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.
Doctor Daniel Jackson, fresh out of collage, stepped out into the bright sunshine of LA After eight years in training with people almost twice his age he finally felt free. The summer had come, no different from the sunny winters, and had soon left the capable and incapable back in collage.
Since his foster parents death in the previous month Daniel had not really thought about much but school. This summer he had planned much. The University of L.A was willing to take him as a language and ancient histories teacher. The couple months before he started his new job were filled with plans of going to Egypt and the Himalayas. Daniel was all ready for his trip and was booked on a trip in a week. He would be spending a month there and then go to Egypt, returning to teach.
"How ya doin' Doctor J.?" Daniel winced. He could recognize that voice anywhere. "Don't be rude, come on, join us for a drink!"
Daniel sighed and turned towards the bunch of unruly, unbathed jocks that littered the steps of the university. "Hello, I don't suppose you could move..?"
"Do ya hear that! Doctor J. Want's us to move!" The head jock pounded his partners back and laughed. "That's the funniest thing I've heard since you came to be digging up those rocks of yours in the school yard."
Daniel remembered that well. Although a couple of years younger then the self-proclaimed bully John, he had been targeted as the butt-end of al of his jokes. "There not rocks," he intervened quietly, "they're artifacts."
"Well, I say their rocks!" John sneered. "And besides, what do you want to make of it."
Daniel didn't spare the bully another glance before he hurried down the stairs. John, surprised at the least, frowned. Out of all the geeks he tormented, Jackson was the funniest. Not only did he refuse to be made fun of, but also he would run off once the fun started. John glared at the disappearing figure and vowed to himself that he would punish the little geek.
"Whew," Daniel Jackson sighed as he reached his dorm room. Ancient figurines of times forgotten stared back at him and he smiled, stroking his favorite. When he turned eight, his foster parents had given him a replica of a very important Egyptian figure. The fine lines were carved with great delicacy and he had made it his friend. When collage life had become frustrating after first semester and he had no one to talk to, he turned to his faithful companion. He broke himself out of his revelry and turned to the enormous task of cleaning out his room.
Blinding snow was everywhere. He couldn't see anything. Would they find him? Everything went black once more...
Daniel Jackson woke with a start. What an awful dream. He got up and poured himself some juice from a little portable fridge. He had stayed up very late trying to clean up. He was travelling to the Himalayas is a couple of days, he needed all the sleep he could get. He wondered what woke him up. Suddenly a putrid smell hit him. It seemed like a rubber tire was burning or a bon fire was right outside his door. He noticed the stifling heat and he started to cough. He knew this wasn't his allergies and he opened his door. A blast of heat hit him. His eyes went wide when he saw a mini fire right outside his door. Daniel got up and reached for the fire alarm. A shriek filled the hallways and Daniel raced through the room. Throwing on a shirt he opened his window and stepped onto the fire escape. It creaked ominously and Daniel prayed it would hold. His incredible fear of heights returned when he realized how high he was. What had ever made him take a room on the fifth floor? He climbed slowly, his eyes now watering form the smoke. People were now pouring out of the building and a fire engine was just starting to pull into the driveway. Daniel had now reached the third floor. The stairs creaked again and Daniel held his breath. Steeling himself for a disaster. It passed. Suddenly it creaked again and fell a couple of inches. Daniel gasped. The Stairway started to creak a groan. It toppled to one side and he realized before the darkness grabbed him that he could see a very familiar leering face above him.
Why was everything hurting? Why did he feel so cold? The light didn't seem that far off anymore. "Just a couple more steps," his parents urged. Daniel smiled and reached towards the light, then suddenly he started to fall again.
"Ugh" Daniel groaned as he found himself lying in a hospital bed. He could feel a bandage around his head and he reached up, trying to see the extent of the damage. A hand above his head slapped it away. "Don't touch Mister Jackson," a cheery voice, coupled with a very beautiful head chirped. Daniel groaned again.
"What hit me?" Daniel tried to sit up, stopped be the nursed firm hand. "Well, as far as I know, it was a couple tons of metal. You have a very hard head Mister Jackson. Feel Lucky." Daniel nodded, wincing at the pain in his head. He didn't know if he should take that as a compliment or an insult. "Well, I'm nurse Janet. I usually work the night shift. Lucky for you it wasn't the beast who was hear when you woke up, she can be pretty cruel sometimes."
"The beast?" Daniel had now made it up, holding a hand on his aching head.
"Our little pet name for the head nurse. She can really get to you. Well, you see Okay. You'll have to stay here for observation and then you're free to go! I'll be back in a while with painkillers. Don't move!"
Daniel sat back. Fresh out of collage and he was already sitting in a hospital. Too bad he wouldn't be able to figure out who did this to him. Revenge would be swift. He had no recollection if this had been an accident. The other students had always joked about the poor quality of some of the equipment around campus. He sat back. An uneasy frown still plastered on his face.
Help. Can anyone hear me? Can anyone help me....
Two weeks after that accident he was traveling up the treacherous mountains. Two sheiks plus another young man from Eastern Europe were traveling to the famed temples. It had gotten really cold during the last couple of days and the sheiks warned if it got any worse, they would have to turn back. With or without the two other men. That was two days ago. The European, Shane, was from Italy and was faring pretty badly. The winter conditions had not helped and severe frostbite had hit him. Daniel had tried to keep him walking but he had started to fall. Daniel had dragged him to a sheltered and relatively warm cave. The half-conscious European had listen while Danielle had explained the situation. A couple of hours back Daniel had seen a distant house, with smoke billowing from its chimney. The man nodded and Daniel set off. Two hours later, battling fatigue and frostbite Daniel stumbled to a stop. The cabin was another hours walk, and he felt cold. So cold. The bitter wind howled and ate though the thick scarf. Daniel got up and fell again. He started to roll down a steep incline, picking up speed and going faster and faster. He finally stopped and he blinked. A white mound moved and rose. At first Daniel thought he was hallucinating. A face with tiny, beady eyes shone thorough and Daniel found he neither had the strength nor the will power to scream. He tried to hitch his battered body and winced his pain as his knee folded beneath him. A white hairy paw reached towards him and he passed out.
Ironic isn't it. My parents died young, and now I will too. Hopefully someone will find me. Dead or alive. Hopefully alive.
When he woke again the first thing he saw was an icy ceiling that extended upward for what seemed like forever. He noticed he was warm again. A large furred blanket covered him and a steaming cup of tea was beside the bed. A cozy fir was in the corner of the room, and besides him there was no one in the room. Daniel gingerly sat up. Pain emanated from his knee and he slowly uncovered the blanket. Shivering as the warm heat hit him. His knee had been wrapped up and was set. He tried to stand and gingerly realized he wasn't able to. The heavy door by his right suddenly slammed outwards, startling him. A white covered something stepped into the door and closed it. Struggling to do so. The white thing loomed over him. Daniel could make out the beady eyes and he swallowed nervously. Suddenly the huge paw swiped upwards and revealed a jolly man. Daniel exhaled and smiled.
"So youngster, are you going to tell me how you got all they way out there? It was hell and back trying to get you back here, seeing that you passed out." The giant of a man said.
Daniel looked at him, and for once found a truly well meaning soul. He took a deep breath and started his tale.
Maybe I should give up, ain't nobody coming here....
Colonel Jack O'Neill looked towards the high capped mountains. He was worried beyond caring for his own safety. After a vicious snowstorm had struck SG-1 and SG-4, they found themselves separated. SG-4 had reclaimed all of their members, but Daniel was still missing. Having wandered off in search of a scientific find he didn't realize that the storm had struck. Jack was hoping the archeologist had found some sort of shelter. The two teams - minus one - had searched fruitlessly and now they had lost another. Captain John Paramis had gone out in search of Daniel and hadn't returned. Suddenly a shout from the north ridge caught his attention. The massive man, once a collage football player, had returned. He held a smeller bundle in his arms. He came down to the floor slowly; if what he was holding was of great importance. Jack shouted to Teal'c and Carter then took off. When Jack reached him he pulled the coat that the captain had placed over the figure away. Daniel Jackson was there. Jack slapped the younger captain on the soldier and led him to their camp. Thy placed Daniel on one of the cots and proceeded to check him for injuries. While they took care of him Jack took Captain John aside and asked where he had found him.
"He was in a small cave about an hours walk away from here. I saw his scarf and realized he had put it out there in case someone came along. He was all white sir. I couldn't believe he was still alive!"
Jack nodded gravely. "He has a reputation to proceed, the way he scares me, it's amazing I have still have my original hair color!"
Captain John smiled and the two men prepared to go back thought the gate.
Two hours and a hot bath later, Jack O'Neill sat beside his friend, hoping he would wake up. Janet Fraiser had came in, saying the anistesia had worn off and it was only a matter of time. Daniel was listed as non-critical, only suffering from a fractured leg and mild frostbite. If Paramis hadn't found him, he would have probably died. From the bed there came sounds of stirring and Jack almost tripped over his own feet, trying to get to the bed. Daniel's eyes cracked open, then opened fully when he saw Jack hovering above him.
"Hey," he croaked. Jack smiled.
Just can't keep out of trouble can't you?" Jack teased. Daniel smiled.
"I'll be okay. Who found me?"
"Captain John Paramis." Jack told him, secretly thanking the young man again.
Daniel's eyes widened and he looked at Jack. "You think I can have him come here and talk to him?"
"Sure." Jack left, his mind still wondering about Daniel's strange reaction to Captain Paramis's name.
"Doctor J?" John said softly. "Are you awake?"
"Ya, I'm here." The farthest bed was suddenly illuminated when Daniel hit the light switch. John swallowed.
"Heard you were askin' for me." John's voice had an edge to it.
"Ya, I wanted to... wanted to say Thanks."
"Thanks? For what?"
"For saving my life." Daniel's voice had dropped and the last word was more of a whisper then a word.
"I guess I owed you."
Then it was Daniel's turn to be confused. "For what?"
"Remember in collage, the fire route incident... That was me. Sometimes you made me so mad. You were always so perfect, getting good grades, getting tons of jobs, heel, you wouldn't even fight back. Well, I kinda sawed off a couple of bolts and the stair way fell after I lit that fire by your door."
"Oh."
"I guess I'm sorry. I heard about what happened overseas, and I was kinda disappointed you didn't come back to LA. A lot of people missed you."
"Oh."
"I hope you get better, maybe I'll talk to you again."
Daniel looked at the disappearing figure, like John had so many years ago. Daniel wasn't the least bit surprised about the confession. He had seen the lie eat the captain up since he had first arrived on the base and when they had bumped into each other in the hallway. He always had a suspicion, but life always had a way to surprise you. Daniel pulled the covers over his chest and fell asleep, thinking of better thoughts.