They started out avoiding each other. Sam was glad, and only hoped she could get out of the base before they started clashing again. Watching the arguments would be bad enough, both men were too stubborn to change their minds, and too stubborn to simply let it go. Not for a while at least.

But she wouldn't just be watching. She and Teal'c would be thrust into the middle. Jack and Daniel would try to get them to agree with their views, and use it to give merit to their standpoint. Sam didn't want to be forced to suffer their ire until the whole thing blew over. Because she agreed with Daniel in theory, and Jack in practicality. So in the end she'd just be getting it from both sides.

By the next day Janet had given her clearance, and Sam had never taken off from the base so fast. The edges of desperation in Teal'c's demeanor, being left to the wolves, almost gave her pause.

Almost.

On the drive home, Sam contemplated her three days of freedom. Normally, the idea of having nothing to do made her restless. However, this was one of those times she thought that having no real plan besides getting plenty of sleep sounded like just what the doctor ordered. Notwithstanding that the doctor had actually ordered it.

The sun was dipping into the horizon when she pulled into the driveway. She went inside, thinking that a shower would be a good start. So she dumped off her jacket by the door and made straight for the bedroom to undress. Her shirt was sailing towards the hamper when a voice issued behind her.

"I was beginning to wonder if I was going to be sitting around here all alone for the whole time I'm down."

Sam spun around quickly, taken completely offguard. Unlike Sam's startled expression, Olivia looked slightly amused. Her brow quirked questioningly. They stood there for several moments, Sam far too preoccupied to realize she was half-naked with only her bra to protect her modesty.

When Sam stayed silent and continued to look completely perplexed, Olivia frowned in concern.

"Are you all right?"

"I..." Sam stammered over the word, trying to organize her thoughts. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you," Olivia said slowly, getting confused herself.

"But how'd..." Sam let her thought trail off.

"We've been planning this for a couple weeks now. I had time coming and you said you had some downtime starting in the next day or so. And it turned out to be 'or so'."

The last sentence was added with a nervous chuckle. Sam shook her head. They had been talking about getting together again. But, they hadn't made any solid plans. Had they?

Maybe she just needed some more time to get back her mental bearings.

"Sorry," Sam said. "It's just been a crazy couple of days."

"Well, you do look a little out of it," Olivia replied. She cleared her throat and nodded slightly, hinting for Sam to look down.

She did, finally noticing her state of dress. Not that Olivia hadn't seen a whole lot more, as well as the other way around, but she still found it slightly embarrassing and awkward. Sam felt the heat rise in her cheeks, illiciting a smirk from Olivia.

Foregoing the shower, Sam changed and they sat on the sofa. Olivia sat at least, Sam laid her head on Olivia's lap. She looked up at the other woman as she described her current predicament with Jack and Daniel. At least the bits that she could, as well as some of their non-classified arguments in the past.

"I'm just hoping it all blows over in a couple days. Those two really know how to drag things out," Sam said with a sigh.

Olivia was stroking her hair. Sam closed her eyes for a moment. Being able to vent had the tension in her body easing. Olivia answered her, but her voice had a distant quality that made it hard to understand.

Sam opened her eyes to see the room dancing around her.

"What's going on?" Sam thought that she had said the words, for she was certainly thinking them. But they had that same distortion Olivia's did. The voice was unrecognizable.

"Are you ok?" Olivia asked, her voice seeming even more distant. Sam tried to stand, but ended up just gripping the sofa for dear life. Her eyes shut, but she still felt the spinning.

"I think she's waking up," another said. Unlike Olivia, these ones seemed to be coming closer, getting clearer.

"How can this be?"

"Sam?"

"I don't know. We've never seen this before. At these levels she shouldn't be able to break through."

Sam tried to talk, to question these voices, but nothing was coming out.

"She's moving?" Complete disbelief.

"This shouldn't be possible." Panic.

"W... what's..." Sam couldn't finish her sentence. The single word was hoarse and barely intelligible. Her eyes opened but everything was a blur. A big, gray blur.

"Increase the dosages."

"But... these drugs are inherently dangerous, even at normal levels."

"So be it. You have seen the same images as I. Do you really think that they can be allowed to live when we are finished here?"

"I..."

"FIx it. Now."