Nesert

3.23

Nes sauntered into the SGC briefing room, barely able to contain her own arrogance as she sat down at the end of the table facing General Landry and SG-1.

"Well, both Netan and Kefflin are dead. That should disrupt the Lucian Alliance for a while."

Everyone just stared and Nes' heart started to race.

"I also found one of Ba'al's cloning facilities. I'll need some help with destroying it, though. I didn't have the necessary firepower that you all are so fond of."

Still no one spoke, though they did all exchange concerned glances.

"Here."

She slid a hard drive containing the data across the table while the silence continued. Nes swallowed hard as fear tightened her throat and dried her mouth. She didn't want to hear what awful news they were going to tell her. She even briefly contemplated running from the room, up to the surface, and beaming aboard her ship to keep the bad news at bay.

"Nes..." General Landry began. "Your brother, Nathan, has been hurt."

"How badly?" she choked out.

Sam let out a slow breath. "We're not entirely sure, but I think it's pretty bad. They were rescuing an injured soldier when a secondary device went off."

Nes closed her eyes. This was her fault. "Is he going to make it?"

"Nes..."

She stood up in frustration and anger. "Stop it. I don't want a softened version of it."

"He lost a leg, but the real concern is brain damage," Cam said matter-of-factly.

Nes slumped back into her chair, nausea threatening to bring up her hastily eaten lunch. "I should have been there."

"Nes, there's nothing you could have done." Daniel knew all about not being able to save everyone, but it only irritated her.

"There's lots I could have done!" she yelled, her voice naturally switching to its distorted tone with her intense emotion. "I should have never let him go to war! I should have been there to protect him!"

Cam stood up. "Your brother wanted to help people and he's a hero for it. Don't think for one second that you would have helped him by sheltering him away in one of your houses while his brothers died. He would have despised you, no matter how luxurious you made the prison."

Nes stared in shock and Sam and Vala finally got up to comfort her.

"Where is he?" Nes asked, her voice finally choked with tears.

"He got to DC from Germany last week." Sam patted her arm as she spoke.

Nes stood abruptly, but with a calm face, shock taking hold. "If you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be."

"Be careful, Nes," Cam said. "Don't do anything stupid."

She just looked at him with a blank expression for a moment before turning and leaving the room. She didn't care about being stupid or careless. She was going to do whatever she could for Nathan. He deserved it.

Nes got back to her house as fast as she could drive and beamed up to her ship, moving over DC and beaming down to her townhouse she kept ready. It was a bit of a risk coming here, having used this house during some of her time working with the Trust, but her worry for Nathan pushed away any of those concerns. Besides, she likely wouldn't be there long.

She put her goa'uld healing device into her bag, disguised herself well enough to make her way through the hospital without being noticed, and found her brother's room.