More Than Concern
(Jack's POV)
I leave Sam's quarters, now convinced that she isn't telling me the whole story. I return to my own quarters, change, then make my way towards the Mess Hall.
I hear Daniel's voice as I enter, then Teal'c's; I look around, and see them sitting at our usual table.
I go up to the food trays and get myself the English Breakfast. The cooks are sure treating us today.
I turn, and make my way towards Daniel and Teal'c. As I approach, I hear Daniel say, "Any news on Sam's condition?"
I feel a sudden flare inside of me, but manage to keep it under control.
"It's not an illness, y'know," I say, stopping myself from snapping.
"No, of course not," Daniel says quickly, "I just meant..."
I grunt, and sit down.
"Have you seen her this morning?" Daniel asks as I take a mouthful of bacon.
"Yeah." I sigh. "She had a rough night."
"How do you know?" Daniel asks suddenly. Is he accusing me of something? I sigh, and explain.
"I went to find her last night. She was up in her lab. I went with her to see Fraiser, then I offered to stay the night in her quarters."
"You did what?"
"Oh, Daniel, give me a break! Nothing happened, okay? She just wanted some company after the results. I slept in a chair. My neck is killing me..."
Daniel has seemed to ignore everything past the word 'results'. So has Teal'c, apparently.
"What was the outcome of Dr Fraiser's examinations?" he asks. I sigh, not wanting to make Sam feel again like I've betrayed her trust. But they have a right to know, I guess.
"Apparently, they're conclusive. They're positive." Daniel opens his mouth like a fish, but before he makes comment, I say, "I know how this looks. But I also know how Sam looked when she got the results. I think there's more to this than we know."
"Yeah, like Sam's trying not to let on she slept with somebody," Daniel mutters.
There it is again. That flare.
"I really don't think that's the case." I'm trying to stay calm, but I can feel my voice wavering with annoyance.
"C'mon, Jack!" Daniel says, "Open your eyes! Just because you don't want her to have had--"
He bites his lip as I give him a hard look. I shake my head in disgust.
"You don't get it, do you, buddy? Something happened on that planet to my Second In Command, and I intend to find out what."
I'm in my office when I get the message Hammond wants to see me. I leave the paper I've been doodling on, and make my way to Hammond's office.
I knock lightly on the door when I arrive, and am immediately beckoned in by the General. Fraiser's already there, which doesn't surprise me.
"Take a seat, Colonel," Hammond says. I nod, and sit down.
"Is this about Carter?" I ask. Hammond nods, and I look at Fraiser accusingly. "What happened to doctor-patient confidentiality?"
Hammond answers for her.
"In this case, Colonel, the welfare of Major Carter over-rules that."
"If Major Carter were to go on any missions," Fraiser explains, "then there is increased risks of miscarriage." I don't reply, and wait for Hammond to say whatever the hell he wants to tell me.
"We're here to discuss Major Carter's denial--"
"Denial?! General!" I protest. He holds up his hand and continues.
"I know how you feel, Colonel, but we need to get to the bottom of this. Now as you're so adament in the fact nothing happened during the mission, we believe Major Carter may have been a victim of rape in the week previous."
He's looking at me intently, not Friendly George but Intimidating General. I think he's waiting for me to admit something. Even if he does know my feelings for her, he can't possibly be accusing me of sleeping with her.
"So what do you intend to do?" I ask, mostly to fill the silence.
"We think Major Carter should see a psychiatrist," Fraiser tells me.
"What? A shrink? She doesn't need a shrink, she needs answers!"
"Colonel--"
"Am I the only one who's not blind here?" I ask, standing so suddenly I make the Doc jump. "Don't you people see that something has happened that no one can figure out, not even Sam?"
I use Sam's name purposefully, aiming to add impact to my outburst. I turn and walk quickly out of the room without being stopped.
I walk aimlessly, trying to vent my anger at their stupidity. Am I the only one who cares enough to see this? I won't doubt what Sam said, I...I can't.
I find myself outside the gym, and go inside. I take off my jacket and untuck my shirt for the hell of it, and arrive in front of a free punchbag. No one pays any attention to me as I take it all out on the bag, hitting it. People file out and file in, leave and arrive as I continue to punch this one piece of equipment.
She doesn't deserve this, dammit! The way she looked in the Infirmary last night, I know she wasn't lying! I know was she says is true! Damn you, Hammond, you can be dense sometimes! I've got to find out what happened. For her...
"Jack, are you okay?"
It's Daniel, standing behind me. How long has he been there? I throw one last punch, then turn round.
"I think you're asking the wrong person."
I turn to throw another punch but he catches my fist with surprising force. I turn back.
"It was on the planet, wasn't it?"
"What?" Is he accusing me of sleeping with Sam?
"Whatever happened." His simple answer calms me, and I suddenly feel tired and drained. I nod vaguely.
"Did you sense it too?" I ask. There's no one else here in the gym now, it must be lunch.
"I felt something was off, but I didn't realise until today."
"So what do we think happened? You saw the way those people kept going on about 'waiting for joining' or whatever the hell it was. I think they were trying to convert us..."
"Maybe we're imagining it."
"No, I won't accept that!" I'm not gonna lose his support now. "They did something to her, Daniel, and you know it. In her dream...she kept muttering about those damned aliens."
"Okay," Daniel says, trying to get it clear in his own mind. "What if they have a different way to reproduce?"
"You mean they don't have sex?"
"No no. I mean, I think they do, they kept refering to it. What if they reproduce if a different way?"
He's confusing me, but something tells me he's right.
"You mean, they could reproduce outside this joining marriage thingy and wait for sex? Man are they twisted..."
"That's what I'm saying."
"Wait wait wait. Are you saying those aliens inpregnated her?" He shrugs as it dawns on me. Then I say, "You find Teal'c. I'm gonna go talk to Hammond, get us a ticket back to that planet."
(Jack's POV)
I leave Sam's quarters, now convinced that she isn't telling me the whole story. I return to my own quarters, change, then make my way towards the Mess Hall.
I hear Daniel's voice as I enter, then Teal'c's; I look around, and see them sitting at our usual table.
I go up to the food trays and get myself the English Breakfast. The cooks are sure treating us today.
I turn, and make my way towards Daniel and Teal'c. As I approach, I hear Daniel say, "Any news on Sam's condition?"
I feel a sudden flare inside of me, but manage to keep it under control.
"It's not an illness, y'know," I say, stopping myself from snapping.
"No, of course not," Daniel says quickly, "I just meant..."
I grunt, and sit down.
"Have you seen her this morning?" Daniel asks as I take a mouthful of bacon.
"Yeah." I sigh. "She had a rough night."
"How do you know?" Daniel asks suddenly. Is he accusing me of something? I sigh, and explain.
"I went to find her last night. She was up in her lab. I went with her to see Fraiser, then I offered to stay the night in her quarters."
"You did what?"
"Oh, Daniel, give me a break! Nothing happened, okay? She just wanted some company after the results. I slept in a chair. My neck is killing me..."
Daniel has seemed to ignore everything past the word 'results'. So has Teal'c, apparently.
"What was the outcome of Dr Fraiser's examinations?" he asks. I sigh, not wanting to make Sam feel again like I've betrayed her trust. But they have a right to know, I guess.
"Apparently, they're conclusive. They're positive." Daniel opens his mouth like a fish, but before he makes comment, I say, "I know how this looks. But I also know how Sam looked when she got the results. I think there's more to this than we know."
"Yeah, like Sam's trying not to let on she slept with somebody," Daniel mutters.
There it is again. That flare.
"I really don't think that's the case." I'm trying to stay calm, but I can feel my voice wavering with annoyance.
"C'mon, Jack!" Daniel says, "Open your eyes! Just because you don't want her to have had--"
He bites his lip as I give him a hard look. I shake my head in disgust.
"You don't get it, do you, buddy? Something happened on that planet to my Second In Command, and I intend to find out what."
I'm in my office when I get the message Hammond wants to see me. I leave the paper I've been doodling on, and make my way to Hammond's office.
I knock lightly on the door when I arrive, and am immediately beckoned in by the General. Fraiser's already there, which doesn't surprise me.
"Take a seat, Colonel," Hammond says. I nod, and sit down.
"Is this about Carter?" I ask. Hammond nods, and I look at Fraiser accusingly. "What happened to doctor-patient confidentiality?"
Hammond answers for her.
"In this case, Colonel, the welfare of Major Carter over-rules that."
"If Major Carter were to go on any missions," Fraiser explains, "then there is increased risks of miscarriage." I don't reply, and wait for Hammond to say whatever the hell he wants to tell me.
"We're here to discuss Major Carter's denial--"
"Denial?! General!" I protest. He holds up his hand and continues.
"I know how you feel, Colonel, but we need to get to the bottom of this. Now as you're so adament in the fact nothing happened during the mission, we believe Major Carter may have been a victim of rape in the week previous."
He's looking at me intently, not Friendly George but Intimidating General. I think he's waiting for me to admit something. Even if he does know my feelings for her, he can't possibly be accusing me of sleeping with her.
"So what do you intend to do?" I ask, mostly to fill the silence.
"We think Major Carter should see a psychiatrist," Fraiser tells me.
"What? A shrink? She doesn't need a shrink, she needs answers!"
"Colonel--"
"Am I the only one who's not blind here?" I ask, standing so suddenly I make the Doc jump. "Don't you people see that something has happened that no one can figure out, not even Sam?"
I use Sam's name purposefully, aiming to add impact to my outburst. I turn and walk quickly out of the room without being stopped.
I walk aimlessly, trying to vent my anger at their stupidity. Am I the only one who cares enough to see this? I won't doubt what Sam said, I...I can't.
I find myself outside the gym, and go inside. I take off my jacket and untuck my shirt for the hell of it, and arrive in front of a free punchbag. No one pays any attention to me as I take it all out on the bag, hitting it. People file out and file in, leave and arrive as I continue to punch this one piece of equipment.
She doesn't deserve this, dammit! The way she looked in the Infirmary last night, I know she wasn't lying! I know was she says is true! Damn you, Hammond, you can be dense sometimes! I've got to find out what happened. For her...
"Jack, are you okay?"
It's Daniel, standing behind me. How long has he been there? I throw one last punch, then turn round.
"I think you're asking the wrong person."
I turn to throw another punch but he catches my fist with surprising force. I turn back.
"It was on the planet, wasn't it?"
"What?" Is he accusing me of sleeping with Sam?
"Whatever happened." His simple answer calms me, and I suddenly feel tired and drained. I nod vaguely.
"Did you sense it too?" I ask. There's no one else here in the gym now, it must be lunch.
"I felt something was off, but I didn't realise until today."
"So what do we think happened? You saw the way those people kept going on about 'waiting for joining' or whatever the hell it was. I think they were trying to convert us..."
"Maybe we're imagining it."
"No, I won't accept that!" I'm not gonna lose his support now. "They did something to her, Daniel, and you know it. In her dream...she kept muttering about those damned aliens."
"Okay," Daniel says, trying to get it clear in his own mind. "What if they have a different way to reproduce?"
"You mean they don't have sex?"
"No no. I mean, I think they do, they kept refering to it. What if they reproduce if a different way?"
He's confusing me, but something tells me he's right.
"You mean, they could reproduce outside this joining marriage thingy and wait for sex? Man are they twisted..."
"That's what I'm saying."
"Wait wait wait. Are you saying those aliens inpregnated her?" He shrugs as it dawns on me. Then I say, "You find Teal'c. I'm gonna go talk to Hammond, get us a ticket back to that planet."