He did check her blood pressure a few minutes later – he was a thorough doctor, after all – and found it was back to its usual level. Of course, he didn't really have to worry about there being anything wrong with Melony. Not when she had Talon to keep her in perfect health and to let him know if there was something he needed to know about, or something the symbiote might need help with – like the gene therapy thing they'd done when Mitchell had first arrived in Atlantis.

By the time he'd finished the rest of her physical – nothing too physical, unfortunately – his own very physical reaction to her nearness and her kiss had also gone back to normal.

"You're in perfect health," he told her.

She smiled.

"I know."

Carson touched her cheek with his fingertips, smiling at the smug tone of voice she'd used.

"What are you going to do now?" He was hoping that she'd spend a bit of time with him – maybe some quiet time, where he'd find the courage and the opening to tell her about his epiphiny.

"I'm going to gather up my alien and go to my quarters and get mission files," she said. "We're going to go through some of the planets that were explored before I got here, and see if any are actually worth going to look at in person."

His face fell. That meant she wouldn't have time for him.

Melony noticed the look.

"Did you need something, first, Carson?" She asked.

He sighed – silently – and shook his head.

"No. It'll wait until another time."

"Are you su-"

"Doctor Beckett?"

They turned at the sound of the nurse's voice coming from the other side of the curtain, and Carson opened it, turning away from Melony.

The nurse was standing there with Kale towering beside her, the Light One looking around the infirmary with interest – as he had been since he'd arrived there.

"He's fine, as near as we can tell," she reported, handing over a chart. "His heartbeat is a bit faster than our normal rates – but he says it's normal for his people – and his temperature is ten degrees higher than our own, but that's a metabolical reaction to his ability to change forms, apparently."

Carson looked through the chart, noting that there were a few other differences in the physiology of the Light Ones – but like the nurse and the other doctor, he didn't know if they were average for his people or not. That was the problem with aliens, he supposed.

"Well, then, we'd better get to work," Melony said from behind Carson, hopping off the table gracefully and coming around Beckett to put her hand on Kale's arm as she smiled up at him.

That was the other problem with aliens, Carson decided, feeling another stab of jealousy. Which was foolish, he knew, but he couldn't help himself. She wasn't that friendly with everyone else in Atlantis, was she? He didn't see her walking around with her hand on Major Sheppard's arm, or smiling so easily with Weir.

"I'm eager to get started," Kale said. He turned to Beckett, who hid his less than pleased expression quickly. "Thank you, Doctor Beckett, for your time. It was a pleasure meeting you, and I hope to see you again."

Carson nodded.

"You're welcome."

It wasn't the friendliest of replies, but Melony didn't notice and neither did Kale.

"We'll head to my quarters, Kale," she said to him. "I've got to get the disks that have the mission files on them. Then we'll find out where Doctor Weir has decided to put you for the duration of your stay."

She walked off with the Light One walking beside her, and Carson watched the two leave, a sullen and hurt look in his expression.

"I know where I'd like to put him..." he muttered to himself.

"Doctor?"

Carson looked over, and realized he'd forgotten about the presence of the nurse – who was luckily too far away to hear his soft comment. He forced a smile, and handed her the chart once more.

"We'd better keep this on file," he told her. "Never know when we might have more visitors like him, and it'd be good to have something to use as a reference."

"Yes, doctor." She nodded and took the chart with her, heading for one of the computers where she'd enter in the information into their slowly forming database of alien people they were coming into contact with from Atlantis, and Carson sent another look at the door Melony had walked out of, then went to finish his inventory. He would see her later, probably, and maybe he'd talk to her about how he felt. If she wasn't still clinging to Kale.

OOOOOOOO

"I like your Doctor Beckett," Kale said as he and Mitchell walked down the corridor from the infirmary.

Melony smiled up at him.

"I like him, too."

Kale nodded.

"I can tell."

"Oh?"

"Your eyes light up when you speak to him."

She smiled. She hadn't known that, but it made sense – as long as they weren't glowing.

That would have nothing to do with Becker, Talon told her, amused.

"Is he your mate?" Kale asked.

She shook her head, not taking offense at the abrupt – and personal – question. The Light Ones were far more open about such things, and Melony was already getting used to it.

"No."

"But you would like him to be, wouldn't you?"

She smiled, and shook her head in amusement. Either he was far more observant than she'd suspected, or she was a lot more transparent than what was normal for her.

His kind is telepathic, Talon reminded her. Maybe he's getting some vibes?

Maybe.

That could be it.

Of course, it could just be that you have the hots for the good doctor, and it shows quite plainly – it certainly shows from the inside

She ignored that last jab, knowing that he was talking about her own physical reactions to Carson's presence and his kisses, and answered Kale honestly, since he'd asked the question so guilelessly.

"I think so, yes."

"Does he know?"

"I'm not sure. Probably not." Maybe.

"You should tell him..."

She nodded; since that was what Talon was telling her as well there was no reason to argue with either of them.

"Maybe when all this is over..." She shrugged, and pointed at the door to her quarters. "For now, though, the Wraith come first, and in order to work on that problem, we need to get going on finding a proper planet..."

He looked like he was going to say something, but he didn't. Instead, the Light One nodded – although he was fairly sure that such single-mindedness could only have negative results – and followed her into her quarters.