XOXOXOX

Chapter 1

Tag for "Emancipation"

Colonel Jack O'Neill suddenly became aware that his second-in-command had quietly headed off to the infirmary. He frowned. He seemed to be doing that a lot today. She had passed over her weapon and moved stiffly out of the gate room. Her actions were well within acceptable protocols... She just normally gave him a heads up or asked for permission. Jack passed his own weapon off to a waiting SF and looked at the other two.

"Guys, I'll catch up to you, I need to go check on something," he said hurriedly, waving Daniel on as the younger man opened his mouth to protest. Obviously whatever was on his captain's mind, she didn't want to share with the class or she would have actually said something. Jack wasn't 100% positive but his best educated assumption was that she had gone to the infirmary. When he arrived, it took several mintues for him to find a free nurse.

"'Scuse me," he halted the young man.

"Sir?" the man asked, pausing and shifting his grip on a stack of files and a fat laptop computer.

"The captain from my team- Captain Carter- has she checked in here?" asked Jack, wondering if he was incorrect. Hell, after that mission, he would have been far more surprised if she hadn't come to the infirmary. This had only been their... seventh mission as a team? He liked to think he knew the captain pretty well by now though.

"Oh, yes, sir," replied the nurse. He looked a little nervous for some reason. "Doctor Warner can discuss it with you, if you'll just wait in a visitor's chair-" the young man nodded toward several utilitarian cray padded chairs lined against the far wall. Jack frowned more deeply, putting on his best 'colonel' face. The nurse, however, was undeterred and unintimidated, as a male nurse he had dealt with plenty of alpha males, and plenty of jackasses who thought men shouldn't be nurses. "Sorry, sir- if that's all...?" This stack of files was incredibly awkward to hold.

"Yeah, yeah," Jack said grumpily, waving the young man away. The nurse scurried off and Jack plopped himself in one of the chairs to wait. He began tapping his foot impatiently, and alternating standing and pacing. Finally he took a heavy breath and forced himself to sit quietly when a different nurse glared at him. Jack could be patient, he could, really. What he didn't like was not knowing what was going on with his team. And the young captain-doctor was incredibly tight-lipped about when she was experiencing discomfort. Their second mission ever the temperature had dropped to near-freezing overnight. Her lips had begun turning blue and he had had to order her to take his long john shirt to wear in addition to her own. Kawalsky had never hesitated to let Jack know- no. No, he couldn't think of Kawalsky now.

Jack stood to resume his pacing, but just then, Doctor Warner finally arrived.

"Doc, what's going on?" Jack demanded. Warner sighed, having known from the second Carter had come in that this would be immensely difficult. The Colonel had quite a fierce reputation, particularly when it came to his team being in the infirmary. They all vividly recalled the incident with Major Kawalsky.

"Sir, I cannot tell you particulars, obviously because of doctor-patient confidentiality," replied the doctor in his calm steady manner, unfazed by The Colonel. "But be assured, she is fine. She's just dressing again. I've ordered her to take the next twenty-four hours off. She needs rest and-" Jack opened his mouth to speak but the doctor held up a hand "-And sir... if I may, it would help, I think, if you would reassure her. She needs more than a knee-jerk reaction. Ah-" He held up the hand again to forestall Jack's comment "More than a typical, good-soldier speech, sir."

Before Jack could say anything, the captain in question came out from a distant privacy curtain. Jack had had enough and walked by the doctor without saying anything else. He strode right up to his captain as she finished straightening the collar on her long-sleeved BDU. Carter promptly stood at attention and Jack sighed. He really needed to break her of this level of formality.

"I'm not fond of repeating myself, Captain," Jack said with exaggerated patience as he took in her stiff stance. "At. Ease. Please, before you pull something. Stop coming to attention every time you see me; it makes my back itch."

Her lips briefly lifted into a small smile and it pleased Jack. He forced his own expression to soften as he asked, "Now, would you please explain to me why you are here? And why you snuck away?"

Carter opened her mouth to speak but swallowed at the look on his face. "Sir, I didn't realize until we were almost back to the gate..."

"Realize what, Captain?" demanded Jack, not liking this at all. His mind drifted back to how long that bastard had held her. "Answers, now."

"Well, sir," she said, carefully choosing her words. If she didn't spit out a proper answer soon, he was going to lose his mind. "While I was held captive... Turgen he-" She swallowed as she closed her eyes and Jack felt an irrational surge of rage. He quickly tamped down on the feeling, terrified of what she was about to say. "He- struck me, sir, repeatedly. And- had me whipped for my first escape attempt. The wives gave me some of the medicine we brought back. I didn't really start to feel it until we were back to the gate, sir."

Jack surveyed his captain steadily, struggling to keep himself under control. Rage burned in him and he took a deep steadying breath. "And you failed to tell me this when were in the field because...?" She grimaced, knowing she should have communicated it to him immediately.

"It- it wasn't a problem, sir," she replied softly, not quite meeting his eyes. "Once they gave me the medicine, I didn't feel it anymore. By the time it wore off... we were almost back. And while we were in the field, sir, like I said, it didn't matter."

Jack took another deep breath and counted to ten, evaluating his own reply. "Didn't matter," Jack said flatly, wanting to tear back to the planet and murder Turgen. She needed him to be better, as Doctor Warner had advised. "Sam, I need to know these things. I'm your CO, I am responsible for every member of my team. It could very well have compromised the mission. I have to know what's happening with you in order to make proper command decisions."

"I-yes, sir," Carter said quietly, looking ashamed. Jack longed to reach out to her; she suddenly looked so small and vulnerable. He did not like where his thoughts were headed. "I'm sorry, sir."

"So, captain," Jack said slowly, "Let me get this straight. You attempted escape, just as you should. You were recaptured, it happens- been there. You were then rescued, went back and beat this bastard in his own camp, saved his daughter, and helped bring greater liberations to our allies' - people?" He'd nearly said 'women', but that didn't quite sit right. "And you did it while wounded?" She looked up at him, her blue eyes wide, full of surprise. "Captain, this would have been an impossible situation for anyone. You did good, Sam, real good. I'm proud of you; you're an excellent officer."

"I-thank you sir," she said in obvious surprise. And Jack had the sudden urge to kick himself for not telling this eager-to-please young officer enough when she did something well. The moment suddenly felt too heavy as they gazed at each other.

"Now, don't let it go to your head, Captain," Jack said with a grin.

"I won't sir," she replied with a broad smile. There was his fiery captain.

"You'll need to come for the de-briefing but then I expect not to see you on this base again for twenty-four hours," Jack said, mock-stern. "I know for a fact that the doc ordered you to get some rest."

"Of course, sir," Carter replied, following him from the room.

"Good, now let's hurry this up," Jack said with a broad easy grin at her. It was far too easy to smile at her. "there's a new episode of The Simpsons on tonight."