"How's Jack?"
The med tech looked over her shoulder at Ian and smiled, surprised at having him come over to ask. Lieutenant Brooks didn't often approach the medical staff – or many other people in the SGC – unless he was forced to.
"Looks like he sprained his leg and there are a lot of bruises and scrapes, but he should be fine with a little rest."
"That's good."
She nodded, and looked down at her patient, running her hand gently along his belly.
"He's a tough guy. He'll be fine."
Ian nodded, noticing that she'd wrapped Jack's leg in a brace of sorts to keep it immobile, and had placed a row of neat stitches along his shoulder. Nothing too serious, like she'd said, and Jack was alert and watching them – a good sign that he was already over any discomfort.
"Does-"
"Ian…!"
He scowled and turned around, and the med tech couldn't help but grin at the almost inaudible oath she'd heard him mutter. Looking as well, she could understand completely. Rodney McKay was walking across the infirmary, directly toward them.
"I'm out of here…"
"I don't blame you."
She didn't, either. McKay was as annoying as anyone she'd ever met – far more annoying than even her first assessment of Ian Brooks had been.
"Lieutenant!"
She smiled down at Jack; amused to see McKay following Brooks – and it was far better that he was following Ian than coming over to her.
"Let's get you someplace quiet, shall we?"
The yellow lab wagged his tail cheerfully, uncertain what she was saying, but responding to her tone of voice – and the fact that she'd been giving him a good belly rub. He'd go anywhere for a good belly rub – especially since Teal'c was still with the rest of SG-1 getting checked out by Fraiser's medics.
OOOOOOOOO
"I'm talking to you, Lieutenant…"
Ian scowled, and turned around. McKay was like some kind of pestilence. You just couldn't get rid of him.
"And I've already said no."
"Come on… it'll be fun."
"What's this all about?" Daniel asked, coming over.
"He's being stubborn," Rodney said.
"Oh?"
"Yes."
"About what?"
"Nothing," Ian told the archeologist. "I've already told him a hundred times he doesn't have that stupid gene, and now he wants me to go with him to Scotland so some doctor can tell him the same thing."
"Not just any doctor," McKay said. "This guy's a genius. He's already managed to detect the gene in several-"
"You don't have it, McKay," Ian interrupted. "And me going to Scotland with you isn't going to magically give it to you."
"You don't know everything, Lieutenant. It could be that you made a mistake, you know? Carson Beckett has a very high tech lab with a lot of sensitive diagnostic equipment that-"
"What's going on here?"
Janet Fraiser had left the infirmary to report to General Brooks – who had carefully avoided coming into the place and hovering over SG-1 while they were checked out. He had, however, requested that she report to him the moment she had condition reports on the team – and Janet knew that he really meant it when he said as soon as possible. Now she was back, though, and not at all happy to find Rodney McKay yelling at one of her patients.
McKay stopped in mid sentence.
"Nothing."
"Then leave, Doctor."
Now he scowled.
"You can't kick me out of here! I'm a valuable member of-"
"Teal'c?"
The big Jaffa had been watching the conversation from where he sat near O'Neill, and stood up.
"Doctor Fraiser?"
"Doctor McKay here-"
"I'm leaving," Rodney said quickly, not giving up gracefully but definitely knowing he was outmatched here in the infirmary. "Jeeze, no reason to get into a snit."
Janet didn't even hint at a smile. She just nodded.
"Good."
They all watched as McKay made his way out the door, and then Fraiser turned on Ian.
"What are you doing running around my infirmary?"
"I was checking on Jack."
"He's fine."
She'd gotten a report on the dogs before she'd gone to see General Brooks as well, knowing he was just as interested in their health.
"I know."
"Then get back on the exam table."
He scowled, but did as she said, and flopped back down on the table he'd abandoned only a few minutes before. It wasn't like he'd purposely been trying to avoid her, after all – she hadn't even been there.
"Are you sure you want to go to Atlantis?" O'Neill asked. "McKay is enough to drive Gandhi to the edge…"
Ian shrugged.
"I can handle him."
"And if all else fails," Sam added, " you can always call Teal'c."
"Indeed."
They all smiled at that, and Sam looked over at Janet.
"So are you coming over this weekend?"
Fraiser frowned at the sudden change of topic, hesitated, and shrugged.
"I'm not sure."
"Bregman's in town?" Jack asked with a sly grin, immediately assuming that was the reason for the way the doctor had suddenly flushed.
Now she really did turn red, and Jack's smile turned positively wolfish. Which, of course, annoyed her.
"As a matter of fact, he is…"
Sam couldn't help but smile, also.
"You can always bring him along."
Janet nodded.
"I know. But we might have other plans…"
Actually they definitely had other plans, but she wasn't about to share them with them others if she could avoid it.
"We could always come to your place," Jack told her – and now she knew he was baiting her.
"I think I'd better check to make sure your shot records are up to date, General…" she told him, more than willing to verbally spar with him. How many more chances would she have, after all?
"What? They're fine."
Sam laughed and pulled her husband to his feet.
"Come on, Jack. You have a debriefing to get to."
General Brooks would want to hear all about what they'd been up to, after all, and was probably trying to figure out how to explain why he'd sent a rescue mission only five minutes after a missed check in without seeming to be a concerned father.
It should be interesting. But then, everything at the SGC was interesting, really.
OOOOO
The End!
So… it wasn't all that long, but I never really intended for it to be. I just wanted to give you guys a final mission before I take us to the final story in the series – which will be set in the future (just so you know). So let me know what you thought of this one, okay? And I'll get the next one out as soon as I finish one of the other two stories I have going.