Chapter 27- The Cure
"All personnel, please be advised that the mountain is now under a code five lockdown. Repeat, the mountain is under a code five lockdown," a woman said over the intercom. Laura looked up from the drugs she was putting in an IV as Teal'C entered the infirmary. Laura left the bag as Dr. Frasier left her spot beside Carter, who had been knifed by her roommate.
"Thank God you're back," Frasier said, relief in her eyes and voice.
"What happened to Captain Carter?" Teal'C asked, looking at Carter.
"She was stabbed by her roommate. Don't worry, it's superficial. She's going to be okay," Laura said, as Doctor Frasier grabbed Teal'C's arm and they went out into the corridor.
"We've run out of space. We had to start doubling up on the "Iso" rooms," Frasier said.
"I have retrieved the blood sample you requested," Teal'C said, reaching for the front pocket on his bulletproof vest.
"Good work, Mr. Teal'C," Frasier said as Teal'C handed her the blood.
"How is your father?" Teal'C asked Laura.
"Still not much of an improvement, but we found out some of the sedative can knock back the primitive mindset. Where's Daniel?" Laura asked, looking around.
"I lost him on the dark side of the planet," Teal'C said.
"Oh, lord," Laura said as they went to her father's cell and she opened the door. Jack woke up.
"Colonel O'Neill," Teal'C said.
"Teal'C, Laura," Jack said in a faint voice as Laura sat next to him and squeezed his large hand gently.
"I am afraid I lost Daniel Jackson on the dark side of the planet. I am sorry," Teal'C said in a remorseful voice.
Frasier then cam in with a happy look on her face. "Colonel O'Neill, I think I might have something. I was examining the blood sample that Mr. Teal'C brought me. Then it hit me. There is very little histamine in it," Frasier said, sitting down in front of them.
"That means me, Teal'C, you, and Daniel don't have histamines either?" Laura sked.
"Exactly. In you and Teal'C's case, it's the Goa'uld DNA. A Goa'uld must have very little or no histamines on their genetic makeup. But if the people on that planet are human as you say, they have to have histamine in their blood," Frasier said.
"How does this help us?" Teal'C asked.
"Well, as I said before, this microbe is a histaminolytic. It feeds on histamine. The Untouched have no histamine in their bodies, so the organism couldn't survive in them," Frasier said.
"I don't understand. It is the Untouched that becomes the Touched. If they don't have histamines, why do some of them change?" Laura asked furrowing her forehead.
"Because only some of them have this low histamine level, which means there is probably a naturally-occurring antihistamine in there diets. The ones who don't eat it eventually contract the organism. Which is what gave me an idea. I checked the files. Both Dr. Jackson and I have acute rhinitis caused by severe allergies," Frasier said with a grin.
"Explain," Teal'C said.
"I take strong antihistamines every day. So did Dr. Jackson. I have no histamine for the microbe to feed on. Just like the Untouched and Mr. Teal'C and Laura, the organism starves in my body," Frasier said.
"Does this mean you have a cure?" Laura asked hopefully.
"We have to try mega doses of Chlorpheniramine maleate on someone and see if it works," Frasier said, holding up the syringe with the drugs.
"Me," Jack said, leaning forward slightly. Laura and Frasier grinned at each other.
"I thought your father might say that. Now the dose required to completely clear the body of histamine for a long enough time could be harmful. You're sure?" Frasier asked. Jack nodded his head. Frasier went to his IV bag and put the drugs in. Laura watched as her father's eyes started to droop.
"Now all we can do is wait it out. We better lock him up again," Laura said to Teal'C as she stood and gently eased his head down onto his pillow as Teal'C stood next to her. She leaned over and kissed her father's forehead gently as she covered him with a blanket. She and Teal'C went outside the door and sat outside in chairs.
"He will be all right, Laura," Frasier said.
"I hope so. Like I said, all we can do is wait," Laura said as an airman brought her a cup of coffee,
Laura had nodded off and she woke to a loud rapping sound. "Teal'C! Laura! Doc! Open the door!" Her father's voice shouted, between his raps. Laura felt a grin cross her face as Teal'C stood and opened the spyhole.
"Dad?" Laura asked.
"Colonel O'Neill?" Teal'C asked.
"Lucy, I'm home!" Jack said in his best Ricky Ricardo voice and Laura started to laugh.
" I am not Lucy," Teal'C said, not getting what Jack was saying.
"I know that. It was a reference to an old TV- Never mind, you or my brat open the door," Jack said.
"I will summon the doctor," Teal'C said, turning to leave.
"No, no, come on. I'm fine. I'm back to being myself. Just open up," Jack said.
"I cannot be certain you are back to being yourself. You referred to me and Laura O'Neill as Lucy," Teal'C said. Laura snorted, covering her mouth with her hand.
"Oh, for crying out loud, will you or Laura just open the door? This stuff works. Let's find doc," Jack said as Teal'C opened the door and Jack passed him and Laura.
Laura held a tranquilizer gun in her hands as the gate opened. The drugs to combat the virus worked very quickly on all the infected personnel and it looked as if no one had been sick. " The guns are loaded with tranquilizer darts filled with Chlorpheniramine. Now a direct hit on a Touched man or woman, should knock them out long enough to starve the disease. Good luck," Frasier said as she left the gateroom.
"Thanks, Doc," Jack said as he fastened his bulletproof vest.
"We're gonna try to "Tranq" all the Touched?" Carter asked.
"Just the ones that get in the way of us finding Daniel. We'll leave the rest for the Untouched," Jack said cryptically.
"You think he's still alive?" Carter asked.
"Let's find out," Jack said as the gate opened. and they stepped through it.
