Author's notes: Okay, I'm attempting to do something I've never really done before…create an original character. I guess you could say I kind of did that with Whale-Sam, but in reality it's more like she infiltrated my brain and took over, I didn't really have any control over her. Hopefully, Dr. Balaena will be a moderately successful attempt at an OC, although she doesn't get much of a speaking part yet…(prays silently that this doesn't scare off all her readers and destroy this fic…)

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It had been Rodney's experience that biologists who specialized in a certain area tended to resemble the animals they studied. Ornithologists usually had large, pointed noses that resembled beaks, herpetologists seemed to all have leathery skin and wide eyes, microbiologists were usually thin and reedy, giving them a sickly appearance, and so on. It reminded him of how people were always supposed to look like their pets.

Dr. Mildred Balaena was a marine biologist, and her appearance did nothing to disprove McKay's theory. She had thick, round glasses that resembled fish eyes and was always sucking in her cheeks and pursing her lips when she was deep in thought. It was all Rodney could do not to sprinkle a little fish food her way when she got like that, and if someday she was picking fish flakes from her short black hair, he would stubbornly deny any accusations that he had put it there.

As soon as Rodney opened the doors to her lab, he was assaulted by the smell. Or more accurately, he felt like a tuna had crawled up his nose and died. Mildred had saltwater aquariums filled with specimens lining every wall, and her lab tables were piled high with all the fare you would expect from a Tokyo fish market. All sizes and shapes of fish, squid, eels, jellyfish, crabs, clams, kelp, and a few things McKay couldn't quite identify were laid out to be prepared as specimens in Dr. Balaena's research collection, what the rest of her staff had secretly dubbed the "Circus of the Slimy." Watching as a bit of blue fluid slowly dripped off the end of one of the eel's large wing-looking structures, McKay figured the name was pretty accurate.

"Carson," he called, heroically stifling the urge to choke on the smell. "You wanted to see me?"

The doctor's head popped up from behind the small table that he, Mildred, and Elizabeth were surrounding. "Aye, Rodney. We seem to be having a bit of technical difficulty."

"Carson, I'm about as far from your resident handyman as you are from practicing some real science. Get Zelenka to handle it, I'm—"

"We tried calling him over the com already. He sounded a bit…preoccupied at the moment." The slight blush that crept up Carson's neck told Rodney that he had either missed something really funny or really disturbing. Knowing Zelenka, it was the latter, so Rodney decided he'd rather not ask.

"Look, Carson, I really don't have time for this, but I did want to ask you a few questions for…research purposes."

Carson cast Rodney an exasperated look over the edge of the table, but Elizabeth cut in before the Scotsman could continue. "I understand that you're busy Rodney. We'll just have to find somebody else to help us fix this holographic projector table."

"Holographic projector?" Rodney asked, interest obviously piqued. Elizabeth just smiled knowingly and nodded. "Well, I, uh…Whoever you find to fix it will probably just screw the whole thing up, then I'll have to come down here and fix it anyway, so I might as well just save myself some time and take a look at it now." Rodney was already under the table and beginning to poke around in the wires before he had even finished the sentence.

"That's very generous of you, Rodney." Elizabeth's voice touched the edges of laughter, but she managed to keep herself under control. Mildred just pursed her lips and watched him.

A few moments, a shower of sparks, and a few colorful curses later, Rodney had the projector up and running. "There, that should do it. Nothing big really, just a few wires corroded with…" he wiped the green slime from his hand onto the table, "…age," he finished uncertainly. "Out of curiosity, what are you trying to do with this thing?"

Mildred spoke up for the first time, her high bubbly voice full of enthusiasm. "This projector is hooked up to the database. Dr. Weir wanted Carson and I to research the cetaceans that showed up on the east pier this morning. She said one of them looked sick."

Rodney looked at Elizabeth, surprised that she had already done his work for him. "Really?"

Elizabeth shrugged self-consciously. "Okay, so maybe I never drove around with a 'Save the Whales,' bumper sticker, but I feel like we should do something to help them, if we can. Don't you?"

Rodney eyed her suspiciously, looking for any signs of pink and/or signs she might not really be Elizabeth. He didn't really think he'd find any, but it didn't hurt to check. "Yeah, I suppose," he answered. "Actually," he continued hesitantly, "I might stick around and see if I can help out. After all, I have superior brainpower here."

Mildred seemed delighted, but Carson looked less than thrilled. "Elizabeth, I'm not even sure how much help I can be. Rattle off a few symptoms and I can tell any person what strain of flu bug's been ailin' them, but whale diseases are a bit outside my bailiwick."

"Carson," Elizabeth smiled placatingly at him, "you are this galaxy's foremost expert in communicable disease. I'm sure you'll be able to find some way to help. And as for you," she turned to Rodney, "I'm not quite sure what you have in mind, but I'm happy for your support anyhow. Dr. Balaene, keep me apprised of your progress. I have a few things I need to check on, so if you need me I'll be in my office. Good luck," she said as she headed out of the lab, then turned and proceeded down the corridor to the control room.

"Well," Mildred spoke, her eyes shining brightly behind her thick glasses. "Shall we get started?"

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A/N (2): I know, I know, another really short one. But at least I put two short ones up together, right? And yes, I stole Carson's "bailiwick" comment from "Inferno," because it was just too adorable. I love Carson! Anyway, this will probably be all I post for this one until spring break. Three days away:D Also, is it just me or has interest petered out for this fic? Should I even bother continuing with it? Send me reviews if you want me to continue, otherwise I'll probably finish up some other fics before I come back to this one.