By Deb
SERIES/UNIVERSE: SG-7
DISCLAIMER: M7 characters belong to MGM, Trilogy, CBS, and TNN. The characters from Stargate SG-1 belong to MGM, Gekko, and Showtime. I'm not making any money from writing this story, I just love to write. Original characters (present and mentioned) belong to me...primarily Adriana and Dawn in this story.
SPOILERS: references to Ghosts of the Confederacy, One Day Out West, Witness, The Trial, Achilles, my own More than Friends. References to the movie Stargate, and various Stargate SG-1 episodes.
WARNING: original characters, some violence, nasty language in certain sections.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: At the end of the story, as I did with The Light in the Distance, will be the entire song from which the title is taken. While the quote won't make sense right away, it will as the story goes on and once you read the song, which reminds me powerfully of Vin.
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Part Eleven
Major Buck Wilmington was on his way to Chris Larabee's quarters when he saw the small group, and overheard Larabee's statement about a demonstration being in order. He watched the small group in silence, studying the unfamiliar young man.
Nathan Jackson had told him this morning about the fracas in the bar the previous night, as well as about the young man who had come to Nathan's aid. Mary Travis had put in her own remarks, describing the young man whom Buck was seeing now, standing between Chris Larabee and Jack O'Neill, looking like he wanted to bolt. He was a slender kid, in his mid-twenties. About the same age as Buck's younger sister Adriana. Shoulder-length light brown hair, about the same length as Adriana's hair the last time Buck had seen her.
But Buck had the sense, looking at this man who had been able to make Chris laugh, that while his physical years were the same as Buck's younger sister, he was not nearly as innocent as Adriana. Buck had worked hard to keep her that way. As soon as he found out he had a little sister, after his father had married Katrien van Gesen, eleven year old Buck Wilmington had sworn he would protect his little sister any way he could.
There had been times when he regretted making that promise. He hadn't seen his sister in years, because he liked women too much. He loved women, loved everything about them. And a sweet, innocent girl like Adriana didn't need to know about some of the things Buck knew. He missed her...missed seeing her smile. Missed her ability to make Chris smile, but this was for the best, he was doing this to make sure she didn't grow up too fast.
That was part of what led to his break with Chris, two years earlier. At least, Adriana had figured into the final argument. He and Chris had known each other for years...they had gone through the academy together, had served together. Chris had become a surrogate big brother to Adriana...he loved her as much as Buck did. It surprised Buck...as much as he loved his sister, he never thought that Chris would take to Adriana like he did.
Chris saw Adriana differently than Buck, however. He always had. Where Buck was struggling to protect Adriana from the darker side of life, Chris always answered her questions honestly...sometimes with painful honesty. He had absolute faith in her ability to handle the truth, this girl who had discovered her mother's dead body at the age of eight. It wasn't that Buck didn't think his sister could handle the absolute truth...but the same thing which drove Chris to tell Adriana the complete truth, drove Buck to protect her.
Buck didn't hear much from her these days...he got Christmas cards and birthday cards every year, but that was about it. Maybe because she was in Germany...Buck didn't know. But he did know that he had lost Adriana and Chris at the same time. Chris, because of Adam and Sarah's death...Buck had blamed himself for their death, for preventing Chris from returning home to them immediately after their class in the new computer system was finished.
Chris had blamed him, too. That had been part of their final argument. But Chris had also been angry that Buck had used him as an excuse to avoid going to his younger sister's college graduation. Adriana was graduating among the top fifteen percent of her class, she was going to Germany shortly to start her graduate work...and Buck should have been there. But he hadn't, because he was taking care of Chris. Chris had lost his own family...was Buck going to drive away what remained of his? Buck's mother was dead, he didn't speak to their father...hell, their father hadn't even known that Adriana was going to school in Texas. Adriana was all he had left.
That accusation, that he would lose Adriana, had hurt as badly losing Chris. Buck had walked out, and didn't see Chris Larabee again for nearly three years. All the while, he wondered. Was Chris right? Was he driving away the one person, outside the Larabee family, whom he loved? And yes, he loved his little sister. So much so, it sometimes took his breath away. And in the last few years, it had seemed with Adriana's rare calls and letters, that Chris had been right, even drunk off his ass...that Buck had been driving his sister away. Worse yet, the major had no idea how to reach out to Adriana.
It was so ironic. Buck loved women, everyone knew that. But the one female who was the truly important to him...he couldn't touch. He had no idea how to talk to his little sister. He couldn't talk to her about other women...wouldn't be seemly, even if she was in her twenties now. Didn't make a difference, no matter how old she was. She was still his little sister, and he still had to protect her. When he had confided his problem to his commanding officer, the man had suggested that Buck approach her on her terms, talk about things she loved.
There was only one problem with that. The only thing he knew for sure about his sister's likes and dislikes was her major...archaeology and history. And every time he tried to read about either, he ended up with a headache. She didn't find clothes or make-up that interesting, but she wasn't much for sports, either. In the space of only a few years, Buck Wilmington had lost his best friend, his godson, his blood sister, and his surrogate sister.
At least, he thought he had lost his best friend. Last week, he had gotten a call from Chris. The colonel was heading up an elite squad, was Buck interested? Buck had only one question...were there ladies in the vicinity? And were there ladies! Two blonde beauties, Captain Mary Travis and Major Samantha Carter, and the equally beautiful Dr Janet Frasier. However, Captain Travis seemed fascinated by Chris. Buck wished her luck. He very much doubted if Chris would ever allow himself to love another woman.
And then there was Buck himself. If the major had believed that things would go back to normal between them, he had quickly been disappointed. Chris wasn't the same. He rarely laughed or smiled, and Buck realized the Chris Larabee whom Sarah Connelly had loved so much had died in that explosion. Sarah's husband and Adam's father had died at the same time they did, when the apartment building had been torn apart by that bomb.
That was what he believed, until this morning. When Nathan Jackson told him that the young man now flanked by Larabee and General Hammond had made Larabee laugh. Was it possible? Was the man whom Buck once knew, the man whom both Sarah Connelly and Adriana loved, still in there? And if he was...what would it take to bring him back? And just how did some rangy kid fit into this?
More to the point, how did Buck fit into this? He had his hands full, looking after the young cartographer. Private John Dunne, United States Army. A nineteen year old boy forever trying to prove himself as a man, and who had the kicked puppy look down to an art. He needed Buck, and Buck had talked himself into believing that his sister didn't need him any more, which was why he didn't hear from her. That Chris didn't need him any more, either. And Buck needed to be needed.
But Chris had been his friend for years, he still found himself looking out for his old friend. And he was close by, while Adriana was still in Germany. He could look out for Chris, even if Larabee didn't want him to. There was the chance that this Tanner kid was...hell, Buck didn't know. But he wasn't ready to trust this new kid. He wanted a look at what Tanner could do. With that in mind, he ambled up to the group.
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Part Twelve
A demonstration. Larabee wanted a demonstration. Well, it was only fair. Vin told the colonel...both of the colonels, and the general, "Reckon I could show ya. Ya got a firin' range in this here...?" He waved his hand, not sure how to put the SGC into his own words. Aw hell, Drina, he thought, wish ya was here right now. Damn. He was thinking about her again. Get outta my head, Drina, he thought, but she didn't budge. Stubborn girl. That image of Adriana just smiled and replied, When you make up your mind, Tanner, if you want me here or not, let me know. 'Til then, I'm not going anywhere!
Yup. That's exactly what she would say, too. He noticed a glance pass between Carter and O'Neill...it looked almost amused. But not as if they were laughing at him. Not that Vin really cared, even if they were. He knew he had to prove himself, but he wasn't about to go out of his way. That was a real good way to fall flat on his face. And his gut instinct told him that in a way he didn't fully understand, he had already proven himself to Teal'c. It made no sense, because he hadn't done anything as yet.
But that sense lingered whenever Teal'c looked at him. There was approval in those dark eyes. Vin didn't understand it, but he didn't question it either. Meanwhile, Daniel Jackson was looking at him with anticipation. Then again, Jackson was another civilian, if his memory was correct. Vin had to have a good memory...since he could barely read, he often memorized the face of a skip when he was a bounty hunter.
"It is often called a facility, Vin Tanner. And there is a firing range. I would be honored to see you fire your weapon. And, if you would permit me, to teach you to use a staff weapon, as I have been attempting to teach Major Wilmington," the Jaffa, Teal'c, said. Vin looked in the direction of the Jaffa's nod. A tall man approached them with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes when he looked at Vin. Like he wasn't entirely sure about Vin.
Major Bucklin Wilmington. Adriana's older brother. He was, as Vin had already noted mentally, a big man. At least three or four inches over six feet. Wavy dark hair, maybe black, maybe dark brown, hard to tell in the lighting. Dark blue eyes. Didn't look a damn thing like Adriana, 'cept for the dark hair. There were times when Vin couldn't tell if Drina had black hair or dark brown, especially when her hair was wet. So this was her big brother. Vin returned the gaze.
All through the three years of their friendship, Vin had never truly understood exactly about Adriana's relationship with her elder brother. Koje had tried to explain it, on more than one occasion, but Vin reckoned he didn't fully understand it because he didn't have no kin himself. 'Less you counted Adriana, and he wasn't really sure if he counted Adriana as family. He sure as hell didn't think of her as no sister or female cousin!
General Hammond said, interrupting the staring match, "Major Wilmington, this is Vin Tanner, the new sharpshooter and tracker for SG-7. Mr. Tanner, this is Major Buck Wilmington. Major, we were just getting ready to head to the firing range... was there something you needed?" The major didn't respond at first. He was still watching Vin steadily, and Vin didn't break eye contact. Again, he tried to see his friend in this man, but failed miserably.
"Think I'd like to see this demonstration, since we'll be on the same team," Major Wilmington replied. General Hammond looked from the major to the tracker, and Vin simply shrugged. Didn't bother him none. He had an audience as it was, with SG-1. Besides, Vin had realized, as the major stared at him, that Buck Wilmington was taking his measure. Figuring out if he could be trusted. One thing Adriana had told him about her brother, he was fiercely protective of 'his,' even when he wasn't around. Wilmington probably needed reassurance that Vin wouldn't screw over Larabee.
Not that Vin would ever do anything of the sort. While Vin wasn't afraid of the colonel, he also wasn't a fool. Even without Adriana's stories about Chris Larabee, the young bounty hunter would have realized that pissing off Larabee would be a very bad thing. After a moment, Wilmington inclined his head, evidently satisfied with whatever he had seen in Vin. The young man had no clue what that was, however.
He was suddenly glad he hadn't mentioned to anyone that he had known Adriana in Texas. If this was the way Wilmington reacted to a possible threat to Larabee, then Vin didn't even want to think about what he would do when it came to a possible threat to Adriana. Vin would never hurt Adriana willingly, but he realized, as he stared at her older brother, that Buck Wilmington would go to the ends of the earth for his sister. Now, if he could just convince Adriana of that, once she got back from Germany...after she finished strangling him for up and leavin' her life without sayin' good-bye properly.
The newest member of SG-7 said, distracting himself from that train of thought, "Reckon I'll have an audience any way, one more ain't gonna make a difference." The general smiled, as if Vin's answer pleased him. The former bounty hunter then vocalized something else that had occurred to him in the last few minutes, "But I wanna know one thing. Do I gotta change at all? Do I gotta change who I am?"
The general didn't understand, then Larabee said, "I think what Mr. Tanner is asking, General, is if he has to get a hair cut. What do you think, Jack? Didn't Daniel mention on the last mission that the natives tend to react better to someone 'unofficial' than to someone who is military?" The young Egyptologist responded with an exasperated look, and Chris added with a laugh, "Sorry, Daniel. Trying to get official back-up."
"Well, yeah, now that you mention it, he did. Sir, Tanner looks a bit rugged, I agree, but I think that could end up helping us," Colonel O'Neill observed. He grinned suddenly, then added, "Besides, I think space monkey here had longer hair when I first met him." The words were accompanied by a ruffling of the Egyptologist's sandy hair. Daniel rolled his eyes and looked at Vin as if to say, 'you see what I have to put up with.' The sort of look a little brother would wear if he was annoyed by his older brother.
"Well, Mr Tanner, since you'll have civilian status, I'll leave that up to you. And once we see what you can do, son, I need to get started on that paperwork," General Hammond said. Vin found himself stiffening. 'Son.' Not even Priscilla Meadows had called him that. But...he didn't dislike the term. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about it yet. What was it that Drina liked to say? Hell, she had so many of those comments, he could never keep 'em all straight.
Well, whatever phrase she used, Vin wasn't entirely sure about the general callin' him 'son.' He had been Julia Tanner's boy for so many years, he wasn't sure if he was comfortable with anyone else callin' him 'son.' But looking at the general's face, Vin was sure it was meant kindly. And the general had already said that he was willing to move heaven and earth for his people. Kinda like what a pa does for his kids, from what Vin had been told.
The small group trooped down to the firing range. A firing range inside a mountain? Whoever heard of such a thing? But then again, Vin's world had been turned upside as soon as he entered Cheyenne Mountain. He was still having a hard time processing everything, and wished fervently that Adriana was here. He wished he could tell her that she had been right about Daniel Jackson, about not dismissing his 'wild' theories.
Inside the firing range, he chose a rifle which seemed most like his own, and tried not to smile at the reminder of teaching Adriana how to fire a rifle properly. Instead, he lifted the rifle to his shoulder, balancing it securely. He nodded to General Hammond, and the lights dimmed. Oh shit. If there was anything that was worse than being in an enclosed area, it was being in a dark, enclosed area. But Vin forced himself to focus, and the test began.
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Part Thirteen
"You get the feeling we saw a virtual pissing contest just now?" Daniel Jackson muttered as the lights inside the firing range went down. Tanner had gone into the room alone, while the others filed into the observation room. Jack O'Neill looked at his best friend/little brother/chief foil in amazement. He didn't often hear Danny talk like that. That was more Jack's style than the space monkey's. Upon seeing the colonel's startled gaze, the young man shrugged and said, "Can you think of a better way to say it, Jack?"
"Dr. Jackson, I am appalled! 'Course, I would say it was more a matter of Wilmington marking his territory. I also noticed that Tanner didn't back down. Kid's ballsy, I'll give him that. Not an 'in your face' type of ballsy, but quiet-ballsy. Sort of an 'I'm not gonna back down, so just stop trying to scare me.' From what I hear, not even Chris scares him, so I really don't think the base playboy is gonna rattle that boy's cage," O'Neill replied.
Sam Carter laughed softly, adding, "Major Wilmington isn't a playboy, Colonel. He just likes women. A lot. But I can guarantee you now, he'll have trouble with Tanner that he's not expecting." The two men looked at her, and Carter continued in a low voice, "Permission to speak freely, sir?" O'Neill rolled his eyes, and the blonde major continued, "Alright, I should have said it bluntly. But Tanner is adorable. And Captain Travis told me that he's even more devastating when he smiles."
Jack blinked. Did she just say what I think she just said? Did she just call someone over the age of fifteen 'adorable,' or was I imagining it? Carter went on, "And Captain Travis didn't exactly tell me that, but she told Janet, and Janet told me. I guarantee, the first time he gets hurt on a mission, the female doctors and nurses in the infirmary are gonna want to take care of him. And not because he reminds them of their little brothers, the way Private Dunne does."
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Sam's right, Jack," Daniel put in, having first hand knowledge of the infirmary after God only knew how many visits to Dr. Frasier's domain following 'routine' missions gone bad. The Egyptologist continued, "They are professionals, I wouldn't dream of saying otherwise. But Sam's right." O'Neill looked from one to the other, then through the pane of Plexiglas to watch Tanner. A few yards away, the general was giving the civilian his instructions.
"This first time, son, don't worry about 'innocent' targets. I just want to see how accurately you shoot in all circumstances. As we go along, and you train, you'll learn about the Gou'ald, and the Jaffa, and about our allies. The truth is, you may not know a Gou'ald when you see one," the general said. The head bobbed, and General Hammond continued, "Begin whenever you're ready, then."
Again, the head bobbed and the first target appeared. Tanner fired without hesitation. Shee-it! The very first one had torn through the paper...bullseye. No warm up. Just straight on. O'Neill leaned forward, watching the young man intently. The kid was good, no question. And maybe it was a trick of the light in the observation room, but it had seemed to him that the kid's face had gone pale when the lights inside the firing range dimmed. But the shoulders remained straight. Obviously, he wasn't in the habit of letting other people see him vulnerable.
He was definitely good. Not just when he was firing at the approaching targets, but he would catch sight of something, further away, and swing around to fire at it. O'Neill gave a low whistle, and exchanged a look with Teal'c. The Jaffa was grinning from ear to ear. Not just his usual smirk, but a genuine broad grin. It was fairly obvious that Teal'c was looking forward to teaching the kid the finer points of a staff weapon.
Jack glanced over at Chris, who was watching the kid with equal intensity. Then again, Chris Larabee was intensity personified. Jack liked the younger colonel. Especially when Chris let down his guard. And Jack always made sure he grabbed a front row seat when Chris and Captain Mary Travis started going 'round and 'round. That was just plain funny. But sometimes, Jack wondered how Chris managed to stay so intense and not get worn out. It wasn't that Chris didn't have a sense of humor...he did.
But Jack tended to relieve stress with wisecracks, and from what he had seen, Chris didn't relieve the stress. Or if he did, it was by beating the hell out of someone. Jack had seen it happen. The first time Chris had gone through the gate, it had been with Jack's team. Someone had made the mistake of messing with Daniel, and Larabee had been all over him. It had taken the combined strength of Jack and Teal'c to pull Larabee off. And of course, there was the oft-mentioned Larabee glare.
He wasn't glaring at Vin Tanner right now. Jack switched his attention completely from the slender young man inside the firing range, to the newcomer's colonel. If anything, Chris looked confused. Not 'dazed and confused,' an expression which Jack had also seen on the other colonel's face, but 'puzzled/confused.' As if he was trying to figure out something about that boy, and Jack wondered what had happened at that bar fight.
Slipping away from his own team, Jack went to Larabee's side and murmured, "Would love to know what the hell happened last night, that you look at that kid like he's your long-lost brother, and you can't figure out how that happened." Larabee looked at him, surprised, and O'Neill continued with a half shrug, "Guess Mary told Janet last night when she got in, Janet told Carter. Carter told me on the mission. Parts, at least. You wanna tell me what happened?"
"Wish I could, Jack," Chris admitted, "it was the damnedest thing. I looked up, and here was this kid, tryin' to find a path to Nathan. Our eyes met, and I knew exactly what he was gonna do. And he knew what I was gonna do. Neither of us had to say a word. You know? It wasn't anything psychic, or anything like that. But I knew. And ever since, I've been trying to figure out what the hell happened."
"Before you ask, nope...when I met Daniel, I thought he was a nuisance pain in the ass. More like your feeling toward Dunne or Standish. I don't know what to tell you, Chris. Obviously, the kid's one helluva shot. A tracker and former bounty hunter, who has helped with search and rescue. Whatever possessed the general to ask him today about joining the SGC? What happened to all the screening and such that goes on, the normal bureau-crap?" Jack asked and Chris shrugged, as lost as Jack was.
"I'm not sure. Tanner's coming in as a civilian, but that tends to complicate things. Maybe the price on his head...that might have something to do with it," Chris admitted. Jack frowned and Chris proceeded to explain in a low voice that Vin Tanner had run afoul of some criminals in Texas after rescuing a little girl and returning her to her father. Jack had never heard of this Eli Joe character, but he wasn't from Texas.
"Twenty-two years old? How old was he when he started bounty hunting, sixteen?" Jack asked. It was meant as a joke, but he could tell, as soon as he spoke, that it was true.
Jack swung his eyes back to the young man inside the firing range as the lights came up, then looked over at his team when Daniel began applauding. He glanced back at Tanner, who looked down at his feet. It wasn't modesty. It was something else. Then he looked back at Larabee, and repeated, "I don't know what to tell you, Chris. But I think we'll both have a chance to figure it out."
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Part Fourteen
Mary Travis had returned to her quarters after turning over her information to General Hammond. She knew Colonel Larabee and the general would be interviewing Vin Tanner today, and Mary still hadn't received a reply back from Dawn Jackson. It wasn't that she was expecting a reply today, but the more she knew, the better chance of convincing the general that Tanner belonged in the SGC.
She was, of course, working on her knowledge of the Air Force, the military in general, and her knowledge of the SGC. Mary wasn't anticipating Tanner to join the SGC immediately, so she felt she had plenty of time. That didn't stop her from being somewhat impatient to hear back from Ms. Jackson. Her reporter's instincts were humming, and while she had no intention of turning Vin Tanner into a story, she wanted to know more about him.
At one pm, she was working on a piece for the base newspaper when she received email on her private account, the one separate from work. She discovered when she brought up that account that she had received email from Dawn Jackson, and with her heart thumping uncomfortably, Mary opened it. She smiled at the salutation...Dawn Jackson was very glad to hear from her, she hadn't heard anything about Vin Tanner in two years, and she often thought about him. That sounded good.
She read through the email, smiling at the other woman's obvious fondness for Vin Tanner, but as she got closer to the bottom, her smile faded. I don't believe it, she thought, stunned. I don't believe it, I have to be reading it wrong. She reread the sentence in question...nope, it hadn't changed. Glancing around the room, making sure she was, indeed, alone, Mary read aloud, "The truth is, Ms. Travis, I met Vin five years ago, when one of my girls invited him to the dorm for a pizza party. I suppose you could say he became one of my cubs as well.
"Over the years, I got to know him pretty well. The cub in question, Adriana Wilmington, became my roommate in her junior year, and I think it's safe to say that Adriana was Vin's best friend. Those two were as thick as thieves...the stories I could tell you. I'm laughing as I remember now, but I'm also sad. They were such good friends, Ms. Travis, constantly surprising us, though rarely each other. Unfortunately, Vin disappeared shortly after Adriana's graduation from college. Until your email, I wasn't even sure if he was still alive."
Mary swallowed hard. She had planned to research Adriana Wilmington (whose name she had discovered early this morning from the major himself), to see if there was a connection to Dawn Jackson. It was a million to one shot, since Texas was a big state, and it would stand to reason that U of T was huge as well. She never expected this to be practically dumped into her lap. She shook herself and continued reading, "That may come as a surprise to you, but just disappearing is not Vin's style. Adriana was sure he was in some kind of danger when he left without saying good-bye to her, face to face. And some of Adriana's friends tried to find him after she left for Germany, but failed, which made me very anxious."
Mary shook her head...she could imagine. Vin Tanner had officially disappeared two years earlier, and Major Wilmington had said that his sister graduated from U of T two years earlier. It matched up. And Dawn's fear that something had happened to Vin wasn't too far off the mark, even though Mary didn't know the full story. She tapped her finger against the top of her desk, trying to figure out how to respond to the email.
After several moments of staring at the screen blankly, Mary pushed herself away from the computer. After reading Dawn's email, it was pretty clear to the reporter that the female friend whom Vin had mentioned the previous night was Adriana Wilmington. It was equally obvious that he missed her terribly. What wasn't as obvious was how she felt. And Mary didn't feel right about going behind Vin's back on this.
When she had emailed Dawn, it had been as part of an investigation for the general. She didn't like being less than honest with Dawn, because she knew it had a tendency to come back and bite the liar in the ass. That was why she had limited herself to the facts. She had been curious about Vin, and not just because she wanted him in the SGC. She was curious about this young man...almost as intrigued by him as she was by Chris Larabee.
But as for taking the additional step of emailing Adriana Wilmington about her friend...there were a number of problems with that scenario, not the least of which was the secrecy surrounding Cheyenne Mountain. Mary dared not involve a civilian to this degree, for Adriana's own safety. There was the additional complication of Adriana's relationship with Buck Wilmington...the fact that she was Major Wilmington's sister made things even more confusing.
Mary's instincts told her that as much as Vin missed his friend, he wasn't ready to deal with the complications which her return would mean. No...no, she would keep Adriana Wilmington out of this for now. And in her private conversations with Tanner, she would wait for him to bring up his friend. Mary returned to her desk and began reading the rest of Dawn's email, which told her little she didn't already know.
The general had already found out that Tanner was twenty-four, that he was originally from Texas, and that his mother had died when he was five. Nothing new there. Mary scanned the rest of the email. Nothing new, except the revelation about Adriana. And Mary would keep that to herself. She was a reporter, yes, but she understood what was at stake. The reunion between friends would have to wait.
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Part Fifteen
For the next five hours, Vin underwent a battery of tests...physical fitness, his skills with a rifle and a pistol, the latter of which included a go 'round in a virtual reality room, which left him dizzy when he came out of it. His overall health. Despite Nathan's check the previous night, when General Hammond learned he had taken a few body blows during the bar fight, he had insisted that the CMO of the SGC take a look and conduct a full exam. CMO, SGC, what the hell was this, alphabet soup? It got worse...the CMO (which stood for chief medical officer) was a woman.
Aw hell, was the only thought in Vin's mind when he found this out, but a quick look at General Hammond told him that no arguments would be tolerated. It got worse, however. The CMO wasn't just a woman...but a young woman. Somewhere in her thirties, but Vin wasn't real good at telling ages. She looked to be about the same age as Nathan Jackson, maybe a little older than Captain Travis.
Her name was Dr. Janet Frasier, and she was also a major in the Air Force. She was a tiny thing, maybe five one or five two at the most, with dark hair and dark eyes. And she was very pretty, which was only part of the reason why he often found himself turning scarlet while she examined him.
The first test came in the form of checking his reflexes, and she said, "Well, those are excellent, but with your skills as a marksman, I shouldn't wonder. Take off your shirt, I want to listen to your lungs and your heart." Vin gulped and the doctor said with a smile, "Trust me, Mr. Tanner. You're obviously a smart young man, and you've taken good care of yourself. But it's my job to take care of you as well, and this is just part of the exam."
"Yes, ma'am...and, uhm, call me 'Vin.' Reckon it'll be easier if we just started that right now. Don't hold well with that other stuff," he replied and she smiled, nodding her head. Vin unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt hesitantly, and Dr. Frasier turned away from him casually. A little more comfortable, Vin had undone the top button of his shirt, when a young girl entered the infirmary. She looked to be about twelve or thirteen, with sandy-blonde hair and bright blue eyes.
Dr. Frasier looked up as the girl's sneakers scuffed the floor, and she exclaimed, "Cassie!"
The girl grinned and wrapped an arm around the doctor's waist, saying, "It's okay, Mom, General Hammond sent a car for me when I called about getting a ride. School let out early. He said that you were checking out the new recruit, and that would keep you a while. Hi, I'm Cassie Frasier. You must be Vin." A little taken aback by the girl, Vin nodded, but offered his hand. Cassie Frasier shook it, keeping a free arm around the doctor's waist.
"Yes, this is Vin Tanner, Cass. Vin, this is my daughter, Cassandra. Did you bring your homework with you, or did you finish all of it in study hall?" the doctor asked, keeping an arm around the girl. Cassie smirked, holding a decidedly limp backpack in one hand, and the doctor continued, "Well...Sam is back from the mission. If you want to go see her?" The girl's eyes lit up and she nodded. The doctor continued, "I have a few more tests to run on Vin, the normal routine. Meet in the cafeteria at seven thirty for dinner?"
"Deal! Nice to meet you, Vin," Cassie said as she and her mother headed for the door. He smiled, then found himself turning even redder when he overheard Cassie tell her mother, "Sheesh, Mom! He's hot! If only the girls at school knew about this place, and all the hot guys I know! Ohhh, don't look at me like that, I know better, I wouldn't tell. But still, he's hot!" Vin didn't think his face could possibly get any redder.
And as Dr. Frasier turned back around, she smiled and said, "She didn't mean any harm, Vin. I probably should have said something to her, but I was just so glad to see her like that. When I first adopted her...she was so different. So fragile in many ways. I'm just grateful that she's starting to come out of her shell." Vin finished unbuttoning his shirt, then let it slid to the examining table. Dr. Frasier hissed at the sight of the bruises.
"Reckon there ain't no harm done. How long ago did ya adopt her?" Vin asked, then inhaled sharply as the doctor began running her fingers lightly over his bruised ribs. Aw hell, that hurt! Luckily, while her touch was gentle, it was also impersonal. That was a relief. Still, the bruises hurt like hell, and likely would for a few days. That was usually the way it went. She looked up and mouthed 'sorry,' and there was genuine concern in her eyes. He smiled and muttered, "No harm done, ma'am, just surprised me."
"I should warn you, I'll come back to possible internal bleeding after I listen to your heart and lungs. If Nathan said you didn't suffer any internal injuries during the fight, I'm willing to take him at his word, but I have to do the exam myself as the CMO," Dr. Frasier replied, and Vin nodded his understanding. It wasn't a matter of trust, but of responsibility. He understood that totally. The woman continued, "I adopted her when she was eleven, two years ago. Her entire family, everyone on her home planet, had been wiped out by the Gou'ald. They tried to use her to destroy us."
Now there was a coldness in her tone, a rage against anyone using a child, for any reason, but Vin was still processing the previous sentence. Everyone on her home planet? Then Cassie wasn't...from Earth? Vin had known about the mission of the SGC, but for some reason, he had never expected the people from other planets to look so...well...Cassie could have been any other girl her age. And she was...she just hadn't been born on Earth. He asked softly, shivering as the cold stethoscope touched his bare chest, "How?"
"They...they put a time-bomb inside her body. A very special time bomb, which was meant to destroy the SGC, the mountain. It activated every time she got near the Stargate. When she was taken away from it, the time bomb dissolved. It's hard to explain...hard to understand. She was an innocent little girl, made into a Trojan horse by the Gou'ald," Dr. Frasier replied, her voice thick with rage. She muttered, "Take a deep breath. Good. Let it out."
Vin exhaled and Dr. Frasier murmured, as if she was trying to distract herself, "You have a lot of bruises and scars, Vin. According to the chart given to me by the general, you're only twenty-four years old. How did you come by these?" She shook her head, not waiting for an answer, and muttered, "I will never understand how anyone could hurt other people like that. The Gou'ald are bad enough, but..."
"Reckon a few of my skips weren't real happy 'bout bein' taken in," Vin admitted. Dr. Frasier quirked an eyebrow questioningly, and Vin explained, "I was a bounty hunter, ma'am. Bounty hunter, search and rescue, guide, tracker...ain't too many jobs I ain't done." He was repeating himself, he knew, but it seemed like he was retelling this story to everyone in the compound. Dr. Frasier gently pushed him back into a reclining position.
"All of that before turning twenty-five. Just as an FYI, Vin, I should warn you. As you've probably figured out, we aren't real popular with the Gou'ald. They've been known to put bounty hunters on the trails of our SG teams. So if you get any strange reaction when you say you've been a bounty hunter, that's why. Relax, I'll try not to hurt you too much," Dr. Frasier said. Vin nodded and tried to force himself to relax. Well, that explain the reactions of SG-1 when they found out about his previous line of work.
The doctor carefully felt Vin's midsection, glancing at his face for any sign of discomfort or pain. She said, "Well, there's no rigidity, and there's no bruising. But you understand we had to double check. Internal injuries can be very tricky. Not used to a woman examining you, are you?" He shook his head, embarrassed, and Dr Frasier continued, "Don't worry about it. I don't mean to make you nervous, but I am a doctor."
"Know that, ma'am, but that ain't exactly an area I'm used to bein' touched, if ya get my meaning," Vin replied. Dr. Frasier just smiled and nodded her understanding. Relieved that he didn't have to say anything further to make his point, Vin added, "And 'sides, it's like I told Nathan last night. He punched me in the ribs, not in the gut. Reckon I been in enough fights to know when I been hurt bad." Dr. Frasier helped him sit up, and he noticed the thoughtful frown.
"You mean, you've been in fights, and you've been beaten up," she clarified. Vin looked at her...now how in the hell would she know about the beating in Texas? Dr. Frasier said, "Ah, so you have been beaten up in the past. I thought as much, when you mentioned that you would know when you've been badly hurt. My instinct about you was that you don't start a fight, but unless someone gangs up on you, you finish the fight."
"Yeah," Vin admitted. He said, "Last time I got beaten up...not taking a few punches in a fair fight...was five years ago. Gang a' guys jumped me outside a dormitory, at U of T." Dr. Frasier didn't speak, just let him continue, "Cold-cocked me, then started beating the hell outta me...'scuse my language." Dr. Frasier smiled, shook her head, and Vin continued, "I was lucky. They just broke some of my ribs. Lucky for me, I got a hard head, that's what took the most damage." He fell silent, remembering.
"Go ahead and put your shirt back on, that part of the exam is finished. Well, I should warn you about one other thing. I'm guessing, based on what you are and aren't saying, that you didn't have too many people while you were growing up who looked after you, took care of you. I've already told that taking care of you is part of my job. It's also part of General Hammond's job. Let him do his job," the woman said.
Vin bobbed his head, ever so slightly, and Dr. Frasier continued, "It may take you time, to adjust to being part of a team. But I think you'll be all right. Well, I need to do some blood work, so leave your sleeves unbuttoned. Just out of curiosity, do you know your blood type?" Vin shook his head and Dr. Frasier continued with a smile, "Not to worry, that's also part of my job. Just relax."
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