Janet was startled out of her reverie as she heard the sound of footsteps
on the stairs leading up to the briefing room. She had reluctantly left the
observation room after the Tok'ra's attempt to heal Jack with the hand
device had failed. She knew her friends had left her alone in the briefing
room for a few moments to allow her to regain some composure, and for that
she was eternally thankful.
"His condition is beyond the healing of a hand device." She heard the unmistakable voice of the Tok'ra. "However, there is a symbiote who is in dire need of a host."
"Doctor." Hammond acknowledge Janet as they entered the briefing room.
"What happened?" Sam asked Thoran as they reached the top of the stairs.
"The former host was mortally wounded on assignment and the symbiote was unable to heal him. We believe that would not be the case with Colonel O'Neill. Physical trauma is much more difficult to deal with than disease."
Janet stood up, shocked as she realised what the Tok'ra was suggesting.
"I do not believe Colonel O'Neill would choose to become a Tok'ra." Teal'c stated the obvious.
"I am aware of the Colonel's dislike for our kind. However, I am surprised that you think he would choose death over blending."
Janet was just about ready to jump into the conversation when Jonas appeared, a grave look on his face.
"Ayiana's dead." He paused. "Dr Warner did everything he could, but."
"She may have been on borrowed time from the start." Sam admitted in a defeated tone.
"Jonas, this is Thoran of the Tok'ra. Thoran, this is Jonas Quinn. The Tok'ra are offering a symbiote in the hopes that it can heal Colonel O'Neill."
"What does Colonel O'Neill have to say?" Jonas asked,
"Colonel O'Neill's in a coma. The fact is, we may be in the position of having to decide for him." Hammond replied.
"We can't do that." Janet finally joined the conversation.
The Tok'ra turned to her, "No Tok'ra symbiote would choose to blend with an unwilling host permanently. Perhaps a temporary arrangement can be reached?"
"What do you mean?" Hammond asked.
"The symbiote, Kanan, is someone I know well. I have no doubt that he would be willing to blend with O'Neill, cure him, and then leave him again. If another suitable host can be found."
Janet felt some of Jack's cynicism about the Tok'ra, she had one major problem with that sentence, IF another host can be found.
"If not?" Teal'c took the words right out of her mouth.
"I assure you he would ultimately sacrifice himself rather than remain with an unwilling host. Kanan's former host died before he was able to reveal the details of what we believe was vital intelligence about the undercover mission he was on."
Janet could hear Jack's voice as clear as day, 'Ah, and now the other shoe drops.'
"I cannot stress enough how important that information could be."
There was silence for a moment, and Janet knew they would be waiting for her to say something. She was his 'partner', but she couldn't make this decision for him, it had to be his choice. As much as it would just be easier for her to stand here, and tell them to do it, to save him.
"We have to at least give him a chance to decide for himself." She said. "We owe him that."
She could see Sam, Teal'c and Jonas look to one another in agreement.
"Sir, Janet's right, as much as we all want to help him, he has to choose." Sam said.
"I'll talk to him." Janet said quietly.
"Wha- well, I mean are you sure that's such a good idea." Sam waved her arm in the direction of Janet's swollen abdomen.
"I'll be in Haz-Mat gear." She paused, "I really think this is something I have to do."
Janet almost dreaded the sound indicating it was safe to proceed. She didn't know what she was going to do or say. All she knew the moment that she saw Jack on the gurney, was that she needed him, and that he couldn't die, he couldn't leave her alone. This was exactly why she had run away from him, to avoid this exact thing from happening. To have him inches away from death, while all she could do was watch from the sidelines.
She approached his bed cautiously, watching carefully as Warner administered something through Jack's IV line.
"1cc of epi?" She asked.
Warner nodded in response. "I don't know if this will work." He said sceptically.
"It'll work." Janet whispered to herself. "It has to."
She waited a moment, and then carefully leaned over his bed.
"Jack." She said softly. "Jack, I need you to listen to me." She paused. "The Tok'ra have offered you a deal, they have a symbiote that could cure you." He didn't respond. "Jack, can you hear me?"
His eyes fluttered open, "Janet?" He croaked out.
She smiled, squeezing his hand. "Yeah."
He was shaking his head slightly, "They put a snake in me over my dead body."
She had known he would say something along those lines. "It's only temporary, the symbiote will cure and then leave you." She paused, "Hopefully you'd be home in time to see the little one born." She smiled slightly, squeezing his hand again.
He didn't say anything.
"Jack.please." She begged. "You promised me you would always come back to us." She whispered, running a hand across his forehead.
He focused on her, and she could see the turmoil behind his deep brown eyes.
Then finally, he nodded, squeezing her hand as he did so.
Almost instantly a team moved in to get him ready for transport, while SG-1 geared up to move out, within minutes they were ready to close the lid of the transportation stretcher.
"Wait." Came Jack's indignant cry, quiet as it was. He looked to Janet, and she approached immediately.
She leant down, to make sure only he could hear her, "Thank you." She whispered.
He nodded his head slightly, "I love you."
"I love you too." She replied, pulling down the lid of the stretcher, allowing her hand to linger on the glass longer than necessary.
The gurney was wheeled away, leaving Janet in a deserted room, feeling more vulnerable than she had in a very long time.
"His condition is beyond the healing of a hand device." She heard the unmistakable voice of the Tok'ra. "However, there is a symbiote who is in dire need of a host."
"Doctor." Hammond acknowledge Janet as they entered the briefing room.
"What happened?" Sam asked Thoran as they reached the top of the stairs.
"The former host was mortally wounded on assignment and the symbiote was unable to heal him. We believe that would not be the case with Colonel O'Neill. Physical trauma is much more difficult to deal with than disease."
Janet stood up, shocked as she realised what the Tok'ra was suggesting.
"I do not believe Colonel O'Neill would choose to become a Tok'ra." Teal'c stated the obvious.
"I am aware of the Colonel's dislike for our kind. However, I am surprised that you think he would choose death over blending."
Janet was just about ready to jump into the conversation when Jonas appeared, a grave look on his face.
"Ayiana's dead." He paused. "Dr Warner did everything he could, but."
"She may have been on borrowed time from the start." Sam admitted in a defeated tone.
"Jonas, this is Thoran of the Tok'ra. Thoran, this is Jonas Quinn. The Tok'ra are offering a symbiote in the hopes that it can heal Colonel O'Neill."
"What does Colonel O'Neill have to say?" Jonas asked,
"Colonel O'Neill's in a coma. The fact is, we may be in the position of having to decide for him." Hammond replied.
"We can't do that." Janet finally joined the conversation.
The Tok'ra turned to her, "No Tok'ra symbiote would choose to blend with an unwilling host permanently. Perhaps a temporary arrangement can be reached?"
"What do you mean?" Hammond asked.
"The symbiote, Kanan, is someone I know well. I have no doubt that he would be willing to blend with O'Neill, cure him, and then leave him again. If another suitable host can be found."
Janet felt some of Jack's cynicism about the Tok'ra, she had one major problem with that sentence, IF another host can be found.
"If not?" Teal'c took the words right out of her mouth.
"I assure you he would ultimately sacrifice himself rather than remain with an unwilling host. Kanan's former host died before he was able to reveal the details of what we believe was vital intelligence about the undercover mission he was on."
Janet could hear Jack's voice as clear as day, 'Ah, and now the other shoe drops.'
"I cannot stress enough how important that information could be."
There was silence for a moment, and Janet knew they would be waiting for her to say something. She was his 'partner', but she couldn't make this decision for him, it had to be his choice. As much as it would just be easier for her to stand here, and tell them to do it, to save him.
"We have to at least give him a chance to decide for himself." She said. "We owe him that."
She could see Sam, Teal'c and Jonas look to one another in agreement.
"Sir, Janet's right, as much as we all want to help him, he has to choose." Sam said.
"I'll talk to him." Janet said quietly.
"Wha- well, I mean are you sure that's such a good idea." Sam waved her arm in the direction of Janet's swollen abdomen.
"I'll be in Haz-Mat gear." She paused, "I really think this is something I have to do."
Janet almost dreaded the sound indicating it was safe to proceed. She didn't know what she was going to do or say. All she knew the moment that she saw Jack on the gurney, was that she needed him, and that he couldn't die, he couldn't leave her alone. This was exactly why she had run away from him, to avoid this exact thing from happening. To have him inches away from death, while all she could do was watch from the sidelines.
She approached his bed cautiously, watching carefully as Warner administered something through Jack's IV line.
"1cc of epi?" She asked.
Warner nodded in response. "I don't know if this will work." He said sceptically.
"It'll work." Janet whispered to herself. "It has to."
She waited a moment, and then carefully leaned over his bed.
"Jack." She said softly. "Jack, I need you to listen to me." She paused. "The Tok'ra have offered you a deal, they have a symbiote that could cure you." He didn't respond. "Jack, can you hear me?"
His eyes fluttered open, "Janet?" He croaked out.
She smiled, squeezing his hand. "Yeah."
He was shaking his head slightly, "They put a snake in me over my dead body."
She had known he would say something along those lines. "It's only temporary, the symbiote will cure and then leave you." She paused, "Hopefully you'd be home in time to see the little one born." She smiled slightly, squeezing his hand again.
He didn't say anything.
"Jack.please." She begged. "You promised me you would always come back to us." She whispered, running a hand across his forehead.
He focused on her, and she could see the turmoil behind his deep brown eyes.
Then finally, he nodded, squeezing her hand as he did so.
Almost instantly a team moved in to get him ready for transport, while SG-1 geared up to move out, within minutes they were ready to close the lid of the transportation stretcher.
"Wait." Came Jack's indignant cry, quiet as it was. He looked to Janet, and she approached immediately.
She leant down, to make sure only he could hear her, "Thank you." She whispered.
He nodded his head slightly, "I love you."
"I love you too." She replied, pulling down the lid of the stretcher, allowing her hand to linger on the glass longer than necessary.
The gurney was wheeled away, leaving Janet in a deserted room, feeling more vulnerable than she had in a very long time.