Lt. Fee Ortiz glanced up from her book at a soft sound. Through the glass of the observation window overlooking the private room, she watched a changing of the guard. Sgt. Jenkins had just replaced Cpl. Alsaleem. Fee checked the clock on the wall. 0230 hours. Sighing, she stretched her back. For the last ten days she and Candy Rush had been working twelve-hour shifts caring for Jonas Quinn.

While Ortiz appreciated the trust that Dr. Frasier had shown in allowing her to participate in Jonas' care, she wished the woman trusted at least one other nurse to keep the workload down. Looking over at the Kelownan sleeping peacefully, she reflected that it wasn't for much longer.

Once the specialist from the Mayo had discovered the doctored teabags, and an appropriate course of treatment had been decided on, Jonas had improved quickly. Dr. Frasier had said earlier in the evening that she thought she would release him to his quarters within the next day or so.

Ortiz felt a pang of regret. Her tour of duty was coming to a close, and she found she was truly going to miss working at the SGC. She'd made many friends, and the job itself was engrossing. And where else would she have the opportunity to participate in work so vital to the defense of the world?

She pursed her lips as she stared at the man sleeping in the bed. In the last several days, she had come to know him. He was a sweet guy. In other circumstances, she might even have fallen for him. As it was, it would never happen. She was leaving, and he would be dead.

It was a damned shame, but there was nothing for it. Her NID handlers had explained to her that an arrangement had been made with an official high in the Kelownan government: A supply of the mineral naquadria in exchange for the death of Jonas Quinn.

Ortiz went over a mental checklist in her mind. She had packed and notified the landlord and utility companies. She'd taken the cat she had adopted to the local ASPCA. She frowned slightly. She was going to miss Fluffbutt, but there was no telling where she'd be assigned next. Her car was loaded and parked for a quick getaway.

All that was left was to finish the job. She was grateful that the Jaffa, Teal'c, had gone with SG1 to recover the weapons cache. He was far too observant, and she had not even considered making her final move while he was on guard. She hoped that SG1 would find something useful. It would be a nice legacy for Jonas, in addition to the naquadria he would be exchanged for.

Getting up, she went down to the Kelownan's bed, smiling at Jenkins as she passed. Expertly, she checked his pulse, breathing and heart rate. It was a matter of pride to Ortiz that her hands were so gentle that he never so much as mumbled in his sleep.

She could, with those same hands, snap his neck, but given the circumstances, that was out of the question.

Instead she casually went to the medication station, and out of the view of the marine, pulled a syringe out of her pocket and placed it on a small tray.

She returned to Jonas' bedside and prepared to inject the lethal contents of her syringe into his arm. She hoped the touch of the cold alcohol swab would not wake him. It would be better if he simply died in his sleep.

She held the syringe up and pressed the plunger a touch to make sure there were no air bubbles trapped, never even thinking about the incongruity of the act. Her head snapped up at a distinctive click.