"You know, maybe you should have brought one of those Goa'uld healing devices with you when you came through the gate," Rodney said as they settled Carson in the back of the Jumper.

Melony scowled.

"I did. It's called Talon."

"I meant-"

"I really didn't expect to need one," she said. "I can't use it on myself, and truth to tell, I honestly didn't expect you all to be there when I showed up."

Which they all already knew, and just reminded Carson why she'd been so willing to leave Earth in the first place. And made him feel guilty again for causing her additional hurt to the pain that she had already suffered.

As Sheppard got into the pilot's seat of the Jumper, she waved Ford into the co-pilot's seat. She'd stay beside Carson. Teyla handed her the first aid kit that was stashed on the little ship, and Mitchell dug out a bottle of Tylenol and handed him a couple pills.

"Here," she said. "That'll take the edge off, hopefully."

He took them and swallowed them, and then accepted the canteen she offered him to wash them down.

"Thank you."

She nodded, looking at his ankle, which was badly swollen.

"Is there anything I can do?"

He shook his head.

"I'm sorry about the x-ray comment I made. It wasn't very-"

She shrugged, "Don't worry about it. I understand."

"You settled in back there, Colonel?" Sheppard called back, looking over his shoulder.

"Yeah, we're ready. Let's get out of here." She looked at McKay. "We've pretty much seen what we need to see, right?"

He nodded, pleased that she was asking him, because that meant she was going to allow him a chance to help set up her little secret base – and that meant that when the Wraith were defeated, he was going to have been a part of it. Which would probably net him a few phone numbers from impressed women all over the universe.

"We can set up a thermal generator in that hot room we found – it shouldn't take much to do it. Once that's in place, it'll be a simple matter of bringing in the equipment you need – and there's plenty of diagnostic equipment to spare so you won't need to scrounge. After that…"

"Then I'll need to find a dart to diagnose…"

He nodded. That wasn't something he could see happening – except that he'd heard enough about the defeat of the Goa'uld to know that there was no reason to underestimate her. He'd never have believed the Goa'uld could fall – who would have? – but they had, and maybe the Wraith could, too.

"Maybe you'll get lucky and find one laying around when you explore the rest of the planet. So far you've scored fairly well here so far."

She grinned. Wouldn't that be nice?

"When are you going to start Wraith hunting?" Carson asked, as they felt the Jumper lift off the ground. Melony could see the worry in his eyes although it was obvious he was trying to hide it.

"Not until I have the lab set up," she told him – and McKay and Teyla, who were watching her and waiting for her answer as well. "There's no sense finding one until I have a place to put it. And even then, I'm not going to take it to the base right away. I'll stash it someplace in the woods – in case it's booby-trapped."

"Booby…?" Teyla frowned, uncertain what she meant.

"Set to explode if someone besides a Wraith tampers with it."

"We're close to the gate, Doc," Sheppard called back, interrupting them. "Won't be long now."

Carson nodded. The talk of the upcoming Wraith hunt was distracting him from his hurt ankle, but really, he'd rather think of the injury than think of Melony going off and getting herself killed.

She saw the odd look in his eyes and assumed it was from the pain of his foot, and set her hand reassuringly on his shoulder.

"You'll be fine."

He gave her a forced smile, which was more of a grimace. It wasn't himself he was worried about.

OOOOOOOOO

"It's Major Sheppard," Peter Grodin announced when the gate activated and the shield had gone up into place.

Weir nodded, and looked at her watch. She wasn't sure if they'd been gone long enough to have found anything or not, or if she should be worried that they'd run into some kind of trouble. Standing beside her, Kale smiled and rested his hand lightly on the small of her back – a gesture she could feel, but that no one else could see from the way they were standing.

"We found no dangerous creatures on the planet," he told her softly. "I'm sure they're fine."

"Lower the shield," she ordered, hoping he was right.

"Major Sheppard reports that he needs a medical team to the Jumper bay," Grodin reported almost immediately, dashing that hope.

"Who's hurt?"

"Beckett took a fall and hurt his ankle."

"That's it?"

Grodin shrugged.

"It's all he's reporting."

"Send a medical team to meet them." She looked at Kale, smiling slightly with relief, and far more comfortable with the Light One after their walk and talk that afternoon. "Would you like to come with me to meet them as well?"

"If I wouldn't be in the way…?"

"Of course not." She turned to Grodin; "I'll be in the Jumper bay if you need me."

He nodded, and she and Kale left the command center. She was interested in hearing if they'd found anything before the doctor's accident.