The Sleeper
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RATING: R – language
- SERIES: Ascended Daniel - Part 4. Sequel to Lost and Found.
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CATEGORY: POV, H/C, Angst
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SPOILERS: None.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Many
thanks to Ali as always for the beta!
They brought him to us here at the military hospital from
I am the only one on duty when the ambulance bringing him arrives at the hospital. They said his coma was too deep for him to stay in the small infirmary they have at the base – he needs the level of care we can offer. One of the doctors based up at the mountain comes with him; to hand over his notes and brief us on what had happened.
She introduces herself as Doctor Fraiser, and starts to tell me about the patient as we wheel him into the room that will become his home for as long as he needs it. She is obviously exhausted.
“His name is Daniel Jackson. He’s a civilian advisor at the mountain. He’s been in a deep coma for seven days, and is showing no sign of waking.” She sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. “His drug regime is in the notes. There is no physical trauma…” Her voice wavers a little. “…He just isn’t ready to wake up yet.”
I realise looking at her, that she isn’t just exhausted she’s upset. Despite everything they tell you during training, you cannot help but get emotionally involved with some patients. Doctor Fraiser is obviously attached to this one.
The orderlies have placed the patient into the bed, hung up the IV bags and left, leaving Doctor Fraiser and me alone with our patient. I make sure the door is closed behind them.
I walk over to the bed. “Does he prefer to be Daniel, or Dan? Danny?”
“Sorry?” Doctor
Fraiser looks at me, confused.
“We always talk to
our coma patients – it helps if we use the name that is most usual for them.”
She nods in
understanding. “Sorry. I was miles away. Daniel. He prefers Daniel.”
I look down at the man in the bed. If he didn’t have the intubation tube in his mouth, he would seem to be asleep, nothing more. “Hello Daniel. My name is Susan, and I’ll be taking care of you. I just need to get you properly settled in, and then we’ll check that your journey hasn’t upset you. Okay?”
I disconnect the monitor leads from the portable unit, and attach them to the more sophisticated monitors already in place by the bed. Next, I disconnect the intubation tube from the portable oxygen supply and reconnect it to the mains supply from the wall. Having satisfied myself that all was working as it should, I now check the drip feeds, and start the normal checks – pulse, temperature, and so on.
I then pick up the notes to add my observations to them. I read them carefully, and then turn to Doctor Fraiser, who is standing by the bed, looking down at the man in the bed. “Are you okay, Doctor?”
“Sorry. It’s been one hell of a week.” She smiles weakly at me, and suddenly seems to visibly pull herself together. “Susan, did you say?”
“Yes.”
“Can you show me your clearance documents please?”
I reach into my pocket where I’d stuffed the official papers that listed me as having the highest security clearance any nurse can have.
She reads them over, checks the photograph and then hands them back with a smile. “Thank you Susan. You are due to start working at the SGC soon aren’t you?”
“Yes I am Doctor.”
“Call me Janet, please.”
“Okay - Janet. I was told that it was going to be delayed because of Daniel here.”
“Well, I’ve assigned two other nurses back from the SGC to here to help look after him, just because of the security issues, so you’re in good company. Means you’ll know half the nursing staff by the time you do get to join us.” We smile at each other. “By the way, you only discuss the details of this case with myself or Doctor Warner.”
“Okay.” I realise that I hadn’t spotted something in his notes. “Does he have any family?”
“No, not in the true sense. But he has his team. They’ll be around a lot – a hell of a lot. You’ll get to know them. Especially Colonel O’Neill.” She smiles. “You have to be strict with him, but these guys are a family, don’t doubt that for a moment, and they’re hurting right now. We all are.”
“I understand, Doctor. I’ve nursed lots of coma patients in my time, and the family needs nearly as much TLC as the patient. I’ll look after them.”
*
When I next come on duty I find Colonel O’Neill asleep in his usual spot - in the chair next to Daniel’s bed. Over the last few days we’ve drifted into a nice routine. SG1, at least I think that’s what the team are called, are still working, although they have been temporarily stood down from active duty, so they come here whenever their schedule lets them. Colonel O’Neill usually spends the nights here, Major Carter comes in on her way to the base, and the big man, Teal’c, comes in the afternoons just after the physiotherapist has finished his session. They are usually all here together during the early evening. I get the impression that they would all happily spend the entire day here if they were allowed to.
I open the curtains at the window, letting the sunshine stream in.
“Morning boys. Time to wake up. It’s a beautiful, bright, crisp, October morning, far too nice to waste lying in bed all day.”
Jack O’Neill raises his head and stares bleary-eyed at me.
“Morning Colonel.”
“Oh crap. It can’t be morning already?”
“Fraid so, sir. Why don’t you go and get yourself a shower and some breakfast while I sort Daniel out ready for another busy day?” I move to the sink in the corner of the room and begin to run a bowl of nice warm water.
He scrubs his hand across his face, trying to wake up. “Okay.” He pats Daniel’s arm. “Danny – I’m gonna pop out for a while, and Susan here is going to ‘sort you out’, you lucky boy.” He stands up to leave. “See ya later kids. Have fun.”
Once the door has closed behind him, I start the morning routine.
“Daniel, I’m just going to check you over, then you can get washed.” I’ve almost completed checking his vitals when there’s a knock on the door, and Sam Carter sticks her head in. She’s earlier than usual.
“Morning Susan. I’m a bit early today. I’ve got a breakfast meeting this morning. Can I come in?”
“Of course Sam. I’m about to give Daniel his morning make over so he looks even more handsome than usual. Do you want to help me?” I write the figures in the notes.
“Oh, I don’t know if I should really…”
“Okay. It’s up to you. I’ve found that it helps the patient’s friends and family sometimes, if they can do something practical.” I put the bowl of water, a bar of soap, a facecloth and a towel on the nightstand. “Why don’t you wash his hands and face?”
Sam hesitates, unsure. “Well…I spose it would make me feel more useful…”
I smile at her, and then fold the sheets back from his chest, and cover him over with the towel.
“Okay Daniel. You’re having a treat this morning – Sam’s going to help me wash you, seeing how you’re too lazy to do it yourself.”
She picks up the facecloth and soaks it in the water. Wringing it out, she starts to wash his face. She is so nervous that her hands are shaking.
“Talk to him.” I whisper.
She shoots back startled look, blue eyes wide. “What, what do I say?”
“Well you were talking to him yesterday – carry on where you left off.”
“But…it feels wrong when I’m washing him.” She protests.
I laugh. “Daniel, Sam’s got all embarrassed about talking to you while she washes that face of yours. Want to tell her what you think of that?”
Sam laughs now. “I see – you two spend your days poking fun at the rest of us, do you? And here was me feeling sorry for you!”
I wink at her. “That’s the spirit, Sam.”
She starts washing his left hand, soaping him up to the elbow, and then wiping it off with the damp cloth. She’s looking much more comfortable with the situation now. We chatter on about the weather, the gossip, and so on, always directing our comments to Daniel. Sam is just about to start on his right hand when he pulls it away from her, ever so slightly.
“Susan…?”
“I know Sam, I saw it. Let me…”
I press the buzzer for assistance, and go to check him over. He’s restless. His eyes are slightly open. Then he starts to retch and gag on the tube down his throat. With amazing speed he’s got his hands on it and is starting to yank it out. At that moment, two other nurses appear. One helps me trying to stop Daniel from extubating himself, I look at the other one.
“Go get Doctor Fraiser now!” She nods and runs off. Since Daniel was brought here to the hospital Janet’s been here every morning. The other nurse, Joshua, is from the SGC. He has known Daniel for years. He and I exchange a look and he nods. I hold Daniel’s hands, while he inspects the tube for damage.
“Easy Daniel. It’s me, Josh. We’ll get that tube out in a minute, but you have to be patient.”
Daniel is shaking, still gagging and retching. Janet appears in the room.
“He’s come out of deep coma, Doctor. He’s trying to self-extubate.” I tell her all she needs to know. Joshua takes over holding Daniel’s hands away from the tube, and I move out the way so Janet can get to the bed. I turn my attention back to Sam, who is standing in the corner, looking upset. I put my arm round her. “Do you want to wait outside, Sam? It might be easier for you?”
“No. No I want to stay.”
“Okay.” We watch Janet as she checks the monitors, then she moves closer to her patient.
“Okay, Daniel. Let’s see what we can do about this tube.” She lifts one lid fully open, and shines her penlight in his eye, then repeats the process with the other eye. “Okay, he’s responsive. We’ll try him without the tube for a while.” She turns her attention back to the man in the bed. “Daniel. I’m going to take the tube out, but it will be uncomfortable. It might make you cough a bit, and you will have a sore throat for a while. Okay? Here goes.”
She slowly and carefully removes the tube. There is a small smear of blood on one side. Daniel’s efforts to remove it have obviously torn his throat lining slightly. It doesn’t look serious though. Joshua hands Janet the scope, and she checks his throat. “Okay. That’s not too bad. We’ll just keep any eye out for any infection.”
Daniel is still gagging, and retching, and coughing slightly. “I want him on oxygen still, but we’ll use the nasal tubes for now.” Joshua has obviously read her mind, and is already connecting one up.
Janet now asks me for a new IV catheter. In his struggles, Daniel has managed to rip the one in his left arm out, and there is blood everywhere. I retrieve one from the trolley that stands permanently in the corner of the room. She searches for a while to find a suitable vein that hasn’t already had an IV in it, and eventually decides on the one in his wrist. She puts in the new shunt, then reattaches the drip.
“Okay. That should be more comfortable for you now, Daniel. Joshua will just clean up the mess you’ve made, then we’ll leave you alone for a while.”
“Janet…is…he awake?” Janet sees Sam for the first time.
“No. He’s just come out of the deep coma. He’s still unconscious, but he’s more aware of what’s going on around him. So the first thing he noticed was the great plastic tube stuck down his throat – it’s quite normal.”
She looks at Sam, whose eyes have filled up with tears. “Hey Sam. He’s got a long way to go, but he’s just made progress. I think he’s finally coming back to us.” The two of them put their arms round each other and hug tightly.
In the last few days, I have come to realise just how close these people are to each other. Even Janet, who is not part of the team itself, is close to them all, much more than she should be really, given her position, but I can’t blame her. I turn away from the two of them in their tearful embrace. Even though this is a single room there is a curtain by the bed, and I pull it between the two friends and us. I help Joshua strip the bloodied sheets from the bed, but before I put the clean ones on I decide to finish washing Daniel. I cover his lower body with the towel, to preserve his dignity. We always nurse coma patients naked, as it makes it easier to keep them clean, and there’s less messing about with them to change their nightclothes.
“I’ll finish off here if you like, Joshua. We were part way through the morning ablutions.”
“It’s okay; I’ll give you a hand. Let me get some clean water. That’s gone a bit cold.” He disappears, and returns with fresh water. “Janet and Sam have gone for a coffee, Daniel. They’ll come back once we’ve stopped you stinking.” To my surprise, Daniel responds to this statement with a gentle murmur. I’ve got so used to him being silent on account of the intubation tube in his vocal chords that it throws me for a moment.
“Ah, feeling chatty now are we?” jokes Joshua.
We work well together, Joshua and I, one of us washing the thin body between us, the other drying. He’s too thin, almost skinny. It’s not just natural slimness – his muscles look wasted. I find it hard to accept that he’s only been unconscious for two weeks; he looks like he hasn’t eaten anything for at least twice that long.
We chat as we go, telling Daniel about what we’re doing. He responds from time to time, little grunts and sighs, all sounding slightly rough. The tube will have left him hoarse. His eyelids flicker open for a moment, and I catch a glimpse of blue eyes, but they’re completely unfocussed.
“Looks like he’s coming back at long last,” mutters
Joshua.
“What do you mean? Janet said the same thing.”
“Daniel’s been MIA for a long time, and when we did get him back he was in that coma. It’ll be great if we can get him back properly. He’s been missed.”
“MIA? I thought he was a civilian advisor.”
“Daniel works in the field. I can’t tell you anything else at the moment, but when you get to the SGC you’ll understand.” Joshua smiles down at Daniel. I’m amazed to see tears in his eyes. “He’s a special guy, Susan. Hopefully you’ll get to know him properly.” He looks up at me. “Tell you what; I’ll give him a shave.”
We’ve just finished, and got the room straight, when Jack O’Neill bursts in.
“I heard he woke up! Is he awake?” He rushes to his friend’s bedside.
“Easy Colonel. He’s starting to come out of the deep coma. He’s still unconscious, but more active. We’ve taken him off the ventilator, and he’s starting to get noisy, but he’s not awake yet.” I smile at him, hoping my words have registered, but he’s not looking at me. He’s looking at Daniel who is shaking his head from side to side on the pillow and making noises that have no meaning.
I try to catch Jack’s attention again. “Colonel, I’ll leave you two to it. Okay?”
“What?”
“I’ve got other things to do – just buzz if you need me. Okay?”
“Yeah, whatever.” He is pulling the chair up to the bedside.
As I leave the room, I encounter Sam and Teal’c walking up the corridor towards me. Sam is a little red-eyed, but she manages to smile. Teal’c just bows his head slightly. He unnerves me just a little whenever I see him as he almost never speaks and his face is often expressionless. However, he is a friend of Daniel’s, and I get the feeling that he cares just as deeply as the others, he just doesn’t show it.
“Hi Susan. How’s he doing?” asks Sam.
“He’s very restless. I don’t think it will be long before he starts to wake up properly. The Colonel’s in there now.”
“This is good news indeed.” Teal’c’s voice sounds warm, and I’m sure I can see a slight smile on his face.
“There’s a long way to go, and there are no guarantees that he’ll be fully healed when he wakes, but at least it looks like he will wake up.” I smile at them. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…”
The two of them disappear into Daniel’s room.
*
Two hours later, I’m up to my neck in paperwork, when the buzzer on the desk sounds. I look up to see whose light is on. It’s Daniel’s. Looking my colleague, Mary, I ask her to page Doctor Fraiser. Janet went back to the mountain, but she can be here within fifteen minutes, and it’s safer to get her en-route sooner rather than later.
I go into the room, and find the three of them looking at Daniel. He is tossing and turning in the bed, muttering. “What’s wrong?” I ask. “You buzzed me.”
“He’s talking,” says Jack. “Is he waking up or not?”
“Talking?”
“Yes. He said No and then started muttering.” Jack waves his hands at the bed. “Can’t you do something? Make him speak up or something?”
I move to the bed, and check the monitors. Everything is looking pretty good, blood pressure, pulse, temperature all within the normal range. “Please bear with me Colonel. I’ve paged Janet, and…”
At that moment Dr Warner comes into the room. “Okay nurse, what’s the situation? Janet rang me and asked me to check in while she’s on her way over.”
I tell him what the others have said, that Daniel is starting to talk. Dr. Warner performs a few checks.
“Yes. It looks like he is starting to wake up a little more. We’ll need a CT scan to confirm. I’ll go and organise one. Keep an eye on him while I sort that out please, nurse.” He writes something in the notes, and then leaves the room.
Just then Daniel mutters three words in a strange language.
“What? What did he say?” demands Jack.
“The words were Abydonian O’Neill,” responds Teal’c.
“But what did he say?”
After a thoughtful pause, Teal’c replies “I believe an
approximate translation would be Defecation, Fornication, Testicles.”
Sam giggles. “You mean…”
“We know what he meant Carter!” Jack cuts through the Major’s attempt at explanation. “Oh that’s just great Danny – we wait for your first words in months and all you can do is swear at us!” Jack sounds cross, but there’s a half-smile on his face. Sam is giggling out of control, and even Teal’c has a grin on his face. Sam’s laughter is infectious, and I can’t help laughing too. Even Jack and Teal’c are laughing now. They’re releasing the tension that has built up over the last few days.
I pull myself together, and check Daniel over again, while the others try to stop giggling.
“Are you in pain, Daniel? Is that why you’re swearing?” I mutter, as much to myself as anyone else.
“Yes.”
The hoarse whisper brings everyone to a halt. I look at his face, and his eyes are half open, blue eyes looking at me from under his long lashes.
“Daniel? What hurts?” I ask as I press the buzzer.
“Head…hurts.” His voice is husky, barely louder than a whisper, but clearly audible in the silence that has descended on the room.
“Okay. Anything else?”
“Throat…” His eyes close again.
SG-1 is closing in around the bed. “Daniel?” Sam is almost tearful.
The buzzer has brought Dr. Warner, Mary and Janet into the room. Janet is still wearing her coat, having obviously just arrived. She must have broken every speed limit between here and the base to get here that fast. She takes her coat off and puts it on a chair.
I try to comfort Sam somehow. “Sam, he’s going to be tired. He’s only just woken up.” I look at the doctors. “He has spoken a few…random …words, and then he has responded coherently to three direct questions. He is reporting pain – headache and a sore throat.”
“This is good. We’ll still get that CT scan done, just to make sure this headache isn’t down to anything sinister.” Dr Warner responds. He turns to Mary, whose security clearance is too low. “Can we have these people out of here while we check him over properly, please?”
Mary ushers the rest of Daniel’s team out of the room firmly but gently, and shuts the door after her.
Janet has put on her white coat, washed her hands and is now at the bedside. “Daniel? Are you awake?”
His eyelids flutter and he opens his eyes. “Janet…tired….” His eyes droop closed again.
“I’ll bet. Can we just check you over?”
“Kay…”
Between the two of them, the two doctors work through the
usual checks – grip my finger, can you feel this, how many fingers, what is
your name, birthday - you know the kind of thing. Daniel responds quietly, his
voice little more than a whisper, his eyes rarely open. He looks, and sounds
incredibly tired, but everything he is saying makes sense.
After fifteen minutes of these checks, there is a knock on the door. Mary sticks her head in.
“They’re ready for you at the scanner.”
Janet and I accompany Daniel to the scanner. We pass the others by the coffee machine, and Jack grabs Janet’s arm.
“How is he Doc?”
“He’s tired, and it’s too early to say for certain, but it’s looking good at the moment. We’ll know more once we’ve had the results of the scan. If you’ll excuse me…” she gives them a warm smile and rushes to catch us up.
The scan takes so long that by the time we’ve got him back to the room and settled down, I have to go home for the day. I leave Daniel with his friends gathered in his room. He is asleep again, but there is an air of calm about the people watching him. The tense atmosphere of the last few days has gone, to be replaced by a much happier feeling.
*
This morning, when I come in, I’m told that Daniel has spent most of his time sleeping, so I am almost shocked to find him already awake. Somehow, the routine of the past week has become the norm, so when I walk into Daniel’s room and find him lying there, eyes open, I am almost at a loss as to what to do. For the first time he is alone.
“Morning Daniel. On your own today?”
“Yes.” His voice is still a whisper, hoarse and quiet. “Jack’s just gone.” He swallows and winces.
“That throat still bothering you?”
He doesn’t speak but just nods, his eyes closed.
“Janet’s written you up for some analgesic spray as well as the pain relief you’re currently on. We can try that if you like.”
He nods again, and opens his eyes.
“Right, let’s get this show on the road shall we?” I open
the curtains and start to run the water, ready for the morning bathing rituals.
He coughs slightly.
“You’re Susan.”
“Yes. That’s right.” I put the bowl on the table at the end of the bed. It strikes me just how handsome he is with his eyes open. I knew they were blue, but somehow, without life in them, they weren’t quite as brilliant as they seem today. He’s struggling to sit up, so I put my hands under his armpits and help him further up in the bed, arranging the pillows behind him.
He looks at me, hair all mussed up from sleep, the sandy
stubble on his chin catching the sunlight from the window. I cannot believe
that he’s nearly thirty-seven – he looks so much younger, and yet those eyes
have the knowing look of someone much, much older. There’s an air of someone
who’s seen way too much horror in their life. They’re sad eyes.
He suddenly gives me a soft smile, which transforms his face completely.
“S’funny.” He gives a soft, husky laugh.
“What’s funny?”
“You’re much taller than you sound when you’re talking in
my sleep!”
* fin *
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On to The Long and Winding Road