Fading Memories
By Terri D. Thomas
Part 8
Daniel moved into the trees, straining his ears to catch any sign of Teal'c's presence. There had been no other evidence that Teal'c had been in the area. There were absolutely no facts to support that his friend had come to this place. However, a part of Daniel was certain that the Jaffa was nearby.
Daniel stumbled through the weeds and brush, having only his small flashlight to illuminate his way. There was a full moon, but it did little to help him see into the darkness.
He searched for what seemed like an hour, but he was certain only a few minutes had passed. Deciding he had nothing to lose, he gathered his breath and shouted, "Teal'c? It's Daniel. You here?" His words were met with silence.
Teal'c heard the sound of footsteps approaching. The sound was not that of an attack party, but of a single being. Knowing he had lost his staff weapon and was unarmed, he decided a defensive position would be best. He slipped behind a large tree trunk and waited. He then heard the words echoing through the forest which charged his mind with confusion. "Teal'c? It's Daniel. You here?"
Daniel heard nothing. There was no reply to his call. If Teal'c were able, and if he were within range of Daniel's voice, he would answer. Of that, Daniel had no doubt. Therefore, Daniel could come to only two conclusions. Either Teal'c was not here, which was acceptable, or Teal'c was unable to answer because he was too severely hurt. . .or even dead. The latter was unacceptable.
Realizing he now had no choice but to return for help, Daniel turned and began a retreat to the clearing. He had only taken a few steps when he heard the sound of a branch cracking.
Daniel spun around at the sound, pointing his flashlight into the darkness. His eyes widened in surprise. "Teal'c!" he shouted. The flashlight revealed a disheveled, bloodied Jaffa standing before him a few feet away. "I've been looking everywhere for you."
Teal'c narrowed his eyes at Daniel, frowning, but saying nothing. Daniel took a step towards the man. "Teal'c? You okay?" He had made it within arm's length of his friend and yet Teal'c had still not answered. "You must have taken quite a blow to the head. Let me see," Daniel offered.
Teal'c watched the stranger with the light in his hand approach. The voice was familiar, but he could not place it. He squinted, concentrating his vision beyond the light, trying to see the face of his enemy.
The man talked softly to him, as if trying to lull him into a sense of security. Surely his enemy knew that a Jaffa would not be so easily fooled. Teal'c held his ground and said nothing. He readjusted the grip his right hand held on his improvised weapon. It was not a staff weapon, but it would suffice.
The man was now within an arm's reach, still smiling and talking calmly to Teal'c. The stranger acted as if they knew each other. But clearly, this man was not a Jaffa. He was not a protector of Apophis. In fact he did not hold the mark of any Goa'uld system lord. This meant only one thing. He was a slave and as such, he was an enemy.
Satisfied that he was taking the correct course of action, Teal'c swung his makeshift weapon around with as much force as the Jaffa could muster. The thick branch he held connected with the unprotected side of stranger. The gasp of pain from the smaller man brought a surge of satisfaction to the warrior. He had succeeded.
Shocked, Daniel gasped in pain when the tree branch connected with his exposed hip bone. He had not expected any such action from Teal'c and was caught completely unprepared. The flashlight flew from his hands as a result of the blow. It rolled to the ground a few feet away and flickered off. He pulled away from the larger man and tried to step back. The intense pain in his pelvis had numbed his leg and he stumbled. Trying to catch his balance, he threw his hands against a nearby rock for support. "Teal'c!" he cried. "What do you think you're doing?"
The Jaffa frowned. "How do you know my name?" he growled as he raised the tree branch and swung at Daniel a second time.
Daniel ducked and the thick branch fully connected with the boulder which was supporting him. A limb clipped him on the shoulder, though, knocking him to the ground.
"Teal'c!" Daniel shouted again. "Stop. It's me. . .Daniel."
Teal'c growled. "You are not Jaffa."
"What? What are you talking about?" Daniel tried to push himself to his feet, keeping the rock between Teal'c and him.
Teal'c swung the branch again. Daniel threw himself backwards, but found there was no place to move. He was pinned between the rock and a large tree. Teal'c's weapon found its target, this time making contact with Daniel's upper arm. The younger man gasped in pain as he heard a popping sound in his right shoulder. The force of the impact caused him to collapse against the tree trunk. He spun around, back against the bark. "Damn it, Teal'c. Stop!" he exclaimed, trying to push the pain down to a tolerable level.
Teal'c paused for a moment. His gaze narrowed and he took a step forward towards Daniel. He seemed to be concentrating on the younger man's face. He then lowered the tree branch.
"Thank God," Daniel muttered as his left hand rubbed his injured shoulder, trying to alleviate the sharp pain while holding the dislocated joint in place. Teal'c took a step closer, his eyes scrutinizing the injured man. Daniel smiled at him, trying to ignore the uncomfortable glare he was receiving. "You had me worried. What happened? Couldn't you tell it was me?"
Teal'c ignored the questions and instead asked one of his own. "Who is your master?"
Heading in the direction opposite the police cars, Jack drove down the side street slowly, looking for any sign of Daniel or Teal'c. The streets were quiet, however. He knew that Daniel could not have gone far. The man was on foot so he had to be somewhere in the vicinity.
"My master?" Daniel repeated, mystified by the words.
"You carry no Goa'uld."
Daniel frowned at the words. "Okay, Teal'c, obviously there's something wrong with you. I think your larva is having a little problem straightening you out after that head injury."
"You will be quiet," Teal'c ordered.
"What?"
"Silence!" Teal'c commanded, his voice raising as he took a menacing step towards his victim.
Daniel pushed himself away from the tree. "Teal'c, let me help you. You're hurt."
Before Daniel could make any other move, Teal'c's fist shot out and impacted with the side of Daniel's face, near the area which had already been bandaged. Groaning with pain, Daniel fell to the ground, stunned. Blinking back the tears, he tried to protect the damaged shoulder from further jostling. "I ordered silence," the Jaffa bellowed.
Daniel shook his head, trying to clear his vision. With his left arm he raised himself to his knees. Teal'c's hand grabbed at his shirt collar and pulled the smaller man back to his feet. "Where is the Chaapa'ai?" Teal'c growled in his ear.
"The 'Chaapa'ai?' Where did that come from?" Daniel mumbled in return.
Teal'c's left fist shot out a second time, backhanding the archeologist. The force of the blow spun Daniel around, causing him to land chest first against the boulder. He groaned in pain as the movement jarred his shoulder. "I asked you a question, I expect an answer."
Daniel didn't reply, partly because he was trying to recover from the agony and partly because his mind was whirling, trying to figure out what was happening in his friend's mind. He tried to use his left hand to push himself upright once again, but was unsuccessful. Resigning himself to his physical helplessness, the doctor came to the conclusion that talking would be the only way he could calm the Jaffa. Leaning heavily against the bolder, his blue eyes sought out the brown eyes of his friend.
"Teal'c, listen to me. I think your memory has been damaged because of the head wound, " he gently reasoned.
Teal'c's hand came around Daniel's neck and then covered the archeologist's mouth, preventing any further attempts at discussion. The larger man pulled Daniel upright and then held him tight against his body, restricting any movement by the doctor. "You will answer my question. Where is the Chaapa'ai?"
Daniel closed his eyes, squeezing them shut against the harsh voice whispering in his ear. Teal'c's hand lifted, relieving the pressure against his mouth. Blood returned to Daniel's numb lips. "You know where the Stargate is as well as I do."
Teal'c roared in frustration. The beefy hand came around and the massive forearm settled around Daniel's throat. "Stargate? I know of no such thing. Slave, you are not in a position to be playing these games. You will answer or you will die."
Daniel nodded. With the arm encircling his throat, there was no other way to communicate his cooperation. Teal'c released his grip on the smaller man's throat and Daniel gasped for air. "All right. . .you win. I'll take you to the Star. . .the Chaapa'ai."
Jack pulled the car over to the side of the road. He had been driving up and down the streets for over thirty minutes, but there still had been no sign of either Daniel or Teal'c. His head ached and his ankle throbbed. It felt like the bandage, which had been wrapped around the injured joint by Dr. Frasier earlier, was going to burst.
He rubbed his hands over his tired eyes and glanced at his watch. He had told himself that if he hadn't found Daniel and Teal'c by dawn he would call General Hammond and inform him of the incident. That was one call he had no desire to make.
End Part 8
To Part 9