"Melony!"
Carson pulled her back from O'Neill's inert form, uncertain what she was doing. She went, with such lifelessness that he cast a second glance at her, worried that she was injured and he didn't realize it. But she'd been walking, and he hadn't seen any blood. She fell back, ending up resting against Kale, who still hadn't moved – although he was awake and even reached out to touch her, showing that he was aware enough of what was going on around him to be worried about her.
"Take Jack to the infirmary, Carson…" she said, closing her eyes. Bereft of Talon's healing and numbing abilities, she was feeling every ache and pain – not to mention that her system was in shock from the sudden loss of the symbiote. It wasn't dangerous, though, notyet – or Talon never would have left. "He's going to need to be put under for-"
"What did you do?"
Carson grabbed her by her jacket, pulling her upright and clutching her tightly.
She winced, her head pounding and her eyes unfocused when she opened them to look at him.
"I-"
"What?"
He looked at O'Neill, who was still and silent, and then back at Melony, realization dawning in his eyes.
"You transferred Talon!"
She nodded, weakly.
"Had to…"
"You'll die."
She shook her head.
Not if it wasn't for too long…
"Doc?"
Carson looked up and saw Sheppard hovering over them; obviously confused by the way he was holding Mitchell by her jacket and was yelling at her. He went to his feet, and pulled Melony up as well, handing her over to Sheppard.
"Take her down to the infirmary. Tell them to isolate her, and to keep everyone away from her. I'll be there in a minute."
"What?"
"Do it!"
Sheppard pulled Mitchell over his shoulder in a fireman's carry – if she'd been hurt, Beckett never would have been so rough pulling her to her feet – and headed for the door leading to the elevator. And Beckett turned back to O'Neill, kneeling down and ripping his jacket open so he could check the injuries.
By the time he was ready to try and stabilize the General, his first team of medics were there, pushing gurneys and carrying all the equipment he could hope for.
"Here!"
He stood, pulling one of the gurneys over to him, and hitting the switch that dropped it to the ground position.
"He's unconscious. Get him to the infirmary and prep him for immediate surgery."
The medics did as they were told, carefully lifting O'Neill onto the gurney and heading for the same door that Sheppard had. Beckett knelt next to Kale, who was sitting up.
"Are you injured?"
The Light One shook his head, his hand coming up to his head, which was bleeding – but not too badly.
"I will be fine."
"I want you to go to the infirmary anyways," Beckett said, waving over another set of medics. "Better safe than sorry."
The Light One looked as if he was going to protest, but he nodded.
"Very well."
When Beckett stood up again, he saw Teal'c, Duck and several Light Ones crowding around something – or someone – and rushed over, already being followed by medics. There was only one pilot unaccounted for, now.
OOOOOOOO
Sam and Daniel both jumped when Sheppard crashed into the infirmary with Mitchell over his shoulder. Medics jumped, too, just as startled at the sudden appearance.
"Beckett wants her put into isolation, and said don't let anyone near her," John told them, handing her over to the medics.
"What's wrong with her?" Daniel asked, worried.
Sheppard shook his head.
"No clue. She doesn't seem to be hurt. Just shocky."
"Have you seen General O'Neill?" Sam asked, watching as Melony was whisked away towards a far corner of the room. There hadn't been any blood – despite the fact that she was silent and still.
John nodded.
"He's hurt," he said, trying to figure out how to make it sound less terrible – even though he'd seen O'Neill's injuries and knew he was hurt badly. "Beckett's with him, though. His dart is in about a million pieces."
"What happened?" Daniel asked.
Sheppard shrugged, looking the direction Melony had been taken.
"I don't have a clue. He looked to be on fire when he came in – maybe he got caught in the explosion."
"Did you see the explosion?" Sam asked, although she knew the answer already. She just needed to ask something to take her mind off Jack. Not that it would.
"No. But the Wraith attacked in the daylight – we almost weren't ready for them."
"Why would they do that?" Daniel asked. "I've never-"
He was interrupted with the arrival of the next set of medics, and these were pushing a gurney that was holding a very bloody and very mangled Jack O'Neill. On the way down the medics had already started IVs and were stabilizing their patient.
Sam and Daniel intercepted them immediately.
"How is he?"
"He's going into surgery."
That was all they'd say. They weren't military doctors and didn't have to worry about offending her. Besides, they didn't want to tell her what they thought, because it wasn't good news as near as they could tell. The medics shouldered past with their patient, and Sam bit her lower lip, watching as they went, and forcing herself not to follow.
"He'll be okay, Sam…" Daniel said, putting his arm around her. "He's been hurt worse I bet."
She didn't look convinced, but there wasn't anything she could do, and Jack wouldn't thank her for getting hysterical. Instead she leaned against Daniel, her eyes still fixed on the door to the pre-op room.
Two minutes later, Beckett entered the infirmary, his clothes bloody and his expression bleak.
"What happened?" Sheppard asked, noticing the look.
"Tao didn't make it…" Carson said softly.
"Are you sure?" Sam said, shocked. "He has a symbiote-"
"I'm sure," Beckett said, interrupting. He looked tired, and sad, and he didn't have time to mournthe loss just then."I need to go take care of General O'Neill. Don't try to check on Melony… she's being isolated until further notice."
"Why?"
He didn't answer, though. Instead, he turned and headed for the pre-op room, closing the door behind him.
Daniel frowned, looking at the others.
"What's going on…?"