Sam waited as Daniel unplugged the laptop letting it run on battery, and closed it up to carry it with them to the meeting in case Sam needed to speak. They hadn't used it much, considering it was awkward for Sam to use, not to mention she couldn't carry it around with her. She'd found other ways to communicate what she needed for the most part; resorting to typing letter by letter on a computer console only when what she needed couldn't be communicated in body language.

Chapter 19

General Hammond turned away from the window as SG-1 entered. Doctor Fraiser and Captain Brunsfeld were already seated. "Ah good, we can get started as soon as Major Carter arrives." The General heard a meow from the direction of the doorway, and before anyone could react, Major Carter appeared on the table, having taken a running leap to get there. Unfortunately, Sam hadn't seen the folder the General had set down earlier. She hit the folder at great speed and went careening down the table, spinning a full 360 degrees, papers flying everywhere before she came to stop several feet down the length of the table, eyes wide and ears flat in surprise.

The General coughed, breaking the startled silence as Sam sat blinking in shock. "Well now that we are all here people, lets get started." It took a lot to ruffle the General. Everyone snapped into motion, Sam removed herself from the General's folder, and Teal'c and Jack quickly straightened out the papers and passed them back to the proper owners while Daniel set up Sam's laptop in front of her.

She'd walked across the table to sit in front of the empty chair beside Daniel so he could help with the computer if she needed it. She had to stay on the table though, because if she sat in the chair she wouldn't be able to see anything. Besides, she didn't need to give the Colonel any ammunition about needing a booster seat to go with her bib. Anyway, it was easier to type if she could be on the same level as the keys.

The briefing was soon underway, with Captain Brunsfeld and Doctor Fraiser starting out by going over Sam's latest lab results. Everything had returned normal, well normal for a cat that is, except for the presence of naquadah and the protein marker. But that was normal for Sam, so they weren't concerned. They gave everyone an update on Sam's progress, which most of them had seen, and reassured everyone that she hadn't suffered any harm from her encounter with the dog, nor had she suffered any ill effects from the battery of vaccines she'd been given the previous day.

Next, Daniel explained his and Sam's theories on the device, so that Sam wouldn't have to type too much. She still answered any questions directed at her though. Sam and Daniel were frustrated by their progress, or lack of progress, on deciphering the alien device, but neither showed it as they gave the general what little information they had learned.

The discussions had turned to a debate as to whether they felt it safe to return with a science team to study the machine in closer detail when Sam felt an incredible itch on the back of her head. Before she knew it, she'd twisted, allowing her hind leg access to the itch. Turning her head, she leaned into the scratch. Suddenly Sam stopped, her back leg still half raised, realizing that every eye in the room was on her. She quickly put her leg down. Had she missed something?

Janet had risen from her seat, exchanging a few words that Sam missed with Captain Brunsfeld. She walked over to Sam, and as she reached out for her Sam tried to twist around to see what her friend was doing. "Hold still Sam," ordered Janet. Sam held still but she was still confused as hell about what was going on, and unfortunately she seemed to be the only one that didn't know.

Sam felt Janet's fingers running through her fur, she seemed to be looking for something, but Sam didn't know what. She didn't have to wonder long though, as Janet's expert fingers quickly found what she was looking for. (Janet had after all dealt with a dog for years, one that had taken her months to convince a certain little girl that it was NOT an Earth rule that every child had to have one) Janet plucked something from Sam's fur with a triumphant noise, then produced a small vial from one of her many pockets and popped the something into it, expertly closing the top. She held the vial up for everyone to see.

"Fleas" Janet announced. Silence met her declaration.

Sam investigated the vial Janet was holding, and sure enough, the reason for her itch was inside, plain for all to see. Sam's eyes widened and suddenly she could feel hundreds of them crawling all over her, biting her, carrying disease and lord knows what else. Hadn't fleas been responsible for the spread of the bubonic plague? Sam's skin crawled. She sat rigidly, afraid to move, ears flat and eyes wide.

Janet placed a reassuring hand on Sam's back, as she suggested to the general that Sam be taken to an isolation room and given a flea bath. Sam didn't think her eyes could get any wider as she stared at Janet in shock. She heard Jack laughing as he made some comment about getting her a flea collar. Janet turned on Jack. After all, if he hadn't hauled Sam outside (she had heard all about his kidnapping stunt) the Major wouldn't be in this position. "Colonel," Janet said sweetly, "I could really use some help with the bath." The Colonel's smile faded as he realized Janet wasn't joking.

General Hammond quickly dismissed everyone in the room. Janet left, carrying the very unwilling Major off to the isolation room for a flea bath, with a very subdued Colonel following in their wake.

A/N: I could just see Sam trying to be independent and get up on the table on her own, and ending up the way my cats tend to go by landing on something they didn't see. So of course the same would happen to Sam as she starts becoming more (ahem) "graceful". lol. I had to wait for Sam to get outside before I could go giving her a bath lol... I've been wanting to give her one since I turned her into a cat! And of course, its aaallll Jack's fault she's in need of a flea bath! Poor Sam, I really am an evil dragon. So what do you all think? oooh... and just curious... I know how the bath is going... but what do you all think... will she love it... or hate it? Stay tuned... you know how I love the cliffhangers!