Archive of Our Own ^beta

Fic: Coming Home

"Becoming A Team" was written for the Jack & Sam Friends Ficathon held over on LiveJournal in April 2009. I stated literally that "at some point a more flushed out version with more Dannywhumping will also be posted and good times will be had by all." And so, exactly one year to the day I posted "Becoming a Team", I present "Coming Home". This is also presented for fignewton's Gen Fic Day, April 2010.

Title: Coming Home
Author: samantilles
Rating: PG
Fandom: Stargate: SG-1
Spoilers: Everything up to 1x12 Fire and Water
Category: Episode Tag, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort
Prompt: For "Becoming a Team": Decompression, provided by paian
Word Count: 6143
Beta: many many thanks to three amazing betas, the first to aurora_novarum who literally read over this fic at least a dozen times over the course of the past couple of months; eilidh17 for being my soundboard not only for "Becoming a Team" but also for how I wanted to write this fic, and to ancientmuse for going over it one last time with a fine tooth comb to find all the horrible grammatical and spelling mistakes I still didn't find after the thirtieth revision.

Part 1: The Return

A quick smile brightened General Hammond's face when Walter announced SG-1's IDC code. He patted the gate tech's shoulder as he turned towards the stairs, briskly descending to the embarkation room. He had just entered through the blast door when Captain Carter and Teal'c emerged from the Stargate, followed by Colonel O'Neill and a very wet Daniel Jackson. Jack's hand was gently guiding Daniel down the ramp, seemingly eager not to let him go at any cost.

"Welcome back, Dr. Jackson. The last time you returned from the dead, I wasn't as thrilled to see you, but now... well, we are definitely glad to have you back, son!" Hammond held out his hand for a firm handshake, but once he had Daniel's hand in his, he tugged to embrace him and patted him on the back.

"Thank you, sir, I'm glad to be back." Daniel gave a genuine smile to Hammond after breaking free from the hug.

"I'm sure you're aware you're wanted in the infirmary, ASAP?" George grimaced as his uniform now sported a wet imprint of the archaeologist.

Daniel winced at the mess he left on General Hammond, and for a moment he raised his hand to swipe clean what he could off the commanding officer's uniform before he thought better of it. "Yeah. Figured as much. Thank you, sir."

"I'm just going to, uh, make sure he gets into the clutches of Doc Fraiser." Jack twisted Daniel by the shoulders towards the door and led him out of the embarkation room.

Hammond couldn't help but smile when he saw Daniel turn back and wave to his teammates after he waylaid Sam and Teal'c for an initial briefing. Jack gave him a firm push down the hallway to the elevators.

Daniel stopped Jack in his tracks after he passed the third airman who saluted them along a single corridor. "Jack, I thought you didn't salute superior officers indoors?"

Jack chuckled. "No, they don't salute indoors normally, but they're not saluting me, Daniel." Jack gave a gentle shove to keep Daniel moving.

Daniel looked at him quizzically for a moment before he widened his eyes and reddened in embarrassment. Suddenly it hit him what Sam had told him back on 987: they had held a memorial service for him with full military honors. Jack just continued to nudge him again down the hall.

Part 2: The Infirmary

It took every ounce of his depleting energy to get there, but damned if he would make Jack have to drag him unconscious to the infirmary. Two more airmen saluted him along the way and Daniel stopped to thank them. He was greeted at the main door by Nurse Johnson, who, despite her petite size, easily maintained an air of control and domination in the infirmary. Daniel had no doubts she was Janet Fraiser's protégé. She stopped Daniel at the doorway.

"Dr. Fraiser is on her way in, approximately forty-five minutes out, Dr. Jackson." She held a pair of scrubs tightly against her abdomen.

"Forty-five minutes?" Daniel cried out. "I don't suppose there's any way I can simply get a quick checkup, go home, and sleep in my own very comfortable bed?" He gave Nurse Johnson a pleadingly hopeful look, which withered away under the glare he got in return.

"I don't think so, Dr. Jackson. Dr. Fraiser's already ordered you to remain for overnight observation. The bed to the left has already been assigned to you, and I assure you once you're asleep it'll feel just as comfortable." Nurse Johnson gave a smart grin back.

Until now, Jack's input into the conversation had been noticeably nil. "Don't even think about getting out of this, Daniel. We held a memorial service for you. Did you really think you'd get off that easy?" Jack seemed to hover behind him, as if Daniel would disappear again if he didn't. "So, just do as Nurse Johnson says; hop up on the bed and let the torture begin." Daniel turned just in time to see Jack's signature smirk as he gave his own defeated face. He took two steps toward the bed, and Nurse Johnson stopped him in his tracks.

"You're not welcome in here smelling like that, Dr. Jackson. Showers are down the hall to your right." She pointed and waved her finger behind Jack, before throwing her arms out with the scrubs.

"I get to take a shower before my exam?" Daniel's voice suddenly sounded a little less defeated and a bit more hopeful. He hadn't realized how much he needed a shower; sleep had been his primary goal until now.

Nurse Johnson stared at him for a moment, her arms still holding a folded set of scrubs out towards him. "Are you breathing?"

Daniel wasn't sure how to answer this. "Um, yeah."

"Good, you've got a pulse, right?" Daniel slowly nodded in response. "Well, now that we've established you're alive, it might help us all out if you smell like it too."

Not sure how to take the brutal honesty, Daniel just accepted the scrubs and padded away towards the shower, shaking his head slightly as he reviewed the conversation in his head. A huge grin spread across his face when he heard Nurse Johnson again. "What do you think you're smiling about, Colonel? Dr. Fraiser also told me to remind you that she'll be conducting the post-mission physicals for your team just as soon as she sees to Dr. Jackson. Have your team ready in an hour." He also heard a clear "Welcome Back, Dr. Jackson!" from the sharp-witted nurse as he turned the corner into the shower.

Clean, warm, and exhausted twenty minutes later, Daniel returned and plopped down on the assigned bed, falling to his side and sighing contentedly as his head hit the pillow. Scrubbing his cheek across the cool pillow he remembered thinking what he wouldn't have given for a pillow on Oannes. He was nearly asleep when Nurse Johnson joined him at his bedside and started taking his vital signs.

"Better?" Her voice had changed from sarcastic to gentle. Daniel slid his eyes closed as he twisted the rest of his body on the bed, quietly nodding his head in response. She efficiently took his vitals while he laid the crook of his left arm over his eyes to shelter them from the intense fluorescent light above him. He was out for the count before she finished taking his blood pressure, still on top of the bed covers snoring quietly.

Daniel woke to the movement of his arm being shifted from over his eyes down to his side. He gazed back blearily to see Janet at his side. "Why, hello, Dr. Jackson. I'm pleased to see you in my infirmary." She gave him a large smile and placed his glasses in his hand. "However, I won't feel better until I've examined you, and for that I need you somewhat conscious, okay?" Her tone was soft. "You can go right back to sleep after you answer a couple of questions." Daniel smacked his lips and nodded, getting his elbows underneath of him as Janet raised the bed a bit. He slipped on his glasses and resettled himself in a reclining position.

"Sorry you had to come in on your day off, Dr. Fraiser. I really wouldn't have minded if this could have waited for a day or two, or a week..." his voice died out petulantly. Janet began by palpitating his neck, checking not only for a Goa'uld infiltration site, but also the usual suspects of illness and disease.

"No apology required, Dr. Jackson. I was the doctor on call for Captain Carter, Colonel O'Neill, and Mr. Teal'c, so I'm the expert on what to expect coming back from that planet."

"What do you mean, what to expect?" Daniel stared at her.

"All three experienced photosensitivity, for instance, probably due to the environment. Did you have a chance to sleep while you were captive?" she asked nonchalantly as she flashed the penlight in his eyes. He slammed his eyes shut and shook his head, purple spots still visible behind his closed lids. "How about eating and water intake?"

He slowly opened up his eyes, adjusting to the light again. "Not really, Nem's water and food needs were far different from mine. I did have some protein bars from my tac vest that lasted the first couple of days."

"So, what you're telling me is that I don't even need to run a blood sugar test to tell me you've got dangerously low levels and you're dehydrated, right? I don't suppose you're up to eating anything right now, are you?"

Daniel just shook his head and closed his eyes. "I'm a bit nauseous and dizzy, but I just need a good six or seven hours of uninterrupted sleep and I'll be fine, really."

"How about a compromise: I let you sleep, you let me put in a glucose and saline IV drip? Everything else can wait until tomorrow." Daniel responded by holding his arm up for Janet to poke as she pleased and closed his eyes once more. She deftly inserted the catheter and set the flow of the solutions after poking him on his finger. She still wanted the blood sugar count, not just his word on it. She relinquished his arm, which he unceremoniously plopped on his chest and sighed happily as she turned out the overhead light.

Part 3: The Discovery

It was Hammond's Texan drawl that drew him out from his dream state. Even in a low tone, the man's voice carried paternal authority. Daniel woke up on his side, curled slightly. If he wasn't in need of a drink of water, he would have simply shut his eyes again. He lifted his head, shifted onto one elbow, and groaned as the stiff arm collapsed beneath him, the shooting pain of pins and needles radiating from his forearm. The elicited groan attracted Janet's attention away from General Hammond.

"Good morning, Dr. Jackson!" Janet's pumps clicked in rapid pace as she quickly crossed the room to his bedside. "Sleep well, I presume?" Daniel nodded into his pillow, closing his eyes. "Oh, I don't think so, mister. We had a deal. You owe me a thorough examination. You've already slept a good ten hours and you need to eat." Janet couldn't help but smile devilishly at him. He sighed, but then pulled himself up into a sitting position on the bed. Janet excused herself to grab the necessary supplies, allowing General Hammond to join Daniel for a moment.

"Good to see you awake, son. I trust a shower and a good night's sleep has done wonders?" He reached out to shake Daniel's hand.

"Thank you, sir, and yes indeed they have. I'm beginning to feel slightly human again." He cracked a weak chuckle and an awkward smile, as he took General Hammond's hand and shook it.

Daniel looked around for the ever present pitcher of water that was usually right near the bed, but couldn't find one. He was caught off guard when Hammond asked, "Can I get you anything?"

Embarrassed about asking his boss for a glass of water, Daniel shook his head, but smiled gratefully when the general nonetheless handed him a fresh cup of water from a table just outside the cubicle curtain.

"Now, normally I wouldn't worry about this, but as you're the only one who knows what exactly happened on that planet-"

"I'll write you a detailed report, sir, as soon as I'm released from the infirmary."

"Very well, son. Captain Carter and Teal'c briefed me about your release from the sea creature. I'm sure your report on the intervening time will be interesting. We'll schedule a formal debriefing after I've had a chance to review it. SG-1 is on stand down for the next four days. Rest well, Dr. Jackson." Hammond patted Daniel on the shoulder before walking out of the infirmary just as Janet returned with a rolling cart with what seemed to be a heaping amount of mashed potatoes and something vaguely brownish.

Janet was efficient in her examination. Daniel's exhaustion returned as he answered many of her "does this hurt?" questions, in response to her proddings and pokes, with little more than affirmative grunts and negative moans. He hissed loudly when she pushed his knee up against his chest as she checked his flexibility. "Did that hurt?" She gently returned his leg to the bed.

"I think my knee was still asleep." Daniel grimaced as he stretched out his leg a little bit.

"Pins and needles?" Janet very tenderly massaged around the knee as Daniel hissed again. "Any other pain?"

"Shoulders, elbows a bit. I think I strained some muscles swimming to the surface." He tensed his shoulders a bit to test the pain and shifted to a more comfortable position on the bed.

She responded by pinching the top of his left shoulder and eliciting an "ow" from Daniel. "Okay, then. Lets get this scrub top off and take a closer look, shall we?" Daniel's shirt was stripped from him in a flash and he was still reeling from the removal when he heard a startled "oh!" from Janet. He looked down to his shoulder and noticed a mottled bruise covering it.

Wincing in confusion, Daniel mumbled, "That wasn't there yesterday."

Janet looked at him for a moment. "You don't recall how you received these bruises?" With a shake of Daniel's head, she grazed her fingers over the skin for a moment. "Daniel, you said you swam to the shore?" He nodded his head in reply. "So-"

"Nem's lab was in a cave on the sea floor. It wasn't too far from the shoreline; the shallow shelf gave way to a deeper bed about fifty feet from the water's edge."

"How deep down was the lab?" Janet asked cautiously.

"About a hundred feet or so." Daniel noticed a quick flash of fear in Janet's face and began to wonder. "Why?"

Janet shifted her gaze from his shoulder right to his face. "You swam directly up to the surface?"

"Yes. Janet?" Daniel's voice belied his confusion as he watched her briskly whip around the curtain and down the hall. "I'll be back in a few minutes, Daniel" she stated loudly as she walked away.

Nurse Johnson's entrance startled an already slightly frightened Daniel, causing him to flinch as the curtain was pulled back. "Good morning, Dr. Jackson! Feeling any better?" She produced a wide smile.

"Um, not really. Have you seen Dr. Fraiser in the past few minutes? She just up and left." He weakly moved his forearm to point towards Janet's office.

"Ah yes, as a matter of fact, she did comment that she left you in a hurry. I'm sure Dr. Fraiser didn't mean anything by it. She informed me you are to get some rest. Do you need anything to help you accomplish that goal, Dr. Jackson?" He shook his head to reject the sedative and pulled his glasses off, handing them to Nurse Johnson. She placed them on the bedside table and adjusted his bed to a more horizontal position. "Need anything before I go?"

"No, thank you." Daniel closed his eyes and smiled in response as she pulled his blanket up further.

"Yes, Greg. Pain in the joints, shoulders and knees, mottling of skin around the shoulders." She paused for a moment, the phone glued to her ear. "One hundred feet, he guessed." She scribbled a note on Daniel's medical chart. "That's what I thought. How soon can I get him in? Right away? We'll be there in an hour!" Janet quickly hung up the phone.

Cheryl Johnson walked into the CMO's office, immediately noting the concerned look on her boss's face. "Dr. Fraiser, is there a problem?"

Janet looked up from her desk as she was caught off guard by her nurse. "Cheryl! We have to take Dr. Jackson to Memorial Hospital. Can you please prep him for transport?"

"Memorial? Why does he have to go there?"

"It's the only hospital with a hyperbaric chamber. Dr. Jackson has come down with decompression sickness."

Cheryl was taken aback for only a moment before training kicked in. She quickly returned to Daniel's bedside to find him snoring and quietly prepared him for transport, trying not to wake him.

Daniel jumped awake as his gurney was pushed unsuccessfully into the ambulance. "What the...!" He stopped talking to take in the scene. Janet was already in the ambulance holding his IV bag over her shoulder.

"It's okay Dr. Jackson! We're just going for a ride! I tried waking you before we moved out, but you were sleeping like the dead." She beamed down a smile at him.

"What's going on?" Daniel was clearly confused and straining against the belts that kept him tethered to the gurney.

"We're taking you to Memorial Hospital on the other side of town. I think you developed decompression sickness." Janet finished hanging the IV bag to a hook in the compartment.

"Huh?"

"Decompression sickness. It's when nitrogen bubbles form in your bloodstream because of a massive change in pressure of the air in your body as compared to the pressure of the environment. You swam to the surface too quickly to allow your body to absorb the nitrogen. Memorial has a hyperbaric chamber, which will put you back at a higher pressure and slowly relieve it and allow your body to reabsorb the nitrogen like it was supposed to the first time." Daniel was reassured by Janet's soft tone and the gentle rubbing of his arm.

"Is it serious?"

She shook her head. "It is easily treatable with the right technology within the first twenty-four hours. You have nothing to worry about, Daniel." She smiled at him and he closed his eyes, breathing deeply.

"The best part is that you don't have to do a thing, just lay back and let the chamber do its job. Chances are you won't feel discomfort at all with the exception of a bit of sinus and ear pressure like when you are in an airplane. I am going to give you a light sedative though. The procedure takes several hours and I really want you to rest. Okay?"

Daniel nodded his head and tried to relax as Janet plunged a sedative into Daniel's IV. "Captain Carter and Colonel O'Neill are planning to meet us at Memorial so they can keep you company. I had to kick your team out of the infirmary a couple of times while you were sleeping so they wouldn't wake you. Teal'c isn't allowed off base yet, otherwise I'm sure he'd join them as well."

"That's great," Daniel yawned as he allowed the sedative to take him away.

Part 4: The Chamber

The sound of laughter woke Daniel from his nap in the decompression chamber. He lifted his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose and addressed the two loudmouths. "Hey, if I can hear you in here, you're way too loud! I'm trying to sleep!" His quiet and sleepy voice still expressed enough annoyance to guilt Jack and Sam. He could sense them approach the chamber before opening his eyes. Jack drummed his fingers on the glass while Sam clicked on the speaker to talk to him.

"Sorry about that. How you feeling?" Sam asked with a warm smile. "The tech went on his lunch break, he'll be back shortly."

Daniel yawned verbally before closing his eyes. "Tired. Headache. How much longer?"

"Um, another hour? I think Janet set you for a four-hour dive. You want me to turn on the TV or something for you?" Daniel didn't need to look at her to see the concerned expression on her face.

Daniel shook his head, his eyes still closed. "No, I'm good. You could ask Jack to stop with the tapping, it's beating in time with my headache."

Daniel thanked his lucky stars when Jack's hand stopped tapping. Knowing Jack, it was frozen above the glass, just itching to start drummingagain. "Hey, you should be happy you got off so light there, Daniel. You've also won yourself a set of diving lessons. Didn't they teach you not to swim straight up to the surface in archaeology school?" Jack issued a devious grin when Daniel opened his eyes to glare at him.

"Last I checked, most archaeologists dig in dirt, not water. It's not like I was searching for the lost city of Atlantis, Jack. But I'll let you know if I'm lacking any particular skills I might need when I go searching for mythological lost cities." Daniel's hand went back to pinching his nose while the other palmed against his ear, rubbing it with frustration. The pressure in his ears and his sinuses magnified the intensity of the migraine growing behind his right eye.

"Go back to sleep, Daniel." That was one order Daniel was willing to follow. He knew he would sleep better in the dark but his request to have the lights turned down would never be agreed to while he had an audience. He'd never give up this audience for anything in the world though, except perhaps for Sha're. His heart had jumped for joy seeing his team on the shore for him after he had started to give up hope of ever leaving the lab. They were his team. He pressed his eyes closed and breathed in the oxygenated air deeply before succumbing to sleep.

Part 5: The Interrogation

Daniel shuffled around the side of his bed and attempted to detangle himself and his IVs before his trip to the infirmary's restroom would no longer be necessary. He woke up more awake and alert than he had since returning from Oannes only the day before yesterday. With a final gentle yank, the IV line came free from a snag along the bed frame and Daniel smiled. Just then the curtain around his bed snapped open and his smile disappeared with the clearing of Janet's throat. "Leaving me so soon?"

"I just need to, uh, um--" Daniel pointed repeatedly at the bathroom door.

"Ah." Janet smiled in recognition. "When you get back, I'll take out that IV." Daniel gave her a quick thumbs up as wheeled the pole at breakneck speeds across the infirmary bay.

Minutes later Daniel reappeared at his bedside and took a seat next to where Janet stood. She took the proffered arm and quickly took out both IVs. "Feeling better this morning?"

Daniel nodded with a bit of a smile. "Ready to go home and relax!"

Janet smiled. "Not quite yet. The decompression illness curtailed your post-mission physical. I've still got a few questions to ask before I can release you. I need a general account of your captivity, such as what the sea creature did and how he treated you, so that we're sure we aren't missing anything." She waved the penlight in his eyes, carefully watching as they contracted and expanded. He winced but forced his eyes to stay open for Janet. "I see you're not as photosensitive as you were when you first arrived, which is good. Now, while you were held captive, can you tell me--"

"Nem thought I knew about his mate, Omoroca, which was why he took me captive in the first place. He refused to let me go until I told him what happened to her, but he seemed determined to keep me alive."

"He treated you humanely while you were captive? You came in here with very low blood sugar; you were dehydrated and exhausted, Daniel. It didn't seem as if he was trying to keep you alive."

"Most of that was as much my fault as his, Janet. He offered what he could for food, which was, to be honest, something I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. The smell of creamed sea animals did nothing for my appetite. I was thankful I loaded my tac vest with a few protein bars that morning." Daniel smiled and gave a nasally laugh that sounded just a bit like a snort. "I hate to think what would have happened if I wasn't able to give him the information."

"You were gone for nearly a week, Daniel. What methods did he use to finally coerce you into giving him the information? Did he do anything to physically harm you?" Janet gave a confused and worried look to Daniel. He looked away from her slightly, gazing down the hallway instead.

"Nothing like that, Janet, I promise. He didn't break me. I didn't know the information at first. I needed assistance remembering."

Janet stared at him, her face displaying her horrified shock. "What do you mean, assistance? He used that machine on you too, didn't he?" Her panicked voice betrayed her years of training to remain calm while with a patient.

"You know about that?" Daniel's face showed surprise at her revelation. "How do you know about the machine?"

"Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?" She took a quick scan around the room, waving over an orderly.

Daniel shrugged his still sore shoulders. "By the time I got back to base, the headache was gone." Before he knew it, Daniel was manhandled onto a gurney that quickly appeared at his bedside. "Janet?" His voice belied the fact that Janet's frantic movements and reaction were scaring him a bit.

She didn't seem to hear him over her shouting to the orderlies to take Daniel to the MRI and what sounded like another ten hours of testing. He huffed in frustration, throwing his body back against the gurney with a solid thud as he was wheeled away.

"Well, Daniel, your MRI and CAT scans came out clean," Janet stated as she closed the curtain around Daniel's bed. He was sitting up on the side of the bed, already dressed in civilian clothes Sam had been kind enough to bring over the first night he was in the infirmary. Janet stared at his blue checkered shirt and gave him a questioning look. "Who said you'd be able to leave?"

Daniel stood his ground. "I feel fine, Dr. Fraiser, really. I just want to go home. And you just said everything came out okay."

"Why didn't you tell me about the machine?" She glared at Daniel.

"I didn't have a chance to, and when I did, I didn't think anything of it. Yes, Nem said it could damage me, but the headache went away before I gated back here."

"He told you it could damage you!?" Janet's face was furious, and there was not a soul in the infirmary and the three corridors nearby that didn't hear it.

"Well, um, yes, he did, but--" Daniel's slumped posture gave away the fact that he knew he was losing the battle.

"You knew about the dangers, and you did it anyway? What were you thinking!? That machine could have killed you!"

Taken aback by the vigor of her speech, Daniel paused before answering. "How did you know about the machine, Janet?"

Janet was then taken aback herself, forced to silently compose her answer before speaking. "You weren't the only one subjected to that machine, Daniel."

"Huh?" Daniel sat straight up in the bed, looking at Janet with a puzzled expression.

But Janet was not forthcoming. "I mean, you should talk to your teammates, Dr. Jackson. You're free to go."

Daniel looked worriedly at Dr. Fraiser. "But they're okay, right?''

She gave him a modest smile. "Talk with them, Daniel. Remember that they lost a teammate last week.''

He looked away, his eyes unfocused as he thought about her words. "Oh." He frantically looked about him, gathering his things, making haste to leave.

The moment he jumped off the bed, she held up a finger. "But, before you go, you should know that just because you feel okay doesn't mean that something isn't wrong. I want you back here the instant you feel anything unusual, or if you are in pain." She glared at him, and suddenly he realized that he should never cross Dr. Fraiser. "I believe General Hammond will be expecting a debrief with you as soon as possible. I'll let him know that you are relieved of duty for a week on medical stand-down."

"Thanks, Janet." He held out his arm to shake her hand and smiled genuinely before he was shooed out of her infirmary.

Part 6: The Aftermath

Daniel found his team in the commissary, claiming a table for lunch. He was stunned when he was applauded by the entire room upon arrival, smiling meekly and waving. He refocused his attention on his teammates now in line, and joined in behind Sam.

"This will die down, won't it?" He whispered.

Sam turned and gave him a radiant smile. "Sure it will, Daniel, but you coming back is a huge morale booster. It might take a few days for us to recover from, um, you being dead." She nudged her shoulder against his.

Teal'c and Jack had long since started digging into their meals while Daniel and Sam pondered and debated on the merits of jello for dessert. "Sam, I'm telling you, dessert needs to be filling and rich--that final satisfaction. Jello just doesn't do it for me."

She smirked and rolled her eyes at him before facing the soda machine. "Seriously, Daniel, I don't know how you've kept in shape with those desserts!" She grabbed a glass and fumbled it under the Sprite after swearing under her breath that the diet fountain had a yellow post-it note on it indicating it was out of order.

Daniel noticed the sudden death of conversation as he finished filling his mug of coffee. As he turned to face Sam, he watched her momentarily staring into the overflowing glass, seemingly entranced by it.

"Sam?" When no response came, he raised an hand to her shoulder. "Sam?"

She shuddered and gasped audibly as she blinked back into awareness, but her face revealed shock as she took in Daniel next to her.

"Sam!" Daniel took her by both arms, shaking her gently. His plea caught Teal'c's attention, who in turn caught Jack's. She shuddered again, shaking her head back and forth before meekly apologizing without meeting Daniel's gaze.

Teal'c and Jack surrounded the pair in seconds. "What's going on here? What just happened?" Daniel's voice betrayed his worry, meeting two pairs of sympathetic eyes looking at Sam. "Guys?"

"We have not yet fully recovered from the false memory the sea creature known as Nem implanted in our minds to convince us you were dead, Daniel Jackson. It is extremely unpleasant." Teal'c raised his eyebrow and stared at Daniel.

Daniel in turn stared at all three of them. Jack comforted Sam with an arm over her shoulder, rubbing her arm gently as she took a deep breath. "Nem told me he made you think I was, um, lost to you so you wouldn't come after me, but he didn't go into specifics. What was the false memory?

Jack seemed edgy, almost angry, as he peered around the room. "We'll talk about it back at your office. Take your lunch with you, we'll be there shortly." Jack's voice was suddenly curt, which surprised Daniel. He started to follow his team out of the commissary, each carrying their trays, but he quickly turned back and grabbed two slices of pie when his stomach growled loudly. He politely smiled at the commissary lady, who then whistled and proffered a fresh scoop of ice cream. Daniel broke out in a huge smile and licked his lips as the ball of ice cream landed on the plate. He eagerly thanked the lady.

"Oh, anything for you, sugar! Welcome back!" The commissary lady waved happily. Daniel took a big bite of the ice cream and then saluted her with his spoon as he hurried out of the commissary.

"Jack, why were you so angry in the commissary?" Daniel posed the question before he was fully in the door. Jack turned around to face him and immediately saw the baked goods on his tray.

"Oh! Pie!" Jack moved with fast reflexes towards one of the warm gooey desserts on Daniel's tray.

Daniel whipped the tray away from Jack's reach. "Jack!"

"What?" Jack continued to spy the tray. "Is that ice cream? Where'd you get that?"

"The commissary lady gave it to me." Daniel drew the tray as close to his body as he could, protecting his treasure. "But that's beside the point. You didn't answer my question."

"I never get ice cream! Why not?"

"Jack!"

"What?" Jack replied innocently, shrugging his shoulders.

"I believe O'Neill did not feel comfortable talking about his feelings in front of witnesses, Daniel Jackson, for fear of losing his reputation of being a hard buttock." Teal'c's face was as unemotional as always.

Sam immediately choked on her drink from behind Daniel's lab table. "Hardass, Tealc."

Jack took the opportunity to steal one of Daniel's slices of pie off his tray. He took the slice in his hand and shoved the tip in his mouth before Daniel realized what had happened. "Jack! Who said that one was for you?"

"Of course it's for me! What are you going to do with more than one slice of pie, Daniel?" Jack finished off his pie in two more bites.

"I'm the one who didn't eat for a week while stuck in an undersea lab! Janet said I've got to eat!"

"I think Janet had protein in mind, maybe a salad, Daniel, not half a pie." Sam responded with a grin.

Daniel held up the pie with the last bit of ice cream and roughly spooned up a chunk. "What she doesn't know can't hurt her." He relished the last bit. He enjoyed this camaraderie in silence for several moments while his pie digested.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing here, trying to distract me with pie stealing to change the subject." He had to admit it worked for a few minutes.

"Ah". There was a pregnant silence and all exchange looks. Daniel almost thought he'd get no answer when Jack spoke up. "Fire and water, Daniel. You were caught in a fire; we watched you burn to death. But there were also bubbles of water around you, like you were drowning before you burned." Jack stared at Daniel, his brown eyes piercing. "We felt the heat of the fire, Daniel, we felt the damn heat on our skin, and we jumped into the water to save ourselves--" Jack looked down, "or so we thought."

Daniel looked puzzled. "But I'm back now, I'm right here."

"Our minds know two realities, the real one, where you are alive and well Daniel Jackson, and the one Nem created, where we watched you die." Teal'c's voice was soft. "It may take us several of your months to fully recover from the memory device."

Daniel stood in shock. "How often has this happened to you? What exactly did happen?"

"Flashbacks." Jack gave him a dead stare when answering. Daniel pensively stared back at him. "Broke a window after I got one while pouring a beer."

Daniel's eyebrows arched widely up his forehead. "What else don't I know about?"

Jack lowered his gaze and shook his head. "That's it, really, just flashbacks. Like Sam said, it'll take a couple of days for us to recover from you being dead."

Daniel peered at Jack, trying to read his friend's face. "Nothing else?"

Jack smiled, "Well, now that you mention it, I did spend over four hours in total boredom at Memorial with you. I'm never going to get that time back."

Daniel cracked a small, bashful smile as Jack swept his hand over Daniel's shoulder. "You know, I did mention something to Carter about having a get together. As it turns out, we didn't know a whole lot about you, and at the rate we're going, between you and Nem and me and Argos, we might as a team need to know some stuff. What do you think of the idea? A nice, morbid conversation over pizza and beer?"

Teal'c's eyebrow rose at the suggestion.

"Um, Jack, Teal'c doesn't drink beer, and I don't do morbid really well, and, uh, you don't do nice," Daniel casually pointed out.

"Cute, Daniel, very cute. Look, maybe now isn't the best time with all the--," Jack waved his hand next to his head, "--flashbacks and stuff, but promise me we'll do it soon, okay? Carter, that goes for you and Teal'c also. This is a team thing." He glanced at his two other teammates, receiving the expected affirmations. "Do you think the commissary lady would give me some ice cream, too?"

____spacer____