"C'mon, Doc…. Can't you hurry this up? Carter and that McKay guy are about to use their big magnet thing on the 'gate. I'd sorta like to be up there…"

The infuriating woman continued to probe and poke mercilessly at his knee as she asked, too casually, "Why? To pick up the pieces?"

"Ah… Carter told you, then?"

She smiled enigmatically. "That she doesn't think it'll work? Yeah… She told me." Then she touched - something - and it hurt like hell. Jack tried to conceal his grimace but Fraiser glanced up at him anyway, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "That hurt?"

"Uhm… No?"

She shook her head and went back to torturing him. Pressing gently on his inner knee, she glanced up at him, "How' bout this?"

That time he couldn't hide his wince. "Uh…" he managed through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." She straightened up, sighing as she took off her gloves. "Well…. It's getting better, but it ain't healed yet, Sir."

"How long?"

She looked at him pointedly. "That'll depend on what you do with it… Colonel."

He smiled sheepishly, "Yes, Ma'am."

As he was sliding off the exam table, the overhead claxon blared to life and the disembodied voice of General Hammond spoke from the speaker on the wall, "Medical team to the Control Room. " The room around him dissolved into chaos as the doc grabbed her kit by the door and rushed out, a stream of other personnel and equipment following close behind. Jack limped after them, but they had already turned the corner to the elevator before he'd even made it into the hall.

He had to find out what was going on up there. Carter had said - had known - this whole plan had been a Very Bad Idea. But Hammond had ignored her protests…. And Jack had just stood there and let him. Even though she had practically begged him to say something - to say anything. To back her up. But he'd been too afraid…. To concerned about what it would look like….

He should have been more insistent with Hammond. Tried to get her more time. And now…

If anything had happened to her….

Jack had to find out what was going on up there.

Turning back into the room, he grabbed the phone hanging just inside the infirmary door and pressed the button for the Control Room. "Gate room, Airman Conner."

"Conner? This is Colonel O'Neill. What's your situation?"

"The EM Pulse Generator exploded, Sir. Some sort of feedback through the 'gate. Major Carter managed to get the iris closed but took part of the blast herself in the process. The medical team's up here working on her now."

Forcing himself to suppress the mental image the man's words evoked, Jack managed to ask, "Is the Major okay?"

"Yes, Sir… I think so. They're moving her out to the infirmary now. They'll know more down there."

"Thank you, Airman. O'Neill out." And, releasing the button, Jack broke the connection.

He didn't have to wait long. A few more minutes and a noise outside the room announced their arrival. Seconds later, Carter was wheeled into the room on a gurney. Doc Fraiser was at her side issuing orders to the swarm of technicians surrounding the bed. Jack quickly moved out of their way, retreating to the wall as the oxygen and monitors were set up around the woman still lying motionless on the bed.

But she was alive. The monitors told him that much at least. And she must have really been okay - as he watched, her bedside slowly cleared until only the doc remained. After a final check of a screen and a notation in the chart she hung on Carter's footboard, she also stepped away.

"Hey, Doc."

At his words, Janet turned back to look at him. "Sir… Sorry. Didn't see you there."

He nodded toward the bed. "How's…"

She smiled gently at him. "She's fine, Sir. Took a bit of a jolt when that device exploded but, except for a minor burn on her palm, she should be perfectly alright." He tried not to let his relief show, but he could practically feel the doc's gaze as she looked at him. As she looked through him. "You can stay if you like," she offered. "She'll be happy for the company when she wakes up…" Her tone was far too casual, and Jack knew he hadn't fooled her at all.

He glanced down at Carter lying next to them in the bed looking so small and frail - so fragile - surrounded by all those machines. Hooked up to all those monitors. There was nothing he wanted more than to stay. To just be there.

Which was stupid. And pointless. And dangerous….

And it wasn't as if there was a damn thing he could do there anyway.

Jack tore his gaze away from the still form on the bed. "No, I'd better not." Then, gesturing toward the door, hoping the doctor hadn't noticed the catch in his voice, he added, "I should probably get back up to the Control Room…"

"Probably," she agreed, but her smile had grown strangely compassionate - almost as though it were him lying there in the bed instead of Carter. He started to leave, to beat a hasty retreat from the doctor and her perceptive gaze, but she called out to him before he could reach the door. "Oh…. And, Colonel?"

He turned back to look at her, "Yes?"

"I'll let her know you were here."