"How is she?"
"Slow pulse, shallow breathing, she's asleep, Captain. Who knows for how long, however, she is breathing and she is healthy. As for her waking up, we'll just have to wait and see what happens."
Carter and Dr. Frasier continued to talk about the new patient's health while Daniel sat beside her bed, hand on his chin while he thought. He looked at her, now in clothing that replicated their own SG-1 uniforms. She looked comfortable, at peace; he could have sworn there was even a small smile on her lips but it may have been all in his mind. He ignored what the doctor was saying; Daniel was convinced she would wake up soon.
The girl was pale and her dark hair was long, swooping across her forehead in a way he hadn't really seen it styled before. The edges of her hair were jagged as if an outside force had singed and cut her hair ruthlessly. There were no markings he had seen, just a single, long bruise on her arm and a scar that looked as if it could be ten years old (or more). Daniel continued to stare at her, not knowing what she was or whom she was or how on earth she had even fallen into their laps, but she had and he knew that there was a reason for it.
Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c stood as quietly as Daniel, though their looks were much more skeptic than curious as Daniel's was.
"Dr. Frasier?" O'Neill said, breaking the long silence that had loomed over all the men in the room, as well as the sleeping girl. The doctor turned to O'Neill with a raised eyebrow, the colonel pointing to the newest addition to the infirmary. "Think your patient has woken up."
Her eyes were open; and not just open, they were wide open, as if she had been completely aware this whole time and not in a near comatose state. She looked from Daniel to Jack to Dr. Frasier and then once more to Daniel. She struggled for a moment, trying to get out of the bed though her body wasn't awake as her mind was yet and when she tried to move her arms and legs barely even shifted. She wouldn't have gotten far even if she could have moved- Teal'c was first to walk over to her and hold the girl down, though Daniel quickly intervened, setting an hand on Teal'c's arm. "Wait! Be careful," he said, surprising all the others in the room with how fast he had reacted and the loudness of his voice.
Sam was the one to intervene, walking calmly toward the two and gently pushing Daniel back, taking hold of the girl's hand, having Teal'c let go of her shoulders. "Can you tell us your name?" She asked; there was always something so maternal and gentle about Sam's voice. Daniel didn't want to credit it to the fact that she was a woman as he felt that might be crossing a line of sexism that she would prefer he not cross, though he knew he'd never heard a voice quite as gentle and loving as that come from any man he'd ever met (though Jack did have his moments). The girl looked up at Sam, seemingly as calmed by the woman's voice as Daniel had been. However, as soon as she looked around, the fear was back in her eyes and she wasn't sure how to respond.
"W-w-where a-a-am I?" she choked out, though she wasn't met with an answer.
"First, your name. We'll get to all of that later- it's kind of a long story." Sam gave the girl a smile. The girl, just as pale as ever, nodded to Sam.
"Antheris." She replied. "My name is Antheris, daughter of Cirinith of Kalimnor. Who are you?" The girl attempted to sit up but her body was still too weak.
"Well, I'm Sam Carter, this here is Colonel Jack O'Neill, Teal'c, doctor Frasier, and Daniel Jackson." She introduced the group, acting as diplomat to the female who looked slightly more relaxed now that she had more understanding of her surrounding. She nodded to them all and once more she sat up, her back completely straight and hands held politely in her lap. There was something strangely regal about her, Daniel wasn't quite sure what it was but he knew she was different, acting as if she were royalty or at least extremely polite. "A pleasure to meet you all, Sam, Colonel, Teal'c, doctor and Daniel." There was a smirk on Sam's lips- she wondered if the girl understood that titles were not exactly first names- or if she even knew what titles were.
"Janet is fine," said Dr. Frasier with an equally soft smile on her lips, a certain mother-like look that she and Sam had in common. "We were hoping you could explain the bruise on your arm." She said, nodding to the black and blue discoloring on Antheris' arm. The girl turned her head and looked at her pale, skinny arm, wondering what the doctor was talking about at first though when she saw the marking her eyes widened, but quickly her look changed. A smile came across her lips and she closed her eyes while letting out a sigh that Daniel wasn't quite sure he could interpret.
"A simple mistake. I had been playing with my smallest cousin when we both took a spill- just before the rainfall began. I landed on top of him, he must have a bruise much worse than this on his own skin." She gave a soft laugh and the two women smiled with the girl while Daniel forced a small grin, the two men giving each other a look. "When did the rainfall start?" Jack asked, not afraid of cutting right to the chase.
"Well, that would depend. How long have I been asleep?" She asked. None of them could answer and instead just gave shrugs. "We can't answer that, Antheris." The girl gave a sigh, and as an expression of deep thought crossed her face she wasn't frustrated. It was then that she looked down at Jack's feet, seeing the mud on his boots.
"A day ago, or sometime around there." She said.
"How would you know that?" O'Neill asked, arms folded across his chest. She smiled and pointed at his boots. Jack looked down at his feet, raising his eyebrows. This was obviously not a clear answer she had given; at least not clear enough for him. Daniel seemed to understand.
"The mud on your shoes, Jack. She must be able to tell from the level at which the dirt covers the boots is how long it's been raining." Jack's eyebrows were still raised but he seemed to get the idea, shrugging his shoulders and leaning back, resting casually. Antheris was happy that Daniel understood and clapped her hands together in approval, which caught everyone's attention, all of them looking at the girl with slightly widened eyes.
Antheris continued to talk of her planet. "The rainfall comes once every eighty days; it lasts for seven days and floods the entire planet- for a month we are forced to use boats to travel from village to village." She said, looking at everyone, making eye contact with all people, explaining her planet (or at least where she lived). "Is your planet not the same?" There was curiosity in her voice, a curiosity that made Daniel smile. He was happy to answer any questions she had.
"No, not at all. Our planet has many different climates. Deserts, forests, nothing quite as vastly flat as what we saw in your world, though. Or at least," he paused, smiling. "What we could see."
"Deserts? Forests?" She looked at Daniel, again her voice filled with curiosity and downright unintelligence, or at least unknowing. She seemed bright enough and willing to learn so Daniel didn't want to give the tone and expression she had any sort of negative connotation. "Yes, deserts, where it never rains. Well, almost never rains. It's very dry and covered in sand. Forests are filled with trees and all sorts of plant life."
"What is sand and trees?" This came as a surprise to everyone. They knew that certain cultures had different names for things though when it comes to a girl who spoke perfect English, not only that she was extremely proper, even now she sat with her back erect and her hands folded neatly in her lap while she kept her expression as nice as she could, sporting a smile whenever she thought it was appropriate.
Daniel was surprised there was no exasperated sigh that came with the next statement. "You know- trees? Tall, covered in bark, they've got leaves growing off them." Jack intervened in his usual sarcastic tone. This didn't work and she looked just as confused as ever, not knowing what on earth he was talking about (or perhaps, on whatever planet she came from).
"I'm afraid we don't have those Caraden."
"Caraden, that's the name of your planet?" Daniel replied before anyone had the chance to say anything else.
"Yes, that's what we call it. What do you call ours?"
"Earth."
"It's a very cold planet, and I don't see any of these trees that you speak of. Is your whole planet like this?"
There was rustling over at the other side of the room and Jack spoke up without letting Daniel answer any more of her questions. "Daniel, Carter, Teal'c? Can we all step out for a moment?" His tone was dripping with the usual sarcasm and disbelief that plagued his voice, something that occasionally got on Daniel's nerves- or perhaps more than occasionally. The rest of SG-1 nodded and with a smile, Daniel left the girl's side for the first time since was brought through the Stargate.