"What are you?" Faith asked, staring at Jacob/Selmac.
"I am a Tok'ra."
"That tells me nothing."
"It means against Ra." It was Xander that answered. "They're a genetic offshoot of the Goa'uld with philosophical differences, primarily they do not take hosts by force or so they claim and they don't use the sarcaphagus to keep their human host going indefinitely because they believe the sarcaphagus damages their souls. They're aliens."
"You told him about us, General?" Selmac asked
"No, he didn't." Again, it was Xander who answered. "I've been to more than a few realities and I just today met a version of myself in a reality with its own Stargate Program. He also knows Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter and he told me about the Tok'ra. Dr. Jackson told me about the Goa'uld. You call yourselves symbiotes, but the vast majority of the galaxy considers both you and the Goa'uld parasites. You get far more out of the arrangement than your host does."
"That's not true." It was Jacob who answered. "My lifespan is doubled, I have near perfect health and Selmac can heal almost any injury I get. Along with that is access to all her knowledge, hundreds of years of knowledge. More than any human could learn in a lifetime."
"Depends on the lifetime." Xander answered. "But I know my counterpart doesn't trust you and believes he has reason to. And there are other ways to have all that without a Faustien bargain."
"He's not the only one." O'Neill muttered, almost under his breath. Their introduction to the Tok'ra had involved one of them taking Carter over by force and threatening Cassie, who'd sensed the symbiote and been terrified. Not a great first impression and so far their alliance with the Tok'ra had benefited Earth bupkis.
"Let's table that discussion." General Hammond decided. "And see about healing Charlie, shall we?"
"I'll ask Mother to step out." Xander eyed the Tok'ra. "If Colonel O'Neill agrees to stay with Charlie she might agree, she trusts him."
"Go ahead." General Hammond and Xander stepped back into the infirmary and spoke to Mother.
"She's agreed to let you try." He reported a few minutes later. "For Charlie's sake."
"Then let's get to it." O'Neill led Jacob/Selmac back into the infirmary and Xander trailed along behind, leaning against the wall and watching as Jacob pulled out a device that fit over the palm of his hand and activated it. A light shone on Charlie and Jacob slowly moved it down his body, before stopping and turning it off.
"The damage is extensive." Jacob told O'Neill. "We might be able to heal it but it would require multiple sessions and even than he'd still have problems. The organs will never function entirely correctly and scar tissue will add to his difficulties. Only a sarcaphagus could heal him completely and we don't have access to one."
"Than what can we do?" O'Neill asked. "There has to be something!"
"A symbiote could heal the damage more effectively." Selmac offered. "He is still young, the symbiote could teach him."
"No." Xander answered, shuddering. "I've had my mind invaded by another, controlling me, we can't put Charlie through that!"
"I don't know of any other way." Selmac replied in a steady tone of voice. "And the symbiote would not choose to control him."
"You don't know that and you don't know that he'd ever be able to live with it." Xander argued. "And I can offer alternatives." He straightened up. "None are without risk or pain, but each would leave his mind his own. You could heal the damage, no matter how many sessions it takes and I can finish it with one of my alternatives. If they don't work there are still other alternatives, I'm even aware of a lifeform in another reality that can heal everything except death in a another person. And I can reverse death without a sarcaphagus."
"I like that possibility more." O'Neill told them. "Let's talk to the General and Mother and see what each have to say about it. Ultimately it's up to the General to allow it and Mother to agree."
"Very well, we will try it your way." Selmac said reluctantly. "I am curious about your methods as I have never heard of any such being and wonder what medicine or science you could have that can do what we cannot." Yeah, there was the arrogance his counterpart had mentioned. If the Tok'ra didn't know about it, it must not be be worth knowing, right?
Mother was allowed back in and Charlie told her what the three had discussed, she had a very vocal answer to Jacob/Selmac's suggestion that basically amounted to Hell No! Her world had been destroyed by the Goa'uld, she wasn't going to let one of those things inside her child. Not unless it was the very last possible resort after a thousand avenues had been explored. Jacob and Selmac were obviously offended but did understand and finally agreed, they'd heal Charlie in as many sessions as it took and Xander would finish it with his method.
"What method could you use, X?" Faith asked quietly when he and the others had stepped off to the side to talk.
"The Sanctum can create everything from Captain America's super soldier serum to a universal panacea called the serum of the Seraphim." He answered. "I discussed it with Ms. Calendar earlier. Each have dangers though and in his current state could kill him outright, but after several healing sessions the risk will be considerably less. Not entirely gone, but much better. We can always take him to the reality were my half brother is, that's where there are beings called whitelighters and they can heal everything except death. And death is something we can do something about too. There are always alternatives, we just have to be willing to consider them. But the idea of letting that thing inside him, with the potential to control him, I can't accept that as an alternative, not until everything else possible had been tried."