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It was early morning at the SGC when Major General George Hammond signed in and passed through the security checkpoint at Cheyenne Mountain. General Hammond was not a happy man. This fight between O'Neill and Ross had made matters worse rather than better. Not that he didn't understand Jack's reaction. O'Neill had started out a father figure of sorts to the young archeologist but the bond had rapidly matured into that of a close and binding friendship. He hadn't seen a friendship so close in many a year. And to make it worse, he felt pretty much the same way about the brave, upstanding young man that he had come to respect and admire. It made it hard to be open-minded about Major Ross, a man whose own teammates admitted that he had left the Archeologist on his own on in an unknown, possibly dangerous situation. Not to mention that he'd practically hijacked the archeologist in the first place, bypassing safety protocols and flaunting regulations in the process putting him doubly at risk. And now this. Well, he sure as hell wouldn't take away the support that O'Neill gave his friend because of a stupid altercation that he wasn't so sure wasn't brought on by Ross. As he told the young officer, if Jack O'Neill had wanted him dead it would have happened so fast nobody would have even stood a chance at stopping it. As it was, Ross had gotten off lightly in Hammond's opinion. Well, today he'd call in some of the witnesses and see what had really happened in the gym and hopefully push it all back under the pile in the corner of the SGC carpet that had O'Neill's Name on it. It was before 0700, so he thought he go to the infirmary to check on Dr. Jackson himself. This was one of the worst patches the team had been through. Well, other than the times the boy had actually died or been thought dead. Which were more times than George could count on one hand. Some times it seemed like he was just fated to be the whipping boy of the universe. Well, it was either him or O'Neill. Hammond entered the ICU and saw O'Neill slumped over on Jackson's bed, his head and shoulders resting on the mattress next to his friend, sound asleep. Hammond shook his head. Once again the Colonel hadn't gone home to a bed, but had stayed here next to his fallen friend, no doubt catching a nap on a couch somewhere during his lunch hour or after his duty shift then coming here to stay through the night. No wonder the man was stretched thin. Dr. Fraiser came up behind the General and laid a hand on his arm. The two left the small room for her office. She smiled at him. "Daniel regained consciousness last night for a short while." "Well, that is good news. How's that affect your prognosis?" She poured them both a cup of coffee. "Of course he couldn't talk with the breathing apparatus in place, but he was able to track my movements and respond to verbal stimulus by squeezing my hand." She handed one to the general and took a sip of hers. "Colonel O'Neill was with him. In fact he's the one who noticed it and called me back in." "Once again the excessive attention paid off." Hammond remarked to the Doctor and himself. "Yes, it did." Major Carter's presence staved off a bad seizure earlier and now the Colonel's presence alerted us to a change in his condition." She shook her head. "I'm thinking about doing a paper on round the clock monitoring for newly affected comatose patients. It's labor intensive but may prove useful in some cases." She grimaced. "The O'Neill school of medicine." Hammond nodded. "If it works Doctor, don't fix it." He paused a moment in thought then reached over to her telephone. After saying a few words to the right people, he waited until a young airman arrived in the clinic. Hammond took the key and thanked the young man for his efforts. Just about then, Teal'c showed up at the door ready for his 'shift'. He nodded to Hammond and Fraiser. "Good Morning, General and Doctor." "Good Morning Teal'c." Hammond smiled at the big man. "Here early I see." "Yes, how did Danieljackson fare the night?" "Well, Dr. Fraiser has some good news for you. I'll go and get Jack while you two talk." The Warrior looked to Fraiser and Hammond went into the small IC unit. He laid a hand on O'Neill's shoulder. "Jack, Wake up son. Your relief's here." The Colonel jerked awake, fully alert. "Yes, sir. I'm, I'm only resting my eyes..." George had to choke back a chuckle. "I see that son." As O'Neill stood up and stretched, the General handed him a key. "Now, I'm going to give you a direct order and I don't want any argument. This is a key to a VIP suite. I want you to go get some breakfast, go to the room, take a hot shower and then sleep until you wake up." O'Neill stared dully at the key. "Do you understand me, son." O'Neill had the grace to grin at his Commanding Officer. "Yes, Sir." "No arguments?" "No sir. None. Thank you." "Very well. And if you or our boy need anything, well just ask." Hammond smiled back, a twinkle in his eye. "Now go on. Teal'c here for his 'watch'." "Thanks, again." "No thanks necessary. We need him, and SG1 back to normal. And if this is how I get it, then so be it. Now, git. I've got work to do today." With that General Hammond patted him on the shoulder and left the infirmary. After Teal'c had been fully briefed on the events of the evening, O'Neill went in search of Carter. He found her in her office/lab and the two of them went on to breakfast.
Teal'c had eschewed the use of the chair and was seated cross-legged on the floor in a meditative trance. Danieljackson had been in a deep sleep since he had arrived this morning and Doctorfraiser had briefed him to be aware of his condition. O'Neill had appeared quite exhausted by the events of the previous day and he was pleased to able to assist his friends in this manner. He became aware that he was being watched and he arose to check on Danieljackson. The young man was awake and watching him from the bed, but he also realized that his brother- in-arms was trying to communicate with him. The young man seemed uncomfortable and when he touched him, his body temperature seemed very high. Teal'c immediately went to the doorway of the room. "Doctorfraiser." Sheryl Johnson, the tall red-haired duty nurse at the desk immediately came to his call. "Yes, Mr. Teal'c?" "Please tell Doctorfraiser that Danieljackson has a fever and is apparently in some distress. I fear this may lead to an unfortunate episode." When she seemed unimpressed by his diagnosis, he added. "I need her to come here immediately." He returned to his friend's bedside and grasped the younger man's hand in reassurance. Frowning at the thought of disturbing her boss, the woman turned to go. Teal'c reiterated. "I need her NOW." With this impetus, she left quickly. Within minutes, Janet Fraiser appeared. "What's wrong, Teal'c?" The big man indicated the bed. "Danieljackson appears to be uncomfortable. I believe his fever has returned. Janet did a quick exam and discovered that his temp had indeed taken an upward turn. Daniel's eyes were open but unlike earlier, he seemed unable to focus. "I was afraid of this." She murmured. "Please, god. Don't let this happen again." She turned to the nurse. "Sheryl, go into the emergency room, empty the large tub and fill it with cold water and get Clark. Hurry up!" Then she called to the male orderly on duty to bring the gurney from the emergency room. Fraiser then started to disconnect all the instrumentation and tubes from her patient. Lastly she removed the breathing tube. When the gurney had arrived, Fraiser, Teal'c and the corpsman moved the semi-conscious man on to it. "What are we doing?" Teal'c asked as Fraiser handed him the portable rebreather. "We've got to get his fever down." She explained as they moved the gurney through the infirmary wardroom. "I've tried chemical means and it didn't work. Now we're going to do it the old fashioned way like my Grandma used to." Suddenly, Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter appeared in the clinic. They had finished breakfast and the two had swung back by the clinic on their way to her lab and his VIP suite for a final check on their teammate. "What's going on, Doc?" O'Neill came to the side of the gurney and tracked along with them. "Colonel, I don't have time for this right now." Fraiser snapped at him as he accidentally got in her way trying to look at Daniel. "Come over here and help, or get the hell of my way!" "What can I do?" He asked following their path, concerned by her attitude. Once in the Emergency Room, Janet aimed the now unresponsive patient to the vat of cold water. The tub was actually a small whirlpool for therapy patients, not used much because of the nature of the work at the SGC but it was now filled with cold tap water and would certainly do. Her plan was to get Jackson into the cooling liquid and drop his body temperature to a more viable level before he suffered anymore febrile seizures. "Here Clark, Colonel give me a hand. Teal'c, get around to his shoulders; Colonel, his other side here. Now on my word, we're going to lift him into the water. Teal'c, I need you to hold onto him and support his head. He may move around and he doesn't need a head injury right now." The big man nodded and got into position. The four of them grasped the bottom sheet and lifted Jackson bodily into the cold water. Daniel gasped and arched up away from the liquid that was shockingly cold to his overheated body. Good as his word, Teal'c grasped his friend and supported his head, neck and shoulders, while the semi-conscious man thrashed in rebellion to their crude treatment. Janet was trying to hold Daniel by his arms, "Colonel, get up here and talk to him. Try to keep him still." Jack moved up to Daniel's side and replaced Clark, holding his flailing arms firmly. "Daniel, Danny. Hold still! Daniel, I've got you! Calm down!" Jackson seemed to respond to his voice, lying more quietly but still shaking. "Clark, go to the ice machine and get me a bucket full, now!" Fraiser snapped. When the orderly returned with the container, Janet dumped the ice in the tub at the foot end. Jackson again lurched against O'Neill and Teal'c. "What the hell are we doing?" O'Neill demanded while trying to hold his friend still. "He was about to seize again. Fever spiked. Had to get his temp down." Fraiser snapped. "Now, shut up and let me think!" She laid her hand on his forehead, it was working. His body temperature was definitely dropping due to the immersion. But there was more going on here than an asthma attack and an allergic reaction. What the hell was she missing? After a few more long minutes, she checked his temperature again and nodded at the men. "Okay, it's worked for now. Let's get him out of there and back to bed. At her instructions, the four of them grasped the wet sheet's edges and lifted Daniel back onto the gurney, managing to pull the wet material out from under him at the same time. The duty nurse appeared with a blanket and covered the now shaking man. Janet reached under the cover and peeled the soaked hospital gown off of him. She started rubbing the blanket over him trying to get the circulation going again. She nodded and they guided the table and it's burden back to the ICU.
General Hammond and Major Carter were waiting for them at the door to the ICU. "What the hell happened?" Hammond demanded. Sam must have called him while they were busy. "His temp went up." She explained shortly. "We got it down." "The old fashioned way." Teal'c added innocently. Hammond understood the phrase and grimaced. "And now?" "It worked." Was all she said. She knew why they were there; she knew why what she did worked. She didn't know why it kept happening. There was more to this and she wasn't seeing it and it infuriated her. Frasier kept thinking as they eased the patient back into his hospital bed. After they got him settled, she shooed everyone out...everyone but O'Neill. He didn't shoo. "Doc, what's going on? This can't be normal." He demanded from across Daniel's bed. He was semi-conscious again, limp hand being held firmly by his team chief. She looked up at him, meeting his eyes. "You're right. It's not." She started examining Daniel again, this time going over him inch by inch starting at the crown of his head and working downward, pushing the blanket off as she went. "What are you looking for?" O'Neill demanded. "I don't know, but there's more going on here and I missed it." She didn't even look up. "I'm going to find it." Jack O'Neill watched as his friend was uncovered and put through a complete visual and hands on assessment. Janet was gentle but through. She quickly passed her hands down his neck, across the broad chest and down the rest of his torso. After completely checking his front, she looked up at Jack. "Help me roll him over on to his side." He did so with a questioning expression. When they had him positioned in a 'recovery' position, she started at the nape of his neck and started down his back. "What are you looking for?" Jack repeated as he supported Daniel's quiescent form. "Something unusual, something different, something I missed." She muttered to herself as much as to him. "This isn't normal. I'm looking for something...out of the ordinary... maybe a bite or a sting." She paused on his right shoulder and called his attention to it. "Have you ever seen this mark on Daniel before?" She pointed to a small flaw in the skin above and beside his right scapula. It was a lump, resembling a slightly discolored pimple or a raised scar. Jack frowned. "I don't recall. But.." He struggled to think back. "No, I don't think so. Why? What is it?" "I don't remember it from his last physical." She bent to examine it closer. "I want to roll him onto his front." She and Jack eased Daniel over, careful that he not get too close to the edge. Danny moaned slightly in his less than conscious state. Fraiser palpated the area and frowned. "There's a knot under it, like a cyst or an abscess." She left the bedside and went to the doorway. "Clark." The corpsman appeared again from the wardroom. "Get me...a small scalpel, a kidney tray, a syringe of local anesthetic, some disinfectant, sterile gauze, some clean gloves and some masks. Then come in and help me." The medic nodded and disappeared, She turned and came back over to where Jack stood with his hand on his friend's other shoulder. Jack had pulled the sheet up over Daniel's hips, covering his nudity. "You should leave." "Why?" He looked at her with trepidation. "What are you going to do?" "I'm going to see what that is." She replied indicating the area of concern. "What do you think it is?" He demanded. "I think it's a pocket of infection and that it may be the cause of these fevers." She looked up at him. "and I think you should leave now." She repeated. "Why?" He demanded. "Jack, I'm going to lance this and try to drain it. It's going be messy." "Look Doc. I've seen gun shots and staff weapon wounds before." "Yes, but you've never seen me be the one doing the wounding, and it may be nasty." He didn't budge and she looked at him hard. "Okay Jack, but if you pass out you're going to lay there until I'm done!" "Got Ya." O'Neill said quietly, standing his ground. "Go on and do what you need to do." Clark had entered the room with the equipment. She handed O'Neill a mask and gloves which he obediently put on. "Well then, just stay there and hold him steady." Jack nodded and put one hand on Daniel's near shoulder and one on the back of his neck. The medic stood by Dr. Fraiser as she swabbed the affected shoulder area with the disinfectant then injected the local anesthetic close to the lump. Taking the sharp scalpel, she made a small incision into the discolored area, reopening the 'entry site'. A dark brown, bloody discharge began to drain out, slowly at first, then more quickly when she enlarged the incision again and put pressure on the raised area. After a large amount of fluid had drained out, at the finish a 'body' of bloody, solid material was extruded. This left an open abscess of an area about three inches deep and two inches wide. Daniel lay quietly until almost the end when he shifted and moaned under Jack's hands. "Easy, big guy. Almost done." He muttered, trying to sound comforting. "Getting you fixed up here. Steady." After draining the abscess, the doctor finished by flushing it thoroughly with a saline solution and packing the opening with more sterile gauze. She looked up finally, and O'Neill could tell she was smiling by her eyes crinkling. "There, I think that's done it, at last." She said softly to O'Neill. "How's our patient?" "I think he's out again." Jack admitted. "What the hell was that?" Janet placed a sterile pad over the wound and taped it securely in place. "It appears to be some sort of sting or bite that probably occurred while he was on the planet. It looks very much like an insect or arachnid, like an... ohm, a Brown Recluse spider here on earth would cause. We'll have to do some tests to identify the type of poison so that we can use the proper antibiotic." She looked down at her unconscious patient and stroked the back of his neck. "Daniel, I'm sorry." she murmured apologetically. She looked up at Jack. "I was so worried about his allergies and apparent asthma attack; I didn't look far enough." "Do you think that's what caused all of this?" O'Neill asked a little belligerently. "No, I think it was a combination of the bite's venom and his allergies." After they repositioned the patient on to his back, she nodded her thanks to the orderly. She then instructed him to take the mass for a biopsy. Clark had finished cleaning up the soiled equipment and left the room headed for the lab. "But it was what was causing the fever. Now that this has been taken care of, hopefully he'll start to respond normally to regular treatments." She gently stroked the neck of the sleeping man. "I can't believe I didn't catch it." "Hey, you did good." O'Neill assured her. "You figured it out." "Yea, finally." She sighed regretfully. "Hindsight's twenty-twenty Doc. He wouldn't have been there in the first place if Ross hadn't hijacked him. And that isn't going to happen again either, I guarantee it." "Let me get him hooked up to his IV's again then we'll let him rest for a while." She indicated the door. "I think I have some explaining to do to our 'boss'." She looked at him critically. "And I think you have some sleep to catch up on." She nodded to the door. "I'll be out in a minute." Jack left the room to allow Daniel some privacy while the Doc. hooked up the tubes and catheter again. He approached the rest of the team where they stood waiting.
"What's happened, Jack?" Hammond asked concernedly. "Well, the Doc found something else that she thinks might have been causing some of the problems." He took a deep breath. "It looks like he'd been stung by a poisoned insect of some kind. She located an abscess and lanced it. Some 'stuff' came out. Hopefully, this will help him with the fever." Janet Fraiser came out of the room and smiled tiredly at the group. Teal'c looked to her and she nodded. The Warrior entered the ICU to resume his sentry watch on their now-sleeping comrade. "Doctor." Hammond nodded. "Do you think everything's under control now?" She nodded. "I'm pretty sure we've gotten the cause of the infection now. We have to identify the venom and start the proper protocols." Janet looked upset. "I can't believe I missed it the first time. So stupid." Jack shook his head. "Doc. Take it easy on yourself, okay." Hammond watched the exchange silently. He knew Fraiser had done everything she could when Jackson had come in several days earlier. He also knew that she blamed herself for missing something she had not known to look for. He stayed silent. There was nothing he could say that would make a difference in her feelings of failure or of success. It was just the way these people of his were, and he wouldn't have it or them any other way.
Major General Hammond looked closely at his Second in Command. "Jack, did you ever make it to your room?" O'Neill had the grace to look embarrassed. "Uh, well, no actually." He started to explain. "Carter and I made it to breakfast, but we came back by to check on Daniel one last time and well..." He shrugged. "Things started happening again." He made a slight attempt at a grin. Hammond shook his head. "Go on now. Go. No arguments. I don't want to see you again during this duty day." He looked at his watch. It was 0930. "Now, Colonel. I dare say you can trust Dr. Jackson not to go running off in the next eight hours, this time. Go to bed!" O'Neill ducked his head and glanced back into the IC Unit. He was tired. He had 'hit the wall' three hours ago but had continued on because Daniel needed him and he needed to be there. But the General was right; he was going into serious lag time. So he smiled, nodded and found his way to VIP suite number eight, and hit the shower then the bed.
1800 hours, eight hours later, a brand new Jack O'Neill was headed for the Commissary. Amazing what eight straight hours of sleep would do for a man. He figured he'd grab a hot meal and head back up to the Infirmary to check on his wayward archeologist. As he got in line and looked over the dining room, he saw the two women in his life sitting together. When Carter and Fraiser saw him coming their way with a loaded tray, Carter happily waived him over. As he sat down, Fraiser inspected his tray for its contents. "Very good, Colonel." She nodded. "All five food groups." He picked up the big cup of coffee. "Six." He commented. "I would have gotten seven, but Carter got the last piece of chocolate cake." "Coffee and chocolate are Not food groups." Fraiser fussed. "Try to tell that to Daniel. He thinks they're the only food groups and sugar and walnuts are additives." Carter put in, light heartedly defending her men to the Doctor. "How is Daniel?" O'Neill put in between mouthfuls of beef tips and rice pilaf. "I assume that he's doing okay, seeing as you're both down here." Janet smiled in satisfaction. "Sleeping like a baby. His fever is completely gone." "So whatever that bite was, that was the problem?" Sam looked to Janet. Fraiser nodded. "I got the results back from the lab on that. It seems it was more than a poisoned bite. The tissue in it was actually a larval form of the creature that bit him." Jack put his last bite of meat back down on his plate and made a face. "Ewwwweh, that was too much information for the dinner table." Carter kept on going. "So it was actually incubating in the wound." O'Neill looked at them both. "In his back? Please, Do Not Tell Daniel that little piece of news, or he'll go back into a coma for certain." "But Colonel, it's a fascinating...." Carter started. "I don't care; this is 'our' Daniel we're talking about here. If you have to tell him wait awhile, say six years or so." He turned back to Fraiser. "So...?" "So, he's sleeping and breathing on his own now." She picked up a cup of coffee. "I'd say we're home free." "Good." O'Neill groused. "No more loaning out our Archeologist. He stays with us." Carter nodded knowingly. "Just explain to him that he can't be uh, 'borrowed' anymore without one of our signatures on the paperwork." Jack humphed into his cup of coffee. "Excuse me," Master Sergeant McMasters had come over to their table and was looking a little embarrassed to be there. "Did I hear you say Doctor Jackson was doing better?" O'Neill pointed to a chair. "Yea, finally. Doctor Fraiser figured out what was causing his problems, and took care of it." McMasters obediently sat down. "You mean it wasn't his Asthma?" Janet nodded. "Doctor Jackson doesn't normally have symptomatic Asthma, only allergies. His illness was caused by the attack of an poisonous insect." She explained simply. "In other words," Jack interjected. "If he hadn't been left alone, none of this might have happened. Just because there isn't any large carnivores or unfriendly natives doesn't mean a world is 'safe'. It just means you don't know what the danger is." She shook her head. "All I can say is, I'm sorry." Carter looked at her over her coffee cup. "You weren't the one in charge. It wasn't your decision." She smiled at the older woman. "If you hadn't checked on him when you did, well, things might have turned out very differently." O'Neill stood up to go. "Give him a day or two, then come up and visit him. Daniel will be happy to see you." The NCO smiled at them all and left the table. Jack looked at Janet belligerently. "I'm going up now and relieve Teal'c." "Well, I guess I'll go back to that experiment I've been working on." Carter knew better than to try to supplant her CO at Daniel's bedside. "I'll be up later, Sir."
O'Neill arrived at the ICU and Teal'c arose from his chair. "He is asleep, O'Neill. I am please to report that his fever has broken." Jack nodded, satisfied. "I saw Carter and the Doc in the Commissary. So, I guess that Thing was the whole problem." "Indeed," The big man glanced at Daniel's sleeping form. "It appears so. The Doctor was very perceptive." O'Neill nodded as he took over the chair. "Yea, you'd think she'd done it to him on purpose as guilty as she feels for missing it the first time." "We must convince her otherwise." The big man nodded. "It was probably not readily obvious when he was brought in. I did not see it." "I think it's going to take Danny here to give her absolution." Jack looked over at the still pale sleeping figure. "This was all Ross's fault..." "Indeed. You are going to..." "I'm going to insure this doesn't happen again to anyone else...on or off his team." O'Neill assured him. "Now, you go on and get some sleep. Thanks for staying today." Teal'c bowed his head and left.
After he left, O'Neill leaned over his sleeping friend and touched his forehead, feeling his temperature. As advertised, it was a normal warm. At Jack's touch, Daniel opened his eyes and looked confusedly at the Colonel. The Colonel smiled at him. "Hey, there sleepy. Back with us?" Daniel blinked and tried to speak. Jack shushed him. "You're in the infirmary. You're okay. Just take it easy." The blue eyes drifted shut. Jack stroked his forehead and sat back down in the chair. "Jack...wha hapned?" "You were hurt off world with SG-8. They brought you home. You're in the clinic. You're going to be all right now." Daniel nodded sleepily. " 'kay." O'Neill looked up to see Fraiser had returned to the clinic. He waived at her and she entered the ICU. Jack indicated the bed. "He's awake." The Doctor came in and up to the bed. "Hey." She touched his forehead briefly to assure herself there was no more fever. Daniel opened his eyes and gave a small weak smile. "Hey." She picked up a hand and started with the pulse, examined his fingernails for circulation, glanced at the monitors for other readings. Then she pulled out her penlight and checked both eyes for dilation. "Do you hurt anywhere?" He nodded. "Sore, all over." She nodded in agreement. "That's to be expected. Any place special hurt worse than others." At the slight negative shake of his head, she moved to the end of the bed, uncovered his feet and used the butt end of the penlight to run along the bottom of his left foot. "Can you feet that?" He twitched. "Tickles." She smiled at him and examined the other foot. He twitched again. "Very good." She glanced at O'Neill. "Good nerve response." She stepped back. "Daniel, I need you to roll over. Can you do that?" Daniel nodded, bit his lip and made the effort. Jack took his shoulder and hip to assist. "Wham I sore? Was I ina fight?" Jack paused then replied. "Only with yourself, Danny boy." Janet made a face at him. "You had a couple of seizures. That's why." After the patient was comfortable in a face-down position, Fraiser pulled the dressing off and started to palpate around the wound site. "Does this hurt?" "No. I cant feel wha yor doin." He tried to turn his head to see. "So it's still numb here?" She asked as she explored the affected area. "Just lay there, Daniel." Jack soothed, keeping his hands on his friend's shoulders. "Just relax." Jackson took them at their word, until the Doctor began to remove the packing from his wound. He glimpsed the bloody gauze as she dropped it into a basin. "Wha's at?" "Just the dressing." Fraiser replied absently, concentrating on her work. "Dressing?" Daniel was becoming more alert. "Wha dressing... thought Iws ick?" "You were sick." Jack replied evenly. "But you were hurt too. Just relax and stay quiet." He glanced over at the Doctor as she finished removing the soiled gauze and began her examination of the lesion. His expression stayed the same, neutral, hardened against his friend's injury. "Jck, wha appnd?" Daniel knew that look. Fraiser nodded at O'Neill who answered him. "Danny, you were bitten or stung by something on the planet. It left a wound on your back. It caused you to have fever that made you have the seizures. But the Doc has got you fixed up now, and you just have to heal. Okay?" He tried to leave it at that. Doctor Fraiser had repacked the wound and was retaping the gauze back onto his back. "Daniel, when we opened the wound to treat it, we found that it had a larva in it. We remo...." At Janet's words the weakened, sick man managed to twist around to look at the doctor in spite of Jack's best efforts to hold him and faced her, pale faced and panic stricken. "What did you say?" He rasped out. Fraiser continued on in spite of O'Neill's head-shaking protests. "We found a larval form of whatever..." O'Neill had kept his hands protectively on Daniel's shoulders and he felt the convulsions begin even before they erupted. If he hadn't been holding his friend, Jackson would have fallen off of the bed by the violence of his reaction as he started to vomit. After Daniel had thrown up what little liquid he had in his stomach into the container that the Doctor grabbed at first sign of problems, the dry heaves continued for several more minutes. Jack wrapped his arms around his friend's chest and held Daniel's back against him. He stayed there until the spasms stopped, his body vibrating in revulsion and exhaustion. O'Neill continued to speak soothingly to Daniel until the tremors passed. Finally, he collapsed back against Jack who spoke quietly in Jackson's ear as the other man panted in his exhaustion and pain. "Easy, Danny. It's gone. She got it all. It's gone. I promise. It's gone." He managed to glare at the Doctor while murmuring to the drained man in his arms. "Swear...Jack, pleze...swear." "I swear, Danny, it's gone. No more, really gone." Finally after a few minutes, Daniel allowed O'Neill to lay him back down on the bed, but kept a death grip on his hand. Jack came around to where Daniel could see him easily and looked him squarely in the eyes. "I saw her take it out. It's gone." Then he glared at the confused Fraiser over Jackson's bent head. After they got Daniel securely back on the bed. Jack glared at Fraiser. "You had to tell him, didn't you." He said angrily at the Doctor. "You had to say it. Why? Didn't you know what it would do to him?" Doctor Fraiser was still shocked at the violent reaction of her patient. "No, I didn't. I swear I had no idea...Why? Why is he...?" O'Neill gazed at his young friend, lying exhausted, almost asleep on the hospital bed. "Of all the things he hates and fears the most are the goa'uld...and their larva. Being taken like Sha'uri and Kowalski." He looked up at her stricken face. "But this wasn't...." "I know that..." He looked back down at Daniel's exhausted form. "But with Danny it's different. With me, it's only my worst fear." Jack shook his head. "But with him, well, it's a horror." "That's why you didn't want me to say anything." She whispered. "I'm sorry, I didn't understand." "Janet," Daniel gasped in obvious pain. "Jant, not yer faut. Coudn kno. Soree." The Doctor came close to her patient and laid her hand on his shoulder. "No, Daniel. I'm the one who's sorry. I didn't understand. I promise it's all gone now. The wound is clean and you'll heal normally." Daniel managed to nod his head. "I unnerstan." He looked at Jack and closed his eyes. Fraiser started to work on the tubing from the IVs. Due to Jack's holding onto Daniel, only one of them had been pulled out, but the rest were twisted and tangled. She looked at the Colonel. "I'll get these straight, why don't you go and get a cup of coffee. I'll stay until you get back." O'Neill nodded and released Daniel's hand, patting it in reassurance. before he left the room. He figured that Fraiser needed some time alone with her patient to settle herself down after that episode. The Colonel went over to the coffeepot that served the Medical staff and poured a cup for himself. He shook his head when he noticed someone had written his name on a cup and left it out in front for him to find. Well, he was certainly here often enough. The next morning, Colonel O'Neill was waiting in the outer office area of Major General Hammond's office. He didn't want to be here, he'd rather have been in the infirmary with Daniel and Teal'c. He'd have rather of been anywhere other than here. General Hammond had interviewed several people who had been in the Gymnasium during his altercation with Ross. He knew he was guilty of striking another officer. Even though he hadn't been the instigator, it had been a loss of control that could have been potentially dangerous. He was well aware that he could have killed the younger man if he'd gone any further. He had to thank Ferretti and Teal'c for stopping him in time. Sitting across the room looking equally embarrassed and contrite was Major Ross. He was sporting a tape across his nose to support the broken cartilage and a colorful black eye. The younger man was also waiting to see the General. He couldn't meet O'Neill's eyes and O'Neill had no reason to speak him at this time either. Finally the inner door opened and Ferretti exited the General's office looking red faced and very much like a boy leaving the principal's office. It seemed that Hammond's investigation had revealed that he had made first contact in the 'altercation'. He nodded a Jack on his way out, studiously ignoring the younger Major. Hammond's secretary then indicated Major Ross should go in. The younger man entered and the door closed behind him. After about fifteen minutes, another contrite, red-faced junior officer exited the office and proceeded out the outer door. Several minutes later, O'Neill's turn was announced. Jack had been 'in trouble' numerous times in his career. He dreaded this one the most because of his respect for the Officer that sat behind the desk. Hammond watched him as he entered the room and came to attention centered in front of his desk. O'Neill then saluted and made the statement. "Sir, Colonel Jonathan O'Neill reporting as ordered." Hammond frowned at him and looked down at the paperwork in front of him. "Colonel Jonathan O'Neill. You have been charged with physical assault on a junior officer. You have confessed to this act and so have admitted your guilt. Upon investigation it was discovered that while you did not initiate the disturbance, you overreacted to comments that were made about yourself and one of your subordinates. This assault resulted in physical injury to your victim that constituted body and facial bruising and a broken nose. Do you have anything to add to this that would have any bearing on this finding? "No, sir." "Very well, I have decided that as you'll receive no actual punishment for this action. I have discovered that you neither initiated contact nor did you strike the first blow. However, I must remind you that this behavior is not only unacceptable but with your knowledge and training in self-defense it could have easily resulted in the death or incapacitation of Major Ross. If I were not aware of the special circumstances surrounding your actions a more severe penalty would have been proscribed. Do you understand this Colonel O'Neill? "Yes, sir." "Do you have any questions or comments about my findings?" "No, sir." "Very well, Colonel. He then frowned at his Second-In-Command. "At ease, Colonel." O'Neill came to the position of At Ease. "Jack, I know that you do understand the gravity of what occurred." The Colonel nodded. "Yes, Sir. I also know that you could have done a lot worse." "I know that you've been under a lot of stress but understand, I don't ever want to have anything like this happen again." Jack looked down at the older man. "Yes, Sir." "As my vice-commander, you have the right to know that I gave Major Ferretti a Letter of Reprimand for starting the fight. Major Ross received a Letter Of Reprimand also for his failure to receive permission from yourself or Major Carter to take Dr. Jackson off world. Jack, he didn't mean for Doctor Jackson to be injured. He didn't send him into a combat situation. He was careless, yes, but he didn't do it on purpose." Hammond shook his head. "I'm not sure that Dr. Jackson wasn't just as responsible. He knows how to behave off planet." O'Neill had to acquiesce. Daniel had worked past dinner call. Ross had come to get him but the archeologist had begged off saying he would come in soon. That he hadn't was his own decision. Jack would have insisted and made him come in. The Major had only believed the recalcitrant civilian, not knowing the other man's penchant for overwork and long hours. It had nearly been the death of him. As he reentered the main clinic, O'Neill noticed that Major Ross had come into the infirmary and was waiting by the nurse's station for someone to notice that he was there. "Was there something you wanted Ross? You do know I'm not supposed to be around you now." Jack said evenly. "I know Sir." The junior officer looked very uncomfortable and very young. "Colonel O'Neill, I wanted to apologize to you and to Doctor Jackson." He shifted his feet and continued. "I guess I didn't understand what had happened, what I did wrong." He shrugged. Jack looked at him suspiciously. "Why now? Why all of a sudden this great light bulb going off in your head?" "Well," Ross started. ""Well, I know now what happened to him was my fault. Several people have 'explained' it to me, not the least being General Hammond." He admitted ruefully. "I guess first of all I didn't understand why what I did was so wrong. Why it's so important to be so insistent with camp security. That planet was supposedly safe. Secondly, I didn't know that this Doctor Jackson was the Doctor Jackson. That he was the one who opened the Stargate. I thought he was a regular DOD civilian...one who had been selected and trained for this job." Jack shook his head. "No Ross, nobody can be trained for this. Every time we go through the "Gate' it's a new experience. It could be a cakewalk or a deathtrap." He motioned the man to sit down in one of the chairs that lined the infirmary wall. He pulled another one out so he could face the young officer. "Daniel and I found out a long time ago that there's no guarantee of anything out there. That's why our rules are so stringent, why we watch each other's back so closely. And as far as being 'selected', probably neither one of us would be picked for this job today." He smiled at the floor. "I'm too old and Daniel, well; he's too Daniel." "Well, I'm not sure what that means, Sir. But what happened to him, well, it could have happened to anybody. I know that now. It was my fault for not checking on him more closely. I just assumed that he would follow all protocols." Ross looked down at his hands. "And I guess he assumed that I would follow mine." "It just proves that to assume can make an ass out of you and me. Never assume anything on a mission on or off planet. Believe me, I've learned it the hard way. All of my team has." Jack paused and shook his head. "Daniel though, he's the original guy with the sign on his back that says 'kick me'. If something can happen, it will happen to him." "That's why you're so protective of him?" Ross asked. O'Neill thought about it and leaned back in his chair, "I'm protective of all my team. I can't say...today it's Daniel's turn, or Carter's turn or Teal'cs. It may turn out to be mine, and they'll be the ones that pull my sorry ass out of the fire with some magic trick of theirs." He changed the direction of the conversation. "It's also why you never take shortcuts with missions. Like changing orders at the last minute, or skipping the medical exams. 'Cause you never know what's gonna jump out of the bushes and bite you in the butt." "Like Jackson's allergies?" "Yes and no. I know about them and factor them into the plans. But it could be a stinking bug that no one's ever seen or heard of that bites one of your team, or the local equivalent of a witch doctor gives you something in your food, or a local king turns out to be a Goa'uld and wants to turn you all into hosts." Jack leaned forward again. "Everything out there can kill you, Ross. Everything out there will hurt you and everybody wants something or someone that you've got." Jack looked up at Ross seriously. "You don't ever relax your guard, and don't assume anything is 'safe'. Your team, and you, will live longer and happier lives if you stay suspicious. I know. I've been killed at least three times I can think of. Daniel's going on five and I get a little crazy, since he's the main reason that I'm alive today." Jack shook his head. "Ferretti, Daniel and me, we're all that's left of the original team that went through the Stargate the first time." "I didn't realize." Ross murmured. "Let me give you a piece of advice, one team leader to another." Jack looked at him seriously. "Get to know your people. Find out their strengths, know their weaknesses. Become friends. Everyone here is the best at what they do, or they wouldn't be here. Use them, let them work, do their jobs but protect them. That's your job as team leader...to guide them to the objectives then let them do what they do best to accomplish your mission. Then bring them home safe so they can do it again. Don't think that someone else is better or more qualified because they're on SG-1 or SG-6 or SG-12. We are all as qualified as we can be. Some are greener..." Ross flushed and dropped his eyes at O'Neill's knowing look. "Some are more experienced. But you youngsters can teach us old timers some new tricks. Us old guys," O'Neill grinned to himself, "Well, we know all the old tricks, and how to cheat creatively." Ross looked up to catch Jack smiling to himself. "You're talking as if I had a future here. After this fiasco, I think I'm just waiting for a new assignment." "Well, that depends on you." Colonel O'Neill nodded at him. "Can you learn from your mistakes? Can you suck it up and go on to face the people that you failed...your team? We need people like you: young, bright, and willing to take on a hard dirty job. Daniel Jackson is getting better; you didn't kill anybody this time. And if I know him, and I do pretty well, he won't hold a grudge or press charges like I would have if...well, it didn't happen. Just be a lot more careful in the future." Ross fingered the tape on his nose. "Yes sir, I got off light this time. It was a cheap price to pay for the lesson." Fraiser had come out of the ICU and had stayed some distance away watching. "Well, I guess you two aren't going to kill each other." Jack looked at her and shrugged his shoulders. "Hell, Doc. If I killed everybody around here that made mistakes I wouldn't have any friends left." He grinned. "Come to think of it, I wouldn't be here either." He indicated the room. "Is Daniel asleep?" She smiled at the Colonel. "No, I think he's waiting for you." Jack stood. "Well, can't keep a sick man waiting." He looked at the Major. "Do you want to say hi?" Ross looked surprised at the question. "Do you think he'd want to see me? I'd like to apologize to him." "Doc?" "Okay, but just for a minute." She headed back to her office, shaking her head. The two officers came into the room quietly. Daniel lay on his back with his head turned away from the door. Jack spoke in a quiet tone. "Danny, are you asleep?" Jackson turned to look at his friend. "Jack?" "Yea, it's still my shift." He smiled down at his friend. "I drew the short straw." "Ouch," Was the muffled reply, but Daniel appeared more alert than he had earlier. Major Ross approached the bed slowly. "How ya doing, Dr. Jackson?" Daniel nodded to the young officer. "All right, Major." He responded weakly. "Everyone get back okay?" "Yea, we're all fine." He glanced down at the floor then back to the bed. "I'm sorry about what happened to you, Doctor Jackson. Really sorry." Daniel looked a little confused. "That's all right. It wasn't your fault I got stung." "Sir, I should have been more...alert. And besides, it happened when you should have been...well ah, shouldn't have been working." Major Ross was looking rather determined in his assessment. Jack nodded at Daniel who smiled weakly in acquiescence. "Apology accepted." "And Daniel needs to learn when enough work is enough for the night." O'Neill added. Daniel looked embarrassed. "But..." "No buts. We've had this discussion before." O'Neill pushed it a bit more. Jackson frowned at him. "I've learned my lesson;" Ross looked back at O'Neill. "It won't ever happen again." Daniel knew that something had occurred with the young officer and it was probably due to O'Neill. "Well, next time you want a lesson, Major." Daniel said quietly watching the two military minds agree on something. "Come to one of my lectures. It'll be a lot less painful." O'Neill pulled up a chair next to his friend's bed. "Oh, I don't know Professor, maybe for you...." "Major Ross" Daniel asked curiously. "What happened to your nose?" "It was one of those painful lessons you were talking about, Dr. J." Daniel smiled at him sleepily. "Watch out for those. They're no fun." He looked over at O'Neill. "That's the truth Dr. Jackson. But they do work." O'Neill looked over at him. "Well, for some of us, for other's I'm not so sure." He looked back down at his friend. "See you around Ross." "Yes, Sir. See you around." The Major took Jack's unsubtle hint, smiled at Daniel and left on cue. As he left the clinic, Fraiser stopped the young officer. "Get it straightened out, Major?" "Yes, Ma'm. I certainly did." He looked at her and nodded seriously. "Well, just remember what you've learned. You had quite a teacher there, but he's learned it in the school of hard knocks." She smiled at the officer. "You can learn it easier if you just listen to the men like him you meet in your career. "Yes, Ma'm. I won't forget."
Daniel looked suspiciously at his friend. "Did you 'teach' him that lesson, Jack?' The older man nodded. "Hey, Teal'c wanted to do the instructing. He came off light." He smiled slyly at Daniel. "Professor, there are many schools in this world, all of them educational. "Yea, and you're the head of your Department." Jackson shifted in the bed. O'Neill helped him to adjust the pillows and blanket. "Never can get comfortable in these beds." Daniel groused. "I think we're just not comfortable in general when we're in them." Jack replied as he tucked in the blanket. "Do you want to sleep now?" "Been sleeping...all slept out." "Okay, if you want I'll read for a while." At Daniel's nod, Jack picked up the book and opened it to the first page. He started to read from 'The Two Towers'.
'I read the signs aright,' he said to himself. 'Frodo ran to the hill-top. I wonder what he saw there? But he returned by the same way, and went down the hill again.'
"Never read it before. Teal'c got me started with it. Pretty good stuff." O'Neill looked over at his friend. "Have you?" "It's the first thing I ever remember my mother reading to me." The young man murmured in response. "I love this story." "Daniel, I'm not surprised." He laid his hand on his friend's as it lay on top of the blanket on the bed. "I'm not surprised at all. Just don't tell me the ending, okay." "It's okay, Jack." Daniel answered him pensively. "You'll tell me." "Always, Danny. Always."
You're not a ship to carry my life |