(Crossposted on AO3.)
Elevator
"Delek," Jack greeted politely as he walked into the elevator.
The Tok'ra made no reply.
Jack shook his head slightly, then tapped the button for his floor. He looked to see what floor Delek was headed for. "Mess hall?" He guessed.
"Yes," he replied stiffly.
The elevator began moving. Jack looked to Delek who looked like his usual stern self. Jack raised an eyebrow, but decided to be polite.
"So… How's it going?"
"Is this what Selmak has called…small talk?"
"…Yes."
"I would prefer silence."
"O…kay."
There was a screeching sound, as the elevator began shaking, then suddenly dropped.
"Floor!" Jack called out as he pushed Delek down, who was already dropping to the floor.
Jack mentally braced himself, trying to force himself to relax. The elevator came to a sudden stop, and Jack blacked out.
~+~+~.
Jack woke up with a healing device in his face. He pushed it away.
"You have a concussion."
"My head is fine. I don't need a snake healing me."
"I am using a healing device. If you hadn't been on top of me, you might not have been so injured."
"I was saving you."
"Do you think I don't know what to do in emergencies? All you did was hit my head to the floor."
Jack sat up, noticing blood on the side of his face. "Don't you mean Toma's head?"
"I live in his head, so if you want to be technical, you hit his head and me to the floor."
Jack got up after he was healed, not wanting to admit that his head felt better already. He went to the buttons on the elevator.
"Why did your contraption fail?"
"I don't know." He picked up the elevator's phone. "Uh…we are kind of stuck here."
"Which elevator?" Replied the other person.
"Three."
"We'll send a team. It'll probably be an hour."
Jack glanced to Delek. "Gee, thanks," he sighed.
Delek sat down, then pulled out some rations.
"Do you just keep that on you all the time?"
"Yes."
Jack sat down.
~+~+~.
"I knew you for a while before I learned Toma's name. What's up with that?"
Delek stopped eating and looked at him, hesitating slightly. "You asked for his name."
"Yeah, but I didn't get it until I heard Malek talking to you."
Delek took another bite.
"So…?"
"His people never answer that question."
"What?" Jack sat up. "If it were any other Tok'ra, I would think you were joking."
Delek sighed. "His people believe that spirits trick people into giving them their names to make them vulnerable. Once they own the shield name of a person, they are closer to knowing their true name."
"That kind of junk?"
Delek's eyes flared pale gold in annoyance.
"Sorry, but come on. I'm not an evil spirit out to own his name."
"You act like one."
Jack frowned, then saw the slightest look of amusement in Delek's expression. He smiled a bit himself. "…Wait. Did you say true name?"
"Yes."
"So Toma isn't his real name?"
"It is his shield name."
"His…what?"
"It's the name that can be freely shared…so long as he does not accidentally give it to an evil spirit."
"Right." Jack didn't know what to say to that.
Delek said nothing else, then kept eating.
~+~+~.
"So…"
Delek sighed.
"Well…Toma is a nice name."
"It means banal."
Jack frowned.
"Trite or stale," he clarified.
"I know what banal means, but why? Wait. Nevermind. That's more about being protected, isn't it?"
"Yes."
Jack looked over to him. "What about your first name? What is it?"
"Delek," he replied with confusion.
"I meant your larva name?"
"Leaf."
"Leaf."
"Larva names need to be spoken in squeal, therefore, it was always a simple word that could be translated in many languages.
~+~+~.
"So…"
Why do you talk so much?"
"You have each other. I don't have anyone."
Delek looked to him.
"Not that I'm offering."
"You could not beg for me to live in your head."
"Yes. You don't like Tau'ri hosts. I got that."
He just stared, giving absolutely no response. Somehow that was worse than…something.
"I'm not that bad," Jack said, feeling awkward as Delek stared.
"Since we walked into the elevator, you knocked over my host-"
Jack lifted a finger. "Ah. I was-"
"-called me a snake, insulted my relationship with Toma, called his beliefs junk, and presumed I would actually want to be in your head."
"You live in heads."
"Not your head."
"Ok. Some of that was rude, but I doubt you believe that spirit stuff either."
"No, but I respect it."
"I'm sorry. I'm a little irritated and trapped in an elevator with…well, you. If you don't want to talk, you are free to give Toma control."
"What in crystals makes you think he wants to talk to you?"
Jack sighed, then checked the time. "It's been… Half an hour. That's it?" He went back to the phone in the elevator. "Hey, do you have any idea how much longer it'll be?"
"There's some complications. You are between floors, and the elevator shaft is blocked. "It'll probably be about…four hours."
"Four hours?!" Jack sighed. "Fine. Hurry up." He sat back down.
"I have rations," Delek offered.
"Water?"
Delek gave him water.
"Thanks."
~+~+~.
"So…what was his life like before he met you?"
"That is not your business."
"Come on. How did he come to blend with you?"
Delek stared.
"Does he still visit home?"
"There is no one left to visit. The Jaffa saw to that."
"They…did what they…"
Delek's stare turned into a glare.
"They weren't given a choice.
He bowed his head, retreating.
"Toma." Jack was surprised. "Nice to meet you."
Tian somehow looked less friendlier than Delek.
"Uh. How old are you? …By the way." He couldn't believe that he already wanted Delek back.
Tian just glared at him.
"Okay then."
~+~+~.
Jack sighed. "I have to go to the bathroom."
"I am not sharing my bathroom," Tian replied with a definite and gruff tone.
"You…have a bathroom?"
"Yes."
"I can't use it?"
He scrunched his face, his anger giving way to disgust.
"Do you have any empty containers?"
"None that would contain urine or feces. Use a corner."
"It'll smell."
"It will not bother us. Delek can block my sense of smell."
"Lucky you." Jack sighed.
~+~+~.
Jack went to the phone, which had started ringing. "What?" He just knew it would be bad news.
Delek watched Jack sigh before hanging up.
"Slight delay," Jack said. "They are now estimating…nine hours…nine more hours."
"I shall sleep then." Delek said as he took an item out of his pockets.
Jack was surprised to see that after being shook, it immediately fluffed into a small pillow.
"You carry around a pillow?"
He laid down.
"You can just…sleep?"
"It would be polite to be quiet when someone else is trying to sleep."
Jack sighed.
~+~+~.
His phone died. Jack sighed. "Of course."
~+~+~.
Delek woke up.
"Sleep well?"
"It was acceptable."
"So…do you get along better with your batch mates?"
Delek frowned.
"The ones you were born with."
Delek stared with disbelief.
"Of course, you knew that…"
"Why do you care about my batch mates?"
"Just…curious."
"They are all dead."
"Oh… Sorry."
He scoffed.
"I really am-"
"Since I was born, thousands of my siblings have…" He paused. "…spontaneously died."
"Spontaneously?"
"According to you, we have not been doing anything for the last two thousand years, so they must have just…" He made a dismissive gesture. "…randomly died."
Jack sighed.
There was another screeching sound, and the elevator began shaking. Jack immediately laid flat, and the elevator began falling again.
Jack felt slammed as it went dark, and he soon heard something fall into the elevator.
"Delek?"
He couldn't see and he felt dazed. He groaned as he checked himself for a head injury. Nothing so far. It must have been the lights and not him.
"Toma?" Jack crawled to him carefully. "One of you has to answer me." He felt warm, thick liquid. "Toma!" He soon felt the man's torso, carefully examining him in the dark. He felt something metallic coming out of Tian's chest. It was ragged and warm, having recently been sheered off in the accident.
"Ow!" He pulled his hands back when he cut himself. He shook his hand out, then checked for a pulse, finding a faint one.
"Toma?" He remembered seeing Tok'ra check each other by touching the back of the neck. He wasn't sure what that did until he felt a wiggle against his fingers. He jerked his hand away, then felt foolish for being surprised by the wiggle.
At least he knew that Delek was awake.
~+~+~.
His eyes adjusted somewhat in the dark. He could see Toma, or rather a dark blob in darkness.
He thought.
He wasn't sure.
~+~+~.
The dark blob began moving, and Jack heard coughing.
"Toma?"
Jack moved closer, and he could barely make out that Tian was searching his pockets.
"Let me help you." Jack felt Tian grasping a leather pouch. He pulled it out. Inside was a large capsule.
"Give," Tian managed to force out as he reached for the capsule. He felt it placed in his hand. He put the capsule in his mouth, then bit down.
"Medicine?"
He nodded slightly, swallowing the liquid that had been released. His breathing was raspy and hard.
"Anything I can do?"
He shook his head, then closed his eyes.
~+~+~.
O'Neill jumped when he saw Tian's eyes flashing in the dark.
"Delek."
"O'Neill."
"Yes?"
He became silent.
Jack moved closer.
"I need to remove the metallic scrap from my chest." It was now Tian, struggling for each word.
"That would kill you."
"It must be removed slowly, giving Delek time to heal as… If you do not, we will die."
Jack sighed. "I hope you two know what you are doing." He grabbed the edge of twisted metal, then slowly pulled at it.
Tian gasped. "Stop."
Jack stopped. He could feel more blood spilling.
Tian passed out.
~+~+~.
Jack sat up when Tian moaned.
"From now on, I am taking your stairs."
Jack looked over to him, a bit amused because he knew Tian was not joking.
"Why are you across the elevator?"
"Checking the phone," Jack excused. He hadn't expected them to notice in the dark. He approached, then winced when there was suddenly a light.
Tian dropped the light source next to him, and Jack realized it was a crystal. It didn't provide enough to fill the elevator, but he could finally see again. Tian was even bloodier than he had realized.
"You still don't trust us." Tian frowned, then grabbed the edge of the ragged metal. He closed his eyes, then grimaced as he pulled.
Jack went to his side. "Let me help."
Tian pulled out the rest of the metal, then dropped it to the side as he groaned. His breath became short and rapid. He used his own hands to slow the bleeding.
"Toma?" Jack said in alarm as he used his own shirt to make a bandage. He knew an infection wouldn't be an issue with a Tok'ra.
Tian closed his eyes, forcing himself to slow his breath before passing out again.
~+~+~.
Tian began fishing in his pocket.
"Can I help?"
Tian's hand was shaky as he took out another capsule. He left more blood on his lips as he took it.
Jack watched him with worry, not sure what else he could do.
~+~+~.
"Why do you not sit across the elevator? You are obviously more comfortable keeping your distance from us."
"Look, I am sure you wouldn't…" He could see that Tian didn't believe him, and if he were honest with himself, he didn't trust Delek. "I've been burned before."
Tian glared with a distant hatred and pain. Jack realized he picked the wrong wording.
"I've let them know you are injured."
Tian didn't respond.
~+~+~.
"Sorry, if the…burning analogy…"
Tian glared.
"I'm trying to apologize."
"That would be like apologizing for punching someone in the face by…" He gasped in pain. "…once again, punching them in the face."
"That's not- Fine. Sorry."
Tian slowly sat up.
Jack moved to help him, but he was pushed away. Tian was surprisingly strong for someone who had a hole in his chest, but he cried out in pain as a result of his push.
"Toma."
Tian stilled for few seconds, clearly in a great deal of pain. He finally, slowly, backed himself up enough to lean against the wall, using the pillow to make it more comfortable.
~+~+~.
The hatch from the top opened.
"Finally," Jack muttered. He was surprised when Malek came through.
"Toma." Malek began running a healing device over his fellow Tok'ra.
"Is he going to be alright?" Jack asked.
"His lung must fully heal before he can be moved," Malek replied as a Lieutenant Baker came in.
"Sir, we have a harness for you, so we can pull you out."
Jack frowned. "Are we at risk of falling anymore?"
"You are between 28 and 27, sir."
"So…almost at the bottom."
"Yes, sir."
Jack walked to Malek. "How long until he can be moved?"
"It could be another few hours."
"I'll go when he can go," Jack said, not wanting to leave Tian behind.
Tian muttered something in Goa'uld.
Malek's eyes flared as he glanced to Jack, but he said nothing and kept healing.
Jack sighed.
"Sir?" Baker questioned.
"See if you can safely get the elevator to level 28."
"Yes, sir."
Jack sat by Tian as Baker left.
Malek took out yet another item that Jack didn't recognize, one from his pockets and another from Tian's. He mixed it with water.
"Toma, you must drink this."
Tian groaned.
"It will help Delek replenish your blood loss."
Tian frowned, then sat up more with Malek's help. Malek helped him drink.
"How much stuff do you guys carry in those pockets?"
"Only the basics," Malek replied.
"A personal bathroom is a basic?"
"When visiting others, yes."
~+~+~.
"Does eye glowing help you see in the dark?"
Malek broke his usual facade and made a sound like he was trying not to laugh. He recovered quickly.
Jack grinned slightly. He had never seen Malek be amused by, well, anything.
"No," he answered, his expression and tone serious again.
"Does anything change? I mean…do you see bright light when your eyes glow?"
"A little, but we mostly feel it."
"Really?" Jack sat up a bit. "What's it feel like?"
"A slight feel, which can sting it I do it a lot."
"It can hurt?"
"If I'm emotional enough."
"O tunak'rel thunk," Tian said in Goa'uld.
Malek replied in kind, and they both laughed a bit before Tian started coughing.
"That's rude," Jack said bluntly, though he was very amused to see them laughing.
"Is it as rude as not sitting near a man who might be dying?" Malek asked.
"Oh." He suspected that soon, every Tok'ra would know about that. "Look…"
"I cannot say that I am surprised," Malek added.
Jack frowned, then sighed, wishing he hadn't decided to stay.
"On the Alpha Site, not a day goes by without someone from your world calling me a snake or snakehead or saying I'm no different from a Goa'uld."
"You aren't the most popular guy."
"Is popularity a Tau'ri need to…not insult people?" Malek asked with a slight frown.
"…No."
"So what exactly is your point?"
"Nothing."
"Most Tok'ra endure the same. It is only avoided by those who stay behind their hosts so that you could pretend no one is in their heads."
"Like Selmak?"
Malek looked over. "Yes."
"That bothers you."
"Why would it bother me?"
"Because you didn't…" Jack trailed off as Malek truly looked confused. "I mean, Selmak's method was different than yours."
"I understand then," Malek replied before using the healing device on Delek.
"Oh. Wait. You understand what exactly?"
"The Tau'ri."
"What?" Jack frowned. "What about us?"
"The fact that you believe I would be bothered by a private choice between Jacob and Selmak tells me how intolerant you are of differences."
"I never said that, and you can't judge all of Earth based on me."
"Yet it is consistent with Tau'ri behavior."
Jack frowned. "How come I never see your host?"
Malek looked over.
"So…?"
"As I said, the choice of who has control is a private one between host and symbiote."
"It's a little weird though, don't you think? We've known each other for months now. You live on our outpost."
Malek ignored him.
"You do realize it comes off as a little Goa'uldish?"
Malek and Tian began speaking in Goa'uld again.
"Oh, come on!"
~+~+~.
Malek and Delek spoke until the elevator made another sound, screeching before it slowly lowered. Jack noticed both Tok'ra holding their ears after. Another sharp metallic groan made them wince before the doors opened.
The medical team came in, checking on Tian. He was lifted carefully before being carried out. Since the elevators were not trusted for the moment, Tian was taken through the stairwell. Jack and Malek followed, stopping near the front of the infirmary.
"Is he going to be alright?"
"I don't know," Malek admitted. "If Toma does not survive, we have a host for Delek."
"Good for him," he replied uncomfortably, feeling a chill from the blunt statement. He didn't catch Malek's eyes flaring as the Tok'ra glanced to him. He did however notice that Malek's posture stiffened.
Malek walked over to Delek once he would not be in the way. He ran a healing device over him.
"Malek…"
Malek gave a small smile. "Delek has stabilized you, and the Tau'ri are giving you new blood."
"Delek says the new blood feels weird. It is alien, and it does not vibrate."
Malek gave a small chuckle, glancing over as Jack left.
"Why didn't you answer his question about why he only ever sees you?"
"That Amb dislikes him? That would just make things even more uncomfortable around him."
"It would serve him right for asking such a personal question and for insulting you for not answering."
Malek smirked slightly.
~+~+~.
"Daniel…"
Daniel glanced back.
"What does oh tuna krill thunk mean?"
Daniel frowned.
"The Tok'ra mentioned it while I was asking about the eye glowing."
"O tunak'rel thunk?"
"Yeah, that's it."
Daniel laughed.
"Oh, come on."
"Essentially…'or lots of orgasms.'"
Jack frowned. "The Tok'ra made a sex joke?"
"Sounds like it."
"Learning that they are capable…" He chuckled. "I actually saw Malek and Tian laugh. I mean…Tok'ra…laughing."
Daniel smiled.
"You know…today wasn't so bad."