Jack forced his eyes open squinting in the bright sunlight. Had it been a dream? The water, tepid but tasting wonderful, sliding down his raw throat. Daniel whispering in his ear. Assuring him they would be going home soon. Was Daniel here somewhere? Oh God!!! Had they captured him? Had they put the scholar through the same tormenting hell Jack himself had endured?

"Noooo! Please God, if you're listening, don't let them hurt Daniel. He's one of the best people you've ever created! Don't let these sadistic neanderthols destroy that." Jack found himself praying once more, this time for the life of his best friend. He wasn't exaggerating when he called the scholar one of God's best creations, at least as far as humans were concerned. In Jack's eyes, Daniel was unequalled in the human race, with a gentle soul and trusting nature, selflessly putting the welfare of others before himself.

O'Neill stiffened, concentrating on not showing the fear sweeping over him as Shaylar stooped beside him once more. Startled,,, both men involuntarily jumped as the radio in Jack's vest pocket surged to life with a burst of static, followed by, if Jack wasn't mistaken a deep rough voice speaking Goa'uld.

*****

Daniel sighed in relief as the huge man stopped beside Jack, staring down at the injured prisoner for a long agonizing moment. He had begun to think Shaylar was never going to leave his hut and he couldn't put his plan into action without the leaders presence.

As the man gripped Jack's chin, twisting his head, forcing the soldier to look at him, Daniel raised the radio and resisting the urge to clear his throat, pressed the mic button.

"O'Neill! This is your lord Apophis! Why have you not returned as ordered?" Waiting an appropriate time, Daniel spoke again, the language of the Goa'uld he despised coming to his lips as easily as English. "O'Neill, Why have neither you or Daniel Jackson reported your findings to me? Contact me by nightfall or my wrath will rain down on that pitiful excuse of planet and all life will cease to exist!"

Seeing the color drain from Shaylar's filthy face, Daniel replaced the radio with the cocked sidearm in one hand and the staff weapon in the other. Slowly rising to his feet, hoping not to be immediately noticed by the frightened natives chattering excitedly, the scholar drew in several deep breaths and with a quick prayer, raised the sidearm and fired one shot into the air before quickly replacing it with the primed zat gun.

With shouts of fear, all native eyes focused on the archaeologist as he stepped into the clearing. Using all his willpower, he tossed a quick glance in Jack's direction for strength than calmly, he hoped, strolled toward the leader.

"How dare you attack those who serve the great God Apophis!" Daniel bellowed, another glance at the deliberate brutality his friend had suffered, adding to the barely controlled rage filling his voice. "Kneel before your superiors!" Bringing the zat to bear on the man who had dragged Jack to the camp, Daniel pulled the trigger, feeling a small amount of satisfaction as the goon dropped to the gound withering in pain before losing consciousness. The natives, including Shaylar, immediately fell to their knees, heads bowed in reverence.

"This world no longer belongs to Maypel. That traitor has been destroyed by Sokar's great might, his head displayed for all to see. Our Lord Apophis sent us to the temple on this world to retrieve any treasures which now belongs to Sokar! He will be most displeased, his anger strong when he sees what you have done to his servant." Feeling his own strength beginning to wan, Daniel moved over by Jack, leaning heavily on the staff weapon and repeating his speech in English for the soldier to hear.

"This one called O'Neill is most prized by Apophis!" In pain Jack still had to stifle a smile. If that wasn't the truth, nothing was. Apophis would give damn near anything to get his hands on him and the rest of SG-1.

"Our Lord's anger will be great if he ceases to exist. He has sent me to retrieve his favorite and bring him home." Keeping the zat gun trained on Shaylar, Daniel tossed the man his knife. "Release him! Even now Apophis' ship approaches. I will do what is possible to see our Lord sends no retaliation against those who have shown such disrepect!"

Scuttling past Daniel, Shaylar, his head still bowed, quickly cut the ropes flipped the knife and offered it back to the scholar by the handle.

Jack closed his eyes, as the natives scrambled to obey orders Daniel was issuing with frightening authority. Filling the canteens as well as two of the water skins, one native helped Jack drink from a crude cup while another appeared with the flat pieces of wood the scientist requested.

Ripping strips from his own filthy shirt, Daniel quickly set Jack's broken wrist. Unable to do more, he used another strip from his shirt tale and dipping in the water attempted to wash the blood and dirt from the many abrasions and lacerations covering his friend's battered body. The sight of Jack's left knee swollen twice its size worried him immensely.

"Can you walk?" Concern filling the blue eyes, Daniel slipped an arm around Jack's waist, hesitantly accepting a rough cloth bag containing several pieces of native bread and fruit. Obviously these people had little food but neither he nor Jack had eaten since stepping through the gate.

Shaylar appeared carrying SG-1's packs, announcing he would proudly escort the brave warriors of Apophis back to the temple.

"If I have...to...to....cr-crawl...."

"Not on those knees." The comment earned the scientist a small grin through the mask of pain on Jack's face.

*****

Forcing water between Jack's cracked lips, Daniel set the canteen aside and adding wood to the small fire, pulled the colonel to his chest, wrapping his arms as tightly as possible, without causing further pain, around the shivering man, all the while softly assuring him they would be home soon.

Daniel had sent Shaylar back to his group just after the sun had reached it's peak. The ogre of a man had watched Jack's weakening condition with trepidation and something else, something the scientist couldn't put a finger on, but didn't trust. He didn't think it wise to let the man realize they weren't what they had represented themselves to be. He also didn't think it very wise to allow Shaylar possible access to the gate.

Daniel didn't understand how Jack had managed to travel several more hours, protesting they still had a good three hours worth of light, when the scientist insisted on making camp. Three trees among the boulders couldn't be called a grove but they provided a minute amount of shade and enough wood for a tiny fire.

"D-D-Dan-Danny?...."

"Right here Jack." The scholar stroked Jack's dirty hair soothingly. "Everything's alright.....Just rest.....we've got a long walk tomorrow....sleep." The colonel's mumbling faded, his ragged breathing evening out as Daniel, ignoring the shooting pains in his own back, continued to rock the older man, whispering soothingly.

Daniel began to wonder if sending Shaylar away was a mistake. If nothing else, the large man could have carried the injured colonel. As much as he wanted to, the scholar couldn't believe Jack would be able to travel, the following day. He wasn't a doctor but Daniel knew his friend's injuries were more severe than mere cuts, bruises and broken bones. He'd almost panicked when Jack first began coughing up blood and he hadn't failed to notice the colonel pressing the broken arm against his chest, the distressed wheeze that accompanied each deep breath.

"We're in a bad fix, Jack.....I'm not sure what to do....." He kept the words soft, reassuring, knowing Jack probably didn't understand the words, but more than likely he would react to the tone of his voice. "I'll....get you home Jack.....You have my-my word..." Daniel gasped, squeezing his eye shut, trying desperately to breath through the pain shooting through his body. The feel of wet cloth against his skin evidence his wound was bleeding again. "I'll get you.......home......somehow...."