Work Text:
Fallout (Missing Scene for Legacy)
By Annie
Daniel watches as Teal'c opens his eyes and everyone gathers around his bed, their hands reaching out to touch and affirm his presence and recovery. Daniel wants to do that too, to let Teal'c know that he's glad he's going to live, that his friend will not become a casualty of Machello's war against the Goa'uld. He moves forward, pats Teal'c's shoulder then steps away, suddenly feeling more weary than he thinks he has ever felt in his life.
Each step on the tiled floor seems like walking through sand, his legs aching and tired. He feels lightheaded and reaches out a hand to grasp the bedrail at the foot of the bed for a moment, hoping to regain his balance before anyone notices.
Jack notices though. His arm is suddenly around Daniel's waist, shoring him up. "What's wrong?" Jack asks but Daniel can only shake his head.
He doesn't know what's wrong. He thinks if Jack will just let go of him so he can go and sit down for a few minutes, he'll either feel better or he'll be able to work out why he feels so bad.
Jack doesn't let go but at least he ushers Daniel over to a chair and pushes him down onto it, calling for Fraisier just as Daniel literally feels the color leach from his face and the hot/cold sensation of an imminent faint overtake him.
He slumps forward in the chair, Jack's hand on the nape of his neck, holding his head down as Daniel hopes he won't throw up all over the nice, shiny linoleum floor. He can hear Janet making her way over to them hurriedly, her shoes tapping on the tiles.
"Daniel? Do you feel dizzy?" she asks, sounding worried.
He nods then wishes he hadn't done that as the floor flips up towards him. He groans and closes his eyes quickly, hoping that will keep the nausea at bay.
"Damn," Janet says as she pulls up his sleeve.
Jack curses and Daniel looks at his arm to see what's caused such a heated reaction.
Bruises. His arm is covered with them. He'd known they were there. He has a matching set on his other arm too. They were caused by the injections they'd given him at the hospital. He didn't really blame the doctors and nurses. He'd fought them, tooth and nail, and so they'd been rougher than perhaps they would have been if he'd been compliant, quiet, agreeable to treatment.
"Daniel, I need to call Dr. McKenzie, find out exactly what medication you've been given, all right?" Janet says, patting his shoulder reassuringly. "In the meantime, we're going to get you into a bed so you can lie down till you feel better."
"This isn't from those little buggers he had in his blood?" Jack asks heatedly and Daniel wishes Jack would calm down because the abrasive loudness of his voice is making Daniel's head ache, and if it aches much more, he might not be able to not keep himself from throwing up all over the floor and Jack's shoes as well. "This is because of the crap McKenzie pumped into him?"
"I think so. It's not really an overdose as such but his system is having trouble processing it on top of the shock of what happened with Machello's devices," Janet replies.
Jack tugs on his arm and Daniel stands up, almost falling to his knees as they simply refuse to hold him. Jack's arm is around his waist again and Daniel leans into his support and lets Jack walk him across to the bed opposite Teal'c's and manhandle him onto it.
The minute Daniel's head hits the pillow, he goes out like a light.
When he wakes up, Jack's there still, or maybe again. Daniel has vague dreamlike memories of waking up before, here in this bed. Before he can pursue them further, Jack notices he's awake and leans forward in his chair.
"Feeling any better?" Jack asks. "Fraiser gave you something to counteract the crap Mckenzie pumped into you."
"I feel a little woolly," Daniel says.
"No change then," Jack snaps back, quick as a whip, and Daniel can't help smiling at that. He missed that perhaps most of all when they thought he was insane, missed the banter, the quick repartee he and Jack have always shared.
"Nope, no change. How's Teal'c?"
"Already gone back to his quarters. He's fine," Jack replies. He helps Daniel sit up more, stuffing an extra pillow behind his back and gives him a few sips of water from the tumbler on the bedside table.
"I'm sorry," Jack says as he puts the glass back.
"Sorry?" There's a look in Jack's eyes that Daniel doesn't think he's seen before. It's guilt, he realizes. "You have nothing to be sorry for," he adds. "There was no way you could have known-"
"I *know* you," Jack says. "I should have known, should have listened... Not let them drag you off like that."
Daniel shakes his head, pleased when the motion doesn't make him feel nauseous. "You were going on what the doctors told you. On the fact that what I was telling you made no sense."
"Maybe. I'm still sorry. When we went to see you... You looked scared out of your skin and I just stood there, yelled at you-"
"Tried to get me back," Daniel suggests.
Jack nods then and smiles suddenly and Daniel feels as if a huge weight has lifted from his soul. "We're fine, Jack," he says, "we're fine."
End