Chapter Twenty-three Summary: After recovering from their shock, they both agree that this must be kept secret forever if necessary. They agree to play their parts in the story of the antidote and suggest that it makes more sense, because she is their best researcher into that type of thing, to have Calise working on the antidote and that, in fact, not having her there, with her reputation, would cause speculation. It is agreed, and so, yet one more person is added to those who must protect the innocent…the children. They talk to Lantash and he points them toward what he believes is causing him to bleed.

Rating this Chapter – PG-13

Mer Cariad Kea – My Dear One

Mer Cor – My Heart

Mer Cariad – My Dear

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.

Quinstor – A stronger substance that promotes blood clotting, and is used to attempt to slow excessive bleeding, as it generally works more quickly than Questelle.

"Italics" – Symbiote-Host Communication

Always Be Ours

Chapter Twenty-three

A Sorrow and a Joy

At their shocked gasps, Selmak grimaced to himself and Jacob, telling him, "I really do hate having to give this information out. Everyone is so shocked and upset that we have not told them. While it is true that when they realize what is at stake, they understand our situation, I still dislike this part."

"Yeah, Sel. For once, I'm glad that it's you and not me. They're looking at you strangely. Maybe you better finish what you started, before they start asking questions instead of waiting for you to tell them what happened."

"Yes, I believe that you are correct, Jacob." Sounding tired, Selmak sighed and agreed with him. "Thank you."

"Gava, this is shocking, but wonderful, news. So many people loved Martouf and Lantash and will be so very happy to know they are alive."

"Treea, he did not mention Martouf, only Lantash. I have a feeling that Lantash was the only one that survived. Still, even if that is true, it is wonderful news, as you say."

Treea caressed her Lifemate, before bringing up news that was almost as bad, as Martouf's dying, "Of course, since Selmak would not keep Lantash's survival suppressed, without a very good reason, we are left with the supposition that something is very wrong within the Tok'Ra or on one of the bases."

Gava froze as she listened to Treea's words. Her Lifemate was very correct. There was no way that Selmak would keep this information from the others. So maybe they should find out what was occurring. "Thank you for your insight, Treea. It is always relevant and needed." She turned her attention outward once more.

"Do not allow your anger to raise, Arwanna," Crystell admonished her Lifemate. Then, to take her mind away from the fact that they kept the information of Lantash's survival a secret, she attempted, and succeeded, in turning her focus to the 'why' they kept it secret. Therefore, she added, "Of course, they would not have kept it a secret without very good reason. There is more information to come; I am quite sure, Mer Cariad." She hesitated slightly before pointing out, "In all probability, it is not good news."

Sighing to herself, Arwanna nodded to Crystell, acknowledging her statements, but wishing it was not so. Perhaps it was not as terrible as it seemed. No, there was no point in blinding herself to the truth. Something was very much not right. "You are, of course, quite correct, Crystell. I will await further information"

"Good, now give Selmak your attention."

She sent her host a wry smile, murmuring to her, in an obviously tender and teasing manner, "Yes, mother." Then she, too, turned her attention outward.

As Selmak finished his short conversation with Jacob and turned his attention outward, he waited until they finished their discussions with their hosts and returned their attention to him and Jacob. Once he was sure that he had their attention, he began to explain, before they could begin to ask questions, "Lantash did not die that day. Only Martouf did. Martouf was injured much too severely to survive, and as Martouf…died, he…urged Lantash to do as Samantha asked him too and go to her, so that…" He stopped speaking for a moment, and then, once again shoving his emotions down and burying them, at least temporarily, he continued, "So, Samantha took Lantash, but no one knows that, except for the Tau'ri involved, and those Tok'Ra who are here at this time. So, besides us, the people who it is safe to discuss this with are Jack O'Neill, Teal'c, General Hammond, Dr. Janet Fraiser, and Major Paul Davis." He paused and then added, "Their President knows, as well, but chances are that you will never meet him."

Still hoping she was wrong, despite her discussion with Crystell, she asked him, "But why have you not told anyone, Selmak? Many people are mourning their passing, and they would be delighted to know that Lantash survived."

"We know that they would be, however, there are circumstances that make it imperative that no one become aware that he is alive." This was the part he really hated. It was such a shock, since Tok'Ra were generally loyal for life. Knowing how much dismay and distress it would cause them, he spoke a little more softly, informing them, "Arwanna, Gava, there is no easy way to tell you this. Martouf and Lantash never left the base, after the summit was announced, except for the weekend they spent here with Samantha, and she was with them all the time. Actually, we checked her for that anyway, since Samantha would have had to have false memories, as well, or she would remember it happening. So, we know it was not done on Earth. They had to have been made into Za'tarcs on the base. Whoever did it, if they should discover that he is alive, would not allow him to live for long. If he ever remembers the name of who did it, they would be well and truly caught. Yes, I can tell by the looks on your faces that you can understand the ramifications…as well as, the fact that there is a traitor on one of the bases."

After she absorbed the horror and entirety of the event and its immediate causatum, she turned her mind to its ramifications and any other possible eventualities. Gava nodded agreement with what he said. "All right, yes, that makes sense; however, you mentioned that he left Samantha Carter. Why has he left her? That is what you said, is it not?" Gava sounded bewildered, as well as shocked, but then her eyes widened. "Lantash and Martouf loved her, and Lantash wishes to be with her as her mate, not her symbiote. Dr. Jackson must approve, or he would not have taken him." Quickly doing the math on how long Lantash would have been within Samantha, she gasped again. "It is too soon for him to blend again, Selmak. He, too, had to have been injured. We saw Martouf's injuries. Lantash could not have been other than fairly badly injured."

Selmak sighed, and there was a world of worry, grief, and pain in his voice when he answered, "He had to leave her, Gava, because Samantha is pregnant with his and Martouf's, as well as, Dr. Jackson's children. In order to protect the children, he has moved to Dr. Jackson, and no one, absolutely no one," he stressed firmly, "must ever know that one of these children is his or that he was ever within Samantha. If that information ever finds its way to the Goa'uld System Lords, or the N.I.D. of the Tau'ri, that child would be as good as dead, or would wish that he was."

He watched them, for a moment, as understanding and horror bloomed across their faces. He allowed that information to be absorbed, before he continued his explanation, "It must be believed by everyone that Lantash has been in a tank at a secret Tau'ri facility, because he was not healing well. Something in the za'tarc programming caused his systems to work slowly and at less than their optimum abilities. For a very long time, it was thought that he would not survive. That, of course, will not come out, until Daniel and he "blend" in about a year and a half."

"As you can see, there is a great deal going on, but we can fill you in, as you work on him and Daniel. Otherwise, it will not matter, because neither of them will be here, and what would happen to Samantha in those circumstances, none of us can know for sure. However, our speculations, on which we all agree, lead us to believe that she would not be able to cope with their loss, so closely upon Martouf's death."

Arwanna and Gava nodded and picked up most of the remaining pieces of their equipment, indicating that Selmak should take the one larger piece that remained. They waited, until he picked it up, and then followed him into a room. Daniel Jackson was lying on the bed. Per'sus was on one side of him and Garshaw on the other. Neither Samantha Carter nor Malek were in the room. Everyone in the room appeared anxious, strained, and grim. Both of the healers looked concerned…and determined. There was a great deal at stake here. They could not fail in this endeavor. Arwanna smiled wryly, at her thoughts, to herself and her host, who told her, "Well, Mer Cor, as the Tau'ri would say…no pressure."

She felt some of the tension leave her, at her host's words. She could always depend upon Crystell to lighten her mood and force her to see things in a more positive light. And she was correct. Both she and Gava 'were' excellent healers. They would prevail in this. There was no other outcome that was acceptable. "As always, Mer Cariad Kea, thank you for putting some perspective on the situation."

"You are most welcome, Arwanna. Now, though, we need to take a look and see what is happening."

"Yes, we do; therefore we will do so now."

As they set everything down, Gava commented, "This then is the reason that Daniel Jackson has been taken by a Goa'uld that will die within him. He must have a reason why he suddenly feels as if he has a symbiote within him."

"Yes, exactly," Garshaw confirmed from the other side of the room. "You will stay for a few days to lend credence to the belief that Dr. Jackson almost died because the Goa'uld actually died and released the toxin, before we could safely remove him. We are not sure what caused the Goa'uld to die, while still within Dr. Jackson, however, we suspect that he took one of the substances he was working on, and that it did not work, as he believed that it would. We believe that this might be what occurred since he was experimenting on Malek. At least he did not give that one to Malek. For whatever reason, he did die within him, thus, Dr. Jackson now carries the same markers that Samantha does."

"Malek will recover very quickly once you find and negate the substances causing his, internal, as well as his outer, bleeding. The two of you, Dr. Fraiser, and, Malek will manage to make an antidote, before we attempt the removal of the Goa'uld. From his ravings, we suspected that the Goa'uld, Imhepnah, would attempt to kill Dr. Jackson, when we began his removal. Although, the four of you did manage to come up with an antidote, and in the end, it did save him, it did not work well, and Dr. Jackson became quite ill and remained so for many days."

"Malek will remain behind, for a time, and along with Dr. Fraiser he will continue to work on improving it, in hopes of coming up with a better antidote. Anise may or may not remain behind for a short time. I believe that there is talk of Malek and Dr. Fraiser actually doing some work on coming up with an antidote, since he will need to stay here for a time in order to set up his 'reasons' for coming often to the Tau'ri world after this. He will be the liaison between Lantash and the Tok'Ra along with Jacob and Selmak, Anise, and on occasion Per'sus and I," Garshaw stated the present scenario, as well as some of the upcoming pieces of the story they were attempting, so very carefully, to weave.

Both Arwanna and Gava nodded, and Arwanna assured them, "I believe that, although I cannot speak for her, but she will correct me if I misstate, you have our full cooperation and silence on all of this. If there is a need for me to remain behind here and help with the antidote, which I would actually like to attempt to do, then I will be more than willing to do so. The more of us working on it, the more likely we will be to find one. Always before, we have worked on it singly for a short time and then been pulled away. I believe that with a concerted effort one can be found. It would certainly take much of the stress of symbiote removal away from both us and the host."

Gava spoke up immediately, stating, "I, too, am most willing to remain. Or, if you do not wish both of us gone for any length of time, we could alternate. I will come when Arwanna returns. Since only we know of this part of the story, which, of course, you have my complete silence on, if it is to be worked on at the SGC, there is no reason that Calise could not come if you wished. She is the best of us at doing research into these types of things. She would not have to be informed of anything else, and at that point, if you chose not to tell her; it truly is what she would be doing. It would make sense that she would come occasionally, since she is the most proficient at it."

Garshaw and Per'sus both eventually nodded their heads, and Per'sus answered her, "You are correct, and it might seem odd, if she was not involved. Most especially, since she worked on it before. Hopefully, no one will notice that she was not called in to work on it at the very beginning. Perhaps we should have chanced bringing her in." He sighed deeply. "This becomes more complicated by the moment."

"If you do send Selmak for her, it would reinforce Malek's critical condition, as well as, the story of working on the anti-dote. I probably do not need to remind you; however, if you will remember, Calise has held some of the most sensitive and secret information we have ever had, even more so than Arwanna and I, although, we, too, have been privy to much. She has never, even to us, breathed a word about any of it."

Selmak groaned. "I should have simply brought her this time. If we contact her and have her come now, she will be sure that Malek is dying, since we promised to let her know if he became worse and she was needed or because we felt that she should come if she wished to see him once more." He stared back at all of them, as they awaited his decision.

Per'sus pointed out, "It would lend a great deal of credence to the entire story. The number of people who know is already more than there should be. To look at it from a different perspective, each of us that know what is actually happening either have known from the beginning, or have been brought into it for a specific reason. Each of us has a role to play within the story we are building. Calise would lend a great deal of certitude, a rather large measure of belief, and assurance to what we say when the story is circulated. And the fact that it will be talked of so openly will also make it very plausible. No one would question the truth of our story if three of our best healers are spending time on the Tau'ri world working on an antidote for the toxin."

"After all, it is something we have attempted, but never had the time to finish. We do need it, for when we remove Goa'uld from hosts, and the Tau'ri would be appalled that we did not already have one and insist that they will work on one." He smiled wryly, adding, "And, of course, the Tok'Ra cannot allow the Tau'ri to succeed where we have failed, therefore we will put our best to work on the problem." He looked at Selmak, before assuring him, even though he already knew it, "Calise is totally trustworthy and dependable. I would advise she be brought in at this level rather than simply working on the antidote. Her silence is assured."

Selmak sighed again. "All right. I'm just really tired of going back and forth, and Jacob feels that he should be near in case Samantha has need of him, unlikely as that may be."

Garshaw looked over at him and questioned, "Could you not have General Hammond contact the base and speak to Zarest? Have him send her, and when she arrives, could you not go and get her then?"

Arwanna looked up from where she, Anise, and Gava had begun to discuss Lantash, and suggested, "Since she is not actually needed at this time, there is no real hurry as there was with us. Could she not come with Dr. Fraiser? She did say that she was coming here. You might have to ask General Hammond to ask Dr. Fraiser to wait, if she planned to come earlier, but since I do not believe that we are in a crisis or emergency situation here, there is no need for her to feel pressured to come as quickly as she may feel that she needs to, either."

Selmak nodded, and actually gave a small smile, something that had been missing for a time. "Those are very good suggestions and will work admirably. I will call George right away. Calise will need to bring nothing, correct? Although I dislike the thought of yet one more person knowing, your arguments for adding her are sound. Should we need to substantiate the story at some point, it would be helpful, if we could point out that all three healers were called in, and it would be unlikely that we would have done so, if Malek were not in dire need of them. Dr. Jackson, too, was, no doubt, in need a healer to try to mitigate the poison and help the antidote along. All right, I should also be sure George tells Zarest to call in a healer from Garshaw and Per'sus's bases. That way there will be two on Malek's base, plus Daimesh. That should cover anything short of a catastrophe," as he finished speaking, he turned and left the room. Quite soon afterwards, they heard him talking to General Hammond.

Anise commented, from where she stood at one side of the bed and periodically monitored what was happening, "I believe this is the correct path to follow, as well. Every one of us is completely loyal. Most of us only go on missions occasionally, so the chance of being tortured for information is unlikely, and even so, no one should know to ask about this situation, anyway." As she finished speaking, she frowned down at the sensor she was holding.

"What is it, Anise? Have you found something?" Arwanna asked her at once. Although the two healers had talked to Anise, for a very short time, it was only long enough to get the essentials of what was happening. Since they were involved in the conversation that was taking place, they had not yet begun to examine Lantash and Dr. Jackson.

"Lantash appears to be resting, which is probably good, or he will not have the strength to do as deep a blending as they are planning. However, that is not what I was thinking about, as I was looking over the information. It appears that, although the rate of the seeping increased a short time ago, the injection I last gave to him has had some small impact upon it. The flow has slowed slightly, although it is not yet back to as slow as it was. It is once again staying constant, though."

"What I was thinking about is that, whatever is going on, Lantash's efforts were neither helping nor hindering his condition. There is no point in him attempting to help, when it makes no difference. It will only weaken him more than he already is. I believe I will be sure he knows this."

"Does anyone object to me telling him not to try to heal himself?" Everyone shook their heads that no, they had no objection. Having their agreement, she leaned down and spoke directly and lowly into Daniel's ear, "Lantash, can you hear me, and if so, can you reach us, for a moment?"

They all waited, hoping that he could do so. Daniel's eyes opened slowly and there was a minimal glow as Lantash spoke very softly, "I am here. Daniel is asleep."

Arwanna and Gava moved to Anise's side, so they would be sure to hear his responses, if he gave any. It was obvious from his voice that he, too, was very tired. Too tired.

"All right. Do not expend energy trying to answer me, simply listen." She did not wait to see if he agreed, but continued, telling him, "According to what we have seen, you are unable to affect what is happening. Please stop trying and, if possible, become dormant long enough to recoup your energy. You will need to be much stronger than you are now, in order to blend and bond as deeply as you and Daniel wish. Arwanna and Gava are here, and they will take care of the problem. They see nothing that they cannot take care of, so you can feel free to rest. Samantha is sleeping and Malek is with her, so she, too, is resting. Our stories have been set into motion and everything is going according to our plans, so there is no need to worry about that either. I believe that I have told you all that there is to know at this time," Anise concluded her very succinct detailing of what had happened, and what they expected to happen.

Still sounding both tired and weak, he murmured, "Tell them to look for a substance that is similar to Kelshaqua, and no, I do not know. I will leave you now." And it was obvious that he had returned to his quasi-coma.

As Lantash returned, Arwanna stated, "It is interesting that he is not affecting it, Anise. Then again, if his blood has been thinned by a substance similar to Kelshaqua, he would not be able to affect it, and neither should the healing devices. The only things that will help to control it are those that would thicken his blood. Are the healing devices helping at all?"

"No, not with the bleeding itself, but the raw areas, where he had to pull loose from Samantha, are beginning to heal albeit extremely slowly. He is now forming, again excessively slowly, new tissue and it is normal. The abnormal tissue that had formed appears to have mostly, although not completely, dissolved. So if nothing happens to speed up the bleeding more than it already has, and we can continue to heal the areas, which, of course, are what are bleeding, then eventually we will stop it. Unfortunately, at the rate it is happening now, he will remain too weak to complete the blending or to leave Daniel, and it is possible that he would not be able to recoup his strength. If he cannot, then he will die…and Daniel will die with him."

Arwanna and Gava simply nodded, as they listened to the report, and looked through the equipment they brought with them, choosing what they felt would be the most beneficial and give them the most data.

As they stepped to the bed, they began taking readings and gathering more information, Arwanna asked, "You did say that Samantha Carter is pregnant with Lantash and Martouf's, as well as Dr. Jackson's child, did you not? What has been done to cause this rather, ah, unusual combination?"

"Samantha, Martouf, and Lantash spent the weekend before the summit together. Lantash found the embryo, after he began to blend with Samantha. At that point he stopped the blending, fearing to take it any farther at that particular time. However, an even more important reason to stop was found when Daniel told Lantash that he was going to offer himself, if Samantha had not done so, and taken him, before he could reach him." Jacob answered her, as he had come fore to talk to General Hammond and had remained in control.

He sighed, as he recalled the events, something none of them really liked to do, as it was still so very painful to recall. Returning to his explanation, he continued, "What Lantash found, during what little blending he did, was an unacknowledged love of Daniel within Sam, along with her very real and deep love for himself and Martouf. When Daniel told him that he would have taken him, it opened another avenue to them. The two of them discussed the idea and decided that it was a step that they wished to take. He could, once it was a little safer, transfer to Daniel. Lantash explained this to Samantha, and she finally agreed to it. In the meantime, they all realized that not only could Lantash not come forward, but also that if it ever became known that the child she carried was Martouf and Lantash's, it would be hunted by both the System Lords, and the shadier elements on earth. It would be safe nowhere."

After a short pause and a drink of his water, which was nearby, he continued, explaining, "Lantash managed to do some rather intricate manipulation of hormones and circumstances. He arranged for another of Samantha's eggs to release at the correct time for it to become Daniel's…son. So, that is how there came to be two children, both boys, and they are now growing at an accelerated rate due to Lantash's manipulation once again. There will be nothing, by the time they are born, that would connect the time that Martouf and Lantash spent on Earth with either of these children. The only thing that could ever connect the two events are those who happen to know the truth of what has occurred. Hence our unwillingness to add more people to those who know the truth of what has occurred, unless, like you, Gava and Calise they are needed. When you add in the knowledge that someone on one of the bases is responsible for turning Martouf and Lantash into Za'tarcs, there is every reason to keep the truth to ourselves."

Gava nodded her agreement, and then asked, quietly, "How is Samantha coping with all of this, Jacob? How is her mental health? She has been through a great deal, and now, to be going through a more or less forced separation from Lantash has to be very hard on her. By now, her mental attachment to Lantash will be very strong and to lose him, even though she also gains him, will be extremely—difficult, to say the least. Losing Martouf as she did, and now this, is more than most could stand to go through in such a short span of time. Thank the Goddess; she still has both Lantash and Daniel. It is imperative that this problem be solved, not only for Daniel and Lantash, but for her, as well. To lose them could well be too much for her."

Feeling Jacob's emotions attempt to swamp him, Selmak came fore, to answer her, "Exactly. As for her mental health, I do not believe that any of us truly know. Lantash alone would know that. She seems to be doing well. She does love Daniel very deeply. It was simply a matter of Lantash pulling her buried feelings out, so that she would recognize and acknowledge them. She misses Martouf a great deal, that we all know. Sometimes it overwhelms her, or so Lantash and Daniel have both told us. It is getting easier, of course, but I do not believe that she will ever fully recover from losing him."

Arwanna agreed, telling them, "No, she will never recover from it completely, but eventually the pain will lessen. Their son will be both a sorrow and a joy to her for he will always remind her of him." It was obvious that a very upsetting thought crossed her mind, and then she asked, "What if he looks like Martouf? That is something that no one could explain away."

Selmak smiled sadly, saying, "Lantash assures us that he will not be a close enough match for it to be noticeable to any other than those who know. His eye color, eyelashes, and smile will be the same, as will the dimple in his chin..." He stopped talking and swallowed, as he absorbed his host's pain, as well as his own, before continuing, "Other than that, Daniel and Martouf's coloring is close enough that it should not be remarked upon, although I seem to remember Lantash saying that his hair will be wavier than Daniel's, as Martouf's was."

Seeing the pain in Selmak's eyes and remembering how close Martouf, Lantash, Jacob, and Selmak had been, Arwanna simply nodded her understanding, asking no more questions that could bring up painful memories. After all, they were dealing with enough emotional turmoil at the moment wondering if something was so terribly wrong that they were also about ready to lose Lantash and Daniel as well.

Looking across at Gava, she asked her, "What have you found Gava, for I feel that Lantash was correct. I have found a substance that is similar to Kelshaqua. We should continue our examination even though that may well be the culprit. Although, why Lantash would have such a large amount in his blood, I do not know. In the normal course of events, it is usually minimal and of no problem whatsoever. For whatever reason it is there, it will be simple to overcome and, in fact, unless there is something that you have found that I have not, the present course of injections to counteract the thinning of his blood should take care of the problem. I do believe that Anise was on the correct tract; he simply will need quite a bit more to overcome so much of this substance. I am only grateful that the bleeding was not worse."

Gava nodded, as she agreed, replying, "I, too, have found inordinate amounts of that substance in his blood stream." She turned to the others asking, "Did you not say that there was an overgrowth of tissue as well, along with an uneven dissolving of his tissue?"

"Yes, that is what we saw, although it appears that the tissue has finally dissolved," Per'sus was the one to answer her. "Do you believe that was part of this as well?"

Gava frowned, as she told him, "No, but there are other unusual things in his blood. Things that seem familiar, and yet are not exactly the same as what I would expect to find. Just as the Kelshaqua-like substance is not exactly like it, yet it is similar enough to have the same effect on our blood. It must be something that he has ingested while here on the Tau'ri world. There is no other explanation; otherwise, he would have had this problem when he left Martouf. I suspect that whatever caused his blood to thin will be found to be a common substance here, perhaps even found in food of some kind."

Anise nodded her agreement, and then asked them, "What will you do now, then? Simply continue to give him Questelle?"

"I believe that we should try Quinstor, instead, Anise. As you are aware, it is a somewhat stronger coagulant, and it will help more quickly. Do you agree, Arwanna?" Gava questioned the other healer, as to her opinion.

"I believe that should be our next step, yes. If it does not begin to work after an injection or two, then we will try something stronger, but I agree that we should try the milder form first. We do not wish to cause his blood to thicken too much and going to something stronger first could be a mistake. They are not in a critical condition, so going a slower and safer route is preferable."

"I agree." Gava gave her agreement to that reasoning, even as Anise was nodding her understanding, and Arwanna was readying the new injection. Soon they would know if it would be enough.

They would puzzle over how Lantash managed to acquire such amounts of that substance and exactly what it was, once they had the bleeding stopped. They also needed to discover the reason for the overgrowth of tissue. Perhaps Dr. Fraiser would be able to tell them what it was, once she arrived. That should be before too long. For now, they could wait for her arrival to delve into the matter further. Arwanna injected them and stepped back, as Gava activated a healing device. While they awaited the Doctor's arrival, they would continue to heal the areas that needed it, for that, too, would slow the bleeding even more.

"I take it that we were just injected with something else, Lantash?" Daniel asked, still half asleep, as he felt the injection.

Lantash analyzed what they had been given before answering, "Yes. It is a stronger form of the Questelle that Anise was giving us. Arwanna and Gava have evidently decided what has happened, and are giving us the next stronger coagulant. They do not appear at all disturbed, from what I can tell, so I would guess that they do not consider the problem to be very serious. We can both relax and continue to rest for a short time. I believe that we will soon be healed, and then I will begin our deeper blending. For now, rest again, Daniel. Do not worry about Samantha either, for Selmak has left the room, very probably to see to it that she is informed that there is nothing about which to be alarmed."

Daniel sighed in relief. "Okay, Lantash. I can't believe it, since we are basically unconscious, but I felt groggy when I woke up and I feel sleepy, now. Is that possible?" He frowned.

Lantash laughed softly, as he told him, "Yes, it is very possible, Daniel. We are not truly unconscious, and the pain and anxiety have drained both of us, for I feel tired, as well. Come, we will sleep, for a time. I am sure that, when we awaken, we will be ready to finish blending."

"Good. Lantash…thank you for keeping me calm, and have a nice nap. I'll see you soon."

"You are welcome, Daniel, and I must thank you, as well. Had you truly panicked, it would have made everything harder. So, although you believe that I kept you from doing so, I believe that we supported one another…as it should be. I will see you soon. Good night."

"Night." Daniel was asleep almost before the word was sent to Lantash, and Lantash was not far behind him.

TBC