Lantash

The River

-Lantash-

I didn't sleep much the night before, and was awake before everyone else was. Pete was the first to wake up after me. He picked up his ration of food for the morning, and started eating. Realizing it was probably a good idea to eat before we went to the river area, I also started eating.

We kind of stared at each other until he spoke. "You seem to enjoy them being afraid of you."

I make no visual response to his words, and swallowed a bite of food. "I do not enjoy having the other prisoners afraid of me, but I do encourage it. You've seen a glimpse of how they treat each other. Surely you must realize that being feared here is a good thing."

Samantha and Pary/Hovar choose this moment to wake up.

"Good thing? What's a good thing?" Pary asks.

"Being safe," I answer.

"Yes, that would be a good thing." Pary doesn't ask for further explanation, and begins eating.

"We checking on the river area after breakfast?" Samantha asks.

"I think that would be a good time."

After breakfast, I get up, and grab a bag. I pull back the cloth door to leave. The smell of blood is assaulting. I immediately retreat, to Narim's displeasure, and work to dull his sense of smell. As he heads to the river, the smell becomes much worse. The smell of human guts, waste, and the start of rot accompany the smell of blood.

It reminds me of when I was trapped under the Jaffa.

At the river, we see just how desperate they fought over the water. The half-room is filled with bodies, and I realize most of the prisoners are now dead or dying. The floor is covered in all mentioned smells, but mostly in sticky pools of blood. The riverbed itself is now filled with water, blood, and bodies.

Narim quickly starts checking the bodies for weapons. We both want to get out of here soon. Despite my efforts the air is getting to him. His eyes water as they burn, and the air is starting to have the same effect on his nose. The smell is so strong, he can taste it, and even when clamping his mouth shut his throat burns. He's starting to get headache and nausea.

He quickly gathers weapons from people, some of them still moaning in pain, but are far too injured to hope to survive. They flinch when they see him, and I realize they are not doing so with the others. They fear me even as they are dying. I feel some guilt about that, but there is nothing I can do.

One of the people is the man who had called out that the water has stopped. He is already dead, his throat cut.

Others enter the area, and also start searching the bodies. The area is soon filled with all us vultures. In a rarity, there is no fighting. Anyone thinking of doing so probably realizes they would end up like those they rob from. Some, like Narim, take what could be most useful, weapons, clothing, and shoes. Many take everything from the person, including pulling off clothes so bloody they stick to the body and rip. The most desperate take everything, including the bodies and the dying.

Soon Narim begins finding nothing more worth taking. He gestures to the others, and heads out. The air has made him dizzy now, and his walk isn't as steady as it should be. He walks slowly to hide this.

His steps quicken after passing everyone else in the room, and then he breaks for a run. He is almost at the room when he drops to the floor.

In retrospect I realize it wasn't a good idea to eat before this visit.

He jumps when he hears sound behind him, and realizes it's the rest of the group.

Great, Samantha and Pete saw us lose our breakfast.

Samantha kneels by, and Narim looks away in embarrassment.

You want me to take control? I offer.

Narim briefly considers it but...No, work on the nausea.

Samantha gestures for the others to go in, but she stays. She seems to realize Narim's embarrassment. "It's okay, I've seen others barf...besides, I might be joining you."

Narim chuckles, feeling better with her words.

She brushes Narim's hair out of our way, and I feel the lightest touch on his back.

Narim closes his eyes, and waits a few minutes before deciding he's lost all the breakfast he's going to lose. He sits back on his heels.

"You should drink some water," Samantha says. She gets up, and returns a few seconds later with water.

"Thank you," Narim says as she hands it to him. He drinks the water, and then closes his eyes and jaw trying to keep it down. When it seems his stomach is going to take it, he looks to her. "I've never seen so many bodies."

Samantha nods.

"...and the smell," he says. "How could you handle that? I had a symbiote counteracting it, and I couldn't deal with it."

"Pete and I left a couple times."

Narim nods slightly, realizing he should have done the same. He finishes the water. "We should clean the weapons and everything else we got."

Samantha smiles, and stands. She offers a hand, which Narim uses to get up. "Thank you. If you don't mind... " He nods his head, and gives me control.

I feel cleaner here, he adds.

Samantha and I head back into the room, and find Pary and Pete cleaning the weapons with dry rags. Our room now smells worse than it had before. I grab a rag from my bed, and give another to Samantha. First, I start wiping off the blood and unknown substances off my hands and arms.

I never felt so filthy and disgusting, Narim thinks.

I agree. I've been dirty before when isolated or in captivity, covered in dirt, sweat, and sometimes the blood of my host. It was like that this morning. Now I'm covered in blood and stuff I don't want to identify from strangers. I bet we all smell really bad too.

I start cleaning a knife, while Samantha chooses to clean off a pair of shoes that look to be about her size.

"Tomorrow," I say, "we search for a way to escape. I have an idea on a couple places we could check now that we seem to be abandoned." I look to Pete. "We speak to no one about our plan. We should divide into two teams, each team having one Tok'ra and one Tau'ri."

Pete looks up at me suspiciously when I say that.

"It would be safer that way." I look to Samantha, ignoring Pete's look. "Samantha, would you mind returning to the water source with me tomorrow?"

"No," she says, and then looks to Pete when he looks to her. They seem to be communicating or trying to communicate without spoken words.

Pary gives me a look that indicates he thinks I am trying to cause trouble. I ignore it, and continue cleaning. One of each would be safest, and there is no way I am going to work alone with Pete.