AN: And coming out of left field...

Been a long time...unedited, written whilst inebriated, so take it as it is...may disappear tomorrow.

Summary: Captured for the umpteenth time Jack and Sam, or rather just Jack seeks out a conversation to keep the boredom at bay...or is it a little more than that? Jack/Sam, in cannon, mid-season drabble. Friendship/Humour, K rated.

HEY 13: WHAT'S THAT LIGHT?

"Hey Carter?"

"Yeah Sir?"

"You know that light?"

Sam opened her eyes to stare at the darkened wall, it was obvious now that her CO did not want to sleep and therefore there was no point in her trying to either. "You mean the one that you have been trying hard not to look at all night?"

"Yeah that one. Why does it only flash every 43 seconds?"

"To be perfectly frank Sir I would not even know where to begin to work that one out."

Jack ignored the slightly irritated undertone that laced through his 2IC's words. "I mean why not a round number like 40 or 45, why does it have to be 43 seconds?"

Sam rolled over onto her side and stared hard at the Colonel's figure where he lay at repose. She said nothing at all and it was not long before Jack began to take up his monologue again.

"I can't figure out what it means, 43. 43, 43, 43...it's so arbitrary."

Carter did her best to suppress the frustrated moan that was swiftly building within her. He did this every time they got captured and to be perfectly honest she was sick of it. Every time they got captured and it got dark and he got bored the Colonel would pick up on some small insignificant thing that had no meaning and try to turn it into something it was not. Daniel called it his 'molehill' phase of capture. Sometimes it did not last long, especially if it could be explained, other times it could go on for days, even after they had been rescued or escaped.

"Do you think 43 seconds is like their minute here?" he asked, glancing sideways to take in Carter's silhouette as she balanced on her elbow facing him.

Sam sucked in a quiet steadying breath searching for patiences, she was way too tired and too sore to deal with this right now. "What makes you think they even have minutes here Sir...and even if they do, how could 43 seconds ever be a minute? That doesn't really make any sense as a minute is 60 seconds."

"Yeah our minute is 60 seconds, theirs might not be."

"Then it wouldn't be a minute Sir."

"Okay so not a minute then but you know what I mean."

"Not sure I do Colonel." Sam offered up in an exhausted tone of voice. She knew perfectly well what he meant but did not want to get into it with him. Pointedly she lowered herself down onto her back and closed her eyes.

Jack watched for a moment in the half-light. His 2IC clearly did not want to play this game tonight and if it wasn't for the fact that his concussion was making him want to sleep...which was bad...he might just leave her alone. "Carter?" he asked again.

"Sir?"

This time there was a bite to her reply.

"Do you think they have hours here?"

"Oh my god, Colonel!" She sat up and glared hard at him. "What on this side of Saturn makes you think that I know any more about this planet's timekeeping than you do? We were both in the bunker when we were captured, we were both in the transport pod that took us here, we were both blindfolded and lead underground and we were both thrown in here at the same time. So why, oh why, oh why would I know anymore than you do?"

Jack was actually slightly taken aback by her outburst, it was unlike her. "Jeez sorry Carter, I was only trying to make conversation, no need to bite my head off."

"Well...please don't Colonel. I'm actually really tired and can't deal with your questions right now." There was a slight pause. "I'm sorry Sir." she conceded quietly.

Jack, with effort, sat up. "It's alright Major, I understand. It's just..." He sighed, not really wanting to have to say this. "When they hit me...they hit me on the head and I'm just a little worried that if I...if I go to sleep I might not wake up, okay."

Sam was monetarily stunned. "They hit you that hard Sir?" she asked, concern flooding through her.

"Yeah...no...I dunno, but it hurts more now than it did then and-"

"And that's not right." Sam cut in. "Let me take a look see?"

"In this light? You'd be lucky to-" But she was already over, gently pulling apart the strands of his hair.

"Well there's no blood...there is however a large contusion on the back of your skull."

"Ya think?"

"It doesn't look too serious but I can't really tell." She dropped onto his straw mattress and peered hard into first one ear and then the other before feeling the back of his neck. "No fluid in the ears and no swelling below the point of impact which is good. I can't check your eyes for pupil reaction but is your vision okay?"

"It was fine earlier but I have to say it's much better now." Jack cited with a smirk.

"How do you mean?" Sam asked, intrigued by his smile.

"Well I can see you better can't I?" he teased mildly. "Now that you are over here and not over there, I mean."

Sam rolled her eyes slightly. "Either they hit you too hard or they didn't hit you hard enough!" she murmured to herself but he heard her.

"Nonsense, they hit me just fine."

They both paused to pulled confused faces at that one, no sense at all there.

"Well either way Colonel, I don't think you should sleep tonight if you can avoid it. Which means I probably shouldn't either." she confessed.

"They hit you too?" Jack asked, his turn to be concerned.

"Yeah, same place, same reaction." She rubbed her head and allowed her CO to examine it.

"You should have said something." he chastised.

Sam's eyebrows rose slightly. "Ah, pot calling kettle!" she retorted.

Jack shrugged. "Yeah I suppose." He clicked his tongue a few times. "So, what do you want to do to stay awake then?" he asked jovially.

Sam settled herself back against the wall, content to spend the night chatting to him on his bed. "Well...the first thing I am going to do is check out your sense of timing. Are you sure that light only flashes every 43 seconds?"

Jack grinned widely at his closest friend. "Be my guest Carter, I only counted it like fourteen thousand hundred times, but if you think I'm wrong, go ahead and check...count out loud if you want, I really don't care...so long as afterwards you can tell me why?"

END

AN: Weird...ah well, it's been a while...hope you enjoyed :)