Author's Note: 500 words, minus this little note. Enjoy! ~lg

oOo

The next few days settled into routine for Jennifer. She spent hours in the infirmary, and she argued with Sheppard about returning to active duty. He never got his way. When he finally got the release to head through the gate again, he and his team took the next mission.

Jennifer had learned during medical school to never second-guess her decisions. One moment, one hesitation, could cause a person's death. But she constantly second-guessed her resolution. After discovering that Evan had nearly been engaged, she wondered if he wasn't seeing someone simply out of a desire to never get hurt again. Part of her couldn't imagine the unflappable major as "hurt" or "angry." A different part of her, however, thought she saw through the mask to the person beneath it. She knew she imagined it, but she liked the imagination.

Nearly a week after their trip to check on the young mother, Evan and his team once again came into the infirmary for after-action physicals. This time, he laughed and joked with his team. For just a moment, Jennifer wanted to join in, to be included in something that didn't require medical conversation. The moment passed when Evan hopped up onto a bed.

After she completed his physical, Jennifer turned to make a notation on Evan's chart. This just makes things awkward, she thought. How do I ask him out when I know every little secret the man has? Well, medically, anyway.

A hand gently closed around her wrist. "Doc?"

Jennifer blinked and stared into Evan's eyes. "Yes?"

He frowned. "Ah. . .when was the last time you ate?"

"Excuse me?"

"You're pale and distracted." He released her arm and pushed to his feet. "That's usually an indication of not enough food or not enough rest."

"Oh, I'm. . . . I mean. . .that is. . . . ." Jennifer fumbled, not sure exactly how to answer that. She hadn't been sleeping well, and she felt more run-down than normal. Part of her wondered if she'd caught the cold that swept the base, but she refused to think about becoming sick. She couldn't handle that and her duties as Chief of Medicine.

Evan straightened. "Meet me in an hour in the mess hall." He narrowed his eyes. "And then take the rest of the day off. I know I can't make it an order, but, please, take some time for yourself."

She glanced around, wondering what it could hurt. If Evan was concerned, what must her fellow doctors see? She nodded. "I'll think about it."

He nodded. "I'll see you in an hour."

Why did that sound like an order? She shook her head. She could handle orders from Evan Lorne, especially those kind ones that showed that he cared.. If she could ever get up the courage. . . .The sudden sneeze interrupted her thoughts, and Jennifer rushed to finish her work for the day.

~TBC