Walter sighed as he grabbed the diagnostics case and set it on the janitorial cart. He went to leave Major Carter's lab but then turned and grabbed her blue laptop. It was the one with the extra juice that she had souped up herself. He grabbed the black computer bag too that he knew she always stored the extra cables in.
Walter made his way through the halls and bumped into Siler in the elevator. He was pushing his big cart for maintenance. SG1 due back from another exciting mission, probably going to make a mess in the gate room, someone had probably died and been brought back to life. The gate would probably be fried by some sort of energy charge. Siler didn't even say anything, knowing that SG1 was coming too. SG1 were a bunch of big damn heroes, sure, but couldn't they stop making messes? Just once?
"What do you think it'll be this time?" Walter asked.
"First round says Major Carter... has a sprained wrist... Jackson was hit in the head... Teal'c is fine... and Colonel O'Neill touched something Ancient," replied Siler as they waited for the elevator to descend.
"Mmm... the major has an electric burn... it rained during the mission... Jackson found Ancient writings... and Teal'c has a staff burn," answered Walter thoughtfully.
"And the colonel?" asked Siler as the elevator dinged.
"Oh, right," Walter said, leading the way to the gate room. SG1 were due back in about one minute. "Mmm that's tough. It's always a toss up with him. He says something about trees."
"You're on," answered Siler with a grin as they pushed their carts to the side of the gate room.
Right on schedule, for one of the first times ever, the gate accepted an incoming wormhole. The other technician on duty called out SG1s IDC and the iris opened. A limping Carter was supported by Doctor Jackson while a grumpy, wet colonel followed an impressively stoic Teal'c. They were all completely soaked.
"SG1!" called out General Hammond from his place at the base of the ramp. "How was it?"
"Rain, sir," replied the colonel in his most sarcastic voice. "Lots, and lots of rain."
"Major Carter? Are you alright?" the general asked, looking at the major with some concern.
"Yes, sir," replied Major Carter, still leaning heavily on Doctor Jackson. "I was returning to camp this morning after surveying the ruins with Daniel... some of the steps had come loose in the rain... and I slipped. I think it's just a sprain though, sir." Her normally pale face looked even more so and the general frowned as he looked at Colonel O'Neill.
"That's the gist of it sir," replied the colonel. "Daniel said he needs to study his recordings more to really determine the purpose of the ruins there but mostly... I don't think there were any space guns, sir. Looked like nobody had been there in a long time."
"Well, SG1, get cleaned up," General Hammond replied with a small smile at Colonel O'Neill's comments on space guns. Damn, why hadn't Walter thought of that? "You can escort Major Carter to the infirmary, and we'll debrief in two hours."
"Thank you, sir," replied the colonel, with a half-hearted salute for the general. Hammond stepped back and waved his flagship team on before turning the other direction to head up to his office.
Walter pulled the nearest phone and called up the infirmary.
"Yeah, SG1 is on their way up," he informed the nurse, Lieutenant Stevens.
"Wait- let me guess," she interrupted. "Mmmm... Doctor Jackson has a broken bone... the colonel split is eyebrow again, probably has a concussion... and Teal'c and Major Carter are fine." Walter laughed.
"Nope! Just the major," he replied, watching Siler take one of the mops from the cart and begin working on the mess SG1 had left. "She apparently slipped and sprained her ankle while scouting some ruins with Doctor Jackson."
"Huh," said the lieutenant, sounding surprised. "She usually doesn't get hurt. Well, except that thing with the symbiote I guess... and the entity that took over the base... She usually gets hurt here."
"Well, at least none of them died," answered Walter with another chuckle.
"This time!" said the lieutenant with a laugh. "Oh, I think I hear them coming out of the elevator. Got to go, thanks Harriman!"
"Yeah, sure," Walter said. The nurse hung up and Walter grabbed one of the other remaining mops to help Siler. He'd set Major Carter's fancy laptop to run a diagnostic just as soon as they finished here. They couldn't leave a mess; the next team was due back in forty minutes. SG7 didn't normally make messes. They were a nice quiet team who usually handled diplomatic missions and negotiating treaties. Walter sighed as he wrung his mop out and moved on to the hall, getting most of what had dripped off the team on their way to the elevator.
Finally, Walter was able to set up the diagnostic and headed back to the elevator with Siler. "So, neither of us guessed the major spraining her ankle... but you called rain, but O'Neill probably touched one of the ruins, so I think that counts as something Ancient..." Siler said slowly as they waited for the elevator. "Should we call it a draw?"
"Yeah, fine," replied Walter. "I bet SG7 secured new naquadah mining rights!"
"You're on," Siler said with a broad grin. Walter had read SG7's mission briefing, they were going to crush negotiations. He was really looking forward to a free drink after work tonight.
Just in time with the elevator's arrival, the gate alarms went off with an unscheduled wormhole. Walter sighed; he probably wouldn't get that drink now.