"It's an insane idea," Jack complained as Daniel explained what he and Sam had planned.
"Jack, just listen," Daniel pleaded. He and Sam had spent hours on the phone planning this latest trip and he so wanted Jack to be okay with the idea. Daniel knew that Jack was only worried that Sam wouldn't be able to manage him, but he really wanted to go to New York with Sam and he wanted Jack to be happy about the trip as well. If his partner didn't give his 100% approval he knew he wouldn't be able to go.
"New York, for God's sake," Jack continued to rant, pacing up and down in front of Daniel's chair.
Daniel waited calmly for the storm to pass. Being in a wheelchair and totally dependent on others for the most basic things had taught Daniel, the hard way, to take life at much more leisurely pace. Once his life of racing around had ended, he had learned to take satisfaction in stasis or else he would have driven himself mad with regrets and boredom. He sat patiently in his chair waiting for Jack to wind down before re-stating his case.
Eventually Jack sank down onto the couch and gazed at his partner of the past few years. He loved Daniel with all his heart and with all his soul. He had loved him totally before multiple sclerosis had reduced him to a crippled hulk in a chair but now, if it was possible, he loved him even more. He loved every inch of him, he loved his still-sharp mind and wit, he loved his languid and pensive acceptance of his lot in life, but most of all he loved him for his adventurous streak, not dimmed by the ravages of his disease. He gazed at his lover and saw - in his blue eyes - the spark that had made him go against the archaeological community and refuse to give up on his theories regarding the pyramids, the spark that had opened the Stargate. That same spark was still there and now pleaded with Jack to allow him to go to New York. He sighed.
"Okay, okay," he said, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender, "so tell me all about it." Daniel knew he had won; he grasped the joystick of his chair and propelled himself nearer to Jack eager to share his news.
"Sam has to attend some meetings in New York next month and thought it might be an ideal opportunity for us to spend some time together. She's booked some leave and found a suitable hotel and she," he paused and corrected himself, "we thought we could do the museums and galleries."
Jack nodded. "Will you be able to manage the flight?" he asked. Daniel had travelled alone once before when he had gone to visit Sam in Washington. It hadn't been one of his better experiences as a wheelchair user, but he had survived it.
"I've done it before so, I guess I can do it again," Daniel said. Both he and Jack knew how much Daniel hated the loss of independence airports and plane travel caused.
Jack nodded once more. "Has Sam checked out all the facilities?" he asked. Taking Daniel away from home was a major logistical operation. Everything had to be checked beforehand to ensure that Daniel could move from location to location with relative ease, that he could access every facility in the hotel room, that extra medical supplies could be obtained easily if necessary.
Now it was Daniel's turn to nod. "She says everything's okay," he said risking a small smile at the grim face opposite him.
Jack, seeing Daniel's smile, wanted to smile back, but forced himself to keep a straight face. "So when do you want to go?" he asked.
"Sam's tentatively booked a flight for two o clock on the 29th," Daniel reported. "That should give us enough time to get things ready at this end, shouldn't it?"
"Yes. Do you need a lift to the airport?" Jack asked, knowing full well that Daniel did indeed need his help in getting to the airport and checking in. Jack would do all this before reluctantly handing his partner in life over to the efficient but impersonal airport staff and letting him fly off into the blue yonder, alone.
"Please" Daniel said. He knew that Jack knew he wouldn't be able to get there without him.
"Okay then, I guess it's settled," Jack admitted, smiling at Daniel's relieved expression.
He got up and knelt in front of Daniel's chair and enfolded his best friend and lover his arms.
"You know I don't want us to be apart, that's why I argued."
Daniel bent his head into Jack's embrace and nuzzled his lover's neck.
"I know Jack," he whispered. "But you know I have to take these chances while I can, don't you?"
"I know," Jack replied, releasing Daniel and gazing into his deep blue eyes.
"You'll be the death of me with all this adventuring" he teased smiling at Daniel's laughter as he propelled himself towards the telephone to give Sam the good news.
Since Sam had come back into their lives, Jack and Daniel had enjoyed her company whenever possible. Although her work kept her in Washington, she made frequent trips to stay with her friends and was happy to be able to relieve Jack of some of Daniel's day-to-day care on these occasions. They both rejoiced in their new relationship with their old colleague, and although they didn't see her as much as they would have liked, they made the most of every opportunity to touch base.
Sam and Daniel had developed a special bond over the past few months. Sam had made a concerted effort to understand Daniel's disabilities and to learn how to manage his day to day care so that Jack could take a back seat, go fishing, relax and recharge his batteries. It wasn't always easy, but Sam, after her first visit with Daniel and Jack, had determined to fit them and their needs into her life at all costs. Daniel had already visited her in Washington and they had managed quite well and as Sam had seen Daniel back onto the plane they had promised to try to arrange something else in the near future.
No one knew whether Daniel would deteriorate further and when or if this would happen. The progress of the disease had been quite rapid from the initial symptoms to his current physical condition, but over the past year things seemed to have levelled off.
While visiting Sam in Washington, one of her friends had asked him what it felt like to be so disabled. Sam had been worried that Daniel would be offended by this seemingly callous question, but Daniel had explained to her afterwards that he appreciated her friend's honesty.
"It's easier if people are straight with me," Daniel explained, "rather than tiptoeing around trying to pretend I'm not in a wheelchair."
He had answered the question honestly.
"Well besides my perpetual view on life being from the height of your waist and being bound by permissions and obligations...," he paused, as Sam's friend looked puzzled by his terminology.
"I mean," he paused again, trying to sort out his thoughts before going on to explain, "I have to weigh every act in terms of whether or not I can perform it, and I have to continually overcome inertia to do the slightest thing."
Sam's friend nodded her understanding before asking, "Do you consider your life restricted by your waist-high view?" She was clearly interested in hearing about Daniel's view of life.
"Well I am literally diminished by my disability," he laughed, "reduced to a height of 4' 8" and gazing at navels."
Despite his laughter, it had in truth taken Daniel a while to come to terms with his disability. At first he had focussed claustrophobically on the singularities of disabled life and had failed to accept that his life was indistinguishable from any other sort, fuelled by the same appetites, fraught with the same anxieties and replete with the same delights.
He and Sam had talked about this at great length once they were alone and Daniel had explained his unique view of life.
"Just as the demyelinating lesions have spread through my central nervous system, their consequences have pervaded every region of my existence," he explained. "Multiple Sclerosis is as much the essence of my 'I' as the death of my parents, the loss of Sha're. It can't be stripped away without mutilating the being that bears it."
Sam had sat in silence for a while, taking in the enormity of this remark. In one way it proved Daniel had accepted the disease but, on the other hand, Sam worried that by accepting it Daniel might have given up the fight. She would have been wrong. Daniel knew that in order to move forward he had to accept his limitations. He often wondered if it would have been better to have been disabled from birth and known no other life but, by the same token, his slow degeneration had allowed him to grow incrementally into each loss and so, more easily, retain a modicum of composure throughout the process.
Daniel had gone on to explain how he felt grateful that he had lived thirty years in the oblivion of normality before descending step-by-step, and lurch-by-lurch to the level where he lived now.
Sam had understood his reasoning to an extent, but still felt certain she would not be as accepting as Daniel now appeared to be. She tried to explain this to Daniel but he had shaken his head at her.
"Woe is not me, Sam," he had joked. "I don't think, as the recovery movement would have it, that I'm ' in denial,' perhaps because I'll never be 'in recovery.' I feel the ordinary collection of negative emotions in response to specific triggers," he explained to his friend. "I feel frustrated at my clumsiness, embarrassed about my failing bladder, wistful for long walks with Jack, guilty about the burden I've become and anxious about what the future might hold but I don't feel especially sorry for myself."
He paused while Sam took time to digest his outpourings.
"Self-pity," he continued, "is more likely to be forced on me from the outside than generated within me. I hate it when people come up to me and say,"Oh you're so brave," Daniel affected their pitying tone exactly.
Sam laughed.
"God knows most cripples never want for authentic courage to confront the obstacles in their lives," Daniel smiled back at her.
"It's the sense of rising to a challenge that provides the best corrective to self-pity that I know," Daniel explained. My progressive disability actually conceals an increasingly intricate set of exercises in problem-solving that have kept me on my toes," he paused and laughed, "even though I've been off my feet for the past couple of years."
Sam finally understood. She had hugged Daniel tightly. Words would never express her admiration for him and her desire to make life happier and easier for him whenever and wherever possible. Now, as she waited in the arrivals lounge, she vowed to make this trip as enjoyable and memorable as possible.
Jack had been reluctant to hand Daniel's care over to the airport staff. He had fussed around that morning, getting Daniel dressed and ready for his trip. He had packed Daniel's bags while Daniel sat in his chair directing. He had called Sam so many times that she had threatened to have the phone disconnected as he issued instruction after instruction and reminder after reminder despite Daniel's assurances that Sam was more than able to cope.
Finally all the arrangements had been finalised and all the packing done and Jack had loaded Daniel into the van, secured the chair and set off for the airport with his precious cargo.
Although Daniel had begged Jack to leave him once he had helped him check-in and alerted the airport staff to his needs Jack had insisted on waiting with Daniel until his flight was called and a competent-looking young woman had arrived.
"Hi, I'm Sandi." She smiled at the two men. "You're travelling alone?" She checked her papers before raising a smiling face once more. "Dr. Jackson?"
Her smile was infectious and Daniel smiled back at her. "Yes, that's right, Sandi." he said, "Colonel O'Neill's just seeing me off."
She nodded, she was used to dealing with this sort of situation "Shall I take it from here, sir?" she asked the grey haired man in the Air Force uniform hovering anxiously near her wheelchair-bound charge.
"He needs to transfer to a manual chair," Jack reminded her.
"Jack, I'm sure she knows all this," Daniel reminded his partner but he was aware of how difficult Jack found it to hand over his care to a stranger.
"Indeed I do," Sandi said. "I propose to escort Dr. Jackson to the Medical Room so that I can transfer him in some privacy," she went on to explain, adding, "I am trained to do this Colonel."
"Yeah, well, okay then," Jack reluctantly agreed before crouching down in front of Daniel's chair. They had said their goodbyes at home in private, but Jack had a sudden urge to take Daniel in his arms. 'God he looks so handsome,' Jack thought as he gazed at Daniel's excited face. Even the prospect of being manhandled on and off the plane couldn't dampen his enthusiasm for the trip.
"Right, Daniel, have a good trip and give me a call the moment you arrive," he ordered, patting his lover awkwardly on the shoulder.
"I promise," Daniel replied raising his good hand and clasping Jack's for a moment before releasing him.
Jack turned abruptly and marched away, leaving Daniel to gaze at his retreating back. Daniel knew how hard these partings were for Jack and a part of him felt for his partner while the other part looked forward to seeing Sam again.
"Are you ready, Dr. Jackson?" Sandi asked pulling him back to reality.
"Yes indeed, lead the way," Daniel said gripping the joystick of his electric chair and following Sandi through the concourse.
This was the part that Daniel hated, the total loss of independence as he had to be transferred into a manual chair and thus was at the mercy of the airport staff until he was handed over into Sam's care at the other end.
He took a deep breath as he propelled himself into the Medical Room while Sandi held the door open for him. Once inside Sandi proved herself to be a competent carer. She had obviously been taught the art of transferring a useless body from one place to another and before he could worry about the transfer it was done and he was seated in the manual chair.
"Wow you're good," he complimented Sandi as she tagged his electric chair, readying it to go in the hold, and then turned to settle him more comfortably in the manual chair.
"I told your friend I was trained didn't I?" She smiled up at Daniel as she gently placed his feet on the footrests and then stood up and surveyed Daniel's hunched frame.
"I think you need adjusting slightly, if that's okay with you?" she asked. Daniel nodded his assent, and she moved behind the chair and, putting her arms under Daniel's shoulders, she lifted him into a more comfortable position.
"How's that?" she inquired.
"It's fine, Sandi" Daniel said, "but you might need to strap me in; I have a tendency to slip around in these chairs," he admitted. The standard-issue manual wheelchair didn't have the comfortable moulding to his body that the electric chair had and he knew, from experience, that without a strap his weak body would slump sideways in the chair and he wouldn't have the strength to straighten himself.
"Got you," Sandi said, reaching for the pile of straps on a nearby bench. She deftly fastened one of them around Daniel's chest and the chair back and thus firmly secured him in his seat.
"Thanks, that's great;" Daniel smiled at the serious young girl in front of him. He was amazed at how well she had coped with his hunched and crippled body. Apart from Jack, Daniel found that most people had a problem moving him around. Even Sam and Janet didn't make him feel as safe as this young girl had done.
Sandi checked her watch "We'd better head for the plane, Dr. Jackson" she said releasing the brakes and grasping the handles of the chair." Are you ready to go?"
"Whenever you are" Daniel agreed, sitting back as Sandi pushed him through the crowds of people to the boarding gate.
He was relieved to find that Sandi would board the plane with him and get him settled in his seat before takeoff. He only hoped there was someone equally as competent at the other end to offload him.
Sam waited anxiously at the gate for Daniel to appear. She had checked the arrivals screen and knew that Daniel's flight had landed some 30 minutes ago. She knew, from experience, that Daniel would be the last passenger to leave the plane and so she had patiently watched all the other passengers pass her with their luggage knowing that Daniel would be the last one.
At last she caught sight of her friend trundling towards her. He was once again safely ensconced in his own electric chair with a young porter following close behind with Daniel's bags. Daniel had recently switched from his old Quickie chair to a Twister. This new chair, with its compactness and ability to twist and turn on the spot, made it ideal for manoeuvring in the confined spaces of the SGC. It also had the added feature of having a 30cm-lift function, which allowed Daniel access to higher shelves in his office. The manually- reclining backrest meant he could alter his position to relieve any spasms he might have, and the electrically-operated elevating leg rests meant Daniel could remain in his chair for an afternoon nap if he was at the SGC rather than finding someone to transfer him to the couch. Daniel loved this new chair; he felt secure once seated in it.
"Daniel!" she called, waving madly at her friend. Daniel heard her voice and peered into the crowd. His eyesight wasn't great these days, and his glasses didn't help much anymore. He finally caught sight of Sam's fair hair and waving arms and smiled at her. He didn't attempt to wave back. His left arm was so weak it was practically useless now and lay in his lap, and his right hand was grasping the joystick of his chair. He contented himself with smiling as he propelled himself towards her and into a great big hug.
"God, it's so great to finally see you again," Sam whispered, kissing Daniel and marvelling at how well he looked despite his weakened body.
"You look gorgeous," Daniel said giving Sam a good look over before turning to the porter.
"Thanks, Alan, my friend can take the bags from here," he told the young man hovering in the background.
Sam immediately pressed some dollar bills into Alan's hand and took the baggage from him.
"I've got a taxi waiting," she told Daniel as they made their way outside, "and so many plans for us."
Daniel laughed. "I can't wait to hear them." It was great to be in New York with Sam. All the worries of the journey were behind him now, and he could look forward to a great time with his old friend.
The hotel Sam had chosen was opposite Central Park and quite near the Natural History Museum. It had advertised facilities for the disabled, but Sam had checked their rooms out personally before going to meet Daniel. She wanted everything to be perfect. With a few minor adjustments, the room allocated to Daniel would do very well, she decided.
She was right too. As Daniel propelled himself into the spacious room, he nodded in approval. The bed was just the right height for transferring into, there was plenty of room for him to manoeuvre his chair around, the bathroom was roomy with all the grab rails in the right place and there was even a chair in the shower.
"Is it okay Daniel?" Sam asked concerned that she might have missed something.
Daniel spun his chair around to face his friend "It's great, Sam, thanks." He smiled before heading over to the window to check the view.
"So shall we get you unpacked?" Sam suggested lifting Daniel's suitcase onto the bed and throwing back the lid.
Daniel directed her as Sam moved his clothes from the suitcase to the drawers and closet before opening the bag with his medication and a list of instructions from Janet on how and when it should be administered. It wasn't a small bag.
"God Daniel, you must rattle," Sam teased as she tipped the various containers onto the bed.
Daniel laughed. "You'd think so wouldn't you?" He propelled his chair nearer to the bed so that he could help Sam sort everything out.
There was Clonazepam for his tremors, Gabepetin for spasticity, Tolterodine for his bladder dysfunction and, finally, some Rivotril to combine with the Clonazepam for pain relief.
Sam carefully read all the instructions regarding the timing of the doses, and then set the medication out on the bedside table.
Once everything was unpacked to both their satisfactions, Sam asked Daniel what he wanted to do next.
"To be honest," he admitted, "I think I need to go to bed."
"I agree totally, Daniel," Sam said, smiling, "I just wanted you to be the one to suggest it."
"Okay, bed it is," he laughed, "and I mean that in its loosest possible sense."
"I should think so, too," Sam scolded him, still grinning.
Sam soon got back into the routine and without too much upheaval, Daniel was soon propped up in bed. Sam surveyed her friend.
"Shall I send out for some food now?" she asked. "What are you in the mood for?"
They finally decided on Chinese and Sam picked up the phone and placed the order before the two friends spent a happy evening together catching up on old times.
The following morning, Sam arranged for breakfast to be brought to Daniel's room so that he could eat in bed and then they could get him showered, dressed and ready for their first day together. Sam had thought they could try the Natural History Museum as it was close by and she had confirmed on their website that disabled access was available.
They used the 77th Street entrance and once inside, found access around the vast building was quite simple, using elevators. They even managed to visit the Imax theatre and watch a fascinating documentary about Shackleton and the Endurance, as there were facilities for a wheelchair there, too.
By the time they had visited the Rose Centre and the Hayden Planetarium Sam's feet were aching but Daniel, whizzing along in his chair, was having a great time and she didn't have the heart to suggest they call it a day.
Finally, even Daniel admitted defeat, and they headed out onto 81st Street and made their way back to the hotel.
As they relaxed in Daniel's room later that evening, they discussed what they wanted to do for the rest of their stay.
"What about doing the Guggenheim?" Sam suggested but Daniel wrinkled his nose.
"I'm not that into modern art," he admitted. They both thought for a moment before Daniel spoke, taking the wind out of Sam's sails.
"We could do the New York Museum of Art," he suggested. Sam stared at Daniel in amazement. That was where Daniel's parents had been killed some 30 years ago. She would never have dreamt he would want to go back there.
Daniel realised Sam seemed surprised at his suggestion.
"It seems a shame not to go; I might never get another chance," he explained. "It was all a long time ago, Sam, and so much has happened since then. If I can live with the loss of my wife and with this," he waved his hand indicating his crippled body, "I think I can stand to visit the museum."
"If you're really sure Daniel, I can call and check on their facilities," Sam said waiting for his confirmation.
"Go ahead," he said.
Sam called the hotel lobby and the clerk there told her that all the public galleries had wheelchair access and that they could access the building itself via 81st Street or Fifth Avenue. He did point out that the museum's branch devoted to medieval Europe had somewhat limited accessibility due to its landmark status but when she reported this back to Daniel he wasn't too concerned. Medieval Europe wasn't one of his main interests; he was more concerned about being able to access the Egyptian Department.
The following morning Sam made a rather radical suggestion to her friend as he sat propped up in bed sipping the coffee she held for him.
"I have a friend in the city who's a physiotherapist" she told him, unsure of how Daniel was going to react to her idea. "She works in a gym quite near here" she continued. "They have a pool and I wondered if you'd like to try it out this morning?" She waited while Daniel considered the implications of such a plan.
He actually felt rather frightened at the thought of Sam and her friend manhandling him and of being totally at their mercy in a pool of water. On the other hand it was an experience he did enjoy whenever he got the chance. He could actually move his arms and legs freely in the water and it was a very liberating feeling once he had got over the initial fear.
"Why not?" he finally agreed. "I am on vacation after all." Sam could see he was uncomfortable with the proposal, but this was the Daniel Jackson who had travelled all over the universe, who had fought aliens and who had flown alien space crafts, she knew he could do it and that he would enjoy the experience.
She got Daniel showered and dressed and left him sitting in his chair watching the TV while she contacted her friend. Soon it was all arranged and Sam and Daniel had an appointment with the pool at 12 noon. Sam thought it would be better if they - walked - there rather than try to get a cab that could take Daniel's chair, as the weather was pleasantly warm. Daniel had a problem if it was too cold or too hot, so today, Sam decided, was an ideal day to roam the streets of the city in comfort. She knew it would take them a while but it didn't really matter they could see the sights and just enjoy one another's company.
The gym was across Central Park and the two friends enjoyed their - walk - across, stopping to watch the joggers and to admire the views on numerous occasions. Eventually they arrived at the gym and Sam asked the receptionist to inform her old friend, Jill, of their arrival.
Sam and Jill had met while serving together in the Gulf and had kept in touch ever since although they seldom had the opportunity to meet. Jill had left the Air Force a couple of years ago to start a family and now worked part-time in the gym to keep her hand in as it were.
She and Sam embraced warmly in the reception area before Sam turned to Daniel and introduced him.
"Jill this is Dr Daniel Jackson," she announced proudly. Sam had already outlined Daniel's disabilities to Jill and so she wasn't shocked by the figure slumped in the chair holding out his hand in greeting.
"Hello, and welcome to the Big Apple," she said, shaking his hand and smiling at the handsome young man before her. "May I call you Daniel?"
"Of course," he agreed," warming to this friend of Sam's, "and thank you for taking the time for this," he said.
"Not a problem at all Daniel," Jill assured him. "Now if you'd like to follow me, I'll show you to the changing area."
Daniel pushed the joystick and trundled after Jill with Sam at his side carrying the necessary bags and equipment.
It was lucky that Daniel had gotten over his initial embarrassment at having to be dressed and undressed by Sam; and a variety of other people. For someone who had always been a bit of a prude about his body, Daniel now turned it over to friends and strangers regularly. Without being able to allow Sam to help him shower and dress and even help him with his incontinence pads and getting on and off the toilet, he wouldn't be able to give Jack the rest he needed. He had found it embarrassing at first but, he argued with himself, he wasn't in a position to be picky about who helped him. At the end of the day, he would rather let Sam help him with his toilet needs rather than suffer the indignity of wet pants.
Jill left Sam to help Daniel get undressed and into his swim trunks and then showed them the hoist that would lower Daniel into the pool and explained how it worked. She too could tell that Daniel was a little apprehensive but she was used to dealing with patients in similar situations and, in her experience, once they got into the water they really enjoyed themselves.
With Sam's help, Jill soon had Daniel safely in the hoist. While Sam stood in the pool and guided Daniel into the water, Jill worked the mechanism that lowered the hoist. Daniel clung on for dear life at first until Jill joined them in the pool, disconnected the hoist and pushed a long snake of neon-yellow foam under his arms for ballast. After the first few minutes of panic at being totally at the mercy of these two women to stop him from drowning, Daniel started to relax and enjoy the experience. For some inexplicable reason Daniel's usually immobile limbs could move freely in water and he spent a happy half-hour cycling his legs and circling his arms. The sense of freedom he gained from these simple movements was worth all the effort involved.
He was sorry when Jill announced that his session was over. The water baby was going to be turned back into the immobile lump in a wheelchair. He knew, from experience, that he would be exhausted by the end of the day, but decided that the effort was worth it and he decided he needed to persuade Jack to take him to the local pool sometime so he could show off his prowess.
Once hoisted back out of the water, dried, dressed and settled back in his chair Daniel thanked Jill for taking the time out to help him.
"It was a pleasure, Daniel," she said, bending down to kiss the young man on the cheek. "Sam's told me so much about you, I was dying to meet you anyway."
Daniel was a little taken aback. So Sam talked about him. He wondered what she said. Maybe, "I've got a friend who's a cripple, I've got a friend who's an archaeologist." As he had anticipated Daniel was totally drained by the time they had made their slow way back across the park and to the hotel. They had stopped for a Starbucks coffee on the way back, but Sam had been able to see how tired Daniel looked and had insisted that he rest once they got back to their rooms.
"If you rest now, we may be able to go out for dinner later this evening," she promised as Daniel activated the mechanism that reclined his chair and raised his legs.
"I'm asleep already" he joked, closing his eyes.
Sam planted a kiss on his forehead. "See you later then," she promised leaving the door slightly ajar between their connecting rooms and settling down to read a book while Daniel slept.
The following morning Daniel and Sam headed off to the New York Museum of Art as Daniel had requested. Sam was relieved to find that the hotel clerk had given them the correct information regarding disabled access and they were soon touring the exhibits. Sam had requested that they visit the Tiffany glass section and Daniel was happy to oblige. Once they had finished there they broke for lunch before heading in the direction of the Egyptian exhibits.
Sam was still unsure that Daniel was up to this. It was, after all, the place where he had watched his parents' die as the temple they were reconstructing fell on them. Daniel had often spoken in the past of how their deaths had affected him. How he had been moved from foster home to foster home, no one wanting to keep the child genius for long. It had obviously had a long-lasting effect on Daniel, just one of a long line of events in his life that had caused him anguish.
"Are you okay?" Sam asked anxiously as they arrived at the entrance to the Egyptian exhibits and Daniel paused.
"Just give me a minute," Daniel said, staring at the rooms opening out in front of him.
He wanted to do this; it had been thirty years since he had last entered this building and a lot had happened since then. It was time, he had decided, to face it and visit where his parents had died and make his peace with the place. He had often wondered what his life would have been like if his parents hadn't been killed. Would he still have joined the Stargate programme? Would he still have married Sha're and stayed on Abydos with her? He presumed the multiple sclerosis would have taken him prisoner either way and in a way he was glad that his parents' and wife weren't alive to see him in his current incarnation as a helpless cripple in a wheelchair.
He propelled himself into the vast space where the Temple of Dendur was situated. In front of him, standing proud and firm, was the very temple that had caused him to become an orphan at an early age. He moved closer and then, releasing the joystick, sat and marvelled at the sight of this Egyptian temple, built in 15BC by the Roman Emperor Augustus and dedicated to Isis. The temple that was originally situated in Lower Nubia, 50 miles south of modern Aswan. The temple that had been dismantled to save it from the rising waters of Lake Nasser when the Aswan High Dam had been constructed. The temple that had been saved and transported all the way to New York, Daniel considered, just in order to make him an orphan.
"Do you think things are pre-determined in life?" he asked Sam. She crouched down next to him.
"What makes you ask?" She wondered what Daniel was thinking about.
"If this temple hadn't been constructed all those thousands of years ago, I might have grown up with two loving parents, I might never have given that lecture, might never have been invited to join the Stargate program, might never have met you or Jack or Teal'c..." He trailed off, so many 'mights'.
"It's a thought," Sam mused, "but in a way I'm glad it was built or I might never have met you." She threw her arm around her friend. "That doesn't mean I wanted all the bad things to happen to you," she continued, though she didn't quite know how to get across what she meant.
"I know," Daniel said stopping her explanation. The two friends looked at the temple in silence for a few moments before Daniel grasped the joystick and propelled his chair nearer. He moved slowly around the temple examining it carefully. If he had closed his eyes he would have been able to picture the scene when the heavy stone fell, crushing his parents. That same picture had haunted his dreams for the past thirty years, but he didn't want to spoil this day by remembering that. He wanted to remember how happy his parents had been that the temple had finally arrived safely, he wanted to remember how he had played around with his toy camel while his parents had supervised its re-construction. He had spent too long with sad memories, he wanted to remember the happy times today and rejoice that he had had such wonderful parents, if only for a short time.
Sam stood back and marvelled at the temple as Daniel propelled himself around its perimeter. It had truly been an amazing feat to save the temple and bring it here. Obviously, she thought to herself, the passion that had ruled Daniel's lifelong love of archaeology had been handed down to him from his parents. They must have been passionate about saving this temple to actually orchestrate its move and erection here and it was, she decided, a fitting memorial for them.
"Sam, can you come here?" Daniel called. She pulled here eyes away from the temple to where Daniel was beckoning her and, worrying something was wrong, she dashed to his side.
"Are you okay, Daniel?" she asked concerned that there was some problem with his chair, that he might be in pain or that he might need the disabled facilities.
"I'm fine" he dismissed her worried question and pointed towards the wall of the temple in front of him.
"I can't make out those inscriptions." He pointed to the bottom of the temple wall where there were some indistinct carvings. "Can you?"
Sam peered at the wall but even getting as near to the barrier as she could, she still wasn't one hundred percent sure of what the carvings were.
"I don't really recognise it, Daniel," she admitted, returning to where Daniel was impatiently waiting. I suppose its some sort of hieroglyphics, isn't it?" she asked. "Perhaps they're mentioned in the guide book." She reached for the book in her pocket and started thumbing through it when Daniel stopped her.
"No" he whispered, "I think its Goa'uld text."
Sam stopped in her tracks and stared open-mouthed at Daniel. If Dr. Daniel Jackson, archaeologist, linguist and galactic traveller thought it was Goa'uld text then who was she to argue?
"Are you sure?" she whispered back. Daniel shook his head in frustration.
"I need to get closer," he said, looking around, but he was aware that there was no way he was going to get his chair near enough to be able to see the carvings clearly.
"I don't see how you can," Sam told him, hating herself for having to be the one to remind Daniel of his limited mobility.
"You could," he suggested.
"How?" She looked around; there were security guards on both the entrance and exit doors and a barrier between the temple and visitors. She didn't see how Daniel thought she could get any closer without being stopped.
"Have you got your Air Force ID with you?" he asked, relieved when she nodded and patted her jacket pocket.
"Okay, we ask to see the curator, you flash your ID and give him some spiel about national security and persuade him to let you through the barrier, then you can copy the text and bring it back for me to translate" Daniel's excitement was palpable.
"It might work," Sam considered. "Are you sure, Daniel?"
"I can't be sure from this distance," he admitted, "but I don't remember any reference to text on this part of the temple in any of the books I've read."
"Okay, let's go," Sam suggested and together they headed over to the security man on the exit door to make their request.
"I'm sorry, Miss, I can't disturb the curator for such a request," the stone-faced guard told Sam.
She sighed and reached into her pocket for her ID card.
"Perhaps if you tell him Major Samantha Carter of the US Air Force and based at the Pentagon wishes to see him regarding a matter of national security," she said smiling sweetly as the guard gazed at her ID before snapping his heels and coming to attention.
"Certainly, Major," he agreed. "I served in the Air Force myself some years ago" he confided to her. "I'll speak to the curator immediately."
"Thank you, Greg," Sam said noting the gold name badge the man was wearing.
Greg left the pair waiting by the door and headed off to call the curator. He wondered why the Major wanted to get nearer to the temple. It had been there thirty years now and no one had ever said it was a security risk. And who was the young man in the wheelchair she was with? Surely he wasn't with the Air Force, too. Still Greg had learned over the years that lots of things were none of his business. He picked up the phone and spoke to the curator.
The curator wasn't available but he sent his assistant, Elizabeth Ogden, to meet with the Major. The efficient young woman shook hands with Major Carter and then was introduced to Dr. Daniel Jackson. She was taken aback for a moment. She had heard tales of how a Dr Jackson had been laughed out of the academic community for his rather outlandish ideas regarding the pyramids and aliens and how he had disappeared from the archaeological world, never writing any papers, never going on any digs. She rightly surmised that this was the same man. She pulled herself together and held out her hand, unsure, seeing his chair, whether he would be able to reciprocate.
"Dr. Jackson, it's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Dr Beth Ogden." She smiled, relieved when Daniel returned her handshake, albeit with a weakened grip.
"Thank you, Dr Ogden," he said smiling. "Major Carter will explain our requirements." He turned the floor over to Sam.
Once Sam had given Beth Ogden the agreed line she immediately agreed to Sam going through the barrier and making notes of the temple texts for Dr. Jackson.
Both Daniel and Beth Ogden watched from the barrier while Sam scrambled over and, with paper and pen in her hand, crawled to where Daniel indicated and faithfully reproduced the texts at the bottom of the wall.
It took her quite a while; she wanted to get them as near perfect as possible so that Daniel would have the best chance of making a translation of the text. Eventually, she was satisfied that she had done her best and, dusting herself off, she climbed back over the barrier and handed the papers to Daniel.
"Thank you, Dr Ogden, you've been a great help," Daniel said, tucking the papers carefully down the side of his chair for perusal once they were back in the comparative security of their hotel room.
"Can I help you with anything else?" the young woman asked, curious as to what it was the couple was up to.
"Nothing at the moment, thank you," Sam said. "You've been very helpful."
Beth Ogden knew she was going to get nowhere with the Major, and so she shook hands with the pair and headed back to her office, determined to check the text herself once the museum was closed for the day.
Once back in the hotel room, Daniel retrieved the papers and clumsily managed to spread them out on the desk.
"Sam." He indicated the desk lamp, and she reached over and switched it on before angling it onto the papers so that Daniel could get a better look at them.
"Did I get it down okay?" Sam asked worried that her drawings would be useless.
"Mmm," was Daniel's only response, as he'd already became absorbed in the text spread out before him. Sam sat back; all she could do was wait. She had seen Daniel totally absorbed like this before when he was a member of SG1. It had always been a standing team joke that anything could happen and Daniel wouldn't notice if he had his head buried in some ancient texts.
One hour passed and then two, and Daniel still concentrated on the papers before him. Sam was starting to get a little worried. She didn't want Daniel to overdo it and, glancing at her watch, she realised it was nearly time for his medication.
She poured a glass of water, checked the sheet, and selected the correct pills and dropped them into the small plastic cup kept for that purpose and, placed a straw into the glass.
"Daniel," she interrupted his work, holding out the plastic cup of pills. He raised his head and gazed blankly at her.
"Time for your meds," she reminded him. Daniel tore himself back from his translations.
"Oh sorry," he said holding out his hand. Sam tipped the myriad of coloured pills into it and he threw them into his mouth before bending his head to reach for the straw and some water to wash them down with.
"Can you translate it?" Sam asked before Daniel became totally lost in his work once more.
"Just give me a bit longer" Daniel muttered returning to the papers. Sam sighed; if he didn't stop working soon she would have to forcibly take either him away from the papers or the papers away from him. She checked her watch and decided to give him another thirty minutes.
After twenty-five minutes Daniel sighed and sank back in his chair.
"Daniel?" Sam inquired.
"It's Goa'uld," he said. "I need to speak to Jack."
Jack O'Neill was missing his partner. Granted, he had managed to catch up on his sleep and was getting some much-needed rest while Daniel was away. He wasn't waking in the night to help Daniel adjust his position in bed or help him to the bathroom and he wasn't having to get up early each morning to get Daniel dressed and settled in his chair before getting breakfast and then driving to the SGC. He was able to put his feet up in the evening, managing with takeout and a bottle of beer. He could watch TV knowing that he could stay on the couch all night if he chose to or go to bed when he felt tired without having to worry about Daniel's needs.
He loved Daniel; he wanted to be the one to worry about him but he also realised that he needed these little breaks as much as Daniel did. He still worried. He was worried that Sam wouldn't be able to cope with Daniel, that something would go wrong, that Daniel would have a fall or get a urinary infection. He tried to get on with his work at the SGC and to spend his evenings relaxing but at the back of his mind he worried.
He was just settling down with a beer and a bowl of chips to watch the hockey playoffs one evening when the phone rang.
"Jack?"
"Daniel, what's wrong?" Jack's first thought was that something had happened, but then he remembered that if something had been wrong then Sam would have called. He waited for Daniel to continue.
Once Daniel had explained what he had found and that he and Sam were booked on a flight first thing in the morning, Jack relaxed slightly.
"I'll see you at the airport," he promised after agreeing to contact Teal'c to help with the translation and its implications.
"I love you, Jack," were Daniel's parting words and then the phone went dead. Jack was left sitting alone pondering the news Daniel had given, all interest in the TV gone.
The following morning Jack was up bright and early. He called in to the SGC to let General Hammond know what was happening and to get his permission to contact Teal'c and get him back to the SGC. As he drove to the airport, Jack smiled to himself; whatever problems Daniel perceived from the text, they had would bring SG1 back together, if only for a short time.
He waited impatiently in the arrivals lounge for his partner and his old colleague to appear. After what seemed an eon, he saw Sam's fair hair in the distance and then he saw Daniel manoeuvring his wheelchair through the crowds towards Jack.
Daniel stopped his chair in front of Jack and raised his face for a kiss. No longer was the pair embarrassed by their situation. Daniel was happy for everyone to know he loved Jack O'Neill. Jack tried to keep his feelings hidden in public, but the sight of his partner after being apart for a few days brushed away his inhibitions and, as he wasn't in uniform, he returned the kiss and hugged Daniel before releasing him to envelop Sam in a warm embrace.
"It's great to see you again Colonel" Sam returned his embrace.
"Drop the 'Colonel,' Sam," he reminded her, releasing her and holding her away from him so that he could get a good look at her. Sam looked as lovely as ever. Jack had always had a soft spot for her and, since her return into their lives some months ago, he respected her and admired her even more for her acceptance of Daniel's condition and her willingness to help whenever she could.
"Jack, did you get hold of Teal'c?" Daniel asked anxiously.
Jack nodded. "He's arriving tomorrow" he told the pair as he reached for the luggage cart. "The van's just outside." He led the way out of the airport and back to the SGC where they could talk freely.
Once back within the confines of the SGC, Sam left Jack and Daniel together while she went to seek out her old friend Janet Fraiser. It had been a long time since she had last walked these gloomy corridors but it still felt like home to her. She loved her work at the Pentagon, but at the back of her mind there was still a hankering to be back here deep within Cheyenne Mountain. She pushed open the infirmary door and smiled as Dr Janet Fraiser, the Base Medical Officer, squealed with delight at the sight of her old friend.
"Sam it's great to see you again!" Janet hugged her friend.
"I didn't expect to spend my vacation here," Sam laughed, returning the hug.
Janet released her friend "What's going on?" she asked. She had heard a rumour about Daniel finding some Goa'uld text in New York but didn't know any details.
"I'm not sure" Sam admitted. "Daniel wanted to see Jack and Teal'c, I think the General's arranged a briefing for tomorrow morning."
"So what are you doing this evening?" Janet asked.
"Not a thing."
"Well that's soon settled, you can come home with me. Cassie's dying to see you."
"Great," Sam smiled. It would be good to catch up with Janet and Cassie again and she knew Jack and Daniel would appreciate an evening alone together.
She was right, Jack couldn't wait to get Daniel home. Once in the house, he knelt down in front of Daniel's chair and hugged his partner.
"God, I've missed you," he murmured.
"Ditto," Daniel said, sighing with relief as he felt Jack's arms enfold him. No matter how often he insisted he wanted to be independent, he always craved the security of the two strong arms that now held him close.
Over a meal later that evening, Daniel was unusually reticent about what he had found in the temple. He had been happy to tell Jack all about the flight, the hotel, his swim and the outings he and Sam had been on but when Jack tried to talk about the Museum of Art, Daniel had stopped him.
"Not tonight, Jack please," he begged.
Jack must have looked confused and a little hurt, because Daniel quickly went on to say; "Got a few things to get straight in my head," he explained, "and I really need to check a few things with Teal'c before I'm sure."
Jack nodded his understanding.
"Bed?" Jack suggested.
"Are you propositioning me Colonel?" Daniel asked smiling at the man sitting opposite him.
"Damned right I am," Jack said standing up and waiting for Daniel to release his brakes and follow him. He held the bedroom door open while Daniel manoeuvred his chair into the room and then closed it gently behind them. Now he could show Daniel just how much he had missed him.
Teal'c arrived on schedule the following morning to find Jack O'Neill, Samantha Carter and Daniel Jackson waiting at the base of the ramp together with General Hammond.
"Welcome back to Earth Teal'c" General Hammond stepped forward and held out his hand.
"It is indeed a pleasure to see you again, General Hammond" Teal'c said bowing his head and shaking hands with the General. He had gotten used to this method of greeting used by the Tauri during his time with the SGC, but it still felt strange to him.
"I'll leave you all to get reacquainted," he said, pleased to see the old SG1 together once more. "Briefing Room in one hour," he reminded them before heading back to his office and the mounds of paperwork this facility seemed to generate.
"Teal'c, buddy, great to see you again." Jack thumped Teal'c on the arm by way of greeting.
Sam stepped forward and kissed Teal'c on the cheek "How are you, Teal'c?" she asked.
"Major Carter, it is indeed a pleasure," Teal'c said smiling at the attractive young woman before him.
"Hi Teal'c," Daniel jumped in. Teal'c lowered his head to where Daniel sat in his electric chair a shy smile playing around his lips.
"DanielJackson," Teal'c said bowing his head, "I am happy to be able to offer my assistance."
Daniel nodded. "I'd appreciate it," he admitted.
"Okay kids, shall we catch up on old times in the commissary?" Jack suggested. The Gate Room was no place for an SG1 reunion; at least in the commissary they would have a chance to chat before it was time for the briefing.
Heads turned at the sight of SG1 together again and laughing happily over coffee and pie in the commissary. It was just like old times. Various people had come over to shake hands with Sam and Teal'c and Jack was getting a tad exasperated at having their conversation interrupted over and over again.
Before they knew it, it had been an hour. Sam looked at her watch. "Time to meet with General Hammond, sir," she said. "I mean Jack," she corrected herself, as her old CO raised his eyebrows at her.
Once seated around the Briefing Room table it was a stark reminder of how things used to be. Everyone took their 'old' seats except Daniel who had to wait until Jack had moved one of the large leather chairs out of the way so that he could propel his chair into position.
"So Dr. Jackson, what do you have for us?" the General asked. Daniel was well prepared thanks to Jack and Sam. He motioned for Sam to open the file in front of him, then he cleared his throat.
"Basically, General, the text at the base of the Temple of Dendur in the New York Museum of Art, has been ignored for over thirty years. I've checked various reference books and my own parents' work, and it appears that no one has attributed any significance to the marks I found near the base of the west wall."
He paused and looked around the table at the faces of his friends and colleagues before continuing.
"Most people, if they noticed the writings at all, attributed them to builder's notes, but actually it looks like a derivation of Goa'uld. I can't translate all of it; I'm hoping Teal'c will be able to help there." Daniel smiled over at the Jaffa who bowed his head.
"It will be my pleasure, DanielJackson," he said solemnly.
Daniel continued. "But if what I have translated is correct, General, then the text gives details of a Stargate address not on the Abydos cartouche and not in the information the Ancients downloaded into Jack's brain, either."
"What is the significance of this address, Doctor?" the General asked, unsure of what Daniel was trying to say.
"The text also says that," he paused and looked down at the translation in front of him, "he who opened the Stargate must also unlock the secrets of Smenkhkare."
Everyone looked at Daniel as he raised his head from the papers on the desk.
"Umm I think that 'he' could be me," he said looking around for confirmation.
"What are the secrets of Smenkhakare?" Sam asked.
"Who the hell is Smenkhakare?" Jack chipped in. "Smenkhakare was a Pharaoh in Ancient Egypt, immediately after Akhenaten and prior to Tutenkhamun" Daniel explained.
"And?" Jack prompted. Daniel glared at Jack; it was just like old times, Daniel full of information and Jack impatient to get to the point of it all.
"And," Daniel said, scowling back at Jack, "Akhenaten made the people of Egypt worship one god instead of the many different gods they were used to worshipping. It is believed that Smenkhakare also held this belief together with Akhenaten's wife Meritaten. It is also widely thought that around this time the story of Moses, from the Old Testament, took place and some people blamed Smenkhakare for the plagues of Egypt."
"Do you think Smenkhakare was a Goa'uld?" Sam asked.
Daniel nodded. "Either him or Akhenaten" he said, knowing what effect this news would have on the people seated around the table.
"So why hasn't he shown up before now?" Jack asked. They seemed to have come across most of the System Lords over the past few years and he wondered why this one was any different.
"There's a theory that a tomb, known only as Tomb 55, discovered in the early 1900's contained the remains of Akhenaten. Akhenaten was seen as the personification of an androgynous deity and the deity, the Aten, was not merely considered non-existent, but an evil entity, which had possessed the king. The bizarre entombment found in Tomb 55 was considered to have been a way of imprisoning the king's soul rather than destroying it."
Daniel realised that all of this meant nothing to the people around the table, and so he made his point.
"It may have been an attempt to keep the evil, but nevertheless immortal, god trapped inside its human host."
"Are you saying there's a Goa'uld out there, somewhere, roaming around?" Jack waved his hand around.
"Basically, it is theorised that Akhenaten was to blame for the plagues of Egypt, and by entombing him in such a way, Smenkhakare believed he could break the curse. As the plagues were still persisting into the reign of Tutankhamun, however, it was thought that Smenkhakare may also have been to blame and so he was re-interred in the same manner as he had entombed Akhenaten." Jack started to interrupt, but Daniel held his finger up to signify he hadn't finished.
"As the living incarnation of the god Amun'Ra, Tutankhamun was believed to have within him the life-force of the god Ra. As Tutankhamun's tomb was placed close to Tomb 55, it is believed that the king - in his personification of Ra - could continue to revisit earth and so keep watch over the prisoner in Tomb 55."
"But Ra was a Goa'uld" Sam said, not quite understanding what Daniel was getting at.
"Yes he was" Daniel agreed " but he was also given guardianship over Tomb 55 to keep whatever was in there in."
"So you think there was a Goa'uld or something in Tomb 55 and since it was opened this 'thing' escaped?"
"Yes," Daniel nodded "I think whoever carved the writing on the wall of the Temple of Dendur knew that at sometime in the future someone would have the ability to travel through the Stargate to find whoever or whatever escaped from the tomb."
"So where do we start looking?" General Hammond asked.
"Part of the text is a Stargate address, sir," Daniel reminded him. "We need to go to that address and take it from there."
"We'll send a MALP through and if everything looks okay, SG4 can check it out" the General informed the people around the table.
"No."
Everyone looked at Daniel.
"I have to go, General," he said. "Remember the text I translated, 'He who opened the Stargate must also unlock the secrets of Smenkhakare.' I have to be the one to go through."
"Daniel, how the hell can you?" Jack asked, hating himself for having to remind Daniel once again of his disabilities.
"I don't know, Jack," Daniel admitted. He was just as aware as Jack, if not more so, of the limitations that multiple sclerosis placed upon him, but he also knew that it hadn't been an accident that he had finally visited the museum and seen the texts. It was fate, karma, call it what you will, but he knew it was his destiny.
"I suggest we give Dr. Jackson and Teal'c a little more time to translate the rest of the text and then make a decision," General Hammond decided.
"We'll meet back here at the same time tomorrow. Dismissed." General Hammond rose from his chair at the head of the table and went into his office. He knew the team out there was the best he had, if anyone could come up with a solution to the problem it was SG1. He paused, remembering that this wasn't SG1 anymore, it was a desk-bound Colonel, a Major from the Pentagon, an alien and a disabled archaeologist. He sighed; he would just have to wait and see what they could come up with tomorrow.
Sam, Teal'c, Jack and Daniel sat around in Jack's dining room that evening discussing their options, none of which seemed to include Daniel Jackson going through the Stargate.
"Stop" Daniel finally shouted above their differing opinions and suggestions. They paused and looked at their friend.
"Look I just have to go and that's all there is to it" Daniel reminded them. "All we need to do is come up with a way to get me there."
"Daniel, there is no way in hell you can go traipsing around on an alien planet" Jack reminded him though he knew full well that Daniel had lost none of his stubbornness when he lost his physical abilities.
"Jack, where there's a will there's a way," Daniel chanted, sure enough, refusing to give up.
"There could be a way," Sam interrupted, her brow furrowed as she tried to come up with a solution.
"Sam?" Jack prompted.
"If we all go through the Gate, once the MALP has checked out the area, we could take a manual chair for Daniel."
"Is that it?" Jack asked, surprised that the other difficulties they would face didn't seem to have been thought of.
"No" Sam continued. "SG4 could come as well; I can carry all the medical equipment Daniel would need, SG4 could carry the chair if the terrain is unsuitable and Teal'c," she turned to the large Jaffa sitting next to her, "you could carry Daniel if necessary couldn't you?"
Teal'c nodded, "Indeed, I could," he agreed.
"No, no, no, no, no," Jack shook his head, "that's crazy. What if we have to fight or run, or both? How can we protect Daniel at the same time?"
"Okay," Sam agreed "then we take SG4 and SG5. Then we have enough people to stave off any attack while we get Daniel to safety."
"It would work Jack," Daniel told Jack, his tone confident. He knew he had to get Jack on his side if he wanted to go through to the address he had deciphered. He waited while Jack considered the plan.
"Okay, well it just might work, but if you want my opinion, it's total insanity, on all your parts," he said looking at the two expectant faces opposite him and the unreadable face of Teal'c.
"We'll need to make a list of what you need..." Sam jumped up to find a pen and some paper and so, SG1 spent the rest of the evening around the table, making plans for their first mission together for a long time.
The following morning they laid out their plan for General Hammond. He listened carefully before speaking.
"I'm not happy with the idea of you taking Dr. Jackson off-world in his present condition," the General informed them, "but if Dr Fraiser gives her permission then you have a go."
Daniel sighed with relief. Now all he had to do was sweet-talk Janet into letting him go and he was free and clear. He should have known it wouldn't be that easy.
"I absolutely forbid it, Daniel," Janet Fraiser said the moment Sam finished telling her their plans.
"Janet please, I have to go," Daniel begged. "What could possibly happen that would be worse than this?" he inquired, indicating his electric wheelchair.
"You could be killed or captured, Daniel, that's what," she reminded him.
"I'm willing to take that risk," he said quietly.
Although he had resigned himself to life in a wheelchair, unable to do the simplest things for himself he would never totally accept it. This was a chance to do something different, something exciting, and if he didn't come back from the mission, he could live with that, too. He had led an interesting and exciting life up to the time multiple sclerosis claimed his body. If he had to die on this mission, then he would have no regrets, other than leaving his friends.
"You may be willing, Daniel," Janet interrupted his thoughts, "but what about those you intend to take with you on this wild goose chase?"
"I won't force anyone to come with me if they don't want to," he said raising his blue eyes to plead with Janet. It did the trick.
"You'll need plenty of medication, a catheter might be a good idea and you need to find a manual chair that is sturdy enough for the terrain, but also lightweight and comfortable enough for you," she suggested.
Daniel smiled. He had done it, and Janet was on their side too.
"I could kiss you," he said smiling up at the petite doctor.
"I could slap you" she responded laughing despite herself.
It took a few days to get everything ready. SG4 and SG5 were briefed about the mission and the MALP was send through to survey the area immediately around the Gate. Janet collected all the medication that Daniel would require and some extra besides, and gave this over to Sam's safe keeping together with a detailed list of instructions. Jack scoured the Internet until he found a suitable manual chair for Daniel, and when it arrived, he passed it over to Sergeant Siler so that it could be adapted for Daniel's frame. Teal'c spent his spare time in the gym; he was the strongest of them all but if he had to carry Daniel for long distances, he wanted to be at the peak of his fitness.
"How does it feel?" Janet asked as Jack lowered Daniel carefully into the new chair.
"Not bad," Daniel said. In truth it was not nearly as comfortable as the electric chair that seemed to mould itself to his hunched body and hold him securely. In this chair he felt unsafe until Sergeant Siler produced the leather pads he had constructed to fit in around Daniel's torso. Once these were in place, Daniel felt much better.
"I think it's going to be okay," he said, smiling at the people standing around him.
"You might want to add a few straps, Siler," Jack suggested," just to make sure he stays where he's put."
Daniel scowled at Jack, but his partner chose to ignore him.
Janet had called Daniel to the infirmary a couple of days before they were due to leave and had suggested to him that he may prefer to be catheterised for the trip. Daniel had always been against this; it was his final hold on reality, being able to pee when he wanted to but he had come to realise lately that the sensation of wanting to pee was diminishing and he also had to get Jack to lift him on and off the toilet. He knew that a catheter was the next step in his decline, but he had tried to delay it while he could.
Janet understood his reluctance, but after explaining things to him, he knew he had to agree to the procedure and, without delay, Janet called for a male nurse and together they hoisted Daniel onto a bed in the infirmary and pulled the curtains around them.
"So you finally gave in and got a Foley," Jack said conversationally as they drove home that night.
"Does the whole world know?" Daniel snapped. He was still embarrassed about the procedure he had undergone although Janet had carried it out in a totally professional manner and then left the male nurse to show Daniel how to change the bag.
"Only the whole SGC" Jack teased, adding, when Daniel didn't answer, "It's no big deal, Daniel."
"Maybe not for you, Jack," Daniel snapped back, "but then its not you with a tube stuck up your penis and a plastic bag fastened to your leg, is it?"
"It'll save hell of a lot of trips to the toilet," Jack reminded him "plus those incontinence pads that you hated so much can be thrown out."
Daniel nodded. "It might not be so bad after all," he admitted. "At least it'll stop you taking my pants down all the time."
Jack laughed. "Dream on Dr Jackson" he said reaching over to pat Daniel's leg. Daniel placed his hand over Jack's and the pair smiled at each other. This was just another hurdle the two would overcome together just as they had all the others that had been thrown at them over the past few years.
Finally everything was ready and SG4, SG5 and what had once been SG1 were waiting at the bottom of the ramp. Daniel was once again dressed in his old BDUs and was securely strapped into the adapted lightweight manual chair. Sergeant Siler had exceeded himself and fitted some short poles to each side of the chair. These would enable four men to lift the chair from each corner and carry Daniel over some of the rougher ground, thus saving Teal'c's strength for the more hazardous parts of the journey.
General Hammond stood at the Control Room window and reached for the microphone.
"SG's 1,4, and 5, you have a go," he said before watching as his people moved slowly up the ramp and through the wormhole.
"And Godspeed," he added under his breath as the last man went through and the wormhole disengaged.
Jack had both hands firmly grasping the handles of Daniel's chair and Sam and Teal'c had positioned themselves on either side holding onto the arm rests in order to try to give Daniel as smooth a ride as possible. They did all manage to exit the Gate on their feet although Daniel, not used to going through the Gate for the past few years, and never when he had no control over his movements, looked a little green around the edges.
"Going to puke, Daniel?" Jack asked looking in amusement at Daniel's pale face.
Daniel shook his head, swallowing back the mouthful of bile but not trusting himself to speak. He wouldn't give Jack the satisfaction of throwing up in front of him.
"Okay, SG4, guard the Gate. We'll check in every hour. If you don't hear from us for 2 check-ins, head back to the SGC," Jack told the team.
"Understood, sir," Major Cooke saluted as he directed his men into position, prepared to hold the Gate against all comers until SG1 and SG5 returned.
Jack then ordered SG5 into position indicating that Sergeant Squires should have responsibility for pushing Daniel's chair while he led the way, with Teal'c bringing up the rear and the other members of SG5 and Major Carter surrounding Daniel's chair.
At first, the going was fairly smooth. A well-worn path led from the Stargate and the Sergeant had no problem pushing Daniel along it. Daniel had gotten over his nausea and was now excited to be offworld once more. He looked around curiously as the strange group made their way towards the temple the MALP had shown some 5 clicks to the north.
The journey from the Gate to the temple was uneventful. Daniel was obviously enjoying the experience. Jack thought as he turned to check on his colleague. By the time the temple came into sight Jack was also starting to relax a little, the knot of tension in his neck gradually loosening. As soon as they arrived at the perimeter of the temple Jack ordered Sam and Sergeant Squires to guard Daniel while he and the remainder of SG4 together with Teal'c, did a sweep of the surrounding area. Deciding everything was okay, Jack motioned for SG4 to follow him into the temple.
"Don't touch anything!" Daniel yelled at the men entering the temple, frustrated that he wasn't able to go in right away.
"How dare he say that?" Jack commented to Teal'c. Over the years, the phrase, 'Don't' touch anything,' had become his mantra. He had said it hundreds, if not thousands, of times to the very man who was now shouting it after him.
Teal'c merely raised an eyebrow. "DanielJackson is correct, O'Neill. You have often proffered the same advice yourself," Teal'c reminded the Colonel.
Jack glanced at Teal'c trying to gauge whether or not he was joking. His expression was, as usual, enigmatic, and Jack had to content himself with a withering glance at the Jaffa.
Daniel waited impatiently outside with Sergeant Squires and Sam while the others searched the inside of the building. It seemed to take an eon before Jack appeared in the doorway and motioned for them to move forward.
Squires took the chair handles again and pushed Daniel in the direction of the entrance, and soon they arrived at the stone steps descending into the darkness. Sam, Jack and Teal'c took the other three poles and helped Squires gently lower Daniel down and into the temple itself.
"Wow," was all Daniel could say at first. He reached out his hand unconsciously feeling for the joystick so that he could propel himself around and examine the stone walls.
"Jack!" he called in frustration as he realised he wasn't in his own chair and wasn't able to move around under his own steam.
Jack was at his side in a second, understanding immediately what Daniel's problem was.
"Where do you want to start, O Master?" he quipped as he took the handles of the chair and proceeded to push Daniel slowly around, stopping when requested, which was often.
"Sam I need some paper and a pen," Daniel called. He had found some text that he needed to translate, but without being able to squat down on the floor and scribble to his heart's content, as he used to, he was dependent on Sam's abilities to reproduce the symbols and characters accurately for him.
Daniel wasn't about to admit it, but he was finding this trip more of a strain than he had anticipated. He had realised that he was going to be at the mercy of the others to do everything for him but until he was actually faced with the reality of not being able to move around on his own, he hadn't realised just how stressful it was going to be. For the first time in a long while Daniel was totally frustrated with his physical condition. He was back in the archaeological world, but unable to dust the stones, take a rubbing, copy down a symbol. He was, he thought, as he felt a wave of sheer panic start to take a grip, an archaeologist who was totally useless.
He forced himself to sit quietly and watch Sam as she concentrated on the wall in front of her. He had no option, he knew that. His every waking moment was spent with the knowledge of what he could, and more often, what he couldn't do anymore. Most of the time he could accept his condition, but he hadn't felt this impotent for a long time and he wasn't sure whether to cry or scream with the frustration that was building up in him.
Jack O'Neill hadn't been his partner and prime carer for the past few years without being able to gauge Daniel's moods, and he sensed some of what Daniel was feeling.
"Hey Daniel, let's leave Sam to it and set up camp," he suggested. There was no acknowledgement for a while and then, just as Jack was wondering whether to forcibly remove Daniel from the area, the man in the wheelchair sighed and nodded his head.
"Okay," he whispered, "let's go."
SG4 had already gotten the tents up and a fire going to warm up the MREs as Jack pushed Daniel over to their designated tent. Without all the comforts of home, Daniel was going to have to manage on a camp bed for the night. Jack didn't want to, 'help Daniel to bed,' too early, as he doubted he was going to have a good nights sleep anyway. Better to let him sit up until he was bone tired and then he might be able to drop into an exhausted sleep for at least a couple of hours Jack decided. They sat around the campfire companionably with SG4, swapping stories of previous missions and laughing at the same old jokes until Sam appeared with sheaves of papers and knelt down next to Daniel's chair.
"I think I got everything," she said selecting a sheet and holding it up for Daniel. He took the sheet in his good hand and peered at the text she had carefully copied.
"Anything interesting?" Jack asked, watching with bemusement, as Daniel became absorbed in the sheet he held.
"Pass me another," he ordered, totally ignoring Jack's question. Jack raised an eyebrow at Sam; this was the old Dr. Jackson, totally wrapped up in whatever he was reading or examining to the exclusion of everything and everyone else.
Everyone else ate their meal and chatted among themselves while Daniel continued to examine the sheets Sam passed him until Jack called a halt.
"That's enough, Daniel," he said taking the final sheet out of Daniel's hand and passing it back to Sam.
"Jack," Daniel moaned.
"Enough" Jack ordered quietly. He didn't need SG4 listening to his conversation.
"Okay," he continued once he knew he had Daniel's full attention, "this is what we're going to do now. You are going to eat, drink plenty of water and then I'm going to change your catheter, and get you into bed. Then Sam can dose you up with your meds and you can get some sleep."
"Jack it's early," Daniel complained half-heartedly. Truth be told, his back was aching, his head was throbbing and his legs were starting to spasm. He knew Jack was right, he did need to rest.
"Okay, I give in," Daniel admitted, before Jack had to issue a protest. "I'm a pathetic cripple," he groaned as Jack stood up and released the brakes on the chair.
"See you in the morning,," Jack said to everyone sitting around the fire as he manoeuvred Daniel's chair inside the tent and dropped the flap behind them.
Once inside Jack soon had Daniel moved from the chair to the bed. Daniel insisted he was comfortable, but Jack wasn't convinced. He deftly changed the bag of Daniel's catheter and checked everything was okay before yelling for Sam to join them.
Sam was prepared; she had all the relevant medication in one hand and a water bottle in the other. Janet had given her strict instructions regarding what pills to administer and when. Janet had known what Daniel had refused to admit. With her knowledge of how much the trip over rough terrain in a strange chair and the inability to be moved around would cause Daniel's tremors and spasms to increase she had increased the dosage of some of Daniel's medication and introduced a couple of new ones to try to keep the symptoms of his MS at bay until they got back home.
Daniel accepted the medication gratefully, and once he had downed the handful of pills with a generous swig of water, he had allowed Jack to help him lie down and closed his eyes. The exhaustion he was feeling showed in his pale face, and Jack and Sam exchanged anxious glances as they watched Daniel.
Jack took the bed next to Daniel's. There was no way he was going to leave Daniel alone. He couldn't even begin to imagine how frightening it must be to realise you are totally unable to do the slightest thing for yourself. He admired Daniel more and more as he watched his friend and partner cope with the day-to-day problems of his disability. Jack didn't know how Daniel found the strength to continue to struggle through each day but for as long as Daniel had to struggle Jack would be there to help him every inch of the way.
He checked that Daniel was asleep and then, covering himself with the Air Force issue blanket, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep.
Daniel was so exhausted by the excitement of the previous day that he slept quite well considering that he was on a camp bed, unable to change position by himself and with pages of alien text spinning around in his head. He vaguely remembered Jack helping him to move from his left side to his right side during the night to avoid any chance of pressure sores, but the next thing he knew after that was Sam opening the tent flap and bright sunshine streaming in.
"Morning, guys," she announced cheerfully as she approached Daniel with the requisite number of pills and a container of water.
"Any coffee?" he asked hopefully as he downed the tepid water.
"I've just put a pot on to boil" she assured him. "By the time you're up and ready so will be the coffee."
Daniel smiled his thanks and glanced over at the camp bed at the huddled mass under the rough blanket which was his partner.
"You up Jack?" he called across. "I've got lots to do. I need to get back into the temple, check the text..."
"Okay, okay, I'm up," Jack grumbled as he tossed the blanket aside and swung his legs around until he was sitting on the edge of the camp bed facing Daniel.
He looked closely at Daniel. He looked better than he had last night, Jack thought, but he wouldn't feel happy until Daniel was back on earth.
"I'll leave you two to get up and ready," Sam said, smiling at her two old friends, as she lifted the tent flap and went outside.
"How're you feeling, Daniel?" Jack asked as he laced his boots.
"I'm fine, Jack," Daniel insisted; but I need to get going, there's lots to do."
"Just let me attend to a call of nature and I'll be right with you," Jack promised, leaning over and planting a kiss on Daniel's lips.
In the good old days the pair had had an unwritten rule that they would not risk any sort of physical contact offworld or at the Base, but in recent years this hadn't been an issue. In the safety of the tent, Jack was sure he was safe from prying eyes, and anyway, everyone knew they were a couple now.
Daniel waited patiently for Jack to return. This was a skill he had learned the hard way over the past couple of years. Gone were the days when he could jump out of bed and make his own coffee. Gradually he had come to learn the limitations the progression of multiple sclerosis had placed on him and, although totally against his nature, he now schooled himself to wait until someone could do even the simplest task for him.
Jack knew how it irked Daniel to be totally dependant and so he always tried to deal with Daniel's needs and wants first, whenever possible. Now, as he did at home, Jack hurriedly completed his visit to the bushes and rushed back in order to assist Daniel.
After dealing with the new task of changing Daniel's catheter Jack, with the ease of much practice, soon had Daniel settled in his chair and ready to face the world. He pinned back the tent flap and pushed Daniel's chair out into the sunshine of the alien world they inhabited today.
"Morning, Dr. Jackson," Sergeant Squires called as Jack parked Daniel's chair near the embers of last night's fire and went to get him a cup of coffee.
"Good morning Sergeant. " Daniel smiled at the man crouched next to the fire eating an MRE with relish. "What's that?" He indicated the foil container.
Sergeant Squires peered into the pouch as if the answer lie there. "Could be chicken." He laughed, knowing this was an in-joke with SG1.
Daniel laughed easily at the old joke, and Sam was pleased to see how happy Daniel seemed as she returned with his coffee. She was worried that Daniel might be embarrassed about the other team members seeing him having to be helped with his food and watching her hold his coffee for him while he sipped the hot liquid through a straw. She was surprised that Daniel didn't seem to mind. Since his diagnosis and gradual decline, Daniel had found that in order to have any quality of life, he had to stop thinking of himself as a social outcast and allow his personal barriers to crumble. It had been difficult at first; obviously people stared but he had decided that this was their problem and not his, and difficult though it had been initially, he had continued to go out and about and live his life, such as it was now. He was determined that other people's problems when faced with his disability were not going to be loaded onto his shoulders.
Daniel was impatient to get back into the temple. He had spend some hours the previous evening checking the papers Sam had provided, and now he needed to cross-reference them and get Teal'c to double-check everything before he could be absolutely certain about them.
If he could have paced around anxiously while everything was packed up, he would have, but instead Daniel had to sit in his chair and wait. Jack knew how anxious Daniel was to get back into the temple, but things had to be done right and if they needed to make a quick getaway, they couldn't leave things strewn all around. Once everything was packed up Jack gave the order for SG4 to remain outside the temple on guard while he, Teal'c and Sam, together with Sergeant Squires, carried Daniel's chair carefully down the stone steps and back into the gloom below.
Once back in front of the texts, Daniel waited while Teal'c knelt on the sand-covered floor and perused the text that Sam had copied down the previous day.
"Well?" Daniel asked as Teal'c stood up and brushed the sand from his knees.
"You are correct in your translations DanielJackson" Teal'c said.
Daniel didn't know whether to be relieved that he had been proved right or dismayed at what the text had told him.
"Daniel?" Jack asked wanting to know what it was Daniel had found out.
Daniel took a deep breath "It's complicated," he said settling back in his chair. "It's all to do with the Aten, as I suspected."
"Tell us more," Jack ordered gently.
Daniel furrowed his brow as he tried to put what he knew into simple language for the non-archaeologists around him.
"The Aten, the radiant dish of the Sun, is not only unique in Egyptian history but it is also one of the most complex and controversial aspects of Egyptian religion" Daniel started to explain.
"Go on" Jack prompted.
"The Aten, which has always been associated with the heretic Pharaoh Akhenaten, predates that king, but did rise to become a universal and almost exclusive deity during his reign. The Aten mythology was revolutionary and had some far reaching consequences."
"Such as...?" Jack continued to press for more information.
"The Aten's relationship with the other gods was complex, and Akhenaten may have suppressed the cults of some deities, the principal of which was Ra."
"Should have known he'd pop up again," Jack commented to no one in particular before Daniel interrupted him.
"Although the priesthoods of these other gods were powerless to stop the religious changes that came with Atenism, once the king's reign ended the cults of the other gods were renewed. The Aten's temples were quickly deserted or torn down, and the Aten, or the Goa'uld who became 'Aten' was entombed in Tomb 55."
Daniel paused to allow what he had just explained to sink in. He watched the faces of his colleagues carefully as awareness finally dawned on them.
"There's a Goa'uld out there," Jack finally said.
Daniel nodded. "Once Tomb 55 was opened the Goa'uld escaped and made his way to this planet whose coordinates I found carved into the wall of the Temple of Dendur."
"How?" Sam asked.
Daniel shook his head. "No idea," he said, but this text indicates that somewhere on this planet there is another text which should give us the address of the home world where the Aten went."
"Where do you think this text is?" Jack asked, gazing around at the stone walls surrounding them.
"Not sure yet, but there is still some more text to translate," Daniel said. "I just need some more time."
"You've got it" Jack said marvelling at how Dr. Daniel Jackson's genius could still break through the disabled body and surprise everyone.
Teal'c moved forward and stood next to Daniel's chair.
"I am at your disposal, DanielJackson," he said awaiting Daniel's orders.
"Thanks, Teal'c," Daniel replied, peering around the temple. "I think we'll start over there." He raised his arm and pointed over to a recess to the right of the entrance.
"I will take it from here, O'Neill," Teal'c informed Jack as he took the handles of Daniel's chair and, releasing the brakes, pushed him over to the wall he had indicated.
"We'll be up top if you need anything," Sam assured the pair, but there was no reply, both were totally absorbed by their quest for the missing text.
Sam and Jack smiled at one another as they made there way back up the steps and into the warm sunshine.
"Guess we can soak up a few rays," Jack said finding a suitable rock to lean against, tipping his head back and closing his eyes. He knew that once Daniel got engrossed in a mission he would be busy for hours. Jack mentally decided to give him a couple of hours and then insist he had a rest. He knew Sam was on top of the medication issue and felt safe leaving that in her capable hands. He had nothing to do now but relax.
"Jack!"
Jack sighed; he had only been dozing for a couple of minutes. He decided whoever was calling him could get lost.
"Jack!" the voice was louder this time; he tipped his hat over his eyes in an attempt to shut out the noise.
"O'Neill! DanielJackson requires your assistance" Teal'c's voice sounded nearer. Jack lifted his hat and peered up into the sunshine. He squinted as Teal'c stepped forward and blocked out the sun.
"What?" Jack asked and Teal'c repeated his request. Once understanding had finally percolated to Jack's brain he was on his feet in an instant. "What's wrong Daniel?" Jack asked anxiously as he raced down the steps into the temple.
Daniel turned his head. "I've been yelling for you for ages," he complained "I need to stand up to see that text," he explained, pointing up at the wall just about at Jack's eye level, but way above Daniel's from where he sat in his chair.
"Sorry," Jack replied, "I was cat napping in the sun."
"Must be nice," Daniel muttered as Jack bent down and lifted Daniel's feet from the footrests of the chair so that he could move them out of the way. He lifted Daniel's weak arms around his neck, and then, placing his arms under Daniel's rear, lifted him into a standing position in one fluid movement.
One of the vagaries of his disease was that although Daniel was unable to stand up by himself, he could stand for short periods of time once upright, and once in a standing position, he was able to shuffle a few steps with assistance.
Once Jack had Daniel upright and more or less steady, he walked backwards step-by-step, allowing Daniel to shuffle painfully and slowly towards him. It wasn't a pretty sight, Jack thought, seeing Daniel reduced to this but Janet Fraiser had impressed upon them both how important it was for Daniel's blood and urine flow that he did attempt to spend some part of each day upright whenever possible. Some days when Daniel's tremors and spasms were bad, it was impossible to do this but on other, 'good days,' Daniel could manage to shuffle around the house, providing Jack was hanging on to him.
Once the pair had made their slow way to the wall Daniel had indicated. Jack manoeuvred himself around so that he was behind Daniel, propping him up from behind while Teal'c shone a torch on the markings Daniel wanted to get a closer look at. Sam hovered nearby with the wheelchair at hand, ready for when Daniel had either finished his inspection or when his strength gave out, whichever came first.
"Okay, I'm done," Daniel said waiting for his care team to spring into action. Within seconds, Sam had the chair positioned carefully behind him and Jack and moved to his front so that he could deposit him carefully in the chair.
"Thanks, guys," Daniel said as Sam fastened the Velcro strap that Siler had attached to help keep Daniel's weak body firmly seated in the chair, while Jack gently lifted Daniel's feet back onto the chair's footrests.
"What now?" Sam asked, unsure what Daniel needed to do next.
"Now I just need to double check these markings and..."
"Now you need to take your pills and have a break," Jack interrupted. "Jack, we need to get this finished today" Daniel reminded him. He knew as well as the rest of the team did that General Hammond had only given them 24 hours on the planet and that this time would be up soon.
"Daniel," Jack said, the tone of his voice saying a tremendous amount.
"Okay, pass the damned things," Daniel snapped as Sam handed him a selection of multi-coloured pills and then held the water for him to wash them down. He leaned back in the chair and sighed. He had to get this translation finished before they had to leave. He felt awful; at best, he had learned over the course of his relationship with multiple sclerosis, that he had to pace himself. He could realistically only allow himself one major event per day. It could be going for a therapy session, a day working at the SGC, a meal out with friends. If he tried to fit more in, he suffered the consequences. Debilitating fatigue, slurred and slower speech, burning, tingling and pain in his muscles and his coordination went totally to hell.
He knew all these things all too well, yet he had bullied everyone into thinking he could cope with travelling to an alien world and spending two days deciphering ancient texts. He realised it had all been a foolish dream and that realistically he could never recapture what he had lost, could never travel through the Gate and act as if everything was as it used to be. 'God I'm an idiot,' he thought to himself as he waited for the medication to take effect.
Jack and Sam watched Daniel anxiously. They could see just how much this trip was taking out of their friend. Jack, who was used to every nuance of Daniel's physical condition, could see the tremors in his limbs and the way Daniel's face paled and his brow furrowed as the muscle spasms hit. He wanted nothing more than to get him back home and tucked up in bed. Janet Fraiser had warned Sam what the trip would do to Daniel and she was armed with pills and instructions. She had been secretly upping Daniel's dosage of Clonazepam to control the tremors and also the Rivotril, which gave him some pain relief, but she knew as well as Jack that the best thing for Daniel would be to get back home.
As the medication kicked in, Daniel sat up straighter and opened his blue eyes to find his two friends peering anxiously at him.
"I'm fine," he assured them. "I just need to finish up this translation with Teal'c's help, and then I'm done."
"I am here, DanielJackson," Teal'c announced, crouching at the side of Daniel's chair.
"Great," Daniel smiled before launching into some ancient dialect for Teal'c to interpret for him.
Jack sighed and moved away scrubbing his hand through his grey hair. Sam followed.
"He'll be the death of me," Jack admitted to his old colleague.
"Or himself," she added sadly.
Jack nodded "I know he has to be allowed to live his own life," Jack confessed to Sam, "and God knows I don't want to be the one to always be saying 'No' but..." he trailed off.
"He won't change, Jack," Sam reminded her old CO, gently adding, "and if he did, he wouldn't be the man we both love."
Jack nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He brushed a hand over his brown eyes, rubbing away any trace of a tear before turning to Sam.
"So, I guess we just go along with him and pick up the pieces," he said.
Sam nodded and smiled. "That's about it."
The two stood together for a moment, gazing silently back across the sand to where Daniel and Teal'c were deep in conversation.
"Okay," Jack said, "he's got an hour and then I'm dragging his butt out of here whether he likes it or not."
Sam gave Jack a hug, something she felt comfortable doing now she was no longer under his command. "Better you than me," she laughed as they made their way back over to their friends.
An hour later, exactly, Jack made his move. "Okay Daniel, that's it," he called as he strode over to where his partner was still talking to the Jaffa.
"Jack, I think we've got it." Daniel looked up as his partner walked towards him, his eyes bright and his face flushed with excitement.
"Got what?" Jack asked.
"The address of the Goa'uld world Aten went to when he left here," Daniel explained.
"And the significance is?" Jack asked pleased that Daniel was so excited but unsure what it all actually meant.
"We now have the address of a Goa'uld home world which isn't on any of our systems," Daniel explained. "Aten left here to set up an army to rival that of Ra in order to bring down Ra."
"But Ra's dead," Jack said, looking questioningly at Daniel.
"But Aten doesn't know that," Daniel reminded him.
"Holy smoke, Bullwinkle," Jack's face was a picture. If the thought of another System Lord out there bent on destroying Earth hadn't been enough to depress Daniel, then the sight of Jack's face would have made him laugh outright.
"We need to get back to Earth and contact the Tok'ra" Daniel explained. "We have to find out if Aten is still at this address and whether or not he has an army."
"Okay, we're moving" Jack said, flicking his radio and calling to SG5 who were still patiently guarding the Gate.
SG4 took up their positions and together with Jack, Sam and Teal'c, made their slow way back across the barren landscape with Daniel securely fastened in his chair in their midst.
It was Daniel who actually saw them first. At first he thought it was just the wind blowing the sand up. He remembered when he was in Egypt how the sand could suddenly blow up for no apparent reason and shapes seemed to appear in the distance. He peered at the shape; he knew his eyesight wasn't that good but he was sure the vague shape was coalescing into human form.
"Jack" he whispered, not taking his eyes off the form moving towards them.
"What's wrong?" Jack was more concerned that there was something the matter with Daniel than anything else and failed to notice his urgent gesticulations.
"Look," Daniel pointed again and this time Jack followed the shaky finger and raised his sunglasses to get a better look.
"What the hell..." Jack exclaimed. "Everybody watch out!" he called to SG4. "Sam, stay with Daniel, you too Squires," he ordered, "Teal'c, you're with me."
The tall Jaffa moved to O'Neill's side as the shapes grew nearer and took on human form. There were three of them, all human, as far as Jack could tell. As they came nearer to the party from Earth they held out their hands, palms up.
"They look harmless," Jack murmured as he and Teal'c stepped forward to meet them.
"Appearances can often be deceiving, O'Neill," Teal'c remarked, his staff weapon primed and ready should it be needed.
The little group stopped in front of Teal'c and O'Neill and, still showing their open hands, bowed deeply before the pair. They were of average height, rather pale skinned and wearing the usual desert robes with a tall conical headdress made of silver and glinting in the sunlight.
Jack and Teal'c bowed in response and then waited to see what the strange group wanted with them.
"You are visitors to this planet?" one of the beings asked.
"Indeed we are, and just leaving it," Jack replied, indicating the group waiting in the distance.
"What is your purpose here?" the second being asked.
"We just came to check out some writing in that temple back there," Jack explained waving in the direction of the temple.
"And did you decipher the text?" the third asked.
"Yes, well Daniel, I mean, Dr. Jackson, our archaeologist, did" Jack tried to explain.
The three huddled together whispering while Jack and Teal'c exchanged bemused glances. Eventually, one of them stepped forward.
"Who is this Doctor Jackson you speak of?" he asked.
Jack pointed over to the group waiting anxiously. "He's over there," he said unsure why these, people, needed to know.
"We must speak with him," the being declared, starting off in the direction of the little group.
"Hey just a minute!" Jack yelled, running to catch up with the three. "Why do you need to speak to him?"
The three beings continued walking, totally ignoring Jack's question and, throwing up his arms in surrender, Jack signalled for Teal'c to follow and the pair hurried to catch up with the three aliens.
Sam and Daniel watched in amazement as the group headed towards them. Sergeant Squires maintained a grip on the handles of Daniel's chair and the remainder of SG4 reached for their weapons, ready to draw them at the first sign of trouble.
"Doctor Jackson?" one of the beings stepped forward and asked, casting his eye over the little group.
"I'm Dr. Jackson," Daniel said as the being looked down in surprise at the man in the chair with wheels.
The three bowed before Daniel and then one stepped forward and spoke in a language none of the others had heard before. Obviously Daniel understood it, because he bowed his head.
"Daniel, what's going on?" Jack asked as he reached Daniel's side and stood protectively next to his chair.
"They want to know if I'm the one who opened the Stargate," Daniel replied before launching into an alien language that the three beings seemed to understand.
"What are you saying, Daniel?" Jack asked, not wanting to be left out of the conversation just in case Daniel made any rash promises such as offering to go off with these three men or some equally insane idea he might be tempted to come up with.
"I'm just telling them that I am the one," he said. "Now be quiet, Jack, please," Daniel ordered quietly.
Jack sighed and clamped his mouth closed. He continued to remain next to Daniel and was determined he wasn't going to move, whatever happened.
The conversation continued between Daniel and the three beings while everyone else just watched the proceedings, none of them understanding a word that was being said except Teal'c.
"Hey, T," Jack whispered. "Can you understand any of this?"
Teal'c raised his hand to silence Jack. It was a language he had heard before, many years ago, and if he concentrated hard he could make out the odd word.
Jack was getting frustrated. Daniel continued to converse with the three, and Teal'c was listening intently to their conversation while he, along with SG4 stood like dummies.
Eventually the three beings bowed, and one of them stepped forward and placed his hand on Daniel's head. Jack stepped forward to prevent anything else happening, but Daniel was smiling, as were the three, so Jack guessed everything had gone alright.
"Okay, Daniel, want to let me in on this?" Jack asked, anxious to get to the bottom of things.
"These are priests of Smemkhakare" Daniel started to explain. "Or at least their ancestors were back in Ancient Egypt" Daniel corrected himself.
"So what are they doing here?" Jack pressed for more information.
"Their ancestors followed Aten here when he escaped from Tomb 55, but they couldn't read the text that told them where he had gone from here," Daniel told him.
"So they're from Earth?" Sam questioned, looking carefully at the three; they didn't look exactly human in her opinion.
"Not exactly," Daniel tried to explain. "They came from another planet and were charged, by Ra, with following Aten and reporting back on him."
"So they don't know Ra is dead?" Jack asked.
"They do now," Daniel replied, having just explained this to the three priests.
"So what do they want with us?" Jack continued concerned that he wasn't getting all the information he wanted.
"They wanted to know if I was the one who opened the Stargate because their ancient texts told them that the one who opened the Stargate on Earth would also unlock the secrets of Smenkhakare."
"And?" Jack persisted, still not understanding what was going on.
"And" Daniel continued "I did unlock the Stargate and I have, just, unlocked the secrets of Smenkhakare by deciphering the Gate coordinates of the planet he went to when he left here.
"Is that it?" Jack inquired, knowing there was more.
"I've given the priests the coordinates and as they are also familiar with the Tok'ra I've suggested they contact them as well."
"What was the hand on the head thing?" Jack pushed for the last bit of information.
"Just a blessing," Daniel said nonchalantly trying not to smile at the expression on Jack's face.
"Oh, a blessing; very nice," Jack commented, looking from Daniel to the three men waiting patiently while Daniel explained everything.
The oldest of the three spoke to Daniel again, and then after bowing deeply, all three turned and walked back into the desert, while Daniel and his friends watched them disappear into the horizon.
"So now what do we do?" Sam asked unsure what was going to happen next.
"Now we get back to Earth and contact the Tok'ra ourselves," Daniel replied. "And we need to inform General Hammond. Sometime soon there's going to be a big fight out there." He waved his arm skywards and Jack followed his gaze into the empty blue sky above them. Both of them knew that out there in space, wars were still being waged and now another System Lord had joined the fray. They needed to get back to the SGC to make ready to defend Earth again.
Once safely back within the SGC, General Hammond delayed the de-brief until Janet Fraiser gave Daniel the all clear. He had been relieved to get them all back safe and sound, but could see that Dr. Jackson didn't look at all well, the concerned faces of his colleagues confirmed this opinion.
Daniel tried to insist he was fine and just wanted to get into his own chair and go home, but both Jack and Janet Fraiser insisted that he remain in the infirmary.
"I need to check your catheter and monitor your medication, Daniel," Janet told him. She looked critically at her patient and friend. "Have any new symptoms developed?" she asked. "And I want the truth." She knew full well how Daniel could cover things up if he thought he could get away with it.
Daniel sighed with resignation. He knew he didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting home tonight; he might as well give in gracefully, he decided.
"I'm just really tired," Daniel said.
"I can see your tremors are worse," Janet said, reaching for his chart. "Now what about spasms?"
"Worse in my legs," Daniel admitted.
"Okay, I can give you something to help that." She wrote a note on his chart before looking closely at him again.
"Speech slurred," she diagnosed. This was something that Daniel couldn't hide from her, so he just nodded his agreement.
"What about vision?" she continued to press, not leaving any stone unturned as she wheedled Daniel's symptoms out of him.
"Double and blurry," he said bluntly.
Janet Fraiser shook her head sadly "I should never have let you go," she said as she finished writing on the chart and passed it to the nurse waiting at her side. "It's going to take weeks of extra physiotherapy and drug treatment to get you anywhere back to what you were before."
"Before what?" Daniel quipped knowing full well what she meant.
Janet didn't answer, just glared at the patient on the bed and proceeded to pull the curtains around.
"I need to check your catheter, Daniel," she informed him. He pulled a face; this was still too new for him to feel comfortable with it and he felt the colour build in his pale cheeks.
Janet pretended she hadn't noticed and, decided that giving Daniel a hard time of it was her only way of getting back at him for all the worry he had caused. Plus, there was all the sorrow she would now have to go through as she watched him struggle back to his previous level of physical ability. She hardened her heart and flung the sheets back without warning. Without even glancing in Daniel's direction, she proceeded to inject a little local anaesthetic before removing the catheter and replacing it with a new one. She fixed the bag onto the tube and fastened it to his leg and then replaced the sheet before daring to meet his accusing blue eyes.
As she removed her gloves, she risked a glance at her patient. The blush was subsiding somewhat and had been replaced by a hurt expression. As usual, Daniel's handsome face and expressive blue eyes won her over.
"Do you need a blanket?" she asked. He nodded and before he knew it a soft warm blanket had been gently placed over him. Janet took his hand to check how warm it was and, frowning, tucked it under the blanket.
The pair gazed at one another, their friendship had survived another battle between the doctor and the archaeologist. Janet smiled, and leaning over, planted a warm kiss on Daniel's forehead. "Welcome home," she whispered before pushing back the curtains and allowing Jack in.
"So did she give you a hard time?" Jack asked as he sat down next to Daniel's bed.
"You could say that," Daniel replied, still smarting from their run-in.
In truth, Jack had been listening from the other side of the curtain, and he knew exactly what had transpired between the two but, over the years, he had learned to let them get on with it.
"So, how are you feeling?" Jack asked concerned about the increase in Daniel's symptoms.
Daniel knew better than to try to hide anything from Jack O'Neill. "Not good," he admitted. "Perhaps I shouldn't have gone."
The pair sat in silence for a few minutes digesting this idea before Daniel spoke again.
"I really thought I could do it Jack," he murmured his speech noticeably slurred and slower than usual.
There was no answer Jack could give. This was just another thing Daniel had to come to terms with, the realisation that his life was irrevocably changed forever. He patted Daniel's hand and sat with his partner until, when the nurse had returned with a variety of drugs to inject into the IV that Janet had insisted be hooked up, sleep overwhelmed him.
Jack refused to go home that night. He wanted to stay close to Daniel in case he needed anything. Janet argued that her nurses were quite capable of meeting any of Daniel's needs, but Jack stubbornly refused to give in and, in the end, Janet had allowed him to sleep on the bed next to Daniel's for one night only. He woke early the following morning, thanks to the clatter of bedpans and the hum of voices. He opened his eyes and checked the bed next to him straight away. Daniel was still asleep but looking, to Jack's critical eye, slightly better than he had last night.
Jack hopped out of bed and, after whispering a "Good morning," to the nurse on duty, headed straight to the locker room to collect some clean clothes before hitting the showers. General Hammond had scheduled the de-brief for 3 o clock that afternoon, in the hope that this would give Daniel enough time to recover enough from his little expedition and be able to attend. On his way to the showers Jack bumped into Teal'c.
"Hey Teal'c, nice to see you," Jack called to his old friend.
"How is DanielJackson?" Teal'c asked, cutting straight to the point.
"Tired and realising he shouldn't have gone, but otherwise he'll be okay given time," Jack reported. He smiled at the Jaffa; it was great to have Teal'c back on base, and apart from Daniel's condition, it was just like old times with him and Carter around. He whistled as he headed for the shower.
Sam had been staying with Janet and Cassie while back in Colorado and last night, after making sure Daniel was okay, they had headed home for a girls' evening in. Sam missed Janet and Cassie nearly as much as she missed being a member of SG1. She wished she could spend more time with them but her work at the Pentagon was demanding. Trying to keep close contact with Jack and Daniel as well as enjoy her new friends in Washington made it hard to touch base with Janet and Cassie as often as she would like.
They dropped Cassie off at school and drove towards Cheyenne Mountain chatting together.
"Is Daniel going to be okay?" Sam asked, "I'd hate to think the trip caused him any permanent problems."
"Any more permanent problems," Janet corrected her friend,keeping her eyes firmly fixed on the road while replying.
"I honestly don't know Sam" Janet had to admit but hating to hurt her friend. "Any exacerbation of multiple sclerosis may or may not resolve itself," she continued. "He may just be exhausted from the trip and, if so, the slurred speech and double vision may correct themselves over the next few days."
Sam nodded. "What about the tremors and the spasms?" she asked, worried about their effect on Daniel's long-term abilities.
"We can play around with his drug therapy to alleviate them," Janet promised "and by adding extra physiotherapy sessions we should be able to keep him as mobile as possible."
The pair drove in silence both deep in thought, the words, 'as mobile as possible,' echoing in Sam's head. Daniel was hardly mobile at all; without his electric chair and Jack's constant care Daniel would be totally immobile and unable to do the slightest thing for himself. It was all a faŤade Sam thought to herself, fighting back the tears.
Janet reached over and placed a hand over Sam's. "Don't get upset," she warned her friend, "Daniel's coping just fine and we have to be strong for him."
"I know" Sam sniffled. "It's just so hard to see him like this."
"Yes it is," Janet agreed. "But Daniel needs us and we owe it to him to be there for him."
"You're right," Sam agreed as Janet pulled into the parking lot and turned off the engine.
"Let's go and see how much havoc he's caused my nursing staff during the night," Janet suggested as they headed towards the entrance.
Daniel had, in fact, caused no problems whatsoever during the night; he had been totally exhausted and didn't even wake when the nursing team changed his position every couple of hours. Janet and Sam arrived in the infirmary just in time to see a showered and shaved Colonel O'Neill waving a cup of coffee under Daniel's nose in an attempt to tempt him into wakefulness.
"Colonel, is that coffee you're waving around?" Janet called in her sternest voice.
"Just a little wake-up call, Doc," Jack assured her as he continued to wave the aromatic brew at Daniel.
Janet shook her head and disappeared into her office. She would change into her white coat, check her messages and then receive the night report from her nursing team. Surely by that time, she decided Jack would have woken Daniel and administered the strictly forbidden brew.
Daniel woke slowly; he was sore and stiff, and all his muscles ached. He opened his eyes and peered at the blurry sight of two Jack O'Neill's each waving a mug of coffee. He blinked, but the double vision stayed. He sighed; he knew this might happen, he could just add it to the list of other annoying symptoms of his disease.
"Hey, Jack," he croaked, smiling weakly at the face hovering over him. "Help me up will you?" he requested totally unable to shift himself in the bed without assistance.
Jack plonked the coffee on the locker top, out of harm's way, while he hoisted Daniel into a more upright position, anchoring him in place with pillows. He straightened the bedcovers and stood back to admire both his handiwork and the person in the bed.
"Coffee, Daniel?" Jack asked reaching for the brew and popping a straw in it before holding it to Daniel's lips.
"Mmm," Daniel moaned appreciatively as the potent liquid disappeared slowly from the mug. Once it was all gone, Daniel was ready to engage Jack in conversation.
"How soon can I get out of here?" he asked as Jack replaced the empty mug on the locker.
"That depends on your bloodwork and the results of my imminent examination," Janet Fraiser chipped in before Jack could answer.
"Morning, Janet." Daniel smiled as the petite doctor stood at the side of his bed and checked the IV before lifting Daniel's wrist to check his pulse.
"Okay, Colonel you can make yourself scarce for a few minutes while I examine Daniel," she ordered.
Jack stuck his tongue out at the doctor so that only Daniel could see, and then winked and left the infirmary. Janet pulled the curtain around the bed and placed Daniel's thick file on the bedside table while she carried out a thorough examination of her patient.
Once she had ascertained that his vision was unchanged, noted that his voice seemed a little stronger than yesterday and that his tremors were slightly decreased, she sat on the side of the bed and questioned Daniel further.
"How are the spasms?" she asked. "And I want an honest answer, please."
"A bit better, I think," Daniel admitted.
"And how does the catheter feel?"
"A bit sore, but I'm getting used to it." Daniel grimaced. He hated the thing and he hated having to discuss it with anyone. Both Jack and Janet had tried to reassure him that it was no big deal, but it was to him. In his mind it was his last hold on normality snatched from him and he hated it.
"I need to check it," Janet warned him before she gently lifted the bedcovers to see how much urine had been collected in the bag overnight.
"That's good." She smiled up at her patient. "I'll leave Jack to change the bag and get you up and dressed." She knew that Daniel felt safer in Jack's care than with any of her nurses, however competent they might be.
"Thanks," Daniel said returning her smile. It would be great to get out of here, back into his own chair and whizzing around again. He hated being stuck in bed and dependent on others.
Jack popped his head back round the curtains. "Got the heave ho?" he asked. Daniel nodded and was pleased to see that Jack had brought his clothes and that his beloved chair was in sight.
It took Jack a while to get Daniel dressed and into his chair. Jack was slightly concerned that Daniel seemed a lot less mobile than he had been before their recent trip. The spasms in his legs made getting trousers on difficult, and Jack had to be content with slipping socks on Daniel's feet but leaving his shoes off; not that it really mattered, Daniel was never going to be walking anywhere again, he thought sorrowfully.
Daniel was also a little concerned about how weak he was. He tried to hide this from Jack and Janet as he was desperate to get out of the infirmary, but he wasn't sure how long he could keep up the pretence. Once Jack had manhandled him into his clothes and transferred him into his chair, he sighed with relief. He always felt so much better, more mobile and more in control of his own life once he was settled in his chair with his hand lightly grasping the joystick. Once encased in the Twister's comfortable seat, he felt as if the world was his oyster. Not true in any real sense of the word, he realised ruefully, but he liked to pretend he was an independent being, in charge of his own destiny, if only in his own mind.
This time, however, he didn't feel quite as safe in the chair; he frowned as he tried to pinpoint what the difference was exactly. He did a mental check of his immobile body while Jack was busy packing his belongings into a bag.
Legs still sore and spasms in his legs and feet obviously causing Jack a problem, he noted as he peered down at them twitching on the footrests, minus the shoes Jack had been unable to get them into.
He mentally moved up his body to his butt area, which seemed okay. No pressure sores, thank goodness, and the new catheter was quite comfortable considering, he decided.
Up a little further to his chest. He knew that he was lucky that he didn't have any problems with his breathing. Janet had explained that sitting hunched in a chair all day could cause these kinds of problems, but Jack was always careful to make sure that he lugged him into a standing position a few times during each day which helped to prevent them.
Arms. Left one still practically useless but right one still working to some extent. Daniel flexed his weak muscles and found that his shoulder was definitely weaker; he couldn't lift his arm up from the armrest of the chair where Jack had placed it. He started to feel a cold sweat trickle down his back. He tried again. Still nothing, although he could still move his arm and hand enough to grasp the joystick. He breathed a little easier for a moment; his biggest fear was to lose the use of his right hand. When this happened, he would be totally dependent on others for everything and that thought terrified him.
"Okay, keep calm," he told himself. "What next?"
Neck. As soon as he thought about his neck, he knew immediately there was a problem. The reason he had been able to watch his legs and feet was that his chin was drooping on his chest and try as he might he was just too weak to raise his head more than a couple of inches.
"Jack."
Jack heard the panic in Daniel's voice and turned immediately to see what the problem was. He knelt down next to Daniel's chair. Daniel looked pale and was trembling, but other than that Jack could see nothing amiss.
"Daniel?" he asked, unsure what the problem was.
"Jack, I can't lift my head up." Jack heard the panic in Daniel's voice and felt a similar panic well up within him. For a moment he didn't know what to do and then he sprang into action.
"Janet!" he yelled at the top of his voice, at the same time gently lifting Daniel's head off his chest.
The door opened and the petite doctor appeared in the doorway; Jack heaved a sigh of relief.
"Janet, he can't hold his head up," Jack explained. Janet took in the pale frightened face of the man in the wheelchair and the grim face of the Air Force Colonel holding him; she stepped forward to take control of the situation.
"Let's get you back into bed, Daniel," she suggested, motioning for Jack to help her with the transfer.
"What's wrong with me?" Daniel whispered as he was hoisted out of his chair and back onto the infirmary bed.
"Let's get some tests done and then we'll see," Janet said trying to calm her patient. She called for one of the nurses to come over and issued some whispered instructions.
"What's going on?" Jack asked as the nurse left the room.
"I want to carry out some tests on Daniel's muscles," she started to explain to the two men.
"Why? What's happened?" Jack persisted. Janet didn't want to have to break this news at this moment, but knew she wasn't going to get away without doing so, so she took a deep breath.
"The multiple sclerosis may have affected Daniel's neck muscles," she admitted.
Jack's heart sank. "You mean this might be permanent?" he asked. Janet risked a glance at her patient lying on the bed. His eyes were closed and his jaw was clenched. This wasn't the first time he had listened to the prognosis of his illness; he knew further deterioration was always a possibility, but that didn't mean he was ready for it.
"Let's just wait and see," Janet suggested as the nurse came back into the room.
"Okay, I think they're ready for you now," Janet said "Colonel can you help me?" She indicated that she was going to release the feet on the bed and push the bed as a whole into the room where the tests would be carried out. Jack was relieved that Daniel didn't have to be heaved around unnecessarily and silently thanked Janet for her understanding of the situation.
Sam and Teal'c were waiting anxiously outside the infirmary door when Jack eventually came out, unconsciously rubbing his neck to relieve the tension. He had spent a couple of hours watching Daniel undergo test after test until he was totally exhausted. Jack had supervised his move back into his room and then, once Daniel was asleep, he had signalled to Janet Fraiser that he was popping out.
"He'll sleep for a while, Jack, take a break," Janet suggested.
"I've got a few things I need to do," Jack said, smiling weakly at the doctor "Keep an eye on him for me, will you?"
"You know I will, Jack," Janet said watching sadly as he left the infirmary. He looked at least ten years older than he had when he had arrived that morning, she thought to herself.
"How is he?" Sam asked anxious to know all the news.
"Not good," Jack said noticing a chair on the corridor and sinking down into it, dropping his head into his hands.
Sam and Teal'c waited until Jack was ready to move, and then Sam suggested that they go to and get something to eat.
"I'm not that hungry," Jack confessed as Sam led him in the direction of the commissary, "and I need to be nearby Daniel in case he needs anything."
"It will be my pleasure to watch over DanielJackson in your place, O'Neill," Teal'c said before heading back in the direction of the infirmary.
Sam guided Jack towards an empty table in the corner of the room, and then went and loaded a tray with food and a couple of mugs of coffee. When she returned, he raised sad brown eyes at her and shook his head.
"I'm not hungry," he repeated as she placed a sandwich in front of him.
"Just try, please," she wheedled, going for the jugular by adding, "Daniel will need you to be strong for him."
Jack nodded and reluctantly raised the sandwich and took a bite. He chewed it listlessly as Sam watched and waited. When Jack had eaten most of the sandwich and drained the mug of coffee, he sighed.
"I need to make a phone call," he said starting to get up. Sam followed him back to his own office and perched on the edge of the desk while he rummaged in his filing cabinet.
"Got it," he said, relieved, flicking through the file he had found.
"Got what?" Sam asked, not sure what Jack was actually trying to do.
"The number of the firm where we got Daniel's chair," he explained as he found the specification sheet for the Twister and started reading through it.
"Is there something wrong with the chair? Sam asked, a little perplexed. Jack picked up the phone and dialled a number, "Daniel can't support his head," Jack said bluntly as he waited for the phone to be answered. Sam's face paled and Jack suddenly realised what a shock he must have given her.
"What?" Sam pulled herself together enough to question Jack as he waited for the firm to answer.
"His neck is too weak for him to hold his head up," Jack repeated. "Janet's run some tests, she thinks it might be a progression of the disease."
"Who are you calling?" Sam asked, curious as to why it was so important for Jack to make this call right now.
"The place where we got Daniel's chair," Jack explained. "They make a headrest and I need to get one ASAP."
Sam understood; if Daniel couldn't support his own head he would need some help. She waited quietly while Jack made the call and arranged for the headrest to be delivered first thing the following morning. He replaced the receiver and jumped up.
"Where are you going now?" Sam said jumping up to follow him.
"Infirmary," Jack muttered as he headed off to the elevator. Sam chased after him.
"Slow down, Jack, or you're going to make yourself sick," she ordered as he pressed the button and bounced around in frustration waiting for the doors to open.
"He might have woken up," Jack explained.
"And if he has, both Teal'c and Janet are with him," she reminded the jumpy Colonel.
"I know," Jack admitted "but you know I need to be there."
"I know," Sam said, squeezing his arm as they stepped into the elevator and descended to the level of the infirmary.
General Hammond had been informed of the deterioration in Daniel's condition and the de-brief had been postponed once again. Janet insisted that Daniel remain in the infirmary until she had all his tests results available but she did send their resident physiotherapist to work with him.
John Freer had only recently been assigned to the SGC but he had met Daniel Jackson on a few occasions and had taken him through a few sessions already. It was vital that Daniel had regular physiotherapy in order to keep his limbs mobile and help alleviate the spasms he was prone to if he didn't keep moving as much as possible. Janet Fraiser had contacted him and explained Daniel's recent exploits off-world and his current physical state, and John had dropped everything to fit Daniel in for a session.
"Hi, Dr. Jackson, How're you doing today?" John asked as he entered the private room Daniel had been allocated.
"Just great, John. I've just done a 10 mile run and 100 push-ups and thought I'd just have a little rest," Daniel quipped, as he lay immobile on the infirmary bed.
John laughed, "Okay, well if you're such a fitness freak then I guess a few paltry exercises won't be a big deal, will they?"
Daniel pulled a face as John proceeded to pull the blanket back and reveal Daniel's wasted legs, his feet already twisted with the spasms he was suffering despite Janet upping his meds.
Over the next hour, John worked carefully on Daniel's legs, massaging them and gently manipulating them. Careful as he was being, he knew he would be causing Daniel some pain but every time he looked up to check on his patient, Daniel, despite being pale and a thin film of sweat coating his brow, nodded for him to continue.
"Okay, they're done for now," John said replacing the blanket over Daniel's aching legs. "Now for the arms."
John used the same techniques on Daniel's arms. He noted that the right arm was slightly weaker than it had been during their last session, but with Daniel confined to bed, it wasn't possible to do a thorough check of his shoulder rotations, so he had to be content with massaging and stretching the muscles and concentrating on Daniel's wrist and fingers to ensure maximum mobility.
Finally, John reached Daniel's neck. "I need to lay you flat, Daniel, if that's okay," he explained, waiting for Daniel's consent.
"Whatever," Daniel said, knowing he was at John's mercy. Taking this as a yes John removed the pillows supporting Daniel's upper body and gently lowered him into a supine position.
"Can you turn your head from side to side?" John asked, watching as Daniel slowly turned his head, first to the left and then to the right.
"Good work," John congratulated his patient. "Now can you raise your head?"
Daniel tried; John could see the muscles tensing in his neck, but Daniel was unable to raise his head off the bed at all.
"Okay, not a problem," John reassured his patient. "We can work on your neck and shoulder muscles more easily when you're back in your chair," he explained.
"How the hell can I sit in the chair if I can't hold my own head up?" Daniel snapped.
This behaviour was uncharacteristic, but John understood how Daniel was feeling. He was angry, frustrated and frightened by this sudden loss of ability. John had read Daniel's file thoroughly before first meeting the disabled archaeologist. He knew from these papers than Daniel's disease had been slowly progressive since its onset, but that for the past three years he had been more or less stable. It was a shock now for Daniel, who had gotten used to managing his level of disability, to now find it had dropped another degree.
"Daniel, your head weighs a good few pounds," John explained. "It requires much more strength and effort to lift your head off the bed than to lift a leg or an arm."
Daniel stared at the physiotherapist without comment as he continued. "Once you're upright it will be easier for you to support your head and with exercises and a headrest fitted to the chair, you'll manage just fine."
Daniel was sceptical; he was used to his disability, he managed it, and he had learnt to cope with it. He wasn't sure if he could take this further decline, wasn't sure that Jack could or would want to put up with him anymore. Tears filled his eyes and he was totally unable to brush them away. He swallowed back the sob that threatened to escape.
John noticed and understood Daniel's distress. "Let's get you more comfortable, shall we?" He deftly propped Daniel back up on the pile of pillows and then sat on the side of the bed.
"I've known you ever since I arrived at the SGC," John said "and I have always marvelled at your strength of character and resilience."
Daniel shook his head weakly, but John continued.
"You've been through a lot, Daniel, not just physically, but mentally and psychologically too." He paused, choosing his words carefully.
"This is a setback, I know, but you can..." he corrected himself "...we can work through this; you can cope with this Daniel. You can accommodate this loss and still continue to have a good quality of life."
Daniel didn't answer. He wanted to believe it, but what if this was just the start of another decline? What if he lost the use of his right arm? What if he couldn't use his chair? What if Jack couldn't manage and he had to go into a nursing home?
John knew all the questions that were churning around in Daniel's head, but he also knew that Daniel had to work through them himself, find the answers, deal with the issues as they arose, and he also knew he had an army of people who loved him who would help him cope.
He looked up as the door opened and Jack O'Neill popped his head in.
"I'll leave you in Colonel O'Neill's capable hands and see you tomorrow," John promised, getting up and heading to the door. He smiled at the tired looking Colonel; he had been informed of the relationship between the Colonel and the archaeologist soon after he arrived at the base and had no problems with it. He was glad that Daniel had someone like Jack O'Neill to love him and take care of him; life would be a lot harder for the disabled young man without such a person in his life.
"So, Daniel, what are you up to?" Jack asked plonking himself down on the side of the bed just vacated by John Freer and leaning over to brush Daniel's hair off his forehead.
"When can I get out of here, Jack?" Daniel moaned, "I want to go home."
"I know, Danny," Jack commiserated, "but we have to wait for Janet's say-so."
"But I do have a surprise for you once she gives you the heave ho," he promised.
"Can't I have it now?" Daniel pleaded, "What is it?"
"Now, now, Dr. J, patience is a virtue," Jack teased, laughing as Daniel pouted.
"But if you gave me it now, it would pass the time while I'm stuck here, wouldn't it?" Daniel said, fishing for information.
"Who's stuck here?" said Janet Fraiser as she entered the room just in time to catch the end of the conversation between the two men.
"I can go?" Daniel looked hopefully at the doctor.
"You can go when I've discussed your test results," she said, immediately wiping the smile from both Daniel and Jack's faces. Neither was sure they wanted to hear what Janet had to say.
"There's good news and bad news," she intoned. This was her chance to give Dr Daniel Jackson, genius and multiple PhD a good ticking off for his recent exploits offworld and she was going to relish every moment of it.
"The good news is that according to the test results, I am pretty certain your loss of muscle tone is due mostly to your recent ill-advised excursion and not resting properly."
Jack spoke first. "You mean there isn't an escalation of the MS?"
"Not that I can see from the test results," Janet said, smiling at the two. "I think Daniel, that with extra physio and by taking extra care, you should be back to normal in a few weeks."
By using the word, 'normal,' Janet knew that both Jack and Daniel knew that this meant he would be back to where he was before the offworld incident and not 'normal' in any other sense of the word. Daniel knew that normal for him was spending his life in a wheelchair with only the minimum of physical ability left to him. Jack knew that normal for him was taking care of all his partner's physical needs twenty-four/seven and making his life as easy as possible. This was their, 'normal,' and they were delighted that Janet Fraiser was handing it back to them.
The pair smiled at each other.
"And the bad news is...." Janet paused savouring her moment.
"The bad news is that I am never, and I repeat never, allowing you to talk me into anything so stupid ever again, Daniel," she said sternly.
"That's it?" Jack asked.
"That's it," Janet replied. Unable to keep up the harsh faŤade, she smiled broadly at the two men.
"Now get the hell out of my infirmary," she ordered. "The General has set up the de-brief for this evening at 1800," she informed the pair as she picked up Daniel's file and headed to the door.
"Wow," was all Daniel could say as the door closed behind her.
Jack shook his head, "Wow, indeed," he agreed.
"Jack, where's my chair and where's my surprise?" Daniel asked, eager to get out of bed and get dressed and back to some sort of normality. The trip to New York, coupled with the dash back to the SGC, the trip offworld and his enforced stay in the infirmary had upset Daniel's routine. He had always craved some kind of excitement in his life and now he had had a taste of it once again, all he wanted was to get back into his routine.
"I'll be back in a minute," Jack assured him as he went to fetch Daniel's chair and clothes. He was just a keen as Daniel to get him up and out of here before Janet Fraiser had chance to change her mind.
At 1800 hours precisely, Jack, Sam, Daniel and Teal'c, together with Major Fryer of SG4, were sitting around the table in the Briefing Room awaiting the arrival of General Hammond.
"At ease people." General Hammond strode into the room and took his seat at the head of the long table, casting his gaze over the men and women seated around.
"Dr Jackson," the General turned his eye on the young archaeologist sitting to his right "did you find anything of interest on," he checked the papers in front of him, "P3X-455?"
It took Daniel a half an hour to explain all that had happened to the General while everyone else listened and added their comments at various points during Daniel's narrative.
Daniel finished up with a suggestion. "So I think we need to contact the Tok'ra to let them know what we found."
"Do you think Aten is a threat?" General Hammond asked. Daniel nodded his head "I'm afraid so, General. From what I have been able to find out I think it is only a matter of time before there is another attack on Earth," Daniel said sadly.
"Thank you, Dr Jackson," General Hammond closed the meeting.
"I'll contact Jacob Carter myself," he told Jack as everyone prepared to leave the Briefing Room, "and the President, too." He looked carefully at Daniel Jackson, who was chatting to Sam and Teal'c. "Take him home and look after him, Jack," he ordered.
Jack nodded "I intend to sir," he said, saluting the General before turning towards Daniel.
"Okay, Daniel, time to go home."
"We were just planning to go out for dinner," Daniel told Jack. "Before Teal'c has to leave," he added.
"Not tonight, Daniel, you just got out of the infirmary for crying out loud," Jack moaned, turning to Sam and Teal'c.
"Sorry, guys, what about tomorrow at our place?" he suggested as an alternative.
"Great," Sam said, understanding totally that Daniel needed to get home and get some rest.
"Indeed, that would be most acceptable O'Neill," Teal'c agreed.
"That's settled then," said Jack satisfied that he was finally going to get Daniel home safe and sound at last.
"See you tomorrow then guys," Daniel said, pushing the joystick of his chair and propelling himself towards the door. Jack moved in front of him and held the door open while Daniel manoeuvred his chair through and towards the elevator while Jack followed close behind.
Jack had presented Daniel with his, 'surprise,' as soon as he had gotten him dressed and ready to leave the infirmary. He had arranged for the headrest for Daniel's chair to be delivered to the SGC, and, luckily, it had arrived just before Janet had given Daniel the all clear. Jack had fixed it to the chair and then, once he had Daniel ready to go, he slipped out to get the chair that was waiting outside in the corridor.
Daniel had certainly been surprised by the speed with which Jack had obtained this adaptation and once Jack had got him settled in the chair, the new headrest had provided the support Daniel's weakened neck muscles needed, and he had been enthusiastic about it.
"Jack, it's great," he said relaxing back into the chair and smiling at his friend. "How did you manage to get it so quickly?" he asked.
"I'm not a grouchy old Air Force Colonel for nothing, Dannyboy," Jack reminded him.
"Well its great, 'Grouchy Old Air Force Colonel'," Daniel laughed "Thank you."
"You're welcome, 'Now Happy Little Archaeologist'," Jack had responded pleased to see that Daniel had gotten over his depression of earlier in the day.
Once Jack had gotten Daniel home, unloaded from the van and into the house he insisted that Daniel go straight to bed.
"No not just yet Jack, please," Daniel begged. "I've been stuck in that awful manual chair for days, then practically tied to a bed in the infirmary. I want to enjoy my freedom."
Jack couldn't argue with that; he knew how much it meant to Daniel to be free to move about on his own and he had been reliant on other people to do everything for him for the past few days.
"Okay, I give up," Jack conceded holding his hands up in surrender. "You whiz around as much as you like, I'm going to make dinner," Jack called as Daniel propelled himself past Jack and into the living room, where their incoming mail had been left on the coffee table by their neighbour and house sitter.
While Jack prepared a meal for them Daniel happily sorted through the mail. It was a slow process. He couldn't actually open anything himself and he found it difficult to even lift some of the heavier envelopes, but in his own time he managed to at least sort it into a pile for Jack, a pile for himself and a pile for the trash can. He was sitting back, surveying the different piles with a sense of achievement, when Jack called him.
"Daniel, dinner's ready."
"Coming," Daniel replied, lifting his weak right arm onto the armrest of his chair and grasping the joystick. He was lucky it didn't take much pressure to move it as he had just about expended all his energy on the mail, but he managed to propel himself into the kitchen, where Jack had set their meal out on the table.
Daniel knew he was running on fumes, but he was still stubbornly refusing to admit defeat. He allowed Jack to fix his special spoon to his hand and tried his best to spoon up some of the delicious risotto Jack had prepared.
Jack watched Daniel carefully from across the table. He was also aware that Daniel had just about had it, but knew better than to interfere with the stubborn archaeologist.
"Jack," Daniel finally moaned as he attempted to lift the spoon to his lips and once again failed.
Jack moved his chair around the table until he was sitting next to Daniel and then he removed the spoon from Daniel's hand and proceeded to fill it with the risotto and lift it to Daniel's mouth.
The risotto was delicious and Daniel was starving after living on MREs and hospital food for the past few days and so he opened his mouth and allowed Jack to slowly feed him the delicious rice. Once it was all gone, Jack lifted Daniel's glass, complete with straw and allowed Daniel to drain it. Once Daniel was fed, Jack returned to his own plate and quickly spooned up the tepid rice while Daniel watched him enviously.
"Thanks Jack," Daniel said quietly once the pair had both finished their meal.
"It was only rice, Daniel," Jack said getting up to clear the table.
"You know what I mean."
Jack knew; he knew that Daniel had hated having to be fed, that he found it embarrassing to be so dependent on someone, even his partner and he knew better than to pursue the conversation while Daniel was tired and depressed.
"Coffee?" he asked as he loaded the plates into the dishwasher.
"Why not?" Daniel moved his chair away from the table and headed in the direction of the lounge.
"Turn the TV on, will ya," Jack called after him "I think the hockey playoffs are on soon."
Daniel smiled to himself as he reached for the remote. Trust Jack to think of something that Daniel could do for him in return for his feeding Daniel. It was just a small thing, pressing a button on the remote so that Jack could listen to the TV while he made the coffee, but it was something that Daniel could do and he took pleasure in being able to do even such a small task for the man who did so much for him.
Six weeks later...
"Jacob's coming." Jack burst into Daniel's office taking the archaeologist by surprise.
"Don't you ever knock, Jack?" he complained as he swung his chair around to face the doorway.
Jack grinned and stepped back outside and closed the door. Daniel sighed in exasperation. He waited; there was a knock at the door.
"Come in," he said trying to hide his smile as Jack O'Neill opened the door and peeped around it.
"May I come in, Dr. Jackson?" he asked meekly.
"Please do, Colonel O'Neill," Daniel replied formally as Jack entered the office and closed the door behind him.
"When does Jacob arrive?" Daniel asked picking up on the original message.
"May I take a seat, Dr. Jackson," Jack continued the charade.
"Jack," Daniel moaned, "when does Jacob arrive?"
"He's on his way now; that's why I came to get you," Jack explained. Daniel propelled his chair around the desk and out onto the corridor. As they waited for the elevator, Daniel continued to question Jack.
"Did he say anything about speaking to the priests? Does he know anything about the Aten's planet?
"Daniel, for crying out loud, the message just said he was on his way, it didn't go into details," Jack groaned as he was bombarded with questions.
Jack headed for the Gate Room while Daniel went straight the Briefing Room and manoeuvred his chair over to the window just in time to watch Jacob Carter come through the Gate to be met by General Hammond and Jack O'Neill. He watched them greet one another and then head for the stairs. He just had time to swing his chair around as the three men entered the Briefing Room.
"Daniel it's great to see you again," Jacob said, striding over to where Daniel was sitting and holding out his hand in greeting. The physiotherapy of the past few weeks had paid off. Daniel's right arm and shoulder was now much stronger. He lifted his hand and returned Jacob's grasp.
"It's good to see you, too," he said smiling at Sam's father. "Do you have any news for us?"
"That's my boy. No wasting time with pleasantries," Jack quipped as he took a seat at the table. Jacob and the General sat down also and Daniel manoeuvred his chair into position at the table. Selmak addressed the group around the table. "Earth and the Tok'ra owe you a great debt, Dr. Jackson," Selmak announced, turning to face the young man in the wheelchair.
"How so?" General Hammond asked.
"Dr Jackson deciphered the address to a world we have been searching for for many many years," Selmak explained. "We have always suspected that Aten did escape from his tomb but although the priests of the temple have searched the galaxy for millennia no sign has ever been found of the planet which he made his base."
"And Daniel gave you this information?" Jack asked, looking from Selmak to Daniel in amazement.
"Indeed, Dr. Jackson not only found the address of the world on which Aten first took refuge, but he also discovered text which indicated where we could find his base."
"And did you find it?" General Hammond asked.
"As we speak Tok'ra ships are orbiting the planet in question, Vengera. They are reporting back that Aten has amassed a group of followers and is planning an attack on the Earth that rejected him."
"Us?" Jack asked looking at Daniel.
Daniel checked with Selmak before nodding.
Selmak continued. "We have the element of surprise and, with your help, we can eliminate this threat to Earth and to the alliance of the System Lords."
"You've got it," General Hammond assured Selmak. The Tok'ra bowed and then allowed Jacob Carter to speak freely.
"George, we can blow Aten and his planet out of existence."
"How?" Jack asked, unsure of what kind of plan the Tok'ra had in mind.
"We use Prometheus," Jacob explained.
"And how will that destroy a whole planet?" Jack asked, knowing full well that Prometheus wasn't equipped to carry weapons.
"The Tok'ra have been developing a bomb using Naquadah. We can carry this on board and, using stealth technology, get into orbit around Vengera, launch the bomb and get the hell out of there before it explodes," Jacob said with relish.
Jack O'Neill and George Hammond exchanged glances.
"It might work, sir," Jack said.
General Hammond considered the proposition for a moment before making his decision.
"I'll need to okay this with the President," he said "but if it's okay with the Joint Chiefs then you have a go."
Jack punched the air "Yes" he yelled before noticing that Jacob Carter, General Hammond and Daniel were all grinning at him.
"Sorry, sir," he mumbled dropping his arm.
Selmak returned and spoke directly to Daniel.
"Dr Jackson the High Council of the Tok'ra wish me to bestow their highest honour on you," he said, presenting Daniel was a gold medallion.
"May I?" he asked, bending to place the medallion around Daniel's neck.
"Wow, thanks," Daniel muttered, blushing at the honour being bestowed on him.
"Hey Medallion Man," Jack teased, trying to lighten the situation despite the tears welling in his brown eyes. Daniel frowned at him before responding to Selmak.
"Please thank the High Council for me Selmak. I am honoured to accept this," Daniel said holding out his hand. Selmak shook it and then bowed his head and allowed Jacob Carter to add his congratulations too.
"I just don't believe it, Daniel," Jack said as they drove him later that evening.
"Don't believe what?" Daniel asked wincing, as Jack narrowly avoided a cat crossing the road.
"You sit in that wheelchair, you can't walk, you can't dress yourself, you can't pee for yourself, you need help with every little thing and yet you still manage to save the planet," Jack moaned.
Daniel sniggered. "Some of us have it and some of us don't, Jack," he teased.
Jack shook his head, laughing. "At least life is never dull with you around, Daniel," he said, "Life is one long journey of discovery."
Daniel joined in the laughter. "I'll second that," he said.
Finis
| Category: | Jack/Daniel |
| Genres: | Action/Adventure, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort |
| Rated: | Pre-Teen |
| Warnings: | None |
| Series: | The Journey |
| Summary: | Just when Daniel thinks his life with SG1 was over, something happens to change his mind. Sequel to The Journey. |
Author's Chapter Notes:
Concerns a disability.