Chapter 3
The rest of the day had gone by smoothly and now it was the next morning. Sam had gone to work at her usual time. She still wanted to work out a few kinks in the new weaponry system. Going down to the inventory closet that all the scientists shared, Sam needed to get a box of scrap metal. It had been on the top shelf so she pushed a ladder against the wall.
Picking it up it was heavier than she would have thought. And climbing back down proved to be just as complicated and awkward. Taking a step at a time, she must have missed one as she started to fall backwards and the box sprang forward hitting the ground spraying metal parts around. Strangely enough Sam didn't fall back.
She felt strong, yet gentle hands catch her and steady her. Turning around she was surprised to see who helped her.
"Hanson. I didn't see or hear you come in. Ah, thanks." Hanson smiled and went to gather the metal scraps back into the box.
"No problem. I guess I was just in the right place at the right time."
Sam was confused. The Hanson she was used to would not have helped here at all. He would have taken pleasure in seeing her fall and make a mess out of things. Maybe…no. He hasn't change, he's just putting on a show for SGC, and for his idol. He's just trying to make her look like some paranoid fool for believing Hanson was anything but a gentleman.
"Yeah, whatever."
He touched Sam's knee as they were both crouched down finishing up with cleaning up the mess. "I'm sorry I treated you so horrendously Sam. I really am trying to make amends, however impossible it may seem. Now let me take this back to your lab for you."
They ended up in Sam's office. Without expecting anything else, Hanson prepared to leave after setting down the box. But Sam called after him.
"Hanson wait. Thanks for helping with the box." And with that Hanson left. Picking up a piece of metal out of the box, Sam was finding it difficult to concentrate. She must have been blankly staring at that metal shard for a while, she didn't even notice Colonel O'Neill entering her lab.
"Is the metal really that interesting Carter?"
Snapping out of the trance Sam appeared to be in, she looked at O'Neill.
"No. Captain Hanson just helped me get this box to my lab."
"And what's so odd about that?"
"He never helped me with anything before and he was even nice about it. And he apologized for messing up our relationship, sincerely."
Before he could answer, he was called to the control room over the intercom. "Maybe Hanson finally realized what he let go of, Sam."
With that, O'Neill walked out. Thinking what Colonel O'Neill said, Sam wondered if there was any truth in that. Wondered if it was possible for Hanson to be a changed man willing to repent in any way possible.