"So we have to pull the Wraith down?" Boyett asked, looking just about as green as Mitchell had ever seen a Marine looking.
McKay shrugged.
"It's that, or check it out while it's in the tree."
"So someone needs to climb up and pull it down," Mitchell said.
"Not me," McKay said. "I'm a Physicist not a-"
"Don't worry, Rodney," Melony interrupted. "We don't want you to climb up there."
He cut short his explanation, surprised – and definitely relieved.
"Oh. Well, that's good. Not that I'm afraid to climb up there or anything. I mean, it's obviously dead and all and there's not much it could do to-"
"We need you on the ground," Mitchell interrupted.
Besides, they couldn't risk him falling on his head.
"Oh."
Melony turned to Boyett.
"Lieutenant?"
Rank hath its privilege and all that, right?
Boyett nodded.
"Yes, Ma'am." He turned to Duck. "Sergeant."
Sanders made a face, but he nodded.
"Yes, sir."
Rank hath its privilege, after all, and he was low man on the totem pole.
Slipping off the sling that held his P90 in place, Duck handed it to Boyett, and then loosened his knife in its sheath. Just in case.
Heading for the tree, Melony thought she heard him mutter something about having a red shirt on, and she followed him, stopping just shy of the tree.
"Just push it out of the crook of the branch, Sergeant," she ordered. "And don't come in contact with any bare flesh if you can avoid it."
"Yes, ma'am."
Like he had any intention of touching the damned thing if he could avoid it?
"And don't drop it on me."
He snorted. Yeah, that would earn him the shit duties pretty much the rest of his life, huh?
"No, ma'am."
She handed his P90 to Boyett, who had walked over as well, and then made a stirrup out of her hands, offering Duck a boost, which he accepted. Putting his foot into her hands, he reached for the closest of the branches as she pushed him upwards, and he pulled himself up into the tree, avoiding the branches that held the Wraith and angling himself so he came over above it. He definitely didn't want to be below it – and Mitchell understood completely.
"Ugh…"
"You okay?"
"It reeks."
Since they could all smell it just fine, they had no doubt.
"Can you get it out?" Boyett called up.
"Yes, sir. Just give me a second."
Duck braced himself in the branch just above the Wraith and then looked down.
"Watch out."
With that warning, he used his foot to push the Wraith out of the tree that was holding it. At least, the top half of the Wraith fell out of the tree. The head and upper torso of the Wraith, held together by the odd armor that they wore, fell with a sickening noise to the forest floor below. From hips down, however, the rest of it was still lodged tightly in the branches.
"Ugh…"
"Okay, I'm going to go over there and throw up," Rodney said, taking a step back.
Melony understood exactly how he felt. She was feeling pretty green herself. With a boost from Talon, though, she was able to look up at Duck, who was definitely green, now.
"Sergeant, try to push the rest of it out. We might need that half."
Duck swallowed visibly and nodded. He was a Marine, and he certainly wasn't going to toss his cookies in front of a scientist. No matter how much he felt like doing just that.
"Yes, ma'am."
It took a bit of work, but he did manage to kick the rest of the Wraith out of the tree as well, and it fell on top of the torso and head.
"Gah…"
Boyett pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and covered his mouth and nose at the stench – something that McKay had already done.
"All right, Rodney," Melony said, looking at him.
"What?"
"Find out what's beeping…"
"You mean touch it?"
"I mean, you're the one who said we had to get it down – and we did. Now figure out what's interfering with your locator device. I want to find Colonel Sheppard as soon as possible."
If something – or someone – was running around these woods capable of doing this to a Wraith, she wanted to find it before it found the missing away team.
"But…"
Rodney was looking at the pile of torn flesh and innards with definite hesitation.
"Just do it," Mitchell said, reaching down and grabbing a piece of pant leg and pulling the legs and hips of the Wraith off the main section of torso. They could all hear a soft beeping coming from somewhere in there.
"Fine…"
Keeping his head as far back as he could, and reaching out with one hand – of which he had two fingers extended – McKay reached for the jacket of the Wraith and tugged on it. Not surprisingly, nothing moved.
"I'll do it," Boyett said, stepping over and grabbing the jacket. He'd put on a pair of gloves, and was able to get a much better grip than McKay had. With a hard tug, the jacket came free, leaving a trail of slimy innards.
"Ick."
Boyett held up the jacket, and something fell out, landing softly in a pile of Wraith goo. Something that was beeping softly.
"There," McKay said, unnecessarily. He was looking at the device he was holding in his hand, and pointedly not looking at the Wraith pieces. "That's what's doing it."
Mitchell nodded to Boyett, who reached for the device, and Melony looked up into the tree.
"Come on down, Sergeant."
They didn't need him up there, anymore.
"With pleasure."
He didn't even have a chance to do more than put his foot down in the crook of the branches that had held the Wraith before he slipped on blood and who knew what else, lost his footing and reached for another branch. Far too late to do any good.
"Shit!"
With that muffled curse, Duck fell out of the tree, bouncing off his commanding officer and knocking both of them into the pile of Wraith pieces.