Lingchi
by Maureen Thayer
Categories: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Drama
Rating: PG-13
Content Warning: Mild Profanity
Spoilers: Several episodes up through the end of Season 5.
Author's Notes: In Meridian we got a good look into Daniel's heart and saw the truth of how he felt about himself and his life. What if certain things happened differently, and something else became the catalyst to his ultimate descent into those feelings of guilt and the belief that his entire life had been a complete failure?
Oh, and don't worry about the fic's title, the meaning of which is explained at the beginning of Chapter 1. There is no physical torture in this story. It is a lingchi of the soul.