Chapter Twenty-two Summary: Selmak and Jacob return from Malek's base with Arwanna and Gava, healers who have both held tightly to secrets in the past, and so, they know that they are completely trustworthy. They are quickly processed through the SGC and soon arrive at Daniel and Sam's. They are told that their patient is Lantash and Daniel, and they are shocked, glad to find that Lantash is alive, but still shocked.
Rating this Chapter – PG-13
Cor's Trel'li-Mae'tek - Heart's Tear-Mate, the One who shared your deepest grief and suffered it with you. A strongly bonded mate, brought together by shared grief. Rarely a lover, however a very deep friendship is shared from that time onward.
Questelle – A substance that promotes blood clotting, used by the healers when one of them are bleeding too rapidly for the Symbiote to be able to overcome it without help.
Kelshaqua – A substance that is very similar to our spice, Ginger. It causes thinning of the blood in Tok'Ra and Goa'uld symbiotes.
"Italics" – Symbiote-Host Communication
Always Be Ours
Chapter Twenty-two
Setting the Stage
The three Tok'Ra stepped out onto the metal ramp at the SGC. George Hammond was waiting, looking solemn, but not grim. That, at least, was encouraging, and Jacob greeted him, "George, good to see you, again. After all, it's been awhile."
The two women watched closely, but could see no indication that there was an emergency of any kind. Well, perhaps the General would not show it, even if there was, so they could not really rely on that as an indication as to the seriousness of the situation. Still, they would soon know what they were facing, as well as the real reason they were there. They were both very much aware of the fact that at least part, if not all, of what Selmak and Jacob relayed to them, while on their base, was false. It was given out to cover the true, and probably much more sensitive, information about what was occurring, which they assumed would be given to them before too much more time had elapsed.
The General shook his head, saying simply, "Jacob." He then turned to the two women, and with his gentlemanly southern Texas charm, greeted them, saying, "You must be Arwanna and Gava. I'm General Hammond, and it is a pleasure to welcome you to Earth, although I wish it could have been under happier circumstances. If you two ladies would please come with me, we'll get you processed and out of here, as quickly as possible. Jake, Dr. Fraiser got them enough clothing for three or four days, since we weren't sure how long they would be here. She remembered both of them and agreed that they would be near enough to Sam's size that she could shop for them. Anything they either don't like, or it doesn't fit can be returned. We need to get the IDs ready, and they are waiting on them to do that, as soon as they are in a BDU shirt. Janet is waiting to help them, and she should be here shortly. I'm sure that she, along with the remainder of the base, is aware that there has been an arrival, but she will know who it is and come on up here."
"Thanks, George, you're a lifesaver. Have you heard anything from, um, the house?"
"I called about thirty minutes ago. Anise feels that it is slightly worse. She held off, on the second injection, but when they realized it was worsening, they gave them the other one right away. I haven't talked to them since then, and they said that they would call if there was any news that we needed. She did say that she might try another injection, if nothing has happened within a half hour, so she could be injecting him again anytime, if it hasn't slowed down at all. The good news is that she hasn't called me back, which she promised to do if matters continued to worsen, so that I could apprise you of the situation as soon as you arrived here. So, I'm assuming that no call means things are at least stable for the time being."
They had been walking toward the General's office, and Sergeant Davis met them outside of it, and handed him a message. "I took it myself, Sir. No one else has seen it. They may not even realize I wrote it out because I waited to write it, until I was in here."
General Hammond smiled at him. "Good. Thank you, Sergeant Davis."
"You're welcome, Sir. I left the forms on your desk, and I know that no one has been around. I stayed the entire time you were in the Gateroom."
"Thank you once again, Sergeant. Your discretion is very much appreciated."
"You're welcome. No thanks are needed. General, I know, well, I know that something needs hidden. I don't know what, and I don't want to know what, but I think it involves Dr. Jackson and Major Carter. There aren't two nicer people on this base. There are a lot of us that would go a long way for either one of them, so as I said; there are no thanks needed. I want to help. Feel free to call on me again, if you need to."
This time the General didn't say thank you yet again. This time he clasped his shoulder firmly, and then patted it sending his sincere thank you in that manner, before nodding his acceptance of the Sergeant's words.
Sergeant Davis closed the door firmly behind him, and once more took up his self-assigned post in the hallway far enough away that he would hear nothing…and no one would be able to get by him and try to listen.
After reading the note, the General turned to the others and with a slight smile told them, "Anise just called to tell me that they were again stable, and that the bleeding had slowed down some." He saw some of the relief and tension ease out of Jacob's shoulders.
"That's some good news, then, George. Not great, but not bad, either. They don't appear to be in any worse condition than they were when I left."
General Hammond nodded his agreement, as he told them, "I have everything ready to be signed." He picked up some papers, from the top of his desk, and handed them to Arwanna and Gava. "It's up to you, if you want them to read them, or you just tell them what they are, Jake. I know that time may very well be of the essence. Dr. Fraiser should be here anytime. As soon as they sign the non-disclosure forms, she'll take them to get their ID's, and then help them with anything they might have questions about clothes-wise. Once that is done, you are free to head out."
Selmak came fore, and looking at Arwanna and Gava, he gave them a slight smile as he assured them, "We have all signed the same forms. They are non-disclosure forms. What they basically say is that you will not tell or mention anything you might observe or hear while here, and you will not mention Stargate Command, or the Chaappa'ai to anyone other than those of us who know of it and are aware of this command. You may read them, if you so wish, but I assure you that is what they are as well as what they say."
Arwanna looked around and General Hammond, realizing what she was looking for, produced a pen for her to sign the forms with, just as he did for Gava. After doing so, Arwanna and Gava both looked at Selmak, and Gava quietly questioned him, "Everything you told us on the base was a lie, was it not?"
Selmak looked at them solemnly and levelly, before nodding his head once. "What I told you about the forms is totally accurate. Do not mention anything that you are told, please." He sighed. "I am sorry, however, nothing that is happening here can ever, and I mean 'never', go any farther. It is absolutely classified at the highest level, and that is very high here on the Tau'ri world, just as it is in our world. It is the equivalent of Per'sus and I knowing something. Period. Furthermore, although George's office is very probably completely safe, we prefer not to discuss the details of what is occurring, even here. I will explain what is happening as soon as we have total privacy, or we reach our destination. You could very well end up having questions that I will be unable to answer, so we will see. For now, though, we must finish up here at the SGC and make our way to the house."
Both Arwanna and Gava's eyes widened, when he spoke of the extreme secrecy of whatever was occurring. If it was something equivalent to the seriousness of something that would be known to only two of the top leaders then it was a very highly and firmly held secret. They looked at one another, and a silent promise to go to the grave before anything ever passed from them about what they saw and heard, while they were here, passed between them. Both turned to Selmak, and bowing slightly, Arwanna spoke first, telling him. "You have my silence, Selmak; I vow it on Egeria's name. It will never pass from me for any reason other than being told by you or Per'sus to tell it."
"I wish to voice the same thing, Selmak. I vow on Egeria's name, as well. Whatever is happening here will never go farther than my lips, this I promise you."
"Thank you. Your vows were not necessary, for I have known you for centuries, and it was decided to bring the two of you in because you are known for your abilities to keep secrets to yourselves. However, even though they may not have been necessary, they are very much appreciated, I promise you. And you will receive a full disclosure of the facts, as soon as we arrive at Dr. Jackson's home."
They both appeared surprised, but said nothing. 'Home' had been mentioned, of course, but it had not registered in their minds what that meant. It was only now that they realized they were actually going to someone's 'home'. A knock on the door showed Sergeant Davis. "Come in, Sergeant; what is it?"
"Dr. Fraiser said that she was supposed to come and bring several, er cases of things with her? Did you want her to come in now?"
"Yes, Sergeant, the Dr. has full knowledge of the circumstances that are occurring, and is allowed in at any time. I should have told you that, so you would know that you didn't need to stop her. I suppose I should tell you, although I am sure you know two of them, that Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c, and Major Davis are also part of, ah, this situation." He paused for moment, before adding, "I do appreciate you taking a post in the hallway, too."
As the Sergeant looked at the floor and colored, his face flaming, he murmured, "I know you didn't say to, but … as I said, I'll do whatever I have to do to keep whatever is going on silent and undiscovered by anyone. It is evidently extremely sensitive information, and I won't knowingly allow someone who shouldn't know to get by me."
"It is very sensitive and even life-threatening to some of those involved should it be discovered, so yes, it is very important that it remain unknown. Someday, Sergeant, perhaps we'll be able to tell you what you may have saved by your actions. Yes, I'm aware that you turned back four different people earlier, two of which are pretty much known moles from the N.I.D. As I said, I appreciate it, and it will be rewarded, I can assure you of that."
"I don't want any reward for doing it, Sir. I just want to help the Major and Dr. Jackson. I'll go help Dr. Fraiser now, Sir."
George Hammond sighed, as the Sergeant left to do what he indicated he would do. "When that little man was assigned here, we were truly blessed by someone. He has proven himself over and above on more than one occasion. I think it's time to put in for a promotion for him…overdue actually…as long as they don't try to promote him away from us."
"I understand, George. Kind of like these two ladies. It's very nice knowing you have people you can truly count on in any situation."
The Sergeant came in carrying a couple of suitcases, and Janet Fraiser followed with incidentals, purses, and a change of clothes for each, along with two BDU shirts. Looking over at them, she smiled, saying, "If you would both slip one of these on over your present clothing, we can go get the ID's sorted out, and then, we'll go and get you changed. The ID's will be ready and waiting, after you've changed, and you can be on your way."
As the two Tok'Ra donned the shirts, Janet turned to the General saying, "Sir, I wasn't going to go by today, but I made arrangements for Cassie, and I'm planning to at least stop by and check things out from our end. If you would authorize it, there are a couple of pieces of equipment that I'd like to take with me. We have doubles of them all, so I wouldn't be leaving the med bay without them."
General Hammond nodded. "Go ahead and take what you feel you may need, Dr. Fraiser. I'm sure that, if the President were here, he'd tell you the same. You know how he feels about Dr. Jackson, Major Carter, and la…er, lavishing whatever they need on them."
"Good save, George," Jacob drawled. "I wish I could think on my feet that way."
Realizing he had no idea how the Major was, he asked him, "Jake, how is Sam doing? Is she aware of what's happening or is she…?" He let his question die out, realizing that perhaps he shouldn't be saying anything in front of these two women just yet.
Both of the women looked over at Jacob wondering what he would say. Nothing had been said about Major Carter needing any type of medical aid.
Before Jacob could answer, Dr. Fraiser smiled at the two healers, as she stepped toward the door, and asked them, "Would you mind coming with me, now?" Janet caught Arwanna and Gava's attention and opening the door, motioned them through.
"Of course, Dr. Fraiser," Arwanna answered softly, as she immediately stepped into the hall, Gava following her.
Behind the closed door Jacob told the General, "She's doing better than expected, actually, considering what's going on. She overheard us talking, so she knows what the problem is, and how bad it could get. I'm worried as hell that it's happening, George. It just isn't right in any way; none of us have ever heard of this happening before. He had enough tissue, to leave her safely. It should have been fine. It didn't dissolve right, and now, we can't get him to stop bleeding. I don't mind telling you; I'm scared as hell for them all. Selmak pretty much shares my fears." He sighed. "But that's not what you asked me. I just needed to vent a little, I guess."
"Not a problem, Jake"
"Thanks, George." He looked back at his friend, from where he'd been staring broodingly at the wall, telling him, "As far as Sam goes, like I said, for now anyway, she's taking it very well. I'm not sure her emotions are fully engaged, though. It's almost like she's on auto pilot. I'm afraid of what will happen when the numbness wears off. Thank the Gods; Malek will be there for her. He'll see to it that she's taken care of to the best of his ability." He smiled a little ruefully, adding, "Especially, since he now feels guilt for not returning to her and keeping her upstairs, where she wouldn't have known how worrying this is. In one way, though, I think it's best that she knows. If something goes really, really wrong, then she'll at least be a little bit prepared, instead of thinking that everything was going according to schedule, and then suddenly finding out that it's not."
He paused and then giving his shoulders a shake, he told him, "It was her idea to use this emergency to set the stage and put the entire cover story scenario into motion. I hate that it's happening, but she's right. The rumors have to start somewhere, and this should embed them. There will be no disbelief that Daniel had a Goa'uld die in him, or that he was very ill due to the toxin, even with the antidote they managed to make. So that will be taken care of and hopefully, will be spread from one end of the tunnels to the other and from there to the other bases. The Tok'Ra grape vines are usually very efficient, so I'm fairly sure that within the next two or three days there won't be anyone that isn't aware that Dr. Jackson and Malek were on a very top secret mission gone wrong. Dr. Jackson was taken by a Goa'uld, and Malek was taken prisoner by him. By the time we got to both of them, Malek was in very bad shape, and Daniel was Goa'uld. There should be no problems as far as belief in the story goes."
"Although, George, I think this may have given us a starting point in our investigation on the original incident. As I said, I made sure I gave the 'pertinent information' loudly enough that it could be overheard, and I am quite sure that it was. Thoran just happened to come into the medical bay, with some trumped-up 'job' that he needed done right now, today, and guess who "had" to do it? Arwanna and Gava. Considering that I was telling them that Malek, a well-respected and well-liked base commander, needed them, and was possibly even dying, as we stood there, I thought it was a little callous and downright suspicious. He wanted them to count supplies, as the commander of the base might be bleeding to death."
"I really think it might put him under even more intense scrutiny when it reaches the correct ears, which it most certainly will. Not in an official way, because we don't want our suspicions known, but it will get there. He's already under surveillance, and I'm very sure that it will be increased after this. He's finally overreaching himself, George, and getting overconfident. Thank the Goddess. We've been very careful not to alert him to the fact that we suspect him of anything. Maybe we can finally catch the S.O.B., because I'm pretty damned sure that he's involved on some level."
The General nodded, as he agreed, "I hope you can catch him, Jacob. Certainly, trying to obstruct his healers from going to help their base commander, or any other Tok'Ra for that matter, when he could very well be dying, does look pretty damning. And doing it in front of you was just downright stupid. Why would he do that? In fact, if you think about it, it really doesn't make any sense if he is actually involved in the incident."
"The only thing we can think of that makes any sense is that he was hoping to push us into becoming angry and either starting a fight or, being mad enough we would say something that would give him a clue as to what is going on with the Tau'ri. He is very anti-alliance with Earth and was very vocal about it prior to the treaty being signed. Now, he isn't saying anything, but I still think he's trying to cause trouble. There have been a few rumors started about the Tau'ri that are blatantly untrue, and he is the only person I know of that might start something like that. The man's a snake, and I don't trust him any farther than I can see him. Period."
General Hammond nodded his agreement, before adding, "It won't surprise me, when you catch whoever is responsible, to find out that he has at least a finger in the pie, if not his whole hand."
"Me, either, George. Delek, too, but," he paused, a frown on his face, before continuing, "Delek was never like he is now. He's changed within the last few months and not for the better. It makes me wonder if he's not under an influence of some kind. I just hope we can find out…soon, before anyone else dies needlessly—the way Martouf did."
Both men looked up, as a knock on the door alerted them that someone was there. Since the Sergeant didn't notify them first, they both guessed that it was the women. They were correct. As they entered, Jacob smiled. "Yup, you look like any other resident of planet Earth, in the United States of America." Turning to Janet, he asked her, "Is there anything left that we need to do before we leave, Janet, or is everything all wrapped up?"
She nodded, telling him, "Yes, everything is taken care of, but I misjudged Gava sizes. That's what took us so long. Her pants and shirts were fine, but some, um, other things didn't fit. It didn't take long to exchange them, though, and they're ready to go. I had the Sergeant take all of your equipment to your car, Jacob, and he's waiting there, until you arrive. I'll take his place in the hallway if you want me to, General Hammond."
"That won't be necessary, now that no one will be in here, Dr. Fraiser. Thank you for all of your help. It's very much appreciated by everyone."
"You're very welcome, Sir." Turning to Jacob, she told him, "If anything happens and things get worse, you call me, understand? There's nothing here that I can't leave. While I need to get it done, it's not an emergency, and it will wait, if it's necessary. We may need some input from the Tau'ri side of the medical spectrum. Oh, and I had my things put into your car, as well. That way I can just up and leave, as soon as I finish here, and it will already be there. I hope you don't mind."
Jacob shook his head. "Not at all, Janet. That's quite all right, and we'll see you a little later in the day."
"Yes, I'll be there. As I said, I cancelled my plans, once I heard what was going on. Cassie understood. I'll see you later."
Nodding to all of them, she left, and Jacob turned to the two women who appeared somewhat out of their depth. Noticing that they both had small purses, so they would blend in more, and their Tok'Ra belt packs he nodded his approval. Looking at the General, he told him, "I'll let you know, if there is any change for the good or the bad, George. And, thanks again."
"No problem, Jacob. I may stop by later myself, if you think it wouldn't upset anyone."
Jacob shook his head. "No problem. Sam might realize that you're there, but chances are that the other two won't. We'll see you later, George."
The General nodded to them, as they left. He certainly hoped that these two healers could do something for Lantash and Daniel. If not, Major Carter would be devastated, that he knew to be a fact. Sighing, he returned to his desk and gathered the signed forms, putting them under lock and key with all of the others.
Sergeant Davis nodded to them as they approached the car, and once they were fairly close, he started back to the SGC pulling what looked like a large luggage caddy behind him. Jacob's thanks were answered by a wave of his hand and a slight smile.
Jacob was amused, as he realized how the little sergeant had managed all of the equipment and luggage by himself in only one trip.
Arwanna's voice interrupted his musings, as she asked him, "What is this Jacob?"
As worried as he was, Jacob couldn't help grinning. Unlocking it, he opened the doors and invited them to sit down. Leaning in, he showed them how to secure the seatbelt, closed their doors, and rounded the car to the other side. He got in and fastened his own seatbelt, before he answered her, saying, "This is Tau'ri ground transportation. This is actually an SUV, although I keep calling it a car. SUVs are nice in case you have a lot of stuff to transport…like we do right now."
From the back, Gava leaned forward, as far as her seatbelt would allow, asking, "And why are we belted in, if it is ground transport, Jacob? I assume when you say that, it means it remains on the ground?"
"Yes, it does. However, accidents happen all the time. There are a lot of these on the roads. They have found that the chances of someone surviving a crash are better, if they are wearing a seatbelt. So they made it a law."
"I see. Interesting." Both women began to look around, as they realized that they were actually on the first world. It was nothing like Egeria's memories.
As if reading their minds, Selmak came fore, quite comfortable with driving by now, and told them, "Egeria was in Egypt. It does look like our memories. This country is thousands of miles away from there, and it is totally different in every way. From the countryside itself to the people, they are nothing alike."
"What most of the Tok'Ra have failed to understand is that there are literally billions of people on this planet. It is unlike any world on which we have ever been. While I have tried to convey the immense amount of people on this world, there is simply no way to comprehend it without seeing it. I believe that Malek, Anise, Per'sus, and Garshaw will now have a different view of it, and the people. There are those from the fairly technologically advanced, to some that are still very primitive in certain areas of this world."
As he drove through the town and the traffic became ever heavier, both women began to look a little tense. Finally, Arwanna, commented, "There are certainly a great many of these—SUVs, as well as, other types of transportation vehicles—on these roads."
Selmak nodded in response, before telling her, "It is because we are going through the main part of town where many of the shops are. Many Americans know how to drive and most that do own a vehicle of some sort…at least, many do here in the United States. I cannot speak of other countries, as I do not know; however, I believe that many places have different types of transportation; trains, buses, that type of thing. The United States is spread out and it is often many miles between places. Driving, for many, is a necessity, if they wish to go anywhere at all. I believe that Canada, which is north of here, is very similar in many ways, for their country is also large and spread out. Once we leaver the business section of town and enter a more residential area, there will be many less vehicles on the streets." A short time later, he told her, "As you can see, we have left much of the main part of town behind now and already the traffic, ah, the amount of vehicles on the road, has thinned out some."
Gava answered, telling him, "Yes, so it appears." She paused, before asking quietly, "Selmak, I am not faulting you, for I know that you had no choice, if secrecy is to be maintained. Still, I would like to know how much truth there is in what you related to us. I would also like to know how much was fabricated to protect those involved in whatever is occurring, as well as, for Thoran's edification. And where, exactly, are we going?"
Selmak grimaced. "We are going to Dr. Jackson and Major Carter's home."
"And the truth of what you told us?"
"Almost none of it is true, except that there is bleeding which we cannot stop. However, it is not Malek who is bleeding; Malek is fine. He is with Samantha Carter acting as her Cor's Trel'li-Mae'tek. Dr. Jackson was not taken by a Goa'uld. We are all there. Per'sus, Garshaw, Anise, and Malek, as well as, myself. We had hoped to keep the knowledge among ourselves and those of the Tau'ri who are aware of the true circumstances." He turned into a driveway and parked near the door. "We have arrived. I will continue with the story of what is happening, when we get inside. It will be brief, for if we cannot get the bleeding stopped, he and Daniel will die. Now, come. We must take our things inside, so that you can see what you can do. I just hope that we do not have to add anyone else to the growing list of those who know."
That said, and forgetting that they would not know how to undo theirs, he flipped open his seatbelt, opened his door, and stepped out onto the asphalt drive. Arwanna and Gava struggled for only a moment before figuring out how to remove the belt and open the doors. Joining Selmak, at the back of the SUV, they helped him to unload their equipment, along with that which might be needed by Janet Fraiser. Neither noticed Anise approaching them, until she reached in and gathered some of the things into her arms. With the extra help, it would take only one trip.
Anise looked to Selmak, asking, "Have you told them? If not, you must do so quickly. His bleeding is continuing, and I have given him two more injections of Questelle. It should have slowed it down. When I did not give him another earlier, it began flowing faster; however, after the next injection it resumed more of a seeping nature. The healing devices are very, very slowly beginning to help where he had to tear lose from Samantha, so at least, we are finally gaining a small amount of control over that. However, from what we can tell, it is as if there was actually an overgrowth of tissue, and it was not the type that would normally be seen there. I believe that is why it dissolved in some places and not in others. We must hope that Arwanna and Gava will be able to tell us more."
"Lantash, it seems to me that the pain has lessened some. I hope that is not simply wishful thinking?" Daniel realized that Lantash was resting, for the moment, and yet nothing was changing. This, at least to him, seemed to be a positive occurrence.
Reading Daniel's thoughts, Lantash answered both the question he sent to him and his thoughts, saying, "Yes, I believe that it is. The healing devices are very slowly beginning to heal some of the raw areas, which is also stopping the bleeding in those places. The tissue that should have dissolved, at once, and instead ripped away, is slowly disappearing, as it should have already done, when I left Samantha. I have no idea why it has taken so long to do so, but the fact that it has finally done so is, I believe, what is allowing the healing devices to help, at least a small amount. And yes, it is a positive happening. I no longer feel that we are in actual danger; however, I do not wish to complete the blending, until I am sure that we will be all right. Jacob and Selmak left to get Arwanna and Gava. Once they have arrived and have a chance to check us over, we will know what has gone wrong, so I do not think that it will be much longer, now."
Daniel nodded, telling him, "I'm very glad to hear that, and to be feeling better. Is Sam still here, Lantash? She was lying down near us, wasn't she? I know you didn't mention it, but I thought I heard her earlier. She shouldn't have been here."
"Yes, she was here. Evidently, whatever caused our problems also kept my sleep inducing chemicals from working on her, in the manner in which they should have. I believe that since then, they have taken affect. She did fall asleep on the end of the bed, and it is my belief that, once she was very sound asleep, Malek took her back upstairs to bed. She is fine for the moment; we need not worry about her."
"Good. When I realized she knew what was going on, it worried me, but I didn't want to distract you from what you were attempting to do. Of course, the reality is that it was probably better for her to be aware of the problem. Had we—died—and she thought everything was going fine, it would have been worse for her." He paused for a moment, and then added, "Do you have any idea of what has caused this to happen to us? I mean, it's not normal, so something must have happened."
"It is my belief that I have found something that may be the culprit for the thinning of my blood. I appear to have large quantities of something that resembles Kelshaqua in it, and I am not sure why. If so, then there may very well be a problem, for quite some time to come, for it causes a symbiote's blood to thin drastically; however, it is not something that cannot be overcome with outside help. It will simply be a matter of continuing to administer an anti-coagulant to me. What I cannot determine is where it has come from. I would not have found it during routine checks of our systems, so that is why I was unaware of it. I suppose that I should have done a more in depth checkup before we attempted this."
"You had no reason to believe that anything was wrong, Lantash. As far as we knew, nothing had changed for either of you. Neither of you appeared to be having any problems, so there was no known reason to suspect anything being 'off'."
"True, but obviously, unbeknownst to me, something did change. I am still unsure where this has come from, but my best guess would be that something in Samantha's medication is similar to Kelshaqua. It is the only reason I can see that it would be so concentrated in my blood. Since it caused no problem, as long as I was not bleeding, I would not have noticed it without, as I said, an in depth, complete analysis of my body and chemicals. There is no doubt that it is my fault. I am just glad that it is not an oversight that cannot be remedied."
"Don't be so hard on yourself, Lantash. All of us were upset; we've all been under a lot of pressure and tension. You and Sam especially. We'll be all right, so just rest for now, and let others care for us and get this under control. You're going to need your strength during our blending. Or, if you just can't sleep or stay completely quiet and rest, then monitor what is going on around us. I think that there are some new people here."
"Yes, I believe that Arwanna and Gava must have just arrived as there has been an increase in the feeling of naquadah in the house. That is a relief, and I believe that we will both be better able to rest now. I will help you to sleep."
Daniel smiled slightly to himself, before assuring him, "That would be fine, Lantash, but I wish to be awake when we begin to blend."
"Of course, Daniel. I would not begin without you with me."
"Okay, then, let's do the nap thing."
Lantash gave him a small chuckle and proceeded to help Daniel to a restful sleep. He, however, as Daniel had suggested, was monitoring outside events, for the moment. He would rest soon, though, for Daniel was correct. He would need all of his strength to accomplish their blending.
The front door of the house opened, as the four of them approached it, and they were invited inside. Willing hands came out to take their equipment, and then, take some of it into the den. As they stepped into the house, Arwanna turned to Selmak, saying, "You keep saying him, Selmak, along with Dr. Jackson. Who is "him"?"
"Come into the next room where they are. The truth is that Dr. Jackson has blended with a Tok'Ra symbiote. They just made the exchange about two hours ago and, as you know, something went wrong."
Gava was frowning. "Selmak, there are no symbiotes in need of a host at the moment. How can Dr. Jackson have blended with one?"
"He has blended…with Lantash, Gava. It is Lantash who is slowly bleeding to death."
TBC