Chapter ten

"Not bad, Daniel. I think he'll live."

"That wasn't so hard."

"We'll make a medic out of you yet."

"Janet, I'm an archaeologist...not a doctor." Daniel chuckled.

"Well you're doing a fine job."

"Thirteen men have died under my hand."

"Yes, but twenty-one have lived. Those aren't bad odds for field conditions."

"Seriously, Janet, how much longer can we pull this off?"

"Our most limiting factor is supplies. You just used the last of the catgut, the antibiotics are gone, we've been reusing syringes for a week."

"How long have we been here, a month?" Daniel sighed.

"That sounds about right. You'd think if the SGC were going to find us..."

"They would have by now." Daniel looked over his shoulder and caught Tao glaring at him. "Tao is just waiting for me to lose my 'touch'. If we can't keep saving lives they are going to kill us."

"I've been watching Tao on and off, he's actually very skilled. If he had the same tools that we have he'd do just as well."

"Which means when we run out of supplies we'll do just as poorly."

"Perhaps worse, I don't know any of the herbs that he uses."

"Great."

Daniel looked around at the dying men that surrounded them in the crowded tent. Over the past month he had gotten used to the smell, but he still felt his stomach twist every time a new victim was brought in. Even as he thought about it another man on a stretcher was brought inside. They first went to Tao, but after a brief look he pointed in Daniel's direction.

"Uh-oh." Daniel muttered.

The injured man was brought over to Daniel and Janet and set down on the ground. They looked warily at Janet and then turned to leave. The young man was awake and panting heavily for breath with his hands wrapped over his stomach. Daniel automatically reached out to move the man's hands.

"Don't bother, Daniel." Janet said quietly.

"What?"

"Remember what I said about liver injuries? Look how dark that blood is."

"We can't look like we're not trying." Daniel pointed out.

"Anything we do will just cause him more pain."

"Our lives depend on at least making an effort."

"Okay." Janet nodded.

"This goes against your 'at least do no harm' oath, doesn't it?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry."

Janet smiled sadly. Getting up she fetched a long strip of cloth. Daniel took the offering and once again went to pull the man's hands away from his stomach. Crying in agony the man lashed out and grabbed a hold of Janet's wrist and jerked her forward. Trying to catch herself before she fell Janet put her other hand down on his stomach. Pushing against the wound to free herself Janet was instantly soaked in blood. Daniel pried her free of the dying man's grip just as he arched back and collapsed in death.

'Murdering, whore!' Tao screamed.

"Shit." Daniel swore. 'Tao, it wasn't her fault, he grabbed her, look at the bloody hand print on her wrist.'

'She shouldn't have been so close! She shouldn't be here at all!'

Tao turned and stormed out of the tent. Daniel was about to turn to Janet to suggest that they make a run for it now when the man that he had been treating just before had a massive seizure. Janet instantly put her hand down on his chest to keep him from breaking his back. Daniel pushed her off the seizing man before she could be caught touching him as well.

"What should I do?" Daniel asked desperately.

"Just keep him do..." Janet trailed off as the man went still. "Never mind."

"He's dead." Daniel sighed as he checked for a pulse. "Janet, I can't do this anymore."

The pair turned as they heard the angry complaints of Tao as he returned with others.

"You might not get a chance to." Janet noted fearfully. "Daniel, I love you."

"Don't say it like that."

"Like what?"

"Like it's the last time."

"It might be."

"Ja..."

'Just look at her!' Tao roared as he stepped into the tent with Gaius. 'Look, another one dead by her hand! They are spies! They saved a few lives to gain your trust and now they are slaughtering our men!'

'That's not true, we have done everything we can.' Daniel returned defensively. 'There is only so much we can do against the tide of your bloodshed!'

'She had defiled another warrior in the last moments of his life. She is a witch, stealing souls!'

'Don't be ridiculous!' Daniel spat. 'Gaius, please, we are trying.'

'Did she touch him?' Gaius asked coldly.

'He grabbed her.'

'She dug her hands into his wounds and he died because of it!' Tao hissed. 'Look at her hands.'

The shouting had gathered a sizable crowd that were shoving one another to get a glance at what was happening. Angry shouts started to ring out as word got around that there was a woman covered in a man's blood. Jhan himself entered the tent and stared at the scene.

'What is the meaning of this?' Jhan demanded.

Before Daniel could even try to explain several men were upon them. He fought against them, but was easily dragged out into the crowd. Janet cried out as someone in the unruly mob back handed her across the face. Daniel managed to tear himself free and fought his way to get to her. Throwing his arms around her he held her tightly to his chest in an attempt to shield her from the excited crowd. They acted like a pack of wolves that had surrounded an injured animal.

Jhan didn't allow his men to get too out of control and ordered them back. Daniel and Janet quickly found themselves in the center of a circle about fifteen feet in diameter, surrounded on all sides. Gaius, Tao, and Jhan stepped forward into the circle as well. Another man came out of the crowd and handed Jhan a long slender rod that looked like it was made of rattan. Daniel tensed and held Janet closer.

'Jhan, please," Daniel begged 'we've done nothing wrong.'

'Daniel,' Gaius sighed sadly 'I warned you about this.'

'What was she suppose to do?!' Daniel snarled. 'He was hurting her in his delirium.'

'If you truly cared for your female, you would have kept her safe in your tent so she would not have had the chance to transgress our laws!' Jhan roared.

'Then the fault is mine! I should be held responsible.'

'No!'

'Yes.' A female voice said sternly.

'Ezra, what are you doing here?' Jhan barked.

'I am here to ensure that this man's rights are protected.'

'What are you talking about?'

'If her owner chooses to take her punishment, he has every right to do so. It is written...just never evoked.'

'Ezra is right, Jhan.' Gaius nodded. 'It is a very old law.'

'Do you truly wish to evoke this law for her?' Jhan asked.

'Yes.'

'Very well.'

"Daniel...what's going on?" Janet asked nervously.

"Don't worry, just let this happen."

"Daniel..."

"It's okay. I love you."

"Don't say it like that." Janet tried to sound light hearted.

Daniel forced a smile and held Janet out at arm's length. He took a few steps back away from her before getting down on his knees. Daniel laced his fingers together behind his head and closed his eyes. Janet decided to kneel down as well and kept her eyes on Daniel's closed ones.

Jhan stepped up behind Daniel and brought the rattan cane up high before bringing it down hard between Daniel's shoulder blades with a loud crack. Daniel's eyes fluttered under their lids, as he ground his teeth together against the strike. He gasped for breath on the second blow, but he refused to cry out. Tears slipped down Janet's face as Daniel jerked spasmodically in response to the pain of another devastating strike.

By the time Jhan had lashed the cane against his skin six times Daniel was shaking uncontrollably. Jhan struck him one last time, forcing Daniel forward. He didn't have time to catch himself, but Janet did. She kept him from collapsing, but just barely. Daniel took a minute to collect himself before forcing himself to his feet. Janet got up as well, she glanced at Daniel's back. The rattan had torn through his shirt and deep into his flesh. It was a wonder he hadn't passed out. Daniel turned and glared at Jhan, who also looked surprised that Daniel was standing.

'Are we done here?' Daniel growled.

Jhan nodded. Daniel tried to walk away, but it brought him close to collapsing once again. Gaius stepped up and slipped in under Daniel's arm to keep him on his feet. Janet stayed close to his side as Gaius helped them back to their tent. Gaius laid Daniel down on his stomach on the fur bed before leaving.

Finally out of view of the crowd Daniel moaned pitifully. Janet sat down next to him and ran her hand through his sweat soaked hair. He opened his eyes but it took him a moment to roll them from white back to their proper blue. Looking up at Janet he smiled weakly.

"That wasn't so bad." Daniel shrugged and instantly regretted it.

"Thank you, Daniel."

"It would have been more painful to watch."

"It was."

Daniel chuckled, but once again it just brought him more pain. Janet grabbed the back of Daniel's collar with both hands and ripped open the tattered back of his shirt. Tearing open the sleeves she tried to pull the shirt out from underneath him.

"What are you doing?"

"If we leave the shirt on the blood will dry it to the wounds and we'll have to reopen them to get it off."

Daniel nodded and lifted himself up high enough to allow her to retrieve the ruined shirt. Janet inspected the seven bleeding gashes critically. Getting up she brought over the bucket of drinking water and tore down one of the silk tapestries. Daniel's breath hissed over his teeth as she cleaned off the blood.

"I'm sorry, Daniel, there are several pieces of cloth worked into the flesh. They need to come out."

"Just do it, I'm fine."

Janet nodded and ripped four strips of tattered shirt out of the gory marks. Daniel buried his face in the soft furs on the bed and growled in pain. Using the remains of the shirt Janet continued to clean out the oozing marks. It quickly became clear that the cuts were too deep to stop bleeding on their own. Janet folded up the silk into a square just large enough to cover Daniel's upper back.

"Daniel, the bleeding isn't going to stop, I need to apply pressure to help the clotting or you'll be so weak from the blood loss you might be able to fight an infection."

Already panting heavily for breath Daniel simply nodded. Janet took a deep breath herself before laying her forearms across Daniel's back and shifting her weight onto them. Daniel finally cried out as Janet's treatment intensified the pain. Janet kept the pressure on and leaned down to kiss Daniel's temple. He smiled and tried to take deep slow breaths.

"Almost through the worst of it." Janet said softly.

Closing his eyes again Daniel growled through clenched teeth. When she felt the bleeding should be under control Janet sat back and slowly pulled off the silk to keep it from sticking. Blood still seeped from the wounds, but at a much slower rate.

Janet glanced over at the small table and noticed that dinner had already been laid out for them. Getting up she retrieved a small jar and went back to Daniel's side. He jerked as she slowly poured the contents of the jar onto the cuts.

"What is that?"

"Honey."

"Of course." Daniel smiled.

"I thought you'd like that. Ancient Egyptian remedy for preventing infection."

"I hear it really works."

"We'll see."

Daniel started to relax as the honey helped seal the exposed nerve endings from the harsh air. Janet rubbed his lower back gently to help ease the discomfort further. She had been so focused on helping him that she hadn't noticed that they weren't alone. It wasn't until Ezra stepped forward from her place by the tent's opening that Janet caught sight of her.

"Janet? What's wrong?"

"Ezra is here."

'Ezra.' Daniel called.

'I am here.'

'Thank you for helping me.'

'I have never known a man to take a woman's punishment. I want to know why.'

'I didn't want to see her in pain.'

'So it was not simply to preserve her flawless skin?'

'No. I love her.'

Ezra thought about this for a moment before stepping closer. She looked over the treatment that Janet had provided with a look of concentration on her face. Janet watched her every move distrustfully.

'Who is truly the doctor here?' Ezra asked suddenly.

'She is.' Daniel answered instantly.

'Jhan will have her killed if he discovers this.'

'Please, Ezra, help her escape. It won't be long before Jhan figures it out.'

'He already suspects.'

'Help her.'

'I will help you both.'