"Colonel?...Colonel O'Neill?

He slowly opened his eyes and focused. Janet Frasier's concerned face was bending over him. With a shudder, he looked around at the familiar infirmary. Dread crept into his voice as he struggled to sit up. "Daniel?...Where's Daniel?"

"Here Jack." O'Neill turned quickly at the quiet and oh so familiar voice, a voice he'd thought never to hear again, to find the young scientist standing beside the bed, looking pale and devastated...but alive. Alive and waiting for Jack to regain consciousness. How long had he been there, waiting?

"You're...alive?" Jack's voice was incredulous as he stared at the man, seeing the haggard lines on the gentle face and the weary slump of his slender shoulders.

Daniel looked down at himself, a ghost of a smile, playing on his lips. "Ah...yeah, I think so. Why wouldn't I be?" He questioned softly, peering intently at Jack.

O'Neill scrubbed his hands over his face as if it could rub away the memories of something awful and fearful. Taking a deep breath, and checking his hands for blood stains, seeing none, he sighed in relieve. "No reason...no reason at all."

Janet quickly checked him over, distracting him with her aimless chatter, finally giving him a satisfied smile. "You're fine, Colonel. No ill effects. I'd suggest you get some rest now." She turned to the other man. "You too, Dr. Jackson. You shouldn't be up and around yet either." She pat Jack's shoulder, reassuringly. "I'll be around if you need me," she promised and with a nod at Daniel left the room.

Jack closed his eyes, willing his body to relax. Shifting, he tried to make himself comfortable. Infirmary beds weren't much better than sleeping on the ground. Hearing movement, he suddenly realized Daniel hadn't left his bedside. Opening his eyes Jack found himself looking up into pain shadowed blue eyes staring at him from behind glass lenses. The scientist's face was riddled with turmoil.

"Daniel?" he spoke softly. "What's wrong?"

The kid licked his lips apprehensively. "Do you remember what happened?" He questioned haltingly.

"No...should I?" Jack countered, marveling at how easily the lie slipped past his lips.

Pain erupted deep in the blue eyes. "I guess not...Why should you?" With a wearied slump to his shoulders, Daniel turned to go.

Jack bit his lip. "Daniel..." he called out and the linguist slowly turned back to face him. "There has to be a reason why you asked that?"

Standing by the bed, Daniel faltered, "We gated to P3X289 for a recon." Jack nodded. He knew that. "Once there, Sam fell and broke her arm..."

"And Teal'c brought her back. You and I stayed to do a short recon around the gate," Jack finished as his memory suddenly kicked into gear, his eyes widening. "There was something....something...alien..." His voice trailed off.

"It played with our minds Jack," Daniel whispered almost guiltily, finally choking out the words, "It preyed on our greatest fears."

With a rush it came back to Jack and with it all the terror of the nightmare vision. Jack's face blanched. His greatest fear! He stared up into the bleak face of the scientist, seeing confusion in the blue eyes. With a low whisper, he questioned, "What did you see Daniel?"

The kid's breath hitched as he swallowed hard. Nervously licking his lips, Daniel hesitated then very softly, so low Jack had to strive to hear the words, "You....you...abandoned me...." Unshed tears brightened his eyes and he blinked hard to deny them. "You left me to die...alone." His face twisted in pain, his empty hands clenched at nothing. Discomforted by the admission, Daniel turned away.