Storytime with Rachel F Hundred

The call for a medical team sounded loudly through the tannoy system as SG1 made its way down the ramp in the gate room, SG2 behind them. The need for the med team was evident; Teal’c was carrying an unconscious Daniel Jackson over his shoulder while Colonel Jack O’Neill carried the Jaffa’s staff weapon. The fourth member of the team, Captain Samantha Carter quietly informed the attending physician about the injury to Daniel’s upper arm as she anxiously watched Teal’c set the archaeologist on the gurney.

They all headed towards the infirmary, absently handing weapons back to waiting personnel on their way. The doctor on duty barred their way into the treatment room and directed the three remaining SG1 team members into another where they suffered through their post-mission checks with barely concealed impatience. They settled into wait in the corridor outside Daniel’s treatment room as soon as they were able.

‘I don’t understand how he got that staff blast.’ Jack said eventually into the silence. It was a bad wound – had to hurt like hell – but it wasn’t the wound that worried Jack; it was how Daniel could have gotten it.

‘Nor do I.’ Teal’c agreed. Unlike his Tau’ri team-mates who were leaning on the wall, he was standing upright, his hands clasped behind his back and his gaze focused on the door of the treatment room.

‘I didn’t hear anything.’ Jack said. ‘Did you?’

Sam shook her head. ‘No, sir.’

‘And we checked that room, what? Four, five times?’ Jack crossed his arms and glared at the door as though his gaze could go through solid wood to the injured man inside. ‘It doesn’t make any sense.’

Sam sighed. ‘What do you think he meant?’

‘You mean that whole ‘we’re in big trouble’ thing he said?’ Jack checked. He shrugged when she nodded. ‘No idea. Teal’c?’

‘It means Daniel Jackson believes we are in big trouble.’ Teal’c replied.

Both Sam and Jack blinked at him for a moment.

‘Yes, Teal’c, but what is the big trouble?’ Jack expanded trying to be patient with the Jaffa who did have a tendency to take things too literally at times.

‘That I do not know.’ Teal’c said. ‘Daniel Jackson did not provide any further details.’

‘Yes, he did.’ Sam said, pushing off from the wall to gesture at them both. ‘He said ‘they’re coming’ just before he passed out.’

‘So?’ Jack shot back. ‘Who’s coming?’

‘The Goa’uld?’ Sam suggested. ‘Apophis, maybe.’

‘Speculation, Captain.’ Jack said firmly.

‘Yes, sir.’

Sam looked crushed as she subsided against the wall and Jack felt the stirring of a little guilt; he hadn’t meant to sound quite so harsh. ‘Sorry, Carter.’ He gave a half-smile. ‘It’s late and it’s been a rotten day.’

She nodded and glanced at her watch. It was well past one o’clock in the morning. Daniel had been missing for over fourteen hours. They had searched every inch of the installation on P3R233 several times trying to find him. Jack had been about to head back to the SGC for radiation suits to search the outside of the building when Daniel had miraculously reappeared in the room where he had disappeared. He’d better have a damn good explanation, Jack thought furiously, refusing to acknowledge that there was a lot of relief mixed in with his anger.

The treatment room door opened and the doctor stepped out. It wasn’t someone the team usually dealt with but the thin man with a shock of dark hair motioned for them to follow him. They trooped into the room and came to a halt by Daniel’s bed.

The archaeologist was lying propped up against a mountain of pillows with his injured arm wrapped in a dressing and supported by a sling. He looked asleep.

‘Doctor Jackson came to again but he became very agitated and I had to sedate him.’ The doctor explained.

‘Agitated?’ Jack asked crisply.

‘He began shouting about how this wasn’t his reality and that he had to get home, Colonel. He didn’t recognise me and wanted Doctor Fraiser.’ He shook his head and crossed his arms. ‘It definitely seems as though he underwent some kind of trauma during his separation from the team. I’m sure Doctor Fraiser will recommend he talk with Doctor Mackenzie tomorrow.’

Jack barely stopped himself from making a face at the reference to the SGC’s resident psychiatrist. ‘Maybe we should wait until Daniel has the opportunity to explain what happened.’

The doctor seemed a little taken aback by Jack’s abrupt tone and didn’t respond.

Sam hurriedly stepped in. ‘Is it OK if we stay with him?’

Her tactic of drawing attention worked as the doctor turned to face her. ‘There’s really no point. He’s going to be out for the night.’ He looked around at their unhappy expressions and sighed. ‘You should all go to bed. There’s nothing you can do for him.’

Jack looked as though he was about to argue but seemed to change his mind at the last minute. He nodded slowly. ‘Thanks, doc. Just give us a few minutes, huh?’

The physician left them alone with their injured team-mate.

Jack walked up to the side of the bed and Sam followed him. Teal’c moved to stand on the opposite side.

‘I will stay with Doctor Jackson.’ Teal’c stated firmly.

‘That’s OK, Teal’c.’ Jack said. ‘I was planning to…’

‘You and Captain Carter require rest.’ Teal’c noted. ‘I do not.’

Jack rubbed at his gritty eyes and conceded the Jaffa had a point.

‘How about shifts?’ Sam suggested. ‘We could take turns.’

Jack scanned the shadows under her eyes and the way she held herself as though she was fighting the urge to simply collapse into a bed, a chair, something. He recognised it because he felt the same. ‘Teal’c’s right. We should get some rest.’

She shot him a disbelieving look.

‘We have him back and he’s safe, right?’ Jack explained, waving at Daniel’s prone form. ‘He’s not going anywhere. We can pick up with him in the morning.’

Sam barely looked mollified.

‘Say goodnight to Daniel, Carter.’ Jack knew however she felt she wouldn’t disobey a direct order.

Teal’c raised an eyebrow but watched as Sam sighed and reached down to squeeze Daniel’s hand gently before she stepped away. Jack patted Daniel’s good arm and let the relief that they had found him sweep over him again. He looked over at Teal’c with a hard stare and the Jaffa bowed his head understanding the silent message that O’Neill trusted him to safeguard the archaeologist. He watched as the military officers left the infirmary before he lowered himself into a chair by Daniel’s bedside and began his vigil.

o-O-o

Daniel frowned in his sleep; snatches of the hours he’d spent in another reality bombarding his unconscious mind…

Hammond glaring at him; ‘Who the hell are you?’

The confusion of the other man’s lack of recognition; the weird notion of the General as the Colonel and the Colonel as the General…

Catherine Langford interrogating him…and his response; ‘OK…I figured out how to use the Stargate. You recruited me to translate the cartouche found at Giza. I went through on the first mission through the Stargate to Abydos and unless the last two years have been some whacky, whacky dream I am a member of SG1.’

‘Not as far as I’m concerned.’

Talking with Jack…Sam…

‘We’ve lost Washington and Philadelphia, sir.’

‘I’m sorry. What do you mean by lost?’

The world covered in red dots…pictures of the Goa’uld attack…Earth burning…sending a bomb to Chulak…

Sam explaining about alternate realities… ‘Basically, scientists have theorised that there are an infinite number of dimensions each containing a different possible version of reality.’

‘Well, it sounds like I theoretically, possibly, actually found one…an alternate reality, a parallel plane…this isn’t my world at all.’

The Goa’uld ship landing on the mountain and the base under attack…

The message from P3R233…watching his video and getting the coordinates of the gate address of the origin of the Goa’uld attack. Everyone staring at the different reality on the video…arguing for the chance to save his reality, save his Earth…

‘The Jack O’Neill that I know would do it.’

Brown eyes staring at him so familiar and yet so different…’Well, apparently you and I have never met.’

His impassioned plea: ‘Look, all I know is that because I came here I have seen what can happen. Now I have a chance to keep this from happening to the Earth that I come from; if you help me.’

The crazy plan to buy time by talking to Teal’c…

‘All I have to do is buy a little time.’ Jack finally doing the right thing…as always.

Sam and Jack hugging goodbye. ‘I take it they’re not engaged in your reality?’ Catherine’s gentle words at seeing his surprise.

The base being rocked with explosion after explosion.

A race…the Stargate dialling…the self-destruct about to blow…Teal’c blasting through the gate room door. A look between them. The run up the ramp…the burn of the staff blast as it hit him…

He cried out and came abruptly awake. His blue eyes blinked fiercely in the bright light of the infirmary.

‘Daniel Jackson.’

His head snapped around at the sound of the low, deep voice of his Jaffa friend. ‘Teal’c?’ His gaze swept over the large man and he threw himself across the bed to hug the Jaffa awkwardly, not caring at the pain that shot through his injured arm at the move.

Teal’c’s eyebrows lifted as he stoically suffered through the hug and waited for Daniel to recover himself.

The archaeologist eased back. ‘Sorry, Teal’c, but I just…I just needed to do that.’ He beamed at his friend. ‘It’s so good to see you as…’ he gestured at him with his good hand, ‘you.’

‘Indeed.’ Teal’c murmured.

‘I’m really back.’

‘Yes. You are.’ Jack straightened from his slouch in the doorway where he had witnessed Daniel’s hug of Teal’c with amusement.

‘Jack.’ Daniel shoved the covers back and clambered out regardless of the fact he was only dressed in his boxers. He met Jack half-way across the room and threw his good arm around the other man. ‘It’s you. It’s really you.’

‘Daniel.’ Jack said warningly as he wondered where to put his hands before settling on Daniel’s head which he patted fondly. It was good to see the younger man up and about; it was good to see him period although he would have preferred him clothed.

Daniel raised his head and caught sight of Sam over Jack’s shoulder. He released the Colonel immediately, almost pushing him out of the way in his eagerness to get to her.

‘Oh boy.’ Sam said, her eyes flew to Jack who grinned back at her as Daniel’s good arm clamped around her and she found herself pressed against him. She sighed and hugged the archaeologist back careful of his injured arm.

Daniel shifted back to look at her. ‘I love your hair like this. Don’t ever change it.’

‘Thank you.’ Sam said bemused. ‘Are you alright, Daniel?’

‘I am.’ He confirmed. ‘I am now.’ He stepped back and beamed at them. ‘It’s so good to see you guys.’

‘You want to tell us where you’ve been?’ Jack asked as he shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels.

‘That can wait, Colonel.’ Janet Fraiser said authoratively from the other entrance to the treatment room. ‘I’d like to examine Doctor Jackson in private.’

Jack opened his mouth to protest but the CMO stared him down and he sighed grumpily. He nodded at Daniel. ‘We’ll be outside.’

Daniel watched as his three team-mates started to make their way out of the room. He suddenly remembered the piece of paper he had clutched in his hand on his way home.

‘Jack!’

The Colonel turned at Daniel’s anxious yell and sent him an inquiring glance.

‘Did you find a note? A piece of paper with a Stargate address?’ Daniel asked urgently.

Jack and Sam exchanged a look.

‘We did, Daniel.’ Sam confirmed.

‘Where is it?’ Daniel asked impatiently. ‘It’s very important.’

‘I have it.’ Sam said. ‘I’ll get it.’

Daniel nodded and let them leave. He allowed Janet to usher him back towards the bed.

‘So I hear you had quite an adventure.’ Janet said, donning rubber gloves and indicating for the nurse with her to start removing Daniel’s dressing. ‘You gave everybody quite a scare going missing.’

‘How long was I…?’

‘Almost fourteen hours.’ Janet informed him. ‘So where were you?’

Daniel gave a humourless laugh. ‘I don’t think anyone’s going to believe me.’ He sighed deeply and shook his head. ‘I hardly believe it myself.’

‘Doctor Armstrong said you were disoriented when you arrived back last night.’ Janet murmured as she examined the wound closely.

‘I didn’t recognise anyone when I came to in the infirmary.’ Daniel said defensively. ‘It kind of threw me.’ He smiled at her a little shyly. ‘I guess I just expect you to be here all the time.’

Janet smiled at him. ‘Sometimes it feels like I am.’ She stepped back from his wound frowning. The next few minutes passed as she concentrated on taking his vitals. ‘Well, apart from the hole in your arm, you seem fine.’ She concluded.

Daniel grimaced and rubbed his eyes. ‘Does this mean I can get out of here?’

Janet nodded. ‘Why don’t you grab a shower? When you’re done, I’ll get one of the nurses to organise some clothes for you and redress your arm; give you some painkillers.’

‘Thank you.’ Daniel said gratefully.

He had showered and had just completed dressing when his team were allowed back into the room. His blue eyes immediately flew to Sam as he picked up his jacket. ‘Do you have the note?’

She handed him the crumpled piece of yellow paper. ‘It looks like a gate address.’

There was a pause as the nurse arrived and Daniel rolled up the arm of his t-shirt to allow him to redress his wound.

‘It is a gate address.’ Daniel confirmed. ‘It’s the origin of a planned Goa’uld attack on Earth.’

Jack’s eyebrows shot up as he jumped up on the next bed to Daniel’s. ‘And you know this…how?’

Daniel looked from Teal’c standing next to him supportively, to Sam’s expectant face to Jack’s impatient brown eyes. He took a deep breath. ‘I travelled to an alternate reality.’

Jack blinked at him as Teal’c’s eyebrow jumped up and Sam stared at him in disbelief.

‘There was a mirror on P3R233 and I touched it…’

‘What have I told you about touching?’ Jack interrupted exasperatedly.

Daniel ignored him. ‘I found myself alone on P3R233. I thought you guys had left me there. I dialled home, arrived back at the SGC but it wasn’t here…it was another SGC.’

‘Another SGC?’ Jack asked sceptically.

‘Yes, Jack.’ Daniel said shortly. ‘Another SGC. Only everything was screwed up and Earth was under attack.’

‘From the Goa’uld.’ Jack said doubtfully. He was beginning to think the doctor had been right; maybe Daniel did need to talk to a shrink.

‘But in that reality, the aliens of P3R233 managed to send a message which Earth had got but they couldn’t translate it,’ Daniel explained continuing despite Jack’s interruptions, ‘and I could.’

‘Of course you could.’ Jack muttered.

‘What did it say?’ Sam asked interested despite herself. Jack shot her a look; telling her without words not to encourage him.

‘Beware the destroyers. That’s what the message said.’ Daniel said. He gestured at Jack with the crumpled up yellow note. ‘These are the coordinates the Goa’uld will launch their attack from. It was a warning.’

‘Or so your vision foretells.’ Teal’c murmured, settling on what he considered to be the only explanation for Daniel’s information.

‘No it wasn’t a vision, or a dream, or a hallucination. It was…’ Daniel stopped momentarily as the nurse pulled on the bandage, ‘real. Now I know this is hard for you guys to believe but I swear to you the entire time you thought I had disappeared on P3R233 I was experiencing an alternate reality.’

‘And you were there and you were there and there’s no place like home.’ Jack said, gently mocking Daniel.

‘As a matter of fact you were there!’ Daniel said frustrated at their scepticism.

‘Daniel, it’s not that we don’t believe you.’ Sam began and stopped, wondering how she finished.

‘So you do?’ Daniel asked hopefully. If there was one person who he figured might believe it, it was Sam.

‘No,’ Jack said, ‘it’s just that,’ he sighed, rubbing his hands together, ‘we don’t believe you.’

‘Jack, this is very important.’ Daniel said firmly.

‘Alright,’ Sam said, trying to make sense of it, ‘Daniel, when you were in this alternate reality, were there differences?’

‘Yes.’ Daniel said eagerly. ‘Ah…Teal’c was leading the attack on Earth, I wasn’t even part of the programme, you and Jack were engaged to be married…’

‘Excuse me?’

‘What?’

Jack and Sam almost spoke together.

Oops, Daniel thought as his two friends exchanged a stunned look. There was no doubt in Daniel’s mind that the two of them were attracted to each other but both Jack and Sam had seemingly chosen to ignore it because of their military positions. Daniel respected their decision and he hadn’t deliberately meant to bring the topic up…subconsciously though…

‘OK,’ Sam said pushing Daniel’s comment to the back of her mind and focusing on the problem, ‘even if you did actually experience this alternate reality, doesn’t the very fact that there were differences mean that we won’t face the same fate?’

‘Yes but the defining event, the death of Ra, took place in both worlds.’ Daniel said passionately.

‘An attack of retribution.’ Teal’c surmised. The Goa’uld hated each other it was true but they wouldn’t stand for lowly humans eliminating one of their own kind.

‘Yes!’ Daniel said. ‘And the same thing is going to happen here unless we stop it.’

Jack hadn’t been listening; his mind was stuck on one thing. ‘Alright. Wait a minute. Let me get something straight here.’ He waved between himself and Sam. ‘Engaged?’ He couldn’t quite work that one out; he was her CO. How was that possible?

Sam whirled round to face him a little taken aback by his complete disbelief in the idea. Well, not that she’d needed proof that he didn’t see her like that, but it seemed she definitely had it now. ‘It is theoretically possible.’ She said defensively.

‘It’s against regulations.’ Jack reminded her. He should know; he’d thought about it often enough.

She glared at him. ‘I’m talking physics, sir.’ She whirled away and began to talk about the scientific theory of alternate realities.

Jack looked down at the floor. He had a feeling he’d upset her but why? It wasn’t like she was interested in him. He didn’t know what to make of her reaction; hell, he hardly knew what to make of his own reaction…how had some alternate him managed to get Sam to agree to marry him? And what had they done about the regulations?

‘I thought you might all be here.’ The Texan accent of General Hammond had Jack sliding off the bed to face his CO as Sam responded to the General’s query on Daniel. Less welcome was the sight of the officer standing behind Hammond. Major…or rather, as the guy corrected Sam a little pompously, Lieutenant Colonel Samuels.

‘You’ll always be Sparky to me.’ Jack said, smiling irreverently at the other man with his slicked back black hair and smarmy manner.

‘I thought you’d been transferred to the Pentagon, sir.’ Sam said and Jack marvelled at her ability to ask what the hell Samuels was doing at the SGC in such a camouflaged way.

‘I was. Stargate mission analysis. I’m here today, of course, for the hearing.’ Samuels said.

Jack looked over at Hammond who was going an interesting shade of red and back to Samuels. ‘Hearing?’

Samuels frowned. ‘Senator Kinsey. The Stargate programme. I thought you were going to testify.’

‘They will.’ Hammond said firmly. ‘SG1 just returned from a mission last night. I haven’t had the chance to inform them.’

‘Well perhaps I shouldn’t say too much more.’ Samuels said, acting like he’d accidentally let some huge secret out of the bag.

‘Oh, cut the crap, Samuels,’ Jack said irritated at the dramatics, ‘what’s going on?’

‘Senator Kinsey has taken a great deal of interest in the programme and thus far he hasn’t liked what he’s seen.’

‘Sorry to hear that.’ Jack said insincerely. Politicians, he thought derisively, what did they know? It took him a minute to realise Samuels was still talking.

‘…it could mean the end of the Stargate.’

Jack glared at him as Samuels enjoyed the shocked reactions of the SG1 team and made his excuses to leave after noting he’d see them at the hearing.

Hammond sighed deeply a Samuels departed. ‘I’m sorry you had to hear that from him. I had every intention of telling you myself this morning.’

‘That’s OK, sir.’ Sam said comfortingly.

Hammond gave her a grateful smile.

‘Is he right?’ Daniel asked. ‘Are they going to shut down the programme?’

The General sighed. ‘I hope not, Doctor Jackson.’ His pale blue eyes landed on the white bandage on the archaeologist’s arm. ‘I’m glad to see you’re back safely and in one piece.’

‘General, we can’t let them shut the programme down.’ Daniel said passionately. ‘I mean, not now, not after…’

‘Daniel.’ Jack interrupted him and gave him a quick shake of his head. It wasn’t the moment to mention alternate realities.

‘If you’ll excuse me, I have a call to make.’ Hammond said. ‘I’m still hoping this hearing won’t go ahead. I’ll see you in an hour for your debriefing.’

He left the SG1 stunned team in the infirmary room looking at each other in shock.

‘Jack,’ Daniel began.

‘I know, Daniel.’ Jack rubbed his face thoughtfully.

‘If what happened in the other reality happens to us…’ Daniel persisted.

‘Daniel.’ His sharp tone had the archaeologist subsiding. Jack sighed and looked over at Sam who gazed back at him worriedly. ‘I’ll go talk with the General.’ He said reassuringly. ‘See if we can’t straighten this whole thing out.’

His team looked at him encouragingly and Jack spun on his heel to head out after Hammond; with any luck he could catch him at the elevator. Hearings with politicians and the Stargate programme under threat? He sighed deeply; maybe he was in the wrong reality.

fin.