Altered

by Bekah See

Sam and Teal'c are captured by an insane goa'uld queen who alters Sam's body in a fundamental way. Now they must find a way to undo the damage and get home, all with the "help" of an ally they're not sure they can trust. Post Unending

3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Flashing white eyes filled her vision, coming nearer and nearer. She tried to move, to cry out, but she was paralyzed, held immobile by some invisible bond.

"No," she pleaded, terrified. "No, you can't do this! Please!"

"Oh yes, Colonel Carter. I most certainly can," Kor'ana hissed, a malicious smile on her gaunt face. "You will become my newest jaffa, and will be the vessel that bears my daughter, the next queen of the Goa'uld."

Sam pulled back, away from the approach of the glowing orb resting on Kor'ana's belly, but the movement gained her no room. The queen closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around Sam, pressing the white hot circle against her bare skin.

Fire arced through Carter's body like lightening, searing every part of her being, traveling through her nerves with mind numbing speed. Then it was gone, replaced by a slow hot burn that trickled through her middle like molten lava. Sam gasped and writhed, trying to pull free, but Kor'ana held her tight and she couldn't move. She could, however, feel something happening. Her intestines were moving, sending bizarre sensations to her brain that barely registered through the agony of her skin being sliced open to allow access to the pouch being created in her abdomen. Another burst of fire and Sam threw her head back and screamed as poison was sent tearing through her veins, destroying white blood cells and burning through lymph nodes. The pain receded just enough that Sam could open her eyes and look at her captor. Kor'ana stood just inches away, smiling at the torment in Sam's eyes, and her eyes flashed white…

Sam snapped awake, panting with the intensity of remembered pain. She turned her head and rolled to look at Teal'c, still asleep beside her. His eyes were closed and his breathing was deep and even. At least one of them had gotten a peaceful rest.

Not wanting to disturb her friend, Carter crawled quietly from the shelter and out into the open. It was light out, but the sun was halfway down the horizon. They had slept for at least twelve hours, probably more.

Looking around carefully, she climbed to her feet and then had to catch herself on a rock to keep from falling. Her legs were shaking so badly she could hardly stand. Quickly, she leaned against the rock and pulled Teal'c's shirt up to looked at the raw red X engraved in her stomach. She fingered it gently, probing for pain, then stopped. If it was infected, there was no way her body would be able to fight it, so there wasn't much point in worrying about it. Not when there were plenty of other problems to deal with.

The thought crossed her mind that acquiring a symbiote or tretonin was the only way she was going to survive this, and though she may now look like one, she sure as hell wasn't a jaffa. There was no way she was going to spend the rest of her life as an incubator for some overgrown slug with delusions of godhood.

Walking carefully and hanging onto trees and rocks for support, Sam was able to navigate the terrain enough to find a place to relieve herself and to scout the immediate area. There were no signs of pursuit, so she returned to the shelter to rouse Teal'c.

He was awake when she entered, and sitting in his meditative position. She sat and studied him until he opened his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" he asked gently.

She briefly considered saying "I'm alright." and leaving it at that, but something told her that she should be honest. That Teal'c would not think less of her for her weakness. That he, in fact, was in the most suitable position to understand.

"Not so hot," she said, grimacing at the bad taste the words left in her mouth. "I'm really weak, and to be honest, I'm not sure how far we're going to be able to get before we're caught."

"Colonel Carter," he said, his voice low with concern. "We must find a symbiote for you, or you will die."

She shook her head. "No, Teal'c. I'm not going to be home for any snake. Forget it."

Teal'c moved closer to her and took her hands in his. "Samantha, you must listen to me. What has been done to you does not change who you are. It is the same as if you were to receive a replacement heart or kidney. The symbiote will sustain you until we can locate and fix the sarcophagus."

Sam stared at the ground, her eyes closed against the onslaught of fear that was suddenly pummeling her. What was she so afraid of? She'd carried a symbiote before, and this was even less invasive than Jolinar had been.

But this was different. She was doing this willingly. Housing a child of her entire race's mortal enemy solely so she could survive. What would her team think? What would Jack think? She shuddered at the thought. She would rather die than face losing them. They were all she had.

"Teal'c, I can't do it. I can't take one of those things inside me. You don't know what you're asking."

"I do know," the jaffa insisted, taking her face gently in his hands. "I know because I have been there. When I lost my symbiote and began taking tretonin, I did not believe I could ever be as strong as I once was."

She smiled a bit at the memory. "I remember the General saying you'd lost your mojo."

"Yes. Though since seeing that film, I am not sure I appreciate the comparison." Sam laughed a little through her tears and Teal'c smiled with her before continuing. "The point is, I came to realize that it was not the symbiote that made me. I was who I was despite the prim'tah, not because of it. And so it is with you. You are still Samantha Carter, warrior of the Tau'ri and a brilliant scientist, even if you carry a symbiote for a time . Nothing can ever change who you are."

Sam stared into Teal'c's eyes. His words made sense, and yet she could not make herself acquiesce. Not yet. "I'll think about it, Teal'c. That's all I can promise for now." He nodded and a thought struck her. "What about you? We need to get you one too since you don't have your tretonin."

Teal'c shook his head. "I do not think I can house a symbiote any longer. It has been many years since I carried one and my pouch has atrophied. I do not believe it will support the larva."

"You have to try, Teal'c. We both need to get out of here. Promise me you'll try."

Teal'c looked at her fondly and then bowed his head. "Very well. I will try. We both will.

They stayed in their little shelter until dusk, resting and making plans, then quietly moved deeper into the forest. Teal'c stayed right behind Sam, watching to make sure she didn't stumble. She was very weak and every so often severe cramping would overtake her and she would double up, clutching her stomach. Teal'c sympathized. He knew the pain of an empty pouch, and knew it would only get worse as time went on. She would soon be forced to choose, which meant he needed to find an enemy jaffa to "donate" a symbiote. But he himself was weakening as well. He had been 24 hours without his tretonin, and his strength was waning.

Teal'c slowed and caught Sam as she buckled, clutching her stomach, her face set against a wave of knifing pain. "It hurts," she ground out.

"I know," he said, wishing he could help. "Come. We must rest."

Still supporting her, Teal'c began to look around for cover so she could lie down. He topped a small rise and looked down to find two jaffa patrolling the area, their staff weapons ready.

Putting a finger to his lips to signal Carter to silence, he gently lowered her to the ground, then crawled to the peak of the incline. Setting himself, he lunged, jumping high and landing hard on both guards at once. They cushioned his fall, and he was up first, kicking one in the stomach and then the face before twisting the staff weapon from his grasp. He then used the butt end of the staff to smash in the helmet of the second jaffa as he attempted to rise. Hastily, he spun the weapon and fired point blank into the chests of the men, careful to avoid their pouches.

Teal'c dropped the staff and dug into both pouches, grimacing with disgust. He grabbed the symbiotes and pulled them free, then held up his grisly prize to get a good look at them in the moonlight. They appeared to be unhurt. He climbed back up the incline and sat heavily next to Sam, who had her eyes closed.

"Colonel Carter," Teal'c murmured, keeping the writhing symbiotes out of her line of sight. He didn't want to startle her.

Her eyes opened and she groaned, still holding her belly. "Teal'c? Where'd you go?"

"I have procured our symbiotes."

Sam snapped her head around to look at his hands, then sat up fast and tried to scoot away. "No, Teal'c, I can't. There's no way!"

"You must. There is no other way. Already your condition has progressed to the dangerous stage. The initial creation of the pouch drained much of your body's resources. Without the symbiote, you will continue to weaken, and then you will die."

"How long?" she asked, wide eyes still glued on the snake in Teal'c's hand.

"A day at most. Less if we continue to run."

"Teal'c…" she pleaded, her eyes begging for another option.

"I'm sorry, Colonel Carter," he said, radiating regret. "This is the only way. I will be right here. I will help you."

Finally, she nodded, then raised her shirt and closed her eyes. "Alright. But you're going to have to do it. I don't think I can touch the thing."

"Very well." He scooted up beside her as she rolled to her back, her shirt still held up under her chest.

Without preamble, Teal'c placed one of the symbiotes at the edge of the pouch in Sam's stomach, watching as it immediately slithered inside and the skin closed behind.

Sam started to squirm, her mouth twisting in disgust, then here eyes flew open and she gasped. "Teal'c, it hurts! Is it supposed to hurt?"

The jaffa cursed himself for not warning her. He had forgotten the discomfort that came when a symbiote entered or left the pouch. "The pain is normal. The symbiote connects with the jaffa body using millions of tiny tendrils which they insert into the walls of the pouch. In this way they can perform their function without becoming one as they do with their eventual hosts. At least that is how Dr. Frasier explained it."

Sam ground her teeth, then slowly began to relax as the pain receded. Finally it was gone. "Damn that's disgusting. But at least the cramps are gone." She sat up. "I can't feel it now."

"The larvae tend to stay fairly still, but you will feel it shift from time to time. Soon, however, you will grow used to the movement and will no longer notice it."

Sam grunted. "I don't plan on carrying this thing that long." She jerked her chin at him. "C'mon Teal's, it's your turn."

Teal'c looked distastefully at the second snake still writhing in his hand. "I do not believe this will work."

"Well, you've got to try. If it doesn't, we'll figure something else out."

He nodded and laid down on the ground. Pine needles and stones dug into the bare skin of his back, but he ignored the discomfort. Quickly, before he could change his mind, he drew the symbiote up to his pouch and held it close to the opening. The thing squirmed free and darted for the X, wriggling inside and vanishing.

"Ugh. I will never get used to that," Sam said, looking nauseated.

Teal'c grunted as the old familiar pain spread from his belly. Then grunted again as it continued to flare. In the past, the initial contact was the most painful, but it quickly receded into nothing. He curled around the pouch, his hands coming up to cover it.

"Teal'c, what's wrong?" Sam asked, bending over him.

"The symbiote cannot attach," he gasped, his skin paling to an alarming shade of gray. "It will try to preserve itself the only way it knows how."

"Which is what?" Sam asked, though she thought she knew.

"It will implant itself and I will become its host."

"I thought they couldn't take hosts until they were mature."

"They can, but not in this way. However, that will not stop it from making the attempt, and it will kill me in the process."

"What can I do?"

"Take it out." Teal'c whispered through gritted teeth. "Take it out and grind its head under your heel."

Sam swallowed hard but did as she was told. Plunging her hand into Teal'c's belly, she grasped the writhing parasite by the tail as it tried to bore into the jaffa's body. Quickly she pulled it out and dropped it on the ground, smashing its head beneath her boot heel.

Swallowing bile, she knelt down beside Teal'c and put her hand on his head. "Teal'c, it's okay. It's gone."

The jaffa slowly relaxed from his fetal position and uncurled to lie on his back. Sam looked him over, worried about the grayness of his complexion and the pain in his eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"I will be." His voice was harsh and raspy, still tinged with pain.

"Just hang on. There's got to be a village somewhere around here."

Teal'c reached up and grasped her arm. "I do not believe I can go any further. The symbiote caused damage within the pouch and I have been without tretonin for too long."

"I'll help you, Teal'c. I'm not leaving you here!"

"Even if we managed to get to a village, there is nothing they could do to help me."

"Come on, there's got to be something we can do!" Sam insisted. There had to be a way—there was always a way!

"Perhaps this will help," came a small voice from behind her. Sam whirled and stared as Sepha came walking out of the brush, a small canvas bag slung over her shoulder.

"Sepha! What are you doing here?" the colonel asked, astonished.

The child just shrugged. "I wanted to come with you, but I was afraid you wouldn't let me, so I followed you."

"What about Kor'ana? Does she know you're gone?"

"No. The queen ignores us for long stretches at a time. She only keeps us with her if she wants to impress a prisoner or a guest. No one will realize we have left." The child looked down, her black hair curtaining her face.

Sam went to her and gently took the girl's arms in her hands. "Sepha, did you say you had a way to help Teal'c?"

Sepha nodded. "When Kor'ana ordered your things burned, I followed Grodar out and went a secret way to the storeroom. I was able to get some of your things into a bag before he got there. I don't know if I got what you need, but I tried." She held out the bag to Sam who opened it up and looked inside. Two packs of C4, 2 grenades, her 9mm, and two tretonin capsules. She quickly grabbed one of the latter items and injected a full dose into Teal'c's bare upper arm.

Sepha continued, watching as Sam ministered to Teal'c "We were going to give you the bag when we released you, but Cali said it would be too much for you to carry at the time, so I brought it with me. I hope that's okay."

Sam turned and looked into Sepha's anxious eyes. "You did good, Sepha. Thank you."

Within seconds, Teal'c's breathing eased and some color came back into his face. His eyes cleared and he sat up gingerly, looking at Sepha.

"Thank you," he said gently. "You saved my life."

The child blushed and ducked her head. "I like you. You were kind to me even though my mother was cruel to you."

"You are not responsible for your mother's actions, little one." Teal'c said to her. "Only for your own."

Sepha ducked her head again.

"Teal'c," Sam said, aware of how long they had been in one place. "We need to move. Can you walk?"

"I believe so." He heaved himself to his feet, his hand going to his belly.

"Were the jaffa you took the symbiotes from armed?"

"Yes."

Sam nodded acknowledgement and went to retrieve the weapons while Teal'c turned once again to Sepha. "Is there a place near here where we can rest in safety for a time?"

"Yes!" the girl said, obviously pleased to be able to help. "It is back in the direction of the palace. But it will take many hours to walk there, and the last few miles are dangerous at night."

"Whoa there." Sam said, coming back up the hill, staff weapon and zat in her hands. She handed the staff to Teal'c and pocketed the zat. "That area is going to be crawling with jaffa. We need to go away from the palace, not toward it. Unless of course, that's where the stargate is."

"Stargate?"

"The Chappa'ai," Teal'c clarified, and the girl's face cleared.

"There is no chappa'ai here."

"Oh boy," Carter muttered. "Is there one on any of the planets in this system?"

"I do not know. I've never been anywhere but here. Apophis always came here by ship to bring us supplies and things. I've never even seen a chappa'ai."

"Okay," Sam looked at Teal'c. "So much for that part of the plan."

"We will adapt," Teal'c said confidently. "We always do."

Sam glanced down and pushed her disappointment away. She had other things to worry about at the moment. "So why do we need to go back to the palace if there's no Stargate?"

"Kor'ana's sarcophagus is still there."

Carter nodded. "What kind of resistance can we expect?"

Sepha smiled a little. "With luck, none. My mother's jaffa are very few. She has killed many with her own hands, and there have been no new ships to bring in fresh soldiers. They have combed the area around the castle and now search the forests, but they are spread very thin. It will be simple to avoid them."

"Sepha," Teal'c said, "may we speak with Cali?"

"Of course." The girl dropped her head and closed her eyes for a moment When they opened again, white flashed from behind the green irises, and Cali spoke in her high pitched dual voice.

"Sepha is right." Cali said. "I know the patterns of the jaffa who will be searching for you. Avoiding them will not be a problem."

Sam looked at Teal'c, who nodded. "Alright, lead the way."

"Colonel Carter," Teal'c's voice stopped her and she turned back around to face him. "We have tretonin. You can rid yourself of the symbiote."

"Don't think I haven't thought of that. But we have no idea how long we're going to be here, and that stuff is the only thing that will keep you alive. I've got junior, here." She looked down at herself and forced a smile. If I can't get back to normal before we get home, we'll look at that option, okay?"

Teal'c dipped his head to her, admiring her resiliency, and she turned back around.

They started walking through the dark forest, retracing their frantic race from the night before. Sam wished she and Teal'c hadn't run so far, but she knew that if they hadn't, their chances of being caught would have been much higher. Questions about Cali and her willingness to help rose to the surface, and she figured this was as good a time as any to ask them.

"Cali, there are some things that I don't understand, but I don't wish to offend you by asking personal questions."

"Please, Samantha Carter, ask anything you wish. I have nothing to hide from you."

"Alright, but call me Sam, okay?"

"Very well, Sam."

With her mind racing, Sam wasn't paying much attention to her feet, and her right ankle caught on a vine snaking over the stony ground in front of her. She fell hard, only barely catching herself on her hands. She sat down where she was and squinted at them, noting the fresh wounds now oozing blood down her wrists.

"Damn," she said quietly as the others turned back and joined her.

"Are you alright?" Teal'c asked, concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just clumsy."

"Your body is not fully recovered from your flight last night or from what my mother did to you." Cali said, kneeling down next to Sam and examining her hands. "Your symbiote will heal these shortly, but you must be more careful."

Sam let her hands drop into her lap. "Cali, forgive me, but why do you care? I mean, we have never met a goa'uld who gave a rip about anything but itself and its rise to godhood. All the ones we've encountered have been much like your mother." She deliberately decided not to mention the Tok'ra, wanting to see what the symbiote would say.

Cali bowed her head. "It is true that I am not like my mother, though she seems to expect me to be so."

Sam looked at Teal'c, her brow raising in interest. Teal'c mirrored her expression and spoke up. "Do you have the memories of your ancestors? Of those who came before you?"

The girl looked up, her brow creasing slightly. "My mother has asked me this question in the past. She was angry at Nathal, who was her first prime at the time, but I do not know why. She summoned me into the room where she had him chained and was circling him, a pain stick in her hand. Nathal had always been kind to us. He brought Sepha treats and read to her when she was little. He always had a kind word for both of us, and we knew we could trust him with our lives.

"When Kor'ana chained him, I remember fighting with Sepha for control. She wanted to overpower the queen and free him." Cali's voice softened and her eyes dropped to the ground. "I wanted to as well, but I knew that if we showed our affection for one whom Kor'ana considered a traitor, that we would die with him. So I held her back and we stayed silent." Tears were dripping down the child's cheeks and both Sam and Teal'c stared, astonished. Neither had ever seen a symbiote, be it Tok'ra or Goa'uld, actually weep.

"As she circled, Kor'ana asked me if I remembered the murders she and my father had committed. She asked if the thought of taking this man's life gave me pleasure. I did not answer her. How could I? I was terrified she was going to turn to me and see the fear for my friend on my face, but she did not. She was deep in her madness by then and had eyes only for Nathal."

Cali stopped talking then and just stared at the rocky ground, doodling in the dirt with her stick.

Sam reached a hand out and gently squeezed the slender shoulder. "Cali, you don't have to go on. It's alright."

When the child spoke again, it was with Sepha's girlish voice, choked with tears and breaking on every other word. "And then she killed him. I tried to close my eyes, but Cali held me still to keep me safe. It was horrible. And then he was lying there, still and cold. Kor'ana was smiling—smiling! And she said he was a traitor and deserved worse than she had given him. She spoke of putting him into the sarcophagus to revive him so she could kill him again."

Cali's voice came to them again. "After Kor'ana left the room, we ran to the chamber where the device was kept and I killed the guard. Then I took his weapon and shot the sarcophagus." The dual voice lowered to a near whisper and Sam and Teal'c had to strain to hear her. "I could not protect Nathal's life, the man who had done so much for me and the child who is my host, but I could protect his death."

Through the darkness, white flashed behind the green eyes and the young goa'uld's voice grew strong once more. "I did what I could to help my friend. I only wish it could have been more." The goa'uld was silent for a moment, then, "To answer your question, no, I do not possess the memories of those who came before me. I know my father, Apophis from his infrequent visits, but I loathe him as much as I do my mother, if not even more so. And I have a vague sense of a vast history of my kind, but I cannot remember anything specific."

"Cali," Sam said, sitting forward and taking her hand. "Are you a queen, like your mother? Is that why she keeps you with her?"

"Yes. She believes I will help her in her fight to rejoin the system lords. But she does not yet know that I do not share her lust for power, and I fear the day when she comes into the knowledge. I do not want to rule, and I certainly do not believe myself to be a god. I simply wish to live in peace."

"One more question," Sam said, her mind racing with the possibility that was presenting itself to her. "Did Sepha consent to be your host, or did you take her by force? I know it's a very personal question," she rushed to say when the childish face darkened with anger, "but please believe me when I tell you I have a very good reason for asking."

Cali's chin came up and for a split second Sam could see a shadow of Kor'ana in the haughty lines, but then it passed, and the thin shoulders slumped.

"What you speak of is my greatest regret, Sam. I was very young when I came to Sepha, but not so young as to not truly understand what was happening to me. Sepha was young as well, and terrified." Cali's head bowed again. "I remember being taken from my place of warmth and safety and held high in the air. I looked down and saw the child kicking and screaming, and I instinctively knew what Kor'ana wanted. But when she put me near the girl, I hesitated. I had no desire to take this poor child's life from her. I identified with her. She was young, afraid and alone, just as I was. But after several moments, my mother must have grown impatient, for she drew a knife from a sheath at her belt and held it high over Sepha's heart. I realized she thought I was rejecting the host as being unfit, and so was going to kill her and find another." Cali's voice dropped even lower. "I was faced with a choice. Take this girl's body and save her from certain death, or condemn her and start the process over again when a new prospect was found."

Cali looked up at the two before her. Teal'c's brows were drawn together in a mixture of sympathy and disgust, his mind obviously warring with his hatred for the goa'uld's habit of forcibly taking hosts, and the plight that this symbiote had endured.

"I understand," Carter said, her voice wavering just a little.

"You do? How could you know how it was?"

Carter took a deep breath. "I carried one such as you for a short time. She was in a similar situation and was forced to take me against my will. At first it was hard. I fought her with everything I had. But then, after a time, I began to trust her, and at the end, even to enjoy her presence."

Cali looked confused. "I do not sense a symbiote within you, but I can feel her echo. What happened to her?"

Sam looked at the ground. "She died. To save me."

Cali nodded. "I see. Then you understand. In the beginning, it was hard for Sepha as well. She fought me, terrified of the voice she heard in her head that could take over her body at will. But slowly, slowly, I gained her trust. I only took control when Kor'ana or her jaffa were nearby, for I knew my mother would have no interest in my host, only in me. Now we are truly one, and I could not imagine being without Sepha."

"And what of the girl?" Teal'c rumbled, still looking troubled. "Does she share your affection?"

Cali bowed her head and Sepha raised it. "Oh yes, Teal'c. Cali is my best friend. She keeps me company, and makes me laugh when I'm lonely, and helps me find fun things to do. It doesn't bother me anymore when she takes over because I trust her. She just wants to keep me safe."

Her eyes flashed and Cali spoke again. "I know you must have more questions, but we need to be moving."

Sam nodded and got to her feet, glancing at her hands in the moonlight filtering through the overhead trees. They were already healing, the scabs looking like they were a couple of days old instead of a couple of minutes. The pain was gone too, though she still felt drained.

They started walking again, Cali in front, then Sam, with Teal'c bringing up the rear. They walked in silence for a long while, picking their way as fast as they could over the rough terrain. Finally they came on an animal trail and could make better time. Somewhere near dawn, Sam heard a low thud behind her and turned to find Teal'c on his knees, swaying. His skin had turned gray in the predawn light, and his eyes were closed.

"Teal'c!" Sam cried, alarmed. "Cali, hang on!"

Sam saw the girl swing around out of the corner of her eye as she dropped beside Teal'c, who was now on his hands and knees, panting for breath.

"Teal'c, what's wrong?"

"Forgive me, Colonel Carter, but I must rest," he said, dropping to the ground and rolling to his back.

Sam put a hand on his head. "You're burning up. Why didn't you tell us to stop?" she demanded, and then without waiting for an answer, "Cali, is there a water source anywhere nearby?"

The goa'uld looked around. "Yes, but we have nothing with which to carry it."

"How far?"

"Within minutes."

"Teal'c, do you think you can make it? If we can get there, we can get you cooled down and…"

"No." Teal'c said, his eyes still closed. "We must keep moving toward our goal. I can rest there."

"But," Sam started, concern radiating through her. Teal'c was rarely sick.

"My immune system is different from yours, Colonel Carter."

"You mean how it used to be." It was not a question.

Teal'c grunted an assent. "The tretonin will allow the wound within my pouch to heal, but it will take time. The fever will keep infection away. It will be uncomfortable, but it will keep me alive."

Sam blew out a breath. "Cali, how far out are we from your safe zone?"

"Only about an hour and a half if we are slow. But there are two way to get to where we need to go. I will tell you when the decision must be made."

"Teal'c, can you walk?" Sam asked, getting the vial of tretonin out of his bag. She gave him a measured dose, and watched as his color began to return.

"I can," he said, getting up slowly and hanging onto a tree for balance. He stood swaying for a moment, Carter hanging onto him in case he should buckle. Then he deliberately moved away from her and started down the path toward Cali, who turned and led the way.

Sam followed behind, keeping an eye on Teal'c's gait and very aware of the symbiote moving in her gut. She pictured the thing nestled in her belly, its little tentacles lodged in her body, regulating her immune system and who knew what else, and she shuddered anew. Her mind latched onto the sarcophagus, sitting in the palace, waiting for her to come and fix it so she could get back to normal. It was her one hope, and though she knew Cali had shot it to stop her mother from resurrecting Nathal, she still hoped there was some way to repair it. The little niggling voice at the back of her mind told her the damage was probably too severe, but she squashed it ruthlessly. That hope was the only thing keeping her going right now, save the need to get Teal'c out of here, and she couldn't afford to lose it. She clenched her teeth and kept going.