70
Quarantine
"It's not like scanning for radiation or using a metal detector," Dr. Frasier muttered worriedly. "Most of the time, if there's some disease on the loose, you don't know about it until someone starts showing symptoms."
"By which time it would in all likelihood be too late," Marvath observed. Since medicine was the Tok'ra's specialty, he and Janet had been talking shop. And were still doing so now that the alarm had been sounded. But to a more dire purpose now.
"I don't like the thought of just sitting here and waiting for people to start dying," Frasier muttered. "There ought to be some way that we can prevent an epidemic."
"Your commander has already done so by sealing the facility in quarantine," Marvath pointed out. "Since this is where Evree is, it is the most likely point of attack. Besides, the possibility of a biological attack is merely hypothetical at the moment. And even if it were to happen, we would have to know what disease we were up against."
"Thank you," said Dr. Frasier unexpectedly.
"For what?" Marvath asked, mystified.
"For saying we," Janet said simply. "For not acting like it doesn't concern you. Like you're a part of it, even though the best theories suggest that whatever either Ahriman or Anubis might let loose on us won't harm you."
"I will admit that my colleagues are rather conservative in sharing information with you," Marvath replied. "But we are still allies. If the Goa'uld start an epidemic on this planet, rest assured that we will do our best to be of assistance."
"Thank you," Janet said again. What else was there to say? And just what kind of nasty surprise did the Goa'uld have in store for them?
&&&&&&
Jacob laid his cards down. "Full house, Teal'c. Can you beat that?" Jacob was hoping not. After getting down the basics, the Jaffa was taking him to the cleaners.
"I believe so," the Jaffa answered, unruffled, a perfect illustration of the term 'poker face'. "Does not a straight flush beat a full house?" He laid his cards down.
Jacob groaned. Sam grinned at his discomfiture, but just for a moment. Jacob hadn't been able to sucker her.., er, talk her into joining the game, and she was antsy as all get out.
"Honey," Jacob said gently. "You can wear a hole in the floor if you want to, but that isn't going to make the waiting any easier. Or change the way that things are."
"The way that things are suck," Sam stated flatly, then relented. It wasn't her father's fault that she was stuck here. "I know all that, dad. I just hate being out of the loop and feeling so.., so useless."
"And if they need something done off planet," Jacob pointed out. "They're going to be mighty glad that you're here and out of the way of the quarantine."
"And what if they don't?" Sam knew she was being difficult, but the forced inactivity was bringing a contrary streak to the surface.
"Let's just hope that it's because they don't need any help," Jacob suggested sensibly.
Teal'c listened to the exchange, but added nothing to it. The big Jaffa hated the waiting as much as Major Carter did, but being of a more fatalistic turn of mind, did not fret over what he could not change. "I believe that it is your turn to deal. Jacob."
&&&&&
"You look tired, Janet," Evree observed. "Has there been so much to do that you have had to work that hard?"
Dr. Frasier nodded wearily. "Since it's been decided that there may be the threat of a biological attack, General Hammond ordered everyone with the slightest symptom of anything to report to medical to be checked out."
"Are so many people truly ill?" Evree was curious. Seeing the level of medical care, and while not realizing that it was of a far higher standard order than the average civilian could afford, at least recognized that it was excellent. "They all seem so well cared for."
"I've been tending allergy symptoms and incipient colds all morning," Janet replied. "But the general is right. Since we have no idea what is coming, or when, or if anything is going to happen at all, we've got to cover all the bases."
"And despite all the extra work you still find time to look in on me," Evree murmured. "Truly, Janet, my children and I are well. You do not need to tire yourself further on our account."
"Call it a point of professional pride," Frasier remarked with a wry grin, adjust Evree's pillows and straightening the blankets. "It's not every doctor that can claim to have played midwife to a Goa'uld."
"Seeing the security that surrounds this facility," the Goa'uld pointed out. "I do not believe that most doctors have the slightest idea what a Goa'uld is."
Janet laughed. "All right, you've got me there," she admitted. "Let's just say that you're a special case, Evree and I'm not about to delegate you to anyone. Or worse, leave you completely unattended."
"I thank you for your solicitude," Evree replied. She looked over at the tank containing her offspring. "Poor creatures. Whatever will happen to you?"
&&&&&&
"What defenses have they prepared?" Anubis demanded of the commander of his army.
"None that we can ascertain, Lord Anubis," the commander replied. "All weapons are currently inactive."
"Do they not believe that we will destroy them?" Anubis mused. "Surely they must know that I will. I destroyed Abydos. This planet is of no more value to me than that one."
"Perhaps they realize that they have nothing that can stop you and therefore are declining to try, Lord," the commander ventured.
"If they were that sure they would hand over my queen to save themselves," Anubis pointed out. "Surely they would not sacrifice themselves on behalf of a Goa'uld queen."
The other shrugged. "I have no knowledge of what the Tau'ri will or will not do," he responded. "But if we use the same weapon that we used to destroy Abydos, won't that kill your queen as well?"
"An inconvenience," Anubis commented. "But not an insurmountable one. "I will acquire another queen. My army is still yet small."
The commander had made it to his exalted position by not being afraid to speak his mind. And, by being right when he did. "Should there not be a way to punish the Tau'ri and leave your queen intact, Lord Anubis? If the scientists could fabricate a plague that would wipe out the Tau'ri and yet leave your queen alive, would that not be the more prudent course of action? It would also leave the planet habitable should you decide to put a base there."
"An intriguing notion," Anubis allowed. "Speak with the scientists. Find out if this idea is feasible. I find it a very attractive thought. Death to the Tau'ri and a live queen. Very attractive indeed."
"As you wish, Lord Anubis." The commander scurried off to do Anubis' bidding.
"And better still," Anubis remarked to no one. "It would also destroy that meddling one-time ascended one. I would almost give as much for his death as for a live queen."
&&&&&
O'Neill walked into the infirmary with a covered tray, which he set down on the table next to Evree. He removed the cover to reveal a meal.
"What is this?" asked Evree suspiciously.
"It's called dinner," Jack said with exaggerated patience. "You know. Dinner? Food? You eat it so you don't keel over."
"I am aware of the definition of the word 'dinner'," Evree replied with a trace of asperity. "What I fail to understand is why you are bringing it. An orderly usually brings my meals."
"So I brought it in this time," Jack shot back, getting a trifle irritated. Why did she always have to question everything to death? She was like Daniel at his worst, squared. "Besides, dessert is on me, but you have to eat your dinner before you can have it."
"I see nothing on you that is not normally there," the Goa'uld murmured, inspecting O'Neill rather more closely than he really cared for.
"It's an expression," Jack explained with exaggerated patience. "Come on, Evree. Quit being a pain in the ass and eat your dinner."
"Do I truly cause you discomfort, O'Neill?" Evree queried, beginning to consume her repast.
"More than you'll ever know," he mumbled to himself. "It's another one of those expressions. It just means that I find you.., annoying."
Evree looked a bit troubled. "I shall attempt to be less of an annoyance, O'Neill," she said quietly. "My apologies."
"Don't apologize," Jack grumbled, starting to get the feeling that he was being a little petty about the whole thing. "And don't bother trying not to annoy me. I wouldn't know it was you if you didn't."
"A strange method of recognition, surely," she commented. "Are you saying that you would not be able to identify me if I ceased to aggravate you?"
"Something like that," O'Neill agreed. Okay, so it wasn't true, but he was getting tired of explanations piled on explanations. And Evree had managed to clean her plate during the course of the conversation. "Here you go," he said, pulling something out of his jacket pocket. "I know it isn't much, but I couldn't get off base."
"What is it?" asked the Goa'uld, ever curious.
"I've got this friend who's a transport pilot," Jack explained. "He goes all over the world during the course of a year. The last time he touched base here, he'd just been to Europe and he brought me back some Swiss chocolate. I thought you might like it."
"What does one do with Swiss chocolate?" she asked warily. The oblong in her hand gave her no clues, as she couldn't read the language of the Tau'ri.
"You eat it," he replied, then seeing her lift the still-wrapped confection to her lips, quickly qualified his statement. "You have to remove the wrapper first."
"Ah, I see." Evree had wondered about it. She had been fully prepared to eat it as it was, out of consideration for O'Neill's feelings, but it really hadn't appealed. That all changed once she pulled the paper back and took a careful nibble.
"I like this," she remarked slowly. "But why are you doing this, O'Neill? You act as if you can't stand to be near me part of the time, and the rest of the time, you behave as though you are required to care for me." She paused, then amended her last comment. "No, not required to, as though you wish to."
"Hey, this is a military installation," O'Neill mumbled, wishing that she wouldn't keep bringing up a subject that not only was he not comfortable with, but that he wasn't sure about himself. "It's not every day that someone gives birth here. I thought someone ought to do something to celebrate."
"Knock, knock," said a voice from the doorway. The voice was followed by the appearance of Daniel. He was moving differently than Evree had ever seen him do, and she finally realized that it was because he had one hand behind his back. "Can I come in?"
"You are in," replied Evree, ever literal. "But if you are asking if your presence is welcome, of course it is, Daniel." She looked at him curiously, wondering why he was holding himself so strangely. Her curiosity did not go unsatisfied for long.
"I got this for you," Daniel mumbled, looking a little sheepish. From behind his back he pulled a bouquet of mixed flowers. He'd been hard put to come up with something to give her, the base being under quarantine, but there was a small hothouse attached, and while most of the plants were strictly utilitarian, the people who worked there hadn't been able to resist brightening up the place with a few flowers. He'd had to do some fast talking to persuade them to let him gather his bouquet.
Evree looked at them. She knew what she would do with them, but she was finding that the Tau'ri had some strange customs. She decided that she'd better ask rather than to risk giving offense. "What do you do with it?"
"You look at them because they're pretty," Daniel explained. "And you sniff them because they smell nice."
Evree was able to accept this because that is precisely what she would have done with them. "But they were alive," she observed, burying her face in them and finding that they did indeed have a delightful fragrance. "Will they not wither and die now?"
"Well, yes," Jackson replied. "But if we put them in some water, it won't happen quite so quickly. Do you like them?" The Goa'uld was so alien despite her human appearance that he felt he had to ask. And he really wanted to know.
"They're beautiful," she said simply. "Are they also in celebration of the birth of my children?"
Daniel nodded. "It's kind of customary here to give gifts to a new mother," he answered. "And getting human baby things was kind of out of the question."
"It is most considerate of you," Evree murmured. She then remembered that O'Neill was still standing there, and that she ought to show some appreciation for his gift also. "And you as well, O'Neill."
"Don't mention it," Jack muttered, feeling even more at a loss. The truth was, that he had considered flowers, but he didn't know just how much human culture that Evree had managed to pick up in the past couple of days. He damn well didn't want to give her any ideas. He was pretty sure that she would have liked that. Then something in the back of his head started asking why he should put himself to the effort, or why he should care that a Goa'uld should be pleased with his gift. He just knew that it irritated him in the same way that a pebble in your shoe irritates that she should seem to like Daniel's gift more than his.
"You have all been so kind to me," Evree began again. "It is.., most touching." And she felt a pang of true regret that she would be the cause of their deaths.
&&&&&&
"How much longer until their time is up?" Anubis asked.
"Less than one of their hours, Lord," the commander replied. "The virus you requested is ready, but how is it to be delivered? The Tau'ri will not open their gate for us, and we are too far away to deliver it by ship."
"They have to let down some of their defenses in order to communicate with us," Anubis explained. He opened his hand to reveal a small unfamiliar device. "Attach this to the communications console. Load the virus into it, and it will transmit the virus with the communications." Anubis sat back in his seat with satisfaction. Death to the troublesome Tau'ri and the acquisition of a young, nubile queen. Events were beginning to progress as they should.
&&&&&
Evree had finally gotten rid of her well-wishers by pleading fatigue. Which was only partially a lie. And while Goa'uld tend to lie as easily as they speak, she had felt a certain amount of emotional distress at the necessity. But she had important things to do. Things that she could not share with Daniel or O'Neill, and indeed which she could not believe they would approve of. But what she was about to do now, she considered absolutely essential, and the feelings of the two human men had, of necessity to be a secondary consideration. She slid out of the hospital bed, happy to be leaving that behind, at any rate. She spent a few precious moments gazing into the tank containing her young, then headed for the door.