The small group in the infirmary watched from the window of the observation room. Janet Fraiser was the only one actually in the room itself, and she was standing near the door watching the monitors that were keeping track of not only Ben Crane's vital signs, but that of the symbiote as well.

They watched.

They waited.

For what seemed like hours, but was only fifteen minutes or so, nothing happened, and Sam was beginning to wonder if it wasn't going to work – and if it wasn't, she was wondering what Ian was doing for so long linked to the two of them.

Then an alarm blared from one of the monitors, and where there had only a second before been two sets of heartbeats, there was now only one beating – and a flatline. Janet jumped forward, out of habit, but pulled back at a barked command from Hammond, who didn't want to risk his Chief Medical Officer to a desperate Goa'uld who was dying in a host.

Everyone froze, watching with varying degrees of interest and horror as the monitor continued to flatline – and although the one that was monitoring Ben Crane's vitals fluctuated crazily for several long moments, it remained constant despite Janet's fears that that they'd lose him, too.

Just as she decided that the symbiote was truly dead and not a threat to her, Ian sighed and pulled his hand from Ben's chest, opening his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Fraiser asked him.

He nodded, looking down at the young man on the bed and then over to the monitors. Janet thought she detected a satisfied expression on Ian's face – and the furious hatred was gone from Ben's. Now his eyes were closed and he simply appeared to be sleeping.

"What happened?" Sam asked, coming through the door with the others. Janet wasn't surprised that she was the first one to get there or the first to ask, since the de vice was going to be used on her father next – although probably not, since it was obvious it had killed the symbiote. "The device failed?"

Ian shook his head.

"It worked perfectly."

"But it killed the symbiote."

"I killed the symbiote."

"What?"

"I tested the device, made sure it wouldn't hurt the host or the symbiote, and then I killed the bastard."

He didn't look at all apologetic about it, either.

Hammond frowned.

"Did it occur to you that we might be able to question the Goa'uld and find out who sent it?"

Ian shook his head.

"I know who sent it – or rather, I know that no one sent it." He looked at Sam and the others. "Why didn't you tell me Anubis is ascended?"

"What?"

"Well, not completely ascended, but close enough to make him dangerous…"

"Ian, I don't even know what that phrase means…"

"Jacob used it a couple of times, though," Daniel added. "We couldn't figure it out – and neither could the Tok'ra."

"You know what it is?" Jack asked, curiously.

Ian rubbed his head, but nodded.

"I do, but it's complicated. Let's go talk to Jacob and make sure he's really still in control before we go over all that – that way we only have to do it once."

"You're sure the device won't hurt him?" Sam asked.

"Positive."

"I still don't understand why you killed the Goa'uld," Hammond said. "You should have discussed it with-"

"He asked me to," Ian interrupted. "Right after he asked me to kill him."

Emmett blanched, looking at his young cameraman.

"Is he okay?"

"The snake's gone," Ian answered. "But I used his energy to kill it – so I wouldn't get wiped out for the next couple of days. He'll sleep for a while and probably wake up hungry."

"Which sounds familiar…" Janet said.

Ian nodded. Then he looked at Bregman.

"You might want to have someone he knows and likes close by when he wakes up… he had a rough time of it…"

Emmett nodded.

"I'll stick around."

Everyone was looking at Ian oddly, surprised by the compassion in his voice, and he scowled.

"What?"

Jack shook his head.

"Nothing. Let's go talk to Jacob."

"Yeah."

OOOOOOOOO

Jacob looked up at the knock on the door, warned that someone was coming, and smiled when he saw Sam.

"Hi, Sammy."

She returned the smile, but didn't get close.

"Hi, dad. How's it going?"

"Tell me you have something…"

She nodded, and gestured for Ian to enter the room, too.

"We do."

"But…?"

It certainly sounded like there was a drawback to whatever it was.

"It's a device, Jacob," Ian said. "An Ancients device. With it I can get into your head – and into your symbiote's – and find out if it's really who you say it is, or if you've been taken over by a hostile."

"Get into my head?" Jacob repeated.

Ian nodded.

"It works. We just used it on the one in the infirmary."

"What did you find out?"

"How about we tell you that after we test yours, Jacob?" Jack asked, leaning against the doorframe.

There was a hesitation, but Ian was pretty sure it was only because Jacob and the symbiote in his head were conversing. Sure enough, the retired general closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them again his voice changed dramatically.

"We are willing to have this device used on us."

"You need to know that I'm going to paralyze you…" Ian told them, unwilling to startle them – especially since he liked Jacob. "Only temporarily, but it'll be complete."

Jacob nodded, but his voice was still that of the symbiote.

"Go ahead, Ian Brooks."

Ian looked over at Sam, who looked worried, despite his promises that it wouldn't hurt her dad – or maybe she was worried that it would prove her father was no longer blended with a Tok'ra – and winked. He was fairly confident that it was Jake and Selmac. Otherwise the symbiote never would have agreed to the testing in the first place – and definitely wouldn't have agreed to the paralysis.

He slid the device back into his palm, and gestured towards Jacob with it, activating the first part. Jacob froze where he stood, only his eyes moving as they watched Ian walk closer. When he activated the second part of the device, he carefully brushed against the very fringe of Jacob's consciousness, mindful of the old man's privacy.

What he felt wasn't the mindless terror he'd felt in Ben Crane's soul. This person was calm and serene, and while he was worried, he wasn't afraid, and wasn't a prisoner.

Ian?

The young New Yorker felt his own relief.

Hey, Jacob

Test me, young man, a new voice said, and this one was cheerful, but laced with an age and wisdom that was even beyond Jacob.

Selmac.

The one and only.

Jacob?

It is, Ian. She's okay.

What kind of device is this? Selmac asked him, and Ian could feel as well as hear the curiosity and interest.

It's an Ancients device, Ian said.

You said that earlier.

It hasn't changed.

He felt a mental snort, but the symbiote didn't press the issue.

Are you satisfied? It asked.

Yeah.

He didn't have any reason to stick around, and there were plenty of reasons not to. Mainly privacy issues. With his memory, anything he saw he was going to remember, and that just didn't appeal to him just then. So Ian pulled his awareness away and deactivated both part of the device simultaneously.

His head was still pounding, but he had to admit he felt better knowing for certain that Jacob was okay.

"Well?" Jack asked, the instant they all realized Ian was done.

Ian looked at Sam, and smiled.

"He's fine."