Disclaimer: Stargate: SG1 isn't my creation; I'm only playing here and the only things I own are any original characters that came from my own mind.

Title: Tag to SGA S5 "Lost Tribe"

Summary: A tag to theSGA S5 episode: "The Lost Tribe"

Spoilers: Not really spoilers...assumes the reader is familiar with the events of SGA S5 episode "The Lost Tribe"

Pairings: Daniel/Vala, probably some referrral to J/S

Rating: "K" at the moment...could become "M" in the future

Genre: Drama/Angst/Romance

A/N: This is a piece that I've had in the works for awhile. I do little bits on it when I need a break from "best". I've been hesitant to start posting it because I'm trying to NOT have something else active that could distract me from concentrating on "best". Having said that though I've recently started posting some of this in the DV forum at GW because it made me feel less guilty about how long it was taking me to post the next chapter of "best"....and I've been encouraged to start posting it. Sooo....I figured I would since there is so little DV anymore....and pretty much NOTHING that logically picks up at the end of "Lost Tribe."

Despite the way I wrote DV's blossoming relationship for "Best"...the events of this fiction seem to me to be more realistic. I always was a little unsure of the idea that Vala seeing another man would boot Daniel into action...I always felt he was more likely to let her go, coming to the conclusion that he'd been right all along...she really wasn't interested in him that way...but at the time I needed a place to start "best" and the others at the DV forum all seemed to think that another man scenario worked just fine.

I've always thought though that the one thing that would kick his ass into gear would be life-threatening injuries...his or hers...after all "life is short". I thought at first that the events of Continuum would do it, but the Daniel that lost his leg died before time was changed back so there would be no memory of his injury.

The same would not be true of the injury he sustained in "Lost Tribe".

I just wish I had a cooler title than 'tag to SGA S5 "Lost Tribe", lol. Any suggestions?

Also wanted to explain the extent of his injuries that I'm presenting. TPTB didn't give us much to go on, but after reseaching electrocution and lightening strike I reached the conclusion that extreme muscle pain was the most likely...he wasn't on oxygen so there weren't issues with his heart or breathing...and there could have been burns but nothing we were presented with suggested that.

Okay, shutting up now.

SGC Infirmary

The first thing he registered as he swam back up to consciousness was a steady beep-beep-beep. Which he concluded was the heart monitor that all the wires attached to his chest led to. The next things he registered were female voices. Two specific, familiar voices to be exact. One was the voice of his surrogate sister. The second was the husky accented voice that had become the sound track of both his every-day life and his fantasies.

"Vala, you've been here for almost twenty four hours. You need to take a break. Go please. I'll stay while you eat. Maybe you could try to get some sleep too."

"Samantha, I'm fine. Really. I know you still have stuff to do before the Hammond leaves. I, on the other hand, have nothing pressing to do. So please go. Really, I'm just fine here."

"Vala…" the concern in Sam's voice was evident.

"Sam," came out of Vala's mouth almost like a sigh, "please…I can't leave here," her voice dropped to a whisper, "I…we almost lost him,"

The last thing that occurred to him as he slid back into sleep was the notion that Vala sounded on the edge of tears.

The next time he surfaced, the only sound was the heart monitor. Even the usual background clump of military boots on concrete, the PA system paging people and the soft-soled shuffle of the nurses moving around the infirmary were missing. He managed to crack open his eyes to take in his surroundings. Definitely the base infirmary, but it was obviously late. The only lights on were the ones lit behind occupied beds and the lamp attached to the desk at the back of the room where his myopic eyesight could discern the figure of a nurse. He let his eyes scan the oh-too-familiar room. He would've much preferred being in his own quarters or even better, being in his own bed in his own apartment, but if he was going to be stuck in an infirmary for awhile, this one was preferable to the one in Atlantis. At least he didn't feel so alone here. Exhaling a shallow breath that wouldn't hurt and his eyelids beginning to droop again, he felt a surge of affection as he registered the figure half draped against the side of his bed. He shifted his hand to touch the satiny mass of dark hair. She stirred, but didn't wake. Staring at her for a long moment, the affection became a warm glow of comfort. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back into the pillow, and let himself drift back to sleep, his hand splayed across the surface of her hair.

The third time he woke, the usual day time hustle and bustle of the base was back. He skimmed his gaze around the room. With barely open eyes he identified his only companion as Teal'c.

"Hey Teal'c," came out gravelly.

His long time friend looked up from the tabloid he was reading.

"DanielJackson," a faint expression of pleasure spread across the Jaffa's face, "it is good to see you awake. I shall get Dr. Lam."

"Uhh, no Teal'c, wait" Daniel made a faint suppressing gesture with his hand, then grimaced at the ache that flowed up his arm, "not just yet. Just lemme be awake and relatively pain free for a few moments before Carolyn starts poking at me.

Teal'c bowed his head slightly in acquiescence. "As you wish."

"Uhhh thanks," Daniel started, then stopped to clear his throat, "so uhh…where's Vala? She's been here the last coupla times I've resurfaced…I was kinda surprised to see you this time."

"Samantha escorted ValaMalDuran away several hours ago. She required nourishment, a shower and sleep. She has been here at your bedside since you arrived."

Daniel could actually feel his facial muscles protest as his forehead crease slightly in puzzlement. "Uhh and how long have I been here? The last thing I remember is Dr. Keller giving me a sedative so the trip from through the 'gate wouldn't be too painful."

"You have been here approximately 48 hours. Dr. Lam felt it wise to keep you sedated a while longer. She is well aware of your inclination to downplay your medical condition and wished to allow your body more rest time before you began complaining of boredom."

Daniel managed a wan smile. "Dr. Lam isn't going to find me downplaying anything this time. I know how bad I feel. I'm gonna be more than willing to simply lie here and be still as long as she wants me to."

One of Teal'c's eyebrows rose in skepticism. "I am certain she will want to hear you say that for herself. I shall locate her now."

"Yeah sure," Daniel made a vague hand gesture of agreement, "might as well get the poking and prodding over with," he mutterered, watching Teal'c pace out of the room, his hands clasped behind his back.

Daniel closed his eyes and waited. It only took a matter of moments before Dr Lam bustled up to his bed.

"Dr. Jackson, good to see you awake. I'm concerned though that Teal'c might be hallucinating; he claims that you've been saying something about being willing to stay here quietly as long as I want you to."

Daniel opened his eyes. The SGC's CMO was standing beside his bed, clipboard in hand; her brown eyes alight with amusement.

He smiled weakly. "I did."

The amusement on her face sobered. She studied him for a moment, her lips pursed in thought.

"That bad huh?"

He responded with another weak smile.

She gave his hand a light pat. "Well then I'll try to do this as gently as possible."

Daniel allowed himself a small sigh. "Fine."

She worked as quickly and softly as possible checking vital signs and the state of his internal organs. Despite her care though, by the end Daniel was sweating and whoozy with pain.

"Well," she said finally, looping her stethoscope around her neck, "I'm in agreement with Dr. Keller, that there doesn't appear to be any permanent damage to your heart or your other internal organs. I do want to do a CAT scan to make sure but it can wait a day I think. So that means, barring anything worrying appearing on the scans, you're just going to be coping with extreme muscle pain for awhile. You know you're very lucky. This could've been so much worse."

"Oh yeah," Daniel huffed in shaky voice, "Can't tell ya how lucky I feel."

Carolyn Lam laid a soft hand on his. "I can only imagine bad this must be. I'll push the amount of painkiller in your IV and let you go back to sleep now."

Daniel leaned his head back into the pillow with weak nod.

The next time he opened his eyes he found them instantly locked into a set of blue-grey eyes. For a spilt second he could read in her face, worry and something that he didn't have a chance to identify because upon realizing that he was awake, her face immediately split into the brilliant smile she used to blind people to her true feelings. He'd learned to see past it though. The smile couldn't disguise the shadows under her eyes. He wanted to put a reassuring hand on her cheek, but the thought of the flow of pain up his arm from that simple gesture stopped him. The best he could do was to move his hand to hers resting on the bed.

Moving his head in a vague shake, he gave her what he hoped was a stern look.

"You're not supposed to be here are you?"

The brilliant smile disappeared. Dropping her gaze from his, she nibbled at her lip and shook her head.

"Then why are you?"

She looked back up at him with a shrug. "I couldn't sleep," her forehead creased, "I've been worried about you."

He tried for a reassuring smile. "Thank you, I appreciate that, but I'm going to be fine. It's just gonna take awhile that's all." he managed to slip a couple of his fingers between hers, "I promise. Okay?"

She dropped her gaze again and nodded.

He gave her fingers a vague squeeze, flinching only slightly at the tremor of ache that spread up his arm. "Good girl. Now would you please go and get some sleep."

Her head came up again and she frowned. "But, Daniel…,"

"Vala," he interrupted with a scowl that made his face ache, "don't argue. Just do it"

She opened her mouth to say something.

He cut her off before she got anything out. "Aah, aah…no arguing."

She nodded hesitantly with a faint frown.

He squeezed her hand again and gave her a small smile. "Thank you. Now go. I guarantee I won't be moving from this bed. I'll be right here when you come back in the morning."

Returning his smile, she slid off the bed, surprising him with a quick press of her lips against his hair as she turned to leave.

He watched her disappear into the corridor. Along with the thrill of finally getting to Atlantis for strictly research purposes, the trip had provided him with much needed time alone to think and reflect on his life and what he wanted, now that the current bunch of galactic bad guys had been dealt with. It had only taken the first week of the three week trip on the Daedelus to know what he didn't want. He didn't want to waste anymore time with her. He'd gone on for too long finding reasons for why they couldn't be together, why they wouldn't work, why he couldn't be in love with her. The whole almost-being-electrocuted-to-death thing had reminded him once again that life was short, especially their lives. It was past time for him to act. Given the current state of his health though it would have to be in slow-motion. Which really wasn't a bad thing. Slowly finding a way into a new type of relationship with her suited him just fine.