A/N: Okay, that was fast. But mostly because I already had the conversation written out and just needed to fill in the gaps, and that went astoundingly well. I'm probably going to take longer for the last chapter because that's going to be a bit more difficult, considering where it's all heading.

Also, I really hope this is one for lalez because it'll finally answer one of her questions :D

Anyway. Here you go!


Three

Morsberg

Okay, Mats. Don't blow this. This might be your one big chance to finally get out of the infirmary and on an actual off-world team on a permanent basis. With so many experienced people rotating out and loads of fresh, uninitiated people rotating in, there's a good chance that especially one of the new team commanders might be willing to risk a confrontation with Dr. Beckett over plucking one of his surgeons from the infirmary team. Also, Beckett is going to get a whole slew of additional people once the Daedalus is back with more than just an immediate reinforcement contingent, so he might be willing to let me go.

Okay. Okay. It's gonna be a real easy. I don't really know Evan Lorne, who, apparently, made the race as the new contingent XO – and Sheppard's temporary replacement, once the Command staff plus a few selected second-row people go back to Earth for a round of debriefings and selecting new staff – but Maureen told me that he's a decent, sensible guy who is amenable to good arguments and doesn't shy away from risks if they might be worth it. I have a couple really good arguments, so this should be a walk in the park. I can do this.

I still need a few more moments to convince myself to finally knock on the door to Lorne's new office – more like a glorified broom closet but I'm sure it's just temporary – but hey, I manage it, after all. And I get an immediate response. Damn.

Oh. No. Wait. That's a good thing. Right.

I enter, after Lorne's command. He's sitting at his desk, the entire thing full of personnel records. Even his laptop, shoved a little to the side, is standing on a small stack of records. It's probably not a good idea to ask him why a tree did in his office, huh? He looks at me, not exactly happy to see me. "What can I do for you?" And he doesn't sound exactly happy, either. Uh-oh.

But yeah, now that I'm here, I can just go ahead and do what I came for, right? "I was told that you're the go to person for people who want to get assigned to off-world teams." Hey, don't keep forgetting that bit, not in this conversation, anyway. "Sir."

He leans back, in his chair, not exactly relaxed. More like wary. Not really an improvement. "That is correct. You're… one of Beckett's, aren't you?"

More or less. "Yes, sir."

"And… you want off the infirmary staff and on an off-world team?" I'm not sure I like this line of questioning, to be completely honest.

I can just resist narrowing my eyes and decide to keep it formal and by the book. "Yes, sir. That is correct, sir."

He leans forward again, resting his forearms on his desk, his hands clasped. "Okay, look, Captain…"

"That would be Stabsarzt, sir." Scheiße. I think I just blew it. This is the one instance when I shouldn't have been correcting anyone on my rank, and of course I just couldn't help it. Can't believe I really just did that.

From the look of it, Lorne is indeed kind of unhappy about the interruption – like I said, I don't really know him, but that little move of clenching his jaw and flattening his mouth into a very dissatisfied line was pretty unmistakable – and it doesn't sound like he welcomed my correction, either, "Fine, then. Stabsarzt." Not bad, actually. It definitely could use some work but he got the basics of pronouncing it right. Wow. "Can you give me one good reason why I should go head to head with Dr. Beckett and tell him that I'm depriving him of a badly needed surgeon in the infirmary?"

Okay. At least he didn't throw me out right away? That's… kind of a win, right? Or at least not an outright loss? Anyway. Time to make my case, "They don't need me as badly in the infirmary as you need me in the field, sir."

Now he looks… interested? Is that what the raising his eyebrow thing was about? "Really? What makes you say that?"

God, I hope that was an actual honest request to elaborate on my statement and not a trick question because it's now or never and I decide to launch right into it, no holds barred, "Well, here's the thing, sir: I'm fairly good in an OR, that's indisputable." It is. I still need to keep working on it but surgeons always do. And as far as residents go, I'm not the worst of the bunch, I have learned that much. "I am, however, nearly unbeatable in the field. I'm a surgeon and a combat medic, it's what I've been trained to do and what I've been doing for most of my military career before I came here." Okay, he still looks kinda interested. Time for the kicker. And it better kick ass because I've sat on this metaphor for almost five days, and do you know how bad surgeons are at metaphors? "Keeping me in the infirmary full-time is like only ever driving a Ferrari in the city. It does the job and it looks really flashy but that's not what it was built for."

Uh-oh. There's this "damn surgeons" look on his face, the one I've seen so many times on the faces of my commanding officers whenever I dared to tell them that I'm good at my job and they have no way for rebuttal because they know I'm right. That usually doesn't end well. And yes, it almost immediately changes to skepticism. "You mean it would be a waste to keep you in the infirmary full-time?"

God, yes. "Biggest waste ever, yes, sir."

He runs a hand over his face, shakes his head, leans back in his chair… not good. That really doesn't look good. It looks like I overplayed my hand and didn't fold when I had the chance. Damn, I… "Okay." Okay? What? "I might have a slot for you."

He… what? I blink at him and almost fall out of my textbook at ease posture and finally manage to tell him, "I'm all ears, sir."

"Major Moore." What? No. Fuck no, I honestly thought Maureen might finally get her own team and she might request me as her medic if she knew that I would be up for… "You worked with him during the siege, didn't you?"

Fuck. Don't let him see your open displeasure at that spot. "Yes, sir."

"Do you think you can work with him on a permanent basis?" Hahahahahahahaha no. "He still has two slots open on his team. One of them is for a medic."

He said it totally casually but there was something in his tone that suggested that this is a one-time offer and that I could either take it or leave but probably won't get another one. Heaven knows why but it really is either Major Moore or the infirmary. That's not really much of a choice. Dammit. "Working with Major Moore would be fine, sir." You know, except for the really unhealthy dynamics between him and Maureen that probably have the potential to wreck an entire team in the long run, even if she isn't part of that team, that is.

Lorne nods, and I'm almost sure I can hear Laura Greenspan laugh from the distance. Maureen told me a couple days ago that she didn't survive her stint at the SGC but for some really weird reason it's this moment – when I just basically agreed to take her spot on the team – that I realize that she really is gone. Holy hell. "Good. But you have to realize that they're slotted for recon and intel gathering, Doc. Not a lot of MEDCAP assignments waiting in their future."

What? Oh, right, Lorne just making sure I know what I signed up for. I probably don't but that's no reason not to give him a bit of reassurance. "Sir, you've read my file. You know what I did before coming to Atlantis. Do you really think I want to be on an off-world team for MEDCAPs and handing out candy to village kids?"

"Fair enough, Doc." Huh. He really does accept that as an explanation. Interesting. "But Dr. Beckett is still gonna want to go over my backside with a wire brush for taking away one of his senior doctors." Yeah, okay, that was to be expected. Of course he'd bring up Beckett.

Thankfully, I already have a plan for that up my sleeve. "Tell him I'm still available every time I'm not on a mission. And I get to be on call for the infirmary every time we pull security duty in the city."

Lorne looks actually impressed with me coming prepared to this meeting. But also, sadly, still not fully convinced. "That's gonna be an awfully big workload, Doc."

Oh please. "I can handle it, sir."

That makes him roll his eyes and now I abruptly remember that he used to be one Moore's classmates and one of Laura's friends, as she told me back on that memorable evening at the Broadmoor and… does that have anything to do with the spot he suggested to me? "Who would have thought that all stereotypes about surgeons are actually true."

Aw, come on. I shrug. "None of us ever said they weren't."

Another eye-roll, this time a little defeatedly. "Good point, Doc."

And… that's it. Hey, come on, be a little less vague? "So, do I get my assignment or not, sir?"

He nods, looking a little annoyed and having to give in to that guy who kept him from working and had the gall to interrupt him just to correct him on his rank. "Yeah, on probation. Your off-world qualification is up-to-date?" I nod. Fuck yes it is. "Okay, we'll try the suggested set-up for six months, evaluate and then reassess to see if we can make it permanent or not and yes, that is my final ruling. Clear, Stabsarzt?"

Right, okay, yes, he really means business. I nod, giving him the answer American officers really seem to love. "Crystal, sir."

"Good." I'd certainly say so. "Report to Major Moore ASAP. Oh, and tell him, if he has any issues with your assignment, he has to take them up with me and no one else." Goddammit, I was right. This has something to do with Moore and Lorne being Academy buddies and Laura, too and I'm kinda pissed because I don't know what exactly this is about and I have the vague feeling that there's something going on here I might not like.

Confronting him about that would probably be career suicide, though, so the only thing left to me is, in the end, to just say, "Yes, sir," and be done with it.

Lorne seems to think so, too. "Dismissed, Stabsarzt."

Alright, then.

I turn on my heel, exiting his office after a picture-perfect report and being reasonably sure that I might just have gotten played. If that really was the case, Lorne has probably the best poker face I have ever encountered. If this guy really gets confirmed as Sheppard's new XO, we really are screwed. There's no messing around with this guy, that's for sure. And my new boss apparently being his Academy buddy probably won't make it any easier, either.

Once outside his office, however, I decide that I'm not going to heed his last order, or at least not right away. He did tell me to report to Major Moore ASAP but damn, this is weird enough that I really need to talk to Maureen before having to tell the one guy who definitely didn't want to have me on his team back during the siege that he's not going to get rid of me for the foreseeable future. Because that is going to be so much fun.

So… I think I have an idea where to find her…