A/N: OK, I'll hopefully be wrapping this up in another couple of chapters. Thank you for all the kind reviews-they are a great inspiration!
The Orb
Chapter 10
Jack had fallen asleep but was still holding Sam's hand when Janet came back from reporting to General Hammond. She paused at the sight and wished somehow things would work out for the two of them, that somehow rules would be changed. Her meeting with the General hadn't gone well. He told her that he had tried contacting the Tok'ra, the Tollan and the Asgard, but as of yet none had replied to his hails. And then she had to tell him that she was still not sure of what the orb had done to Sam and why she hadn't regained consciousness yet. Janet hoped the MRI she was about to run on Sam would show something that she could treat.
She approached the bed and Jack awoke. "Hi Doc, have you found anything new?"
A nurse entered the infirmary and nodded to Dr. Frasier. Janet replied, "Nurse Richards and I need to get Major Carter to the MRI lab. Why don't you just rest on one of the other beds until we bring her back?"
Jack rubbed his face and looked as if he was going to argue, but he kept quiet.
Janet could tell he was contemplating the idea and left it up to him. She and the nurse got Sam's IV lines and heart monitor situated for travel. When they were ready, she said to the Colonel, who had already commandeered a bed next to where Sam's was. "This should take about an hour or so, I have some one call you when we are done." With that, she turned and left the infirmary.
"Thanks Janet, I'll be here." Jack replied groggily. Sleep was already starting to overtake him and she was glad that he might get an hour of rest.
Down the hall, Dr, Frasier and Nurse Richards were getting Major Carter onto the table that would move into the large MRI machine. When all was ready, Janet motioned the Nurse to leave the room and she went to the observation room. She looked down at the computers that would show images of Sam's brain, and hopefully a reason her condition.
Janet started the scan and sat down to monitor the progress.
In Sam's lab, Daniel had rejoined Teal'c, who was just finishing the last tablet. Teal'c hadn't spoken to anyone since Colonel O'Neill had left and had "indeed" finished his task.
Teal'c stood and looked down at Daniel, who was seated at Major Carter's work table, and spoke slowly.
"Daniel Jackson, I have gathered the information on the object that attacked Major Carter." Daniel was about ready to interrupt, but Teal'c continued. "The tablets relay how Set ordered this device created by his top scientists to torture and punish those who had betrayed him, and to gain information from those he captured on other worlds. It does not say how this device was administered to the captive, but once in the body it was reported to disintegrate and become one with its victim."
Teal'c then paused, waited to for Daniel to ask his usual rapid fire questions, but Daniel was uncharacteristically quiet.
"The orb was programmed to locate the major life sustaining organs in any species and to be able to shut them down at will. They are said to be able to cause great pain for long periods of time or to cause instant death."
At this Daniel's head shot up and he asked, "How do we remove it? Has anyone or anything survived it?" Daniel's mind was speeding through a plethora of unanswered questions.
Teal'c just waited for Daniel's barrage to end and then replied. "I regret that the tablets do not tell of such things, Daniel Jackson. Maybe a trip back to the planet and talking to a native would be prudent."
Daniel looking for anything he could do to help Sam, was rushed with a sense of new hope. "I'll go to General Hammond and make the request. I think I need you with me to explain what you have found. We should go see the General immediately."
Back in the MRI lab, Janet had been watching the scan's progress and couldn't believe what she was witnessing. There were thousands of nanites in the Major's brain and they were moving around like bees in a hive. She immediately called General Hammond's office to summon him to the observation room. She punched in commands in the computer to do a full body scan. The quantity of nanites was frightening. How could she still be alive with all these in her system? Even when Colonel O'Neill had only a portion of these nanites in his body from one of SG1's missions, he had major effects occur in his body, including rapid aging.
Janet grabbed the phone again and called the medical lab and told the technicians to look for the presence of the nanites in the earlier blood samples they took from Major Carter.
'Why didn't these show up in her blood screens?' She was slightly bewildered.
Janet looked again at the monitor as the MRI continued. In every one of Sam's major organs was a high concentration of these machines with what looked to be pathways of traveling nanites between them, like a super highway during rush hour.
"Oh, Sam. What have you gotten yourself into this time?"
A/N: Ta da! Was it a surprise, or did anyone figure this out earlier? Well, I still have a few more surprises, so stay with me here. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
