CHAPTER ELEVEN
WELCOME HOME
“Daniel, Daniel, if you can hear me, I want you to know that William and I love you.” The voice seemed familiar but was so far away, he couldn’t be sure it was really there. Then he heard it again, only this time it seemed to be softly singing. The words sounded familiar, like he had heard them somewhere, but where? Wait a minute, it sounded like the song that Sam had sang to him that night they were on their balcony looking up at the stars. That night she finally convinced him she really did love him with or without the elixir. “Before you came into my life, I had never really lived my life. Because I love you so, I will never let you go. Please believe me that I love you.”
There it was again, but closer this time. And again, this time it sounded like it was coming from right next to him. Sam, was that Sam’s voice? Yes I think it is Sam’s voice. He tried to answer her, but came out was a croak. He tried again, but it was only a whisper.
Sam was sitting next to Daniel’s bed, as she had been the night before. Dr. Fraiser had come in to check on her two patients. She looked at their monitors, first one than the other, than back again and remarked, “ I can’t be believe it, I just can’t believe it. The monitors say their stronger today. That should be impossible so soon, but it clearly shows both of them have made definite improvement in just the last eight hours.”
Daniel was trying to tell Sam he heard her and he love her too.
“Did you see that, his lips moved? His lips moved!” Sam was holding Daniel’s hand. She turned to Dr. Fraiser and said, “Did you see that, I tell you his lips moved. He can hear me!”
Again he called to Sam, only this time louder. Not much louder, but it was sweet music to Sam’s ear. She was so happy; she was both laughing and crying all at the same time. “I hear you, Daniel, I can hear you. I love you sweetheart.”
“Daniel, if you can hear me open your eyes. Come on Daniel you can do it. Just open your eyes for me.” It was Dr. Fraiser trying to help Daniel regain consciousness.
It was a struggle, his eyes felt so heavy, but he managed to barely get them opened. He was so tired, but maybe if he could get them opened for just a little while Dr. Fraiser would stop yelling at him and let him rest. So he tried with all his might and finally managed to get them opened.
“Good boy, now can you focus on me. Come on Daniel you can do it, it will take a little work but you can do it. I know you can.” Dr. Fraiser was trying to give him all the encouragement she could, to see if he could understand what she was saying to him.
He turned his eyes towards her voice and looked at her, hoping she would just shut up and let him look at his loving wife once again.
“You’re doing great Daniel, just a couple more minutes and I’ll let you rest again, Okay” She was amazed at his recovery. The sheer will power it must have taken to recover this far. It truly was amazing.
“Daniel do you know who I am? Can you tell me who I am?” She hoped all his mental faculties were intact.
“Yes, you are Dr. Fraiser, and you keep yelling at me. Please shut up now, you’re giving me a headache.” His voice was barely audible, but very clear in its message.
“Daniel, I’m sorry but I had to know your brain is fully functioning again.”
“I’ll be the judge of whether or not his brain was ever fully functioning.” It was the voice of his friend Jack. It was good to know he wasn’t dreaming, his friends, Jack and Teal’C, really did rescue him.
Daniel was feeling exhausted right now and his eyes began to flicker. When Doctor Fraiser saw this she shooed everyone out so he could get some well-deserved rest.
Exhaustion over took him. It would be several hours before he would awaken again.
While Daniel slept, General Hammond gathered the rest of the SG-1 team and Doctor Fraiser in the conference room to discuss just exactly what had happened on that P2X108.
Doctor Fraiser began the questioning by asking the most important question.
“Okay, who would like to explain to me how Daniel became a statistic of an unwed mother- to- be?” Dr.Fraiser sat down, clasped her hands together and looked around the table.
There was an assortment of odd looks, but they turned to shock when Sam said, “He’s not an unwed mother- to- be. We were forced to marry on P2X108. He’s my husband and the marriage elixir they gave us to drink at the ceremony caused me to impregnate him. Evidently the role is reversed on that planet.
“Technically, we are married, since Daniel and I went through the marriage ceremony that is normal for that planet. I’m just not sure how it stands here on Earth.” She clasped her hands and looked down at the table, not quite sure of the response she would receive from the others.
“It seemed the males were the ones capable of bearing children and the females were the egg donors so to speak. They took over all the normal female roles, such as carrying the unborn child. They carried the child in an inner pouch in their abdomens during the first months of pregnancy. Then during the last month, the child moved to the outer pouch to await birth. They took over the female normal roles of bearing the children, did the entire child raising, cooking, cleaning, everything, they were treated like Second class citizens. While the females were the providers, police force, and everything. It was a typical female dominated society. It seemed the male population was dying off, which caused a rift in the social climate. Males who were capable of producing one healthy male child after another were highly prized. That’s why there was such a fight to keep Daniel and me there. Apparently our children were the healthiest male children they had had in years. Daniel was a hot commodity. All the territories were after him.”
“Well, who would have thought old Danny boy would cause such a ruckus on a foreign planet.” Jack couldn’t help himself from saying that. It was worth the ‘better behave’ look from General Hammond.
“That would explain those odd pouches I found on Daniel. We weren’t sure about the outer one, but we figured the inside one acted like the male version of a uterus. We just had theories about the outer one and how they formed on him and why. But that would give us a clue. Unfortunately, with all the blood loss he suffered, there is not enough of his original blood left to analyze what composed that elixir. Both pouches are so badly damaged we don’t expect to get as much data from them as we would like. We hope to get some data from your sample too, Sam. We just hope that the effects don’t wear off too quickly once you are away from that planet.”
“And now for the second most important question of the day folks. All of you originally were gone for five days. Now explain to me how, the two of you managed to get married and have two children. Albeit one was born here and from what I understand, premature. How did this manage to happen? Because quite frankly, folks I am at a loss for words.” General Hammond didn’t mince his words when he wanted an explanation to something totally confusing to him like this mission.
“Well sir, the best explanation I can figure out is the cave we went through had a reverse black hole. The further away you were from it after you cross over the iris the faster time speeded up. If I calculated it correctly, for every hour on this side of the portal it is equal to thirty-six days on the other side. That’s the only plausible explanation I can come up with. Once you passed the electrical field, everything started speeding up. But, once you were back on this side, it slowed down.” She gave a matter of fact look that said it all.
No one could come up with a better explanation than she already gave. And no one even tried.
“Well folks I guess for now that will wrap it up. I’ll expect to see everyone’s report on my desk by noon tomorrow.” General Hammond turned to Sam and said, “By the way, my housekeeper is having the time of her life looking after William. Since she doesn’t have any grandchildren and I rarely see my two, it gives her a chance to pretend. Don’t worry we will be glad to care for him as long as you need us. It is a pleasure to have him around.”
“Thank you sir, it will make it easier for me right now with Daniel and our newest child in the hospital. I’m just not sure how long I might have to impose on you and your housekeeper sir.” She hated to impose, especially with the babysitter being her commander, but it was helping her out a great deal.
“Nonsense, I don’t want you to think another thought about it. As I said, my housekeeper is having a ball with your son and you are welcomed to stay with us to be closer to William. So both of you stay as long as you need to and don’t give it another thought, and that is an order Major. So please don’t worry about it. ” With that said he walked her out of the conference room.
* * * * * * * *
When Daniel next awoke, Sam filled him in on everything that happened since they arrived back on Earth. He asked her, “How is Jonathan doing?”
Sam gave Daniel a puzzled look and asked, “Just who is Jonathan?”
“Jonathan is our newest son.”
She asked, “Why, don’t I get a say in naming him.”
“Because I don’t care for the name of Timothy Alexander.”
“How did you know I was considering that name for our son? I thought it was a cute name at the time I came up with it.”
“Now come on Sam it not that cute,” he replied.
“You know something that I just discovered Daniel, it’s when you are not feeling well, you can be a bear, and I use that word for lack of having the freedom to use a more eloquent word at the moment.”
“I’m not that bad Sam. And besides you would be too if you went through what I have just gone through. By the way, where is William?”
She explained to him, “General Hammond and his housekeeper graciously offered to help care for him while you and Jonathan are in the hospital and I have to return to work. They both were grateful for the opportunity to practice their grand parenting skills.”
“Sam when we have a daughter, I thought that we might name her Ariana Elizabeth.”
“After you just reminded me of what you just went through you can think of us having another child, and a girl I may add. And you’re already picking out a name for her without consulting me again on it. You are really something Daniel, do you know that.” She was having a difficult time figuring out Daniel at that moment.
Several days later, little Jonathan was well enough to be out of the incubator and to have several visitors.
Doctor Fraiser was happy to lead the welcoming party to the nursery. “This way to the nursery, folks,” she said as she lead them down the corridor and into Daniel’s room.
“Well congratulations little momma, Danny boy.” Jack handed Daniel the wrapped gift he had brought with him. Then he pulled back the blanket to reveal the adorable face of Sam and Daniel’s newest baby peacefully sleeping in Daniel’s arms.
“Thank you, Jack. Would you like to hold him for a minute?” Daniel proffered raising the sleeping child to Jack.
“No- that’s okay I wouldn’t want to wake him.” Stammered Jack who was just a little unsure about seeing his friend lying in a hospital bed, holding a baby he, not his wife or girlfriend, had given birth to. It made him shutter to think what this world was coming to.
“Where’s Teal’C? I don’t see Teal’C.” Daniel was a little concerned his friend Teal’C hadn’t stopped by to see him yet. Maybe something just had detained him.
“Well you see he’s still having trouble reconciling the fact that you have given birth to not one but two babies in such a short time span. It gives him the heebee geebees. And quite frankly it does me too, but I’m a little stronger than he his right now.” He didn’t want to say that to his friend but hey, somebody had to. Man it just isn’t natural for a guy to be giving birth to kids like that. It made Jack shutter just to think about it.
“Maybe he won’t, but I would love to hold the newest member of the SG-1 team.”
“General Hammond, its good to see you again, sir.” Daniel welcomed the intrusion at that moment.
“General Hammond, by all means.” Sam reached down and gently picked up her sleeping son and laid him in the generals’ arms. The General smiled, as he looked at the sweet little face. He softly stroked the baby’s face and felt the soft little hands.
“What have you decided to name the child?” he asked.
“Well, that’s what we wanted to talk to all of you about.” Daniel winced as he shifted into a more comfortable sitting position and began again, “ We would like to baptize our first son, William George Jack Teal’C Fraiser Jackson, with all of your permissions of course. Our second son will be baptized Jonathan Matthew.” Daniel smiled at the surprised look on his friends’ faces.
“With the utmost pleasure,” beamed General Hammond.
Jack thought for a minute then replied “That will be a mouthful for that first son of yours, but I guess it will do, but you know Jack William George Teal’C Fraiser sounds better?”
Teal’C made a surprise entrance at that moment much to the pleasure of Daniel. “We’ll take that into consideration, Jack. Teal’C what about you?”
“I would be most honored to share my name with your first born child, Daniel Jackson and Major Carter. I would also like to apologize for my behavior on the planet. It was unprofessional. But it was truly unavoidable for me.”
“It’s forgotten already Teal’C. I forgave you the moment it happened. Please don’t give it another thought.” It was in the past and Daniel had totally forgiven his friend.
“How is our littlest patient doing?” Dr. Fraiser asked as she re- entered the room.
“He’s doing just fine!” Sam and Daniel said in unison.
“Good because both of these patients will be discharge tomorrow. I need the beds for patients that are really sick.” She smiled at the surprised looks on their faces.
“Don’t worry Major Carter, Dr. Fraiser and I have already talked it over and the four of you are moving into my home until these two are well enough to be on their own. No ifs, ands, or buts, is that clearly understood?” He wanted to be as firm as he could to make them understand that he was enjoying their company and it was no imposition on him or his housekeeper.
“Thank you sir that will be a big help to us, thank you.” She didn’t know what to think, but it would be a big help.
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