She tried to make some notes of what she would say, or even what she could remember, but she kept being interrupted. First Daniel popped his head round the door to check if she was ok. She told him she was, and sent him on his way. Then Teal'c appeared, and told her he had every faith in her, and was certain 'right would prevail'. Before Sam had time to react, he disappeared again. Then Siler peered round the door and muttered 'Good Luck' Janet strolled in, and told Sam to keep calm, and not to worry if she couldn't remember things, that was what concussion did. She'd been about to say something else, but her pager had gone off. She looked down at it, snapped 'Oh, for crying out loud!' and left hurriedly. By the time Jack sauntered in, hands in his pockets, she'd had enough.
"I've already been wished good luck, and told to keep calm." She told him. "Honestly Sir, I'm not that worried by the enquiry."
"Good, because I'm not here about the enquiry. I'm here about the mission afterwards." He told her, picking up her pen and started to snap the cap on and off.
"If they clear me."
"They'll clear you. I just need you to clear up a few points."
"About..." she said, taking the pen away from his hands.
"About the mission."
"Like what?"
"Like...why are we going, again?"
Sam felt a familiar smile tug at the corner of her mouth.
"Didn't you read my report, Sir?" she asked, closing the laptop with the notes for the enquiry on it.
"Yeah, sure I read it. I just don't quite understand a few details. You know me, Carter." He said, spreading his hands in his helpless, little-boy-lost gesture.
"Yeah, I know you, Sir." She said softly. She knew that he had probably read and understood the report just fine. He was just trying to distract her. Well, ok, she needed the distraction.
"Well, Sir..." she said, and started to launch into a detailed explanation. The hours passed, and she realised he was playing extra dumb today, going all out to make her laugh. She knew it, he knew it, and she knew he knew she knew it - at which point all logic broke down, and she simply enjoyed herself.
So much so, that when they came to get her for the enquiry, she realised she'd forgotten all about it.
"You'll be fine." Jack said. "And I'll be in there with you."
"There's no need." She insisted, trying to look confident as she walked down the corridor.
"But I'll be there anyway.". She looked up at him, and smiled and nodded.
"I just need to..." she stopped outside the bathroom. He nodded and she went in. She splashed her face with water, and stood in front of the mirror, saying to her reflection, over and over again
"You don't remember, you don't remember."
Then she took a pill bottle from her pocket. She struggled with the cap a moment, then finally prised it open. She swallowed one little pill, with water from her cupped hand, then, after a moment's hesitation, swallowed a second pill.
When she stepped out of the bathroom a moment later, he was still waiting for her, leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets.
"Ok." She said. "Let's go." He watched her for a second, steadily, his dark brown eyes so intense she thought he could see right through her, then he straightened up, and they went to the briefing room. Just before she entered, he felt his hand on the small of her back, and heard him whisper 'Good luck', and that finally settled her racing heartbeat.
"I've already been wished good luck, and told to keep calm." She told him. "Honestly Sir, I'm not that worried by the enquiry."
"Good, because I'm not here about the enquiry. I'm here about the mission afterwards." He told her, picking up her pen and started to snap the cap on and off.
"If they clear me."
"They'll clear you. I just need you to clear up a few points."
"About..." she said, taking the pen away from his hands.
"About the mission."
"Like what?"
"Like...why are we going, again?"
Sam felt a familiar smile tug at the corner of her mouth.
"Didn't you read my report, Sir?" she asked, closing the laptop with the notes for the enquiry on it.
"Yeah, sure I read it. I just don't quite understand a few details. You know me, Carter." He said, spreading his hands in his helpless, little-boy-lost gesture.
"Yeah, I know you, Sir." She said softly. She knew that he had probably read and understood the report just fine. He was just trying to distract her. Well, ok, she needed the distraction.
"Well, Sir..." she said, and started to launch into a detailed explanation. The hours passed, and she realised he was playing extra dumb today, going all out to make her laugh. She knew it, he knew it, and she knew he knew she knew it - at which point all logic broke down, and she simply enjoyed herself.
So much so, that when they came to get her for the enquiry, she realised she'd forgotten all about it.
"You'll be fine." Jack said. "And I'll be in there with you."
"There's no need." She insisted, trying to look confident as she walked down the corridor.
"But I'll be there anyway.". She looked up at him, and smiled and nodded.
"I just need to..." she stopped outside the bathroom. He nodded and she went in. She splashed her face with water, and stood in front of the mirror, saying to her reflection, over and over again
"You don't remember, you don't remember."
Then she took a pill bottle from her pocket. She struggled with the cap a moment, then finally prised it open. She swallowed one little pill, with water from her cupped hand, then, after a moment's hesitation, swallowed a second pill.
When she stepped out of the bathroom a moment later, he was still waiting for her, leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets.
"Ok." She said. "Let's go." He watched her for a second, steadily, his dark brown eyes so intense she thought he could see right through her, then he straightened up, and they went to the briefing room. Just before she entered, he felt his hand on the small of her back, and heard him whisper 'Good luck', and that finally settled her racing heartbeat.