-21st November-
Jennifer trudged through the rain and mud wondering what she had done to the universe. Especially when Captain Parker's team kept glancing at her as if it was all her fault. She conceded her bad luck on missions was becoming legendary, but she was fairly sure how powers did not extend to the weather. Unfortunately her current escorts seemed to disagree with that assumption and weren't shy of letting her know.
When Parker finally signalled for a break it wasn't lost on Jennifer that his team stood huddled under the semi shelter of a tree whilst she was treated as an outcast, left to one side to fend for herself. Too tired and wet to care she headed to another small tree and found what shelter she could, wondering if she would ever feel dry again.
When she was as sheltered as she could get she looked at her watch and sighed knowing she was on duty in four hours and they were still at least two hours from the gate. She knew the current situation was unsustainable and as much as he wanted to keep the mercy missions going she knew it was no longer possible. Sighing again she resigned herself to telling Woolsey that the medical team were only going to leave the city for medical emergencies until the staff levels had increased.
"You planning on standing there all day?" Parker suddenly shouted at her, pulling her from her thoughts. Looking up she saw the Captain's team had already begun to move. Shaking her head she moved away from the tree towards the group.
As she reached them the men turned away from her, muttering as they did so, and started to walk off. They only managed a few steps when Jennifer saw the path before her start to crumble. She shouted a warning to Jones who was about to step on the dangerous part of the path, but her warning came to late and the ground gave out.
Jennifer reached out and attempted to grab Jones' hand. But as she snagged his hand he tumbled down the muddy incline taking Jennifer with him.
When they finally stopped rolling Jennifer lay still for a minute getting her breath back before rolling over and looking at Jones.
"You okay?" She asked.
"Of course I'm not okay. I just got washed down a muddy slope."
"Are you hurt?" Jennifer asked, wondering why Jones had more to be upset about than she did.
"I'm fine." He said getting to his feet as the rest of the team arrived.
"You two okay?" Parker asked.
"Great." Jones said marching past his CO.
"Keller?" Parker asked.
"Fine."
"Great. Let's move then and Keller try not to spread your cosmic mayhem to the rest of us."
-00-
-22nd November-
"Doc? Shouldn't you be in a hot bath or bed rather than back at work?" John asked walking into Jennifer's office.
"No, it's my shift tonight."
"But you just came back from a mission. A very wet and muddy mission."
"Don't forget cold." Jennifer said not releasing her grip on the warm cup of coffee in her hands. "But I can't afford to skip shifts at the moment."
"Okay, but you can come to breakfast with me when your shift ends."
"No, I can't. It is a double shift. Don't get off until after breakfast tomorrow."
"I assume the unofficial strike is still going on."
"No, not really, well kind of. Two are still off. Everyone else is back."
"You getting enough rest?" John asked, concerned with how hard she was pushing herself.
"Probably not, but I have an almost unlimited coffee supply."
"How about food?" John asked.
"Drawer full of powerbars." Jennifer said opening her top drawer revealing the wrapped source of nutrition.
"Not sure that counts as food." John said. "So something you want to tell me?"
"How do you mean?"
"Parker's team seem a little disgruntled in the debrief. I'm guessing it is to do with the mission. So anything happen that wasn't reported?"
"Apparently my jinxed status now extends to more than just me." She said sipping the coffee.
"In what way?"
"Non stop rain, mud slides, all me."
"Anything else?" John asked.
"No, why?"
"Parker, unofficially, suggested you get removed from active duty."
"May have something to do with the fact his girlfriend is ticked at me."
"What did you do?"
"She is one of my striking nurses. Mind you after today, I wouldn't mind a break from off world visits. Perhaps they are right, maybe you would be better without me." Jennifer said. John was about to respond when Marie knocked on the door and said.
"Doctor you are needed out here."
-00-
-23rd November-
When her shifts finally ended Jennifer was too wound up to relax and too stressed to sleep. Her legs still ached from her time off world so she didn't want to run. Instead she went to the blissfully empty gym and started battering a punch bag.
She was so caught up in throwing punches she never heard the doors open or realise someone else was in the gym until she heard Ronon ask.
"You okay?"
"Ronon? You scared me." Jennifer said jumping and turning round.
"You okay?" He repeated.
"Fine. Why?"
"You looked like you were killing the bag." Ronon said.
"Just using it for stress relief. I should go."
"Wait." Ronon said. "You sure you're okay?"
"Fine. I really need to go. I'm sorry for disturbing you."
"You were here first." Ronon said raising an eyebrow. "Can I help?"
"To be honest I don't think anyone can help anymore. But even if that weren't the case after what I did I couldn't ask you." Jennifer said as she walked to the door. As she reached the sensor she turned back and added. "Ronon. I'm sorry for what happened. I never wanted to hurt you. I will make it right even if it means leaving." With that she left the gym not giving Ronon time to answer.
-00-
-24th November-
Jennifer spent a restless few hours in her quarters trying to catch up with the mountain of paperwork she had neglected over recent weeks. When her alarm finally went she quickly showered before heading back to the infirmary, arriving just as Miller radioed for assistance.
Sighing Jennifer picked up one of the medical bags and approached Cole.
"There is a wound in the new lab that I need to look at, can you keep things running here?"
"Sure. You want me to take the lab instead?" Cole offered.
"No it's okay, I've got it." Jennifer said before leaving the infirmary and heading for the lab. When she finally arrived she entered and asked.
"What happened?"
"Burke cut his hand. Thought you'd want to see the guilty bit of desk whilst you treated him." Miller said.
"Yeah, always best to be careful." Jennifer said kneeling next to Burke who was holding his hand above his head. "Let's look at the hand first." She said opening her bag. "Damn."
"Problem doc?"
"Just brought the wrong bag. Hopefully I can make do." She said before focusing on Burke's hand.
When she was finally done she stood and looked at Miller. "I want to take him to the infirmary to get a scan of the wound, make sure there is nothing foreign in there."
"I'll take him personally." Miller said.
"I'm going back anyway if you have things to do instead." Jennifer said.
"Actually, you're not going back." Miller said as Jennifer's world turned to black.
AN: Thanks for reading. Next chapter up later today.