"How's the leg, Brad?"
Anderson looked up, and smiled at his commanding officer. It was a sign of just how concerned she was about him that she'd addressed him by his first name, and he was quick to reassure.
"I'm fine, Colonel."
She squatted down next to him. The group had just made the tree line, and Jack had called a halt to take a break for a while, and get a feel for the differences between the wooded area and the plains.
"We're making good time, but that doesn't mean I want to run us into the ground." Translated, that meant she wasn't going to let him drive himself too hard to keep up with SG-1, who were in much better shape than the remnants of SG-2.
"Nah, I'm really okay. The more I walk, the more it loosens up."
Mitchell nodded, and Anderson turned the tables on her.
"How's the wrist?"
"Don't even start." She told him, reaching over and pretending to whack him with the casted wrist. He grinned and dodged it, holding his hands up in mock surrender.
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Yeah, and don't start that, either," she scolded him, putting her good hand on his shoulder and using it to brace herself to stand up. She felt pretty stiff, still, although it wasn't from the walking, it was from spraining her ankle tripping over something during their walk that morning, although she'd hid the fact fairly well.
Jack walked over, looking down at Anderson, and then at Mitchell.
"How are you two holding up?"
"We're fine."
"Fine, Sir."
"Uh huh." He took a drink of water from his canteen. "How far to the pyramid from here?"
"I'm not sure, Jack." Mitchell told him. "We've made pretty good time – a lot better than I thought we would, even. I'd have guessed a few days, but at this pace, maybe only one or two."
"The trees will slow us down, though, won't they?"
Anderson shook his head the same time Mitchell did.
"No. We'll make better time, because the ground is a lot smoother in the wooded area. The roots of these trees go down into the ground, instead of spreading out. We won't be tripping over as many things in here."
"Good." Jack was tired of watching his feet so diligently. "How much more daylight?"
"A ton."
Anderson nodded. "At least another 15 hours, Sir."
"Really?" That was a long day. Of course he wasn't going to do any forced marching, not with these two looking so tired already. And Jack hadn't missed the way Melony was babying her left ankle, either. Besides, they had a lot of time, and were – as Mitchell said – making much better time than they'd originally expected.
"I told you they were longer."
"Yeah, I know." He looked at the others who were coming over to flop down as well, although they didn't look too tired. Walking was nothing new to you if you were on an SG team, that was for sure. "We've got a lot of daylight still, guys, and these two are telling me that we'll find walking a lot easier in the woods, so we'll make better time now."
"How much further?" Daniel asked. Everyone knew he was more anxious than anyone else to get to their destination, which only made sense.
"Couple days. Maybe less." Mitchell answered the question since he'd directed it at her.
"That long?"
"It took us almost two weeks to get from the pyramid to the Stargate, Doctor Jackson." Anderson told him, coming to Mitchell's defense automatically. Like it was her fault they were that far away.
Jack stepped in, realizing that it wasn't anything personal, but unwilling to allow an argument to develop. "We'll get there, Daniel."
Mitchell stepped in as well, and rested her casted hand on Anderson's shoulder. She wasn't taking Doctor Jackson's comment personally; there was no reason he should. And she knew if he wasn't as tired as he was – and wasn't hiding it – he never would have jumped on Jackson like that. "We didn't know exactly which way we were going then, but we do now, so we'll make good time."
Both of the younger men nodded, and they exchanged a glance that was both apology and acceptance of the other's apology at the same time.
"I'd like to see one of these apple trees," Carter said, looking up.
"Not me." Anderson said, grinning.
"Oh, you'll see plenty, Major." Mitchell assured her. "And you're more than welcome to my share of the fruit."
"Mine, too."
"You guys ready to get going?" Jack asked.
"Whenever you are, Sir." Anderson told him, reaching a hand up to his commanding officer, who pulled him to his feet easily with her unbroken hand.
"Melony? You and Daniel take point, okay?" She'd warned him that it might be a good idea to keep the group a little closer together once they'd hit the trees, and if Daniel was on point he wouldn't lag behind looking at SG- 2's notes. Instead, he could ask Mitchell questions she didn't understand. "Anderson, you have center with Carter, Teal'c and I'll take the rear."
There were nods all around, and the small group shouldered their packs once more and headed out.
Anderson looked up, and smiled at his commanding officer. It was a sign of just how concerned she was about him that she'd addressed him by his first name, and he was quick to reassure.
"I'm fine, Colonel."
She squatted down next to him. The group had just made the tree line, and Jack had called a halt to take a break for a while, and get a feel for the differences between the wooded area and the plains.
"We're making good time, but that doesn't mean I want to run us into the ground." Translated, that meant she wasn't going to let him drive himself too hard to keep up with SG-1, who were in much better shape than the remnants of SG-2.
"Nah, I'm really okay. The more I walk, the more it loosens up."
Mitchell nodded, and Anderson turned the tables on her.
"How's the wrist?"
"Don't even start." She told him, reaching over and pretending to whack him with the casted wrist. He grinned and dodged it, holding his hands up in mock surrender.
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Yeah, and don't start that, either," she scolded him, putting her good hand on his shoulder and using it to brace herself to stand up. She felt pretty stiff, still, although it wasn't from the walking, it was from spraining her ankle tripping over something during their walk that morning, although she'd hid the fact fairly well.
Jack walked over, looking down at Anderson, and then at Mitchell.
"How are you two holding up?"
"We're fine."
"Fine, Sir."
"Uh huh." He took a drink of water from his canteen. "How far to the pyramid from here?"
"I'm not sure, Jack." Mitchell told him. "We've made pretty good time – a lot better than I thought we would, even. I'd have guessed a few days, but at this pace, maybe only one or two."
"The trees will slow us down, though, won't they?"
Anderson shook his head the same time Mitchell did.
"No. We'll make better time, because the ground is a lot smoother in the wooded area. The roots of these trees go down into the ground, instead of spreading out. We won't be tripping over as many things in here."
"Good." Jack was tired of watching his feet so diligently. "How much more daylight?"
"A ton."
Anderson nodded. "At least another 15 hours, Sir."
"Really?" That was a long day. Of course he wasn't going to do any forced marching, not with these two looking so tired already. And Jack hadn't missed the way Melony was babying her left ankle, either. Besides, they had a lot of time, and were – as Mitchell said – making much better time than they'd originally expected.
"I told you they were longer."
"Yeah, I know." He looked at the others who were coming over to flop down as well, although they didn't look too tired. Walking was nothing new to you if you were on an SG team, that was for sure. "We've got a lot of daylight still, guys, and these two are telling me that we'll find walking a lot easier in the woods, so we'll make better time now."
"How much further?" Daniel asked. Everyone knew he was more anxious than anyone else to get to their destination, which only made sense.
"Couple days. Maybe less." Mitchell answered the question since he'd directed it at her.
"That long?"
"It took us almost two weeks to get from the pyramid to the Stargate, Doctor Jackson." Anderson told him, coming to Mitchell's defense automatically. Like it was her fault they were that far away.
Jack stepped in, realizing that it wasn't anything personal, but unwilling to allow an argument to develop. "We'll get there, Daniel."
Mitchell stepped in as well, and rested her casted hand on Anderson's shoulder. She wasn't taking Doctor Jackson's comment personally; there was no reason he should. And she knew if he wasn't as tired as he was – and wasn't hiding it – he never would have jumped on Jackson like that. "We didn't know exactly which way we were going then, but we do now, so we'll make good time."
Both of the younger men nodded, and they exchanged a glance that was both apology and acceptance of the other's apology at the same time.
"I'd like to see one of these apple trees," Carter said, looking up.
"Not me." Anderson said, grinning.
"Oh, you'll see plenty, Major." Mitchell assured her. "And you're more than welcome to my share of the fruit."
"Mine, too."
"You guys ready to get going?" Jack asked.
"Whenever you are, Sir." Anderson told him, reaching a hand up to his commanding officer, who pulled him to his feet easily with her unbroken hand.
"Melony? You and Daniel take point, okay?" She'd warned him that it might be a good idea to keep the group a little closer together once they'd hit the trees, and if Daniel was on point he wouldn't lag behind looking at SG- 2's notes. Instead, he could ask Mitchell questions she didn't understand. "Anderson, you have center with Carter, Teal'c and I'll take the rear."
There were nods all around, and the small group shouldered their packs once more and headed out.