DISCLAIMER: All characters and property of Stargate SG-1 belong to MGM/UA, World Gekko Corp. and Double Secret Productions. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment and no money was made from it. Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author.
11pm
Hours. It had to have been hours, and he continued to limp slowly, painfully toward the back of the cave making very poor progress. It had become more like a tunnel, and he needed to bend considerably to fit. Each time he tentatively advanced his foot forward, he expected it to come in contact with the snake, and with only tattered socks on his feet - that was a most unwelcome prospect. He also hoped one of the bends in the tunnel didn't open into a mountain lion's den… still there were no audible sounds - except his own breathing with an occasional curse and the steady drip of rainwater filtering in.
Despite trying to elevate his arm, it had swollen painfully. His right wrist had doubled in size, causing the handcuff to constrict his hand, and he could no longer move those fingers. He grew more lightheaded - which could have been the venom, or the lack of water… most likely a combination of the two - Daniel reasoned. He tried to ignore the slight tremors that coursed through his body, "When is this cave ever going to end?!" he called out to the darkness.
In obliging response, the tunnel opened up into a large, round "room." As Daniel felt his way along the walls, it seemed a dead end. There were no other openings, save the one he'd come through. "Impossible!" he continued to think out loud. "The kits got in here somehow. There has to be another way out, or else I missed another opening in the tunnel." Daniel slid himself to the floor once again, and gave his beleaguered knee some rest. As he did so, he felt a stirring of sweet smelling air brush his face and when he listened carefully, he could hear night forest sounds in the distance. 'There is an opening to the outside here… somewhere. It must be a bit farther off the ground.' His energy was completely sapped now, and snakes or no snakes, he simply had to rest. He closed his eyes, but it was hard to block out the throbbing of both his knee and his arm. 'In the morning,' he vowed, 'first thing in the morning and I'll get myself out of here and back home.' Sleep mercifully took him, as home might as well have been an entire world away.
2am
They hadn't planned it that way - it just seemed the only place to be that night. Each arrived on their own, surprised - and yet not - to see the others gathered silently in Daniel's office. The room breathed of him, containing parts of all that he was. Artifacts, diaries, ancient texts, off-world finds, computers, artwork… and on his much-cluttered desk was a picture frame, as most husbands would dutifully have. Daniel's contained a rough pencil sketch of a smiling woman in long robes. It was signed in child-like scrawl… "To my dearest Daniel, Skaara drew this picture of me, so you will be able to see me whenever you wish. Love, Sha're" The frame was well marked with fingerprints, it had been held often.
Sam broke the silence; "We've been down this road before with Daniel. We know that we still need to hold onto hope."
"Ya," Jack answered, half-heartedly. "It doesn't get any easier, ya know? In fact, it gets a lot harder. This could be the time his luck runs out… and it definitely should be ME out there - not him…"
"Daniel Jackson is strong, and his instincts are good. He will find a way to survive," Teal'c offered encouragingly.
Sam shook her head regretfully; "I can't stop picturing Daniel's face when he crossed the beam in Thor's hall, and then when the beam shook. I can just imagine how he felt hanging over the edge of a mountain… and then falling! Whoever took those guys into SGC ought to have their heads examined!" Sam referred to Winch and Hyde.
"Just like the guy, who figured Daniel could do MP duty," Jack mumbled under his breath. "OK folks! Three hours of shut eye, maximum! Then we take Mr. Hyde for a drive and try to find where Daniel… where Daniel is."
"Do we move out even if the weather hasn't cleared?" Sam asked.
"Bad weather?" Jack asked not realizing.
"Yes, sir. Some local flooding, washouts… bad thunderstorms…"
"Damn," Jack stated softly, and headed for his quarters.
6am
His first sensation was sunlight! A slender shaft came streaming down through the hole in the ceiling - illuminating his sleeping quarters. The next thing he felt was a tickling of his feet. Looking at them, he saw the lion kits licking and sniffing his feet inquisitively. They behaved so much as large kittens, he had no fear of them, but as he shifted to sit up, they yelped in surprise and dashed off.
As his mind cleared, he became aware that the entire right side of his body was pretty much useless to him. His arm had swollen even more and he caught a glimpse of the knee through his shredded pant leg - it too was swollen and horribly discolored. He looked up at the "chimney" he must climb. It began about 6 feet off the floor and sloped upward at about a 60 degree angle until it reached the surface. It would be a tight fit, but he supposed he could make it, that is until he actually tried to move. Pain shot throughout his body like a thousand stabbing knives. He caught his breath and sat back. Definitely NOT a piece of cake!
Slowly he stood, noting bumps on the rock wall on which he was able to put his good foot and step up closer to the opening. He then reached up with his cuffed hands and began to pull himself into the chimney. He wedged his body inside and began ever so slowly to climb. He was able to move only fractions of an inch at a time, the pain in his knee thrumming incessantly. It would take him a long time to reach the top, but he knew he could do it… he had no other choice if he were to survive.
The search parties started out in four cars, all radio-linked to Colonel O'Neill. The lead car contained O'Neill, Sergeant Johnson and Hyde. Sam and Teal'c were next, followed by other security details. Picking a direction with certainty from the parking lot, they headed up into the mountains. When they came to the first split in the road that Hyde was unsure of, Jack motioned for one of the cars to go off in the direction opposite from him. Finally, as the other 3 cars had taken different directions, all looking for the mysterious cliff - Hyde's face brightened, "This is the right way! I'm sure of it… we came this way and parked over there… Check the bushes… bet you find some empty bottles!"
Johnson checked the bushes and sure enough came up with some empties. Hyde pointed out the direction he thought they walked through the woods to get to the cliff. He was wrong… after 45 minutes of hiking they saw nothing, so they back tracked. Picking another direction, they set out again… and this time they did find a cliff. What a cliff it was! Jack let out a low whistle - it was breathtakingly beautiful. He leaned over the edge and saw a drop that could only mean one thing for his teammate. In his mind, this had now turned into a recovery mission… no more search and rescue…
Taking out his field glasses, he searched the rock face below him carefully for any signs. A good distance below, something caught his eye… there - on a ledge - was a length of rope unmistakably tied to some bushes. He quickly radioed to the others, and told them of his location, as he strapped himself into a climbing harness. He also sent one of the cars to a position at the base of the cliff… where he supposed they would actually find the body.
Hyde sat transfixed, staring out over the valley mumbling something that sounded like a prayer - or maybe he was asking Daniel for forgiveness, Jack couldn't be sure. "Lower me down!" O'Neill ordered to Johnson, and he began the slow trek down the mountain face, trying not to imagine what Daniel had endured there just one day before. He reached the ledge quickly with the expert precision of a well-trained soldier, and pulled up the rope effortlessly as it just dangled freely in the breeze. There were bloodstains on the rope and he saw that it was the same kind as was tied to Hyde's car.
He sank down on the ledge and held the rope close to his chest, recording carefully in his mind all the details of the place that would forever mark the passing of his good friend. Had he ever called him friend? Probably not… probably just left it an assumed thing. He took a deep breath and shook his head. This was it then. He really was too late. An ache began to burn inside of him and he screamed out, "Damn it Daniel! I tried! You hear me? For God's sake… I tried…"
The winds whistled in reply and a hawk called out. Johnson began yelling from above, "You OK sir? Need any help?"
"Nope!" the Colonel yelled back. "Pull me back up! He's… he's not here…"
9am
The chimney narrowed until Daniel felt his chest start to wedge in place. He was so near the top now, his arms could almost reach outside! The opening was teasing him - both offering sure hope of escape yet being a bit too small. The kits had returned to the chamber below him, and became very agitated that the sunlight was blocked out and this stranger filled their only means of escape. They began to howl and cry … calling up to him. As their cries drifted upward, Daniel thought he saw a large shadow pass over the opening to the outside.
Then, he heard it - a low, menacing growl, deep in the throat, ordering him to back off - to clear the way to her kits, the mother cat had returned! He found himself completely unable to move - up or down, and saw his chances fade as he knew the only way she'd get to those babies of hers was by going straight through him. As she stuck her fury-filled head into the hole and bared her teeth, he was certain she'd try to do just that! He grew faint and frozen in place, like a mouse under a cat's spell.
She reached in with her paw and a powerful stroke raked her claws across his shoulder and upper back. The sudden pain and terrible sense of panic caused him to scream loudly, frightening the kits even more and they too cried out. Snarling in frustration, the lioness prepared to climb on top of him. Daniel tried his best to turn his face away from her, and cringed - steeling himself for the sensation of being ripped apart.
Instead, there was a loud explosion, and the cat was gone. Daniel let his breath slowly out and waited, listening.
"Hey! You in there! You one of those crazy climbers from the city? You get on the bad side of one of those kitties and you don't last long! You can come out! I chased 'er off!" a deep, gruff voice boomed out.
"I… I can't… I'm stuck in here… and I'm hurt…" Daniel managed to respond, but speaking was an effort. Everything was difficult. Soon it would all be over, he kept telling himself.
A large head full of wild-flying hair and an overgrown beard cautiously peered in at Daniel, "How in the blazes did you get in there, son? If you raise your arms up to me, I might could pull you out… you hurt bad?"
Daniel answered, feeling much weaker now - rescue had come and he didn't have to be so strong anymore, "Ya… I'm hurt pretty bad. Thanks.. I… I owe you… name's Daniel…"
"Some folks call me Roc… most just never come near me… I'm that old coot who's run off to live in the mountains. Ha! They call ME crazy? Just look at the rest of this world! C'mon, give me your hands… easy now…"
As Daniel raised his hands up, Roc caught sight of the handcuffs and narrowed his eyes. He hesitated, "You in some kind of trouble, boy?" his voice taking on a suspicious twinge.
Daniel had lost the strength to respond and used all his effort to keep his hands lifted above his head. "Those are marked U.S. Military… where'd you come from again?" Getting no response, Roc began to pull Daniel out, but kept his shotgun by his side… just in case. The mountain man cursed as he saw Daniel's battered body slowly revealed. Soft groans came from the young man's lips at each movement, until finally he was free.
He lay on the ground a minute, then turned thankfully to his liberator, "Water…" he choked out, "I really need some water… please?"
The man rubbed his beard as if trying to decide what to do. He backed off a bit and returned with an old canteen. He held it above Daniel and allowed it to drop painfully onto his stomach. Daniel squinted upward, a confused look on his face.
"Go ahead - have a drink… then I gotta figure out what to do with you… I heard the police bulletin on the radio when I was down to the store yesterday. They were lookin for two armed and dangerous men… you an escapee?"
Daniel didn't mean to laugh, but the absurdity of the whole situation hit him suddenly and he burst out in laughter. The grizzled man read this as a sure sign of guilt and disrespect, and he quickly grabbed the canteen back. "If you want a drink, you gotta behave better'n that! I might live up here, alone, but I'm a loyal citizen! I'll be gettin you to the police right away!"
Daniel quickly realized his mistake and began to explain, "No! I'm not a criminal! Those guys took me… please… I really need a drink…" He tried gingerly to sit up, but received a boot to his clawed shoulder, as Roc forced him to lie back down.
"The police'll sort all this out… but I got instincts about people, just like I do about animals… and I think you're in a heap of trouble, boy, and if you don't behave - you ain't gonna make it off this mountain! C'mon - get up and shut up! We're goin to my cabin!" He pointed the shotgun at Daniel.
"You've got this all wrong…" Daniel tried to explain, but his words were cut off as Roc hauled him painfully to his feet. Unable to stand, he immediately collapsed.
"Dammit BOY! You want me to drag ya?"
"No!" Daniel's voice hitched and he found himself whimpering… "No.. no.. no…"
Roc looked more closely at the man's injuries, "You must have put up one helluva fight!" Deciding he really couldn't walk, he proceeded to hog tie Daniel's legs and hands with some rope he'd slung over his shoulder. Then he stuffed a dirty rag in Daniel's mouth, "That's so you can't call out to your buddy. You stay here… I'll be back with my horse! Don't even think about trying to get away!" And he was gone.
12pm
The search of the base of the cliff had turned up nothing. No sign of Daniel. No signs of a body being dragged by wild animals. Absolutely nothing. All eyes were on Colonel O'Neill now, "What do we do next, sir?" Johnson asked.
"O'Neill, it might be of no significance, but while we were searching I distinctly heard shouting and the sound of gun fire," Teal'c commented.
"What could that possibly have to do with Daniel?" Sam asked.
"Nearby?" The Colonel questioned further.
"It was sufficiently close that we could reach the location within the hour," Teal'c answered.
"Let's check it out. If someone's in trouble, maybe we can do some good today," Jack stated, as they began to search.
Daniel lay there, trying to figure out how the guy could have made such a mistake - while at the same time picturing in his mind just how bad he must look. Why couldn't he think straight? Why wasn't he hurting more? The rest of the world seemed far away, and he felt detached somehow from his body. Even the thirst faded away… he felt peaceful. Yes! What he'd felt before… he was certain of it now… Soon… very soon… it would all be over.
He was done with it all. The unbelievable insanity of intergalactic war… trips through light years of space… enemies… friends… love… pain… it was all over. He had tried his best, but events had conspired to destroy him… he blamed no one. Not his abductors, not this recluse, certainly not the creatures that had treated him so unkindly… no one. He felt his heart struggling to pump a blood volume that had drained far too low. He wondered why it tried so hard to keep going on… it didn't realize that it was finally over… but he did.
His only regret as he allowed himself to drift into eternity, was not being able to say goodbye. Then he closed his eyes for the last time and left this world behind.
5pm
Roc couldn't remember just where he'd left the man, and cursed his forgetfulness. He made his way into town, told the police his story and then faded back into the woods. The police were at first confused about what to do with this information, but someone decided to call the SGC. The message at last made it out to the field, to Colonel O'Neill's radio, "Yes, that's precisely it sir. A man in cuffs, badly hurt, matching Dr. Jackson's description, and that would be about six hours ago."
Jack turned off the radio and stood ashen faced for a moment. They were just about to call off the search, having located neither the source of the shouts and gunfire nor any more signs of Daniel. Calls were made for more search teams, as they had maybe two good hours of light left. Jack and Teal'c began another sweep of the area. He had to be nearby… they'd missed him somehow.
7pm
Darkness was beginning to fall. No one spoke. Everyone reported in for the last time, when it seemed as if in some kind of twisted justice - Hyde claimed to have seen a glint of metal at the base of a hill - near a large rock. "It was shiny! It showed up in my flashlight beam!" Hyde offered hopefully.
"Probably another beer can," Jack despaired, but he headed down the hill anyway - ordering everyone else to their cars. He stopped short as his flashlight played across the figure of a man lying motionless on the ground. "Oh God! Daniel!" he cried out and ran to his friend's side. "I NEED MEDICS HERE! PEOPLE I FOUND HIM… ON THE DOUBLE!!"
Daniel was gently placed on a stretcher and whisked into the back of Jack's jeep. Jack drove like a man possessed, to the hospital. Sam had felt a thready pulse at one point, but due to dehydration hadn't been able to get it back. She kept up CPR now.. hoping… praying. They delivered him into the hands of the assembled trauma staff and sat numbly down on the waiting room chairs.
12am
The first reports of his condition filtered in… severe trauma to his knee, repaired in surgery. Extensive loss of blood volume, replaced by transfusions. Snakebite - well tended by Daniel himself, and the swelling was beginning to subside. Many cuts, abrasions and contusions ranging from claw marks, to wrists rubbed raw from the cuffs. These were bandaged and would heal. From all indications, he should have regained consciousness after the anesthesia wore off… but he wasn't. There didn't seem to be any head injury, although they weren't ruling it out. His condition wasn't typical for coma. The doctors were mystified.
Voices had been calling his name for hours. Why did they bother him so? Didn't they know he was gone? Someone should tell them it was all over. The decision had been made. He'd let go, there was simply no coming back now. Blackness returned.
3am
Happy to be able to finally see him, Jack sat at Daniel's side, gently holding his hand, saying nothing. After a while, he cleared his throat and began talking softly, hoping somehow he'd be heard, "The doctors say you should be awake… talking to me… giving me a hard time… I'm not going to let you just go away like this you know… you wouldn't let me! What can I say? I'm a stubborn old … " his voice trailed off. There was no response. Jack waited… the clock ticked away what might be the last few hours they would have together. "Daniel? We need you back… I need you… You are giving me a hard time after all! What do you want to hear me say? You're my friend… perhaps the closest one I'll ever allow myself to have."
Daniel heard… he heard it all. The great emotion in Jack's voice, the call back to life. Daniel willed his weighted eyelids to open and looked over at his friend, no words would come. He managed to squeeze Jack's hand and slight smile curved his lips.
"Yes!" Jack exhaled in recognition of the victory he'd achieved. "Welcome back, my friend!"