I was on my way off of Level 21 to go to the commissary when I stepped into the elevator that held Mitchell. I rubbed my neck and smiled. "Your chair is currently being warmed by two eager scientists."
"I'm not going to the observation deck, I am going down to the Gate room. Care to join?" he said eyeing me.
"You are not worried that I might miss something in the infirmary?"
"You're here now, aren't you?"
I nodded. Mitchell was in no mood to engage in the banter we had settled into during his late nights next to me and, really, neither was I. "What's going on?"
Mitchell slid into the "all-business-Colonel" as the doors slid open and he gave me a brief overview. "Teal'c has been keeping the General apprised with what is going on with the Jaffa Nation. The General was eager to learn that a Jaffa leader has started to emerge. Landry asked Teal'c and this Gerak to come by for a welcoming meet and greet," Mitchell said as we walked down the hall. "The thing is, we are already entertaining."
"Really? I did not hear anything about that. Who?"
"This guy who showed up on one of the planets SG-12 and I were working on. He calls himself a 'Prior' and says he works for a group called the 'Ori,'" Mitchell said, pausing before we turned the corner to enter the control room. "I don't know about this. It's all a bit... funny."
"Trust your gut, Cam. You always did a good job when you followed it. I think you should just continue now. Keep your antennas up. I'll do the same," I said, placing a hand on his arm.
He smiled sadly and nodded. Turning his head he broke into a grin. "Let's greet this great leader of the Jaffa."
- - -
Gerak did not impress me much. I did not impress him much either I suppose since he asked Landry twice if a medical representative was completely necessary in the briefing room. But Gerak's dismissal of wanting to talk treaty or exchange of ideas with Landry to listen to what the Prior had to say was the most unsettling event of the afternoon. Gerak said he wanted to challenge the claims that the Prior was putting forth - the Ori were gods. Where have I heard that before?
My pager went off wildly and I apologized - to Landry, Gerak, Teal'c, SG-12, and the Prior - and bolted out the door, Mitchell on my heels. I shoved two personnel into the elevator as I pushed the button for Level 21. They looked relieved when I ran out. Rounding the corner of the infirmary, I was sure to be greeted by a hive of activity reviving either Daniel or Vala. Instead I saw - and heard - Daniel and Vala both speaking. Conscious! Finally! They said that the Priors were basically up to no good, and not to trust them, don't let them near the SGC... before falling back into a coma.
"I hate to break it to them, but we have a Prior here as they speak," I said to Lam as we busily worked to once more copy down as much data as we could take in.
"Then I am glad the are both in a coma. The way they were talking, I don't think they would have wanted to know that," Lam said as she ripped an EKG result from the monitor.
I nodded and hoped that somehow Teal'c, and the rest, could keep the Prior at bay and Gerak's questions to a minimum. The last thing we needed was a firefight in the Briefing room and the infirmary full with casualties.
I turned to tell Mitchell something only to see him gone. "He went to go back and confront the Prior," Dr. Lee said. "He said something about guards."
"Good, one less thing to worry about," I said, as the heart monitors started beeping. Turning toward Vala, who was closer, I saw her heart rate spike up.
"Yes, I see," Lam said as she put a cuff on Daniel and started to take his blood pressure.
I went back to watching Vala; Lam had Daniel covered. Her heart rate kept rising almost to the point where it stopped.
The next few events blurred together. I heard Dr. Lee say something about the device and that they were connected to it, but really he was not sure how to disconnect it. Mitchell and Teal'c came tearing into the room and took the device, Mitchell yelling about destroying it - saying that a warning from the Prior made him realize something bad was happening. Daniel's vitals spiked and I heard Lam barking out orders while I kept an eye on Vala, and my own group of nurses ready to bring in supplies as needed.
Then I heard the flat line. I turned a bit to see Lam wide eyed and ordering the crash cart. She pulled the paddles and was about to shock him when Daniel, and then Vala, suddenly sat up and gasped for air. Relief and then worry swept my body, almost simultaneously. Relief that they were not in a coma; worry that this may be another small gasp before they fell back into another coma.
It was neither as their vitals steadied and they started to tell us about their 'adventure'. I caught Lam's eye and nodded. They would live for now, and we would be able to manage more then 10 minute naps sometime in the future.
- - -
I joined Daniel in mouth gaping shock how easily Vala was able to get the bracelets off. A wave of a crystal looking stone, and they fell off. I could see immense relief in Daniel's eyes as he looked around. After I joined them for the briefing, Lam having been called away to do an emergency burns treatment. Daniel and Vala related their time spent in another galaxy and in other people's bodies. Vala seemed distant for a bit, but was giving small antidotal jokes toward the end.
"I don't know how long the Ancients are going to prevent the Ori from entering our galaxy. One thing is certain," Daniel said, steadying himself. "The Priors, the Ori, will continue coming. They know we are here, they know that we don't comply easily. They see a challenge, and they will challenge us."
I got the same sinking feeling I am sure everyone else was feeling. If the Ancients were lifting their hand from our galaxy, and judging from the reports I heard and read about the Prior - he burned himself up - I agreed that they would not stop. I just hope when we are faced with the Priors, we can prevail and continue to resist.
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The Ties that Bind