[So, Fa'warius was now a Kelortian, but he didn't-]

The door opening interrupted Talon, much to Melony's relief. She had closed her eyes when Talon had started his story, and had almost drifted off a few times during it – it was an interesting enough story, but she was pretty tired, after all – but Talon had managed to keep her awake. As tired as she was – and he was tired, too – he wasn't sure he'd be able to wake her up again any time soon if she dozed off.

Janet Fraiser walked quietly into the room, and frowned when she saw the spilled water cup on the floor. That was odd. She'd been the last one into the room, and she knew she hadn't left it where it could have fallen. She walked over and reached down and picked it up, and when she came back up to eye level with the bed, Colonel Mitchell opened her eyes.

Janet smiled, relieved. She'd been wondering how much longer Talon was planning on keeping her out. Fraiser had maintained the antibiotics and fluids that she'd started Mitchell on when she'd entered the infirmary so many days before, but the medication that kept her in a drug induced coma were too potent to use on someone so badly injured, so she'd let up on them a few days ago. The only thing keeping Melony asleep was her own exhaustion and Talon. Now, apparently, the symbiote had decided she was well enough to join the world once more. Which probably explained the dropped water cup. Frasier realized that if she'd woken up thirsty and had tried for a drink of that water – not a scenario the doctor had considered – she wouldn't have been able to drink it with the casts on her arms. Poor thing.

"You're awake..."

"Yeah..." The soft voice was a croak, and Janet reached for a new cup from the stack of them and poured some fresh water from the nearby sink into it.

"Thirsty?" She asked as she walked over.

"Yes... please?"

"Talon? Can she have it?"

She thought the Colonel's stomach was healed – according to the last ultrasound Fraiser had done, Melony's liver and stomach had both looked fine – but it was better to be sure, and Talon would know for sure.

"A little." The hoarse voice turned into the deep voice of the Goa'uld, and Janet thought it sounded even more tired than Mitchell did.

Fraiser held the cup to Mitchell's lips and she took a slow drink. She would have gulped it greedily, but Talon warned her that she'd only throw it back up if she tried to take too much to soon. So she drank slowly, and Janet allowed her to drink as much as she wanted, knowing that the symbiote would keep her from drinking more than she should have.

Finally Mitchell tilted her head back, resting against the pillows.

"How are you feeling, Colonel?" Janet asked, setting the cup on the stand next to the bed.

"Awful."

Fraiser smiled.

"Talon? Could I have a slightly more specific prognosis, please?"

Talon gave Mitchell a mental chuckle, and took over once more.

"She's tired, and hurting, but the internal injuries are almost completely healed, now, and I've started on the broken bones."

"Good." Janet checked the machines that Mitchell was hooked up to, and noticed that the readings were far better than they'd been the last time she'd woken up.

"How's the pain, Colonel? Scale of one to ten, ten being agony."

Mitchell was feeling just a little petulant – it had been a fairly long story Talon had told her, after all, and the water cup incident was still fresh in her mind. She couldn't help but be a little surly, and it showed in her response.

"15."

Talon took over again, before Janet could respond to that.

"It's not that bad, Doctor Fraiser. A five or so at the most. She's not in the best of moods, at the moment."

Janet smiled. She was used to surly patients. It was so weird to have a Goa'uld voice explaining the mood, however,

"Is there anything I can do for the pain that you're not?"

"No. We need information, though, and for that, I need you to free up Melony's right arm, please."

Fraiser nodded. Since she'd seen Mitchell use the device on her wrist last time, she was sure that she was about to send – or read, maybe – some messages.

"Are you going to contact Tao?" Janet asked as she started to cut off the bandages that held the splints on. Mitchell couldn't have removed them without help; otherwise she wouldn't have waited for someone to come.

It was Melony who answered.

"I need to make sure he knows we're still around. And to see what's happening with the other system lords."

"The other system lords are all scrambling," Janet said as she freed the wrist that held the device. "Be careful not to re-injure yourself."

"Scrambling?"

"From what I heard from Colonel O'Neill, the remaining system lords are certain that you and Talon haven't been seen since the ambush because you're planning on new and exciting ways to wipe out the rest of them – to take out any claims to your new throne, so to speak."

Mitchell shook her head, and then winced because it hurt to do that.

"I would, but there's no reason to, and I'm tired of killing people..."

"Even Goa'uld?"

"No... but the Jaffa that are with them aren't Goa'uld, and I'm tired of killing them."

She was just tired.

"They asked the Asgard for protection."

Mitchell turned to look at her so quickly that she actually gasped with pain.

"Who did?"

"The remaining system lords."

"They didn't!"

Janet nodded.

"I heard they did. Thor was here and talked to O'Neill and the others."

"What did the Asgard say?" She couldn't imagine them helping the Goa'uld, but if they were, then it was going to make things difficult.

"Told them to go to hell, from what Colonel O'Neill told me."

"That's good."

She watched as Fraiser finished up, and raised her wrist up. It hurt to move the still broken bones, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been, and it wasn't as bad as it had been. Talon had been working hard.

[Duh]

She smiled.

"I'm going to leave you alone while you do your messages, Colonel," Fraiser told her.

She had people to report to now that Mitchell was awake – and she couldn't wait to tell Brad Anderson and Jack O'Neill that she was. The two men had been on edge for so long it was starting to affect them physically. And forget about talking to them. Jack could blow some of that concern off by talking to Daniel – who was still bedridden and would be for a couple more weeks at least – but Brad had become almost withdrawn. Enough so that she'd been worried about his health.

Melony nodded, and hesitated.

"Um... any chance-"

"I'll tell them you're awake, and let them in to see you one at a time," she said, smiling. "Who first?"

"Brad."

"I'll go get him."

She left before Melony could thank her, and Mitchell turned her attention to the device on her wrist. She wanted to read her messages, but there was something else she needed to do, first. She slid her finger over the surface of the device, activating a never before used panel.

"Daniel...?"