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Part 13: Jack [by Jmas]
Dammit, Daniel....
Why did...? Well, you know why, O'Neill...the real question is 'where'? We know he couldn't have gotten out of the front gate. Teal'c's checking the service areas, Carter's going to look in Daniel's lab, even Hammond got into the act...he really isn't such a total....
And I...I'm trying to put myself in Daniel's head. A long time ago, at a point in my life I try not to think about...I remember feeling like this...
Where the hell are you, Daniel? Didn't you think we could take care of this..together? We're a team now, kid....
And that's part of the problem, isn't it? You just can't get it through that thick, over-educated skull of yours that a team works its problems out together. Whatever happens, we can handle it.
Just got to find you first....
Makepeace took his team to comb the first three levels, they won't leave an inch unsearched. I can count on Connors and his team to make a thorough job of the next three. Feretti's so worried, I thought he was going to have a coronary...but his team is taking the storage levels with me. I just figure Daniel's trying to get lost for awhile; at this time of night the storage levels are a perfect place to go if you want to get away from it all. Cold down here, though. That's the government for you, they don't waste money heating up a bunch of storage containers.....
Daniel didn't have much on when he disappeared; he'll be lucky if he doesn't wind up sicker than he already is...
Coming around a stack of those same storage containers and heading for the door, I stop suddenly...I think I hear...
"J'ck..."
There. Behind the containers, almost hidden in the shadows...
"Daniel!"
God, he's cold. He's not moving though...not even shivering. What the...? I pull him up against me trying to rub some warmth into his icy limbs. Too bright eyes look up, for the first time since just before he disappeared under that rock slide, Daniel looks at me. And he looks...so sad.
"J'ck? 'm sorry...so sorry..."
His voice is barely there, I have to strain to hear it.
"I know, Daniel...It's gonna be...."
He shakes his head. "No...n't 'kay...nev'r okay..."
It sounds like he's just giving up, he looks like he's already given up. I can't allow that....
"Daniel, listen to me. We'll take care of it, okay? You screwed up, I screwed up, Shyla screwed up. It's a screwed up world..um..universe, but we'll get through it..."
Daniel shakes his head." Too late, Jack...Can't...make it okay...."
A wave of pain rushes through his already frail body, nearly pulling him out of my arms in its intensity, and he collapses against me. I reach for a pulse and find....
"Feretti!!"