"Colonel Young, sir?"

Young looked up from his paperwork and over at the radio on his desk. He snuck a glance at Nick, who was curled up on the bed, taking a nap. The boy's trousers were pulled up around his calves from the position he was in, but they still looked a little too short – had he hit a growth spurt already?

"Lieutenant Scott," Young acknowledged, sliding his thumb over the radio button.

"We've got a situation, sir."

"What's going on?"

"Colonel Telford, sir. He's come on board."

For a moment, Young failed to see the problem – other than his blatant dislike for Telford. Then his eyes flickered once more to Nick's slumbering form, and things clicked into place.

They hadn't reported Nick's condition to SGC, of course. It was a secret to be kept amongst the crew until absolutely necessary. And now Telford was on board, and there was no doubt in the colonel's mind he would want to see Rush.

"I'll be right there, Lieutenant," he said into the radio.

"Yes, sir."

Young set his paperwork aside and shook Nick awake.

Young found himself sequestered in the Communications Room with Colonel Telford (in Airman Dunning's body) situated opposite him. The doors were open behind Telford's back so that the guards posted outside could signal Young if something happened.

He'd given Nick a thorough talking-to and sent him off to play with Becker. The boy was to keep absolutely silent – no shouting, no loud voices, no clanging around with Rex. If Becker told him to hide, he was to stay put and out of sight until Becker and only Becker told him to come out.

He was not to go after Young. He was not to play tag in the halls or look for Park. He was to stay put.

Somehow, Young wasn't altogether surprised when Nick disobeyed.

"The hydroponics lab is coming along well," he informed a clearly-disinterested Telford. "We've managed to grow several new species, all taken from alien planets, of – course –"

His voice faltered. Over Telford's shoulder, he could see Nick down the hall, hiding behind the legs of one of the soldiers supposed to be watching for him. Even as he watched, the little boy stuck his fingers in his mouth and pulled a face.

"What?" Telford snapped, whipping around. Nick ducked behind the soldier just in time, and Telford turned back to Young. "Is something wrong with you, Everett?"

"What?" said Young. Telford rolled his eyes.

"Nothing. You were saying …?"

"Right. Dr. Park, who's in charge of the hydro –"

A loud yelp interrupted them and both men looked out into the hall, where the soldier from before was flopping on the ground. Someone – a someone who was luckily not in sight – had tied his shoelaces together.

"Sorry!" the soldier called down to them, trying to surreptitiously re-tie his laces. "Tripped, sir!"

Telford shook his head in disgust.

"It's a fine crew you've got, Everett," he remarked sarcastically. Young just hmmed in response – he was rather pre-occupied with what Nick was doing with all those empty bottles from the infirmary. He saw Telford scrutinizing him again and snapped his eyes back to front, smiling thinly.

"As I was saying –"

CRASH.

It took all of Young's self-control to catch his frustrated yell – NICK! – before it left his throat. Telford whirled around and stared in bewilderment at all the broken glass.

"Now, listen!" he barked, turning back to Young. "I support you in this mission as much as anybody else, Everett, but your crew is out of control! Do you mind telling me what the hell is going on?"

Young hesitated. His eyes moved over Telford's shoulder to where Nick was innocently kicking around a leather ball they'd put together on the last planet. How the hell had the kid managed to escape Becker in the first place?

"Um," he said.

The ball soared through the air and collided with the back of Telford's head, smacking the colonel's face right into the desk. He moaned and tried to look up but before Young could think about it, he curled his fingers in Telford's hair and forced his face back into the counter.

Nick stood in the hallway, looking like a deer in headlights. Telford swore and jerked under Young's hands, trying to get away. Young just tightened his grip.

"Don't move!" he told Telford frantically, casting his mind about for a convincing lie. "There's, uh – Rush! Rush is in the hallway!"

"So?"

"He's naked!"

With a small gasp of horror, Telford went still. Tentatively, Young removed his hands, checking to make sure the other colonel would stay put. Telford was apparently taking no chances.

"Well," said Young awkwardly, eyes flickering back to Nick. "I'll just … go get him, then."

"Why the hell is he naked?" Telford asked plaintively, keeping his nose to the table.

"Oh, you know Rush," Young shrugged. "Always stripping when he needs to think."

"What?"

Young edged away from the table and toward the doorway. "You don't remember that?" he asked, feigning incredulity. "He used to do that all the time at Icarus. We actually locked him up for it one night, since he gave the Senator such a scare."

"I do not remember that," Telford growled. Young shrugged again and gave Nick a mighty glare – the kid gulped, turned tail, and ran.

"I'll be right back," Young promised. He took off after Nick.

Three Hours Later

"Hello?" said Telford, nose still squashed against the table. "Is it clear yet? Does Rush have clothes?"

…

"Hello?"