Yeah, numb couldn't be good. Jack was immediately more worried than ever.
"Carter?" O'Neill yelled towards the area that they'd set up camp only a few hours earlier.
"We're ready, Sir." Came the immediate reply. They'd haphazardly thrown everything into the packs, adding what would have been in Mitchell's packs to the others, since she and Teal'c were certain that it'd be better if Melony's load were lightened. Teal'c had another thought, though, as he and Sam brought all the packs to the waiting group, and he addressed it as soon as they were all together.
"O'Neill."
Jack turned to look at Teal'c as he took the pack that Carter handed him.
"Yeah?"
"If there is, indeed, poison running through Colonel Mitchell's veins, perhaps it would be better if she did not walk and speed up the flow of blood?" He looked at Mitchell apologetically for speaking of her as if she weren't there, but Jack was in charge, so he was the one Teal'c knew should be addressed.
"What?"
"We can't leave her here, Teal'c." Daniel said.
"I am not suggesting we leave her, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c said, calmly. "I am merely suggesting that we make a stretcher and carry her, to keep her from raising her respiration and pulse rates. It could, perhaps, keep her from becoming ill if indeed the darts were poisoned."
"At least it'd slow the poison down, maybe." Jack said, dropping his pack. It was a good idea. "You're right, Teal'c. Good plan. Go find a couple of poles." There were plenty of branches to choose from, and certainly the Jaffa could find two straight ones that were long enough for their needs.
"What?" Mitchell protested, still looking down at her hand as if trying to figure out why it wasn't working exactly how it was supposed to be. "I'm not going to be carried. There's nothing wrong with my legs."
"It's a good idea, Melony." Jack told her. "If we keep your heart rate from going too fast, we can slow any poison." Hopefully.
"It's a shit-"
"It's an order." Jack said, holding up his hand to stop her from arguing. There were times when he'd put up with it – especially from her – but this wasn't one of those times. "Sit down and relax while we make a stretcher."
"But..." She slumped to the ground, unable to think of anything to say to make him change his mind, and knowing from the tone of voice that it was going to take a lot more convincing than she could do just then. Besides, her attention was still somewhat focused on her arm, which had gone from numb to tingling, and back to numb once more.
"Sir?" This was from Anderson, who had watched the exchange with concern. "What about having someone run back to the gate?"
"Why?"
"We could take the dart, and see if Dr. Fraiser can find out if it's poisoned or not, and if it is, maybe she could give that person the antidote to bring back."
Jack visibly thought that one over. It had its merits as an idea went, except for a few things.
"The only problems I see with that is that I don't want to sit here with Melony only to find out that the antidote is rare enough that we don't have any at the SGC, and we'd have to wait longer to get it here." If things went to bad and then – God forbid – worse, Jack wanted Melony where they could keep her stable until they got her cure.
"We could still carry her out, then, and have the runner meet us half way? Either with the antidote, or with news that we need to get her to the SGC."
"This is a lot of worrying over something that's probably nothing." Mitchell complained, leaning back against the pyramid wall once more and closing her eyes, tiredly.
"Colonel?"
This was from Daniel, who had been watching her slowly seem to wilt as the conversation went on between Anderson and O'Neill. Jack noticed, then, as well, and so did Anderson, and when Melony opened her eyes in response to Daniel's voice, she found that all of them were kneeling close, their eyes all wearing identical expressions of concern.
"What?"
"We'll carry her out," Jack said. "Carter? You want to get a couple blankets ready to make the stretcher when Teal'c gets back?"
"Yes, Sir." Sam started rummaging through the packs once more.
"Colonel?" Anderson reached out and touched Melony's face, gently, as though checking for a fever, but there wasn't one.
"Relax, Brad." She told him, closing her eyes again. "I'm fine."
"Open your eyes, Melony." Jack growled, reaching out as well, and running his hand through her hair to get her attention.
She did as she was told, looking up at him.
"Now, keep them open." He said, softly. "That's an order."
"Yes, Sir, Colonel, Sir."
Jack smiled, slightly, but there was no humor in his dark eyes, now. All there was was worry.
"Good."
Jack looked over at Anderson, thoughtfully. The Major was about to be given an order he wasn't going to like, and Jack knew it before he even gave it. "Major Anderson, your idea of running to the gate is a good one. Since I know you can find it, I want you to be the runner."
"What?" Anderson paled. There was no way he was going to leave his Commanding Officer alone right now! Not a chance in Hell. "Sir, I want to-"
"We need someone who can find the Gate without having to look for landmarks, Anderson. You're the only one that's made the trip, and you're the only one who I can be certain can find the way back with the antidote once you do find the Gate." There was no doubt that the little darts had been poisoned, now. Not with Mitchell acting like she was.
"But, Sir-"
"Brad..." Mitchell turned her gray eyes on her Second in Command, and he looked over at her. "Just do it... if I have to be carried... you have to run..."
"But..."
"Please?"
There was no way he could say no. Not because O'Neill had ordered him, though. Jack was right, and Major Anderson knew it. He could find the Stargate quicker than anyone else, and he could get help back sooner. It was obvious they'd need it as soon as possible. He just couldn't stand the thought of not being with her to reassure her, and to bully her in case things started getting bad. That was his job, after all! Like she'd done for him after the ambush had left him so battered he'd just wanted to lie down and die.
"He can't go alone, Sir." Carter said, understanding the emotions that were going through the other Major's mind. She knew how she'd feel if it were jack in Mitchell's position, and if she'd been ordered to leave him. "We haven't run into any dangers, yet, but there might be something out there that's just waiting to catch someone alone, and he's not going to be able to get to the gate in one day."
"Yes I will." Anderson told her.
"No, you won't." Carter knew how much daylight was left, and she knew how far a person could run, and it didn't add up. Especially at night.
"You go with him, Major." Jack said. It was her or Daniel, and Sam was in better shape than Jackson, since she ran all the time to keep in shape. They were definitely going to need Teal'c's help bearing Mitchell, and Jack, himself, had absolutely no intension of leaving Melony's side. Not when this whole mess was his fault anyways.
Sam nodded. She'd already figured that out, as well.
"Take the darts, and see what Fraiser can do with them, and then haul ass back as soon as you can, either with the antidote, or with news."
"Yes, Sir."
"And for God's sake... be careful, okay?"
"We will."
Sam pulled most of the stuff out of her pack, leaving just a few MREs, and a handful of supplies that she thought she'd need.
"But-"Anderson didn't want to go. It was so painfully obvious that Jack almost told the man he could stay. But he couldn't, and there was no other way.
"I'll take care of her, Major," Jack said, softly, putting his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "I swear."
Anderson swallowed hard against a lump in his throat, and nodded. "Yes, Sir."
He pulled out everything from his pack, as well, and replaced it with just a few essentials, then carefully wrapped the baggie with the darts in a towel, and put them in his pack with a light blanket.
"We'll see you soon." He said, standing up and looking down at Mitchell as though trying to memorize her features once more. Sam stood as well, her hand on Anderson's elbow as she looked down at Melony as well. The younger Colonel had closed her eyes once more, so she didn't see the two Majors turn and sprint off into the woods.
"Carter?" O'Neill yelled towards the area that they'd set up camp only a few hours earlier.
"We're ready, Sir." Came the immediate reply. They'd haphazardly thrown everything into the packs, adding what would have been in Mitchell's packs to the others, since she and Teal'c were certain that it'd be better if Melony's load were lightened. Teal'c had another thought, though, as he and Sam brought all the packs to the waiting group, and he addressed it as soon as they were all together.
"O'Neill."
Jack turned to look at Teal'c as he took the pack that Carter handed him.
"Yeah?"
"If there is, indeed, poison running through Colonel Mitchell's veins, perhaps it would be better if she did not walk and speed up the flow of blood?" He looked at Mitchell apologetically for speaking of her as if she weren't there, but Jack was in charge, so he was the one Teal'c knew should be addressed.
"What?"
"We can't leave her here, Teal'c." Daniel said.
"I am not suggesting we leave her, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c said, calmly. "I am merely suggesting that we make a stretcher and carry her, to keep her from raising her respiration and pulse rates. It could, perhaps, keep her from becoming ill if indeed the darts were poisoned."
"At least it'd slow the poison down, maybe." Jack said, dropping his pack. It was a good idea. "You're right, Teal'c. Good plan. Go find a couple of poles." There were plenty of branches to choose from, and certainly the Jaffa could find two straight ones that were long enough for their needs.
"What?" Mitchell protested, still looking down at her hand as if trying to figure out why it wasn't working exactly how it was supposed to be. "I'm not going to be carried. There's nothing wrong with my legs."
"It's a good idea, Melony." Jack told her. "If we keep your heart rate from going too fast, we can slow any poison." Hopefully.
"It's a shit-"
"It's an order." Jack said, holding up his hand to stop her from arguing. There were times when he'd put up with it – especially from her – but this wasn't one of those times. "Sit down and relax while we make a stretcher."
"But..." She slumped to the ground, unable to think of anything to say to make him change his mind, and knowing from the tone of voice that it was going to take a lot more convincing than she could do just then. Besides, her attention was still somewhat focused on her arm, which had gone from numb to tingling, and back to numb once more.
"Sir?" This was from Anderson, who had watched the exchange with concern. "What about having someone run back to the gate?"
"Why?"
"We could take the dart, and see if Dr. Fraiser can find out if it's poisoned or not, and if it is, maybe she could give that person the antidote to bring back."
Jack visibly thought that one over. It had its merits as an idea went, except for a few things.
"The only problems I see with that is that I don't want to sit here with Melony only to find out that the antidote is rare enough that we don't have any at the SGC, and we'd have to wait longer to get it here." If things went to bad and then – God forbid – worse, Jack wanted Melony where they could keep her stable until they got her cure.
"We could still carry her out, then, and have the runner meet us half way? Either with the antidote, or with news that we need to get her to the SGC."
"This is a lot of worrying over something that's probably nothing." Mitchell complained, leaning back against the pyramid wall once more and closing her eyes, tiredly.
"Colonel?"
This was from Daniel, who had been watching her slowly seem to wilt as the conversation went on between Anderson and O'Neill. Jack noticed, then, as well, and so did Anderson, and when Melony opened her eyes in response to Daniel's voice, she found that all of them were kneeling close, their eyes all wearing identical expressions of concern.
"What?"
"We'll carry her out," Jack said. "Carter? You want to get a couple blankets ready to make the stretcher when Teal'c gets back?"
"Yes, Sir." Sam started rummaging through the packs once more.
"Colonel?" Anderson reached out and touched Melony's face, gently, as though checking for a fever, but there wasn't one.
"Relax, Brad." She told him, closing her eyes again. "I'm fine."
"Open your eyes, Melony." Jack growled, reaching out as well, and running his hand through her hair to get her attention.
She did as she was told, looking up at him.
"Now, keep them open." He said, softly. "That's an order."
"Yes, Sir, Colonel, Sir."
Jack smiled, slightly, but there was no humor in his dark eyes, now. All there was was worry.
"Good."
Jack looked over at Anderson, thoughtfully. The Major was about to be given an order he wasn't going to like, and Jack knew it before he even gave it. "Major Anderson, your idea of running to the gate is a good one. Since I know you can find it, I want you to be the runner."
"What?" Anderson paled. There was no way he was going to leave his Commanding Officer alone right now! Not a chance in Hell. "Sir, I want to-"
"We need someone who can find the Gate without having to look for landmarks, Anderson. You're the only one that's made the trip, and you're the only one who I can be certain can find the way back with the antidote once you do find the Gate." There was no doubt that the little darts had been poisoned, now. Not with Mitchell acting like she was.
"But, Sir-"
"Brad..." Mitchell turned her gray eyes on her Second in Command, and he looked over at her. "Just do it... if I have to be carried... you have to run..."
"But..."
"Please?"
There was no way he could say no. Not because O'Neill had ordered him, though. Jack was right, and Major Anderson knew it. He could find the Stargate quicker than anyone else, and he could get help back sooner. It was obvious they'd need it as soon as possible. He just couldn't stand the thought of not being with her to reassure her, and to bully her in case things started getting bad. That was his job, after all! Like she'd done for him after the ambush had left him so battered he'd just wanted to lie down and die.
"He can't go alone, Sir." Carter said, understanding the emotions that were going through the other Major's mind. She knew how she'd feel if it were jack in Mitchell's position, and if she'd been ordered to leave him. "We haven't run into any dangers, yet, but there might be something out there that's just waiting to catch someone alone, and he's not going to be able to get to the gate in one day."
"Yes I will." Anderson told her.
"No, you won't." Carter knew how much daylight was left, and she knew how far a person could run, and it didn't add up. Especially at night.
"You go with him, Major." Jack said. It was her or Daniel, and Sam was in better shape than Jackson, since she ran all the time to keep in shape. They were definitely going to need Teal'c's help bearing Mitchell, and Jack, himself, had absolutely no intension of leaving Melony's side. Not when this whole mess was his fault anyways.
Sam nodded. She'd already figured that out, as well.
"Take the darts, and see what Fraiser can do with them, and then haul ass back as soon as you can, either with the antidote, or with news."
"Yes, Sir."
"And for God's sake... be careful, okay?"
"We will."
Sam pulled most of the stuff out of her pack, leaving just a few MREs, and a handful of supplies that she thought she'd need.
"But-"Anderson didn't want to go. It was so painfully obvious that Jack almost told the man he could stay. But he couldn't, and there was no other way.
"I'll take care of her, Major," Jack said, softly, putting his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "I swear."
Anderson swallowed hard against a lump in his throat, and nodded. "Yes, Sir."
He pulled out everything from his pack, as well, and replaced it with just a few essentials, then carefully wrapped the baggie with the darts in a towel, and put them in his pack with a light blanket.
"We'll see you soon." He said, standing up and looking down at Mitchell as though trying to memorize her features once more. Sam stood as well, her hand on Anderson's elbow as she looked down at Melony as well. The younger Colonel had closed her eyes once more, so she didn't see the two Majors turn and sprint off into the woods.