"Doctor Weir," Carson Beckett called out urgently as he rushed towards his superior.
Elizabeth turned from her conversation with Teyla to greet the concerned yet excited eyes of her Chief Medical Officer. "What is it, Carson?"
He gripped his tablet tightly as he almost stumbled to a stop beside the women. "I have the results from Dr. Monevata's… Jessica's… complete workup," he panted.
"Okay?" Elizabeth frowned in bemused confusion.
"You do not look very happy with your results, Doctor," Teyla commented.
"I am, yet I'm not," Carson replied in a strange tone. At the two women's confused looks, he thrust his tablet into Elizabeth's hands. "Maybe ye should just take a look for yuirself."
Elizabeth pored over the complex medical jargon on the reports for a long couple of minutes, understanding a little more than half of it in the end. "I'm sorry, Carson, but this looks like Dr. Monevata's DNA is abnormal."
Carson shook his head. "Not just abnormal… familiar."
"I do not follow," Teyla commented as she looked over Elizabeth's shoulder.
Carson took a deep breath before continuing. "Jessica not only tested positive for the Ancient gene, but she also has a more complex DNA structure than we do."
He paused, looking as if he were torn between excitement and nausea.
The women blinked, still not up to the physician's level of understanding.
"Jessica's DNA structure is definitely human, but much more complex than ours. As a matter of fact, it's almost exactly half that as the Ancient, Chaya, we encountered on Proculus."
"So, she's…" Elizabeth trailed off with a frown.
"She's twice as advanced as we are genetically, but half that of the Ancients."
Realization finally hit Elizabeth, as evidenced by her suddenly wide eyes.
"But how is that possible, Dr. Beckett?" Teyla asked. "She is from your home planet, correct?"
"Well, I thought so," Carson replied. "But after seeing this…" He shrugged.
"And what of these other tests you performed?" It seemed Teyla was asking all the questions swirling around in Elizabeth's brain. What the test results were telling directly contrasted with Elizabeth's memories of working with Jessica Monevata a few years previously.
"Her brain scans are also strange. Areas that we have yet to figure out what their function is have a marked increase in functionality," Carson began. "She definitely was Host to at least one Goa'uld symbiote, but I have no idea why or how she doesn't have one now. Jessica's being understandably… guarded."
"She does not trust us," Teyla interjected with a short nod.
"No, I think she believes that she's not really here," Carson contradicted. He took a deep breath before forging on with his explanation. "She's obviously been a prisoner recently, as evidenced by the physical trauma she's undergone."
"She was tortured, you mean," Elizabeth spoke up. She remembered the various reports she'd read at SGC when she was briefly in command about how the Goa'uld tended to treat their 'guests'. "And you think she believes this is all a fabrication of her mind."
"Aye, I do. Obviously I dinna know the whole story, but her body's painting a pretty strong picture." Carson shook his head. "Honestly, she shouldn't be alive right now, with the severity of her wounds… not to mention she's damned lucky t'not have lost her leg from that break. And for all she knows, Jessica's still a prisoner of the Goa'uld, and this," he waved a hand at their surroundings. "is merely a result of her subconscious trying to cope with it all. Whether this was created by her or her captors remains to be seen, in her eyes."
Elizabeth sighed. "I wish we could dedicate more time in reassuring her that she's safe, but with the Wraith so close…"
"Our resources are stretched thin as it is," Carson agreed. "Dr. Heightmeyer's been trying to visit on a regular basis, but Jessica's not been very cooperative."
"And Kate's docket has been full," Elizabeth added. "I'm surprised she's been able to fit Dr. Monevata in at all."
"Well, ye know how she is with what she considers 'special circumstances'," Carson replied with a little shrug. "Especially since her specialty is in PTSD."
"Do what you can for Dr. Monevata, Carson," Elizabeth ordered gently as she handed his tablet back to him. "And didn't you mention that she'd requested access to those devices she had on her when she arrived?"
"Oh aye," he nodded. "She's been a wee bit bored just lyin' there in her bed."
"Did you include that request for her medical records in your message?" Elizabeth asked.
"Aye, I just dinna know how they'd be getting it to me," Rodney replied with a worried look. "It's not like they'll just send someone back through the Gate with everything we need and asked for, is it?"
Elizabeth tilted her head to the side thoughtfully, not having an answer for her CMO.
"Oh, and another thing," Carson added. "Jessica overheard the nurses talking about the personal messages, and had asked me if she could add one to Dr. Jackson."
Elizabeth squinted a little as she mulled it over. "I don't see why that would be a problem, Carson," she replied. "But why she would she specifically ask about Dr. Jackson?"
Carson shrugged. "From what I understand, they went to college together, and have been friends ever since. And he was her boss back at the SGC, wasn't he? Maybe there's no one else she'd be able to contact, since she was presumed dead after her disappearance."
"True." Elizabeth nodded. "All right, but make sure Dr. Monevata knows to keep things short. I don't know how much extra room Rodney will have for her message." She fell silent as she remembered the many messages she had to unfortunately make to the families of all the expedition members who had died.
"Since you have said that Dr. Monevata is a scientist, I am sure some of my people's elders would be interested in spending time and educating her in our ways," Teyla offered after a few moments.
"She's a theologian," Elizabeth replied helpfully, but expounded when Teyla frowned in puzzlement at the word. "She studies the religious faiths of other cultures."
"Ah, then Arden would be the best person to speak with her," Teyla thought out loud. "She will be most pleased to have the company. I am afraid she hasn't had much to do since she came back here due to her ill health."
"Then it's settled," Carson smiled. "I'll make the arrangements and explain everything to Jessica. But about her…" he waved a hand in the air in an effort to describe the combined tech contained in the arm band and ribbon devices. "Rodney said he could spare Dr. Simpson for a few hours a day to learn what she can while she helps Jessica perform any repairs on it."
"As long as there's at least one member of the security staff keeping watch," Elizabeth warned.
"Aye," was the doctor's reply, and he gathered his tablet and took his leave of the two women.
"All right, Dr., I'm ready when you are." Lieutenant Ford made one final adjustment to the camera on its stand, and held his finger over the record button. "Would you like to do this privately?"
Jessica offered a weak smile of reassurance as she briefly shook her head no. "T-thank you, no," she haltingly replied in English. While she was progressing well in regaining conscious control of her languages, she was still having trouble keeping from slipping back into her native Cheyenne… or one of the other languages she'd first learned. She nodded her readiness, and Ford began the recording.
"Hello, Daniel. I know it's a bit of a shock to see me after all this time." The corner of her mouth twitched upwards wryly. "Frankly, I'm surprised I survived this long." She paused a moment to take a careful sip from the water glass sitting on the bed table covering her legs. "There's so much I have to tell you. I don't know where to begin." She blinked away the burning in the back of her eyes as she gathered her drug-muddled thoughts together. "I'm afraid I'm a bit of a mess right now, but then we always knew the Goa'uld were never the 'hospitable' sort, huh?" She paused again to wearily scrub her free hand across her eyes. "If you could, please call my brother and let him and Sonam know I'm still alive? I know you won't be able to tell them details, but you know how Manny worries." This time she couldn't quell the sad smile that crossed her face. "I'm sure he's been stubborn about the whole me dying thing the entire time… probably calling you on a regular basis to see if you've heard from me yet. And Daniel," she paused a moment to look earnestly into the camera lens. "I know about what happened to you… and my grandfather. I can't explain how… but I do. I'm just glad he didn't suffer much, and I wish I could've been there for the ceremony. I'm glad you found your way back home, Kuckunniwi. They still need you there."
Her haunted eyes held Lieutenant Ford captive the entire time she was speaking. He had absolutely no idea what language the woman was speaking, but he was able to understand Dr. Jackson's first name, as well as one other word. Goa'uld. Even though he'd not been involved in any of the SGC teams before the mission to Atlantis, Ford knew that the Goa'uld were a nasty business. He'd heard nightmarish stories from some of the other soldiers about missions they'd gone on with various teams before they'd come to Atlantis.
Absently, he wondered who would win in a battle between the Goa'uld, their Jaffa and the Wraith.
Hell, if they all wiped each other out, the universe would be a much better place. Wouldn't it?
Unaware of the Lieutenant's musing, Jessica had continued to speak.
"I guess I'd better keep this short. Dr. Beckett's been threatening to drug me unconscious if I don't behave and take it easy." She smiled wearily. "I wonder if Janet was his mentor. He sure has the whole Napoleanic complex down pat. Like I said, there's much to tell you, but I won't go into details until I have more time… and energy." Jessica ducked her head down a little in a gesture of self-consciousness. "I know you remember what happens when a power vacuum is created. Although the Goa'uld have been effectively neutralized (and bravo on a job well done, by the way), there are System Lords yet running free out there. Many with Jaffa still faithful to them. Please, Daniel, be careful when you go out."
Jessica shifted a little in the bed, and winced as her battered body protested. Her eyes began to droop against her will, and with an effort she switched back to English. "L-Lieutenant, I t-think I'm… done."
He noticed how the color had begun to drain from her face, and moved back to the camera. "You want me to call the doc?"
Before Jessica could answer, Carson strode through the doorway. "I hope yuir done, young lady," he chastised softly. "Because ye need yuir rest." He moved to her side and quickly checked all of her bandages, and the young Cheyenne winced at the gentle probing of his fingers.
"All right, Lieutenant, I'm afraid we'll have to wrap this up," Carson commented in a worried tone over his shoulder.
"Actually, I think she was finished," Ford replied, and Jessica nodded briefly. "Is there anything you'd like me to add, Doctor?" he asked Jessica.
Carson had lowered the bed so that his patient was almost completely reclined, and she answered without opening her heavy eyelids. "W-Would you please… ask h-how the… s-standings are… for the S-Stanley Cup?" she murmured. "I'm dying to… k-know how the… Penguins, the Av-Avalanche… and the Oilers are d-doing. I swear, t-two years without… w-watching one… single NHL game is the… w-worst torture imaginable."
Carson and Ford exchanged bemused looks. "I'll make sure to include that in your recording, Doctor," Ford replied as he stopped the camera and began to break down the video equipment.
As he left the room, he heard Jessica murmur, "Really, doctor, I-I'm fine."
Carson snorted. "Yuir fever's spiked again, love. Yuir way beyond 'fine'."
Ford again wondered to himself just how this woman had managed to stay alive for so long on her own.
Author's Notes:
The italicized speech in this chapter is Jessica Monevata speaking in Aramaic. If anyone knows of a good free translator out there in Internet-World, please by all means let me know! I'm banging my head in absolute frustration because I just had to write about a character who's a linguist and translator, didn't I? (chuckles)
Cheyenne
Kuckunniwi little wolf (boy's name)