"Colonel, what does this exactly mean?" General Hammond asked him showing Jack a passage of his own report.

Of course it was the one he had thought about.

His eyes followed the fingers of the General as he reread his own lines:

Special happenings:

Major Samantha Carter – unknown amount of torture; only minor injuries; out of her own statement felt fine; refused special medical checkup out of free will

Jack didn't know how to answer that. "As it is written, Sir" he simply stated.

The chewing of his lip showed Hammond that there was more than that.

"Of what amount of torture are we talking here, Jack?" he asked further "And she refused medical checkup?"

Jack didn't really want to talk about the topic. He wanted to end this conversation as fast as possible. Why was his CO so picky about the subject? He should just lay it to rest. It was something he didn't want to encounter ever again.

"I wasn't there, Sir" he stated coldly. But if I had been there heads would have rolled, he finished the sentence in his head. It was information the General didn't need.

But the look on his face gave him away. The General understood.

"I want her to go to allover medical checkup right now."

"She said she was fine" was his sole comment.

"She 'said' she was fine, Jack?"

Jack couldn't say anymore. He just looked into the eyes of his CO. The view he gave him was saying more than thousand words.

Just let it be.

Slowly Hammond seemed to understand. He breathed out hard as he stopped eye contact with Jack. His hands grabbed the folder hard.

"I still want her to get medical checkup, Jack, please understand."

Jack knew the General was right. He also wanted her to have medical checkup. But at the same time he never wanted to deal with this situation again. And when they were having her in for checkup the whole team was going to go through it yet again.

And he didn't want her to go through it again.

"It's an order, Jack."

Jack eyes were sad when he confirmed. "Yes, Sir."


Jack had asked Hammond to leave Carter to him. He didn't want him to force her more when the order was coming from their headmaster.

It was already one week since their return. Till then they weren't on any outer expeditions for which Jack was grateful. He still didn't know how to handle their new 'situation'.

But it was surprisingly Carter that gave her very best to get to normal with everyone. While the boys were unsure how to treat and interact with her she was doing normal business and interacted with them like nothing ever happened. It seems to Jack that for her it was a moment of weakness she had, and this moment was in the past. It had been there but that was all.

Jack knew it was but an act of her to cope with the situation and to have the whole team cope with it, but he wasn't so sure if it was really such a good idea to just push it away like it never happened. Carter was strong and maybe would work over it however Jack still couldn't get rid of the feeling that it may come crashing back on them.

He reached her lab on the base. Carter had been in there for the whole week since their return. What she was working on he didn't understand anyway so he never really asked. To be honest he had been kind of trying to keep out of her sight because he still couldn't face her. He just didn't know what to say.

He remembered Daniel and his attempt to somewhat coddle her and just being there for her and even though she appreciated him and his attempt she just couldn't stand it. Since then Daniel tried to act naturally around her and to do his own work but it was no surprise to Jack when he found the archaeologist yet again standing in front of her lab. He just couldn't concentrate on his work and magically always found his way back to the lab.

"Jack?" he said when he saw the Colonel approaching.

"The General just came" Jack stated plainly. He didn't even have to say more as Daniel understood immediately what this visit had been about.

"I see" Daniel answered "But Jack!" Behind the glasses his eyes were full of concern. "Don't force her."

Jack only nodded. He knew.

When he entered her lab she was behind her desk. She was preoccupied with a machine that was disassembled in all its pieces in front of her. Jack didn't even know half of the things he found there, at least what they were used for.

As she was sitting behind her magnifying glass she hadn't really heard him enter. So Jack decided to go for the one thing that always made her smile.

"What you're doing?" he asked her innocently, bowing down and speaking through the magnifying glass.

Of course she was startled at first as she was surprised to see him but as he hoped she started to smile. "Should I really explain it you, Sir?"

Oh, she's becoming bold, Jack thought with surprise. These weren't her normal words but he decided to let it slip. He just wanted to enjoy the moment as long as possible.

As they needed the moment.

"No" he said monotonously as he raised "No, better not."

Again a smile from her.

A smile that somehow didn't reach her eyes.

She looked at him with expectation. How was he going to phrase it?

"You should have allover medical checkup" he simply stated. He wasn't the type of person to beat about the bush. And Carter wasn't either.

Nonetheless she was surprised by the statement. Her face grew immediately pale. She cleared her throat audibly. "I'm fine, Sir." Nothing more.

"Please, Sam."

She knew it was dramatic when he used her first name.

"I'm worried."

Her eyes wandered to the ground. She was biting her lips. Jack could see she was fighting an inner battle with herself. A battle she had to win for herself.

"Well thank you, Sir" she whispered timidly. Jack almost didn't hear it. With stronger voice she kept going "But I'm really fine."

Jack had been sure the moment he had started this conversation that she would block. She had done it the whole week. She always did.

But this time he had to be persistent about it.

"Sam, just do it."

She started to shift behind her desk. Jack could see she was becoming more uncomfortable with every second. She didn't know how to react as normally Jack would just let it drop. The new situation was about to overwhelm her.

"Really, I'm fine."

Her eyes were pleading on him now to let go.

"No, you are not!"

She winced. He had actually shouted at her.

An awkward silence started between them. Jack knew he had made a mistake.

"I'm sorry" he whispered. He hadn't meant to shout but he himself felt that he was about to loose control over the situation. And he needed to get the control back in order to have his team functioning again the way it always had. He must have it back.

"You are right, Jack."

His eyes met hers.

Tears stood in her eyes. The unshed tears that had been kept there for the whole week.

And the fact that even she now used his given name instead of her formal 'Sir' spoke volumes for both of them.

No words needed he pulled her into a hug. She didn't protest.

Outside the room Daniel was still waiting. He wasn't standing in the door to spy on them. But he felt great relief when he heard Sam finally crying in Jack's arms.