Author's Notes: For Brenda, Brenna, Sharyl, Pat, Terri and Dee...Thanks for sticking with me.
DISCLAIMER: All 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 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.
Jack swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. Daniel was on fire, the heat from his body was like a furnace against Jack's own. Carter had tried everything she knew to do, short of immersing Daniel in water ... they'd found another small spring, but it certainly wasn't big enough to dip a fair-sized archaeologist in. They'd settled for soaking one of the cloaks and wrapping Daniel in it. It didn't seem to be helping.
Daniel shifted against him again, trying to pull away from only he knew what, some nightmare image conjured up by Tel'nat's shadow creature ... or maybe just one of the nightmares that were Daniel's life lately. Jack murmured quiet reassurances, trying to keep Daniel grounded to the present, to 'this' reality. Daniel didn't seem to have much left to fight with. Or maybe he didn't think he had anything to fight for.
Jack couldn't help remembering the conversation they'd had that first night here. Daniel was on the verge of giving up then, maybe not actively...but the dark thoughts and empty feelings were definitely there. Thoughts and feelings so familiar to Jack that all he had to do was close his eyes to return to that place where they had existed so long ago. But he was only a visitor there now, he no longer lived that ache that had been life after Charlie. Daniel lived there now and Jack wasn't sure he knew how to bring his friend back from that place.
Teal'c brought another wet cloth to put on Daniel's head. The man's dark eyes were haunted at this new pain he believed he'd caused Daniel, nothing they could say could convince the Jaffa that it had been necessary. Teal'c knew it had been necessary, if he hadn't done it one of them would have ... there was no way Jack would have allowed that thing to take Daniel ... but knowing didn't help. All Teal'c could see was that Daniel was in pain because of something he had done. Jack couldn't help thinking that it was becoming a pattern in the life of his two closest friends. Teal'c had taken responsibility for Daniel long ago when he discovered who Sha'uri was. Events had seemed to conspire to always bring the two of them back to the same place ... and Jack, for one, was getting more than a little tired of it. Teal'c hovered for a moment, eyes only for Daniel's drawn face, then started to back away.
Daniel shifted again, murmuring in some language Jack didn't know, but Teal'c obviously did. The big man's face closed off against something deep and terrible as he translated for Jack.
"Daniel Jackson asks 'where is my wife, why does she not come.' " Teal'c bowed his head, listening closely as Daniel's voice faded away. "He asks us to help him find her. He asks me. "
Jack could only look on in sympathy as Teal'c spoke to Daniel in the same language, his tone soft and reassuring in a way Jack had never heard before.
Teal'c looked up. "I told him to wake up and we would search for her together. Perhaps I should not..."
Jack shook his head swallowing hard again. "No, Teal'c. You did the right thing."
Jack noted the flash in Teal'c's eyes as he turned away, but couldn't pursue it as Daniel cried out again.
Jack held on to the younger man, it wasn't as hard as it had been before ... Daniel didn't have much strength left. Jack started to shift a little, to ease the ache in his back, when Daniel opened his eyes.
"Jack?"
Jack stretched his head around so Daniel could see him. "I'm here, Daniel."
Daniel nodded, resting his head back on Jack's chest. "Okay?"
Jack wondered exactly what Daniel was asking. He didn't like the thoughts that came to him. "You're going to be okay, Daniel."
Daniel raised an eyebrow, "Dunno 'bout that, Jack...."
Jack tightened his arms, "You will, you hear me? You've just got to hang on a little longer..."
" S' tired...."
"I know, kid. But you've got to stick with it." Jack was getting more worried than ever.
Daniel shook his head weakly, "Please, Jack...."
Jack felt his heart try to jump out of his chest. Daniel was asking ...
"NO! Do you hear me, Danny?" Jack was speaking urgently to his friend, suddenly realizing that it was a mistake. As his friend, Jack would eventually be able to forgive Daniel for letting go; Daniel knew that. "Listen here, Doctor Daniel Jackson. You do not have permission to go anywhere. Got that?"
Daniel nodded weakly, swallowing reflexively the way he used to when Jack put on his Commanding Officer tone.
"You aren't going anywhere, Jackson. That's an order."
"Jack...?" The blue eyes fairly glowed at Jack, pleading.
Jack had to pull out every hard-ass military memory he possessed to look at Daniel coldly, "An order, Jackson."
Daniel nodded, letting his head fall against Jack as his eyes closed again.
Jack tightened his grip on his friend, feeling his heart crack and break at what he'd just done. He closed his eyes against the tears that threatened to fall. He'd had to do it. Hadn't he?
Sam could hear the quiet murmuring between the colonel and Teal'c but didn't want to intrude. They really needed to think about splitting the team. She and Connor could go search for more clues to find Thor, while Teal'c and the colonel could stay with Daniel. Sam was seriously starting to worry about how long Daniel could keep on like this before he suffered serious physical ramifications. A prolonged high fever could affect the internal organs, as well as the brain.
As Teal'c got up and joined Connor on watch, Sam saw that Daniel was awake. She started to walk over to check on him when she heard the colonel's voice raise. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. As outrage built up in her, she let it die again as she realized what the colonel was doing ... and why. She stepped back into the shadows as Daniel nodded with a look of hurt resignation in his eyes, and went back to sleep. She watched the colonel for a long moment, the self-loathing and fear were as evident in his eyes as if he'd spoken them aloud. She felt tears sting their way to the surface as she walked away, leaving the two friends alone with their pain.