Authors' Note: Hi there, just so you know, this story was co-authored with my friend Nimeria. This story is as much hers as mine.

Disclaimer: We don't own anyone or anything you recognize. Except for ourselves. And that last bit's only a "maybe" on a good day.

Why to Always Have an Escape Route

Chapter 21

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(Sheppard and Jack lower Taylor onto one of the beds, point Mary towards another, allow Jessie to sit at the foot of Taylor's. Jack picks one for himself knowing it won't do him any good to protest and Sheppard sits on the bed nearest the girls while Rodney is already demanding a doctor for his tiny cut. Mitchell and Ronon walk in with medical personnel and grab beds for themselves after settling the limping Daniel and harshly bleeding Teal'c onto beds of their own. Sam takes a bed near Jack and Teyla sits on the stool by Sheppard's bed, her arm cradled to her chest.)

Teyla: Hello, girls. Which of you is which?

Mary: I'm Mary, that's Jessie and the deathly pale and blood gushing one is Taylor.

Taylor: (whining) Mary…

(Mary grins slightly.)

Sheppard: This is Teyla girls.

Jessie: Hi again.

Teyla: (nods) It's nice to meet the three of you.

Sheppard: Teyla, what'd you do to your arm?

Teyla: It is nothing compared the other's injuries; I may have broken my wrist is all. (Before Sheppard can protest the severity of the injury, not at all believing her tale of its minority, Carson and the other doctors walk in and immediately begin care of the patients.)

Carson: (heading directly over to the girls) I was told someone was shot and bleeding rather profusely. It amazes me it wasnae you colonel. (in his lovely Scottish accent) Well, hello there. Let me have a look. I take it ye are one of the girls I've been told of?

Taylor: (weakly) Yes.

Carson: You'd also be the one bleeding profusely.

Jessie: One of them, at least.

Carson: Right. (inserts an IV into Taylor's hand) Looks like you'll be needing an operation to sew that one up.

Taylor: Ugh.

Mary: Was that an "ow" Ugh or an "ugh" Ugh?

Taylor: Ugh.

Mary: Ah.

Jack: (sighing as he looses a battle with a doctor and gets his forearm bandaged) Teal'c. How're you doing?

Teal'c: I will be fine O'Neill.

Jack: Sam?

Sam: Ricochet. I'll be fine.

Sheppard: Teyla let one of the docs look at that arm.

Teyla: (sighs as a doctor bustles right over) Very well.

Rodney: Isn't anyone even going to look at this? I'm bleeding.

Daniel: (having his sprained ankle wrapped) You look fine to me.

Rodney: Well...

Teyla: Be glad you were not shot.

Daniel: (hobbling around now) Taylor? You still with us?

Carson: I gave her some morphine. We'll get the pain under control before we move her.

Taylor: ...Mary?

Daniel: Uh, no, I'm Daniel.

Mary: I'm over here Duct Tape.

Taylor: (turns her head) You lied.

Mary: And you didn't listen to the overlord. Now hush and sleep.

(Taylor drifts off as Jessie and Mary are tended to. Sheppard drops off not long after from sheer exhaustion. Nearby there is a reunion of people and gleeful welcome homes. Elizabeth walks over to where the girls and Sheppard are)

Elizabeth: I think I'll let him sleep. I'm Elizabeth Weir. (She smiles and offers her hand to Mary.)

Mary: Mary. (She shakes Elizabeth's hand. Elizabeth moves her hand to Jessie.)

Jessie: Jessie and this is Taylor. She'd shake too but she's not conscious because she got shot.

Elizabeth: I see that. Rodney, Daniel and the others have filled me in on everything and... I wanted to thank you girls. Without you here I don't think we would have managed any of this so quickly. (She sits on the stool between Taylor and Mary's beds.) I have no doubts it would have happened eventually if only because of John's extreme hate of Kolya, but you girls helped it along substantially. Not to mention that from what I hear you are very much responsible both for locating, attaining, and deciphering the Jewel of Atlantis, as well as maintaining morals well enough not to use it. So, thank you. Thank you very much.

Mary: It was our pleasure.

Jessie: Yeah. Besides, it was fun.

Jack: (now also up and about) This was fun??

Jessie: Well, yes. We got to fly in a space ship, see the very beautiful and shiny Atlantis, find the non-shiny jewel-device, and save the city.

Mary: ...and got nearly everyone wounded and Taylor to death's door.

Jessie: Right. Well besides that.

Mary: (sigh) Jack? Can I borrow you?

Jack: I'm not busy. What can I do?

Mary: Thwack Jessie for me. I can't reach her.

Jack: What now?

Mary: Thwack. You know...Jessie?

Jessie: She means smack me in the back of the head, but not hard enough to cause brain damage or anything.

Jack: ...uh...

Mary: Oh, never mind. I'll do it myself. (she sits up, and the doctor pushes her back down)

Carson: (walking over with a tray) None of that now. You've been given pain medication as well. We're goin' ta have ta get the bullet from your arm. Sit still.

Mary: (lies back down) Jessie, remind me to thwack you later.

Jessie: Kay.

Carson: (passes the tray to the doctor working on Mary and then checks on Taylor) She's ready to be moved. I'm going to have to ask you to get off the bed now, Jessie, so we can take her to the operating room.

Jessie: No. I'm not leaving her.

Carson: You have to.

Mary: Jessie. Off.

Jessie: (begrudgingly gets off the bed) But what if something goes wrong? And I'm not there?

Carson: Nothing will go wrong.

Mary: Jessie, would you feel better if I promised to get revenge for you?

Jessie: (thinking about it) What kind of revenge? The serious kind?

Mary: Tell you what; if anything goes - ow - wrong I'll kill him in his sleep for you. Okay?

Jessie: (moves from Taylor's side to Mary's) Promise?

(Carson and the other doctors take the opportunity to move Taylor.)

Mary: I promise.

Jessie: (sits down) Fine. Just don't forget.

Elizabeth: I sincerely hope that you are only consoling your friend, and that you don't plan on harming my doctor.

Mary: I won't.

Jessie: But Mary!

Mary: I will.

Jack: (chuckles) Wow. That's a pretty complicated life you lead there.

Mary: It's what I'm here for.

(The doctor finishes on Mary)

Doctor: That's that then. Just don't stress it too much and come back in a few days to let me remove the stitches and you should be fine. (gets up and leaves)

Elizabeth: How long do the three of you plan to stay in Atlantis?

Jessie: Taylor wants to stay forever.

(Elizabeth blinks in surprise. Mary sighs.)

Mary: We won't actually stay that long. Probably just long enough for Taylor to recover and get discharged.

Jessie: She won't like that.

Elizabeth: No?

Jessie: She hates irony. (curls up on bed nearby to go to sleep)

(Elizabeth looks at Mary, confused.)

Mary: Taylor's been waiting a long time to come here and now that she's here she won't have time to really see it.

Elizabeth: Oh. Well, you know you're welcome to stay longer. The three of you played a very important role in saving the city.

Mary: All the same, we should probably go back to Earth soon.

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