STARGATE SG1
Episode 619
"THE CHANGELING"
By
Christopher Judge
HOSPITAL
A doctor walks through the hospital. He goes into an operating
room
and we see there is a patient whose face is obscured by the sheet.
DOCTOR
Let us proceed.
We go above the sheet and see Teal'c having an oxygen mask put
on
his
face. He then sees the doctor is Apophis whose eyes glow.
APOPHIS
Scalpel.
BARRACKS
Teal'c sits up in bed, breathing heavily. He gets up to wash
his
face. Probie (Jonas) gets up.
JONAS
You all right?
TEAL'C
What?
JONAS
Another nightmare?
TEAL'C
Yeah.
JONAS
What about?
TEAL'C
Nothin'!
Jonas shrugs.
TEAL'C
Look, I'm fine. Go on back to sleep,
Probie, you got
a big
day tomorrow.
JONAS
Hey, you know, if I was doing what you're
doing for my
stepfather, I'd?
TEAL'C
I'm fine with it.
JONAS
I know you are. I'm just saying that
I'd be having
nightmares
too. Listen T, you made me feel like one of the team, if there's
anything I can do.
TEAL'C
Probie, forget about it. Go on back
to sleep, man.
JONAS
You sure you're okay?
TEAL'C
Yeah. Yeah man, get out of here.
Jonas leaves. Teal'c looks down at his stomach.
SGC
Teal'c looks up and we see he is kel'no'reeming. He
touches his pouch.
COMMISSARY
Sam is looking at the desserts. Teal'c walks in.
TEAL'C
Major Carter.
CARTER
Teal'c. I thought you were going to
get in a few hours of
kel'no'reem?
TEAL'C
I was unable to do so.
CARTER
Does that happen often?
TEAL'C
It is rare. Most often when recovering
from an injury.
CARTER
You look okay to me. Why don't you try
a glass of warm
milk?
TEAL'C
I would prefer not to consume bovine
lactose at any
temperature.
CARTER
Cup of herbal tea, then? Can't hurt.
She pours him a drink.
TEAL'C
Very well.
CARTER
You know you might be preoccupied with
the upcoming mission.
I mean there is a lot at stake, this could be the rebel jaffa's
last
chance?.
The scene shifts and T is drinking a cup of something.
CARTER
Don't deny you're worried about it;
it's all over
your face.
TEAL'C
What's on my face?
Jack/Chief walks in.
O'NEILL
You know, T, maybe Carter's right. You
should think
about
this a little more.
TEAL'C
What?
O'NEILL
The whole kidney thing.
TEAL'C
You're talking about the transplant.
CARTER
Yeah, T man we're talking about the
transplant.
TEAL'C
Hey what do I need with two, right?
JONAS
Yeah, one'll do you right. Well isn't
it true you can
lead a
perfectly healthy life with just one kidney?
Jack and Teal'c just look at him.
JONAS
I'll go check on breakfast.
O'NEILL
T, this is major surgery.
TEAL'C
I know that. Look, we've gotten second
and third
opinions and
second and third opinions on those opinions and they all come
back
the same. They're not going to find a better match than I am.
Either
I do this or Bray dies. And frankly, after all Bray's done for
me, I
owe him.
CARTER
All we're saying is if there was another
option?
TEAL'C
It's already arranged and booked. I
go in day after
tomorrow.
Jonas comes out chiming a bell.
JONAS
Gentlemen and Lady. Breakfast is served.
CARTER
That's Captain to you Probie and it
better be good.
The alarms go off. Everyone gets up.
Jack gets into a van. Everyone else gets into a truck with all
their
gear on.
The fire trucks move out.
ENGINE 7
Carter is in the front.
DESPATCH
Rescue to engine 7, we have a 2 car
head on collision with
possible multiple injuries. BE advised one of the vehicles is
leaking
gas.
CARTER
Roger that despatch, confirm location
at Taylorway overpass.
DESPATCH
Roger that.
CARTER
ETA five minutes.
DESPATCH
Ten four.
CARTER
Ten four, over and out.
Teal'c and Jonas are in the back.
TEAL'C
Okay, Probie, great way to get your
feet wet.
JONAS
Ready.
CARTER
Yes you are.
TAYLORWAY OVERPASS.
The engines pull up. Two people are still in one car, another
man is
lying in the road with a woman beside him.
CARTER
Probie, air up. Ray, stretch out a pre
connect. Terry I want
foam on that line.
Teal'c is with the man on the road.
TEAL'C
Can you hear me?
Jack arrives.
FIREMAN
Chief, we got one adult male and the
kid trapped inside the
northbound vehicle, other driver's outside and the red
vehicle's
leaking gas pretty bad.
Sam and Jonas move past.
FIREMAN
I got the gas leak.
CARTER
Great.
Sam goes to the child.
CARTER
Hi there, can you hear me?
The child nods.
CARTER
Good boy. I need you to stay still,
we're gonna get you
out
of here soon. (To someone else) He's alert and responsive. What
have
you got?
Jonas just shakes his head.
CARTER
Okay, give me a hand here. (To someone
else) Let's pop
the
door. (To the boy) Okay, stay still, we're gonna get you out.
Come on
Probie.
Teal'c is with the man on the road.
TEAL'C
Hurry up with that clamp! (To the man)
It's all
right. You're
gonna be all right. Easy now, on my count. 3, 2 ,1.
They turn him over. It's Apophis.
Teal'c jumps back. He looks again and it's a man who looks
like
Apophis.
Back to the red car, they start to open the passenger door and
the
car is on fire.
CARTER
Let's get this fire out.
FIREMAN
Can't charge the line. No pressure.
The flames get larger as they try to get the driver out. Teal'c
looks
at the car and sees Bra'tac reaching out.
O'NEILL
Everybody out of there!
Everyone retreats except Teal'c.
CARTER
T, get your ass out of there, that's
an order!
Teal'c just jumps over the car and goes to the driver.
BRA'TAC
Save yourself.
TEAL'C
I'm getting you out Old man.
BRA'TAC
Save yourself!
TEAL'C
No!
Teal'c tries to break the front windshield. The car explodes
and
throws him back.
COMMISSARY
Teal'c hits the ground.
CARTER
Teal'c! Get a medical team down here
now!
INFIRMARY
Teal'c is having the penlight treatment.
FRAISER
Well whatever happened, you seem fine
now. Still, I've
never
heard of any jaffa fainting before, let alone you.
TEAL'C
I did not faint, Doctor Fraiser.
CARTER
Sorry Teal'c but you did. One minute
I was talking about
the
upcoming mission, the next minute you were lying flat on your
back.
Could this have anything to do with his inability to
kel'no'reem
earlier?
FRAISER
Well, kel'no'reem meditation is like
sleep in the
sense that
it's necessary in order for a jaffa to rejuvenate his body but
not
being able to reach a state of kel'no'reem on just one
occasion
wouldn't cause you to faint like that, would it?
TEAL'C
No it would not.
FRAISER
And you're not in any pain?
TEAL'C
None.
CARTER
Maybe you were just bored of what I
was saying?
Teal'c just looks at her.
CARTER
No, fine. On that note, I'll say goodnight.
FRAISER
Night Sam.
CARTER
Prescribe him some warm milk.
TEAL'C
I have no intention of remaining here
Dr Fraiser.
FRAISER
Teal'c this has never happened to you
before so I do
want to
run a few tests.
TEAL'C
That would be completely..
FRAISER
AH! Doctors orders! And close your eyes
and try to relax
okay?
Teal'c lies down.
TEAL'C
Very well.
HOSPITAL
Teal'c is lying in a bed.
O'NEILL
You are one lucky son of a bitch.
TEAL'C
O'Neill. Bray. Bray, he was in that
car.
O'NEILL
What?
TEAL'C
He was in the car.
O'NEILL
Who was?
TEAL'C
Bray. Did you get him out?
O'NEILL
T, he's two floors up. Waiting for his
new kidney.
We're
trying to arrange for him to come down for a little visit.
TEAL'C
The guy in the car, what happened to
him?
O'NEILL
There's no way, he was dead before we
got there.
TEAL'C
I could have sworn?
O'NEILL
Listen, um, they're thinking of postponing
the
surgery for a
day or so.
TEAL'C
I'm fine.
O'NEILL
Sure you are. How's your head?
TEAL'C
Pretty bad.
O'NEILL
Why don't I go see what Western medicine
has for
you, huh?
TEAL'C
Chief, thanks for being here for me,
man.
O'NEILL
Any time.
Jack walks off.
HOSPITAL CORRIDOR.
Jack walks down the corridor. Bray (Bra'tac) is being pushed
in a
wheelchair by Shauna. (Shau'nac)
O'NEILL
Bray, you old fart, you still alive?
BRAY
Chief, you sorry excuse for a human
being. When are you going
to get the message and stop visiting me?
O'NEILL
Like a moth to flame, I can't help myself.
Hi honey.
(To
Shauna)
SHAUNA
Hi Jack. Isn't he awake?
O'NEILL
Yeah. He's got a little bit of a headache.
BRAY
I'm not surprised he's in pain. He was
sent flying, the
way I
hear it.
O'NEILL
Yeah. Why don't you go in?
SHAUNA
Uh Jack? (To Bray) You go ahead without
me. Did T say
anything about Bray?
O'NEILL
About thinking he was the guy in the
car?
SHAUNA
Yeah, I mean he's being mumbling in
his sleep. Do you
think
he's okay? I mean, do you think this transplant thing is making
him?
O'NEILL
This is a big deal. I think it'd mess
with
anyone's head.
Look, I know a resident psychologist here; I'll have a talk with
him.
He's good, you'll like him.
SHAUNA
Thanks Jack.
TEAL'C'S ROOM
Teal'c and Shauna are kissing while Bray looks out of the window.
SHAUNA
I don't know what I would do, my love.
TEAL'C
You'll never have to know.
BRAY
You want to tell me what the hell you
were thinking? Hmm?
TEAL'C
I guess I wasn't.
BRAY
We're fireman. There's putting your
life on the line
and
there's being stupid. Guess which one you picked?
TEAL'C
I know. I know.
SHAUNA
His only fault is he wants to help people.
BRAY
By sacrificing himself?
SHAUNA
Doesn't matter now. It's over. He's
all right.
BRAY
No he's not.
TEAL'C
Bray, what are talking about man? You're
starting to
scare me.
BRAY
You should be scared.
SHAUNA
Bray.
BRAY
Why aren't you burned anywhere? The
car exploded right in
your
face and you come away from it with a headache? Something's
wrong.
And he knows it.
INFIRMARY
Janet is talking to Jack.
TEAL'C
What is happening?
FRAISER
I'm sorry Teal'c; I didn't mean to wake
you.
TEAL'C
Wake me?
FRAISER
According to these readings, you've
been fast asleep for
most of the night.
TEAL'C
My mind was filled with images. Thoughts
of me yet I was
not
entirely myself.
FRAISER
Happens to humans all the time.
O'NEILL
It's called dreaming, Teal'c.
FRAISER
You don't dream while in kel'no'reem
meditation?
TEAL'C
Not in this manner. While in a state
of
kel'no'reem I am in
complete control of my thoughts.
FRAISER
So how do you feel?
TEAL'C
It was so real.
O'NEILL
Oooh, I love when that happens.
FRAISER
It's not uncommon especially in the
first moments after
one
wakes up to feel disoriented. Not uncommon for humans, very strange
for jaffa.
O'NEILL
So, Doc this is Teal'c we're dealing
with here,
right? I
mean aside from the bad dreams and the odd fainting spell, he's
still?
FRAISER
He's still better off than 99% of my
patients. Tests
show
you're in otherwise perfect health.
O'NEILL
Good. So he can go back to work?
FRAISER
Yeah, so long as the dreams don't become
debilitating or
you
faint again, I don't see why not.
O'NEILL
Excellent. Let's go.
FRAISER
Ah, just two more minutes Colonel. I'd
like to perform a
routine examination of his symbiote and then you can go.
She draws the curtain.
HOSPITAL
Daniel pulls back the curtain.
DANIEL
Hi.
Teal'c looks up.
TEAL'C
Hi.
DANIEL
I'm Doctor Daniel Jackson; I'm with
the resident
psychologists here. I heard you might like to talk.
TEAL'C
So, Daniel Jackson.
DANIEL
Ah, you can call me Daniel if you like.
TEAL'C
You think I'm crazy?
DANIEL
No, not yet. We just met.
TEAL'C
We haven't met before?
DANIEL
No, no I don't think so.
TEAL'C
I'm sure we have.
DANIEL
Well maybe in another life or something
like that, if you
believe in that sort of thing. Some people do. I just came by
to talk.
TEAL'C
About what?
DANIEL
Whatever's on your mind. Possibly about
this operation
that's
scheduled for what is it, tomorrow? Course it had to be postponed
because apparently you were blown twenty feet across a street
so?
TEAL'C
I'm going through with it.
DANIEL
I never said you shouldn't go through
with it but a
couple of
your friends thought you might want to talk about it. Just so
you
know. Could we get out of here, maybe go for a walk or something.
TEAL'C
Sure. You're the doctor.
DANIEL
Right. Let's go.
OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL
Daniel and Teal'c are walking.
DANIEL
So how did Bray become your step father?
TEAL'C
Technically, I guess he isn't, I just
think of him
that way.
He raised me after my father died.
DANIEL
Good. You got a good job, you help people
out and from what
your friends tell me, you're quite the hero.
TEAL'C
Yeah, well that was just plain stupid.
DANIEL
What was?
TEAL'C
What brought me here in the first place.
We came on a
crash
site and one of the drivers was hurt pretty bad.
DANIEL
You thought he was Bray, your step father.
TEAL'C
Who told you that?
DANIEL
Your friends care about you, that's
why they've asked
me to
see you. It's a good thing. You're giving up a part of
yourself, a
vital part and you're doing it out of love.
TEAL'C
So?
DANIEL
So, maybe you're afraid. Maybe subconsciously
you're
afraid
that you won't be yourself anymore.
TEAL'C
The doctor told me I would lead a perfectly
normal life
after
the transplant.
DANIEL
Self preservation is a powerful instinct.
TEAL'C
I'm not afraid Doc. Not one bit.
DANIEL
That's quite a burden to carry, all
that denial. And
until
you're willing to let it go, I can't let you go through with
the
operation.
TEAL'C
No you can't stop me.
DANIEL
Ah yes, I can actually and I will.
TEAL'C
Why?
DANIEL
In medicine we don't destroy one man's
life to save
another.
That's not how it works.
TEAL'C
Look at me Doc. I'm the healthiest damn
human being
you've
ever seen and you know it. I'm a 100%.
DANIEL
I'm not just talking about your body.
TEAL'C
Then what?
DANIEL
You've been having nightmares, almost
every night, from
what
I've been told.
TEAL'C
Big deal.
DANIEL
And? And it's a big and, yesterday you
had a full blown
hallucination. I'm sorry but that is a big deal. Look all I'm
saying
is your life is every bit as important as Bray's, so if
you're going
to go through with this, you have to accept what it is going
to do to
you.
TEAL'C
I want to save Bray.
DANIEL
I know you do. And I want to help you
do that. That is a
promise. Now if you know your way back to your room, I have to
go,
I'm extremely late for another appointment. So uh?
He walks off.
TEAL'C
What is it Doc, is my hour up already?
DANIEL
No actually your twenty minutes are
up, we'll work our
way up
to an hour.
He leaves. Teal'c walks off back into a corridor at the SGC.
GATE ROOM
The Gate is on. Teal'c walks in.
O'NEILL
Hey. Let's go. You know how much it
costs to keep
that thing
on?
Sam, Jack and Jonas are standing on the ramp.
TEAL'C
I'm ready.
O'NEILL
Good, let's move out. What's wrong with
you?
TEAL'C
Nothing is wrong O'Neill.
O'NEILL
I need you to focus.
TEAL'C
I am ready.
O'NEILL
All right then.
Jack waves Teal'c through.
Teal'c exits the wormhole back into the hospital.
HOSPITAL CORRIDOR
Teal'c walks into a room and sees Apophis.
APOPHIS
You are afraid to die.
TEAL'C
No.
APOPHIS
Because you know I will be waiting for
you in the afterlife.
TEAL'C
Who are you?
APOPHIS
You know who I am Teal'c. I am your
God.
TEAL'C
No!
NURSE
Excuse me sir? Are you lost?
Teal'c is now wearing ordinary clothes and the previously empty
room
is full of patients.
TEAL'C
No I'm..
NURSE
Are you sure you're all right?
TEAL'C
I'm fine. Wrong room. Sorry.
Teal'c leaves.
NURSE
Sir, sir?
Teal'c reaches a door and turns to see a Doctor in surgical garb.
It's Apophis again.
APOPHIS
You cannot escape your fate, shol'va.
Teal'c opens the door and again enters the Gateroom.
O'NEILL
Hey come on, let's go. You know how
much it costs to
keep
that thing open? Bra'tac's waiting for you.
TEAL'C
Something is wrong.
CARTER
What is it?
TEAL'C
He must have taken it.
JONAS
Who must have taken what?
Teal'c starts to undo his jacket.
O'NEILL
Shut it down.
The Gate shuts down.
O'NEILL
Teal'c?
TEAL'C
My symbiote is gone.
O'NEILL
Fraiser just gave you a clean bill of
health.
TEAL'C
My symbiote is gone! My symbiote is
gone!
O'NEILL
Get a medical team down here right now.
TEAL'C
Help me, help me.
PLANET
We see a field full of dead jaffa. Teal'c and Bra'tac are
lying
together near a lake.
TEAL'C
Hold on old man.
Teal'c takes the symbiote from Bra'tac and puts it in his own
pouch.
TEAL'C
Help me, help me.
SHAUNA
It's just a nightmare, you're safe.
Teal'c is now in bed with Shauna.
TEAL'C
I was in the hospital.
SHAUNA
That's right. They performed the transplant
and you
recovered. They sent you home.
TEAL'C
I don't remember.
SHAUNA
You saved his life.
TEAL'C
I don't remember coming home.
SHAUNA
But you are home. With me. And everything's
all right.
Teal'c sits up and sees a scar.
TEAL'C
O'Neill. O'Neill picked me up and he
took me home.
SHAUNA
That's right. Bray's gonna be fine.
And so are you.
It's just
a nightmare, my love.
TEAL'C
I feel like? Shauna, I feel like I'm
going insane.
SHAUNA
A few bad dreams.
TEAL'C
You can't tell anyone about this, okay?
Because I
don't want
people to start thinking I'm going crazy.
SHAUNA
I promise.
TEAL'C
When I'm there, this is the dream.
SHAUNA
When you're there?
TEAL'C
I'm part of something. Military or underground.
A
secret
place.
SHAUNA
Sweetheart, I don't understand what
you're saying.
TEAL'C
I'm serious.
SHAUNA
It's dreams.
TEAL'C
They say this is the dream. And when
I'm there I
believe it.
When I'm there, it makes sense that this can't be real. When
I'm
here?.
SHAUNA
Honey, Look at me. Look at me. Kiss
me. How can that not be
real?
Shauna puts her head on his shoulder.
HOSPITAL
Teal'c is walking along the corridor. He walks into Bray's
room.
BRAY
Hey. How're you feeling?
TEAL'C
Better. And you?
BRAY
They haven't told you? They say my body's
rejecting the
new
kidney.
TEAL'C
What?
BRAY
They're pumping me full of anti-rejection
drugs. This and
that
and everything, but I got to say, if it doesn't take, I'm
ready to
go. I really am. How do you know this operation isn't keeping
me
from
going to a better place?
TEAL'C
Come on Bray; don't even start talking
like that!
BRAY
Why are we so afraid of dying? I'm not
afraid.
TEAL'C
I am, okay. I'd rather die myself than
let you go. So
you
hang in there, old man. Because I did not go through this so
you
could give up on me.
OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL
Teal'c is sitting down and Daniel walks up.
DANIEL
Am I late? I thought I was supposed
to be at eleven?
TEAL'C
It is.
DANIEL
Oh. Been up to see Bray?
TEAL'C
Just came from there.
DANIEL
How's he doing?
TEAL'C
His body is rejecting the new kidney.
DANIEL
Well you knew that might happen.
TEAL'C
There's got to be something we can do.
DANIEL
You've done everything humanly possible.
TEAL'C
I didn't go through this so Bray could
die.
DANIEL
Why are you going through this? I mean,
why do you think this
is happening? All of it, Bray, the nightmares you've been having?
TEAL'C
The nightmares are gone.
DANIEL
You're not dreaming you're part of some
secret
military
operation underground?
TEAL'C
Shauna told you.
DANIEL
No.
TEAL'C
Then how the hell do you know?
DANIEL
I just know, it doesn't matter.
TEAL'C
Fine. I'll ask her myself.
DANIEL
Because we've talked about this before.
You just
don't
remember, just like you don't remember the operation or getting
discharged from the hospital, all right? Right? Well, tell me
about
it again.
TEAL'C
I'm part of something, a team.
DANIEL
Who's on this team?
TEAL'C
Same as at the fire hall. Chief O'Neill,
Captain
Carter, hell
even Probie's there.
DANIEL
Probie is who?
TEAL'C
Probationary fireman. It's the same
as calling
someone a
rookie.
DANIEL
Right.
TEAL'C
His name's Jonas.
DANIEL
And what does this team do? The one
in your dream?
TEAL'C
Go places, you know, try to make a difference.
Help
people.
DANIEL
You're a fireman.
TEAL'C
No we um?
DANIEL
You're just gonna have to trust me.
TEAL'C
All right. We go to other planets through
a big ring of
shimmering blue water. I'm not even human.
DANIEL
You're a?
TEAL'C
A jaffa. I carry this thing round in
my gut that's
called a
symbiote. Helps keep me alive.
DANIEL
Something like a kidney, something you
might be hesitant to
give up? Let me ask you this, does Bray fit anywhere into your
dream?
TEAL'C
Which one? Hell I don't even know what's
real any
more.
DANIEL
You're not alone in that. Lot's of people
have been
trying to
figure out the answer to that question for a long time. So just
let
me get this straight. When you're there, this is the dream. When
you're here, that's the dream?
TEAL'C
They're both so real.
DANIEL
And both you're having nightmares?
TEAL'C
Hell, I'm not even supposed to dream
in the other one.
DANIEL
Because you're jaffa?
TEAL'C
Don't ask me.
DANIEL
I mean it's really neither here nor
there; the point is
both
can't be real.
TEAL'C
No.
DANIEL
So you're trying to figure out which
of the two lives you
seem to be leading is the real one so that you can stay there
or here
or wherever it is you're supposed to be once and for all. But
maybe
the answer to that question is something you haven't even
considered.
Maybe neither one is real.
TEAL'C
What?
DANIEL
Think about it. If you can't distinguish
between them, if
the
one seems equally as real as the other, maybe you don't belong
in
either one.
TEAL'C
Then what do I do?
DANIEL
Hang in there, just a little while longer.
Daniel gets up and walks off.
TEAL'C
Hey you can't leave me here like this!
DANIEL
I haven't left your side Teal'c. And
I'm not
going to. That's
a promise.
O'Neill puts his hand on Teal'c's shoulder and he is back
in the
Gateroom. He's wearing a robe and looks a little worse for wear.
TEAL'C
O'Neill.
FRAISER
It's okay.
O'NEILL
Yeah, you're gonna be all right, just
hang in there.
FRAISER
Teal'c, listen to me okay. This is very
important. How
long
have you gone without your symbiote?
TEAL'C
Bra'tac?
FRAISER
It's okay, it's okay. He's alive, thanks
to you
but I need
to know how long?
TEAL'C
You must save Bra'tac!
FRAISER
We'll do our best okay. Let's take them
both
directly to OR
1. Let's move. Easy.
Teal'c is put on a gurney and wheeled out. Hammond walks in.
HAMMOND
What happened Colonel?
O'NEILL
It was a set up from the get go Sir.
HAMMOND
Meeting of the rebel leaders?
O'NEILL
There was no meeting. It was an ambush.
CARTER
We found over a hundred rebel jaffa
dead. Every single one of
them had had their symbiotes removed except one.
O'NEILL
Bra'tac.
JONAS
He and Teal'c were the only warriors
left alive.
HAMMOND
Teal'c left for this meeting over three
days ago. How
did he
manage to stay alive that long without a symbiote?
CARTER
Sir, it's possible Teal'c survived the
ambush and
used his
own symbiote to keep both he and Bra'tac alive until we got there.
JONAS
He knew we'd show up as soon as he was
late.
HAMMOND
Well how long can two jaffa survive
with only one symbiote
between them?
CARTER
We've no idea Sir. Up until a couple
of hours ago, we
didn't
even think it was possible.
HAMMOND
Report to the briefing room in one hour.
O'NEILL
Yes Sir.
CONTROL ROOM
Janet and Hammond walk up the steps to the briefing room.
FRAISER
We've managed to stabilise them by using
the same method
Teal'c must have used to keep them both alive otherwise he would
have
been dead when they found him. You see, we're essentially
transferring from one to the other.
HAMMOND
How long can you keep them both alive
that way?
FRAISER
I really don't know Sir. It's a miracle
they've
survived
this long. Don't ask me how Teal'c had the strength or the
where with
all to keep it up.
JONAS
Dr Fraiser, forgive the obvious, but
why can't we just get
him
another symbiote?
CARTER
We've looked into it. It's all but impossible
right
now to
find a symbiote that isn't already being used.
JONAS
Right.
HAMMOND
We contacted the Tok'ra as soon as we
received your
emergency radio transmission and apprised them of Teal'c and
Bra'tac's condition. Jacob's on the way.
O'NEILL
Sir, if it comes down to a choice?
HAMMOND
Jack, we have to consider that Teal'c
has already made a
choice. Now according to Dr Fraiser, he's gone through hell in
order
to see it through.
O'NEILL
Well let's hope it doesn't come down
to that.
GATEROOM
Sam walks up the ramp. Jacob walks through.
CARTER
Dad. Thank God you're here.
JACOB
Hopefully I'm not too late.
INFIRMARY
Teal'c and Bra'tac are on adjoining beds.
JONAS
How are they?
TEAL'C
Shauna.
JONAS
Shauna?
FRAISER
Shau'nac. She was very important in
Teal'c's
life. You see,
when a jaffa goes without a symbiote for any protracted length
of
time, at least according to jaffa legend, his life flashes before
his
eyes. You know it might help if you talk to him.
JONAS
Yeah. Teal'c, you gotta hang in there.
I need you. You
made me
feel like one of the team. If there's anything I can do.
TEAL'C
Don't worry about it Probie. Go back
to sleep.
JONAS
Probie?
Jacob, Sam, Jack and Hammond walk in.
JACOB
Dr Fraiser. What's their condition?
FRAISER
They're critical. All three of them.
O'NEILL
Three?
FRAISER
Due to his advanced age and the fact
that his body is
showing signs of rejecting the symbiote, Bra'tac has had to have
it
longer than Teal'c. Now it seems the strain of keeping them both
alive is too much for the symbiote. I don't think it could
restore
either one of them at this point.
JONAS
What about a hand device?
JACOB
I've brought something better. Something
that should work
as
effectively as a symbiote. At least for the short term.
O'NEILL
What's that?
CARTER
Tretonin sir.
Jacob hands it to Janet.
JONAS
The drug the Pangarans offered us?
O'NEILL
Whoa. That's ground Goa'uld isn't it?
JACOB
It's a little more refined than that
Jack, but yes it is
derived from Goa'uld symbiotes.
CARTER
It supplanted the immune systems in
the Pangarans, why
couldn't it do the same for the jaffa?
FRAISER
I've already considered it, it won't
work. The
sample I
studied was designed to take the place of a human immune system.
JACOB
We've since refined it specifically
for jaffa physiology.
The
Tok'ra have been looking forward to an end of the jaffa's
dependence
on symbiotes for centuries. We've been working on this tretonin
variant ever since you introduced us to the Pagarans. But it
hasn't
been tested.
FRAISER
But even if it does work, I mean, Teal'c
and Bra'tac
will
become just as dependent on the tretonin as the Pangarans.
JACOB
Given time, we can solve that problem.
But at least
they'll be
alive.
FRAISER
If I knew for a fact that this is what
Teal'c wanted..
CARTER
Janet, this could ultimately lead to
freedom from Goa'uld
oppression for all jaffa. That's something that Teal'c and
Bra'tac
want more than anything.
HAMMOND
Do it.
FRAISER
Yes sir.
O'NEILL
Teal'c without Junior. That's a concept.
INFIRMARY
Teal'c is in bed. He opens his eyes to see Daniel.
DANIEL
Hey Teal'c.
TEAL'C
Am I dreaming?
DANIEL
No, not this time. It's late, everyone's
gone home
for the
night. I just wanted to make sure you're okay.
TEAL'C
What of Bra'tac?
DANIEL
Bra'tac's fine. Thanks to you.
TEAL'C
And to you as well I believe.
DANIEL
No, no that was you. I don't know anyone
that could have
done
what you did. You kept him alive for three days without ever
thinking
about yourself. Every time you gave up your symbiote you knew
it
might be for the last time.
TEAL'C
This experience has been very different
for me. It seemed
so
real.
DANIEL
Your mind took you where it needed to
go. I promise you this
is real. You're just going to have to trust me on that. You go
to
sleep. When you wake up, everything's gonna be fine.
TEAL'C
Is that a promise Daniel Jackson?
DANIEL
That's a promise.
Teal'c closes his eyes.
THE END
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