Stargate SG1: Suffer the Little Children (3/19)
All disclaimers, notes, warnings and summary are in the Master post: Suffer the Little Children
Chapter Three
The sounds of the park filled his ears, and he lay there, just listening. He was enjoying the solitude, alone with his thoughts and the birds chirping in the trees. Far off in the distance, he could hear children playing. A young girl yelled out, "Olly olly oxen free!" and Daniel smiled to himself.
Someone had won the game.
Reluctantly, he opened his eyes and pushed himself to sitting. He looked around for the others, and was more than mildly surprised that they weren't there. He hadn't been in the park alone, had he? He was almost certain they'd all been playing football together.
"Jack?" he called out as he pushed himself to his knees. "Sam? Teal'c?" He got his feet under him and stood, looking around once more.
No, they weren't there. There was no one in the park at all, aside from himself and the children playing hide-and-seek under the trees at the top of the hill. He could see now that there were two of them, a little boy with dark blond hair and glasses, who looked to be about ten, and a fair-haired girl who seemed a few years older - he guessed she was around thirteen.
Suddenly, he became aware of a dark shadow that was silently creeping toward the little boy.
Daniel opened his mouth to shout a warning, but no sound escaped his lips. He couldn't seem to make himself talk above a whisper, no matter how hard he tried.
The shadow was still moving, and the little boy still didn't realize the danger slinking up behind him.
Daniel shook his head. No, this wasn't happening. This wasn't real.
But when he looked across the park, the shadow was still there.
Knowing that he couldn't warn the little boy in time, Daniel tried running toward him, hoping to pull him out of harm's way before it was too late, but the faster he moved his legs, the slower he moved. Daniel felt his heart racing, pounding in his chest, and he realized that there was nothing he could do.
The shadow was too close to the little boy; Daniel couldn't stop it. Two dark tendrils reached out toward him; one wrapped itself around the little boy's arms, pinning them to his sides. The other snaked across his mouth, keeping him from crying out for help.
Daniel tried to yell again, but managed only a strangled, whispered, "No."
No, it wasn't real. It didn't happen. It wasn't real, had never been real.
He felt a strong arm wrap around him, pinning his arms to his sides and a large hand press against his mouth, silencing his cries for help. He heard a voice in his ear, a frightening voice, whispering evil things about death and beauty that seemed both familiar and terrifying ...
'Wake up, Daniel,' he heard another voice say to him - an older, stronger, safer voice. 'It's just a bad dream. It's not real. Wake up.'
Jack wondered why he'd been concerned that Daniel had looked so young in the park. After all, Daniel had kept his eyes closed most of the time, hadn't he? Just like they were closed now. And his face had been relaxed, almost peaceful, completely unaware of the world around him. Just like it was relaxed and peaceful now. Jack had wondered about this before and he'd never understood it, how someone who'd been through as much as Daniel had could look so at peace, so innocent and youthful, the second he closed his eyes. It made perfect sense to Jack now, the way Daniel had looked in the park, because it was the exact same way he looked in his bed in the infirmary. He certainly didn't look thirty; hell, he didn't even really look twenty.
Daniel looked young when he was sleeping, and he always had.
Jack hadn't come up with a reason for the voice yet - the soft, hesitant, broken and slightly lispy voice - but he knew there had to be one. Since there was a perfectly logical explanation for Daniel looking like a little kid, then there had to be an equally logical explanation for him sounding like one.
Jack had just started to think one up when Janet stepped up beside him.
"Colonel?"
Jack stood quickly, almost grateful for the interruption. "Doc, hey."
Janet looked around the empty infirmary expectantly. "Where are Sam and Teal'c?"
"The had to go downtown with that FBI guy, Phillips, so he could interview them. They should be getting back soon."
Janet nodded in understanding. "Ah, yes. Agent Phillips. He's already called me, asking when Daniel will be able to answer questions."
Jack tried to read her thoughts from her expression, but he couldn't. "So, what is it? What's the verdict?"
Janet sighed. "Well, all of his scans came back perfectly normal."
Jack started to smile but stopped when he realized that Janet wasn't. "That's a good thing," he said. "Isn't it?"
Janet shrugged and shook her head slightly. "It means that his head injury isn't severe. There is no sign of a brain bleed, no increase in his intercranial pressure, and no skull fracture. It looks like he's just got a mild concussion."
Now Jack was confused. "So why don't you look happy?"
Janet closed her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair. She stayed that way for a moment before lowering her hand to rub her forehead. "Because, Colonel, it also means that there is no physical explanation for either his collapse or the behavior you described."
Jack simply stared at her, so she continued.
"There is no real reason for any of it, Colonel. Not the confusion, not the memory loss, not the non-responsiveness ..."
A soft moan and the rustle of sheets drew their attention back to Daniel and they put their conversation on hold. Daniel was restless, his head turning back and forth slowly on the pillow, his forehead wrinkled. His lips were moving slightly, but no sound came out.
Jack stepped up to Daniel's right side; Janet walked to the other side and stood directly opposite him.
Daniel's tossing and turning was increasing. His lips moved again, this time accompanied by a strangled, "No!"
"Doc?" Jack looked up in concern.
Janet turned her head to check the monitors at Daniel's side. "His heart rate's increasing," she said, "and his blood pressure's rising. I think he's having a nightmare."
Jack looked across at Janet for confirmation that he was thinking the right thing, and she nodded at him. He stepped forward, perched one hip on the gurney, wrapped his hands around Daniel's arms, and shook him lightly.
"Daniel?"
Daniel tried to roll back and forth on the bed, tried to pull his arms free, tried to get away. His lips were moving soundlessly again - to Jack, it looked as though he was saying, "Help me, help me," over and over again. Whatever the nightmare was about, it was obviously getting worse.
"Wake up, Daniel!" Jack said forcefully. "It's just a bad dream. It's not real. Wake up!"
Daniel's eyes flew open and he bolted upright in the bed. His face was panic-stricken, his breath came in shallow, ragged gasps, and his heart was beating wildly. He grabbed the first thing he touched, Jack's sleeve, and held it tightly.
Jack gave him a few seconds to regain control of his breathing and focus on his surroundings before speaking again.
"Daniel?"
Daniel blinked a few times before he turned his head slowly.
"Jack?"
"Yeah," Jack answered gently. "You okay?"
"What happened?" Daniel asked.
"You were just having a nightmare," Janet answered. "The colonel woke you up."
Daniel nodded slowly. He let go of Jack's sleeve and laid back on the gurney with a sigh. His eyes were scanning the infirmary, as though he were only just beginning to realize where he was.
"Um ... how did I get here?"
Jack smiled down at him and stood. "You cracked your head pretty good in the park. We were on our way back here when you decided to take a little nap." Jack leaned down slightly and tapped Daniel on the arm. "Next time you want to do that, it might be a good idea to lay down before you pass out."
Daniel nodded up at him. "Yeah, I'll try to remember that."
"How does your head feel, Daniel?" Janet asked.
Daniel shrugged. "I'm fine, just a little headache."
Janet pursed her lips as she considered her next question. "And do you remember ...?"
"Yeah," Daniel said quickly. He closed his eyes and let his head sink into the pillow. "Yeah, I remember. I kind of wish I didn't, though."
Jack nodded his head and briefly squeezed Daniel's arm. "You and me both."
"Daniel!" Sam called cheerfully from the door. "You're awake!"
Jack and Janet turned and watched Sam and Teal'c enter the room. Daniel opened his eyes and smiled at them.
"Hey, guys," he said.
"Daniel Jackson, it is good to see you alert again."
"Thanks, Teal'c," Daniel answered. The color raised in his cheeks and he flushed slightly in embarrassment. "I guess I did sort of zone out on you in the park, huh?" He looked up at Janet. "I don't suppose we know why?"
Janet smiled at him softly. "You hit your head when you fell. You've got a mild concussion, Daniel, that's all. Nothing to worry about. You'll probably have a headache for a while, but other than that, you'll be fine."
Jack looked across at Janet, and she nodded at him. He took that to mean that she'd decided that Daniel's episode had been the direct result of his concussion. His worries about Daniel's health eased, he turned to Sam and Teal'c.
"So, how'd the interviews go?"
Sam shrugged. "There wasn't really much we could tell them, sir," she said. "We didn't see anything and we don't know any more than they do."
"However, Agent Phillips was emphatic in his desire to speak with Daniel Jackson," Teal'c added. "He believes that you may be able to tell him something of value."
Daniel shrugged. "I don't know what that could possibly be. I saw the same thing you did, which is basically nothing."
"They did tell us something that should make you feel better, Daniel," Sam said.
"What's that?" Daniel asked.
"That little girl you thought it was? Jenny? It wasn't her."
Daniel straightened up a bit in the bed and looked back at Sam in confusion. "Who's Jenny?"
Jack exchanged quick glances with Sam and Teal'c before looking down at Daniel. "You kept calling her Jenny. We were worried that you knew her."
Daniel shook his head. "I don't know anyone named Jenny," he said.
Jack, Janet and Sam all shared expressions of confusion. Teal'c tilted his head and said, "Perhaps someone you knew as a child?"
"Not that I remember," Daniel said. He shrugged and then turned to Janet. "So, since it's just a minor concussion, do I have to stay overnight?"
Janet thought for a moment before answering. "In the infirmary? No. On the base? Yes." She patted his arm before turning away. "I'll disconnect the monitors in just a minute. First, let me find some clothes for you to change into so you can shower. You're filthy."
Daniel looked down at himself and for the first time realized that he was still wearing the jeans he'd worn to the park. The mud had long since dried and caked, and there was dried mud all over the sheets. He shook his head and smiled.
"Hey," he said. "You still owe me, Jack."
"Owe you what?" Jack asked.
"I didn't get to tackle you."
Daniel swung his legs over the side of the bed and started to sit up. He closed his eyes as a wave of dizziness washed over him. Jack's hand was on his arm immediately, holding him steady and helping him the rest of the way up.
"Yeah, let's just wait a while on that one, okay? I don't think you're quite up to playing football yet."
Sam stepped forward. "Besides, Daniel, I got the impression that Agent Phillips really wants to talk to you tomorrow."
"Indeed," Teal'c said. "He was most insistent."
"Yeah," Daniel answered, almost sadly. "I really wish I could help them. The look on her face ..." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I can't even begin to imagine how frightened she must have been."
Chapter Three
The sounds of the park filled his ears, and he lay there, just listening. He was enjoying the solitude, alone with his thoughts and the birds chirping in the trees. Far off in the distance, he could hear children playing. A young girl yelled out, "Olly olly oxen free!" and Daniel smiled to himself.
Someone had won the game.
Reluctantly, he opened his eyes and pushed himself to sitting. He looked around for the others, and was more than mildly surprised that they weren't there. He hadn't been in the park alone, had he? He was almost certain they'd all been playing football together.
"Jack?" he called out as he pushed himself to his knees. "Sam? Teal'c?" He got his feet under him and stood, looking around once more.
No, they weren't there. There was no one in the park at all, aside from himself and the children playing hide-and-seek under the trees at the top of the hill. He could see now that there were two of them, a little boy with dark blond hair and glasses, who looked to be about ten, and a fair-haired girl who seemed a few years older - he guessed she was around thirteen.
Suddenly, he became aware of a dark shadow that was silently creeping toward the little boy.
Daniel opened his mouth to shout a warning, but no sound escaped his lips. He couldn't seem to make himself talk above a whisper, no matter how hard he tried.
The shadow was still moving, and the little boy still didn't realize the danger slinking up behind him.
Daniel shook his head. No, this wasn't happening. This wasn't real.
But when he looked across the park, the shadow was still there.
Knowing that he couldn't warn the little boy in time, Daniel tried running toward him, hoping to pull him out of harm's way before it was too late, but the faster he moved his legs, the slower he moved. Daniel felt his heart racing, pounding in his chest, and he realized that there was nothing he could do.
The shadow was too close to the little boy; Daniel couldn't stop it. Two dark tendrils reached out toward him; one wrapped itself around the little boy's arms, pinning them to his sides. The other snaked across his mouth, keeping him from crying out for help.
Daniel tried to yell again, but managed only a strangled, whispered, "No."
No, it wasn't real. It didn't happen. It wasn't real, had never been real.
He felt a strong arm wrap around him, pinning his arms to his sides and a large hand press against his mouth, silencing his cries for help. He heard a voice in his ear, a frightening voice, whispering evil things about death and beauty that seemed both familiar and terrifying ...
'Wake up, Daniel,' he heard another voice say to him - an older, stronger, safer voice. 'It's just a bad dream. It's not real. Wake up.'
Jack wondered why he'd been concerned that Daniel had looked so young in the park. After all, Daniel had kept his eyes closed most of the time, hadn't he? Just like they were closed now. And his face had been relaxed, almost peaceful, completely unaware of the world around him. Just like it was relaxed and peaceful now. Jack had wondered about this before and he'd never understood it, how someone who'd been through as much as Daniel had could look so at peace, so innocent and youthful, the second he closed his eyes. It made perfect sense to Jack now, the way Daniel had looked in the park, because it was the exact same way he looked in his bed in the infirmary. He certainly didn't look thirty; hell, he didn't even really look twenty.
Daniel looked young when he was sleeping, and he always had.
Jack hadn't come up with a reason for the voice yet - the soft, hesitant, broken and slightly lispy voice - but he knew there had to be one. Since there was a perfectly logical explanation for Daniel looking like a little kid, then there had to be an equally logical explanation for him sounding like one.
Jack had just started to think one up when Janet stepped up beside him.
"Colonel?"
Jack stood quickly, almost grateful for the interruption. "Doc, hey."
Janet looked around the empty infirmary expectantly. "Where are Sam and Teal'c?"
"The had to go downtown with that FBI guy, Phillips, so he could interview them. They should be getting back soon."
Janet nodded in understanding. "Ah, yes. Agent Phillips. He's already called me, asking when Daniel will be able to answer questions."
Jack tried to read her thoughts from her expression, but he couldn't. "So, what is it? What's the verdict?"
Janet sighed. "Well, all of his scans came back perfectly normal."
Jack started to smile but stopped when he realized that Janet wasn't. "That's a good thing," he said. "Isn't it?"
Janet shrugged and shook her head slightly. "It means that his head injury isn't severe. There is no sign of a brain bleed, no increase in his intercranial pressure, and no skull fracture. It looks like he's just got a mild concussion."
Now Jack was confused. "So why don't you look happy?"
Janet closed her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair. She stayed that way for a moment before lowering her hand to rub her forehead. "Because, Colonel, it also means that there is no physical explanation for either his collapse or the behavior you described."
Jack simply stared at her, so she continued.
"There is no real reason for any of it, Colonel. Not the confusion, not the memory loss, not the non-responsiveness ..."
A soft moan and the rustle of sheets drew their attention back to Daniel and they put their conversation on hold. Daniel was restless, his head turning back and forth slowly on the pillow, his forehead wrinkled. His lips were moving slightly, but no sound came out.
Jack stepped up to Daniel's right side; Janet walked to the other side and stood directly opposite him.
Daniel's tossing and turning was increasing. His lips moved again, this time accompanied by a strangled, "No!"
"Doc?" Jack looked up in concern.
Janet turned her head to check the monitors at Daniel's side. "His heart rate's increasing," she said, "and his blood pressure's rising. I think he's having a nightmare."
Jack looked across at Janet for confirmation that he was thinking the right thing, and she nodded at him. He stepped forward, perched one hip on the gurney, wrapped his hands around Daniel's arms, and shook him lightly.
"Daniel?"
Daniel tried to roll back and forth on the bed, tried to pull his arms free, tried to get away. His lips were moving soundlessly again - to Jack, it looked as though he was saying, "Help me, help me," over and over again. Whatever the nightmare was about, it was obviously getting worse.
"Wake up, Daniel!" Jack said forcefully. "It's just a bad dream. It's not real. Wake up!"
Daniel's eyes flew open and he bolted upright in the bed. His face was panic-stricken, his breath came in shallow, ragged gasps, and his heart was beating wildly. He grabbed the first thing he touched, Jack's sleeve, and held it tightly.
Jack gave him a few seconds to regain control of his breathing and focus on his surroundings before speaking again.
"Daniel?"
Daniel blinked a few times before he turned his head slowly.
"Jack?"
"Yeah," Jack answered gently. "You okay?"
"What happened?" Daniel asked.
"You were just having a nightmare," Janet answered. "The colonel woke you up."
Daniel nodded slowly. He let go of Jack's sleeve and laid back on the gurney with a sigh. His eyes were scanning the infirmary, as though he were only just beginning to realize where he was.
"Um ... how did I get here?"
Jack smiled down at him and stood. "You cracked your head pretty good in the park. We were on our way back here when you decided to take a little nap." Jack leaned down slightly and tapped Daniel on the arm. "Next time you want to do that, it might be a good idea to lay down before you pass out."
Daniel nodded up at him. "Yeah, I'll try to remember that."
"How does your head feel, Daniel?" Janet asked.
Daniel shrugged. "I'm fine, just a little headache."
Janet pursed her lips as she considered her next question. "And do you remember ...?"
"Yeah," Daniel said quickly. He closed his eyes and let his head sink into the pillow. "Yeah, I remember. I kind of wish I didn't, though."
Jack nodded his head and briefly squeezed Daniel's arm. "You and me both."
"Daniel!" Sam called cheerfully from the door. "You're awake!"
Jack and Janet turned and watched Sam and Teal'c enter the room. Daniel opened his eyes and smiled at them.
"Hey, guys," he said.
"Daniel Jackson, it is good to see you alert again."
"Thanks, Teal'c," Daniel answered. The color raised in his cheeks and he flushed slightly in embarrassment. "I guess I did sort of zone out on you in the park, huh?" He looked up at Janet. "I don't suppose we know why?"
Janet smiled at him softly. "You hit your head when you fell. You've got a mild concussion, Daniel, that's all. Nothing to worry about. You'll probably have a headache for a while, but other than that, you'll be fine."
Jack looked across at Janet, and she nodded at him. He took that to mean that she'd decided that Daniel's episode had been the direct result of his concussion. His worries about Daniel's health eased, he turned to Sam and Teal'c.
"So, how'd the interviews go?"
Sam shrugged. "There wasn't really much we could tell them, sir," she said. "We didn't see anything and we don't know any more than they do."
"However, Agent Phillips was emphatic in his desire to speak with Daniel Jackson," Teal'c added. "He believes that you may be able to tell him something of value."
Daniel shrugged. "I don't know what that could possibly be. I saw the same thing you did, which is basically nothing."
"They did tell us something that should make you feel better, Daniel," Sam said.
"What's that?" Daniel asked.
"That little girl you thought it was? Jenny? It wasn't her."
Daniel straightened up a bit in the bed and looked back at Sam in confusion. "Who's Jenny?"
Jack exchanged quick glances with Sam and Teal'c before looking down at Daniel. "You kept calling her Jenny. We were worried that you knew her."
Daniel shook his head. "I don't know anyone named Jenny," he said.
Jack, Janet and Sam all shared expressions of confusion. Teal'c tilted his head and said, "Perhaps someone you knew as a child?"
"Not that I remember," Daniel said. He shrugged and then turned to Janet. "So, since it's just a minor concussion, do I have to stay overnight?"
Janet thought for a moment before answering. "In the infirmary? No. On the base? Yes." She patted his arm before turning away. "I'll disconnect the monitors in just a minute. First, let me find some clothes for you to change into so you can shower. You're filthy."
Daniel looked down at himself and for the first time realized that he was still wearing the jeans he'd worn to the park. The mud had long since dried and caked, and there was dried mud all over the sheets. He shook his head and smiled.
"Hey," he said. "You still owe me, Jack."
"Owe you what?" Jack asked.
"I didn't get to tackle you."
Daniel swung his legs over the side of the bed and started to sit up. He closed his eyes as a wave of dizziness washed over him. Jack's hand was on his arm immediately, holding him steady and helping him the rest of the way up.
"Yeah, let's just wait a while on that one, okay? I don't think you're quite up to playing football yet."
Sam stepped forward. "Besides, Daniel, I got the impression that Agent Phillips really wants to talk to you tomorrow."
"Indeed," Teal'c said. "He was most insistent."
"Yeah," Daniel answered, almost sadly. "I really wish I could help them. The look on her face ..." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I can't even begin to imagine how frightened she must have been."