The next two days pass with very little interaction between Jack and myself. This is quite a feat given our entire team is jammed into a visitors suite while the base is under quarantine. We all managed to escape the infection that SG3 brought back through the gate, so at least we're not miserable and itchy AND stuck in such cramped quarters. We've been as friendly and professional as the situation has allowed, but there's only so long one can lock Colonel Jack O'Neill in a room without dire consequences.

I'm pretty sure neither of us has slept for fear of nightmares, so the exhaustion is just exacerbating the situation. While Teal'c and I know well the signs that he's about to explode, Jonas seems completely oblivious. If we don't get released soon I fear the alien may truly experience the Colonels temper.

I've caught him looking at my knuckles speculatively, but we've barely had a moment alone in the last two days, so he hasn't had an opportunity to grill me about it. I'm sure his suspicions are pretty close to the mark, if not dead on. I'm sure we'll get to it when we get to everything else left unsaid between us, which at the speed we seem to progress might be in another six years or so.

Jonas is currently rambling about the culture on the planet SG3 brought the infection back from and possible reasons why the general population doesn't seem overly affected by it. The Colonel's hands are clenching and unclenching convulsively, and I'm pretty sure if I listened hard enough I would hear his teeth grinding together. I decide I had better intervene before violence ensues.

"JONAS..."I just manage to bark out when the phone in our temporary prison rings and the Colonel is there in a flash, desperate for this to be over and done.

"Yeah?" He listens for a moment, and then his countenance changes and he relaxes slightly, blowing out a breath between his teeth before continuing. "Yes, Sir. Will do. Call if you think there's anything else we can do."

He sets the receiver back down and turns to open the door. On the ground outside is a small zippered bag, almost like a first aid kit. The colonel opens it on the table in the center of the room and passes out the syringes to myself and Jonas.

"Doc says these should work as a vaccine, and then Hammond said Carter and I are free to go. Apparently most of the lower levels have been treated, and Doc's hopeful they'll recover quickly. We're all free to go, we just need to go through decontamination before leaving the mountain"

He uncaps the syringe while he's talking and jams it into his left shoulder unceremoniously and I follow suit. For someone who claims to hate needles so much, he certainly has no issue jabbing himself. I'll have to remember to ask him about it later. Jonas is hesitant so I do the shot for him. He winces in pain but nods at me in thanks.

Before I can even respond the colonel is out the door and gone. Jonas looks relieved if a little concerned about his hasty departure.

"Did I do something to offend Colonel O'Neill?"

"He just doesn't deal with confinement well, and frankly you make yourself an easy target sometimes. You need to learn when to stop talking." I say this with a smile. As much as his incessant chatter has grated on my last nerve as well, I don't actually want to upset him. He can hardly be faulted for not being jaded. In fact I hope that aspect of his personality never changes.

The three of us remaining go our separate ways, desperate to be alone. I imagine the alien half of our team is off to hide in their quarters. I'd offer to take them home with me if the thought of spending another moment under Teal'c's intense but silent scrutiny didn't make my skin crawl. Jonas will no doubt find something to entertain himself with little trouble, but I know Teal'c tends to get a little antsy when he can't go off world for a while. I'm sure he'll be spending some quality time in the gym.

I'm almost to the elevators when the clacking of heels up ahead makes me cringe to myself. "Major Carter. A word please?" Janet is standing next to an open doorway, one arm gesturing me into an empty supply closet. Her eyebrow is raised and her expression is icy, and I just know I'm going to love where this is going.

"What can I do for you Janet? I was just heading out, I assumed you would still have your hands full." I step in and she closes the door behind us.

"Oh, I have my hands full alright. Should I start with the results from your last physical, or the bandages on your hands?" She moves so that her body is blocking the door. I hadn't really been consciously avoiding her, but I haven't exactly sought her out since the colonel went through the stargate to the Tok'ra. My hands immediately go behind my back, as if she will suddenly forget about them.

"I'm fine Janet."

"Really. Would you like to tell the General that when I have to pull you from the active duty roster because you are underweight AGAIN? And you are B12 deficient and anemic?" Her voice has raised a few octaves, and I'm actually not sure I've even seen her this pissed...well not at me anyway. She steps close to me, getting as far into my space as she can without actually touching me.

"Or maybe you would like to explain why every time Colonel O'Neill is missing or lost you stop eating and stop sleeping, and apparently end up with mysterious injuries?" She's whispering at this point. As much as I'm absolutely positive there is no surveillance in here, she wouldn't risk anyone hearing her. Talking about this is in general could put her career in jeopardy. Talking about it on base is something we have always avoided. I guess she finally decided if I was going to keep avoiding her, she'd best confront me anywhere she could.

"Janet. Not here dammit." I try to move past her but she pushes me back. I forget how strong she is sometimes.

"Then where Sam? You don't answer my calls, and you barely leave the damn base. It's not about friendship anymore. It's affecting your job, and isn't the whole point of you ignoring the whole situation because you don't want it to affect the job? Maybe it's time for you to re-evaluate your priorities." She steps back out of my space, shaking her head in frustration.

"I know. I am. WE are. I'm trying Janet." I don't know how to talk about this with her. She's never been very clear on where she stands on the whole issue, so I have no idea if she'll even support my decision to do something so completely irrational.

"Yeah, well something had better change. And you had better hope you don't get called back to active duty early, because you're going to need every moment of the next two weeks to get your weight and vitamin levels back into the normal range. Pick up some more of the supplements I recommended last time on your way home. The gainer and the Iron." She reaches into the pocket of her lab coat and produces another syringe.

I look at her questioningly as she pulls up the sleeve of my tshirt. "B12 shot. You'll have trouble getting you Iron back up without it. "

I nod in consent and she jabs me none too gently. She recaps the syringe and puts it back in her pocket. She turns to leave but pauses with her hand on the doorknob. "I'll support you, you know. Whatever you decide. I know I've never really said anything. And while I don't support the concept as a general rule. I certainly don't support the situation you've both been put in either. You know he tried to resign once? They won't let him leave" And with that she's gone and I'm left staring after her like an idiot, my mouth hanging open.

I take a few minutes to get my bearings before plastering the happy Major Carter smile back on my face. Not that it's likely fooling anyone I actually give a crap about, but I don't need any more diversions on my way out of this damn place.

I head to the surface as quickly as possible, while not looking like I'm rushing. I don't stop to grab a change of clothes, because if I have to go through decontamination I'll end up in a pair of either scrubs of BDU's depending on what they've got in my size. I've been through this enough that I can't even be bothered to care about the clothes on my back.