He'd meant to get down to the infirmary hours earlier, but Hammond had detained him after SG-1's 0800 debriefing to get his input on several planets the science guys wanted access to. Afterwards, Sergeant Martin had caught him in the corridor with a list of items Jack had requested which could not possibly be obtained and suggestions for alternates which required approval yesterday if they were to be had this millennium. And while he'd been in his office working on that, Daniel had stopped in with his own list of planets which he wanted Jack to bring to General Hammond as possible sites of abandoned Ancient settlement…. It was well after 1400 before he'd finally managed to get free.

He figured she'd still be there, though. He'd heard it from Teal'c who'd heard from Daniel, and Daniel had heard it from Janet herself. Cassie was going home tonight. It felt like she'd been recovering forever. He'd swing by the infirmary on his way out and volunteer to bring some pizzas over to Janet's later that evening. Some sort of celebration seemed in order.

Only Cassie wasn't alone. She had company. Jack paused in the doorway, watching. Unwilling to interrupt.

Major Carter sat with Cass, perched on the edge of the hospital bed, a game of travel chess spread open between them. Carter was turned slightly away from him, but he could still see the intensity of her expression even in profile, her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she concentrated on the game in front of her. She reached out, grasping one of the small chessmen and sliding it forward across the board.

Janet stood nearby, watching over the two as they played, revealing a glimpse of the mother hen usually kept hidden beneath her Napoleonic exterior. For a precious moment Jack let himself stand there, silently watching the three of them, wishing he could step forward and join them, but knowing there really was no place for him in the small makeshift family before him.

Quietly, so as not to disturb them, Jack turned and left the infirmary.

He had barely traveled twenty meters before the clatter of boots in the passageway behind him warned that he had not gone unobserved and the 'Sir!" she called out to him would have confirmed her identity even if the sound of her footsteps hadn't done so already. Steeling his features, he turned to face his pursuer.

"Hey, Carter," he said, thrusting his hands deep into his pockets and trying to look casual. Because he hadn't actually been running from her, of course. "What's up?"

"Cassie saw you in the infirmary…?"

"Yeah… I… Uhm… Remembered I had some paperwork…."

Her smile wavered. Jack had to agree it was a fairly lame excuse. "Oh… Okay." She took a deep breath before continuing. " It's just… Janet is having sort of a party this evening for Cassie. Nothing big - just pizzas and beer for the grown-ups - but Cassie was sort of hoping you could stop by…?"

He tried not to pay attention to the nervous flutter of her hands in front of her as she tried to explain, or the thinly veiled hope in her eyes as she scarcely breathed, awaiting his reply. None of that mattered. "Oh, I'd love to, Carter, really I would, only I sort of have other plans. You know…."

Her face fell. "Oh… Of course. Saturday night, right, Sir? I should have… I mean…." Her voice faltered into nothing and she took another deep breath before continuing, "I'll let Cassie know, okay?"

Jack was certain his answering smile could fool no one. "Sure, Carter. Thanks."

She nodded. "No problem, Sir. Have a good evening."

"You, too."

Carter nodded again. Then, turning quickly, she hurried back down the hall, but not before Jack caught a glimpse of the unshed tears in her eyes. He'd been considering going ahead and picking up beer and pizza for himself anyway, but now he could probably skip the pizza; he seemed to have lost his appetite. But he was gonna need more beer.

Turning his back on the infirmary, Jack continued his interrupted journey down the hall.