Title: Drama Queen

Season: Jack's a general so I guess season eight

Rating: PG

Author: Se/Seesaw

Category: Team, humour

Summary: Daniel is feeling a little blue

Disclaimer; I own nothing, I don't make money from any of this. MGM, Gekko Film Corp., and Double Secret Productions do. No infringement intended.

Author's Notes: Huge thanks to Steph who had the misfortune of being my beta. She makes these things readable. Feedback is always welcome, hope you enjoy.

&&&&

Sam clung to the edge of her desk as a sharp pain shot through her left foot and into her leg. Her knuckles turned white and her nails protested at being dug into wood. But her grip did not slacken. Her eyes watered and she clamped them shut, biting on her lip to prevent releasing the string of expletives clogging her throat.

The metallic tang of blood seeped into her mouth forcing her to release her lip from between her teeth. But even this pain couldn't distract her from the acute stabbing travelling up her leg.

It was at this point that General O'Neill entered.

"Hey Carter, I was wondering if you could look over these files for me?" He glanced up with a perplexed look on his face, "I don't really…" He took in Sam's death grip on her desk, the stain of blood on her lips and her watering eyes.

"Are you alright Carter?" he took a worried step forward.

Sam meant to assure her commanding officer of her health except the intended words came out a bit more like a strangled gurgle which seemed to worry him even more.

"You." An airman passing by Sam's lab was frozen by Jack's commanding tone, "get a doctor now."

The man nodded once and was gone as fast as humanly possible, knowing better than to test General O'Neill's temper.

"Carter." Jack's attention was automatically returned to her.

Sam tried to turn on her heel and smile reassuringly but somewhere in the middle of the action her foot complained loudly and she ended up sliding down the side of her desk until she was sitting on the cold concrete floor.

O'Neill was instantly by her side, crouching down next to her.

"Did something happen to you on your last mission? I thought that damn doc gave you the all clear."

Still unable to talk as the prior movement had sent renewed waves of pain up her leg. Still unable to talk as her turning sent waves of new pain up her leg, she waved Jack away with one hand and cradled her left foot with the other. She closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths.

Weren't her boots supposed to protect her from this? Wasn't that the whole point of having to wear the cumbersome things?

Daniel's gentle voice made her eyes snap open. Her lab was suddenly very full. Jack was still next to her, a doctor and nurse had also appeared, the airman sent to get them was curious enough to hang around and Daniel, who just so happened to be in the infirmary when the airman arrived, was also present. They stood above her with a mixture of anxiety and confusion on their faces.

"What happened on the mission that you're not telling us Daniel?" Jack's angry voice echoed slightly around the room.

Daniel blinked, surprised by the sudden attack.

"Nothing happened, I swear Jack. There wasn't even anything of interest for me on that planet."

"Well then, do you want to explain this?" He waved at Sam's slumped form by her desk.

Daniel stared back like a rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming truck.

Sam wiped the back of her hand across her mouth, removing any blood from her lips.

"I'm fine sir, really." Her voice sounded wobbly to her own ears but at least now it was working.

Jack looked at her sceptically. She struggled to her feet, doggedly refusing Jack's offer of a hand. She stood heavily on her right foot hoping that no one had noticed that she wasn't putting weight on her left foot.

"I'm fine, nothing wrong, I promise. There's no need for any of you to be here." She gave them her sweetest smile and hoped beyond hope that they would all leave.

The other five members of the room stared back at her, all anxiety removed from their features.

"So what the hell was all that about Carter?" Jack said, asking the question that was on all of their minds.

"Well…" A lie was forming on her lips but Jack pre-empted her.

"'It's nothing' or 'I'm fine' won't get you out of this one Carter."

Sam coloured under their scrutiny, her colour deepening as she released she'd have to tell them the truth.

She mumbled quietly into her chest but Jack wouldn't let it go.

"What Carter?"

"I stubbed my toe, alright." She finally declared.

The look of confusion on the faces that surrounded her changed collectively to bemusement.

"You looked like you just took a bullet Carter." Jack was the one to speak.

"Yeah, well, it really hurt." Sam answered somewhat petulantly.

"A stubbed toe." Daniel echoed somewhere behind Jack, suppressed laughter tinting his voice.

The crisis having passed, the room began to empty leaving her with only Jack to face.

"Any one ever told you that you are a drama queen, Carter?" He grinned smugly at her.

Sam didn't take the comment well but Jack didn't seem all that troubled about it.

"I am NOT a drama queen." Sam crossed her arms across her chest in a defensive stance while still secretly leaning on the desk behind her.

Jack cocked his head at her,

"I just… just…" Sam struggled for a valid argument that would explain a Colonel in the Air Force being brought close to tears by a toe injury.

"I need new boots." She finished up rather lamely.

"And I'll make sure they're steel capped, just for you Carter." And with that he was gone.