Disclaimer: These characters and their world are as not mine
as they could possibly get.
Summary: Daniel comes down sick and finds himself pushed
around from one place to another.
Gift for Snowshie
"We don't
really need to go through all this," Daniel said as he pulled a handkerchief
out from somewhere on his person. He usually carried a few in the pockets of
his uniform, just in case he might encounter an unfamiliar allergen. This time on
this planet, however, it was not an allergy. Daniel rubbed his handkerchief
back and forth beneath his nose. "I mean, it's just a small cold. Chances are I
picked it up from Earth any... anyway- ahhSchhhhhhhh!"
Jack
glanced over his shoulder. "Bless." But he did still go straight for the MALP
as Sam dialed back home on the DHD. Daniel moved out of the way of the opening
gate as well as the MALP so that he would not be seen sniffling and sneezing in
the background of Jack's communication. It was bad enough that his condition
would be discussed in great detail. He did not need everyone working at
Stargate command watching him as well.
The fact
that Daniel already felt the need to sneeze again did not help matters. Daniel
buried his nose in the folds of the handkerchief, drawing several breaths
through the cloth. Then he pitched forward with sneezes. "ahh-EHSchhhhh! AhhhTChhhh!" He glanced around to see that the others
were waiting for him to finish before starting the transmission back to Earth.
Daniel quickly blew his nose.
The gate
was opened and Jack called over. General Hammond's voice traveled through the
radio. "Is everything all right, SG-1?"
Jack took off
his hat and ran his hand through his hair as he nodded. He addressed the
camera. "Daniel's got a bit of a bug, Sir. We're not so sure what it is or
where he picked it up but we don't want to come back before he gets checked
out, just to be safe. Think you can send somebody?"
Daniel
listened long enough to hear that they were sending a small team. Teal'c came over
to stand by his side as Daniel fought against the most recent tickling
sensation in his nose. He preferred not to sneeze while the transmission was
still going on, but it did not take long for him to lose the fight. "hahhh-hehShhhhhhh! hehhSHIHhhhhh!" He wiped his nose then lowered his handkerchief to
waist level, keeping it at the ready for the next sneezes. He looked up,
meeting Teal'c's eyes and gave a sheepish but apologetic smile. "You would
think I'd be used to sneezing in front of others by now."
Teal'c
spoke reasonably, which was quite comforting. "Whatever you have does not seem
very serious, Daniel Jackson. I am sure it will not be long before we return
home."
Daniel was
hopeful that might be the case. "If it wasn't for these military guidelines I
would be." He knew perfectly well that they were beneficial to all. It might be
devastatingly horrible to bring a virus from another world over into theirs.
"Hey. Don't
go knocking the military. You've got good healthcare," Jack said, coming over
to stand beside the two of them as the gate flushed outwards and several
Stargate medics came out wearing protective suits. "Little scary looking of
course, but good."
Daniel
sighed and looked warily at the equipment they had brought with them.
"I'm sure they
just want to check you out thoroughly here before we head back," Jack told him
with much more inflection in his voice than Teal'c but not even half as much
reassurance.
"I was
hoping you wouldn't say that," Daniel said worriedly as the team of doctors in
the bulky yellow plastic suits headed straight for him. Overwhelmed, Daniel sat
down on a nearby rock. He was shivering a bit more now that the sun was going
down and the two moons on the planet were rising.
There were
pokes and prods, blood drawn and tests preformed. They checked the other SG-1
members as well, but concentrated on Daniel. Daniel tried his best to keep his
sneezes to a minimum, especially as the doctors sat rather close and watched
him even more closely.
"HIHShhhh! hahhShuhh! hahhTchhh!" Daniel
snuffled into his handkerchief and folded it out of habit. He looked up and
watched the small beeping and whirring machines the doctors had brought with
them.
Jack sat
down on the rock beside Daniel and patted his back. Daniel leaned into the
touch, and Jack's warmth. "Shouldn't take much longer," Jack told him.
One of the
doctors came over to them just then. "Seems like you just have a cold. We can't
find any reason to keep you here. But Dr. Fraser will probably want to keep you
in the infirmary for a while just to be sure it's nothing too contagious or
dangerous. I doubt you'll even need to be in isolation."
Daniel
nodded with resolve. "I expected as much." He groaned when he stood up and
waited for them to dial back to Earth again. Resisting the urge to lean against
Jack, and not wanting to find out what would happen if he sneezed just as he
stepped through the stargate, Daniel cleared his throat and stood up straight
as he crossed through.
Thanks to
his head cold, the journey back seemed terribly draining. On the other side, in
the gateroom, Daniel felt his legs give way before he could stop them and he
would have hit the metal ramp had Sam and Jack not grabbed hold on his arms on
either side and held him up. Before he knew what was happening, he found
himself ushered through the halls and helped up onto a bed in the infirmary. "It's
just a little cold bug," he insisted as his head sunk into the comfortable
pillow.
"Nonetheless,"
Jack said, gently clapping him on the back, "You need to take it easy. Got it,
Daniel?"
Daniel
nodded and looked around at his other team members. He had seen them look
worried before, and this wasn't worried. Slightly concerned, perhaps. Even that
was not an expression he liked to see, especially as he was sure this really
was just a cold. "You all don't need to wait around for Dr. Fraser to examine
me." They departed with well wishes and Jack gave him an affectionate hair
ruffle for good measure.
Several
tests and a nap or two later, Daniel woke to find himself still in the
infirmary but with several blankets draped over him and his boots removed. He
smiled as he saw Sam heading toward him from the far end of the infirmary. He
propped himself up on an elbow and scooted back to make room for her on his bed.
Against the white beds and machines lining the walls, Sam stood out with her
blond hair and her green and black uniform.
And her
bright, comforting smile. "Hey, Daniel. You look a little better. Did you get a
good sleep?" She hopped up and sat down on the side of the bed beside him.
He nodded.
He would have preferred being in his own bed back home, but he was used to
sleep being hard to come by and he wasn't complaining about getting some. "Still
feeling rather sneezy," he admitted, rubbing at his nose. He had been given a
full box of tissues which he was ready to make good use of now. Not awake more
than a few minutes and his nose was again tickling. "And a little lonely, I
guess."
Her
expression showed that she knew he was glad to see her, but she also knew who
else he wanted to see. "Colonel O'Neill's in a meeting with Hammond at the
moment. He said he came by earlier when you were asleep and he didn't want to
wake you."
Daniel had
expected as much. Visits from his friends and being woken periodically to take
decongestants seemed to be the only things to interrupt his simply lying in an
infirmary bed for hours on end. His friends could at least have had the decency
to wake him and try to engage him in conversation. Or more, especially where
Jack was concerned.
At least he
had been awake for Sam's visit. "Well, I brought you a few books and that
tablet we found on the planet," she said, holding them up. "I don't know if you
feel up to working..." She sounded very doubtful now.
But Daniel
looked eager. He took them at once and flipped through one of the books,
wondering how she had managed to bring the few books that he had needed to work
on the translations. There was no telling how long she must have looked through
his shelves and stacks in order to locate these. "Thanks so much, Sam. I
definitely needed something to do."
She smiled
and rubbed his arm through the blankets. "I know I like keeping myself busy
when I'm not feeling so hot. I figured you might like to work on the tablet, especially
if you're stuck here."
He smiled
back appreciatively, but still reached for the tissues. He extracted several at
a time and cupped them to his face, turning away from both her and the tablet. "h'CHHH! hahhPHSHhhhh!" As though in some
sort of routine, he blew his nose and then dropped the tissues over the side of
the bed into the trashcan beside. Then he pulled a few more out so he would be
ready for the next sneezes. "Sorry."
She stroked
his arm in a way that told him she didn't mind. "Do you need anything else? I'd
be happy to pick something up for you before I headed home. Or if I can stop by
your place and get something on my way back."
"You're
going home?" he asked, sounding slightly jealous.
Sam nodded.
"Just for the night. I'll stop in and see you in the morning."
"You won't
find him here," Janet Fraser said, rounding the corner with a file in one hand
and a thermometer in the other.
Daniel's
face brightened. "You're letting me go home?"
She shook
her head. "I'm afraid you'll need to stay on the base a little while longer.
Just to be sure there aren't any complications."
He sighed.
"I was afraid you'd say that."
Janet
smiled. "Look, I'm pretty positive that this is nothing more than a cold. But there's
no reason for you to stay here. You can go crash in one of the bunk rooms if
you'd rather." Daniel sat up, eager to go. Not only were the bunks much more
familiar and comfortable, they were private. "Let me just check your
temperature once more first, all right?"
He chuckled
and nodded, relaxing again. He looked back over at Sam, who stood. "Thanks for
bringing these by, Sam. I think I've got everything I need, though."
She nodded
back. "Feel better, Daniel. Call me if you change your mind."
Daniel
waited for the beep from the thermometer Janet had stuck in his ear. Then she
checked his eyes, mouth, and nose. The latter made his nose tickle a little,
but he didn't sneeze until she'd backed away to scribble something on the
chart.
"hahSISHHHH! HIHSchhhh! Sniff!" He blew
his nose and crumpled up the tissue as he dropped it into the trashcan with the
others. He cleared his throat. "Sorry. Everything all right?"
Janet
smiled. "Apart from the obvious, yes, everything's fine. You can take off. But
stay on base, all right?"
Daniel
nodded and got up, gathering the tablet and books up as well. He swayed
unsteadily on the spot, cupping a hand to his face. "h'CHSHHHH!" He sniffled and picked up the tissue box.
"Yes, you'd
better take that as well," Janet said, nodding towards the tissue box. "I'll
make sure someone stops by to see you're taken care of."
Daniel took
off at once, sniffling and heading straight to one of rooms. Once there, he
stripped off his uniform until he was only in boxers and a white t-shirt. Then
he slipped beneath the covers. The sheets were crisp and white. The blankets
were heavy, grey, and made of wool. They made him itch, but he was used to
folding the sheet over the top so he wouldn't touch the blankets themselves. And
while Daniel was anxious to get started on the translations, he barely had
enough time to take his glasses off and set them on top of the books on the
floor beside the bunk before he fell back to sleep.
It was Jack
who came in to see him the next day. He brought with him a bottle of juice and
a box of tissues. He raised an eyebrow and cocked his head a little to see
Daniel lounging in bed with books spread out across it. "This is you taking it
easy?"
Daniel held
up a book which seemed to be one of the thinner ones. "Just some light
translating work. You don't see me in my office, do you?"
"Guess
not," said Jack, chuckling. "But this wouldn't be the first time I've found you
working in bed. This translation is hardly crucial, and I can think of better
things for you to be doing right now. Like going home and getting some rest." Jack
sat down on the side of the bed and brushed his hand against Daniel's cheek,
then ran his hand through Daniel's hair. "I stopped by Doc Fraser's. She said
you're fine to leave the base."
Daniel's
face brightened again. "Oh, how I was looking forward to hearing that!"
Jack smiled
back. "Though, ah, you might need some supervision. Just to be sure there are
no complications, you know."
Quickly, Daniel
closed his book. "Well that sounds like a good idea. I could probably use some
help getting home anyway. I can't manage to go five minutes without sneezing."
Jack's
eyebrows rose again. "Really?" He glanced at his watch. "Because I've been here
nearly that long and--"
"hahh... hahhhTShhhhh! hahSIHSHHH!" Daniel
blew his nose in a way that easily proved his point.
"Got it," Jack
said with a nod. "And bless you." Then he motioned for Daniel to get up. It
took a few moments for Daniel to get up and about. Jack returned the tablet and
books to Daniel's office and returned with clothes from Daniel's locker. By the
time he'd pulled on the black turtleneck and green pants Daniel was feeling a
bit more awake and steady on his feet. He still felt a bit sneezy, though, and
took with him what was left of the box of tissues from the infirmary as well as
the box Jack had brought. Both the tissues and the juice turned out to be nice
comforts on the drive home.
Though he
was not feverish, Daniel was tired. And while he was awake and aware of going
from the base over to his apartment, it all seemed like a series of hazy
events. From the car ride to the walk up the several flights to showering and changing
into pajamas before climbing into his bed.
It, too,
felt familiar but was infinitely more comfortable than the standard bunk had
been. The sheets were blue cotton and soft to the touch. The blankets were
light but thick. He curled up on his side at once and felt them being tucked
around him. Then the bed dipped behind him and he knew Jack had sat down upon
it. "Jack," he whispered softly.
Jack slid
up behind Daniel and wrapped an arm around him over the blankets. "Shhh,
Danny-boy. SG-1's got an unscheduled leave of absence until you get better and
I intended to..." and he emphasized this part, "enjoy the opportunity fully."
Daniel
turned his head, smiling rather slyly back at Jack. "Oh yeah?"
Grinning,
Jack started to nod. But he stopped when he saw Daniel needed to sneeze again.
Daniel turned his head and cupped his hand to his nose and mouth. "hahhShuhhh! hahhChihhhhhh! Shishhhhh! Uhhh..."
he sighed.
Jack
reached over and dropped a box of tissues in front of Daniel in bed. "Yeah. But
I think some things will have to wait until you stop sneezing." Still reaching
over Daniel in bed, he pulled out several tissues and eased them into Daniel's
hand.
Wishing he
hadn't ruined the moment, Daniel rubbed at his nose and snuffled into the
tissues. But he felt Jack hugging him from behind, and felt Jack's hand running
through his hair. Daniel sighed appreciatively. "So you're going to stick
around and wait for my cold to pass?"
Jack nodded
and eased Daniel's glasses off with one hand. With care, he folded them and
placed them on the nightstand. Then he continued to run his fingers through the
soft brown hair. "I'm not going anywhere."
Daniel
continued to smile as he closed his eyes. "I was really hoping you would say
that."