Part Seven

The Colonel's eyes had slammed shut at the sight of Anise, almost as if he didn't believe his eyes, and despite the Doctor's attempt to rouse him, he had drifted quickly into sleep.

They all tiptoed from the room, Janet whispering that she would join them shortly. The two members of SG-1 headed straight for their remaining teammate to find Sam yawning herself awake. She sat up and stepped down from the bed, rubbing her hands through her hair, her attention focused on the shut door of the ICU.

"Did it work?"

"Do not worry, Major Carter, the healing you achieved gave me time to recover and complete treating Colonel O'Neill. He is well." Anise came up behind the two men.

Daniel shot a grateful look at the Tok'ra, and hurried to follow up on her explanation. "Janet's checking Jack out now, Sam, but it looks like the danger is past."

Sam nodded, a smile breaking over her face.

"How do you feel, Major Carter?"

"Actually, surprisingly good, Teal'c, especially now I've heard the good news." Then she abruptly sobered, turning back to Anise. "What happened on your base? Were you under attack? Was my father there?"

The other woman nodded. "You have reminded me. I should report to your General Hammond and explain. Will you accompany me Major Carter? I have news of your father."

"I'll stay here, Sam. You go. If anything happens I'll contact you immediately."

"I also will accompany you, Major Carter." Teal'c bowed slightly towards the Tok'ra. "We are in Anise's debt. Without her O'Neill would have died. Perhaps my assistance can go some way towards the repayment of that debt."

Daniel watched them leave. With another glance towards the closed ICU, he beckoned an orderly over. "Do you think you can arrange some coffee for me?" At the man's nod and pleasant smile, he sighed gratefully and settled down in a chair to wait, truly relaxed for the first time in days.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Janet Fraiser frowned at the results of the blood work she had carried out on the still sleeping Colonel. His obvious injuries were healed, but there were still traces of the toxin in his digestive system. Twice now he had opened his eyes, but only for a very few seconds before closing them once more. The intubation tube was still in place, a precautionary measure until he woke fully and she could be sure his breathing was not compromised.

The Colonel's team had asked to see him before Teal'c left with the SG teams being sent through to the Tok'ra base to look for survivors of the Goa'uld attack that had almost prevented Anise's arrival. Jacob Carter had led the evacuation, and was safe and well, much to Sam's relief. Apparently, Anise had stayed behind, risking injury to retrieve the healing device, and had barely made it through the gate to the SGC, Jaffa close on her heels.

Janet knew she was with Teal'c, Daniel and Sam, and under the circumstances, given what Anise had risked to save O'Neill's life, she could see no reason to prevent her or the others from visiting, just a nagging worry that all was not right. With a sign and a last look at her patient she went to fetch them.

It was as if the opening of the door had woken him at last. As they filed inside, the Colonel began moving his head from side to side, and as Janet reached him, he looked up at her, his eyes wide and staring. Anise hurried forward to stand on the opposite side of the bed, the others close behind her.

Colonel O'Neill gestured desperately, pulling at the tube snaking down his throat. His panic communicated itself clearly and Janet made quick work of removing the obstruction.

She was just in time.

Projectile vomit is not normally the way you greet an ally, but it was clear the Colonel couldn't avoid it. He folded in on himself, his whole body shuddering with the effort, as he violently coated the bed and everything around it in a thick black substance. Anise reeled back, her hand to her mouth, dripping. Janet lurched forward, grabbing a large bowl and holding it to the distressed man's face.

When the spasms finally subsided, she eased him back onto the bed, taking the wet sponge handed to her by a nurse, and wiped him down as best she could.

She was too soon.

He retched again, this time more weakly, struggling to breathe, his head turned on the pillow. With Teal'c help, Janet pulled him upright, only to see his eyes roll up in their sockets, and feel him slump into unconsciousness.

"What the hell just happened? I thought you fixed him?" Daniel glared accusingly at the shaken Tok'ra, as the medical staff hustled them out of the room.

"I did. His physical injuries are healed. There must be something more."

"The toxin. It must be the toxin." Sam turned to the other woman, grabbing her arm urgently. "Can the healing device cure poisoning?"

"Only marginally. It is designed to augment our own healing powers, and poison is easily eliminated by the symbiont part of our joining. The device is not designed to deal with toxins. I was not aware that Colonel O'Neill had been poisoned."

"Shit!" Daniel's unaccustomed swearing surprised them into silence. "Don't stand there arguing about reasons, Sam. Just work out what you can do to help Jack!"

Carter snapped back immediately. "I would, Daniel, but I'm an astrophysicist, not a chemist or a medical doctor. I have no idea where to start."

"Oh hell, Sam, I'm sorry." Daniel leaned against the wall, his body screaming how close to the edge he was. He had had virtually no sleep since their return from the planet, and this last crisis was too much.

Teal'c approached him and guided Daniel to a chair, carefully making him sit, as if he were made of glass. "Perhaps if we reviewed what we know of this substance, we could assist Doctor Fraiser in finding a solution."

"You're right. Plus it can't hurt. Daniel, can you get a nurse to show Anise where the showers are and have someone bring her some clean clothes? I'll go talk to Janet. We'll see you back here." Sam began to walk towards the ICU with determined steps.

"I'll just do that then." Daniel's sarcasm was lost to the exiting woman.

"I shall remain here, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c raised an eyebrow, a smile edging up the corners of his mouth, only to be extinguished as quickly as it had appeared.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"We have to find the solution soon. He can't go on like this." Janet watched helplessly as the Colonel twisted weakly on the bed, his face flushed and sweating.

"Doc?" His voice was weak, but it was him, coherent for the first time since his rescue.

"I'm here, Colonel."

"Team?"

"We're here, sir." Sam answered for all of them "We're all okay." She smiled down at him.

"God!" He writhed on the bed, pulling his legs up into his stomach, and a nurse hurried to untangle the many tubes and lines running into him.

"I'm sorry, sir. I've given you something to stop the nausea, but I can't do any more than that until we know more about what's wrong." Janet placed a hand on Jack's shoulder, feeling the tremors. "Do you remember anything about a chemical you were given? Anything at all that could help?"

"Tasted foul." His shaky voice still managed to convey his disgust.

"Yes, sir, I'm sure it did." Janet replied sympathetically, "Anything else? Did they say anything to you about it."

"You can't expect him to know anything, Janet. Look at him – he can barely stay conscious, let alone think." Daniel frowned down at his friend, the frailness of the man scaring him.

"I know, Daniel. You don't think I enjoy questioning him like this, do you? But any tiny detail might help. I'm clutching at straws here."

"Didn't talk"

Their attention was brought back to the Colonel by his words. He moaned, his hand going to his head, pulling the IV lines with them, the delicate pink of freshly healed skin stretching and becoming white. Teal'c gently stopped the movement, taking the hand in his, allowing the long fingers to press into his palm.

With an effort, Jack turned his head and looked straight at the Doctor, swallowing before repeating his words in a firmer voice. "They didn't talk to me. Animal. You don't talk to animals."

"God!" Sam put a hand to her mouth, her eyes showing her anger.

"The General has locked the address out of the computer, hasn't he?" Daniel spat his question out furiously, nodding when Teal'c answered with a tight "Indeed."

"Wait!" Surprised faces turned to Anise, quiet until now. "They treated him like an animal. That could be our answer."

A "What do you mean?" from Daniel was interrupted by the excited voice of Janet.

"Of course! I understand." She looked up at Sam to find an answering comprehension in her friend's eyes. "It could have been some sort of treatment designed for animals, not meant for humans. No wonder it was toxic."

Daniel paled. "What, you mean something like a worm or flea treatment?"

"Exactly. It could have been something to rid the body of parasites. Parasites that the Colonel didn't have. This gives us a starting point." Janet answered. "Sam, could you contact the lab? Explain the possibility of an anti-parasitic agent or even a crude antibiotic" She started ticking things off her fingers. "Check the toxins and chemical register for something similar, this time focussing on those particular types and these symptoms. With a bit of luck we might be able to find a parallel substance and an accompanying treatment we can adapt. I'll be there as soon as I can to help." Sam left in a hurry.

"I will go with Major Carter, Doctor. I may be able to assist."

Janet nodded to her gratefully. "Thank you Anise. Any help you can give will be appreciated."

"I will remain with O'Neill." Teal'c still sat, the Colonel's hand clenched tightly around his own.

"Alright, but I want you to get some sleep, Daniel, I don't need you in the infirmary as well." At the rebellious look on the man's face, Janet continued firmly. "Do I have to make it an order?"

"No." He gave a shrug, accepting her decision reluctantly. "You'll call me if there's any change?"

"Of course."

Soon the only people left in the Colonel's room were Janet, a nurse, and Teal'c. Jack was still awake, but how aware they could not be sure. He hadn't spoken since his explanation of his treatment at the hands of the people on the alien planet. Teal'c's thumb rubbed soothingly across the back of his hand, and gradually the trembling settled, and fell into a restless sleep.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Teeth nibbled away at him until he could feel the coolness of air on his stomach as the skin peeled back, burnt and blackened. Given easy access, the claws dug into his insides, sharp shooting pains running across his organs and up and out the top of his skull. He wanted to scream and yell, but he stayed quiet, holding in the agony, keeping his body still.

Only the touch of warm fingers on his kept him sane.

TBC