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).
Jack came awake with a start, remembering the last thing he'd felt before passing out. Daniel...his mind on fire, still valiantly struggling to protect them. Jack remembered thinking that things would probably be easier for Daniel if they all did pass out; it would allow Daniel to focus what little energy he had on protecting himself, but that would have meant leaving Daniel alone with Nirrti...
Jack had tried to reach out one last time, support his friend as he had before...
The pain was intense. Daniel had compared it once to being inside a pressure cooker...the pain building, quantifying itself with every wave....
Jack had managed a weak contact...and been shocked to the core when Daniel pushed him away with a flash of fear for Jack's safety...
Jack's head...hurt, his arms aching from hanging from the chains, his body numb from lying on the cold stone. On the cold stone?
Despite the pain it caused, he opened his eyes scanning the room around him, only then realizing that they were all unchained...except for Daniel.
"Daniel?"
Jack raised up, too quickly, and felt blackness threatening. Teal'c moved out of the shadows to support Jack as he made his way over to the still figure lying in the center of the room.
It was evident that Teal'c and Carter had tried to clean Daniel's injuries. His face was free of blood for the first time since they'd entered this place. Jack wasn't sure if he liked being able to see Daniel's face like this. Daniel looked dead; a paleness beyond transparency, cheekbones hollow beneath the gash that ran from upper lip to ear, eyes sunken and bruised-looking from the hollow, purple smudges beneath them.
Teal'c and Sam had found their discarded jackets and had covered Daniel with all of them. The bundling only served to heighten the sense of frailness that clung to the young man like a shroud...
Jack shuddered, casting off the dark thoughts; negativity wouldn't get them out of here...
Jack sat down next to Daniel, wondering again why Daniel was still chained. Jack could feel the fever radiating off Daniel without having to touch him and realized suddenly why Nirrti had left the young man chained...
She knew they couldn't get out of the windowless room, even if they could...they wouldn't leave Daniel...
"Daniel Jackson is very ill," Teal'c announced in as gentle a voice as Jack had ever heard from the big Jaffa. Teal'c didn't make a habit of putting his emotions on display, but long acquaintance had taught Jack to recognize the signs of extreme distress in the other man.
Carter had been rattling around in the corner and came over to Jack with a bowl of something that didn't smell too inedible.
"I guess Nirrti wants to keep us alive for the next round." Carter said tersely. Her eyes were dark with worry as she looked down at Daniel.
"Has he...?" Jack didn't have to finish the sentence.
Carter shook her head. "No, Sir...he hasn't come around at all. Not even when we..." her voice caught and she gestured to indicate the blood-soaked rags they had used to clean Daniel's wounds.
Jack drank some of the water, trying to clear his aching head. He had to think, he had to do something...anything...to get his team out of here.
"Jack..."
The voice was barely a breath of sound, but it made them all jump.
Daniel was looking up at Jack, the hooded blue eyes nearly black, reflecting the infinite weariness of a spirit pushed beyond endurance and on the verge of letting go...
Jack tried to keep his voice level."Daniel, how you doin'?"
'Lame, Jack,' he thought to himself, 'a blind man could see the kid's dyin' here...'
Daniel nodded slightly and Jack realized his thoughts had been 'spoken' as loudly as his words. Daniel knew how bad things were, but Jack knew he would let his friends harbor their illusions if it would make things easier for them.
Jack felt a surge of unreasonable anger at Daniel. He wouldn't let his friend quit now; he had to keep Daniel fighting...
"Look, Danny..."
Jack took a deep breath, wishing that Teal'c and Carter would disapppear for a minute, then decided it didn't mattter. They were in this together
Jack tried again. "Daniel, you are going to make it. I'll think of something. Don't I always?"
Daniel gave a ghost of a smile, before he was gripped by a wave of pain and could no longer hold the walls in place...
Pain...His brain was on fire!...Third time was supposed to be a charm. God, it hurt....Jack...Sam...Teal'c....can't hold on.....
Daniel's pain and regret rolled over them in waves, but somehow Jack managed to put a hand on Daniel's forehead, diving once again for that place he was beginning to know so well; shoring up the walls, lending support to the failing strength...
Jack opened his eyes to find Teal'c supporting him next to Daniel. Jack felt drained beyond measure, but realized it had been the only thing he could do to help Daniel. Until he'd touched the weakened core of his friend, Jack hadn't let himself believe that Daniel could actually die.
Daniel was the comeback kid. When life knocked him down, Daniel got back up and kept living....
Daniel couldn't die...
Jack wouldn't allow it.