Author's note: Again I don't own Stargate or do any of this for profit. I'd like to thank all of you for reading this and for the reviews that I've gotten I hope that you all review some more soon. I'd love to hear from you!

Chapter Eight

The Enemy Within

Thud. Thud. Thud. The knocks on my door were getting more insistent by the minute. "Erin?" Jack's voice called tentatively from the other side of the thick metal door of my barrack.

I pulled Skaara's robe closer to where I was curled up on the uncomfortable bed that sat in the center of the concrete walled room. The General hadn't know what do do with Daniel and me after the chaos of the last mission had settled down. We didn't have anywhere to go so we'd been set up in temporary rooms on base. For lack of a better word, it felt as cold as a prison cell.

Thud. "Erin?" Jack knocked again.

Sighing I sat up. "It's open."

Jack opened the door and stuck his head in. "How are you?"

"Just dandy, you?" I snapped.

Jack raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I groaned running my hand through my uncombed hair. Standing I stumbled to the set of drawers that was the only other fixture in the room and pulled out the top drawer and stuffed Skaara's rode inside. Other than that and a set of military fatigues it was empty. "I'm not mad at you. I just haven't slept since, I don't remember."

"Are those?" Jack gestured to the robes in closed the drawer.

I took a deep breath. "Yeah. It's funny, a few days ago he was right next to me happy and free. Now that's all that I have left of him."

"We'll find him."

I unbuttoned my jacket and tossed it on the edge on my bed. "I wish I could believe that Jack."

Jack's eyes scanned the barren floor like he was thinking really hard about something. His head popped up suddenly and he looked at me excitedly. "You know what, come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"The control room." Jack glanced at his watch. "There's a mission briefing in about ten minutes, and we don't want to be late, now do we?" He grinned at mischievously.

Shaking my head at him I plopped down on the bed and took Skaara's lighter out of my pocket. Recently I had taken to absently turning it over and over in my hands. "Why would I go there? I haven't been assigned anywhere yet. In fact, I don't think the General even wants me here. "

Jack strode the rest of the way into my room and sat down next to me. "Well I'm here to officially inform you that I've submitted my request that you be allowed to join SG-1. That is, if you want to."

I looked him the eyes to see if he was kidding, and seeing he wasn't I nodded. "I do. I need to get back out there. I have to do something." If I stayed in this room any longer I just might go crazy.

Jack patted my knee and jumped of the bed. "Then let's get going." Then Jack stopped short and narrowed his eyes. He was looking at my hands and I noticed that I was still fiddling with the zippo. "Skaara's lighter?"

"Oh, yeah, it was in his robe when he gave it to me." I glanced down at the small dented piece of metal then back at Jack. "If you want it back..."

Jack cut me off. "No no, you hang onto it. Skaara's gonna need it back when we find him. And you know me, I have trouble finding my shoes sometimes, even when their on my feet." I appreciated Jack's optimism, even it it was a little forced.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

We reached the control room for the pre-mission briefing, abet ten minutes late due to a little side trip to the commissary. Jack had found out that I hadn't eaten in about a day and a half and had tried to tempt me with a chocolate chip cookie. I had reluctantly swallowed it to please him, but for all the chief's effort and Jack's encouragement, everything I put in my mouth tasted like sawdust. Once satisfied that I wasn't going to drop dead from hunger, Jack had looked at his watch. Then with a start he had grabbed my arm and we were raced to the meeting.

Our entrance interrupted the General mid-sentence which earned Jack a withering glare, while Kawalsky just grinned. If the General was surprised by my presence he didn't show it as he went right back to the briefing.

Not sure if this was a good thing or not I sought out the only place I felt remotely safe in this foreign setting, which was right next to Daniel. He smiled at me reassuringly as I came to stand next to him. Under his eyes were dark, deep circles that showed that he had slept about as much as me the last few days and he cradled a coffee cup like it was his one salvation. It pained me that he had to go through this, but at least we had each other.

The General prattled on in the background, most of it was technical talk that went way over my head. Only when he got to the upcoming missions did anything begin to coalesce into something that resembled English. "Gentlemen, these planets designated P3-575 and P3A-577," He used a pointer to indicate two dots on a translucent starmap, "Have been submitted by Captain Carter's team as possible destinations for your next missions." The General turned from the map and addressed Jack and Kawalsky. "SG units one and two will operate currently."

Jack tapped Kawalsky on the shoulder, "You know, I'm kind of partial to P3-575 if you don't mind taking P3A-577."

Kawalsky shook his head and placed his hand on Jack's shoulder to cut him off, "No, I'll take 577."

Jack laughed a little and put his hands up in mock surrender. "I'm not married to it."

By this point the General was staring at them open mouthed. He turned to Carter for help and she just shrugged. Then he whirled to face Daniel and I. I didn't know what he wanted or expected us to do so I did the only thing I could, I just shrugged. The General sighed in frustration.

Jack and Kawalsky seemed completely oblivious all this.

"I want to be fair about it. How about we flip for it?" Jack was already reaching into his pocket for a coin.

The General had had enough and stepped between to two officers, breaking them up. "How about you go where I tell you? As for as I'm concerned..." That's as far as he got before the base was flooded with flashing emergency lights and alarms.

"Alert! Inbound traveler! Repeat! Inbound traveler!" The now familiar voice and phrase echoed over the loudspeakers.

"Damn those Goa'ulds are persistent." Kawalsky commented as the iris slid into place around the Stargate. Soldiers ran up the ramp with their machine guns at the ready and all the rail guns were pointed at the gate.

"I think we might have insulted a god or two on our way out." I murmured. Jack looked at me out of the corner of his eye, smirking.

The General leaned into the com and spoke so his voice superseded the alarms. "Alert! All defense teams standby." He covered the mic with his hand and faced the lieutenant at the computer. "Set the base auto destruct countdown at three minutes."

The gate stopped spinning and there was immediately several loud collisions in the iris. Once the iris bowed out like it was about to blow inwards, but luckily it stayed in place.

Kawalsky signed and rubbed the back of his neck grimacing in pain. "We're not going anywhere as long as the Goa'ulds keep up these attacks."

"Well they can't keep this up forever." I said. Off Jack and Carter's unsure expressions. "Can they?"

The loudest thud yet rang out from the gate and the iris came apart for a moment so the blue light of the event horizon was visible before it snapped back into place.

"Whoa!" Jack flinched back.

Carter leaned over a computer monitoring the gate's output."Well, once they realize our gate's impenetrable, they should just give up."

"So this iris is going to hold, right?" Daniel came up beside Carter and eyed the gate warily.

She nodded, "Pure titanium. Less than three micrometers from the event horizon. It wont even allow matter to fully integrate."

"So it it going to hold right?" I repeated Daniel's question leaning next to him.

"If it doesn't, the fail safe device will detonate, this whole mountain will vaporize, and there'll be nothing to worry about." She said just a bit to cheerily.
My eyes went wide, "Oh, well that's a, a relief."

The gate finally shut down. The General spoke into the com. "Radiation teams move in."

"Team reports all clear sir." The lieutenant reported.

"Alright, stand down and abort the countdown." The General entered his code into the computer.

I wont lie that it was nice not to see those big red letters ticking off the seconds until we were all vaporized.

From behind me came a pained groan. Kawalsky was massaging his neck.

Jack noticed to "Kawalsky, what's the matter?"

He looked up at Jack and waved him off. "Just a headache. Took a fistful of aspirin but nothing seems to help."

"Go down to the infirmary and get yourself checked out." Jack ordered.

"Yes sir I think I'll do that." he turned to the General and saluted him. "Sir, with you permission."

The General returned the salute. "By all means major. I need you to lead you team to P3-575."

Kawalsky lowered his hand and as he left he brushed past Jack. They both bore identical smirks that their ploy had worked.

As everyone else filed out of the room Jack remained behind. I walked up to him and nudged his arm playfully. "I see what you did there."

He just looked at me innocently. "I have no idea what your talking about." He tilted his head up at the stairs that the General had retreated too moments before. "Hammond wants to see us."

Trudging up the stairs and waiting outside Hammond's office made me feel like I was back in grade school and the principal had just asked to see me in private.

"Should I knock, or should you?" I asked Jack, unsure how things were supposed to go in a military base.

The General must have heard us for the next thing we heard was his commanding voice that allowed no questions, "Come!"

Jack opened the door and let me go in first. Either he had suddenly become polite overnight or, he was throwing me to the wolfs first.

The General sat behind his desk looking up at with a face devoid of emotion. "Ah Colonel, Miss Clark, please have a seat." He gestured to two chairs arranged in front of his desk. I sat in one but Jack remained standing.

A shield around the General seemed to slip a bit as he rested his head in his palms. "I understand how Kawalsky feels, this job gives me a headache to."

Jack picked up his bad mood and went straight to the point. "What's the bad news General?"

Hammond jerked back in surprise. "Not much for small talk are you Colonel?"

If Jack hadn't been talking to a General I knew he would have been rolling his eyes. "How was your weekend? Get any fishing in?" He said without humor.

I pretended to cough and covered my mouth to hide my smile. Jack had become really candid the last two years.

Hammond's eye twitched, but other than that, he didn't respond to Jack's question. "First off. Miss Clark will be allowed to join SG-1. Though you should know that she had her objectors to even her being allowed on the base, given her age and lack of a doctorate."

"You aren't a doctor?" Jack asked furrowing his brows down at me.

"No." I shook my head. He scoffed so I continued, "Have you ever heard anyone call me Dr."

"I just assumed since you seem to wear the same set of smarty pants as Daniel." Jack cocked his head to the side, studying me.

I sighed, "I do have a masters in classics and a bachelors in linguistics. But right before Daniel and I were hired by Catherine I'd been kicked out of my doctorate program so I never got to finish."

"Why'd you get kicked out?" Jack asked wagging his brows at me, teasing.

"Hey. Not for anything fun like you're thinking I really quite boring in school. " I explained, "Back then Daniel and I had more than a few theories that were considered crazy. a little to crazy for my professors."

"Not so crazy now eh." Jack grinned.

"However," Hammond broke in, "It is her lack of a doctorate that had many of the higher-ups in Government to question her further involvement in this program."

"Oh come on General," Jack protested, "She and Daniel were able to figure out the Stargate in two weeks. In three years the Governments pool of fancy doctor's couldn't do that. And she has more off-world experience than anyone besides Daniel and I."

"It would seem there were enough in Washington who agreed with you." Hammond held up a placating hand, "And since she was instrumental in your defeat of Ra and your most recent mission she has convinced most that she could be a capable member of you team."

Wow. I was actually going to be allowed to join Jack's team.

"That was the good news," Jack narrowed his eyes at the General. "so what's the bad news, sir?"

"I have to reject your request to have Teal'c join SG-1. Wasn't my choice. A Colonel Kennedy," The General spat his name like it left a foul taste in his mouth. "is en-route from the Pentagon right now. He'll be asking your friend some, some questions." The way he said it made me think that no actual questions were going to be involved.

"They want to experiment on him." I said through gritted teeth.

I jumped to a conclusion, which Hammond confirmed with a nod of his head. "Maybe you haven't noticed but he is the first living alien we've ever come across. Don't you think that qualifies you friend as a subject of scientific interest?"

"No." I responded flatly at the same time Jack scoffed, "A subject?!"

"He is what he is." Hammond stated plainly.

I was about to retort, but Jack beat me to it. With each word his voice rose in anger. "With all due respect, sir. I don't think he saved our lives or the lives of my team to become a damn guinea pig for U.S military intelligence." By this point he was practically shouting.

"Back up Colonel." Hammond snapped with enough authority to make Jack shut his mouth on whatever he was about to say. "This man switched side once, are you 100% positive he wont do it again?"

Jack looked him dead in the eyes. "Yes sir."

"Well you are alone in that assertion. As long as Teal'c is present on this base I promise that he will be treated with the utmost respect and dignity. Beyond that I can't promise a thing." He abruptly stood from his chair, "Dismissed."

I guess that was the end of that meeting.

We exited the General's office. Jack figured I'd be following him because he gave a quizzical look as I started back toward the briefing room. "Where you headed?" he asked.

"The General has Daniel, Carter and I briefing the other SG teams on the basic operation of the Stargate. Well, actually the General has Daniel and Carter doing that, but they asked me to assist."

"Okay." Jack patted my shoulder. "Just get some rest at some point to day. You can stay awake forever."

"I can try." I started down the steps waving behind me. "See you later Jack."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The briefing room was now full of twenty-year-old something marines and air force officers. They each held a detailed report Carter and I compiled on the Stargate and all the planets we've visited so far. All the planets being two.

A few looked up as I tried, unsuccessfully, to sneak into the meeting. Shuffling next to Daniel I made my face as apologetic as I could. "Sorry."

"We were just getting started." He whispered to me. Then facing the men he addressed them while pointed to a diagram set up on the board full of chitchats and graphs. "So this device," He gestured to drawings and photographs of the dial home device. Should be on every planet we visit. We," Daniel waved his pen between the two of us. "studied the one on Abydos for months. It's sort of like a...a...a" He searched for the right word.

"Telephone." Carter and I suggested at the same time. We looked at each other and had to stifle a laugh.

Daniel smiled at us. "I like that. Telephone. In order to get back home all you have to do is..." He hesitated and strode slowly to the glass widows of the briefing room overlooking the Gate room. "dial Earth. Which is uh... Which is what were here to talk about so...What is Major Kawalsky doing in the Gate Room?"

"What?" I asked coming to stand beside him. And there he was. Kawalsky was standing with his back turned to us midway up on the ramp leading to the Stargate with his arms outstretched.

Carter looked down at him then glanced at us with concern written all over her face. "page Colonel O'Neill and General Hammond to the Gate room now!" She told one of the lieutenants.

"Yes Ma'am."

We filed out of the briefing room and down the stairs to the Gate room. As Daniel, Carter and I came through the blast door on one side Jack and Hammond walked in from the other side.

Kawalsky was still standing on the ramp, seeming oblivious to everyone else in the room.

"Charlie?" Jack called him by his first name.

He jerked like he was just waking up and swiveled his head around in confusion. Lowering his arms he face us. "Jack? Guys?" He glanced at out faces in fear. "What am I doing here?"

"Colonel O'Neill." Hammond addressed Jack while eying Kawalsky warily. "Will you take the major to the infirmary."

"Yes sir." Jack walked up the ramp and took Kawalsky by the arm. "Come on, lets get you checked out."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Half and hour later I was wondering aimlessly around the halls of the base. I swear, each corridor seemed just like the last and the one before that. Even if I had years I don't think I would ever be able to fine my way around.

Faintly I could hear running steps behind me but I didn't pay much attention. I was thinking hard about trying to not think hard about what had happened with Skaara and Sha're. It wasn't working. I kept replaying over and over the moments leading up to Skaara being taken and what I could have done differently.

So of course I wasn't watching were I was walking. And of course when a hand unexpectedly slammed down on my back, I shrieked.

"You must have been really think hard about something." Jack appeared in my periphery.

I frowned.

"I've been calling you name and chasing you through the halls for about two minutes." Jack explained.

"Oh geez I'm sorry. What did you want?"

"They are about to start questioning Teal'c. Way I figure its gonna become a proverbial trial unless we drop in."

"You mean crash the meeting?" I asked.

"More or less, you in?"

"Lead the way." I nodded. Jack waved for me to lead. "I mean literally lead the way, I'm lost."

"Ah." Jack cocked his head sideways, "Come on." and led me down the hall I had just came from.

He took a crazy amount of twists and turns that I didn't even bother to memorize. Somehow all that managed to get us back to briefing room.

As we came up the steps we heard the last of Teal'c's answer to what I assumed was a question about technology.

"Knowledge about Goa'uld magic is forbidden." Teal'c said calmly and without emotion.

"It's not magic Teal'c" Was my automatic response. I had heard that line so many times on Abydos when I tried to explain things that the response had almost become second nature. Unfortunately a whole room full of high ranking military personal now knew that they had eavesdroppers. I slapped my hand to my mouth, great Erin, really great.

Jack quickly covered for me. "They just want you to think that." He saluted Hammond. "Permission to barge in General."

Hammond nodded for the two of us to join him and another, less friendly man at the table.

The man sneered as we took our seats. "Colonel O'Neill. I was hoping to meet you. Your mission report from Chulak made for the most engrossing analysis of my career." As then man looked from Jack to me I couldn't suppress a small shiver. "Ah Miss Clark." He grunted out my name and scowled down at me. "That fact that you are even present on this base goes against my recommendation. If I have my way, and I usually do, when I'm threw with you, you wont even be able to get a job dusting historical books in a library am I clear."

I gulped. So this was one of the objectors that Hammond had been talking about. He was a lot more, unpleasant than I expected.

Hammond's gaze snapped to the man, pinning him with a warning glare. "Colonel Kennedy, perhaps this is not the time."

"Of course sir." He put on the best, fake smile. "Please join us."

The way he could change his outward emotional appearance in the blink of an eye was disarming. I was not going to like this man. Nope, not at all.

This Colonel Kennedy went back to questioning Teal'c who sat, alone, at the other end of the long table. "Well, what can you tell me about the Goa'ulds than I may be able to use?"

Me? I? Like he was the only one who has or ever will fight them. Jack scoffed, he had caught the Colonel's wording as well.

Teal'c began mater-of-factly, "They rule by force. Their numbers were once very few, but they are growing."

"How many worlds do the control?" Kennedy interrupted.

"Many hundreds, perhaps more."

"And should we expect to encounter them everywhere we go?" Kennedy cut him off again. Man this guy is such an ass, pardon my French.

Jack leaned over to Hammond and whispered. "We?" To which the General just shook his head for Jack to shut up for the moment.

Teal'c continued, only a raised eyebrow to acknowledge Kennedy's rudeness. "It is possible. But there are many worlds that the Goa'ulds have no use for. On those worlds the people are left to starve, fend for themselves."

And what do you know, Kennedy broke in again. For someone who wanted information he had a funky way of getting it. "Is there a leadership with which we could negotiate?"

"Oh please." I thought. Off Kennedy's glare, "Sorry." At least I thought I hadn't said it out loud.

"Some like Apophis," My fists clenched as Teal'c mentioned the man who took away most of my family. "are great kings who rule over many worlds as their gods. They have no need for peace. If they could kill you, they would."

"Could they? They have space craft, right?"

"Yes. But with out a Stargate the journey could take may months, perhaps years. It would take many vessels and many slave armies."

"Were not that much of a nuisance, just yet." Jack interjected.

Kennedy promptly ignored him. "These slaves, where do they come from?"

Teal'c sighed like he was about to begin a long story. "There is tale of a primitive world the Goa'uld discovered a millennia ago. The Tau'ri. The First World where beings of this form first evolved." Everyone present, if they hadn't been listening, were now paying rapt attention. "It is said the Goa'uld harvested among the primitives. Some became Goa'uld hosts, others became jaffa. The rest were taken as slaves and seeded among the stars to serve them." Teal'c paused for a moment and shook his head. "But that world has been lost for centuries."

"Teal'c." Kennedy addressed him by name for the first time. "beings of this form evolved here, on Earth."

Teal'c sat up ramrod straight in his chair and glanced around at us in surprise. "This world?"

"Is the world you talking about, Teal'c." I answered him. "Ra came here over ten thousand years ago."

"If our ancestors hadn't rebelled and buried the Stargate..." Jack pondered.

Teal'c finished. "You would not have become strong enough to challenge them."

"So the galaxy is populated by the ancient peoples of Earth." I said. "There could be millions by now!"

Teal'c spoke again, his grave tone drawing everyone's attention back to him. "Then you are their greatest hope. And mine."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The meeting ended shortly there after. Teal'c was taken back to his cell while the rest of filed out in various directions.

I was almost all the way down the stairs when I heard General Hammond call to Kennedy. "Colonel Kennedy. A word."

"Is this about Teal'c?" Kennedy sounded annoyed.

Deciding to give them some privacy I turned to leave, but was halted by Hammond's next words. "Actually I wish to discuss Miss Clark."

"Ah, In my opinion General..." Kennedy began.

"I never requested your opinion, Colonel!" Hammond boomed glaring pointedly at the stars on the Colonel's uniform that were fewer in number than the one's on his own. "If you ever speak to another person under my command as you spoke to Miss Clark today you will not be welcome on this base. Is that clear?!"

"With all due respect..."

"Is that clear?!" Hammond repeated cutting him off. The Colonel's silence must have been yes he was looking for. "Well good. Get out. You are dismissed."

Colonel Kennedy brushed past me on his way down the stairs, glaring the whole way. I could have cared less. I was glad to know that I had the support of the only person around here whose opinion truly counted in Hammond's eyes, his own.

Walking into the control room I saw a blonde head buzz past. "Captain Carter?"

"Miss Clark!" She stooped in her tracks and swiveled to face me. "You know, Captain Carter is bit of a mouthful to spit out every time you see me. Why don't you call me Sam?"

"Are you sure that's allowed?" I asked as we started down the hallway out of the control room.

"You're not military, and you call Colonel O'Neill by his first name."

"Yeah, but Jack is, he's just Jack."

Cart...Sam laughed. "We're going to be on the same team, we might as well put aside formalities."

Suddenly flashing red lights replaced the white ones on the hall.

Sam grabbed my arm and steered me out of the way of a squadron of soldiers running past. "Is it the Goa'uld again?" I shouted over the blaring sirens.

"I don't think so."

Right then a voice blared through out the base. "Security to the infirmary! Security to the infirmary. Set condition red."

"Let's get back to the control room and see if we can find out what's happening," Sam said.

We started back when the sounds of a fight and crashing equipment prompted us to run faster. As we came up the steps we were confronted with Kawalsky frantically imputing coordinates into the control computer.

"Kawalsky! What the hell are you doing?!" Sam rushed him and tried to pull him away from the computer.

In an amazing display of strength he lifted her off him and threw her a good five feet before she collided with the far wall and fell to the ground unconscious.

"Close the blast doors!" I yelled at a technician, the only other person not unconscious. As the concrete slabs fell into place in front of the glass windows I ran to the mic I had seen Hammond speak into before. "Emergency in the control room! Emergency in the contro... ah..." A hand came around my mouth cutting off my scream.

In the reflection in the glass I saw Kawalsky behind me, but it wasn't him. His face was contorted into a snarl. I'd never seen him like this, even when he had thought Nebeth and I had died on Abydos. His arms were wrapped tight around my rib cage painfully, especially where I still sported the bruise from the guards on Chulak.

I could feel his breath in the back of my neck. "Help me!" He spoke with a horrifying familiar reverberation to his voice.

My eyes flew wide. This was not my friend! My scream was muffled by his hand over my mouth and I dug my heels in as he dragged me back wards.

"Kawalsky!" Jack shouted from somewhere behind us.

Whoever was in control of Kawalsky spun us around, using me as a shield against the dozen or so guns pointed at us.

"Don't shoot!" Jack lunged at the soldiers, pushing their weapons down.

With an incredible display of strength Kawalsky began dragging me out into the corridor. As soon as we appeared the sound of several guns flipping off their safeties filled my pounding ears.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" Jack ran out into the hall after us. He and the soldiers followed us warily.

There was an beep and then the sound of and elevator door opening behind us. Violently Kawalsky loosen his grip around my chest, only to throw me into the open elevator. My arm hit the metal wall hard, and I let a small cry. He stepped inside and pressed the button to close the door.

My heart felt like it was going to bust out of my chest. "Whoever you are, you wont get out of here alive." Kawalsky, the Goa'uld, seemed to ignore me. "They'll kill you before they let you go."

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the red handle of the emergency stop. He didn't seem to be paying any attention to me. But right when I made a grab for it his arm shot out, latching on to my arm. Then he used my own arm to hit me over the head. The bone in my forearm connected with my face with a crack. The blow knocked the wind out of me and I flew backwards a short distance till my back hit the wall. Pain exploded all over my body and I saw stars.

As I struggled to remain awake I saw through the fog Kawalsky shake his head. His head swiveled around the elevator and he swayed on his feet.

I tried to call out to him, but it only came out as an unintelligible groan.

He snapped around and fell to his knees beside me. "Oh geez Kid!" his voice was back to normal. "Hang on, we'll get you out of here." he said checking my pulse.

There was loud banging coming from the other side of the elevator door. Slowly they were pried open. And there was Jack, Sam, Daniel, and Hammond staring at us in shock.

"Well, it's about damn time! Gimme a hand here!" Kawalsky yelled angrily.

Daniel started when he saw me, "Erin!", and he tired to get to me, only to be stopped by Jack.

Jack rushed in and grabbed Kawalsky by the arm and yanked him away from me. "Charlie, what the hell's going on?!"

Kawalsky shook his head. "I don't know, but she's hurt, real bad. We have to get her to the infirmary."

Jack brushed past him and knelt down next to me. Carefully he picked me up bridal style and carried me out. I tried to tell him I could walk, but that would have been a lie.

A med team had arrived and he placed my body on the stretcher. The nurse shown a bright light into my eyes. "It's a mild concussion, she'll be fine." The rest of what she said faded away.

I closed my eyes.

I opened my eyes.

And sat bolt upright when I realized that I was in a completely different room. There there was an IV in my arm and monitors on my forehead. Still half asleep, I tried to yank them away when someone grabbed my hands and stopped me.

My eyes traveled up the arms to see Daniel's concerned face inches from mine. "Dani?" I squeaked.

He pulled me into a hug, "Your okay, your safe."

"What happened?"

"You've been out for hours. You had us worried."

"What about Kawalsky?" I asked. "It's a Goa'uld, isn't it?"

Daniel nodded pulling back. "They think that it hasn't been able to take him over completely yet because it's an infant."

"I need to see him." I scrambled out of bed.

"Erin, I don't think..." Seeing my glare. "Fine. But let's get this IV out of you. Knowing you, it would nick an artery or something. Nurse?" He called on one of the nurses on duty.

Once all the monitors and the IV were off Daniel led me down the corridors to a quarantine room.

When we entered no one noticed, because Kawalsky was writhing and screaming in some kind of restraint system.

Daniel leaned down and whispered to me. "Erin, you don't need to see this."

"No, I'm staying." I flinched as Kawalsky let out another blood curdling cry.

"Where's the General?!" He shouted.

"Right here!" Jack announced walking in with Hammond and Teal'c.

"General, please." Kawalsky begged, "The pain, it's too much."

"We're doing what we can son, just hold in there." Hammond tied to calm him.

Kawalsky exploded. "No! No, don't you dare give me that good soldier crap. You order them to cut this damn thing out of me!"

"If they do you might die." Jack put a comforting hand on his shoulder, but Kawalsky wrenched away.

"I don't care! I rather be dead!"

Was this what Skaara and Sha're were going through right now? I wanted to throw up, punch a wall, cry into Skaara robe, run to Kawalsky. Any or all of the above. By Daniel's dark expression I could see he was wondering the same thing.

"Charlie, they want to talk to it." Jack's voice wavered.

"There's nothing to talk about!" Kawalsky's face had turned an alarming shade of red and sweat poured off him.

Teal'c stepped up. "We must offer it life to save your's. "

"No, I want you to kill it!" The restraints on Kawalsky were being stained to their limits and he beat his arm down on the bed.

Teal'c continued. "We must speak with the Goa'uld with in you."

"Please let them do their job." I pleaded with Kawalsky.

He turned his unfocused eyes in my direction. "Erin, Jack, please help me! Don't let them do this to me! I want you to kill it!"

Tears were running down my face. I couldn't bear to watch him suffer so greatly.

All the monitors in the room began beating rabidly and small alarms went off in accompaniment with Kawalsky's screams. "Kill it! Kill it! Kill it!." He sucked in a deep breath and fell limp face first against the bed and all the monitors returned to normal.

His body shuddered and then reared up. He turned his eyes in our direction, flashing. When he spoke, it was with the reverberation of the Goa'uld inside. "Nemes kree! I will not speak to the traitor." It sneered at Teal'c. It then turned it attention to Hammond. "You are their leader?"

Hammond narrowed his eye and responded. "I am."

"Speak!" It commanded.

"I am General George Hamm..." Hammond began.

"I am only interested in going through the Stargate. Now!" The Goa'uld interrupted.

"You are in no position to make demands. I have a proposition for you." But Hammond never go to finish.

The Goa'uld flashed Kawalsky's eyes. "Release me now or I will destroy you!"

"If you leave this man's body we will allow you to return through the Stargate in your natural form."

"This body, is mine!"

"If you are unwilling to leave, we will be forced to surgically..." Hammond stepped back as the Goa'uld pulled his left arm free and swiped at him.

I grabbed his free arm and Jack grabbed the arm still restrained. He was so strong that even with my full weight against his one arm I was barley able to keep him down. I felt the tips of my shoes begin to lift off the ground.

"Teal'c help her." Jack shouted.

Teal'c clamped down on Kawalsky's arm next to me.

The Goa'uld tilted his head at an unnatural angle and looked me dead in the eyes. It took all my control to stay standing were I was and not jump away. "Release me now or I will destroy you!"

"Do not attempt to escape! We will open fire!" Hammond signaled to the guards around the room. "Take aim!"

Daniel rushed forward, and wrapping his arms around my waist, pulled me out of the line of fire.

Just then Goa'uld glanced in my direction. Only, it wasn't the Goa'uld. Kawalsky heard the sound of guns aiming at him and the his eyes went wide with fear.

I struggled out of Daniel's grasp and ran to put myself between the guards and Kawalsky holding my hands up. "Don't shoot."

"Hold you fire!" Hammond ordered.

"Oh God!" Kawalsky collapsed against the bed.

I rubbed his trembling back. "It's okay. It's over, it over."

"I wont put you through that again son." Hammond said mournfully.

He turned his terrified gaze to me, near tears. "What did I do?"

"The thing's just got one heck of a mouth on him." I tried to be reassuring. "And it wasn't you. You are not to blame for anything it's done."

Kawalsky nodded, but his face showed that he didn't believe that. Across the bed Jack was rubbing his face with his palm and watching his friend carefully.

"Dr. Warner." Hammond addressed one of the doctors. "I want to know the minute that God forsaken thing can be removed from my officer." he barked and with that he marched out of the room.

Author's Note: I know this is pretty long and that it has been a while since I have updated so I hope you enjoy this. I'm almost done with part two of this episode and should be posting it n a few days. I'm working on trying to expand and explore the characters a little farther. I have the basic outline for this story mostly done, but I'd love to head what you all think. I've gotten some great suggestions so far. Please review and good morning, evening or goodnight. :)