"O"Neill." Carefully, taking the flowers from Teal'c's outstretched hand, Jack pushed to his feet and hurried back to Daniel's side. Laying on his stomach at the edge, he had watched as the members of SG-3 and Breetan's soldiers had worked together, cautiously lowering the warrior so that he was soon parallel with the needed plants. With a tenderness most people wouldn't expect from someone trained for war since childhood, Teal'c had collected three plants, uncertain how many would be needed to save the life of their youngest teammate.

"You must be gentle when taking them from the vine," Norita had warned. "The petals bruise easily and become useless."

Gently handing the plants to Norita, Jack knelt at Daniel's side, gently massaging the knotted left fist. It remained clenched even in the scholar's comatose state. His eyes never left the face of his young friend yet he was aware of everything happening around him. Aware of Norita crushing the petals in a small wooden bowl, she'd pulled from the satchel at her waist. Aware of Teal'c being helped back to the safety of the clearing away from the cliff's edge. Aware of the fear on Sam and Janet's face. Aware of the soldiers from both worlds gathering in a circle around his friend, each silently praying the young life wouldn't be lost for nothing. Accutely aware of his own heart pounding fiercely in his chest, of the breaths which caught in his throat.

Gently forcing Daniel's mouth open, Norita placed the crushed pulp on the back of his tongue, and tilting his head back softly massaged his throat to help him swallow.

"Now what?" Jack asked as she repeated the procedure several times, finally setting the empty bowl aside.

"Now we wait."

"The hell we do." Janet quickly checked the archaeologist's vital signs. "Now we get him back to the SGC."

The SG-3 marines snapped into action as the petite doctor began issuing orders as if she were their commander in chief. Jack reached out to support Daniel's head as they carefully tranferred him to the collapsible stretcher with the same gentleness Daniel used when handling his precious artifacts. Expertly inserting IV's, Janet handed one bag of fluids to Sam, the other to Jack, certain the colonel would remain at the scientist's side until he himself collapsed from exhaustion.

*****

"Colonel O'Neill!" As the elevator door slid open, Jack turned to find Sergeant Tobin hurrying toward him. "I'm glad I caught you, sir. I thought you might like to return this to Dr. Jackson." He held out Daniel's journel.

Tobin was the man in charge of preparing the packs of each team with required equipment necessary for each particular mission. Normally anything personal, such as Daniel's notebooks, video tapes or journel was removed before the packs were returned to Tobin. That hadn't been the case this time. Daniel had been taken directly from the embarkation room to the infirmary, Jack's current destination.

He knew the trip back to the gate hadn't taken as long as the journey he, Daniel and Norita had made, everyone realized the overwhelming speed and necessity of the man strapped to the stretcher reaching the infirmary, yet to Jack it might as well have taken months. Knowing it would have been a useless argument, Teal'c didn't waste his breath trying to persuade the colonel to rest, but had simply taken Jack's arm to steady him when he stumbled with weariness, covering him with a blanket, the one night spent on the trail, as he slept next to the stretcher.

Janet had whisked Daniel off the moment their feet touched the ramp, leaving Jack to pace while she ran every test she could think of and some the soldier was sure she'd made up along the way. They'd all listened attentively as she described the inconsistancies in the scholar's system, revealing her frustration at being able to do nothing but monitor his condition and wait.

"Sir?....Colonel O'Neill?..." Tobin's voice pulled him back to the present. "Are you alright sir?"

"Fine....A little tired." Infirmary chairs weren't designed for napping, yet until an hour ago when General Hammond had requested his presence, that's where Jack had spent the last three days.

"Sir, this fell out of that book." The object was a single piece of paper folded four ways. "It's addressed to you, sir."

"Thank you sergeant." Taking the offered items, the officer half heartedly returned the other man's salute, his eyes on the folded paper. As the doors slid closed, he leaned against the wall and slowly unfolded the sheet torn from Daniel's journal, vividly remembering the scientist's head bent over the book by the fire that first night.

Jack,

If you're reading this, we obviously didn't find the flowers Malina spoke of. At least not in time. I'm writing this because I don't want you feeling guilty or blaming the people of Jalana. They were only doing what they deemed necessay for survial.

Help them Jack. I'm sure the one spoken of in the book is a Goa'uld. Make them see the danger they're in. Give them other options.

No guilt Jack! I know you did everything in your power to make reading this letter unncessary. You would hand yourself over to Apophis if you thought it would protect your team!

I want you to know how much I've enjoyed our association the past few years. Words could never express my gratitude at the things you've taught me. I thank you for listening when I babbled about artifacts and things that held no interest for you (or for trying to anyway) and being there when I needed to release everything held inside. You taught me to be part of a team. You taught me that I didn't have to count only on myself anymore, there were others who cared and were willing to help carry the burden. Thanks to you, I now know what it means to be part of a family. You were there everytime I needed someone. I hope in some small way you can say the same about me.

You're a good and honorable man Jack O'Neill and I'm proud to have called you my friend. Watch over Sam and Teal'c and I'll watch your back.

Your Friend Always and Forever,

Daniel (Spacemonkey)

Hastily wiping at the tears streaming down his cheeks, Jack refolded the paper shoving it back into the journel and tenderly placed the book in the pocket of his jacket. The elevator doors opened to reveal Teal'c, his hands folded together behind his back in the patient stance that had become so familiar but this time the stoic expression had been replaced with one of displeasure.

"O'Neill, I was on my way to retrieve you. Daniel Jackson-"

"Oh God!!!!" Without giving him time to finish, Jack shot past the warrior, knocking several people over in his haste to reach the infirmary before they moved his friend's body to the morgue. The thought of saying goodbye was repugnant enough without having it take place in some cold steel room.

Arms flailing wildly, his feet seeming to slide in three directions at once he knew he must look like something out of a cartoon, as the soldier attempted to stop, realizing his headlong rush was about to take him right past the entrance to his objective. One hand smacked the floor to keep him from falling completely, the other grasping the door frame. Jack threw himself through the entrance. He saw Janet and Sam standing by the bed...Daniel's bed and his heart dropped. He hadn't made it in time...he hadn't been there when...but then, from the bed came laughter, warm familiar laughter. Scrambling to his feet, he moved closer to the bed.

His heart racing wildly, barely containing his whoop of joy, Jack was aware of Janet and Sam's scrutiny but couldn't pull his gaze from the twinkling blue eyes of the man in the hospital bed.

"See Sam, street hockey is good for something," The raspy voice was music to the colonel's ears. "Teaches you how not to bust your ass and make a complete fool of yourself."

"I thought.....I mean.....Teal'c said...."

"I only said I was on my way to retrieve you O'Neill," Teal'c stated stepping up beside him. "I knew you would want to know Daniel Jackson had awakened but you did not permit me to finish."

"But you....I.....You looked so pissed!"

"The elevators appear extremely slow today."

Jack moved to take his usual seat, as if by mutual consent, Janet, Carter and Teal'c exited the infirmary, promising to return shortly with a meal for the scientist. A meal the good doctor would have approved.

"Sergeant Tobin thought you might like this back." O'Neill casually laid the journal on the table in front of Daniel. "Thought you might need it for the next mission."

"Thanks." The soldier pretended not to notice as he nonchalantly thumbed through the book, before asking Jack to put it in the drawer next to the bed. "Sam said Breetan passed away."

"Yeah," Seeing the remorse and a hint of guilt on the expressive features, Jack felt a twinge of anger. Didn't Daniel understand the man had tried to kill him? If the leader of Jalana hadn't died, it could very well be Daniel's friends who were mourning his loss. A smile touched his lips. What was it Norita had said about qualities? Had he failed to mention to her Daniel's very forgiving nature?

His smile deepened. Indeed those special qualities made up the complex being who was his friend Daniel Jackson. With that thought, the words Daniel had written by flickering campfire light, when he thought he might not make it, came to Jack's mind. He had known the consequences and had not only forgiven Breetan but had found justification in his actions. "It wasn't your fault Daniel."

"I know....but...what are they going to do now?" He wondered, a hint of worry in his voice.

O'Neill shook his head. Only Daniel.....rare special qualities indeed. He would have made one hellava king...queen...or whatever...."Tell ya what, once the doc releases you, why don't we go back and find out?"

"Really?!" The blue eyes lit with excitment. "Do you think...."

The colonel held up a hand, wiggling his finger to silence the inevitable question. "I've already cleared it with Hammond but there is one teeny, tiny condition," Jack couldn't stifle his own grin. "You have to promise you'll only drink what we take with us!"

As Daniel quickly agreed with a vigorous nod, Jack leaned back in the chair and sighed happily. They were home, everyone was safe, and Daniel was.....Daniel once again. Some days it just didn't get any better.

That's all Folks!