Carson returned and ordered another scan of Xander.
"I'm missing something." He said. "A toxin has been released in his body. It's unrelated to the Goa'uld. They have the ability to release a toxin when they die, that takes the host with them. Sometimes they have control over it, sometimes they don't. But this toxin bears some striking similarities to several poisonous fish found in Earth's ocean. What that means, I have no idea."
"I do." Cordelia said softly. "The coach that experimented on the team. What analysis they managed to do on the samples taken before the crime lab was destroyed, showed byproducts of marine life. Whatever the rest of the team mutated into, may have been something fishlike." Deliberately keeping it vague, but giving Carson a direction to go in his research.
"Something fishlike? That gives me an idea. Some fish have poison spikes in their throats, they can't chew their food, so the spikes pierce the skin and release a toxin that kills the prey quickly and often helps with digestion as well. Let me scan his throat." And there it was, two tiny spikes with small pockets at the base of each, one on either side of his throat.
"The pockets must contain the toxin, the spikes pierced the Goa'uld's skin as it burrowed in. His body is working to flush it out. We can help with that. He's stopped convulsing and is unconscious and unresponsive at the moment. The Goa'uld is dying. Within no more then a half an hour, I'd say. It has absolutely no ability to resist the toxin. We'll monitor him, but for now, there isn't much else we can do."
As AG 1 and Cordelia maintained a rotating vigil over Xander, Carson continued to run tests. What else didn't they know about in regards to the after effects of that experiment?
He found a few interesting things indeed.
"I think I figured why he's got a reputation for attracting alot of female attention." Carson sounded amused. "Humans produce pheromones, just like most animals do. We're just not aware of it. We have structures in our nasal passages that can detect pheromones. Captain Harris' body is overproducing pheromones."
"He constantly gets hit on because he makes extra pheromones?!" Cordelia exclaimed.
"Yes, quite alot, too. I'll see if I can come up with a treatment to help him cut back. I mean, if he was interested in those other woman, it probably wouldn't be a big deal, but I've seen how devoted to you he is, my dear. So a reduction would make him more comfortable."
"And provide us with less amusement." Sheppard said dryly, which had the others laughing and Cordelia giggling. She too, found it funny the way Xander got hit on.
The medical staff noted when the Goa'uld finally died and Xander's body began to break it down, but Xander continued to be unresponsive. Finally Cordelia had an idea of what the problem might be and asked everyone to leave so she could talk to Xander alone.
"You got possessed again, Xander. This makes three times something tried and/or succeeded in invading your mind, your inner self, making you feel helpless, but here's the kicker. This time you beat it. You kicked the Goa'uld's ass. You kept it out and you killed it in the process. You won, Xander. Now it's time to come back to me. I promise, I understand why you're scared, why you're hiding. No one should have to endure what you've endured. But you're stronger then this, you can overcome this too and I'm here, waiting to help you. Remember what we said, Xander? We can get each other thru anything. Including this. Come back to me Xander." And Xander opened his eyes and saw the woman he loved looking at him with an expression of love and understanding and he began to cry, big fat tears rolling down his cheeks. Cordelia held him as he released some of the horror of having been possessed again.
Both Xander and Caldwell physically recovered from being possessed. Emotionally, it was going to take some more time. But each had people willing to help support them and in time, they recovered emotionally as well.
