A/N: In this fic Sam is a Major, Jack is a Colonel, and Pete doesn't exist. Also, insert standard disclaimer here, I don't own 'em and never will.
Sam entered her lab dismayed but not surprised by the sight that greeted her as she turned into the room from the corridor. It was the same scene that had played out each morning for the past two weeks. It had almost been flattering the first few days, if not a bit disconcerting. Teal'c would stand stoically in the back of the room, calmly perusing the book in his hands. Daniel could be found perched on a stool, brow furrowed and hand to his forehead intently studying his own tome. If Sam didn't know any better she would think he was deep in thought trying to decipher a new language or studying a new artifact. And then there was the Colonel. The man who normally couldn't sit still for more than thirty seconds without fidgeting would be sitting atop one of her tables near the door, completely engrossed in his own reading material. He would move only to turn the page or occasionally make a note in the notebook sitting in his lap.
As soon as she entered the room however, the tranquil image before her would come to life. "How was your morning?" Daniel would inquire, despite the fact that it was barely eight o'clock and Jack would have already filled them in on everything that had happened from the moment she awoke until the time she arrived on base, leaving only the thirty minutes she spent in the infirmary without them in question. Daniel would stare at her with a goofy grin, looking her up in down for any change in her appearance from the previous day. Before she could answer, Teal'c would have approached and begun his morning prayers for her health and happiness. Daniel would then take her hand and place his other hand on the small of her back to lead her to The Chair.
The Chair had become the most dreaded object in her lab. Specially designed by Siler, the large armchair was raised so, seated, she could reach the top of her work benches. It had wheels so, as was explained to her by the overzealous sergeant, she would never have to get up and could just push herself around. The arms had pockets and compartments to keep anything she could possibly need close at hand.
Sam hated The Chair. Her work required her to stand, pace and move around to properly carry out her experiments and study her data. She tried appeasing her teammates by climbing into the monstrosity upon first arriving at her lab and pushing it in the corner out of her way as soon as they left. However, every time one of them stopped by to visit, which occurred like clockwork once every thirty minutes, they would insist she resume her position in The Chair. Before leaving each morning, Daniel would pepper her with questions concerning her mental and physical well being while Teal'c stood by absorbing and committing to memory every word with a small smile on his face. The Colonel would remain seated throughout the entire ordeal the corners of his mouth turned up as he gazed at her devotedly and unabashedly. Only when they were satisfied that she was comfortable and in good spirits would they leave her alone for a half an hour.
This morning, however, was going to be different. Sam had woken this morning with some morning sickness and Jack, the involved and concerned husband that he was, had stayed by her side, made her tea and toast afterwards, and practically carried her to the car to drive to the base. The Doctor nearly had to order him from the infirmary, assuring him that it was most likely normal morning sickness and probably had little to do with Sam's experience with Jolinar. Said experience was the reason for Sam's daily visit to the infirmary as the Colonel, General Hammond, and the Doctor all wanted her closely monitored through the pregnancy due to her body's unique physiology.
Thus, Sam held her breath as she entered the lab, hoping that by some miracle Jack had been held up on another level somewhere and hadn't been able to reach her lab first to brief the boys on her morning. Much to her dismay, her teammates had already assembled in her lab awaiting her arrival.
"Sam…" began Daniel.
"Major Carter…." interjected Teal'c.
"Honey, what did Doc say?" Her husband looked at her eyes intense with concern.
"I'm fine, just morning sickness," Sam responded with a tight smile.
"Thank god," Daniel muttered under his breath while the other two visibly relaxed.
"My reading material does not discuss this aspect of Tau'ri gestation." Teal'c gestured toward the book he was reading that week on pregnancy across various humanoid cultures.
"Oh, you should borrow mine!" Daniel turned to the Jaffa, holding out his book entitled New Additions: the Guide to Pregnancy for Male Friends and Relatives. "It has an entire chapter devoted to physiological responses to pregnancy like hormone changes and nausea."
"Yeah, the stuff I found on the internet breaks it down pretty well," the Colonel interjected helpfully. "We should all look through it later…"
Sam continued to stand in the door way and stare at the three as they began comparing notes and discussing her condition as though she wasn't even there. Her eyes widened in shock as Jack adopted a tone of voice frighteningly similar to Daniel's "lecture tone" to describe in excruciating detail this morning's events and how they related to what he had read.
And that's when she saw it.
Mounted in the corner of the room was a brand new digital camera, similar to the ones attached to the MALPs used to survey other worlds. Sam knew just by glancing at it from across the room that it was equipped with infrared, night vision, and full audio recording capabilities.
"What. Is. That.?" she asked slowly, employing a tone of voice that all who knew her well knew indicated barely contained anger. Conversation stopped as the three turned towards her with guilty expressions on their faces. Well, Daniel looked guilty. Teal'c looked as guilty as Teal'c could look and the Colonel's cheeks reddened as he slowly opened his mouth in an attempt to find the best way to explain their actions to his wife.
"Sammy, when I got here this morning the three of us decided that since we don't know exactly how your pregnancy will progress we should be able to keep an eye on you even when we can't be in the same room. The normal security cameras don't give enough information, but this camera is so cool, and look, the three of us each have our own handheld digital monitor that links to the camera feed and we can use to check in on you…" He rambled on about the cameras virtues while Sam felt the heat rising up her face.
This was the last straw. She had finally had enough. She stormed over to the camera, tore it off its wall mount, deposited it in The Chair, and proceeded to shove the hated objects out the door and into the hallway.
"Now, Sam..."
"…its for your own good…"
"...our only concern is the health of…"
The three men followed her into the hallway, their entreaties falling on deaf ears. Sam whirled around and eyed the three, fire spitting from her eyes.
"Don't!" she spat venomously "I will be fine. I am barely four weeks pregnant. I don't need twenty-four hour surveillance, I don't need to be treated like an invalid, I don't need advice from every pregnancy book in print! I need you to leave me alone!" With that she spun on her heel and reentered her lab slamming the door and pulling the padlock she had purchased unbeknownst to the Colonel out of her pocket and placing it on the door.
"It's the hormones," she heard Daniel say knowledgeably even though she knew perfectly well he had no experience with pregnant women. "Let's give her a few minutes before trying again."
"I am sure she will see reason then, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c asserted. "Major Carter is a most logical person and will understand our need for vigilance."
"I don't know, T," said Jack, as the trio started down the hall. "Normally, Sam's a genius, but considering her condition we may have to get Hammond in on this one. She won't disobey a direct order. When Sara was pregnant…" Their voices faded out as they turned a corner and Sam slumped against the now padlocked door drawing knees to her chest.
It was going to be a long eight months.