I do not own anything. If you recognize it, it is not mine.

Sorry for the wait, life keeps happening.

Thank you for the reviews!

Yes. It might look like Jack is more emotional than in the series, however the first thing to remember is that I write from the point of view of an omniscient narrator. Secondly, there is a reason for his behavior that has not been revealed, only hinted at.

Keep reviewing! Love y'all!

Laura had her hand pressed on Sam's bare torso, waiting for Sam to tell her whether it hurt before she moved it to a different spot. Sam shook her head and Laura checked the problematic liver next.

"And what about here?"

"No pain." Sam said, keeping her eyes closed while exhaling loudly.

"Good. Everything looks alright here." Laura said after the examination. She got rid of the last of Sam's IVs in preparation for her treatments.

"Well, not everything's really alright, is it?" Sam raised an eyebrow. "After Jolinar I was told there were some irrevocable changes that might result in infertility, immunity to some sedatives and so on."

"It's true your chemistry is different and it definitely can have some side effects. But I can help you if you ever have difficulty conceiving."

"I don't even have a partner, well I don't remember having one, so let's not get ahead of ourselves."

"Hey, kids." O'Neill came in, followed closely by Teal'c. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing, sir." Sam rushed to assure them, her eyes big with doubt of how much he heard. With him helping her through the nightmares she learned to accept him as a coworker, but this was far from a business conversation. "What are you doing here?"

"We are here to assist you, Colonel Carter." Teal'c said, staying safe distance from the hospital bed so he wouldn't startle her.

"With what?" Surprise rang in Sam's voice.

"Got the mode of transport right here." Daniel said, rolling in the wheelchair Jack had used previously. "Hello, Sam. Are you ready?"

"For what?"

"For a nice bath designed to relax your muscles." Laura said, taking hold of the wheelchair's handles and bringing it next to Sam's bed.

"Oh that, is it so late already?" Sam asked, feeling the blanket being removed. Putting her hand by her side, she tried to push herself to the sitting position.

"Carter, stop." O'Neill stepped in immediately, putting his hand on hers. She trembled under his touch. "Take it easy. We're going to help you out."

Teal'c stepped closer to the bed, took Sam firmly around her shoulders and snaked his other arm under her torso. O'Neill, looking unbelievably disappointed, grabbed Carter's legs and lifted her from the bed. Together with Teal'c, he gently laid Carter down into the wheelchair.

He couldn't help but think he would have been able to lift Carter on his own, without the Jaffa's intervention. When he held her in the night, when nightmares hunted her, he could tell how thin she was. She must have lost a lot of weight during her unconscious days.

"Thank you." Carter said under her breath.

Looking down at her, he planned to make sure she was okay. Something about her tone bothered him, but before he could do anything about it, Laura was taking her away.

"Alright, goodbye for now." Laura shouted over her shoulder and both women were on their way, while Daniel got stuck again with Gracie.

"Will you not need our help later?" O'Neill queried.

"No, I got it."

Her curt reply made him think back to their conversation earlier that day. She caught him during his tour around the ship, probably monitoring his movements and following him right to that position. He wasn't as withdrawn as before, sometimes he ate while Teal'c and Daniel were present in the kitchen and even engaged in small talk with them. But he still spent most of his time in the infirmary with Carter or somewhere alone on the ship. He wondered when someone would try to get him to talk again.

Laura started by asking if he had time, which was probably mostly rhetorical. He nodded, not sure what to expect.

"Sam's recovery is going to be long and painful." Laura walked closer to the spot where he was leaning against the wall of the corridor, his hands in his pockets.

"I know that."

"And she'll need her team." She could tell he was getting ready to interrupt her, so she motioned for him not to do that. "Let me speak. I know you are dealing with some issues and I understand, but if you are not one hundred per cent sure you can give her the support she needs, you should consider leaving for Earth with the wounded and let Daniel stay here. Maybe you should consider getting help yourself."

"I am fine." He lifted his hands and ran them through his short grey hair.

"You're obviously not and lying to me will not make you better. Just think about what I've said, okay? At some point, Sam will need to talk things through and if you are not comfortable with that…"

"I am."

Laura sighed, letting her gaze drop to the floor. Then she looked back up at him with a prominently raised eyebrow. His almost-exclusively nocturnal visits to the infirmary said otherwise.

"I will be there for her." He said huskily, with hard look on his face.