Author's Note: Written for 'Battery Day' (18 February); a day to "honor the overlooked and overworked battery".
Sam hesitated as she entered the infirmary and the loud grumblings of her commanding officer could be heard reverberating around the room.
"For cryin' out loud, Doc! I said I'm fine."
She bit down on her lip to stop herself from laughing at his protestations – especially when she heard Janet's exasperated tone a moment later.
"Humor me, Colonel. You're still showing slight effects of anoxia and you can't stop shivering. You are not going anywhere until I say so."
"Aww, come on!"
"No. Now get back into bed, sir."
"But –"
"Ah! Doctor's orders. "
When there was no further comeback from the colonel, Sam took a couple of steps further into the infirmary and glanced around. Janet had returned to her office, while her patient was climbing back into bed so Sam quickly diverted her gaze. She refused to be caught inappropriately staring her commanding officer's ass – no matter how tempting it might be.
She focused on her boots, silently calculating how long it would take her commanding officer to get comfortable again, when her thoughts drifted back over the past 48 hours and how they'd almost been too late when they finally found the other half of SG-1 unconscious in the glider.
When her father had given them a 'nudge', Sam couldn't explain the relief she felt knowing that Teal'c and Colonel O'Neill had listened to their pleas and fought hard to stay alive. But it was whenever Jack had turned his head and his lazy brown eyes had locked onto hers, that Sam felt her entire body hum.
She smiled in fond recollection at his confusion. Despite the seriousness of the situation, his humor had been a lifeline, and the moment he'd said 'hi' and given her a clumsy wave, she knew he would be just fine.
"Yoohoo… Earth to Carter!"
Sam snapped to attention and she felt her cheeks redden as her commanding officer watched her from his bed, an amused smirk playing around his lips.
"Sorry, sir. I was... thinking," she mumbled lamely as she moved towards him.
"I'd be shocked if you ever stopped," he drawled as he leaned back into the pillows and closed his eyes.
"Is everything OK, sir?"
"Just peachy."
He remained silent for a few minutes when one eye snapped open and he stared at Sam.
"Carter?"
"Sir?"
"Think you can spring me outta this joint?"
"No, sir. I'm sorry," she replied.
Her amusement increased when the colonel closed his eye and mumbled something about 'cahoots' and a 'napoleonic power monger', so she simply canted her head and waited. She knew there was more to come.
Sure enough, a moment later his eyes flew open again. He looked her up and down once before he spoke.
"Did you even bring me anything – besides the unappealing folders in your hand?"
This time it was Sam's turn to smirk as she glanced at the small selection of folders she held.
"No, sir."
"Nothing at all?"
"Nope."
She smiled affectionately as he pouted and mumbled something under his breath.
"What was that, sir?"
"It's so boring in here," he complained, dramatically throwing his arms out by his sides.
"Didn't Teal'c bring your Game Boy down this morning?"
"The Doc took it."
"Umm... why, sir?"
"She said I was playing it 'too loudly'," he pouted, throwing air quotes around the doctor's reasoning.
"Ah."
"It's not funny, Carter!"
"Of course not, sir."
They fell into a comfortable silence, when Jack's gaze rested on her hands.
"What's in the folders?"
Sam opened her mouth to respond but hesitated, instead choosing to hold the files out to him. She waited until he'd pulled himself into a seated position and she watched as he glanced through them, a confused look on his face.
"These look familiar."
"They're your mission reports, sir," she confirmed. "More specifically, your overdue mission reports from our last five missions. General Hammond had me drop by your office."
"Ah. So?"
Sam resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "The General wants them completed – and submitted – within the next three days."
He pulled a face at the relayed order, before he cocked his head to the side and looked at her appreciatively.
"Say, Carter –"
"No, sir."
He frowned. "Why not?"
"For one, they aren't my mission reports."
"So? Just remove all the fancy words and science crap and George will never know!"
"I think he might have some idea, sir."
"I'm suffering from anoxia, y'know," he grumbled in another attempt to get out of his reports.
"I know, sir. And General Hammond knows that too," Sam replied with a placating smile. "Which is why he's given you three days. Otherwise, they needed to be completed tonight."
Any trace of nonchalance faded from the colonel's features at Carter's final words.
"Crap," he mumbled.
With a sigh, he took the first folder and as he flipped it open, Sam lifted the others and set them on the bedside unit.
"Um, sir?"
"Yeah?"
"I thought you said Janet took your Game Boy."
"She did," he grumbled. "Then she brought it back – without the batteries."
The laughter escaped Sam before she could stop it. "I'm sorry, sir," she managed to say around her amusement, setting the toy back down.
"Was there anything else you needed, Carter?" Jack asked dangerously, and Sam read the statement beneath the question. She sobered quickly, only catching the glint in his eye as he diverted his attention back to the folder.
"Not exactly, sir."
"Well, then – if you don't mind – I've got some catching up to do," he said as he let the mission report fall onto his lap.
"Yes, sir."
She'd only taken a half dozen steps when she heard him mumble something else and she froze. Slowly, she turned around to face him. "Sir?"
"Yeah?"
"What did you just say?"
He pulled a face, but met her eye. "I said... I managed to sneak you in some blue Jell-O the last time you were in the infirmary."
"I know," she replied softly. "Thank you."
"You really didn't bring me anything?" he asked in desperation.
A smile pulled at the corner of Sam's lips and she had to avert her gaze as the colonel narrowed his eyes at her. She glanced around the infirmary before she slowly moved back to his bedside. One of her hands disappeared into the pocket of her BDUs and she gestured for him to hold out a hand.
She let his fingers brush hers as she placed the item onto his palm, but she kept her attention focused on his face as he glanced down. When his face lit up with glee, Sam tried to squash the warm, fuzzy feeling bombarding every inch of her body and she realized she needed to put some distance between them, so with a knowing smile, she backed away from the bed.
"Enjoy, sir."
His eyes flew to hers and he smiled. "Thanks Carter, you're the best!"
With that, the mission report lay forgotten on the bed and Sam shook her head in bemusement as her commanding officer grabbed his Game Boy and inserted two new batteries into the back of the device.
