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Sam woke with a fuzzy brain. Frowning into her pillow, her hand sought for her clock and she dragged it down to eye level. Half past eleven?
She sat up, quickly, and consequently her vision swam, then blackened. When she finally managed to focus, a swift glance at the curtains proved, to her horror, that she'd managed to sleep through an entire day. Friday night, Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, Saturday evening.
'' Good God,'' she whispered, uncurling her legs and sliding them out of bed. Well, if this wasn't going to completely screw up her body clock, she didn't know what would.
Her stomach, reassuringly, rumbled and she dragged her warm and limber body towards her kitchen where she considered her choices. Sam was a self-admitted lousy cook which meant her kitchen was filled with ready meals or quick fixes. What did one eat after sleeping all day anyway? she wondered, scratching her midriff absently.
Friday night, she knew, she'd eaten an entire box of chocolates, drank a carton of milk and washed it all down with a packet of cookies and a second carton of milk. Lovesick food, and Sam Carter was resigned to her fate of being permanently lovesick. She'd watched an entire stack of 'chick flicks', cried through most of them, and depleted her stock of tissues, leaving her no choice but to start on the toilet paper. Which, as she glanced in the small decorative mirror she had on the wall of the kitchen, would explain the state of her nose.
Resolutely, Sam ordered herself not to cry over her CO again.
Then she went against her own order as her eyes filled with tears.
'' This sucks,'' she said disgustedly, reaching for the chocolate milk. She decided a chunk of cheese would go down really good at that moment too so she grabbed a packet and carried her snack to the breakfast bar, grabbing a knife from the drawer on the way.
Feeling decidedly naughty, she drank from the carton - hey, it wasn't like anyone else was going to drink it, was it? - and sliced off a piece of cheese every so often. Cheese and chocolate milk was surprisingly tasty together, actually, though she could have sworn it should have tasted revolting.
Not concerned, overly, Sam slipped off the stool and went to sit amongst the used tissues that littered her couch in the living room. She flicked on the TV, found some old movie that satisfied her current brain fuzz and slumped back in the cushions. Occasionally, she managed a weak laugh but as the movie wore on her sense of humour faded further. The credits rolled and Sam was slumped on her side, carton of milk on the floor, cheese a bad taste in her mouth. She glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece, saw nothing she liked, and flicked off the TV.
The silence in her house was depressing.
She tapped her fingers on her stomach and considered her options. Early morning TV versus going back to bed to see if she could sleep until a more reasonable hour. The prospect of sleeping made her feel faintly sick, but TV offered her no entertainment value either.
The only vaguely appealing idea was going in to work, but the image of Colonel O'Neill's face over the briefing room table was certainly not an incentive.
Then again - it wasn't as if he'd be around at that time in the morning. If he had been on base, he would have gone home long ago.
Sam sat up, grinned triumphantly, and ran into her bedroom to get changed.
The familiarity of the base was a welcome. She smiled at the odd airman in the corridor, then practically kissed the microscope in her lab. Dropping her files and papers onto the bench, she sighed happily as she opened her laptop and it started booting up. Now this, this was perfect. She could work until Janet came in, pop over to see her and have a chat. Maybe a cup of coffee. Then back to work again. Nothing too strenuous, just something to take her mind off things. Okay, one thing.
This was way better than lounging around at home and eating poorly.
At about half past four, the klaxons started blaring, the warning lights flashed. In time to the PA system, Sam mouthed, '' Unauthorised off-world activation''. Then she jumped off her stool and headed down the corridors, mindful of the marines running past her.
Walking into the control room, Sam was just in time to see an SG team limping down the ramp. She walked up to the glass screen and looked down at them. '' Hey, Siler, which team is that?''
'' SG-10, Major. They're six hours overdue.''
Hence Hammond's concerned, parental presence down in the gate room, Sam thought to herself. Her private belief that Hammond was in fact superhuman was once again confirmed - he just didn't sleep. Maybe there was a bed in his office she'd just not seen before that he pulled out on the occasions he wanted to grab a ten minute nap.
'' Carter.''
Sam's shoulders hunched, then she went against every instinct she had and slowly turned around. Colonel O'Neill stood behind her, in uniform, hands in his pockets and head tilted curiously to one side. '' Sir. Good morning.''
He smiled. Dangerously. '' What are you doing here?''
'' Working. Sir.'' Surely he wouldn't bawl her out in front of all these people? she thought, nervously, suddenly not very sure of him.
'' Didn't I expressly order you to go home?''
'' I did go home. I slept all through yesterday. My body clock's completely screwed. Why am I making excuses for coming into work?'' she demanded, more to herself than him.
The technicians in the control room had long since stopped talking, all eyes were turned to the unusually antagonist duo who were having a face off in public.
'' Colonel, Major, is there a problem?'' Hammond demanded as he walked back into the control room.
'' No, sir,'' Sam said, knowing the Colonel would do the same.
'' Yes, actually, sir, there is.''
She stared at him. '' What?'' What was he doing?
Hammond looked equally surprised. '' Colonel, explain.''
'' Major Carter has gone against my express orders once again to take her downtime...''
'' That's not true!''
'' Hey! Did I say you could speak?''
Sam's mouth dropped open. '' Oh my God, what the hell are you doing?''
'' Major Carter, you will be given the opportunity to defend yourself after Colonel O'Neill has said what he has to say,'' Hammond interrupted, holding a calming hand out to Sam. '' Colonel?''
'' She's working herself into the ground, General. I'm not sure I can count on her in the field.''
Sam heard, rather than saw, Siler gasp. Which was pretty much how Sam was feeling. Now he couldn't count on her off-world? What was going on here? Okay, so she knew what was going on here - in fact, after consideration she hadn't been furious with him on Friday afternoon when he'd reprimanded her over the table because he'd been right. She was tired and it was unprofessional. Sometimes the Colonel tended to show his caring through anger, anger than she wasn't looking after herself properly.
So she could forgive him for that. She could forgive him for many things.
But this? Airing their problems in front of Hammond?
That was just plain cruel.
'' Major Carter?''
Sam took a moment to calm herself down, still staring intently at her commanding officer like he'd suddenly become an alien. Possible, but not actually likely in this case. '' Colonel O'Neill forcefully suggested that I take the weekend off on Friday night. Since I previously decided I would be, it was unnecessary of him to do so. However, I went home and managed to sleep Friday through to Saturday night. As I was unable to get back to sleep, and there's very little to do in the early hours of the morning, I thought I'd come into work. You can check the sign-in sheet - I only got in an hour ago.''
'' Fine. Major, I suggest you go back to whatever you were doing until it is a more reasonable hour in the morning. Then, take yourself off to Dr Fraiser for a full physical.''
Sam nodded, sucking in her cheeks.
'' And Colonel? I'd like to see you in my office.''
At last, he winced and looked down at the ground, his face scrunched up. '' Yes, sir.''
She hoped Hammond demoted him.
Hell, she hoped he shot him.