A Dime A Dozen

Sarie Venea

One-shot, missing sceneto S9, “Off the Grid,” slight spoilers, some team angst and drama. No ships, a tiny SGA crossover. Daniel speaks his mind about self-devaluing Lieutenant Colonels.

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Colonel Cameron Mitchell lay upside down on the Odyssey’s infirmary bed, his feet where his head should be. Daniel Jackson sat in a chair against the wall, a blanket wrapped around his bare shoulders. Teal’c sat on a bed beside Colonel Sam Carter, who was holding ice to the back of her head.

“Lay still please, Colonel.” The nurse with the cold cloth of torture was attempting to clean the gash along Cameron’s collar bone. Cameron was squirming, trying to keep the stinging medication away from the injury while following his teammates with his eyes and mouth.

“I’m just saying, there’s no way that Alliance can honestly think we have got anything to do with the grand Stargate heist.”

Daniel rubbed the bridge of his nose, squinting at the team leader.

“Ow!” Sam flinched, the cut on her cheek receiving unwanted attention. She glanced at Cam, who was sliding closer to the edge of the bed with every minute. “Sit still, Cam.”

“I’ve been reading the mission reports from the Pegasus galaxy written by Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard and his team.”

Daniel was the brunt of three blank stares.

“How does this pertain to the current topic of conversation, DanielJackson?” Teal’c asked frankly.

“Sheppard seems to have a habit of self-sacrificing exploits; he seems to consider it an acceptable course of action for the head of the military contingent to die to save the city of Atlantis.” Daniel slanted his eyes at the now-still Colonel, who stared at the ceiling, his mouth opening and closing faintly. The nurse was cutting away his shirt and Cameron shivered-from the sudden cold. Sam dropped her hand to her lap, her open disbelief at Daniel’s words obvious. Teal’c’s eyebrow tilted.

“Jackson. One word. Kelowna.” Cameron’s voice was flat.

Daniel visibly flinched, but continued.

“A military commander is expendable. Replaceable. A dime a dozen. If one should fall, another just as worthless will step up in his place.” Daniel lifted his head, his eyes harder than his sarcasm in their perusal of Cameron’s battered face. Sam swallowed, her gaze following her hands.

“Jackson-”

“A planet of innocent people is one thing. A team of highly trained, capable, and lucky individuals who have beaten the enemy more times than can be counted is entirely different.”

Teal’c’s eyebrow turned to Mitchell, who bit down hard on his lip, the anger evident on his features.

“Look, Mitchell, if you see yourself as expendable as this Colonel Sheppard, then I will not follow you off-world again.”

Sam’s eyes widened. This Daniel was in no way the meek Dr. Jackson she’d first met. The words were deadly with anger.

Cameron couldn’t feel his fingers. He clenched his fists into the blanket he’d been given. The action had been simple. Take the lead and put any possible danger into his own hands. Use whatever method necessary to ensure the survival of his team, especially the two doctors. When confronted with the desperate attempts to keep from being killed, it had nearly been second nature to place the blame on himself, to try to deflect the death sentence from the other three onto his own head. Sam had muttered his name in a warning tone, but he’d no idea it disturbed Daniel so much.

“DanielJackson speaks the truth, Colonel Mitchell.” Teal’c’s deep voice was unusually soft. “Please do not again put your life at a value below that of your team.”

Cameron blinked hard. The cold rag had moved to another torture point, but he barely noticed.

“I can’t speak for Sam or Teal’c, but I don’t want to have this conversation again, as one-sided as it may have been.” Daniel spoke quietly, standing up and pulling the blanket closer as he walked away. Sam shared a look with Teal’c, who also slid off the gurney and left, bowing slightly to the nurse, ignoring the silent Colonel Mitchell.

Sam looked up, her eyes meeting Cameron’s shadowed stare.

“Cameron,” Sam’s word was as quiet and sad as it had been on the planet.

Mitchell sat up abruptly, shaking off the ministrations of the nurse and swinging his legs off the bed.

“A dime a dozen, Sam. Dime a dozen.” He yanked the blanket off the bed and strode toward the door. Sam looked at the floor again, her hand coming up and absently rubbing at the cut on her cheek.

“SG-1 doesn’t appreciate losing people, Cam. Respect that, alright?”

“I don’t know if I can.” Cameron paused, his guttural whisper barely audible as he left the infirmary.

Sam dropped her head back, looking at the ceiling. She knew he couldn’t.

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Millions of light-years away, Elizabeth Weir’s heart hurt as she realized the same thing. Leading by example, at all costs. They were worth so much more than a dime, but only to those that loved them. Never to themselves.