Carolyn – out of my element

Carolyn did not like going off world. She was not a solider, she was not a fan of gunfire, and she was all too aware off how often people got hurt when they went through the Stargate – after all she was usually fixing them up. She liked her infirmary, she liked knowing where the extra penicillin was, that there was a shelf of antibiotics and a staff of qualified personnel at her disposal. Off world she had none of these things. Off world it was easier to lose a patient, for many reasons. She liked knowing where she stood. Here she felt disoriented.

"You're worried."

Carolyn looked up at Vala, who stood by the door of the room, where Carolyn had set up her small workstation. The woman was lacking her usual glow, her eyes heavy. "It isn't the Prior Plague. The symptoms are similar, but the progression of them and the high fever that all the patients have indicates that it's something different."

"And that's not good?" Vala's eyes drifted over all the data Carolyn had collected on this outbreak. Carolyn could see she was worried too, beside Sam and herself, Vala had been the one spending the most time with the patients.

"No… You weren't around but it was a stroke of luck that helped us find a cure for the Prior Plague, this time… considering how fast it's progressing, we're gonna need another miracle or a stroke of genius."

"Well, then it's a good thing this team gets both of those in abundance." The quip was clever, but it lacked the alien woman's usual flair. Carolyn couldn't blame her, they were all exhausted. Vala was trying to keep her spirits up, but she couldn't quite pull it off considering her own spirits were so low.

Laughing tiredly, Carolyn ran a hand through her hair, "Too true." She sighed, she hadn't told anyone yet, but she feared that she was falling victim to this epidemic as well. It was either that or exhaustion. She hoped for the latter.

Sensing her mood, Vala moved inside the room and sat by her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Carolyn let herself deflate a little under the light pressure.

"It's okay. We still have more than enough time for miracles." Vala said, trying to comfort the doctor. It was lie, Carolyn knew, but she let herself believe it was true. "They'll be okay." These words came out harder, determined, and both women couldn't describe how much they wanted them to be true.

"How are they?" Carolyn asked.

"Their fever still isn't as high as the others, but they've stopped responding to the antibiotics." Vala sounded dejected, her voice hushed, her accent slightly huskier than usual. "Sam's sitting with them now. I thought you might need some company."

Carolyn nodded. It had happened yesterday, Cam and Daniel had fallen sick along with the remaining half of the village and three more members of her med crew. Carolyn had not pushed herself this hard since Quetesh's plant and the outbreak on Earth. She could still see Cam and her father helpless and dying in front of her. It wouldn't happen again. She wouldn't let it happen again. She looked at Vala, who looked tired and pale.

"You still feeling okay?"

Vala nodded. "Yeah. Sam and me still feel fine. Teal'c too. It's almost like this sickness doesn't like us or something." At her words, something in Carolyn snapped. Sam, Teal'c, Vala. They were all still fine and they had been on this planet, in this village as long as Cam and Daniel, and days longer than the med team. They had been exposed to all the same things as everybody else, but had one small difference between the three and everybody else. Symbiotes. Naquahdah had been filtered into all three of their bodies.

Shooting up like a firecracker, Carolyn turned to Vala and smiled at the woman.

"What?"

"I think I just had a stroke of genius. I need a blood sample from you."

Vala grinned at the woman's words and extended her arm.