General O'Neill was in a good mood this morning.
He whistled an upbeat little tune as he stepped into the elevator and pushed one button.
Two airmen already on the elevator turned their heads to look at him curiously.
The whistling stopped, and Jack raised his eyebrows at their expressions. "Problem?"
"No, sir," they answered in unison, stiffening their backs and staring straight forward once more.
Jack bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smirking.
The elevator doors opened at his destination and he strode through them purposefully, disappearing around a corner.
The door to her quarters was open this time, but he tapped twice on the grey steel just to be sure she wanted company again two days in a row.
"It's open," her voice called from the inside.
Jack poked his head around the doorframe. "Goooood morning, camper."
Sam grinned, pleasantly surprised that he was coming to see her again. "Came to lose another game of checkers, General?" She greeted cheerfully from her spot on the edge of the bed.
"Actually, Major, I brought you a book." He sat next to her on the bed, handing her a somewhat thick hardback with a shiny paper dustcover.
Sam took the book, reading the title. "Wormhole Physics and the Theory of Relativity, by—"
"—By Samantha Carter, Ph-D," Jack finished, obvious pride coloring his voice.
"Wow…I guess I did get around to writing it," Sam murmured, flipping the pages.
"I tried reading it once," Jack admitted with a self-conscious grin. "Got stuck on the first page."
Sam laughed. That sounded about right. "Thank you, sir."
Jack smiled at her, his gaze lingering on her eyes. "It's my day off, Carter. Lose the 'sir'."
* * *
Daniel stood before a wall of stone, scanning through the alien text chiseled into the surface. Idly, he wondered why humans had never taken up the habit of writing history on walls as was apparently the trend with most other races they encountered.
He wondered why the stargates on other planets and moons were always public knowledge among the peoples, kept in the open and never hidden away in secret from society like the one on Earth was.
He also wondered how Sam was faring. She was probably going nuts, cooped up on bedrest for another day. Daniel knew he certainly would have.
He made a mental note to stop by and see her again when he got back to Earth later that day. Meanwhile, he was going to take advantage of this opportunity to videotape some of the text on this stone wall before Major Johnson got bored with the area and decided to move on.
* * * * * *
Remembering that his desktop computer was on the fritz, he plugged his camcorder into his laptop computer to upload the video footage he'd shot earlier.
He looked at the watch on his wrist. Four fifty-two. The day was winding down, and yet he thought there was something he was still forgetting…
Oh that's right—go see Sam.
Daniel left the equipment transferring footage and shut the door of his artifact lab behind him. He took the elevator down to the level below, finding Sam's door easily.
He slowed as he neared it, because the door opened just then and a figure stepped out, shutting the door again.
Daniel looked in surprise at the person standing outside Sam's door. "Jack."
Jack regarded him casually. "Daniel."
Daniel looked at Sam's closed door, then he looked back at Jack strangely. "When you said you'd be taking the day off, I just assumed you meant you'd be…taking the day off."
"Assumed wrong," Jack replied simply, stepping past him.
"Jaaack," Daniel said again, drawing out the single syllable in suspicion. "What were you doing in there?"
Jack bristled at the implication in his tone. Not that Daniel was completely off-base, but still…
"Visiting with our guest," Jack responded firmly. "Is it a crime to be interested in the welfare of the injured under my command?"
Daniel still stared at him, an unconvinced smirk twitching at the corners of his mouth. "Whatever you say," he said in a knowing voice.
Jack glared at the younger man, but the glare was wasted as it had no effect at all on Daniel.
"Well, I just came to see how Sam was doing…" he trailed off in typical Daniel fashion, gesturing a thumb in the direction of Sam's door. "But I'm guessing she's probably fine?"
Jack smiled a placating smile. "Yes, she is." And he left Daniel standing there to gaze after him.
* * * * * *
He made the rounds, checking that the base was buttoned-down for the evening and nightshift staff were in place.
Before retiring to his own personal quarters, he made a detour to the base's medical wing.
"Doc," Jack greeted, entering the infirmary. "I've come to check on things. Supplies holding out? Epidemics to report? Snakeheads to surgically remove?"
"Everything's fine, General; thanks for asking."
"Yeahsureyabetcha." His hands went into his pockets. He knew better than to fiddle with any objects in Frasier's domain. Too many needles nearby for her to threaten him with.
Janet smiled to herself, straightening up a supply cart. "How's my patient doing?" she fished conversationally.
But Jack wasn't biting. He looked around the empty beds of the infirmary. "I dunno, Doc. You've got so many of them here that I've lost track."
Janet smirked at the sarcasm—Jack O'Neill's trademark of personal defense. "Well then, I'll narrow it down for you," she answered smoothly, adding a fresh sheet to one stripped bed. "I'm referring to the one who receives a day-long house call from our beloved General on his supposed day off."
"Daniel squeal on me?" Jack asked, his avoidance tactic abandoned.
"I have spies everywhere," she said mysteriously, naming no names. "I hear all, I see all."
Jack humored her. "And what do you see and hear, oh great and powerful Oz?"
Janet became serious. "I can see the effect that her being here has had on you, sir."
"I'm the same as I've always been," Jack answered defensively to the petite but formidable woman before him.
"Oh, I disagree," Janet shook her head. "You've changed back into the person you were before," she stressed significantly.
Her voice was gentle as she continued. "I know you feel something for her, General, and personally I think that's a good thing. Just be careful. She's been through a lot, too, and I don't mean in my infirmary."
"And what would you suggest I do?" Jack wanted to know.
"I won't tell you what to do, sir," she denied responsibility, holding her hands up in surrender. "But I will remind you that she is scheduled to go back home in a very short time. Can you honestly say that you are ready for that?"
Jack looked down, disheartened. "Point taken, Doctor." Truth be told, he hadn't realized just how quickly the time had flown. She was going back tomorrow, for cryin' out loud!
Of all the stupid, idiotic things he could possibly have done, getting close to her now was the very worst of all. What the hell was he thinking?!
He couldn't face her again. Not now, not when he knew it would be for the last time. He'd had to say a permanent and devastating goodbye to his own Sam before, and he couldn't bring himself to say it again to this other Sam too.
Call him a coward, but he could not stand there and watch Samantha Carter go back through that mirror.