Carter had had last watch – because Jack was an exceedingly nice guy, or because interrupting Teal'c's kel-no-reem didn't seem to be an issue and he wanted to stick it to Daniel and wake him up in the middle of the night – and she was sitting by the fire, her elbows on her knees when his watch beeped and he ducked his head out of the tent. "Any invaders in the night?" he asked.
"Yes, sir." Her tone was just as wry. "The mothership landed just over there, but don't worry, Teal'c and I fought them off."
"Good job. Got any coffee going?"
"Not yet, sir."
"All right. I'll be back in a minute." He could see Teal'c already at the ruins – good man – and he tossed his hat at Daniel's sleeping bag to wake him before heading for the trees. He'd already reached his spot by the time the archaeologist emerged, looking disheveled as he always did in the morning. What that man needed was a buzz cut.
Carter was moving almost as slowly as Daniel, though she'd been up for hours. One hand swiped across her lower back, and he nodded a little in sympathy – standing there all day had done a number on his, too. She was younger, but he wasn't surprised; Sara had had issues with her lower back, too. Something about how women's hips were aligned, or some crap. Regardless, he wondered if she'd share that ibuprofen.
The archaeologist passed him as he headed back to camp and took the cup of coffee Carter offered, giving it a test sip. "Way better than Daniel's," he decided.
"Glad it's up to your standards, sir," she said with a smile.
"Maybe you should get last watch from now on. Provided the coffee's ready when the alarm goes off."
"I could make that happen."
"Worth thinkin' about." He ducked into the tent for his vest, carefully nestling the drink upright to slip on his vest and clip his rifle to it.
He passed Daniel on the way out, who held up his own cup and whispered distastefully, "She makes it a little strong."
"Yeah. It's delicious."
The other man made a horrified face.
"Hop to it," Jack ordered. "Nine more pillars to go."
Work, far more than the coffee, perked him up immediately. "So, I think these pillars were built at different times. Y'know, four at first, to hold the building, but others came later as it expanded. Teal'c thinks this world had multiple rulers, so it's possible that-"
But Jack had already tuned him out, squinting at the opposite treeline to make sure they didn't have visitors of the human(ish) or large animal variety, debating where he could stand to get the most shade for the day, and wondering if they needed to fully extinguish the fire, since their extra firewood was damp. Staring at the embers, he saw Carter lean down to pour her own cup of coffee. She sucked in a sharp breath, face twisted. But it only lasted a second before she stood carefully upright and started for her pack.
"You haven't heard a word I've said, have you?"
"Nope," he clipped. "Grab your gear." Jack brushed past him and headed for his second and the fire. "You good?"
She glanced up in surprise, and there was no sign of the pain he'd seen seconds ago. "Yes, sir."
"All right. Let's keep the fire hot."
"Yes, sir."
He watched her for a moment as she banked the ashes, searching for any sign of... anything. "Teal'c said you asked him to show you a few things," he ventured.
"Know thy enemy, sir," she quipped back. "Can't hurt."
"Oh, but it can. A buddy of mine used to leave me black and blue."
She nodded. "He's trying to be gentle, but I weigh a little less than the people he's used to. I tend to go flying, I'm afraid."
A-ha. Maybe the alien needed a not-so-subtle reminder that they didn't all have supercharged immune systems and healing capabilities. "Don't break anything."
"It's getting better," she said. "I actually landed a few good punches the other day. Of course, he didn't flinch. At all."
"Frustrating, isn't it?" he asked with a grin.
"Extremely."
Clapping a hand on her shoulder, he offered, "Well, you're not alone there. Daniel! Move it!"
