For the next fifteen minutes or so, Janet learned what Daniel had already found out. Emmett Bregman wasn't as bad as they'd feared. He wasn't a toady Washington slime ball who was up to his neck in his own importance, and he wasn't a jerk wrapped in the mantle of power that the President's orders gave him. He was a very down to earth sort, who was a few years older than she was and was very good at asking questions in a way that made you want to answer them. He had a ready smile – which she'd noticed before – and which Janet wasn't immune to, and she found herself smiling a lot in return as he switched almost without her noticing from questions about her job in the infirmary to a few more personal questions.
"So..." He'd said, running his hand along the pristine white bandage on his wrist and watching as she checked on her sleeping Marine once more. "You're not married?" He could see she wasn't wearing a ring, but not everyone who was married did. So it didn't hurt to make sure.
"No," Janet said, smiling over at him. "I'm not married."
"No kids?"
"A daughter. Cassandra."
"Pretty name."
"I think so," Janet agreed. "Are you married?"
He shook his head.
"Widower."
"I'm sorry."
"I was, too. She was a wonderful woman."
There was an old ache in his eyes, but it cleared up after a moment. Like an injury that you were so used to it only hurt when you actually stopped to think about it.
"Any children?"
"No. I was-"
He was interrupted when a movement at the far end of the room caught his eye, and he saw the big lab – Jaffer he told himself – coming down the aisle, watching him cheerfully as he headed that direction.
He wasn't the only one to notice him. Janet called the dog's name, and Jaffer's tail wagged a bit more when he walked over to her, and even more when she pulled his head into a quick embrace and surprised Emmett and Jaffer both when she kissed the lab's nose. Jaffer's tongue came out and caught her expertly across the face and Janet sputtered, much to Bregman's amusement.
"Go on, you big troublemaker," She told the lab, pointing him out the door with a grin on her face, despite the slobber bath she'd just received. "Go find Jack and tell him you deserve a treat for making my job easier."
As if he understood, the big dog trotted out the door and Janet found a towel and wiped her face.
"He's a very pretty dog."
"That he is. He's also Colonel O'Neill's pride and joy – although he'd never admit to it. That big dog is spoiled beyond belief."
"Is that why you let him into the infirmary?" He wouldn't have expected a dog to be allowed into a medical facility such as this, but Janet had allowed Jaffer and Teal'c's dog, too.
"He's allowed in because he's well behaved," Janet said, although she made sure the Marine was still asleep. She'd never want that to get back to Jack. "And he has a good bedside manner..."
"He's not dangerous?"
Janet smiled.
"He's lethal." She told him. "Those teeth are not for show. He's been trained to a treat, but if he's attacking someone, he tends to forget about going for the wrist like the other base dogs and he goes for the throat."
Emmett blanched.
"Don't worry. He's never hurt someone he likes, and unless Jack told him to, he'd never attack someone on-base."
"Colonel O'Neill doesn't like Ben..."
"What did he do?"
"He made an... inappropriate comment about Major O'Neill – before he knew she was Major O'Neill..."
Ah, yeah. That'd do it. No wonder Jack was looking daggers at the man.
"Did Colonel O'Neill hear it?"
Emmett nodded, glad he hadn't been the one to say what Ben had said. Something similar had been on the tip of his tongue – although without the leer and the wolf-whistle. "He was standing right there."
"And no doubt he threatened to do something bad the next time?"
"Yes."
Janet took the bandaged hand in hers, testing the tightness once more. He had been rubbing his wrist the entire time he'd been talking to her, which meant it was either still bothering him, or it was a nervous type action. She couldn't imagine why he'd be nervous around her – even when talking about Jack O'Neill – so she had to assume maybe she'd wrapped his wrist too tightly. Which wasn't a mistake she made often.
"Does your wrist hurt?"
He shook his head, his eyes catching hers as he watched her.
"No. Will you have dinner with me tonight?"
Janet blushed, pleased at the invitation.
"I'll think about it..."
"Is that a no, disguised as a maybe?" He asked, taking hold of her hand, lightly.
"It's a I have a daughter who I'd like to see tonight as well, so I'll think about it, disguised as a maybe." Fraiser clarified.
"She could come."
"She might not want to."
"If she wanted to, she could. You two could pick the place – someplace she'd like." He offered. Of course, he wasn't from here, so he didn't really know his way around, so it was a necessary offer.
"I'll call her and ask if she's interested. If she's not, then I'll see if she'd feel left out if I went alone."
"That's fair enough."
They both looked down at their hands – he was still holding hers – and they both blushed, feeling like teenagers caught up in some crazy long-forgotten emotional backwash. They both smiled, but Janet pulled her hand gently away. Her infirmary wasn't the place for such things – and she did have a certain decorum to maintain while at work.
"I'll let you know."
"Great."
He cleared his throat, and sighed.
"I should go find Ben and Major Quinn. We have a few interviews lined up for today."
"I'll find you later," Janet promised.
On that happy note, Emmett hopped off his exam table and left her infirmary, whistling lightly under his breath.
Fraiser watched him go, and then went to check on Sam.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Hey..."
When they left the infirmary, Jack and Teal'c entered Sam's lab, and found something completely unexpected. On the floor beside his wife's seldom-used desk, was the camera that Jack had seen Ben Crane toting around.
"What is it, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked as Jack bent down and picked it up.
"It's that guy's camera..." Jack said, thoughtfully. It was heavy; too, the guy must be built like a linebacker under that suit he wore in order to be able to tote it around all day. He set it on the desk – it was habit with Jack not to leave expensive stuff on the floor. He did have Jaffer, after all, and while the black lab was well past his chewing stages, he liked to remind Jack every now and then that expensive things usually tasted the best.
"Shall we return it to him?" Teal'c asked as O'Neill started fiddling with buttons. Jack couldn't leave anything alone when it presented itself so willingly to him. A moment later, the cassette case opened and a small tape popped out. Jack grinned and pulled it out.
"Let's see Daniel's interview."
"I do not believe they would-"
"No one will care, Teal'c," Jack said, smoothly, already pocketing the tape. Sam had a player in her office, but Jack never messed with it, since she also usually had something important in it and he didn't like to mess up her work. "We'll take a look and return it before they even know it's gone. Come on, we'll go find Daniel and let him watch with us."
And they could use his tape player.
