"...OBVIOUSLY SOME TYPE OF botanical unit," Sheppard finished. "I don't know how long these two had been at it, but they'd cleared out a scary portion of the mess in there."
Dr. Weir turned towards Jondo and Mahread'zhu. "Sounds amazing. How did you two know exactly what to do?" Her gaze was cool and encouraging. Sheppard knew she'd take away much from their answers.
Teyla spoke up. "They have long been responsible for the majority our people's food." Sheppard could see a slow blush creep up Mahread'zhu's cheeks. Jondo merely nodded slightly, looking neither proud nor embarrassed.
Weir smiled, a tightly contained thing but showing some real sense of relief. "This discovery is excellent news. I can get some of our people on it and we can start--"
"You would take our Work away from us?" Jondo exclaimed.
Weir faced him, a contemplative look on her face. "We would never do that, Jondo. But it would be good to have extra hands working in there, don't you think?" She paused for his reluctant nod. "One more thing, however. How exactly did you end up there, anyway?"
He shrugged. "We had no work. No direction. I was…adrift. Without purpose. It is not good for a man to be without purpose." He glanced swiftly at Mahread'zhu, then back at Weir, who nodded slowly.
"Peter. Let's see what we can do to integrate the Athosians into the day-to-day jobs of the city."
Teyla stirred at the table. "We have offered, many times--"
"And I have been appreciative of those offers, Teyla," Weir said. "But we only just arrived here a short time before you. We have had much to discover and make safe about this city. We haven't even been able to figure out what the jobs are yet."
Teyla pursed her lips slightly and nodded, finishing with a slight smile. "Patience is needed, then," she said, quietly.
Weir smiled a genuine smile at her. "Yes, but I think this is an excellent time to see how well our people can work together." She glanced at Sheppard, then back at Teyla. "There have been a few cases where the rapport has been evident from the start."
Sheppard cleared his throat. "If we're going to get the botanics up and running, it would be helpful to have something to plant in them. I'd like to get a team together to go back to Athos, pick up some plants...and look for survivors."
Weir jerked around to look at him. "I thought you gathered the survivors and brought them here?" she queried.
"I brought Teyla's people here. She tells me that there are many other tribes and groups on the planet. I'd like to do a recon in the area around the gate and try to gather up a few of them." He gave Weir a pointed look. "Since we now have the means of expanding our food supply."
"Don't count crops that haven't grown yet, John," Weir said, earning a startled look from Jondo and an agreeing nod.
"If someone else might get a word in edgewise, here," Dr. McKay said. Sheppard sighed inwardly and turned to him.
"You have a comment, Rodney?" Weir asked.
"All this self-sufficiency is all well and good, but I want to find out more about this...this visitation between Mary Sue--"
"Mahread'zhu," Sheppard corrected with quiet steel and a touch of menace in his voice.
McKay shot him his 'I'm-on-a-roll,-don't-stop-me-now' look. "Whatever. Mahree-Mahread'zhu and Major Sheppard experienced this morning. If I could get some readings on them...maybe observe this in person...do you know what this could do for the documentation of an actual astral projection?"
Dr. Beckett stared at him in amazement. "Medicine is voodoo but astral projection is worthy of study?" he asked his friend.
McKay looked over at him from down his nose. "Give ten people with the same ailment a pill, some will get better. Some will not. Some the pill will kill. How is that science?"
"Rodney, I cannot believe you--" Beckett began.
"Gentlemen." Weir's voice was steel. "I think we're getting a little off track, don't you?" She inhaled deeply. "Here's what we'll do. We'll integrate the Athosians as much as possible. Major Sheppard, I won't approve a mission to Athos until you can prove to me the cloaking ability of the Puddle Jumper is back online. Should that happen, you are to search within a 50 klick radius of the Gate. Do not under any circumstance go beyond that radius without checking in first. And should you find some more Athosians, either one tribe or three shuttle loads. No more."
He nodded. It was a small leash she was giving him, but their assets were limited.
"We can't afford to lose you," she said directly to him. Then glanced around the room. "Any of you. Nor the Puddle Jumper."
McKay looked about ready to speak. He got as far as opening his mouth before Weir spoke again. "And Rodney, I think you would need permission from the subjects to study them. And if I were them, I'd say no." Sheppard gave McKay a hard look, shaking his head firmly. Looking over at Mahread'zhu, he saw she was staring at the tabletop, face flaming red. He continued staring at her, concerned, as Weir wrapped up the meeting and dismissed them. Rising, he moved over to her, unable to think of anything to say.
"Mahread'zhu?" he asked, softly. Her head bowed lower and he thought he saw a tear plash the tabletop.
A gentle touch on his shoulder made him turn to look into Teyla's concerned eyes. "It is much for her to absorb," Teyla said softly, just to him. "With some Joinings, the two are not always aware as the process begins. Let me counsel her."
The corners of his mouth turned down in slight frustration. "All right. But com me if I can...if she..." He took a deep breath. "Just com me."
Teyla nodded, and turned to Mahread'zhu as Sheppard moved to leave the room. At the opposite doorway, Jondo regarded him darkly. Once again the taciturn man nodded to him, closer to a nod of equals, before also exiting.
Sheppard sighed, and turned to make his way to the shuttle bay. Time to finish the repair work on the Puddle Jumper.