hathor_girl

A couple of hours later, Janet had finished examining Martouf. She had determined that he did indeed have amnesia, but he had only a vague idea that there was something he had forgotten. Mostly, he seemed to be convinced that he really was 'JR Bourne', and actor from the planet Earth. Janet had no idea how that had happened, unless he had previously been undercover as a similar persona somewhere, and somehow that was the part of his memories he could access.

Hopefully, when Lantash could again talk to him and take control, he would also be able to help him remember who he was. For now, he had been released from the infirmary, but would not be allowed to leave the base, something he had complained mightily about. He was supposed to be at a filming the next day, and if he did not show, he would lose the job.

"Okay - Carter, go explain to him that he's Tok'ra, and that he can't work as an actor on this planet. He's a, a resistance fighter, dammit!" Jack exclaimed.

"That would not be advisable." Janet said. "Telling him about the Tok'ra and alien planets when he remembers nothing about it will only confuse him. We should take it slow. Sam - I agree that you should talk to him. He seems to have a vague memory of you, and he appears to trust you."

Jack snorted. "Yeah, right. Snakeboy doesn't remember anything else, but he remembers having the hots for Carter! I'll bet he's just faking it all!"

"Sir! That's not fair! Why would he do that?" Sam insisted, angrily.

"I can assure you, his amnesia is quite real." Janet told them.

Sam threw Jack an angry look, and left to go find Martouf.

She knocked on the door to the temporary quarters that had been assigned to Martouf. He opened the door a few moments later, and smiled widely when he saw her.

"Samantha, correct?"

"Yes." Sam smiled. "Um, I thought maybe you'd like to go and get something to eat?"

"Sure, I would like that. Where are we going?"

"Just the mess hall. You're not, ah, permitted off base right now."

He nodded, closing the door behind him and following her. "Yes, they told me." He sighed. "It's all very confusing... I mean, I know who I am, but they claim I'm someone else? Someone called 'Martouf' - that's a really odd name. I assume it's my given name?"

"Yes, I don't think you have a last name - if you do, I've never heard it. I guess you could use Lantash, if you really need another name. For ID, or something."

"Lantash?" He looked thoughtful, as if he recognized the name, then shook his head. "So I'm guessing I'm not really from Canada? That's where I thought I was from."

"No, you're from, ah, a bit further away."

He stopped and touched his neck, then shook his head again. "Never mind."

"What is it?"

"You promise not to tell the doctors? I really don't need to be locked up down in that infirmary again."

"Promise."

"I trust you. I don't know why, but something tells me I can trust you."

"You can. We were... I mean we are friends. Close friends."

"Okay. I realize this sounds crazy, but sometimes it's as if, as if I sense movement... here." He touched his neck. "And I also sometimes imagine I can sense... a presence? As a whisper I can almost hear. Both sensations have been stronger after I was hit by that... weapon."

"I'm not supposed to tell you why, but I can tell you that there's no reason to worry. The shot that hit you seems to have activated the breakdown of some kind of barrier, that's... um, keeping you from remembering." Sam said, not quite the truth, but they did think Lantash would help him remember when he could communicate and access his mind normally again.

He made a non-committal sound, clearly not happy with how things were going.

They had reached the mess hall, and found something to eat, then sat down at a table in a corner.

Martouf frowned as he looked at the food, then began eating it with a resigned expression.

Sam grinned, picking up her own fork. "Yeah, the food here isn't the best. You usually complain about it!"

"I'm not surprised!" He smiled at her. "So, we really know each other? I've been to this base before? I assume I'm not an actor then, since we weren't allowed down to the lower levels."

"Yes to all your questions."

"You said we're friends. Nothing more?" He gave her a very charming, and somewhat shy smile.

"Um, no, we're - just friends." Sam felt her cheeks warm a little, and she looked down.

"Mmhm." He looked less than convinced, then his expression changed to uncertainty. "If you say so." He ate some of the food, clearly not enjoying it. "So, what do I do? Am I in the Air Force?"

"No... um, Martouf... you're, sort of, a civilian."

"But I work here at the base?" He shook his head. "It's strange being addressed like that."

"Not quite. You come here, sometimes. You're... part of an... well, organization, I guess, that's working with us. Allies." Sam frowned. "Do you mind that I call you Martouf? Would you rather I called you, eh, JR? Or Mr. Bourne, perhaps?"

"No, I kind of like the name Martouf, especially how it sounds when you say it. Anyway, you're making it all sound very mysterious - what I'm involved in, I mean."

"I don't mean to - it's just that the doctors doesn't want me to tell you very much until you remember on your own."

"Okay, so what's up with the weird wiggling movement in my neck? I mean I definitely feel it." He put his hand on his neck.

Sam sighed, realizing it was probably Lantash trying to get Martouf's attention - or maybe trying to remove the rest of the block quicker. Or maybe he was aware of what was going on around him? He would definitely be able to sense the naquadah from the Stargate - and in her, she realized. Did sound travel through to him? Did he have amnesia too?

"It's a long story." Sam finally said.

"All right, tell me something else, then. This is a super-high security military installation - what are you doing here? I must have clearance to know that!"

"You do, mostly." Sam smiled, apologetically. "When you..."

"When I get my memory back. Yeah, I get it." He took a deep breath. "Whatever it is, it's something quite out of the ordinary, I'm sure. Do you know how I lost my memory, and how I came to think I'm JR Bourne? Does it have anything to do with that odd tingly feeling I get when I'm around here? Some kind of chemical I was exposed to?"

"You were badly wounded, but I don't know if that's what caused the amnesia, or if something else did. Some people - um, specialists - will be coming to examine you. As for the tingling feeling - that's due to a mineral called naquadah, which you were, I guess you could say exposed, to. So was I. It's not dangerous, but it reacts to the presence of other sources of naquadah."

"So I can sense that... that mineral?"

"Yes."

"That explains why I feels some sort of resonance from you - well it explains some of it." He winked at her, causing her to blush. "It doesn't explain why I sense it all over this place."

"There's a very big - device - made out of it, in the basement of this place. That's why."

He frowned, then nodded. "This mineral... it has other qualities, right? I have noticed that wounds heal impossibly fast - and now when I think of it, I haven't had a cold ever, not that I remember, at least."

"It does affect you, yes. It makes you much more resistant to a large number of drugs, and it helps protect against some diseases. I haven't had a cold for years, either."

They ate the rest of their food in silence, while Martouf pondered what he had been told.

Suddenly, when they had finished their food, he took her hand, then slowly entwined his fingers with her. "Samantha...I remember this. We sat like this...on a sand dune?" He looked at her, uncertain.

Sam looked up at him, after staring almost transfixed at their hands. She nodded slowly. "Yes, we did. Several years ago, when we had just met."

He frowned. "When we had just met? It seems...much too intimate a gesture for that."

"Hiya, kids! How're ya doing?" Jack suddenly said from behind them.

Sam and Martouf quickly pulled their hands away from each other, and looked at Jack. From his expression, it was clear he had seen them holding hands, and that he did not approve.

"I am well." Martouf gave Jack a displeased look.

"Memory coming back? Or perhaps it wasn't gone?" He asked sharply.

"I do not understand what you mean. I still don't remember being Martouf."

"He just had a small memory flash, so perhaps it will be coming back soon." Sam said, hopefully. "Come, Martouf. If you've finished eating, we should go. I thought I would show you some things, and see if you remember them."

"Yes, Samantha, of course." He got up and made a small half-bow to Jack, before following Sam out of the mess hall.

Jack stood and looked after them for a moment, not sure how he felt about this.