Title: Beyond Blue
Author: Kerri
Season/Category: Missing Scene from "Fallen." Part
One of the Broken Dreams; Shattered Memories series.
Season 7
Spoilers: Fallen
Pairing/Character: Mostly Janet/Daniel. Includes Jack.
Summary: Janet helps Daniel open up as he is reintroduced to
the base.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer:
Stargate, Stargate SG-1 and all of its characters, titles, names, and
back-story are the property of MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko
Productions, SciFi Channel, and Showtime/Viacom. All other characters, the
story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author. This story
cannot be printed anywhere without the sole permission of the author. Realize this is for entertainment purposes
only; no financial gain or profit has been gained from this fiction. This story
is not meant to be an infringement on the rights of the above-mentioned
establishments
Doctor
Janet Fraiser struggled to hold onto her professionalism.
But
in truth, she was anxious, excited, and fearful all at once.
General
Hammond had warned her that SG-1 would be bringing back a man that appeared to
be Daniel Jackson. She did not doubt SG-1, or the general himself. But how could he be Daniel? Not after she had been there by his side as
he succumbed to radiation poisoning. It
wasn't possible.
But
then again, this was the SGC. She had
witnessed a number of strange events during her time here.
Smoothing
out the nonexistent wrinkles in her lab coat, she cleared her throat, her gaze
locked onto the entrance of the infirmary.
She
gasped.
Colonel
O'Neill walked toward her, slowly, guiding a man clothed in various shades of
blue. The man looked around curiously,
appearing lost both physically and emotionally as he studied his surroundings.
I'll
be damned,
she thought, staring at him. He looked
exactly like Doctor Jackson.
"Doctor?"
the colonel questioned, drawing her from her thoughts. "You've been briefed on the situation,
right?"
She
nodded. Amnesia. Reportedly, Daniel was suffering from memory loss. And from
what General Hammond had stated, it was a severe case at that.
"Hi,
Daniel. I'm Doctor Janet
Fraiser." She extended her hand to
him.
He
looked down at her hand, frowning, his blue eyes rolling upward to meet her
gaze.
She
did not flinch. Keeping with her smile,
she beckoned him closer, despite the queasiness in her stomach. This man should not be standing in front of
her. And yet, he was.
"I've
been your doctor for years," she explained to the unusually quiet
man. "I understand you can't
remember anything about your life?"
He
shook his head. "No, nothing aside from the last two…"
"Months,"
the colonel finished for Daniel. He
glared at Janet. "Look, we all
know he can't remember squat. Can't you
just, I don't know, do something?"
Janet
remained firm, having had the opportunity to deal with Jack O'Neill's
personality on many occasions.
"And as you're aware, nothing is ever simple, Colonel." She smiled at Daniel, who had returned to
his study of the infirmary walls. "I'll need to give him a physical, run a
few tests, and then we can take it from there."
"Tests?"
Colonel O'Neill's voice was laced with disgust.
"I'd
like to make sure he's all right. After
…"
Her
voice trailed off as she pivoted her head to Daniel. He was staring at her, his
frown deepening. "After what?"
Janet
attempted to remain cool. Had the colonel told Daniel about his death? If he had, did he know the exact nature of
what had happened?
"Nothing,"
Colonel O'Neill said quickly, snapping Janet from her thoughts. He shot her what she thought was a warning
glare. "Maybe we should get on
with this?"
"Of
course," Janet answered, joining the colonel in avoiding such a touchy
subject. At least her question had been
answered in part. She knew the exact details about Daniel's death would surface
at some point, but she didn't feel this was the right time or place to touch
upon those facts.
Janet
smiled again, noting Sam, Teal'c, and General Hammond had entered the
infirmary. She wasn't oblivious to the
obvious concern that had etched itself into their faces.
"Looks
like the gang's all here," O'Neill joked.
"I
think you're missing one," Daniel remarked, moving his right index finger
to count the people in the room.
"Never
mind," O'Neill stated. "It's not important."
"Jonas
is working on the surveying we're doing, " Sam explained. She quickly
jumped to the subject at hand. "You okay, Daniel? Does any of this look
familiar to you?"
He
shook his head slowly. "No," he replied simply.
Janet
nodded, beckoning him closer with her hand, stealing a sideways glance at the
colonel and the others. She knew that
her colleagues could read past her friendly demeanor. She was worried. Short,
simple statements from Doctor Jackson had never been the norm, and were usually
a key indicator that something much more sinister lie beneath. She sincerely hoped that was not the case.
"Okay,
Daniel, why don't you follow me down this hall and we can get started
okay?"
Daniel
looked around, his gaze settling on Colonel O'Neill briefly before his focus
returned to Janet. She noticed the nervousness he was attempting to keep hidden
in his wooden face, and the hint of fear trapped within his eyes.
How
could it possibly feel to have no memory? His position was one that she just
could not fathom.
"It's
alright," O'Neill said with a smile. "Once she's done poking and
prodding, it's smooth sailing after that."
Daniel
didn't laugh.
The
colonel cleared his throat. "Shall we?"
"Just
this way," Janet instructed, guiding the two men down the hallway that led
to the private rooms in the infirmary.
She
stopped in front of a door, and pushed it open. "Okay, Daniel…"
"Daniel?"
she heard O'Neill ask hurriedly.
Janet
jerked her head, moving quickly to where Daniel was standing. His face was white as a sheet, his blue eyes
lack-luster. Concerned, she called for
a nurse and approached him carefully.
"Daniel?"
she probed gently. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing,"
he whispered, his gaze dead centered on the room. "I just rather not go in
there."
"Okay,
that's okay."
"Maybe
we should find him another room?" O'Neill asked, his face pinched with the
stress of the situation.
"Of
course," she said, faking a smile.
His condition was a definite concern for her. She was frightened by his recognition of the very room where he
had died.
What
if he eventually remembered the details of his death? How would that affect someone?
How could any person deal with that kind of trauma?
She
shook the thoughts away, keeping her mind focused on the job before her. Walking over to another one of the private
rooms in the infirmary, she opened the door and ushered in the two men, as well
as the nurse.
"Alright,
Daniel, now this is pretty simple. I am
just going to give you a quick exam, and run some tests just to check you
out. Are you okay with that?"
She
noticed that he hesitated, only nodding after stealing a quick glance at the
colonel. "Yes," he finally answered.
"Good,"
she said with a grin, strolling over to the corner. Quickly, she grabbed a hospital
gown and flopped it onto the exam bench, and grabbed an empty clipboard.
"I
need you to change out of those robes and into that," she said pointing to
the flimsy material. "We'll give
you some privacy to change while I grab your file, okay?"
"Okay,"
he said quietly, staring at the white gown.
Inhaling
deeply, she pushed down another wave of anxiety. She gestured with a quick jerk of her head to the door, motioning
the colonel and the nurse to follow.
Nurse Clemmons quickly walked away to retrieve Daniel's file, leaving
O'Neill and Janet alone for the moment.
Carefully,
she closed the door.
"So
what do you think?" O'Neill asked her, wringing his hands together.
What
could she possibly tell him?
"For
all intents and purposes, he looks like Doctor Daniel Jackson," she
offered, knowing her statement was of little use.
"Thanks,
Doc, for clearing that up for me."
"Colonel,"
she addressed patiently. "I don't know what to tell you. I haven't examined him yet and frankly, I
don't know what I will find. And when I
do have all his results, I may still not have an answer. This is something well beyond anything we're
used to. And that's a lot, considering
all the strange things I've had to deal with from your adventures through the
Stargate."
He
frowned, shoving his hands in his pocket.
"But you think it's him, right?"
"I'll
be able to give my opinion once I have finished his exam." She paused,
exhaling, softening her tone as she gazed into Colonel O'Neill's eyes.
"Even if it is him, we don't know if his memories will return. He may never be the same person again."
O'Neill
cleared his throat and nodded, avoiding her gaze. "Yeah. Carter mentioned
something to that effect." He
shifted his weight, moving toward the door. "I just don't get how he got
this way in the first place."
"I
know. And I know this isn't what you
want to hear, but we just have to be patient and wait this out." She rubbed his arm soothingly. "I'll
see what I can do. And I will get my best to work on this problem."
"You
already are," he said softly, casting his gaze aside as Nurse Clemmons
returned with the file. Janet thanked
her, dismissing the nurse, before moving back towards the room.
She
smiled, touched by his kind words. "Now, Colonel, if you'll excuse me, I
want to check up on my patient."
He
nodded slowly, shoving his hands back into his pockets as he stepped away from
the door.
Janet
smiled again, closing the door behind her as she moved toward Daniel. He appeared extremely uncomfortable,
shifting restlessly on the gurney, using his hands to cover any exposed part of
his body.
"Is
there anything I can do it make this more comfortable for you?"
He
seemed to consider this. "You could get my memory back."
Such
a simple, honest request. Yet, such a
difficult task.
"We're
going to do our best to get you back to who you were. If you're willing, of course."
"I'd
like to remember, but it's hopeless," he conceded with a sigh.
She
had never seen him so dejected. Not even when he had lost Sha're. Daniel was a private man. He
had scarcely ever talked about these losses. He had even been detached about his own pending death.
"Oh,
I don't know about that," she said, flipping through his file. "You're a rather resourceful man."
"A
lot of good it does me if I can't remember."
Janet
nodded. This wasn't going to be easy.
Of all the aspects of Daniel's personality that had seemed to stick with
him…
"Well,
then, let's begin with what you do remember. Do you want to share what you've
been doing for the past two months?"
Daniel
looked down at his hands. "Not much.
A group found me out in a field.
I've been living with them ever since."
"I've
heard they are wonderful people," she said gently, wheeling over a tray
full of medical instruments.
He was
watching her carefully. "Yes, they are. They accepted me without any
hesitation. And gave me a name."
"A
name?" she asked brightly.
"What do they call you?"
"Arrom."
"Well,
that's a nice name."
"It
means 'naked one.'"
"Oh."
Janet bit her lip and looked down at her tray.
She grabbed a new pair of gloves.
"I
like Daniel better."
She
slapped on her gloves, causing the man to jump.
"I'm
glad. I like Daniel as well," she told him.
He
blushed slightly, but continued. "Their leader, Shamda, even wanted me to
go out and explore, to see if I could remember." He sighed. "No
matter how hard I tried…"
"Maybe
you were trying too hard. Just let it
come to you." She picked up her
penlight and approached him.
"Whenever I have a problem that I can't solve, I usually take a
step back and allow some time for my mind to relax. Then I usually find the solution."
"Excuse
me for saying this, because I don't mean to offend you, Doctor…" He paused, his forehead wrinkling, "…Fraiser,
but I can't remember who I am."
"Stare
straight ahead, please." She
flashed the light in his eyes, taking note of his dilation. "You haven't
offended me, Daniel." She placed the light back, and retrieved another
item. "And you can call me Janet." She gazed at him intently. "I
can't begin to understand what you're going through. Just know that you have many friends here at the SGC and we're
trying our best to help."
"I
know," he said with a sigh.
"I'm
going to check your ears now, okay?"
"Yes."
Janet
peered inside his right ear, satisfied with the result. Next, she quietly moved over to his left.
"Janet,
what is Jim like?"
Startled,
she stepped back, eyeing him carefully. "Jim?"
"Jim. The guy that just left."
"Jim?
Ji—Oh, Jack. Colonel O'Neill?" she asked.
He
nodded. "Right. Jack. Jack," he repeated again. "What's he
like?"
"What
do you mean?"
Daniel
shrugged. "I don't know. There's just something about him I can't
seem to…" His voice trailed off as he sat deep in thought. "He keeps
watching me."
Janet
chuckled, her laugh nearly surprising her patient. "Colonel O'Neill means
no harm. He's very protective of
you. Of all of you. He has a very strict philosophy when it
comes to those under his command and care."
"Then,
I am in the military as well?"
She
shook her head. "No, not
exactly. You're a civilian assigned to
his team."
"He
mentioned I was a doctor. A doctor like
you, then?" he asked.
She
shook her head again, her heart going out to her friend. "No, you're an
academic. You study the past."
He cocked
his head, his face pensive as he mulled over her words. She took the
opportunity to check his left ear as he thought.
"Maybe
that is why I felt drawn to the ruins on the planet."
She
smiled, biting down a twinge of excitement.
"That does sound like you."
For
the first time she had seen him, he smiled back.
"Hate
to break the moment, but I am going to have to ask you to untie your gown and
lie down on the table for a moment. I need to take a good look at you."
She
could see the disdain in his eyes, but he did not protest. Instead, he untied the strings that held the
gown together, sighed, and rested his back on the examination bench.
Before
she could say anything, he spoke again.
"I have a scar."
Janet
frowned, noting that he indeed had a scar on his lower right abdomen. So, even though Daniel had ascended into a
form of energy, his old body dissolving, his new one had the same markings as
the old one.
She
widened her eyes and blinked. Even her own thoughts sounded like something out
of science fiction.
"Your
appendix burst a few years ago," she told him. "You nearly died."
"I
did die," he stated, lifting his head.
"Or so I've heard."
"Yes…but
you didn't die because of appendicitis.
We caught that in time," she told him, becoming increasingly
uncomfortable with this line of questioning.
"I
get the impression I'm here often," he said suddenly.
She
smiled, checking over the area where his scar remained. "Don’t get the wrong
impression. You, Colonel O'Neill, Sam, Teal'c, and the other SG teams all have
a habit of stopping by here."
"Then,
you must be the most popular woman on the base," he remarked with a grin.
A
joke? Her smile widened. It wasn't
exactly what she had hoped for, but at least it was better than his subdued
attitude.
"Oh,
now see, I don't know about that," she replied with an evil grin. "Because here comes the part you're not
going to like very much."
He
pursed his lips together, allowing another sigh, his gaze rolling to the
ceiling.
"Just
relax and do what I say."
"Well,
now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Janet said exuberantly, standing before
Daniel.
"Uh,
no, surprisingly not," he said, his tone soft as he blushed slightly.
She
grinned. "I'm just waiting for the blood work to come back, and then
you'll be free to go. I don't really
see the need to keep you—what's the matter?" she asked suddenly, noting
the frown crease his face.
He
pointed to the door. "Pacing," he stated simply.
Pacing? She turned around, watching a shadow flicker
from beneath the door. It flickered
again. And again.
Colonel
O'Neill.
"Alright,
Daniel. I have some fresh clothes for
you to change into. They are over there
on the chair. I'll be right back."
"Okay.
I'll be done in a moment," he told her.
Janet
quickly made her way to the door, opening it slightly. She was caught off guard as the colonel
poked his head through.
"Hey,
how we—"
"Colonel,
a moment please?" Janet stated firmly, shoving him back into the hall
alongside with her.
"What?"
he asked innocently.
"He's
trying to get dressed. Give the man
some privacy. He's been through a great
ordeal."
O'Neill
shrugged. "Yeah, I know. But geez,
do you know how long it's been? How long does it take you to exam a guy, for
crying out loud?"
"You
know first hand, Colonel."
"Don't
I," he replied wryly. He then
straightened himself, all business, gesturing with his head to the door. "So how is he?"
"He's—"
"I'm
done," Daniel shouted.
"Just
a moment, Colonel."
Janet
backed into the door, grabbing the handle and squeezed inside. Daniel was fully dressed, wearing some spare
BDU's, waiting patiently on the gurney for her return. She grinned at him, waving her free hand,
using the other in a struggle to shut the door.
O'Neill's
head popped in once again.
"Colonel!"
"No,
it's okay," Daniel said at last.
"You can let him in."
Sighing
with defeat, Janet released the door, allowing the Colonel entrance. He beamed happily, obviously gloating from his
success, as he came to meet Daniel.
Then,
the phone rang.
"Ah
no, no, no," Jack moaned.
Janet
placed her clipboard on the nearby counter and grabbed the phone. "Fraiser." She smiled.
"Of course he is." Her
smile broadened. "Colonel?"
O'Neill
muttered something under his breath before snatching the phone from her. "You're just loving it, aren't
you?"
Janet
hummed to herself as she grabbed her clipboard and settled down by Daniel's
side.
"I
must have missed something," Daniel commented.
"Oh,
it's nothing. We always have a little
power play in the infirmary. He does
forget that this is my domain and I have the final say on everything that goes
out of here."
"I
see."
She
could tell he didn't.
"Dammit,"
Colonel O'Neill swore, slamming down the phone. "Doesn't anyone see I am in the middle of something
important?"
"General
Hammond needs you?"
"No,
Jonas," he said irately. "I don't understand a word he says but still
he needs me for some…thing."
"You
are his commanding officer, Sir," Janet reminded him.
"Yeah,
yeah," O'Neill mumbled heading to the door. He turned to Daniel.
"Don't get me wrong. Jonas is a nice kid and all. But he's more of a pain than you." He halted and Janet sucked in a deep breath.
"Uh, sorry."
Daniel
looked bewildered. "It's, uh, it's
okay."
The
colonel cringed. "Yeah. I'll be right back." With an apologetic glance to Janet, he
walked out of the room and rounded the corner.
Daniel
immediately turned to her, the frown having returned once again. "A pain?"
She
smiled weakly. "You and the colonel…tend to have different philosophies
about life. And you're both extremely
vocal about them."
"I
see."
She
could tell that he didn't.
And
now she was getting that uncomfortable feeling again.
"Let
me go and check on your blood work. I
am going to leave the door open, and Nurse Clemmons and an SF are going to stay
in here with you, okay?"
"Yeah.
Not that I have much choice though, right?"
"No."
"You
control the power here."
Her
eyes twinkled. "And don't you forget
it."
"Oh,
you're back."
Janet
smiled at Daniel, walking into the private room. She acknowledged the SF standing guard, and beckoned the nurse to
her. Grabbing a few charts, she added them
to the blood tests results she had picked up from the lab, and completed her
file.
Daniel
waited patiently, without saying another sound as Janet organized his
file. She brought together all his
notes, her findings, and his history, searching for any outstanding anomalies.
Nothing. She could find nothing.
Hearing
movement, she glanced up, watching as Colonel O'Neill entered the room. He stepped aside, allowing the nurse to
leave. Raising his eyebrows, he eyed
her expectantly.
"Well,
I'm happy to say, Sir, he's in perfect health, except for one small
exception."
Janet
reached into her pocket and withdrew a pair of glasses, handing them to
Daniel. He accepted them, without
question, and slid them on his face as if he had never lost them.
"Wow,"
he started, his eyes adjusting to the lenses. "That's different."
Janet
grinned. Now, he looked like their
Daniel.
Colonel
O'Neill leaned over, nearly shoving himself in Daniel's face as he attempted to
get his attention. "You recognize
me now?"
Daniel
looked up at him, studying him contemplatively. Finally, he broke from his thoughts, but kept his eyes on Colonel
O'Neill.
"Has
your hair always been that way?"
Janet
frowned; O'Neill appeared slightly taken aback.
"What
way?"
Bowing
his head, Daniel allowed his gaze to fall to the floor. "Never mind," he stated quickly.
The
colonel shot a curious look to Janet.
She could only raise her hands.
She wasn't even going to try to touch that one.
"So,
he's okay to leave?" O'Neill stated, changing the subject.
"I
see no reason to keep him here."
She smiled, folding her arms over the folder and regarding Daniel
softly. "Besides, I think it would
be good for him to take a walk around."
He
nodded. She was pleased. Maybe if Daniel saw some of the base,
interacted with some of the people, his memories would return to him.
She
shot him another genuine smile, watching as Jack guided the lost man out of the
infirmary.
Janet
sighed, clutching the file harder.
One
could only hope.
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