AU: This story takes place about a year after Continuum.
Categories: Angst, Drama, Death, Potty Mouths.
Relationships: Jack/Sara, Sam/Cam.
Tissue Warning!
Synopsis: All does not go well for SG1 after helping save multiple galaxies.
Chapter 1
Daniel sat in his office with the lights out and his head resting on the back of his chair. The last time he had looked at his watch it was somewhere after 0200 hours, he had been here all night, again. This time though it was not work that had kept him here, but rather absence of a desire to leave. The latest discovery he had made had been told to him that afternoon…and he was neither happy nor saddened by it.
Daniel had been having muscle spasms in and various other oddities happening to his body for the past few months, but he kept it to himself because he really did not want to spend time in the infirmary. After waking up a few days ago with tears of blood, he had sought out a private physician and a myriad of tests had been run...all of it had been paid for out of his own pocket because he did not want his insurance or Dr. Lam to find out. He had sworn the doctor that saw him to secrecy over the results, telling him that he expected patient-doctor confidentiality to be kept. The results of the testing had been triple checked before the news had been given to him that afternoon.
Only a short time ago, Oma had come to him and talked to him about ascending. Daniel had politely told her that he could not do it, that the idea of ascending held no wonder for him. She had disappeared back to where-ever she went after having sighed deeply and told him the offer stood if he should change his mind. Daniel knew that she knew that he would not break the rules again if he did take it because there was nothing left to break the rules for. All of Earth's enemies were defeated, and Samantha was no longer there to hold out hope for…she was with Cam.
Sighing, Daniel pulled his glasses off and pitched them onto his desk, not even caring that they bounced off and landed somewhere on the other side. All day he had just sat here, nobody coming to see him and nobody calling for him. This is what life came down to after giving his heart, soul, and blood to save everyone…he was sitting alone. After everything he had seen, after everything he had done, he was now soul weary and welcomed the news of his pending death.
According to the lab results, he did not have but maybe a few months at most left. The tests had been conclusive, somehow he had a very advanced neurological degeneration happening. The doctor had told him that never had such a progressive form of it been seen, but Daniel really didn't care. Daniel had simply told the doctor thank you for the news and to keep everything sealed. The doctor had tried to tell him that they could try a few different treatment options, but Daniel had not been interested in prolonging the inevitable.
Cameron Mitchell and Samantha Carter had both been together for about a month now. Since SG1 had been retired from field service, they had chosen to pursue a relationship, destroying the last thread that had kept Daniel going…being with Sam. Sighing explosively, Daniel felt the muscles in his body all spasm as if being hit with an electric charge. He had become so use to this that he did not cry out, he just waited for it to end…one way or the other. After several moments, the spasms passed and he opened his eyes to see one very pissed off Dr. Lam starring at him, oh hell.
"So, how long did you think you could things hidden from me?" Carolyn all but screamed at him.
"What are you talking about? What are you doing here?" Daniel asked playing as innocent as he could.
"What am I talking about? Don't you dare try to play stupid or innocent with me Dr. Jackson…we both know that ship doesn't float!" Lam practically screeched in irritation and rage. "A flag came up from some lab tests recently run at one of the facilities in Denver, on attached to your name."
With his head sinking back against the chair, Daniel took a moment to sigh…damn the military and their watchful eye of anything dealing with anyone connected to them. "What do you want me to say, Carolyn; I wanted to keep it private."
Seeing the look of desolation and acceptance in Daniel's eyes and the slump of his posture, Dr. Lam found the air instantly let out of her anger. "Daniel, why didn't you come to me?" she pleaded in a soft, concerned voice.
"Because, it doesn't matter anymore." Daniel said simply while shrugging. "With everything I have been through, everything that I have seen happen, this was inevitable."
"You mean that you are just going to accept it and not try and do anything?" Lam asked incredulously.
"Yes." Daniel stated. "I do not want to take meds that may or may not work. Stuff that will probably cause me to be sicker than what I am already; at least I can hide and disguise what is happening to me now. If I start on some of those medicines, you and I both know that they will incapacitate me."
Nodding her head in understanding Lam could not help the sniffles that started or the tears that started flowing. "Why are you just giving up though Daniel? I have never known you to just give up."
"Everything is done." Daniel said easily. "The Goa'uld, the Replicators, the Ori, the Wraith, the Lucian Alliance….they are all defeated. The driving forces behind my being are now no more."
Knowing what Daniel was not saying, because Dr. Lam heard all of the choice gossip where she spent her days, she looking up into his eyes. "Daniel, you are still cared for and loved by many…don't give up just because…"
Daniel held up his hand to stop what Carolyn was about to say. "Carolyn, please do not go there. That had little if anything to do with my current choice, and I would not care to discuss it any more."
Seeing and hearing that as being told to leave, Carolyn sighed and stood up to leave. "Daniel, if…if you need anything, do not hesitate to call or come by." With that, she turned and left.
Pushing himself up out of his chair, Daniel grabbed his car keys, his jacket, and the folder on his desk and headed out of his office. Taking a quick look back, he shook his head and sighed. He had been doing this for about 12 years; it was time to call it game over. Going to the elevator, he punched the call button and waited for the car to arrive to take it to his next destination. As the elevator car arrived and the door opened, Daniel stepped in and punched level 27; he did not pay attention to who ever was already in it.
Sgt. Harriman could tell by the look on Dr. Jackson's face that something was up and it could not be good. Dr. Jackson looked completely defeated and lost in thought. Feeling concerned but knowing that the man in front of him preferred his privacy, Walter kept his thoughts to himself…but something was definitely not right. He waited for several seconds after Daniel had walked down the hallway before exiting himself. He watched in silence from the control room doorway as he Dr. Jackson walked into General Landry's office and then back out and headed to the elevator.
Waiting until Dr. Jackson was once again in the elevator and gone, Walter walked into the General's office and spotted the red folder on the desk. Opening it to determine if it was something that he should file or not, Walter stopped in shock at seeing the single sheet of paper that was inside. He had better start making some calls.
Daniel was in the second elevator to the surface when another muscle spasm racked his body. This time, Daniel watched in amazement as his hand seemed to fade out and become translucent. Oh boy, this was definitely more than what that doctor and those lab techs had thought. This was more than a simple neurological issue…he was cascading. That thought brought an odd sense of finality to things; at least he would not have to worry about being buried or anything. An SF watching the security monitors exclaimed seeing something odd happen in elevator 1 and immediately called down to the infirmary to make a report of what he saw.
After signing out of the mountain and making it home without another cascade event, Daniel parked his car in the garage and went inside. Looking around the house, Daniel felt like everything that needed to be done there was. He had already labeled things with tags on whom they were to go to, or what museums. Pulling a folder out of his home-office desk and placing on the entry way table, Daniel made him self ready for bed. Maybe tonight he would sleep in the blue silk pajamas that Sam had bought for him last Christmas…yeah, that seemed fitting.