Chapter Three

Daniel had tried to keep guard on Janet, but as the hours of travel passed he found himself drifting in and out of sleep. As the sunlight crept into their new situation the journey continued without stop. Janet had woken several times, but fell into sleep again. Daniel started to fear that she had been hit harder than she was willing to admit and was struggling against a concussion of her own.

Parched from thirst Daniel leaned his head back against the wooden boards and lost consciousness again. Dreams of the chaotic kidnapping assaulted him as hovered in the space between natural sleep and injury induced coma. Daniel was jerked awake by a cold wet contact against the side of his face. It was dark again, making it hard to see.

"Easy, Daniel, it's just me." Janet said softly.

"Janet...are you okay?"

"Bit of a headache, but I'm okay. Drink this."

Daniel reached up as a tin cup touched his lips. Drinking the surprisingly cold water he almost instantly felt better. He only drank a small quantity before offering the cup back to Janet, however she informed him that there was plenty to go around.

"When did we stop?" Daniel asked.

"About an hour ago. If you listen carefully you can hear a stream, which unfortunately is probably where they got the water from."

"Unfortunately?"

"Giardia, the stream is probably swarming with it. There is a good chance we'll get sick from drinking it, but we'll die if we don't, so..."

Daniel could just make out Janet shrugging at their options. Her bravery and level thinking made him smile. He wasn't sure why it surprised him, after all she had all the training of a USAF warrior. Not to mention how well she handled the countless health crisis that had plagued the SGC. However, being on a planet far from home in the hands of an unknown enemy wasn't something that any amount of training or emergency room experience could prepare someone for.

"Daniel?"

"I'm okay, I was just thinking."

"You were smiling, I could see the glint." Janet accused mockingly. "Something about all of this funny?"

"No, not all." Daniel replied quickly. "I was just amazed by your ability to maintain your bed side manner."

"Being a doctor isn't a career, it's a lifestyle. Kind of like the SGC."

"That place does have a way of taking over every aspect of every waking moment."

"They must know we're missing by now."

"Without questions." Daniel agreed.

"We're going to be hard to find."

"They'll manage. In the mean time we'll have to make do and watch for a chance to escape."

Janet nodded, but Daniel sensed that she was more stressed than she was admitting to. He sought out her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. This time it was Daniel's turn to catch the slight glimmer of moon light that reflected off Janet's smile.

"Are you hungry?" Janet asked.

"Not particularly."

"Me neither, but they did leave some sort of dried meat and a few apples for us if you change your mind."

"I'm not really used to being fed by captors. I can understand the water, but prisoners are always easier to deal with when they're weak with hunger. Why keep us strong?" Daniel mused. "Did they notice that we'd untied each other?"

"They handed me the bucket of water."

"And they didn't care?"

"No."

"That's a little odd. I wonder if..."

Daniel stopped at the sound of a key grating in a lock. He guided Janet to change places with her so that he'd be closer to the door. Daniel back her into the corner in order to best protect her. He feared that their respect for women wasn't exactly what it should be and that it was only a matter of time before they took interest in her.

When the door opened the light from a near by camp fire flickered in. In the harsh orange light Daniel saw that the apparent leader of the group already had his sword in hand. Smiling brightly he beckoned Daniel to come closer. Not about to follow orders Daniel just stared him down.

'Come out of there, both of you.' Gaius said casually.

'There has been as mistake.' Daniel insisted. 'We are not the people you think we are. We are peaceful travelers, we have nothing to do with your war.'

'War?' Gaius spat in disgust. 'It's not a war, we are simply trying to keep from being exterminated.'

'It has nothing to do with us, let us go before our people come to find us.'

'Do not threaten me.' Gaius growled. 'Now come out of there before I have you dragged out and beaten!'

"Daniel, what's going on?"

"I'm failing at talking us out of this situation."

"You can't use diplomacy for everything. I'll do whatever they want if it will keep us alive long enough to be found."

Daniel looked over his shoulder and caught Janet's sad smile. The bottom dropped out of Daniel's stomach at hearing the resignation in her tone. More determined than ever to keep the men from touching her Daniel prepared to rush Gaius. Janet felt the way his muscles suddenly tensed and moved to stop him.

"Daniel, no." Janet put her hand on his shoulder. "Don't give them a reason to kill you, and leave me here alone."

Daniel took a breath to protest but Janet was already moving past him to step out into the night. He grabbed her wrist and they left the traveling prison together. Once outside Daniel took a quick look around. It seemed that they were in the middle of nowhere, camped in an old growth forest. Gaius had been joined by one of the men, the others were around the fire drinking something from a dark green bottle.

The man with Gaius suddenly grabbed Daniel and jerked him away from Janet. Before he could react he felt the cold contact of steel against his throat. The man pinned one of his wrists high behind his back, a quick motion and he could dislocated Daniel's shoulder. Daniel looked to Janet and gave her a small signal to run.

Janet glanced around and found her options for running very limited. There was a fast moving stream behind them that was too wide to jump. Gaius was to her right, sheathing his sword. The only real direction to run would take her right past the drinking men. There was no where to bolt that she wouldn't be easily recaptured. Gaius removed her last chance at running by gripping her upper arm.

'Don't you dare touch her!' Daniel snarled.

'Relax, I'll make sure you're compensated.'

'What?'

'How much for her?'

'She is not for sale!'

'I don't want to buy her, I just want to know how much you charge for her services. She looks young. How many many men has she been with?'

'I...I'm not answering that.' Daniel stuttered indignantly.

'That many, eh?' Gaius chuckled. 'You know I've never tried such a small framed woman. I'll give you three hundred.'

'No. Please, just leave us alo...'

'Three-fifty is not exactly a fair price, but I'm willing to spe...'

'No!' Daniel barked.

Gaius flashed Daniel an amused smile. He turned to Janet and reached out to brush her cheek. When she turned her face away from him he lashed out and grabbed a handful of her dark hair. Daniel fought against the man who was holding until the knife was pressed hard enough to draw a thin line of blood and his shoulder was threatening to separate.

"Daniel..." Janet stopped as Gaius jerked her head back.

'Don't hurt her.' Daniel begged.

'I would never kill a woman that didn't belong to me.' Gaius replied.

Gaius ran his free hand down Janet's ivory throat and onto her chest. Trembling from fear Janet closed her eyes as tears streaked her face. Sliding his hand down to her hip Gaius inspected her with a critical eye. Daniel could hear Janet panting for breath and it twisted his stomach painfully. Before he could think of what to do Gaius pulled his hand away from her and turned to Daniel once again.

'Four hundred, and I'll kill her child myself if she ends up with one of my own.'

'No.' Daniel said firmly.

'Are you even in a position to sell her?' Gaius asked suspiciously. 'Do you even own her? If not then I am well within my rights to just take her and offer you nothing.'

'She's mine.' Daniel replied quickly. 'I own her.'

'If that is true where does she bear your mark?'

Daniel's blood flashed to ice. He hadn't planned on proving an ownership that he didn't have. His mind raced as he tried to figure out a way to keep Gaius from raping his friend. Smiling in triumph Gaius wrapped his arm around Janet's waist and pulled her up against him. Janet did nothing to resist him, she just kept her eyes closed and fought to keep her breathing under control.

"Janet...you don't happen to have any tattoos, do you?"

"Ta...tattoos?" Janet repeated.

"Yes, please, it's important."

"On my shoulder...right shoulder."

"Thank, God." Daniel looked to Gaius. 'My mark on her right shoulder.'

Gaius looked at Daniel doubtfully. However he did turn Janet around and forced her to her knees. Drawing his knife he slipped it into the collar of Janet's black shirt. Janet yelped in surprise as he cut the cloth open halfway down her back. Gaius reached down and pulled the shirt off her right shoulder. Inked into Janet's shoulder was a small rod with a single snake entwining it.

The tattoo seemed to satisfy Gaius. He nodded and hauled Janet back to her feet. Standing in the fire light she risked reaching up and covering her exposed shoulder as best she could. Gaius guided her back into the cart and motioned to have Daniel released so that he could follow her.

Daniel jumped up into the wooden cell willingly, not even hearing it lock behind him. Janet had sat down in the back corner and was trying to pull herself together. Daniel sat down in front of her and put his hand on her shoulder. When he found how hard she was shaking he drew her into a comforting embrace and held her tightly.

Janet accepted the gesture and rested her head against his chest. It didn't take her long to stop shivering and she never truly broke down and cried. After taking a few deep breaths she pushed herself away from Daniel and sat up on her own.

"It's okay, Janet, I don't think he'll try it again."

"I don't understand, we're prisoners...why didn't he just rape me?"

"He seems to be imposing the rules of his culture on us as well."

"Why?"

"I don't know, I'm just grateful for it."

Janet nodded slowly in agreement. He torn shirt kept falling off her shoulder even as she pushed it back up. Daniel pulled off his own shirt and handed it to her. She refused it at first, but when he insisted she accept the gift. Despite the darkness around them Daniel closed his eyes as Janet took off the ruined shirt and crawled into his over sized one.

"Thank you." Janet said softly. "I'd offer you mine, but even cut up I doubt it would fit you."

"I'll be alright."

"I don't know how you managed it, but thank you for saving me."

"I don't think I would have been able to if it wasn't for that tattoo. It's not quite a caduceus..."

"It's the Rod of Aesculapius."

"Of course, the Greek god of Healing. That does make more sense than a caduceus considering that was originally the symbol of Hermes, the guardian of liars and thieves."

"Yeah, a few of my fellow medical classmates didn't know about the confusion that lead to the caduceus becoming a medical symbol and ended up with one of those instead. Although I have to admit that I started to regret the tattoo when I joined the SGC."

"Why?"

"Aesculapius was probably a Goa'uld."

"True, but I think you have him to thank for saving you from a horrifying encounter."

"No, Daniel, I have you to thank for that."

Daniel found himself reaching out and embracing Janet once again. She settled against him and seemed like she was going to pass out. Keeping a hold of her Daniel laid down so that she could rest beside him with her head resting on his chest. The outside temperature was already starting to fall and she curled up tightly against him for both of them to stay warm.

Staring up at the dark ceiling Daniel took a deep breath to try and clear his thoughts. Janet shivered against the night's chill. Daniel rubbed her back in an attempt to warm her better. Eventually Janet settled down and he assumed that she fell asleep. However, she still had her eyes open and was staring sightlessly in the dark.

"Daniel?" Janet asked quietly.

"Yes?"

"I've been thinking. What if they weren't angry about me, or rather 'you', saving the General's life, what if they were impressed? You told them you were a medical doctor...what if they need one?"

"That thought has crossed my mind."

"If we can't prove that we're useful they'll kill us. You have to tell them the truth, you have to tell them it was me."

"It won't help...from what I've seen they'll never believe it."

"I can prove it to them." Janet said confidently.

"No. We can't take that risk, chances are they'd just kill you."

"Why?"

"At the least it would prove their thinking wrong, at the most a female doctor in their mists would plant the seed for rebellion amongst their women."

"What if our lives depend on saving someone else's?"

"Then we're all in trouble...I'm barely qualified to apply a band aid."