Walking along the shore aimlessly, Daniel kicked at the sand with his toes. Water swirled up to tickle his bare feet. He paused to look back, his hand raised to shield his eyes from the glare of the sun. His footsteps stretched up the beach as far as he could see. He frowned, trying to figure out where he was and exactly how he had gotten there.
Where was the rest of his team? Taking off his glasses, he rubbed his eyes tiredly. The last thing he remembered was a planet, green and beautiful. And then… He pinched his nose trying to remember. He had blinked and found himself… where?
Gazing around, there were no clues in sight. There was only sand, water, and sky for as far as he could see. There was no sound. Just the soft swish of water as it rushed up the sand and then a whisper as it was pulled inexorably back to the sea. There were no sea birds crying, no hum of insects, no signs of people that he could see.
On impulse he called out, "Hello? Jack? Sam? Teal'c? Where are you guys?" The silence was oppressive and pressed in on his eardrums. It seemed to swallow his words before they left his mouth.
In frustration he continued walking up the beach. There didn't seem to be anything better for him to do. If he continued up the beach maybe he'd find his team… or people… or something… It wasn't like he had a better plan; he just didn't know what else to do.
There was a shimmer in the air, like a heat wave off the sand. He stopped in surprise when an outcropping of rocks appeared on the beach in front of him where there had been nothing but sand moments before. Blinking to clear his eyes, the rocks stayed obstinately solid and real. Blinking again, he realized that there was a figure sitting atop the rocks. It was no one he knew, but it was a someone, a real person. Hopefully someone who could give him answers about where he was, where his team was. Questions buzzed in his head as quickened his pace.
As he approached he could see the figure was a woman, bent over a book, writing. She looked up as he drew nearer and smiled. As he clambered up the rocks to her side, he could see that her eyes crinkled around the edges with lines well worn from much smiling. Taking her glasses off, she laid them aside in the book.
For some reason she stirred something in Daniel and he studied her closer. She just sat looking at him, seeming to drink in the sight of him.
"I'm sorry," he said diffidently, "do I know you?"
"Don't you recognize me, Danny?" She asked quietly, her eyes intent upon him.
Maybe it was just her voice, but he suddenly knew who she was, "Mom?"
She smiled at him, "It's been a long time, Danny. I can't believe you're all grown up."
"Mom? God, this is incredible." The emotion swelled in him, threatening to choke him. Words crowded in his throat, there was so much to say that he really didn't know what to say. He just blinked at her. "Do you know where my friends are?" It was inane but it was all that made it out.
"They're not here," she told him gently, "just you."
"I don't understand." He swallowed all of the words and asked her, "What are you doing here?"
"I came to meet you. I wanted to see you so badly, see how you've grown up. Your father is so proud of you." Her eyes shone with her love as she reached out to touch his face gently. "It's good to see you, son."
"Dad is proud of me?" The emotions did swamp him then and he pulled her into his arms. She felt so good, warm and solid. He never thought he would have this chance again. When he was eight years old he'd watched his parents die, buried under tons of stone. How was it possible for her to be sitting beside him?
He pulled away so he could study her face. "Am I… dead?"
Standing at the door to the infirmary, Colonel Jack O'Neill could see through the window to the bed beyond. He was a military man. He had seen a lot of friends in rooms like this one. You'd have thought that it would get easier, but it never did.
Daniel looked so small in the bed, not moving or showing any signs of life except the fact that he still breathed. Jack wondered just how many more times his friend could get up out of that bed and rejoin the team alive and well. He was tough and resilient. Would he bounce back this time?
This time had been bad. And they hadn't even seen it coming.
They'd just come through the gate on P29-833. Situated on a stone pedestal in the middle of a pleasant green glade; there had been a gentle breeze blowing and he swore he could smell the sweet perfume of flowers nearby.
There had been absolutely no sign of danger, no sign of hostile intent. Still, things had felt wrong. He turned to tell the team not to wander off when he noticed that Daniel was gone in record time. Daniel was off the platform and walking the perimeter of the gate.
No one knew what caught his interest, most times no one ever knew what caught Daniel's interest, but it was Daniel who discovered the ground around the gate was seeded with landmines. Vicious alien mines, they inflicted damage to the man's body that O'Neill DID NOT want to remember.
He didn't know how they got him through the Stargate alive. They did it because they had to. From there the medical team whisked their gravely injured friend into the infirmary. Doc Fraiser didn't emerge for hours.
To be continued...