1600
"Are we gonna stop to eat lunch at any point?" The days were long on this planet, but Earth time, Cam was about three hours past hungry. "Or drink something? Or just, I dunno, rest like normal people do?"
Teal'c stopped so abruptly that Cam slammed right into his broad, hard back. "I am not 'normal people'," the Jaffa announced.
"Right. Thanks for that." His nose hurt.
"Eat quickly."
As the alien perched neatly on a fallen tree and unwrapped a protein bar, Cam chugged a good deal of water and rummaged through his bag for his MREs. "Look, Teal'c, I'm a pilot. I hate to admit this, but after eight years of tromping around with you guys, Jackson was probably way better qualified for this. I have no idea why General O'Neill chose me instead of him."
"I do."
Well, at least there was that. "Why?"
"If P4X-124 contains documentation regarding this illness, Daniel Jackson is most likely to translate it," he explained. "And your presence on this mission serves my needs far better than Daniel Jackson's could."
"Uh... Care to share how that is, exactly?"
"No." Finished, the Jaffa stuck the empty wrapper in his pack and stood. "I will scout the area while you complete your meal."
And he disappeared before Cam could ask any more questions. The MRE pack hadn't quite finished heating, but he'd feel like an even bigger fool complaining about that, so he shoveled it into his mouth half-cold. He was mostly done when Teal'c returned, and he, too, shoved the remnants in his pack.
Once more, the alien took off through the woods. "Hey, you dropped something," Cam said.
"I did not."
"Yes, you..." He was sure of it. He'd seen the little glint as it had fallen through the leaves. "Yes, you did!"
When he turned around, solid, the Jaffa's face left no doubt that his word was gospel. "I did not."
What, was dropping something a mortal sin in Jaffa-land? Cam hadn't been around long enough to know, but he didn't dare countermand the guy again. "Okay, okay. You didn't."
If anything, the confrontation had given the man more purpose. With a sigh, Mitchell broke into a jog and tried to keep up.
~/~
1730
"The radio transmitter modifications Sergeant Siler made are working," Daniel's voice reported through the tinny speaker in the Control Room. "With the extra equipment, we've managed to set up repeaters all the way to the village."
"How bad is it there?" Jack asked. Behind him, Doctor Lam and General Landry were just as tense. They had fifteen of their own infected, but if it had somehow spread to the village, it could be ten times as bad.
"That's the thing," the speaker said again. "None of them are sick."
Landry beat the other general to the button. "Are they somehow isolated from the base site?"
"No. The village is a bit hard to get to, on the other side of the mountain, but the villagers spent quite a bit of time with SG-16 both here and at the camp. They're really upset about the news, but they have no idea what happened."
Confused, Jack spun on Doctor Lam. "'Splain!"
"They're... immune somehow," she said. "They must be." It was her turn to key the radio. "Can you convince them to give you a blood sample, Doctor Jackson?"
"Several are already on their way to you with Sergeant Donovan, but it'll be a couple of hours before he reaches you. We're digging for more information in the archives here. How are they doing?"
"Not well," she answered tightly. "The members of SG-11 were exposed longest, and they are worst by a long shot. Most of the rest are beginning to show symptoms of anemia as of today – except Airman Stolz, who is covered in bruises but insists he's fine." She sighed. The next bit would be news to both generals, as well, but she might as well tell them all at once. "We infused a blood sample with extra platelets to see if that was a feasible treatment, but all it did was increase the rate of organism growth. We are treating the hemolytic anemia with every tool available. Captain Menard and Major Rathbone will be receiving their first transfusion of red blood cells this afternoon."
The silence stretched a moment before the archaeologist said softly, "I can come back."
"What you're doing could help, Doctor Jackson," Lam said gently. "Remember that."
"Yeah. Tell her hi for me. Daniel out."