Chapter 19- Negotiations and a Man's Life
Laura, Teal'C, Jack, and General Hammond came back into the operating room. Kawalsky looked as if he was suffering as his body fought against the restraints holding him. The Goa'uld wanted his freedom and would stop at nothing short of killing Kawalsky to do it. "Charlie, we got General Hammond here," Jack said as they moved the table so Kawalsky could talk to General Hammond.
"General, please. You gotta tell 'em to do something. The pain is too much," Kawalsky groaned.
"We are, Major. You just have to hold on," Hammond said in a soothing fatherly voice.
"No, don't you give me that good soldier crap, Gereal. You order them to cut this thing out of me," Kawalsky snapped angrily.
"Teal'C and Laura says if they do that you might die," Jack said sharply.
"I don't care!" Kawalsky screamed.
"Look, Major, we want to talk to it," Laura said, touching his shoulder gently.
"What? What is there to talk about?" Kawalsky asked, his voice squeaking slightly.
"We must offer it life to save yours," Teal'C said.
"No! No, I want you to kill it!" Kawalsky said and the heart rate machine started to beep louder.
"We must talk to the Goa'uld within you," Teal'C persisted.
"Jack, please, help me, Jack," Charlie begged.
"Charlie, just let 'em do their job, will ya?" Jack asked sharply.
"No, don't let them do this, Jack! I want you to kill it! Kill it, Jack! Kill it!" Kawalsky screamed.
"His heart rate just doubled," the doctor said in between screams. Kawalsky then blacked out and when he raised his head, Laura could see it was the Goa'uld now looking at them.
"My name is Kree. I won't speak to the traitor or the abomination. You are their leader?" Kree asked, dismissing both Teal'C and Laura before looking at Hammond.
"I am," Hammond said.
"Speak," Kree ordered.
"I'm General George Hammond, United States Air Force. Commander in Chief of the S.G.C. And you are-?" Hammond tried to ask.
"Interested only in returning through the Stargate. Now!" Kree ordered.
"You are in no position to make demands. I have a proposition," Hammond said evenly.
"Release me now or I will destroy you," Kree threatened.
"If you will leave this man's body, Kree, we will allow you to live and send you back through the Stargate in your natural fo-" Laura started to say.
"This body is mine!" Kree said, just barely beneath a shout.
"If you are unwilling to leave, we will be forced to surgically-" Laura tried to say again. Kree then broke the arm restraints.
"Teal'C, hold him!" Jack said as Teal'C held Kree down before he could escape.
"Release me now or I will destroy you!" Kree shouted at Hammond.
"Do not attempt to escape!" Hammond shouted back.
"I command you!" Kree ordered.
"We will open fire! Colonel, Teal'C, Miss O'Neill, stand aside!" Hammond ordered.
"Release me now!" Kree said as two soldiers with guns came to the table and pointed the guns at Kree.
"Take aim!" Hammond said and the Laura heard the clips in the gun.
"Don't shoot!" Laura then heard Kawalsky say.
"Don't shoot! Kawalsky's back!" Laura ordered, looking at the gunners.
"Hold your fire!" Hammond ordered.
"Oh! Oh, lord!," Kawalsky gasped out.
"It's all right, son. I won't put you through that again," Hammond said soothingly.
"Oh, kid, what did I do?" Kawalsky asked, looking at Laura with tears in his eyes.
"Nothing. Just got a little mouthy. Nothing serious. It's okay. Go ahead and cry if you have to. I know I would," Laura said, touching his shoulder gently.
"Doctor Warner? I want to know the minute that godforsaken thing can be taken out of my officer, is that clear?" Hammond asked.
"Yes Sir," Warner said.
"This conversation is over," Hammond said, leaving the operating room.
"Well, that was a complete and total bust," Laura said as they all sat at the conference table.
"How so, Laura?" Daniel asked.
"Simple. The Goa'uld don't give up their hosts. I should have remembered, but I didn't and for that I'm sorry. We just wasted valuable time that could have been spent in trying to get Kree out," Laura said.
"But you said that it could kill him," Jack said.
"It could. I don't think I've ever seen a Goa'uld kill its host. I've only heard about it," Laura said, wrinkling her forehead to try to remember if her genetic memory had ever seen it.
Everyone stood as General Hammond came into the conference room. "As you were, people. In light of the day's events, Colonel Kennedy has chosen to make certain recommendations to my superiors that I want to share with all of you. Colonel Kennedy?" Hammond asked as they all took their seats and he looked at Kennedy at the other end.
"I know that many of you have served with Major Kawalsky, so please forgive me if what I am about to suggest appears in any way callous, but I believe surgical removal of the parasite may be a mistake," Kennedy said.
"General, this is a waste of time Kawalsky does not have," Jack said irritably.
"Doctor Warner, what are Major Kawalsky's chances of surviving the procedure?" Kennedy asked the doctor.
"Ten, twelve percent at most," Warner said.
"And the parasite? It is an intelligent being after all, isn't Colonel? I believe I first read that in your report and the girl's memory is very sharp and intelligent," Kennedy said in a mocking tone.
"The parasite itself would not survive the procedure," Warner said.
"So, we're faced with destroying one life in the hopeless attempt to save another. You see the ethical dilemma," Warner said.
"No, I don't. Kawalsky is still a person. You're saying that the parasite has more of a right over the man. You wanna know why the Goa'uld have gotten so out of control and powerful? At one time they thought just like you. They thought they deserved to live and the humans aren't worth anything, so they must die," Laura said.
"My team and I are completely prepared to perform the procedure, Sir. We'll do our best," Warner said to Hammond.
"Of course you will, Doctor. Please don't misunderstand. We all wish the invading parasite in Major Kawalsky's body could be safely removed. But the facts are the facts. Not even the girl and Teal'C know what could happen if we remove it," Kennedy said.
"I'm sorry, what was your point?" Carter asked.
"If we proceed with this operation, Major Kawalsky would have died in vain," Kennedy said.
"And if we don't?" Laura asked guardedly.
"Well, let's consider that for a moment. These infant Goa'ulds, if they're so young, so fragile in their larval state, that they require a, uh, I'm sorry what is it you call yourself?" Kennedy asked Teal'C.
"Jaffa," Teal'C said.
"For want of a better translation incubator? How is it that they're so intelligent?" Kennedy asked.
"A Goa'uld or Harcesis, like her, is born with the knowledge of all the Goa'ulds that came before it," Teal'C said, indicating Laura.
"Genetic memory. That's amazing," Daniel said.
"Yes it is. All the knowledge of the Goa'ulds. I just want you all to think on that before we just throw it away," Kennedy said.
"I've thought about it. You thought about it? I think we've all thought- Any more thinking to be done?" Jack asked around the table.
"Colonel," Hammond said warningly.
"Imagine if we could convince this Goa'uld to share that knowledge," Kennedy said.
"A Goa'uld would not willingly share. The only way would be for someone like me to be here or someone like Teal'C who defected from the Goa'ulds," Laura said.
"No, Laura is right. To them, we're nothing. Less than nothing. I mean, think about it: they've taken on the roles of our ancient gods. What does that tell you?" Daniel asked.
"All right. What if we just studied it? How much could we learn from that? What if we just faced up to the fact of Major Kawalsky's slim chances of survival, and realized that the greatest enemy mankind may ever face has just been delivered right to our doorstep. Even if we let it return right through the Stargate as a gesture of good faith, how much could we-" Kennedy said, before Hammond interrupted him.
"Just what kind of an officer are you, Colonel?"" Hammond asked angrily.
"Sir?" Kennedy asked confused.
"As long as there's a snowball's chance in hell that my officer will come out of this procedure alive, we'll go ahead with it," Hammond said.
"With respect, General, I feel I should take this to my superiors," Kennedy said.
Hammond gave a short laugh. "Well, me, I'll probably just call the president, and get approval right from the horse's mouth. But sure, you go right ahead, Colonel. Talk to your superiors. In the meantime, people, let's get the job done," Hammond said as he stood and left the room. Laura then went with Doctor Warner and Teal'C. Warner had told her that he needed to know how much sedative to give Teal'C or if it even applied to a Jaffa. Laura was a little curious and wanted to know that answer too.
