Stargate: Transference

Chapter 2: Quarantine

The room was barren except for the hospital bed she found herself on. Machines beeped and hummed, the only real sound that filled the silence. The doctor had insisted on it. The machines. The wires. The tests.

Daniel watched her, his brow creased. Her blue eyes were focused up on the dull concrete ceiling. Every so often her hand drifted to one of the electrodes tapped to her skin to idly scratch. The more he thought about the situation the more odd it seemed. Aside from her name and age, they knew very little about her. What did so do for a living that would have ended up with her crossing realities? How did she get here? What was her reality like?

Was she even human?

He Was startled from thought when the door to the observation room opened behind him. He swiveled around to be met with Janet at the door, a file in her hands that she was flipping back and forth through, her own brow creased. Her lips pinched in a thin line.

She moved from the door and stepped up beside Daniel, glancing down at the patient below.

After a moment Daniel inquired, "Is...something wrong?"

She glanced over at him and then down at the file. "She isn't ill but..." She trailed off.

"But?" Daniel frowned.

"I found something." She flicked through the file and offered an Xray out to Daniel. His brow furrowed and he took it as she explained. "It's only the size of a small grain of rice." Tapping the spot, she continued, "But it's implanted near the base of her neck."

"Do you know what it is?" Daniel frowned, glancing back up at her.

"I'm not sure. I'd need to remove it to know." She replied, frowning.

He nodded and glanced back down at Hazel, brow creased, his lips pinched in a thin line.

Janet turned and left, taking the short walk down to the door of the ISO room. She paused a moment. Reading back over the file in her hands, before swiping her card alongside the door.

Hazel glanced over from where she lay as the locks clicked and disengaged, the door sliding open to reveal the petite doctor behind. She dragged herself upright. Brow furrowed slightly. "Hello Doctor Fraiser. Did you get everything you needed or are there more tests? Am I good to go?"

"I'm sorry Ms. walker. I can't let you go quite yet." Janet replied, shifting the file in her hands.

Hazel tipped her head slightly, frowning. "Why not? I shouldn't be sick or anything."

Janet sighed. "Ms. Walker. Are...you aware of the device embedded at the base of your neck?"

Hazel seemed to bristle just slightly at this, shifting on the bed. Seeming to almost withdraw from Janet. Janet picked up on this. Backing away herself. They eyed each other in some sort of stand off. Lips pinched in thin lines. "Ms Walker," She slowly said, "I need to remove the device. I need to make sure it's not something that can harm anyone in this facility."

"I can very easily tell you it's not as well as that you absolutely cannot remove it." Hazel replied, slipping off the opposite side of the bed from her. She felt the wires tug, the sticky backing on the electrodes pulling the fine hairs on her skin.

Janet shifted hand bruising for her pager. Hazel's eyes tracked the movement, flicking from Janet's hand to her face. She frowned. "Doctor Fraiser. If you want to know what the device is I can tell you. But I cannot let you remove it. "

The doctor studied her but gestured for her to go ahead and explain. Hazel eyed her as she began, "It's an RFID chip. Quite a bit more powerful than the kind you put in pets, but about the same size. The information on it is basically everything you'd see on my driver's ID."

"Can I ask who put it there? And why?" Janet inquired, her lips pursed slightly.

Hazel shook her head, "That's something I can't tell you.

Janet frowned, "Your fever is still unexplained. While I could not find any pathogens or drugs that could possibly be causing it. There's still some concern."

"I promise you I'm not contagious. I know my temperature is around 100. It stays there. That's my natural temperature." Hazel explained, frowning.

Janet shook her head. "Keeping a fever, even if low grade, for more than three days consistently or two weeks recurrent can be potentially very dangerous and can point to a very serious infection."

"But you saw no infection. Did you?" Hazel countered.

She began to reply, "Well no, but we still need to-"

Hazel however, cut her off. "Doctor. I appreciate the concern. But I am a healthy individual, even if I have a high body temperature. However. This is my normal. As you stated, I am carrying no diseases or drugs that could potentially affect other base members."

Janet sighed, relenting. "Okay. I'll let the general know you are safe for release. Just please. If you find yourself with a temperature any higher. Come and see me. I'd rather be able to treat you and make sure you're healthy than for you to get sick. And of course I'd prefer to stop the possible spread of an illness if I can."

"Of course Doctor. I understand." Hazel nodded.