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 18: Tempest
Hot, too hot...Fire...Netu...Apophis...
Images burned in Daniel's brain...the fires of Sokar's hell, the fire in his head as the beautiful face of Sha're watched impassively while her possessor killed him...
Hot, too hot...
"Daniel?"
Jack's voice...penetrating the twilight level between wakefulness and nightmare...
Jack telling him everything was okay...but Jack had lied...
How many more of the fundamental truths on which their friendship was based were lies?
Scenes flashed through Daniel's head at breakneck speed...images of Jack...promising, supporting, caring...all conveyed with little more than a look or a lopsided, awkward smile...
Other scenes...Jack nonchalantly dismissing three years...apparently more intimately connected to his beer bottle than the man who considered him his one true friend on the planet...
Which was the truth?
It was just so damn hot...
"Daniel?"
Something cold and wet was bathing his face, pulling him up from the fire and turmoil of his dreams...
"Daniel...damn it..."
The one voice Daniel couldn't ignore...the tone of the friend who had been forced to walk away and let him die alone. He remembered that guy...knew him, liked him...and had been convinced of the rock-solid invincibility of their friendship...
Cold penetrated the fog and Daniel forced his eyes open to see Jack holding himself as far up as possible on one hand while the other swiped a cold napkin across his forehead.
"C'mon, Daniel...don't do this..." Jack's voice trembled with an edge of panic Daniel had never heard there before. Brown eyes burned with stubborn will...dragging him up and out...
"Jack...?"
The napkin settled and rested on his forehead, a comforting anchor...holding him in place...
"Jack, what's going on?" It seemed to Daniel his voice came from somewhere outside himself...somewhere far...
Jack settled on his elbows, with a look of pained regret filtered by Daniel's own hazy vision.
"Back with me now, big guy?"
"Back...?" Daniel found it impossible to make sense of Jack's words or expression, his mind refusing to connect the dots of what it saw and heard.
A bottle of water touched his lips and he drank automatically. It felt good going down, cooling the harshness in his throat.
"Enough?"
Jack again, a gentle soothing tone. A thought emerged from the recesses of his mind that 'gentle and soothing' were not a part of Jack's general modus operandi. Daniel pushed the thought away...he knew better. He'd heard this voice before, too many times to count. Jack might not wear his heart on his sleeve, but Daniel had no doubts of its existence...or its capacity.
Daniel looked once again into the brown eyes so close to his...he knew this man, remembered him so well...was glad to see him again...
"Welcome back, Jack..."
Jack's eyes squinted in confusion, clearly not understanding.
"Thanks, Daniel...you too..."