Weir took command of the impromptu meeting.

"I'm sorry to intrude on you when you're probably not feeling all that great, Mr. Dex," she said, moving over to stand where both bedridden people could see her. "But there are a few things we need to take care of, and I would like to get them taken care of as soon as possible."

"Such as?"

"Such as the device that Doctor Beckett here took out of your back. Teyla has explained to me what she believes it was used for…"

Dex looked over at Teyla, who saw the question in his expression and spoke up.

"I have told you before that you are not the only Runner I have heard of – merely the only one I have ever actually met. I told Doctor Weir as much as I know from the rumors and stories that have circulated."

"Yes," Weir said. "But I'd like to hear it from you, please. If for no other reason than because things can easily get mixed up when coming from a second party – if you don't mind?"

Dex shook his head.

"I don't mind."

He went on to explain to her and Teal'c what the Wraith had done to him just like he'd told the others before, and Melony listened with just as much disbelief as she had the first time.

I don't know why you're so surprised by their actions, Talon told her. You know what kind of beings they were

I just can't imagine how he could have managed.

He did what he had to in order to survive

And she knew that Talon admired that in him. Talon was already impressed with Ronon Dex, and Melony knew her symbiote wanted the man to stay on in Atlantis where they could put his abilities to use.

First things first, though. They had to get him on his feet, and then give him the chance to go home. Who knew who was waiting for him back home? Probably his family all thought he was dead. He might even have a wife and kids, for all they knew.

If he does, I won't ask him to stay.

I know

And she shouldn't. Talon agreed with that, of course.

As they had this discussion, Dex was finishing his story, and Weir frowned. Not a look of annoyance, but one of confusion.

"You've been running for 7 years?"

"Sometimes," he said. "Other times, I fought back, ambushing those chasing me. That would give me some time, because it would take a while for the Wraith to decide their hunting parties weren't coming back and to send more."

"What did you do in that time?" Sheppard asked, curiously.

"Tried to find a way to get rid of that damned transmitter."

Duh.

"Well, it's gone, now," Beckett said, from where he'd been seated at the foot of Melony's bed in a somewhat impersonal position and pose. "I'm all for destroying the thing to make sure-"

"No."

This was from Melony and Dex at the same time. Melony spoke, first.

"I want that thing, Carson," she said, looking at him and then at Weir and wondering if anyone had mentioned her idea of using the device to bring the Wraith to her to ambush them. "It's a convenient way of finding any Wraith that might be left-"

"You don't know that they're going to track it," Sheppard said.

"There was a Wraith on the planet looking for him," Mitchell said, as if that said everything – which it did.

"More than one," Dex added. "I killed one and you found one in that tree."

"More than that," Beckett said. "The xenobiologists that are working on the remains of the cat you brought in have been finding some very interesting results."

"Like what?" Melony asked – even though everyone else in the room looked like they'd been about to ask the same question.

"They don't have a control creature to compare this one to," Carson said, "So it could be a bit off, of course, but the muscle mass on the cat you killed is at least six times more dense than that of any large cat from Earth. The hearts and lungs are larger, as well – as are several other organs, and the brain seems to be too large for the skull."

"Meaning?" Sheppard asked.

"Meaning something happened to it to change its physiology – something that happened so suddenly that the cat itself didn't have a chance to evolve around that change. If they could get another cat – a normal one – to compare it to they could be more certain what the exact differences are – and maybe even -"

Weir frowned.

"I'm not sending anyone back there – not right now, anyways."

"Makes you wonder, though," Melony said, not to anyone in particular.

Teal'c looked over at her.

"You believe that the felines consumed a Wraith?"

"Or more than one," Mitchell said, shrugging. "It might explain why the villagers on the planet didn't even bother to warn us about the cats when we headed into the woods." She looked at Sheppard. "Did they mention them to you?"

He shook his head.

"Only mentioned that there was something in the forest."

"And they were surprised by our story about being attacked by the one we brought back," Melony added. "It's possible that eating a Wraith could do something to the cats that did it."

"It'd do something to me," Sheppard said, looking a little ill at the thought.

Weir looked at Carson.

"What do you think?"

The doctor shrugged.

"It's all speculation."

"Worth checking out?"

"If you ask the xenobiologists, it is."

"And if I asked you?"

"I'd be interested in knowing… this is the first time we've ever heard of anything actually eating a Wraith."

"Kinda poetic, huh?" Sheppard asked, dryly.

Weir hesitated, and finally shrugged.

"Let's get back to the tracking device," she said, well aware that they'd strayed from the original topic. "You think the device can bring more Wraith?"

Mitchell nodded.

"And I want to use that against them."

"I do, too," Dex said, quickly, unwilling to be left out of any retribution. He was the one who had been chased for the last seven years, after all.

Beckett looked over at him, and easily read the determination in his expression. He also noticed that the conversation had taken its toll on the injured man. Dex looked tired – whether he'd ever admit it or not. But he didn't have to, because that was Carson's job.

"There isn't anything we can do just now," Beckett said, standing up. "We'll have to wait and get more test results from the xenobiologists. Until then, we should let these two get some rest."

Which was an order thinly veiled as a request, and all of them knew it – including Mitchell and Dex.

Weir nodded, and gestured for the others to head for the door.

"We'll finish this later," she said, smiling. "Until then, do what Doctor Beckett says and you'll be out of here in no time."