Malak, Lanara and Selmak stood at the door to the cargo ship, unsure
whether or not to accompany SG-1 and Bra'tac through the Stargate or not.
Teal'c carried Jonas over his shoulder as delicately as he could manage, the latter having lapsed once again into ominous unconsciousness. His breathing was so shallow it was barely noticeable. His skin had become pale, and was damp with a fine sheen of sweat.
Colonel O'Neill and Carter had dialled the Gate, managing to decipher the world of origin's symbol reasonably swiftly, considering they had never been here before.
Selmak was the first to run after SG-1, even as they headed off through the Gate, Carter having sent through her GDO code. Malak was in close pursuit, followed immediately by Lanara.
Bra'tac noticed their approach, and nodded to Teal'c, who continued on his way through with the wounded Jonas over his shoulder.
The three Tok'ra and the elderly Jaffa passed through the rippling wormhole, just in time to see Jonas being lowered onto a gurney, and carted off to the infirmary, his companions in close pursuit.
* * *
Doctor Janet Fraiser was completely lost as to what had occurred, but she didn't care. She had a patient, and a potentially close call on her hands. She needed to get the young alien seen to, and patched up as soon as she could, by whatever means necessary.
"Lay him on his side," she instructed her assistants, "we don't want to do him further harm."
She watched as they shifted Jonas onto the medical bed, and she moved to inspect the large injury on his back, sighing at the sight of it. A noticeable burn had scorched both material and skin on the Kelownan's back, and it was a miracle he had survived as long as he had.
But she knew why. O'Neill had informed her of the presence of a symbiote within him, and she now had two dilemmas on her hands.
She had to try and save both lives, and determine whether or not her actions would endanger either of them.
As she began her work, she saw Carter enter the infirmary, and noticed the others enter the observation area above.
"Can I help?" Major Carter asked, her voice filled with concern. She wasn't sure where to put herself, and she moved out of the way every few moments as nurses and doctors alike shambled past her in a hurry.
Janet hooked Jonas up to a heart monitor as she replied, "I think Jonas needs some support. It might help."
"Okay," Carter mumbled in response, and she moved to the side of the bed, taking a hold of Jonas' hand.
The pulse that sounded on the heart monitor was erratic, and deeply troubling. Fraiser was concerned... especially since what she was hearing was the sound of two fatally weak heartbeats.
The symbiote and the host were dying.
* * *
Samantha Carter didn't hear precisely what Dr. Fraiser was yelling for, but she saw the actions of a nurse as she handed the woman a syringe.
Everything around Sam and Jonas faded out of existence... the noise, the busy chaotic motion... everything.
She touched a hand gently to his face, feeling the cold in his skin.
She didn't even flinch when Dr. Fraiser placed an oxygen mask around Jonas' face carefully, trying to do her job before she lost her patient... her patients.
Sam blinked back the moisture in her eyes at the thought of losing another close friend, and her mind flashed back into the memory of being at Daniel Jackson's bedside at his last moments of live... watching as the essence of what the Doctor had truly been slip away from them forever.
"Oh, god no," she said weakly as the sound that emanated from the monitor registered flat line, and she looked pleadingly to Dr. Fraiser as the woman called for something... something that Sam didn't register.
Her hand squeezed Jonas', and she felt the first tear fall. "Jonas," she whispered, "come on. You gotta fight this. Don't give in to this... please."
"Start defib!" Fraiser called, and watched as a defibrillator cart was wheeled over.
"Come on," Sam urged, squeezing his hand again.
Suddenly, the heart monitor went haywire, the two heartbeats merging erratically, until one rather weak but definite pulse sounded alone.
Sam felt her own heart skip a beat at the slight squeeze that came from Jonas' hand as he stirred.
"Doctor, the symbiote is dead," a nurse announced, inspecting the readings on the monitor.
Sam's mind flashed back to her own encounter with Jolinar, and she was amazed then at just how similar it was. Jolinar had given her own life for Samantha, and so had this Tok'ra for Jonas. She was reminded then of just how noble and kind the Tok'ra were.
"Jonas?" Sam managed quietly, smiling happily, seeing the movement of General Hammond and the others from up in the observation area.
"Doctor, is everything alright?" came the General's bold voice.
"Sir, the symbiote is dead, but Jonas should be fine," Fraiser reported, allowing herself a small smile.
Sam's smile grew as Jonas' eyes opened weakly, and he looked at her.
"What happened?" she managed to decipher in his weak sentence, and she stroked his damp hair with her free hand, her happiness overwhelming her for a moment.
"Your symbiote gave his life for you," Sam told him gently, running her hand softly down his face, and then patting him on the arm, "he saved you."
* * *
Hearing the sound of his own weak heartbeat, and feeling the presence of oxygen tubes in his nose, he forced his eyes to open. As he shifted his arm slightly, he felt the IV, and just how lacking in energy he truly was.
He also felt a great feeling of remorse and sadness wash over him at the loneliness that swam within him. He was alone again.
Tarak was gone.
Looking around through slightly blurred vision, he spotted a figure across the room.
Swallowing dryly, he managed to say one word, a name, "Colonel."
The greying man turned to face Jonas, and he immediately moved over to his bedside, seating himself, and saying, "Hey, how ya' doing?"
When he shifted slightly, he winced, feeling the burn on his back from the staff blast he had fallen victim to. He moved his head slightly on his pillow, his tousled hair no doubt sticking up in all directions. He took a deep breath before saying, "I'm not sure."
"Well, you're alive," Jack O'Neill pointed out, "that's a good thing, right?"
Instead of speaking, Jonas nodded slowly, and knew what expression crossed over his face. It was one of great sorrow and mourning.
He wasn't sure why it felt so bad... he was certain that Major Carter understood this feeling... she had been through it herself.
"Look, I know how you're feeling," the Colonel began quietly, his voice filled with sympathy. "The symbiote died to save you... and you sorta miss him."
Before Jonas could make any move to reply, the door clicked open, and Samantha Carter entered, smiling at Jonas warmly.
"Glad to see you're awake," she said gently, moving over, accepting the seat Colonel O'Neill gave her as he rose. As she sat, he stood behind the Major, hands in pockets, looking down on the Kelownan.
Jonas nodded again, feeling he didn't have the required energy to do anything else.
Sam looked up at O'Neill, who smiled once, and walked off, sitting on a bed across the room and taking to talking quietly with Dr. Fraiser.
Jonas' eyes settled back on Sam, as she gazed back at him, saying, "I know how it feels... to lose a symbiote." She took a moment, before continuing, "At first, you can't wait to get rid of it... but when it's gone..."
Before continuing, Sam took Jonas' hand in hers. "When it's gone, you feel like a part of you is lost, and you feel like nothing will ever replace that hole."
"Jolinar," he managed to say weakly in a quiet hoarse voice.
She nodded wordlessly.
"Lanara?" He saw the look of confusion on Sam's face, before realisation set in.
"Lanara returned to be with the other Tok'ra," Sam informed him, "but she said she'd like to hear from you when you felt better. I'm sure she'd understand if you didn't contact her."
Jonas shook his head. "No," he said, "I want to."
"Why?" Sam asked gently, her voice soft and soothing.
"To apologise," Jonas told her, his words gaining a little volume.
Sam smiled slightly, and nodded. Clearly, she understood, even if not fully.
For a while, Jonas simply lay there, with Sam for company, something that he truly appreciated and treasured. Her presence eased his pain.
Shortly before falling into a peaceful sleep, Jonas allowed himself a smile at the sacrifice the Tok'ra had made for him.
He would be forever grateful.
Teal'c carried Jonas over his shoulder as delicately as he could manage, the latter having lapsed once again into ominous unconsciousness. His breathing was so shallow it was barely noticeable. His skin had become pale, and was damp with a fine sheen of sweat.
Colonel O'Neill and Carter had dialled the Gate, managing to decipher the world of origin's symbol reasonably swiftly, considering they had never been here before.
Selmak was the first to run after SG-1, even as they headed off through the Gate, Carter having sent through her GDO code. Malak was in close pursuit, followed immediately by Lanara.
Bra'tac noticed their approach, and nodded to Teal'c, who continued on his way through with the wounded Jonas over his shoulder.
The three Tok'ra and the elderly Jaffa passed through the rippling wormhole, just in time to see Jonas being lowered onto a gurney, and carted off to the infirmary, his companions in close pursuit.
* * *
Doctor Janet Fraiser was completely lost as to what had occurred, but she didn't care. She had a patient, and a potentially close call on her hands. She needed to get the young alien seen to, and patched up as soon as she could, by whatever means necessary.
"Lay him on his side," she instructed her assistants, "we don't want to do him further harm."
She watched as they shifted Jonas onto the medical bed, and she moved to inspect the large injury on his back, sighing at the sight of it. A noticeable burn had scorched both material and skin on the Kelownan's back, and it was a miracle he had survived as long as he had.
But she knew why. O'Neill had informed her of the presence of a symbiote within him, and she now had two dilemmas on her hands.
She had to try and save both lives, and determine whether or not her actions would endanger either of them.
As she began her work, she saw Carter enter the infirmary, and noticed the others enter the observation area above.
"Can I help?" Major Carter asked, her voice filled with concern. She wasn't sure where to put herself, and she moved out of the way every few moments as nurses and doctors alike shambled past her in a hurry.
Janet hooked Jonas up to a heart monitor as she replied, "I think Jonas needs some support. It might help."
"Okay," Carter mumbled in response, and she moved to the side of the bed, taking a hold of Jonas' hand.
The pulse that sounded on the heart monitor was erratic, and deeply troubling. Fraiser was concerned... especially since what she was hearing was the sound of two fatally weak heartbeats.
The symbiote and the host were dying.
* * *
Samantha Carter didn't hear precisely what Dr. Fraiser was yelling for, but she saw the actions of a nurse as she handed the woman a syringe.
Everything around Sam and Jonas faded out of existence... the noise, the busy chaotic motion... everything.
She touched a hand gently to his face, feeling the cold in his skin.
She didn't even flinch when Dr. Fraiser placed an oxygen mask around Jonas' face carefully, trying to do her job before she lost her patient... her patients.
Sam blinked back the moisture in her eyes at the thought of losing another close friend, and her mind flashed back into the memory of being at Daniel Jackson's bedside at his last moments of live... watching as the essence of what the Doctor had truly been slip away from them forever.
"Oh, god no," she said weakly as the sound that emanated from the monitor registered flat line, and she looked pleadingly to Dr. Fraiser as the woman called for something... something that Sam didn't register.
Her hand squeezed Jonas', and she felt the first tear fall. "Jonas," she whispered, "come on. You gotta fight this. Don't give in to this... please."
"Start defib!" Fraiser called, and watched as a defibrillator cart was wheeled over.
"Come on," Sam urged, squeezing his hand again.
Suddenly, the heart monitor went haywire, the two heartbeats merging erratically, until one rather weak but definite pulse sounded alone.
Sam felt her own heart skip a beat at the slight squeeze that came from Jonas' hand as he stirred.
"Doctor, the symbiote is dead," a nurse announced, inspecting the readings on the monitor.
Sam's mind flashed back to her own encounter with Jolinar, and she was amazed then at just how similar it was. Jolinar had given her own life for Samantha, and so had this Tok'ra for Jonas. She was reminded then of just how noble and kind the Tok'ra were.
"Jonas?" Sam managed quietly, smiling happily, seeing the movement of General Hammond and the others from up in the observation area.
"Doctor, is everything alright?" came the General's bold voice.
"Sir, the symbiote is dead, but Jonas should be fine," Fraiser reported, allowing herself a small smile.
Sam's smile grew as Jonas' eyes opened weakly, and he looked at her.
"What happened?" she managed to decipher in his weak sentence, and she stroked his damp hair with her free hand, her happiness overwhelming her for a moment.
"Your symbiote gave his life for you," Sam told him gently, running her hand softly down his face, and then patting him on the arm, "he saved you."
* * *
Hearing the sound of his own weak heartbeat, and feeling the presence of oxygen tubes in his nose, he forced his eyes to open. As he shifted his arm slightly, he felt the IV, and just how lacking in energy he truly was.
He also felt a great feeling of remorse and sadness wash over him at the loneliness that swam within him. He was alone again.
Tarak was gone.
Looking around through slightly blurred vision, he spotted a figure across the room.
Swallowing dryly, he managed to say one word, a name, "Colonel."
The greying man turned to face Jonas, and he immediately moved over to his bedside, seating himself, and saying, "Hey, how ya' doing?"
When he shifted slightly, he winced, feeling the burn on his back from the staff blast he had fallen victim to. He moved his head slightly on his pillow, his tousled hair no doubt sticking up in all directions. He took a deep breath before saying, "I'm not sure."
"Well, you're alive," Jack O'Neill pointed out, "that's a good thing, right?"
Instead of speaking, Jonas nodded slowly, and knew what expression crossed over his face. It was one of great sorrow and mourning.
He wasn't sure why it felt so bad... he was certain that Major Carter understood this feeling... she had been through it herself.
"Look, I know how you're feeling," the Colonel began quietly, his voice filled with sympathy. "The symbiote died to save you... and you sorta miss him."
Before Jonas could make any move to reply, the door clicked open, and Samantha Carter entered, smiling at Jonas warmly.
"Glad to see you're awake," she said gently, moving over, accepting the seat Colonel O'Neill gave her as he rose. As she sat, he stood behind the Major, hands in pockets, looking down on the Kelownan.
Jonas nodded again, feeling he didn't have the required energy to do anything else.
Sam looked up at O'Neill, who smiled once, and walked off, sitting on a bed across the room and taking to talking quietly with Dr. Fraiser.
Jonas' eyes settled back on Sam, as she gazed back at him, saying, "I know how it feels... to lose a symbiote." She took a moment, before continuing, "At first, you can't wait to get rid of it... but when it's gone..."
Before continuing, Sam took Jonas' hand in hers. "When it's gone, you feel like a part of you is lost, and you feel like nothing will ever replace that hole."
"Jolinar," he managed to say weakly in a quiet hoarse voice.
She nodded wordlessly.
"Lanara?" He saw the look of confusion on Sam's face, before realisation set in.
"Lanara returned to be with the other Tok'ra," Sam informed him, "but she said she'd like to hear from you when you felt better. I'm sure she'd understand if you didn't contact her."
Jonas shook his head. "No," he said, "I want to."
"Why?" Sam asked gently, her voice soft and soothing.
"To apologise," Jonas told her, his words gaining a little volume.
Sam smiled slightly, and nodded. Clearly, she understood, even if not fully.
For a while, Jonas simply lay there, with Sam for company, something that he truly appreciated and treasured. Her presence eased his pain.
Shortly before falling into a peaceful sleep, Jonas allowed himself a smile at the sacrifice the Tok'ra had made for him.
He would be forever grateful.