Something Missing
by jennickels (aka Jen Connelly)
Stargate SG-1
Daniel/Janet
1408 words
rating: PG
WARNINGS:
There’s a lot of adjustments for Daniel when he leaves ascension behind. And there’s a lot of mysteries he’d really like to solve with the return of his memories. Missing scene from “Fallen.”
don’t own… wish I did, but I don’t. No infringement intended.
-Mark Twain
“Does any of this look familiar?”
“Should it?” Daniel watched the blond woman’s—Sam’s—grin falter. “Sorry,” he mumbled.
“Or they might not come back at all,” he said grimly. He wasn’t sure he even wanted them back based on the things Sam had told him. But he wouldn’t tell her that.
“Let’s see what the doc says first.” The older man, the leader, said his name was Jack. The others called him “Colonel” or “O’Neill.” His insistence that Daniel call him “Jack” kind of made him uncomfortable. His own name, Daniel, felt awkward in his head, too. He didn’t know how to explain that so he kept it to himself. These people, they said he was part of their team until he ascended. Whatever that meant. Daniel didn’t remember any of it. The only thing he remembered was the little village and long walks alone, unaware he was missing anything in his life. His missing memories had meant nothing to him. Then these people, his forgotten friends, showed up and ruined all that.
They walked through the endless, maze-like halls of Stargate Command. Daniel had no idea what he was supposed to be doing or where he was but he figured he’d play along. The people here seemed to know him and welcomed him back with enthusiasm.
In the infirmary a pretty nurse kept smiling shyly at him as she explained about him changing into the paper gown for his physical. He did as he was told then a man, the doctor, he presumed, poked and prodded him in places that flushed his face a bright red. When that was over he was given a set of green pants and tunic. Everyone was waiting for him when the curtain was pulled away. Sam, Colonel Jack, the big scary guy with the gold tattoo and the weirdly excitable kid named Jonas. Another officer, Hammond, by his name tag came in and Daniel thought it was funny how he couldn’t remember anything before he arrived at the little village but he knew how to read English. It was also strange how he knew it was called English because he had no idea what the name of the planet was that he was on.
Hammond discussed something with the colonel and Sam while Daniel sat on the edge of a bed, his legs swinging. A short brunette with intense eyes, wearing a white coat rocketed in. “It is true,” she said, stopping short of the bed. Daniel thought he saw a glimmer of tears in her eyes but they were gone before he was sure. “Daniel?”
He stared blankly at her. Sam saved him the effort of explaining something he didn’t understand himself. “He’s having some memory problems?”
“Memory problems?” The doctor took his chart from the end of the bed and scanned over it. “Physically, your healthy. Perfectly healthy.”
He didn’t like the way she frowned when she said that. “Is there something wrong with that?”
“Hmm, what?” Her eyes met his. They were a soft brown that crinkled on the outside when she smiled. She was smiling at him now. Then she cleared her throat. “No, nothing wrong. Probably just left over from your ascension. I’m sure your health will go right back to normal in no time.” She smiled again. Daniel liked her smile. He couldn’t seem to smile back, though.
“Do you remember anything at all, son?” asked Hammond.
Everyone waited anxiously for his answer. He hated to disappoint them which was something else weird since he didn’t even know these people. “I remember a lot—like languages, how to read, how to conduct an archeological dig, how to cook, how to make soap—but I don’t remember this place. Or anything, really, from before about two months ago.”
Their faces fell. “That’s okay,” said the doctor as she patted his leg. A jolt shot through him, confusing him, throwing him off balance. He glanced down at her hand. She quickly pulled it away with a mumbled apology.
Hammond stepped forward then. “I’m positive your memories will come back, Doctor Jackson. I have complete faith in you.” That was good because Daniel sure didn’t have much faith in anything at the moment. He nodded dumbly. To the others he said, “SG-1, get checked out. I want a debrief in one hour.”
An hour later Daniel was finally left alone, a curtain drawn around his bed in the corner. He wasn’t tired so he just sat Indian style on the bed. He contemplated that phrase: Indian style. He seemed to know what an Indian was, an image of dark skinned people with long black hair, leather pants and feather headdresses popped into his head. He also seemed to instinctively know that it wasn’t politically correct to use the term any more. But whose politics? He was so confused.
Just then the curtain pulled back startling him. The petite doctor smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“It’s all right. I’m a little jumpy anyway.”
“I can imagine—all of this being thrown at you. It confuses us half the time and we have all our memories.” She flashed that brilliant smile again that seemed to light him from the inside out. She set about taking his blood pressure and checking his pulse. “Still perfectly healthy.”
Daniel watched her with increasing interest, something nagging at the back of his mind. She didn’t seem to be in a hurry and kept double checking things. She almost seemed like she was stalling. “Excuse me,” Daniel finally said. She looked up with wide eyes. Did she forget he was there? “But what’s your name? Nobody said and I…” He trailed off.
A look of sadness washed over her face but was soon replaced with that warming smile. “I’m so sorry. I’m Doctor Fraiser. Janet.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Doctor Fraiser.”
“Please, call me Janet. You always did before.” The way she said that stirred that thing in his mind.
He knew his face was red. “Oh,” he said, staring at his feet. “I guess you can call me Daniel, then. Apparently that’s my name.”
She laughed at that. “This must be so unnerving for you—everyone knowing more about you than you do.”
Daniel shrugged. “It’ll come back, though, right?” He suddenly realized he wanted desperately to remember things. Mostly about the doctor who was still finding things to do around his bed. He really liked her smile which seemed to be a permanent feature right now. And the way her hair curled around her ears. The soft touch of her fingers on his arm. A jolt of electricity raced up his arm and down his back from the point of contact. This time she didn’t pull away. And Daniel didn’t want her to.
There was something going on here. Daniel knew it even if he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. That thing in his head pressed for attention but whenever he tried to focus on it, it evaporated. He worked his gaze up from her hand, up her arm, across her face. She was blushing, biting her lower lip. Daniel couldn’t look away. His heart raced. This was interesting.
He wanted desperately to ask her about the touch, the smiles, the electricity, but even without his memories he knew that he shouldn’t. Instead he covered her hand with his. She shivered slightly; it wasn’t cold in the room. They stayed like that a long time, lost in each other’s eyes, each other’s touch, until a nurse came in, banging into a cart. Janet quickly pulled her hand away, growing even redder. She ducked her head.
“I have to go.” She sounded regretful.
“Uh, Janet,” Daniel called before she was all the way out the curtain. She turned. “Do you really think my memories will come back?”
“I think… I think if you want them to they will. There’s nothing Daniel Jackson can’t do.” She smiled.
Daniel smiled, too—his first genuine smile since this whole thing started. “I really do. Want my memories back.” He paused then mustered the courage to say the last part. “I have a feeling there’s something really important I’m missing without them.”
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