Jericho, by Isabeau (PG-13)

[figs_sg1_rec]

Rec Category: Daniel Jackson

Pairing: none
Categories: Daniel Jackson, gen, episode related, drama, angst
Warnings: some language
Author on LJ: isabeau
Author's Website: Isabeau
Link: Jericho

Why This Must Be Read: While there are probably hundreds of Legacy-based fics out there, Isabeau's Jericho stands out for its excellent stream-of-consciousness POV of Daniel's ordeal with Machello's Goa'uld killer. While there is dialogue and prose in spots, Jericho is mostly the story of Daniel's mind, struggling with sanity – and slipping away.

It's bleak and jerky, fragmentary phrases spinning away in confusion. In fact, it's exactly what you would expect Daniel's brain to experience during those dreadful hours and days that he was locked away in a white padded room. Isabeau gives us a scary glimpse into the horror of Daniel's spiral into madness – and while there's precious little comfort to go with the hurt, Jericho is too good to be missed.

I scramble away from him, and when he reaches for me I slap at his hand and say, "Don't touch me." Don't touch me don't just stay away from me stay *away*

and he sighs and says, "I want you to remember something, Daniel. Nothing in this room is real except for you yourself."

which means you aren't real and I laugh at him, comes out more of a giggle than a laugh, high and hysterical and nowhere near the sound of a sane person and he signals to someone that I can't see and they come over

their faces are Linvris

and they burn me, hot needle hot drugs spreading fire through my system and I stop laughing because everything is suddenly very cold

and very dark

and they are gone and I curl up and rock back and forth to keep away the chill

so very

alone

#

sleep

(can't help it no matter how much I stare at the wall stare at the floor try to keep my eyes open it doesn't work they just drift closed and there is no way to fight)

and my dreams are confused and the Stargate opens and there is a paragraph of text very urgent very important and I have to translate it and there are Jaffa out of sight firing at me and Jack and Teal'c are there not protecting me because they say if I can't do my job why should they but there is smoke from the staff blasts and my eyes hurt and the text is shifting and changing and it makes

no

sense

and I can't do it and they just laugh at me and fire at me and then Jack speaks in Goa'uld and the Jaffa stop firing and I'm about to thank him when he says //Teal'c! Kree!// and his voice is the dark velvet purr of a Goa'uld and Jack says //kill him// and Teal'c says //with pleasure//

and raises his weapon

and I beg him not to just as the text slides into English and it says you will die

and Jack smiles

and I

wake up.