(Thanks sammie91293. Sorry this part took so long.)
Part 8, ...Lungs
"I feel it!" Lance hopped up and down as best he could while sitting up in bed. "I feel it!" After an hour of frustrating attempts, he finally felt his heart beating. It was much different than feeling a thud in his chest after a run or when he put his hand over his heart. He felt the movement of the heart itself. He felt the blood that went through, and he could even feel the oxygen going into the blood.
"Now feel your lungs." Lantash held a healing device over Lance as he spoke. He wasn't using it to heal, but to scan and feel the boy's insides. The feel wasn't as strong as with his host, but it helped him to know what was weak and how it was weak.
Lance was quiet for a few minutes, then... "My lungs!"
More like lung, Martouf thought sadly. The small lungs were fused together, having never separated during development.
He has a whole other breathing system to rely on. Lantash said in a fake arrogant tone. We don't need lungs.
You are also a lot smaller than he is. Your surface per mass is much higher than his.
He's getting enough oxygen now thanks to a combination of his symbiote and human system. His little lung is bringing in air where his skin cannot. Lantash smiled. "I want you to keep feeling different parts of your system and tell me what it is that you feel."
--
Daniel was walking through the halls when he saw Anise in a room with someone. He slowed down and looked in without moving any closer. She seemed to be studying something, and her husbands, Drack and Kela'an were looking over her shoulder. Daniel mentally flinched when he saw Kela'an look up.
"Daniel."
He was surprised that the tone seemed to hold more surprise than anger. "Hello...Kela'an."
The Tok'ra left the table and moved closer as he gestured Daniel into the room. "I would like to apologize for my behavior the last we met. Drack and I were...we were hurt and angry, though it was not your fault. I hope you can forgive me."
"I-I do." Daniel felt this was rather strange.
Kela'an nodded, seeming satisfied with that replied. "Good. I hope we can become friends then." He moved back to Anise.
Daniel followed slowly and smiled when Anise looked up to give him a hello. He gave her a nod and looked over what she was reading. "The treaty."
"I am sure your people are looking over the details again as well," Anise replied as she looked up again. "Or you did yourself before coming over."
Daniel smiled, not giving a verbal reply, but he thought he might have given it away with that smile. "Find anything interesting?"
"Nothing to allow your people to take back the prisoners, if that is what you mean." Anise looked back to the words. "I did find something, but I do not think it will be an issue." She paused. "Have you heard Lantash's chosen sentence for Thomas?"
"No."
"Thomas will be sent to a prison on another world.. He will spend the rest of his life there." As she spoke, Sam, Teal'c, and Baker came into the room, followed by Garshaw and Vorran.
"I guess you heard," Sam replied, hearing the last part of Anise's words. She gestured to Garshaw. "Lantash just decided it. I came to tell you."
Daniel frowned slightly. "If he just decided it..." He looked to Anise. "How did you know?"
"I visited him about fifteen minutes ago," Kela'an answered. "He told me his choice then. He had not yet spoken to Councilor Garshaw."
Garshaw had followed because she hadn't given all the information and Sam had wanted Daniel around to hear it. "Per'sus and I discussed it. If the counsel agrees, he will be given a choice between two prisons. "One is on Woods. The prison is more humane, but they do occasionally fall to Goa'uld attack."
"Woods..." Sam knew that planet right away. "That's Amb's world."
"Yes, it is one of the few worlds where both Tok'ra and Goa'uld go to for hosts. Their prison system is primitive, but the prisoners are treated very well. The second world is Neeka..." She paused and looked to Sam. "That should sound familiar to you."
Sam felt put on the spot. She knew Amb's world because she learned it when he visited Earth's surface. He even used it as his last name. As far most people he met on the surface were concerned, he was Amb Malek Woods. "Neeka..." Images flashed, and people she saw as family were there. "Rosha... That was her world."
Garshaw looked pleased. "Yes, her world and Yosuuf's world. The world is protected by the Asguard, so it will not be attacked by the Goa'uld, however, the prisons are...less than humane."
Daniel frowned, briefly wondering how the Tok'ra got hosts from the planet if it was protected. Goa'uld protected planets weren't generally Tok'ra friendly. Now he wondered about the choices. "Not much of a choice."
"How inhumane?" Sam asked.
"There is a set of underground tunnels with many cells. A prisoner is kept in a cell. Once a week they are given enough food and water to provide them the next seven days."
Sam frowned. Her own memory helping to provide her with more details on it, like the fact that rodents and insects were all over the place, which did the cleaning more than anything else. She could visualize it because for some insane reason, Rosha and Jolinar visited once. It wasn't much of a choice, and she knew Jack would be angry with this.
"Well, it's better than what they used to have," Garshaw said, as she had a good idea what Sam and Daniel were thinking based on the expressions they held.
Daniel frowned. The scientist in him was curious to what used to be done, but the rest of him didn't want to know. He decided not to ask. The world itself would be interesting, and he wondered if they could get an address. Teal'c probably wouldn't be safe in going though.
"I will discuss it with the counsil before making any other decision."
"Will my father be able to take part in the decision?"
"He and Selmak cannot be pulled away from their current mission. This decision will have to be made without him." She noticed Sam didn't look pleased with that. "Not every decision can be made with every member of the council. Missing a member or two usually has no effect on the final decision. If we believe it will, we hold off the decision until everyone can be involved." She made a short nod before leaving.
"I'm going to go talk to Lantash," Sam said before going to find him. She was sure he was with Lance. It wouldn't take too long to find him. She wanted to know if he was leaning towards any decision with David. She'd only ask if he wasn't too busy with the boy though.
--
"I'm tired!" Lance complained. "I don't want to sense myself anymore."
Lantash shook his head, not wanting to hear that. "You have to learn how to heal yourself, and-"
"I'm tired!"
"Lance." He was irritated, but refused to show that to the boy. "If you won't sense yourself, then you should eat something."
"I'm full."
"No, you're hungry. I scanned you and-"
"I feel full!" Lance's eye glowed.
"Would you like to drink something?" Malek asked. "You must he thirsty. You haven't drank anything since you arrived here." Lance nodded his head, and Malek went to get a drink that was full of calories and nutrition. Hopefully, the boy wouldn't mind it not being water.
"Thank you," Lantash said as Malek handed Lance the drink.
Lance sniffed at it before tasting it. "It's sweet." He smiled. "I..." He shook he head, frowning.
Lantash took out the healing device. "Lance, what's wrong?"
Give me control, Martouf thought as he moved the device over the boy.
"Da...d..." Lance gasped for air, trying to stop the burning sensation in his lungs.
Martouf started talking the sheets off Lance. "Lance, you have to concentrate on bringing in oxygen through your skin." He vaguely notice Sam at the door.
Malek pulled off Lance's shirt so he could bring in oxygen easier. He noticed Sam leaving, and very soon, she returned with Kilso. He heard Kilso give someone else an order to get Copy before approaching the bed. "What's wrong?" Kilso asked as he grabbed a healing device.
"His lungs..." Martouf knelt down by Lance. "Lance, you remember when you felt your skin earlier? You felt the air going through. You have to concentrate on that. You have to bring in more air."
Tears fell down his cheeks as Lance tried to listen to his father. His lungs were no longer burning, but he felt pained through his body. It moved to his skin, and the world became fuzzy. The words around him became distorted. "Da..s." He wanted his dads to fix him. He noticed the pain disappearing, and it was the last thing he remembered.
Martouf continued to use the healing device on Lance, and he felt Lance lose conscious. He saw Lance being taken away. "What...?"
Kilso was the one taking him. "I'm helping him." The healer took Lance to another room with a device he had made for Lance. It had been a status bed, but it was changed to a what he had nicknamed an oxygen bed. He set Lance in it and closed it. "The oxygen content is 60 percent," Kilso said, "much higher than it is here."
Martouf put his hand on the glass as he watched his son. "He needs to be awake."
"I'm going to try to wake him up," Kilso said as had Lance injected with a drug. "What happened?"
"His lungs were weak... They just stopped working." He looked to the doorway as he heard people coming.
Copy had been retrieved, and he moved closer to the bed. Like Martouf, he put his hand on the glass. He has to live. Everyone else was quiet, and he saw Kilso was working on the machine. He moved around and saw the health of the boy being displayed on the other side of the bed. His memories on how to read it were failing him though.
Malek was holding a look of anger. Copy wanted to help him, but he realized he'd make it worse. The Tok'ra's anger was directed at David. Kilso checked the readings again. "He's not getting better. I'm changing the oxygen content."
"He needs to be awake," Martouf repeated in an urgent tone.
"He's not responding to the drug. If I give him any more-"
"He needs to be awake." Martouf's eyes flared as Lantash took over. "He needs to force his body to bring in more oxygen." The look of sorrow had been replaced with one of anger. The tears suddenly looked out of place with such an expression.
Kilso remained calm, but he wouldn't change his mind. He worked on the machine while glancing to Lantash. "The drug is having no effect in helping him to wake. All it's doing is making it harder for him to bring in air." He saw Lantash look guilty for not knowing this. "Oxygen is at 95."
"That could overwhelm his system," Copy said.
"It's a risk," Kilso agreed.
Lantash went back to to watching Lance. He felt a pain himself, like someone had put an ice cube in Martouf's heart. I failed him. I didn't teach him well enough. I should have taught him faster. I shouldn't have let him rest.
He could live, Martouf thought, refusing to give up on their son. He felt himself given control, and he stared as if that could help. Everyone else seemed to disappear. It was just him, Lantash, and Lance. Lance would get what he needed. He would wake up, and everything would be fine.
"Martouf."
He and Lantash would teach him all he needed. He would grow up and become part of the Tok'ra. His symbiote part would give him a longer lifespan than that of a normal human.
"Martouf." There was a vague feeling of something on his shoulder.
Malek is calling you, Lantash thought.
Suddenly it wasn't just the three of them anymore. Martouf frowned. "Malek, I waiting for him to wake up."
There was quietness in return. Only for a moment, but it felt longer. It was proof that Martouf was right. Malek wouldn't bother him again. However, the moment wasn't meant to last, and Malek spoke again. "Martouf, he's gone."
The words sunk in slowly, and Martouf felt like the ground had turned to putty. The ice cube Lantash felt earlier was rapidly growing, and Martouf attempted to retreat from the pain by giving up control. Lantash moved to the display and read it for himself.
Heart rate...nothing.
Brain activity...nothing.
Oxygen being taken in...none.
"I failed him."
Kilso ran more scans to be sure before opening the oxygen bed. He left the room and others followed. Lantash wasn't entirely sure who left and who stayed.
Pick him up, Martouf thought. I want to hold our son.
Lantash gently lifted Lance out of the bed. He went to a near chair and sat down. Do you want control?
Not yet.
Lantash watched the boy for a while before hearing Martouf say the boy needed his shirt back.
He looks cold, Martouf thought.
Lantash looked around to see Malek was the only one left. "Do you have his shirt?"
Malek nodded and left. He returned a few minutes later and put helped Lantash put it on. "It wasn't your fault, Lantash."
Lantash was quiet for a moment. "I thought Copy would have strayed."
"Vorran made him leave."
Lantash frowned. He hadn't noticed Vorran in the room. "I never thought I'd have a child. Not meant to. Not designed to. Then someone stole my DNA and made me a son who was sick. How could anyone...?" He closed his eyes. "Not even the Goa'uld have ever hurt me as much as this."
"David deserves to die for what he's done," Malek replied.
"How can I have him killed when he was violated because of me."
"Parents cannot always be blamed for the actions of their children."
Lantash looked to Malek angrily, and his eyes flashed. "Copy is not my son! He will never be my son!"
Don't yell at him! Martouf snapped. You want David dead as much as he does. You just don't want to admit it!
Lantash ignored the angry workds and looked to Lance. He felt guilty for yelling over hiis son's body. Several minutes passed before he heard Martouf ask for control. He released control. Martouf stared for even longer.
--
Copy was in the brig, and his host was demanding him out. He had asked for Garshaw, and David was in control while they waited. He took control when she approached.
She didn't ask for you! You aren't supposed to take control unless you are asked for.
"Hello Garshaw," Copy greeted.
"Copy."
"You know why you were here."
She nodded. "Without Lance, there is no need for you to keep David as a host."
"He is demanding I leave." Truth was, Copy didn't want to keep living anymore. His purpose in life had died.
"I will inform Martouf and Lantash." She left, feeling nothing else was to be said.
As Copy waited, he saw Malek come in. He smiled. "Hello Malek."
Malek made a short nod.
"I remember the time on Neeria..." He saw Malek frown slightly. "I know it's not my memories...but..."
Malek seemed interested. "What do you remember?"
"Dancing with you." Copy smiled. "When you made us...them...when you made them dinner."
"That was mostly Martouf."
"And when you burned the breakfast."
Malek glanced down as he chuckled. "I remember."
Copy sat down. "Do you know how I will be put into into the Tok'ra database?"
"No."
Copy nodded. He wished he would be listed as a Tok'ra, but he doubted that would happen. He could only hope to be listed as a symbiote and not a Goa'uld. Being Lantash's clone worked for him with that hope. Hopefully they wouldn't be able to list a clone of their own as a Goa'uld.
Martouf walked into the room. He was clearly upset and keeping it in. Copy was a bit surprised that Lantash wasn't in control. Gawshaw followed him, and she waited to see of Martouf wanted to say anything before speaking. "It is time."
Copy nodded. "I am ready."
to be continued...
