'Jack, I'm done with the revisions on your speech…' Daniel stumbled to a halt at the sight of the Amerasian woman sat in Jack's office. Thirty-something, he catalogued. Not military given the simple smart grey suit with a cream blouse. Her brown almost black hair was pinned back in a practical chignon. 'You're not Jack.'

'I hope not.' She flashed a smile at him and her almond-shaped brown eyes lit up.

'I'm sorry.' Daniel shuffled the folders he held and stretched out a hand. 'I'm Daniel Jackson.'

She rose to her feet gracefully and shook his hand. 'I'm Doctor Carolyn Lam.'

'I'm a doctor too. Archaeology.'

'I'm a doctor, doctor.' Carolyn said. 'A medical doctor.'

'Oh. Oh, you must be the new CMO?' Daniel let go of her hand. 'I think Jack mentioned you were starting today.'

'It's quite a first day.' Carolyn Lam wished fervently for her lab coat so she could have something to do with her hands. She settled for placing them behind her back.

'Yeah. I imagine finding out the President's coming to visit on the same day you start is a bit…'

'Terrifying.' Carolyn supplied.

'Daniel, there you are. I've been looking for you everywhere.' Jack barrelled into his office only seeing the archaeologist before his brown eyes landed on the woman standing next to him. 'Carolyn. You're here already.' He gave a delighted smile. 'Welcome to the mad house.' He turned back to his friend. 'Daniel, do you have the…'

'Revisions.' Daniel handed him the folder.

'Thank you, thank you, thank you.' Jack grasped the folder like a lifeline before seeming to realise the tableau he'd interrupted. 'Oh, did you two kids introduce yourselves?'

Daniel nodded. ''I'll leave you to it.' He had hoped to find Jack alone; their session on the speech early in the morning hadn't been conducive to telling Jack about his conversation with Hammond, a conversation that had turned into a planning session that had meant he'd missed dinner with his team-mates. It looked like he wasn't going to get any time alone with Jack before the President arrived to warn him of the plan. He repressed the urge to sigh. 'It was nice meeting you, Doctor Lam.'

'Carolyn, please.' She said as they shook hands again.

'Oh you two should definitely be on a first name basis.' Jack joked. 'Daniel spends a lot of time in the infirmary.'

'Thanks, Jack.'

'My pleasure, Daniel.' Jack waved him out of his office with the folder. 'And thanks for this.'

'Yeah, I'm adding it to the list.' Daniel said over his shoulder.

'What list?' Jack called as he disappeared from sight.

Carolyn Lam looked up at him with an expression that was a mixture of curiosity and bemusement.

'Sorry, Carolyn,' Jack closed the open office door to the corridor and glanced over to make sure the briefing room entrance was also shut. 'It's been kind of a crazy day.'

'It's only oh-eight-hundred.' Carolyn noted.

'President's visiting,' Jack explained blithely, 'everybody was up early.' It had been oh-five-hundred when he'd woken Daniel to ask for help with the speech. He gestured for her to take a seat. 'How're you? How's Hank? And your Mom?'

'Mom's fine. You probably know better than me how Dad is and I'm, well, to be honest, I'm a little nervous.'

Jack nodded. 'You're going to be great, Carolyn.'

'I managed to read through most of the medical files that you sent me.' She shook her head. 'You weren't kidding about the strange diseases were you? Some of the stuff your previous medical officers have had to deal with, it's mind-boggling.'

'You're still interested though, right?' Jack asked.

'You kidding?' Carolyn smiled. 'I can't wait to get started.' Her eyes shone brightly at him. 'I can't thank you enough for the opportunity.'

Jack shrugged away her gratitude. 'I'm glad I finally convinced you to take the job. You would have made my life a lot easier if you'd accepted it last year.'

She sighed. 'I know but you've known me a long time…'

'Since you were a little girl in pig-tails when I served with your father.' Jack commented.

'And you know how I feel about the military.' She finished. 'If it was anyone else but you in charge, General…'

'Well, I'm glad you changed your mind.' Jack sobered. 'I know you'll want time to speak with your staff, see the infirmary, get settled in and all but I have a pressing evaluation that I need you to schedule.'

'Oh?' Carolyn's interest perked up at his serious tone.

'I've ordered Colonel Carter to report to you for a full physical and psych evaluation.' Jack explained.

'Colonel Carter.' Carolyn mentally reviewed the personnel files she'd received; Carter was the commander of the SG1 team and the General's former team-mate. She was looking forward to meeting the other woman. 'She recently lost her father right?'

Jack nodded. He gestured at her. 'It's pretty much standard procedure but I am going to need your report ASAP and I'd like you to copy it directly to General Hammond. Specifically we need you to comment on whether a transfer from her current position would be appropriate at this time.'

Carolyn regarded him for a long moment. 'And if my report recommends that she can be transferred?'

'Then that's what it will recommend.' Jack said simply.

Carolyn nodded. 'OK. I'll schedule the evaluation for first thing tomorrow.'

'Good.' Jack rose. 'I'll get someone to show you to the infirmary. This place is a bit of a maze until you get used to it.'

Carolyn nodded appreciatively and felt a twang of sympathy as a dozen officers descended on the General's office as the SF showed her back to the elevator. A couple of hours later with her short team talk over and her rounds of the current patient roster completed, she decided to go in search of Colonel Carter to schedule the eval personally.

She found the lab where she was assured the Colonel would be on her third attempt. She took a moment to examine the other woman without her being aware of her presence, acknowledging to herself that she was already beginning the evaluation. The Colonel was more beautiful in person than her photo and strangely, she suited the dress blues of her Air Force uniform. But even in the dim lighting of the lab, the doctor in her was already noting how loose the uniform seemed, the vague hint of shadows under the Colonel's eyes and the wan complexion. She wasn't sleeping, maybe not eating, Carolyn surmised. It wasn't unusual during the grieving process.

Carolyn rapped sharply on the open door and found herself pinned by two very startled, very blue eyes. 'Hi.'

Sam blinked as though to reassure herself she wasn't imagining the Amerasian woman in a white lab coat standing in her doorway. 'Hi.'

'I'm Doctor Carolyn Lam.' Carolyn entered quickly and held out her hand to the blonde Colonel.

'Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter.' Sam shook hands a little nervously. She had been intending to report to the infirmary after the President's visit; it looked like the new doctor had beaten her to it.

'I understand you're also a doctor of theoretical astrophysics?' Carolyn checked.

'Yes, I am.' Sam confirmed.

'Do you prefer Colonel or Doctor?'

'I prefer Colonel as my formal salutation.' Sam said and hearing how stiffly she'd phrased her reply, smiled to soften the words. 'But otherwise, please call me Sam.'

'Thank you, and please call me Carolyn.'

Sam's smile widened a little at the friendly warmth the other woman exuded. She hadn't felt this comfortable with a doctor since…since Janet. Her smile fell away suddenly and she looked down at the file she was reading to regain her control before she raised her eyes back to the doctor.

Carolyn noted the behaviour and mentally filed it away. She was getting a clearer idea why the General had ordered the evaluation. 'As much as I would love to claim this was purely a personal visit, I'm afraid I do have an agenda; General O'Neill wanted me to schedule a full evaluation with you.'

'I intended to stop by the infirmary after the President's visit.' Sam hurried to explain.

'I was thinking tomorrow morning?' Carolyn suggested. 'I'd like to review your file. I recall you have some anomalies in your blood work.'

'That's right. I have a protein marker left after my experience as a host for a Tok'ra symbiote called Jolinar.' Sam explained. 'I'd be happy to explain it to you if we could do the eval today.'

Carolyn nodded slowly. 'Well, General O'Neill did say he wanted the report ASAP.' She mentally checked her schedule. 'Sixteen hundred?'

'Sixteen hundred. I'll be there.' Sam confirmed with relief. The sooner they got the damned thing out of the way the better. Her eyes flickered to the clock. 'Uh-oh. We'd better get upstairs to welcome the President.'

'Am I meant to be doing that?' Carolyn checked a little panicked.

'You're the CMO.' Sam said. She assumed the CMO would be in the welcome line-up. 'Come on, I'll show you the way.'

'This is a hell of a first day.' Carolyn mumbled as they got in the elevator. 'Is it always like this?'

'Pretty much.' Sam said. 'You'll get used to it.'

'I…uh…wanted to offer my condolences on your loss.' Carolyn said a little hesitantly.

She felt the Colonel stiffen beside her. 'Thank you.'

'I believe our fathers served together.' Carolyn said.

Sam's eyes snapped back to the doctor. 'Your father's military?'

'Actually he's another Air Force General. You've probably have heard of him. Hank Landry?'

'You're General Landry's daughter?'

Carolyn nodded.

'Wow.' Sam shook her head. 'So I guess you're another military brat.'

'Not quite.' Carolyn admitted. 'My parents broke up when I was young.'

The elevator doors opened before Sam could reply and they hurried into the next elevator which took them to the entrance of the facility where there was already a line of people waiting along with an honour guard. Carolyn noticed members of the Secret Service were also in place as they all waited for the President's car to arrive. She followed Sam to the top of the line.

General O'Neill seemed to be having problems with his tie and Doctor Jackson was trying to fix it.

'Will you just stand still?' Daniel muttered. 'I can't believe you got to be General without knowing how to get your tie right.'

'You're not doing it right.' Jack complained.

'Colonel Carter has arrived. Perhaps she can assist you O'Neill.' Teal'c said. He was in his good Jaffa robes having decided to eschew Earth dress for the occasion.

Jack's eyes landed on Sam with relief. 'Carter, can you give me a hand here?'

'Of course, sir.' She nudged Daniel who relinquished his place.

It only took Sam two seconds to fix the problem.

'How do you do that?' Daniel asked.

'It's just a question of physics.' Sam murmured as she stepped back and Jack smiled at her gratefully.

'Physics?' Daniel repeated.

'And years of doing my Dad's tie.' Sam admitted.

Carolyn saw the way all three men automatically inched closer to the Colonel supportively. They were all worried about her, she realised, not just the General, and yet with the presence of the rest of her team the Colonel seemed…calmer, more confident. The sound of an approaching car prevented any further conversation.

'Places, kids.' Jack muttered.

Carolyn found herself ushered into place and by the time the President's car drew up they were all neatly in position. It was a military thing, Carolyn guessed.

The President was the first man out of the limo. He was dressed in a formal three-piece dark grey suit with a silk blue tie. His mop of grey hair was swept back from his well-worn face and his keenly intelligent blue eyes took in the waiting line with satisfaction. Carolyn smiled at the second man out of the car. General George Hammond. She was delighted when his blue eyes landed on her and he gave her a small smile of acknowledgement as he took his place beside the President. She jolted a little as there was a yell to come to attention.

'General O'Neill.' President Henry Hayes returned the brisk salute shook Jack's hand firmly. 'It's good to see you again.'

'Likewise, sir.' Jack's smile was genuine. He actually really liked Hayes; for a politician the other man was a stand-up guy. 'You remember the SG1 team? Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter.'

Another salute; another handshake. 'Of course. A pleasure as always Colonel Carter.'

'Thank you, sir.' Sam replied.

'Doctor Daniel Jackson.' Jack continued as they moved down the line.

'Good to see you again, Doctor Jackson.' Hayes shook hands with the archaeologist.

'Mr President.' Daniel inclined his head slightly.

'And Teal'c.'

Teal'c bowed his head solemnly and Hayes followed the gesture a little awkwardly. 'Teal'c. Let me congratulate you on your victory at Dakara and the success of the Jaffa rebellion.' He figured it would only be a matter of time before he would be speaking to the Jaffa on an equal basis. By all accounts, it seemed everyone expected Teal'c to lead the new Free Jaffa nation.

'Thank you, Mr President,' Teal'c said, 'it would never have been possible without the help of our friends of the Tau'ri.'

'I'm hoping we have an opportunity today to discuss with you how best we can help your people going forward.' Hayes replied.

'That would be greatly appreciated, Mr President.' Teal'c's expression revealed nothing of his pleasure in the offer.

'And this is our new CMO, Doctor Carolyn Lam.' Jack winked at her as Carolyn reached forward to shake the President's hand.

'I understand this is your first day?' Hayes smiled sympathetically.

'Yes, sir.' Carolyn replied.

'Well, good luck with the new job, Doctor.'

'Thank you, sir.' She breathed out as Jack moved on further down the line introducing Sergeant Harriman, Sergeant Siler, more division heads before they ran out of people and headed into the base.

Carolyn was with the rest of the SG1 team as they made their way back into the bowels of the mountain. She stood back, happy to watch as the three team members speculated on whether Jack would stick to his speech. They weren't exclusive either, Daniel pulled Siler into the discussion; the Colonel pulled in Doctor Lee. She figured if they had known her better she would have been included, as it was one of them would turn and smile at her occasionally to make sure she didn't feel left out. She was surprised at the sense of loss as she stepped off at the infirmary level; she had enjoyed the camaraderie. She looked back at the closed doors of the elevator thoughtfully before she headed for her office. According to Sergeant Harriman she wasn't needed until the speech in the gate room which gave her just enough time to review Colonel Carter's file.