CHAPTER 5
O'Neill was not lucid for hours, he lie tightly curled in fetal position when his muscles were not thrashing in seizures. Unfortunately as he came to he looked confused and didn't seem to recognize Carter. She brought him water which he drank so greedily that he started the blood from his split lip trickling down his chin. His left eye was starting to swell shut. Carter had wet a cloth in cool water and applied the soothing coolness to his damaged face. When he had better control over his body Carter helped O'Neill to the shower. Once inside the bathroom he told her he needed to use the facilities and asked for a minute of privacy. He lurched to the commode and she found him there leaning against the wall gasping. From the blood she saw she surmised that they had bruised his kidneys as well as the obvious damage. Sam tried not to think of what else they had done to him.
The lukewarm shower at once made him feel almost human again and also sapped what little remaining strength he had. Sam looked over at the bed and ordered the healthy youths to vacate it and had one of them assist her in getting O'Neill to lie down. She found in the supplies the Jaffa had left her a small pot of salve which she applied to his burns after patting his body dry. It was so unlike O'Neill to allow help, never mind the intimate contact, Carter was worried that his mind was affected by the repeated electrical discharge of the pain stick. He still hadn't said much but gazed at her with a vague uncertain look as if he should know her but just couldn't place her. She covered him gently with a sheet and placed the rest of the parcel under his forearm for safe keeping. Sam then went to the bathroom to clean herself up.
The short Jaffa appeared at the door with a tray of food and slid it in. He told her to feed O'Neill and mentioned that among the supplies that he had brought before, there was a healing antibiotic salve that the slaves used and a painkiller that even the Jaffa used.
Carter berated herself, 'why didn't I think to give him something for the pain'. In the supplies was a Jaffa version of a hypo. Considering their symbiotes usually healed them this must be potent. After getting more water and a few mouthfuls of food into O'Neill, Sam coaxed him to lie back down on the bed and injected him. He slipped in a deep sleep. Carter sat on the bed beside him tried to keep watch but in time lay by his side and slept.