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A Vision From Next Door

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

When Annika woke up that morning she remembered every detail of her premonition and it scared her witless. She’d immediately tried numerous times to contact the general, however his infuriatingly polite assistant insisted that he was unavailable. An hour ago her bond with Daniel had weakened. He seemed disorientated and she’d panicked. She guessed that it was her desperation that had prompted this new facet of her gift to emerge, but she didn’t try to work out how it had happened. She would sort out her gift later, after she made sure Daniel was okay.

She grabbed her bag, locked the door and began pacing the front yard. The puppies sat quietly by the gate not daring to stray across her path. After looking at her watch for the tenth time in as many minutes Annika caught sight of the mournful pair and scooped them up in her arms. They rested their heads on her shoulders, giving the occasional lick as though trying to comfort her. Her head shot up at the sound of an approaching car with a Marine behind the wheel. Before the wheels had stopped turning Annika had thrown open the door and jumped in.

The Marine raised an eye at the puppies but said nothing. He’d picked up many strange passengers in his time at the SGC, he wasn’t about to start asking questions now.

Annika sat tensely in the passenger seat. This was taking too long! "Can’t you go any faster?" she pleaded.

"Sorry, ma’am. But I’m pushing the speed limit as it is."

She let out a frustrated sigh. As she took a deep breath trying to control herself she had another vision. It was of Jack, he was speaking into a radio at the stone ring with the upright water. His face was shell shocked, devastated. She saw Sam openly weeping while Teal’c gently held her. A single tear rolled down the Jaffa’s face. General Hammond hadn’t told them!

A deep fury consumed her. "No!" she screamed, making the Marine nearly swerve off the road. "Daniel’s not dead!"

Annika felt her soul being torn out of her body. She hovered above herself for a moment, watching her body slump down in the seat. She wouldn’t be in two places at once this time. This time she was using all of her new power.

The Marine immediately grabbed the radio on the dashboard. "Get me General Hammond right now! Something’s happened to the woman I was sent to bring back to the base. A bright light just emerged from her body and now she’s unconscious."

Annika didn’t wait to hear the reply. Freed from the constraints of her body she flew through the air instinctively heading for the base where she’d projected herself earlier, the landscape blurring at her speed. She ignored the startled Marines guarding the base and zoomed through the walls following the elevator shafts down and materialized in the ’gate room. She halted for a moment, hearing voices but couldn’t make them out. Focusing all her mind on Daniel and Jack she flew through the watery like substance. Having no body, she didn’t feel the iciness of the dematerialization process but a few seconds later she found herself looking at Jack, Sam and Teal’c. The faces that were grieving in her vision were now filled with hope.

"Ah… she’s just arrived, sir," Jack spoke into his radio. "Seems kinda pale…" He waved his hand through her body. "Just like you described."

"Jack, Daniel’s not dead," Annika said floating in between the colonel’s face and radio.

He stepped back, not wanting her to float through him. "So General Hammond just told us."

"He did?" Annika felt herself waver. "But I saw the looks on all of your faces. You were talking through the ring," she gestured to the Stargate. "You thought Daniel was killed in an explosion."

Sam stepped forward. "We did. Until a few seconds ago when General Hammond told us about your premonition."

If a soul without a body could blush, Annika would have. "I must have seen you just as you checked in. I guess I over reacted."

"Little bit of an understatement, young lady. I believe you almost gave your driver a heart attack," Jack said wryly. "Your body by the way will be taken to the infirmary when it arrives. Oh, yeah, did I mention that this is a neat trick?" He gestured to her non-corporeal body.

"I suppose I should go back. Let you do your job." She started bobbing back to the Stargate.

"Would it not be a tactical advantage for Annika Murdoch to remain?" Teal’c asked.

"I was just thinking the same thing. Might be handy to have a ghost to scope out the terrain." Jack mulled over the idea.

"Ah, technically I’m not a ghost, Jack."

He waved her away. "Argh! Explain it to Carter."

"Will you be able to remain so far away from your…um…body?" Sam asked. "We’ll have to shut down the ’gate in a minute."

Annika thought about it. "I don’t know. Exactly how far away are we?" She gazed around her surroundings for the first time. It looked like any old forest at home, except…was that a pink tree?

Sam glanced at the colonel who shrugged. "Hang on a sec before answering that, Major." He spoke into the radio again. "Sir, considering the unusual circumstances I suggest we give Annika full security clearance."

The general’s chuckle crackled through the airwaves. "I’m having the paperwork drawn up now, ready for signing when you come back with Doctor Jackson."

"Thank you, sir. Okay, tell her, Carter."

"We are about twenty thousand light years from Earth." Sam watched the apparition to see her reaction.

"Right," Annika dragged out the word, letting the concept sink in. "And you do this every time you go on a mission?"

Sam nodded.

Annika heaved a sigh giving an ironic smile. "Well, that just goes to show that sometimes the simplest explanations are often the correct ones."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Okay, you lost me. Traveling to other planets is simple?"

She laughed at his confusion. "It is to me. You don’t know what I’ve seen in my visions. None of it made sense…It all seemed out of this world…totally unbelievable…unless it really was out of this world." Her laughter faded. "Can we go get Daniel now?"

"You sure you’ll be alright?" Sam asked concerned.

"I don’t think distance has anything to do with this." She hesitated, trying for the right explanation. "It’s based on emotion. As long as I need to be here, I’ll be here."

Jack informed the general that they were moving out and shut down the ’gate. "Okay, campers, let’s go rescue our archaeologist."

"Annika, do you know where Daniel is being held?" Sam asked.

She shook her head. "Not precisely, but I am being drawn to him. He’s that way." She pointed west. "I can’t be more specific than that, at least not yet. But I do know who’s got him." She described the man she saw torturing Daniel. "He drugged Daniel’s drink. He was knocked out before he finished his first sip."

"Knew we couldn’t trust that fat little midget," Jack scowled. "Teal’c, take point. Carter, cover our six."

They moved out with Annika and Jack in the middle.

"Can you explain exactly who this Ba’al is? Does he have the same infection that Sha’re had?"

Jack had to laugh. "Is that how Daniel described the Goa’uld?"

"If the Goa'uld," she sounded out the unfamiliar word, "are the people with the glowing eyes, then yes. He said Sha’re had been infected with a parasitic worm that took control of her mind, changing her personality so that she was the total opposite of the woman he married."

"Trust Daniel to come up with an explanation that doesn’t break that damned confidentiality agreement. It’s a little more complicated than that." Jack proceeded to explain in his usual manner about the snakeheads who were terrorizing the galaxy.

Suddenly Annika heard Daniel yell out in agony in her mind. It was like a physical blow that had her doubling over in pain.

"Annika?" Jack had instinctively reached out for her, forgetting that she wasn’t bodily there.

Tears glistened in her eyes as she slowly stood upright, to reveal a bloody welt across her chest. She flinched and a second wound appeared, this one running from shoulder to hip.

"Annika, what’s going on?" Jack watched helplessly as another cut appeared down her leg.

"I’m connected to Daniel," she choked. "What he feels, I feel."

Jack paled just as Annika heard Daniel’s mind holler again. She spun around like she’d been hit from behind and a series of fresh cuts colored her shoulder red.

"Jack, we’ve got to hurry."

He nodded and signaled to the others to double time it. Annika took point making sure the way was clear. She led them to a stone castle-like structure and they regrouped behind a small copse of trees at the base of the building. Guards stood at every turret and the main gate was barred shut.

"He’s in there, down three…no, four levels." By now the vision of Annika was a mass of bloody welts and purple contusions. Aside from the pain, they all saw the anger in her eyes was increasing with every new wound that appeared.

Teal’c was examining the wall. "O’Neill, the mortar is degrading. We can use C4 to create a doorway."

"We’ll need some kind of distraction."

Annika’s eyes almost glowed with rage. "I’ll take care of that." Before anyone could object, Annika dissolved into the stone wall.

She emerged into a darkened room with a few dusty crates. She popped her head back out. "Good choice for the C4, it’s some sort of storage room." Disappearing again she heard Jack mutter, 'We have got to train her in proper procedure.'

Sam grinned setting the plastic explosive at varying points on the wall. "Is there proper procedure for a spirit?"

"I was not aware the Air Force have a protocol for blowing open a storage room," Teal’c said from his position as lookout.

"Oh, for crying out loud! I’d just like a bit more of a plan before sending a civilian in as a distraction."

"I don’t think she can be injured, sir," Sam said as they crouched behind a boulder a safe distance from the C4.

"Carter, I know you saw those wounds on her. How can she not be injured?"

"Annika said it was emotion that was keeping her here. Pain is an emotion, she’s only reflecting what she or rather Daniel is feeling, they’re not physical for her."

"Teal’c, did you understand that?" Jack asked confused.

"Indeed, O’Neill. I believe Major Carter is correct."

"Fine. Annika can’t be hurt. I still don’t like it," he griped. "Wonder what her distraction will be?"

They didn’t have to wait long. Faintly through the stone walls they heard panicked shouts and the guards above them left their posts to investigate the commotion.

"Now, sir?" Sam asked, her hand ready to hit the detonation switch.

He shook his head. "Let’s wait a bit, make sure they all take the bait."

There was a loud explosion from inside.

"Do they have their own version of C4? I did not think these people were so far advanced." Teal’c raised an eyebrow in question.

"They’re not," Sam confirmed.

"Maybe Ba’al left behind some goodies?" But Jack sounded doubtful. Why give weapons to the people you want to subdue?

"I think it’s Annika," Sam theorized.

"Let’s blow this soda stand." Jack stuck a finger in his ear closest to the building. "Let her rip, Carter."

Sam released the trigger just as there was another explosion from inside masking their own destructive bang. They waited a moment to let the dust settle and then cautiously stepped through the new entrance.

A A A

When Annika left SG-1 she flitted through the walls searching for a crowded room. She needed people for what she was about to do. She came across a sentry posted at one of the windows.

"Hey there, sweet pea," she purred softly, and the guard spun around towards her.

His expression turned from unexpected delight to horror as she zigzagged down the hall towards him, making sure she partly passed through the walls as she approached. She knew she looked like something out of a horror movie with all the wounds her body now displayed.

"Let’s go get a room together!" She held her arms out as though she was going to embrace him and the guard stumbled, backing away in fear.

Annika let him go but followed him, knowing he was going for help.

She kept up her tirade, making him run screaming into what looked like a dining hall. He slammed the door shut and Annika slid right through the heavy wood. Excellent! This was what she wanted! The room was full of people.

"Come on baby! You know you want me!…What about that moonlit night we shared a few years ago?…You bastard, don’t tell me you don’t remember me!" Her voice kept rising and without the restraints of an actual voice box it boomed around the room, making the furniture shake.

She flew about the room still chasing the panicked guard, moving through tables and people alike in her pursuit. There was a moment of stunned silence and then all hell broke loose. People everywhere were trying to get out of the way of the crazed apparition.

One man in a futile effort to stop her threw a chair at her. Reflexively she caught it and it hovered in her transparent grasp. He ran screaming in terror as she threw it back at him. "THAT WASN’T VERY NICE!" she screeched, watching with satisfaction as the chair caught him squarely in the back. He collapsed unconscious.

This new power is cool! she thought, searching for something else to destroy. Again she didn’t even try to understand how this new power worked. She was acting on pure instinct.

Her gaze fell to the back of the room and she realized that the room wasn’t a dining room at all. It was being used as a kind of communal laboratory. Jars of chemicals were neatly stacked on shelves reaching almost to the ceiling.

Yes! That is perfect! She started grabbing any jars she could and threw them against the opposite wall. She definitely was no chemist, but she remembered in high school how careful her science teacher had been when conducting experiments. An imprecise mixture could result in just about anything. She didn’t have long to wait. She smashed a jar of white powder on top of an already broken bottle of clear liquid. The mixture began to bubble a moment before the entire wall exploded.

Even before the dust began to settle the scientists and guards uniformly bolted for the hole in the wall.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Annika yelled. She grabbed another two jars that had miraculously survived the explosion and started chasing after them. "The fun is just beginning."

She zoomed over their heads and landed in front of the terrorized people making them do an abrupt about face like a herd of cows. And like a herd of cows they stampeded over the slower ones in an effort to escape. She threw the last of her jars into the hallway and they exploded on impact, creating a wall of rubble, effectively trapping them in the room. Leaving them still screaming in terror she passed through the floor. She’d had enough of being a diversion. Now it was time to find Daniel.

Four floors down she skimmed across the ceiling and silently poked her head into every room. As she neared the end of the hall she heard Daniel cry out, this time not in her mind.

"I can’t tell you what I don’t know." His voice was hoarse.

She heard the harsh slap of leather hitting skin.

Daniel grunted in pain but when he spoke it was with determination. "And I wouldn’t tell you even if I did remember."

"Tell me what I want to know!" a deep voice demanded. "Tell me or I’ll let my friend here carve you up. I wonder how long you’ll live without your liver or you lungs."

"I don’t know, but I know you won’t last one second if Ba’al arrives and I’m already dead."

There was a moment of silence and she heard a fist crunch into bone.

"Give him more of the serum, maybe a higher dose will work more effectively this time."

If Annika was angry before, it was nothing compared to the rage she felt now. She burst through the door, smashing the hard wood into tiny pieces. Amidst the spray of splinters she could see the small man from her vision frozen in shock with his foot raised, ready to kick a bloody mass. It sickened her to realize that bloody mass was Daniel, slumped against the wall. Another man let the needle he was about to inject into the unconscious man, drop to the floor.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Annika stalked the two men. "I’M GOING TO RIP YOUR FUCKING HEARTS OUT!" Her arm lashed out and with all the power her mind could hold she threw the taller man against the wall. Bones cracked with the force of his body impacting the stone. He dropped to the floor knocked senseless.

She turned her attention to the dwarf. "YOU ARE THE MOST DESPICABLE CREATURE I HAVE EVER SEEN!" Each word had her advancing on the cowering man. "AS IF MAKING A BARGAIN WITH BA’AL WASN’T BAD ENOUGH! YOU HAVE ENJOYED EVERY SECOND TORTURING THIS GOOD, KIND HEARTED MAN WHO OFFERED YOU FRIENDSHIP, DRUGGED HIM UP SO THAT HE COULDN’T DEFEND HIMSELF!" She grabbed him by the neck. He immediately tried to push her away and his eyes bulged when his hand passed right through her. "YOUR WORSE THAN BA’AL. HE’S CONTROLLED BY THE SNAKE IN HIM LIKE A RABID DOG. YOU MADE THE DECISION IN YOUR OWN DEPRAVED MIND TO DO WHAT YOU DO." She tightened her grip around his throat. "WE HAVE THE DEATH PENALTY ON MY PLANET. CONSIDER ME YOUR JUDGE, JURY AND EXECUTIONER!"

With infinite slowness she lifted her other hand towards his chest, making sure he could see what she was about to do. She slightly relaxed her chokehold so he could drag in a ragged breath. "WOULDN’T WANT YOU TO MISS A MOMENT OF YOUR LAST FEW SECONDS OF LIFE."

She pushed her ghostly hand through his chest cavity until she found his frantically beating heart. He felt nothing until she concentrated on squeezing that heart like a stress ball. "SO HOW DO YOU LIKE TORTURE NOW, LITTLE DWARF?"

He gasped for breath a second before his head was flung sharply to the left against his shoulder, hit with an unseen force. What happened? I didn’t do that. His head sagged like a rag doll and as Annika literally felt his heart stop, she noticed the bullet hole in his temple.

She spun round to see Jack crouched in the doorway, still aiming his gun at the now dead man.

"WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?" she demanded.

"Ah, can you tone it down a little?" he asked wincing.

"Sorry." She resumed her normal voice. "But why? I had him! I was willing to kill him. I was killing him."

"That’s why I did it." He entered the room. "Take it from someone who has killed more than he can count. No matter how bad the person is, no matter how good the reason, you have to live with it the rest of your life. You don’t need the baggage."

There was a low moan across the room.

The dead dwarf forgotten, Annika immediately flew to Daniel’s side. She reached out to him but her hand swept right through him.

"Jack, help him!"

The colonel ran over stopping short as he took in the sight of his best friend. Jesus, how could he still be alive? His shirt had been stripped from him and there wasn’t an inch of skin that wasn’t covered in deep welts or bruises. His shredded trousers looked like they’d been dipped in a vat of red dye. He hardly recognized Daniel’s face. One eye was completely swollen shut. The other drifted open.

"Daniel?"

"Jack? Is it really you?" He tried to focus on the colonel’s face but couldn’t. "Am I hal…halluci…dreaming?" He tried to reach for him but could barely lift his arm.

Gently Jack held the bloody fingers. "No, you’re not dreaming." Jack tried to keep the pain of seeing Daniel like this out of his voice, however he couldn’t stop the tear that trickled out of his eye. "We’re here. We’re taking you home."

Jack felt Daniel’s fingers relax only to tighten like a vice. His open eye was focused on the gory transparent figure of Annika hovering next to him.

"Noooo!" The guttural cry from Daniel wrenched at Jack’s heart. "How did they get Annika?"

"Daniel, I’m okay!" She reached out for him to reassure him, but like before she couldn’t solidify her hand.

"God, Jack, she’s dead. I see her ghost."

"Daniel, Annika’s not dead!" Jack tried to convince him but the distraught man didn’t hear.

"It’s all my fault! My Angel’s dead because of me, I can’t take that again!" Consumed by grief Daniel gave a howl of anguish before his mind blacked out.

"Daniel? Danny, wake up! Annika’s alive!" He tried in vain to revive his friend. He clutched at his radio. "Sam, Teal’c, where are you? We need you now!"

"We’re three floors down. We ran into a little trouble," Sam’s voice responded. "What’s your location, sir?"

"Fourth floor, end of the corridor. We’ve found Daniel."

There was a moment’s pause. "How is he?" she asked hesitantly.

"Not good. Just get down here," he barked. He immediately started to unroll a thin sheet he’d removed from a compartment in his military fatigues, and spread it out alongside his unconscious teammate.

"I’m sorry I can’t help," Annika said wringing her hands together. "I don’t know what’s wrong. I can’t touch or move things anymore."

"Don’t worry about it. You’ve done your share for today." Jack waved her concern away. He gently touched two fingers to Daniel’s neck and found a faint heartbeat. His own heart pounded in relief. He’d already watched his friend die once; he couldn’t go through that again.

"What did Daniel mean? Why would he blame himself?" His tortured cry haunted her as much as it confused her.

Jack continued what he was doing while he answered her question. "He blames himself for his wife’s death even though there was nothing he could have done. It tore him up for years. I guess seeing you like you are brought up all that buried guilt. He thinks it’s happened again."

They heard running footsteps and a moment later Sam and Teal’c appeared.

"Oh, God," Sam choked as she took in Daniel’s battered body.

Teal’c muttered something in Goa’uld that sounded like a prayer.

"Is he…" Sam couldn’t finish the question.

"He’s breathing for now. Let’s get him home." Jack motioned for Teal’c to help him lift Daniel’s body onto the blanket. Daniel didn’t even stir.

"Will that blanket hold?" Annika asked, watching the two men carefully lift the corners of their makeshift stretcher.

"It had better," Jack growled as they started moving.

Sam glanced around the room, taking in the dead dwarf with a bullet in his skull and the other man who looked like he’d been shot out of a cannon.

Jack saw her. "Later, Major. Let’s move out."

Being as careful as possible not to jar their precious cargo, SG-1 with Annika taking point headed for the Stargate.

"Carter, if anyone tries to stop us just shoot them. No questions asked."

Sam’s eyes glittered and her face hardened. "With pleasure, sir."

They moved as quickly as they could and in a few minutes Sam was dialing up Earth’s ’gate address on the DHD. Much to her disappointment they had not seen one local inhabitant on their trek back. Without hesitation she jogged through the wormhole first, already calling for the medical team before her boot hit the ramp back in the SGC.

A second later Jack and Teal’c appeared with Daniel and they immediately laid him down on the waiting gurney. The upright members of SG-1 closely followed the medics to the infirmary, being careful not to hinder the nurses already working on Daniel’s still body.

Sam realized they were missing someone. "Where’s Annika?"

Jack shrugged. "She disappeared the moment the ’gate opened. I assume she’s back in her body."

When they reached the infirmary, Janet blocked the entrance. "We’ll take it from here."

"Come on, Doc," Jack pleaded, "we already know what’s been done to him."

"You’ll just be in the way." Her voice was sympathetic yet firm. "I’ll let you know what’s going on."

"We’ll stay with Annika," Sam said anxiously. "We know she’s in there. She’s bound to be freaked out when she wakes, we’ll keep her out of your hair."

Janet took in the desperately determined faces before her. She could probably send Annika out to them once she woke up, but knew that they would find some way to sneak in. Watching Daniel die was still a vivid memory imprinted in all of their minds despite the fact that he had returned to them almost a year ago. Short of restraining all of them there was no way she’d be able to keep the rest of SG-1 out. She understood that they had to be there either way. "Okay, but stay on Annika’s side of the curtain. If I see even a peek, I’ll kick you all out."

"Thanks, Doc," the colonel tried to hide the emotion from his voice but failed.

She gave him a compassionate smile then hurried over to the team of medical staff working on their teammate.

Silently Jack, Sam and Teal’c followed, hugging the wall to keep out of the way. On the other side of the curtain they saw Annika with her eyes closed. Her body was blessedly free of the injuries her non-corporeal image had displayed.

"At least she’s okay," Jack said indicating the sleeping woman. "I was worried she’d look like Daniel in her real body." Sam opened her mouth to explain and he waved his hand to stop her. "I know you said her wounds weren’t real, but I had my doubts, okay?"

The others gathered around Annika’s bed, trying not to listen to what was going on behind the curtain, while at the same time yearning to hear a noise from Daniel. A curse, a groan, a scream, any sound at all to indicate that he was still alive.

"Should Annika Murdoch not have woken up by now?" Teal’c asked concerned. "Her spirit returned to her body some time ago."

"I don’t know. What she did must have taken a lot of energy, maybe she needs to rest," Sam spoke softly.

"It’s not like we have any news to tell her." Jack also kept his voice low.

They waited in silence. Jack and Sam each held one of the psychic’s hands, subconsciously seeking contact with the woman bonded to their friend. Teal’c stood at the end of her bed watching the sleeping woman intently, his gaze as solid as any physical touch. There hadn’t been time for an in depth explanation of the mystical connection between the two lovers, but by holding Annika’s hands they felt they too were connected to Daniel. It gave them some level of comfort. The three of them wordlessly prayed to the powers that be that this wouldn’t be a case of history repeating itself.

When Annika awoke almost an hour later she did so suddenly, bolting up right, calling Daniel’s name. It was just as well that the others already had a grip on her because she immediately tried to jump off the bed to get to him. Her bond told her he was less than a meter away even before she realized where she was.

"Let me go! I have to see him!" She fought the arms restraining her, not seeing who they belonged to.

"Annika, settle down." Jack was trying unsuccessfully to keep her on the bed. "T, a little help here."

The Jaffa immediately moved to the back of the bed and embraced the struggling woman from behind, pinning her arms to her sides.

"Thanks." Jack clasped Annika’s face between his hands forcing her to focus on him. "Annika, listen to me. You can’t see Daniel right now. Doc Fraiser is patching him up. You have to let her do her job."

"Jack, he’s in so much pain." Her eyes welled.

"I know."

"Not physical. Emotional. He thinks I’m dead." The tears trickled down her cheeks.

"Doesn’t Daniel also feel you through this bond you two have?" Sam asked, still maintaining her grip.

Annika nodded.

"Then he will sense that you are alive."

"No, the drugs they gave him are screwing with his mind, he doesn’t know what’s real or fake. He’s given up trying to sense me." She tried to move again but Teal’c’s arms were like iron. "Please, Teal’c, let me go. I need to talk to him, touch him, let him hear me and physically feel me."

"We will let you do all those things," Jack promised. "But after the Doc is finished, okay?"

Reluctantly she nodded. "Okay." She let her body slump against Teal’c.

They resumed their silent vigil, every eye trained on the curtain separating them from Daniel.

Hours later Janet ducked behind the material keeping the barrier closed. The grim look on her face made them all hesitate, no one wanting to ask the question.

It was Annika who spoke first. "He’s still alive, guys. I’d know if he wasn’t."

Some of the tension eased up.

"Annika’s right. Daniel is alive."

"But…" Sam’s grip tightened around Annika’s hand.

"What you all saw on the outside of his body is actually all superficial. It may look awful but given time it will heal. Miraculously he hasn’t got any internal bleeding but his kidneys are bruised and all of his ribs are cracked," Janet paused. "It’s his head injuries that have me concerned. His skull is fractured in three places and his brain has swelled from the trauma. The next seventy-two hours are critical."

"And if he survives the next seventy-two hours?" Sam asked in barely a whisper.

"Daniel could make a full recovery, with nothing more than a bad headache. Or," Janet felt her own eyes start to well up. "He could have massive brain damage, leaving him a total vegetable." She couldn’t help the wobble in her voice.

"But he could be just fine, right, Doc?" Jack really needed to hear her say those words again.

"Yes. He may wake up and be the Daniel Jackson we all know and love." Though she sounded hesitant they all clung to that hope.

"Can we see him now?" Annika asked.

Again Janet hesitated. "Yes, but I have to warn you, it’s not a pretty sight." She eyed Jack, Teal’c and Sam and directed her next comment to them. "I don’t want any of you to panic. Remember the bandages are temporary, we should be able to remove some of them in a couple of days."

The three nodded though the puzzlement was clear on their faces. Why would we panic?

Slowly Janet drew back the curtain and no further explanation was necessary.

Sam couldn’t keep the gasp from escaping her lips and even Teal’c flinched at the sight.

Daniel was wrapped from head to foot in bandages. There were holes made for his eyes and mouth, and a tube snaked out from beneath the white bump that was his nose, but the rest of his body was covered in white gauze.

Jack felt his legs turn to jelly and he let himself fall to his knees. God, it was like they’d stepped back in time to the day Daniel had died. He’d looked exactly the same then, with the bandages covering the radiation burns that had destroyed his body. No No No! I can’t watch that again!

"Colonel," Janet was instantly by his side. "Colonel, this isn’t like last time."

He tried to speak but nothing came out.

"Jack."

He vaguely heard Sam’s voice call him by his first name. That wasn’t right, they were still on duty.

"Jack."

She’d done it again! He felt her gently take hold of his hand.

"Jack, he’s going to be okay. There’s hope this time."

Her soft voice slowly brought him back from his memories. Not caring about the military protocol that ruled their lives he tenderly brought her hand to his lips, placing a soft kiss on her fingers.

"I’m okay, Sam. Thanks." Shakily he managed to get his feet back under him, while still keeping a tight hold on the major’s hand.

Janet pretended not to witness the show of affection between the two officers.

Annika sat mutely by Daniel’s bed, carefully holding a single finger that had somehow escaped any injury. She tried to send her emotions through their bond but to her surprise they bounced back towards her. It was like Daniel’s mind had formed a wall between them and try as she might she couldn’t break through. Tears dripped unheeded down her face. "Daniel, please come back to me. I’m not dead. Please! I need you."

He didn’t move.

At Annika’s words Janet cocked an eyebrow at the colonel.

He quietly explained what had happened when they found Daniel and how his last conscious thought was that Annika had died.

Janet frowned. "That’s very bad news."

"Please explain, Doctor Fraiser." Teal’c stepped away from his vigil by Daniel’s bed.

"In cases like this, it is often the patient’s will to live that gets them through. If Daniel thinks Annika is dead, he may just give up."

They somberly watched Annika continue to speak to the man who held her heart, hoping that the sound of her voice would get through to him.

She spoke until her voice was hoarse and still there was no reaction from Daniel.

General Hammond entered the room. One look at their grim faces and he didn’t need to ask what Doctor Jackson’s condition was. Nevertheless he asked for a full report from Doctor Fraiser. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to remove SG-1 from the infirmary until there was a change for the better, (or heaven forbid worse,) he relaxed his military stance and conducted the debriefing in the infirmary.

Annika answered his questions from Daniel’s bedside, not willing to let go of him for even an instant. She vaguely knew there was something she should ask the general. It took a moment for her brain to focus before she realized what she’d forgotten. "What about Hathor and Thor? Are they here?"

Seeing the general’s perplexed expression Sam jumped in. "The puppies, sir. That’s their names."

"Oh." He looked relieved. "You don’t need to worry. My lieutenant has taken quite a shine to them. He requested temporary pet duty."

"Thank you." Annika returned her attention to her unconscious soul mate.

For two days they all kept vigil by Daniel’s side, only leaving the room for a quick shower to remove the grime from their mission. SG-1 took turns bringing back food to the infirmary, which they forced themselves and Annika to eat only because Janet threatened to kick them all out if they didn’t.

It was around midday on the second day that another aspect of Annika’s rapidly developing mind power became known.

She was sitting like a statue by Daniel, barely acknowledging the people bustling around her. There was a change of shift in the medical staff and a new team of nurses began monitoring the machines hooked up to the room’s only patient. As a male nurse started to adjust the drip, Annika spared him a glance.

"Get away from him." Her words were softly spoken however the menace in her tone was clearly audible.

Jack, who’d been ordered to rest on a nearby gurney, bolted to his feet. Crap! He’d heard that tone before. "Ah…Annika, let them do their job."

Ignoring Jack she raised her hand and pointed at the nurse. "I Said Get Away From Him."

The nurse pretended not to hear her.

Annika’s gaze never shifted from Daniel’s face as she almost nonchalantly flicked a finger. "GET AWAY!"

The nurse flew across the room and slammed into the wall. He hung suspended, his legs dangling three feet from the floor while his hands clutched desperately at his throat trying helplessly to loosen the invisible force currently blocking his air supply.

Everyone except the colonel froze in shock.

"Annika, wanna tell me what’s going on?" Jack cautiously approached but didn’t dare touch her.

"The others can keep working, but if he comes anywhere near Daniel I will kill him. You won’t be able to stop me this time."

"Okay. Why?"

"He’s NID."

"Nurse Collins has been with the SGC for four years. He’s been checked out."

"He was turned two months ago. They’re blackmailing him. Something to do with an affair that resulted in a child." Her voice held no emotion whatsoever. "Get rid of him, Jack."

"Okay, that’s good enough for me. Let’s do as the lady says." He motioned to Teal’c and the two of them tried to pry the struggling man from the wall.

"Ah…Annika, can ya’, ya’ know, loosen your grip?"

"Oh. Sorry." She dropped her hand and the man slid down the wall gasping for breath.

"How did she know?" he wheezed as Jack and Teal’c each grabbed an arm and dragged him out of the room, turning him over to two armed sentries posted outside the door.

"Take him to the brig. Then inform General Hammond the prisoner has been identified as a spy and that I’ll explain it all later."

The Marines followed the orders without question and Jack and Teal’c stepped back into the infirmary.

Annika was once again sitting motionless, still holding on to Daniel.

"You can do that neat trick in your physical body too, huh?" Jack noticed the medical staff kept their distance.

She gave a tight smile. "I guess so."

He resumed his place on the gurney. Sam and Teal’c quietly sat next to him.

"Holy Hannah," Sam whispered. "Remind me never to piss her off."

"Wise words, Major Carter," Teal’c agreed.

"That’s what she did in the dungeon, isn’t it?"

The colonel nodded, "That’s why I shot him. Didn’t want her to have that on her conscience."

"O’Neill, I do not believe you need to concern yourself with that any longer."

"Teal’c’s right, sir. Her conscience is clear, she’ll do anything to protect Daniel…"

"And you three." Annika’s eyes flickered towards them. "SG-1 is too important to the fate of this world and countless others. I’ll help you using any means at my disposal."

The three stared at the back of Annika’s head, stunned at her declaration.

"Um…Thanks," Sam finally broke the silence, and gently clasped Annika’s shoulder.

"Yeah, glad you’re on our side." Jack’s hand rested on her other shoulder.

Teal’c moved in front of her and bowed. "Your assistance is greatly appreciated." His large hand covered Annika’s smaller one holding Daniel’s finger.

None of the medical staff mentioned it but they all saw a pale blue light momentarily engulf the five connected people.

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