"It's not the opening line to a porno," Jack assured her.
"No, it was perfectly innocent," Daniel agreed. "The village we stayed in had apparently sent runners to… um… spread the news about Ian's healing ability…"
"Which has what to do with getting this Joshua person's wife pregnant?" Hammond asked, confused.
"They'd been trying to get her pregnant, and apparently decided Ian could heal her – or maybe just cause her to become pregnant, I'm not really sure what they'd been thinking…"
"It turned out," Daniel said, before Jack could continue, "That Sabrina had cancer."
"Cancer?" Sam asked. "How do you know that?"
"Ian told us."
"What?"
"After he cured it," Daniel said, smiling, now.
"He cured Cancer?" Sam repeated, awed.
"He didn't cure Cancer," Jack said, shaking his head. "He just healed a woman that he said had Cancer… It might not have been; it could have just been a lump of something, I didn't really-"
"Which would be Cancer," Daniel said.
"Ian's not a doctor," Jack said. "He could have been wrong about what it was."
"He's not wrong very often," Daniel said, stubbornly. "Think about it, you guys… we've found a cure for Cancer! Cancer."
Jack frowned. He could understand why Daniel was so excited, but it was out of place.
"It's not a cure, Daniel. It's Ian. What do you think he's going to do? Go from person to person and-"
"I want to hear more about these people," Hammond said, cutting the argument off before it could begin.
"That's all we really know, sir," Jack said. "We had to get back before you guys began to get worried."
"But we definitely should go back," Daniel said. Again.
Hammond frowned.
"Are you considering bringing these people back to Earth, Doctor Jackson? I-"
"Of course not, General. They'd never be able to adapt themselves to society as we know it – even if we found a place large enough to put them that would be out of harm's way until they were introduced to the new world they found themselves in."
"Then why-"
"I want to look in that cave again."
"The one that collapsed twice…"
It was Daniel's turn to frown.
"We could work around that."
"With help from the villagers?"
Everyone in the room could see that Hammond wasn't too enthusiastic about an idea that put his people in danger again, and he wasn't able to see how some natives would be able to help keep SG-1 from being buried in falling rocks. Even without the distraction of having Ian with them.
Daniel hesitated, and then shrugged.
"I don't know. I just really want to see what-"
"Did you even see the villagers using those rocks that you were interested in?"
"No."
"So the mission was a waste of time."
"We found a society of people who-"
"Who will never be able to come back to Earth – you said it yourself."
"But we can learn from them," Daniel said, frustrated. "We don't even know who brought them there, or why."
"Ian Brooks mentioned that there was some Ancient writing on the back wall," Teal'c said, speaking up for the first time. "Perhaps the Ancients had something to do with the relocation of the-"
"Good point," Daniel said, jumping on that, triumphantly. "If the Ancients had a reason-"
Hammond held up his hand to stop Daniel.
"I'll think about it, Doctor Jackson."
"But-"
"I said I'd think about it. For now, get some rest and we'll discuss this tomorrow."
Daniel started to say something, but Hammond stood up, effectively ending the briefing. He wanted a chance to think about this – and weigh the risks. And wanted to go make sure Ian Brooks was okay.
Daniel looked like he wanted to argue, but he didn't. Instead, he sighed and stood up as well, scowling as he watched Hammond disappear into his office.
"I'm going to go look some things up and see-"
"Why don't you call Sally and let her know you're going to be home for dinner?" Sam asked, interrupting him and reminding him that he wasn't the footloose and fancy-free archeologist that he once had been. And reminding him that he really had missed Sally while he was gone.
He nodded.
"I'll do that. Thanks, Sam."
She smiled, and hooked her arm through Jack's as they both stood up as well.
"We'll see you tomorrow, Daniel."
OOOOOOOOO
"I'm fine, you know?"
Janet nodded, shining a pen light into Ian's eyes and frowning.
"I know."
She did. He was tired, but there wasn't anything wrong with him, and she knew it. He just needed some sleep – and she was inclined to let him go home to get it. He didn't need supervision, after all, and she couldn't think of any reason to argue about it. But she did have a couple of conditions.
"You look like hell."
"Just tired."
"A night in the infirmary will put you right."
Ian scowled, just like she'd known he would.
"I'm not sick."
"I know."
"Then why do I have to stay in the infirmary?"
Goddamn Daniel, anyways. This was all his fault.
"Because I don't want to risk you falling asleep driving home."
"So if someone drove me home…?" He asked, hopefully.
"Then I'd be willing to release you – as long as you promised to sleep."
Like he had to promise that? As tired as he was?
"I'd sleep."
"Then-"
"How's he doing, doc?" Jack asked from behind Janet. He and Sam had just entered the room – not only to check on Ian, but also to gather up Jake so they could go home.
"He's fine, Colonel. I'm going to let him go home."
"You are?"
Ian scowled, but Janet just smiled at the shock in Jack's voice.
"If someone is willing to drive him home."
"I'll take him," Sam said. "Jack can meet me at the apartment and take me home from there, so Ian has his car for tomorrow."
Jack nodded his agreement. It wasn't that far out of the way, after all, and it was better than making him stay in the infirmary.
"Sure you don't mind?" Janet asked her. "I could take him…"
Which had been her original intentions. She could have had Emmett pick her up at Ian's.
Sam smiled.
"And miss the opportunity to drive the Son of God home…?"
Ian groaned and covered his eyes, and Janet looked over at her friend, curiously.
"What?"
"You mean he didn't tell you?"
Janet looked at Ian, who was looking for a pillow to smother himself with.
"Tell me what?"
"I'll tell you all about it while Ian gets ready to go…"
It was way too good to keep to herself, after all!
Ian sighed.