oOo Chapter 11: There's Got To Be A Morning After

Dr McKenzie watched with foreboding as his primary patient walked out of the office. This had been a significant session, he was sure of that. He just wasn't entirely what the significance of it was.

O'Neill had come in more relaxed than he had seen him since his experience. Almost happy. McKenzie had been pleased; the mission had had the desired result. He'd even told the Colonel he'd discuss it with Dr Standish and that another light mission might be within consideration.

O'Neill had had some sort of a breakthrough. There was a moment of absolute shock on his face, and then he had gone still. McKenzie wouldn't even have been sure he'd seen the look if it hadn't been for the stillness. O'Neill had seemed calm, had finished his session in a reasonable fashion. But he hadn't fidgeted or twitched or shifted around once.

He'd realized or remembered something. Something big. That was good. But he didn't want to talk about it. That was bad. The difficulty was in figuring out how bad. The Colonel might just need some time to consider whatever he'd thought of. Or he might act out in some way that his possibly confused mind deemed appropriate. In McKenzie's experience, it was more often the latter than the former.

He looked down at his notes, re-reading what he had just written. Patient had strong reaction, possibly a breakthrough of some kind, when I said I would discuss the possibility of another mission with Dr Standish. Maybe it wasn't the thought of going out again that had spooked the Colonel. Maybe it was the thought of not going. Either way, he had inadvertently placed the responsibility for that decision on Dr Standish.

He had to find his colleague before O'Neill did.