Ch 9
Shortly after dinner, Janet politely suggested she and Cassie should be getting home, but Sam, Jack, and Cassie all protested strongly.
"It's a school night," Janet reminded them.
"Aw, come on, Sam's getting tired of me kicking her ass at XBox, I could use another challenger..." Jack argued.
"You're on!" Cassie said, going over to the television to set it up.
Sam protested, "If I recall correctly, I won last time. And the time before that. And the time before..."
"I don't remember that, sorry... must have been in an alternate reality," he interrupted as he adjusted the pillow underneath his cast.
Sam rolled her eyes and looked to Janet for support, but Janet was too busy looking like the cat that ate the proverbial canary for Sam's tastes. She laughed as she pictured the Colonel's response to that cliche, then mentally scolded herself as she and Janet started clearing all the leftovers into the kitchen.
"So," Janet said as soon as they were alone.
"Janet," Sam said with a weary sigh.
"What, all I said was 'so,'" Janet said defensively.
"Ah yes but there was so much behind it," Sam said with a fond smile as they started boxing up the leftovers.
"Well, you haven't killed each other yet, so I guess that's a good sign," Janet said, trying to find a way to open up the forum for discussion.
"I guess," Sam said absently, although she wasn't quite sure. The more remote that possibility became, the more probable her second scenario, the one that could result in the end of both of their careers, seemed to become.
"I know it's probably not easy, Sam," Janet continued, trying to be sympathetic. "I mean I of all people know how cranky the Colonel can be when he's injured..."
"That's the problem," Sam said suddenly, glancing towards the living room to make sure Cassie and Jack were absorbed in their game. "He's not. I mean, yeah, he's kind of grumpy, but not SERIOUSLY grumpy, you know what I mean? He's acting very... not normal. ACTING grumpy occasionally, but then also being very... friendly and... nice to be around."
"And flirty?" Janet asked, unable to stop herself.
"Janet!"
"What? Okay, okay, I'm sorry for giving you a hard time, Sam. I know this is an awkward situation, but you both seem to be doing a lot better than I would have predicted. I mean, despite your constant bickering, it's been a long time since I've seen either of you looking this relaxed. Or healthy."
"Really?" Sam asked in genuine surprise. It certainly didn't FEEL relaxing most of the time.
Janet nodded seriously. "And I know these things. I'm your doctor, after all."
"True." Sam bit her lip. "Want to hear something... unusual?" she asked, lowering her voice and leaning across the island towards Janet.
"Always," Janet said, leaning in as well.
"Well... I've been making oatmeal every morning."
Janet stared at her in a confused stupor. "Is that a euphemism or something?" she finally asked, when her friend failed to elaborate.
"Huh? No. Oatmeal. You know, for breakfast."
"O...kay. I don't really see where you're going with this one, honey."
"Well, after the time loop incident, Daniel and I were eating breakfast with him in the commissary and he was eating oatmeal like... like I've never seen anybody eat it before. Like it was the best stuff on earth."
"Oatmeal," Janet stated, just to clarify.
"I know, right? So anyway, I assumed it was one of his favorite things to eat, and it's one of the few things I can cook without making it end up tasting like chicken..."
Janet laughed but didn't interrupt.
"...So he's been eating oatmeal EVERY morning for a week now, acting like it's the best thing in the whole world, and then this morning, Siler called while we were eating breakfast so I went into the other room and I glanced back in the kitchen while I was talking to him, and he looked completely different, you know, like another bite of oatmeal might just finish him off. So as soon as I got off the phone with Siler, I called him on it."
"What did he say?"
"That oatmeal wasn't his favorite, he didn't really even like it all that much, he wasn't even thinking about oatmeal that day I was telling you about! It was just a coincidence he was eating oatmeal at the time..."
"Then why did he eat so much of it this week?"
"He said he didn't want to hurt my feelings, since it was the only thing he'd ever seen me fix before and it was obviously important to me for some reason," Sam finished, glancing nervously towards the living room to make sure they weren't overheard.
"That's sweet. In a very, very strange way that oddly fits the two of you. So, how did you respond to that?"
"I didn't," Sam admitted. "I didn't know what to say that wouldn't either sound like I was being cold or be... you know, a little... too much. I just threw out the oatmeal and he ate Pop-Tarts."
"Sam, you're hopeless. The both of you."
"You may be right, Janet," Sam agreed with a sigh. "So, how are things at the SGC?"
They chatted for a while about what Sam had been missing at work, speculations on how Daniel and Teal'c were doing, and the fact that Cassie's latest boyfriend had blue hair.
"Like Marge Simpson?" Sam asked, wrinkling her nose in confusion as Janet revealed that little tid-bit.
Janet rolled her eyes. "Okay, you are officially spending WAY too much time with the Colonel," she said jokingly.
"Doctor's orders, if I recall correctly," Sam countered.
"True. So, shall we discuss the nauseatingly sweet performance you two put on during dinner?" Janet asked, steering the conversation back around to the topic she found most interesting.
"There is nothing nauseating OR sweet about the Colonel! Or me!" Sam insisted, shutting the refrigerator much harder than she meant to.
The noise reached the living room, and as he tried to blow up Cassie's car, Jack called, "Hey Doc, keep an eye on her while she's in there, would ya? My fire insurance doesn't cover acts of Sam!"
Janet laughed and called back, "Will do, Colonel!"
Sam glared at her and glared in the direction of the living room, sending all kinds of evil thoughts towards Jack and Cassie, who was laughing her little butt off.
Shortly after dinner, Janet politely suggested she and Cassie should be getting home, but Sam, Jack, and Cassie all protested strongly.
"It's a school night," Janet reminded them.
"Aw, come on, Sam's getting tired of me kicking her ass at XBox, I could use another challenger..." Jack argued.
"You're on!" Cassie said, going over to the television to set it up.
Sam protested, "If I recall correctly, I won last time. And the time before that. And the time before..."
"I don't remember that, sorry... must have been in an alternate reality," he interrupted as he adjusted the pillow underneath his cast.
Sam rolled her eyes and looked to Janet for support, but Janet was too busy looking like the cat that ate the proverbial canary for Sam's tastes. She laughed as she pictured the Colonel's response to that cliche, then mentally scolded herself as she and Janet started clearing all the leftovers into the kitchen.
"So," Janet said as soon as they were alone.
"Janet," Sam said with a weary sigh.
"What, all I said was 'so,'" Janet said defensively.
"Ah yes but there was so much behind it," Sam said with a fond smile as they started boxing up the leftovers.
"Well, you haven't killed each other yet, so I guess that's a good sign," Janet said, trying to find a way to open up the forum for discussion.
"I guess," Sam said absently, although she wasn't quite sure. The more remote that possibility became, the more probable her second scenario, the one that could result in the end of both of their careers, seemed to become.
"I know it's probably not easy, Sam," Janet continued, trying to be sympathetic. "I mean I of all people know how cranky the Colonel can be when he's injured..."
"That's the problem," Sam said suddenly, glancing towards the living room to make sure Cassie and Jack were absorbed in their game. "He's not. I mean, yeah, he's kind of grumpy, but not SERIOUSLY grumpy, you know what I mean? He's acting very... not normal. ACTING grumpy occasionally, but then also being very... friendly and... nice to be around."
"And flirty?" Janet asked, unable to stop herself.
"Janet!"
"What? Okay, okay, I'm sorry for giving you a hard time, Sam. I know this is an awkward situation, but you both seem to be doing a lot better than I would have predicted. I mean, despite your constant bickering, it's been a long time since I've seen either of you looking this relaxed. Or healthy."
"Really?" Sam asked in genuine surprise. It certainly didn't FEEL relaxing most of the time.
Janet nodded seriously. "And I know these things. I'm your doctor, after all."
"True." Sam bit her lip. "Want to hear something... unusual?" she asked, lowering her voice and leaning across the island towards Janet.
"Always," Janet said, leaning in as well.
"Well... I've been making oatmeal every morning."
Janet stared at her in a confused stupor. "Is that a euphemism or something?" she finally asked, when her friend failed to elaborate.
"Huh? No. Oatmeal. You know, for breakfast."
"O...kay. I don't really see where you're going with this one, honey."
"Well, after the time loop incident, Daniel and I were eating breakfast with him in the commissary and he was eating oatmeal like... like I've never seen anybody eat it before. Like it was the best stuff on earth."
"Oatmeal," Janet stated, just to clarify.
"I know, right? So anyway, I assumed it was one of his favorite things to eat, and it's one of the few things I can cook without making it end up tasting like chicken..."
Janet laughed but didn't interrupt.
"...So he's been eating oatmeal EVERY morning for a week now, acting like it's the best thing in the whole world, and then this morning, Siler called while we were eating breakfast so I went into the other room and I glanced back in the kitchen while I was talking to him, and he looked completely different, you know, like another bite of oatmeal might just finish him off. So as soon as I got off the phone with Siler, I called him on it."
"What did he say?"
"That oatmeal wasn't his favorite, he didn't really even like it all that much, he wasn't even thinking about oatmeal that day I was telling you about! It was just a coincidence he was eating oatmeal at the time..."
"Then why did he eat so much of it this week?"
"He said he didn't want to hurt my feelings, since it was the only thing he'd ever seen me fix before and it was obviously important to me for some reason," Sam finished, glancing nervously towards the living room to make sure they weren't overheard.
"That's sweet. In a very, very strange way that oddly fits the two of you. So, how did you respond to that?"
"I didn't," Sam admitted. "I didn't know what to say that wouldn't either sound like I was being cold or be... you know, a little... too much. I just threw out the oatmeal and he ate Pop-Tarts."
"Sam, you're hopeless. The both of you."
"You may be right, Janet," Sam agreed with a sigh. "So, how are things at the SGC?"
They chatted for a while about what Sam had been missing at work, speculations on how Daniel and Teal'c were doing, and the fact that Cassie's latest boyfriend had blue hair.
"Like Marge Simpson?" Sam asked, wrinkling her nose in confusion as Janet revealed that little tid-bit.
Janet rolled her eyes. "Okay, you are officially spending WAY too much time with the Colonel," she said jokingly.
"Doctor's orders, if I recall correctly," Sam countered.
"True. So, shall we discuss the nauseatingly sweet performance you two put on during dinner?" Janet asked, steering the conversation back around to the topic she found most interesting.
"There is nothing nauseating OR sweet about the Colonel! Or me!" Sam insisted, shutting the refrigerator much harder than she meant to.
The noise reached the living room, and as he tried to blow up Cassie's car, Jack called, "Hey Doc, keep an eye on her while she's in there, would ya? My fire insurance doesn't cover acts of Sam!"
Janet laughed and called back, "Will do, Colonel!"
Sam glared at her and glared in the direction of the living room, sending all kinds of evil thoughts towards Jack and Cassie, who was laughing her little butt off.