Janet held Makepeace as her prisoner for 3 days. He spent his time in recovery and healing but the galaxy doesn't wait for the wounded to heal. He was in better condition than when he'd walked into the SGC immediately after his mission but his vitals were still bad.
Makepeace did his rounds and said his goodbyes to everyone. The last person on his list was Major Carter. She was the one he needed to thank. It was his thoughts of her that made him realise that something was wrong with the Siren, but she didn't need to know that. There was something else she needed to know. He gently knocked on the door to her lab. She looked up from her project to see him staring at her. She snapped to attention.
"At ease, Major."
The major relaxed but only just slightly. "Leaving, sir?"
"Yeah. Our night is their day, so I leave now."
"I wish you good luck, sir."
Makepeace ruggedly moved his hands through his hair. "Thank-you Major."
"For what?"
Makepeace's stomach fell to the floor. His soft spots for pretty girls hadn't left with age. He hoped that by now, he would have grown out of his nervousness but no such luck. "I know you wanted to come back for me. I know you were mad at O'Neill for leaving me behind. But he did what was best."
Carter's gaze returned to the floor, "We don't leave our people behind, sir."
"No we don't. You learned that lesson well, Major, so can you make me a promise?"
"Sir?"
"You don't have to tell O'Neill if you don't want to. But promise me that you will come back for me if we bump into each other again?"
Carter furrowed her brow and nodded her head. He smiled. "Good and that will go both ways."
Makepeace abruptly made an about face on his foot and slowly walked out of Samantha Carters office. His eyes taking in every detail of her and the things that she worked on. It confused her.
In the distance, she heard the sirens go off and the spin of the Stargate rev to life and she knew that Makepeace was gone.