MGM owns all characters except OCs.
A/N: This is another AU because Carson does not die in Sunday. It's set within the time frame of the series. If folks like it, I'll continue it. Jennifer might appear somewhat OOC, but I know she does have strength; the series writers did not consistently show it. I'm also trying to write a story all from one character's POV. A real challenge for me.
Doctor Jennifer Keller stepped through the Stargate onto her second alien planet in as many weeks. Taking a deep breath, it smelled like the forests back home. Looking around, she took in the soldiers, three other medical staff and some of Colonel Sheppard's gate team adjusting weapons, reading scanners and milling around for their orders.
Jennifer arrived on Atlantis two weeks before and immediately had to deal with several bomb explosions. Her boss, Doctor Carson Beckett, was almost killed during a hand-off with one of the explosives experts from the Corp. The Marine was killed and Doctor Beckett had ringing in his ears for a week. It was rather humorous to yell at the Scotsman for several days.
Doctor Beckett was kind, friendly and very welcoming, which was something she was not used to. As a young doctor, older physicians often resented her because she completed medical school and two PhDs by the time she was twenty-five. The lack of respect she received was a cross she had to bear, but she had a strong family to turn to during her difficult medical and graduate school years.
Her Dad relocated from Chippewa Falls to Lexington, Massachusetts to be with the frightened fifteen-year-old when she started Harvard Medical School. Once she entered her second PhD program at MIT, she made him move back home to Chippewa Falls because she knew he was never happy in New England. She also had regular visits from her uncle, who lived in DC.
"Doctor… Keller, is it?" The handsome Major Lorne said approaching her.
"Yes, what can I do for you, Major?" She asked. Major Evan Lorne was a veteran of over ten years with the SGC. He had given her and the other new recruits a tour of the military areas of the base. Odd, the second-in-command of the military was touring the newbie's. He must've gotten into trouble recently.
"Just wanted to make sure you're okay. I know it was your first time through the Stargate," he said with a smile, which brought out adorable dimples on his cheeks.
"I will admit being de-molecularized is disconcerting, but it's been explained to me by people I trust, so I wasn't too concerned," Jennifer said smiling.
"We're ready to go, sir," said a large Marine with graying hair around his temples. He was Master Gunnery Sergeant Dwayne Richards and he was a legend around the SGC. Jennifer knew if anything went to hell while on a mission to stay near him.
When his grey eyes connected with hers, she smiled. The big man nodded back and smiled briefly, which caused the Major to raise an eyebrow.
"Do you know the Gunny?" He asked with awe in his voice.
"No, I've never met him before, but he is legendary," Jennifer said as she stepped over to Tony Meeks, Billy Taylor and Pran Patel, the medical staff members who accompanied her.
The medical team had several packs full of vaccines to administer to the villagers of M89-706. There had been a disruption in their transmissions to and from Atlantis, so Doctor Weir sent SGA1 and a group of Marines led by Major Lorne to investigate. It seemed like overkill to Jennifer, but she had read enough SGC logs from the Milky Way and Pegasus gate teams to know anything can happen off world.
Sitting down on a rock and getting a water bottle out of her pack for a quick drink, she looked more closely around her. Colonel Sheppard's team with Major Lorne stood separate from the Marines and discussed something obviously humorous to them.
Jennifer had been told all about the arrogant, obnoxious astrophysicist, Rodney Mckay. She would have dismissed him entirely if not for the fact that she read his papers on wormhole physics and Stargates and recognized him as being a genius like her. We're always misunderstood, so I'll reserve my judgment until I work with him.
He's also cute, Jennifer thought now that she could watch him closely. His bright blue eyes and expressive face could be read like the proverbial open book. After dealing with so many fake people over the years, it was refreshing to meet someone who did not care about putting on a face for everyone to see. Doctor McKay lets everyone see his flaws and doesn't care what they think about him. Jennifer wished she could be that confident, but she did care. Deep down where no one saw and no one outside her family ever reached, the lonely genius longed to have close friends. Your family has to love you, but friends choose to love you. Maybe some day, I'll find some real ones.
"All right people," Colonel Sheppard said turning to face everyone and describing the mission to deliver vaccines and check on the transmitter.
Jennifer pulled a dark cap out of her pack and pulled it over her head. It was a gift from her uncle before she left. Tucking her golden hair underneath of it, she donned her pack and stood with the other medical staff and a couple of Marines, Sergeant Roberts and Lieutenant Dixon. They smiled at her as she stood next to them. The feel of their eyes roving over her figure encased in the tight black uniform she was issued infuriated her. Great, I'm just another piece of ass to them, like med school all over again.
Shaking her head in disgust, she glanced around and her eyes connected with Gunny Richards, who then glared at the younger men and walked toward them. So he is a gentleman, like I heard.
"The settlement is four miles from here and we need to hike through the forest," Sheppard continued as he glanced around the clearing as if he was looking for something. "I'd like all the… medical staff to… stay in the center with Dixon and Roberts."
A puzzled look was on the Colonel's face and Major Lorne finally asked, "Is something wrong, sir?"
"No… Yes," Sheppard looked at McKay to his left and Ronon, who was leaning against a tree looking bored. Teyla, the Athosian leader, was recovering from her injury suffered during the explosion two weeks ago and was not with them. "Did we lose someone, Major?"
"No, sir," Lorne said glancing around the clearing. "Everyone is here."
"Oh, I thought that… new doctor was with us," John said as he glanced at the four medical staff members in front of him and then back to Lorne.
"They're all new, sir," the Major raised his eyebrows.
Wonder what's up with the Colonel? Probably wanted Anita Alvarez to be here, she's a real beauty. Jennifer adjusted her pack; once her scanner with laptop, basic medical supplies and extra survival supplies were placed in the black bag, it weighed up to twenty pounds. In preparation for her journey to Atlantis, she ran daily with a twenty-pound pack. Don't want to be the weak link on a mission.
"Carson sent us all new doctors?" The big Satedan finally moved and spoke. The fact that he spoke like she and the others could not hear him made her mad.
"Hey," McKay said as he adjusted his scanner. "You know, I'm not reading much of anything around here. We should get a reading from the power supply we left here to run their communications equipment, but I got nothing."
"Are you sure you're reading it right?" Sheppard said as his eyes flashed over her face for a moment.
"I think I know how to read a scanner, Sheppard?" Rodney barked at him and turned to aim it toward the mountains in the distance.
Sergeant Warrington returned and reported he found no sign of the villagers at their lookout. They kept it about a half a mile away from the gate, where they could see the gate dial according to the report Jennifer studied at breakfast about these people.
"All right, we'll move out and stay in formation. Who's the leader of the medical team?" Sheppard asked.
"I am," Jennifer said as she stepped forward. Gunny Richards, who had glared at the other men causing them to back away from the young doctor, stood nearby. "I'm Doctor Jennifer Keller."
The physician had not met any of the members of Colonel Sheppard's team formally. They were all in the infirmary during the explosions and afterward to visit Teyla. Carson hovered over the Athosian and interacted with the team the entire time. They were all a family and Jennifer had to admit she felt like she was on the outside looking in.
"Oh, I… It's nice to meet you," Colonel Sheppard said looking over her face and glancing at her figure as well. "Of course, I didn't recognize you."
"You mean the only thing you noticed about the new doc was her blond hair. Since I put it under the hat, so my head doesn't stand out to give away our position in the woods, you couldn't figure out who I was," Jennifer said in a matter-of-fact voice that caused all the men gathered around to have their jaws drop, except for Ronon. "I realize I'm just a young blond to most of you, but I had expected a little more from the Head of Atlantis's military. I had heard some good things about you."
Jennifer had been pissed at the other Marines for checking her out so obviously and now that the Colonel lost track of her because she hid her hair, caused her to let her anger at being viewed as an object out. Catching Rodney McKay's raised eyebrows and saucer-sized eyes behind the Colonel caused Jennifer to smile a little.
"No… Ah… I didn't mean…Um… You're not just a blond… I mean to say…" Sheppard stammered and glanced at his teammates for help. Ronon was already heading up the trail and McKay looked stunned and then like he was going to laugh.
"Take it easy, Colonel," Jennifer said. "I'm not mad at you. Just disappointed."
The physician turned and headed back to the medical staff and Gunny Richards, who now seemed to be shadowing her.
A/N For my regular readers, I know, I know, I have a story to finish, but these new ideas just keep coming.