Each member of SG-1 wanted to be alone with their thoughts so they each went to their office, workplace or quarters. Sam felt the urge to punch something, and that urge was somewhat satisfied when she punched the wall in frustration. She repeatedly punched and kicked the wall, seething with an intense anger and frustration. Her weakened body eventually slid down the wall and she wept into her knees, gradually becoming unaware of her surroundings as she sobbed violently and uncontrollably.

Jack tapped on her door and when he didn't get an answer, he cautiously opened it to find her curled up, her back against the wall nearest the door. He quickly shut the door and sat down next to her, and that was when he noticed the blood and bruising all over her hands, some of the blood dripping on the floor. He remarked, concerned,

"Shit, what happened to your hands, Carter!?"

She continued sobbing, oblivious to his presence, and he gently smoothed her hair back, saying,

"Come on Carter, let's get you checked out in the Infirmary."

She mumbled, "I'm fine."

"Fine, my foot… you're bleedin'."

He helped her get up and he escorted her out of the room, but her eyes never left the floor.

At the Infirmary, Lam treated her cuts and bruises, noting how very upset she was. Sam seemed unaware of her surroundings as she numbly surrendered to the medical attention, and Lam looked at her with concern. A group of Airmen gathered in the observation room, curious and concerned but were soon dispersed by an angry Cam, who joined Jack in the Infirmary.

Jack said with a sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair,

"She's had a nervous breakdown… I watched the same thing happen with an ol' buddy of mine in the Special Forces. The guy had been tortured and imprisoned in Iraq a few months after me, and he went nuts. He ended up in a mental institution."

Cam replied, "It's like she's lost a huge part of herself… I'll admit this whole crapfest with the NID is hard to digest. Did Barrett come back with a different decision?"

"He did… the search for Daniel has now been upgraded somewhat but I get the feelin' it's only in name only. You stayin'?"

"Well Sir, we're a team and we've lost a vital team-member… I'll admit that we were only tryin' to force their hand with that walkout… I think Sam can be talked out of resigning…"

"She damn well better be – if the SGC depended on two people, it would be her and Daniel. He opened the 'gate and discovered the 'gate system, and she practically invented the dialling computer and made it possible for us to discover new addresses in the first place. I think the NID are well aware of this too."

"Yes Sir… I wish I had acted on my instincts and stopped him from goin' through the 'gate that day – there was somethin' really off about him and we all noticed… even you did. Now he's gone and it's killin' Sam."

Jack replied with a sigh, "Mitchell, you couldn't have known that he was gonna do a runner – we didn't know about… you know. I mean, fer cryin' out loud, the guy's been workin' here, between ascensions, for about eight to nine years. Damn… if anyone should be sorry or regretful, it's me for acting like a total ass… seeing as you're a good friend to Carter, I presume I won't have to elaborate."

"No Sir… I know what happened. I just don't know why he felt he couldn't tell anyone – he just ran."

"I agree – it's not like Daniel to run. He's definitely not a running man… hang on… he was born in '65 right?"

Perplexed, Cam replied, "Yes Sir."

"… which makes him forty-two. He's having one of those mid-life crisis things!"

Cam remarked, "But doesn't that mean he'd be buying motorbikes and having a ponytail? Jackson was acting pretty much normally until that day."

Jack shrugged and said,

"Well, whatever his reasons, Carter's gonna need a shrink… I'm not gonna let them institutionalise her."

"Count me in that assertion too Sir."