The base PA system boomed. "SG-1 to the briefing room. SG-1 to the briefing room."
When SG-1 arrived at the briefing room, breathless, they found only General Hammond and Jacob Carter there.
"Have a seat, SG-1." Hammond said.
The team shared uneasy looks as they took their seats.
They turned as Dr Brightman entered the room. The woman walked around the table and sat.
"I had you paged so that Dr Brightman could give us an update on General O'Neill's condition." Hammond said. "Dr Brightman?"
The woman nodded. "General O'Neill woke up about ten minutes ago."
As one being SG-1 stood.
"However," Dr Brightman continued, "We are running some tests, just to make sure he's physically fine."
SG-1 were still standing. "Sit down, SG-1." Hammond ordered.
"But sir…" Daniel began.
"No buts, Dr Jackson. You can see Jack when he is ready to come to the briefing room, you'll just be in the way in the infirmary." Hammond said firmly.
SG-1 reluctantly re-took their seats.
"Does Jack have his memory back?" Daniel asked.
"He seems to. I'm not really in a position to test him. But he knows who he is, where he is… things like that. So far he checks out." Dr Brightman said.
"You know, he's standing right here."
Everyone at the table jumped at the sound of Jack's voice. They turned to see him leaning in the doorway, arms folded across his chest, wearing blue BDU trousers and the usual black t-shirt.
"Jack!" Hammond said.
"You are supposed to be in the infirmary, sir." Dr Brightman said.
Jack said nothing. Two nurses cautiously approached him, trying to get him to go back to the infirmary. He turned.
"You," Jack said, pointing an index finger at them, "Go. Away." The nurses looked helplessly from him to Dr Brightman, who nodded. The nurses left.
Dr Brightman rose, and collected her papers. "I expect to see you in the infirmary after the debriefing, General." She said firmly, walking past Jack.
"Yeah, that'll happen." Jack said, his voice laced with sarcasm. Dr Brightman left.
Jack turned back to face the occupants of the room. "I just wanted to say thanks, for getting my memory back." He said, then turned and made to leave.
"Jack!" General Hammond called.
"Yessir?"
"Where are you going?"
"Home." Jack replied.
"Not just yet, Jack, we need to talk about some things. Have a seat."
Jack looked at the table. Hammond was sitting at the far end, with Jacob on his right. Next to Jacob sat Sam. Opposite them sat Daniel and Teal'c.
Jack took a seat opposite General Hammond, far away from the rest of the group. He stared down at the table.
Daniel studied Jack carefully. 'Yep, no doubt about it' he thought, 'he is pissed.'
"I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say it's good to have you back, Jack." General Hammond said, smiling paternally.
There were various murmurs of agreement from around the table.
Sam, still feeling guilty, could not bring herself to meet Jack's eyes, sure she would see reproach in them.
Jack nodded, said nothing.
Unperturbed, Hammond went on. "Now, perhaps you'd like to tell me why you didn't inform me that the Asgard were unable to remove the Ancient download from your brain?" Hammond said it good-naturedly; clearly Jack wasn't in any trouble.
Jack looked up. Hammond almost physically recoiled at the anger he saw in Jack's eyes.
"Should I have?"
"It would have been appropriate." General Hammond said, clearly confused at Jack's hostility.
"Appropriate?" Jack gave a harsh laugh.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Daniel asked.
"You all just sat around and watched my whole life like a bad cable movie!" Jack's voice wasn't loud, but it still felt as though he were shouting. "Now you know everything. I don't have to tell you a damn thing." He stood.
"Jack, sit down." General Hammond ordered, still speaking gently.
"No." Jack replied.
"No?"
"I can't do this shit anymore!" Jack exploded.
"What do you mean?" Daniel asked, trying to placate his friend by using a calm tone of voice, in the face of the knowledge that this tactic had never worked.
Jack's head spun to glare at Daniel. "I mean, Daniel," Jack said, nastily, as if talking to a particularly ignorant and obnoxious child, "that I'm outta here." He looked at Hammond. "I resign."
"I won't accept your resignation, Jack." Hammond said.
"Fine. Declare me AWOL, then, 'cos there is absolutely no fucking way I'm stayin' here."
Jack turned made to leave.
The table erupted.
"Jack!" Daniel.
"Sir!" Sam.
"O'Neill!" Teal'c.
"Jack!" Jacob.
General Hammond remained silent until Jack had yanked the briefing room door open. Then: "General O'Neill! Ten hut!"
Jack didn't come to attention. He stopped in the doorway and gave a short, mirthless laugh.
"General O'Neill?" He asked quietly, "It was Jack a minute ago." He turned back to face the room.
"General O'Neill, you have disobeyed a direct order, again! That is a court martialable offence. You will come back in here and you will-" Hammond began, angrily.
"No. I won't." Jack replied. He reached into the neck of his black t-shirt and pulled out his dogtags. He yanked them off, snapping the chain open at the clasp, and tossed them onto the briefing room table. "You wanna court martial me? Go ahead."
Without looking at them he turned and exited the room.
"Airman! Stop that man!" Hammond yelled at the airman standing outside.
As the man moved towards O'Neill they heard him growl "Don't touch me!" Before stalking away.
"I'm sorry sir, but-" The airman began.
"Its okay, son." Hammond said. "As you were."
From further down the corridor they heard, "No I won't just fucking sign anything! Get the hell outta my way!"
Daniel blew out a breath. "What was that?" He asked.
"Jack just had to live through all his memories again." Jacob reminded them.
"And we watched them." Hammond added.
"No wonder he's pissed." Daniel commented.
"I'm going after him." Sam said, rising.
"Sam?" Jacob asked.
"I need to explain. I need to tell him… never mind. General, with your permission?"
The Texan nodded, "See if you can knock some sense into the insubordinate son-of-a-bitch, Colonel." Sam hurried out of the briefing room, scooping up Jack's discarded dogtags as she went.
"Good luck!" Daniel called after her.
When he was certain she was out of earshot, Hammond said, "Well it's about damned time!" Jacob nodded his agreement.
Daniel nodded his agreement then realised who had spoken, "General? Shouldn't you be trying to stop her?"
"Dr Jackson, a wise, well, wise-ass, Air Force officer once said, in a formal debriefing, 'Screw the regs". And, for once, I'm inclined to agree with Jack."
Daniel laughed. "For a minute there I thought I was gonna have to go after him." Daniel said. "Somehow I don't think what I would have said to him would have had quite the same impact as what we hope Sam's gonna say."
"There is always the possibility that they will not-" Teal'c began.
"Teal'c, don't even say it! I don't think I can keep watching those two dance around one another." Jacob warned. He turned to Hammond. "George, I believe you have a phone call to make to your commander-in-chief." Hammond smiled and both men rose and walked into Jack's office.
Daniel looked at Teal'c. "They're very confident that they know what's gonna happen." He said, gesturing towards the two Generals.
"Indeed."