School's been keeping me very busy. That's why I haven't been updating as much as I'd like too.
As always, please review and tell me what you think about the story and the new format. There's a note at the end of the new version of chapter one about that. Please read it.
****************
The meeting with Hammond had not gone well, just as well as could be expected with the terrible news that must be told.
"Well, sir," Captain Warren started, "no one knows the whole story yet, but we do know a few facts. As Major Carter has already told us they had no warning when the attack started. The fight didn't last long. When we returned to the planet there were signs of a battle, but no signs of Colonel O'Neill. We checked the surrounding area, but there wasn't any useful information. I'm sorry sir."
"Is there anything you want to add Major?" General Hammond asked Sam. She didn't answer though. In fact, she acted as if she hadn't even heard him. She had been too lost in her own thoughts. There were too many questions running through her mind. What had happened to Jack? What would happen to SG-1 now?
"Major Carter, are you listening?"
"Oh, sorry sir. No, I have nothing more to add."
"Then everyone is dismissed," everyone stood up to leave, "except you, Major Carter. I'd like to speak to you in private."
As soon as all of SG-11 had left, Hammond lead Sam into his office. Hammond motioned for her to have a seat and then he moved behind his desk to sit as well.
"I'm very sorry sir, I promise I'll pay more attention from now on. It will never happen again," Sam began. thinking that she was in trouble for spacing out during the briefing.
"Don't worry about that," Hammond broke in. "Look, Sam, I'm worried about you. I've never seen you like this before." Hammond's concern was evident on his voice. "Colonel O'Neill was a very important member of the SGC, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to report him as missing."
"Are you sure you have to do that sir. We've just started looking for him. He could still be out there somewhere."
"I know that, but where are we supposed to start looking? You, yourself just went to the planet that he was last known to be on. He could be anywhere, any planet out there, and we don't even know if he's alive. You told me that he was seriously injured, he most likely couldn't have survived. I'm still keeping hope that he's alive, and that's we'll find him. But you know as well as I do that it's not very likely. You just need to accept the fact that he's probably not coming back."
Sam still didn't want to think about the fact that he probably wasn't coming back. However, she knew that Hammond was right.
"Maybe you should take some time off."
"I'm fine sir," Sam told him. "I don't need the time off. There's still many projects I need to finish in my lab and..."
"I don't think that's what you need right now Sam." She started to protest, but Hammond wouldn't let her. "I'm ordering you to take a week off, away from the base."
"Ok." Sam knew that she was defeated. "Is that all, sir?"
"Yes, that's all."
Sam got up and left Hammond's office. Hammond was left to worry about her. He knew that she was a tough woman and a Major in the US Air Force, but this was effecting her more than anything he had seen before. He only hoped that she could pull through this.
******************
Sam wandered into the infirmary and caught the end of a conversation, or more like an argument, between Janet and Daniel.
"But I feel fine," Daniel whined.
"If I had a dollar for every time you can into the infirmary claiming you're fine and then collapsed on the floor, I would be so rich I wouldn't have to work anymore. I told you, you can't leave yet. You are going to stay for a few more days at least."
"But I could just go home for a little while, or I could even stay on base. I would come in for check ups."
"No!"
"But there's nothing for me to do in here. I just lay in bed and stare at the ceiling. I bet I could tell you exactly how many spots are in the ceiling. That's all the entertainment I can get in here."
"The ceiling of my infirmary are clean! There are not spots on it."
"Yes there are. See! There's one, and there's another, and another..." Daniel said while pointing to various areas of the ceiling.
"Is your patient giving you problem, Doctor?" Sam asked with a smile.
Nothing more than normal. You can talk to him if you want for a while. I have some paper work to finish." Janet turned and walked out of the room.
Sam pulled a chair over to Daniel's bed and sat beside him. "So, how are you feeling?" Sam asked him.
I'm perfectly fine, but Janet won't let me out of here yet. How are you doing Sam?"
"I'm fine. Why does everyone keep asking me that?"
"It's because we're worried about you, Sam. We care about you. And you seem to be taking Jack's disappearance the hardest."
"So, you found out what happened."
"Yeah, Teal'c told me. He's worried about you too, ya know."
They sat in silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company. Neither of them wanted to be alone at that time.
*****************************
Thanks for all the nice reviews I've gotten so far. I've got part of the next chapter written, but I have a lot of major tests at school coming up so I don't know if I'll have much time to work on this story. Check my profile here at fanfiction.net for any news on if I'm going to update soon, or if I'm busy with other stuff.
