Jack
knew that Thoth wouldn't give up Daniel without a fight.
Kicking,
screaming—Thoth seemed to have latched onto all the pleasant traits of the
archaeologist.
While
Hammond attended to other matters, and Fraiser and Dalmar worked on helping the
others in an adjoining room, Jack and the remaining members of SG-1 lent their
hands in helping the Tok'ra with Daniel.
With
a concentrated effort, Jack helped the orderlies hold Daniel in place as they
lowered him onto a gurney while the Tok'ra began to prepare for the extraction.
Daniel squirmed, flinging out his arms, jerking his legs, cursing in what had
to be Goa'uld.
If
the struggle wasn't bad enough, something else just beyond Thoth's physical
fight troubled Jack. What if Thoth was telling the truth? What if he had done
something to Daniel that they couldn't fix?
Can't
think that way now, Jack told himself.
"Teal'c,
I need a hand here."
"I
do not want to go with them!" Thoth yelled again, pushing an orderly away.
"I wish to live! He promised
me!"
Jack
grabbed at Daniel's wrist, only to be knocked away. Another orderly jumped to take his place, only to receive a blow
from the back of Daniel's right hand.
"He
promised me!" Thoth cried again. "We made an oath! I will not go with
them! I will not allow you to do this!
I have done nothing to warrant this!"
Jack
jeered at him. "Oh yeah? I got a whole room of people in this
infirmary that say otherwise." He swore, barely missing a swift kick to
the groin. Jack grabbed him and shook him harshly. "Now don't make this
any harder on yourself!"
"Jack?"
Jack
froze, his heart hammering in his chest. Gone was the metallic voice. Gone was
the—
"Daniel?"
he asked hesitantly.
"I
won’t go with them!" Daniel shouted suddenly, thrusting his foot into Jack's
stomach.
Jack
gasped, and stumbled backward, crashing into Teal'c. While attempting to recover, Jack caught sight of Daniel lashing
out on the orderlies, darting past Carter as she attempted to grab him, before
he scurried onto the other side of the gurney.
With strength Jack didn't know Daniel could possess, and he assumed
belonged to the Goa'uld, he pushed the gurney forward, rolling over a few of
the medical assistants, then another and another, effectively creating a quick
barrier between himself and the rest of them.
Groaning
and holding his stomach, Jack stumbled to his feet, reminding himself that if
this was Daniel, he certainly was not in his right mind. He also reminded himself this could be
another trick. Another damn Goa'uld trap.
"Daniel—"
"I
won’t go!" he yelled, backing away, his hands raised, palms flat as he
faced them. "I won't go with the Tok'ra. I belong here."
"Daniel
belongs here. You don't!" Jack snapped, not willing to be drawn into this
game. "We're taking you out and that is it. It's over."
"I
won’t go. I won’t go," Daniel muttered, his forehead glistening with
sweat. "I promised. I promised." He stumbled back, nearly tripping
over his own feet. "We won't go."
"Clearly,
the toxin is having adverse reactions now," Akana stated, cautiously
stepping forward.
Even
Jack could agree with the Tok'ra, this once. Daniel's eyes were glassy, and he
wasn't quite sure if Daniel or the parasite were really with them at all.
He
glanced over to Carter and Teal'c who looked as anxious as he was. Carefully,
they began to dislodge the tangled gurneys, keeping their gaze focused on
Daniel.
"Daniel,
listen to me," Jack said slowly, creeping over one of the gurneys,
carefully settling himself on the other side.
"I don't know what Thoth's telling you. I don't know what kind of deal you might have made. I don't know
if you can hear me. But it's almost
over, okay?"
Daniel
or Thoth didn't answer. They remained standing in one spot, muttering softly,
as Jack crept closer.
"Over?"
Daniel finally asked. He wavered, but remained standing. "Huh?"
Jack
crept a little closer. "Daniel, come on—"
"Self-preservation,"
Daniel muttered weakly.
Okay, Jack thought, regarding Daniel
thoughtfully. The man was sweating profusely, his body trembling, while his
gaze veered off into some unknown place. He was muttering to himself again,
which even Jack knew was a bad sign. They needed to get that thing out of him
now.
"We're
going to help—"
"I
am not weak!" Daniel yelled, holding his hands to his chest. "Why do
you think that? I can do this…My own…control. Not what you think." He
shook his head. "So much more. Can't you see? I don't need--I don't--I see
you watch…you…with your eyes. And…them."
Jack
shot a glance back at Carter, and then to Beltesh, looking for any sign here.
He received no help at all, watching his own anxiety mirrored in their
faces.
Daniel
was cracking, and Jack definitely wasn't going to let that happen. Waving his
hand, he signaled Akana to work faster.
"I
don't need…that…no…not anymore…it's so…I can't…No!" Daniel moaned, shaking
his head, licking his lips. "My
own…alone…so lost…"
Inhaling
sharply, Jack ventured another step, knowing that Teal'c and Carter were ready
to move in behind him, if necessary.
Jack prayed that the relative calmness would remain, and hoped no
distractions came to rouse Daniel or Thoth from their insane mumblings.
"Not
lost," he said in an attempt to soothe Daniel. "You’re not alone. Just come—"
"I'm
not talking to you!" Daniel shouted angrily, taking a step back, causing
Jack to stop. "Why? Huh? Shhh."
Jack
began again, this time lightly fingering the zat attached to his belt. Daniel
clearly wasn't there, and he doubted he could count on Thoth to stay
controlled. The glassiness in his friend's eyes told him the whole story.
One
last try…
When
Jack saw Daniel's limbs begin to jerk more violently, he started to press
forward, this time more urgently, preparing himself for the worst.
"Daniel, whatever he promised you, we can do better. That's my promise!"
Daniel
blinked at him and Jack swore the man looked confused, even disoriented, until
his face contorted with anger. Reflexively, Jack drew the zat, ready to fire.
"Can
you?" came Thoth's metallic voice. "Can you, really?" Thoth
scoffed, still holding his shaking hands to his chest. "How dare you. How dare you try and
belittle our pain."
No
more. No more of this "we" stuff.
"I'm
taking you out of there!" Jack snarled, aiming his zat.
"Sir!"
Carter called from behind him. "Don't shoot! We don't know—"
"Not
now, Carter." Jack narrowed his eyes. "We've been at this dance for
awhile now. You know it's over. I don't care what Daniel promised you. You don't matter."
"No!"
Thoth took a step back. "This is not for you to decide! He wants me,"
Thoth said with a wicked grin. "Can you not understand that? He needs me.
He doesn't need you any longer."
"You
listen—"
"No,
you listen. We have no need of you. No longer will you hurt us!"
Startled,
Jack nearly lost his concentration. What? What had he just said? Damn snake.
"Not
falling for it," Jack mumbled, cursing to himself as his voice betrayed
him.
Thoth
chuckled, shaking his head. "That's right. You. You cause him pain."
His angry gaze fluttered to the rest of SG-1. "All of you."
"Shut
up!" Jack yelled, pointing the zat. "Akana, get the damned thing
ready to crush this bastard!"
"Guilty,
Colonel?" Thoth straightened, ignoring the obvious stress on his trembling
body. "I hold the knowledge now. I have the power to use it. I will use my
wisdom for change." He smiled. "And Daniel will walk with me."
Jack
shook his head refusing to accept Thoth's declaration. "No. Daniel
won't—"
"We
don't need help!" Thoth cried suddenly, touching his temple. Distracted,
he swayed from left to right, nearly walking in a circle, his wild, unfocused
gaze bouncing from wall to wall. "No…see. I-I-" Cursing, Thoth
grabbed at his head, stumbling backwards, struggling to regroup before smiling
weakly at Jack. "Do you not hear? Hear it? Daniel doesn't need you. He has
no need of your empty promises. We will never make this mistake again.
Never!"
Not
going to fall for it, Jack thought, biting back a twinge of guilt. Games. All games.
"You
asshole!" Jack shouted, jerking the zat gun. "You're just like the
rest of them stinkin' snakes! And you
try and preach all this 'love for the host' stuff, but you ain't worth
shit!"
Thoth
narrowed his eyes. "I protect him. I protect him from you."
"No
you don’t," Jack spat angrily. "You don't have the slightest clue
what Daniel's feel-"
Jack
stopped mid-sentence, his heart dropping like a stone into the pit of his
stomach. Suddenly, he felt very ill, and amazingly light-headed, as if he would
pass out at any minute. Thrown, distracted—he was unable to respond to the own
cries in his mind.
Shocked,
Jack felt his grip on the zat gun waver, and his vision went slightly out of
focus.
Never
let your guard down. Never show the enemy your hand. And most importantly,
never let the enemy find your weakness.
When
had he started wearing his heart on a sleeve?
He
licked his lips, his tongue pushing absently at the bottom row of his teeth.
Thoth stared back at him, but surprisingly, made no move to intercept him while
his guard was down. Instead, Thoth frowned, cocking his head quizzically as he
studied Jack.
"Sir!"
Jack
swallowed hard, raising the zat gun levelly with Daniel. "I'm okay,
Major," he reassured Carter, feeling amazingly detached.
Thoth's
gaze did not leave Jack, and he still remained glued to his spot. The two
continued to stare at each other, in silence, caught in some battle of the
wills.
Jack's
heart hammered harder, the noise filling his ears, the room. Thoth blinked a couple of times, the tension
carved in his face. Jack swore he could hear Daniel's heart as well, pounding
in rhythm with his.
"I
had not known," Thoth said, his rough voice nearly a whisper. "I had
looked beyond and did not see." He trembled, nearly losing his footing as
he gazed openly at Jack. "But why? Why hide it? There is so much pain…"
Jack
didn't know why. He didn't know why he
did the things he did sometimes. He was a jerk. An idiot.
"Let
him go," Jack said softly, but determinedly.
"I
will not," Thoth replied defiantly. "He is still mine." His gaze
passed Jack, to the rest of the silent onlookers in the room. "He is
mine!"
"You
must release him!" Akana shouted, her guttural voice bouncing off the
walls of the infirmary room. "Your toxin will kill you both."
"I
am not like them!" Thoth yelled, backing a little further from Jack.
"Thoth,
your body is producing a toxin similar to the smaller symbiotes," Carter
shouted to him. "Look at yourself!
You have to have noticed the effects by now!"
"I
am different." His eyes became panicked again, his movements back to that
haphazard momentum that had plagued him before their "breakthrough."
"Thoth,
listen to Carter!" Jack said, stepping forward again. "You're killing
Daniel! And that's not acceptable to
me!"
Thoth
shook his head, curling in on himself. "You are wrong. I protect him. He
is mine. I would not harm him."
"He's
going to die if you don't get out of him now," Jack enunciated. "Let
him go, Thoth."
"If
you hold the compassion that you claim to possess, you must release
DanielJackson immediately," Teal'c intoned.
Closer,
Jack realized. Carter and Teal'c were moving in slowly, edging closer.
Stall
him, Jack
thought. Stall him until we can rush him without him panicking.
"I am not like the others!" Thoth
maintained, backing against the wall. "I am not like them."
"But
you are."
Jack
frowned at the comment, turning his head slightly, only stealing a quick glance
at the door before he returned his full concentration on Daniel.
Hammond
had returned with company.
Jacob.
"Dad!"
"Hey,
Sam," Jack heard Jacob say. Then, there was silence. "This is not
Thoth," Selmak announced, sounding pissed.
"What?"
Jack exclaimed, fighting the urge to whip around and glare at Selmak.
"What
little do you know, esteemed Selmak," Thoth bit out sarcastically.
"And
you are not Thoth," Selmak continued. "Thoth has been in the service
of Anubis for over a year."
"Then
who the hell are you?" Jack asked, feeling the anger rise again.
"I
am who I am," Thoth grumbled, leaning on the wall for support, his glare
as sharp as a dagger.
"Tartarus,"
Carter said suddenly, a hint of annoyance in her voice, most likely geared at
herself. "I remember now. Damn, why didn't I think of this before?"
"Carter?"
Jack asked cautiously, still venturing another step closer. Thoth made no move.
"While
you were in Honduras."
Jack
cringed, fighting against the memory. He'd almost lost him. Again.
"I
recall now as well," Teal'c stated.
"Thoth
was there, sir," he heard Carter say. "He was head of the cloning
operation."
Jack
understood. "The creep making all those super screw-ups."
Thoth
appeared confused. He also looked like he was about to drown in his own sweat.
The
light snapped on in Jack's head only a second before Carter spoke.
"Oh
my God. You’re a clone," Carter stated bluntly. "All of you."
Thoth
chuckled weakly, bowing his head. "I go by many names…"
"Anubis
has been cloning based on information only recently stolen from the
Asgard," Teal'c reminded them. "We have surmised Thoth to be much
older."
"My
research has been ongoing for many years," Thoth said quietly. "Long
before this 'incident' you speak of with Anubis." He sighed. "I must
have been very desperate to join with Anubis."
"So
you admit it?" Carter asked.
Closer. She was much closer to Jack now. "You are a clone."
"I
only did it for her," he whispered. "My years of study. My lab…all my
research. It sickens me I would join with Anubis. When I saw Anubis' ships approaching…I did not want to believe it
to be true. I did not want to believe. Not I. But to want…the Asgard technology
must have been too tempting…" his voice trailed off longingly. Jack had
the distinct impression they were going to lose him. "Nirrti was my best
student. Oh, our research. So much time. So many failures." He choked back
a sob. "I failed you, love. I failed again."
"We
are losing him," Jack heard Akana state. "We must act quickly
now."
"Failures,"
he murmured. "So many failures. I thought I had finally made one…so
close." The water welled in his eyes. "So close…No…I don't wish to
die. Please…"
Thoth
slumped into a heap, his breathing erratic.
The SGC personnel took their chance and moved in.
Jack
grabbed Daniel, propping him up against the wall and allowing for his head to
rest on his shoulder. Urgently, Jack snapped his fingers, motioning the Tok'ra
to proceed, heartened when Teal'c and Carter joined him at his side.
"His
pulse is weak," Carter announced, pressing into Daniel's neck and
wrist. She gazed up worriedly at Jack.
"We need a doctor. Janet's still
in the other room with the other patients." She called over her shoulder.
"Someone get Doctor Fraiser!"
Jack
nodded. He felt Fraiser would want to be around for this.
"Teal'c,
stand by and get ready to help me lift him." Jack peered over his
shoulder, watching the Tok'ra and some of Fraiser's staff set up a new gurney
to prepare for the extraction.
"When I say—"
"Jack…"
Jack
paused, nearly missing the whisper that passed through Daniel's lips. Without
thinking, he leaned forward, close to Daniel's mouth. "Daniel?"
"O'Neill!"
Teal'c shouted, pulling Jack back.
He
felt Carter's hands on him as well. "Careful, sir."
They
were right. He was losing it. He couldn't lose his cool now. Inhaling sharply,
he held Daniel close—but away from his neck—and readied himself to hoist the
younger man.
"I'm
sorry."
"No,
hey," he soothed, hoping this was really Daniel. Hell, he didn't care at
this point. "Don't you even start with the guilt thing. You did nothing
wrong."
Daniel
breathed out, his breath rustling the collar of Jack's shirt. "So sorry,
Jack. Forgive me."
Jack
glanced over his shoulder again, cursing silently at the Tok'ra. He wished
they'd get the lead out.
"S'okay.
It's going to be all right soon."
"Tell
Sam I'm sorry," Daniel continued, his eyes half open.
The
sweat continued to trickle down his face. Or were those tears? Shit.
"Daniel,"
Carter said softly. "It's not your fault, okay? The Tok'ra are here.
They're going remove the symbiote." Jack shifted his weight, allowing for
Carter to move in closer. Smiling weakly, she reached over and squeezed
Daniel's hand. "We're here for you, Daniel."
Jack
wasn't sure Daniel even heard her.
"I'm
sorry," he whispered again. "Tell Teal'c that I'm sorry."
"They're
right here." Jack gestured to Carter and Teal'c. "Just-just stay with
me okay?"
"There
is nothing to forgive, DanielJackson." Teal'c came to Daniel's feet,
pressing his legs together and awaiting Jack's signal. "Your friends are
with you, DanielJackson."
Daniel's
head rolled to the side, flopping unsteadily until he crashed back into Jack's
chest. "I promised," he whispered. "I promised…You don't
understand."
"We're
going to help you, Danny," Jack said quietly, feeling the pain poke
sharply at his chest. He ran his fingers through Daniel's wet hair.
"Just—"
"No,
you…No. I know. You don't understand," Daniel began to mutter, some of his
words blurring incoherently. "I'm—I'm control. Not weak."
"Not
at all. Never been weak." Jack glanced back, getting the green light from
the Tok'ra.
"Sir,"
Carter began, reluctantly releasing Daniel's hand. "We're good to
go."
"Alright,
on the count—"
"No.
No," Daniel mumbled. "You don't see? I'm-I'm teaching him. Like Shifu
taught me." Daniel drew a raspy breath. "It's beautiful."
Jack
exchanged a worriedly glances with both Carter and Teal'c. "We should do
this," Jack said finally.
Carter
nodded, and moved out of their way, making sure the path was clear for Daniel
to brought to the nearest gurney.
Jack exhaled. Here goes nothing…
"Okay,
Teal'c, now."
The
two men grabbed Daniel, hoisting him up, and quickly backed to the gurney that
was set up nearby. Daniel and Thoth made little protest, far too weakened by the
toxins pumping in Daniel's blood, and mentally exhausted by the past few
confrontations.
By
the time they had secured Daniel, Jack realized Fraiser had entered the room,
along with Dalmar, and quickly were joined by Jacob and Hammond. They met SG-1
by Daniel's bedside.
Jack
didn't miss the syringe in Fraiser's hand.
"Good
news, sir," Fraiser said with what sounded like relief. "The chemical
Thoth gave us appears to be fighting the toxin in the others. Their vitals have
already showed remarkable improvement."
"And
the bugs?" Jack asked.
Fraiser
shook her head. "Dying, Colonel. They won't make it."
"We
believe they will dissolve into the blood system of your people," Dalmar
stated calmly. "They should present no harm any longer."
Damn.
Thoth had held up his part of the deal.
"We
should administer the drug," Fraiser said, motioning to Daniel. "We
don't want to wait until—Wait!" Fraiser shouted, handing the syringe to
Carter. "He's seizing!"
Jack
shot a look back to Daniel, watching with horror as the younger man was thrown
into a fit of convulsions. Teal'c helped Akana and the orderlies roll Daniel
onto his side and hold him in place, while keeping his mouth open and free as
the foam bubbled at his lips.
It
was awful. How many times did he have to go through this? How many times would
they lose him?
Jack
rubbed his face, shifting uneasily from side to side. One day, he wouldn't come
back. It would be over.
"Okay.
Okay. He's calming. Roll him back," Fraiser instructed, gently pushing
Jack away. As they rolled Daniel onto his back, Jack found it hard to ignore
his blank stare.
"Geez,"
he muttered.
"Sam?"
Doctor Fraiser questioned.
Carter
nodded, obviously distressed, as she passed the syringe back to Fraiser.
"That
will not kill me," Thoth said weakly. "I am immune."
"You
speak falsely," Akana stated coldly. "We shall see."
"Yes,
you shall see," Thoth muttered. "There is no use studying it. You
will not understand the science. You have lost a great asset in me."
"Well,
in case you hadn't noticed, it's not you we care about," Jack said, eyeing
him coolly.
Thoth
nodded sadly.
"It
will at least stop the toxin," Jacob added, standing by Carter's side.
"It
will," Thoth admitted. He attempted a smile, but only coughed instead.
"You are very wise Jacob/Selmak. I wish I had the opportunity to learn
from you as you could have learned from me."
Could
have? Jack didn't like the tone of this conversation.
"We'll
have plenty of time to talk once we take you back with us," Jacob stated,
crossing his arms. "So just hold onto that thought."
"I
shall not survive the journey," he whispered weakly. "They have other
designs for me."
"This
is not true," muttered Beltesh. "He speaks nothing but lies."
"Speak
no more," Selmak snapped angrily. He motioned to the cart that the Tok'ra
had set up, and pointed to several odd alien contraptions. "This is not
the time. We must assist Doctor Jackson.
I will not stand by and let him suffer any longer."
Damn
straight,
Jack thought. "You heard the man. Respect your elders. Let's get this over
with already."
Thoth
sucked in a deep breath and nodded. "I do not wish to die. I could…do so
much." He sobbed, allowing the tears to flow freely from Daniel's eyes.
"But I am strong. I cannot change what fate holds for me now."
Thoth
grabbed O'Neill's wrist, clutching it desperately with the last of his
strength.
"My
apologies, O'Neill," he whispered hoarsely. "I did not know. I did not understand."
Jack
leaned over, uncomfortable, but unwilling to leave Daniel's side while he—or
Thoth—laid on his deathbed.
"I
did it only for her. Only to find a way to bring Ma'at back to me."
"Yeah,
we know," Jack mumbled, not entirely sure what to say.
"I
did not mean harm to your people. Nor did I mean to harm this one. He has shown me…many things," Thoth
continued, his voice sounding more distant with each passing moment. "I-I
did not understand. I did not understand
his affection for you. For this place. For all of you." Thoth closed his eyes, a slight wheezing
slipping from his lips.
Jack
looked on, stunned. He was watching his friend die. Again. And even though he knew it was just the
symbiote, it didn't make it any easier. Not at all.
Daniel,
come on. Don't do this to me. Don't do this.
"There
is much he feels but is unwilling to say to you," Thoth began again,
opening his eyes. "I must say, for this, I am envious of Daniel. For all
that he has, and for all those who love him…I had only wanted to taste it. Even for just a little while."
Thoth
choked, causing Jack to stiffen, uneasy, as Daniel appeared to deteriorate more
quickly. What exactly was the hold up?
"I
have no ill feelings toward him. He had tried his best to save me. In a way, he has." Thoth smiled weakly before coughing again. "I
shall never forget all he has taught me, as he has been taught by others. I will never forget him."
Jack
stared at his friend, seeing through him to the parasite that inhabited him.
Daniel had that special ability to see the good in everyone, and allowed that
good to shine through them.
Jack
still didn't trust this Goa'uld, or clone, to save his life. He wanted this over with as soon as
possible. But there was a glimmer there; even Jack had it admit he saw it. That
glimmer that Daniel brought to everyone and everything.
Wincing,
Daniel shifted painfully, the sweat soaking his scrubs. Wide-eyed and slightly
feverish, he glared at the Tok'ra, watching Akana and Jacob as they wheeled the
equipment to the side of the bed. Shaking
his head, he held out his palm, looking Jacob straight in the eye.
"I
have no need of that," Thoth said quickly, breathlessly, as he sat up in
the bed.
Jack
frowned, about to protest the friggin' snake, when he was caught off guard by
Teal'c's strong arm. Both he and Carter
were quickly pushed away from Daniel, held back by Teal'c's massive form.
"Remain
here," Teal'c warned them.
Jack
didn't have a chance to comment otherwise. Jacob or Selmak was barking orders
for Doc Fraiser and the rest of them to stay back, while Akana stood by the
bedside. Dalmar quickly rushed to their
side, holding the Coptic jar that held the dead symbiote clone. Without
hesitating, Dalmar withdrew the limp parasite, handing it to Beltesh and held
the jar forward.
Thoth
nodded, the sweat dripping from his chin. Choking—no gagging—Thoth leaned
forward, his chest heaving with every gasp.
He squeezed his eyes shut, groaning with guttural pain. His eyes flashed open, glowing hauntingly
with a soft white sadness while he murmured a faint alien plea.
Jack
jerked, hearing the pained wail of the symbiote.
Dalmar
pushed the jar towards Daniel. Then, suddenly, the symbiote leaped forward,
bursting from Daniel's mouth with a splatter of blood, and jumped into the jar.
Quickly, Dalmar covered the jar while Akana rushed to Daniel's side as his eyes
rolled back and he collapsed limply onto the bed.
"It
is done!" Akana yelled, motioning to Fraiser. "I need
assistance!"
Akana
had not even finished her sentence when Fraiser was by Daniel's side. She wiped the blood that was trickling down
Daniel's cheek. She opened his mouth,
and did her thing, causing Jack to cringe.
He
didn't know what to do. He felt empty. Hollow. What if Daniel wasn't in there?
What if they'd lost him again?
Shit,
I can't think that. I can't.
Carter
looked far worse than he. She was staring dazedly at Daniel, at the nurses and
orderlies, as they worked feverishly over him.
All
the while, the archaeologist did not stir. Nothing. Nothing at all.
"I'm
going to have to ask you to stand back," Fraiser called over her shoulder.
Jack
nodded, feeling numb as Teal'c lead him, and Carter, away from Daniel. Within minutes, a team of professionals
swallowed him. And while Jack knew he was in the best of care, he couldn't help
but feel anxious.
"Thoth
released Daniel in the most honorable of ways," Selmak stated to them.
"He did so of his own accord. You have my word that no harm will come to
him once we leave this base."
"We
appreciate the offer," General Hammond said as he walked over to them. He
paused, glancing over to where Daniel lay. "What about Doctor
Jackson?"
"He
should be fine," Jacob commented. "He'll be unconscious for awhile,
and he'll likely wake up with a major headache and some separation anxiety, but
we'll help him get through the worst of it, George. You know I can't just leave him like that." He smiled and
squeezed Carter's shoulder. "Besides, Selmak is pretty fond of him,
too."
Jack
grinned, though his thoughts were miles away.
He couldn't help but dwell on some of the words Thoth has stated
earlier, words that had lifted some of his guilt and anxiety to the surface.
He'd
caused Daniel pain. Him. Out of all the people in the universe. Him.
It
just wasn't right. He was supposed to protect Daniel. Daniel was under his
command. Daniel was part of his "family."
"Sir?
Are you okay?"
Jack
nodded, shrugging off her hand from his shoulder. He really didn't care for
much company right now. Let alone any sympathy for one of his screw-ups.
"Yeah,
good. I'm good." Jack glanced back to Daniel and then to Beltesh and
Dalmar. He noticed that they were packing away both the jar and the other
parasite. "What's gonna happen to that dead one?"
"We
will bring it back for study," Jacob said off-handedly. "With Thoth's
help, we might be able to perfect his cloning techniques which would be
beneficial to both the Tok'ra and the Tau'ri. Not to mention it might give us
some insight into some of the work Anubis is doing on his Super Soldiers."
"If
you don’t mind, Jacob, I would like you, for all of us, to meet before you
leave. We have a few details we need to iron out," stated Hammond.
"Of
course, George. I'm not heading back to the High Council or the Alpha site yet
anyway until I am sure everything is okay," he said, his gaze settling on
Daniel. "Selmak is confident he'll be fine. It may just take some
time."
Jack
nodded, stealing another glance back at Daniel. Akana had gone to assist the
other Tok'ra. Only Fraiser remained, checking on him, and appearing rather
reluctant to leave his side.
Jack
had to smile.
"He's
stabilized," Akana informed them as Beltesh and Dalmar joined her.
"We are confident Doctor Jackson will make a full recovery."
"Good,"
Hammond said evenly, though obviously pleased. "Now that that's settled,
I'd like for you all to join me in the briefing room."
"Sir,
with your permission, I'd like to stay here. You know, in case Daniel wakes
up," Jack asked, holding his hands behind his back, his gaze never leaving
Daniel's unmoving form.
"I
would like to remain as well," Teal'c intoned.
"Me
too, sir," Carter chimed in.
Hammond
nodded, his gaze bouncing from one member of SG-1 to another. "Very
well." He turned to the Tok'ra. "If you'd follow me, we can address
any questions and concerns before you're on your way."
Dalmar
bowed graciously, and nodded. Jacob joined Hammond, and the two generals led
the remaining Tok'ra out of the infirmary.
Exhaling
slowly, Jack took a moment to let himself deal with the events of the past few
days.
It
was over. Finally, just over. Now, they could concentrate on bigger things,
more important things, and make sure they remained there for Daniel.
Glancing
back, Jack noticed Teal'c had already set himself up beside Daniel's bed.
Fraiser remained by Daniel's side, carefully adjusting his blankets and pillows
for comfort. Carter…she watched on from afar, nervously biting on her fingers.
Suppressing
a sigh, Jack made his way over to her, clearing his throat when he reached her.
Surprisingly, she didn't turn to face him, but he knew she had acknowledged him
just the same.
"Look,
Carter, I'm sorry about—"
She
just nodded. "I should have done more, sir."
He
shook his head. He knew this would happen. "Carter—"
"Sir—"
He pressed
her shoulder, giving her a quick gentle rub. "You did good, Major. You did
good." He withdrew his head and pointed to the gurney. "Why don't you
say we join them?"
She
nodded quickly, exhaling as she walked.
It
was going to be tough. For all of them. For Daniel. But they wouldn't leave his
side.
The
vigil began.
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