Hammond stayed in the infirmary and chatted with Colonel Mitchell for over
an hour – which was a long time when you're the person in charge of such a
complex military base as the SGC. They didn't really talk much about the
future, though. He asked her for her own version of what had happened in
the pyramid, and she told him what she could of their entire last trip
through the Stargate, but she couldn't remember anything about the trip
back. Which was no big deal, since Hammond had everyone else's version, and
they were all close enough that they would do for his report. He was a good
listener, and she gave a very good report – of course, they were in the
military, so they were good at reports.
He listened to her story, but didn't take notes – he had an excellent memory – and then he asked her a few questions to clarify some point or the other. Nothing too exhausting, and nothing too complicated, since Fraiser had warned him she might not be at 100 percent just yet. Finally, when they'd finished off the last of the coffee, and Hammond had polished off the last sandwich, he told her he'd better get back to work before the whole base crumbled around them.
"Jacob is leaving tonight," Hammond said, softly, as he gathered the tray and plates and cups. "Are you planning on going with him?"
She shook her head, but it was Talon who answered, taking over Melony's voice for the first time.
"The Tok'ra can manage without us for a few days, while Melony gets her things in order and has a chance to say goodbye to her friends. Selmac and Jacob will have to go without us."
"I'll let him know, Talon."
The Tok'ra gave back control to Mitchell, who cleared her throat and gave Hammond an odd smile.
"That was weird."
He grinned, remembering the first time Jacob had done that deep voice symbiote-talking thing.
"You'll probably get used to it."
"Or I'll just do all the talking for us, so I don't sound like I need a cough drop all the time."
Hammond laughed, and headed for the door, which opened just before he reached it. It was Doctor Fraiser, coming to check on her patient. She nodded to Hammond, who smiled, and left.
"How do you feel, Colonel?"
"I'm getting tired of everyone asking me that." She said, scowling.
"Talon?"
The symbiote gave a purely mental chuckle, and took control once more.
"She's fine, Doctor. Her injuries are mostly healed, although she will still tire easily for a short time."
"Does she need to stay in bed?"
"It'd probably be better if she didn't." It was Melony's turn to chuckle quietly, and Talon's turn to tell her to hush. Melony took control of her voice again, and smiled at the doctor.
"So? Can I get out of here?"
Fraiser took her blood pressure, and checked her pupils and reflexes, then reached for a pair of scissors and started cutting the bandages off the young Colonel's arm.
"If you get light-headed, or start to feel ill, I want you to come back immediately." She said, firmly.
"I won't."
"Just humor me, okay?"
"Okay. Light-headed and ill, I come back. Gotcha."
"And I don't want you to let this symbiote thing go to your head, Colonel."
"What do you mean?"
"Don't go jump in front of a train just to see how long it'll take Talon to heal you, or start poking yourself with a fork or something. He doesn't make you Superman."
Melony laughed. She hadn't even thought of doing something like that.
"I'll keep that in mind."
"You do that."
Fraiser brought her a uniform, and Mitchell dressed quickly, worried that she might change her mind at any minute. She was more than eager to get out of the infirmary.
"Thanks, Doc."
"You're welcome."
The SG teams had a lounge that they could hang out in on their off-duty hours. It was a good place for the units to unwind a little after a mission, or just when they had some free time, and one of the few places that they could go and not worry about the world coming to an end if they wanted to sit and eat a few peanuts and play some cards. The minute she left the infirmary and saw that the corridor was empty, this lounge was where Melony headed, looking for information on her team.
"Colonel!"
The minute she opened the door, she was swarmed. The men and women of the other SG teams – except SG-1 and SG-2 (Simmons and Wilson both having been sent home on recuperative leave, Anderson who knew where, hopefully resting) – came over and greeted her cheerfully. They'd heard how close it was for her, and they'd also heard about her new symbiote. News like that traveled fast in a tight-knit group like these. They also had heard that she was going to be fine, and that she liked Talon, so they didn't have to worry about any awkward moment when they all first saw her. Instead, there was a multitude of handshakes and slaps on the back and shoulders, and someone put a beer into her hand before she could decline. She was filled with good coffee, and didn't want to drown it out with beer.
"Hey you all." She said, smiling. She looked around, hoping to see Brad or one of the members of SG-1, but when she didn't, she settled for chatting with the rest of them, and was immediately offered a chair at one of the poker games that seemed to always be going on. She decline, however, and after chatting with them all for a while, and assuring them she was fine, she went to look for Samantha Carter. Talon wanted to make a request.
He listened to her story, but didn't take notes – he had an excellent memory – and then he asked her a few questions to clarify some point or the other. Nothing too exhausting, and nothing too complicated, since Fraiser had warned him she might not be at 100 percent just yet. Finally, when they'd finished off the last of the coffee, and Hammond had polished off the last sandwich, he told her he'd better get back to work before the whole base crumbled around them.
"Jacob is leaving tonight," Hammond said, softly, as he gathered the tray and plates and cups. "Are you planning on going with him?"
She shook her head, but it was Talon who answered, taking over Melony's voice for the first time.
"The Tok'ra can manage without us for a few days, while Melony gets her things in order and has a chance to say goodbye to her friends. Selmac and Jacob will have to go without us."
"I'll let him know, Talon."
The Tok'ra gave back control to Mitchell, who cleared her throat and gave Hammond an odd smile.
"That was weird."
He grinned, remembering the first time Jacob had done that deep voice symbiote-talking thing.
"You'll probably get used to it."
"Or I'll just do all the talking for us, so I don't sound like I need a cough drop all the time."
Hammond laughed, and headed for the door, which opened just before he reached it. It was Doctor Fraiser, coming to check on her patient. She nodded to Hammond, who smiled, and left.
"How do you feel, Colonel?"
"I'm getting tired of everyone asking me that." She said, scowling.
"Talon?"
The symbiote gave a purely mental chuckle, and took control once more.
"She's fine, Doctor. Her injuries are mostly healed, although she will still tire easily for a short time."
"Does she need to stay in bed?"
"It'd probably be better if she didn't." It was Melony's turn to chuckle quietly, and Talon's turn to tell her to hush. Melony took control of her voice again, and smiled at the doctor.
"So? Can I get out of here?"
Fraiser took her blood pressure, and checked her pupils and reflexes, then reached for a pair of scissors and started cutting the bandages off the young Colonel's arm.
"If you get light-headed, or start to feel ill, I want you to come back immediately." She said, firmly.
"I won't."
"Just humor me, okay?"
"Okay. Light-headed and ill, I come back. Gotcha."
"And I don't want you to let this symbiote thing go to your head, Colonel."
"What do you mean?"
"Don't go jump in front of a train just to see how long it'll take Talon to heal you, or start poking yourself with a fork or something. He doesn't make you Superman."
Melony laughed. She hadn't even thought of doing something like that.
"I'll keep that in mind."
"You do that."
Fraiser brought her a uniform, and Mitchell dressed quickly, worried that she might change her mind at any minute. She was more than eager to get out of the infirmary.
"Thanks, Doc."
"You're welcome."
The SG teams had a lounge that they could hang out in on their off-duty hours. It was a good place for the units to unwind a little after a mission, or just when they had some free time, and one of the few places that they could go and not worry about the world coming to an end if they wanted to sit and eat a few peanuts and play some cards. The minute she left the infirmary and saw that the corridor was empty, this lounge was where Melony headed, looking for information on her team.
"Colonel!"
The minute she opened the door, she was swarmed. The men and women of the other SG teams – except SG-1 and SG-2 (Simmons and Wilson both having been sent home on recuperative leave, Anderson who knew where, hopefully resting) – came over and greeted her cheerfully. They'd heard how close it was for her, and they'd also heard about her new symbiote. News like that traveled fast in a tight-knit group like these. They also had heard that she was going to be fine, and that she liked Talon, so they didn't have to worry about any awkward moment when they all first saw her. Instead, there was a multitude of handshakes and slaps on the back and shoulders, and someone put a beer into her hand before she could decline. She was filled with good coffee, and didn't want to drown it out with beer.
"Hey you all." She said, smiling. She looked around, hoping to see Brad or one of the members of SG-1, but when she didn't, she settled for chatting with the rest of them, and was immediately offered a chair at one of the poker games that seemed to always be going on. She decline, however, and after chatting with them all for a while, and assuring them she was fine, she went to look for Samantha Carter. Talon wanted to make a request.