O'Neill reentered the ICU module and sat back down in the waiting chair. Teal'c had watched him come from Fraiser's office and had noted the man's depressed body carriage.

"What was said, O'Neill?" The warrior intoned.

"What I was expecting." He put his head down in his hands again for a moment then sat up, stretching tight back muscles. O'Neill looked across Daniel's bed at his friend and teammate. "Ross didn't have authorization to include Daniel in his team; he just bullied his way through the paperwork. But because it wasn't done properly, there was no pre-mission exam, no allergy medication given and no back up medicine issued. Once they got there, he started getting sick and no one noticed or listened when he complained. Apparently Daniel started working, had an allergy attack and passed out. The sentry found him in time to save his life, but we don't know how much injury he's been done." He shrugged, "Now, we wait."

"The woman, Master Sergeant McMasters was very angry when SG-8 returned from the planet." Teal'c commented. "She was shouting at her team chief." At O'Neill's curious look, he continued. "I had only just returned from my home visit and had not left the gateroom when the wormhole engaged to bring SG-8 back. So I was present when they returned Danieljackson to the SGC."

"What was she shouting?"

"She was shouting that Danieljackson's physical condition was due to neglect and inattention on the part of her team chief and his second in command. That he had stated that the planet was causing him distress and no one believed him."

"What did he say to that?"

"He told her to 'shut her damned mouth' before anyone else heard her. I did hear." Teal'c looked across the bed at his team leader. "This will not go unpunished, O'Neill."

Jack nodded at his friend.

* * *

Several hours later, O'Neill was still sitting at Jackson's bedside. Teal'c had left to get dinner then to go on to his quarters for rest and kel-nor-reem. The Jaffa had promised that he would not seek out Ross...at this time. There had been no change in the younger man's condition. Daniel lay still and white in the bed, the only movement visible was the slight rise and fall of his chest with it's enforced breathing. Fraiser had come in shortly before to check his vitals and inject something into the saline drip to help dilate his lungs. Jack had stayed in the background, not bothering her. Their unspoken agreement was if she didn't notice he was there, she couldn't tell him to leave. It suited them both, for the moment.

A tall, brown-haired, bespectacled female NCO came in the infirmary and spoke to the nurse seated at the aid station. The Lieutenant directed her towards the ICU area. As she approached the cubicle, the Colonel could make out the nametape on the woman's fatigue shirt, McMasters. She stepped to the doorway and tapped on the aluminum framing. O'Neill got up and went over to the door.

"Can I help you, Sergeant."

"Yes, Sir." She looked past the Colonel and looked to the unconscious man. "Is there any change, Sir?"

Jack shook his head. "No, none yet." Then he looked at her. "Thank you. If you hadn't checked on him...well, you saved his life."

She nodded, accepting his thanks. "I only wish I'd have realized earlier..."

"You did more than anyone else did." Jack turned back to watch Daniel's unconscious form.

"Sir, the other members of the team..."

"Sergeant, look..." Jack tried to keep his voice even. "You were the only one who realized that he wasn't doing well. You were the only one who bothered to check on him when it wasn't convenient. Thank you for that. But you cannot make excuses for your teammates or your commander." He turned to look her in the eye. "You saved his life, literally, from what I've been told. But Ross was the one who put him at risk in the first place." O'Neill shook his head. "Sergeant, you've been around long enough know the difference between an officer and a commander. It has nothing to do with rank but with the ability to take responsibility for his own actions and the actions of his personnel. Ross failed Daniel and he failed you when he made you do his job for him."

"Yes sir." She replied quietly, gazing over towards the occupied hospital bed.

O'Neill looked searchingly at her. She returned his gaze. "I'll let you know when something happens. Thanks again, for everything you did."

She nodded and turned to go. "Sir, I really hope everything turns out all right for Dan..Dr. Jackson. He's a wonderful young man."

Jack tried to smile, but it didn't work very well. "Thanks, I do too."

He was floating in a comfortable warm place. He was resting and he wasn't concerned about where he was because he could hear Jack talking. His friend was droning on about UAV reconnaissance flights and MALP tapes; required equipment and suggested additions to camping gear; the decision between black nylon rope or green cotton rope and at what pound tensile strength it should be. It was rather boring, but if Jack wanted to tell him about it, he supposed it was all right. Then came the recommended number and type of MREs. At least it wasn't one of those god-awful historical romances that Sam was into. O'Neill kept right on talking and finally he faded out again, content in the knowledge that he was safe with Jack.

* * *

Carter came into the room to spell the Colonel. She was pretty sure that he hadn't eaten a real meal since SG-8 had returned two days ago. He's been living on coffee and donuts, compliments of the Medical section, but Janet had finally put her foot down. If he didn't go to the commissary and eat the five food groups he would be banned from the infirmary, or in it. He had protested but finally given in when he admitted the proposed MRE kit was beginning to sound good to him. So she would take a few hours and sit with her teammate. Sam had brought a novel that she had wanted to read and thought Daniel might like it. It was a murder mystery set in ancient Egypt called Murder In The Place Of Anubis by a Linda Robinson. The detective was a noble in the royal court close to the Pharaoh. Well, it would be different than the equipment checklists and reconnaissance reports that the Colonel brought so he could finish his paperwork. When Teal'c came later that night, he would bring something else, possibly a classic like War and Peace or even the Bible. He was still curious about his Tau'ri friends and said that he learned a lot about them by their literature.

The Colonel always maintained that when a person was unconscious they were still semi-aware of their surroundings and could hear things. He was big into talking and reading to them. Of course it could just be that he needed to 'do something' and it made him feel better. But Janet had agreed that it certainly didn't hurt anything. So they would come and read to each other and talk of news and gossip at the SGC. None of them could ever seem to remember what had actually been said to them while they were unconscious, but they still continued the practice. Because, the Colonel was right about one thing, it did make you feel better.

* * *

Daniel became aware again. He still couldn't quite wake up yet though he did want to, but floating in the comfortable warm place was pleasant. He could hear a familiar voice speaking. It wasn't Jack's this time, but the deep sonorous tones of Teal'c reading to him.

'Frodo woke and found himself lying in bed. At first he thought that he had.

slept late, after a long unpleasant dream that still hovered on the edge of memory.

Or perhaps he had been ill? But the ceiling looked strange; it was flat and it had dark beams richly carved. He lay a little while longer looking at patches of sunlight on the wall, and listening to the sound of a waterfall.

"Where am I, and what is the time?" he said aloud to the ceiling.

"In the house of Elrond, and it is ten o'clock in the morning." said a voice. "It is the morning of October the twenty-forth, if you want to know." "Gandalf!" cried Frodo, sitting up...." '

Teal'c was reading to him from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Somehow, it seems very fitting a book for the Jaffa Warrior to be reading. He allowed himself just to absorb the warmth and peace. He was very tired and it seemed so difficult to even want to think. Sleep washed back over him like a wave on a sandy shore. He slept.

* * *

Some time later, O'Neill came into the room, sat down and listened to Teal'c reading. The big warrior had a wonderful speaking voice and Jack didn't recognize the book that he was reading from. He turned his head sideways to read the title. Nope hadn't read it, but from the sound of it, he should. He vaguely remembered the popularity of the book in the 60s. Thought it had sounded too much like a fairy tale for him to want to read then. 'Typical', he thought wryly. 'I was such a jerk when I was a kid'.

"Many others of Elrond's household stood in the shadows and watched them go, bidding them farewell with soft voices. There was no laughter, and no song or music. At last they turned and faded silently into the dusk."

Teal'c looked at the Colonel. "This book is one of great adventure, O'Neill. Have you read it?"

A little chagrined, He shook his head. "No, but it sounds good. Can I borrow it when you're through?"

His friend nodded gravely. "There are two others I believe."

"So I've heard." Jack motioned towards Daniel's still form as he sat down in the room's second chair. "How's our boy?"

"Danieljackson remains unconscious. Dr. Fraiser has examined on him only an hour ago. She says his condition is unchanged." Teal'c looked at the young man lying in the bed. "I do not believe that we are without hope."

O'Neill tried to smile at the big man. He wasn't overly successful at the attempt. "One should never be without hope, Teal'c. Sometimes hope is all we have left."

The warrior nodded. "When I sit here, reading to Danieljackson, sometimes I feel his presence. Perhaps it is only hope, but...I can feel his spirit nearby."

"As long as we keep it near, maybe he can come all the way back to us."

"I certainly hope so, O'Neill."

Major General George Hammond walked into the SGC infirmary, looking for Dr. Fraiser. It was the morning of the fourth day after SG-8's return. He needed some answers so that he could take some form of action against Major Ross as much as he regretted the necessity. Hell, he regretted the whole damned incident with Jackson. Somehow, it always seemed to be Jackson.

O'Neill was at least partially right. Ross had not acted properly for a commander in the field. By pushing Jackson to accompany his team, he was directly responsible for the boy's welfare. By bypassing the system's checks and balances and taking him off world without proper out processing he left Jackson exposed to all the inherent dangers of Gate travel. By circumventing Jackson's chain of command, Ross basically stole the Archeologist right out from under SG-1 and disassembled Jack O'Neill's safety net that the Colonel had so conscientiously constructed around the wayward civilian.

O'Neill had once pointed out to him that Daniel Jackson, and Sam Carter, were both 'different'. As 'geniuses', they just didn't think the way that 'ordinary' people thought and O'Neill had long ago accepted that it was in the nature of the beast for the two younger members of SG1 to 'do' things that would drive a CO 'nutzo' (the Colonel's term, not his). Jackson had walked into the Stargate program five years ago and done in two weeks what no one had been able to do since the time of RA--translate the Stargate cartouche. Carter had been able to do in a few years something that hadn't been done in three thousand years--power the Stargate. Between the two of them, they could take a glimmer of an idea and make it explode into reality. As members of SG1, those youngsters had made science fiction into science fact; it was what they were good at. But the only way they could do this was with the overzealous protection and seemingly paranoid watchfulness of one Bird Colonel and one ex-Jaffa warrior.

As the General entered Dr. Fraiser's territory he glanced over at the ICU. Major Carter was on Daniel watch this time and she was reading aloud from a paperback with a rather garish cover. The picture was one of a rather well formed male wearing what was apparently supposed to be an ancient Egyptian style kilt. Well, one could say SG1 was definitely eclectic in their tastes in literature. Teal'c had been reading something last night with elves in it. He shook his head and went in search of his chief medical officer.

He found her almost hidden behind a pile of paperwork in her office. She stood to welcome him when she saw him coming towards her door. "Good morning, General. How can I help you?

"Well, Doctor. I just need an assessment of Dr. Jackson's condition. I need to take some steps in this unfortunate turn of event that led up to Dr. Jackson being ill." He frowned. "It doesn't have to be written in stone, just an informed evaluation."

"Well, actually Sir, Daniel has done very well." She looked up at him almost smiling. "He has not suffered any of the expected side effects. Unfortunately, he has remained unconscious. But his vital signs have stabilized, his blood pressure is good, he hasn't experienced any seizures or crisis's of any kind. It wouldn't surprise me if he woke up at anytime and demanded a cup of coffee."

"Well, I must say this is very good to hear." Hammond relaxed back into the chair he'd been perched on. "But we have no way of testing for 'other' problems until he does regain consciousness, is that right?"

"Yes, sir. That's true enough." Fraiser nodded. "I wouldn't be able to test for any abnormalities until he can respond verbally to my questions. But until such time as the tests are possible, his prognosis remains good, but guarded."

He sat in thought for a few moments. "Doctor, do you think that any of this extra attention that SG1 gives him has any bearing on his strong recovery?" He watched her as she carefully thought about his question.

"Personally, I believe that it does. They are an extremely close-knit team, almost a family if you will. Certainly it can't hurt that he's always surrounded and supported by the people he trusts the most. Now, can I put a percentage on it or a number value? No, Sir I can't. But if I were hurting, I'd try harder to come back if my loved ones were the ones calling me."

He nodded in understanding, and then he rose to go. It made good sense to him, even if they couldn't prove it by numbers or statistics. This definitely was good news for Major Ross.

* * *

Several hours later Daniel swam up through unconsciousness again. He could hear the quiet murmur of voices in his room and could feel as someone took his vitals with gentle touches. He couldn't quit get to the point of movement or speech but Daniel could make out Sam's soothing voice. What was she saying, oh it was one of those historical things again. But she was here. He liked that. He could tell he was sick, he felt hot and uncomfortable. He felt really bad. Maybe Sam...if...only...

Sam Carter looked up from her book. For some reason she glanced over at Daniel. At first glance he looked the same, but then she noticed something in his look had altered. His stillness had changed into a tension as if his muscles had become tight. His expression was one ofŠstrain. Sam put her book down and leaned over him, laying her hand on his forehead. Where he had been warm before, he was hot now, feverish, his skin clammy to the touch.

She immediately went to the door. "Janet. Janet, can you come here? Something's wrong with Daniel." By the time the Doctor had gotten into the room, the patient had started convulsing into a seizure. The two women ran to the bedside. Janet hit the code button to call for assistance, then quickly went over to the medical supply cabinet in the corner of the ICU and retrieved a needle that she pushed into the I.V. line. Sam had raised the sides of the hospital bed to insure that he didn't fall out. "Janet, what can I do?" Sam called out in panic. "How can I help?"

The doctor only shook her head at her friend. "There's nothing. I've given him an anti-seizure drug. He's just got to ride it out." Two corpsmen arrived and moved up to the bed. They then gently but firmly restrained the convulsing patient using the blankets on the bed to secure him from injuring himself on the frame or with the equipment that was attached to his body.

Janet looked at Sam worriedly. "I was afraid of this."

"Why? What's causing it?" Carter demanded to know

"How did he feel when you touched him?" Janet asked. "Did he seem hot, like he had a fever?"

"Yes." Sam replied. "He was very warm and he was sweaty. I didn't notice that before."

Finally the worst spasms passed and Daniel lay bonelessly against his pillow. The corpsmen stepped back out of the Doctors way, waiting to be sure everything was all right. Janet checked all of his IV needles and the oxygen mask to insure they were all adjusted properly. One of the needles had torn out of the skin at the entry point causing it to bleed slightly. Fraiser then was able to take his temperature and it was high at 101 degrees. Janet smoothed his forehead, as much to comfort herself as the patient. Sam looked as if she were ready to burst into tears. Janet finally dismissed her medics and came over and hugged the younger woman. "It's all right, honey. You did everything rightŠ"

At this moment, Colonel O'Neill chose to make an appearance. By the look on Carter's face, he could tell something had happened.

"What's wrong?" He asked tersely.

"Daniel had a febrile seizure." Janet replied, directing his attention to their patient. "Luckily Sam was right on the money and I got here to prevent it from getting too bad."

O'Neill immediately went to his friend's bedside. "A seizure." He repeated hollowly. "Then that meansŠ."

"Nothing, it means nothing." Janet assured him. "He was running a fever, in his weakened state that could have caused it. Now we can prevent any reoccurrence."

"But you said that they meantŠ"

"If he had done this early on, I would agree." The Doctor spoke in her calming voice. "But this late in the game, and with his high temperature, it could beŠprobably isŠthe result of the fever itself." She tried to smile comfortingly at the worried man. O'Neill, and Carter, looked almost beside themselves with fear for Daniel. "Look, Colonel. Why don't you and Sam go get some dinner together." The Doctor took over now. Her other friends needed some relief. "I'll stay here with Daniel until you get back, or Teal'c comes. You both need a break." When they looked like arguing, Janet gently shoved them out the door. "Go, eat, relax, talk. We'll still be here when you get back."

The two Air Force officers looked at each other and shrugged. Finally, the Colonel shook his head at the doctor and muttered something about 'Napoleonic power something or other' and led the way out of the clinic. Janet resolutely turned her back on them and started to adjust her patient's bedcovers.

* * *

O'Neill and Carter wandered down the hallways of the SGC. They hadn't spoken much to each other, both of them deep in their own thoughts.. The two entered the almost empty dining facility and went through the serving line. It was four o'clock in the afternoon, most of the lunch crowd had gone back to their jobs and dinner hadn't started yet. The hot food line was almost empty, but Jack agreed to the meatloaf and mashed potatoes, Sam asked for the Chef Salad. When they sat down and started eating at the long bare tables, they finally started to talk.

O'Neill looked critically at his 2IC. She appeared tired and distracted. "How you doing, Carter?"

"I'm okay, Sir. He just scared me." She replied quietly.

"I can imagine. Would have scared me too." He assured her. "We got a little too confident in him, I guess."

Carter nodded, then started to explain. "I was reading, and I heard, no I felt something was wrong." She looked up at her Colonel and continued. "He looked different, kind of tense. I called Janet, but he started before she got there."

"But," Jack said gently touching her hand. "If you hadn't been thereŠ"

This quiet comment proved Sam's undoing. She stared heavily into her mostly untouched salad and the tears finally started to fall. "Aw, shit!" She said as she tried to wipe them off with the small napkin her silverware had come wrapped in. "Shit...stop it, damn it."

O'Neill scooted his chair next to hers and gathered Sam up in his arms, hugging her close to him, allowing her to hide her face in his shoulder. He patted her on the back like he would a small child. She finally broke, letting her emotions go, weeping messily into his green uniform shirt.

"I'm sorry." She sobbed, brokenly. "I'm sorry...sorry." She tried to turn away from him, but Jack held her firmly, stroking her back and murmuring unintelligible words into her blond hair.

Finally, after several minutes, he released her and looked at her tear stained face, chuckling softly. "Well, I never thought I'd see the day."

She took a deep breath, swiped at her red eyes and sniffed. "What? That you'd see the Ice Maiden cry."

He gently pushed the mussed bangs out of her eyes. "Where did you get that from? Who ever told you not to cry?"

She ducked her head to keep from meeting his concerned, brown eyes. "My father." She sniffed again. "And I quote, the Air Force doesn't need officers that fall apart and cry at the drop of a hat."

Jack reached under her chin and tipped her head up to look at her. "Jacob said that?" She nodded into his hand. "I'm gonna kick his Air Force General's ass the next time I see him." He was rewarded by the blue eyes growing in size. "I am." He promised. "Just you wait."

She sniffed. "Okay, deal." She replied soggily. Then Sam reached over to his weather-beaten cheek and wiped away dampness of his own.

"I wish I had a nickle for every tear I've cried because of this man's Air Force." He mumbled. "I could retire." He was rewarded by a teary grin.

Then another concerned voice broke into their circle of warmth. "Jack, what's wrong?" Hammond was standing over them, worried down to his boots by the look of him. "What's happened?"

O'Neill took a breath and shook his head at his friend and commander. "Sit down, Sir. It's okay. We just had a bad scare. Danny had a seizure and scared us into next week."

Hammond sat down in a chair next to his two officers. "Is he all right? Doctor Fraiser was just telling me this morning how well he was doing."

"Apparently she thinks it was brought on by fever." O'Neill replied. "Hopefully it won't cause much of a setback. Luckily, Carter was with him and was able to get him help before it got too bad." He smiled at her and she blushed pink. "We were just indulging in a little emotional catharsis."

"Weell, sounds like you both deserve one." The General shook his head. "When I got wind that you were both in here so upset... , I have to admit, I feared the worst."

"No, well, I don't think so anyway. It was just..." Jack shook his head as Carter sat up and tried to wipe her face with a paper napkin.

"I quite understand. Well, I guess I'll hit it for a little while longer then call it a day." He eyed Major Carter thoughtfully. "And I think young lady, it's about time for you to call it too."

She started to shake her head but O'Neill caught her eye. "Remember, you've got Fish duty tonight." He reminded her. "We don't want Danny to think we'd forgotten Blondie and Dagwood and all the little Bumsteads, do we?"

Carter had to smile at that one. "No Sir. Can't forget the fish. I'll stop on my way home."

"Good. I'll go up and relieve poor ole Doc Fraiser." He glanced over at Hammond. "I'm on Danny watch tonight. We're gonna discuss the pros and cons of down-filled sleeping bags over nylon pile ones. It's bound to be a real hair raising discussion for an allergic archeologist."

"Well, I'll leave you two to your assigned duties." Hammond got up and turned to leave, then said. "Drive safely, Major and Jack, Get some rest."

"Yes, sir. Just as soon as I can, I will." O'Neill nodded. The General shook his head and walked back to his office.

Jack continued to sit with his meatloaf and mashed potatoes after General Hammond and Major Carter had both left. He finished as much of his food as he could, thinking all the while. Thinking about Daniel, lying unconscious in the infirmary; thinking about Sam, sobbing on his shoulder; thinking about Jacob, and how he was so gonna kick his ass for screwing up his own daughter; thinking about Ross, and how he was gonna kick his ass for screwing up with Daniel.

As he sat there thinking, something seemed to snap in him. Abruptly, he got up and carried his tray to the bussing area. He then strode quickly out the door and to the elevator, where he got in and hit the button hard, twice. Jack continued on at a fast pace to the infirmary. He entered the ICU where Janet was still sitting with Daniel. She looked up at him from a magazine. Jack strode over to Daniel's bed and bent over his friend's unconscious body. He took Daniel's face in his two hands and held him, gently in his strong, firm grasp. He searched the pale face with his eyes, looking for something...anything to hold on to...to be sure of...and it wasn't there. Then it hit him. He was scared. He was as scared as hell of this as anything he had ever been afraid of.

Fraiser had risen from her chair and was watching him...watching to be sure he what? Didn't hurt Daniel...or wasn't hurt by Daniel.

"Colonel, he's going to be fine. Really." Janet came forward and laid her hand on his shoulder.

He looked up at her, revealing his anguish in his brown eyes. "Janet..."

"Jack, it'll be alright." She assured him. "It'll be okay. He gave us a scare today, but...nothing's changed really." She pulled him away from the bed and sat him down in the chair. "We got him in time. Sam saved him."

He nodded mutely at her calming words. Then he looked up into her brown eyes, trusting her.

"Jack, I'm going home now. The nurse knows your here. No one will bother you, but if you need her help, she knows what to do. And I'm only twenty minutes away."

"I know Doc, go on home." He straightened up and looked down at his unconscious friend. "We'll be all right."

She smiled at him. "I'll see you in the morning."

* * *

It was 1700 hours the next day and Colonel O'Neill finally just piled all of his paperwork into a stack and put it in his top drawer. He knew he needed to catch a nap at some point. He was tired, but he wouldn't forgo his time at the ICU with Daniel. The young man had not had any reoccurrence of the seizure that had scared them all so badly the day before. The Doctor and her minions were all keeping a close eye on him and of course the Danny-watch brigade was still in full swing. Jack just couldn't help thinking that if Carter hadn't been there with him, that no one would have noticed anything wrong until the alarms had sounded. And Fraiser had admitted that it wouldn't have sounded until he was actually in trouble. He rubbed his hands over his face, absently noting that he needed a shave.

Standing up from his desk chair, Jack put his hands on his hips and leaned back slightly to relax the tenseness in his lower back. Too much paperwork, too much worry and not enough food and sleep. 'Oh yea, No stress in my life.' he thought to himself.

Well, the Doc was putting pressure on him too. To eat, sleep and get a little real exercise, the unimportant things in life. He glanced at his watch and determined that Carter currently had 'Danny-watch' so he could do just that. Head down to the gym for a little workout, go grab a bite at the commissary, then take a nap for a few hours in Daniel's office on his faithful couch. Boy, if that couch could talk.... Yea, he definitely needed a break...talking couches.

Jack decided on working the heavy bag. It allowed him to concentrate on one thing at a time, not worry about the finesse of the punching bag or the strategy of a two-man workout. If he was lucky, he could catch Teal'c at the chow hall before the man went to bed that night. The Jaffa normally sat with their patient during the day when he and Carter did their office work. Sam took the evening shift and he would do the midnight hours. It worked out well, if he could get a few hours nap before he sent Carter home.

He'd been hitting the heavy man-sized weight bag for thirty minutes when he heard 'them' comes in. Them being Major Ross and Capt King of SG-8. Jack tried to ignore the two Air Force officers as they started working with the free weights in the bench area of the large weight room section. The two men were talking to themselves about an upcoming mission while spotting each other on the bench. O'Neill made some internal joke about dumbbells lifting dumbbells and turned back to punching the lights out of the large, canvas bag.

Sometime later Jack noticed Ferretti had come in to use the stationary bike. Louis pumped away steadily for thirty minutes then dismounted and strolled over to speak to his old commander and friend. O'Neill stopped punching the bag for a few minutes and shook the younger man's hand.

"How Ya doin', Colonel? Doing a little stress relief."

"Yea," he admitted, wiping his sweaty face with a towel that he'd had lying on the floor by the bag. "Too much paperwork, too much stress and not enough sleep."

Ferretti nodded knowingly. "How's Daniel doing? Any change?"

"Not that I've heard of today. I'm going to drop by on my way to eat dinner then go up about 2100 hrs."

Ferretti nodded, knowing the 'injured member' routine from his own team. He too, was a believer in the O'Neill method of group support, 'watch 'em like a hawk until they get up and tell you to quit bugging 'em.'

"Daniel's a tough cookie, Colonel." Louis assured his old commander and friend. "He'll do okay, don't you worry."

"I know. I'll tell him you said hi." O'Neill nodded at Ferretti's words.

Ferretti took his leave of Jack and sauntered over towards the showers. The path took him through the weight bench area. Ross said something to Ferretti, who looked over at him with an odd expression then, shook his head. Another comment was made and Ferretti tried to withdraw from the conversation entirely, holding up his hands and backing away. O'Neill stopped what he was doing and watched. Ross continued to talk and finally Ferretti started talking back with a vengeance. He advanced on the other Major pointing repeatedly with his index finger and his voice growing louder and louder.

"...And furthermore, I didn't ask you damned opinion, you asked mine. I wasn't there, I don't know what happened this time but I do know that you haven't a clue of what you're talking about. I know what happened in the past and if Jack O'Neill and Daniel Jackson hadn't been there any number of times, there wouldn't be a SGC, there wouldn't be an operational Stargate and they probably wouldn't even be an Earth right about now!"

As ranking officer in the room, Jack knew he had a responsibility to stop this before it got out of hand so he pulled the towel behind his neck and started over to the dispute. When King saw O'Neill headed over to them, the young black Captain caught Ross's arm and pointed at the Colonel.

Jack had approached the two Majors with his hands raised to act as a buffer between the two men. Ross, already embarrassed and angry from the sting of Ferretti's words, turned on O'Neill. "And here comes the great man himself, Jack O'Neill: defender of the helpless, and self appointed guardian of the Geek Squad."

Jack had a memory of Ferretti reaching out to push past Ross, and Ross reacting by slapping Ferretti's hand away and drawing back a fist. Then Louis shouting something, possibly a warning. Other than everything turning a bright shade of red, Jack didn't even remember who struck the first blow. All he could see was the man who had been responsible for letting his best friend risk his life for a stupid survey mission that hadn't amounted to a hill of beans. He could feel the man's flesh beneath his hands become damp with blood, felt the hard nose cartilige become soft like cracked cement turning to powder.

The next thing he knew he was being restrained by two strong dark brown arms wrapped around his upper arms and chest. He was being held a few inches above the gymnasium floor and Ferretti was in his face shouting at him. Some of the other gym occupants were kneeling over a prone figure lying on the padded floor. There was red paint everywhere, on the mats, the unconscious man and as he looked down at his hands, it was on them too.

Realizing that something bad had happened and it could only be Teal'c holding him, Jack relaxed into the firm grip and nodded to the Major. Ferretti, satisfied that Jack was returning to normal, he indicated to Teal'c to put O'Neill down.

At this time a medical trauma team came into the gym at a run. When the crowd dispersed from around the victim, Jack could see it was Ross. Doctor Fraiser came in at a run and skidded to a halt taking in the whole scene. Shooting the Colonel a confused look, she turned to treat the man lying on the floor. When she saw who it was on the floor and the obvious cause of his injuries, Fraiser turned to one of the onlookers and sent him out of the room. The selected lieutenant glanced over his shoulder at O'Neill as he left the area.

Ross was quickly loaded on the gurney and whisked away to the infirmary, his second in command trailing along after him. Dr. Fraiser approached O'Neill briskly. She extended both her hands to him. Apologetically, he held his out for her examination. She took them and turned them over, noting the skinned knuckles and blood on the outer 'fist' area. "You couldn't leave it alone, could you?" She murmured low enough that only she, him and possibly Teal'c could hear her.

He looked at her helplessly. He really didn't remember what had happened, only that Ross had been mouthing off at Ferretti. O'Neill knew that the lieutenant had been sent to Hammond's office to bring the General down to the 'scene' of the crime. "Doc...", he started

She looked at him and released her hands. "Colonel O'Neill, I'm not the one you'll have to explain to. It looks like you'll live to fight another day, so I need to get up to the infirmary to treat Ross. Please come up later and I'll finish with those hands." With that she turned and left him waiting for the General.

O'Neill turned and looked at his two friends. "What happened? What did I do?"

Ferretti shrugged at him. "That jackass Ross started mouthing off at me. I tried to get past him and he took a poke at me. You grabbed him and he started on you and, well, you lost it. Thumped on him pretty good."

Jack looked at Teal'c. The big man canted his head to one side. "I was passing the gymnasium door when I was attracted by the sounds of a fight. I merely restrained you at Majorferretti's insistence." He arched an eyebrow at the SG-2 commander giving the impression that he wouldn't have stopped O'Neill otherwise.

"Colonel, that rat deserved everything you gave him and then some." Louis almost growled. "There's no cause for him to say those things." then he continued. "But I couldn't let you kill him in front of all these witnesses either."

O'Neill shook his head. "It really doesn't matter. I shouldn't have lost my temper."

"You're right about that Colonel O'Neill. You shouldn't have," The crowd parted like the Red Sea to allow General Hammond to come over to the three men. "But from what I'm hearing, he was out of line to begin with."

"How badly is he hurt?" O'Neill asked

"Dr. Fraiser is still examining him, but I'd say at least a broken nose and some bad bruising.

"Sir," Ferretti put in. "Ross started it. The Colonel just finished it. He's been mouthing off since they got back from the survey, saying how Daniel caused his own problems at the dig."

O'Neill hung his head. "I'm sorry Sir. He just got under my skin." Jack looked up at the frowning General. "What now?"

Hammond shook his head at his second in command. "I'll start an investigation into what went on. It looks like you have enough witnesses on your side." He glanced at the crowd that had quietly formed a little distance away then to Louis Ferretti.

"General," Ferretti started to defend his friend. "If the Colonel hadn't done it, I would have. Ross was way out of line and saying stuff you wouldn't believe."

Hammond thought a moment then nodded. "Colonel O'Neill, due to the special circumstances involved, I'm not going to restrict you to quarters. Teal'c, I want you escort the Colonel to the shower, then to dinner. When he is through, please take him directly to the infirmary." He looked at O'Neill. "There, you'll let Dr Fraiser check you over. Once she is through with you, confine yourself to Dr. Jackson's room. No contact will be made with Major Ross or anyone else of SG8. I want no repetition of this shameful display. Do I make myself clear, Colonel?"

"Yes, Sir." O'Neill was relieved that the General hadn't sent him straight to confinement.

"I want you to realize that this is not for your benefit." The General finished. "It is for the good of Dr. Jackson that I'm allowing this at all. Any further actions on your part will result in arrest and confinement in the brig. Do you understand this?"

"Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir."

"Teal'c?"

"I understand, General Hammond. Your instructions will be followed."

"I know they will, son. Dismissed." The General then turned his wrath on Major Ferretti as Teal'c shepherded 'his' Colonel towards the showers.

* * *

O'Neill and his Warrior guard beat a fast retreat to the shower room. Jack was dismayed at his loss of control. It was something that would have happened to a buck lieutenant in a firefight. He hadn't done anything like that in years. Ross was lucky to be alive...or, he amended that Ferretti and Teal'c had been there.

The Jaffa warrior sat in the changing area and observed O'Neill as he stripped and headed for the shower. "I do not approve O'Neill."

He had wrapped a towel around his waist and was headed for the showers. "Look, Teal'c. I'm really sorry. I just lost it out there."

"No O'Neill. I do not approve of the General's actions. Ross would be severely punished were he in my Command."

"No, Teal'c. I lost control of myself and I know better." Jack looked at his skinned knuckles. "I could have...would have killed him if you hadn't stopped me."

"As well he should be. He failed as a Commander. He is responsible for Danieljackson's injuries."

Jack sighed. "No, Teal'c. It's my fault as well, I shouldn't have let him get under my skin like that."

Teal'c looked at his friend impassively. "You are emotionally distraught. Go, shower, then we will eat. Danieljackson needs your strength. More than Majorcarter or myself, he responds to you."

O'Neill nodded and hit the showers.

* * *

An hour or so later, Jack O'Neill and his friendly 'guard' entered the infirmary area. Dr. Fraiser met him at the entrance and escorted him to the exam room where she looked at his hands and shook her head.

"Well, both of you are very lucky if you ask me, Colonel."

"Why, what do you mean?" He looked into her disapproving visage.

"Major Ross has some contusions, bruised ribs, a broken nose and a black eye. You, you have a very understanding C.O." She dabbed some stinging antiseptic liquid on his raw knuckles. "Hammond convinced Ross that he was lucky to be alive. And I quote, 'Believe you me, Ross. If Jack O'Neill wanted you dead...you would be already. You need to make yourself scarce and stay out of his way' ."

She finished up and started to put her things away. "You're nominally in my charge tonight. You can sit with Daniel until you're relieved. Then I want you to get a VIP Room and get some sleep. I told General Hammond I feel partially responsible for this." she flashed a small grin at him. "After all, I am the one who told you to go to the gym."

"Oh, no. Don't you start." He chided her, shaking his head. "This is a good case of my fault, your fault, anybody's fault. I'm too tired and worried to play."

"Okay, you're off the hook for now." She nodded, releasing him from her tender mercies. "Go on so Sam and I can get some dinner and catch up on all the gossip."

Jack came into the ICU where Carter sat with Daniel, watching the young man sleep. She rose and came over to meet him. "Colonel, I'm glad you could come."

He looked shamefaced at his Major. "So am I. I nearly screwed up bad, Carter. It's a good thing General Hammond is so fond of Daniel." She nodded and kept a disapproving face on.

"Yes, Sir." she returned. "That's what you get when you mix little food, less sleep, lots of worry and an Irish temper."

"Said the pot to the kettle, Major. I've seen that good Anglo-Saxon blood of yours boiling a time or two." He replied tiredly.

"Well, I'll just leave you two alone, then." She smiled as she left the room.

"Yea," He turned back and looked at the quiescent form of his friend as he lay on the bed. "The two of us, Danny. That's the way it's been." He sat down in the chair next to the bed. He hadn't brought anything to read this evening due to the circumstances in the gym. He picked up the paperback book that Teal'c had been reading to Daniel and thumbed through it. The place where he had left off was marked by a scrap of paper. Jack turned to the page and started to read aloud.

'The company of the ring stood silent beside the tomb of Balin. Frodo thought of Bilbo and his long friendship with the dwarf, and of Balin's visit to Shire long ago. In that dusty chamber in the mountains it seems a thousand years ago and on the other side of the world.'

O'Neill read for a while, allowing the words of the book to conjure up the attack of the Orcs, the great battle of Gandalf and the balrog and finally Strider taking the lead in the journey of the eight remaining fellows of the story. O'Neill could empathize with the human hero, having to lead and command such a disparate group of individuals; elf, dwarf, human and four hobbits, and to have taken the lead at such a tragic juncture. He became enmeshed in the story as he continued to read to his friend.

"So all my plan is spoilt!" said Frodo. "It is not good trying to escape you. But I'm glad, Sam. I cannot tell you how glad. Come along! It is plain that we were meant to go together. We will go and may the others find a safe road! Strider will look after them. I don't suppose we shall see them again."

"Yet we may, Mr. Frodo. We may." said Sam.

As Jack put down the book and looked over at Daniel, he saw something that caught his attention. He rose from his chair and crossed over to where his friend lay. Above the oxygen mask, Daniel's eyes were open. He appeared to be watching Jack as he read and when he drew close, he could see that the young man was tracking him with his eyes. Daniel was awake!

He immediately rang the call button and when the nurse came in he almost shouted. "Get the Doc! Call Doc Fraiser! He's awake. He can see me!"

Janet Fraiser had just signed out at the surface check point when the Desk Sergeant's phone rang. When he gave the message, she turned and ran back to the elevator. Twenty six long elevator floors later, Janet continued her sprint to her clinic and the ICU, she burst into the room.

O'Neill had pulled his chair up next to the bed and he was holding Daniel's hand, rubbing it between his two, massaging it and talking to the patient. "Come on Daniel. Hang in there for me, buddy. Stay awake for me til Doc comes. Danny...please..."

* * *

She threw her purse and car keys on the floor and they slid obediently into a corner. Janet approached the bed from the other side, immediately starting to translate the readings from the different monitors. Fraiser picked up his other hand and felt for the pulse, noting that the skin was dry and warm. There it was, slow but steady. The blood pressure cuff gave her the good solid reading of 110/80, body temp was 99.8, high but acceptable and best of all Daniel was actually looking at her with those wonderful blue eyes, watching her as she did her 'thing'. The breathing tube kept him from speaking but those bllue eyes said a thousand words. He was there but how much of him had managed to come back.

She looked over at Jack O'Neill who was smiling broadly, first at Daniel than at her. She managed to return it without embarrassing herself professionally. "How long?"

The Colonel managed to look indignant. "Just now. I called the nurse when I saw he was awake."

She nodded, then turned to her patient. "Daniel, can you hear me? If you can hear me squeeze my hand." Both Jack and she waited, not breathing, until she smiled and nodded at Jack. "It's good."

"Daniel, You've been asleep for a long time." She glanced at her watch. "For five days. You're going to be very weak so I'm going to leave the tube in tonight still. Okay?" Another weak squeeze to her hand. "I'm going to take a little bit of blood, and we'll run some quick tests then you can sleep if you need to.

Retrieving a needle with a vial, she deftly found a vein and pulled enough blood for the tests she wanted to run. Daniel watched her and Jack watched Daniel. Before she left she smiled at the Colonel. "He's not out of the woods yet, but this is very good. I'm pleased he's so alert.

Jack leaned over the bed so Daniel could see him. "You're doing good, Danny. Just hang in there and get better." The tired blue eyes closed but the hand that held his didn't release its grip. Jack held on to it as he settled back into his chair. He wasn't going anywhere the rest of the night. Daniel would be well guarded.