True to their natures, the Jaffa were on their feet in less than half an hour. Beckett checked on a few of them – to make sure there were no lasting affects from the bacterium, but after the third one, he stopped. The Jaffa tolerated him, but they weren't friendly really – even under the best circumstances. At the moment they were – as a whole – chagrined and annoyed at how easily they'd fallen to the bacterium, and they weren't really the best group of people to hang out with just then. Unless of course you were their goddess.
Mitchell was in the center of the group – which now included those she'd brought with her as part of the rescue party – explaining to them what had happened and setting them up as principal sentries throughout the city – especially in the more sensitive areas. Just in case.
This augmentation to the security of the city meant that those scientists and few soldiers who had been in hiding for so many days could now find a warm place to sleep and not have to be afraid of being discovered. Which made for much better rest. Grodin and Zelenka both found spare beds and crashed, while Carson and Shea continued to work on getting the human population back on their feet as well.
Melony stood beside Ford in the infirmary, watching as Carson worked, and keeping an eye on Sheppard and Duck, who were both still out. Others were beginning to wake up, however.
"Hey!"
A sharp and very angry shout drew Mitchell from her conversation with Ford, and they both looked over to see Elizabeth Weir glaring at them. Neither had even noticed she'd woken – and Beckett was too busy to keep an eye on her and the others. Of course, since all of them were strapped down, they didn't really need constant surveillance. Especially now that the Jaffa were up and about.
"She's not in her right mind…" Mitchell reminded Ford as the two of them walked over to the bed, both being very careful to keep far enough away that they didn't have to worry about Weir somehow freeing a hand and grabbing their guns.
"I know."
"Where are the others?" Weir asked, pulling on her restraints.
"In bed."
"Let me up."
"Not a chance."
"I'm in command of this city, Colonel. Not you." Weir's voice was harsh, her eyes flashing angrily. "You're under my orders. Now let me up!"
Not very happy, is she?Just be glad it's not permanent, she replied.
"You're not yourself right now," Ford said, clearly trying to calm Weir. "Doctor Beckett is-"
"Lieutenant Ford, I don't know what Colonel Mitchell has been telling you, but she's not in command of this city, I am. She's probably been taken over by some kind of alien life form that is trying to get a foothold into the-"
"Doctor Weir," Melony interrupted. "Don't bother. Lieutenant Ford isn't yours to command, even if he wanted to be. He's under the command of Colonel Sheppard – and then me. With Sheppard out of commission right now, that means he's under my command, and he's not going to do anything you tell him."
"Let me up!"
Weir was now struggling mightily against her restraints, but even in her bacterium induced fury she wasn't a match for the sturdy leather.
"What's this?"
Rodney McKay had walked into the infirmary without Mitchell or Ford noticing. He was holding a sandwich in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, and Melony was tempted to steal his coffee. Instead, she turned again when Elizabeth noticed Rodney's arrival as well.
"I suppose you helped her take over my city?" Weir asked, her glare as hard as her tone.
McKay was rocked back a little by the cold words, but recovered fairly quickly. After all, Elizabeth wasn't in her right mind just then. And he couldn't help but be a little proud – or maybe it was smug? – that he had, indeed, helped Mitchell take back control of the city.
"I might have had a hand in it, yes."
"You're all going to get court-martialed for this! I'll have your commissions and your asses!"
Oh, she's not happy…"Come on guys," Melony said. "Let's get out of here."
All they were doing was goading Weir, and that wasn't going to help anything.
The others nodded their agreement and the three of them left Elizabeth Weir, tied to her bed, screaming at them and rousing the others who had been coming out of their own drugged sleep.
OOOOOOOOO
"You had to wake her up?"
Melony shook her head, looking back at the bed Weir was in – where she was still yelling.
"I didn't wake her up, Carson. I just happened to be there when she started ranting."
He nodded, looking back down at the test results in his hand.
"She's probably got an awful headache."
"Yes, well, I'm all for not giving her anything for it," Rodney said, still stinging over the abusive treatment – even though he knew it wasn't really personal.
"I can't anyways," Beckett told him. "I'm about ready with the first batch of serum, and I don't want them to have anything else in their systems."
"How long until you'll know if it works?" Ford asked. "Will it work as quickly as the stuff you used on the Jaffa?"
Carson shrugged.
"The Jaffa weren't affected directly by the bacterium – it was the symbiotes who were. Once the symbiotes were taken care of the Jaffa simply reverted back to their original health. I don't know how long it will take for the brain chemistry to change back to what it once was."
"But it will, right?" Melony asked.
"Aye. As near as I can tell there hasn't been any permanent damage."
"When will you start dosing them?" McKay asked.
"As soon as I double check these results, I'll start the first round of injections."
"Injections?" Mitchell echoed.
He nodded.
"I could use help with that, if you are willing to ask the Jaffa to help hold down my patients."
He was fairly certain Weir and the others weren't going to simply let him give them a shot of anything, after all.
Melony nodded.
"I'll go get some volunteers."
"Thank you. I'm going to go run this test once more."
Mitchell went one direction, followed by Ford, and Carson went the other direction. Rodney scowled at being left behind, but shrugged.
"I'm going to finish my sandwich."
Some place quieter.
