Chapter Seventeen

Greenspan

"Laura?" No. Not getting up. Nuh-uh. "Hey, Laura, come on, I know you're awake." No, I'm not. "Captain Greenspan, get your lazy ass off this chair this instant!" GAH! I hate it when he does that! And anyway, I wasn't sleeping. Not at all. I was researching. And now thanks to Major "I like getting on my subordinates' nerves" here, I nearly landed on the floor beside my chair and could just save myself from unceremoniously tumbling to the ground by getting a grip at the desk.

"Could you just stop doing that? I was working here.", I grumble and Tom – now finally Tom again – grins at me. But he changes his facial expression pretty fast to worried.

"Actually, you were sleeping on your desk. And not for the first time in those last three days. Get back to your quarters, Laura. Or better: Get back into town. Let someone else take care of… Reece's problem." Yeah, right. And that from the guy I have to pull rank on nearly every time he's sitting in the infirmary at one of our beds and simply refuses to let himself be treated properly. In fact, I had to do exactly this three days ago, when he refused to leave the infirmary until Dee's surgery was successfully finished. And I also had some of the linguists and archaeologists practically begging me to take him off the research process for medical reasons – mainly, quote, "because if he doesn't get off our backs now, we will be nutcases!" – before the final solving of the body changing.

"No. It's my job to go through these data we stole and extract the stuff the Tok'ra need to know." As it turned out, Tom had been lucky enough to download most of the important data from the rogue Marines. It hadn't only helped us expose at least a few of the spies the NID had inside the SGC but also proved to be a very profitable source regarding everything to do with Maureen's brainwashing. In fact, it had included a whole file on her, beginning with her time in boot camp.

Obviously they had singled her out pretty fast, because she was showing above average marks in everything to do with language and they seemingly had been singling out practically every Marine showing only marginal potential for any assignment to the SGC. They then had found out that she has practically no near family left, wasn't dependent of anyone and had no one who depended on her… and so just needed to be kidnapped on a weekend break to be conditioned by them. No one would miss her, no one would be asking questions. And implanting false memories would be fairly easy.

They obviously used a variation of the za'tarc process, tweaking and modifying it a bit to accommodate their specific technology. When Jenkins, our last linguist, left the team, they obviously saw it as their opening to plant Reece inside the SGC and had her transferred. She was just a pawn in a game far bigger than anyone of us presumed, and for that I'm really sorry. And my part in that game was that I only saw the signs when it was almost too late. I just owe it to her to help the Tok'ra as much as I can to come up with a therapy to remove all lingering traces of brainwashing. I… "Hello, Earth to Laura." I blink. "Yeah, that's right, you zoned out again. Get into bed."

I sigh. "Look, this has to work in the best way it can, because we really could use someone like her and…"

A frown appears on his face that tells me I won't like what is about to come. "About that, Laura… I… don't think keeping her on the team would be a good idea." Yeah, well, nothing new here. The only thing that irritates me a little is the almost complete lack of condescension and disapproval in his voice. Instead it's only weariness. But anyway, I still have to say a few things on that.

"Oh, but I do. She's just shown some incredible strength and you really should stop underestimating her. She could really be…"

"She never should have been here. That's what the file says, isn't it?" Now he sits down on the edge of my desk and looks as exhausted as we all should be feeling after those last days. I know he's been down to see her in the brig at least once a day, and I've been there at least twice a day and… it's starting to get to me. There's nothing there reminding me of the bright young woman with a stubborn streak and a quirky sense of humor I got to see a blink of on that mission, but only… fatalism and weariness. She's fully resigned herself to the fact that she'll be on trial for what she did, no matter if we can erase the programming or not. It's really not a pretty sight to see.

Which makes me want to keep her on the team even more. That young woman needs some people who challenge her, trust her, help her discover what she really can do. We are her best bet, if she has any will left to become more than just one translator among hundreds at the Pentagon or even only some backwater base only God knows where. "No, it said that she should be here for all the wrong reasons. Look, Tom… I know you think staying here would be a burden for her, but I think it could be the chance of her life. And… and I think you shouldn't decide this on your own. I think we should make this decision as a team."

He's been quiet the whole time I just babbled on and that's usually a sign that he has already half given up. Just need a little more persuasion… "And I think you seriously should be getting into bed, Captain."

Hey, that's not what you were supposed to say, mister! Oh… wait. I have an idea. He's not gonna like it, but it usually works. "Promise me the discussion and I will."

"That's fucking blackmail!" Yeah, and that's a problem how? It's not like you don't do this once in a while when I try to pull rank on you for medical reasons.

"So?"

"Laura! I'm your CO. You don't blackmail your CO, goddammit!" Yeah… since when does that apply to us?

"Well, I do. No team discussion – I don't go to bed." Mh. Maybe that was just a tad too bold. And yeah, he does look a little like he'll erupt at any given moment, what with the sudden pacing around and everything. Three… two… one…

"Alright. Fine. But you owe me for this. Big time. I'll keep this in mind, Laura." Huh. That… was almost too easy. I just bet this isn't really doing my karma account any good, because that will most probably come back at me when I least expect it. And when I least want it to come back at me. But that's what happens when you work yourself tired: You enter deals with the devil far too easily.

And since I won't get out of that now, I can very well keep my end of it immediately. "Oh, I will. Well then… 'Night, Tom."

Now he grins. "Actually… it's about 1400."

Oh. Uh. Well… "Yeah, well… whatever." A yawn escapes me and that's my clue to leave. Maybe… just one or two hours in bed would be really nice, even if it's a bed on base…

DeLisle

Boring. Boring, boring, boring. And did I mention… boring? Not even a laptop in sight. There's so much interesting stuff in the lab and I'm forced to stay in the infirmary, just because of some scratch. Bullet wound. Whatever. Four days since the op, and I'm still not allowed to walk around. Just hope the Major will come round today. Maybe he'll let himself be talked into breaking me out of here.

Until that… still bored out of my wits. Not even one of the other Sergeants in the infirmary at the moment. Usually, at least one or two other Sergeants manage to get themselves in some scrape or other – or were managed to get into some scrape or other by their officers. But obviously this week I was the only one dumb enough to land myself here. Well, could as well catch up on sleep a little. You never know when the Major gets one of his night exercise bouts.

"See, he's still being a lazy ass." Yeah, right, that was to be expected. I close my eyes for one second and immediately the Major walks in.

"He's on sick leave, Tom. He's supposed to be lying around and sleeping." At the unexpected sound of Laura's voice, I open my eyes again. Visits from her were pretty rare this time, and visits from the Major and her together… haven't occurred until now. They're up to something. I just bet they are.

The Major sits down at my bedside, while Laura… closes the curtains. Hey, what's going on here? Ever since I woke up I felt a little out of the loop, because the Major and Reece were mostly concerned with changing back into their respective bodies – which obviously worked since it's unmistakably him lounging there, in body and mind – and Laura was concerned with working through all that data on brainwashing. At least that's what the Major told me. I'd hate it if she'd simply be avoiding me.

I clear my throat. "I'm honoured to have you both here, but… there's a reason you're here, isn't it?"

The Major smirks. "Did you just hear what a clever Sergeant we have on our team?" Laura doesn't say anything, just make a disapproving face and punches him in the shoulder.

"Be nice to that Sergeant, Tom. Or you might find some C4 and a live detonator under your ass one day." I wish they wouldn't do that in front of me. But I guess that if you've been friends for as long as they have, you don't even realize it anymore when your behaviour might not be exactly that of officers of the USAF. Or maybe… maybe they don't even consider this situation one where they should behave like officers, not like friends. Ah hell… I'll never figure out what's going on in those two's heads.

"Nah, he wouldn't do that. You wouldn't, right?" The Major turns back to me, and the look on his face tells me there will be a lot of trouble if I tell him any differently. So I just raise my hands and shake my head. Hope that suffices. "See, he wouldn't. Anyway, we need to talk. Laura, your turn." She sighs, rolls her eyes and sits down.

"Alright, if you insist. The Major here and I had a discussion yesterday." Did he just mumble "More like a blackmailing."? "As you know, Lieutenant Reece is currently in custody," – and I wish I was allowed to walk, because I really feel sorry for her and would like to go down there and tell her that we don't believe she belongs there – "until our Tok'ra contacts can spare a minute or two to support us in getting rid of the last layers of the brainwashing she was put through." So still nothing happened on that front. Honestly, what's keeping them? I really don't think they need to dispatch a whole contingent or something to solve this, most of all if Laura and the other doctors here are doing the main work.

"Don't look like that. They'll be here in two days tops, definitely." Dammit. I've really been serving too long under the Major if he's able to read me so well.

"Thank you for clearing that up, Tom. Can I continue?" Whatever this is about, it's obviously a source of some discontentment between Laura and the Major. "Right, thank you. Where was I? Oh right… Since we know that Lieutenant Reece will hopefully be released from custody in a few days, questions regarding her professional future were coming up. We… agreed on deciding this as a team." Oh. Democracy? On the Major's team? What did she threaten him with that he agreed to that?

"And before you ask: There's really nothing decided on her future yet. As far as I know, it's still up to me to make this call." Laura throws the Major one of those looks she usually uses on patients that don't listen and he clears his throat. "It's up to us to make this call. So?" I raise my eyebrows. So what? "Oh come on, Sergeant, I know you have an opinion on that topic. Feel free to voice it."

"Well… She's… certainly a good linguist. And… she's got a least a little potential. Given enough training, she could make her way in the Corps. But… I don't think she should make that way here." There, it's out. And yes, Laura does not look like she approves of that statement. And did she just mouth "Traitor!" to me?

"See, you're outvoted, Laura. Subject closed, let's get on to other important…"

"Not so fast, mister. We agreed on a discussion. So let's have one, right." The Major just rolls his eyes, but Laura chooses to ignore it. "I know you two think she can't cut it, but honestly, what she did on that base… that was incredible. I've looked through the records on their brainwashing research and… it takes an enormous amount of inner strength to pull through something like this. She may not be the fastest runner, but…"

"Laura… it's not like that. It's not about muscles or will power, it's about… it's…" It's about the fact that this girl probably had enough lethal danger for the rest of her life and we have it in our hands to spare her any more of that. I know why the Major can't say it. Because he probably feels that most of this was his fault. And admitting that something is his fault to the faces of his subordinates – even if he knows them as well as he knows us – is not something that comes easy to him.

Laura seems to have realized something as well, because she suddenly addresses me: "Sergeant, could you please excuse us for a few minutes?"

Ha ha, very funny. "I would, if I was allowed to walk, ma'am."

The dead-pan startles her a little and I can barely refrain from smirking. "What? Oh… oh right. Sorry. We'll be right back. Come on, Tom." She gestures to him for following her behind that curtain, and I really strain not to hear anything, but it's really not that easy when they're standing right behind it and not really taking care of lowering their voices. Geez. Officers.

"Okay, what's this about?" The Major doesn't sound very enthusiastic about this little time-out.

I can see Laura's shadow fidgeting a little with her hair, and that usually means that whatever she has to say is really important to her. "Look… I think I know what both your problem is: You think you have to protect her, because you think you both screwed up doing that on this mission. You think you can't risk her staying with us, because you think it would be too hard on her and because she probably can't handle the danger she would be in if she stayed. But I'll tell you one thing: Have you ever thought about the danger she might be exposed to if we let her go? Those assholes are still out there, probably just waiting to get their hands back on her and do worse things than they already did to her. You read her file, haven't you?"

Whoa, that's… one hell of a speech. And come to think of it… she might be right. I'm already about to speak up when I remember that I'm not supposed to having heard any of this.

Let's see what the Major has to say about it. "Yeah. So?" Mh… not much, obviously, at least for now.

"One of the reasons they picked her out was that she doesn't have any immediate family left." I think I know where Laura is getting at, but I'm not sure if I like the idea.

"What, you're saying we should let her stay because she needs some company?" Exactly my thoughts.

"No, I'm saying we should let her stay because she needs a family, someone to look out for her. And because the best way to protect her from any repercussions from those rogue factions out there would be if we could look out for her. And, most of all, because she could be a damn fine officer if she was just challenged enough." More and more I get the feeling that we're on the wrong path. Can't put the finger on what exactly is wrong yet, though.

"Laura, I… I can't. I made a mistake in letting her stay the first time and…" Oh. I think I really wasn't supposed to hear that.

"No, you didn't. Your mistake was not listening to her, repeatedly. But letting her stay was no mistake. By the way: You still owe her something for not listening to her." Come to think of it… she's right. He should have listened to her and not touched that bowl. And he should have listened to her and not put a weapon in her hand or trust her with the maps.

And now I finally realized what's irritating me. We're talking about her, not with her. It's a discussion about her future and if we want a team discussion we should include her as well. I clear my throat, hoping not to be busted back to Airman for listening in. "Sir… ma'am… excuse me, but… permission to make a suggestion?"

Immediately both the Major and Laura poke their head through the curtains again, and the Major is already about to tell me what he thinks about NCOs who listen in to their superiors, but Laura elbows him not exactly friendly. Trying to pertain at least a bit of his dignity, he simply says: "Permission granted. Go ahead."

I try to sit up a little straighter. "How about… we ask her? After we have the general permission to keep her on the team if she decides she wants to, that is."

Laura and the Major look at each other, and in moments like these I envy them their friendship. They know each other inside out and they must be able to tell what the other one is thinking just by looking at the other one's face. In the end, Laura shrugs and says: "Well… I could live with that. Tom?"

He heaves a dramatic sigh. "Alright. Fine. I'll ask the Old… General O'Neill. And consider yourselves volunteers for the next round of kitchen duty for this act of mutiny."

"Democracy.", Laura corrects straight-faced and I have difficulties to keep serious.

Even more so at the Major's similarly straight-faced answer: "Didn't I just say that?" Laura just rolls her eyes and shakes her head.

"You're hopeless. Which is why I'll go back to my desk now. And don't you dare come into my office again, Tom." With that, she gives me a short casual salute and excuses herself. Perfect.

Before the Major can excuse himself as well, I finally seize my chance. "Sir… do you think it might be possible for you to bail me out of here?" You know… I'm just a few inches away from actually trying the puppy eyes. Please say yes, sir.

"What, first you betray me and then you want me to do you a favour?" Argh. I should have known that this would come back to me.

"I… wouldn't phrase it like that, sir." He raises his eyebrow, as if to say "And how would you phrase it?" Uh, yeah, well, how? "First of all… I didn't betray you, but rather arranged a compromise between Captain Greenspan and you." Careful, DeLisle. You're treating a very fine line here. "And second: Of course I'd be working if you ask them to let me out, as a kind of compensation for betraying you."

His first reaction is a disapproving frown, and I'm already counting down for the imminent explosion, but then he just laughs. "You know, I really thought I knew you after all this time we served together, but you still can surprise me now and then. And just because you managed that, I'll try to overlook your betrayal and try my hand at the infirmary personal here. And by the way: Clever move to wait until Laura was gone. Just don't mention my name when she finally catches you."

"Cross my heart and hope to die, sir." He grins.

"You better. Anyway… enjoy your beauty sleep while I try to find a doctor gullible enough to let herself be charmed enough into throwing you out." And with that he's gone. Phew. That was really close. Laura is obviously starting rub off on me, and I should have an eye on that. First of all, I should stop calling her Laura off-duty and in my head. Yeah. Good idea. From now on, it's Captain Greenspan all the way again.

A/N: There you go :) Still two chapters to go, and then this one is finished. I just hope you don't mind too much that I didnt get into detail with certain things, but I realized I needed to tighten the plot up or I would have never gotten finished. I did, however, try to still get the most important info on those things I skipped in the text of this and the two following chapters.