The Long
and
-
RATING: Part 1 – PG-13
-
SERIES: Ascended Daniel. Sequel to
The
Sleeper
-
PAIRINGS: None
-
CONTENT WARNINGS: Post-Meridian,
Language
-
SPOILERS: FiaD, Legacy,
-
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This
is split into a number of parts -
for two reasons. The first is so that I can try to get at least some of it
posted before June 13, and the second is that the second half of this is
rather more ‘grown-up’ in subject matter than the rest of this series, so
I thought it best to split it so that those people who don’t want to read
the more grown-up bits don’t have to. Once again, sincerest thanks to Ali
for the fast turn-around and the new mantra to aid my writing!
Chapter 1 –
He
was in a long, dark tunnel. At one end there was a really bright light. He
started to move towards it, but as he drew closer it got increasingly difficult
to move. He could hear someone behind him, calling his name. He turned around
to see who it was. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness he made out the shapes
of three people, and knew these were his friends. He waved, and tried to
continue his journey towards the light, but every step exhausted him until he
was hardly moving. A voice whispered, “Follow your heart Daniel.” He ignored the voice and tried to move
towards the light once more. Once again he heard the voice say, “Daniel. Why do
you try to achieve that which you do not want? Follow the path that leads to
your heart’s desire.”
He
woke from the dream in a mild panic, his heart pounding. For a moment he lay in
the darkened room, wondering what the noise was. After a few moments he
realised it was the sound of his own breath moving in and out of his body. This
really was going to take some getting used to, he thought.
Daniel
Jackson put the light on and blinked in the comparative brightness. It was
barely three days since he’d come out of the coma that he’d lapsed into after
his return to corporeal form. He still hadn’t got used to being mortal again,
to the sounds that his own body produced, or to experiencing sensations like
pain or even hunger.
The
drip in his arm was uncomfortable. He shifted in the bed, trying to find a
position that didn’t jar the IV shunt quite as much, and in doing so caught the
tube attached to the catheter inserted into his bladder.
His
yell of pain attracted the attention of one of the nursing staff, who came to
find out what the problem was.
“You
okay, Daniel?” she asked, standing in the doorway.
“I…”
he grimaced, waving in the direction of the catheter tube. “I caught…this…
thing…” His mind desperately sought the words he needed, and failed. He wanted
to tell people things, but so many times he would try to articulate, and his
language skills would dissolve like Scotch mist leaving him frustrated and
irritable.
The
nurse smiled and came into the room. “I’ll just check that for you.” She lifted
the covers and checked the catheter. “That’s okay. No problem there. Is
anything else bothering you?”
“Yes.”
He raised the arm with the drip in it. “This is really…. uncomfortable.”
“I’m
afraid that will have to stay until you’re eating and drinking normally.” The
nurse smiled sympathetically as she checked the IV shunt. “Dr Frasier told me
you’re not doing too well with food yet.”
“You
could say that,” Daniel grimaced at the memory. Janet had prescribed clear soup
as a first meal, and the two mouthfuls that he had managed to force himself to
swallow had made an almost immediate re-appearance. Janet was putting it down
to the fact that his body hadn’t worked out it was mortal again yet.
“Do
you want anything to help you to sleep?”
“No
thanks. I’m…fine.” The nurse helped him to get comfortable, and before he knew
it, Daniel was asleep again.
*
When
he next opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Jack, playing with a bag of
saline that had been left in the room.
“Morning,
Daniel. Finally woken up?” Jack put the bag down and wandered over to sit on
the edge of the bed.
“Finally?”
Daniel blinked. “Wha’… what do you mean?” He was finding that sometimes he
didn’t always completely understand things people said. He understood the
words, but the more subtle meanings often eluded him.
“It’s
almost
“I
did?”
“Well
I think you did. It sounded a little like ‘cough’.” Jack grinned at his friend, who had the grace
to look a little sheepish.
“I…I
had a bad night,” Daniel yawned. He looked at Jack a little more closely.
“You’re not in uniform?”
“Daniel,
today is Saturday and I’m not working. None of us are. The others just went to
get coffee; they’ll be back in a moment.”
“Oh.”
There was a long pause. “Saturday.” Daniel frowned.
“Something
wrong Daniel?”
“No.”
Daniel frowned ”Just trying to remember…” He rubbed his forehead with his
fingertips, as if trying to smooth out the frown lines.
“Remember
what?” Jack’s voice was soft.
“I
don’t know. I… I just… can’t quite remember!”
Daniel’s voice rose with the frustration that he felt at the vagueness of his
mind. Something had come back to him when Jack said Saturday, and then vanished
with the next breath. He found himself blinking back tears.
Jack
could sense Daniel’s distress but felt completely powerless, because he really
had no idea what was causing it. He put his hand on Daniel’s arm in an attempt
to comfort his friend. To his horror Daniel yelled and jumped as if he’d had an
electric shock. Jack withdrew his hand.
“Shit!
I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?”
At
that moment, Sam and Teal’c came back into the room, Teal’c carrying a
Styrofoam cup of coffee for Jack. They stared in amazement at the scene.
Daniel
had hunched himself up into a foetal position, and was curled up in the centre
of the bed, hugging himself in a protective manner while Jack was standing a
small distance away, fists clenched. Both men were clearly upset.
“What
happened?” asked Sam. “Sir? What’s going on?”
“I
just put my hand on his arm. I think I hurt him…” Jack scrubbed one hand
through his hair, and then used it to cover his mouth. He stepped back a bit
further, and wrapped his arms around himself, an unconscious mimicking of
Daniel’s usual posture when uncomfortable with anything.
Sam
went over to the bed, pushing Jack back out of the way so she was between him
and Daniel. She spoke softly, as if to a timid child. “Daniel? Are you okay?
What hurts?”
Daniel
had his eyes tightly closed. The tears that had threatened earlier had been
squeezed out from under his lids and were running down his cheeks. He drew in a
shuddering breath before he spoke in a low voice.
“Nothing
hurts.”
“If
nothing hurts, why did you …why?” Jack was completely confused.
There
was a long pause while everyone waited for Daniel to speak. When he did, his
voice was quiet and low. “I’d forgotten what it feels like to be touched.”
A
stunned silence followed. Eventually Jack mumbled a rather lame sounding
apology. There was another pause, then Sam asked “But aren’t the nurses
touching you, when they give you medication and stuff?”
“After
the first time, they warn me before they do.”
“After
the first time…?” Jack raised an eyebrow.
Daniel
finally opened his eyes, and gave a sheepish look. “I reacted in the same way,
only more so.”
“More
so?” Jack raised his eyebrows.
Daniel
blushed. “Let’s put it this way, every member of staff on this corridor came to
see what had happened…”
“Oh,”
said Sam and Jack simultaneously.
Daniel
uncurled slightly from the virtual foetal position that he’d adopted. “It’s
just that… that… well… um… if I haven’t been touched for a while, and I hadn’t
had any physical contact with anyone since about midnight last night, it’s like
my body forgets that it’s flesh and blood, and the sensation of being touched…
it’s… well it’s just weird.” He took a deep breath and sat up again. “I’m sorry,
Jack, but I didn’t see what was about to happen.”
“That’s
okay. I just thought I’d hurt you.” Jack moved closer to the bed. He went to
put his hand on Daniel’s arm and then stopped, nervous about the younger man’s
reaction.
“It’s
alright,” smiled Daniel. “I’m aware it’s likely to happen now. I won’t yell at
you…”
Jack
smiled, and then somewhat hesitantly patted Daniel’s forearm.
Daniel
smiled back. “I’ll get used to this in time. The therapists are doing massage
and stuff to try and help, but Janet says that it’s going to take my body
awhile to adjust…” He stopped as an orderly appeared in the doorway, carrying a
tray.
“Got
some lunch for you, Doctor Jackson.” The matronly woman placed the tray on the
trolley at the end of the bed and wheeled it over the bed. “Doctor Frasier
asked me to make sure you at least try to eat something.” She smiled at him,
“Get some meat back on those way too skinny bones of yours.”
“I’m
not hungry,” Daniel grumbled.
“Yes
you are,” argued the orderly. “You’re just so over hungry you’ve gone past
wanting to eat. Now, I’ve brought you a choice. See what takes your fancy.” She
lifted the lids on the dishes as she identified the contents of each one.
“We’ve got some consommé, some jello, some mashed potato and a bread roll.”
Daniel
pulled a face. “I really don’t feel…”
“Ah-ah-ah!”
Jack held up a finger to silence the protest. “Don’t worry, leave it with us.
We’ll make sure he eats something.”
“Okay,
I’ll leave you to it if that’s what you want, but my ass is on the line if he
doesn’t eat something. Just you folks remember that.” She retrieved something
from the cupboard next to the bed and placed it on the trolley next to the tray
of food. “Oh, and you might need these.” With that, she left the room.
Three
pairs of eyes stared in horror at the pile of cardboard sick bowls.
“Daniel…?”
Jack couldn’t tear his gaze away from the bowls to look at Daniel’s face.
“Ah.
I… er… my…uh…stomach hasn’t fully adjusted to food yet…” Daniel grimaced.
“So
how much do you eat?” asked Sam.
“Er…
a few mouthfuls at most”
“And
how much do you keep down?” asked Jack.
“Er…nothing
yet.”
“Daniel
Jackson. Am I correct in assuming that everything that you have eaten you have
then vomited back up?” Teal’c raised one eyebrow.
“Uh…yes.”
Daniel looked embarrassed.
“And
you let us volunteer to help feed you?” Jack stared at Daniel in disbelief.
“Jack!
You didn’t give anyone a chance to explain the situation!” protested Daniel.
“That’s
true, sir, you just decided that we would help.” Sam gave Jack an innocent
wide-eyed look.
Jack
opened his mouth to protest and then shut it again. He looked at the three
faces in front of him. “I guess I did, didn’t I?” He shrugged, and looked at
the food on the tray. “Well, I guess we’d better get on with this hadn’t we,
before your soup goes cold.” He picked up the spoon.
“Jack…
I think I can manage to feed myself.”
“Really?
Mr-I’m-really-not-hungry.” Jack raised one eyebrow.
Daniel
raised both his eyebrows back. “But you’re gonna make sure I try my best,
aren’t you?” There was something of the
old Daniel in the way he spoke, the expression on his face.
“Oh
yes…” Jack handed the spoon to Daniel, who took it hesitantly. Jack pushed the
trolley further up the bed, closer to Daniel.
For
a moment, Daniel sat weighing up the metal implement. It felt both familiar and
strange at the same time. He stared at it, noticing the way his reflection was
distorted in the curved surface. He noticed that the metal no longer felt cold
in his hand, but was starting to warm up. A voice broke into his reverie.
“Daniel?”
“What?”
Daniel squinted vaguely in Jack’s direction without actually seeing him.
“You
gonna use that spoon or just sit there all day admiring yourself in it?”
Daniel
shot Jack a startled look. “What? Oh…uh…yes…” He changed his grip on the spoon
slightly and dipped it into the soup. At first he just stirred the liquid about
in the bowl, but then he lifted a small amount up. The others watched in silence
as Daniel struggled with the prospect of eating something.
He
sniffed the soup on the spoon. It smelt quite appetising, to the extent that
his stomach contracted in hunger. He blew the soup carefully, to cool it down.
For what seemed like forever to the three watchers, he sat, eyes closed, spoon
at the level of his mouth, not moving. Then he suddenly shoved the spoon into
his mouth and withdrew it, empty.
It
took every bit of willpower that he had not to spit the soup out. He just sat
there, with the liquid in his mouth, trying to will himself to swallow. The
longer he sat the more his panic increased. He really couldn’t swallow, no
matter how much he wanted to.
Although
his eyes were still closed, he was well aware that the others were watching him,
and it was only their presence that stopped him from spitting the soup out.
“Daniel?”
Sam went to put her hand on his arm before remembering what Daniel had just
told them. “Are you okay?”
With
one huge effort, bordering on the superhuman, Daniel forced himself to swallow
the mouthful of soup. Eyes tightly shut he fought the overwhelming desire to
retch.
“Daniel?”
Sam repeated.
He
opened his eyes and stared at her in desperation. Swallowing convulsively in an
attempt not to throw up he struggled to keep control of his body as best he
could.
Sam
could see the panic on Daniel’s face. She handed him one of the cardboard sick
bowls. Daniel took it, and then handed it back, shaking his head.
“I
can do this,” he muttered through gritted teeth. “Not gonna throw up.”
“Coulda
fooled me, Danny,” responded Jack quietly.
“Just
go away. I can do this fine on my own,” growled Daniel, still with his teeth
firmly clenched.
“Daniel,
we promised the orderly that we’d make sure that you ate something. We have to
see that through.” Jack spoke softly, trying not to exacerbate the younger
man’s distress. Daniel sighed and picked up the spoon again. He messed about
with the slowly congealing liquid in his bowl for a while trying to pluck up
the courage to force another mouthful down his throat. Jack sensed that the
three of them hovering over the bed, watching every move Daniel made, wasn’t
helping the situation. He exchanged glances with Sam, who realised what was
going on and took the hint.
“Teal’c,
can you come with me for a moment? There’s something in the trunk of my car
that I could use some help with.”
Teal’c
raised one eyebrow and scrutinised Sam for a while before completely
understanding what was being asked of him. He inclined his head, “Of course I
will assist you, Major Carter. Daniel Jackson, we will return later.” He bowed.
“I’ll
see you in a bit, Daniel.” Sam waved her hand in the air making sure Daniel saw
it before patting his arm. “We’ll come back later.”
“What?” Daniel stared at her somewhat vaguely. “Oh.
Oh right.” He gave the two of them a thin smile as they left the room.
“You’ll
get through this, Daniel, I promise.” Jack smiled at his friend. “And we’ll be
here to see you through it. It’s the least I can do.” Daniel stared up at Jack.
It occurred to Jack that he looked scared. “I’m not saying this isn’t going to
be tough, Daniel, but we’ve been through some really rough times together, you
and I.”
Daniel
gave a wry smile. “Yes we have.”
“Listen,
you were there for me when Ba’al… when I really needed someone to keep me sane.
Making sure you eat some soup, it’s the least I can do…” He broke off,
realising that Daniel was looking upset. “What’s the matter?”
“Jack…
I’m sorry… I… uh... can’t remember what you’re talking about.” Daniel closed his
eyes. “I know that you were in trouble, real trouble, and that I was there, but
that’s it! I really can’t remember anything else about it.” He winced. “It’s
just so frustrating! It’s driving me nuts!” He threw the spoon down onto the
tray with a clatter. His frustration at the way his brain was working was now
turning into anger. “Jack, there’s so much that I wanted to tell you while I
was away, but now I can’t remember any of it. It’s like my brain is Swiss
cheese, all holes and gaps. Every so often I nearly remember something, and
then as soon as I try to focus on it, it evaporates like scotch mist… and at
the same time I can’t remember things that I should, like what it is to be
flesh and blood.” He put his head into his hands.
“Janet
said it would take you time to adjust,” murmured Jack, feeling totally out of
his depth.
“Yes,
but even she is amazed that I’m still not eating after three days…” Daniel
sighed.
“Daniel,
it doesn’t matter that you can’t remember the details of stuff that happened
while you were away – you’re remembering the important stuff – like who you are
and who we are, and what you do…?” Jack tailed off at the expression on
Daniel’s face. “You do remember all that, dontcha?”
“Most
of it. But I upset Cassandra yesterday. She came to see me and I called her
Catherine.”
“Ouch.”
Jack grimaced in sympathy.
“I
knew who she was, I knew Catherine wasn’t her name as soon as I said it, but I
really couldn’t remember what her name was. I do know a Catherine, don’t I?”
“Yes
you do. Catherine Langford.”
“Oh
yes! She got me into the Stargate program!” The delight on Daniel’s face at
remembering something lit up the whole room.
Jack
grinned at him, as pleased as Daniel was. “Right, now we’ve proved that you’re
not completely mad, can you try and eat something? How about the jello rather
than that cold soup?”
Daniel
pulled a face. “Okay I guess…”
Jack
handed him another spoon. Daniel scooped up a small amount of the orange
dessert and put it quickly into his mouth. Jack watched the archaeologist’s
expressive features go through every emotion from worry to surprise to delight.
Daniel scooped up some more jello, a full spoonful this time, and ate it, then
another, and another and another.
“Whoa
there!” Jack grabbed Daniel’s wrist as yet another spoonful was scooped up.
“Just let that lot settle first just to make sure it’s not going to reappear.
There’s plenty of time, take it nice and slow.”
By
the time Sam and Teal’c got back, laden with various bits and pieces, Daniel
had managed to eat the whole bowl of jello and was now nibbling at the bread
roll.
Teal’c
looked at him, one eyebrow raised. “I see you have managed to eat something,
Daniel Jackson. Have you managed to avoid regurgitation?”
Daniel
flashed a confused look at Teal’c for a moment. “What? Oh… no, I haven’t been
sick, Teal’c.”
“Daniel
was guilty of believing Janet knew best – she was advising clear soup, when he
actually needed to try to eat something with a little more substance.” Jack
beamed at the archaeologist who sat, oblivious to the fond looks from his
friends, nibbling at the bread.
“Do
you know how sweet white bread tastes?” he asked, his mouth full.
“I
spose it does, never really thought about it before, but you’re right,” Sam
smiled in response. She put a videocassette down on the table. “I brought
something that I thought you might like.”
“What’s
that?” asked Daniel, his mouth still full of bread.
“Just
let me sort this lot out, and then we can show you…” Sam went to help Teal’c
with the box that he was carrying. They found the TV on a trolley in the closet
and wheeled it out, then spent about ten minutes hooking it up to the VCR that
they had brought with them. Sam picked the tape up and put it into the machine.
“See what you make of this.” She pressed play.
The tape
started in the gate room of the SGC, with General Hammond stood on the ramp.
“
Jack
watched Daniel’s reaction to this. The younger man was sat staring at the
screen, a faint smile on his lips.
The
camera started to move through the SGC, stopping every time it encountered
anyone – who would smile and wave at the camera, and say a few words to wish
Daniel well, and to say how much they were looking forward to seeing him back.
Every so often Daniel would comment on who it was.
“Ferretti!
Oh, there’s Sergeant Siler, and Walter Davis. What was Cassandra doing there?”
“She’s
hoping to come and see you again soon, Daniel, just as soon as Janet will let
her.” Sam smiled. Daniel was already lost in the tape again.
“Look!
There’s Martin with Joe and Paul! Oh, and Brad…” Daniel suddenly laughed, such
a rare sound that the others all stared at him in amazement. “What on earth is
Peter doing to poor Walter Davis?”
For
twenty minutes, the four of them sat and watched the tape, the only sound being
Daniel’s running commentary. The final shot was the whole staff of the SGC
stood on the ramp with a “Get Well Soon Daniel” banner strung across the
Stargate itself.
Sam
stood and stopped the tape.
“I
take it you liked that?” asked Jack.
“Sam,
that was great. Thank you.” Daniel smiled.
“See
Daniel – your memory’s fine really,” grinned Jack, “It just needs a slight
nudge in the right direction.”
There
was a knock on the door, and the orderly reappeared to clear the tray away. She
looked at the dishes and raised her eyebrows. “Did you really eat all this,
Daniel?”
Daniel
waved what was left of the bread roll at her. “Yup.”
“I’m
impressed, and I’m sure Dr Frasier will be as well.” She picked up the tray.
“Anyway, the physical therapist will be here soon for your session – I believe
they actually want to drag you out of that bed today.” She gathered the debris
of Daniel’s meagre meal, and left the room.
“Given
that you’ve got things to keep you occupied, I’ll go,” said Sam. “I’ve got a
few errands to run, but I’ll come back later, about six okay with you?”
“I…I
guess so,” murmured Daniel.
“Major
Carter, could you possibly drive me back to the SGC?” asked Teal’c.
“Of
course I can, Teal’c.”
Teal’c
bowed slightly. “Daniel Jackson, I too will take my leave. I will return
tomorrow as I have a prior engagement for tonight.”
“A
prior engagement?” Daniel looked
confused and somewhat distracted.
“What
Teal’c isn’t telling you, Daniel is that he has a date.” Jack grinned at the
“Really?”
Daniel muttered, staring at his hands. He seemed really subdued.
“T
won’t tell us who it is, try as we might to get the information out of him,”
grinned Jack. His smile faded into a frown as he registered Daniel’s body
language. The younger man was visibly withdrawing from his friends.
“Well,
Daniel, I don’t have a date so I’ll see you later.” Sam bent and kissed his
cheek.
After
the two of them had left, Jack studied Daniel’s face closely. He’d gone very
quiet and looked somewhat troubled. Jack pulled a chair closer to the bed and
sat down. After a few moments he couldn’t stand the silence any longer.
“What
is it Daniel?”
“Nothing.”
Daniel stared at his hands, head bowed.
“Tell
me.”
“No…
it’s nothing, really.”
“Daniel,
it’s not nothing. One minute you were fine, the next you’re sitting there
looking like someone just died.”
At
these words, Daniel shot Jack a sharp look. “Who died?”
“No-one
died.” Jack frowned, not understanding how Daniel had misunderstood what he’d
said. It was so unlike Daniel. He felt that the archaeologist needed something
in the way of clarification. “Daniel, it was just an expression.”
Daniel
sat huddled up in the middle of the bed, arms wrapped around his chest, a frown
etched onto his face. “Why did you say that then?” he grumbled, mainly to
himself.
Jack
sighed and leant forward, forearms resting on his thighs. He had a feeling that
this was going to take a while. “Daniel,” he began, “Something is bothering
you. I can see that. I’ve known you long enough to know when your ‘nothings’
mean nothing, and when they mean ‘go away Jack and stop bothering me’. Your
‘nothing’ earlier was not a genuine nothing.” The two men sat in silence for a
while. Jack glanced up at Daniel, who was staring at a patch of emptiness just
in front of him. “Feel like sharing?”
Blue
eyes glared at him in response.
Jack
sighed. “Okay, it’s up to you. I just thought it might help you if you talked
about whatever it is that’s bugging you.”
Daniel
closed his eyes, and sighed. Jack didn’t say a word – he definitely got the
feeling that he was about to get the answer to his question, if he was patient
enough.
“Jack…
I… I didn’t know what Sam meant.”
“Sorry?”
Daniel
licked his lips before he spoke again. “When Sam said ‘about six’ I had no idea
what she was talking about.” He frowned.
“She
was talking about the time, Daniel.” Jack spoke softly.
“I
realise that now, but at the time it meant nothing at all.” Daniel let out a
great shuddering sigh, “This keeps happening. People say something, and it’s
meaningless for a while.”
Jack
opened his mouth to speak, but shut it again at the expression on Daniel’s
face. The younger man shook his head as if trying to get rid of something
before he spoke again. “I’m sorry Jack, but I just find this all so incredibly
frustrating. I’m here in this bed with all these tubes sticking out of me - most
of which hurt, by the way – and my only source of entertainment is when people
come and talk to me, and then when they do I only understand some of what they
say. It’s really strange, I’m processing the facts, but not the subtle stuff –
you know - the stuff that tells me what someone is feeling…” He shook his head
again in frustration. “Jack, do you think I’ll ever be… me again?”
“Of
course you will,” grinned Jack. “It’ll just take some time, that’s all. It’s
very early days, Daniel. You were in a coma less than four days ago. Some
people still can’t speak this soon after something like that.”
Daniel
scrutinised Jack carefully. “You think that’s all it is?”
“I’m
positive, Danny,” Jack smiled at his friend and was rewarded with a hesitant
smile in response.
A
gentle knock on the door broke the spell. The physical therapist stuck his head
into the room.
“Doctor
Jackson? I’m here for your therapy session.”
Daniel
stared blankly at the man for a moment. “Therapy?”
“Your
physical therapy. You need to keep moving as much as you can, otherwise you’re
running the risk of a DVT.”
Daniel
frowned, confusion etched onto his features.
Jack
got to his feet and bade Daniel farewell. “I’ll leave you to it and I’ll come
back and see you later, okay?” Daniel nodded in response, but didn’t stop
frowning. As Jack passed the therapist he indicated that he wished to talk to
the man privately. “Listen, you need to go slow with him at the moment. He’s
still a little confused. He doesn’t always get what you’re saying, if you know
what I mean.”
The
therapist nodded. “Don’t worry, sir. Coma patients are my specialty, and
confusion is quite common.” He turned back towards Daniel and added in a much
louder voice, “Besides, our planned session for today is going to leave Daniel
here quite tired, so I think he’ll just want to sleep for the rest of the
day.”
Jack
grinned. “Have fun kids,” he said as he pulled the door closed behind him.
“Okay,
Daniel,” smiled the therapist, “My name is Steve. Now I know you won’t remember
me, but I’ve been taking care of you while you were unconscious, making sure
these muscles of yours don’t waste away too much.” As he spoke, Steve retrieved
a gown and robe from the locker by the bed. “Now, we’re going to be getting you
out if bed today, so my colleague Tessa will be along to help in a minute, but
I’m just going to warm you up a little with some exercises after we put these
on you.”
Daniel
looked confused. “Why?”
“Because
right now you’re as naked as the day you were born, and I think you’ll be a
little more comfortable if you actually had some clothes on. We don’t want to
scare the nurses now do we?” Steve held out the gown.
“Can’t
I have those pyjamas that Janet uses?” grumbled Daniel, looking at the
traditional hospital gown with its open back.
“Not
with that catheter you can’t!” laughed Steve. He helped the reluctant
archaeologist into the gown which took a little time, and then they started on
the daily stretching regime that Daniel had been undergoing every day since his
arrival at the hospital.
They
had just about finished when Tessa arrived.
The two helped Daniel to the edge of the bed.
“Right,
Daniel,” said Steve. “We’re going to get you out of bed. Now you might be a
little dizzy to start off with, so we’ll be with you every step of the way.”
The
two therapists each placed a hand under one of Daniel’s arms and supported him
as he pushed himself off the bed to a standing position. As he got to his feet, for the first time
since regaining his human body three weeks previously, a wave of dizziness came
over him, and his knees buckled slightly.
“Easy,
we’ve got you.” The two therapists
increased the level of support that they were giving Daniel, holding him
upright, rather than relying on Daniel to stand almost unaided. They stood
still for a moment as Daniel waited for the giddiness to pass.
“How
does that feel now?” asked Tessa after a few moments.
“Strange,”
admitted Daniel. “Strange, but quite good at the same time.”
“That’s
good,” smiled Steve. “Now – you see that chair on the other side of the
bed?” Daniel looked over his shoulder
and nodded. “Why don’t you try walking over there? You can sit there for a
while.”
Daniel’s
eyes widened as he realised just how far he was going to have to walk. He still
felt as limp as a piece of cooked spaghetti, and the thought of walking seemed
more than a little daunting.
With one therapist supporting him on each side, one holding the catheter bag
frame, and the other guiding the drip stand, Daniel made his agonisingly slow
way to the chair on the far side of the bed.
His
goal attained, he collapsed into the chair absolutely exhausted. He felt like
he’d run a marathon. Steve helped settle him, and Tessa placed the robe around
his shoulders. When everything was within reach and Daniel was comfortable, he and Tessa took
their leave, promising to return and help Daniel back into bed later.
Daniel
sat in the chair and watched the comings and goings through the open door to
his room. The orderlies took the opportunity to completely strip the bed and
turn the mattress. A nurse came and did the regular observations, and then put
the TV on for Daniel to watch. For a while Daniel sat staring at the bright
colours moving on the screen, without really seeing what was being broadcast,
and then his eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
The
next thing he knew, he could hear Sam calling his name. He awoke with a start.
“Hey,
Daniel.”
For
a moment Daniel just stared blankly at her, not really sure where he was. He
blinked a couple of times and then stretched in the chair before he replied.
“Sam.”
“I see you’re out of bed.” Sam moved closer
to the chair where Daniel was sitting. “I’m a bit early, is that okay?”
“Early?” Daniel stared vaguely at her for a
moment. Then his eyes seemed to become more focused and he smiled. “Of course
that’s okay, Sam.”
She bent down and kissed him on the cheek,
reasonably confident that Daniel was aware that it was likely to happen and
therefore not likely to be startled.
“Shall I turn the TV off?” she asked. “It’s not like you were watching
it.” She turned the set off and moved one of the other chairs in the room
closer to Daniel’s. “Nice to see you upright and dressed.”
“Dressed?” Daniel stared down at himself in
confusion. It took a little while to register that he wasn’t actually naked.
“Oh yes. Steve decided that I needed to put something on if I was getting out
of bed.”
“Steve?” Sam was confused.
“That’s me,” said Steve with a gentle knock
on the door. “Hi, I’m Daniel’s physical therapist.” He and Sam shook hands
before he turned back to Daniel. “You
ready to get back into bed yet, Daniel?” he asked.
Daniel opened his mouth to protest before
realising that at that precise moment bed seemed really inviting. He nodded his
agreement. “Okay.”
Steve looked at Sam. “Do you want to give
me a hand, or shall I get a nurse?”
“No, I’ll help.” Sam was keen to assist.
Steve showed her where to support Daniel, and the two of them helped him back
into the bed. After Daniel was properly settled in, Steve bade them goodnight
and left the two of them alone.
For a while Sam chattered about nothing in
particular, while Daniel sat mostly silent. When he did eventually speak she
was so stunned she was at a loss for words.
“Sam, why hasn’t Sha’re been to see me?”
“Sha’re?” she managed to stutter out.
“I haven’t seen her yet.”
“Daniel.” Sam swallowed and took a deep
breath realising that there was just no way of making this easier. “Daniel,”
she repeated, “Sha’re’s not here any more, she died.”
He stared at her, disbelief etched all over
his face. “No… not Sha’re… no…”
“Daniel, I’m sorry, but Sha’re died about
three and a half years ago. Don’t you remember?”
He shook his head, his eyes brimming with
tears. “How?” he whispered.
“Ammonet was trying to kill you; It was
only done to save your life…” Sam felt dreadful. “Do you remember?”
Daniel sat shaking his head. He was clearly
in shock. “Sha’re,” he whispered, tears running down his face.
“Daniel, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realise
that you didn’t remember,” Sam put her hand on his arm.
“I failed her,” he sobbed. “I didn’t save
her. I should have saved her.”
“Daniel,” Sam stopped talking and sat on
the bed next to Daniel putting her arm round his shoulder. Daniel just fell
into her arms and sobbed out his re-found grief.
Sam just wrapped her arms around him and
held Daniel as tightly as she could. She felt guilty because she’d been the one
to tell him, but she realised that this was something that could have happened
to any one of them. It also brought home to her just how extensive Daniel’s
amnesia was likely to be – if he could forget something as significant and
traumatic as Sha’re’s death, then he was likely to have forgotten all sorts of
less important things. She found herself crying along with him completely at a
loss as to how to help him.
For what felt like ages Daniel clung on to
Sam as if his life depended on it. Eventually he stopped crying and pushed
himself away. He brushed the tears off his face angrily and wiped his nose on
the back of his hand before wrapping his arms around himself. He grimaced
slightly and then looked up at Sam. “Sorry.”
“What for?” Sam was amazed that Daniel was
apologising to her.
“For being such a head case…” he gave her a
rueful smile.
As Daniel said those words Sam’s memory
flashed back to the last time that he had said something very similar – when
Machello’s Goa’uld killing devices had sent him spiralling into madness. She
felt something akin to pain at the memory of Daniel crawling around on the
floor of a padded room; terrified out of his mind at something that didn’t
exist. Tears pricked at her eyes for the second time that evening at Daniel’s
plight. She took a deep breath before she spoke, “Daniel… you have nothing to
be sorry for. You’ve been through a lot in the last few years – it’s not
surprising that you’re a little confused, but that doesn’t make you a head case
– not by any stretch of the imagination.”
“Sure about that, Sam?” he asked. “My
memory’s shot – I called Cassie by the wrong name, I can’t remember half the
things that have happened to me since I went to Graduate school,” he paused and
grimaced, “I couldn’t even remember my wife’s death.”
“You shouldn’t dwell on what you can’t
remember. Concentrate on what’s still there. At least you remembered that you
were married. That’s good isn’t it?”
Daniel stared at Sam for a moment. Then he
smiled, one of those mercurial half smiles that flitted across his face. “We
had a good life together.”
Sam smiled. “See? You remember the good
bits.” Something suddenly came to her. “Maybe that’s it – maybe you’ve
suppressed all the traumatic memories from the last few years.”
“I hope not,” replied Daniel, his eyes wide
in horror. “I really don’t want to experience the horrible stuff all over
again.”
“Daniel, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said
that. I was just theorising out loud.” Sam was really concerned that she might
be causing Daniel more distress.
“But your theories are normally correct,”
muttered Daniel.
“Not always,” replied Sam. “You worked out
what the symbols on the Gate meant, not me, remember?”
“Kinda.” He gave her a thin half-smile.
There was a moment of silence before he added “So who do you reckon Teal’c’s
dating then?”
*
Over the next two days Daniel’s appetite
continued to improve. Janet agreed to remove the catheter and drips as he was
eating and drinking pretty much normally. Susan, the nurse who had been his
principal carer since his arrival at the USAF hospital removed them first thing
in the morning, and then left him eating his breakfast.
He was just finishing his glass of juice
when she reappeared, pushing a wheelchair with a towel draped over the back of
it. “Now you’re free of all those drips and catheters, I thought you might like
to get properly clean,” she smiled.
“Sorry?” Daniel frowned at her.
“Thought you might like a shower. Really
freshen yourself up, wash your hair,” Susan patted the chair. “Come on, I’ll
take you in style if you’re really lucky,” she grinned.
Daniel clambered out of the bed and into
the chair. He wasn’t sure why it was necessary until he realised that Susan
wasn’t taking him to the small bathroom adjoining his room, but down the
corridor to a much larger bathroom.
“Why are we here?” he asked in surprise.
“This shower has a seat in it so there’s
less danger of you falling over or slipping.” Susan applied the brake on the
wheelchair and turned on the shower. After the water had been running for a
while she checked the temperature and when she was satisfied that everything
was okay she helped Daniel out of his hospital gown. She guided him to the seat
in the shower and helped him to sit down.
Daniel sat under the warm water and
marvelled at the sensations as it cascaded over his body. It was simultaneously
hard and soft. He shivered slightly despite the warmth of the water.
“Is it warm enough for you, Daniel?” asked
Susan as she handed him a small bottle.
“Yes, yes it’s fine,” he replied, staring
blankly at the bottle in his hand. “What’s this for?”
“It’s shampoo, Daniel. You use it to wash
your hair. Shall I help you?” At his nod, Susan took the bottle, opened it and
squeezed a small amount on shampoo into her hand. She rubbed it into his hair,
building up a thick lather that she worked into the hair. She then rinsed it
out carefully, carding her fingers through the short fine hair as she did so.
Daniel sat, head back, eyes closed,
revelling in the sensations of having his hair washed. The gentle massage that
Susan was giving his scalp was relaxing him totally, and he was more than a
little disappointed when it stopped.
“Now,” said Susan, breaking his reverie, “I
want you to wash yourself.” She handed him a bar of soap and a washcloth.
These items were more familiar to Daniel as
he had been washed daily, so he managed to get himself clean, although the
movements still felt a little alien to him. He tried to stay under the warm
water for as long as he could. He found it soothing and somewhat comforting,
but Susan eventually forced the experience to an end by turning the taps off.
“Nice as this no doubt is, Daniel, you
can’t stay here all day.” She wrapped a towel round him.
“Shame,” he muttered a little petulantly.
“Can I have another one later?”
“One a day is normally enough for most
people,” she smiled. “Perhaps you can try taking yourself to the shower in your
room if you like.”
Daniel beamed at her. “Can I really?”
“As long as you aren’t dizzy,” she replied.
“Now, let’s get you dried off before you get cold, and then I’ve got another
treat for you.” She helped Daniel to get dry, and then handed him a pair of the
pyjamas that Janet always used when the team was in the infirmary. “A little
bird told me that you might prefer these to a hospital gown.”
Clean and dressed in the pyjamas, Daniel
decided that he wanted to walk back to his room rather than being wheeled in
the chair. Susan agreed, provided he had some support, calling two orderlies
over to help supervise him back to his room.
Daniel
slowly made his way towards his room the two orderlies supporting him, one on
either side. He slowed as he began to feel more and more uneasy as the vague
sense of déja vu began to grow stronger and stronger. As he turned into his
room he was completely overwhelmed the memory that blotted out the reality of
his surroundings.
He was being marched down a corridor by two
Jaffa. Pain swamped him and he was struggling to remain on his feet. He passed
Jack and Jonas who were hiding in a doorway to one side. He stumbled and began
to fall…One of the Jaffa grabbed him by one arm and tried to pull him up to his
feet. Daniel struggled and yelled and tried to fight the man off with all his
strength, which to be fair, wasn’t a lot.
The
orderlies tried to control the thrashing man as he flailed and yelled. Working
in a military hospital they were used to patients experiencing flashbacks, but
they weren’t expecting the vehemence with which he fought them.
One
of them managed to press the call button to summon help as he tried to help
restrain Daniel, and before long Janet, and the two nurses Susan and Joshua,
had joined the three men in the room.
“Okay,
what’s happened?” asked Janet as she made an instant assessment of the
situation.
“I
don’t know, Doctor,” replied one of the two orderlies,” we were supporting him
as we were bringing him back from the shower and he suddenly reacted like this.
Looks like it could have triggered some kind of flashback or something…”
“Get
me 5cc of Valium,” Janet barked to Joshua. “Easy, Daniel,” she said soothingly.
The syringe was placed in her hand and she injected the drug into the
struggling man.
As
the drug took effect, the orderlies helped him back to his bed. Janet checked
him over. He was still awake, but drowsy.
Janet
sent the two orderlies from the room before she gently asked Daniel what had
happened.
“They…
the Jaffa… they…” he tried to explain, but his eyelids were already drooping as
the sedative took effect.
“Jaffa?
Daniel, when did this happen?” Janet was trying to establish whether this was
related to his most recent encounter with Jaffa, but Daniel was pretty out of
it. She patted him on the arm and straightened up from the sleeping man in the
bed.
Janet
jotted down a few comments in Daniel’s notes, and then closed the door. Looking
at Joshua and Susan she pursed her lips before speaking. “I think we’re going
to have to move him back to the SGC. He’s in danger of becoming a security
risk. That was close today.”
“I
agree,” nodded Joshua. “It may also help his recovery to be back on familiar
territory. Fill in the memory gaps that he’s still got.”
“Right,
I’ll talk to General Hammond and Colonel O’Neill about this.” Janet left the
room in search of a secure phone.
*
Two
hours later, Janet, Jack and General Hammond were assembled in the General’s
office at the SGC. Janet leafed through
the notes in the folder in front of her.
“Okay,
Doctor,” began Hammond. “Do you want to begin?”
“Sir.
Earlier this morning Daniel experienced a flashback which could have
constituted a security risk. He was talking about Jaffa. I am concerned that
this could happen more frequently, and believe that it would be in everyone’s
best interests to bring him back to the infirmary here at the SGC.”
Jack
looked concerned. “What do you mean by a flashback?”
Janet
shook her head, frowning. “I’m not really sure what happened, but he was really
distressed. I had to sedate him, and when I left to return here he was still
asleep. I’ve left Joshua supervising just in case, and I’ll ask Dr Mackenzie to
talk to Daniel when he’s awake.”
“Mackenzie?”
growled Jack. “No way. Not Mackenzie.”
“I’m
sorry, Colonel, but we need to work out what it was that triggered this
flashback and be sure that Daniel isn’t suffering from PTSD. Dr Mackenzie is
the only Psychiatrist who has sufficient clearance to talk to Daniel about
this.” Janet crossed her arms and made it perfectly clear that Jack wasn’t
going to budge her on this.
“Colonel,
I’m with Dr Frasier on this one. I want a psychiatric assessment on Dr Jackson
before we decide whether he should be coming back here.” Hammond folded his
hands together on the desktop, and Jack’s heart sank as he realised that there
was no way he was going to win this battle.
*
Daniel
opened his eyes to see Janet standing by the bed, reading through a sheaf of
notes. He had spent the day sleeping off the after-effects of the Valium that
Janet had given him, apart from when Dr Mackenzie had come and asked him all
sorts of strange questions that made no sense to Daniel what so ever.
“Hello,”
he said.
Janet
looked up from the paperwork and smiled at him. “Hello Daniel.” Mackenzie’s report told her that Daniel was
not suffering from PTSD, but did have some amnesia, although the psychiatrist
didn’t believe this was permanent as gentle exploration had brought a few more
hitherto forgotten memories back into Daniel’s conscious mind. As far as anyone
could see, there was no reason to stop Daniel from returning to the SGC.
She
put the folder of notes on the table and sat down on the edge of the bed.
“Okay, you’ve made a lot of progress in the few days. You’re now fully mobile,
and you’re managing to do a lot of the basic care for yourself, admittedly with
supervision, but you no longer need the high level of care that prompted me to
move you here in the first place.”
Daniel
stared intently at Janet, a frown on his face.
Janet
smiled at him and continued. “Given that you’re now progressing so well I
thought it might be nice to move you back to the SGC…”
“Really?”
Daniel’s face lit up at the prospect.
“It
may well help your progress to be there. Jog some of the more stubborn memories
perhaps.”
Daniel
looked at the diminutive doctor with one eyebrow raised. “You think that’s a
good idea?”
Janet
frowned. “Why would that be a problem, Daniel?”
He
chewed on his lower lip for a moment before he replied. “Because of the bad
stuff.”
“Bad
stuff?” Janet was confused momentarily until she remembered the conversation
she’d had with Sam two days previously about how Daniel had forgotten about
Sha’re’s death. She took a deep breath before replying. “Daniel, I know it’s
hard to believe, but it’s as important that you remember the more unpleasant
memories as much as the nicer ones. If you don’t remember them, or worse, try
to avoid remembering them, you’re likely to wind up having flashbacks like you
did this morning, and believe me, Daniel, those can be extremely difficult to
cope with.”
Daniel
stared at her in silence, the expression on his face telling her very clearly
that he did not believe that remembering all the nastier things that had
happened to him was a good thing.
Janet
gave a small smile. “I know you don’t believe me, Daniel, but you have to
remember that everything that has happened to you in your life has
helped to define who you are, what kind of man you have become, and that
includes the bad times as well as the good. You can always talk to Dr Mackenzie
about anything that’s bothering you.”
Daniel
snorted in response.
“What’s
that for?” asked Janet.
Daniel
shook his head. “Doesn’t matter.” He sat up in the bed and looked at Janet. “I
just have a feeling that Dr Mackenzie and I don’t actually have a very good
relationship…”
Janet
smiled. “See the memory’s working okay on that one. You have had your
differences in the past it’s true, but Dr Mackenzie is probably best placed to
help you work through any issues you’ve got.” She stood up. “Anyway, I’ll
organise your transfer back to the SGC, and hopefully it’ll happen tomorrow.”
*
Midday
the following day found Daniel back at the SGC, in the bed that he always got
assigned in the infirmary – the one at the far end that had been nicknamed
Daniel’s bed by the infirmary staff. Janet and Joshua settled the protesting
archaeologist into the bed under the watchful gaze of the rest of SG-1, and
then left the four of them alone.
“So
Daniel, you’re back home at last,” Jack beamed at the younger man.
“So
it would appear,” murmured Daniel, looking around him. “Don’t see why I have to
be tucked up in bed though…”
“Everything
is just as you left it,” grinned Jack, “Well, most things are anyway…”
Daniel
didn’t reply, continuing to study everything around him, his face a mask of
concentration. It was almost like someone cramming for an exam in thirty
minutes.
Sam
placed three books that she’d brought with her on the nightstand next to the
bed. “I brought you some reading material,” she said. “Thought you might like
to get reacquainted with the written word…”
Daniel
looked at the three books – one was about Egypt, the other two were the Lord of
the Rings and a trashy romance. “Interesting choice Sam,” he muttered holding
up the romance. “Why did you bring this one?”
“Well,
the other two are fairly heavy reading, although I know you’ve probably read
them both any number of times already… but I thought you might like to read
something a little lighter.” Sam flushed slightly. “Would you believe that that
was the only truly light reading I could find here on base?”
“Who
on Earth reads that kind of novel on a military base?” mused Jack.
Sam
rolled her eyes and tried to assume an air of innocence. “I am not at liberty
to reveal my sources, sir,” she replied with a
smirk.
Teal’c
stood up to attention and stared straight in front of him, his jaw working
slightly. “I believe that Jonas Quinn held this type of novel as a good example
of Tauri culture. He said that it was impossible to obtain a complete picture
of Tauri morals, beliefs and cultural norms from reading what is generally
termed classical literature.”
Jack
snorted. “Jonas! I might have guessed…” he studied the Jaffa’s body language a
little more closely. “Wait a minute, Teal’c this is your book, isn’t
it?”
Sam
tried, somewhat unsuccessfully, to hide her smirk, and even Daniel was smiling
as Teal’c replied with as much dignity as he could, “Indeed O’Neill, this is
one of the many items of literature that I have read since my arrival on this
planet.”
“I’d
hardly call it literature, Teal’c,” said Jack, shaking his head.
“Well,
if it’s good enough for Teal’c it’s good enough for me,” said Daniel, putting
the book back down on top of the pile on the nightstand. “Where is Jonas, by
the way? I haven’t seen him at all.”
“Jonas
Quinn is travelling at the current time,” replied Teal’c.
“Travelling?”
Daniel frowned.
“He
decided he wanted to explore Earth in a little more detail. He’s currently
playing tourist in Egypt and Greece,” said Jack. “I’m sure he’ll come and say
hi as soon as he gets back.”
The
four of them were silent for a short time.
“So
Daniel – you glad to be back?” asked Jack.
“I
think so. I’d like to be able to get out of the infirmary though,” admitted
Daniel.
“Well
Janet said she might let you start exploring a little more in a couple of
days.” Sam noticed that Daniel was frowning again. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.
I’m fine.” Daniel rubbed his temples with the tips of his fingers.
“Daniel,
do we need to have the nothing and fine conversation again?” asked Jack. He got
a blue-eyed glare in response. “What’s up? Headache?”
Daniel
gave a small smile that bordered on a grimace. “A bit,” he admitted, his eyes
screwed up.
“Stupid
question, but has anyone tested your eyesight since you came round?” asked Sam.
“You used to need glasses and whenever I’ve seen you you’ve not been wearing
any. You might still need them.”
“Glasses?”
muttered Daniel.
“Yes
Daniel, glasses.” Jack mimed pushing a pair of spectacles up his own nose. “You
know – things that help you see.”
The
younger man frowned. “Things have been slightly fuzzy around the edges, but I
thought that it was just the after-effects of… everything…”
“And
you didn’t think to mention this to anyone?” Jack shook his head in disbelief.
“Daniel it might be a sign that everything is not quite as it should
be.”
“What
might?” asked Janet, as she walked towards the group.
“Daniel
has found that everything is out of focus, but didn’t think that this was
significant enough to mention.” Jack frowned at Daniel.
“Daniel!”
Janet scolded. “It’s probably just that you need glasses, but you should have
told me. It might have been some residual damage from your coma…” She avoided
adding that it could just as easily be residual damage from either the
radiation sickness that had resulted in his ascension or the burns that had put
him in that coma. Instead Janet shook her head. “I’ll organise an eye test for
you. Daniel why on earth didn’t you tell me? I asked you often enough
whether everything was okay.” Janet sighed. “In the meantime I’ll see if I’ve
got a pair with your old prescription – it might help.” Shaking her head the
doctor headed back off up the infirmary.
Moments
later she returned and handed Daniel two tablets. “Something tells me you’ve
got a headache. Take these and then we’ll see if these help at all.” She held
up a glasses case.
Daniel
swallowed the tablets with a small amount of water, and then took the proffered
glasses case from Janet. He opened it carefully and took out the spectacles. He
studied them in silence for a moment before holding them up and squinting
through them.
Sam
found this almost unbearable to watch. For her, Daniel’s glasses had become a
symbol of the man himself, and although she was thrilled to have him back, she
hadn’t felt like it was really Daniel who was here. The lack of glasses
accompanied with his somewhat subdued behaviour had left her feeling like this
person wasn’t really their Daniel.
Jack
watched his friend messing about with the spectacles and went through a similar
range of emotions to Sam. He couldn’t understand why Daniel was taking so long
to put the things on. Finally, he stepped up to the bed and took the glasses
gently from Daniel. “Here, let me help you.” He unfolded the arms of the
spectacles and placed the glasses ever so gently onto Daniel’s nose, before
pushing them into position. He then stood back and smiled at Daniel. “That’s
better. Now you’re really back with us.”
Daniel
screwed his face up and then peered upwards at his friends through the glasses.
The gesture was so familiar, so Daniel-like that it brought tears to Sam’s eyes
to see it.
“How
does that feel Daniel?” asked Janet. “Things a bit clearer?”
“It’s
all a bit weird,” admitted Daniel.
“But
can you see better?” asked Janet.
“Things
aren’t as fuzzy, so I guess I can.” Daniel shrugged.
“I
still want to organise an eye test for you, but this pair should probably help
you in the meantime.” Janet picked up the sheaf of notes from the end of the
bed, scribbled something in them, and then replaced them. “I’ll leave you to
it. I’ve got some paperwork to do. I’ll be in my office if you need me.” She
walked off down the length of the infirmary, her heels clicking on the hard
floor as she went.
Daniel
looked up at his three friends to see three beaming smiles. “What?” he asked.
Jack
just pulled his young friend into a huge bear hug. “Welcome back, Spacemonkey.”
* fin *
Love it? Hate it? Let me know either way!