SG-1 Gen Fic: For Every Action 7/10
Title: For Every Action
Author: superbadgirl
Category: H/C with a Daniel slant, Team
Season/Spoiler: Very early S2
Rating: R
Word Count: 4,884 this chapter, 44,900 total
Summary: Teal'c struggles to understand human emotions. SG-1 make it back home, where they can only hope Earth medicine can mend what's broken.
A/N: I can't tell you how much fun I'm having posting this. I think because it's a weekend, I might post two chapters today and two tomorrow, wrapping the story up. :)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Tau’ri humor was not amusing, and Teal’c had just discovered it often came at unsuitable times. He glanced backwards as O’Neill and Daniel Jackson’s laughter continued. On some level he realized they were simply relieving the stresses of hours past, and on another level he knew his reaction was borne from stress as well. He should be concerned for his friends’ mental well-being rather than irritated with their behavior.
The fact remained there was nothing about the situation that was comical in the least. They would soon be without water again, and Captain Carter appeared no closer to resolving the technical difficulties with the dial home device. He did not believe he could be of any real assistance to her, but Teal’c knew he favored her company to that of Daniel Jackson and O’Neill at this particular moment. He was pleased to note the pair of them had finally ceased laughing, until he overheard their conversation and realized they had gone from one extreme to another.
Perhaps their levity had not been entirely inappropriate.
He nearly turned around to rejoin them when he heard Daniel Jackson reference an assault maneuver involving a gigantic fowl, and O’Neill follow with an offensive remark involving a different type of fowl. Neither were topics of interest for him, nor did he need to be present for the return of their lightheartedness. Teal’c paused, though, when he heard O’Neill speak of his unsuccessful forage for food. With this new, unfortunate knowledge, he continued on his quest to assist Captain Carter.
“Captain Carter,” he said while still well in advance of her locale. The Tau’ri were unaccustomed to the manner in which he walked. On several occasions, O’Neill had referred to his movements as ‘sneaking around’, which was not accurate. Teal’c simply walked. “Have you had success?”
“Oh. Hey, Teal’c.”
Captain Carter’s face was flushed and her hair matted. The skin on her shoulders appeared burned. She did not, however, look as discouraged as she had previously in the day. Mere minutes ago, in fact. This was indeed a good sign. Teal’c could not determine what of the mess surrounding her was relevant to her current approach. She picked up a crystal that had a fine fracture running all the way through it.
“I don’t know how this got damaged, but at least it’s not obliterated completely like the original,” she said. She slipped the crystal into place. “Thank goodness the Goa’uld at least thought of packing spares, even if they put them in a place that took way too long to find.”
“The Goa’uld may not have known of the auxiliary crystals’ existence, Captain Carter. They have scavenged the use of Stargates just as they scavenge everything,” Teal’c said.
“Really?” Captain Carter rose to her feet slowly, as if the simple action required great strength. “Why haven’t you ever ment … oh, never mind. That’s not important. I really hope this works. Cross your fingers.”
Teal’c still did not understand the command, but complied nonetheless. He would do well to transcribe every piece of cultural information of which Daniel Jackson enlightened him. The reference material might prove useful. Ah, he understood why Captain Carter often appeared annoyed when he revealed information about the Goa’uld. Her wish was likely very similar to his own, but in the reverse. He should have realized. It was small comfort that his knowledge would not have helped in this situation.
She leaned down and reset the Dial Home Device. Immediately, Teal’c heard it power up with a familiar whir. Captain Carter let out a faint gurgle, then, “Yes, yes, YES!”
Teal’c had never before heard such volume from Captain Carter, nor had he seen her express excitement in an open manner. It was not without merit. He tipped his head to her in agreement, taken further by surprise when she took a step toward him and then wrapped her arms around his midsection.
“It’s working, it’s working,” she said into his chest.
And then she began to sob. Teal’c was out of his depth and extremely uncomfortable. The DHD now appeared functional; this was not an unwelcome occurrence. Captain Carter’s tears made no sense to him. They were rather like O’Neill and Daniel Jackson’s earlier guffaws, in the reverse. He understood her sudden tears as the very emotional outburst they were, but he did not understand human tendencies to allow such exhibition to occur. The Tau’ri were a most unusual people.
He patted Captain Carter on the back as he had seen done on television programming. Teal’c doubted the action could possibly convey the comfort Daniel Jackson had explained was the intention. Still, it was all he could do.
“What’s going on?”
“Captain Carter has succeeded in repairing the Dial Home Device.”
“That’s great,” O’Neill said.
Teal’c looked him.
“But why is she crying?”
“I do not know.”
O’Neill muttered something Teal’c could not quite ascertain, though he did hear the words women and loco. He did not know the precise definition of loco, but given the tone and O’Neill’s reluctance to utter the word at a greater volume, Teal’c believed it was denigration. He did not believe O’Neill should be so blithe to issue such slights, considering only several minutes ago he was himself in a hysterical state. Teal’c raised an eyebrow.
O’Neill looked abashed. “Probably because she’s relieved and happy, huh?”
“That…” Captain Carter sniffled once and hiccupped twice. “…would be correct, sir.”
She pulled away. Her face was reddened, particularly her nose, and her eyes still watered but Teal’c could see she was on her way to regaining control. Teal’c knew there could yet be much work to do. A functioning dial home device did not guarantee a functioning Stargate. Captain Carter rubbed at her face, and winced. Much of the redness was due to the sun rather than her bout of tears.
“I’ve got power to the DHD. I can’t say for certain before I try it, but I think we’re back in business, sir,” Captain Carter said.
“That’s good news, Carter, great job.”
Teal’c could not agree more. The atmosphere on this planet did not bother him so much as the potential threat. His friends might remain unaware the bird creatures continued to monitor them with scrutiny, but he had known for some time that they were once again becoming agitated. He looked up briefly. Even now, the limbs of nearby trees were covered with the silent and wary beasts.
“Indeed,” Teal’c said.
“Hey!” Daniel Jackson’s weak shout was not one of panic, and yet it startled Teal’c.
His heart pounded harder while he determined the location of every creature, to ensure none of them had managed a secret attack on his friend. Teal’c turned toward the shelter, along with O’Neill and Captain Carter.
“Anyone want to tell me what’s going on?”
“Sir, if this works, it’s likely the only chance we’re going to get. I don’t think the repair job I did is going to last more than one ‘gate activation.”
“I’ll go let Daniel in on the loop and get him ready. Thank goodness we won’t be eating dandelion stew,” O’Neill said, and trotted away.
To say he would be glad to finally be away from this planet was making a statement with less strength than was accurate. Though they had only been here for about twenty-four hours, their return to the SGC would coincide with their original, intended return. Their fortune might be changing. He hoped Captain Carter had indeed repaired the Dial Home Device, for if she hadn’t he did not believe the tentative truce they had with the native creatures of this planet would continue.
“We should prepare as well,” he said.
“You really think it’ll work?”
He heard doubt in Captain Carter’s voice. It was understandable, but they could not let doubt distract them. He began putting the few tools lying in the sand into his companion’s pack. He withdrew the GDO and handed it to her. She smiled weakly at him.
“Good thing we still have one of these, and good timing, huh?” she said, waving the apparatus around. “Our code will still be active.”
“We are fortunate to not spend another night on this planet.”
Teal’c took in the dark circles under Captain Carter’s eyes. Neither she nor O’Neill hand slept much, and he did not believe Daniel Jackson’s fevered unconsciousness served as adequate rest. He looked up to the treetops, in time to see most of the creatures fly away. Those that remained were clearly on sentinel duty, watching to ensure SG-1 left them in peace. He did not believe he and his friends were considered threats any longer, yet the creatures had not changed their behavior toward them. They remained wary and watchful. In their position, he could not be certain he would not behave in the same manner.
“You’re right, we should think positive,” Captain Carter said.
“Indeed,” he said.
He was aware that even if they were successful in leaving this place, SG-1 still had a large obstacle to overcome. They were as yet uncertain of the true cause for Daniel Jackson’s paralysis. He did not know enough about Tau’ri healing methods to know if his condition could be remedied. On this subject, he was content to not think at all, for it was most difficult to remain positive. He had faith in Doctor Fraiser as a physician and friend, but her expertise might not be enough for this matter. He closed Captain Carter’s pack, suddenly angry with himself for dwelling on the negative as he had instructed himself not to do.
“Teal’c, mind giving me a hand over here?” O’Neill called.
Daniel Jackson would not appreciate being carried through the Stargate. In this case, he did not think either he or O’Neill capable of handling their friend’s weight on their own, and so Daniel did not face that particular event. He gave Captain Carter a reassuring nod and the GDO before he answered O’Neill’s beckon. He stood slowly and moved toward their small campsite.
“And I think we should leave them this as part of their souvenir package,” O’Neill was saying as he approached the shelter. “A gift to them, from me.”
“I wish I understood your fixation with that thing,” Daniel said.
O’Neill wadded up a swatch of green material and threw it over the shelter.
“On the other hand, I don’t think I really want to know.”
“Teal’c, hey,” O’Neill greeted. “You want left or right side?”
The levity O’Neill displayed was forced. Assisting Daniel through the Stargate would serve as a very real reminder of the mysterious paralysis that plagued him. It was unavoidable. Rather than answer O’Neill, Teal’c simply moved to Daniel’s right. Daniel clumsily propped himself on his elbows while he and O’Neill crouched beside him.
“On three?” O’Neill looked at him over Daniel’s head, then glanced toward the Stargate.
If it was a silent inquiry about the success of Captain Carter’s endeavors, Teal’c could but tilt his head in a non-committal affirmative.
“One, two, three.” O’Neill grunted the last number of his count, straining against the weight of a body unable to assist.
The tang of his own sweat mingled with that of his friends. Teal’c hoped they would be permitted a shower before their routine physical examinations upon returning to the SGC. Beneath his hold, Daniel quivered slightly. He frowned; Daniel would not have the luxury of a shower. Now it was his turn to glance over to O’Neill, who it seemed also found himself thinking about unfortunate circumstances. The other man might think himself subtle, but Teal’c knew that O’Neill’s focus was not on their path but on Daniel Jackson’s unmoving legs.
“Let’s see if this works,” O’Neill said as they drew close to Captain Carter.
She looked at them, her gaze like O’Neill’s lingering on Daniel’s legs, and she nodded. Captain Carter shook visibly, likely from exhaustion as well as apprehension, as she pressed the first glyph. The familiar sound of it clonking and the Stargate engaging was music quite welcome to his ears. Teal’c gripped Daniel tighter, while O’Neill issued a whoop of relief.
“Way to go Sam,” Daniel said quietly.
She smiled, but shook her head.
“I didn’t really do much.”
Captain Carter’s hands shook less while she finished dialing the proper sequence for Earth, evidence now only of tiredness. As much as he felt compelled to watch every moment to ensure their departure was imminent, Teal’c once again looked to the trees. The remaining creatures watched SG-1 as attentively as ever.
“It is unfortunate there is not a way to inform the creatures of this planet that if they wish to avoid further outside contact, that they must simply bury the Stargate,” he said loudly.
“Teal’c, why are you shouting?” O’Neill asked, then paused to look at Captain Carter. “Why is Teal’c shouting?”
“Because he believes the birds understand us somehow,” Captain Carter said. She input the IDC for SG-1. “And he might be right.”
“You said there were lots of them.” The muscles in Daniel’s shoulders vibrated even more, evidence of how weakened by illness and fever was his body.
Teal’c clenched his jaw.
Daniel spoke more loudly, “All they have to do is tip the gate over and cover it.”
“Oh, okay, I get it,” O’Neill said. “I’ll bet it wouldn’t hurt for them to cover it with something more solid than sand first. Rocks, maybe, or tree branches.”
“I believe we have given them sufficient information.”
In all honesty, Teal’c was more than ready to leave this place and did not think it prudent to linger longer than necessary. The Stargate appeared to be functioning properly, but they did not know if their luck would last. He should have made an attempt to have their stolen equipment returned to them. There was no time for that now. It would remain by the hatching pond, and do no harm.
“I suppose. It’s not like we have the address to dial back to see if they took the hint.”
“All right, not to put a rush on this, but Daniel’s getting a little heavy,” O’Neill said. “What have you been eating, anyway?”
“Ha ha, Jack.”
Daniel was, in fact, not a great burden. Tau’ri humor was not amusing.
~~*~~
“The gate on P9C-742 doesn’t appear to be functioning any longer,” Carter said, chewing her lip and flipping through the papers in front of her. “We ran a diagnostic to make sure it wasn’t something on our end, and all other planets dial fine.”
Of course it wasn’t a malfunction at the SGC. Jack didn’t know anything about Carter’s diagnostics or whatever the technicians in the control room did. He didn’t have to. He would bet his next month’s pay that bastard Bajiar and his band of miserable thugs had fixed it so no one could upset their balance again. The Wiutehians, the rich ones, didn’t look like they needed intergalactic trade alliances. All they needed was to keep on being parasites, undisturbed. He stared at the table in front of him so hard he might burn holes in it, fingers drumming an aggravated beat. He reached for the pitcher of water for the umpteenth time, unable to quench his thirst in the two days they’d been back at the SGC. He doubted the antibiotic regimen they were all on was to blame.
“It is highly probable the Wiutehians have purposely blocked their Stargate from us,” Teal’c said what Carter seemed to have a problem coming out and saying. “They would do so in order to prevent future disruption of their … choice of lifestyle.”
Jack snorted. Choice of lifestyle, his ass. Teal’c was being way too kind. If Daniel’s hypothesis was right, which Jack knew it was for sheer sake of being Daniel’s hypothesis, those people were nothing but slimy, no-good parasites. His gut told him they could fix whatever was wrong with Daniel if only he could get his friend back to that damned planet.
“Captain?” General Hammond said softly.
“It’s a possibility, sir.”
“Of course it is,” Jack snapped, banging his fist on the table and watching the water fly out of his glass, into a semi-circular pattern. “They knew where they were sending us, but they also knew they had to cover their asses, because once we found out what happened to Daniel there was no way we wouldn’t find a way to get back. Goddamn deserted island or not.”
“Colonel,” Hammond said, warning obvious. “I understand you’re upset, but please refrain from the outbursts.”
Jack looked up, finding Hammond, Carter and Teal’c all staring at him. He couldn’t remain calm while one of his team was down in the infirmary, possibly crippled for life. Especially Daniel, if he were going to be honest. It was ironic. Of the four of them, Daniel was probably the one best suited for such a life-altering state. Teal’c thrived on being a warrior. So did he, and while Carter had her whatever-science-she-did to fall back on, she’d chosen the active life of an airman. But Daniel, Daniel could still have an active, fulfilling life on base. The logic made him choke, though it had come from Daniel himself had not more than an hour ago.
“Yes, sir,” Jack said thickly. “Sorry, sir.”
“We don’t know what might have caused the malfunction on their end, and the fact is it doesn’t matter. We can’t get there, so it is not a resource to help with Doctor Jackson’s condition.” The general stood, walking toward the window to gaze down at the gateroom, hands clasped behind him. “Doctor Fraiser will join us shortly to provide an update.”
Rubbing at his temples, headache from the heat exhaustion and dehydration lingering, Jack wasn’t sure he wanted to hear what Fraiser had to report. Unless she walked in with a big smile on her face, the rest of this meeting wasn’t going to end well. He didn’t know what he’d expected to happen upon getting home. A miracle, maybe. The healing power of the SGC. Magic Earth medicine to erase all alien illnesses.
“We don’t even know for sure Daniel’s condition has anything to do with P9C-742,” Carter said hesitantly, sitting next to him. “It’s all conjecture. The man Daniel came in contact with was only partially impaired, and by Daniel’s theory he was someone who’s health was taken. He shouldn’t have been able to draw Daniel’s good health and leave him with full paralysis. It doesn’t make sense. Unless there’s enough difference in our biology, maybe?”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake.” Jack pushed away from the table, standing and pacing. “If one more person says ‘Daniel’s condition’ like it’s a friggin’ case of the measles, I am seriously going to lose it. He’s paralyzed, as in confined to a wheelchair, as in can never walk through the Stargate again.”
Silence fell over the room. Whoops, Jack had forgotten to refrain from outbursting. He admitted that at first he had a hard time saying it, too, but tiptoeing around the issue was worse in many ways. Judging from the wet look in Carter’s eyes, she hadn’t reached the stage where she could think about it as a permanent situation yet. Jack didn’t want to imagine it - Doctor Daniel Jackson never being able to go through the thing he made happen. It broke Jack’s heart in its cruelty. The worst part was not knowing why. A staff blast to the back would have been less painful to deal with.
“Jack,” Hammond said, right next to him. “Maybe you should sit back down.”
He swayed on his feet, mouth like cotton yet again. Jack refilled his glass, swallowing the cool liquid as if it pained him. Sitting, he shook his head just a little toward Carter. It was the only apology he could offer. Everyone was doing their jobs here. He was the one who kept derailing them. He couldn’t get Daniel’s sad, accepting smile out of his head. It was like the guy was really okay with everything.
“We have encountered numerous peoples,” Teal’c said. “Perhaps one of them will be able to lend assistance on this matter.”
“Teal’c, that’s not … I mean…” Carter trailed off for a second. “Nearly every culture we’ve met so far has been way behind us in the fields of science and technology. And the ones who are ahead want nothing to do with us.”
Before they could travel down that useless road again, Fraiser walked in. She held a manila folder in front of her, arms crossed, like a shield. She wasn’t smiling. Her expression remained unreadable as she glanced at all of them, taking a seat when the general ushered her to. When she looked at Jack, she blanched.
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting,” Fraiser said.
“It’s all right, Doctor,” Hammond said. “What can you tell us?”
“As you know, we’ve run a gamut of tests on Doctor Jackson. On all of you, actually.” Fraiser flipped the manila folder open, leafing through it. “So far everything’s come back clean.”
“Even on Daniel?” Carter asked.
“Yes, even on Daniel. That doesn’t mean something won’t eventually present.”
That sounded an awful lot like Fraiser didn’t really think so to Jack. He sat up straighter, glaring at the doctor, as if that would make a difference. He should know better by now. He’d been glaring for days and Daniel still couldn’t move his legs.
“That also doesn’t mean I’ll stop running tests,” Fraiser said, holding up a hand defensively. “I’m re-running what we’ve already done, in the hopes there was a false negative.”
“Is that likely?” Teal’c asked.
Fraiser stared at the table in front of her, and the room was swallowed by silence. That was more answer than anything else could have been. After a moment, she cleared her throat.
“Now, you said that after you left P9C-742, Daniel came down with a fever and lost consciousness for an extended period.”
“That’s right,” Jack said. He wasn’t likely to forget those hours for a long time.
“It’s possible whatever has affected Daniel was brought on by the fever. Or the fever was the carrier for some alien pathogen that disappeared once it inflicted whatever damage it did. It could be nerve damage I can’t detect here.”
“But you don’t know,” Hammond said. “It could be anything.”
“Yes, sir.” Fraiser looked upset. “I wish I had more to tell you all at this point. Until I can figure this out, I recommend Doctor Jackson be transferred to Academy. I’ll have access to more equipment and specialists there. Daniel can also begin physiotherapy and education about his…”
Oh, god, here it came.
“…condition.”
“Request permission to be dismissed, sir,” Jack said abruptly, already at the door before he heard his CO’s disapproval. He kept walking.
The room had become too stuffy. He couldn’t go back. He ignored the general calling after him. Stalking through the corridors, Jack didn’t even know where he was going until he got there. Once he did realize, it took everything in him not to turn around and head somewhere else just as blindly. Before he could, Daniel looked up and saw him. The wincing smile he shot Jack trapped him as surely as a spider web traps a fly.
“Hey, Jack,” Daniel said.
“Hey.”
He approached the bed, every step making his gut hurt worse. It was getting more difficult, not less, to visit Daniel. Jack was only human, after all. His eyes drifted to Daniel’s covered legs. There he was at it again, staring as if that could make things different. When he looked away, he caught Daniel catching him in the act. He tried to hold back a cringe, failing miserably.
“You just got done talking with Doctor Fraiser.” Daniel fiddled with the fraying edge of his thin hospital blanket. “She went over it all with me before she went to the briefing.”
“You probably know more than I do,” Jack said. He sat down on the edge of the bed, conscious of Daniel’s legs not shifting over to make room. “I left early.”
“Why?”
“Oh, you know. Headache.”
Daniel shook his head.
Yeah, Daniel was right. The headache excuse didn’t ever fly for anyone, did it? Pity, because now his head really did hurt. Jack shifted, trying to get comfortable. The extendable bed tray had food on it from lunch. He picked up the untouched applesauce and a spoon, holding them up in askance. He started eating it at Daniel’s nod, but it was flavorless on his tongue, the texture mealy. He put it back down after two spoonfuls.
“Doctor Fraiser said that at Academy I’ll learn how to deal with the challenges of my new body,” Daniel said. “There’s apparently a whole set of instructions I’ll have to learn. Just when I thought I had things figured out. Anyway, once I get up to speed, I’ll be able to come back to work. With my skill at languages, I should still be able to help out around here. And I can keep tabs on you, which is a bonus.”
Jack clenched his jaw. They’d had this conversation already, he and Daniel. Multiple times. The way he saw it, Daniel repeating it now meant he hadn’t really believed this was how it was going to be permanently, that he’d retained some hope. That hope was waning, or was gone, and Jack didn’t know how to deal with its loss in himself, let alone Daniel. He wasn’t even sure why he cared so much. He barely knew Daniel, all things considered, so it shouldn’t be hitting him this hard. And yet it was. Somehow his teammates had all wormed their way into his sphere of concern far faster than they should have.
“Doctor Fraiser isn’t convinced about my theory, did she tell you that before you left? Something about the man being only partially lame, so my complete paralysis doesn’t make sense in that context. I think Sam agrees with her.” Daniel looked thoughtful, and so damned sad. “I suppose there’s no way to prove it now, is there? The best thing to do is learn how to deal with it. At least you and Sam and Teal’c will still be out there, looking for Sha’re and Ska’ara.”
“Don’t talk like it’s all over,” Jack said, voice harsh. He cleared his throat, wishing again for water. “We’ll, Carter’ll, figure out a way to get back to P9C-742, make them fix it. Or Fraiser will find some medical miracle. She always does.”
Jack didn’t know that at all, of course. He was talking out of his ass. He knew it and he knew Daniel knew it. The number of things thrown at them since the SGC had been a viable program was too great to count on always wiggling out of sticky situations. The odds wouldn’t support that idea. A penny wouldn’t always land face up; it was statistically unlikely. Jack supposed he should be grateful that in this case it was localized, personal rather than global. But he wasn’t grateful at all.
“No, Jack,” Daniel said quietly. “I’ve been thinking about this. Even if we do find a way back to Wiutehia, I don’t want that.”
It took a second for that to sink in. Bolting off the bed as if it had started on fire, Jack moved back a step. He had a wild thought that Daniel’s brain must have been affected in some way that they’d missed in the million tests he’d been subjected to. It had to have been. There was no sign of insanity on Daniel’s face.
“What?” was all Jack managed to squeeze past a tight throat. He swallowed. “What did you just say?”
“If I’m right, that man can walk again. Maybe he can make a difference on their world. Maybe he can make a difference to his family,” Daniel said. “Maybe he already has. I won’t take that away from him just so I can be magically healed. It’s not worth it.”
Unbelievable. Jack had no idea if Daniel was that noble a human being, or if his self-worth was so far in the crapper he didn’t realize he was worth healing. Either way, it was unacceptable.
“You can’t be serious.” Jack leaned on the foot of the bed. “Since when are you one to give up?”
“I’m not giving up, Jack. I’m accepting that my life from now on will be different. It’s okay. I’ll be okay.”
Daniel sounded rational, making his words all the more nonsensical to Jack. He opened and shut his mouth, unable to trust himself to speak without anger.
“Do you know Newton’s Third Law?” Daniel said, carrying on as if he were actually speaking to himself. His voice was gentle, almost out-of-body. “Of course you do. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. That’s what’s going on here. If we go back and my paralysis is due to that man in the slums… I can’t do it, Jack. I cannot take away what he might have been given because of this, not when I can live a perfectly fulfilling life. Because he can’t. He doesn’t have that luxury.”
So it was mostly Daniel being noble. That didn’t make Jack feel better at all.
to chapter eight
Author: superbadgirl
Category: H/C with a Daniel slant, Team
Season/Spoiler: Very early S2
Rating: R
Word Count: 4,884 this chapter, 44,900 total
Summary: Teal'c struggles to understand human emotions. SG-1 make it back home, where they can only hope Earth medicine can mend what's broken.
A/N: I can't tell you how much fun I'm having posting this. I think because it's a weekend, I might post two chapters today and two tomorrow, wrapping the story up. :)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Tau’ri humor was not amusing, and Teal’c had just discovered it often came at unsuitable times. He glanced backwards as O’Neill and Daniel Jackson’s laughter continued. On some level he realized they were simply relieving the stresses of hours past, and on another level he knew his reaction was borne from stress as well. He should be concerned for his friends’ mental well-being rather than irritated with their behavior.
The fact remained there was nothing about the situation that was comical in the least. They would soon be without water again, and Captain Carter appeared no closer to resolving the technical difficulties with the dial home device. He did not believe he could be of any real assistance to her, but Teal’c knew he favored her company to that of Daniel Jackson and O’Neill at this particular moment. He was pleased to note the pair of them had finally ceased laughing, until he overheard their conversation and realized they had gone from one extreme to another.
Perhaps their levity had not been entirely inappropriate.
He nearly turned around to rejoin them when he heard Daniel Jackson reference an assault maneuver involving a gigantic fowl, and O’Neill follow with an offensive remark involving a different type of fowl. Neither were topics of interest for him, nor did he need to be present for the return of their lightheartedness. Teal’c paused, though, when he heard O’Neill speak of his unsuccessful forage for food. With this new, unfortunate knowledge, he continued on his quest to assist Captain Carter.
“Captain Carter,” he said while still well in advance of her locale. The Tau’ri were unaccustomed to the manner in which he walked. On several occasions, O’Neill had referred to his movements as ‘sneaking around’, which was not accurate. Teal’c simply walked. “Have you had success?”
“Oh. Hey, Teal’c.”
Captain Carter’s face was flushed and her hair matted. The skin on her shoulders appeared burned. She did not, however, look as discouraged as she had previously in the day. Mere minutes ago, in fact. This was indeed a good sign. Teal’c could not determine what of the mess surrounding her was relevant to her current approach. She picked up a crystal that had a fine fracture running all the way through it.
“I don’t know how this got damaged, but at least it’s not obliterated completely like the original,” she said. She slipped the crystal into place. “Thank goodness the Goa’uld at least thought of packing spares, even if they put them in a place that took way too long to find.”
“The Goa’uld may not have known of the auxiliary crystals’ existence, Captain Carter. They have scavenged the use of Stargates just as they scavenge everything,” Teal’c said.
“Really?” Captain Carter rose to her feet slowly, as if the simple action required great strength. “Why haven’t you ever ment … oh, never mind. That’s not important. I really hope this works. Cross your fingers.”
Teal’c still did not understand the command, but complied nonetheless. He would do well to transcribe every piece of cultural information of which Daniel Jackson enlightened him. The reference material might prove useful. Ah, he understood why Captain Carter often appeared annoyed when he revealed information about the Goa’uld. Her wish was likely very similar to his own, but in the reverse. He should have realized. It was small comfort that his knowledge would not have helped in this situation.
She leaned down and reset the Dial Home Device. Immediately, Teal’c heard it power up with a familiar whir. Captain Carter let out a faint gurgle, then, “Yes, yes, YES!”
Teal’c had never before heard such volume from Captain Carter, nor had he seen her express excitement in an open manner. It was not without merit. He tipped his head to her in agreement, taken further by surprise when she took a step toward him and then wrapped her arms around his midsection.
“It’s working, it’s working,” she said into his chest.
And then she began to sob. Teal’c was out of his depth and extremely uncomfortable. The DHD now appeared functional; this was not an unwelcome occurrence. Captain Carter’s tears made no sense to him. They were rather like O’Neill and Daniel Jackson’s earlier guffaws, in the reverse. He understood her sudden tears as the very emotional outburst they were, but he did not understand human tendencies to allow such exhibition to occur. The Tau’ri were a most unusual people.
He patted Captain Carter on the back as he had seen done on television programming. Teal’c doubted the action could possibly convey the comfort Daniel Jackson had explained was the intention. Still, it was all he could do.
“What’s going on?”
“Captain Carter has succeeded in repairing the Dial Home Device.”
“That’s great,” O’Neill said.
Teal’c looked him.
“But why is she crying?”
“I do not know.”
O’Neill muttered something Teal’c could not quite ascertain, though he did hear the words women and loco. He did not know the precise definition of loco, but given the tone and O’Neill’s reluctance to utter the word at a greater volume, Teal’c believed it was denigration. He did not believe O’Neill should be so blithe to issue such slights, considering only several minutes ago he was himself in a hysterical state. Teal’c raised an eyebrow.
O’Neill looked abashed. “Probably because she’s relieved and happy, huh?”
“That…” Captain Carter sniffled once and hiccupped twice. “…would be correct, sir.”
She pulled away. Her face was reddened, particularly her nose, and her eyes still watered but Teal’c could see she was on her way to regaining control. Teal’c knew there could yet be much work to do. A functioning dial home device did not guarantee a functioning Stargate. Captain Carter rubbed at her face, and winced. Much of the redness was due to the sun rather than her bout of tears.
“I’ve got power to the DHD. I can’t say for certain before I try it, but I think we’re back in business, sir,” Captain Carter said.
“That’s good news, Carter, great job.”
Teal’c could not agree more. The atmosphere on this planet did not bother him so much as the potential threat. His friends might remain unaware the bird creatures continued to monitor them with scrutiny, but he had known for some time that they were once again becoming agitated. He looked up briefly. Even now, the limbs of nearby trees were covered with the silent and wary beasts.
“Indeed,” Teal’c said.
“Hey!” Daniel Jackson’s weak shout was not one of panic, and yet it startled Teal’c.
His heart pounded harder while he determined the location of every creature, to ensure none of them had managed a secret attack on his friend. Teal’c turned toward the shelter, along with O’Neill and Captain Carter.
“Anyone want to tell me what’s going on?”
“Sir, if this works, it’s likely the only chance we’re going to get. I don’t think the repair job I did is going to last more than one ‘gate activation.”
“I’ll go let Daniel in on the loop and get him ready. Thank goodness we won’t be eating dandelion stew,” O’Neill said, and trotted away.
To say he would be glad to finally be away from this planet was making a statement with less strength than was accurate. Though they had only been here for about twenty-four hours, their return to the SGC would coincide with their original, intended return. Their fortune might be changing. He hoped Captain Carter had indeed repaired the Dial Home Device, for if she hadn’t he did not believe the tentative truce they had with the native creatures of this planet would continue.
“We should prepare as well,” he said.
“You really think it’ll work?”
He heard doubt in Captain Carter’s voice. It was understandable, but they could not let doubt distract them. He began putting the few tools lying in the sand into his companion’s pack. He withdrew the GDO and handed it to her. She smiled weakly at him.
“Good thing we still have one of these, and good timing, huh?” she said, waving the apparatus around. “Our code will still be active.”
“We are fortunate to not spend another night on this planet.”
Teal’c took in the dark circles under Captain Carter’s eyes. Neither she nor O’Neill hand slept much, and he did not believe Daniel Jackson’s fevered unconsciousness served as adequate rest. He looked up to the treetops, in time to see most of the creatures fly away. Those that remained were clearly on sentinel duty, watching to ensure SG-1 left them in peace. He did not believe he and his friends were considered threats any longer, yet the creatures had not changed their behavior toward them. They remained wary and watchful. In their position, he could not be certain he would not behave in the same manner.
“You’re right, we should think positive,” Captain Carter said.
“Indeed,” he said.
He was aware that even if they were successful in leaving this place, SG-1 still had a large obstacle to overcome. They were as yet uncertain of the true cause for Daniel Jackson’s paralysis. He did not know enough about Tau’ri healing methods to know if his condition could be remedied. On this subject, he was content to not think at all, for it was most difficult to remain positive. He had faith in Doctor Fraiser as a physician and friend, but her expertise might not be enough for this matter. He closed Captain Carter’s pack, suddenly angry with himself for dwelling on the negative as he had instructed himself not to do.
“Teal’c, mind giving me a hand over here?” O’Neill called.
Daniel Jackson would not appreciate being carried through the Stargate. In this case, he did not think either he or O’Neill capable of handling their friend’s weight on their own, and so Daniel did not face that particular event. He gave Captain Carter a reassuring nod and the GDO before he answered O’Neill’s beckon. He stood slowly and moved toward their small campsite.
“And I think we should leave them this as part of their souvenir package,” O’Neill was saying as he approached the shelter. “A gift to them, from me.”
“I wish I understood your fixation with that thing,” Daniel said.
O’Neill wadded up a swatch of green material and threw it over the shelter.
“On the other hand, I don’t think I really want to know.”
“Teal’c, hey,” O’Neill greeted. “You want left or right side?”
The levity O’Neill displayed was forced. Assisting Daniel through the Stargate would serve as a very real reminder of the mysterious paralysis that plagued him. It was unavoidable. Rather than answer O’Neill, Teal’c simply moved to Daniel’s right. Daniel clumsily propped himself on his elbows while he and O’Neill crouched beside him.
“On three?” O’Neill looked at him over Daniel’s head, then glanced toward the Stargate.
If it was a silent inquiry about the success of Captain Carter’s endeavors, Teal’c could but tilt his head in a non-committal affirmative.
“One, two, three.” O’Neill grunted the last number of his count, straining against the weight of a body unable to assist.
The tang of his own sweat mingled with that of his friends. Teal’c hoped they would be permitted a shower before their routine physical examinations upon returning to the SGC. Beneath his hold, Daniel quivered slightly. He frowned; Daniel would not have the luxury of a shower. Now it was his turn to glance over to O’Neill, who it seemed also found himself thinking about unfortunate circumstances. The other man might think himself subtle, but Teal’c knew that O’Neill’s focus was not on their path but on Daniel Jackson’s unmoving legs.
“Let’s see if this works,” O’Neill said as they drew close to Captain Carter.
She looked at them, her gaze like O’Neill’s lingering on Daniel’s legs, and she nodded. Captain Carter shook visibly, likely from exhaustion as well as apprehension, as she pressed the first glyph. The familiar sound of it clonking and the Stargate engaging was music quite welcome to his ears. Teal’c gripped Daniel tighter, while O’Neill issued a whoop of relief.
“Way to go Sam,” Daniel said quietly.
She smiled, but shook her head.
“I didn’t really do much.”
Captain Carter’s hands shook less while she finished dialing the proper sequence for Earth, evidence now only of tiredness. As much as he felt compelled to watch every moment to ensure their departure was imminent, Teal’c once again looked to the trees. The remaining creatures watched SG-1 as attentively as ever.
“It is unfortunate there is not a way to inform the creatures of this planet that if they wish to avoid further outside contact, that they must simply bury the Stargate,” he said loudly.
“Teal’c, why are you shouting?” O’Neill asked, then paused to look at Captain Carter. “Why is Teal’c shouting?”
“Because he believes the birds understand us somehow,” Captain Carter said. She input the IDC for SG-1. “And he might be right.”
“You said there were lots of them.” The muscles in Daniel’s shoulders vibrated even more, evidence of how weakened by illness and fever was his body.
Teal’c clenched his jaw.
Daniel spoke more loudly, “All they have to do is tip the gate over and cover it.”
“Oh, okay, I get it,” O’Neill said. “I’ll bet it wouldn’t hurt for them to cover it with something more solid than sand first. Rocks, maybe, or tree branches.”
“I believe we have given them sufficient information.”
In all honesty, Teal’c was more than ready to leave this place and did not think it prudent to linger longer than necessary. The Stargate appeared to be functioning properly, but they did not know if their luck would last. He should have made an attempt to have their stolen equipment returned to them. There was no time for that now. It would remain by the hatching pond, and do no harm.
“I suppose. It’s not like we have the address to dial back to see if they took the hint.”
“All right, not to put a rush on this, but Daniel’s getting a little heavy,” O’Neill said. “What have you been eating, anyway?”
“Ha ha, Jack.”
Daniel was, in fact, not a great burden. Tau’ri humor was not amusing.
~~*~~
“The gate on P9C-742 doesn’t appear to be functioning any longer,” Carter said, chewing her lip and flipping through the papers in front of her. “We ran a diagnostic to make sure it wasn’t something on our end, and all other planets dial fine.”
Of course it wasn’t a malfunction at the SGC. Jack didn’t know anything about Carter’s diagnostics or whatever the technicians in the control room did. He didn’t have to. He would bet his next month’s pay that bastard Bajiar and his band of miserable thugs had fixed it so no one could upset their balance again. The Wiutehians, the rich ones, didn’t look like they needed intergalactic trade alliances. All they needed was to keep on being parasites, undisturbed. He stared at the table in front of him so hard he might burn holes in it, fingers drumming an aggravated beat. He reached for the pitcher of water for the umpteenth time, unable to quench his thirst in the two days they’d been back at the SGC. He doubted the antibiotic regimen they were all on was to blame.
“It is highly probable the Wiutehians have purposely blocked their Stargate from us,” Teal’c said what Carter seemed to have a problem coming out and saying. “They would do so in order to prevent future disruption of their … choice of lifestyle.”
Jack snorted. Choice of lifestyle, his ass. Teal’c was being way too kind. If Daniel’s hypothesis was right, which Jack knew it was for sheer sake of being Daniel’s hypothesis, those people were nothing but slimy, no-good parasites. His gut told him they could fix whatever was wrong with Daniel if only he could get his friend back to that damned planet.
“Captain?” General Hammond said softly.
“It’s a possibility, sir.”
“Of course it is,” Jack snapped, banging his fist on the table and watching the water fly out of his glass, into a semi-circular pattern. “They knew where they were sending us, but they also knew they had to cover their asses, because once we found out what happened to Daniel there was no way we wouldn’t find a way to get back. Goddamn deserted island or not.”
“Colonel,” Hammond said, warning obvious. “I understand you’re upset, but please refrain from the outbursts.”
Jack looked up, finding Hammond, Carter and Teal’c all staring at him. He couldn’t remain calm while one of his team was down in the infirmary, possibly crippled for life. Especially Daniel, if he were going to be honest. It was ironic. Of the four of them, Daniel was probably the one best suited for such a life-altering state. Teal’c thrived on being a warrior. So did he, and while Carter had her whatever-science-she-did to fall back on, she’d chosen the active life of an airman. But Daniel, Daniel could still have an active, fulfilling life on base. The logic made him choke, though it had come from Daniel himself had not more than an hour ago.
“Yes, sir,” Jack said thickly. “Sorry, sir.”
“We don’t know what might have caused the malfunction on their end, and the fact is it doesn’t matter. We can’t get there, so it is not a resource to help with Doctor Jackson’s condition.” The general stood, walking toward the window to gaze down at the gateroom, hands clasped behind him. “Doctor Fraiser will join us shortly to provide an update.”
Rubbing at his temples, headache from the heat exhaustion and dehydration lingering, Jack wasn’t sure he wanted to hear what Fraiser had to report. Unless she walked in with a big smile on her face, the rest of this meeting wasn’t going to end well. He didn’t know what he’d expected to happen upon getting home. A miracle, maybe. The healing power of the SGC. Magic Earth medicine to erase all alien illnesses.
“We don’t even know for sure Daniel’s condition has anything to do with P9C-742,” Carter said hesitantly, sitting next to him. “It’s all conjecture. The man Daniel came in contact with was only partially impaired, and by Daniel’s theory he was someone who’s health was taken. He shouldn’t have been able to draw Daniel’s good health and leave him with full paralysis. It doesn’t make sense. Unless there’s enough difference in our biology, maybe?”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake.” Jack pushed away from the table, standing and pacing. “If one more person says ‘Daniel’s condition’ like it’s a friggin’ case of the measles, I am seriously going to lose it. He’s paralyzed, as in confined to a wheelchair, as in can never walk through the Stargate again.”
Silence fell over the room. Whoops, Jack had forgotten to refrain from outbursting. He admitted that at first he had a hard time saying it, too, but tiptoeing around the issue was worse in many ways. Judging from the wet look in Carter’s eyes, she hadn’t reached the stage where she could think about it as a permanent situation yet. Jack didn’t want to imagine it - Doctor Daniel Jackson never being able to go through the thing he made happen. It broke Jack’s heart in its cruelty. The worst part was not knowing why. A staff blast to the back would have been less painful to deal with.
“Jack,” Hammond said, right next to him. “Maybe you should sit back down.”
He swayed on his feet, mouth like cotton yet again. Jack refilled his glass, swallowing the cool liquid as if it pained him. Sitting, he shook his head just a little toward Carter. It was the only apology he could offer. Everyone was doing their jobs here. He was the one who kept derailing them. He couldn’t get Daniel’s sad, accepting smile out of his head. It was like the guy was really okay with everything.
“We have encountered numerous peoples,” Teal’c said. “Perhaps one of them will be able to lend assistance on this matter.”
“Teal’c, that’s not … I mean…” Carter trailed off for a second. “Nearly every culture we’ve met so far has been way behind us in the fields of science and technology. And the ones who are ahead want nothing to do with us.”
Before they could travel down that useless road again, Fraiser walked in. She held a manila folder in front of her, arms crossed, like a shield. She wasn’t smiling. Her expression remained unreadable as she glanced at all of them, taking a seat when the general ushered her to. When she looked at Jack, she blanched.
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting,” Fraiser said.
“It’s all right, Doctor,” Hammond said. “What can you tell us?”
“As you know, we’ve run a gamut of tests on Doctor Jackson. On all of you, actually.” Fraiser flipped the manila folder open, leafing through it. “So far everything’s come back clean.”
“Even on Daniel?” Carter asked.
“Yes, even on Daniel. That doesn’t mean something won’t eventually present.”
That sounded an awful lot like Fraiser didn’t really think so to Jack. He sat up straighter, glaring at the doctor, as if that would make a difference. He should know better by now. He’d been glaring for days and Daniel still couldn’t move his legs.
“That also doesn’t mean I’ll stop running tests,” Fraiser said, holding up a hand defensively. “I’m re-running what we’ve already done, in the hopes there was a false negative.”
“Is that likely?” Teal’c asked.
Fraiser stared at the table in front of her, and the room was swallowed by silence. That was more answer than anything else could have been. After a moment, she cleared her throat.
“Now, you said that after you left P9C-742, Daniel came down with a fever and lost consciousness for an extended period.”
“That’s right,” Jack said. He wasn’t likely to forget those hours for a long time.
“It’s possible whatever has affected Daniel was brought on by the fever. Or the fever was the carrier for some alien pathogen that disappeared once it inflicted whatever damage it did. It could be nerve damage I can’t detect here.”
“But you don’t know,” Hammond said. “It could be anything.”
“Yes, sir.” Fraiser looked upset. “I wish I had more to tell you all at this point. Until I can figure this out, I recommend Doctor Jackson be transferred to Academy. I’ll have access to more equipment and specialists there. Daniel can also begin physiotherapy and education about his…”
Oh, god, here it came.
“…condition.”
“Request permission to be dismissed, sir,” Jack said abruptly, already at the door before he heard his CO’s disapproval. He kept walking.
The room had become too stuffy. He couldn’t go back. He ignored the general calling after him. Stalking through the corridors, Jack didn’t even know where he was going until he got there. Once he did realize, it took everything in him not to turn around and head somewhere else just as blindly. Before he could, Daniel looked up and saw him. The wincing smile he shot Jack trapped him as surely as a spider web traps a fly.
“Hey, Jack,” Daniel said.
“Hey.”
He approached the bed, every step making his gut hurt worse. It was getting more difficult, not less, to visit Daniel. Jack was only human, after all. His eyes drifted to Daniel’s covered legs. There he was at it again, staring as if that could make things different. When he looked away, he caught Daniel catching him in the act. He tried to hold back a cringe, failing miserably.
“You just got done talking with Doctor Fraiser.” Daniel fiddled with the fraying edge of his thin hospital blanket. “She went over it all with me before she went to the briefing.”
“You probably know more than I do,” Jack said. He sat down on the edge of the bed, conscious of Daniel’s legs not shifting over to make room. “I left early.”
“Why?”
“Oh, you know. Headache.”
Daniel shook his head.
Yeah, Daniel was right. The headache excuse didn’t ever fly for anyone, did it? Pity, because now his head really did hurt. Jack shifted, trying to get comfortable. The extendable bed tray had food on it from lunch. He picked up the untouched applesauce and a spoon, holding them up in askance. He started eating it at Daniel’s nod, but it was flavorless on his tongue, the texture mealy. He put it back down after two spoonfuls.
“Doctor Fraiser said that at Academy I’ll learn how to deal with the challenges of my new body,” Daniel said. “There’s apparently a whole set of instructions I’ll have to learn. Just when I thought I had things figured out. Anyway, once I get up to speed, I’ll be able to come back to work. With my skill at languages, I should still be able to help out around here. And I can keep tabs on you, which is a bonus.”
Jack clenched his jaw. They’d had this conversation already, he and Daniel. Multiple times. The way he saw it, Daniel repeating it now meant he hadn’t really believed this was how it was going to be permanently, that he’d retained some hope. That hope was waning, or was gone, and Jack didn’t know how to deal with its loss in himself, let alone Daniel. He wasn’t even sure why he cared so much. He barely knew Daniel, all things considered, so it shouldn’t be hitting him this hard. And yet it was. Somehow his teammates had all wormed their way into his sphere of concern far faster than they should have.
“Doctor Fraiser isn’t convinced about my theory, did she tell you that before you left? Something about the man being only partially lame, so my complete paralysis doesn’t make sense in that context. I think Sam agrees with her.” Daniel looked thoughtful, and so damned sad. “I suppose there’s no way to prove it now, is there? The best thing to do is learn how to deal with it. At least you and Sam and Teal’c will still be out there, looking for Sha’re and Ska’ara.”
“Don’t talk like it’s all over,” Jack said, voice harsh. He cleared his throat, wishing again for water. “We’ll, Carter’ll, figure out a way to get back to P9C-742, make them fix it. Or Fraiser will find some medical miracle. She always does.”
Jack didn’t know that at all, of course. He was talking out of his ass. He knew it and he knew Daniel knew it. The number of things thrown at them since the SGC had been a viable program was too great to count on always wiggling out of sticky situations. The odds wouldn’t support that idea. A penny wouldn’t always land face up; it was statistically unlikely. Jack supposed he should be grateful that in this case it was localized, personal rather than global. But he wasn’t grateful at all.
“No, Jack,” Daniel said quietly. “I’ve been thinking about this. Even if we do find a way back to Wiutehia, I don’t want that.”
It took a second for that to sink in. Bolting off the bed as if it had started on fire, Jack moved back a step. He had a wild thought that Daniel’s brain must have been affected in some way that they’d missed in the million tests he’d been subjected to. It had to have been. There was no sign of insanity on Daniel’s face.
“What?” was all Jack managed to squeeze past a tight throat. He swallowed. “What did you just say?”
“If I’m right, that man can walk again. Maybe he can make a difference on their world. Maybe he can make a difference to his family,” Daniel said. “Maybe he already has. I won’t take that away from him just so I can be magically healed. It’s not worth it.”
Unbelievable. Jack had no idea if Daniel was that noble a human being, or if his self-worth was so far in the crapper he didn’t realize he was worth healing. Either way, it was unacceptable.
“You can’t be serious.” Jack leaned on the foot of the bed. “Since when are you one to give up?”
“I’m not giving up, Jack. I’m accepting that my life from now on will be different. It’s okay. I’ll be okay.”
Daniel sounded rational, making his words all the more nonsensical to Jack. He opened and shut his mouth, unable to trust himself to speak without anger.
“Do you know Newton’s Third Law?” Daniel said, carrying on as if he were actually speaking to himself. His voice was gentle, almost out-of-body. “Of course you do. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. That’s what’s going on here. If we go back and my paralysis is due to that man in the slums… I can’t do it, Jack. I cannot take away what he might have been given because of this, not when I can live a perfectly fulfilling life. Because he can’t. He doesn’t have that luxury.”
So it was mostly Daniel being noble. That didn’t make Jack feel better at all.
to chapter eight