"Please Sir...stop."

"Carter. You're awake, thank God. I thought...How are you feeling? What can I do?"

"I'm...I'm not so good."

Jack knew that, for her to admit to not feeling well, it meant that she must be feeling really awful. His rage was forgotten and he knelt down beside her and, realising that her breathing was still a struggle for her, he gently pulled her into a sitting position and sat behind her. Gently easing her back so that she was resting against him, he pulled out his handkerchief and wiped off the beads of sweat trickling down her face.

"So Carter? Want to tell me what this is?"

"I...I don't know. I woke up this morning with a headache and feeling generally lousy. Also, I was too hot but I thought it was just..."

"Just what? ...Carter? Just What?"

"God this is embarrassing. I thought it was just my ...you know... my time of the month."

"Oh...right...I take it that it isn't just that?"

"No, it's not. I don't know what it is. It must just be the flu or something."

"Carter the flu isn't this fast. You're temperature has gone up at least a couple of degrees since we got in here. Plus you've been unconscious twice."

"I don't know then Sir."

"Okay. Do you have any other symptoms? Still got a headache?"

"Yes. I should have painkillers in my pocket though - strong ones."

"Any nausea - have you been sick? Other pains elsewhere?"

"Some nausea but I haven't thrown up. My chest hurts a bit when I breathe too deeply. But other than that I'm pretty much alright."

Jack picked up her jacket that lay discarded on the floor and began searching through the pockets for the painkillers as she spoke. Finally he found them and popped two out into his palm. Giving them to her he realised she would need something to wash them down with and so he scooted them both across to his bag and brought out a bottle of water. He opened it for her and propped her up as she swallowed the pills down, pulling her to lean on his chest once again when she was done. She looked up at him in thanks and then, relaxing completely in his hold, shut her eyes. Thinking that she was going to sleep, Jack was startled when, eyes still closed, she spoke to him.

"I'm really sorry Sir."

"Sorry for what?"

"For you being stuck here. I know you were looking forward to your fishing trip...I..."

"Hey hey, don't worry about that. First of all it was not your fault that this damn elevator broke down with us trapped here - betcha it was that Lieutenant Siler. Yeah, it had to be him - it's just like him to do something like this."

"Sir that's not fair - Siler is..."

"I know, I know. I was just kidding. All I meant was that it isn't your fault that we're stuck in here. And anyway - I'm actually pretty glad I'm here."

Carter looked up at him questioningly, wondering how he could possibly be glad to be stuck in the elevator instead of being away fishing. She opened her mouth to ask what he meant but, seeing her struggle to speak and knowing what she was going to ask, Jack quickly explained.

"I don't mean I'm glad to be here - as in here 'stuck in the elevator' here - but I'm glad that I'm not miles away while you're sick. I couldn't have a good fishing trip if I knew you were ill."

"Sir...I..."

"Hey, how about we drop the 'Sir'?"

"Jack..."

"I couldn't let Daniel and Teal'c having all the fun of seeing you pass out now, could I?"

Carter managed a slight smile at Jack's attempt at covering up for the fact that he cared. She closed her eyes and was just about to let herself drift off to sleep when she accidentally brushed against Jack's hand that was around her waist. Hearing him wince in pain, she remembered his earlier fury and reopened her eyes.

"What is it Sam?"

"Your hand..."

"It's nothing - just a bit bruised. Don't worry about it."

"But why?"

"It doesn't matter - go to sleep."

"No Sir...Jack...tell me."

"The phone's been cut off. We have no way of contacting anyone."

"Oh right. ...There's something else. What is it?"

"They...I don't know whether they heard me telling them you were sick. They might not be hurrying too much because they don't know that they need to. We might be stuck here for a while and you..."

"Me? ...I'll be fine Jack."

Jack waited until her eyes had closed and her breathing had evened out before dropping a gentle kiss on her forehead. The heat transferred to his lips reminded him of just how serious the situation was and he closed his eyes in despair. He shuffled back so that he was leaning against the wall and pulled her even more tightly to him.

"I hope so Sam...I hope you're right."