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A Vision From Next Door

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

On the third day, the general remembered his promise to Lya and Thor. Figuring the Nox would be able to help he gave orders to dial up the Nox home world. While he was waiting for a response he contacted Thor. The little alien offered to clone a new body for Doctor Jackson but the general graciously declined. A few minutes later Lya stepped through the Stargate.

"Hello again, General Hammond." She smiled up at him. "I take it you have identified the mystery lady."

"Yes, but we have a problem." He quickly outlined all that had transpired since the Nox had left, including Annika’s newfound ability to astral project and the incident in the infirmary. He ended with Daniel’s current condition. "I know that you have the ability to heal even death. Is there anything you can do to help Doctor Jackson?"

The Nox listened, her eyes widening in surprise when she learnt that Annika could manipulate solid objects in both her astral and physical form. "I can heal Daniel’s physical injuries, however do you remember what I said about ‘dying of a broken heart’?"

The general nodded sadly, already guessing what Lya was going to say. "You can’t heal his mind."

She shook her head. "No. But possibly Annika can. I may be able to give her some advice on how to penetrate this barrier he has created within himself. Please take me to them."

Eagerly he guided her to the infirmary. The conscious members of SG-1 greeted the little Nox warmly, but Lya’s attention was already focused on Daniel and the woman by his side.

Annika glanced around when she heard the hope in the others’ voices as they greeted the newcomer. She took at the woman’s doll like face surrounded by a halo of hair, vines and twigs. She smiled absently, "I’ve drawn a picture of you. Nice aura by the way." Her listless gaze returned to Daniel.

The Nox saw the despair in the woman’s eyes and immediately moved towards the bed. "Please remove these bandages and tubes. They won’t be needed any longer."

After a quick glance at General Hammond for confirmation, Janet set about unwinding the white gauze from her patient’s body. The nurses helped while Sam held a discreet sheet over Daniel’s waist, trying to give the oblivious man some dignity.

Lya took this time to approach Annika who let the nurses unwrap Daniel as long as they didn’t try to make her let go of his undamaged finger.

"Hello, Annika." She touched a gentle hand to Annika’s shoulder. "I’m here to help heal Daniel."

"You won’t be able to." A single tear ran down her cheek. "He has closed off his mind. I can’t reach him."

"I may be able to help you with that as well, but first we need to heal his body."

For the first time in three days Annika had a smattering of hope. "Really?"

Lya smiled kindly down at her. "Yes. Your mind is very powerful. You have visited my dreams a number of times."

"I have? I don’t remember doing that."

"If you can travel thousands of light years into my subconscious then I believe you can travel the few centimeters here into Daniel’s."

"He’s ready." Janet removed the final bandage.

"The healing power used in the ritual of Life, is drawn from the world around us," Lya explained the process using terms the relatively young Tau’ri would understand. "But I need his family to focus the energy towards him…"

"Doctor Jackson has no living blood relatives," the general interrupted. Well, there was always Nicholas Ballard but they hadn't heard from him since Quetzalcoatl spirited him off to whatever dimension his race existed in.

The Nox chastised softly, "One does not need to be genetically linked to be family."

Without hesitation Jack, Sam and Teal’c stepped towards the unconscious man, taking their place next to Annika. A second later Janet and General Hammond joined them.

"All of you link hands," Lya directed as she positioned herself at Daniel’s waist.

"This is different from how you healed Nafrayu," Sam noted reaching for Jack and Teal’c’s hands.

"Yes. You are not of the Nox. None of you except Annika have mastered the discipline needed to focus the natural energy around you. Teal’c, rest your hand on Annika’s shoulder, she will need her hands free." Lya gently pried Annika’s right hand from Daniel and wrapped the psychic’s fingers around her left wrist. "Annika, when we begin you will be drawing in the energy that surrounds us. Let it filter through to Teal’c, then Sam and Jack and so on until it reaches me." The Nox lifted the general’s hand to rest on her own shoulder. "As you feel the life force flow through you, you must all think about Daniel, let it feed on your love for him. I will then direct the combined energy to heal Daniel’s wounds."

"How do I draw on this natural energy?" Annika asked, suddenly nervous.

Lya shifted her serene gaze to the young woman and the butterflies dancing in her stomach instantly stilled. "From my understanding of what transpired yesterday, you already know how. Channeling the life force works the same way." She placed her own wrists over Daniel’s body and crossed them palms down. "We may begin."

Taking a deep breath Annika focused her mind on what she’d subconsciously done the day before when she pinned the nurse to the wall. Slowly she became aware of a faint breeze swirling around them. She opened her fingers and tried to capture it. A tingling sensation raced through her hand and up her arm making a direct line to beneath her heart where her bond with Daniel was strongest. She felt the energy swell within her and she directed the surge to her shoulder where it passed into Teal’c. It traveled like an ever expanding life line into the bodies of Daniel’s adopted family until it reached Lya. They all watched as the pale yellow energy shimmered from her crossed wrists into Daniel’s tortured body. For a moment nothing happened, then slowly like a pebble dropped into a pond the life force rippled through him. The cuts and bruises faded away, leaving fresh new skin in their place.

When the energy ripple reached Daniel’s head and feet it bounced back making its way back the way it had come. It flowed up into Lya’s wrists and through General Hammond’s hand and continued on into Janet, until it totally reversed its original journey through Annika’s fingertips.

"It is done." Lya lowered her hands but no one else moved.

"Wow…that was…" Jack was lost for words.

"Intense?" Janet supplied.

"Amazing?" Sam suggested.

"I was going to say sweet."

General Hammond rolled his eyes but smiled. He knew the colonel’s use of humor was his way of dealing with the overwhelming emotional experience they’d all just shared.

"There is nothing more I can do." Lya turned to Annika. "Only you can bring Daniel’s mind back to reality."

"Any suggestions on how?" She gripped Daniel’s now undamaged hand.

"Think back to when you felt your bond was the strongest, when both of you felt the most joy and wonder at what exists between you."

Annika recalled every moment she’d spent with Daniel and felt her cheeks turn red as she realized which encounter best described what the Nox suggested. It was the first time they’d made love after Annika had transferred her visions to Daniel’s mind. She vividly recalled the exquisite experience of Daniel’s touch on her body while at the same time feeling his whole hearted love, delight and passion through their newly formed bond. "Okay, now what?"

"You need to take that memory and use it to bore your way into the wall Daniel has created around his mind. It need only be a small opening," the Nox hesitated. "Once inside you will have to search until you find the spark of hope that is buried within."

"You’re sure there exists such a hope?"

"Yes." Her doe eyes were reassuring. "If there was no hope, Daniel would have died in the dungeon in which you found him." Lya refrained from mentioning the life bond that she knew existed between the two lovers. It was clear the distraught woman had no inkling of the depth of their connection, but it would serve no purpose to distract Annika with such knowledge at the current time.

Annika took a few deep breaths, placed one palm on Daniel’s forehead and the other just below his heart, then called forth the treasured memory into her mind. Armed with all the happy emotions they’d both experienced she concentrated on their bond and pictured herself walking down their connection like it was a path. A massive stone wall appeared before her blocking her way. She tried to scale the wall, looking for a weak spot but no matter how high or wide she climbed the top always remained out of reach.

Returning to the base of the wall, Annika took the bundle of emotions and molded them into a nail as long as her forearm and a mallet. Placing the nail in a join between the stone bricks she swung with all her might. The nail bounced out but a tiny fleck of mortar came with it. She replaced the nail and swung the mallet again. Like before the nail popped out with another tiny piece of wall. Annika lost count of how many times she repeated the process but eventually she’d made a groove big enough to hold the nail in place.

Unbeknownst to her, her physical body became drenched with sweat from the effort and Daniel’s twitched every time she struck a blow.

Annika began to tire but continued her assault on the wall, every hit driving the nail a little deeper until only a few centimeters remained. She began to worry that like the height and length, the width of the wall may also be unending when with her next hit she felt the nail penetrate the other side.

She took a moment to catch her breath before transforming the nail into a hollow tube. Using it like a peephole she lowered her eye and looked through. All she saw was darkness.

She tentatively called out to him. "Daniel? Can you hear me?"

From deep beyond the wall she heard what sounded like a cyclonic wind. It grew louder and an anguished howl of pain erupted from the tiny hole with such force that Annika’s physical body was propelled backwards into the startled arms of Jack who was standing behind her.

"Are you okay?" He steadied them both and she nodded shakily.

She resumed her position by Daniel’s side and again concentrated on their bond. The wall reappeared and to her relief the tiny tunnel she’d made remained. This time rather than talking she tried to send all the love for him through the hole. Her love only made it halfway through when she once more heard that tortured cry and she was again thrown away from Daniel’s bed.

The other members of SG-1, who suspected the strange episode may happen again, had already lined up next to the colonel, waiting like goalies to catch a ball.

"Being a little stubborn, is he?" Jack asked, as Teal’c gently lowered Annika to her feet.

She gave him a weak smile. "Something like that."

She tried three more times and each time the force with which she was thrown intensified.

"Oh, this is just getting ridiculous," Annika groused, untangling herself from helping arms. With determination she returned to the unconscious man, but instead of replacing her palms on his chest and forehead she grasped his hand. "Daniel Jackson, you will not do that again!"

Taking a deep breath she pushed her spirit out of her body. Her astral self hovered a split second before diving straight down into Daniel’s mind.

Jack and Teal’c managed to catch her body before it hit the floor. They tried to remove her grip from Daniel’s lifeless hand but they couldn’t pry her fingers apart. In the end Janet and Sam wheeled a gurney next to Daniel’s bed and they laid her down by his side.

A A A

This time when the stone wall appeared Annika didn’t stop. She pictured herself as a bullet and aimed for the hole she’d created. She shot through the tunnel with such velocity that the howling wind didn’t have a chance to stop her.

Once through to the other side Annika paused. She was surrounded by complete darkness. The howling wind engulfed her, buffeting her from every direction trying to force her back through the hole. For the first time she could make out words over the tortured cries.

"…dead, dead, dead…My Angel’s dead, dead, dead…" It was repeating like a mantra, over and over again.

"I’m not dead," she yelled into the wind. "Daniel, my love, I’m here."

The howling grew louder but Annika continued, "I’m alive. That wasn’t my ghost you saw. I’m alive and well and waiting by your side at the SGC."

For a brief moment the wind died down even as the mantra intensified.

"Daniel, can’t you feel our bond?" she demanded of the darkness. "The drugs that evil little dwarf gave you should have worn off by now." She concentrated on her love for him. "Please, Daniel, try! If you can feel me, then I can’t be dead." She waited for the familiar tug beneath her heart but it didn’t come.

The screaming wind was starting to get to her. She felt the first inkling of doubt within herself and it scared her. Reacting with anger over her fear she bellowed, "DANIEL JACKSON, I AM NOT GOING TO SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE BONDED TO A COMATOSE ARCHAEOLOGIST! NOW STOP THIS SELF PITY AND CONCENTRATE ON OUR BOND!"

Abruptly the wind stopped and the mantra died down to a whisper.

A A A

In the infirmary the military personnel were anxiously watching the two bodies for any indication of progress. Lya maintained her serene composure though she too searched for a sign. Her eyes lit up when Daniel’s hand twitched beneath Annika’s.

The others held a collective breath as very slowly Daniel’s fingers closed around hers.

"Yeesssss!" Jack punched the air. "Whatever she’s doing, it’s working!"

A A A

"Daniel?"

From deep within the darkness there was a barely perceptible spark of light. Annika held her breath as it hesitantly bobbed towards her.

It paused just out of her reach. She didn’t move, knowing that this little spark of Daniel’s hope had to take the final step on its own.

"Please, My Love," she pleaded. "Please, come back to me."

After a moment of indecision that seemed to take a lifetime, the little light tentatively approached. It circled her astral form from every angle before coming to rest in front of her face. She smiled as it studied her violet eyes. The light backed away slightly, but Annika saw that it burned brighter.

Suddenly it sped towards her and Annika gasped as it burrowed into the area beneath her heart frantically searching for their bond. Immediately she projected her love and Daniel’s hope expanded, lighting up her entire soul and in the blink of an eye the darkness disappeared.

"Annika?" She heard the desperation of his mind.

She felt a tumble of emotions through the bond; joy, love, relief, fear and she once again sent her love to him, reassuring him that their connection was real. "Yes, it’s me."

"You’re alive?"

"Very much so." She felt that glorious tug under her heart.

"You’re inside my head?"

She sensed his bewilderment. "Yes. Temporarily. It’s a long story."

Once again she felt him test their bond. "Can’t wait to hear it." He sounded drowsy and Annika realized that despite being unconscious for days, mentally he was exhausted.

"I’ll explain it all when you wake up." She felt him drift off into a happy sleep. Carefully she removed herself from his mind and returned to her own body, falling into a deep sleep of her own.

A A A

Jack almost danced a jig around the infirmary when he saw Daniel’s lips turn upwards into a smile. He didn’t open his eyes, however, his breathing became stronger. A few seconds later the ghostly image of Annika appeared with a joyous expression on her face and re-entered her own body.

Daniel unconsciously rolled over towards the woman he loved and Teal’c and Sam barely managed to close the small gap between the two gurneys before he fell through.

"Perhaps we should secure these two beds together," Janet suggested as Annika also rolled closer to Daniel. "I don’t think we’ll be able to keep them apart."

Teal’c immediately tracked down some zip ties and Jack helped him tie the adjoining metal legs. By the time they’d finished, Daniel already had his arms tightly wrapped around Annika and she’d snuggled into his embrace.

"They’re just asleep now, right?" the general asked.

Both Lya and Janet nodded.

"What they have been through took a lot of energy," the Nox explained. "They should wake up on their own in a few hours." She glided towards the door. "Now that the crisis has passed, I shall take my leave." She tilted her head in question at the general. "When they have recuperated I still would very much like to help further Annika’s ability."

"I’ll let her know," Hammond assured her.

When the Nox had left, Janet ordered that everyone else was also to leave and not to return until they’d all had at least some sleep themselves. For the first time in three days there were no objections.

A A A

The murmur of voices gradually woke Daniel.

"Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea?"

He recognized Janet.

"No thanks. I’m fine."

He felt Annika’s soft caress against his arm encircling her waist.

"I’ll wait until he wakes up."

"Coffee sounds great." He grinned opening his eyes.

Annika twisted her head to face him with a delighted smile of her own. "Well, good morning, My Love."

He tightened his embrace and tenderly sought her lips. "Good morning, My Angel."

"I’ll just get those coffees." Janet made a hasty retreat, giving the couple some privacy.

Daniel and Annika having only eyes for each other barely noticed her leave.

"Thank you for breaking into my thick skull," he joked but his voice was deep with emotion.

"That’s quite alright," she replied, maintaining the light tone though the kiss she gave him belayed it. When they finally came up for air she playfully punched his shoulder. "Don’t you ever scare me like that again!"

"Me scare you?" he demanded incredulously. "Since when can you float outside your body?"

She looked a little shame faced. "I had a premonition of you dying. I kind of panicked when that twisted dwarf drugged you."

"I vaguely heard someone shouting, ‘Judge, jury and executioner’." His lips twitched as he battled with his hazy recollection of his ordeal.

Annika shrugged. "I’ve always wanted to say that." She proceeded to recount the events of the last few days.

"I wondered where my injuries went," he paused. "When I saw you like that…" His throat closed up and Annika felt his pain and horror at the memory.

"I know," she whispered. "I felt the same when I saw you."

"Yeah, but you didn’t totally shut down," he berated himself.

"I wasn’t pumped up full of drugs." She kissed him gently. "I’m sorry. I didn’t think how it would look to you when I came zooming in." She felt a wave of guilt and knew it was over what their bond had done to her. "Hey, none of that. It was our bond that let us find you. If we didn’t have it you would be in Ba’al’s hands by now." A shiver ran down her spine at the thought.

"Hey, welcome back to the world of the living!" Jack burst through the door, carrying a tray laden with coffee mugs and a wide smile on his face. "Thanks for the extra down time by the way, I managed to get in a few extra days of fishing."

"Anytime," Daniel grinned, knowing full well Jack hadn’t left the infirmary, let alone the base while he was unconscious. "My personal recommendation is that we cease negotiations with P5T-112."

"Gee, ya’ think?" Jack passed around the mugs still smiling. "The ’gate address has already been locked out of the computer."

Taking a sip, Daniel frowned when he realized the colonel was serious. "Jack, I was joking."

"I wasn’t."

"You can’t condemn a whole civilization because of one man’s actions."

"I can and I did."

"Jack…"

"You’re unbelievable." Annika was stunned. "After what they did to you you’re still willing to negotiate?"

"Well, not me personally."

"If you think we’re going anywhere near that planet again, your nuts!" Jack said stubbornly. "You yourself determined on the first day we arrived that dwarf was only a flunkey. He wouldn’t have done what he did without his superiors’ knowledge. We don’t negotiate with people who condone torture for the fun of it."

Daniel flinched but continued, "We can’t leave them to be enslaved by Ba’al…"

"Sure we can."

Sam and Teal’c chose that moment to enter the room, each of them clutching a grey fur ball.

"We’ve brought visitors…" Sam’s voice trailed away as she took in the heated expressions on the two men’s faces. "I see things are back to normal."

Annika reached for the puppies who eagerly scrambled into her lap. She gestured towards Daniel. "Is he always like this?"

"You mean forgiving to point that it’s maddening?" Sam asked amused.

She nodded.

"Indeed he is," Teal’c confirmed. "It appears to be Daniel Jackson’s mission in life to see the good in people regardless of what they have done."

Meanwhile Jack and Daniel were still debating.

"I can’t believe our government would let one little incident get in the way of all that naquadah just waiting to be mined." Daniel’s voice was now incredulous.

"One little incident!" Both Jack and Annika cried out at the same time.

For the first time Daniel felt anger surge through their bond and he was momentarily lost for words.

"I’m just one man," he defended. "We’re talking about hundreds, maybe thousands of people…"

Sam stepped in, "Daniel, the President has agreed to stop all negotiations."

"What? Why?" he demanded.

Sam’s face became very innocent. "It seems that all the scientists who worked on the original geological surveys have determined that their calculations were wrong."

"Wrong about what?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"The amount of naquadah on P5T-112. They rechecked their work and found that it was significantly lower than their first estimates."

"They all agree?" he asked confused. "Since when do they all agree on anything?" Daniel studied her big round eyes, then moved on to Jack’s smirking face and Teal’c’s unblinking gaze, and he realized what had happened.

"Everyone agreed that it wasn’t worth the risk," Sam added softly.

Annika felt a wave of shock and disbelief shoot through their bond.

"They altered their reports because of me?" He barely whispered the words.

"Don’t you know how much you are respected and cared for on this base?" Annika asked the stunned man.

He mutely shook his head.

"I know you need glasses, but I didn’t think you were blind." She gave him a tight hug.

"That planet has been locked out for good," Jack reiterated, laying a hand on his friend’s shoulder. "Like Carter said, the risk was too high." For the first time there was no wisecrack to hide his feelings.

"Okay." Overwhelmed by the mix of emotions bombarding his mind, Daniel could hardly speak. He’d known the other members of SG-1 loved and respected him, just as he did them, but he had no idea that he inspired such loyalty from the rest of the personnel.

Annika sorted through Daniel’s emotions, confusion changed into shock, then wonder, embarrassment, gratitude and finally bewildered happiness. She gently cupped his face in her hands. "You’re a very special man, Daniel Jackson. It’s about time you realized it." Her lips lightly brushed his.

Daniel’s gaze moved across the room taking in the faces of his workmates who had become not only his closest friends but also his family. His arms tightened around his soul mate and he smiled. "Right now, I feel like I’m the luckiest man in the world."

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