Author's note: This one is a little short, but definitely necessary!
Jack met SG-1 in the hall when he left the infirmary, and could see they were all waiting for more information on Mitchell's condition – as were a large handful of other SGC members who had been coming and going as their duty shifts permitted. He smiled, and saw Carter relax marginally.
"She's awake."
They knew this. Anderson had just left the room, and he'd told them that. They hadn't asked him how she was doing, though, since he'd looked pretty shaken.
"How is she?" Carter asked. This question was loaded, because Sam knew that Jack was struggling with the choice he'd made, and that he'd been afraid what Mitchell would think of him, and the choice of giving her to the Tok'ra like he had.
"She's doing good, Carter. She likes this Talon, and seems to be okay with things."
"How are you?" Another loaded question, since he knew Sam wasn't asking about his physical health.
"I'm doing okay, Sam. Thanks. I want to go talk to Hammond before I go get cleaned up, though. He's already been talking to Jacob and the President about Melony, and I want to know what's going to happen to her now." He wasn't going to let them all forget that she was still important to them all.
The last person you'd have expected to deliver a cup of coffee delivered the coffee to Mitchell about ten minutes after Jack had walked out the door. Hammond knocked softly on the door, and then walked in, and Mitchell was surprised to see he was carrying a small tray.
"As you were," Hammond said, as Melony started to get out of her bed to come to attention. She relaxed, and watched as he walked over and set the tray over her legs. It held an entire pot of coffee, a plate of cookies and a bowl of soup with a couple of sandwiches. With two cups, which meant that she was going to have company – or that Hammond was going to stay and keep her company, himself. Mitchell looked down, wondering if she was supposed to eat all that by herself – she knew she could drink the entire pot of coffee, and she was hungry, so one of the sandwiches would go down well, and maybe the soup – but the plate of cookies was daunting.
"Thank you, Sir."
Hammond sat down and snagged a couple of her cookies, watching her intently.
"How do you feel, Colonel?"
"Am I still a Colonel, Sir?" She asked, wondering what was going to happen to her, now. Obviously this wasn't something that happened all that often, and there wasn't a handbook on it. Mitchell felt a pang of loss when she thought about leaving the SGC and SG-2 in particular.
Hammond gave her a sharp look, and nodded.
"Let's get that out of the way right now, Colonel." And this time he emphasized her rank, firmly. "As far as I'm concerned, and the president is concerned, you're still a member of the United States Air Force, and still riding the books with your current rank. We're not going to lose a fine officer to a stupid accident, or to the Tok'ra. You'll be doing whatever it is you need to do, of course, but you'll still be an Air Force officer. Just on special assignment to the Tok'ra."
She nodded, feeling better. The military had been her entire life, after all, and all her friends were in the military.
"What about my team, Sir?"
"Unless you have any objections, I'll give SG-2 to Major Anderson. He's proven himself capable of a command."
"I don't have any objections, Sir." He was a good choice, as far as she was concerned. Of course, she could be a little biased. She felt a surge of humor from Talon, who by now knew exactly what she felt for Brad.
Hush.
I didn't say anything Another glimmer of humor, this one laced with false innocence.
Keep it that way.
Yes, Ma'am
Great, her symbiote had already caught on to the things that annoyed her most. Mitchell smiled. This was going to be so interesting.
"So," Hammond said, unaware of the silent exchange. "Do you have any other concerns?"
She shook her head. He'd done far more than she could have hoped. "No, Sir."
"Then we'll go back to my original question. How do you feel, Colonel?"
"I'm fine, Sir. A little tired, but getting better every minute."
"And Talon?"
"He's fine, too, General."
"Good." Hammond leaned back in his chair, and took a bite of one of her cookies. He rarely had a chance to just sit and chat, and since everyone else had been kicked out of the infirmary, he had that chance, now, and was going to take it. "Drink your coffee, Colonel, and eat."
She nodded, and poured a cup of coffee for him and then another for herself.
Jack met SG-1 in the hall when he left the infirmary, and could see they were all waiting for more information on Mitchell's condition – as were a large handful of other SGC members who had been coming and going as their duty shifts permitted. He smiled, and saw Carter relax marginally.
"She's awake."
They knew this. Anderson had just left the room, and he'd told them that. They hadn't asked him how she was doing, though, since he'd looked pretty shaken.
"How is she?" Carter asked. This question was loaded, because Sam knew that Jack was struggling with the choice he'd made, and that he'd been afraid what Mitchell would think of him, and the choice of giving her to the Tok'ra like he had.
"She's doing good, Carter. She likes this Talon, and seems to be okay with things."
"How are you?" Another loaded question, since he knew Sam wasn't asking about his physical health.
"I'm doing okay, Sam. Thanks. I want to go talk to Hammond before I go get cleaned up, though. He's already been talking to Jacob and the President about Melony, and I want to know what's going to happen to her now." He wasn't going to let them all forget that she was still important to them all.
The last person you'd have expected to deliver a cup of coffee delivered the coffee to Mitchell about ten minutes after Jack had walked out the door. Hammond knocked softly on the door, and then walked in, and Mitchell was surprised to see he was carrying a small tray.
"As you were," Hammond said, as Melony started to get out of her bed to come to attention. She relaxed, and watched as he walked over and set the tray over her legs. It held an entire pot of coffee, a plate of cookies and a bowl of soup with a couple of sandwiches. With two cups, which meant that she was going to have company – or that Hammond was going to stay and keep her company, himself. Mitchell looked down, wondering if she was supposed to eat all that by herself – she knew she could drink the entire pot of coffee, and she was hungry, so one of the sandwiches would go down well, and maybe the soup – but the plate of cookies was daunting.
"Thank you, Sir."
Hammond sat down and snagged a couple of her cookies, watching her intently.
"How do you feel, Colonel?"
"Am I still a Colonel, Sir?" She asked, wondering what was going to happen to her, now. Obviously this wasn't something that happened all that often, and there wasn't a handbook on it. Mitchell felt a pang of loss when she thought about leaving the SGC and SG-2 in particular.
Hammond gave her a sharp look, and nodded.
"Let's get that out of the way right now, Colonel." And this time he emphasized her rank, firmly. "As far as I'm concerned, and the president is concerned, you're still a member of the United States Air Force, and still riding the books with your current rank. We're not going to lose a fine officer to a stupid accident, or to the Tok'ra. You'll be doing whatever it is you need to do, of course, but you'll still be an Air Force officer. Just on special assignment to the Tok'ra."
She nodded, feeling better. The military had been her entire life, after all, and all her friends were in the military.
"What about my team, Sir?"
"Unless you have any objections, I'll give SG-2 to Major Anderson. He's proven himself capable of a command."
"I don't have any objections, Sir." He was a good choice, as far as she was concerned. Of course, she could be a little biased. She felt a surge of humor from Talon, who by now knew exactly what she felt for Brad.
Hush.
I didn't say anything Another glimmer of humor, this one laced with false innocence.
Keep it that way.
Yes, Ma'am
Great, her symbiote had already caught on to the things that annoyed her most. Mitchell smiled. This was going to be so interesting.
"So," Hammond said, unaware of the silent exchange. "Do you have any other concerns?"
She shook her head. He'd done far more than she could have hoped. "No, Sir."
"Then we'll go back to my original question. How do you feel, Colonel?"
"I'm fine, Sir. A little tired, but getting better every minute."
"And Talon?"
"He's fine, too, General."
"Good." Hammond leaned back in his chair, and took a bite of one of her cookies. He rarely had a chance to just sit and chat, and since everyone else had been kicked out of the infirmary, he had that chance, now, and was going to take it. "Drink your coffee, Colonel, and eat."
She nodded, and poured a cup of coffee for him and then another for herself.