"Hi ho, hi ho, off to work we go…" Jack began whistling.

Daniel groaned. "Really, Jack?"

"What, can't a grown man sing a jaunty tune?"

"That's not singing."

Jack glared but Daniel really did have a point. "Well, I prefer to keep myself occupied on this 15 click hike."

He was bored for sure and it didn't help that his knee was starting to hurt. Plus, he was the only one talking. Daniel and Carter hadn't uttered a word the entire time. It was a bit strange, actually, since normally he could hear those two chatting away. Teal'c was always silent.

"Since you three aren't keeping me occupied I don't have a lot of choices," he continued.

"We'll try to keep you entertained in the future, Jack."

"O'Neill," he heard Teal'c's deep voice. "There is some thick foliage ahead."

He looked up and sure enough the forest was getting thicker. "Great. Why are we out here again?"

Everyone turned to look at Sam, who was lost in her own thoughts.

"Carter?" Jack called. He caught her dazed glance. "What are we doing out here?"

"It's possible this planet has naquadah deposits, sir," she reminded him. "We need to check the site to see if it truly is naquadah or another material."

"Right," he sighed. "Then I guess we hi ho on."

"What is this 'hi ho' of which you speak, O'Neill?"

Sam tuned out the conversation again although she vaguely could hear the colonel's joking response. She was absolutely exhausted and this hike was not helping. She knew she needed to stay healthy now but she had no appetite and couldn't sleep. Janet had raised an eyebrow at her last weigh in but she had told her she was simply getting more exercise in the field.

Suddenly Sam tripped over a root. "Ah!" she cried out as a large thorn sliced into her palm.

The guys were suddenly standing around her. "You okay, Carter?"

She sat up into a more natural position and took a look at her hand. It was bleeding a good deal and hurt like hell.

"Sam?"

"I'm fine, just a little sliced." Colonel O'Neill reached a hand out to get a better look at her hand. She froze for a moment. He can't! My blood is like poison!

She snatched her arm away. "It's okay!"

The colonel and Daniel gave her a strange look at her vehement response. "Sorry, sir. It just really hurts. Could I get a bandage, please?"

They all rummaged in their packs to find the proper dressing. Sam wrapped her hand carefully and tightly, not wanting any more blood to escape.

"Alright, I'm good."

The colonel looked at her appraisingly. "Alright, we're this far. Let me know if you need to go back."

"Yes, sir."

They continued their hike until they got to the deposits which were disappointingly not naquadah. Exhausted and frustrated, they took an hour break before deciding to head back. No one was keen to spend the night.

The hike home was uncomfortable for Sam. Her hand hurt, she was tired, she was hungry, and most of all she was panicking. She couldn't put off her removal from the team any longer. She had only had a minor accident today, but it could have been much worse. What if she had had a serious injury and had bled more? What if she were knocked unconscious and her teammates had to treat her without knowing of her infection? She couldn't continue to put them at risk. Knowing this would be her last trip through the gate made her sullen and her mood seemed to bring the rest of the team down, too. They hiked in silence until they reached the gate.

SG1

Sam allowed the nurse to stitch her hand and tried her best not to twitch with guilt and shame. She should have probably warned the woman about her infection but she really didn't think the woman could be taking any more precautions than she was so didn't see the point. They were called universal precautions for a reason.

Five stitches later she was standing in her lab. She was trying to gather the courage to go talk to General Hammond. She had finally made a decision and felt its weight.

She knocked on his door until she heard his invitation.

"Major! What can I do for you?"

She shifted on her feet for a moment. "Can I talk to you for a moment, sir? Privately?"

The general frowned but nodded affirmatively. "Shut the door, Major."

She shut the door and sat across from him. The silence lingered for a moment as she tried to think of what to say.

"Major?"

"I need to be transferred off of SG1, sir," she blurted before she could lose her nerve.

Hammond looked genuinely surprised. He took a moment to process what she said. "Uh… this is unexpected."

"I realize that, sir."

"Have you spoken to Colonel O'Neill about this?"

"No, sir."

Hammond again frowned. "Perhaps you should speak to him first, Major."

"That's not necessary, sir." The whole reason she went straight to Hammond was to prevent more questioning.

He must have sensed something about her. "What's brought this on, Sam?"

She blinked for a moment, mildly caught by surprise. She had hoped Hammond would accept her decision and move on, but apparently not. She couldn't blame his surprise or curiosity, though. To an outside perspective this must be a shock.

"I just… need to be transferred," she lamely responded.

He continued to stare at her, trying to feel her out. Finally, "I'm sure you know that won't be enough for Colonel O'Neill. And frankly, your position on SG1 is important for the success of the SGC."

Sam really didn't know how to respond to that and was beginning to feel her resolve weaken. She still wasn't sure how the Air Force was going to deal with her infection and hadn't decided if she should resign her commission based on the insurance situation. She wasn't sure what to say next.

"Sam?" Hammond was looking concerned and she knew that her mask was starting to slip. "Does this have something to do with Colonel O'Neill?" He wasn't blind and had seen the tension between them over the years. He hadn't seen anything in recent months to give him any cause for concern, but he couldn't see what else this could be about.

"No, sir." She was having an internal debate. She really needed some advice but wasn't sure she could tell him what was going on.

"Sam," Hammond spoke. "What's this about?"

She made a decision. She'd known Hammond, off and on, for almost her entire life. She didn't want to tell him, but she knew she needed some professional guidance. If it had to be someone, she knew he would keep it private.

"Can I… speak to you off the record, sir?"

Hammond got up from his chair and moved to sit on the other side of his desk beside her. "Go ahead."

Sam felt her whole body begin to shake with nerves and tried her best to keep still. Hammond could see her legs shaking and felt his concern rocket up a notch.

"I have HIV," she whispered.

Hammond tried not to let his shock show but it must have because she immediately looked away and took a shaky breath. She felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest.

She felt his hand on her back. She didn't look up because she didn't know what to say.

Hammond was feeling similarly at a loss. "I… don't know what to say to that," he admitted.

"I understand, sir," she let out a laugh that was more a release of tension than anything else. "I need to transfer off SG1."

Hammond gave her back a fatherly rub before finally removing his hand and leaning back in his chair.

"Alright. I take it you haven't told the rest of your team?"

"No, sir. I… don't want anyone to know. But I don't know what to do as far as the Air Force is concerned."

"What do you mean?"

"Can I stay at the SGC? Should I resign my commission?" she asked.

"The Air Force allows officers to remain as long as they are not in combat situations," he informed her. "There's no reason you can't stay at the SGC in a scientific position without resigning your commission."

She nodded. That was good, at least.

"Is there something else on your mind?"

"I don't know who I should tell. I'm going to need to continue seeing doctors. Do I need to go to the academy hospital? I want to keep this as confidential as possible, sir."

"I'll make some calls, find out for you," he promised. He watched as she nodded and stood up.

"Thank you, sir."

"Major?"

"Yes, sir?"

He hesitated to get involved but he loved Sam like a daughter. He knew she must have been having a rough time. "I'm sorry about this."

She nodded. "Me too. Thank you."

SG1

Telling General Hammond had, in a way, elevated her mood. He was the first person she told and he hadn't recoiled in horror. It sounded stupid in her head but she was actually extremely grateful that he was willing to touch her. She knew HIV wasn't very contagious and was impossible to contract through casual contact but she still felt like a walking leper. The fact that he had not thought twice about it and had shown only support and not disgust meant more to her than she would ever be able to put into words.

For the first time since this ordeal began she was actually beginning to feel hope. Her team did not yet know of her decision to leave the field but she was starting to feel like it was going to be okay. She wasn't ready to tell anyone else but General Hammond's positive reaction made her think that maybe one day she would.

Mark called her and told her that he had a friend who wanted to meet her. She was reluctant at first but then thought maybe it would be a good idea. It would be nice to get out of her house and it was the first time she had really felt up to it. She called Pete and set a date for later in the week.

SG1

Her first date with Pete was going surprisingly well. It gave her a feminine thrill as he flirted with her while they chatted. They didn't do anything fancy, just went out to lunch because she figured that would be a low-pressure way to get to know him a little better. She was surprised at how well they got along.

Still, a little voice in the back of her head was whispering to her how she had a huge secret she would need to unload on him. She wasn't really sure when she should tell him about her status. She had taken to the internet and read people's opinions. Some told people right away in order to be upfront and save time and others waited for a while so that the person could get to know them.

The idea of telling Pete was making her nervous. Her experience with General Hammond had gone well but this was a different situation. Still, under her nerves she felt a bit of hope. Pete seemed like a genuinely nice person and she could see herself continuing to spend time with him.

She decided in the end to not tell him on their first date. She thought about it but when she tried the words stuck in her throat and she chickened out. She ended up giving him a perfectly reasonable kiss on the cheek. She still had a huge secret weighing on her mind, but she hoped it would work out with Pete.

SG1

To say her team was shocked by the announcement she was leaving SG1 would be an understatement. They were seated in the briefing room with General Hammond when he informed them of her departure.

"Major Carter will be leaving SG1 and will be transferred to a full-time lab position."

"She what?" Colonel O'Neill exclaimed. He immediately turned to look at her in shock. "Why?"

Sam froze for a moment even though she had an excuse prepared. "I want to move to a position that will give me more free time, sir. I spend all my time off-world or on base. You're the one who's always ordering me to get a life, sir." Her eyes left the colonel and strayed to General Hammond. He knew she was lying but she could see that he didn't even blink.

Colonel O'Neill sputtered for a moment. "Well, yeah, but… can't you do that without leaving the team?"

"Sam, are you sure?" Daniel piped up. He looked like his normal mix of concerned and disturbed.

"I'm sure, guys." She looked to General Hammond.

"Major Carter's reassignment has already been processed. She will be in the lab full-time starting immediately. Colonel, you'll need to start looking for a replacement for her on SG1."

"Great, that went well the last time," he frowned.

"Dismissed, people." Hammond got up and left to his office leaving the former SG1 standing awkwardly around the briefing room table.

"It will not be the same without you, Major Carter," Teal'c broke the silence.

"We're gonna miss you, Sam," Daniel echoed, coming to hug her.

"I'm gonna miss you guys, too," she admitted, holding Daniel a little tighter. It felt like the end of an era and in a lot of ways it was. She could feel despair beginning to creep up and continued to hug Daniel for what was longer than most likely reasonable.

"Eh, we'll see you around, though," the colonel put in. "We can still have our barbecues!"

Sam nodded and finally pulled away from her friend. "I'm gonna head down to the lab." She really just wanted an escape. She knew she was doing the right thing but it still felt like losing her family in a way.

"Have fun with the doodads, Carter."

"Yes, sir," she weakly smiled before heading out of the room.

The men watched her leave and allowed a moment of silence.

"Jack?"

"Daniel?"

"What was that?" he asked, dragging out the question like it would compel Jack to give the right answer.

"She's entitled to a life, Daniel," Jack responded but was feeling similarly confused.

"You think that's what this is?" Daniel wondered. "Why now?"

"I don't know."

"Major Carter seems most troubled," Teal'c weighed in.

"What do you mean, Teal'c?" Daniel leaned against the table and gave him a look of careful concentration.

"She has not been herself for some time."

"Her brother was sick, T," Jack recalled.

"Why was Jacob Carter not called?" Teal'c reasoned.

Jack and Daniel paused in contemplation and looked at each other in wonder.

"Well, the Tok'ra are busy," Jack explained.

"And they don't exactly get along," Daniel added. "Maybe her brother didn't want her father to know."

"It was my understanding that they had reconciled and were henceforth building a relationship."

"Look, maybe her brother's accident made her want more out of her life. Who knows?" Jack reasoned. This was starting to give him a headache. He couldn't figure Carter out at the best of times, even less when she was being suspicious and secretive. Which, he admitted, she had been in recent weeks.

"Colonel!" they heard Hammond call. He'd heard most of the conversation through the open doorway and wasn't liking where their suspicions were heading. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Right, sir! I'll just- get right on that." Jack shrugged before turning to leave. But all of them still had questions.