She remembered to open her eyes slowly this time. It helped that Talon reminded her. Bad enough the symbiote had his own aches and pains, he didn't want to add to them by her making her headache worse with a sudden blinding light.

Mitchell saw that the doctor – what was his name? – was in the same spot he'd been in the last time they'd talked. If you could call that short exchange of words an actual conversation. His eyes were closed, though, and it was obvious he was dozing in his chair. At least he wasn't touching her head this time.

Do I wake him?

How badly do you want an aspirin?

She reached out and rested her hand on the doctor's arm, which was the only part of him she could reach. He jerked awake, surprised, and looked over at her. His expression went from surprise to relief in an instant, and he smiled – which did a lot to keep her from feeling guilty for waking him.

"You're awake? That's good!"

Again, she heard the accent, and once more found it appealing. She started to say yes, but it came out as croak. A completely unrecognizable croak. He smiled again, and stood up and disappeared for a moment, then returned with a cup. It was too much to hope that it was coffee, but Melony definitely wouldn't have said no to a drink of water just then.

"A little water should help," he told her, holding the cup to her lips for her. Melony nodded and took a sip, then another.

Not too much just yet

She raised her hand, signaling she'd had enough, and Beckett pulled it back and sat down once more in his chair.

"How do you feel?" He asked her, softly. "Do you remember my name?"

It was a good way to see if she had her wits about her, yet, or if she was only just sort of awake.

What's his name?

I don't know. Talon had his own aches to deal with, still, and didn't have time to worry about that. I think it began with a 'B'

"Be...cker..." She whispered, still feeling the affects of a dry throat and a nasty headache.

"Close enough," Beckett said, reaching over and checking her cheeks with the back of his hand. She hadn't been fevered before, and he wanted to make sure that was still the case.

"What..." she frowned, and tried to look around, but her head was just pounding. "What happened?"

"You ran into an anti-Goa'uld device of some sort," Beckett explained. It was all the explanation they'd given him so far, so it was all he could give her. "How is your symbiote?"

"You know about him?"

Had she told him she was Tok'ra? She couldn't remember that, although she remembered him asking about Talon once before.

"Doctor McKay knows about you. He told me."

"McKay..."

She thought back to the records of those who'd gone on the Atlantis expedition. The name McKay was on the list, although she didn't know him.

"Rodney McKay..." Beckett clarified, wanting to keep her talking so he'd be able to judge how she was doing. "He's an Astrophysicist."

"Ah..."

She rubbed her face with the heel of her hand, as if trying to rub the headache away.

"I need to talk to Colonel Sumner."

There was a slight hesitation, now.

"Wayne Sumner," she said, then frowned, realizing that Sumner's real name was Marshal, and they'd only called him Wayne because of a long ago private joke. A joke none of these people would know about – because it was damned sure Sumner hadn't told them. "Marshal Sumner," she clarified, wondering why the doctor was looking at her like that. "He's a Colonel..."

"I'm sorry, Colonel Mitchell," the doctor said, softly. "Colonel Sumner was killed."

She couldn't have felt more numb if he'd kicked her in the side.

"What?"

"He was killed the day after we arrived..."

"How...? Who's in charge, then?"

"Doctor Weir is."

"Not of the Military units?"

They'd never let a civilian take over command of the teams of Air Force personnel that had escorted the civilians, would they? No way.

"No... she's in charge of the expedition. Major Sheppard is in charge of the Military units."

"Major?"

Shit.

Melony closed her eyes, feeling as if she'd been kicked in the stomach. Apparently, she looked like she had been, too, because she felt the doctor's gentle hand on her cheek.

"I'm sorry, Colonel, if Colonel Sumner was a friend of yours. This must come as a real shock to you..."

Not as much of a shock as finding out she was the ranking Military officer on the freaking planet – or whatever they were on. She closed her eyes tighter, unwilling to face this just then.

"Do you want me to get Major Sheppard?"

She sighed, and nodded.

"And Doctor Weir, please..."

Might as well face them both. Besides, she had to find out what happened to Sumner.

"I'll be right back."

The hand left her cheek, and she heard him stand up and walk away.

OOOOOOOO

"Is she awake?"

Rodney had heard the murmur of conversation through the door of the infirmary, and when it opened and Beckett stepped out, he was standing right there, ready to intercept him. Beckett scowled; he'd already had a hard day, and it was getting worse. Telling someone that their friend was dead wasn't easy – and it was obvious that Mitchell had known Sumner from her reaction.

"She's awake," he confirmed. "But she wants to see Major Sheppard and Doctor Weir. Not you."

"Did you ask her if she wanted to see me?"

"No. It's not a bloody petting zoo, McKay. When she wants to see you, I'll let you into the room to see her. Until then, keep out."

McKay frowned.

"You don't have to be so rude. I was just – hey, where are you going?" Beckett had already turned and headed down the hall.

"To get Weir and Sheppard. Stay out of my infirmary."

"Humph."

McKay waited until he had turned the corner, and then slipped into the infirmary.