Fic: Minor Characters I: Odd Man Out (2/19)
Title: Minor Characters I: Odd Man Out (2/19)
Fandom: Stargate
Rating: T
Genres: action/adventure
Summary: Everyone knows SG1... but what about the other teams on the roster? Here's one of them. Meet Major Thomas Moore, Captain Laura Greenspan, Lieutenant Maureen Reece and Master Sergeant Simon DeLisle - also known as SG10 - and accompany them on the mission that made them a team.
A/N: And here we go with Chapter Two (and I sincerely hope someone read and enjoyed Chapter One). I fixed all the mistakes I could find but I'm afraid without my super-beta mackenziesmomma it'll only be half as thorough as it usually is (and yes, she's still my beta, we just agreed that we wouldn't go through the hassle of going through all the stories I wrote BM (i.e. Before Mac)). Anyway, I'll just blame it on sniffeling and sneezing my way through the last three or four days and the fact that my left thumb is kind of numb (they told me it's a common occurence when having to walk on crutches... okay...) or something ;) I do hope, though, that you still enjoy reading this chapter :)
( Odd Man Out 1/19 )
Two
Greenspan
I should have know that he’d not rest as long as I wanted him to. Tom’s one of those officers that place the wellbeing of their subordinates higher than their own. Normally a really noble trait but not if it means that he neglects sleeping, eating and any other basic needs when he sits at the bedside of one of us because he thinks himself guilty of what happened. Whatever caused this trait to appear, it must’ve happened in his time with in Black Ops, the only time in our lives one of us didn’t know what the other was doing.
I remember just getting started with my First Class year at the Academy when he suddenly disappeared from my radar. Okay, so it wasn’t really “suddenly” but instead of the usual mail of at least one page I got a note saying “Will be away for some time. Don’t try to call me. Will call you when I’m back.” one day and then I heard nothing from him for over a year. I’m still not quite okay with that since First Class year was my toughest year at the Academy and I really missed him at graduation.
Yes, okay, he told me how proud he was of me when he got to hear my results through the grapevine when we finally saw each other again at the SGC but him being actually there would have been better than anything else. All right, so I sound like spoiled brat. So what? I don’t care, because Thomas Moore has been like a big brother for me for my whole life. I wouldn’t have been more agitated and in a snit than if one of my biological brothers had left me alone in one of my most trying times or had missed my graduation.
Anyway, I got my chance to pay him back when we suddenly found ourselves on the same top-secret government project base, the SGC, which was two years after my graduation. I had been transferred there because of my virology stuff, and he because of his outstanding results as an officer with Black Ops. But before he could tell me that, I ignored him for a whole two weeks. Since then he’s never done anything like that again.
Anyway, he was changed after the time we had been apart. Quieter, keeping more to himself, bringing more distance between him and people. The full extent of this became obvious after our first mission gone awry. We had been on the same team for three missions when the fourth went down the drain. Nothing worked, and we lost a man. I know Tom inside out so I knew the whole ordeal had taken its toll to him.
But instead of coming to talk to me like he used to do before transferring to Black Ops, he just kept to himself, telling me everything was fine when both of us knew it was anything but. It was the first time I pulled rank as a medical officer on him and had him confined to the infirmary until at least his physical wounds were completely healed.
Things kept happening that way but at least we didn’t lose a man again until a few months ago when we lost our linguist. Then we got Reece as a substitute for the lost linguist, and ever since then he’s been constantly criticizing the poor girl. If he’d just give her a chance he’d see that Reece is as good a soldier as him or me. But that’s typical him, demanding everything he can accomplish from others, exactly in the way and amount he can do it. If he’d just let go of that one thing, he’d make not only a good commanding officer but an outstanding commanding officer.
“Laura, Reece just woke up. Time for debriefing!” I roll my eyes at the yell he throws at me.
Annoyed I glare back and say, “Darn it, can’t a girl sit in the mess hall undisturbed for a few minutes? At least let me finish that coffee. And give Reece time to wake up properly before your drag her into the briefing room!”
He comes over to my table, cocking and eyebrow at me. “Who said anything about briefing room? Infirmary’s the word.”
Okay, now he’s gone too far. “No. And I don’t say this as your friend but as a medical officer. No debriefing as long as Reece is in the infirmary. For the love of God, stop stressing that girl. And don’t give me that “She’s a Marine, she can handle it.” crap. She took a serious hit, you let her recover. If you need something to do then let’s go get some exercise. I’ll even pose as your dummy. But let Reece be in peace just for once.”
Tom’s eyes have grown larger and larger. Obviously he isn’t used to this side of me anymore. Then a grin slowly spreads over his face. “All right… just for once. But don’t whine about the bruises. You volunteered, remember that.” Phew, for a second I thought I had gone too far. It’s good to know that not all of our lifelong friendship went out of the window because of Tom’s years with Black Ops.
Jogging away from me he throws a “You coming or what?” over his shoulder and I grin, joining him in jogging.
~*~
TBC in Chapter Three.