When they returned, they found Janet already in the infirmary, waiting for them.
"I have news." She told them. "About the paint."
"Paint?" Sam asked, confused.
"From P69-522X. Daniel and Teal'c and I collected samples."
"Why?"
"To prove you innocent, of course. Major Davis authorised it." Jack shut the door of the infirmary.
"You knew?" Sam asked, astonished. "You knew what I did?"
"The bruises on Dr Marlin's face. I knew. We all did." Janet told her, gently. "We also knew that you weren't capable of killing someone, you'd have stopped long before he died. It was just a matter of finding out what happened."
"What about the pills Warner had her on?" Jack asked. Janet looked confused. Jack told her about the pills, about Sam's growing addiction to them.
"That I didn't know about." She said grimly. "You have to come off those, but it'll be difficult."
"I know." Sam said. She was past caring at that point. She was just so tired.
"But, the good news...the paint was poisonous."
"Poisonous how?" Jack asked. Sam only listened. A heavy headache was settling in behind her eyes.
"Well, at first, just mild loss of inhibitions. Like alcohol. That would account for Dr Marlin been unable to control his fear, and your anger at him. But then, it affects the respiratory tract. Basically, you had nothing to do with it. He choked all by himself. He'd have died even if you'd never touched him."
"Why didn't I die?"
"You did have some trouble breathing, you probably thought it was from the bomb. But it's like any drug, it affects different people different ways. Like some people get addicted to tranquillisers, and some don't. The point is, you didn't kill Dr Marlin."
"No, the point is, I wanted to." Sam said, sitting heavily on the bed. "All my inhibitions had gone, all my self-control, and I just wanted the fucking son of a bitch to shut up. And I made him, without caring if I hurt him."
"You were trying to save the galaxy." Jack told her.
"It's still murder."
"No."
"Yes."
"Yes." said Janet. "You were trying to murder him. Everyone has a dark side, and you finally faced yours. I was wondering when that would happen. But everyone has a darkness in them. At least now you know what you're capable of."
"Murder." Sam said flatly.
"Killing one person to save thousands. Millions. And who knows, perhaps you would have drawn back before you killed him. It was only a momentary impulse, after all." Jack told her. "But now you know what the worst you could do is."
"Do you? Know what the worst you can do is?" she said sleepily, laying down on the bed.
"I'll tell you later," he said softly, covering her with a blanket as her eyes closed.
"I have news." She told them. "About the paint."
"Paint?" Sam asked, confused.
"From P69-522X. Daniel and Teal'c and I collected samples."
"Why?"
"To prove you innocent, of course. Major Davis authorised it." Jack shut the door of the infirmary.
"You knew?" Sam asked, astonished. "You knew what I did?"
"The bruises on Dr Marlin's face. I knew. We all did." Janet told her, gently. "We also knew that you weren't capable of killing someone, you'd have stopped long before he died. It was just a matter of finding out what happened."
"What about the pills Warner had her on?" Jack asked. Janet looked confused. Jack told her about the pills, about Sam's growing addiction to them.
"That I didn't know about." She said grimly. "You have to come off those, but it'll be difficult."
"I know." Sam said. She was past caring at that point. She was just so tired.
"But, the good news...the paint was poisonous."
"Poisonous how?" Jack asked. Sam only listened. A heavy headache was settling in behind her eyes.
"Well, at first, just mild loss of inhibitions. Like alcohol. That would account for Dr Marlin been unable to control his fear, and your anger at him. But then, it affects the respiratory tract. Basically, you had nothing to do with it. He choked all by himself. He'd have died even if you'd never touched him."
"Why didn't I die?"
"You did have some trouble breathing, you probably thought it was from the bomb. But it's like any drug, it affects different people different ways. Like some people get addicted to tranquillisers, and some don't. The point is, you didn't kill Dr Marlin."
"No, the point is, I wanted to." Sam said, sitting heavily on the bed. "All my inhibitions had gone, all my self-control, and I just wanted the fucking son of a bitch to shut up. And I made him, without caring if I hurt him."
"You were trying to save the galaxy." Jack told her.
"It's still murder."
"No."
"Yes."
"Yes." said Janet. "You were trying to murder him. Everyone has a dark side, and you finally faced yours. I was wondering when that would happen. But everyone has a darkness in them. At least now you know what you're capable of."
"Murder." Sam said flatly.
"Killing one person to save thousands. Millions. And who knows, perhaps you would have drawn back before you killed him. It was only a momentary impulse, after all." Jack told her. "But now you know what the worst you could do is."
"Do you? Know what the worst you can do is?" she said sleepily, laying down on the bed.
"I'll tell you later," he said softly, covering her with a blanket as her eyes closed.