DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable 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 purposes 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. Not to be archived without permission of the author(s).
"Doc?" Jack O'Neill's voice was heavy with concern as the petite doctor slipped out of the infirmary. He watched as Janet Fraiser sank into the nearest chair.
"He's sleeping, Colonel. Pumped as full of tranquilizers as I can without risking permanent damage. He's definitely suffering from shock but I don't see how it could be related to the earlier injury. Would you care to tell me exactly what happened?"
"I don't know."
"Colonel-"
"Seriously, Doc, I just happened to go by his quarters and there he was, backed as far into the corner as he could get."
"Was he saying anything?"
"What?"
"Colonel, I know you're anxious about him, but I really need to know as much as possible. Now, was he saying anything?"
Jack hesitated for a moment. "Not really, but he was rocking back and forth, with his arms wrapped around his chest, kinda crooning to himself. No words, just sounds."
"Other than the head injury, has anything unusual happened lately?"
"Not that I know of. Look, let's cut to the chase, is he going to be okay?"
"Physically, yes, but until I know what caused his collapse..." The implications were obvious.
"Can I see him?"
"Yes, but don't expect him to respond. I've got him heavily sedated." Janet found herself talking to air. Sighing she followed the colonel into the infirmary muttering, "Why do I even bother?"
"Major Carter, I do not understand what it is that we are searching for. There is no indication that Daniel Jackson was attacked."
"I know, Teal'c, but something made him like.. that." She frowned as she recalled driving much too fast back to the SGC, after retrieving Teal'c from Jack's place. Daniel was sleeping, heavily sedated when they arrived, although he was much too pale against the white of the bed linens. On the off chance that she'd find something, Sam had left the Colonel standing watch over their teammate, and had taken Teal'c to Daniel's room. She walked toward the corner where O'Neill had found Daniel, and turned to look back at the room. Nothing seemed out of order, except... She stared at the small television set, which was on with no picture. The blue screen spoke of a video tape which had moved past its contents. Frowning, she hit rewind and waited impatiently for the device to do its job.
"You have found something, Major Carter?"
"I don't know. I'm betting the videotape he got today is in the machine." Hitting play, she spotted the Jaffa eyeing her skeptically. "Well, it's worth a shot."
Daniel was indeed sleeping, but the face was still too pale. Jack stared at the younger man. "Dammit, Daniel. What the hell happened?"
"We may..." Janet's reply was cutoff before she really got started.
"I..I can help you with that."
O'Neill whirled at the sound of Carter's voice. "You found something." It was not a question.
"Yes, sir." Her tone was flat, almost emotionless, and Janet realized the Major was having difficulty staying in control. "I've sent for the General, sir. Teal'c is on his way to the briefing room. Doctor Fraiser, I think you should come too." Sam started as she suddenly saw the sleeping figure. "If Daniel's okay?"
Janet nodded as Jack responded. "Let's go kids, we're wasting time."
General Hammond was waiting impatiently when the others arrived. "All right, Major. What does this...", his hand waved across the videotape on the table, "have to do with Dr. Jackson's collapse?"
"Everything, sir. I, uh, well, this isn't pretty." Taking a deep breath, she pushed the tape into the player and hit play. All eyes focused on the screen as images from an 8mm movie camera appeared.
"Home movies?" Jack was pissed. "What the hell is this?"
"Just watch, sir." Carter's voice was unusually subdued.
Camels in the distance indicated the location was the Middle East, somewhere. As the camera panned the area, it passed what could only have been a pyramid in the distance, isolating the location to Egypt. The camera homed in on a man and woman directing work on a series of stone pillars. Workers released the hook of a large crane and shoved it away from a large cover-stone, now resting on a flat-bed truck. Commands snapped urgently by the man spurred a nervous work crew into motion to steady a rocky pillar. As the camera continued its surveillance, it paused on a small boy hovering nearby. Slowly, the child edged closer to the couple. Suddenly the man spun around and pulled the little boy away from the work area. The young woman turned and watched as he lectured the child, punctuating his comments by a finger pushed pointedly into the little boy's chest.
"Carter..."
"It's almost there, sir."
The film flickered badly as if two disconnected films had been spliced. The location was now much different. The work area had relocated inside of a building. The stone pillars stood alone in the center of a large room. A huge chain held the corner-stone above the pillars. The couple from the earlier footage stood beneath it, once again directing the work. The camera paused in its sweep to close in on the same small boy sitting with arms crossed, obviously pouting, behind a crudely drawn chalk line.
"It's the New York Museum of Art." Carter spoke quietly.
"And just how do you know that?" Jack's patience was rapidly ending.
"The Gamekeeper's planet, sir, the room is identical to the one Daniel and I saw there."
"Oh, yeah. Sorry, Carter."
"Yes, sir. It's almost over."
As the group watched, the camera returned to the exhibit just as the corner-stone began to sway. Suddenly the chain slipped and the huge block crashed into the pillars. The resulting collapse of the pillars buried the screaming couple in rubble. Carter's hand trembled slightly as she turned off the tape.
"Daniel saw this?" Janet asked the question in everyone's thoughts.
"Ya think?" Jack's voice contained barely controlled rage.
Carter replied simply. "It was in his VCR."
"Why would anyone send this to Doctor Jackson?"
"I think I can answer that, sir. Please watch." She hit stop, then rewound the tape briefly. Hitting play, she watched as the father moved the child away from the work area. She then froze the frame. "Look at the first pillar, sirs."
Jack O'Neill came out of his chair. "Those symbols look familiar."
"Yes, sir. Five of them match symbols on the Stargate. The other two, I don't recognize. I suspect..." She enhanced the image. "that the remaining pillars contain other symbols from the Stargate. I'll have to do some heavy doctoring on the films to be sure."
"Major, I can understand how this would have upset Dr. Jackson, but if he didn't collapse on the Gamekeeper planet, then why would he collapse now? And why do I have the impression that you haven't shown us everything?"
"You're right, General. The rest of the tape is very confusing and more than a little suspicious. I think it's this third section that sent Daniel into a tailspin."
"How?" O'Neill's rage was edging to the top of his emotions.
Carter fast-forwarded the tape. The next images were of military personnel sealing crates and loading them into Army trucks. An older civilian, apparently an employee of the museum, argued in vain with the officer in charge, a colonel by his insignia. Janet Fraiser gasped as the camera turned away from the work area. An Army major held fast to the hand of a very small, obviously frightened child. Ignoring the little one's shorter legs, the man hustled the boy toward a waiting car, the emblem on the door proving it belonged to the New York Department of Social Services. A grim-faced woman spoke briefly with the major before lifting the sobbing child quickly into the car. The officer watched as the car pulled away, then stiffened. The furious face of the unknown colonel came into view as the major turned reluctantly toward the angry man. The camera closed in on the colonel, the close-up revealing the depth of his rage. The tape ended, but the silence did not.
Daniel tossed restlessly on the infirmary cot. Nightmare scenes plagued his drugged sleep.
[That man in the funny clothes had come to visit again last night. The little boy shuddered at the memory of the angry words he and Daddy had spoken. Momma's voice was angry too, but also, she sounded kinda scared. Grown-up stuff, Daddy had said, no need for him to try to understand it, he was too little.
The child shifted restlessly in the scant shade provided by the nearby buildings. He wanted to help, but Daddy had once again said no, he was too little. Well, maybe he couldn't actually dig, but he could read, and write too. And there were soooo many wonderful hieroglyphs on the pillars. The excited voices of his parents rang in his ears, and he unconsciously shifted closer to them, hoping to seeing something.
A stern male voice commanded his attention. "Daniel! This is the last time I tell you not to get so close. It's too dangerous." The solemn-faced man shook a dirty finger at the child. Taking a firm hold of a small arm, he led the little boy away from the pillars. Kneeling, Dr. Jackson used his index finger to draw a line in the sand between the child and the work area. Cupping his young son's head in his hand, he forced the child to look at the sand. As he spoke he punctuated his words with a thin finger aimed at the boy's chest. "Come no closer than this line, Danny. Do you understand me?"
Danny nodded absently, his eyes wandering to the wonders of the pillars. "Yes, Daddy. I'll stay behind the line."
The father studied his child closely for a moment, then forced the little boy to meet his eyes. "Daniel, I know you want to help but you can't right now." Noticing the far away expression in his son's eyes, the older man added. "Son, if you come too close again, I will spank you." He ignored the gasp from his wife and concentrated on the child in front of him. "Danny, I don't want to punish you, but the choice is yours. Now, you may sit here and watch, or you may go play on that hill over there. Understand?"
Tears threatened to fall, and the little boy chewed his lip in an effort not to cry. "Y..yes, Daddy."
"Good." He pulled the youngster into a tight embrace, then jumped quickly to his feet and returned to his wife. He shrugged as he saw her frown. The young mother watched her small son climb the nearby hill, shoulders slumped in sorrow.
"Don't you think you were a little hard on him? He's only five."
"I want him to make six. He's got to learn to be careful around these digs if he's going to continue to come with us. Danny's a smart child, too smart. No five year old should be able to read and write their native tongue much less ancient Egyptian. He ignores all our warnings and rushes into places he shouldn't go until we know they're safe. I mean it, darling, I don't want to spank him, but I don't want to lose him either. Now let's get these pillars loaded. It's a long way to New York, and I don't think we have much time."]
"Noooooooo!" Adrenaline overruled the sedatives as Daniel sat bolt upright on the bed.
The nearest nurse struggled to push the distraught young man back down. Shouting "Get Doctor Fraiser, quick!" to a nearby aide, she worked to calm her patient.