The trip through the Stargate was unlike anything Grace had ever experienced. Keller packed an overabundance of supplies for her, and Lorne had resorted to taking a Jumper through the gate. Knowing that she'd never really been in one, Jason had grinned at her and told her she would love it. And she did. Evan was a great pilot, and the trip through the Stargate ruined her addiction to rollercoasters. She said as much when they arrived on the other side, and the men chuckled.

Everyone sobered, however, when they reached the inland village. It looked like a refugee camp, with men, women, and children lying beneath scant tents and trees. A few buildings housed the extremely ill, and Grace fought with memories. This wasn't just getting back to her roots. It was returning to her nightmares. Those times in her life that she hadn't told anyone, not even Lorne, about. She swallowed and put on a strong face as Evan landed the Jumper. Those still able to walk huddled around as it opened.

An older woman, clearly ill but strong enough to stand, met them. "Who are you? We have nothing of value."

Lorne held up his hands. "We're here to help."

The woman snorted. "The only way you can help is to leave this place. We're all dying, and we know it."

Grace stepped forward and put a hand on Evan's arm. He glanced at her, and she nodded behind her. As he stepped back, she smiled. "I'm a doctor. A physician. I want to help you fight this thing."

"No one can fight this plague." The woman looked around. "We've tried. All our medicines are useless."

Grace smiled. "What's your name?"

"Neera."

"Neera, think about your children." Grace surveyed the faces. "I might be able to help you. In any case, I have different medicines, and those might help."

Neera thought about this. She was clearly the leader, and everyone else seemed willing to follow her. "It's your lives. If you want to waste them on us, who am I to stop you?"

Grace accepted her approval with a nod. "Okay, thank you, Neera."

"Just don't expect us to run your errands for you."

"I don't." Grace smiled and looked over Lorne and his men. "These men here are at my beck and call. They'll help me."

Neera snorted again. "Lucky you." She headed for the outskirts of the village. "Come and see what you've doomed yourself to."

Lorne quickly issued orders for Ramirez and Williams to stay with the Jumper. Grace followed Neera and felt Jason close behind. Lorne joined her a moment later.

In the village, Neera pointed out the various locations where the people had set up outdoor hospitals. One or two women worked each area, bathing faces and emptying chamber pots. The stench reminded Grace of her time in the refugee camps of Bosnia. Such squalor and helplessness. Her heart broke every time she saw a child huddled under threadbare blankets. She turned to the men following her. "Major, is there any way we could get another Jumper loaded with relief supplies? Blankets and such would go a long way here." She glanced around. "Not to mention provisions."

Evan nodded and spoke into the radio in his ear. Ramirez confirmed that he'd call Atlantis and make the request.

After a brief tour, Neera took her entourage back to the town center. The four gathered around a well, and Grace looked around. This was the largest area, and it would be the best place for her to set up a centralized lab. "Neera, I'm going to need a shelter of some sort to set up my equipment. Is there an empty house nearby that we could use?"

"There are always empty houses lately." Neera pointed. "There, there, and there. Those are closest to this square." She narrowed her eyes. "Why would people from the great Ancestral city want to help us? Wait, don't tell me. You're afraid this will spread to other planets."

"Yes." Grace knew Neera would accept nothing short of the truth. "I do need some help from your healthier people. I can't do this on my own, and four soldiers aren't going to care for all of your people. I will need you to keep doing what you're doing."

Neera seemed to be warming to the idea. "I will see that the sickest are brought here, to this square. Then, you'll be able to look out over them from your equipment."

"Good idea. Can you see to that?"

Neera shuffled away, and Grace turned to Evan. "I want to examine those houses, and then we need to set up a lab as quickly as possible. From the looks of it, these people are on the verge of extinction."

Lorne nodded and trailed her toward the first house that Neera had indicated. Jason stayed outside, keeping an eye on their six. Inside, Grace leaned against a beam holding the ceiling up. She hadn't expected to feel so overwhelmed so soon.

"Hey, you okay?" Evan appeared at her side.

"Yeah." She looked at him. "It's bringing back memories."

"Bosnia?"

"Yeah."

He touched her shoulder. "You can do this."

Grace nodded but wasn't so sure. She examined the remaining two houses and picked the first for her work. There were two small rooms off of a large central room. She intended to use one for autopsies. The other would house several cots. She already felt the strain of this type of work settling into the area between her shoulders.

SGA SGA SGA SGA

Grace had the central square of the village set up before nightfall. Lorne watched her work and did as he was told. She obviously knew what she was doing and what she wanted. He also noticed that Miller stayed out of her way. And his, for that matter. The lieutenant instead busied himself with carrying litters of sick people into the outdoor hospital. The healthiest, mostly women, were organized by Neera to continue to care for them. For all of her crude ways, Neera truly cared for these people. She had just been hardened by life. And Grace seemed to like her. Evan shook his head as he watched the two women share a cup of tea. Grace offered the steaming liquid to Neera, and the old woman sniffed it before drinking it.

Late that night, as he sat watch over the sleeping villagers, Neera appeared in the door of the house. "Your woman needs you."

He turned. "I'm sorry?"

She pinned him in place with a direct stare. "I might not be as smart as you people, but I know what I see. That girl in there needs you, and you need to see to her." She glanced around. "Don't worry. Your other men will cover the rest of us. Besides, you've got more coming." With that, she marched away.

Lorne ducked into the house. Grace sat hunched over a microscope, her glasses beside her hand. A computer displayed the same information Dr. Keller had shared at the briefing. He walked over. "You need something?"

"What?" Grace straightened, her eyes confused.

"Neera said you needed something."

She glanced around. "A cup of coffee, maybe. But I'm fine otherwise."

"I'll see what I can do." He turned to go.

"Evan." Grace stopped him by simply using his name. He turned, surprised that she was so familiar on assignment. She smiled. "Thanks for checking on me anyway."

He nodded and left. Jason found a canister of instant coffee among the supplies sent through the Stargate, and Lorne carried a cup of it back to Grace. She never fussed about the taste and went right back to her work. The following morning, he found her still working at her computer, muttering about how she was going to shoot whatever monster was responsible for starting this epidemic. Lorne chuckled quietly and woke Miller so he could get a few hours of sleep on one of the cots. He drifted off right away, never hearing Williams wake Ramirez or bring breakfast to Grace as she worked.

SGA SGA SGA SGA

The first of the children died a day later. Jason sat with the boy, bathing his face as he drifted in and out of delirium. Grace had already started the sickest on a treatment for the flu, but it had done little more than suppress the worst symptoms. She watched all her patients closely, and Jason began to see what had happened to the girl he'd loved in high school. As he tried to bring this boy's temperature down, he realized that he no longer loved Grace. He loved what she had been and the idea of what they had shared. But she was so different here. On Atlantis, she was still the girl he'd known. Here, she had transformed into a capable, driven, heroic doctor. In truth, he wasn't sure how to handle her.

Lorne seemed to have no problems. Jason watched the few interactions they had, noting how Grace drew strength from his commanding officer. And Lorne took his cues from Grace. After a long night on watch, he decided that he'd put in for a transfer back to Earth as soon as this mission ended. Those two clearly needed each other, and he wasn't going to stand in the way.

The boy under his care went into convulsions, and he called for Grace. She was nearby, and she worked as hard as she could to stabilize the boy. But, in spite of her best efforts, the child still slipped away. Jason covered the body with a blanket provided by Atlantis as Grace quietly gave him orders to take the boy to the lab. He knew she needed to do an autopsy, that the information she recovered would be invaluable. But he also saw how the child's death had impacted her. For a moment, she had stared in shock. Then, her mask slipped back in place, and she walked back to the house after giving him those sober orders.

Jason swept the square as he wrapped the blanket firmly around the boy's body. He found Lorne standing to the side, talking with a team of Marines who had arrived to help secure the location. Several other doctors had already waded into the relief effort, freeing Grace to work on finding the cure and coordinating everything. Now, Jason met Lorne's eyes and nodded toward the house where Grace had disappeared. The major understood and sent the Marines on their way. A moment later, he ducked into the lab.

When Lorne reappeared, Jason picked up the boy and carried him into the makeshift morgue. A table had been brought from Atlantis, and Grace stood nearby in full surgeon's gear. Her eyes were sad, but her voice was firm as she spoke. "Thank you, Lieutenant."

"Anything else you need?"

"Time." She met his eyes. "Let me do this and find out what I can. Just keep everyone as calm as possible."

Jason left her alone then, knowing that he wouldn't be able to stomach watching her cut a child open to find what had killed him. He stepped out of the house and wasn't surprised to find Lorne waiting for him. "Major."

"Lieutenant." Lorne looked around. "We've got a good perimeter established. The doc wants us to find out where this disease came from. If we can locate the origin of this disease, she thinks she'll be able to synthesize some sort of vaccine or cure."

Jason fell into step. "Sir, it's okay if you refer to her by name." He glanced over. "I understand."

Lorne glanced at him. "Now is not the time, Lieutenant." He stayed quiet for a few moments. "But, thank you."

Jason didn't respond. There was no need. He merely followed Lorne as he gathered Ramirez and Williams for their investigation.

~TBC~

Author's Note: Oooh! It's picking up. I told you it wouldn't stay fluff forever. Review and tell me what you think.