It Takes a Village
Daniel handed the amulet to Sam, who looked it over intently, careful not to touch the actual stone itself. It was a deep ruby red with many small triangular faces. It reflected the lights of the lamps in the room and gave off a soft glow. Sam could now fully sense the naquadah that resided inside the amulet. It wasn't very strong but it was definitely there.
"Any ideas Carter?" Jack asked, watching her carefully as she surveyed the stone. He wasn't real comfortable about having that stone in her hands. Who knew what an object of Nehrti's was capable of?
"It definitely contains naquadah Sir. I can feel it. I also remember Nehrti having one like this. It must be a mind control device or mood enhancer. I don't think it would work on Teal'c or me, but don't want to try it out just yet. I'll have to bring it back to my lab and study it further," Sam replied.
"Ok then, put it somewhere safe so no one else can touch it," Jack ordered.
Teal'c handed Sam her pack and she carefully wrapped the amulet in cloth and put it in one of her lined pouches. She needed to make sure it didn't get chipped or scratched on its way back to base.
From across the room, Baryon began to stir and groan slightly. Jack and Teal'c went over to stand by him, making sure he was still tied securely. Baryon opened his eyes to see the people once again gathered around the room. He turned his puzzled gaze to Treyem.
"Where am I Treyem? Why are my hands bound?"
Treyem looked to Colonel O'Neill for consent. At a nod from the Colonel, Treyem walked over to Baryon and knelt on the ground by his side.
"Do you not remember any of the events of this last night Baryon?" the village leader inquired.
Baryon shook his head. "No, I don't. The last thing I remember was coming in from the fields and seeing the members of SG-1 eating lunch with some of the villagers. I was looking around and saw Major Carter when...." He stopped speaking and looked over to where the Major was sitting on the couch with a curious expression on her face. He saw the bruises by her mouth and the cut on her neck. With growing awareness, he glanced at the two boys who had returned to stand behind the couch.
It all began to come back to him. Eyes wide with disbelief, he lowered his head and cried out, "My God, what have I done? What have I done?" He began to sob loudly with the grief he felt over what he had put Major Carter through.
Sam gingerly got up off the couch and made her way over to Baryon. Kneeling beside Treyem, she put her hand on Baryon's shoulder and talked softly to him. She knew it wasn't his fault; he had been controlled by the amulet. She well knew what it was like to be under the control of someone or something else.
"Colonel?" she pleaded. "Can we untie him? He won't cause any harm. I promise you that."
Jack looked at the distraught man, then glanced at Teal'c. The Jaffa nodded his head in agreement with Major Carter's words. Jack took out his knife and cut the rope that bound Baryon. Baryon took his wrists and rubbed them gently, trying to get the feeling back.
Sam and Treyem pulled him up off of the ground and led him to a chair. Sam wanted to get a few more answers from him about the power of the amulet, if possible.
"Baryon, when you first found the amulet, did you notice getting any strange feelings?"
"No Major Carter. I didn't get any feeling from it at all until I saw you here on Raye Abbas. At first I felt anger and annoyance at your presence, then it quickly turned to hatred. I really wanted to hurt you. I wanted to punish you for not returning my children to me." He stopped and took a deep breath, "I know now that it wasn't your fault. Can you ever forgive me?"
"Of course, Baryon. I know that it wasn't you, it was the amulet. Just as I couldn't help what happened on your home world, you couldn't help the feelings and actions that you took because of the influence of the amulet."
Tearfully, Baryon clasped Sam's hands and said, "You are truly a remarkable person Major Carter. The people of Kortaul are lucky to count you as a friend."
"They are lucky to have you as well Baryon. And you are fortunate to have them. I'm afraid you will need time to recover both from the influence of the amulet and to come to terms with the loss of your children. I am sure the Treyem and the others will be more than happy to be with you during this difficult time."
"Of course we will Baryon. We in this village are a family. We will never let one of our own suffer and grieve without the help and support of their family," Treyem announced.
"Thank you, Thank you all. I will do my best to become a contributing member of the village once again," Baryon assured Treyem.
Maresa joined her husband by Baryon's side. "Come along Baryon. You will come to our home and stay a while. You will be among family there."
Baryon nodded and got to his feet. Once more, he clasped Sam's arm and quietly offered his apologies. She in turn gave him a quick hug before he was led out of the guest cottage by Treyem and Maresa. The boys gave Sam hugs as well and followed the adults home. It had been a long night and they were ready for some sleep.
Sam tiredly made her way over to the couch and sank into its cushions, sighing as she did so. Her head was beginning to pound; she was both physically and mentally exhausted.
Jack took in her exhausted appearance. "Carter, go lie down for a while. We still have 4 hours until we're due back. Actually, I'm going to go and notify Hammond that we'll be back at 1000 hours instead of 0800. The rest of us can get a little more shut eye as well."
"I think I'll just stay here and rest if that's OK Sir," Sam replied. She had neither the energy nor the will to return to her room. She knew she was safe now, but just the memory of being taken from her bed made the thought of returning alone to the bedroom slightly frightening. She stretched out fully on the couch and closed her eyes.
"That's fine Carter, but first you'd better take some Tylenol. I know your head is killing you right now." Jack ordered. With a sigh, she sat up and took the Tylenol he handed to her. Sam put her bottle of water back on the floor and lay back down; quickly falling asleep.
"Go get some shut eye Danny, Teal'c. I'll go radio Hammond then come back and keep an eye on Carter here." Jack quietly informed them.
"I do not require any more sleep O'Neill. I will radio General Hammond. You stay here and watch over Major Carter," Teal'c replied. He knew Jack wouldn't go back to sleep, just as he wouldn't. He might meditate for a while, but would still be able to help O'Neill should any more situations arise.
Jack looked at his friend, then nodded his agreement. Daniel headed back to the room to sleep for a few more hours and Jack settled in to keep his eye on Carter. Not that she was going anywhere, but just to be safe!
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Sam, Daniel and Teal'c were waiting in the clearing with the children and some of the villagers for Colonel O'Neill to come back from talking with Treyem. Jack had wanted to make sure that Baryon was indeed back to his normal self and wouldn't cause any more trouble for the villagers. He instructed Treyem to notify them at the SGC if there was any trouble...they would return immediately.
As he came out the door from Treyem's house, he was accosted by Anya and Bryson, begging for one last chocolate bar before he left. "You little buggers! I never should have introduced you to chocolate! OK, one more candy bar for each of you, but you have to share with the other children."
"We will!" the two youngsters chorused together.
"OK. First one more ride for the road!" Then Jack picked up the two children, one under each arm, and spun them in circles around the clearing, making airplane noises as he went.
The rest of SG-1 and the villagers looked on with indulgent smiles. The Colonel really was like a kid himself sometimes!
When he got back to the waiting group, Jack put the kids down and gave them their candy bars. "Thank you Colonel Jack!" Bryson yelled.
Daniel and Sam looked at each other. 'Colonel Jack' Daniel mouthed at her? They shared a conspiratorial grin. This new name would come in handy in the future when the Colonel got on their nerves!
Treyem came toward the team to address them before they left. "We want to thank you once again for your help and your friendship. You have helped to bring one of our members back to us, and for that we will be forever grateful. We wish you safe journey home and hope to see you back among us soon."
"Thank you Treyem," Sam replied, stepping forward. "We always feel welcome among your people. We promise to return again soon." She gave him a hug goodbye, then stepped back.
The children of Kortaul all gathered around her to say their goodbyes as well. They would miss Major Sam, but were secure in the knowledge that she would be back again to visit them. Even though she told them she was only a human like them, every one of them knew that she was their very own andolana. Better than that, she and the rest of her team were cherished members of their village. They would help and support each other, no matter what.
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The End! Thanks for reading New World. I loved getting your reviews!