The Colour of Pain Chapter 3
**
Major Samantha Carter, United States Air Force, pulled on her uniform slowly.
She still had plenty of aches and pains, souvenirs of her last mission, over 5 months ago, but her lethargy was due mostly to her tiredness. She didn't sleep well these days.
Still, she was looking forward to getting back to work. She missed the puzzles, the math. The logic. It would be easy to forget everything else if she were absorbed in her work, no matter how difficult going back there would be. No matter how difficult seeing everyone would be. No matter how difficult being seen, would be. She had no choice. Knowing about the SGC and the Stargate, Sam could never be happy working anywhere else, on anything else, regardless.
**
Sam limped off the lift and into the Cheyenne Mountain Facility sub-levels she knew so well, immediately feeling better than she had in months. She followed the twists and turns of the corridors, heading to see the base CO, to report for duty. She was almost there when she met a group of four young airmen, none of whom she recognised. They all stared at her for a moment before appearing to find either their feet or the wall to be suddenly fascinating. Looking anywhere but her face. Only one of them remembered to salute as she limped by, dropping it to hit the man next to her who was still staring. Sam heard her hiss as she turned the corner.
"Idiot! What did you do that for?"
His reply was lost as Sam stumbled over her own feet, cursing.
Stupid leg! Stupid, artificial, plastic and metal crap! Stupid, stupid…
"Carter!"
She stopped still at the sound of his voice, making a mental note to beat him to death if he asked her how she was, unfair though she knew that might be.
"Carter, wait up!"
He was smiling at her. No look of shock or disgust or even pity, he looked genuinely pleased to see her.
"You look a helluva lot better than the last time I saw you!"
Colonel Jack O'Neill pulled Sam into a hug.
"You don't write, you don't call, we've been worried about you! I'm glad you're back."
Sam pulled out of his embrace, discomfited by her former CO's uncharacteristic display of affection.
"How are you?"
Sam felt her body involuntarily freeze at the question. That question. And she could tell from the look on his face that the Colonel realised he'd said the wrong thing.
"I'm fine, Sir."
It came out a little more stiffly, a little more formally than she'd have liked.
"I'm just on my way to see General Hammond at the moment, Sir. I'm sure I'll see you later."
"I'm heading that way myself Carter, I'll walk with you."
No, no, NO!
She had to get away from him. He was being so Godamned nice! Unfortunately, breaking into a run would not only have been too obvious, as well as rude, but in her current state of health and fitness, Sam knew he'd have no problem catching up, no matter how much of a head start she got. She desperately tried to think of another way. She spotted the door at the end of the corridor and barely stopped herself from sighing, audibly, with relief.
"Oh, well, don't let me hold you up, Sir. I've got to… Nature calls…"
She waved vaguely towards the door she'd spotted. He couldn't follow her into the ladies room, thankfully. She began to limp toward it and realised he'd fallen into step with her. Was he mocking her?
Don't be stupid! He's only walking beside you! You're being hypersensitive!
She paused at the door and forced a smile on to her face, before looking over at her former CO, who looked a little concerned, she noticed.
"I'll see you there in a few minutes, Sir."
"Well, ok…"
He sounded a little uncertain but after a brief pause, he turned and walked down the corridor.
**
End of chapter 3