Deep End
by
Jackjunkie
Click for details and warnings
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its
characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom,
MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is
for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright
infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story
are the property of the authors. This story may not be posted anywhere
without the consent of the authors.
Deep End
Daniel Jackson wondered if a swift though bloody demise in the leviathan's jaws might have been easier to face. Instead he floated, trapped and helpless, waiting for death to overtake him slowly. He had far too much time to think about it, to feel its remorseless approach with each breath from his diminishing air supply.
Knowing it was useless, yet unwilling to the last to give up his attempts to free himself, he again tugged weakly on his leg. Its stone prison held fast.
All around him the wreckage of the sunken city mocked him. Illuminating the murky depths, his flashlight picked out a glitter of glass or crystal which had once reflected sunshine. Fish of myriad alien shapes and hues flitted through piles of crumbled masonry, past streets long devoid of human traffic. Tangled masses of seaweed sprouted everywhere, shrouding the eroding evidence of the lost civilization. It would make a fitting grave for someone who'd made the dead past his life.
Daniel had been so excited to hear about the site and so sure he could uncover its mysteries. It was the source of legends for the coastal people they'd met on P5X-619. He'd listened to the stories of a fabled city filled with unimagined wonders that sank beneath the ocean waves countless generations ago. The comparisons to the similar Earth myth were inescapable.
"Atlantis?" Jack had laughed. "Come on, Daniel, even you can't believe you've found Atlantis. What's next, fishing for mermaids?"
"Jack, the origins of many myths are based on a seed of fact, and w-what do you mean 'even me’?"
Some of the fishermen had returned then, sparing his commander from answering. They'd told Daniel about objects that had washed ashore from time to time or been hauled in with their catch--treasures they believed had come from the ancient city. The archaeologist had expressed a profound desire to see these things, and so the men had gone to retrieve them. Proudly they handed their visitors the artifacts--Goa'uld artifacts.
Daniel scrutinized a tablet covered with writing. Though worn down, it was still legible enough to be identified as Goa'uld. "There've been stories linking Atlantis to Egypt." His words tumbled out in an eager rush, excitement raising his voice a tone. "Reports that some Atlanteans migrated to Egypt before the final cataclysm." He lightly brushed his fingers over the raised letters. "What if the reason nobody's ever been able to find Atlantis is because it was never on Earth? And what if some Goa'ulds like, say, Ra gated to Egypt before it sank?"
"Danny-boy." Jack tossed what looked like a remnant of a healing device into the air and caught it deftly. "I say we tell the general we're going fishing for mermaids."
General Hammond agreed to the 'fishing trip' and authorized a preliminary scouting expedition. "Even if any weapons or other relics are unworkable after all this time, the records alone could contain invaluable clues to Goa'uld technology. SG-1, you have a go." If their discoveries proved promising, the general would approve a full underwater salvage operation.
Daniel was thankful he had some scuba diving experience, because nothing was going to stop him from going down to look at the site personally. Finding Atlantis would be an archaeologist's dream come true. Of course that pretty much described everything they found on the other side of the Stargate, but solving one of Earth's great mysteries was an irresistible lure.
Since none of his teammates had specialized diving training, Hammond assigned Tim Mulligan to assist him. The Navy SEAL's extensive background included not only underwater demolition and sabotage, but also search and retrieval of evidence in cases of military plane crashes and shipwrecks. Since Daniel's excavations had generally been conducted on dry land, he welcomed the other man's expertise.
Returning through the Stargate, they'd found two natives amenable to lending their fishing boats to the enterprise. Carter and Teal'c embarked on one, their goal to navigate the coast in search of other pieces of Goa'uld technology that might have washed ashore. With the major's ability to sense naquadah, they had a chance of locating even items concealed or buried for years, and the Jaffa could translate any writings they might uncover.
They'd found it a little more troublesome getting someone to conduct them to the area believed to contain the sunken city. That particular expanse of ocean was strictly avoided because of taboos passed down in the local folklore.
"You'd think we were asking them to take us to the Bermuda Triangle," Jack groused.
"Ahh, that's actually a pretty good analogy," Daniel replied. "Think about it. An entire city disappears beneath the sea, then any ships venturing into the locale probably suffered the same unlucky fate. Whether it was a natural disaster or something, uh, Goa'uld-made, it's likely affected that part of the ocean for a long time after the fact. Seafarers would have very practical reasons for staying out of the vicinity of such a phenomenon."
"So what makes you think we're not going to get sucked down into this phenomenon?"
"None of the stories of incidents are within recent memory," Daniel asserted cheerfully. "It ought to be perfectly safe by now."
"Let's hope they've got damn good memories," Jack muttered.
They'd eventually found someone a little bolder than his fellows, a man willing to undertake the hazardous voyage to the destination. So, with G'hale at the helm, Daniel, Jack, and Mulligan set sail for Atlantis.
Between the fisherman's intimate knowledge of his milieu and the sophisticated equipment provided by the SGC, it didn't take long before they hit pay dirt.
His voice ringing with vibrancy over the possibilities below, Daniel enthusiastically reviewed last-minute instructions as the two-man team prepared to go over the side.
"Got it, Doctor Jackson," was the easy-going response.
"Yo, Gilligan!" Jack held out a mask.
The SEAL fitted it snugly in place. "That's Mulligan."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Look, you've done this kind of thing before, right?"
"I know the drill. Usually I work with shipwrecks, not lost civilizations, but the principle's the same."
"Good. Do me a favor and keep an eye on the Professor here."
"Jack..."
SG-1's leader ignored Daniel's attempted interruption and continued. "He tends to lose himself in his work, if ya know what I mean, and not notice little things like time passing or natural disasters about to strike."
"You don't have to worry, Colonel."
Jack nodded and turned to his teammate. "Have fun treasure hunting. I'll be up here keeping an eye out for those mermaids." His tone became serious. "Daniel, I know you can handle this mission. It's your baby. Just because I'm staying topside doesn't mean I stop being your team commander. Responsibility doesn't have an off switch."
Daniel thoughtfully regarded the candid brown eyes. Then smiling his acceptance of his friend's concern, he sketched a jaunty salute. "Aye aye, Skipper."
The site proved to be a treasure trove. Fascinated, Daniel aimed his video camera every which way, trying not to miss even one of the marvels beckoning him with such promise. He was not immediately able to hazard a guess as to the cause of the catastrophe. Perhaps the city had occupied an island that sank after an earthquake or volcanic cataclysm; maybe melting polar ice caps had expanded the ocean, engulfing what was previously dry land. Of one thing, however, he had no doubt--it had unquestionably been occupied by Goa'uld. Familiar symbols and hieroglyphs adorning the ruins gave ample evidence of their origin.
Sorting through the smaller items with a practiced eye, Daniel decided which were the most important to take back for immediate study and which could be left reluctantly behind for recovery at a later date. He and Mulligan made two trips back to the surface, hauling nets filled with his selections. After turning them over to Jack and G'hale, they dove for a third time through the now familiar underwater route. Daniel wanted to collect one more load before taking a break to assess their findings.
He directed Mulligan to gather the last objects he'd marked for transport, while he took another look beyond some stone blocks. Finding nothing there he deemed essential to secure, he concluded it was time to wrap things up. He dropped a broken piece of metal, in all likelihood once part of some Jaffa armor, back onto the pile, and turned to rejoin his companion. That was when the disaster struck.
A sea monster straight out of legend filled his field of vision. Vastly wide but comparatively flat, it bore some similarity to a manta ray but with a pentagonal shape. Cleaving through the water with surprising speed, it was on an intercept course with the SEAL. Its open maw revealed a row of sharp, savage-looking teeth.
Daniel watched in horror as the gargantuan creature scooped Mulligan up, crushing him with one snap of its strong jaws. The water ran red with blood.
Apparently satisfied with its prize, the beast displayed no interest in further prey. Swimming past the other human, it brushed negligently against the stone blocks. The force toppled one from its perch. It narrowly missed Daniel's head as he plunged to the side, but he couldn't get completely out of the way in time. It barricaded him in, capturing his leg between the blocks, pinning him in place.
Daniel struggled to no avail. The stone was far too heavy for him to move. He wasn't going anywhere--certainly not now, maybe not ever. Jack had guessed wrong this time about disaster's initial target, but Daniel was certainly caught in the fallout.
He knew he couldn't last long. They'd reached the limit of the time planned for this dive. There wasn't much air left in his tanks. His one hope was Jack. Surely the soldier would realize something was wrong and come to investigate before his time ran out.
That hope was fading fast.
The water softly cushioned him as he floated quietly. His thoughts probed tentatively at this new experience fate had allotted him. Daniel had experienced death before, of course, but quickly, at the end of a staff weapon. It was over before he really knew what had happened. How would it feel to suffocate? Would it hurt? Would he feel his life slowly ebbing away? Or would it be more like falling asleep as he lost consciousness?
He regretted not having the chance to say good-bye to his friends. He'd left so much unsaid.
If only Jack would come. No, not if--when. He knew Jack would search for him, but it looked like this time he would be too late. Sorry, Jack...
Daniel blinked in the murky dimness. For a moment he thought... no, his eyes must be playing tricks. His lids dropped over the deceptive orbs. He couldn't trust his senses anymore. He felt so light-headed. There was no need to check his gauge again to realize the air must be nearly gone. He inhaled, knowing it might be the last breath he ever took, and wondered how long he could last.
***
Jack glanced at his watch for the fourth time in three minutes. Damn. They were overdue. What was taking so long?
Easy, Jack. Daniel probably had to snag one last artifact. He scowled. But Mulligan was supposed to be watching the time.
He paced the length of the ship and peered keenly at the water for any sign of the delayed men. When they got back, he'd treat them to a royal piece of aggravated colonel mind. If they needed a reminder about who was in command of this mission, he was in the mood to oblige.
Catching sight of a dark cloud spreading across the surface, he leaned over the rail to get a closer look. Shit! Blood. Daniel's blood...? He clamped a vise over that thought. Whirling, he ran to the spare diving gear. "G'hale!" he called out to the guide.
The fisherman hurried over as Jack quickly stripped and pulled on a wet suit. "They're in trouble. There's blood in the water. I'm going down after them."
" Wahai!" G'hale exclaimed in horror. "It is true the gods have forbidden this place. We should never have come."
"Stow that," Jack ordered tersely, slinging the oxygen tanks over his back. He was grateful he'd at least learned the basics of scuba diving once upon a time, although he hadn't done it very often. "There's been some kind of accident, nothing to do with any gods. We don't know how badly they're hurt, or what medical attention they'll need. Get this tub ready to hightail it back to shore as fast as it can go."
"Yes, we should go back. We should go quickly before any more evil comes from our trespass."
"Right." Jack gave up trying to talk sense into the man. He dashed to the rail, flung one leg over, and turned to issue a final command. "Better get some rope. I might need help lifting them onboard if they can't help themselves." Fitting the regulator between his teeth, he dropped into the bloody water.
***
Jack followed the trail of crimson. The dark-colored liquid eddied and dissipated through the vast deep, but enough remained to lead him to his target. Squinting through the ragged shapes of tumbled stone, he saw something bobbing against the still backdrop. He angled toward it through the water. Daniel!
Systematically he took note of the leg caught between the stone blocks and the blessed lack of blood emanating from the body. His friend didn't appear to be the source of the red flag which had summoned Jack. Daniel might be passed out but not gone... yet. The eyes were closed behind the mask, or had he seen them blink once? He couldn't be sure.
Fingers against a cold throat found the pulse they sought, weak but beating. A quick examination of the gauge attached to Daniel's buoyancy vest showed him the presumable cause of the unconsciousness--the tanks were empty, but for how long? Pulling the regulator from slack lips, he replaced it with his own, sending life-giving air into starved lungs. He had to revive his friend. He would not accept Daniel's luck had run out here. Come on, Danny-boy, you haven't used up all your lives yet.
Moving the regulator to his own lips, he sucked in a deep breath, before returning it to Daniel. Breathe, dammit. A gasping cough, and lids fluttered open, blinking dazedly over eyes bluer than the sea around them.
Grinning as well as he could while keeping up his slow exhaling, Jack signaled his plan of taking turns with the air. He was encouraged to see Daniel give a slight nod of understanding.
His first concern settled for the moment, Jack looked around for the other diver. Seeing no one, his hands moved in a question he was unable to voice.
A short shake of Daniel's head gave him the answer he'd already surmised. The SEAL must have met a nasty end.
Returning his attention to Daniel's plight, Jack set aside thoughts of the lost man and concentrated on the one he could save. He made sure Daniel took a breath deep enough to hold him for a bit, while he communicated his intention through gestures. Then he swam off to retrieve a long pole he'd spotted lying nearby.
He shoved it between the blocks and heaved. The big stone rocked, then settled back into place. Angling the pole for better leverage, Jack tried again. This time the stone fell away.
As Jack passed across the regulator for another breath, he saw momentary relief turn to consternation when Daniel realized his leg was not yet free. A mass of seaweed wound around his ankle, holding him in place.
Jack drew the knife at his belt and hacked the clutching growth loose from its roots. With a clap on the shoulder, he gave his liberated teammate a thumbs up.
One final task remained. He gradually inflated Daniel's buoyancy vest to help him float. It should compensate for any lack of energy left for swimming.
Still sharing the air, the two men rose slowly towards the surface.
***
Bursting from their watery confines into fresh air, the teammates spent their first moments taking deep, lung-filling breaths.
As soon as he felt capable of using his lungs for more than simple breathing, Jack called G'hale's name. Treading water, he waited for an answering shout, but all he heard was the lapping of wavelets.
Water showered from his hair in a cascade of shimmering drops as Jack searched for the ship. It was nowhere in sight. What he did spy was a small lifeboat, spinning in a slow circle.
"What the hell...?" He shot a concerned glance at his companion. The inflated BC was keeping Daniel afloat, but it was apparent the ordeal had weakened him. The first order of business was getting him out of the water. After that, Jack could take the time to assess their situation.
Lending a hand to help him maneuver through the water, he guided Daniel towards the small craft. Upon arriving at their goal, he scrambled into the boat, then turned and pulled Daniel aboard.
The two lay winded, face down, heads pillowed on their forearms, content for the moment simply to be high and dry.
Once he could breathe easier, Jack sat up. Pulling off his mask, he scowled in the direction he judged shore to be, going by the position of the sun. "Damned coward turned tail and ran. Deserted us."
Pushing himself up on his elbows, Daniel countered with a doubtful air, "You can't know that. Anything could have happened to him."
"I know," Jack asserted, shrugging out of his tanks and then helping Daniel off with his gear. "He was blathering on about this place being evil and forbidden by the gods and how we should go back. He must've decided to follow his own advice."
Surveying the tiny vessel, Daniel offered, "At least he didn't completely abandon us. He left us the lifeboat."
"Oh, I'm real grateful. It'll take us forever to row all the way back to shore in this thing."
"We'd better get started then." Daniel reached for an oar, but Jack snatched it up.
"Only one set of oars. I'll take the first shift while you rest up. Let's have a look at your ankle first."
"It's all right," Daniel insisted. He tugged at a loop of seaweed still stubbornly clinging around it. "I'm sure it's not broken. A little banged up is all." He let go and sat back, breathing heavily.
Jack frowned. Daniel must be really drained if he couldn't win the battle with a piece of slimy grass. He reached down and gave a yank. The plant came loose with a loud sucking sound.
"Ow!" Daniel yelled, immediately reaching down to rub the reddened area. "Thanks, Jack."
"If it's not badly hurt, we'd better see what else we're up against." Jack nodded towards the items stowed under the rear seat. "Why don't you take inventory, see what supplies we've got on hand."
Fitting the oars into the oarlocks, Jack evaluated their status. They were stranded on an unfamiliar ocean, hours from help, in a floating matchbox, with one of them in a debilitated condition. Well, they hadn't had a challenge since, oh, their last mission. Wouldn't want their survival skills to get rusty.
"We have water." Daniel held up the canteens he'd found, then successively identified field rations and a first aid kit. That was about it.
"Oh goody. All the luxury of a cruise on the Love Boat." Jack grimaced and began to row.
***
He rowed for well over an hour. It was difficult to gauge how far they'd gone... or how far they had left to go.
After waiting vainly for the other man to bring it up, Jack broached the subject of Mulligan.
His eyes gazing out over the vast sea, Daniel related the grisly tale in an emotionless monotone.
Jack watched in concern, guessing the controlled tone so unlike his friend must be a symptom of shock. He'd seen some pretty horrific sights in the course of his military career, but nothing rivaled what the young scholar had just witnessed. The blessing was it had happened so fast the SEAL presumably never knew what hit him. Jack was only thankful Daniel had escaped a like fate.
By this time the muscles in Jack's arms and back were twinging in protest at the unaccustomed effort. He couldn't keep this pace up forever. He decided it was time to allow himself to be spelled for a turn. Daniel appeared to be recuperating and could probably use a dose of physical activity to take his mind off recent events.
Trading places, Jack lay back with a groan of relief at the respite granted his aching body. He felt the boat settle into a smooth rhythm as the rocking motion lulled him to sleep.
***
Jack was roused by the sound of knocking. "Come in, already," he grumbled as he sat up and squinted around him. Stretching the kinks out of cramped muscles, he was shocked to full wakefulness by the sight of the body collapsed in the bow.
"Daniel!" Scrambling across to his stricken friend, he registered the fact the knocking came from the oars hanging slack in the oarlocks and striking the sides of the boat. At least they hadn't washed away. He spared a moment to secure them before checking Daniel.
"Hey, buddy, wake up. What's wrong?"
Daniel's only response was a moan as his head rolled to the side.
Pushing sweat-dampened hair off the unconscious man's forehead, he felt the radiating heat of a fever. "Damn. Wake up, Daniel. Talk to me." Upon lightly tapping the flushed cheeks, he was rewarded by fluttering eyelids.
"Jack?" Long lashes framed a confused gaze. "What happened?"
"I don't know, you tell me. You were rowing when I fell asleep. What hit you?"
Daniel shifted and his face puckered in pain. "Ow! My leg."
Jack looked down at the injured leg. "Here?" He gently touched the ankle, eliciting another yelp.
"Maybe it's broken after all," Jack said grimly. "Let's get this wet suit off you and have a look." Carefully he helped Daniel peel out of the stretchy fabric. "Oh, God."
The ankle was swollen and red, with streaks of darker red radiating up his leg.
"What happened? This can't be from twisting it," Jack puzzled. Looking closer he saw a series of rings, with tiny puncture holes in the center of each one. "It looks like something bit you."
"The seaweed," Daniel mumbled.
"Seaweed?" Jack exclaimed in disbelief. "How can you get bitten by a plant? Never mind--alien plant, dumb question."
"There."
Jack followed Daniel's pointing finger. Over by the side of the boat lay the strip of discarded seaweed, edges curling as it dried.
Gingerly Jack picked it up and examined it. It had little round suckers along one side. "Yup, that's gotta be the culprit all right." Carefully, he placed it into an empty food container for safekeeping. "Maybe you're allergic to it or something. We'll hang onto it in case Fraiser needs it to figure out treatment once we get back to the base."
"If I make it back..."
"Don't even think of starting that with me." The resolute voice brooked no contradiction. "We'll have you tucked up in your favorite infirmary bed in no time." Jack took another look at the leg. "Damn. You should've kept resting. That wilting scrap of sea salad must have leaked stuff into you. The exertion of rowing probably sent it traveling through your system faster. I'll take it from here."
"Jack..."
"No arguments, Daniel."
Daniel nodded, looking too weak to argue. "Thirsty," he mumbled.
"Oh sure. Here." Jack snatched up a canteen and helped Daniel hold it to his lips for a drink.
"Thanks."
Screwing the cap back on the canteen, Jack stowed it before easing Daniel into a more comfortable position. "I don't think there's anything in the first aid kit to help. We don't know what we're dealing with here. I think you should just try to rest."
Eyes slid shut on a tired sigh. "'Kay."
Jack stripped out of his own wet suit, then settled himself by the oars. Taking his bearings by the sun still high in the afternoon sky, he began once again to row.
***
Falling into a weary rhythm, he let his body shift into auto pilot. Dip, pull, scoop, and out. Dip, pull, scoop, and out. Abruptly the routine was disrupted by a fish landing in the boat. Startled, Jack watched it flopping about. "I've gotta admire this do-it-yourself fishing technique, but I'm not quite ready for dinner yet."
In contrast, the fish appeared eager for a meal, aiming a slash of its sharp teeth at Jack's bare toes.
Hastily, he yanked them out of the way. "No sorry excuse for sushi's turning me into fish food," he declared, wrenching an oar out of its lock and flipping the fish neatly back into the sea. "That's enough of you."
Before he could replace the oar, the fish arced out of the water again and flew into the boat. Jack repeated his flipping maneuver, then waited, listening to the quiet after the splash. He was ready for the next attempt.
The fish sailed through the air straight at Daniel.
Swinging his oar like a baseball bat, Jack struck the fish and sent it flying back out over the ocean. "Straight for the bleachers," he crowed. "So much for your curve ball."
"Shouldn't've bothered, Jack."
The low voice surprised him. "Daniel, you're awake. How're you feeling?"
"Thirsty," was the response.
Handing him the canteen, Jack asked, "What d'you mean I shouldn't've bothered? Did you see the teeth on that thing?"
"I saw," Daniel said, wiping his mouth and passing back the canteen. "Would've been justice." He stared musingly out across the water. There was no sign of the fish, which appeared to have finally given up. "It should've been me killed by that other thing, not Mulligan."
"Whoa, Daniel, don't go there."
"Why not?" Eyes flashed blue fire at Jack. "It's all my fault he's dead. I was in charge. I'm the one who sent him over to the location where he was attacked. I'm the one who left him there alone while I went off exploring one last time. I'm the one who turned my back. If I hadn't, he'd still be alive. If only I'd kept watch, if only I'd gone with him, if only..."
"Then you might be dead, and we'd have lost two good men today instead of one." Jack swallowed at the thought of how close he'd come to experiencing that loss, and continued gently, "Ya can't live by if only's."
"I know, but... I was so enthralled by what we'd found here. I was so sure of myself. I thought I could handle being in charge. I thought it'd be a piece of cake." The fire in Daniel's eyes clouded over as he appealed to his team leader. "It wasn't a piece of cake. Not even close. How do you do it, Jack? How can you bear the weight and go on to the next mission, the next lives in your hands?"
Withdrawing into himself, Jack's eyes refocused on an inner view of sights and people long since gone. He struggled to resist his immediate instinct to push them back down inside the deep well where he habitually kept them walled. He knew he had to share something of the thoughts and feelings they called up, no matter how uncomfortable it made him feel. Daniel needed him to.
He forced himself to take a deep breath, then spoke in a voice that sounded remote to his own ears. "That's just it. Those next lives are depending on you. You take what you learned from this and make sure it never, ever happens again. You be that much more careful. And the people on your team are a little safer because of it. Mulligan will have died for nothing if you don't take that with you to the next time."
"There's not gonna be a next time. I can't..." The anguished voice broke.
"Then you waste the experience his death gave you. And you leave next time to someone who may not have that experience."
A painful hope underlay the next question. "Does it get easier to live with?"
"No." Blinking away his visions of the past, Jack looked straight at Daniel. "And you don't want it to. Never let it get easy. If it does, that's the day you wish it was you who died because that's the day you become a liability. Not before. It's not your fault, but it is your responsibility. And like I said, you can't switch that off."
Doubt shone from the troubled blue eyes. "I don't know if I can deal with this."
"You will. You have the strength." Jack knew what his friend was made of, even if his friend didn't know himself. "And you don't have to deal with it alone."
The doubt faded as Daniel seemed to absorb some of his reassurance. He nodded, but his response was interrupted as a spasm of pain crossed his features.
"Daniel?"
"God, Jack, it hurts..." The trembling voice trailed off as Daniel passed out.
"Shit." Laying his fingers against the hot skin to do a pulse check, Jack could feel the fever hadn't abated. He wrung out a wet cloth and placed it on Daniel's forehead, but he knew it was only a temporary measure. The only way to get real help for the sick man was to get back to rowing.
***
Above the repetitive plash of the oars and the lapping water, Jack heard a new sound--a droning buzz. He looked around, then up, tracking the origin of the noise. Something was approaching from the landward sky--an insect? Lifting his hand to shade his eyes, he watched as its size grew and details became clearer. No, it was more like a bird. Wait, better--a UAV!
Jubilantly, Jack began to wave, both arms pumping furiously to attract attention while his relief spilled out in elated shouts. "Over here! Hey! Here we are!"
The UAV flew over the boat, circled, and returned for another flyby. With a waggle of its wings, it headed back the way it had come.
"Yay, Carter! We're saved." Lowering his gaze to Daniel lying unconscious through the commotion, Jack hoped the rescue had come in time.
***
The little boat bobbed alongside the ship where Teal'c waited on the ladder. Jack lifted Daniel in his arms and carefully handed him up to the Jaffa, who carried the precious burden up the rungs.
Jack quickly followed, cutting short Sam's exclamations of alarm over Daniel's condition. Deep pink splotches overlaid his skin's normal pallor, and the reddening streaks extended farther up his leg than when Jack had first detected them. "We've got to get him into Doc's care pronto."
"Lieutenant Mulligan...?"
"Didn't make it," Jack answered shortly before she could finish the question. The details could wait till the briefing. Right now their efforts should center on saving the man who'd survived.
With a nod, Teal'c went to instruct the sailors to make all due haste back to land, while the others got Daniel settled as comfortably as possible. Jack tucked a light blanket around him, while Carter hurried to bring more wet cloths to help keep the fever at bay. Daniel stirred at their ministrations, a soft moan escaping his lips, but did not awaken. His own lips tightening at the distressed sound, Jack smoothed the sandy hair, the gesture soothing himself as much as the unconscious man.
"The men have finished retrieving the lifeboat, and are even now preparing to get the ship underway." Teal'c had no sooner delivered his update than they felt the shift in motion from riding at anchor to a forward momentum.
With action on SG-1's part at a momentary standstill, Jack requested Carter's report.
"When the ship came back without you, we tracked down G'hale and got the story out of him. He refused to go back. We found some other fishermen willing to undertake a rescue as long as they didn't have to actually sail to the forbidden city. We sent out the UAV and followed its sighting to your location." She raised worried eyes from Daniel to her CO. "You were maintaining a pretty fair course, sir. You'd have made shore in a few more hours."
"If my arms had lasted that long," Jack qualified. And if Daniel had. He dragged his thoughts from that speculation and fixed them firmly on the goal almost in reach.
It didn't take long for the large ship to make landfall. The somber team headed directly to the Stargate and home to the SGC.
***
Daniel woke to a dizzying blend of noise, movement, and light. A sudden vision of wicked teeth and clouds of deep red blood assailed him.
"Mulligan, watch out! Noooo!" Thrashing wildly against the heavy stone pinning him down, he tried to move, to prevent the nightmare scene from playing out yet again. Stones tumbled around him every way he turned--crushing his parents in the museum, raining down on him in Shyla's mine, pinioning his leg in an underwater stockade. He struggled frantically but couldn't get away.
"Easy, Daniel."
The calming words penetrated his fogged senses, and he blinked away the remnants of his delirium. A pair of steady brown eyes replaced the gory recollection. "Jack?"
"Yeah, it's okay. We're home."
Strong hands, not stone, held him in place. Jack kept pace at his side, Doctor Fraiser on the other, while a medic pushed the gurney through the base corridors. Fleeting relief gave way to a harrowing surge of pain which throbbed along his leg. Biting down on his lip to hold in the cries threatening to erupt from his throat, he curled inward, trying to still the tremors wracking his body.
"Doc, when is that painkiller going to kick in?" He heard Jack's worried tones through a haze of misery.
"Any time now, Colonel."
The light intensified and an odor of disinfectant surrounded him. They must have arrived at the infirmary.
"We're going to put you back to sleep now, Doctor Jackson. You're going to be just fine."
"I'll be right here when you wake up, Daniel."
He hung onto Jack's voice as long as he could, drawing strength from the comforting sound, wrapping it around himself like a cocoon against the pain both felt and remembered. He'd be all right. Jack was with him. The voices faded away as the darkness once more moved in, blessedly blotting out all sensation.
***
Jack stood in Daniel's apartment and pensively regarded his friend. He could picture the thoughts swimming round and round in Daniel's head like the fish in the tank he was staring at so intently.
Daniel had fully recovered from the injuries he'd sustained on the dive. Doctor Fraiser had analyzed the seaweed sample and successfully treated the toxin it had released into Daniel's leg. Physically he was in sound shape to undertake the mission General Hammond had just authorized for complete salvage of Atlantis.
Jack was well aware, however, that not all the effects from the first underwater venture had been physical. "The recovery team will be accompanied by a fully armed security complement to keep watch for any natural dangers like the creature you encountered. There won't be a repeat of the attack on Mulligan."
"That's good."
Jack's impulse was to pull Daniel off this mission. He hated to have any of his team off where he couldn't keep an eye on them personally, and besides, why put the scientist through any more than he'd already endured? Yet, he had to consider both what was best for the mission and what was best for Daniel. He knew he wouldn't be doing his friend any favors by 'protecting' him. Daniel had to come to terms with what he'd gone through. Jack knew better than most what that involved. "Hammond's putting together the team roster now, and he'd like your input. The team leader usually gets some say about who's on the team. That's of course if you accept the assignment..."
"I'll go."
Jack wasn't sure he'd heard the lowly uttered words correctly. "What?"
"I'll go." Daniel straightened and turned away from the aquarium to face Jack. "You were right."
"I was? I mean, sure I was, but when do you mean exactly?" Jack asked warily.
A faint smile curved the younger man's lips. "What you said about responsibility, and experience. If I don't go on this mission, and something goes wrong that I could've prevented... I'd still be responsible." He shook his head. "I can't turn it off. I have to see it through."
Jack knew his faith hadn't been misplaced. The kid had the right stuff. "If you're gonna learn to swim, you gotta try out the deep end sometime, Danny."
Daniel nodded. "I don't think I really understood before quite how deep it can be." He raised his chin, a determined set to his jaw. "But I owe it to Mulligan to try." The tired eyes probed Jack's, seeking assurance. "As long as I get coaching from someone who's been there before."
Jack reached out and gripped his friend's shoulder supportively. "You got it."
The End