Title: Qui Timide Rogat Docet Negare
Author: Major Clanger
Email: majclanger@aol.com
Category: Gen
Pairing: nothing significant
Spoilers: S6 Metamorphosis
Season: 6
Rating: PG
Warning: none
Status: finished
Summary: Sam has a chat with someone
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of all sorts of people who aren't me. This story is for entertainment purposes only, and no money exchanged hands. Really. Honestly. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations and stories are the property of the author. That is I, and I write under the name of "Major Clanger" for reasons that are unclear, even to me. These stories may not be posted elsewhere without my consent, although if you really want to, you could send me an e-mail and ask. After you get the smelling salts under my nose, I'll probably say "yes".
Author's notes: Watching the beginning of Season 6s Metamorphosis I realised that I hadn't written a fic for ages. So I whizzed this up between doing other important stuff. Sorry, I borrowed two names. You can have them back now! J Thanks as ever to Kat the Wonder Beta.
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"Oh my God..." the three monosyllables were drawn out for emphasis. "He's gorgeous, how on earth did you manage that?"
"Who's gorgeous?" Dr. Frasier collected a cup of coffee from the machine in the nurses' lounge and looked at the two women who were sitting at the small table in the cramped space.
One of them blushed and stared into her coffee, no doubt wishing that she could dive in and hide from the friendly, but nevertheless penetrating, stare of the doctor. "Oh, nobody," she mumbled.
"Nobody? Or nobody I know?" the doctor teased as she took herself and her coffee back to her office.
"Sheesh, I didn't notice her there, sorry."
"'sokay, she's going to find out anyway. Doctor Frasier is friendly with Major Carter and she's bound to say something. You should have seen the look on her face when she saw us in the elevator!"
"Jealous?"
"Renee! No!" the nurse looked thoughtful. "No, you know how strict they are here about the regulations, I don't think Major Carter would be so stupid as to risk her career for a guy."
"Does that whole 'fraternisation' thing count with a civilian?"
"No idea, but my guess is she wouldn't want to find out the hard way."
"I guess. So..." Renee looked at her watch. "We have about five minutes. Give!"
"Nothing to give. I was already in the elevator when he started running for it, so I held it..."
"... as you would." Renee winked.
"As anyone would. And, of course, when he got in, it was only natural for us to get chatting..."
"... only natural," Renee ducked to avoid the playful fist that came her way. "Get on with it, why don't you?"
"That's it."
"Not much, is it?" draining her coffee the nurse stood up. "So, are you going on a date?"
"Waiting for SG-1 to come back from a mission. One of them is bound to get injured, and they'll all have to come here for a post mission check anyway. Maybe I'll be on duty."
"That's the spirit, Kathi, play hard to get." Holding out her hand for her friend's mug she winked as it was handed over. "You know," she looked up from puting the mugs in the dishwasher, her face suddenly serious. "You may have to be careful if you do go on a date with Jonas Quinn."
"How so?"
"He may look like one of us, inside and out, but he's an alien and he's a long way from home. Don't forget that."
"Perhaps I should say no?"
"Just be careful, go easy on him!"
"Yeah, 'Maneater'... that's my middle name!"
The nurses returned to work, suddenly busy as SG-3 came back from one of their regular offworld training missions.
Renee and Kathi found themselves rostered together around a week later. It was a busy day, with several SG teams taking part in the marine training camp and as a result, neither of them had made time for lunch. Very late in the evening, during an unexpected lull, they took themselves to the commissary for a well-deserved break.
Like most of the single SGC personnel, who did not rent private residences nearby, Kathi and Renee stayed in the single accommodations that were also used by the NORAD personnel. That being the case they often elected to stay on base until the start of their next duty period – only eight hours away on this occasion. Again, in common with most people who worked irregular hours, their eating patterns were also not the best and they found themselves sitting in a half-full dining room chewing jelly doughnuts and drinking hot chocolate.
Teal'c sat with Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill at a corner table. There was a startling array of confectionery and desserts on the table, mostly arranged in front of the Jaffa. Engaged in an important conversation they didn't acknowledge the arrival of the nurses, who sat at the table furthest away from them. Since that time when the alien-thing-person had insinuated himself into the brains of SG-1, most of the base personnel gave them plenty of space and stayed well away in case of food-fights or impromptu sing-alongs.
Three-quarters of SG-1 continued their discussion. "I disagree, MajorCarter, the green jello is superior to the blue."
"Sir, have you been trying to influence the judge here?"
"Me, Carter? How could you say such a thing?" O'Neill stretched and yawned. "Well, kids, it's way past my bedtime," he stood and walked over to the door and wagged his finger. "Don't stay up all night now!"
"Please excuse me also, MajorCarter. It is time for my kelnoreem." Teal'c inclined his head politely before exiting the commissary.
Left alone with a table full of half-eaten deserts Sam looked around for the first time since the nurses had entered the room. Recognising the one from the elevator, she sighed inwardly, and then closed her eyes for a few seconds. This is stupid, it's like being back in the fourth grade! Nevertheless, a promise was a promise. Sam glanced regretfully at a half-eaten dish of jello in front of her and stood up. How do I let myself get talked into the Great Jello Debate?
Grabbing her mug, and giving herself a wry smile at the need for a barrier to hide behind, Sam approached the two nurses. She waved away their half-hearted gesture of straightening their posture in the presence of a more senior officer and raised her eyebrow in the direction of a vacant chair.
Renee stood as the major sat down and nodded at Sam. "Major," she turned to Kathi, "I'll see you back in the infirmary."
Sam waited until the nurse was out of earshot before turning to Kathi and beginning to speak. Kathi wasn't giving her any help. The women sat there, one consumed with embarrassment, the other wondering what was coming next.
Oh my goodness. She's going to warn me off Jonas Quinn or something. She looks really mad. Kathi sipped her coffee and tried to keep her expression calm and friendly. Okay, calm and friendly... calm and friendly... I can do this.
Acutely aware that she wasn't making a good impression on the lieutenant sitting opposite her, Sam tried to marshal her thoughts and get the words out somehow. She had never been good at this sort of thing, not in grade school, not in high-school and certainly not now. Taking what she hoped was a well-disguised deep breath, she decided to open her mouth and see what came out.
"Ah... you're in here late, lieutenant... sorry, I don't know your name..." Sam's voice petered out and she lowered her eyes to her hands, which were twisting the mug around and around on the table.
"Davis, ma'am."
"Sorry, this is stupid," Sam pulled herself together and tried her best friendly smile. I've done the leadership courses, I can do this, she admonished herself. "I'm here to ask you for a date."
Kathi spluttered on her coffee, "Wha'?" She recovered quickly, "What I mean is, ma'am..."
Sam held up her hand. "Sorry, that came out all wrong, I mean... Jonas… Jonas Quinn would like to ask you for a date."
"Oh," Kathi's expression had resumed its mask of professional nursing calm.
"Where Jonas comes from it's customary for a friend to make the first approach," Sam leaned back in the chair and wiped her forehead. She gave Kathi a shy, rueful smile. "I had no idea that something like this could be so stressful!"
"Think guys have the same problem?" Kathi laughed and the tension was nearly gone.
"So, that's a 'yes' then?"
"Yes, please tell him I'd love to go out with him sometime... did he have a particular time in mind?"
"Oh... he didn't say."
"Do you think that's also part of the friend's duty?"
"I didn't ask," Sam shrugged. "Perhaps I should just send him to the infirmary to talk to you directly?"
"Not the infirmary, it's too hectic. Maybe I'll just stop by his office sometime... scare the pants off him."
"That I'd like to see," Sam laughed and drank the rest of her coffee, which was stone cold. He'll probably just smile 'first time to have my pants scared off' – Sam laughed. "Nice mental picture, thanks!"
"Sorry," Kathi blushed and didn't look sorry in the slightest. "Um... to get serious for a second here. Is there anything I should know before I agree to this date?"
"Like what?" Sam leaned forwards, she had been expecting this, but hadn't thought of how she could answer.
"I mean, he comes from Kelowna, right? Are there any strange customs apart from getting your friends to ask people out on dates? Do you have to come on the date with us?"
Sam relaxed a little, "I'll get him to give you a full briefing. But there is one thing," she shifted in her seat, not sure how to articulate what she knew she had to say without frightening the other woman off. "Er... when we had our little escapade with Nirrti... he... she... er... oh I don't know. She, Nirrti that is... well, she... ah... propositioned him."
Kathi raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
"Nothing happened, I mean, she didn't do anything... but... I don't know, he thought she was going to... you know..."
"Have her wicked way with him?"
"Something like that. It's bound to have an effect on a person... I'm not sure what I'm trying to say here."
"I'm sure it will be fine. After all," Kathi winked. "You may end up coming with us anyway."
Sam rolled her eyes. "Don't get me wrong, but playing fifth wheel isn't really how I like to spend my downtime." She stood up. "I'll tell him 'yes' and that he should call you to arrange the details."
Sam picked up her now empty mug. She walked over to the door, putting the mug on the trolley for used dishes and left without a backward glance.
Looking at her watch, Kathi decided that the infirmary wouldn't miss her for another five minutes. She looked around and ascertained that nobody was sitting at any of the tables nearest to the internal telephone. Looking hurriedly at the list wedged behind the phone she hesitated for a moment before picking carefully dialing the number.
Smiling as she heard the voice on the other end identifying himself she took a deep breath, "Hi Jonas, it's Lieutenant Kathi Davis…"
~The End~