115

Feeling Much Better

One month later.

"She seems to be completely free of the drug now," Dr. Frasier was explaining to O'Neill on his daily visit. "I've been thinking about putting her in with her children. At least it would be some kind of company for her."

"She doesn't like being all alone," Jack agreed softly, hand on the side of the tank. He couldn't believe how much he missed her. And the most frustrating part of it all was that here she was, he saw her every day that he wasn't off on a mission, but he couldn't communicate with her, or hold her, or.., Enough of that, he told himself sternly. "Has there been any word from anybody about finding her a new host?"

Janet shook her head. "The Tok'ra are still treading lightly where Evree is concerned, although they're not quite as suspicious of her as they were at first. Marvath has been giving them some very positive reports. And as far as Washington goes..,"

"We could all die of old age before the red tapeworms and chair warmers make a decision," O'Neill finished sourly.

"At least she's still alive," Frasier pointed out gently.

"You call being cooped up in a tank with no one to talk to living?" O'Neill asked. "I don't. And I doubt if Evree does either."

&&&&&&

A few days later, Jack went into medical for his daily visit. But when he peered into the tank of immature symbiotes (the other was gone), he failed to register the larger form of a queen Goa'uld. He double-checked, just to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. No, Evree definitely wasn't in there. He turned to see Dr. Frasier behind him. "Where is Evree?" he demanded.

"I don't know," the physician admitted. "She was gone when I got here. But the night staff is very carefully not saying anything. Which says to me..,"

"I know what it says," O'Neill interrupted, too angry to keep his temper in check. He started for the door, intending to go straight to General Hammond's office to get some answers. But he was halted by a gurney being wheeled in.

The woman on the gurney was one he didn't recognize, although her build, coloring and features were not entirely unlike Evree's.., Draylea's, he corrected himself. But there was a certain look to her, a pallor and a lack of muscle tone which suggested she'd been bedridden for quite a while.

The newcomer turned her eyes towards him, and a faint smile lit up her features. "O'Neill." One word, in a hoarse, raspy voice which made Jack think that the vocal cords hadn't been used recently either. But it was enough for him.

"Evree?" O'Neill suddenly seemed to be rooted to the spot, and just stood by, watching as she was transferred from the gurney to a regular bed. How could it be? One day they were being stonewalled, and the next, Evree was spirited away in the wee hours only to return with a new host. Then, he knew, when Curtis entered the room.

"Colonel O'Neill." Jack couldn't tell if the guy was happy to see him or not. "I hear you've been a regular visitor here lately."

O'Neill reflected that Curtis probably knew a hell of a lot more than he was comfortable with. But he could make nice. For a while, anyway. "Why didn't you let us know you were getting Evree a new host?"

"We're not required to give you progress reports, Colonel," Curtis frosted. But he did thaw enough to add, "She'd hardly be a source of information if we had no way to communicate with her."

Without realizing it, Jack thought aloud. "I'm surprised they didn't just lock her away somewhere to interrogate her between experiments."

Curtis shook his head. "From the reports I've read, the Tok'ra are starting to warm up to her. We can't afford to alienate them." He cocked his head at O'Neill. "And from some of the other reports I've gotten, I sincerely doubt that she'd talk to us if we kept her away from you." His attention abruptly turned from O'Neill to the subject of their discussion. "No hard feelings?"

Evree's eyes hardened slightly, but only for a moment. "I suppose not," she replied, using the Goa'uld voice. It seemed to work better than the host's at least for the time being. "At least, not this time."

Curtis laughed, then turned and left.

O'Neill immediately gravitated to Evree's bedside, while the medical staff discreetly melted away to give them a modicum of privacy. He had, on rough approximation, about a million questions. But the first words to pass his lips were not a question. "I've missed you," he murmured, stroking a pale cheek.

"It is good to be able to feel again," Evree said, eyes closing for a moment in sheer contentment. "I have missed you as well, O'Neill."

"What's her name?" O'Neill during the last month had come to grips with the fact that if he was going to have a relationship with a Goa'uld, weird as that seemed, he was going to have to deal with the whole idea of the host as a separate entity as well.

"Who's name?" Evree asked weakly. Then, enlightenment came. "Oh, you mean my new host. This body has been kept alive by artificial means for years. There is nothing left of the original personality. It is very lonely in here."

"You'll get used to it," Jack assured her. "Evree, honey, when you were in the tank, could you hear anything that I said?"

Another smile, although even that seemed to be an effort for her. "I heard everything, O'Neill," she answered. "I hope it will not preclude you saying it again, though."

"I love you." Jack bent down and kissed her forehead, then allowed himself a brief taste of her lips.

&&&&&&

SG-1 took lunch together that day, and perhaps needless to say, Evree was the main topic of conversation.

"Of course it's going to be quite a while until she's up and about," Sam pointed out. "Since her new host was on life support for so long, all the muscles are sure to be atrophied pretty badly."

"Yeah, I know," O'Neill sighed. He wasn't all that unhappy about it. He seemed to the rest of the team to be more relaxed than he had been since their ill-fated mission to PR-862. "Dr. Frasier says that for now, she's even going to be on intravenous feeding because she doesn't have full control of the muscles she needs to swallow."

"I doubt that she will need physical therapy for too long," Teal'c predicted. "Evree will be very motivated to get the body into good repair."

"Are you still the only person that gets to see her?" Daniel queried. "Or are the rest of us going to be allowed to visit soon?"

&&&&

By the time Jack was able to make his next visit, the appearance of the infirmary had changed drastically. At least, as far as the area around Evree's bed was concerned. Flowers, balloon bouquets, even stuffed animals, not to mention enough cards to paper a medium-sized room.

O'Neill let out a low whistle. "I didn't know you were so popular," he remarked.

"Nor did I." Even though it had only been twenty-four hours, she sounded stronger. Certainly her voice didn't sound so.., rusty.

O'Neill produced a sack. "I didn't get you anything.., yet," he announced. "This is just some stuff from home that I thought would make being stuck here more bearable."

"Perfume?" Evree inquired. "Now that I am able to smell again, I would like something besides antiseptics to smell."

"What about all the.., oh, never mind." Jack had been about to suggest that she smell some of her flowers, but he could see where she might have issues there. He fished around in the bag. "I just grabbed the first one I came to," he mumbled. It still amazed him how many scents and cosmetics now occupied his bathroom counter, and how quickly Evree had accumulated them.

Evree actually managed to reach up for the tiny bottle, but when O'Neill deposited it in her hand, it slipped from her grasp to land on the mattress beside her, soon to be joined by the hand. Tears of frustration sprang into her eyes.

"I'll do it." O'Neill retrieved the bottle. "Even for a 'superior being', it's going to take time before you can do everything you used to."

"I never claimed to be a superior being," Evree squeaked indignantly.

"No, you didn't," Jack agreed. "But it made you stop crying, didn't it?"

She tried to glare at him for his manipulation of her, but couldn't quite manage it. "I cannot even sit up on my own," Evree remarked sadly. "O'Neill, would you hold me? I want to remember what it is like to have your arms around me."

Jack settled onto the edge of the bed and, mindful of the tubes and wires, lifted her into his arms. Evree's head came to rest on his shoulder, and snuggled into it. Her way of letting him know that she would have put her head there even if she had had the strength to lift it herself. "I wish I could put my arms around you as well," she murmured.

He kissed the tip of her nose. "You can make it up to me when you're better."

&&&&&

Sam stuck her head inside the infirmary. "Hi." She knew Evree as soon as she saw her. The new host bore a strong resemblance to the old.

"Hello, Samantha." Now, when Evree smiled, the corners of her lips didn't quiver with the effort. "It is good to see you."

As Sam neared the bed so they could converse without shouting, her foot struck something. She looked down to see a plastic shopping bag. "What's this?" she murmured curiously.

"Things O'Neill brought me from his home," Evree replied. "But I am unable to utilize them. I cannot even lift a bottle of perfume on my own."

"Let's see what we've got here." Carter peeked into the bag. The first item she unearthed was a hairbrush, and Evree's face lit up hopefully. Sam laughed. "Okay, I'll brush your hair."

&&&&&

Evree was having very little time to feel alone. If one or more members of SG-1 or any of the other teams that had had contact with her weren't visiting, her time was taken up by tedious but necessary physical therapy.

Still, it was something of a surprise to her when General Hammond paid her a visit. It also made her feel ashamed when she remembered how the whole mission to PR-862 had been thrown into disarray because of her. she remained silent and kept her eyes downcast, certain that he was here to reprimand her for her shortcomings.

"How are you feeling?" Evree looked at him curiously. It was the first thing most of her well-wishers said. It did not sound like the beginning of a reprimand.

"Fine, thank you, sir," she said carefully, trying to hide her confusion. If he was not here to berate her, then why was he here? She decided to wade in and admit her guilt before he could accuse her. "I'm sorry, General, about the mission. It was all my fault."

"The mission?" Hammond echoed incredulously. "Is that why you think I came here, Evree? To blame you for the mission going wrong?" Seeing the answer plain as print on her features, he shook his head. "Evree, I was going to apologize to you for not taking better precautions to keep you safe."

"But.., but..," Evree stuttered. "You couldn't have known. It was no fault of yours."

"It wasn't your fault either," Hammond assured her gently. "It just happened, and I'm thankful that we got you back alive." He paused a moment, then added, "I'm sorry about Draylea. I know she was more than just a host to you."

"She was my first true friend," Evree replied, choking up a bit. "Goa'uld are not known for their skills at making friends."

General Hammond looked around at all the get well cards and gifts. "I know one who does okay."

&&&&&&

SG-1 had gathered in the mess hall for breakfast a week later when they were surprised to see Dr. Frasier pushing Evree in, a wheelchair.

Evree returned all the smiles she was receiving. "Janet says I am allowed to eat real food today," she explained excitedly. She had been thrilled beyond words to have the I.V. removed.

"Small portions of easily digested foods," Dr. Frasier amended. It almost sounded like the continuation of a lecture. "You know, of course, that you're not going to be able to feed yourself yet?"

"I'll do it," O'Neill volunteered quickly. He'd like to feel like he had some small part in Evree's recovery.

Janet eyed him appraisingly and then nodded. "I'll just go get a tray with what she ought to be able to handle and then leave you to it," she decided. "I've got quite a backlog of paperwork from devoting so much time to one patient. You just bring her back to medical when she's done."

"No problem," Jack assured her. Then, as Frasier left to get Evree's breakfast, he looked and saw the patient's woebegone expression. "She was just teasing, hon," he soothed. "It was an excuse to let you be here without medical supervision for a while."

"Evree," Sam added. "If Janet had a problem with taking care of sick and injured people, she wouldn't be a doctor."

Soon, the doctor returned with a covered tray. "Be sure she eats slowly," she directed O'Neill. "And for the time being, she has to drink through a straw, not straight out of the glass."

"I can handle it, Doc," O'Neill said mildly. Seeing that the physician was about to open her mouth again, he beat her to the punch. "And if anything goes wrong, I'll call you."

Janet laughed. "Okay. You don't need me here." She stopped and laid a hand on Evree's shoulder. "Enjoy your breakfast."

Daniel was just on the other side of Evree, and he lifted the cover from the tray. "Well, that looks good," he remarked, trying to inject a note of enthusiasm into his voice. Dr. Frasier didn't know Evree's likes and dislikes the way they did.

Teal'c peered at the contents of the tray. To him, it looked like what it was, invalid food. "Orange juice, milk, and is that applesauce?"

"Looks like it," Jack confirmed. "And cream of wheat and scrambled.., things." Just in the nick of time, he remembered Evree's horror at the thought of eating 'ova'. Since her first memorable breakfast had featured eggs sunny side up, he figured that she wouldn't recognize scrambled eggs as the same thing, and he decided to try them on her before she realized what they were. He picked up the spoon, that being the only utensil on the tray, and scooped some up. "Open wide," he said.

Evree obeyed, and chewed thoughtfully. "I think the flavor might be improved by a little sodium chloride," she remarked.

"I wish you could learn to say salt like everyone else," O'Neill grumbled good-naturedly. But he added a little salt and tried her out on another bite. "How's that?"

"Edible," was her pronouncement. "But I really am quite thirsty. May I have some of the juice?"

"Orange or cow?" Jack teased, earning himself a glare.

Progress was slow, as per Janet's instructions, and also by Evree's current abilities to chew and swallow. Daniel could see why Dr. Frasier had brought such small portions of everything.

Evree refused to even try the cream of wheat. "It very much resembles oatmeal, and I do not like oatmeal," she stated firmly.

"You are not going to get that body back to health unless you get the proper nutrition prescribed by your physician," Teal'c scolded, giving her a stern look.

"Teal'c's right," Sam chipped in. "Do you want to have to stay in that wheelchair forever?"

Evree was already beginning to feel picked on, but now Daniel delivered the coup de grace.

"Those scrambled 'things' were eggs," he informed her softly.

Evree's eyes grew round as saucers, then her mouth opened to make an indignant remark.

When it did, Jack neatly slid a spoonful of the cereal in it, grinning all the while.

&&&&&

Another week went by, and Evree was no longer a nine days' wonder. And even though there was more physical therapy as she grew ever stronger, she still found herself with time on her hands. After much consideration, she decided to spend her free time catching up on her soaps.

O'Neill walked in while she was engaged in the pursuit. As soon as he saw what she was watching, he made a face. "I thought maybe being away from them so long you'd have given it up," he sighed. At least, he'd hoped. "You don't still think that crap is going to give you any insight into the behavior of human beings, do you?"

Evree shook her head and patted the bed beside her, scooching over to give him some room to sit. "No," she admitted. "I know it is melodramatic nonsense. But I like it."

"You like some strange things," Jack observed, settling in place next to her. He was glad that in positioning himself to face her, it put his back to the t.v.

"I must," she teased. "I like you, don't I?"

O'Neill arched an eyebrow at her. "If you're going to be like that," he threatened, features totally impassive. "Then I guess I just won't tell you the good news."

"What good news?" Evree demanded imperiously.

"Acting like you're still queen of all you survey isn't going to get it out of me," O'Neill replied. But his poker face was starting to erode.

"And you are teasing me," Evree responded, finally having caught on. She fluttered her eyelashes at him. "Please tell me."

Jack laughed. "Busted," he confessed. "I've gotten everything filled out in triplicate or better, and finally got the go ahead. Once you're on your feet again, we're off to my cabin for a couple of weeks."

"Really?" She was practically glowing at the revelation. She did not believe she could be so happy, when she suddenly remembered something and the happiness received a slight check. "With or without surveillance?"

O'Neill sighed. He couldn't blame her, he didn't like it either. "I know it's a pain in the ass, but as has been pointed out many a time, you're too valuable to take chances with." He picked up one of her hands and kissed it. "They did promise to keep it as low-key as possible."

"I know it is a necessity, O'Neill," Evree replied. "I just wish it were not so. I would like to have some time completely alone with you. Without having to worry about who may be listening."

"That'll teach you to be so noisy," O'Neill said with a grin. Then, because he felt he ought to try to reassure her, he said, "Maybe someday, the security won't be necessary." But his heart wasn't in it. As long as Evree was who she was, the security would always be necessary.