So hard to stay behind.
Jennifer Keller moved slowly through the dimly lit medical lab, awkward on her injured ankle, powering down workstations and sorting shifting heaps of reports into more stable piles. Trying to delay the inevitable moment when there was nothing further she could do here, and the memories of the latest off world adventure were free to return unchecked. Being hunted through the woods. That horrendous bridge. The missing Athosians. Teyla.... If only it was as easy to power down and sort through her thoughts as her lab.
A slight sound made her turn towards the door. Leaning in the frame an exhausted looking Sam Carter was running a critical eye over her body, carefully assessing the way she moved, gaze lingering on her clumsy ankle. Jennifer couldn't help the small smile that spread across her face even as Sam straightened and moved to her, eyes dark and unreadable in the low light. Reaching out wordlessly Sam gently tilted her face and examined the cut on her lip before folding Jennifer tightly into her arms and burying her face in her hair.
Sam knew something had gone wrong. Years working to deadlines had left her with a sharp internal clock, and they had been gone too long. Far too long. She ached to go out there, find them, do something rather than stand here watching Sheppard and his team leave. Not that she didn't trust them, but... Letting out a sharp breath she folded her arms tightly across her chest and strode to her office. Hitting something might help, but that didn't sit too well with the strong unflappable leader thing she tried so hard to maintain. Feeling useless and powerless she stared at her laptop screen, unable to concentrate, before Chuck's "off world activation. Colonel Sheppard's IDC" broke through her reverie.
"Colonel. How did it go?" She was amazed at how steady her voice stayed.
"We have both Teyla and Dr Keller here, a little bruised but more or less upright. Ran into a bit of fun with some primitives."
"Personally, I wouldn't call arrows fun" Sam ducked her head and smiled a little at McKay's sniping, before nodding to Chuck to lower the shield.
"Come on through John."
As the puddle jumper moved smoothly into the room, she felt some of the fear leave her chest, and let out a slow sigh, ruffling her fringe. Repressing the urge to race immediately to the infirmary, she turned and shared a relived look with the technicians on duty.
Consciously working on relaxing, and truly feeling safe for the first time in hours, Jennifer began to sense the nervous energy that had kept her going for so long fade. Noticing the tension in the blond woman's body, she ran her hands slowly up and down Sam's back.
"It must have been difficult to stay behind" she murmured.
"So hard" Sam replied softly, surprised as always at how accurately the shy doctor could read her.
Pulling back slightly she gazed down at the smaller woman, brow furrowed in concern. Blue eyes meeting brown, Sam saw a tight, lost look that she recognised.
"You ok?"
That one gentle question was enough to break the fragile barrier Jennifer had put between herself and the nightmarish experience she had just gone through. Annoyed with the tears that threatened to spill over she nodded quickly, before shaking her head and returning to Sam's embrace, leaning in to her longer form.
"You will be."
"Are you sure of that?"
"Oh yeah."
Never overly comfortable expressing emotions out loud, Sam brushed a light kiss over her temple. Comforted by the colonel's unwavering faith in her, Jennifer turned and sent her a slight grin.
"Might be a while before I can face another lollipop though."