"Jack..."
It wasn't more than an almost inaudible whisper, but Teal'c heard it from where he was sitting, and the Jaffa leaned over and ran a water-soaked piece of towel along Mitchell's forehead and cheeks. She'd been burning with fever the entire night, and the three had been taking turns caring for her and keeping an eye on her. Jack had planned on doing it all himself that evening, but Teal'c and Daniel had both ruthlessly informed him that if he didn't get any rest they'd make less time the next day because of him, and he'd finally caved in and went to sleep, although he was close at hand.
"It is Teal'c, Colonel Mitchell," Teal'c told her, his voice a rumbling whisper. "O'Neill is resting. Should I wake him?"
"Teal'c?" She was quiet for a moment, and Teal'c wondered if she wasn't sure who he was. She shook her head finally, though. "No... he should sleep."
She opened her eyes, and he could see her gray eyes were mostly unfocused in the faint light from the fire.
"Would you like some water?"
"Coffee?"
Daniel had made coffee earlier, and there was some left sitting by the fire. It wouldn't be hot – for that matter, it was probably not even all that warm, since the night had turned slightly chilly – but it would be coffee flavored, and Teal'c nodded.
"I shall return momentarily."
He poured about half a cup of coffee into a tin mug, and came back over to where they'd stretched her out – still on the stretcher – and he helped her sit up just a little, careful not to jar her arm, which was still badly swollen and streaked with red, now.
Mitchell leaned heavily against Teal'c, her own strength gone, and took a sip of the coffee. Then another. It was good coffee, although it was cold, and she held it down without retching, which half-surprised Teal'c, since she hadn't managed to keep any water down the entire day. He held her tenderly as she finished the entire half cup, taking it slowly because she didn't have the energy to gulp (which was probably just as well).
"Would you like more?" Teal'c asked when it was empty.
She didn't speak, but he could feel her shake her head against him, and Teal'c set the coffee mug to the side and watched her to make sure she was going to keep it down as he once more ran the damp towel along her fevered brow. She kept it down, and fell into another restless sleep, still cradled carefully in Teal'c's powerful arms. It wasn't the same as being held by Jack – or Brad, which had never happened no matter how tempting that would have been – but she wasn't alone, and that made dealing with the fires that were now raging from her arm and into her chest, belly and legs a little easier, and it kept the evil dreams away.
~*~
They were up and running – literally – with the sun. Anderson and Carter had both woken up and eaten again in the middle of the long night so that they wouldn't need to eat right away and start their day running on a full stomach – which was an awful way to run. They'd stretched as well as they could, although their muscles were screaming at them to rest another day before trying to run like they had the day before, and Anderson had looked at the sun to make sure he knew which way they needed to go, then had shouldered his pack and started running once more, Carter at his side matching his pace perfectly.
The ground was far more uneven, as they'd discovered on the original journey, so the two runners were slowed a little by necessity. They absolutely couldn't afford a bad fall, or even worse a sprained ankle, so they had to watch the ground carefully and pick the safest place to run. The slow pace gave their bodies a chance to catch up to the running rhythm, though, so they weren't winded immediately, which was a good thing. They'd make the gate before midday, Anderson was sure of it.
~*~
They couldn't rouse Mitchell the next morning. She wasn't responding to anything Jack said, and even when he changed the bandage on her arm she didn't make a single noise. Her arm looked awful, more and more so as the time passed. The red streaks – which Jack thought meant blood poisoning, although with an unknown poison you never really knew – were going from the dart wound all the way up to her shoulder, and presumably down her forearm and underneath her cast. He didn't know, because he still hadn't cut the cast off, and now her arm was so swollen he wasn't positive he could get the razor sharp blade of his knife under the plaster to do it even if he wanted to.
They ate a hasty breakfast, and Teal'c suggested Daniel brew a pot of coffee and keep it in one of the canteens to cool a bit as they traveled. He explained how Mitchell had woken the night before and had managed to hold down the coffee where she hadn't been able to keep down water. It was as good a way to get fluids into her as any, they decided, and the air was filled with the smell of brewing coffee, which Jack and Daniel both had a cup of before they moved out.
Teal'c picked up his end of the stretcher, and Daniel picked up the other. Jack shouldered their packs and walked beside Melony, looking down at her every other step, his eyes worried and his hand constantly brushing against her cheek or hair. They'd hopefully get out of the trees by evening, and would be at the gate the next day.
Jack now understood how difficult it had been for the four injured members of SG-2 to make their long trek. Even more difficult than this one, since they hadn't had more than a rigged together piece of radio to hopefully tell them where the gate was. He couldn't imagine how concerned Melony would have been about her men during an entire month of walking, when they didn't have the boundless strength of Teal'c to keep the stretcher constantly moving. It showed him just what kind of grit she had – as if there had ever been any doubt before – and Jack devoutly hoped she could call on that grit once more and keep fighting her illness until they returned her home.
It wasn't more than an almost inaudible whisper, but Teal'c heard it from where he was sitting, and the Jaffa leaned over and ran a water-soaked piece of towel along Mitchell's forehead and cheeks. She'd been burning with fever the entire night, and the three had been taking turns caring for her and keeping an eye on her. Jack had planned on doing it all himself that evening, but Teal'c and Daniel had both ruthlessly informed him that if he didn't get any rest they'd make less time the next day because of him, and he'd finally caved in and went to sleep, although he was close at hand.
"It is Teal'c, Colonel Mitchell," Teal'c told her, his voice a rumbling whisper. "O'Neill is resting. Should I wake him?"
"Teal'c?" She was quiet for a moment, and Teal'c wondered if she wasn't sure who he was. She shook her head finally, though. "No... he should sleep."
She opened her eyes, and he could see her gray eyes were mostly unfocused in the faint light from the fire.
"Would you like some water?"
"Coffee?"
Daniel had made coffee earlier, and there was some left sitting by the fire. It wouldn't be hot – for that matter, it was probably not even all that warm, since the night had turned slightly chilly – but it would be coffee flavored, and Teal'c nodded.
"I shall return momentarily."
He poured about half a cup of coffee into a tin mug, and came back over to where they'd stretched her out – still on the stretcher – and he helped her sit up just a little, careful not to jar her arm, which was still badly swollen and streaked with red, now.
Mitchell leaned heavily against Teal'c, her own strength gone, and took a sip of the coffee. Then another. It was good coffee, although it was cold, and she held it down without retching, which half-surprised Teal'c, since she hadn't managed to keep any water down the entire day. He held her tenderly as she finished the entire half cup, taking it slowly because she didn't have the energy to gulp (which was probably just as well).
"Would you like more?" Teal'c asked when it was empty.
She didn't speak, but he could feel her shake her head against him, and Teal'c set the coffee mug to the side and watched her to make sure she was going to keep it down as he once more ran the damp towel along her fevered brow. She kept it down, and fell into another restless sleep, still cradled carefully in Teal'c's powerful arms. It wasn't the same as being held by Jack – or Brad, which had never happened no matter how tempting that would have been – but she wasn't alone, and that made dealing with the fires that were now raging from her arm and into her chest, belly and legs a little easier, and it kept the evil dreams away.
~*~
They were up and running – literally – with the sun. Anderson and Carter had both woken up and eaten again in the middle of the long night so that they wouldn't need to eat right away and start their day running on a full stomach – which was an awful way to run. They'd stretched as well as they could, although their muscles were screaming at them to rest another day before trying to run like they had the day before, and Anderson had looked at the sun to make sure he knew which way they needed to go, then had shouldered his pack and started running once more, Carter at his side matching his pace perfectly.
The ground was far more uneven, as they'd discovered on the original journey, so the two runners were slowed a little by necessity. They absolutely couldn't afford a bad fall, or even worse a sprained ankle, so they had to watch the ground carefully and pick the safest place to run. The slow pace gave their bodies a chance to catch up to the running rhythm, though, so they weren't winded immediately, which was a good thing. They'd make the gate before midday, Anderson was sure of it.
~*~
They couldn't rouse Mitchell the next morning. She wasn't responding to anything Jack said, and even when he changed the bandage on her arm she didn't make a single noise. Her arm looked awful, more and more so as the time passed. The red streaks – which Jack thought meant blood poisoning, although with an unknown poison you never really knew – were going from the dart wound all the way up to her shoulder, and presumably down her forearm and underneath her cast. He didn't know, because he still hadn't cut the cast off, and now her arm was so swollen he wasn't positive he could get the razor sharp blade of his knife under the plaster to do it even if he wanted to.
They ate a hasty breakfast, and Teal'c suggested Daniel brew a pot of coffee and keep it in one of the canteens to cool a bit as they traveled. He explained how Mitchell had woken the night before and had managed to hold down the coffee where she hadn't been able to keep down water. It was as good a way to get fluids into her as any, they decided, and the air was filled with the smell of brewing coffee, which Jack and Daniel both had a cup of before they moved out.
Teal'c picked up his end of the stretcher, and Daniel picked up the other. Jack shouldered their packs and walked beside Melony, looking down at her every other step, his eyes worried and his hand constantly brushing against her cheek or hair. They'd hopefully get out of the trees by evening, and would be at the gate the next day.
Jack now understood how difficult it had been for the four injured members of SG-2 to make their long trek. Even more difficult than this one, since they hadn't had more than a rigged together piece of radio to hopefully tell them where the gate was. He couldn't imagine how concerned Melony would have been about her men during an entire month of walking, when they didn't have the boundless strength of Teal'c to keep the stretcher constantly moving. It showed him just what kind of grit she had – as if there had ever been any doubt before – and Jack devoutly hoped she could call on that grit once more and keep fighting her illness until they returned her home.