Teal'c's arrival on the base with Ian Brooks in tow created a bit of a stir. They arrived at the main gate in a cab and although Teal'c and Jack (the dog) were well known to the guards there, Ian wasn't, and there was no way they could let him in. Mindful of his promise to keep the cadet in sight, Teal'c had the Sergeant of the guard call General Hammond to the surface so the General could get them to let him in.

When Hammond arrived only minutes later – with Sam – he issued a set of temporary credentials to the cadet, and Ian was waved through with the others. He looked around with interest as they walked into the first hallway, and through the first set of security measures listening only with half his attention as Teal'c reported to Hammond and Sam about what had happened so far and what O'Neill was up to.

"Your dad is Nathan Brooks?" Hammond asked Ian when Teal'c told them who was with Jack.

Ian nodded.

"Yes, Sir."

"I wonder if Kinsey knew that..."

Ian shrugged.

"Shawn and River are in the infirmary," Sam said, noticing that Ian didn't seem to want to talk about his father. Maybe he was embarrassed? Or maybe he didn't want people to know his dad was a high-ranking officer? It could be anything.

"Are they all right?"

Sam nodded.

"It's just a precaution. River had Doctor Fraiser worried for a bit, but he's fine, and Shawn's head is too hard for anything to hurt him, I think."

Ian smiled.

"Can I see them?"

"I think it'd be a good idea," General Hammond said. He wanted the three together for now – and he definitely wanted River and Ian to stay someplace out of the way and away from anything sensitive. He still wasn't sure what he was going to tell them. "I'd like Doctor Fraiser to take a look at you – even though you said you were fine – and then we'll discuss why you went with Teal'c when I'm sure you weren't supposed to."

Hammond gave the young man a stern look, but Ian wasn't even phased by it. Of course, Sam reasoned, if his father was a general then he probably wasn't in awe of anyone with rank. Which might explain why he was so often in trouble at school.

"I'll take him to the infirmary, General," Sam offered.

"Make sure he stays there, Major."

"Yes, Sir."

Hammond walked off with Teal'c, leaving Sam and Ian to finish the trek to the infirmary alone.

"He's pretty pissed, huh?" Ian asked.

"He's not happy," she agreed. "Why did Thor take you with Teal'c?"

"I tricked him into it," Ian admitted. "I told him Colonel O'Neill said I was supposed to go."

"I'll bet Jack was thrilled to see you..." Sam said as they went through the infirmary door.

Ian smiled.

"Oh, yeah. He wasn't happy. I'm surprised he didn't kick me all the way back here."

Sam was, too.

Shawn and Janet Fraiser walked over, interrupting their conversation before Sam could ask what Jack had said, and Ian was glad to see that Shawn didn't seem to have any ill-affects of the head shot he'd taken.

"How ya feeling, Adams?" he asked the younger boy.

"I'm fine," Shawn answered. "Have you seen Jack? What's going on? Is he here?"

Ian shook his head.

'I've seen him, I'm not sure exactly what he's up to – or if I'm supposed to tell you, and no, he's not here."

"I'll tell him," Sam said, smiling. "You go with Janet here and get checked out."

Ian nodded, but looked over Shawn's shoulder and saw River sitting up in a bed about halfway down the aisle.

"Is it all right if I go talk to Hayden first?"

Sam nodded, and Ian headed down the aisle, apologizing to a nurse that he accidentally bumped because he wasn't paying attention to what was going on around him. River had a tray in front of him with about a dozen plates and saucers on it, along with three empty glasses and a bowl that was filled with ice cream.

"Jesus, Hayden," Ian said as he came over and looked at his roommate. "Have you been eating since I left?"

River shook his head, smiling.

"They're trying to fatten me up, I think. How are you?"

"Could be worse. You?"

"I'm fine. I think they're holding me here because they're not sure what to do with me."

"Sounds like it," Brooks said, agreeing. "They're going to make me stay here, too, now. And probably for the same reason."

"What's going on?" River asked, lowering his voice just a little. "Have you seen that little gray guy again?"

"Thor?"

River nodded.

"No."

"But you did see him, right?"

"Oh yeah."

"And we did get beamed up or something, right?"

"Uh huh."

"Good. I thought maybe I was imagining that."

"That's some fucking imagination you've got then, Hayden," Ian said. "Because you imagined me up right along with you."

River grinned.

"I brought you a souvenir," Ian told him, reaching into his shirt and pulling out the dart gun. He set it on the tray next to the bowl of ice cream.

"What's that?"

"One of those tranquilizer guns they shot us with."

"Cool."

River picked it up, checking it out.

"Is it loaded?"

"Nah."

"Cool."

River held the gun out, looking down the sights at his friend.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Both cadets jumped at the sound of Janet Fraiser's voice – her very pissed off voice – and looked over at her. She was walking down the aisle towards them, frowning, and she reached out and grabbed the barrel of the gun, pulling it down and moving it so its sights weren't on Ian. The motion pulled River's finger against the trigger, and the gun went off with a loud crack, and Fraiser winced as she felt a sudden sharp pain in her upper thigh.

"Jesus!"

River dropped the tranquilizer gun with a clatter; surprised at the way the shot reverberated through the room.

"What the hell-"

Sam had come over in an instant – as had several large medics – all investigating the sound, which had sounded like a gunshot, but not exactly the same.

She arrived just in time to catch Janet when she started to fall, and River looked over at Ian in horror.

"I thought you said it wasn't loaded!"