|
Suggested
Rating: for young
adult and older readers
Category: alternate universe, angst, drama,
Daniel/Janet friendship and romance
Setting: Season 8
Synopsis: The arrival of a visitor from a parallel
universe provides opportunity for Daniel to pay back what he felt was owed to
a friend – but what happens if he actually follows through?
Spoiler
Warning: Includes
projected situations for season 8, some based on revealed season 8 spoilers on Gateworld as of April
2004.
Author’s
Comments:
There’ve been rumors that Brad Wright may be penning an AU story
for season 8. Of course,
Daniel/Janet fans are hoping against all odds that this particular story just
might bring back our favorite doctor, but the idea got me thinking…
what could be a plausible scenario for Janet to really show up again in
season 8? This story is the
result of that musing. As for how
plausible it really is… well, you’ll have to decide. Oh, and I’ll warn you up front
that the medical scenario I create for this story is a little bit “out
there” – I confess to not having any detailed medical
knowledge. Realizing that what I
came up with may be entirely unrealistic, I apologize to those of you who may
be doctors or nurses. Just
willingly suspend your disbelief as much as you can. <g> Thanks to Glenda for what
little bit of medical know-how she shared with me. And thanks, as always, to my friend
and beta reader Sonia, for helping me to make this even better than it would
have been!
DISCLAIMER: All
publicly recognizable characters and places (the Stargate SG-1 stuff)
are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created
for entertainment only and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was
intended. Previously unrecognized
characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living
or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the
author.
CHOICES
- by Michelle
Lunsford (June 2004)
Colonel
Samantha Carter looked at the shimmering event horizon where her friends had
just stepped through. It had been
a few months since she’d taken command of SG-1 but she still
hadn’t adjusted to the feel
of it. Making her way up the
steps toward the platform she wondered if she’d ever completely
adjust. It had been one thing to
be responsible for her part as a member of the team and even to take charge
from time to time – but to regularly lead that team was something entirely
different. Now she felt
personally responsible for aspects she’d never considered before. What was she leading her team into
with this new mission? Would they
gain any real value from this expedition? Were those under her command still
finding fulfillment in their role now that she had taken charge?
Sighing
to herself, Carter strode through the Stargate, her body becoming immediately
transferred into energy. Within
the same instant she was transferred back into matter again, and then stepped
through the other side onto a stone platform. Automatically her eyes began scanning
the surroundings. Continuing to
survey the room she descended the hewn steps and, with a distinctive sucking
sound, the wormhole disengaged behind her.
“It
appears to be just as the MALP relay displayed,” Teal’c said, his
calm monotone echoing in the large chamber as Carter moved up beside him.
She
glanced around again, squinting at the beams of sunlight that shone from
windows cut at regular intervals along the walls. ‘Yes,’ she thought with
some disappointment, ‘just as the MALP had shown – one huge and
very empty chamber.’
“Well,”
she muttered under her breath, “so much for the possibility of this developing into an interesting morning.”
“This
is amazing!” Daniel’s
voice, full of excitement, sounded from somewhere behind her.
Carter
turned and caught a glimpse of Teal’c’s arched eyebrow
response. Smiling to herself at
the Jaffa’s
customary amusement regarding Daniel’s enthusiasm, she looked around
and spotted the archaeologist farther into the chamber. He was inspecting the walls, video
camera in hand. Her curiosity
engaged now, she walked over to see what had garnered his attention.
“What
is it?”
“A
mixture of symbols.”
Daniel’s eyes never strayed from the stone walls as he rapidly
rattled on, “There’s Ancient, Asgard, and I think this,” he
pointed to a mass of script that was unfamiliar to her, “may be some
text from the Furlings.”
“Is
it anything like what we encountered on Ernest’s planet?” Carter asked, her voice softening slightly as she recalled the
reunion of Ernest and Catherine that had resulted from that mission.
“You
mean that ‘meaning of life stuff’?” Daniel quipped, the
hint of a grin pulling at the corner of his mouth. “I’ll have to work on the translations
back at the base, but just at first glance I’d have to say this is
something different.”
Carter
nodded, not entirely certain what to make of that. “Well, record as much as you
can. Teal’c and I are going
to have a look around.”
She
rejoined the Jaffa
and they began a systematic search of the chamber. The entire place was constructed of
stone, the walls rising at least 16 or 17 feet above them. The windows Carter had noticed earlier
appeared to be the only source of light, although there were a few odd shaped
structures spaced throughout that looked as if they had once served as
torches. The Stargate sat near
one end, but there appeared to be no other entrance or exit to the room.
The
chamber was roughly rectangular in shape, with the two long walls being the
only source of the writings that so enthralled Daniel. At the far end opposite the Gate the
room did open up slightly, extending off each side into two smaller alcoves. The area to the right was bare except
for a few straw mats that looked as if they had seen entirely too much
use. However, a thick layer of
dust over both mats and floor was a fair indication that no one had used them
recently.
“Looks
like this may have served as some kind of sleeping area,” Carter
commented, kicking lightly at one of the mats with a booted foot.
“I
concur,” Teal’c replied.
“Although I admit I am at a loss as to the purpose of the
remainder of this structure.”
“Let’s
check out that other alcove, see if it reveals something more,” she
suggested, leading the way.
They
crossed the main chamber again and Carter noticed Daniel was still
preoccupied with the walls – although it did look as if he’d made
progress in his recording. The
left anteroom was slightly lower than the rest of the chamber, necessitating
a trip down a short flight of stairs.
Carter noted it was cooler at this level and much darker, since there
were no windows. She fished out
her military issue flashlight, switched it on and cast the beam around the
room. It was joined seconds later
by a beam from Teal’c’s light and Carter took advantage of the
increased visibility to study her new surroundings.
This
alcove appeared to be completely empty and as Carter continued to survey the
room she felt a distinct sigh of disappointment forming. Suddenly her light flickered across
something in one corner of the room.
“Teal’c,
point your light over here,” she instructed, focusing her own beam
directly into the corner. As he
did so the object became fully illuminated and Carter felt the skin on the
back of her neck tingle.
“Is that what I think it is?”
“I
am… unsure,” Teal’c finally replied, his own tone
reflecting a touch of disbelief.
She took
a couple of cautious steps closer to the object. It was shaped a little different, and was
probably four or five inches shorter, but otherwise it looked identical to
the one Daniel had first discovered on P3R-233.
“Could
there be two such devices in existence?” Teal’c asked.
Carter
shrugged. “I don’t
know. The existence of one was pretty phenomenal.” She took another step closer. “But after all the things
we’ve seen over the years I’m not willing to write it off as
completely impossible.”
A thought
suddenly came to mind and Carter turned her torch aside, casting the light
around the room again. “If
it is another Quantum
Mirror,” she began, “then there should be a hand-held control
device somewhere.”
A few
minutes of thorough searching produced no such device. Carter could feel that frustrating
sense of disappointment tugging at her again.
“I
suppose the last residents of this place could have taken it with
them,” she suggested into the ensuing silence.
“Or
perhaps it is hidden in a secret panel, or stored elsewhere in this
structure,” Teal’c offered.
She
nodded absently, her mind already turning in other directions. The real question was what were they
going to do about this new discovery?
General Hammond had ordered the first Mirror destroyed, and not
without good reason. And yet,
they’d never gotten a chance to really study the device. The scientist in her had always
wondered what might have been revealed from such a piece of astounding
technology.
“Well,
the Mirror will have to stay where it is for now,” she said, finally
coming to her decision.
“We’ll head back to the SGC, give a report of what we
think we’ve found, and decide what to do about it from there.”
“Very
well,” Teal’c replied, and she caught the slight movement of his
nod in the reflection from his flashlight.
She
turned toward the stairs.
‘I hope Daniel has finished his recording,’ she
thought. If not then she had the
unenviable task of having to order him away from his current source of
fascination. ‘Yeah,’
she reflected wryly, ‘sometimes being in command really stinks.’
Just as
she reached the steps Carter heard a faint whop noise, followed immediately by Teal’c’s curt,
“Colonel Carter!”
“What
is it?” she questioned, spinning around.
“I
thought I detected a flash of light from the object,” Teal’c
answered. “As if the Mirror
had been activated.”
His torch
was already focused back into the corner of the room and Carter added her own
beam. But their light merely
reflected off the mirrored surface, preventing her from actually seeing
anything. She held her breath,
straining to see and listen.
There was
a second whop, followed by an
unmistakable glimmer of light from the Mirror. And where seconds before their
flashlights had revealed nothing, a figure now stood before them. Reflexively, Carter’s weapon
came up, the muzzle of her automatic falling in line with the beam of her
flashlight.
“Don’t
shoot!” A steady voice hastily pleaded. A pair of hands – one of them
holding tightly to a control device for the Mirror – rose above the
figure’s head. Large brown
eyes blinked at the bright beams being thrown from the pair of
flashlights. “I assure you
that I come in peace and mean no harm.”
Carter’s
immediate recognition of both the figure and its voice hit her like a punch
in the gut. She stood frozen in
shock for a couple of heartbeats before military training kicked in and took
control. ‘You have to play it safe – don’t assume
anything,’ she silently ordered herself. She closed her eyes momentarily in
concentration. Not sensing any
Goa’uld presence in the figure, she breathed a sigh of relief. Then, in her best military voice, she
asked, “Who are you?”
“My
name is Doctor Janet Frasier,” the figure replied. “And I must get to this
universe’s equivalent of the command center for the Stargate program
– I must get there immediately.”
~ ^
~ ^ ~
^ ~ ^
~ ^ ~
^ ~
Janet
stood perfectly still, forcing her breathing into a steady rhythm. The intensity of the flashlight beams
aimed her direction prevented her from being able to see the other people in
the room, but the sound of the woman’s voice had been unmistakable.
‘Careful’,
her inner voice warned. ‘It
doesn’t necessarily mean you can trust her.’ In the few discussions about alternate
realities she’d had with her universe’s version of Samantha
Carter one thing had been made painfully clear – you could never be
certain what scenario existed in the parallel universe you encountered. As the seconds of silence continued to
tick past another thought ran through Janet’s mind. ‘And if this Sam Carter is anything at all like
my friend, then she’s probably thinking the exact same thing about me
right now.’
“Please,”
Janet finally broke the silence.
“I don’t have a lot of time.”
“One
thing at a time, Doctor Frasier,” came the
reply.
Janet
heard the clear sense of caution in Carter’s tone and fought against a
sigh of exasperation. She really
did not have time for this.
“I’ve
just come from a parallel universe,” Janet went on, purposefully
keeping her voice neutral.
“And I’m guessing that unless this is the first time
you’ve encountered a Quantum Mirror you know exactly what I’m
talking about.”
There was
no response.
“And
you’ll also know that I only have a certain amount of time before my
own life is in danger,” Janet added.
She
couldn’t be certain but it seemed as if Carter’s flashlight wavered,
ever so slightly.
“If
it’s entropic cascade failure you’re
concerned about, then don’t be,” Carter replied.
The
implication of the statement hit Janet immediately – the Doctor Frasier
in this universe was dead. But it
was the tightness in Carter’s voice that had given her the real clue.
“I’m
sorry, Sam,” Janet said softly, slowly lowering her hands. “I know she was a good
friend.”
Another
tense heartbeat passed before Carter’s beam of light lowered
completely.
“Yes,”
Sam admitted. “She was.”
Janet
released a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. For the first time since activating
the Mirror she began to believe this hadn’t been one huge mistake after
all.
“Why
have you come?” a deep voice unexpectedly questioned from her
left. Janet recognized it as
Teal’c. She also noticed he
had not yet chosen to lower his flashlight, which still prevented her from
seeing much of anything.
“Because
I need your help,” Janet answered.
“What
kind of help?” That was
Carter, and a hint of caution had returned to her tone.
Battling
a growing sense of frustration, Janet decided it was up to her to take the
next step in this delicate dance of trust. “Someone I care about very much
is dying,” she began.
“But his counterpart in this universe – if he’s
still alive – can save him.”
When no
additional questions or comments were forthcoming she decided to force their
hand. Using what she knew was her
best doctor voice, Janet leveled
her gaze in their direction and said, “Listen, this is not something I
really feel comfortable discussing at gunpoint. So either let me go, and I’ll
return through the Mirror, or take me to your Stargate facility where we can
decide what to do.”
Although
she couldn’t clearly see them, Janet stood firm and stared down the figures
she knew were opposite her.
“Okay,
we go to the Stargate,” Carter eventually declared. “Teal’c, please escort
Doctor Frasier.”
At
Carter’s command the Jaffa
lowered his flashlight. Janet
blinked. As her eyes adjusted to the
sudden dimness, she glanced around and got her first real look at the
parallel versions of her friends.
Their uniforms were identical to those used by the SGD, right down to
the arm patch insignias. All
weapons also appeared the same.
There were, however, a few changes. She’d never seen Teal’c
with hair.
“Please
come with me,” Teal’c instructed, stepping along side her.
Taking a
deep breath, she nodded once and headed up the stairs after Carter. As they reached the top and rounded
the corner, Janet wasn’t too surprised to see a chamber like the one
Daniel had described when they’d found the second Quantum Mirror in her
universe. But she wasn’t at
all prepared for the sight of the figure, squatting in the middle of that
chamber, his attention directed at something in his backpack.
“Good,
you’re finished,” Carter commented, apparently having noticed him
as well.
“Um,
actually I was just looking for another blank tape,” Daniel replied,
continuing to rummage in his bag.
“The one I was using was already mostly full from our last
mission, and I still have the entire wall along the left side of the camber
to record – ah, here we go…”
“Sorry
Daniel, but we have to return to the SGC,” Carter said as she walked
past him on her way toward the Gate.
Janet
stared ahead, aware that each step was taking her closer.
“Come
on,” Daniel appealed, standing up as he worked the blank tape into his
recorder. “Just fifteen
more minutes.”
Instead
of answering Carter simply began punching in coordinates on the DHD. Janet felt her heartbeat quicken. Just a few more steps and they’d
be right beside him.
The
wormhole engaged with it’s characteristic
swoosh.
“Okay,
five minutes then,” Daniel pleaded at Carter’s back. But she only turned and gave a
negative shake of her head.
“We
must depart immediately,” Teal’c added as they approached.
“What? Why?” Daniel inquired, spinning
around to face the Jaffa.
Without
another word they stepped past him.
Janet caught the shocked expression that fell across his face at seeing
her, heard his baffled “Janet?” a few seconds later. Following Teal’c up the steps to
the Gate, she paused long enough to glance over her shoulder. A thousand questions were reflected in
his eyes and Janet longed to stop then and there to answer every one of
them. But the Jaffa was gently pulling on her arm,
indicating it was time to go.
“We’ve
found another Quantum Mirror,” Janet heard Carter say by way of
explanation. Then she stepped
through and let the wormhole envelop her.
~ ^
~ ^ ~
^ ~ ^
~ ^ ~
^ ~
General
Jack O’Neill leaned back, linked his arms across his chest, and allowed
his gaze to work its way around the long briefing room table. His newest SG-1 commander was meeting
that gaze directly, but was also choosing not to reveal anything in her
expression. Not surprising,
considering both he and Carter were still adjusting to their altered roles of
leadership. Daniel was looking
vaguely his direction, but the expression on his face was one Jack had long
ago come to recognize as meaning the archaeologist’s mind was running
down any number of tangents elsewhere.
Teal’c was focused on some blank spot of wall just over
Daniel’s head. And
their… guest was very
pointedly staring at the table.
‘It’s
times like this when I really wish Hammond
was back in charge,’ Jack reflected wearily to himself. He took a deep breath, let it out
slowly. ‘Heck, at times
like this I even wish that Weir woman was back in charge.’ Shaking his head, he forged ahead.
“Let
me get this straight,” Jack began, uncrossing his arms and sitting
upright in the chair again.
“Carter and Teal’c found another Quantum Mirror while
Daniel was busy recording alien scribbles on the wall. And Doctor Frasier,” here he
paused to let his eyes fall on the woman in question. It was too strange to see her sitting
there. “—she came
through the Mirror, and you all decided to come back here to figure out what
to do about all this?”
Tension
built as everyone purposefully avoided looking at everyone else.
“Um,”
Daniel interrupted the silence, holding up a finger to make his point,
“actually, I didn’t have anything to do with the last part of
that decision.”
Jack shot
the archaeologist his best that was so
not helpful look.
“Sorry,”
Daniel murmured, his attention shifting to fiddling with the pen in his hand.
“Sir,”
Carter began, leveling her gaze at him across the table. “It was my decision to trust
Doctor Frasier, and allow her to return with us. I felt it was important to offer her
the opportunity to explain herself.”
‘I
know that’ he thought silently, holding the Colonel’s gaze. ‘And I trust your instincts,
Carter. But how much of that
decision was influenced by the fact that this is Janet here – or at least a reasonable version of
Janet?’ Glancing across the
table at the doctor Jack felt a new wave of weariness wash over him. ‘And how much will my decision be threatened by the same?’
Rubbing a
hand across his face, O’Neill took another deep breath. “Alright,” he
acquiesced. “You wanted a
chance to explain yourself, Doc – you got it.”
Jack
watched as the woman who hadn’t spoken once since their arrival finally
raised her eyes to meet his. The
same sense of fortitude and caring he’d always perceived in the Janet
Frasier he’d known was reflected in those eyes. And, except for the different
hairstyle, she looked exactly like the woman who had died just a few months
ago. He waited, noticing that she
swallowed and raised her chin slightly.
It was a perfect reproduction of the body language Jack recalled their
own Janet doing, whenever she was carefully weighing her words.
“In
my universe, on a recent mission, the members of SG-1 encountered an alien
virus and – unknown to them at the time – brought it back through
the Stargate. It was severe, but it
spread slowly and fortunately we were able to get it under control and
develop a vaccine.”
Frasier
paused, looking to him for some kind of response. Jack nodded and waved a hand,
encouraging her to continue.
“Everyone
recovered except… except for one member of the team.” Her voice faltered slightly and her
eyes momentarily flicked toward the table. “We tried everything, but for
reasons I was unable to determine the antibodies simply did not respond in
this one case.”
Jack
noted she was purposefully avoiding naming her mysterious patient. ‘Has to be some reason for
that,’ he considered.
‘And that does not
give me a very good feeling right now.’
Silence
lingered until the sound of someone clearing her throat drew Jack’s
attention toward his right.
“You
mentioned, back in the chamber, that this person’s counterpart –
in our universe – could save this particular patient,” Carter
said, her gaze settling on the woman across from her.
Janet
nodded.
“I
confess, I’m no medical doctor,” Carter continued, “but if
your antidote doesn’t work on the person there, how is the counterpart
supposed to help? Our experience
with people from parallel universes indicates that they are identical, right
down to their DNA.”
Janet’s
gaze faltered again and Jack noticed she was beginning to fidget
imperceptibly with her fingers.
‘Here it comes,’ he thought, steeling himself.
“As
I said, we were unable to determine exactly why the antidote didn’t
work in this one case. But I
believe that a blood transfusion may help to alleviate the problem, so that
the antidote will have a chance to work.”
Jack
blinked, his mind attempting to work through that. Admittedly, he was slower than the
others to comprehend these kinds of things, but he was pretty sure that based
on what Carter had just said, Frasier’s answer made no sense at all.
“I’m
sorry, but I still don’t understand,” Daniel interjected from his
end of the table. “If
everything is identical, including the DNA, then how is something like that
going to help? I mean, aren’t
you essentially proposing to replace the patient’s blood with more of
the same, identical blood?”
“In
one sense, yes,” Janet conceded.
O’Neill didn’t miss that she failed to meet Daniel’s
gaze, choosing to look at him instead.
Something about that put him on alert. “However--” she hesitated,
and Jack’s simmering sense of apprehension ratcheted up a notch. “At one point in the past he
experienced some severe physical trauma.
While he did eventually recover, there have been residual effects of
that trauma. It’s not
anything that affects his day to day life, but it does play out in other
ways, particularly at the cellular level, in his blood chemistry. It’s my belief that if his
counterpart from a parallel universe didn’t suffer from this same trauma,
then he likewise won’t have the residual effects.”
“How
could you be certain the universe you encountered would contain such a
scenario?” Teal’c questioned, turning to stare point blank at the
doctor.
“I
couldn’t,” Janet acknowledged, her eyes drifting once more to the
table. When she spoke again her
voice was so soft that O’Neill had to strain to hear. “But I hoped that even if
he’d experienced the same trauma, maybe something would be different. Even the slightest variation might
give us a chance. It was a long
shot but I… I had to try.”
‘In
other words,’ Jack mused, ‘you were desperate.’ Which meant there
was more to this story than their visitor was telling. And the more he thought about it, the
less and less Frasier’s explanation was making sense – and it
wasn’t just because he didn’t grasp all the medical nuances of
the situation. Based on what had been said, if the circumstance
were reversed, he knew he never would’ve approved such a mission for
his CMO.
Jack sighed
heavily as the revelation of his own thoughts took shape. He leaned forward slightly, fixing his
attention on the petite doctor.
“Who gave you the order to go through the Quantum Mirror?”
he quietly asked, fairly certain he already knew the answer.
Frasier’s
head snapped up and her eyes locked with his. He saw the confirmation in her
expression long before she replied.
“In my universe General Hammond is still in command of the
SGD. However, after fully
considering all the options and the implications, he decided it was not worth
the risk. So your guess is
correct, Sir. I’m not here
in any official capacity.”
She paused, long enough to take one deep breath. “In fact, my coming through the
Mirror was in direct violation of the order I was given.”
The
question begged to be asked, although he knew he was not going to like the answer. “Doctor Frasier, considering
we’re all here to determine – at least in part – whether or
not you can be trusted, I want you to be very careful in answering this next
question,” O’Neill said.
Resting both hands flat, palms down on the table, he forced his voice
to be calm and even. “Why
did you choose to disobey a direct order and come here?”
Janet’s
eyes closed and she turned away.
It appeared to Jack as if she were battling some internal demon. When she finally opened her eyes, the
doctor fixed her gaze rigidly ahead, staring right through Colonel Carter.
“Because,’
Janet answered, her voice quivering slightly, “the patient I hope to
save is my husband.”
‘This
just gets better and better,’ O’Neill thought sarcastically. The doctor was purposefully avoiding
his gaze now and he had the sudden impulse to bury his face in his hands in
the vague hope that it would make all this madness just disappear. There was another question he knew
needed to be asked now, and as before he already had a sinking feeling in the
pit of his stomach regarding the answer.
A hasty glance down the table confirmed his suspicion that he wasn’t
the only one. Daniel had gone a
shade paler than normal, his own gaze wandering anywhere except in
Janet’s direction.
“Okay,”
Jack said, fighting the urge to drum his fingers against the table. “I’m thinking we’ve
all made a pretty fair guess by now, but just to be sure, don’t you
think it’s about time you told us specifically who this patient
is?”
He had to
give her credit. This time Janet
didn’t even flinch.
“Doctor
Jackson,” she said evenly.
The
obvious strain in the room seemed to quadruple with her confession. Jack pinched the bridge of his nose
and did a mental ten-count.
“Understand that what I’m about to say is in no way meant to indicate that
I’m seriously considering offering any assistance in this crazy
scheme,” he began.
“But I want you to explain to me what exactly is involved in this
transfusion you want to do.”
“It
will need to be a direct patient to patient transfusion,” Janet slowly
turned her gaze back toward the General as she spoke. Her voice and demeanor were calm
again, as if dropping into discussion of medical details served as some type
of safety net for her.
“Therefore, if you did agree to help, then your Doctor Jackson
would have to come through the Mirror to my universe.”
Jack
grimaced. He’d been hoping,
albeit without much confidence, that maybe all Frasier needed was a couple
samples of Daniel’s blood.
‘So much for that idea,’ he reflected bitterly.
“The
procedure is simple and safe,” Janet went on. “However Doctor Jackson will
need time to recuperate afterward.”
“How
much time?” Jack inquired.
“Well,
there will need to be adequate prep time, plus time for the procedure itself,
combined with recovery - if everything goes well, we’re looking at
between 45-50 hours total.”
“What?”
Carter’s stupefaction echoed in her tone. “Daniel will be vulnerable to the
possibility of entropic cascade failure within 48 hours – possibly even
less.”
“And
what if everything doesn’t go well?” O’Neill demanded
brusquely. He hadn’t liked
the casual way Frasier had let that comment slip. No, he hadn’t liked it at all.
Her
expression reflected a hint of apology, but her voice remained even and
unrepentant. “As with any
surgical procedure, there is always risk involved. However, the danger posed to your
Doctor Jackson is minimal.”
“Um,
excuse me,” Daniel interrupted, an audible hardness in his voice. “Do you think we could stop
discussing this as if I’m suddenly not in the room?”
O’Neill
knew immediately where his friend was going to go with this – could see
it clearly in the man’s expression – and he did not want to get
into an exchange with his friend right now. “Daniel--,” he pressed in
a warning tone.
“Jack--”
the younger man fired right back at him.
The
General held up a finger in further admonishment, but as usual it did no
good.
“I
think that I deserve to have some say in this,” Daniel began, leaning
forward slightly in preparation to make some point, “and--”
Jack
hastily cut him off.
“Daniel!” He
was fairly certain that Daniel was about to make some spiel that was as
influenced by emotion as it was by reason, and he just didn’t think he
could handle it at the moment. He
fixed the archaeologist with a hard look. “I promise that I will hear you out…,” he
paused, carefully enunciating each word, “but not right now.”
Daniel
silently held his gaze, obviously seething, but eventually he nodded and
turned away.
“Sir,”
Carter began, her voice tight.
Jack cut
her off with a raised finger as well.
The tension that had been building in the room ever since this meeting
began had reached a climax, and emotions were definitely coming into play
now. What he needed – what
they all needed – was time to cool down and get some perspective
here. He knew that a leader didn’t
always have the luxury to take such time, but maybe he did have that
opportunity in this instance.
“I
have just one other question, for now,”
he said to Frasier.
“Exactly how serious is the condition of the Daniel in your
universe?”
Janet bit
at her lower lip. “He was
stable when I left, but the prognosis wasn’t good. He’d already experienced several
bouts of unconsciousness.”
Jack couldn’t be sure, but it appeared as if her eyes were
misting. “By now I’m
pretty sure he’s required at least some level of life-support.”
Jack
swallowed, hating what he had to ask next. “How long?”
Janet
shook her head.
“There’s no way to be sure. But at best…” This time, tears actually fell and her
shoulders heaved in a defeated shrug.
“Maybe two or three days.”
O’Neill
stared at the smaller woman quietly struggling to maintain her composure. He felt a prickling of compassion and,
seeing the figure that looked so much like their own
Janet Frasier, he wished there was some way to offer her a gesture of
comfort. But such an action would
probably be inadequate, not to mention highly inappropriate. Relying on his customary show them nothing and stick to responsibility defenses, he
pushed the notion aside.
“Airman,”
he nodded at one of the SFs standing at attention off to one side. “Please escort Doctor Frasier to
the VIP quarters. And see to it
that she has everything she needs.”
“Yes
Sir,” the man promptly replied.
Silently
Janet stood and followed the SF out of the room.
“Dismissed,”
Jack said, even before the echoes of their footsteps dissipated. Without another word he stood and
turned toward his office, not daring to see the expressions of doubt and
worry on the faces of his three friends.
~ ^
~ ^ ~
^ ~ ^
~ ^ ~
^ ~
Teal’c
made his way silently down the hall, hands clasped casually behind his
back. As he rounded the corner
and entered the familiar lab he was not at all surprised to find its occupant
half concealed among a pile of books, papers, and artifacts – and
completely lost in thought.
“Daniel
Jackson,” he greeted when the man failed to notice his presence.
“Oh,
hi Teal’c,” Daniel replied, glancing up somewhat sheepishly. “Sorry, I guess my mind was
somewhere else. What can I do for
you?”
“Actually
my purpose here is to determine if I can be of assistance to you,” the Jaffa answered,
inclining his head slightly.
Seeing the archaeologist respond with one of his typical raised
eyebrow expressions he continued, “It is my understanding that in
circumstances such as these people often feel the need to discuss the matter
with a friend.”
Daniel
ran a hand through his hair and managed a slight smile. “Thanks, Teal’c. But I have a sneaking suspicion that
the person I really need to talk to is presently under guard in the VIP
quarters.”
‘As
I suspected,’ Teal’c mused silently. ‘And likewise I suspect
you’ll require a small amount of goading to actually follow through on
that notion.’ He stepped
further into the room, retrieved a stool and sat opposite his friend. Opting to go with his customary direct
approach he met Daniel’s gaze openly and said, “Then why are you
not doing so?”
The
archaeologist blinked several times before answering. “Um, yeah, sure. It’s been just a few months
since a very good friend of mine died and now her identical twin shows up and
announces she’s married to my identical twin in their universe. So I’ll just pop down there and
ask ‘so how’s it going?’ or something equally
ridiculous.”
Teal’c
fought not to smile. He
understood full well the delicate nature of Daniel’s current dilemma,
but sometimes he really enjoyed playing the naïve and oblivious role for
the benefit of his friends.
“I
do not believe you would engage in ridiculous conversation of any kind,
Daniel Jackson, especially not in this instance.”
Daniel
sighed. “I know. Sorry. Just venting I guess.”
The Jaffa nodded as he
thought, ‘That’s why I’m here.’
“To
be honest, I’m not sure what
I’d say,” Daniel admitted.
“My gut instinct is to help her – to just go with
her. I mean, forget that
it’s my counterpart in a parallel universe – if I can help save
someone’s life, with minimal threat to my own, I should do it –
right?”
Teal’c
merely returned the young man’s gaze. He’d learned over the years that
a question wasn’t always asked because someone wanted an answer.
“But
I know what Jack is going to say,” Daniel went on. He stood and began to pace the length
of his desk. “I can
practically hear his voice in my head.
‘The risk is too high for such an unpredictable outcome –
I will not allow one of my people to be exposed like that.’” He paused, turned to look straight at
the Jaffa. “But surely I should be the one
allowed to make that call.”
“General
O’Neill has a responsibility to those under his command, both military
and civilian,” Teal’c pointed out. He knew he was playing what the Tauri
referred to as devil’s advocate,
but felt certain it was what his friend needed at the moment.
He
watched as the younger man worked his mouth in an expression of irritated
resignation. “I
know,” Daniel conceded, resuming his pacing. “But if I don’t go, and
that Daniel dies, then I have to live with always wondering if I could have
saved him.”
“As
does General O’Neill,” Teal’c said.
Daniel
halted, his gaze drifting back to the Jaffa. He sighed and nodded in acquiescence.
“Perhaps
you should not be so quick to assume O’Neill will prevent your
accompanying Doctor Frasier to her universe,” Teal’c said,
titling his head slightly.
“The thoughts and concerns you are experiencing due to the
appearance of someone who is so like our deceased friend are similarly being
experienced by O’Neill. His
judgment is being influenced by feelings resembling your own.”
Retaking
his seat Daniel reached for one of the small pieces of stone on his desk and
began absently turning it in his hands.
“That’s the real problem, isn’t it? Just seeing her… it’s like
facing the grief all over again.”
Images
and feelings washed over Teal’c in waves. “Indeed,” he agreed, his voice suddenly soft.
“And
the idea of them being married in their universe…” Daniel shook his head as the rock
continued its dance between his fingers.
“I don’t think awkward
even begins to cover it.”
Teal’c
nodded but said nothing. A new
thought occurred to him but he waited a handful of heartbeats before voicing
it.
“Perhaps
it would be beneficial to consider this from Doctor Frasier’s point of
view.”
Daniel
raised his head and met the Jaffa’s
stoic expression with a curious one.
“How so?” he asked, setting the artifact aside.
“She
described her Daniel Jackson’s condition as most serious,”
Teal’c reminded. “One
could assume that when she last saw her husband it was not a pleasant
circumstance. No doubt her
encountering you in this universe, completely healthy, encompasses its own
difficulties for her.”
“Well,
I hadn’t actually thought of it like that,” Daniel admitted.
Teal’c
watched his friend closely. The
younger man was glancing at the mass of items on his desk but his mind was
clearly traveling paths elsewhere.
The Jaffa
thought he recognized the beginnings of a familiar pattern – Daniel was
working through his own thoughts and their brief conversation had most likely
provided the impetus necessary for the archaeologist to carry through on his
original intention. If there was
one thing he had learned about Daniel Jackson it was that often all the archaeologist needed in order to become convinced
to do something was an excuse.
“I
believe your original assessment was correct,” Teal’c said,
offering a faint smile as he stood.
“It is almost eighteen-hundred. I am certain someone has seen to it
that a meal will be provided for our guest. However, it is possible she would be
more appreciative if such provision was delivered by a…” he
paused, seeking the right word.
No, this was not the same Janet Frasier they had known, but the term
still seemed applicable. “--by a friend.”
This time
the younger man actually smiled.
“Maybe you’re right, Teal’c.”
With one
final nod the Jaffa
exited the lab, leaving his friend to his task.
~ ^
~ ^ ~
^ ~ ^
~ ^ ~
^ ~
Carefully
balancing the two trays he’d picked up from the commissary, Daniel made
his way toward the VIP quarters.
As soon a he stepped past the turn in the hall he spotted the SF
standing guard. The young airman
gave one sharp nod of recognition at his approach.
“Um,
excuse me,” Daniel addressed the guard as casually as he could
manage. Tilting his head to
indicate the locked door he asked, “Would you mind…?”
A glimmer
of curiosity passed across the SF’s features before he managed to mask
it and quickly reply, “Of course, sir.” He swiped a security card through the
slot and rapped on the door a couple of times with his knuckles before
turning the knob.
“Thank
you,” Daniel said as he stepped past.
He
glanced into the room and saw Janet standing in front of the dresser
mirror. She was clad in the same
Air Force uniform she’d worn since stepping through the Mirror but her
lab coat had been discarded across the bed. Her hands were raised to her head and
it took Daniel a moment to figure out she was working with her hair. Her head cocked slightly and he
realized she’d caught sight of his reflection. The eyes of her image in the mirror
locked with his and a smile began at the corner of her mouth.
“I
figured you’d make your way down here to see me sooner or later,”
she said, returning her attention to the coil of hair.
Daniel
blinked, taken off guard by the bluntness of her statement. He suddenly felt unsettled and, not
for the first time, wondered if coming here hadn’t been such a good
idea. He wasn’t entirely
sure how to take her comment but even before he could contemplate how to ask
her what she meant, Janet was speaking again.
“Is
it meal time already?” she asked, pulling the last few pins from her
hair.
“Um,
yeah,” Daniel said. Taking
a deep breath he stepped farther into the room. The door closed behind him with a click that sounded inordinately loud
to his ears. Attempting to appear nonchalant he crossed the room and placed
the trays on the room’s single table.
He turned
around to see that Janet had finally completed her task. The twist of hair that had been so
perfectly wound on top of her head now fell in a cascade of brunette tresses
around her shoulders. He could
remember when their Janet had once had longer hair, but both military and
medical regulations had required she wear it off the collar. Daniel realized he’d never
really had much opportunity to see Janet with her hair down and found
himself surprised by how much it altered the appearance of the woman standing
before him. It looked thick and
soft with a healthy glow that shone in the light. It framed her face bewitchingly,
especially in the way the shorter tendrils curled about her neck. Several seconds of silence passed
before he became aware that he was openly staring at her. Shoving his hands in his pockets he
quickly glanced away.
“I’ve
been feeling a slight headache coming on,” she said. Her voice was soft, almost apologetic,
and Daniel found his gaze being drawn back to her. She gave a half-shrug before adding,
“I thought it might help to let it down for a while.”
“Oh,”
Daniel replied, continuing to fight his growing sense of unease. “Um, I can get you something
from the infirmary, for the headache I mean.”
Janet
shook her head lightly.
“No, that’s okay.
It’s not too bad – probably just the tension caused by all
this stress.”
An odd
sort of smile passed her lips then, almost as if she was sharing a joke with
herself. Something in the
reaction struck Daniel as being significant, although he couldn’t for
the life of him imagine what it might mean.
“Well,
I’m starving,” Janet said, suddenly changing the subject. She took a couple of steps toward the
table, closing the distance between them. “Although I don’t think
I’m quite that hungry,”
she said, an obvious trace of amusement coloring her tone as she waved a hand
at the duo of trays on the table.
“Oh,
I-- I thought that maybe-- that is, perhaps--” Daniel worked his mouth
in irritation at his own faltering before finally admitting with a shrug,
“I thought you might like some company.”
The smile
that had flashed earlier revealed itself again. “I’d like that very
much.”
He
continued to stand there, feeling decidedly uncomfortable – a sensation
that was not helped in the least when Janet purposefully crossed her arms and
silently scrutinized him.
“I’m
making you uncomfortable,” she said at last.
“No,
no, no,” he answered hastily, but upon seeing her respond with one
arched eyebrow he amended, “Well, maybe just a little.”
Janet
frowned slightly and looked away.
“I’m sorry.
That’s not my intention.”
“I
know,” Daniel reassured, taking a step towards her. As her eyes sought his again he
searched for some way to explain what he was feeling. “It’s just that the Janet
I knew... she was a friend – a very dear friend. But there was nothing else between
us.”
She
nodded. “I see.”
“And
it hasn’t been that long…” he paused, waiting for the
familiar sting of grief to subside.
“It’s been less than four months since she died.”
A look of
compassion so sincere fell across her face then that Daniel felt as if his
heart skipped a beat.
“I
had no idea it was so recent,” she said, her voice almost
reverent. She reached out and
tenderly laid a hand on his arm.
“Oh Daniel, I am so sorry.”
He
didn’t understand why, but something about the way she spoke his name
was unlike he’d ever heard it uttered before. And as she held his gaze Daniel was
again struck by the earnestness of her expression. He was still experiencing a sense of
discomfort being near her but for the first time since this bizarre business
had started he thought he caught an inkling of why his counterpart had chosen
this woman as his wife.
“Thank
you,” he said, offering a slight smile.
Janet
dropped her hand and stepped away, her attention turning toward the meal
trays as she sat down.
“Actually that explains something.”
Grateful
she’d chosen to shift the conversation once again Daniel took the seat
across from her and asked, “What’s that?”
“I
haven’t had any visitors since I was brought to these quarters,”
she replied. “Well, except for
your Doctor Smith. But she only
came at General O’Neill’s request.”
“Let
me guess,” Daniel began.
“He wanted to get a second opinion?”
“Something
like that,” she said, taking a knife and fork
to her meal.
Daniel
nodded. He really hadn’t
expected any less from Jack.
“What did Doctor Smith say?”
“She
agreed with my assessment that the risk of the procedure itself is
minimal. But weighed against the
threat of entropic cascade failure, and in light of the improbability that a
transfusion will actually make a difference, she didn’t believe it was
advisable to actually agree to the procedure.”
He
considered that for a moment.
“Is it really that far-fetched, your idea about the
transfusion?”
She
glanced up and steadily returned his gaze. “You mean how desperate am
I?”
He opened
his mouth to contradict her interpretation but she quickly waved away his
protest.
“It’s
okay. You don’t have to
deny it, or apologize for it. The
truth is that it is a pretty
far-fetched idea.
But…” she hesitated, pushing with her fork at one of the
vegetables on her plate.
“It’s not completely outside the realm of
possibility. And when you love
someone as much as I love him...”
‘You’d
do anything to save him,’ he thought silently. It was certainly a sentiment he understood.
“I’m
sorry,” she muttered, reaching for her glass of water.
“It’s
okay,” Daniel assured. He
searched for some way to redirect the discussion and latched onto something
she’d said before.
“You mentioned not having any visitors – how exactly is that
explained by our Doctor Frasier’s death occurring so recently?”
“Well,
I just kept getting the feeling that people were purposefully avoiding
me,” she explained, having regained her composure. “I mean, I anticipated there
being some sense of walking on eggshells, because of the whole alternate
reality thing, but nothing of this magnitude. Now I understand that people are
keeping their distance because the grief is still so distinct.”
Daniel
nodded. That certainly made
sense. After all, it was part of
the litany of excuses he’d given himself for avoiding to see her until
now. Still the idea that
she’d been sequestered here all day, without anyone even dropping by to
see if she was okay, rankled his sensibilities.
“Well,
I’m sorry no one else has come to see you,” he said sincerely.
She
smiled in reply, the action once again leaving Daniel with a slight feeling
of unease. But it passed more
quickly this time. They ate in
companionable silence as the seconds ticked past.
“Daniel,”
Janet began after a while, her voice a little hesitant. “There’s something
I’d like to ask you.”
Daniel
paused, his fork halted in mid-air.
His mind raced as he considered the myriad questions she might pose,
as well as the difficulty he’d undoubtedly experience in attempting to
answer. But this was part of the
reason he’d come – so they could talk. Taking a
steadying breath he raised the bite of food to his mouth and slowly nodded.
“I
know this won’t be easy for you,” she said softly, “and I’ll
understand if you don’t want to tell me. But… I’d like to know how
she died.”
Once
she’d finally asked, the request didn’t surprise him at all. In fact, he’d expected it to
come up sooner or later.
“It
was in the line of duty,” he began. “SG-13 had been on a survey
mission to P3X-666 when they fell under attack. One of the airmen was wounded and
couldn’t be moved so SG-1 and a medical team were sent to retrieve
them.”
“And
Doctor Frasier was sent as part of the medical team?” she asked.
Daniel nodded.
Janet
blinked in mild surprise.
“The airman’s condition must have been pretty severe if it
required the attention of your CMO.”
“Yes,”
Daniel agreed. “And
I’m sure |