Rodney took an instant dislike to Lt. Colonel Dennis Byrd, M.D. Maybe it was the way he delivered his report standing at attention in front of Caldwell, totally ignoring Rodney and Weir. Maybe it was his appearance, the silver crew cut and hard blue eyes that just screamed stick-up-the-ass military. But mostly it was the impersonal way he spoke about his patient, as though he really didn't care about Carson at all.

"Sir," Byrd began, staring at a spot on the wall over Caldwell's shoulder. "The patient arrived in sickbay with no pulse or respiration. I was able to restore both within approximately ninety seconds. At that time, the patient expelled a quantity of seawater. I'm optimistic that we restored oxygen to the brain before any permanent damage could take place, but I won't be able to confirm this until the patient regains consciousness."

"The patient's name is Carson Beckett," Rodney cut in. "Doctor Beckett, to you."

Byrd turned his flinty stare on Rodney, and Elizabeth spoke up before another confrontation arose. "Doctor, would you please bottom-line this for us? What are his injuries, and what's his prognosis?"

Byrd glanced at Caldwell, who nodded. The doctor settled into a parade rest stance and directed his comments to the civilians. "Doctor Beckett," he said, shooting a look at Rodney, "was very fortunate. He apparently struck the water feet first. If he had landed horizontally, he'd most likely be dead."

Weir frowned in confusion. "What difference does that make?"

Rodney knew this part well enough – it was all he'd been able to think about since watching Carson's fall. "A falling body picks up velocity. The longer the fall, the faster the object moves. Carson was probably falling at a rate of about sixteen kilometers an hour when he struck the water. Hitting feet first means you continue to move downward and the force of impact is dispersed. But if you're horizontal, you decelerate from sixteen kph to zero in about six inches. Think of it as a massive, fatal belly flop."

Byrd nodded. "In cases like that, the body stops, but the internal organs continue to drop. Organs and vessels lacerate, ribs splinter and puncture soft tissue. The victim dies from massive internal injuries, just as if they'd been hit by a car. That's assuming they don't drown first."

Swallowing thickly and looking a little green, Elizabeth folded her hands in front of her to hide their trembling. "But Carson doesn't have these injuries?"

"No ma'am. He has a fractured left heel and two stress fractures in his right leg. X-rays also show small compression fractures in his thoracic spine."

It was Rodney's turn to gulp. "His spine? Is he…will he be able to—"

"At this point there is no evidence of paralysis. I won't be able to fully assess the damage until the patient is awake and responsive."

Caldwell, who had been listening silently from his end of the table, leaned back in his chair. "Anything else, Doctor?"

"I'm concerned about aspiration pneumonia, sir. I've got him on oxygen and broad-spectrum antibiotics to try and head it off, but it's likely he'll experience respiratory complications at some point in his recovery."

"Thank you, Doctor." Caldwell turned his gaze to Weir and McKay. "Any questions?"

"Just one," Rodney said. "When can he be moved?"

Byrd frowned. "Moved? To where?"

"To Atlantis. To his own infirmary," McKay answered, not bothering to hide his exasperation.

"I'm not sure what the point would be. We'd only have to move him back aboard before we depart for Earth, and that's only two days away."

Elizabeth and Rodney exchanged puzzled looks. "What are you talking about?" Rodney asked. "Carson's not going back to Earth with you. He's ours, and we're keeping him."

Byrd's back stiffened as his posture became formal once more. "Sir," he addressed Caldwell. "Doctor Beckett will need extensive physical therapy during his recuperation. Given the nature of his injuries and the manner in which he received them, it's my professional opinion that he is unfit for duty as CMO of Atlantis. I'm officially recommending that he be returned to Earth for psychological evaluation and treatment."