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hathor_girlSummary: It turns out the planet's leader may be a Goa'uld - or perhaps a Tok'ra.
Sam POV
After I had eaten the soup, Martouf left to let me rest. I fell asleep again fairly quickly.
It is close to evening when I wake up again. Jolinar is still unconscious, but I believe she feels stronger, that I can sense her better.
When I sit up, my head still feels like it is spinning, and the headache returns. It is not as bad as it was, but it is fairly bad. Proving that Jolinar is mostly healing herself right now. Her condition must be grave, for her to heal only herself, for so long. I am worried.
What about the others? Martouf, Lantash? My dad? My team?
I seem to remember that Martouf was in here, talking to me, helping me eat some sort of soup. Was that a dream? It felt real. I decide I need to know how everyone else is doing, and slowly sit up fully. The pain in my head reaches a crescendo, and then slowly fades to manageable levels. Mostly. The broken ribs I have is making it hard to take deep breaths, and I try to breathe shallowly. When I attempt to move my right leg, I cry out in pain. It is clearly broken, and hurts badly despite the bandages and the splint I realize they have put on it.
Either Jolinar must be doing something about the pain, or the locals here slipped me some sort of drug, because while the pain is intense when I move, it is only a numb pain when I lie still.
The door opens, and a worried Martouf enters. "Samantha? Is something the matter?"
I smile at him, a little bleakly. "I forgot about my leg being broken and tried to move it. It was a mistake."
"You should not try to move." He reprimands me gently. "Just call for one of us if you need anything."
"I will. I just got worried about...all of you. You were in here earlier, right? To help me eat some soup? Or did I dream that?"
Martouf nods. "Yes, I was. Several hours ago." He looks worried. "You do not remember?"
"Sort-of. I was unsure if it was a dream or not." I give him an embarrassed smile.
Just then, the local woman... Nadira, I think is her name, enters. "I apologize for interrupting, but some of the priestesses from the temple have arrived. They are bringing medicinal herbs and potions, which we hope will help."
"Thank you." Martouf looks quickly at me, and I suspect he worries the same as I - can they detect symbiotes? "I will go with you. We will return shortly, Samantha."
Martouf POV
A group of five priestesses have arrived. One is maybe in her mid-thirties, the others are much younger, no more than twenty, and probably apprentices of the older one. All of them are very beautiful - though not as beautiful as Samantha. I sigh, as Lantash points out the truth - we are both head-over-heels in love with Samantha already. It will be hard when - if? - she and Jolinar unblends.
"Welcome, Honourable priestesses of the temple of Ria." Nadira says, bowing to them.
"Thank you." The oldest of the priestesses say. "I am Nutura, and these are my assistants, the young priestesses Saola, Tiraka, Iora, and Sinnia."
The assistant priestesses bow their head as they are introduced, and I greet them as well. "Hello. I am Martouf. Nadira and her family have graciously saved my friends and I, and allowed us to stay until we are well."
"Greetings, Martouf." Nutura smiles kindly at me. "You were not injured in the accident?"
"I was, though not gravely. My friends are more badly affected."
She nods. "I promise you, we shall do our utmost to help them. Please, take me to them."
First we go to the nearest bedroom, where Colonel O'Neill, Daniel Jackson, and Teal'c are each placed in one of the three beds.
"One of them is a Jaffa!" Nutura exclaims, clearly not happy.
"Yes, however, he is no longer in the service of the Goa'uld." I say, before Lantash can stop me. If there is a Goa'uld on this world, the priestesses may worship him or her...probably the one called Ria. They may not want to hear about someone who has denounced his allegiance to a Goa'uld, and is fighting to slay the Goa'uld System Lords. The reaction of surprise and unhappiness from Nutura can just as well be because it is the first prime of a rival Goa'uld.
"Really?" Nutura asks, clearly not ready to believe it.
"Indeed." Teal'c says. He looks much better, after having been in kel'no'reem for hours, and is opening his eyes where he is sitting on the bed. "I am no longer in the service of Apophis, but I am fighting him, and all other Goa'uld."
Dangerous?
Nutura nods. "That is good to hear. Our queen Ria will be pleased."
"Ria is not a goddess?" I ask.
Nutura looks searchingly at me. "There are those who believe she is, but those who have met her, have been assured by her that she is not - despite evidence to the contrary." She hesitates. "For all practical purposes, she is our goddess, though, I feel...you are not one of those who would believe her or her kinds gods."
I nod, unsure what to answer to that, and she steps closer to Teal'c, hesitantly.
"You have no cause to fear me. In addition, I do not require medical assistance. I shall soon be well, as my symbiote heals me."
Nutura nods. "Understood." She turns to Colonel O'Neill, who lies in the next bed. He has been unconscious from the potion Nadira gave all the patients. It contains something soporific, clearly. He is awake, now, though.
The priestesses have examined Daniel Jackson and Colonel O'Neill, and bandages all their injuries after applying medicinal salves. They have also examined Rohk/Ihlkat and Jacob/Selmak, as well as Samantha/Jolinar.
When they are finished, Teal'c is well enough to join us, when the priestesses report on what they have learned.
"Daniel Jackson and Colonel Jack O'Neill will need time to heal, but they are in no danger. We have given them medicinal salves and bandaged them, and we have potions they should take regularly, which will control the pain, and speed the healing." Nutura says.
"Thank you. That is good to hear." I tell her.
"It is indeed." Teal'c adds, smiling.
"Rohk...is unconscious, but is healing well. Unusually so." Natura gets a speculative look. "Regardless, he seems to be out of danger. We have redressed his wounds, and left a healing potion he should drink when he awakens. The one called Jacob is in more critical condition. His wounds are grave, and he is also unconscious. All we can do, is give him drugs to increase healing, but we would prefer not to wake him until he wakes on his own. Until then, all we can do is burn medicinal herbs in his room."
"Understood. We thank you for your help." I say.
"Samantha have some serious injuries, but nothing that should be life-threatening. It is a good sign that she is awake and her thoughts are clear. Though her concussion seems to affect her more than it should."
I cannot tell them it is because she is a host, and that it is the injury to Jolinar which is affecting Samantha like this. "Hopefully the potions you have given us will assist in her healing."
Nutura nods. "She is your mate?"
"I...yes. Or..." I don't know what to say.
"They had quarrelled before the accident." Nadira explains, helpfully. She turns to me. "She was not still angry at you when you fed her the soup, was she?"
"No. She is not angry at me, but we did not discuss, ah, our relationship."
"I am sure you have nothing to worry about."
"You do, though... and mostly for her life." Nutura looks strangely at me. "What is it you know, that we do not? Is it something which means she is in danger?"
I sigh. "I believe the head wound...is more serious than it seems. For Jacob as well."
Nutura nods slowly. "If it is as you say, then you should go to goddess Ria. She has the means to heal what we cannot."
"I...will consider it. If she doesn't get better quickly."
"Contact us at the temple, and we shall take you to her. We will take our leave now. We will return tomorrow, to redress the wounds and give you more medicinal herbs for the patients."
Next morning, Rohk is healed and out of bed. Daniel Jackson and Colonel O'Neill insists of getting out of bed to eat breakfast, but it is clear that their broken ribs are painful, and they return to relax afterwards.
Jacob is still unconscious, as is Selmak, and that is deeply worrisome. Selmak's energy signature is weak, but she is alive, and healing. Hopefully, she will heal enough that she can help Jacob, before either becomes too weak from lack of nourishment. If they do not soon wake up, I shall have to contact this 'Ria'. I suspect she is a Goa'uld, but what Goa'uld will not call themselves a god?
~A Tok'ra.~ Lantash points out.
~Can we believe she is Tok'ra? Have you ever heard of anyone with that name?~
~No. I have not, and it is unlikely, I know. Still, others have changed before, so maybe so have she.~
Samantha is a little better today, and she is healing. Jolinar is still not conscious, but she is not worse, at least. After we have helped Samantha with eating her morning gruel, we leave to find herbs to make a strengthening potion, aimed at helping the symbiotes. Yes, the drugs we got from the priestesses will help too, but I believe it should be possible to make one that will help more, even with only what I can find on this world.
Teal'c and Rohk remain behind with Nadira and her family - and our friends and loved ones. I doubt there are any dangers here, but if there is a Goa'uld on this world, then the situation could quickly become dangerous.