He led her out of the gate room and back to a staircase, which they climbed to the briefing room. Hammond was standing there, almost exactly in the same place he'd been standing when Sally had first noticed him. Although he turned when Jack, Jaffer and Sally entered the room.
"General Hammond? May I introduce Sally Longford?"
"A pleasure to meet you," Hammond said, holding out his hand, and giving her a mostly genuine smile. Of course, the fact that she had just been let in on the secret of Cheyenne Mountain was enough to make him a little wary around her, but he'd also read the background check the FBI had run on her long before, so he wasn't as concerned as he might have been.
"General Hammond. It's nice to meet you, as well." Sally shook his hand. "Jack says it's you who allowed me to see your Stargate, and I'd like to thank you." She smiled, "I'm not sure I really understand exactly what I've been shown, but I do understand that it's a privilege to have seen it. So thank you."
"You're welcome, Miss Longford. Doctor Fraiser has informed me that Doctor Jackson is going to be under constant care for a few days at least, and I thought it might not be a bad idea for you to understand why and how he was injured."
"I appreciate that."
"Doctor Fraiser kicked the two of us – three of us – out of the infirmary until tomorrow, Sir," Jack said. "So I'll take her home, and then probably be back."
"You'll do no such thing, Colonel," Hammond said. "If you're not allowed in the infirmary, then I don't see any reason for you to come back until tomorrow. You're excused for the rest of the evening."
"But, Sir..." Jack had planned on sneaking back into the infirmary.
"I mean it, Colonel. Go home and get some rest. I'm sure Doctor Fraiser will call you if something comes up."
Damn.
Hammond turned to Sally once more, content that Jack would obey him. "Miss Longford, I'll have your name put on the visitor's list at the check stations until Doctor Jackson is released from the infirmary. You won't have free access to the base, of course, but as long as you're with Colonel O'Neill here, you'll be able to come and visit him, at least."
Sally smiled. "Thank you, General Hammond."
"You're welcome." He turned to Jack once more. "I'm going home. I don't want to hear that you've snuck into the infirmary, Colonel. Do I make myself clear?"
Jack scowled. "As crystal, Sir."
Hammond smiled at Sally – this time it wasn't quite so strained – and left the room, and Jack turned to her.
"Well. I guess we're done here for the night."
She laughed and nodded. "I'd say he made that pretty clear." She followed Jack as he headed for the door. "You're taking me home?"
"Yup. You don't want to leave Binky alone too long, do you?"
"No.... but what if something happens? How will I know?" Her smile was gone, now.
He led her to the elevators, mulling that over. "I'll call you."
She nodded, and followed him as he led the way off the base, past the various checkpoints and the stern-faced Marines who guarded them. That really wasn't good enough for her, but she supposed it was going to have to be enough. After all, there wasn't much else she could do. If Jack wasn't allowed to stay on base – and he belonged there – there was no way they were going to let her.
They were quiet while Jack drove her home, and Sally found out what everyone else who knew him already knew. Jaffer was good for petting when you were worried. The entire drive back to her house, Jaffer's head was resting on her shoulder, where she could reach back easily and rub his ears as she worried. Yeah, he drooled a little on her shoulder, but it was worth it.
"Are you okay?" Jack asked when he pulled up behind Daniel's car once more. Although most of the people around him would never buy it, Jack wasn't quite as insensitive as many thought he was, and he could tell she was upset. Although at least she wasn't mad.
She nodded.
"Just worried?"
She nodded again, and shrugged. "I know that Doctor Fraiser said he'd be all right, it's just..."
"I understand, Sally." God, who would understand better than him? "I'll tell you what, why don't you come over and spend the night tonight? I have a spare room you can sleep in, and then you and I can get back to the base first thing in the morning."
She smiled, and shook her head.
"That's okay, Jack. I... well, I couldn't."
He shrugged, and got out of the truck, walking around to open the door for her.
"You sure?" He asked as he walked with her up her front walk and to her door. "I'd even cook you breakfast."
"Really?"
"No, probably not. But I make a mean cup of coffee."
She smiled. "You really wouldn't mind?"
"Nope. I could use the company to distract me from worrying about Sam."
Sally hadn't even thought about how worried Jack must be about Sam, even though she was awake and talking.
"Then I accept."
"Good."
She had him sit down and make himself comfortable while she went to get some things gathered up, and Jack found himself being stared at by Binky, who had come once more to investigate who was in her house. Jaffer was there immediately, sticking his big nose against the kitten's little one, and this time the kitten reached up with her paw to play.
"That's not a very good idea," Jack murmured to the kitten, reaching over and picking her up. "He could inhale you without realizing it."
"I'm ready."
He stood up, and headed for the door, followed by Sally, who was carrying a small bag she'd put some clothes in, who was followed by Jaffer, who was carrying Binky in his mouth. The kitten was small enough that Jack almost missed it, except that there was a tail hanging down that didn't belong.
"Jaffer..."
The lab gave him an innocent look that Jack didn't buy for an instant. Sally turned around, looking back at the dog as well.
"What's..."
O'Neill reached down and took the slightly slobbered on kitten from Jaffer's mouth, and handed her to Sally, who smiled.
"I didn't even notice." She looked Binky over for any injury, but Jack knew she wouldn't find anything. Jaffer had a soft mouth when it came to carrying stuff and as long as he wasn't trying to hurt something, he wouldn't.
"Yeah, he's pretty sneaky, sometimes."
"Maybe you should get him a kitten?" She smiled and set Binky on the couch, and the three left the house.
"The last thing I need is a kitten." He smiled, took her bag and handed it to Jaffer, who carried it out to the truck, tail wagging, but still casting reproachful looks over his shoulder at Jack. A bag was fun to carry, but a kitten would have been far more interesting.
"General Hammond? May I introduce Sally Longford?"
"A pleasure to meet you," Hammond said, holding out his hand, and giving her a mostly genuine smile. Of course, the fact that she had just been let in on the secret of Cheyenne Mountain was enough to make him a little wary around her, but he'd also read the background check the FBI had run on her long before, so he wasn't as concerned as he might have been.
"General Hammond. It's nice to meet you, as well." Sally shook his hand. "Jack says it's you who allowed me to see your Stargate, and I'd like to thank you." She smiled, "I'm not sure I really understand exactly what I've been shown, but I do understand that it's a privilege to have seen it. So thank you."
"You're welcome, Miss Longford. Doctor Fraiser has informed me that Doctor Jackson is going to be under constant care for a few days at least, and I thought it might not be a bad idea for you to understand why and how he was injured."
"I appreciate that."
"Doctor Fraiser kicked the two of us – three of us – out of the infirmary until tomorrow, Sir," Jack said. "So I'll take her home, and then probably be back."
"You'll do no such thing, Colonel," Hammond said. "If you're not allowed in the infirmary, then I don't see any reason for you to come back until tomorrow. You're excused for the rest of the evening."
"But, Sir..." Jack had planned on sneaking back into the infirmary.
"I mean it, Colonel. Go home and get some rest. I'm sure Doctor Fraiser will call you if something comes up."
Damn.
Hammond turned to Sally once more, content that Jack would obey him. "Miss Longford, I'll have your name put on the visitor's list at the check stations until Doctor Jackson is released from the infirmary. You won't have free access to the base, of course, but as long as you're with Colonel O'Neill here, you'll be able to come and visit him, at least."
Sally smiled. "Thank you, General Hammond."
"You're welcome." He turned to Jack once more. "I'm going home. I don't want to hear that you've snuck into the infirmary, Colonel. Do I make myself clear?"
Jack scowled. "As crystal, Sir."
Hammond smiled at Sally – this time it wasn't quite so strained – and left the room, and Jack turned to her.
"Well. I guess we're done here for the night."
She laughed and nodded. "I'd say he made that pretty clear." She followed Jack as he headed for the door. "You're taking me home?"
"Yup. You don't want to leave Binky alone too long, do you?"
"No.... but what if something happens? How will I know?" Her smile was gone, now.
He led her to the elevators, mulling that over. "I'll call you."
She nodded, and followed him as he led the way off the base, past the various checkpoints and the stern-faced Marines who guarded them. That really wasn't good enough for her, but she supposed it was going to have to be enough. After all, there wasn't much else she could do. If Jack wasn't allowed to stay on base – and he belonged there – there was no way they were going to let her.
They were quiet while Jack drove her home, and Sally found out what everyone else who knew him already knew. Jaffer was good for petting when you were worried. The entire drive back to her house, Jaffer's head was resting on her shoulder, where she could reach back easily and rub his ears as she worried. Yeah, he drooled a little on her shoulder, but it was worth it.
"Are you okay?" Jack asked when he pulled up behind Daniel's car once more. Although most of the people around him would never buy it, Jack wasn't quite as insensitive as many thought he was, and he could tell she was upset. Although at least she wasn't mad.
She nodded.
"Just worried?"
She nodded again, and shrugged. "I know that Doctor Fraiser said he'd be all right, it's just..."
"I understand, Sally." God, who would understand better than him? "I'll tell you what, why don't you come over and spend the night tonight? I have a spare room you can sleep in, and then you and I can get back to the base first thing in the morning."
She smiled, and shook her head.
"That's okay, Jack. I... well, I couldn't."
He shrugged, and got out of the truck, walking around to open the door for her.
"You sure?" He asked as he walked with her up her front walk and to her door. "I'd even cook you breakfast."
"Really?"
"No, probably not. But I make a mean cup of coffee."
She smiled. "You really wouldn't mind?"
"Nope. I could use the company to distract me from worrying about Sam."
Sally hadn't even thought about how worried Jack must be about Sam, even though she was awake and talking.
"Then I accept."
"Good."
She had him sit down and make himself comfortable while she went to get some things gathered up, and Jack found himself being stared at by Binky, who had come once more to investigate who was in her house. Jaffer was there immediately, sticking his big nose against the kitten's little one, and this time the kitten reached up with her paw to play.
"That's not a very good idea," Jack murmured to the kitten, reaching over and picking her up. "He could inhale you without realizing it."
"I'm ready."
He stood up, and headed for the door, followed by Sally, who was carrying a small bag she'd put some clothes in, who was followed by Jaffer, who was carrying Binky in his mouth. The kitten was small enough that Jack almost missed it, except that there was a tail hanging down that didn't belong.
"Jaffer..."
The lab gave him an innocent look that Jack didn't buy for an instant. Sally turned around, looking back at the dog as well.
"What's..."
O'Neill reached down and took the slightly slobbered on kitten from Jaffer's mouth, and handed her to Sally, who smiled.
"I didn't even notice." She looked Binky over for any injury, but Jack knew she wouldn't find anything. Jaffer had a soft mouth when it came to carrying stuff and as long as he wasn't trying to hurt something, he wouldn't.
"Yeah, he's pretty sneaky, sometimes."
"Maybe you should get him a kitten?" She smiled and set Binky on the couch, and the three left the house.
"The last thing I need is a kitten." He smiled, took her bag and handed it to Jaffer, who carried it out to the truck, tail wagging, but still casting reproachful looks over his shoulder at Jack. A bag was fun to carry, but a kitten would have been far more interesting.