Author: Jess

Rating: G

Subjects: S/D Pre-Romance, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Missing Scene

Summary: As Daniel and Sam lose a fight to stay awake, some hidden feelings are brought to the forefront.

Content Warning: None.

Spoilers: Morpheus

Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters do not belong to me; they are the property of MGM/Showtime/The SciFi Channel/Sony Pictures, Double Secret Productions and Gekko Film Corporation. This story is written solely for entertainment purposes and is not intended for commercial profit. This story is copyrighted July, 2006 and may not be used or altered without the express permission of the author.

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Yawning, Daniel scrubbed his face with his hands before directing his attention back to the book he’d found in the Vagonbrei archives. After more than twenty-four hours without sleep, and being exposed to a parasite responsible for a sleeping sickness that killed off the people of this village, he was really fighting stay awake. They already had lost three members of the medical team stationed on this planet to the parasite.

He glanced over at Sam, sitting in front of her laptop. She too looked like she would doze off at any minute. Dr. Lam had provided caffeine pills among other medications, but with their spiking melatonin and serotonin levels, it was not possible to take them any longer. Alone while Teal’c and Colonel Mitchell were exploring the caverns, Daniel and Sam had to rely on each other to stay awake.

Daniel had just gone back to taking some notes when he noticed that Sam had gotten up off her chair. She started walking around the table, looking exhausted. She was about to reach the other table when her knees buckled underneath her and she collapsed to the floor.

“Sam!” Through his sleepy haze, Daniel leapt off his chair and immediately made his way to her side. He grabbed her and steadied her against the table, his hand on her shoulder. Oh, dear God, no, Sam. You have to stay awake. Please.

“I can’t do it anymore,” Sam told him groggily.

“You have to,” Daniel insisted gently. “You’ve got to hang in there just a little while longer.”

“I … can’t, Daniel,” she managed to get out, sounding defeated.

“Please, Sam, we can’t lose you like we lost Reimer and Ackerman. I can’t lose you.” He paused and looked directly into her tired eyes before saying …

“I love you.”

Although Sam was at the point of total exhaustion and was barely fighting to stay awake, she knew she heard Daniel correctly. “What?” she asked, her eyes widening slightly.

Daniel met her eyes again and managed a ghost of a smile. “I love you,” he repeated.

“You … you love me?” she murmured. “Wh-what about Vala?”

Daniel regarded her curiously for a moment. He chalked up her comment to exhaustion not allowing her to think straight. “No, Sam. I … I love you more than as a friend. I always have. I needed to tell you this now. And if … when we get out of this …” He trailed off and stared at her, his eyes colored with affection.

Sam’s lips twitched into the faintest of smiles. “I love you, too,” she muttered softly.

Daniel grew a matching smile. He tried to gather her into his arms, but the last of his strength ebbed away and he collapsed back against the other table. Sam felt her consciousness begin to seep away as she fell backwards onto the floor as well.

What happened next was like a blur to the two scientists. A team wearing orange Hazmat suits rushed into the room. “In here! Dr. Jackson, Colonel Carter, where is the rest of your team?” a medical technician asked urgently.

Daniel barely raised his head. “Reimer and Ackerman are dead. Teal’c and Mitchell went to the caves,” he answered weakly.

“What caves?” the medical technician answered, confused.

Sam bobbed her head loosely, unable to keep her eyes open. Daniel collapsed back onto the floor. “Get them into the isolation pods!” the medical tech yelled as more technicians entered the room.

“No, wait, wait,” Sam protested feebly. “We can’t go to sleep.”

“It’s okay. We’ll take care of you,” the medical technician assured her.

“No, you don’t understand. The parasite … it feeds on …” Sam continued to speak as the cover of the pod was sealed on top of her, blocking out the sound of her voice. She was able to see the technicians through the glass window of the pod, but unable to hear them speaking. She angled her head to the left and witnessed other techs sealing the cover of Daniel’s pod on top of him.

“Daniel … I love you, too,” she repeated groggily.

Her last thought before she blacked out was that she hoped he had heard her the first time.

THE END


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