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).
Chapter 8: Chill Factor
Daniel's first thought was he needed to move. Upon attempting the action, Daniel's second thought was that...perhaps...it might be wiser not to.
He was impossibly stiff...muscles, bones, even his hair, hurt. Distantly, his intellect informed him it was a perfectly reasonable and expected consequence of the events of the past twenty-four hours. Daniel decided his distant intellect didn't have a clue and moaned as he shifted despite the pain...the ache in his back forcing the decision his body and intellect seemed incapable of.
"Daniel?"
Jack's voice...soft, almost hesitant. Daniel opened his eyes slowly.
'Yep, Jack all right...Looks pretty worried...'
Daniel opened his mouth to say something, found his voice less than cooperative and settled for nodding, eyes closing again.
A warm hand touched his forehead, it felt good...he hoped it would stay...
"Daniel!" Jack again, sharper.
Daniel opened his eyes again, blinking fuzzily at Jack.
"I think maybe you should wake up for awhile, okay? Clean up, get dressed, maybe eat..."
Daniel nodded...it sounded like a great plan, unfortunately his body didn't seem to think so...
"Daniel?" Jack yet again, sounding a little amused.
"Hmmm?"
"Need a hand?"
"Um hm... "
"Maybe you should give me your hand?"
"Oh..."
Daniel thought about it a moment, hand twitching to prove it was thinking about it as well...finally moving to take Jack's extended one.
"Good move, big guy. Ready to try it with the rest of you?"
Daniel almost laughed at the tone Jack was using....gentle, amused, quiet...very strange...
"Having fun, Jack?"
"Laugh a minute, Daniel..." Jack's arm moved around to support Daniel's back and together they got him into a sitting position. Daniel had to close his eyes as the room slid off on its own.
"Not good..." He mumbled.
"What's not good, Daniel?"
"Moving..."
"What hurts, Daniel?" Jack sounded really worried now.
"Everything..." Daniel almost-laughed. "But the room's...moving..."
Jack's gentle laugh washed over Daniel like a balm, welcome after such a long absence. "Just stay put for a minute and keep your eyes closed, it'll stop."
"Sure?"
Another laugh. "Pretty sure..."
" 'kay..."
Daniel could hear Jack moving around, metallic sounds and a hiss...wood on the fire...Liquid in a glass...water...
The glass found its way to Daniel's lips and he drank without question...he was dehydrated and he knew it. After the first sip, he had to restrain himself from gulping down the entire thing...
"Better?"
Daniel squinted out of one eye...and found Jack's face staring at him from just outside his clear field of vision.
"Look like shit, Jack..."
Jack smiled broadly. "Thanks, you too..."
Daniel risked opening his other eye and found the room behaving in accordance with the acceptable limits of the laws of motion. Jack held out his hand again and Daniel nodded. Getting off the sofa proved trickier than Daniel would have ever imagined...it hurt actually, his knees and back protesting the loudest, his ankle totally refusing to support his weight, his head throbbing in rough counterpoint to his heartbeat...
"Oh shit..."
Jack looked over in sympathy. "Bad?"
"Worse. Is this going to be worth it?"
Jack laughed and moved them off slowly, letting Daniel hold the blanket around himself while Jack kept his friend steady.
"Jack?"
"Yeah, Daniel?"
"What day is it?"
Hobble, step...
"Monday"
"Oh."
Hobble, step...
"Jack?"
"Yeah, Daniel?"
"How far to the bathroom?"
"Just a few more feet."
Hobble, step...
"Jack?"
"Yes, Daniel?"
"Where are my clothes?"
Laugh, hobble, step...
"Wet."
"Oh..."