Lantash

Resting

-Samantha-

I wake up, and Lantash is frowning at me. I recognize it immediately. A very subtle frown created from concern. His face turns blank when he sees I'm awake, but I saw that frown. "Lantash, what's wrong?" I look around, and realize I seem to have slept a long time. For one, there is a pillow under my head that wasn't there when I fell asleep. There are also several boxes and containers now in the room.

I realize I feel sore, probably from the climb, but for some reason I also feel cold.

"You are ill," Lantash says. "When I woke up you were shivering in your sleep but your skin felt hot." He pushes a cup into my hands. "Drink."

I look into the cup, and see water. Feeling rather thirsty, I finish it quickly.

Lantash takes the cup, and pushes bread into my hands. "Eat. You must keep your strength." He fills the cup with water again. "Afterwards, you need to drink more water."

I take a bite of the bread, feeling self-conscious as he is watching intently.

-Narim-

I know the Tok'ra don't get sick often, but really, Lantash, giving orders isn't going to make her heal faster.

She needs food and water to become healthy again.

Give me control.

Lantash bows his head, and I receive control. "Samantha, I am sorry for Lantash's rudeness-"

I wasn't being rude.

Yes, you were. "-but he's never had to do this before."

Samantha looks slightly confused as she chews.

"Oh, Lantash has had to deal with injured Tok'ra, and Tok'ra who were dying from injury or sickness, but never just plain sickness. Whenever a Tok'ra becomes sick, the symbiote is able to heal them fairly quickly. He is worried because you don't have a symbiote to heal you, and he is underestimating the human immune system."

I know how the human immune system works better than you do. I aid it in-

Yes, Lantash, but you never sit back, and allow it to do its job on its own. When's the last time you've actually seen what it can do on its own?

If I did that I wouldn't be a very good symbiote for allowing my host to be sick longer than needed, now would I?

I say nothing to him, as he just proved my point. Instead my attention refocuses on Samantha. I take her hand gently in my own, and rub the base of her thumb gently. She glances down at our hands, but I say her name to get her attention. "Samantha, I know of and respect the relationship you have with Pete. However, I can't let this chance by pass without telling you how Lantash and I feel."

Don't bring me into this, Lantash protests.

Samantha looks to me, and I can read her expression. "Narim."

"I love you, Samantha. I've always told you exactly how I felt, every step of the process as those feelings grew, and nothing is going to stop that."

"Narim."

"The thought of you every day for the past years is the only reason I survived. The hope of seeing you and your world were at times the only things in my life to be happy about."

I expect her to say my name in protest again and pull her hand away, but she does not. I squeeze her hand gently. "There is a lot of things Lantash and I need to tell you, and that is one of them. If Pete makes you happy, and if you love him, then live your life with him. Treat your lives together as if it's the most important thing in the universe because in the end there is nothing more important to you."

She says nothing as I let go of her hand, but quietly finishes her bread. I feel nervous about that. Telling me to never do that again would be better than this. After a few minutes she asks about Pete.

"He wanted to climb up, but couldn't make it. I don't think he's happy with you being alone with Lantash and I."

I stand up, and check the computer, but find nothing to indicate we have received any type of reply. "Why do you suppose we were abandoned?"

Zar might have lost more than he planned when he captured Samantha and Pete, Lantash thinks.

"Hmm." I sit down. "I think I should check out the area. It wouldn't be good to find some unpleasant surprise is nearby all this time...Samantha?"

"I'm here. Yes." Her mind just seems to register my words just now. "That would be a good idea."

"I'll be back soon. Do you need anything?"

Samantha shakes her head. "No, I have the glass of water you gave me still."

I nod lightly, and then head to the only door. It leads to an empty hallway, which I follow upwards. There is nothing in this hallway. No console. No decorations. Only a door on the other end. I find that unusual, but realize Zar might have never actually been here, and so wouldn't care about decoration. If the prison was found, he might not want it associated with him.

Gravity is heavy, and this room feels hot. I open the door, and see sand.

"Oh." I fall to my knees. The heat is unbearable. I rest briefly before going out. I see nothing, but miles of sand. If there is anything else on this world, I would most likely die trying to get there. I wouldn't even have an idea of where to search.

I move back in, closing the door quickly, and fall back against the wall. I touch my temple as a headache forms, and I take deep breaths. It's the perfect prison planet.

I did not realize the atmosphere was so bad, Lantash says as he starts tending to my headache.

-Narrator-

Meanwhile, in the other room, Samantha had fallen asleep due to her illness. As she dreams here, and Narim/Lantash rests in the other room, the computer crackles with sound. Static and a voice soon follow. "This is...Tok'ra, respond. How...know the codes...I repeat, this is Selmak of the...Please respond."

No one hears it, and so no one responds.