Title: Making Amends

Author: Wonderland

Rating: G

Disclaimer: Don’t own ‘wm, wish I did, yadda, yadda, yadda

Summary: Daniel struggles with the aftermath of his encounter with Nick

Season/Spoiler info: Crystal Skull

Making Amends

“Hot, too hot,” Daniel’s hand failed to obey his brain’s command and flopped back weakly onto the bed. Someone, somewhere, must have heard and a blessedly cool cloth bathed his forehead, his face, his neck. Daniel mumbled a faint appreciative noise.

“I know, Dr. Jackson.” The voice was soft, warm, edged in concern. “You’ve got a fever. Do you remember what happened?”

Daniel’s mind drifted, then finally latched onto something concrete. “Nick?”

Jack’s voice boomed in, Daniel winced in pain. “Uh, sorry. Yes, that’s right, your grandfather. You went through the gate to P7X-377, you got knocked out of phase and now you’re back.”

Daniel’s mind was still frying. “Hot.” He complained.

“Yeah, something about that planet whacks your thermostat out. You’ve overheated your radiator, kid. Fraiser says a couple of days, you’ll be back to normal.”

Two days, Daniel thought blearily. Might was well be two weeks as far as he was concerned. He wasn’t sure he had the energy to be miserable that long. That out of phase stuff really took it out of you; he’d have to remember that for the next time. “No radiator.”

“Huh?” Daniel felt the side of the bed give as Jack planted himself.

“Not a car.”

Jack chuckled softly. “No, you’re not a car.”

“Don’t remember.”

“What happened?” Jack hazarded a guess. “Well, we left your grandpa with the giant aliens and headed home. As soon as we hit the gate, you hit the floor. Passed out right there on the ramp before any of us could catch ya. Uh, you’re gonna have a nice shiner where you planted your face. Sorry ‘bout that.”

“S’okay,” Daniel mumbled. “Sorry.”

“Hey, you don’t have a thing to be sorry for. All you have to concern yourself with is getting better and not giving Fraiser a hard time. Think you can do that?”

Daniel’s face screwed up as he appeared to seriously contemplate the challenge before him. “Probably,” he eventually admitted.

Jack patted his shoulder and moved away. “Then I’ll leave you to it.”

*

It was inevitable, he supposed as he woke with a jerk, that he would dream about his parents.

“Dr. Jackson?” Those nurses must have taken a class in how to sneak around softly because he could barely hear her.

“Yeah,” he replied without actually opening his eyes, he just knew the lights, even at night, would be more than he could bear.

“Are you alright? Do you need anything?”

“Water?” He didn’t think he said it aloud, but suddenly a straw tapped his lips and he gratefully sucked. Afterward, he managed a weary “thanks” before a cool cloth made a quick trip across his face and he was tucked back in. He felt rather than heard her move away.

Just as he heard rather than felt the squeak of a chair in close proximity to his bed. Keeping his eyes firmly closed, he tried to guess which of his teammates it was. Okay, no psychotic rolling around, so that ruled out Jack. He gave an experimental sniff; no sweet vanilla smell, so that ruled out Sam. That just left…”Teal’c?”

“Daniel Jackson, it was not my intention to awaken you.”

Daniel reluctantly eased his eyes open. “You didn’t, Teal’c. I just…kinda had a bad dream.”

“You were thinking of your family?”

He shrugged and the lie almost slipped out. “Yeah, I was dreaming about my parents. I guess Nick…”

“It is understandable, Daniel Jackson, that you have been traumatized by recent events.” His voice is even, unemotional but Daniel still detected a certain fervor. “Your grandfather…”

“Made the only choice he could.”

“I believe Nicholas Ballard regrets past errors and seeks to make amends by aiding you in your life’s work.”

“Now, maybe, yes. At the time,” Daniel forced himself to be truthful, “he just wanted out. He didn’t want any reminders of my mother’s poor choices and my father’s presence.”

“You believe your mother chose poorly in a mate?” Teal’c frowned.

“I don’t believe that but Nick did. He never forgave my mother for throwing herself away on my father and, inevitably, me as well. I think he thought he could change her mind if I hadn’t been born. So, he thought she’d thrown her life away for us.”

“Bringing a child into a life where he is loved and cherished is never a mistake. However, there are times when circumstances are beyond even a parent’s control.” Daniel was surprised by the sudden lump in his throat; Teal’c, it seemed, was also taken by surprise. “I apologize, Daniel Jackson, I did not intend to add to your sorrows. I only sought to offer any aid I could render.”

Despite the tears welling in his eyes, Daniel smiled. “I know you did, Teal’c. And thanks. I think I’ll try to get some more sleep. You should, too.”

Teal’c remained unmoved. “I will remain until you are no longer in need of assistance, Daniel Jackson. You may sleep without concern. I will be close by.”

Daniel yawned and murmured, “I know.”