Shelby stares at the symbiote in the container. "You know, it's funny. I used to hate that stupid snake. But then I accepted it, I came to realize that without that snake, my husband would be a different person than he is. I never really stopped to consider that that isn't really true. Without a snake in his belly, my husband wouldn't even exist. I'm mean, he's over 100 years old, so if he wasn't a Jaffa, he'd be dead. And watching him suffer because he doesn't have a symbiote is just really making me realize how important that thing is."
Janet puts a hand on the younger woman's back in a sign of support.
"How is it doing, anyway?" Janet asks.
"The symbiote is fine for now, although I don't know what we're going to do with it if we let Teal'c die. But, it won't be my problem. I'll have already resigned if we let this go that far. I'm a doctor, Shelby. This goes against every part of me to just stand by and do nothing."
"Do you think I should stop them?" Shelby asks, fidgeting. She's still very young, and even though she is now out of college, and with her new "real" job, she still feels a little like a kid.
Janet sighs, "You're making the choice Teal'c would make for himself."
"Right, except my husband is actually making a choice. He's screaming to be let free, and to have his symbiote returned to him."
"Honey, that's not really Teal'c that is saying those things."
"I know, but what if he dies?" Shelby asks with a sob that she has to work hard to keep inside of her.
"Honey, he's not going to die," Janet says, pulling the women into a hug. Janet feels unbelievably motherly toward this women before her. Not that Janet is old enough to be Shelby's mother, of course. At least not unless she gave birth in her pre-teen years. But the difference between this woman and her own daughter is less than a decade, and if feels like less when this women in front of her in the middle of a crisis. "We're not going to let him die," she says, offering a smile to her.
-0-0-0-
"Shelby, how can you allow them to do this to me?" Teal'c asks with pain in his voice.
"Teal'c, I have to do this, I don't have a choice," she says, her voice sounding far more certain than she actually felt.
"I have no wish to die, Major Carter. You and Dr Fraiser could yet save me."
"You're not going to die," Shelby says, desperately trying to convince herself.
"I am being murdered as we speak."
"We're helping you," Shelby says, taking hold of his hand beneath the bound wrist. It requires her to twist her hand into a strange angle, but she is so determined to hold hands with her husband that she doesn't even flinch.
"Help me escape. Please," Teal'c says.
"Oh, God. Teal'c, we want you to remember," Sam pleads.
"How would it be if you were punished for loving your god as I love mine?" he asks her, locking eyes with her.
"It's not the same," she says, bristling. Shelby has read enough about the persecuted church in other times and places to feel a kinship with them, and certainly knows that she is not among them, unlike some of her fellow churchgoers.
"I can't but help what I believe any more than you can," he says distantly.
"You believe in freedom, Teal'c. You believe in justice, in protecting people from false gods. You despise everything Apophis was," she says firmly. And then her husband slips into another flashback.
-0-0-0-
Shelby was watching the monitor when it went crazy. She sort of knew that is was going to do that. When you are around the sick and dying long enough, you get a sense for when things are about to go badly. So as soon as he hits de-fib, she calls for help with all the words which have become automatic, not only through her schooling but also through her time at the SGC.
"I'm returning the symbiote," Janet says, snatching the thing out of a jar and holding it above Teal'c's body.
A few people in the room turn to Shelby, waiting to see what her response is going to be before they spring into action.
"Stand aside," Bray'tec says.
"If I don't return it immediately…" Janet argues.
"Stand aside, or his suffering will be for nothing. This is the moment when he must choose," Bray'tec says, looking deep into his friend's eyes.
Hammond looks at Shelby, waiting for her to have the final word. She looks from one to the other, and starts to open her mouth. But then he feels for her, she's younger than either of his daughters. There is no way that he's going to let her bear the burden of this decision, no matter which way she chooses, it could go very badly. He's a General, his whole job is about making tough choices. He's used to it, and one tough choice more or less isn't going to make or break anything.
"Stand aside, Dr Fraiser," he says into the microphone in the observation room.
She takes a step away, and Bray'tec walks right up to the bed, and gets close to the face of his former apprentice, "Choose now, Teal'c. Return to those who love freedom, or die in the name of a false god. Choose! Choose to be the warrior we know! Renounce Apophis and return to us!"
"It's now or never," Janet pleas.
"Choose!" Bra'tac shouts, apparently confused by Teal'c's lack of movement.
"Very well," he says, taking a step back to let Dr. Fraiser move in. She loses no time putting the symbiote in.
"We waited too long. Charge to two hundred," she says.
Shelby walks over to charge the defibrillator, but one of her fellow nurses taps her on the shoulder. She graciously yields to her, understanding why people never work on their own family members. Not to mention the fact that it would be her first time using the paddles, and she wants someone more experienced working on her husband.
Suddenly, after the shock, Teal'c opens his eyes, and says, "I choose freedom."
"The rite has succeeded. He has returned to us," Bray'tec says with relief.
Shelby feels herself going faint, and is grateful when she feels the seat of a chair lightly touching the back of her knees. She glances back to see that Daniel has pushed a chair up behind her, and she takes it without comment shooting him a quick smile.
"Uh, just out of curiosity… how do you feel about…?" Jack says carefully.
"Apophis is a false god. A dead, false god," Teal'c says.
The Next Day
"Master Bray'tac, I wanted to take you to eat at one of the finer dining establishments of this planet; however, I am not being permitted you leave this base in your company."
"It is fine, Teal'c, I am most interested in experiencing the kind of food that you eat on a daily basis."
"I no longer eat at the base on a regular basis," Teal'c replies.
"Of course, your wife cooks for you. It is a pity that I won't get to experience that."
"I'm actually not that great of a cook," Shelby says.
"My wife works in the medical field," Teal'c says, puffing out his chest.
"I'm just a nurse," Shelby says bashfully as they get in line in the mess.
"She has more knowledge than any healer that I've ever been too. Shelby, recite for Bray'tac the names of the bones of the skull." Teal'c helped her study for that test, a long time ago, before they were even dating, and she can't believe he's still surprised that she has that knowledge.
"Come on, any high school student who takes anatomy can do that," she says.
"I never took anatomy," he says.
"Right, but you're like super-smart," she says.
"Why are we standing here when the food is over there?" Bra'tac asks.
"We must wait in line," Teal'c replies calmly, having completely forgotten how odd he found this when he first came to Earth.
"Why?" Bra'tac asks.
Teal'c turns to him, and blinks slowly, "I am uncertain." He looks at Shelby, obviously expecting an answer.
"Because that is what you do in a polite society," she explains.
"I think that Jaffa society is incredibly polite," Teal'c says.
"Formal isn't the same as polite. No-one on Earth comes to blows over the last turkey leg."
"It was not turkey, and my son and I did not come to blows. We were merely sparring."
"What do you mean it wasn't turkey?" Shelby asks in horror, "What was it?"
"There is no word for it in your language," he replies.
"What do you mean there is no word for it in my language? You let me eat some sort of alien creature?"
By this time they are in the front of the line, and Teal'c loads up his plate with the enormous amounts of food she's used to seeing him with. "I have been eating alien creatures for the last five years."
"But… aliens," she protests.
"I assure you that the creature you consumed was not sentient," he replies.
"Well, that's something," she mutters.
"All of my favorite dishes come from a planet on which I did not reside," Bra'tec replies, "Remember the worms of Bree?"
Teal'c closes his eyes as if he was still savoring the taste.
"You ate worms?" his wife asks in disgust.
"As did you," Teal'c replies.
"I cannot believe you let me eat a worm!"
"You enjoyed the eating of worms. You asked me to cook them for you," Teal'c replies.
"You cook for your wife?" Bra'tac asks in shock.
"It is an Earth courting ritual," Teal'c says, looking embarrassed at being found out.
"Have you acquired any other skills of which I am unaware?" Bra'tac asks.
"I have learned to operate a motor vehicle," Teal'c replies.
"How large are these vehicles?" Bra'tac asks.
"I believe the average size is 4.6 meters," Teal'c replies.
"This is perhaps the smallest vehicle you have ever operated. Surely it did not take much effort to learn how to operate this vehicle," Bra'tac replies.
"It requires far more movement of the hands than any vehicle that I have previously operated. It also requires the operation of my feet," Teal'c replies.
"You must do things with your feet and your hands? That is far too complicated, I am sure that this causes an inordinate amount of accidents. These people are truly primitive," Bra'tac says.
"Hey, now!" Shelby says as she puts her tray down on the table. The two men put their trays down right next to her.
"I did not mean to offend. There is nothing wrong with being primitive. In fact, there are benefits to it. There is some protection against the Goa'uld in being primitive," Bra'tac says.
"Well, considering the fact that several system lords have tried to wipe us out, we must not actually be that primitive," Shelby shoots back.
"There was no dialing device found with the Stargate. The people of the Tau'ri built their own," Teal'c says.
Bra'tac looks completely shocked, "That is truly impressive."
"Major Carter is the one who did this," Teal'c says proudly.
Bra'tac nods with approval.
Shelby feels a little inadequate, and starts to make a mountain out of her mashed potatoes.
Teal'c's hand goes to her knee, "My wife has brought people back from the edge of death."
"That's a bit of an exaggeration," she says, blushing.
"If Jaffa had the kind of medical services that my wife provides, we would not need to carry a symbiote," Teal'c says proudly.
"Well, that's not exactly true, considering the fact that the average human lifespan is only like seventy years, and Jaffa can live for hundreds with your little symbiote…" Shelby starts to object.
"I am glad that you found love, Teal'c," Bra'tac says, nodding in approval toward Shelby.
"You mean again, you're glad that he found love again," Shelby prompt.
"I meant what I said," Bra'tac says, looking at the girl with a serious expression on his face. "I am glad that he has at long last found someone to love."
Shelby makes a little gasp of surprise at this unexpected revelation.
"I have told you on many occasions that I have love you with more intensity than I have ever loved another," Teal'c says calmly.
Shelby leans over, and places a kiss on his cheek, and then scoots closer to him on the bench so their sides are touching one another.
"I love you, too, Teal'c, I love you, too," she says.
"I have stories of Teal'c's youth with which to regale you, if you so choose," Bra'tac says.
"Mini-Teal'c stories? I'm all game."
"I do not wish to have these stories told," Teal'c replies.
"Really? Not even the one when you were fourteen, and a band of boys dressed up as priestess?"
"Wait, what? Teal'c, you wore a dress? I cannot picture you in a dress!" Shelby exclaims.
"It is best if you do not attempt it," Teal'c says, glaring at his Master. At least as much as you can glare without actually showing any emotions.
"Why were you wearing a dress?" Shelby asks.
"They were sneaking into the house of the Temple Priestess," Bra'tac replies.
"We were training ourselves for covert missions," Teal'c replies, warning Bra'tac to shut his mouth with the careful lift of an eyebrow.
"Is that why you ended up in Shau'nac's chamber?" Bra'tac teases.
Shelby scoots away from her husband.
"I would prefer if you kept your stories to things which would not cause my wife to become upset," Teal'c says, scooting over so he's in contact with his wife again.
"Its fine, Teal'c; I know you weren't a monk before I met you. And we've already had arguments over Shau'nac," Shelby says, bristling at his close presence, but not quite willing to move away from him.
"Actually, Teal'c was a monk, briefly," Bra'tac says.
"What?" Shelby asks in shock.
"He challenged someone in an attempt to raise in ranks. He was too young, and had not completed his training, and when he failed the challenge, he withdrew from the military service and became a monk."
"I came to my senses, after a month," Teal'c pouts.
"More stories, Master Bra'tac, please. Tell me every stupid thing that my husband has ever done."
"That would be a lengthy tale," Master Bra'tac says.
"Indeed," Teal'c replies.