Mitchell was just finishing the last of her messages when the door to her room opened and Brad Anderson walked in, holding a tray in his hands and looking so haggard and worn that she couldn't help but frown. She sent off the last message as he walked across the room and bit her lower lip as he set the tray down on the table next to her bed and then carefully seated himself on the edge of her bed, mindful not to get tangled in the tubes and wires connecting her to the machines around her.

"You look awful, Brad," Melony told him, her voice still slightly hoarse.

He nodded, and reached down to rest his hand on hers. Fraiser had told him where he could touch and where he should avoid touching her, but her hands were okay, as long as he didn't move them.

"I know... I'm sorry."

She raised her right hand and touched his face, tracing a worry line, feeling a surge of guilt because she knew she was the one that had put it there. All he ever worried about was her. She'd put him through so much, lately. She'd never be able to make it up to him. He probably wished he'd fallen in love with some accountant or a wheat farmer. Anyone but Melony Mitchell, who couldn't stay home long enough to be the partner in the relationship that he deserved, and left him wondering and worrying about if she'd ever come back to him. The uncertainty was probably far worse than what she'd been through, and he looked like he should be in the bed more than she should.

"I'm sorry..." she told him, feeling tears forming in her eyes at the thought. "I'm so bad for you..."

"Don't say that, Melony," Brad told her, frowning. "Don't ever say that..."

"It's true... look at you; you're tired, and thinner, and your hair's messy... and it's all my fault."

"Look at you," Brad told her, touching her face. It was bruised and bandaged, still, although the bruises were fading on their own – Talon had had too many major injuries to worry about to go fixing the minor ones. "You're thinner, too, and all battered and beat up."

"That's my fault, too..."

He leaned over and kissed her, very carefully.

"I'm proud of you."

His kiss interrupted what would have been a guilty tirade of all the things she'd been responsible for. She was responsible for getting Daniel hurt – almost killed him! She was responsible for killing hundreds of Jaffa – thousands, if her message from Tao had been correct. He looked like shit, Jack was probably beside himself, and who knew how many Tok'ra had been killed in her purging of the System lords? And Brad didn't seem to realize that this was all her fault.

[Or maybe he doesn't care?] Talon said.

He should.

[Would you? If the tables were turned?]

No.

The response was immediate, and she felt Talon's smug, wordless response. Why would Brad care, then? Melony knew he loved her at least as much as she loved him – she couldn't imagine how that love had survived the last months, but it obviously had.

"Hey..."

She turned her attention from her internal turmoil and looked at him. He was hovering over her, his eyes watching her in concern. She didn't like that concerned look. She wanted to see him smiling, and happy, and even if his hair was messy, she could live with that if he'd only kiss her again.

"I love you, Brad..."

He smiled, then, and the transformation was started. He still looked tired, and was still thinner than he should be, and his hair was still messy, but the concerned look had eased considerably, and the worry in his eyes was replaced with a gentle look that was reserved only for her.

"I love you, too, Melony," he bent and kissed her once more, his hand pressed against her cheek.

It was a lovely kiss, but it couldn't be extended for long. Melony was short on breath anyways, and his very kiss was taking the last of it. She had to break it off far sooner than she wanted to, but Brad only smiled, understanding completely.

"I brought you some coffee."

"Does Doctor Fraiser know?"

He nodded.

"Want a cup?"

She nodded, and watched him as he poured it for her. He did look thinner and haggard, but he was still just as good looking and wonderful as she remembered him to be. Eye candy, as Major Carter had put it – although she'd been referring to Brad's brothers. It was true, though. He was definitely pleasant to watch.

[You're not up to doing anything like that, so you might as well stop thinking about it]

Like what? She asked innocently, grinning, because Talon was in her head and definitely knew what she'd been thinking.

[Just think of puppies, Melony. Or old women playing bingo or something]

Mitchell's smile was even broader by the time Brad turned back to her with her coffee cup in his hand. Anderson echoed her smile, unsure what was so funny but glad to see her smiling, nonetheless.

"Do you need help with this?"

"Is it hot?"

"A little."

She nodded, remembering the water glass. "I don't have full use of my hands, yet. I could use a little help."

[Not too much, okay?]

She took a large sip, gratefully, and waved the cup away long before Brad expected her to.

"Talon says I can't have much, yet," she explained. "The caffeine will interfere with healing."

"We can't have that..."

He set the cup down, and leaned over her once more.

"Jack wants to see you, Melony, so I'm going to leave – Doctor Fraiser will only allow us in one at a time for now."

He kissed her again, another kiss that took her breath away, but this time he was the one to pull away first.

"I'll be back as soon as I can."

"I'll be here."

Brad smiled, and ran his fingertips along her cheek for a moment, unable to just leave.

Melony understood, though, and she didn't mind a bit. As much as she wanted to see Jack – and she did – she didn't want him to leave her.

"Kiss me again..."

He did. And then he kissed her once more, just because he could.

She sighed, and smiled.

"You'd better go..."

"Yeah..."

She wasn't the only one getting breathless.

He stood up and left, but not without turning and looking back at her a half a dozen times on the way out the door.