Hey, people.. sorry it took so long. I've been with headaches all week. So I wasn't able to watch my screen without feeling ill. Hopefully, it reads somewhat right.

Enjoy!

M.

Chapter Nineteen

She rubbed her belly once more, the baby getting bigger and more restless over the days, as she fixated her eyes on the mountains to where she was guided seven mi'irabi's ago. She decided that once mi'irabi set later, she would walk toward them since Semeni was colder than the other sun.

She walked home and shook her head.

"Fewashi's home, Sam… you are there temporarily," she said to herself without stopping walking until she got there on time to get a quick shower and change her mud for a new batch.

There was a point when she changed from the green stuff to the mud that she felt self-conscious about the whole thing. She showered every day, but she was never clean; her hair was never as soft as it used to be, she blamed it on the lack of conditioner. Her mouth was never minty fresh, even if they had a way to clean their teeth and hers remained as white and strong as day one. And her body was never the creamy white skin she was before, the mud was too hard to get rid, and yes, she was used to covering herself on sunblock.. pharmaceutically created sun block which was absorbed by her skin.

The green stuff was easily washed out, and she could see her skin under it. The mud? It stuck to her skin, and it could take an hour to get rid of it. She was also fairly uncomfortable in the clothes they gave her; there was a strapless top like shirt and a skirt that started under her hipbones and finished under her bum. And no underwears or shaving kits. But after the announcement was made longer clothes found a way to her and also, she got used to the mud.

And she figured out as she walked by herself towards the mountain later, that she was lucky. She could have died suffocated or burnt. But she landed here. She could've fallen somewhere where it wasn't breathable for her. Or in one of the few Goa'uld bases left around the galaxies because she was sure she was at least in the milky way or close enough. And yet, she fell here, where people thought of her as an Angel and helped her learn their language, and her baby was growing safe.

She had food, albeit just enough, but it was food and a roof over her head and people who cared about her, even if she didn't understand half of the things they were saying to her. And then, when she was approaching the lake she felt water splashing against her legs and took her a look to figure her water just broke.

The contractions started slowly and increased as she walked towards Fewashi's home. It didn't take long for the healer to notice from the distance that Sam was in labor. She welcomed her with a knowing smile and walked Sam towards the shower repeating 'Malachi ye'irisiwo t'iregi,' a phrase the Colonel knew meant: Malachi clean yourself.

Sam yelped when for the first time since she awoke in Fewashi's home, the healer entered the shower while she was in there. The Doctor scrutinized every inch of Sam's blushing body and then made her turn. Then shook her head muttering something Sam didn't understand nor paid attention to due to another contraction.

The woman walked out of the shower and returned with what seemed like soap. One Sam hadn't ever seen before and frowned. The healer placed the bar on one of the Colonel's hands, and then she told to Sam: 'ye'irisiwo t'iregi mire'.

Sam was about to answer she was trying to clean herself good but it was hard and then she felt the weight of the bar and the soft smell it had. And nodded, once she was covering herself with the yellow foam, Fewashi nodded and turned away.

This was the first shower she had enjoyed since the change to the mud, Fewashi entered once more and ordered her to clean her hair too with the soap which Sam gratefully did. When she finished, she felt human again… and then a contraction hit harder than before.

Sam knew the birth of a baby was somewhat public, the female elders would be there, and a couple of chosen young ones would be there too, what the hell they did? She had no idea since she wasn't invited to one yet, due to her own condition she figured. When the contraction hit, she was sure of that last part, who in its right mind would want to see how it looked like and still have the baby? But she knew she had no choice but let it out. And get out to the crowd that surely was expecting her.

Fewashi rushed to her side as soon as she walked out of the bathroom still covered in her towel. And instead of helping her to her room or the medical front area, she led her to the family room of sorts and to a bathtub which could fit at least five and that was placed in there just recently. It was filled with warm water, and a couple of teenagers were replacing the water to keep it warm. While some of the elders sung something, she couldn't understand but for some reason made her feel calm.

The contractions came faster and harder, and Sam trashed in the tub. The elders exchanged words and worried glances until Fewashi interrupted them. "Ek yaderigali steun," she affirmed giving orders to one of the teenagers. When she stopped talking, Sam felt her joining her on the tub positioning herself in a way that would help her deliver efficiently. Then, she said something else and one of the young ones approached Sam and gave her something to drink, and from then, she felt no pain.

And soon, Halina the elder had her baby on her hands and a grin. Halina placed the tiny girl carefully over Sam's chest and then she whispered in her ear: "Naysa."

"Naysa …" the women whispered over and over as the girl tried hard to open her eyes. Sam frowned not quite understanding what it meant.

Once she was recovered and cleaned again, they helped her dress and walked her to her own bed, with the baby cuddling warmly on her. And then, surprisingly all the men who, apparently, were waiting outside, entered the room. Fewashi smiled, as Halina walked towards Sam, caressed her head and asked with gestures to grab the girl. Sam nodded, and the woman walked to the men.

And then, slowly she opened one of the baby's eyes, and then the other one, careful not to harm the child's sight. And she whispered: "Malachi seti: Naysa."

And the men nodded in agreement, and her daughter was named. And once Naysa was placed back over her chest she fell asleep. She woke up softly remembering two things: the small being that had found a way to eat while she was out. And of that time, not so long ago, when she had a husband, and how they used to talk much more than people would believe them capable, and of one of their conversations in particular, when they spoke of the hundred days he went lost.

She had dreamed of it before, and now she remembered how he had explained to her how Laira had managed to convince him to mourn the loss of everything he knew, and he had somewhat managed that because the work he did kept him occupied during the days, and she kept him occupied at night. He had started to forget the small things and replaced them with the activities and familiarity born of the convivence on that peaceful little town. However, he never found in himself the strength to let hope go.

And as her baby stopped sucking for a while, she realized she had passed her hundred days a long while ago. But there was a difference, with every kick of the baby she didn't dare to name yet, with every passing day, she couldn't let it go, he couldn't let him go. So, even when the small things were slipping through her fingers, she had searched for a way out while trying to seem she wanted to stay.

And then, they proclaimed her baby girl "Naysa," messenger of the Goddess, when one little eye was blue looking, and the other one turned out to be brown. She accepted the name because Naysa was a truly a messenger and told her of how she had someone who wanted her back home. Therefore to home, she would go, no matter how long it took her to find a way.

Jack waited for her, and she knew it, and maybe, of the two, she wasn't the one for the hunches. But right now, her gut told her she needed to get to that mountain because, with the things she remembered, there was one word that also came to her: Ancient. It wasn't Home for the Aged, but the home of the Ancients… and if that was their home, she figured they should have left some more stuff behind that solar panels and water heaters.

"It makes sense, doesn't it Naysa?" she cooed the baby, and the baby looked at her with her brown eye barely open and gurgled happily.