The SG1 team sat anticipating the briefing that had been rescheduled due to the incident. All of them had been uncomfortable with the evaluations and were eager to get back to work. General Hammond walked in solemnly and sat down with a sigh.
"in correspondence with your evaluations I am ordering that you be taken off any upcoming missions" Hammond announced calmly and they all stared wide eyed and confused "accept you Dr Jackson, you will continue your missions with SG2 for the time being" he pointed out "you three are on leave until further notice and you are to visit Dr Clifford at his private clinic on the 12th, here are your appointment details" he explained giving them each an appointment slip.
"What! Oh for crying out loud, sir this is bullshit" Jack complained and Hammond snapped back "that's an order Colonel" and Jack slumped back in his chair gritting his teeth. "Dr Jackson you meet with SG2 for a briefing at o nine hundred hours, dismissed" he ordered leaving the room and the SG1 team members to bicker amongst them selves. Jack picked up his appointment slip and read over it before scrunching it up in a ball.
"This stinks, the shrink thinks I'm emotionally unstable" he whined flicking the paper ball across the room and Teal'c raised an eyebrow at him.
"Jack you're not the only one being affected here" Daniel spoke up and Jack growled at him "Hey don't complain, you don't have to sit in with Dr Dick-ford"
"His name is in fact Dr Clifford" Teal'c corrected and Jack groaned "I know!"
"Workaholism?" Carter grumbled out loud as she read her slip
"Ha why am I not surprised?" Jack laughed and Sam glared at him as she folded the slip and tucked in her breast pocket.
"What you got big guy?" Jack asked trying to read Teal'cs slip and Teal'c turned it away from him
"Ironic, it says he has trust issues" Daniel piped up as he read the slip Teal'c had mistakenly turned towards him
"I never saw that coming" Jack sarcastically remarked and got up from his chair and picked up the paper ball on his way out.
The 12th"So doc this is all a big misunderstanding and there's no point you keeping us here" Jack baffled as he paced the Psychiatrists office.
"Yes Colonel I understand what you've been trying to say but your not going to get out of this that easy, sit down" he said frustrated. The belligerent Colonel just lent against a wall and rolled his eyes
"Please Colonel?" he asked gesturing at the empty seat besides Carter and Jack sighed and sat down prudently.
"Ok, surprisingly we still have time left so first off id like to know how you feel about being here? Except you Colonel, we've heard enough" he commented and Jack shrugged his shoulders and picked up a picture frame off Dr Clifford's desk, Dr Clifford snatched it out of his hands and placed it back in its original position.
"That your wife?" Jack asked tapping his knee as he fidgeted with a loose string on the base of his cargo shorts. Dr Clifford smiled and nodded and Jack tilted his head saying "nice" and Teal'c looked at him inquisitively "what?" Jack asked confused and Teal'c ignored him and turned back to the Psychiatrist.
"None of us really want to be here" Carter pointed out as she looked at her watch and sighed
"Why are we here? I thought psychiatrist worked with mental disabilities not the psychological side of things, I mean shouldn't we be talking to a psychologist or psychotherapist?" Jack inquired and all three of them stared at him shocked
"What?" he asked confused, they all remained silent and ignored him.
"I'm just saying that psychiatrist usually work with wacko's and nutcases and the last time I checked I was sane"
"Yeah last time YOU checked" Carter muttered
"Carter!" Jack snapped
"Sorry sir, I didn't mean to say that" she apologized and muttered "out loud"
"Carter! You're not helping"
"Sorry" she said blushing slightly and turning her attention to the ever-slowing tick of her watch, as the time seemed to drag on. Dr Clifford lifted his head as though he saw a spark of hope in their petty banter and he threw his hands up as if gesturing to the world to pause for a moment while he thought.
"Go with that" he said gesturing to Sam who was staring at him wondering if he really was the sane one. "In my office there are no ranks, you can say what ever you want about him and he can't say a word. Tell me, what do you think of the Colonel?"
She continued to stare unsure what to do and frightened of the task "you want me to tell you what I think of O'Neill?" she asked desperately trying to escape this awkward moment and buy time.
"Well honestly, I think he's immature, stubborn and overly childish" she found her voice and let a self-satisfied grin creep in on her expression as Jack glared at her dumbfounded and hurt.
"You're a workaholic, anti-social floozy" he retaliated childishly with a smirk
"Floozy?" both Dr Clifford and Carter asked with eyebrows raised. Jack went to reply but to his relief Dr Clifford's watch beeped.
"Your watch is fast," Carter said glancing at hers
"No, that was the first beep so I know when to rap up the session. Now what we just stumbled across here might help so tonight I want you to try a form of therapy a colleague introduced me to. I'd like you to write letters to each other, with-out sending them, telling each other what you think about them and id like you to bring them with you to tomorrows session which is at 2:30." He explained standing up from his chair
"Why would we not send the letters?" Teal'c asked puzzled
"Well because I need to see them"
"But they are not addressed to you?"
"Well actually your not giving the letters to O'Neill and Carter, your giving them to me" he tried to explain
"Then I should write what I think about you rather then Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter?"
"No, well you can but I still need you to write letters to them" Teal'c looked puzzled and Jack stepped in to help
"Teal'c, just write the letters explaining what you think about me and Carter and give them to us and we'll take it from there" he explained taping his shoulder in reassurance
"But you already know what I think of you O'Neill?" he asked confused
"Just do it" Jack said frustrated and Teal'c nodded in agreement.
"Ok well I'll see you all at 2:30 tomorrow" Dr Clifford said ushering them out of his office. As they where leaving Jack noticed Sam limping slightly and he held the door open for her. She rolled her eyes and stormed out ignoring the kind gesture.
"Hey, what happened to thank you?" Jack called after her and she screwed up her face at him
"Carter!" he snapped but she ignored him "where are you going?" he called out
"Base" she called back stopping in her path
"You're on leave"
"I have some letters to type up" she explained with a sigh
"You have a computer at home don't you?" he asked puzzled
"I have to pick up some stuff from my lab" she explained getting in her car and Jack run up to his.
"Where are you going O'Neill?" Teal'c asked approaching the vehicle
"The base" he explained starting the engine
"Are you not on leave?" he asked sternly
"I have to make sure she doesn't stay there"he explained driving off.
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author's note: sorry it took so long. thanks to all who reviewed and please review again so i know to continue. if you didnt pick it up, this night is the night she has the dream about the foot massage thing and she writes the letter. i dropped hints but i tend to write hints that only i pick up some times. anywho i hope you enjoyed this chapter, the next is coming soon. review please