Author's Note: Again, I'm sorry some of you think I'm posting too slowly on this. It's not an easy story to write, and I want to do it properly without missing something important. Once a day is better than a lot of authors post, so I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to do much better than that right now. Real life also dictates just how much I post, and I do have a life.

OOOOOOO

Jack caught the irritation in Hammond's voice easily – as did the others – and he frowned. While he wasn't sure exactly what was going on – no more than anyone else did, anyways – he wasn't as ready to explode about it as Hammond seemed to be. Of course, he was also on medication, which might have had something to do with his lassitude.

"General…" he said, drawing Hammond's attention. "You might not want to be too direct with Ian when he wakes up. If you start interrogating him, he's going to clam up and get defensive…"

Hammond scowled, transferring his irritation quite easily over to Jack.

"What would you suggest I do, Colonel? The boy's hiding some secret of some kind for who knows how long! You want me to just let it slide?"

"I didn't say that, sir," Jack said, scowling as well. He wasn't the one Hammond was mad at, so he didn't feel it was all that fair that the general get snippy with him. After all, he was hurt, right? "I just said you might want to rethink whatever strategy you're planning on using with Ian. Unless you like having someone tell you to go fuck yourself?"

Of course, that was the first phrase that would come to mind for Ian if he was angered – it always was. Jack knew that Ian didn't have the awe for Hammond's rank that other young recruits did, and he knew that Ian wouldn't hesitate to lash out if he felt Hammond was trying to pull rank on him or bully him.

Hammond's face turned red, and Jack was pretty sure he was going to get reamed for that last bit – and he probably would have deserved it – but Daniel spoke up.

"He's right, general. Ian's not going to tell us anything if someone's bullying him."

And Daniel definitely wanted to know what was going on with Ian.

Hammond turned his attention to Daniel – well aware that Jack was right. Of course, Jack knew Ian as well as anyone did – with the exception of Cassie Fraiser, most likely. And there was no way Hammond was going to let that little girl in on the secret until he knew more about it. Okay, she wasn't a little girl anymore, but she still wasn't going to know anything until he did.

"What do you have in mind, then, Doctor Jackson?" He asked, sarcastically.

Daniel hesitated, thinking. He actually hadn't had anything in mind. He'd just sided with Jack because he knew Jack was right.

"I don't know…" he replied, casting for any idea and grabbing the first – which he knew was a very bad one, even as he suggested it. "Maybe Janet could accidentally give him an extra dose of painkillers… he'd tell-"

"If we drug him, we've lost him," Jack said, throwing a look of disbelief and disgust at Daniel. "He'd never forget it – or forgive it – and neither would I."

You didn't do that kind of thing to your teammates – and certainly not to someone who'd just saved your life.

Daniel flushed; he'd known it was wrong the minute he'd said it.

"I know… I just-"

"Have Sam talk to him," Janet said. "The minute he wakes up, and while he's still sleepy."

They all looked at her, and Janet shrugged.

"He'd tell her anything, anyways, I bet. And she's going to be here with Colonel O'Neill, so she'll be here when Ian wakes up."

Which made Jack scowl, because he'd been hoping he was going to have a chance to get out of the infirmary that day. He was well aware that Mother's Day was the next day, and he needed to do some shopping.

Daniel nodded, though.

"She's right. Sam could get him to talk…"

Sam didn't like the idea of using her relationship with Ian like that, and it plainly showed on her face. Hammond noticed, of course, since he'd been looking directly at her. He'd already considered asking Sam to at least have a word with Ian when he woke up, because he knew Jack had been right. Ian would have jumped immediately on the defensive, and a defensive Ian was just not someone you could talk to about anything.

"If you'd just have a word with him, major…" Hammond requested. "It'd really be a help."

She sighed, but nodded. It would be better than other options, she supposed.

"If I have a chance to talk to him I will, sir."

Hammond nodded, also. He'd make sure she had a chance to talk to Ian while he was waking up.

"Thank you, major."

She nodded, and felt Jack's hand come to rest lightly on her thigh under the table where no one could see it. He understood she didn't like what she'd been asked to do, but when she looked over at him, she could see in his expression that he had all the confidence in the world that she'd be able to do what was being asked of her.

Of course, Jack believed Sam could move mountains of she put her mind to it, and she knew it.

"We'll meet back here on Monday morning," Hammond said, standing up. "Unless something happens between then and now."

Everyone else stood up as well, and Jack turned to Fraiser, his hand reaching for Sam's. It wasn't like this was an official work day, after all, and he didn't have to pretend he was just her CO just then.

"You're not really going to keep me here tonight, are you?"

Janet nodded.

"Another day, Colonel."

"I have things to do, doc…"

Meaning he needed to do some shopping.

"I'm sorry, colonel, but I'm not positive you're at a hundred percent, yet, and I'm not ready to release you."

That was an understatement. Janet hadn't really decided that O'Neill was ready to be on his feet – despite the fact that he looked a lot better than the alternative – but he'd insisted on joining the briefing. It was better to be safe than sorry, after all.

"But-"

"I'm sure Daniel would be happy to help you with whatever it is you need to do."

Sam wasn't fooled at all. If Jack had things to do, he'd have asked her to do them. Which meant the things he needed to do had to do with her. And given the fact that the next day was Mother's Day, she was pretty sure what it was.

"There's no hurry, Jack," she said, squeezing his hand lightly.

"Yeah, there is." He tempered that grumpiness with a slight smile for her, but then let her hand go, turning to Daniel before he could escape the room. "Daniel!"

Sam smiled at Janet as Jack walked off to talk to the archeologist.

"When do you think Ian might wake up?"

"I don't have a clue, Sam. He hasn't even moved, yet."

She'd put him on an IV to make sure he didn't dehydrate, and a catheter to make it easier on the staff to take care of him while he slept.

"I'll stick around then, I guess…"

Janet smiled.

"I was hoping you would. I have to get to the infirmary. SG-5 and SG-9 will be back in a few hours and I want to get ready for post mission examinations."

Sam looked over at Jack, who was deep in conversation with Daniel.

"I'll walk with you."