There is hot coffee trickling down the front of Jack's shirt.
Dr. Carter is a few steps away looking horrified at their abrupt collision in the hallway and the loss of her fresh cup of hot coffee, but somehow he can read that she is also secretly satisfied. He really shouldn't find that as endearing as he does.
Jack shakes his hands, flicking liquid on the floor. "Does this mean we're even now, Dr. Carter?" he asks.
She's surprised, her mouth falling open slightly, but she recovers quickly enough, her horror melting into lingering indignation. "If you're insinuating that I did that on purpose," she begins to bluster and Jack raises his hands.
"I wasn't insinuating anything," he says and her eyes narrow at his mocking tone. "Just observing that you didn't catch me at my best the other day and that maybe I deserve a little coffee spilled all over me."
It's a pathetic attempt at apology for his boorish behavior, but it's the best he's got. He really hadn't meant for her to get caught in the collateral damage of his endless fight with Daniel.
She looks skeptical at his round about attempt. "I think it would it take at least a full pot of coffee," she says archly, surprising him.
Jack struggles not to smile and says gamely, "You want me to wait here while you run and get one?"
She tries not to, but he can see her smile in annoyed amusement, rolling her eyes at him. He thinks that he likes her smile. It's so much better than that slightly lost look she'd had at lunch the other day. The one he'd caused.
Then Jack realizes that he is standing in a dim hallway in the middle of the night admiring some genius scientist's smile. He is obviously losing it.
"Well, carry on, Doctor," he says flatly. "I'm sure you've got important geek things to do."
Her smile drops and she's looking irritated again and Jack thinks that's safer.
He's walking away when she reaches out and grabs his sodden arm. She looks startled by her own nerve, but then she blurts out, "Why do you hate scientists so much?"
Jack suppresses a sigh. This is exactly why he hates scientists.
"Isn't it obvious?" he asks. "I'm intimidated by your intelligence."
She huffs unbelievingly and crosses her arms.
Jack gets the feeling she won't let him out of this conversation without an answer.
"They're unpredictable," he says matter-of-factly. "They lack military discipline and I never know what they might do in the field. That gets people killed."
She looks deliberately around the empty gray hallway with one eyebrow raised skeptically. "This isn't the field," she reminds him, an impertinent smile playing at her lips.
All levity quickly abandons Jack face. He levels hard eyes on her. "That's where you're wrong."
He can just barely register her soft intake of air and he imagines she is shocked by his intensity. But for some reason he doesn't want her to make the dangerous assumption that she is safe here. It's better for her to be prepared.
Jack nods curtly at her and spins on his heel, leaving her standing alone in the hallway clutching her empty mug.
"What is it like?"
It's late as hell and his rapidly cooling clothes are more than a little uncomfortable, but her voice is so achingly small that he can't help turning back to look at her.
"What is what?" he snaps impatiently, wanting nothing more than to be far away from this particular scientist.
For a moment it seems she will retract the question, but then she visibly straightens her back and looks up at him with unwavering eyes. "The Stargate," she determinedly clarifies. "What does it feel like?"
Her eyes are wide with curiosity that hasn't been dampened by his dark warning and for a moment she reminds him a bit of Daniel and his undisguised interest in all things. He wonders what it would be like to still be so easily enchanted by life that way. Personally, he barely pays attention to such mundane things as what the Stargate feels like.
Nonetheless, he takes a moment to consider the tingle of newly reconstituted flesh, the swamping speed and light of racing through subspace, the flood of endorphins and adrenaline. The nausea hand in hand with exhilaration. There are probably some fancy words to describe those feelings, but Jack is not a wordsmith.
"Cold," he answers blithely, deliberately provoking her.
She looks distinctly disappointed, but Jack doesn't let himself care. Then she suddenly turns away from him and starts down the hallway.
"Hey! Where are you going?" Jack says, temporarily forgetting that he is trying to get rid of her. What does he care if he hurt her obviously delicate feelings?
"Getting a pot of really hot coffee," she calls back over her shoulder, not missing a step. "I trust you'll still be here when I get back?"
Against his will, Jack feels his lips curve into a smile at her unexpected reaction and for a moment he can't quite remember why he hates scientists so much.
Then she disappears around the corner and Jack doesn't hesitate to make a break for it. He has no doubt she'll be back with a particularly scalding pot of coffee and he has no intention of hanging around to prove himself right.
Damn scientists.