Disclaimer: much like everything else, I own nothing
Prodigal Son...er...Daughter?
Chapter Twelve.
It seemed like hours before she woke up. And they were all crowded around the hospital bed, staring at her. She looked up at them and winced, putting a hand to her forehead.
"Gods, I feel like I've been sent through a taffy puller...head first." she moaned. "I'm so woozy."
"That is something that usually accompanies blood loss." Teal'c said, zero expression in his voice. Teal'la was quietly processing this information, holding a hand over her eyes.
"Pardon?" she asked.
"You lost a lot of blood, but don't worry, we found most of it." Jack said. She smirked, chuckling, and then coughing.
"Oh, ow. No jokes, it hurts to laugh." she said. Jack murmured an apology. Teal'la sighed, becoming more serious. "I thought I was dead."
There was a small silence.
"You were." Teal'c affirmed. Teal'la was silent.
"Well, technically speaking your heart did stop beating." Daniel said, and the others looked at him, rolling their eyes.
"And how'd Janet manage to bring me back?" Teal'la asked. There was an even longer silence. A trickle of fear found its way to the teenager's heart and she took a deep intake of breath. "Sarcophagus." she breathed, shakily.
"Indeed." Teal'c said. She cursed, softly.
"So...who saved me, I distinctly remember being stabbed to death by Apophis."
What, she was making jokes now?
"Teal'la that's not funny." Sam said, and the small smirk that had been trying to force its way onto the girl's face gave up. She sighed.
"Well, damn, not if you think about it like that." she muttered. Daniel and Sam shared a glance and Jack glanced between them. "I'm waiting for my answer. Whose debt am I in?"
"Um...Teal'c, you wanna handle this one?"
"I do not."
More silence. Long silence.
"I'll do it, she already hates me." Daniel murmured, and Teal'la rolled her eyes, wincing from the pain. She knew that if she interrupted, however, that Daniel would then proceed to explain that it was his fault that she had collapsed, etc, and he would never get around to telling her what happened. "I think that—when Apophis stabbed you—your Goa'uld symbiote took control of your body and...killed him for you. And then sustained you until we could get you through the gate. She, uh...'it'... kicked the bucket just as we got the sarcophagus open. And then..." he stopped and looked at Jack, who was mouthing the word 'NO!' and waving his hands, cutting Daniel off. Daniel closed his mouth and the others looked at each other. Teal'la heaved a huge sigh.
"Tell me, Jack, what happened after I...died..."
"We put you in the tomb, you came out, we took you to the infirmary." Jack lied.
"Who carried me?" she asked, curiously.
"Teal'c." Jack answered immediately, almost amused by her rapid fire questioning.
"And I'm the Queen of France." Teal'la announced.
"Happy to hear it." Jack said with a pleasant smile.
"Jack. I am not comfortable." Teal'la sighed, annoyed. Jack's smile became a look of confusion.
"Well, I'm sorry, but we really can't do anything about the hospital beds-- " Jack started.
"Jack, stop. Teal'c didn't carry me, I walked, and in order to do that, I would have to be conscious. I don't remember being conscious." Teal'la said, hands still over her face.
Jack's face was blank, Daniel and Sam were both confused. And if Teal'c knew what she was talking about, he certainly wasn't telling.
"You're confused, let me explain. When Teal'c carried me to the infirmary the first time? That was the most comfortable half catatonic state I've ever been in...in my entire life." she said, matter-of-factly. Jack pulled on a comprehensive look and nodded. "Every single time I lie in these beds under my own power, I can never get comfortable. I am uncomfortable, so will somebody please tell me what happened between here and the sarcophagus?"
"She spoke to us." Sam said.
"Oh, so now it has a gender?" Teal'la asked. There was no hint of malice in her tired voice, just a note of resignation.
"Well, according to the name she gave us, and the way that she deports herself..." Daniel cut himself off when he saw her lift her hands up to look at him. She pushed herself up into a sitting position and resting her elbows on her knees.
"It has a name?" she asked, incredulously. Daniel looked uncomfortable.
"Yeah, Artemis. Why?"
Teal'la sat stunned as the blood slowly pumped its way through her brain. Then she leaned back, eyebrows lifting as she flopped back onto the gurney.
"Gods," she muttered. Daniel made a face that showed that he agreed. "Artemis, goddess of the hunt. Goddess of wisdom, war, and purity. I hated the Egyptian ones, so I took up Greek myth as a hobby. Perfect." she sighed, covering her face again. "What'd she say?"
"Nothing much. Oh..." Jack pulled the red hand held device that Hammond had given him out of his back pocket. "Call 'Doctor Jackson'."
"555-2008-346-5071-931-563." she rattled off. Jack stared at her and she looked at him. "I'm too woozy." she continued, by way of explanation. He nodded and she repeated the twenty digit number for him. Then he looked at her.
"Now what?"
"We wait." She responded. Fortunately they didn't have to wait long, and Teal'la smirked when the machine beeped. "Now push the green button." He did so. "The red button, put him on speaker."
The familiar buzzing and sounds of various machinery met Teal'la's ears and she smiled lightly.
"Can you hear me now, Daniel?" she asked, and Jack smirked, holding the device to face the bed-ridden adolescent.
"Teal'la that's not funny."
"I thought it was."
"George seemed to think you were upset at me for something?"
"Aw, you mean he didn't call you an asshole, like I told him to?"
Daniel opted to avoid that subject entirely, and the other Daniel agreed with him.
"What happened to you?"
"I was injured. I 'blacked out'." she used her fingers to gesture quotation marks, and Daniel on the screen became decidedly flustered. Daniel at Teal'la's bedside stared at the mirror image of himself in awe. "Just like all those other times that I 'blacked out' on a mission with you, dad."
"Teal'la--"
"Why didn't you tell me?!" she snapped, pushing herself up onto her elbows. Teal'c reached to assist her, wrapping a hand around her bicep to help her sit up. Sam, on her other side, helped, cradling her head. Teal'la barely noticed. "Don't tell me that you forgot, you never forget...anything!!"
She sounded resentful.
"George made me promise." he said at last. She stared at him. "We got attached to you. We didn't want you to hurt yourself if you found out at the wrong time."
She stared at him incredulously.
"Jesus, Daniel, what did you think I was gonna do, yell 'my life is a lie' and throw myself at their mercy?" she growled. He took a deep breath, looking miserable. She hardly ever called him Daniel. This was the most upset that she'd ever been towards him. "Did she ever talk to you?"
"No. Why?"
"No reason. Listen, Danny. I can't come home, so we're even."
At this, Daniel on screen looked alarmed.
"Why?!" he asked. "What's happened?"
"There was a situation off planet. I handled it. I saved them from Apophis, dad."
"And what about..."
"She's still alive here too." Teal'la said, and the SG1 shared a suspicious glance. "I'm sorry, dad."
"It's fine. We'll be able to get along without you, we've been doing it for a couple days now." Daniel said, and Teal'la shook her head.
"You sure? I mean half of the time you can barely find your own ass with two hands and a map." she said, and Jack snorted, looking pointedly at the Daniel next to Teal'la's bed. Daniel on screen looked at Jack, Teal'c, and Sam, and his eyes got all misty as he swallowed a lump in his throat.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Take care of 'em, Teal'la."
"I plan to. Bye dad."
Prodigal Son...er...Daughter?
Chapter Twelve.
It seemed like hours before she woke up. And they were all crowded around the hospital bed, staring at her. She looked up at them and winced, putting a hand to her forehead.
"Gods, I feel like I've been sent through a taffy puller...head first." she moaned. "I'm so woozy."
"That is something that usually accompanies blood loss." Teal'c said, zero expression in his voice. Teal'la was quietly processing this information, holding a hand over her eyes.
"Pardon?" she asked.
"You lost a lot of blood, but don't worry, we found most of it." Jack said. She smirked, chuckling, and then coughing.
"Oh, ow. No jokes, it hurts to laugh." she said. Jack murmured an apology. Teal'la sighed, becoming more serious. "I thought I was dead."
There was a small silence.
"You were." Teal'c affirmed. Teal'la was silent.
"Well, technically speaking your heart did stop beating." Daniel said, and the others looked at him, rolling their eyes.
"And how'd Janet manage to bring me back?" Teal'la asked. There was an even longer silence. A trickle of fear found its way to the teenager's heart and she took a deep intake of breath. "Sarcophagus." she breathed, shakily.
"Indeed." Teal'c said. She cursed, softly.
"So...who saved me, I distinctly remember being stabbed to death by Apophis."
What, she was making jokes now?
"Teal'la that's not funny." Sam said, and the small smirk that had been trying to force its way onto the girl's face gave up. She sighed.
"Well, damn, not if you think about it like that." she muttered. Daniel and Sam shared a glance and Jack glanced between them. "I'm waiting for my answer. Whose debt am I in?"
"Um...Teal'c, you wanna handle this one?"
"I do not."
More silence. Long silence.
"I'll do it, she already hates me." Daniel murmured, and Teal'la rolled her eyes, wincing from the pain. She knew that if she interrupted, however, that Daniel would then proceed to explain that it was his fault that she had collapsed, etc, and he would never get around to telling her what happened. "I think that—when Apophis stabbed you—your Goa'uld symbiote took control of your body and...killed him for you. And then sustained you until we could get you through the gate. She, uh...'it'... kicked the bucket just as we got the sarcophagus open. And then..." he stopped and looked at Jack, who was mouthing the word 'NO!' and waving his hands, cutting Daniel off. Daniel closed his mouth and the others looked at each other. Teal'la heaved a huge sigh.
"Tell me, Jack, what happened after I...died..."
"We put you in the tomb, you came out, we took you to the infirmary." Jack lied.
"Who carried me?" she asked, curiously.
"Teal'c." Jack answered immediately, almost amused by her rapid fire questioning.
"And I'm the Queen of France." Teal'la announced.
"Happy to hear it." Jack said with a pleasant smile.
"Jack. I am not comfortable." Teal'la sighed, annoyed. Jack's smile became a look of confusion.
"Well, I'm sorry, but we really can't do anything about the hospital beds-- " Jack started.
"Jack, stop. Teal'c didn't carry me, I walked, and in order to do that, I would have to be conscious. I don't remember being conscious." Teal'la said, hands still over her face.
Jack's face was blank, Daniel and Sam were both confused. And if Teal'c knew what she was talking about, he certainly wasn't telling.
"You're confused, let me explain. When Teal'c carried me to the infirmary the first time? That was the most comfortable half catatonic state I've ever been in...in my entire life." she said, matter-of-factly. Jack pulled on a comprehensive look and nodded. "Every single time I lie in these beds under my own power, I can never get comfortable. I am uncomfortable, so will somebody please tell me what happened between here and the sarcophagus?"
"She spoke to us." Sam said.
"Oh, so now it has a gender?" Teal'la asked. There was no hint of malice in her tired voice, just a note of resignation.
"Well, according to the name she gave us, and the way that she deports herself..." Daniel cut himself off when he saw her lift her hands up to look at him. She pushed herself up into a sitting position and resting her elbows on her knees.
"It has a name?" she asked, incredulously. Daniel looked uncomfortable.
"Yeah, Artemis. Why?"
Teal'la sat stunned as the blood slowly pumped its way through her brain. Then she leaned back, eyebrows lifting as she flopped back onto the gurney.
"Gods," she muttered. Daniel made a face that showed that he agreed. "Artemis, goddess of the hunt. Goddess of wisdom, war, and purity. I hated the Egyptian ones, so I took up Greek myth as a hobby. Perfect." she sighed, covering her face again. "What'd she say?"
"Nothing much. Oh..." Jack pulled the red hand held device that Hammond had given him out of his back pocket. "Call 'Doctor Jackson'."
"555-2008-346-5071-931-563." she rattled off. Jack stared at her and she looked at him. "I'm too woozy." she continued, by way of explanation. He nodded and she repeated the twenty digit number for him. Then he looked at her.
"Now what?"
"We wait." She responded. Fortunately they didn't have to wait long, and Teal'la smirked when the machine beeped. "Now push the green button." He did so. "The red button, put him on speaker."
The familiar buzzing and sounds of various machinery met Teal'la's ears and she smiled lightly.
"Can you hear me now, Daniel?" she asked, and Jack smirked, holding the device to face the bed-ridden adolescent.
"Teal'la that's not funny."
"I thought it was."
"George seemed to think you were upset at me for something?"
"Aw, you mean he didn't call you an asshole, like I told him to?"
Daniel opted to avoid that subject entirely, and the other Daniel agreed with him.
"What happened to you?"
"I was injured. I 'blacked out'." she used her fingers to gesture quotation marks, and Daniel on the screen became decidedly flustered. Daniel at Teal'la's bedside stared at the mirror image of himself in awe. "Just like all those other times that I 'blacked out' on a mission with you, dad."
"Teal'la--"
"Why didn't you tell me?!" she snapped, pushing herself up onto her elbows. Teal'c reached to assist her, wrapping a hand around her bicep to help her sit up. Sam, on her other side, helped, cradling her head. Teal'la barely noticed. "Don't tell me that you forgot, you never forget...anything!!"
She sounded resentful.
"George made me promise." he said at last. She stared at him. "We got attached to you. We didn't want you to hurt yourself if you found out at the wrong time."
She stared at him incredulously.
"Jesus, Daniel, what did you think I was gonna do, yell 'my life is a lie' and throw myself at their mercy?" she growled. He took a deep breath, looking miserable. She hardly ever called him Daniel. This was the most upset that she'd ever been towards him. "Did she ever talk to you?"
"No. Why?"
"No reason. Listen, Danny. I can't come home, so we're even."
At this, Daniel on screen looked alarmed.
"Why?!" he asked. "What's happened?"
"There was a situation off planet. I handled it. I saved them from Apophis, dad."
"And what about..."
"She's still alive here too." Teal'la said, and the SG1 shared a suspicious glance. "I'm sorry, dad."
"It's fine. We'll be able to get along without you, we've been doing it for a couple days now." Daniel said, and Teal'la shook her head.
"You sure? I mean half of the time you can barely find your own ass with two hands and a map." she said, and Jack snorted, looking pointedly at the Daniel next to Teal'la's bed. Daniel on screen looked at Jack, Teal'c, and Sam, and his eyes got all misty as he swallowed a lump in his throat.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Take care of 'em, Teal'la."
"I plan to. Bye dad."