Jack knew that they were going to have to leave today and because he knew Sam knew. She moved slowly to the edge of the bed, Jack helping her along the way. She swung her feet off the edge and placed them on the floor. Teal'c moved to stand in front of her while Jack got onto the bed and moved to sit behind her. Sam smiled at Teal'c and mentally thanked Jack; she knew that the two of them were going to make sure that she didn't fall when she tried.

John, Elizabeth, Daniel, Vala and Cam all moved away to give them some room while Carson quickly disconnected Sam's IV. As he got to the needle he waited for Sam to be fully standing before he pulled the needle from the back of her hand.

John and Elizabeth were both impressed by how she didn't even wince; they knew that getting an IV needle taken out of the back of your hand wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world. Carson quickly stuck a plaster over the hole before moving over the where everyone else was standing.

Now that she had been standing for a few moments Sam could feel how weak a week in bed had made her. Her legs shook slightly as she moved towards Teal'c, the Jaffa with his arms ready to catch her if she so much as stumbled. Jack got off the bed and moved to her side, resting a hand on the small of her back for support, and because he could.

Carson watched their slow progress across the infirmary and said, "If you take it easy for a few days Colonel then you should be fine."

As Sam nodded Jack smiled and said, "Just as well we're spending tomorrow at the midway station then isn't it. It's a bit difficult to get excited there."

Daniel chuckled while Sam shook her head.

"When do you plan on leaving General?" Elizabeth asked.

Jack helped Sam to sit back down on the corner of the bed before answering. "As soon as Carter can make it to the gate room. Landry wants everyone back on Earth," he said, looking at the members of SG1 who were stood with Elizabeth, "And we have to spend twenty four hours so we might as well get that done as soon as possible."

Cam and the others nodded in agreement.

"Vala," Cam said, "Go and grab your bag. I'll go and get mine, Teal'c's and Daniel's."

The alien woman nodded and then two of them exited the room. Daniel looked at Elizabeth and said, "The translations are mostly done, the bits that aren't should be easy enough to do with our notes and the already translated portions of the ruin."

"Thank you Daniel," Elizabeth said warmly. She looked over at Sam and said, "I'm sorry Colonel Carter, for what happened."

Sam shook her head and smiled, "Don't be. I'm not." She took Jack's hand as she finished speaking and the two shared a smile. "Do you think I could see Rodney before we go?" she asked, tearing her gaze away from Jack's and looking at Elizabeth.

"Of course," Elizabeth said at the same time as John said, "Why would you want to see Rodney?"

Sam smiled at him as Elizabeth used her headset to get Rodney to the infirmary. "Because I was thinking about possible ways to open the machine on the planet while I was asleep."

"Oh," John said, "That makes sense."

Sam shook her head while Jack rolled his eyes. They were all silent as they waited for Cam and Vala to return and Rodney to turn up. Well they were physically silent anyway. Jack, Sam, John and Elizabeth were all having mental conversations. John and Elizabeth were discussing their sleeping arrangement for that night while Jack and Sam were purely revelling in being together at last.

When Rodney came in he was closely followed by Ronan and Teyla. Rodney stopped in front of Elizabeth, not paying any attention to the rest of the room, and said, "You wanted to see me Elizabeth."

"It wasn't me who wanted to see you Rodney," Elizabeth said.

"Then who?" Rodney questioned in a bored voice.

"That would have been me," Sam answered from the bed.

Rodney span on his heels, "You're awake."

"So it would seem," Sam answered sarcastically.

"Oh boy," Daniel muttered, "She's spent too long with only Jack to talk to."

Jack scowled at him but didn't say anything because Sam had continued to speak to Rodney. "I was thinking about ways to get into the machine that affected Colonel Sheppard and myself." She then went on into some long complicated explanation that only Rodney was able to follow. Just before she finished talking, Rodney was questioning some of her theories, Vala and Cam came back into the room. Vala was carrying hers and Daniel's bags, which the archaeologist promptly took off her, while Cam had his bag and Teal'c's.

As they entered Teal'c reached under Sam's bed and pulled out her bag, which had been there since she had been brought in.

Sam finished speaking and then smiled at him in thanks before he backed up and Jack pulled the curtain across, hiding Sam and her bed from view.

Everyone stood in silence, nobody really having anything to say, until they heard Sam growl in frustration. "You ok Sam?" Daniel called.

They all heard her sigh before she said, "I think I'm going to need some help. My shoulders are too stiff for me to get my t-shirt over my head on my own."

Jack began to smile and then everyone started laughing as Sam said, "Get that grin off your face Jack O'Neill and get in here and give me a hand." Jack continued to smile but slipped through the curtain to help Sam.

It took a few minutes but Jack soon threw back the curtain to reveal a fully dressed Sam. She smiled at everyone before getting off the bed and saying, "Sorry about that." She looked around before asking, "Shall we get moving? We've got a twenty four hour quarantine to get through before I can go home and have a hot bath."

Everyone smiled at her words and nodded but before Sam could take a step Carson said, "Colonel Carter, maybe you will find a wheel chair easier."

Jack, Daniel, Cam, Vala and Teal'c all watched with light smirks as Sam shook her head, "No thank you Doctor, I'm perfectly capable of walking."

SG1 all knew how much she hated wheel chairs as they made her feel weak and useless, which was something Sam Carter did not like.

Two chapters left