into the comfort of his arms.
"Sir, shouldn't we...?" Sam asked hesitatingly.
"No, we'd never find him in the dark," Jack replied. "Damn, I should never have let him talk me into lighting the fire," Jack groused.
Daniel was a little confused, why had Teal'c turned on them and why had he just called Daniel a fool? And why light the campfire all the way over there? Daniel would have preferred to have it blazing hotly right beside him; he could have used the additional warmth it would have provided.
"What happened?" Daniel asked softly. He knew that Jack was upset, and bits of conversation that he'd heard while dozing came creeping back into his mind. Teal'c had accused Jack of constantly coddling Daniel, and of Sam being too weak a warrior to take her own command. The atmosphere felt familiar, and with a pang, he realized that he'd experienced it at the camp with SG8. Except that time it had been him doing the accusing.
Somewhat red faced and ashamed, he said, "He didn't know what he was saying, Jack."
A kiss on the temple was his reply.
"We know, Daniel," Sam added. "We thought we'd taken all precautions; we scraped the moss from the wood, and Teal'c put on the protective gear. We thought that his symbiote would be immune and would protect him. I guess we were mistaken."
Her haunted eyes turned to look towards where Teal'c had left their campsite.
"It makes you angry," Daniel said, wanting to try and explain what Teal'c was experiencing. "Unexplained rage, you say the first things that you think of, wanting to hurt. It's not even subconscious thoughts that are expressed; it's pure, thoughtless fury."
He tried to relax against Jack, but his ears were now peeled for the slightest sounds. He hoped that Teal'c would soon return... and in his proper mind. He had no doubts as to how easily he could hurt them in this state. He heard Sam fiddle with something and then the sound of water being poured into a container. He continued to listen and watch, peering into the dark shadows, seeing and hearing nothing beyond the confines of their camp.
A gentle tap of a finger against his cheek woke him up with a start.
"Wake up," Jack breathed in his ear.
"Teal'c?" he asked, trying to sit up.
"No, there's no sign of him." Jack's voice was sad. "We're going to take care of your feet, and I didn't want you to wake up in pain," Jack explained. Daniel nodded, and shifted slightly, trying to get comfortable on the hard ground as Sam pushed the covering over and exposed his right foot.
"I'm going to soak your foot first in some water," she explained. "It's going to sting," she warned as she lifted his foot and lowered it into the warm liquid.
He jerked his foot reflexively out of the water, his feet stinging and burning at the contact. Sam ruthlessly kept a firm grip and placed it back into the water. "Sorry," she muttered as she kept his foot submerged regardless of his attempts to remove it.
Daniel arched back against Jack, breathing hard. Damn, it hurt. Slowly, the pain receded slightly, only to ignite once more as Sam began to slowly peel his sock from his abused limb.
Jack remained silent throughout Daniel's ordeal, tucking his chin on top of Daniel's head. Daniel could feel Jack's breath on his face, and he tried to match his own panting inhalations to Jack's more controlled ones. When finished, Sam moved the water aside and placed his foot on her lap. He knew that this next part was gonna hurt; and hurt it did. The antiseptic stung horribly. He hoped that Teal'c was nowhere near their camp at the moment because Daniel suspected the small moans he kept hearing were coming from him.
None too soon, she was bandaging his foot. It was only then that Daniel realized that his good hand had a death grip on Jack's thigh. He released his cramped fingers, and knew that Jack was going to have bruises there, thanks to him.
When Sam placed a clean sock on his foot, for the first time since waking up from his drugged walk in the woods yesterday, his foot was finally warm. It ached from her ministrations, though, and he dreaded the thought of everything being repeated on his other foot.
He tensed when she took his left foot and tried to steel himself for the ordeal. The second time was worse as the earlier ministration had tired him out, and he lay weak and damp with sweat when Sam finally finished.
Jack laid him down onto the ground and he didn't resist. He was aware of the sleeping bag being shifted around him and he snuggled into it, exhausted. He missed Jack's warmth and comforting presence. He shivered as his now overheated body began to cool off as the sweat of his body began to dry. He closed his eyes, utterly miserable once again.
- - - - - -
Jack was glad when Daniel's ordeal was finally over. He could see that Carter had been as careful and gentle as possible in cleansing and disinfecting his feet, but damn, they had taken a licking. Despite the painkiller Jack had given him, Daniel had stiffened in pain from the moment Carter had touched his foot.
He'd been relieved to see that there had been mostly bruising and a few deep cuts and scrapes; nothing dangerous except for the possibility of infection. But the injuries had still been severe enough to cause swelling and the discomfort of his healing feet would probably keep him abed for quite a few days.
He knew that Daniel was exhausted and that all this pain was taking a toll on him. He slid out from beneath him and made him as comfortable as possible on the hard ground. Hopefully he'd sleep now, and he whispered that same directive in his love's ear as he wiped the beaded sweat from Daniel's face with the edge of the sleeping bag.
Jack stood up and stretched, glancing at the dark woods, wondering if Teal'c was out there watching. Rubbing his hands quickly against his arms to keep warm, he wondered why Teal'c hadn't attacked him the way the wildlife had. Maybe humans' brains worked differently; maybe their reasoning skills could somewhat counteract the anger Daniel said that the moss brought about. He looked around, thinking that it felt warmer tonight than it had last night. Maybe whatever cold front that had passed over them was now moving away.
He noticed that the fire Teal'c had built was still smoldering, the glow of the embers almost dark as the wood was mostly consumed. He grabbed the container of dirty water and walked towards the fire, stopping several feet away.
Flinging the water at the embers, he stood there in satisfaction as steam and smoke rose in a loud hiss from the complaining embers. He watched a few moments, satisfied when the sizzling finally stopped that the danger of contamination from the moss was gone. He shook the metal container a few times, feeling the droplets spray his hand as he turned back to his teammates.
Seeing Daniel's huddled form before him forced him to stop. Damn, but that man infuriated him sometimes. Why the hell did he have to go and volunteer to go offworld with SG8? This wouldn't have happened had he stayed on base, finishing the work that had been assigned to him. It wasn't like he didn't have enough to keep him occupied! How many times did he stumble into bed at 3 or 4 in the morning, trying to finish up a translation before a ridiculous deadline?
He threw the container into the trees as inexplicable rage came over him. The sound of the metal crashing against a tree was sweet, but it wasn't enough to satisfy him. He ignored Carter's questioning call as his hands curled tightly into fists. He wanted to take that container and pound it to pieces, to smash it until it was just a small crumpled metallic ball, and to take that piece of metal and smash Daniel's face...
Breathing hard, he suddenly felt fear wash over him. He wanted to hurt Daniel... he was angry at Daniel and wanted to punish him. This wasn't him, he would never hurt Daniel.
He dragged his eyes from the trees and looked at his injured lover once more, and felt the rage rising again. Before he knew it, he was striding away from the camp, crashing through the trees. Once more he ignored Carter's calls and kept moving until he tripped over a root and went sprawling.
Breathing through his mouth, he tried to control the anger he felt. He had to keep his distance from his friends. On one level he knew that he'd been affected by the fumes of the fire; damn but he was stupid! On the other level he was fighting to keep his rage in control, and protect his team. This was probably why Teal'c had also left the camp.
He got up slowly, taking stock of his body to ensure he hadn't injured himself in his tumble. He made his way quietly back towards camp, finding a good spot to sit out of the wind and watch. He couldn't trust himself to be with them, but he could take his anger and frustration out on anything that tried to approach them.
He could see Carter bending over Daniel, who was trying to sit up. He clenched his fists again, holding back the emotions. Couldn't that man listen to orders? Carter put a restraining hand on his chest and after a few moments, Jack's lover finally settled back.
Jack exhaled loudly through his mouth, venting the release of some of his irritation. Finally. Lie down and sleep, Dannyboy. You ain't no good to us this way, listen to the good Major and get some rest.
He felt a pang of sorrow that he was worrying Daniel with his behavior, and quickly squelched the thought when he remembered that he wouldn't even *be* on this planet if Daniel had stayed on Earth. They'd be home right now, snuggled up in bed together, or making love. The memory of Daniel's body beneath him caused his penis to twitch.
Recalling how Daniel had made love to him the night before he left on this mission, he shifted as his pants seemed to tighten uncomfortably around him. He brought a hand up to his groin, massaging himself gently. He remembered the sound of Daniel's moans and gasps as Jack slowly kissed and laved his way down Daniel's body.
With a curse, Jack tore his pants open and took hold of his aching member. Stroking himself quickly and angrily, he let the memory of their climax bring him towards orgasm.
- - - - - -
Daniel fought off the lure of oblivion as weakness, pain and exhaustion kept pulling him towards sleep. He knew that he couldn't permit himself any rest, not while Jack was out there under the incensing influence of the moss. He'd instinctively tried to get up and go after him, but the dual agony of shoulder and feet quickly reminded him of his vulnerability and inability to move, let alone walk.
He'd refused Sam's offer of more painkillers when the injection that Jack had given him earlier began to wear off. He hadn't realized how much it had deadened the pain; his arm, head and feet were all throbbing and burning in dissonance with one another.
Sam had tried to get him to eat something before taking his next dose of antibiotics, but the pain he was experiencing had quickly killed any feeling of hunger. He swallowed the pills on an empty stomach, which ended up making him even more nauseous.
His mind kept jumping back and forth, unable to stay focused on just one thought. Where had that moss come from? It hadn't been apparent the first day that he'd been here. Maybe it was weather-dependent; it had been much warmer then. According to SG8, the weather had only started cooling off late the day he'd arrived.
He worried about Jack and Teal'c, and blamed himself for the whole situation. Maybe if he'd been able to control his mouth when the effects of the moss had hit him, he wouldn't have forced SG8 into taking him on. He'd always been a little too sarcastic at times; it was a defensive mechanism he'd developed as a kid when he'd been hauled from foster home to foster home. As an adult he usually was able to keep a lid on his mouth, but the effects of the moss had released his inhibitions, inciting the other SG team to take out their own antagonism on him. He was just lucky that they had been able to more or less control themselves and hadn't hurt him any worse than this.
It was all his fault; and now his lover and friend were both out there, unarmed, not quite in their right minds. And so were the so called 'harmless' creatures... the ones that the previous SG teams had assured everyone were no danger to humans.
He watched Sam as she sat a few feet away from him staring towards the woods, a zat gun sitting in her lap. Amazing how bright this glade was; thanks to the several moons orbiting this planet, there was always at least one shining up in the now cloudless night sky. He saw her tense suddenly and he could see her eyes flit from copse to copse as she searched for whatever it was that she'd heard. Daniel tensed too, hoping that it was Jack returning. Or Teal'c. After a few minutes, Sam relaxed.
Daniel shifted carefully, wary of his arm and shoulder, frustration making him on edge and unable to relax. He found himself snapping at Sam when she asked if he was okay. He quickly apologized, and she moved to his side, replacing the now warm cold-packs with freshly activated ones. He shivered as the cold, gelatinous packages touched his skin. She immediately placed a hand to cheek and forehead.
"You have a fever," she informed him. Sighing, he obediently swallowed the three Tylenol tablets she handed him, and lay back on the uncomfortable ground as the water and pills sat nauseatingly in his stomach. Sam looked worried and so Daniel didn't bring up the fact that his chest was feeling heavy. He recognized the symptoms of a cold and thought resignedly that that was all he needed.
He hoped the pills would also help alleviate some of his discomfort, or at least bring the pain down to a dull roar. He closed his eyes, shifting once more, trying to find a position that didn't hurt.
The sound of conversation woke him up and he reluctantly opened his eyes. Jack was standing a few feet away from him, staring down at him. Carter was standing before him in what he swore looked like a protective stance. He stared numbly at them for a moment, until he realized that Jack had returned.
"Jack!" he exclaimed as he tried to sit up. His throat felt raw, his voice sounding strained and a little rough. Gritting his teeth against the pain of his shoulder, he forced himself up, fighting against the constraining clutches of the sleeping bag. He felt the now warm cold packs slide off his body and he realized that he'd been sleeping for some time.
His partner all but ignored him as he turned away from him and continued his discussion with Sam. Daniel forced himself to concentrate, the words sounding slightly distorted to his ears.
"I'm telling you, Carter, I'm fine now. Look, I'm really sorry about what happened, I should have known better to get that close to the fire, but..."
"I still think you should keep your distance for a while, sir," Sam interrupted. "No disrespect, but I saw the look you gave Daniel before you walked out on us."
"Godamnit, Carter, I said I'm fine!" Jack yelled, glaring at her.
As he heard the shouted words, which reverberated strangely in his head, Daniel ceased his struggle with the sleeping bag and froze. He looked up and saw his lover and what amounted to as his sister at a standoff with one another. He tried once more to get the older man's attention.
"Jack, are you all right?" he asked as he finally managed to raise himself into a seated position without using his feet for leverage. The sleeping bag fell from his shoulders and he felt the cold air against his torso, even though he was still enshrouded by Jack's jacket. The change in position irritated his lungs and he stifled a cough. Jack glanced down at him and then ignored him once more. Sam, on the other hand, turned her attention to Daniel.
She squatted beside him and tsking, fished out the dislodged packs from where they'd fallen inside his jacket. Irritated at her fussing, Daniel attempted to push her away, trying to get Jack to look at him. With dismay, he realized that although his lover had returned, he was still experiencing the distorting influence of the moss' mind-altering effects.
"Will you stop your whining," Jack snapped at Daniel's imploring requests to talk to him. The cold brown eyes pinned Daniel with such a look of loathing that the words froze in the injured man's sore throat. His stomach churning sourly, he swallowed down the threatening bile. He'd never expected such a look of hate to be directed towards him; and although he knew that it wasn't Jack's doing, it still nearly broke his heart.
"Colonel!" Sam exclaimed in shock, coming to Daniel's defense.
His mouth suddenly dry, Daniel tried to clear his throat. The action only resulted in triggering a harsh cough, and he clutched his arm as it jarred painfully with the force of his efforts. Bent protectively over his arm, he tried to clear his lungs. The coughing jag suddenly ended when his stomach spasmed and he vomited bile.
"You know, Carter, I'm really tired of this," Jack said impatiently, indicating Daniel with a sweep of his hand.
Embarrassed, Daniel tried to push Sam away as she helped him clean up. She glared at Jack before handing Daniel some water so that he could rinse his mouth. The older man studiously ignored her scathing look and continued speaking to Daniel, derision mocking his usually compassionate face.
"I think you've spent more time either recovering from injuries or illness than you have actually working for your paycheck. I really don't understand why Hammond keeps you around, Daniel. Maybe you're 'doing' him on the side, hmmm?"
"Jack," Daniel moaned softly, closing his eyes at the pain the words inflicted. He knew that Jack didn't mean them, but they were close to some of the questions he'd sometimes asked himself about why he'd been kept on as part of the team. He wasn't military and he felt that he had often been a burden to his friends. His lack of military training had endangered them several times; he thought he'd improved in the past years but obviously it hadn't been enough to satisfy Jack.
Maybe he should reexamine their relationship; maybe Jack was just keeping him around to warm his bed.
No, that wasn't right. Where did that thought come from? They loved one another; Jack was only spouting things to hurt him... and his exhausted mind wasn't processing fast enough to keep remembering that fact.
The sound of Jack's voice echoed strangely as he continued his diatribe, at times sounding muffled, at other times seeming distorted and slow. The words were jumbling into sounds, blending in with Sam's lighter tone. He stared at their mouths, unable to make the shapes of their moving lips match with the words.
"O'Neill!"
Teal'c's deep voice startled Daniel and interrupted Jack's tirade. While Sam and Jack's attention turned to the approaching Jaffa, he slid back down to the ground and curled into the false comfort of the sleeping bag.
FINIS
ON TO PART TWO >> Feedback makes the difference between writing and posting; please contact me at joag_sg1@hotmail.com
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