Day 34, Evening, Mess Hall then Quarters, Attn: David

[dr_s_corrigan]

Comments

[dr_d_beckham]

David rubbed the back of his neck as he stepped into the mess. He'd spent enough time with Keras that he was certain that the young man would be all right. Keras seemed strong-willed, and that always seemed to make the difference. After he'd given over care to Raj, who was covering his shift--crabbily, because Raj loved late night shifts--David had checked to see if Carson had finished with Sean, and he had, sending him off to Kate. David wasn't certain how long that would take, but figured he'd catch up with him sooner or later

[dr_s_corrigan]

"Yeah," Sean said, watching David's fingers. "As long as you don't count having your psyche scraped down by Dr. Heightmeyer." David laughed and Sean glanced up, caught by the curve of his mouth, the flash of teeth. The other day was...nice, he thought. All right, more than nice. If I wasn't so wiped, I'd wish for a repeat performance. Maybe someday."Anything more on that front?" David asked. Sean shook his head; he wasn't willing to count theories and maybes. "Shame," David said, an odd note in his voice. Sean glanced at him a moment, but David's expression was neutral, his hands busy with the fruit he held. Sean returned his attention to his own tray, and picked up the sandwich, unwrapping it before glancing at David again

[dr_d_beckham]

David didn't even try to hold back the grin at Sean's enthusiasm and curiosity. "He was trying to protect someone in the away team, and took an arrow for them. I'm not sure where he came from, though you could ask Major Lorne about the mission, and a possible return. If you want to speak with him, I might be able to okay that--in a couple of days, when he's stronger. Seems like a nice guy, though--he was very polite and cooperative. Of course, drugs make most people polite and cooperative, if you give them enough." He peered beneath the bread of his sandwich and pulled off the onions, setting them neatly aside. "Not all, mind you," he added a little ruefully. "But most. From what little I overheard from Major Lorne's team, Keras is something like their chieftain. He'd be a good source for you." He licked the mustard off his thumb and took a bite of his sandwich.

[dr_s_corrigan]

Sean watched the dart of David's tongue and felt heat rush through him. He took another swallow of his water, pushing aside his reaction, and concentrated on what David had said. "Would love to speak to him. If he took an arrow for one of the away team, it's unlikely we'll be able to go back, at least until that gets straightened out, so he'd be the only direct source for info on their culture. And, um, wow. I know hostile natives are always a possibility, but I guess I've always been lucky - we never had to shoot anyone, and the few times we encountered hostilities, we were able to get back to the SGC without casualties." Running from energy weapons, now...thankfully they were always a pretty poor shot. He glanced at his own food with disinterest and sighed before taking a bite, thinking of Keras and the world he probably would never get to explore. "Hmn. I should see if I can talk to Major Lorne's team, too, or get their mission reports. Though talking is always better. I know they tell us to include everything in the

[dr_d_beckham]

David lifted one shoulder in a careless shrug, but the corner of his mouth curled into a half-grin. "It's always good to see people passionate about their work. I know so many people who don't have that, and really, it's a pity. Our work doesn't give us our final definition, but it certainly has a great deal of input into the whole picture of us." His sandwich finished, he began peeling the fruit, which was roundish, blue-green, and not unlike an orange. Biochem had sent them a report on it, ecstatic that it was a rich source of vitamin C. The sections fell apart in his hands as he pulled out the core, and a spice-cinnamon scent rose to his nose. The pale green flesh was crisp but juicy, and the flavor, sweet-spice like his mom's apple crisp, made him close his eyes for a moment to savor the taste. "Wow. I think we owe Sergeant Bates...I don't know what, but something really, really nice."