WORSE
"Major?" The General's questioning look greeted Carter and Teal'c as they descended the ramp leading from the Stargate. "You're early..." he glanced behind them. "Where are Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson?"
"Ummm," Carter faltered.
"Things did not go as planned, GeneralHammond," Teal'c replied.
"...And the Colonel and Dr. Jackson are...?" Hammond asked, looking back and forth between the remaining members of SG1.
Carter swallowed, a tentative smile appearing on her face, clearly nervous about informing the General of the happenings that occurred on the planet in the middle of the gate room. "Sir, I believe... "
With an exasperated sigh, Teal'c took matters into his own hands. "If you will be patient just a few seconds more, General, I believe the children should be arriving shortly."
"The children? Major?"
The General's attention was diverted as Daniel stepped out of the Stargate and began stamping down the ramp. Head down, breathing heavily, it was obvious to every in the room that Dr. Jackson was more than a little agitated. The source of his agitation exited the wormhole seconds later.
"Dr. Jackson!" the Colonel bellowed from the top of the ramp. "Stop where you are...NOW!"
Daniel ignored Jack and continued down the ramp mumbling a hurried "Excuse me" to the group at the bottom. Daniel was usually faster, but Jack was motivated and made it down the ramp, latching onto Daniel's arm in a nanosecond. He spun the man around and the two met eye to eye, mirror images of anger and frustration.
Through gritted teeth, Daniel warned, "Let me go, Jack."
"Those 'Jack' days are done, Dr. Jackson, and I refuse to release you." He tightened his grip. Looking down, he caught Daniel clenching his right hand into a fist. "Go ahead, Dr. Jackson, hit me. The big pacifist standing in front of me wants nothing better than to take down the big bad Colonel. Go ahead and hit me...I would *so* love to lock your sorry ass up for insubordination."
Daniel jerked his arm out of Jack's grip. "Damn you, Ja...Colonel O'Neill. You were willing to sell those people down the river for some mineral. Their land is sacred to them and you come in telling them..."
"Dr. Jackson..." the Colonel said, raising a finger and pointing at him. "This is neither the time nor the place to have this discussion."
"Fuck you...Colonel."
"Can you say that in all of your 23 languages?"
"This is like Euronda all over again, and we know how that almost played out."
"Yeah, I do Dr. Jackson. And you still have yet to learn the fine art of keeping your mouth shut!"
Daniel's cheeks flamed in embarrassment, forcing him to take a deep breath and relax. Jack was right; Daniel would love to deck the man and all of his military mentality. For a fleeting second, Daniel believed that sitting in the brig would be worth the feel of slugging the Colonel. Daniel hated the fact that no one in the gate room seeming willing to throw themselves in front of this inevitable train wreck. Sam and Teal'c seemed quite content to witness Daniel and their CO go for their respective jugular veins.
Daniel took a step in Jack's direction, raising his fists. Daniel gave a silent prayer of thanks as Teal'c stepped forward, grabbing his arm.
"DanielJackson...please do not do anything that you may be sorry for later."
The General finally spoke up, exasperated. "Enough. Teal'c...Get Dr. Jackson out of my sight. Take him to the infirmary for his post mission checkup. Stay with him there and then bring him to my office. Under no circumstances allow him to go anywhere but the infirmary or my office."
Teal'c acquiesced to General Hammond with a bow. "DanielJackson, we must do what the General requires."
Daniel refused to budge despite Teal'c's gentle coaxing. "I always do what the military wants Teal'c...not this time...I was not going to sit back..."
Jack leaned forward and whispered in Daniel's ear, loud enough for those in Daniel's general vicinity to hear. "Why do you consider yourself as having any kind of alliance with Earth? You have no ties here...no family. You thwart us at every turn, every alliance we need to make...you throw a wrench into it. I only want what's in here...the knowledge you have." Jack jabbed at Daniel's temple. "I don't need what's in here." Jack jabbed at Daniel's chest by his heart. "Cause I don't know what's in there anymore."
Daniel's face blanched. The color drained and, for a moment, the anger in Daniel's face became hurt. Just for a second, and then his features rearranged themselves back to the hard mask of anger.
"Enough," the General hissed through gritted teeth. "Teal'c and Dr. Jackson to the infirmary. Colonel and Major Carter, debriefing first."
Daniel was the first to break eye contact with the Colonel. Squaring his shoulders, he turned and walked out of the gate room. Teal'c handed his staff weapon to a waiting SF and followed after Daniel.
"Major Carter, Colonel O'Neill....Now, in my office." General Hammond pivoted and left the two officers in his wake, with no choice but to follow him.
* * * *
Daniel and Teal'c walked to the infirmary in silence. To Teal'c, silence communicated as loudly as words. DanielJackson's silence spoke volumes to the stoic warrior.
Daniel went to one gurney in the infirmary, Teal'c to another. Daniel went through the exam like an automaton, neither his facial expression nor body language ever changing. Even from across the room, the anger in Daniel Jackson was palpable. He spoke only when spoken to by Dr. Fraiser, never lifting his head to make eye contact. Finishing first, Teal'c took guard by Daniel Jackson's side.
Even without turning, Daniel sensed his large shadow "Teal'c I don't need a babysitter. General Hammond ordered me to go to a debriefing...I'll be there...I don't need you hovering over me."
Teal'c turned to Dr. Fraiser inquiring, "Is DanielJackson done here?"
"Yes, Teal'c I suppose he is." She placed her hands on her hips. "Daniel...I'm telling you....blood pressure is elevated, heart rate elevated, blood sugar is way down. I'm surprised your ass is not on the infirmary floor as opposed to this gurney."
Getting no response, she turned to Teal'c. "I don't care if the General wanted Daniel to debrief yesterday...I am overriding. Take Daniel to the commissary and sit on him if you have to...get him to eat a meal, not just raise his caffeine level." Teal'c bowed in response and stood at attention while Daniel lowered himself from the gurney.
Again, silence encompassed the two men as they made their way to the commissary. Daniel went straight for the coffee machine, and Teal'c laid a hand none too gently on his shoulder, steering him away from the machine. "No, DanielJackson. A meal is what Dr, Fraiser said you required." Teal'c felt the tension in DanielJackson, his whole body was virtually vibrating with it. Teal'c watched as the petulant archeologist maneuvered himself to the remotest table in the room and sat with slumped shoulders. Teal'c filled a tray with food for Daniel and carried it to the table, placing it down and sliding it in front of him.
"Teal'c...what is this?"
Indignantly, Teal'c looked him in the eyes. "I believe MajorCarter calls them 'comfort foods'."
For the first time since the day had begun, a hint of a smile appeared on Daniel's lips as he gazed as his 'comfort food'...meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, biscuits, chocolate milk, rice pudding. "Teal'c...everything on this plate is either beige or brown, what makes that 'comfort food'?"
"I do not know DanielJackson, just that you should eat." Teal'c folded his arms across his body and leaned back in the chair, waiting for Daniel to finish. This was proving to be a lesson in futility for Teal'c. The men reached an impasse over the tray of food.
"DanielJackson, what is it about the food on the tray that you do not wish to eat it? There are other items I can get for you."
"I'm just not hungry", he replied, pushing the tray to the middle of the table.
Teal'c pushed it back. "I believe it is that you do not wish anyone to tell you what to do. Even if you were starving, you would not eat...because DoctorFraiser told you that it had to be eaten...you suddenly are not hungry."
Flustered, Daniel replied, "No, Teal'c that's not it at all."
Daniel pushed the tray away, stood and exited the commissary, bumping into people and tables as he made his hasty retreat. He was pulled up short when Teal'c overpowered him, latching onto his upper arm and dragging him along the hallway and into the elevator. From the elevator, he propelled Daniel to his quarters and forced him to sit on the hardback chair. Teal'c turned and locked door.
With his back to Daniel, Teal'c proceeded to light the candles in his quarters. Daniel attempted to extricate himself from the situation. Without turning around, Teal'c said, "If I were you, DanielJackson, I would stay in my position."
"Teal'c, this is ridiculous," Daniel replied, shaking his head.
"That is where you are wrong, DanielJackson. Your behavior is ridiculous. You are here because your behavior warrants punishment like I would give to R'yac when he was younger. You are a man and expect to be treated as such, but your juvenile-conduct does injustice to both yourself and your teammates.
"I will speak for only myself, even though MajorCarter and I have spoken at length regarding the attitude that you and O'Neill have towards one another."
"It *has* become better..." Daniel interjected.
"No, DanielJackson, it *had* become better. Then you stopped, expecting the friendship to survive without help or support. You cannot go backwards to recapture the people that CassandraFraiser spoke about. Too many of our experiences offworld prevent those people from reappearing. You needed to build a new friendship from the ground up, not rebuild on a crumbling foundation. The broken foundation could not support the added stress of new experiences."
Daniel sat dumbfounded by Teal'c's speech. The use of the word "foundation" constricted Daniel's heart, as his mind was brought back to another time and place.
"What happened today was not about friendship...it was about..."
"That is where you are wrong DanielJackson, it is all about friendship. Friendship implies trust. You should have trusted Colonel O'Neill. He would have made an informed decision, but you never approached him as a man of wisdom. If O'Neill did not pay attention to the information you needed to give him, you would whine like a child and stamp off. If you respect the decisions that he makes, you need to respect him as an intelligent man and impart information to him as a learned person. But if you refuse to see the Colonel in that light he will continue to refuse to listen to you. But you were positive that Colonel O'Neill would not understand how the inhabitants of the planet could hold the land and the mineral sacred. O'Neill is a just and honorable man, if he knew the beliefs of the inhabitants, a different strategy would have been reached for the good of all concerned. But you mounted your high horse and filled the leaders of the planet with horror stories as to how SGC would come in and strip mine their land. You never trusted O'Neill to hear you out or make the right decision. DanielJackson," Teal'c continued solemnly, "Your use of words in this situation may have cost you your friendship and your standing on SG1."
* * * *
The General walked briskly through the briefing room and right into his office. He waited by the door as the Colonel and Major entered the room. He closed the door behind them and walked to his desk and sat down. Sighing, he looked at the two people standing at attention in front of him.
"At ease. Take a seat."
The Major sat staring at her hands in her lap, while the Colonel was looking everywhere but at the man behind the desk.
"Colonel, care to enlighten me as to what occurred on the planet, proceeding that little performance in the gate room?"
"Well sir, that was actually the ending to the little performance that began on the planet."
Leaning forward, Hammond tented his fingers. "Are you telling me. Colonel, that an agreement that had practically had itself signed is gone because of a difference of opinion between yourself and Dr. Jackson?"
"That's it in a nutshell, Sir." Tightness and anger were apparent in Colonel O'Neill's voice. "Dani... Dr. Jackson went overboard with his righteousness this time...he overstepped the protocols of command and I believe he needs a reprimand for this, Sir. This was too detrimental to Earth to let him walk away with just a slap on the wrist."
Sam sat in the chair to the right of the Colonel, attempting, and hopefully succeeding, in keeping her emotions in check. Her heart was beating forcefully within her chest in anger against her commanding officer. She was aghast that he was going to let Daniel take the fall for their failure this mission.
Her memory wasn't as faulty as his, apparently, as she seemed to recall Daniel attempting to speak to the Colonel on numerous occasions about the religious beliefs of the Mishan. The Colonel ignored Daniel, every time that she had been privy to the repeated stabs at conversation. Rolling his eyes, he had ignored Daniel, yessing him, never listening, and the SGC was paying the price for the Colonel's shortsightedness with Daniel. Daniel was left picking up the pieces.
Carter turned her attention back to the Colonel's debriefing ".....Then in the middle of the negotiations, sir, Daniel saunters in and proceeds to inform the ruling council how the SGC are going to arrive on their planet with their big, bad machines and destroy everything the Mishan hold sacred. Needless to say sir, it put a big damper on their willingness to sign the treaty and they escorted us, personally escorted us, to the Stargate. With the idea of 'don't let the event horizon hit you on the ass on your way out'."
"Dr. Jackson made no attempt to inform you of his intentions?"
"None whatsoever sir."
"He just stormed into...."
Sam closed her eyes, remembering Daniel bursting into the governmental chamber...his face tight with anger at the situation. With a controlled, lecture-mode voice, he informed the members what to expect when the SGC mined the requested mineral. Contrary to the Colonel's analysis of the situation, Sam believed that the Mishan were more upset over the lack of control that Daniel and the Colonel exhibited over that table than the information that Daniel imparted. Daniel attempted to maintain a semblance of order when the Colonel ordered him to, "sit down and shut up". Daniel's retort of, "Not this time, Jack," started the free for all between the two men that continued all the way to the Stargate and into the gate room.
"You had no clue, Colonel, as to the Mishan's beliefs with regard to the land?"
No, Sir."
"Washington is not going to be very happy over this Colonel. I believe Dr. Jackson may feel some repercussions with regard to this incident."
"Some sir?"
"Sorry, Jack. But the preverbal shit will have to hit the fan. And since you are his commanding officer...some of it is going to have to land on you."
"Wonderful....great ending to an even better day," the Colonel replied.
"Major Carter...anything to add?"
"No, Sir," she replied, hating herself for saying it. Hating the situation for making her say it. Hating the military at that moment in time. Hating the Colonel more.
"All right, dismissed. I want to see your reports on my desk within 24 hours. After reading them and listening to Dr. Jackson's debriefing I will render my decision."
"Thank you, Sir," they both echoed, standing and exiting the office. Once on their way to the infirmary for their post mission checks, Sam asked the Colonel to come to her lab first. Looking at her questioningly, the Colonel acquiesced following her down the corridor to her lab. Once inside she closed the door, and turned to face the Colonel.
"Permission to speak freely, Sir?"
"Of course, Carter." Taking in her stance and facial expression, he came to a conclusion. "I'm not going to like this am I?"
"I don't know, Sir. Only that it needs to be said and I need to be able to say it without being interrupted."
Jack eased his body onto one of Carter's lab stools. "Go ahead Carter, give it all you've got."
"Sir, do you really believe the bullshit you fed General Hammond?"
"Carter, I believe your speaking freely is bordering on insubordination." "Colonel, you honestly believe that Daniel didn't try to tell you anything about the Mishan? That he didn't attempt to warn you?"
"When Carter? When did Daniel do that?"
"When Sir? When you weren't listening to him! He knew...I was there when he tried a few times...you just blew him off. You are just so attuned to tuning him out that you don't see what you do anymore. The two of you are so busy trying to talk over each other, that we need more than words from a speech to pull us out of this hole you've both dug for the team." Carter turned away in an attempt to regain composure as she felt the prick of tears behind her closed lids. Taking a few deep breaths, she felt calm enough to again face her CO.
"When Daniel entered the government room, he was angrier at you for dismissing him than he was opposed to the situation with the Mishan people. He knew that the SGC could find a way to help the Mishan and still preserve their beliefs. Daniel will never find fault with your ability to protect him in the field. That is your strength. Daniel's strength is his intelligence...but you never give him credit for that."
"You're wrong Carter."
"Oh excuse me, Sir...I forgot. Telling him you only need him for his brains...that is not the same thing as respecting him for his intelligence. Far from it sir. Telling Daniel in the gate room that you weren't sure where his alliance was because he had no family on Earth? How dare you! Never include me in your argument with Daniel, especially in taking away family membership. Telling him you don't want him for his heart. Goddamn it, Sir. That's what Daniel *is*. When did you forget that? If you let him take the whole fall for what happened on the planet, not only will you be putting the last nail in the coffin that was once SG1, but I will have lost all respect for my commanding officer and my friend."
Sam left the Colonel sitting on the stool as she exited her lab. Before visiting the infirmary, she had one last stop to make. Taking a breath, she knocked gently on the closed door in front of her.
"Come in."
Opening the door, heart in her mouth, she knew she was doing the right thingthough she couldn't help but wonder why she felt so badly about it. "General Hammond...can I speak to you a minute? I need to clarify something."
* * * *
Sam exited the General's office, feeling the burden of the day's activities resting a little lighter. Head down, not looking where she was going, Sam felt an arm grab her. "Sam?"
"Daniel?"
He looked fatigued, nervous, shell shocked. She noticed Teal'c standing beside him. Sam acknowledged Teal'c with an incline of her head.
Daniel thought his teammate looked fatigued, nervous, shell shocked. "Are you okay Sam?" Before he had a chance to think, he blurted out, "Wanna join me in the commissary when I'm finished?"
Sam nodded her head in agreement. "After physical, shower....commissary...It's date, Daniel."
* * * *
Daniel and Teal'c sat at the table, the same as the earlier visit. Teal'c placed a tray again in front of Daniel with the exact food as the previous encounter. Daniel stifled a laugh when Sam sat down opposite him with a tray filled with the same items as Daniel's.
"Comfort food?" Daniel asked, playing with his mashed potatoes.
"The best... Comfort food is the best," Sam reiterated, as she poured gravy on both her's and Daniel's potatoes. "Now eat...you look like shit." "Professional opinion, Carter?"
"Sir." Sam cringed. She was emotionally spent and wasn't in the mood to take part in or watch verbal tennis match.
"Daniel....eat," Jack said pointing at the tray.
"I'm really not hu..." Daniel glanced in Teal'c's direction. "I'm really not in a hurry to finish. The General gave SG1 a week's worth of downtime."
"I know...just came back from seeing him...told me you're going to Abydos?"
"Yup," Daniel suddenly found the mashed potatoes very interesting, and refused to raise his eyes to meet his teammates'. "I asked and the General thought I could use a break for a while."
Sam and Teal'c begged off. Jack and Daniel were emptying the trays into the trash. Jack grabbed Daniel's arm once in the hallway. "Daniel I'm..."
"Forget it. Maybe some of what you said in the gate room is really true and needed to be said. Maybe I need to get my priorities straight, before I come back to SG1."
"Daniel...please don't."
"I'm tired, and I leave very early in the morning. Bye...have a good week off."
As he watched Daniel walk down the hall, he realized that through the commissary and hallway conversation, Daniel never referred to him as "Jack".
* * * *
Jack and Sam stood in the control room as the event horizon shut down. "He'll be back, Carter."
"Give me a reason why he should, Sir. Convince me that Daniel is going to return from Abydos. Colonel, he went through the Stargate wearing his robes from Abydos, not his BDUs."
"That's because he is going home, Major."
"That's what I'm afraid of, Sir."
The Colonel was silent. 'This is worse,' he thought, 'worse than before Cassie's speech.' A line from the speech echoed clearly in his mind 'Winning an argument or making a point is worthless if a friendship is lost in the process'. He wondered why, after the damage was done between him and Daniel, he could remember the words so clearly.
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