Chapter 12: I wish to be free
"You've got to be kidding," Colonel O'Neill stared at an Air Force Colonel, a Tok'ra and an irate doctor. "You want her to study like a lab rat. You," he turned, "want her as a prisoner - oh, and a lab rat too. Never mind that she's a person and a possible ally."
"She has technology that could be very valuable to us," the echoing tones of a Tok'ra were filled with controlled eagerness.
"She has knowledge that could greatly benefit America," the greedy Colonel who O'Neill had mentally dubbed 'Makepeace Reincarnated' was one step away from drooling.
"Aren't you forgetting she's a person?" O'Neill asked. "She may decide to tell you both to go to hell. I'm certainly tempted.
"Colonel," Hammond gently chided. "Gentlemen, the fact is that she's free to do as she likes. If she becomes a threat to this base, then I'll reconsider, but for now, she's a guest, not a prisoner, not a test subject and not a hostage. We can learn a lot more by talking to her people than we can from antagonising her."
"Besides, she took out six Jaffa and a deathglider," O'Neill added. "Somehow I don't think you could hold on to her." Both men bristled.
"And for the moment," Doctor Fraiser insisted, "she shouldn't even be allowed off the base until I'm satisfied she's healed. She could be crippled for life if she moves too much."
"Then I wish to talk to her," Colonel Bletchley insisted.
"Alright," Hammond said.
"General!"
"Colonel, it's a reasonable request. But if Doctor Fraiser tells you to leave, you leave. It's an infirmary, not an interrogation room. Colonel O'Neill, please find Doctor Jackson and send him down."
"I do not require assistance," Orlan said echoingly.
"She doesn't speak English," Hammond said. "Doctor Jackson has been trying to learn her language."
"He's already in the infirmary," Doctor Fraiser said. "They've been talking for several hours now."
The five - or six, depending on how one counts - headed to the elevator.
In the infirmary, Daniel and Varielle were talking slowly, in stilted voices. Varielle was writing something in her strange script while Daniel frowned at it, making notes in the margin of the paper.
"Doctor?"
"Oh, General," he moved clumsily to get up out of the chair, legs cramping. "Jack?"
"We want to talk to your… friend," the Colonel was almost visibly oily. Varielle regarded him with distaste and contempt as only a teenager can. "Ferlath'an nis'terweh?"
"She wants to know who you are. I think." Daniel sighed and took off his glasses, then rubbed his eyes and the bridge of his nose.
"We'd like to talk to you about your weapons," Orlan said. As soon as he opened his mouth, she stiffened.
"It's okay," Daniel assured her. "Er'sath inqua Goa'uld." At the look on Orlan's face, he translated. "I just told her you're not Goa'uld."
"You did not explain to her about the Tok'ra?"
"I can barely ask her if her broken bones hurt in her language."
"Can you ask her about her ability to heal?"
"I already tried."
"And?"
"I didn't understand what she said."
Varielle muttered something harshly under her breath and rubbed her throat. "Water… pl- please?"
"Here." Daniel poured her a glass.
"Arshay."
"I think that means thank you."
After a few very frustrating minutes both visitors left. The SGC personnel remained behind and swapped looks.
"If she stays here, they'll find a way to grab her," O'Neill said to Hammond.
"I know," Varielle said behind him. "I'm not stupid. It would most likely be best if I went home as soon as possible." She slid her legs out of bed and stood up carefully. "What?"
"You… speak English?"
"A little. It was good they left. I could not keep that accent much longer."
"Daniel…" Jack turned to his archaeologist.
"And he did not even lie for me," Varielle said. "Do you have some clothes to spare? I cannot go home in this." She looked down at the backless gown. "I will freeze solid. My feet already have."
"You were faking the whole time?" Fraiser asked.
"Not quite," she said.
"You can't go home yet," the doctor insisted.
"How'd you know to play dumb?" O'Neill asked.
"Last night a doctor from the NID came. He took a copy of the medical records of my treatment."
"I'll check, sir," Fraiser saw Hammond's look. She was back in seconds. "I made three copies. One is missing."
"He just walked in and took it?" O'Neill asked.
"I think he was waiting for the best time," Varielle said thoughtfully. "Waiting until no one was here to watch."
"I'll give orders that you're not to be taken off-base without my permission," Hammond said.
"General, you do not rule your military. There are others above you."
"Yes, but it'll take time for them to issue orders."
"My time is running out," she said. "I will have to go home unhealed if I wish to be free. And I wish to be free."
"You've got to be kidding," Colonel O'Neill stared at an Air Force Colonel, a Tok'ra and an irate doctor. "You want her to study like a lab rat. You," he turned, "want her as a prisoner - oh, and a lab rat too. Never mind that she's a person and a possible ally."
"She has technology that could be very valuable to us," the echoing tones of a Tok'ra were filled with controlled eagerness.
"She has knowledge that could greatly benefit America," the greedy Colonel who O'Neill had mentally dubbed 'Makepeace Reincarnated' was one step away from drooling.
"Aren't you forgetting she's a person?" O'Neill asked. "She may decide to tell you both to go to hell. I'm certainly tempted.
"Colonel," Hammond gently chided. "Gentlemen, the fact is that she's free to do as she likes. If she becomes a threat to this base, then I'll reconsider, but for now, she's a guest, not a prisoner, not a test subject and not a hostage. We can learn a lot more by talking to her people than we can from antagonising her."
"Besides, she took out six Jaffa and a deathglider," O'Neill added. "Somehow I don't think you could hold on to her." Both men bristled.
"And for the moment," Doctor Fraiser insisted, "she shouldn't even be allowed off the base until I'm satisfied she's healed. She could be crippled for life if she moves too much."
"Then I wish to talk to her," Colonel Bletchley insisted.
"Alright," Hammond said.
"General!"
"Colonel, it's a reasonable request. But if Doctor Fraiser tells you to leave, you leave. It's an infirmary, not an interrogation room. Colonel O'Neill, please find Doctor Jackson and send him down."
"I do not require assistance," Orlan said echoingly.
"She doesn't speak English," Hammond said. "Doctor Jackson has been trying to learn her language."
"He's already in the infirmary," Doctor Fraiser said. "They've been talking for several hours now."
The five - or six, depending on how one counts - headed to the elevator.
In the infirmary, Daniel and Varielle were talking slowly, in stilted voices. Varielle was writing something in her strange script while Daniel frowned at it, making notes in the margin of the paper.
"Doctor?"
"Oh, General," he moved clumsily to get up out of the chair, legs cramping. "Jack?"
"We want to talk to your… friend," the Colonel was almost visibly oily. Varielle regarded him with distaste and contempt as only a teenager can. "Ferlath'an nis'terweh?"
"She wants to know who you are. I think." Daniel sighed and took off his glasses, then rubbed his eyes and the bridge of his nose.
"We'd like to talk to you about your weapons," Orlan said. As soon as he opened his mouth, she stiffened.
"It's okay," Daniel assured her. "Er'sath inqua Goa'uld." At the look on Orlan's face, he translated. "I just told her you're not Goa'uld."
"You did not explain to her about the Tok'ra?"
"I can barely ask her if her broken bones hurt in her language."
"Can you ask her about her ability to heal?"
"I already tried."
"And?"
"I didn't understand what she said."
Varielle muttered something harshly under her breath and rubbed her throat. "Water… pl- please?"
"Here." Daniel poured her a glass.
"Arshay."
"I think that means thank you."
After a few very frustrating minutes both visitors left. The SGC personnel remained behind and swapped looks.
"If she stays here, they'll find a way to grab her," O'Neill said to Hammond.
"I know," Varielle said behind him. "I'm not stupid. It would most likely be best if I went home as soon as possible." She slid her legs out of bed and stood up carefully. "What?"
"You… speak English?"
"A little. It was good they left. I could not keep that accent much longer."
"Daniel…" Jack turned to his archaeologist.
"And he did not even lie for me," Varielle said. "Do you have some clothes to spare? I cannot go home in this." She looked down at the backless gown. "I will freeze solid. My feet already have."
"You were faking the whole time?" Fraiser asked.
"Not quite," she said.
"You can't go home yet," the doctor insisted.
"How'd you know to play dumb?" O'Neill asked.
"Last night a doctor from the NID came. He took a copy of the medical records of my treatment."
"I'll check, sir," Fraiser saw Hammond's look. She was back in seconds. "I made three copies. One is missing."
"He just walked in and took it?" O'Neill asked.
"I think he was waiting for the best time," Varielle said thoughtfully. "Waiting until no one was here to watch."
"I'll give orders that you're not to be taken off-base without my permission," Hammond said.
"General, you do not rule your military. There are others above you."
"Yes, but it'll take time for them to issue orders."
"My time is running out," she said. "I will have to go home unhealed if I wish to be free. And I wish to be free."