Author's Note: This one is a little short, but I think I'll make up for it
in the next chapter or two..
~*~
Teal'c returned almost immediately with two long poles that were straight and sturdy enough for what they were going to use them for. Jack told him about sending Anderson and Carter for the gate with the darts, and the Jaffa nodded. He had thought of that, as well, while he'd been looking for his branches.
Making a stretcher wasn't very hard when you had everything you needed - which in this case was a couple sturdy blankets, poles and rope - and Jack and Teal'c had a good one put together in only moments. Both had made stretchers before.
"Melony?"
Mitchell opened her eyes again and looked at Jack.
"Hmm?"
"We're going to put you on the stretcher, okay?"
She nodded. Jack gestured for Teal'c to take her legs, and the two of them carefully picked her up and settled her on their makeshift stretcher. Then Daniel covered her with a blanket – although the day was mild, they could tuck it around her to keep her from slipping off and falling – and picked up one of the packs that he'd filled with the first aid kits, canteens, blankets and food. Everything else would be left to be collected at a later date. They didn't have enough hands to carry it all.
Jack and Teal'c picked up the ends of the stretcher, and they headed into the woods in the same general direction that Carter and Anderson had only a half hour before.
~*~
"We won't be able to keep this pace up for too long," Carter told Anderson.
The two of them were running at a faster clip than a jog, but not quite a sprint. It was a pace that Anderson was setting, and Sam knew it was only his concern that was making him go so quickly, but if they kept it up they were going to run themselves into the ground far sooner than necessary, and the man had to know that.
"I know." Anderson's voice was already defeated, as if he expected the worst, and was just waiting for it to happen. He started to slow down a little, and Carter matched his pace.
"We'll run for a couple miles, then walk for a couple." She told him. Actually, she wasn't sure who was senior of the two, but suspected it was probably him. However, she was almost definitely thinking clearer than he was at the moment.
Anderson nodded. It was as good a plan as any.
"We have probably 14 hours of daylight left, Major Carter," he said, wiping sweat off his brow as he jogged beside her. "There's no way we can run in the dark – it's way too dangerous – so we'll need to make as much time as we can before then."
"We're not going to do her any good if we drop the first day."
There was silence, but she was right and she knew it. And she knew he knew it, as well. They ran on, not speaking, saving their breath for running.
~*~
Teal'c, Jack and Daniel were having a similar conversation as they walked.
"We can make good time if we don't stop any more than necessary," Jack was saying. "Teal'c, you'll really be setting the pace, since Daniel and I can trade off and on on this end, so when you need a break, just speak up and we'll take one."
"I will." He wasn't going to need one anytime soon, though, and he could take a breather when Jack and Daniel switched spots.
"Jack?"
Mitchell had opened her eyes again, and was looking up at him, noticing the worry set in his features, and wondering what he was so worried about.
"Hmmm?" Jack looked down at her and almost tripped because he wasn't looking where he was going. "How's the arm, Melony?"
"It's a little sore." It was pretty much on fire, and was throbbing something awful, but she was still stubborn enough to keep that to herself.
"We'll have you back to the SGC in no time, and Fraiser can hook you up to all her little machines and nag you until you're healthy again."
Mitchell smiled, tiredly. "There's no rush."
Yeah, there was, and Jack knew it. She already looked awful. He couldn't put his hand on her forehead to check her temperature since he was holding the stretcher up, but she looked a little flushed.
"Just hang in there, okay?"
"I'm sorry, Jack..." She closed her eyes again. The motion of the stretcher was making her slightly ill, and looking at the sun through the trees wasn't helping.
"You need to stay awake and talk to us, Melony." Jack told her.
Daniel reached down and touched her cheek, but it wasn't warm.
"Are you thirsty, Colonel?"
"I'd kill for some coffee."
"How about some water?"
"How about some coffee?"
"How about some water until I can make some coffee?"
She was talking at least, and almost bantering with Jackson. Jack took it as a good sign.
"Melony? We'll make a canteen of coffee for you when we stop, okay? Have some water for now."
She sighed, but nodded, and opened her eyes to look over at Daniel, who handed her a canteen.
"Stop, Jack? Please?" She couldn't drink while they were moving. Teal'c stopped the stretcher immediately, and Jack did, too.
"We'll take a break here for a minute."
~*~
Teal'c returned almost immediately with two long poles that were straight and sturdy enough for what they were going to use them for. Jack told him about sending Anderson and Carter for the gate with the darts, and the Jaffa nodded. He had thought of that, as well, while he'd been looking for his branches.
Making a stretcher wasn't very hard when you had everything you needed - which in this case was a couple sturdy blankets, poles and rope - and Jack and Teal'c had a good one put together in only moments. Both had made stretchers before.
"Melony?"
Mitchell opened her eyes again and looked at Jack.
"Hmm?"
"We're going to put you on the stretcher, okay?"
She nodded. Jack gestured for Teal'c to take her legs, and the two of them carefully picked her up and settled her on their makeshift stretcher. Then Daniel covered her with a blanket – although the day was mild, they could tuck it around her to keep her from slipping off and falling – and picked up one of the packs that he'd filled with the first aid kits, canteens, blankets and food. Everything else would be left to be collected at a later date. They didn't have enough hands to carry it all.
Jack and Teal'c picked up the ends of the stretcher, and they headed into the woods in the same general direction that Carter and Anderson had only a half hour before.
~*~
"We won't be able to keep this pace up for too long," Carter told Anderson.
The two of them were running at a faster clip than a jog, but not quite a sprint. It was a pace that Anderson was setting, and Sam knew it was only his concern that was making him go so quickly, but if they kept it up they were going to run themselves into the ground far sooner than necessary, and the man had to know that.
"I know." Anderson's voice was already defeated, as if he expected the worst, and was just waiting for it to happen. He started to slow down a little, and Carter matched his pace.
"We'll run for a couple miles, then walk for a couple." She told him. Actually, she wasn't sure who was senior of the two, but suspected it was probably him. However, she was almost definitely thinking clearer than he was at the moment.
Anderson nodded. It was as good a plan as any.
"We have probably 14 hours of daylight left, Major Carter," he said, wiping sweat off his brow as he jogged beside her. "There's no way we can run in the dark – it's way too dangerous – so we'll need to make as much time as we can before then."
"We're not going to do her any good if we drop the first day."
There was silence, but she was right and she knew it. And she knew he knew it, as well. They ran on, not speaking, saving their breath for running.
~*~
Teal'c, Jack and Daniel were having a similar conversation as they walked.
"We can make good time if we don't stop any more than necessary," Jack was saying. "Teal'c, you'll really be setting the pace, since Daniel and I can trade off and on on this end, so when you need a break, just speak up and we'll take one."
"I will." He wasn't going to need one anytime soon, though, and he could take a breather when Jack and Daniel switched spots.
"Jack?"
Mitchell had opened her eyes again, and was looking up at him, noticing the worry set in his features, and wondering what he was so worried about.
"Hmmm?" Jack looked down at her and almost tripped because he wasn't looking where he was going. "How's the arm, Melony?"
"It's a little sore." It was pretty much on fire, and was throbbing something awful, but she was still stubborn enough to keep that to herself.
"We'll have you back to the SGC in no time, and Fraiser can hook you up to all her little machines and nag you until you're healthy again."
Mitchell smiled, tiredly. "There's no rush."
Yeah, there was, and Jack knew it. She already looked awful. He couldn't put his hand on her forehead to check her temperature since he was holding the stretcher up, but she looked a little flushed.
"Just hang in there, okay?"
"I'm sorry, Jack..." She closed her eyes again. The motion of the stretcher was making her slightly ill, and looking at the sun through the trees wasn't helping.
"You need to stay awake and talk to us, Melony." Jack told her.
Daniel reached down and touched her cheek, but it wasn't warm.
"Are you thirsty, Colonel?"
"I'd kill for some coffee."
"How about some water?"
"How about some coffee?"
"How about some water until I can make some coffee?"
She was talking at least, and almost bantering with Jackson. Jack took it as a good sign.
"Melony? We'll make a canteen of coffee for you when we stop, okay? Have some water for now."
She sighed, but nodded, and opened her eyes to look over at Daniel, who handed her a canteen.
"Stop, Jack? Please?" She couldn't drink while they were moving. Teal'c stopped the stretcher immediately, and Jack did, too.
"We'll take a break here for a minute."