They came through the gate with their weapons up. Jack and Teal'c taking point, with the others following close, except for Fraiser, who was at the rear where she'd be protected in case there was an ambush. Not that any of them expected one. The note was definitely from Mitchell, and they all knew – Jack and Brad especially – that she'd never allow them to be set up for an ambush. No matter who tried it. Not with her as bait.
This time the planet they gated to was lush, almost the complete opposite of the last one. Melonyville, as it had been designated. It was green, with brush all around, and the sweet smell of fresh foliage that assaulted them the moment they came through the gate.
Daniel sneezed almost immediately.
"Bless you."
The voice was Mitchell's, but they didn't see anyone around them.
"Melony?"
There was a shimmer in the air in front of them, and the little ship appeared just ahead of the small group. About 50 feet away. Lying on the ground in front of it, obviously in pain, was Colonel Mitchell.
"Jesus!" Jack and Brad both started towards her, but Melony held her hand up.
"Stop!" The voice was Sam Carter's this time, but Melony waved them to a stop as well, and both men came to a halt, looking first at Melony, then back at Carter. Confused.
"You can't get close to it, Sir," Sam told him. "It's booby trapped."
"What?"
Mitchell heaved herself to her feet, obviously with great effort, and staggered over to them, where she pretty much fell into Brad's arms.
"It's booby trapped," Sam said, watching as Fraiser came over and helped Anderson lay Melony down in the soft grass. "If anyone but Colonel Mitchell gets near the ship, it'll kill them."
"Really?"
Mitchell nodded, looking up at him as he leaned over.
"Yeah. It's pretty nasty. Like one of those bug zapper lights."
Her voice was soft, and she winced when Frasier lifted her arm slightly to check her pulse.
"You can't turn it off?"
"No. Sorry."
Janet looked over her shoulder, and found the entire group hovering over the three of them. She scowled.
"All of you need to get back a little and give me some room." She ordered. "You, too, Major."
Brad shook his head. "I want to st-"
"I need space." Fraiser said. "Move." She understood, of course, that he wanted to stay with her, but she didn't have time to argue. Jack reached down and pulled Brad to his feet, then stepped back a couple spaces.
"Colonel? What hurts?"
It was Talon that answered, since he knew what was wrong with his host, and could help Fraiser better than even Melony could.
"She has a concussion, a broken wrist and hand, her liver has been punctured by a broken rib and a lung has collapsed. I've managed to control the internal bleeding and get her stable, but it was a near thing."
Obviously.
"Can we move her?" Fraiser asked.
Mitchell nodded.
"Teal'c."
Fraiser motioned for the Jaffa to come over and pick the Colonel up.
"What about her ship?" Jack asked.
"It'll be okay, Jack." This time the voice was Melony's, although her eyes were closed. She touched the device she wore on her wrist, and the ship once more vanished as a cloaking mechanism of some sort took over. "If anyone comes across it... they'll just die..."
"What about locals?" Daniel asked. It didn't seem right that some innocent person might brush against the invisible ship and perish because of it.
"There aren't any."
"Dial the gate, Carter," O'Neill ordered. "Let's get home."
..............................
"How is she, doc?"
There were a number of people waiting in the corridor outside of the infirmary when Fraiser walked out of it about half an hour later.
"She's fine, Colonel," Janet assured him with a small smile. "At least she will be. Talon's still healing her, but now I can help him by giving her a pain killer and antibiotics."
"Can I see her?" Anderson asked. He'd been standing next to Sam.
"Sure. But only for a minute. She needs her rest."
"I want to see her, too, doc." Jack said.
"One at a time." She smiled at Anderson. "She's asking for you. But make it short, okay?"
He nodded, and vanished into the infirmary door.
"She's really going to be okay?" O'Neill asked.
"Yes. Talon has things well in hand, so to speak. A day or so of rest should see her on her feet again."
"Good."
Jack looked over at Jacob, who looked just as relieved as he felt, but he didn't ask why.
...................
Brad walked quietly up to the bed that Melony was lying in, and looked down at her. She didn't look quite as pale as she had on the planet, and she didn't have the same lines of pain around her eyes. He put his hand on her forearm, and she opened her eyes at the touch. Then smiled when she saw who it was.
"Hey."
"Hi." He gave her a weak smile in return, but was too concerned about her for it to be more than forced. "How do you feel?"
"I'm fine, Brad. Don't look so worried. Talon's taking care of me."
He nodded.
"What happened? How did you get hurt?"
"I was thrown out of my chair."
"During the ambush?"
She nodded.
"You could have been killed." There was a definite accusation in his tone, despite his best effort to hide it. She scowled.
"I'm not going to apologize."
"You could have trusted me..."
She knew instantly what he was talking about, and knew he was hurt and angry that she'd kept him away from the first meeting with Jack and SG-1. She closed her eyes, unable to deal with his guilt trip just then. Even when she knew he probably didn't even realize that was what he was doing.
"I didn't want you to worry."
"You can't stop me from worrying, Melony." Brad's hand closed on hers, and she winced, since it was the hand that was broken – although he couldn't have known that. Fraiser hadn't bothered to set it in a cast; since Talon had assured her that it would mend quickly. He withdrew his hand immediately. "I'm sorry."
She shook her head, opening her eyes.
"It's okay."
"Is there anything I can get you? Do for you?"
"You can stop trying to make me feel bad, and give me a kiss." There were other things – military things – that she needed to discuss, but they'd wait. She'd missed him.
"I'm not trying to make you feel bad," Brad said, softly, realizing that yes, he had been trying to make her feel guilty. He leaned over and pressed his lips gently against her own, and sighed. It'd been so long since he'd seen her.
She echoed the noise as he broke the kiss, and closed her eyes again.
"I've missed you."
"Are you going to be able to stay?"
"For a couple of days, I think."
"That's all?"
"It's more than I should."
"But I wanted-"
"You need to go, Major."
They both turned and saw Fraiser walking over to the bed. Mitchell looked like she wanted to argue, and Brad wanted to argue but he knew better. He nodded, and looked down at her.
"I'll be back as soon as I can." He promised.
"Okay."
He touched her cheek, softly, and left without another word.
"Are you up for another visitor?" Fraiser asked.
"Only if it's Jack O'Neill," She said.
Janet smiled. "I'll go get him for you."
This time the planet they gated to was lush, almost the complete opposite of the last one. Melonyville, as it had been designated. It was green, with brush all around, and the sweet smell of fresh foliage that assaulted them the moment they came through the gate.
Daniel sneezed almost immediately.
"Bless you."
The voice was Mitchell's, but they didn't see anyone around them.
"Melony?"
There was a shimmer in the air in front of them, and the little ship appeared just ahead of the small group. About 50 feet away. Lying on the ground in front of it, obviously in pain, was Colonel Mitchell.
"Jesus!" Jack and Brad both started towards her, but Melony held her hand up.
"Stop!" The voice was Sam Carter's this time, but Melony waved them to a stop as well, and both men came to a halt, looking first at Melony, then back at Carter. Confused.
"You can't get close to it, Sir," Sam told him. "It's booby trapped."
"What?"
Mitchell heaved herself to her feet, obviously with great effort, and staggered over to them, where she pretty much fell into Brad's arms.
"It's booby trapped," Sam said, watching as Fraiser came over and helped Anderson lay Melony down in the soft grass. "If anyone but Colonel Mitchell gets near the ship, it'll kill them."
"Really?"
Mitchell nodded, looking up at him as he leaned over.
"Yeah. It's pretty nasty. Like one of those bug zapper lights."
Her voice was soft, and she winced when Frasier lifted her arm slightly to check her pulse.
"You can't turn it off?"
"No. Sorry."
Janet looked over her shoulder, and found the entire group hovering over the three of them. She scowled.
"All of you need to get back a little and give me some room." She ordered. "You, too, Major."
Brad shook his head. "I want to st-"
"I need space." Fraiser said. "Move." She understood, of course, that he wanted to stay with her, but she didn't have time to argue. Jack reached down and pulled Brad to his feet, then stepped back a couple spaces.
"Colonel? What hurts?"
It was Talon that answered, since he knew what was wrong with his host, and could help Fraiser better than even Melony could.
"She has a concussion, a broken wrist and hand, her liver has been punctured by a broken rib and a lung has collapsed. I've managed to control the internal bleeding and get her stable, but it was a near thing."
Obviously.
"Can we move her?" Fraiser asked.
Mitchell nodded.
"Teal'c."
Fraiser motioned for the Jaffa to come over and pick the Colonel up.
"What about her ship?" Jack asked.
"It'll be okay, Jack." This time the voice was Melony's, although her eyes were closed. She touched the device she wore on her wrist, and the ship once more vanished as a cloaking mechanism of some sort took over. "If anyone comes across it... they'll just die..."
"What about locals?" Daniel asked. It didn't seem right that some innocent person might brush against the invisible ship and perish because of it.
"There aren't any."
"Dial the gate, Carter," O'Neill ordered. "Let's get home."
..............................
"How is she, doc?"
There were a number of people waiting in the corridor outside of the infirmary when Fraiser walked out of it about half an hour later.
"She's fine, Colonel," Janet assured him with a small smile. "At least she will be. Talon's still healing her, but now I can help him by giving her a pain killer and antibiotics."
"Can I see her?" Anderson asked. He'd been standing next to Sam.
"Sure. But only for a minute. She needs her rest."
"I want to see her, too, doc." Jack said.
"One at a time." She smiled at Anderson. "She's asking for you. But make it short, okay?"
He nodded, and vanished into the infirmary door.
"She's really going to be okay?" O'Neill asked.
"Yes. Talon has things well in hand, so to speak. A day or so of rest should see her on her feet again."
"Good."
Jack looked over at Jacob, who looked just as relieved as he felt, but he didn't ask why.
...................
Brad walked quietly up to the bed that Melony was lying in, and looked down at her. She didn't look quite as pale as she had on the planet, and she didn't have the same lines of pain around her eyes. He put his hand on her forearm, and she opened her eyes at the touch. Then smiled when she saw who it was.
"Hey."
"Hi." He gave her a weak smile in return, but was too concerned about her for it to be more than forced. "How do you feel?"
"I'm fine, Brad. Don't look so worried. Talon's taking care of me."
He nodded.
"What happened? How did you get hurt?"
"I was thrown out of my chair."
"During the ambush?"
She nodded.
"You could have been killed." There was a definite accusation in his tone, despite his best effort to hide it. She scowled.
"I'm not going to apologize."
"You could have trusted me..."
She knew instantly what he was talking about, and knew he was hurt and angry that she'd kept him away from the first meeting with Jack and SG-1. She closed her eyes, unable to deal with his guilt trip just then. Even when she knew he probably didn't even realize that was what he was doing.
"I didn't want you to worry."
"You can't stop me from worrying, Melony." Brad's hand closed on hers, and she winced, since it was the hand that was broken – although he couldn't have known that. Fraiser hadn't bothered to set it in a cast; since Talon had assured her that it would mend quickly. He withdrew his hand immediately. "I'm sorry."
She shook her head, opening her eyes.
"It's okay."
"Is there anything I can get you? Do for you?"
"You can stop trying to make me feel bad, and give me a kiss." There were other things – military things – that she needed to discuss, but they'd wait. She'd missed him.
"I'm not trying to make you feel bad," Brad said, softly, realizing that yes, he had been trying to make her feel guilty. He leaned over and pressed his lips gently against her own, and sighed. It'd been so long since he'd seen her.
She echoed the noise as he broke the kiss, and closed her eyes again.
"I've missed you."
"Are you going to be able to stay?"
"For a couple of days, I think."
"That's all?"
"It's more than I should."
"But I wanted-"
"You need to go, Major."
They both turned and saw Fraiser walking over to the bed. Mitchell looked like she wanted to argue, and Brad wanted to argue but he knew better. He nodded, and looked down at her.
"I'll be back as soon as I can." He promised.
"Okay."
He touched her cheek, softly, and left without another word.
"Are you up for another visitor?" Fraiser asked.
"Only if it's Jack O'Neill," She said.
Janet smiled. "I'll go get him for you."