The End

[kawalskyeffect.livejournal.com]

[[OOC: Read this before tagging.]]

Shiva was about to scream some more at the council’s representatives when he heart the sound of his devices powering down. The force field flickered and shut down, which meant the power dampener was also inactive. The “god” had suddenly become very much a mortal, very much vulnerable…

And oh so very screwed.

“DO NOT COME ANY CLOSER!” This time when he yelled he was not smug or disdainful. He was terrified. “I WILL KILL THEM! I WILL—”

It wasn’t clear if it was planned. With the way Kawalsky’s body was twitching, with the way the sweat poured down his face, it could have been a mistake. Or it could have been intentional, if misguided. However it happened, it was a profound mistake, one the goa’uld would pay for with his life.

He pressed the trigger for the bombs. He had no way of knowing they had all been deactivated. All but one.

And though he was voiceless, though no one could hear him save for two telepaths, Kawalsky screamed. He had tried to help the crew. Communicating to the engineers any advice that could help them disable the devices. They wouldn’t have been able to deactivate them without him, not for a while. So many months after he had broken, he thought he could stop the goa’uld from killing.

He was wrong.

Comments

[needs-release.livejournal.com]

Now he just felt pathetic. "I'm a doctor. A surgeon. And a damn good one by all accounts. So I really have no business on the front lines in the first place. But I still feel responsible for keeping them safe." If only he had some kind of idea where they were in those caverns, he would feel better about it.

[bonnypiperlad]

Jamie winces as he realizes how that must have come across. "Och, I'm sorry. I'd not meant it to sound like that. I'm just..." Frustrated - and occasionally prone to fits of pessimism. "Well, I think ye know. Ye are keeping them safe, though."

[needs-release.livejournal.com]

He looked over to Jamie, appearing a bit confused. "...How?" he said, as though a method had never occurred to him.

[bonnypiperlad]

"Maybe not by being on the front lines," Jamie says with a shrug. "But if ye are a doctor, ye help keep the rest of us from dying. And then we can help ye keep them safe."

It might seem like somewhat of a simplistic viewpoint to have, but to Jamie it makes perfect sense.

"I understand why ye want to fight, though. Ye want to feel like ye are protecting them yourself, and not in some roundabout way, aye?"

[needs-release.livejournal.com]

"I suppose I haven't thought of it that way," he replied, smiling a bit.

He fell silent for a moment. "I know everyone has people they miss but I just wish I wasn't alone..." He leaned on a chair, still looking dejected.

[bonnypiperlad]

Jamie nods. "Aye. I know how that is, too. When I first woke up, I thought for sure that the Doctor would've been here, but he wasn't. And...I did miss him," he admits.

This isn't strictly true. The Doctor - well, one of him - was awake when Jamie first popped. Others (including Jamie's own Doctor) have also been awake briefly. But thanks to Stacy, Jamie doesn't remember this right at the moment - and his tome is that of someone who is convinced he's speaking the truth.

"It took him quite a bit before he got around to it, but eventually, he woke up." Twice, even. "It may take a wee bit, but your friends'll join ye."

[needs-release.livejournal.com]

"How long?" he asked, looking back to Jamie. "How long did it take for him to come?" There seemed to be more hope hanging on this question than is usual.

[bonnypiperlad]

He doesn't answer for a moment, although it's not because he doesn't want to. It's more that Jamie has difficulty with keeping track of time on the ship. Finally, he says, "Look, I'm not sure exactly how long it was. But if I had to guess, I'd say it was at least six months. Maybe a wee bit more."

There's a shake of his head - he's not happy he can't provide something more accurate, but it's the best he can do. He only hopes it doesn't disappoint the man too much. "I'm sorry I'm not able to give ye a better answer than that."

[needs-release.livejournal.com]

He actually smiled. Then he shook his head. "No, that's a good answer. It means it's still worth anticipating." He hadn't realized he'd been gripping his own arm so tightly. He released it, and let his hands settle into his pants pockets.

"--Thank you, by the way," he said abruptly. "I'm sorry, I didn't get your name." He offered a hand for a friendly shake.

[bonnypiperlad]

"Aye," Jamie says. He doesn't quite smile, given the current situation, but the corner of his mouth turns upwards briefly. "It is."

He's somewhat puzzled at the gratitude, though. All he did was try and point out things might not be so bad. "I don't know what I've done to be thanked for, but you're welcome."

Gripping Sam's hand in his own, he shakes it firmly. "It's Jamie. Nice to meet ye, er..."

[needs-release.livejournal.com]

"Dr. Samuel Henderson," he replied with a note of formality. "The pleasure's all mine. I just wish the circumstances were better." He chewed his lip with a bit of a nervous edge.

[bonnypiperlad]

"Doctor Henderson," Jamie makes a mental note of the name before letting his hand drop. He nods then, with a small sigh. "Aye. I do as well."

He looks up at the ceiling, almost as if expecting another announcement, then sighs again - although this time there's a impatient edge to it. "Och. How long is it going to take them to say something?"