Daniel's temperature dropped like a stone. One minute Sam was soaking him down with water to keep him cool the next, he was shivering so much she had to ask Jack and Teal'c hold him down. His lips and his nails were turning blue even as he tried to curl up for warmth. Sam prepared the second shot and her teammates did their best to hold him down. The liquid went in and had an immediate reaction, Daniel sprawled out stiff as a board unmoving his eyes closed, his chest barely moving with the shallow breaths. His face paled and his hands still cold, the only improvement from Sam's view was his lips were no longer blue.
"Right," said Jack as Sam checked Daniel over again. "Let's get him ready to move."
"Err, Colonel?" Sam called "You should see this." She had once again opened the jumpsuit, and now on Daniel's stomach there was the clear X of a Jaffa Symbiote pouch.
"Ah, shit!" Jack grimaced with a look at his friend's stomach. "Cover him up we're getting out of here now." With that Sam wrapped Daniel in a blanket and Teal'c lean forward to pick him up. "Get to those rings Carter now!" The Colonel was all business now, there was no time for sympathy or feelings they all knew Daniel had only a few hours for them to help him.
Major Thomas almost dropped his gun, when the ground beneath him began to glow. He dived out of the way just in time. The rings rose up from the ground and a group materialized inside them. SG-5 took up defensive positions, and eased only when they realized it was SG-1.
"Dial it up Major." Yelled the Colonel as the energy dissipated. "Dr Jackson needs immediate medical attention." Major Thomas didn't hesitate; he set the Naquada generator going and ordered his team to begin dialing.
"We rigged up a platform on the other side of the gate sir," he called "As soon as it's open we'll send the IDC through and signal for medical team to the gate room." Jack nodded he looked exhausted as did the rest of his team. Even Teal'c was looking a little gray especially considering the weight he held in his arms. The last chevron engaged and Thomas sent the signal. "Go ahead sir we'll pack up things here and follow you." Jack barely acknowledged him as they edged around the gate and walked through.
"Welcome, back SG-1." called Hammond from the control room.
"Sir we need a medical team here now!" cried Sam barely a foot on the ramp. Teal'c didn't pause he simply kept walking with is load toward the infirmary. Doctor Fraiser followed him trying to get a look at Daniel but knowing Teal'c wouldn't put him down until he was safe. But when he got to the infirmary he didn't stop he continued to an isolation room further down. He paused at the door.
"You must not enter here Doctor Frasier." Said Teal'c Doctor Frasier frowned.
"Teal'c I need to examine him…" she began but Teal'c uncharacteristically interrupted.
"If you begin to treat him before you are sterile you will most likely kill him."
"What?"
"Daniel Jackson is now a Jaffa, he has no immune system and any bacteria you carry will most definitely kill him." Teal'c continued into the room, Doctor Frasier stayed outside stunned. Sam caught up with her.
"Janet," she gasped surprised that the small woman had kept up with Teal'c's fast pace. "We need to isolate Daniel and keep him from getting infected with anything."
"Teal'c told me, Daniel's become a Jaffa, how is that possible?"
"It's a form of gould chemical warfare, a way of increasing their armies and taking over a world all in one. It must still have been in the atmosphere after the Gould decided it was time to leave."
"What about you and the Colonel have you been affected?"
"No I'm fine Teal'c said it only affects men aged 25 to 40."
"The Colonel escapes by the gray on his temples." Dr Frasier mused.
Six months earlier…
Daniel sat in his lab going over several translations that had been done wrong while he was away on a mission; he groaned as he crossed out the mistakes and rewrote what was so obvious to him. He looked down at what he'd written and was surprised by what he saw, he immediately called Teal'c and he showed the Jaffa what he'd found.
"It is a Jaffa holy book." said Teal'c looking over the text. Daniel smiled his excitement evident he was clearly very interested in a specific ritual.
"Look at this; it's a ceremony to cast out a symbiote." Teal'c cast a look at the passage.
"This is an old version," he told his friend. "It refers to a time before the Jaffa were born through procreation."
"Like what Hathor did to Jack?"
"Yes and other methods like it. The strongest and most fit warriors were chosen and changed."
"Into Jaffa?"
"Yes, but the change was unnatural many died, those who survived were given a gould lava to sustain them. Eventually enough were transformed that they began to have relationships and produce children, the gods encouraged this and thus the Jaffa nation was born."
"But the first ones, those that were transformed they were humans?"
"Indeed."
"Well what is this ritual about?"
"It speaks of a form of meditation a way to cast off the change and return to human form."
"Really? Would it work for someone who was born a Jaffa?"
"It would not, this was written before that time, but the words of the ritual are clear, to cast off the change it must not be ones natural state. I have always been a Jaffa." Daniel sat quietly for a moment at a loss for words. "Thank you Daniel Jackson."
"For what?" asked the archeologist surprised.
"For showing me this, it is a most interesting look at my people's history."
"Wish it could have helped you though." Said Daniel defeated.
"It has helped a great deal Daniel Jackson."
"How's that?"
"The fact that this ritual exists, shows that there were those among my people who questioned the gods from the beginning and it gives me renewed hope that one day they can be free." Daniel smiled at him.
"Me too."
Daniel was running a fever, and had been for three days.
"Status report Doctor?" asked General Hammond looking through the glass of the observation room over looking Daniel's bed.
"Same as yesterday sir." said Janet. "He's no better, but I can't say he's worse either. His body is in conflict, the illness has begun to change his body, as evidenced by the opening on his stomach, and although his white blood count is low it's there. He still has an immune system and it's putting up one hell of a fight."
"Is he is a coma?" Janet grimaced.
"Unfortunately no sir, he's very much aware of what's happening and he's in a great deal of pain, but I can't sedate him at the risk of lowering his defenses further."
"What are his chances?"
"Your guess is as good as mine, sir at this point it's a waiting game. Major Carter said that one in three men on the planet survive free and clear, now I don't know if that's due to some indigenous immunity or if it's genetic, but those are long odds sir."
"Not for Daniel." Neither Frasier, nor Hammond had heard Colonel O'Neill enter, but both regretted him hearing that conversation.
"Colonel…I"
"Save it Doc, I know." Jack let it go, because he knew how much not being able to help Daniel hurt her, he knew because he felt the same way and it was way too familiar a feeling for both of them. O'Neill stepped over to the window and looked down at his friend. A nurse dressed for surgery came in to check his vitals, she wore gloves and a mask as well as gown and head cover. They'd done their best to sterilize the room, but the damage had already been done. It hurt O'Neill not to be able to be by his friend's side, to deny them both the comfort of being there for him, in spite of his inability to help in any way.
"What about the Tok'Ra?" cried Jack in frustration, "or the Asgard, or the Nox? The Nox like Daniel they'd help."
"The Nox home world is off limits since they buried their gate, and we have no other means of contacting them." Teal'c's reply was succinct and swiftly met with a withering glance.
"The Tok'ra, can't help they say the toxin, introduced that caused the illness, was probably in the plants that were used to treat his initial injuries and not in the air as we first assumed. The first symptoms are fast healing of wounds; the people probably don't know this causes the illness in the first place. As for the Asgard they don't interfere in what they see as a natural occurrence."
"A natural occurrence?" Jack glared at Sam. "How is this natural?" He threw pages of ultra sounds down on the table. They depicted a newly formed organ in Daniel's abdomen, Teal'c had informed them it was a new gland that would provide nutrition and fluids to the almost completely formed symbiote pouch. Janet said that the slits would open soon, ready for the insertion of a larval gould that would not come.
Teal'c sat at the desk in the observation room, all three of them had been taking shifts to sit with Daniel, and talk to him during the brief moments he was awake, in spite of the pain.
"Teal'c?" the plaintiff call came from below.
"I am here Daniel Jackson."
"Teal'c it's time, I can feel it."
"I understand what is it that you wish of me?"
"Help me!" he cried his eyes wide with the pain. Teal'c's face fell as he looked upon his young friend.
"I will do what I can, but you must stay strong Daniel Jackson." With that he got up and left the observation room, he went down to his own quarters and retrieved supplies that he carried in a bag. He went down to the only door to the isolation room.
"Sir, you can't go in there." Teal'c tried to ignore the SF that was stationed at the door, but his insistence to do his job forced his hand. He turned back to the young man and opened his palm; he blew the dust there into his face. The guard coughed and looked surprised then he collapsed.
"What's going on sir?" Sam came rushing into the observation room to find General Hammond, Doctor Fraiser and Colonel O'Neill looking slightly grim. "Someone said Daniel flat lined!"
"He's not dead Sam," said Jack bluntly, "But if we don't get Teal'c out of there he might be soon."
"Teal'c?" she questioned completely confused. Her gaze darted to the window and sure enough there was Teal'c setting up candles in a circle next to Daniel's bed. "What's he doing?"
"Got me." said Jack.
"All we know is he drugged the guard outside, and locked the door from the inside. He's disconnected all of the machines monitoring Dr Jackson and that's what alerted Dr Fraiser and myself." said Hammond.
"It looked like he'd flat lined," said Janet "I rushed down here with a crash cart only to find an unconscious SF and a locked door."
"What's he doing?" asked Sam a second time.
"We don't know, when we asked all he says is this is Daniel's last chance." Janet looked out the window with concern. All other eyes drifted in the same direction.
Daniel felt like shit. He had never imagined being in so much pain yet for the time being he was able to bare it. He was only grateful Janet had let him wear scrubs rather than the traditional hospital gown. He sat cross-legged on the bed in the isolation room and watched Teal'c set up the candles carefully. Once he'd finished he stepped over them to where Daniel sat sweat dripping down his fever ridden features. Teal'c looked at him his face as inscrutable as ever.
"We must wait," he said after a moment.
"Why?" asked Daniel impatient to get the show on the road.
"The change is not yet complete."
"It feels pretty complete to me." said Daniel wiping his head of the moisture.
"Your body still fights, you must give yourself to what you are becoming completely."
"How do I do that?" he was going to faint he felt it the dizziness in his head, spots in front of his eyes.
"Daniel Jackson!" Teal'c gruff pronouncement brought him back.
"Thanks I needed that."
"Lie back." The Jaffa gently pushed Daniel flat onto the bed. "Close your eyes, Daniel Jackson and let it come." Teal'c spared a glance to those in the observation room. He bowed his head to them and turned back to Daniel. Daniel closed his eyes trying to relax every single muscle in his body. He realized that without knowing it he'd tensed himself completely holding back a part of himself from what was happening. He breathed slowly, in and out letting go of the resistance. Then it happened, a pinprick in his stomach that intensified to a stabbing pain, he bent double crying out more from surprise than anything else.
Daniel was on fire he could feel it someone had a stuck a candle in his pouch like a jack-o-lantern and it was burning him from the inside out. He had to get it out had to stop the pain. Frantically, Daniel pulled his shirt off and tore into the bandages that they had seen fit to cover what nobody wanted to see. He clawed and scraped at them desperate to get at what was beneath. Teal'c stood by and watched him silent until it was time. The last bandage came off and Daniel pulled off the padding placed across his pouch. He felt the air on it and it was an instant relief. Without knowing why he had to plunge his hand into the opening, because now it was truly open, and touch the newest part of what he had become.
Teal'c went to his friend as he discovered his new body.
"Is it over now?" asked Daniel he was holding out his hand covered in a yellow liquid and staring at what was now his. Teal'c nodded passing Daniel a cloth. Daniel was fascinated. "The pain is gone." He said suddenly surprised. "I feel, good," he said again surprise sounded in his voice. He stood up flexing his muscles. "Strong and powerful, is this how you feel everyday Teal'c?" He asked his natural curiosity returning full force.
"I am unsure Daniel Jackson, since I have felt the same since I was born." Daniel nodded, and then a shadow passed over his face.
"How long do I have?" Teal'c frowned considering.
"Jaffa children live without a primta for twelve years before implantation, but an adult Jaffa can only sustain himself for a few hours before an infection takes him." Daniel fingered his pouch.
"What does the ritual entail?"
"It is difficult to explain, there are three parts; Courage, Faith, and Choice."
"Well that doesn't sound too bad."
"It will be most arduous, Daniel Jackson are you sure you want to continue?"
"What are the chances of them finding a larval gould for me within the next three or four hours."
"Not good Daniel Jackson."
"And what are the chances of my surviving without one?"
"Also not good, Daniel Jackson."
"Then I don't have much of a choice do I?"
"It would seem not."
"Then let's get started." Teal'c bowed his head in assent.
"Please sit." He gestured to the circle of candles at their feet. Daniel did as he was told. Teal'c walked around the circle and lit the candles one by one. He carried incense with him and chanted in a low voice. Daniel closed his eyes and let the words and the scent from the candles and the incensewash over him.
Yes, I did it again but it's okay there's another chapter look...