SG-1 ran through the forest path, heading north for the Stargate. Daniel gave the occasional twitch as he was dragged along between O'Neill and Teal'c. Carter was metres ahead, hoping to have the gate open when her colleagues got there. Massive thunder clapped around them and the vegetation around them was lit up with violent flashes of lightening. Rain had just started to pour down on them, flowing down their faces and over their eyes to limit their vision. Occasionally they would stumble, but never would they fall.
Just as the trio broke through the tree line, the familiar great blue wave illuminated their exhausted features. Carter stood beside the gate, waiting for her CO and Teal'c to take Daniel through before she followed.
At the SGC the claxon alarms were blaring their deafening warning that SG-1 was on their way. Hammond rushed down to the Gate Room and stood amidst the precautionary soldiers.
O'Neill and Teal'c were first to appear, dragging Daniel behind them. When Carter jogged down the ramp Hammond yelled for the iris to be closed.
"We need a medical team in here NOW!" Carter ordered.
The team lay Daniel at the base of the ramp gently, only to lift him again when Branston arrived with her team. They watched Daniel be whisked away and O'Neill turned to Hammond.
"What in God's name happened, Colonel?" he demanded.
"Well Sir, we're not quite sure of that ourselves," replied O'Neill.
"The repvitale - "
"The what Major?" asked Hammond.
"The lizard-people, Sir," O'Neill interjected.
Carter continued, "Sir, the repvitale insisted he stay with them when it happened, but Colonel O'Neill thought it best to bring him back here."
O'Neill glared at her.
"I'd say Colonel O'Neill thought right, Major," said Hammond.
"Yes Sir. Sir, we were dining with the species' leader when Daniel, uh.."
"When Daniel got in a lot of pain, Sir," O'Neill offered.
"Thank you Sir," Carter said to O'Neill before turning back to Hammond.
"So am I to understand that these repvitale did this to Doctor Jackson?" questioned the General.
"No Sir!" Carter exclaimed, "I mean, we can't be sure, but we doubt it."
O'Neill raised an eyebrow in Carter's direction, "Do we now?"
Carter glanced at O'Neill. "Well Sir - "
"Debrief at 2100 hours!" Hammond shook his head and walked off.
-
An hour later, General Hammond sat waiting for SG-1 in the briefing room. Not long had he been seated when Major Carter walked through the door.
"Major," he greeted her.
"Sir," she nodded to him and sat down to his right.
"Any idea where Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c and Doctor Jackson are, Major?" he asked her. He knew that it was fairly normal for Jack to turn up late to briefings, but sometimes, from his office, General Hammond sees Teal'c here before Hammond himself even arrives.
Carter read his mind about O'Neill, and answered, "I thought Daniel and Teal'c would be here by now Sir."
"Yes… So did I Major."
The already open door was thrown into the wall as O'Neill jogged into the room.
"Sorry.. I'm late.. Sir," Jack panted, clutching his folders to his chest and collapsing into a chair. "I hope you didn't start without.. me…?" his voice trailed off when he noticed neither Teal'c or Daniel were in the room. He shot an inquisitive look at the General. "Sir?"
"You tell me, Colonel."
"Ah," Jack sighed as he relaxed.
Three minutes went by in silence, spare O'Neill tapping his fingers on the desk. Three heads jerked up at the sound of the claxons and the red alarm lights outside in the corridor.
"Sir?" Carter asked Hammond, concern spreading across her face.
"Find out what's going on Major, Colonel!" Hammond ordered as he stood and abruptly turned to his office.
The doors banged against the wall again and Teal'c entered, holding a human shape tightly in front of him. Daniel was in restraints but still struggling against Teal'c's bulk. Carter and O'Neill rushed to where he was standing to help.
"Colonel O'Neill!" said Teal'c as he pushed Daniel into the room, "I fear that the drug has not been completely driven from Daniel Jackson's system."
"What happened Teal'c?" O'Neill questioned.
"We were in the Infirmary - "
Carter swiftly walked to the door. "Branston?" she asked Teal'c.
"I believe she will be fine, Major Carter, although she suffered injuries," Teal'c answered.
"Sir?" she turned to Hammond, who had come back from his office.
Hammond nodded, allowing Carter to go to the Infirmary and help.
"Was anyone else hurt?" demanded Jack.
"No, O'Neill. As I said, Dr. Branston suffered some injury but I do not believe Daniel Jackson reached anyone else before I restrained him," Teal'c informed them.
Hammond stared at Daniel. "What's he doing here, Teal'c?"
"I believed that bringing him here was the safest thing to do, General Hammond. Staying there seemed to serve only to anger him further."
"I see," Hammond ran the scenario over in his head. "Jack, go with Teal'c to a holding cell, and then get a medical team and bring them to the holding cell to sedate Doctor Jackson."
O'Neill nodded and made for the door.
"Teal'c! Make sure you have airmen in the cell with you and Doctor Jackson, as well as standing guard outside," Hammond ordered, "Is that clear?"
Teal'c bowed his head, "Yes General Hammond."
O'Neill grabbed one side of Daniel, glancing sadly at his friend. "C'mon Teal'c. Let's try and make this as painless for him as possible."
-
Dr. Branston, with one bandaged arm and dark circles under her eyes, stood in her office in front of General Hammond and 3 members of SG-1.
"Dr. Branston," Hammond addressed her, "You should not be on duty. Take some leave," he offered.
"Thank you Sir, but with all due respect, I'm fine. I only got a couple of cuts," Branston touched the yellow stain on the thick bandage, obviously the result of an antiseptic treatment. "I do want to continue working, if that's OK with you, Sir."
Hammond drew a breath, "If you're sure Doctor."
Branston nodded and half-smiled.
"So what have you got for us?" Hammond continued.
Branston sat behind her desk. She remained silent for only a moment, staring solemnly at the open folders before her, but her eyes were blank. Then she turned her gaze on her audience.
"The more recent tests we did on Dr. Jackson, they indicate a rather unusual…" she trailed off, unsure of how to word what she was going to say. "A rather unusual pattern that has presented itself across Daniel's brain," she spoke slowly, taking time to choose her words carefully.
"A what?" O'Neill exclaimed.
"A pattern, Sir. A… An interesting pattern, to say the least." Branston replied.
"And what did this pattern tell you, Doctor?" Hammond asked.
"Various things Sir, small things, and too numerous to say at one time, but - "
"Please, put it in laymen's terms Doc," interrupted O'Neill.
"But Sir," said Carter, "I really should hear the specifics."
"You can study you're fascinating charts later, Carter. Right now, both myself and General Hammond here need to understand what's happening." O'Neill turned to Hammond, "No offence, Sir."
Hammond nodded consentingly so Dr. Branston continued.
"Sirs, I'm truly sorry, but I really have no idea what's happening to Dr. Jackson. All I know is that his brain is changing. Fast."
A/N: If anyone was wondering about the title of this chapter, "Eilwaith" is Welsh for "Again". Rather fitting, don'tcha think?
A fairly action-less chapter, again, but hopefully we'll see the return of the planet in the next one, followed by an unusual ritual.
I could have sworn I posted this just after I finished it (a few weeks ago max.) but it wasn't up… It was still in the Document Manager though… I must have been pulled away before I could finish the process… Hmm… Ah well, I'm posting it now…