Sanity of the Insane
Chapter 13 -- Doctors
"Um…Craig? I think we're going to have a small problem."
General Logan Craig looked at his second-in-command with amusement. Over the last two weeks he had learned that a 'small problem' was usually something that was going to be a major catastrophe. Momentarily, he wondered what had happened to Summers to make her the way she was. Out of all the Pack, she was most unique, and he didn't think it was just because of her reactions to the programming. It was unnerving to work with someone who viewed everything he thought as major events, as minor inconveniences.
"What is it? Did the Fourth and Eighth stop speaking to each other again?"
"Not exactly. Remember when they stopped speaking to each other last time, and there a few…scuffles and a few tiny bones were broken – like arms and legs?"
"Yes…?" he asked slowly, wondering where this was going.
"Well, I need the Eighth because they are the best with explosives and I think the doctor is going to notice the recently mended broken bones," Buffy explained sheepishly, knowing that the doc will notice her own broken arm that she had gotten trying out a new move. All members of the Pack were trained in basic field medicine – but they weren't exactly surgeons.
Craig sighed.
"Let's just see how it goes. Maybe it won't be a big deal."
"What the hell have you been doing to these kids down there? I've examined all five members of your assault team and every one of them has had a bone broken in the last two weeks. Two of them have broken ribs that have just healed!" Doctor Janet Fraiser accused General Craig, who took the abuse with mild amusement. The Eighth and his second-in-command sat on their hospital beds watching the seething doctor warily. More than once they had glanced at the open exit with longing, but a piercing glare from their commander squelched any impulses to make a break for it.
"I would also like the answer to that, General," Hammond spoke up, regarding the officer suspiciously. Surprisingly, it was O'Neill that spoke up.
"Sir, with a team such as the Pack, who routinely go into high-risk situations, a more intense training is required to ensure their survival."
The Pack looked impressed by Sir's rather eloquent speech, though it didn't seem to have the desired effect on his target audience.
"These kids aren't experienced soldiers – they're teenagers. Sir, I recommend you do not allow them to participate in this mission."
General Craig's eyes hardened, and the Pack leaned forward in anticipation. Their commanding officer may still be the enemy, and somewhat evil, but nothing beat watching a doctor getting chewed out. Though it was probably too much to ask that there would be blood.
Oh, well.
"Doctor, these are not children – they are highly trained soldiers with over three years combat experience. Regardless of past injuries, are they currently physically ready to go on this mission?"
"Sir, I don't think…"
"I didn't ask you to think," the General interrupted, "I asked if any of your tests showed anything physically wrong with my soldiers. Is there?"
Janet regarded the general for a moment, and then replied, "No."
The hardened look vanished and Craig grinned. "Excellent."
With that, he turned and left with his soldiers following – each giving the doctor a smirk as they passed.
After they left, Janet to Jack with an angry expression on her face.
"Colonel, what the hell is going on down there? These weren't minor injuries – something is seriously wrong."
Jack struggled to find the right answer. In a way, Janet was right – for any other soldiers O'Neill would be the first to stop their training. But the Pack weren't normal soldiers. And the injuries weren't even caused by rough training (well, not all of them) but from normal pack dominance games.
Not that he could tell the Doc that.
"Doc, just…let this one go. This is not something you want to stick you nose into." Jack left before either Janet or Hammond could ask him any more questions.
Hammond watched his second-in-command go in frustration. Ever since Craig and his band of teenagers arrived on the base, O'Neill had stopped being completely honest with him. It had gotten to the point where Hammond didn't trust his subordinate completely anymore.
"Janet, was there anything else unusual about their tests?"
"Nothing major – though I wish I could do a more thorough examination. Their brain scans showed some abnormalities but I'm not sure what they mean."
"Like what?"
"Humans use certain parts of their brains for different activities – so generally, except for minor differences, every human's brain operates in the same basic manner. But the scans showed that normally dormant areas were active, and other areas that should be active were quiet. It's not an isolated phenomenon; each of their brains function the same way. The closest parallel I can think of is the activity found in patients who have been brainwashed."
Hammond started at the word 'brainwashed'.
In their reports, SG-1 had mentioned that Ms. Summers' friends had accused the colonel of brainwashing her. It could be a case of teenagers being overdramatic, or…
"Bring in all of the Pack and get them scanned; I want to know if it's the same for all of them."
"Yes, sir." Hammond turned to leave, but stopped when Frasier spoke up again.
"Sir, who do you think these kids are?"
He was quiet for a moment.
"I don't know – but all my instincts are telling me it's connected to Project Full Moon; I just don't know how or what it all means."
Hammond left, leaving Janet alone in the infirmary. She walked towards the beds where the Pack had been, and looked through their charts. There were so many injuries, and scars. They weren't much older than Cassie – it was hard to imagine what they had to have gone through.
She shuddered as she remembered examining them. They had stared at her the entire time – and she had had the most uncomfortable feeling that they were sizing her up for the kill. She tried to tell herself that she was being ridiculous, but the feeling had remained. Every now and then she would turn around to see O'Neill staring intently at the teenagers; occasionally, shaking his head for whatever reason.
Janet frowned as she studied the blood work results for Ms. Summers. There some unusual proteins in her bloodstream, nothing Janet had ever seen before though they didn't appear to be doing her any harm.
For the umpteenth she wondered to herself, who are these children?
TBC