Much to his annoyance, Carson didn't get to have that talk with her as soon as he'd hoped – which meant while she was still flat on her back and where he could find her.

By the time she was awake again, and feeling a little better than she had, Sheppard had delivered her laptop, and Melony was ready to get back to work. Her seemingly single-minded search for the perfect planet to use as a hideaway from the Wraith was taking all her time and energy, and she didn't have time to talk to him. Although he noted with a scowl, she had plenty of time to talk to Kale when he came in to check on her. The Light One had apologized to her for the terrible landing, but Mitchell had brushed that aside, telling him she was fine – which wasn't true – and that she'd be ready to set out in a couple of days – which was true.

Carson had wanted to tell her she needed to take a break, but it wasn't true, really. She was already in bed, and she wasn't straining herself, and Talon could take care of her just as well now that the initial danger was over with her working on her laptop as he could with her relaxing and talking to Kale. He just wanted her to be talking to him, damn it! Of course, it never occurred to him that she'd have put it all aside if he'd asked her to. He didn't have that much faith in her, or in her feelings for him, and that one sweet interrupted moment aside, he had no idea what she felt for him – and was afraid that if he asked her to stop her planning long enough to talk to him, she'd tell him no and break his heart.

If she loved him, she'd know instinctively that he needed to talk to her, right?

So that day passed, and he alternated between pouting and sulking, and was short tempered with his staff and those around him, and didn't go anywhere near Melony, sending a medic in to change the bandages and double check how well she was healing. He alternated between hurt and angry as he waited for her to send for him to finish the conversation that they'd started earlier. And grew more hurt and angry when the summons never came.

By the time evening came and she had been told by Talon and a medic that it was time to rest, Melony was wondering why Carson was avoiding her, and Carson was in a state of irritation, jealousy and hurt that he'd never been in before. He spent the night in his quarters, staring at the walls and ceiling, and Melony spent the night in her hospital room, wishing she could send someone for him, but fairly certain that if he wanted to see her, he'd stop by.

It was not a restful evening for either of them, and the next day things weren't any better.

OOOOOOOO

"We can probably leave these bandages off, Colonel…" the medic told her as he was checking her the next morning. The worst of the cuts were the ones Talon had been focusing on, and because he didn't have any internal injuries to work on as well, the gashes were healing nicely. The smaller cuts were still red and sore, but they would be taken care of as soon as Talon had a chance, so Melony wasn't worried. "Wounds need fresh air to heal, too."

"Seems I've heard that somewhere," Melony said, watching as he slathered antibiotics on the half-healed gash on her side.

"You've heard it because it's true," the medic said with a smile, finishing up and helping her lower her shirt once more. "Try not to move around too much, but you're really doing quite nicely."

"Thank you."

He nodded, and told her he'd bring her some breakfast, which made Mitchell once more wonder where Carson was.

You could send someone for him

He's not my personal servant, Talon. If he wanted to see me, he'd come. Maybe he's too busy.

Or maybe he's waiting for you to send someone for him…

"Why would he do that?"

To see if you want to see him?

She snorted, and shook her head.

That's a game children play. Not adults. If he wants me, he knows where to find me. He's probably trying to wean me away from his care or something.

I don't know, Hot Shot… he seems fairly taken with you

If he were, he'd be here. It's probably a good thing I didn't tell him that I loved him, huh? Who knows what kind of mess that'd have brought on?

Talon didn't seem so convinced, but when Mitchell reached for her laptop once more, the symbiote was just as distracted from the problem as the host was, both of them eager to find the perfect planet to start their search with. They stopped only when the medic brought her some breakfast, and continued their searching as soon as she'd finished eating, and once more Melony asked for Kale to be sent to her room, since she needed his input when it came to the planets they'd be going to – he was going as well, after all, and she didn't want him left out of any information he might need. Besides, he'd know better than she would if the planet was someplace he could fly her around, since she hadn't thought of the perpetual rain on planet A-20 as something that might interfere with his flying – although he'd said it would, and the atmosphere on A-08 was possibly too thin higher up so it might be dangerous for her to go that high.

The Light One was more than willing to join her, and he and Melony sat in her room for hours that day, once more poring through mission files, while Carson watched from the other end of the infirmary, waiting for the alien to leave her alone, and growing more and more angry and jealous when he didn't.

"I should get some rest," Kale finally said, stretching.

Melony looked at her watch and realized that he'd been with her all afternoon and most of the evening. He was probably tired and hungry and she wondered why none of the medical staff had interrupted with a reminder that she needed to eat.

"I'm sorry, Kale…"

The Light One shook his head, smiling.

"Don't be. I don't mind doing this – and it's important that we find you a suitable planet. But I am ready to take a break – perhaps for the evening?"

"Of course. I'll see you in the morning."

Kale stood up and stretched once more.

"Would you like me to bring you something to eat?"

Since he'd done way more for her than she thought she deserved, she shook her head.

"I'm not hungry just yet, thanks. You have a good night."

"I shall. Perhaps I'll go see what Elizabeth is doing…"

Melony grinned.

"You do that. Tell her I said hi."

The Light One nodded, and left, and Melony stretched carefully, feeling the tug of several rows of stitches. They were starting to itch, which meant they were healing, but it was still annoying. She lifted up her shirt, exposing the cut on her side. It was a little red, but looked pretty good to her.

Thank you

Thank you. She countered, smiling. You do good work.

The door opened just then, and Carson walked in, looking annoyed, and strained, and fairly tired. She wondered what he'd been up to to make him look that way. He closed the door, and opened the little panel that covered the door mechanism, pulled out a crystal looking thing and tossed it to the side. Melony thought it might have been a control device, and she realized he'd just 'locked' the door.

"We're going to talk," Carson told her. "And you're going to listen."