Authors Note: Sorry, I haven't forgotten my story! Real-life just suddenly took over. It's been pretty horrific actually. *sigh* Hopefully things can only go up from here. As usual reviews are welcome (and very much appreciated)! I suppose this chapter is more of a "lead up" than anything and hopefully it's not dull!

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The Virus

Chapter 19

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Cabin fever. This was not something she had felt often over the course of her life… but the intensity with which she felt it now was driving her crazy. She had argued with both Cassie and Jack on numerous occasions over the past week or so and she knew there was only petty reasoning behind her anger… but she felt like her entire body was fizzing with energy that she couldn't release.

She knew that there was a team setting up the first floor as a decontamination level. This meant that a team would soon embark on a mission to search for survivors. General Hammond had showed them the plans for the first floor and there would be plenty of isolation rooms set up. The doctors from the planet "Iso," which was now the new Alpha site would be returning to tend to any survivors they might bring back.

"Penny for your thoughts?" She glanced up from her table in the commissary to see Jack sitting opposite her. She had forgotten he was there to be honest, she had been so lost in her thoughts.

"I'm sure you know what I'm thinking." She cringed when her voice came out much sharper than she had intended. "Sorry… I just need to get outside. I need sun and fresh air…" She sighed at the images her words brought up in her mind. Trees swaying in the breeze, the warmth of the sun on her face…

"Yeah but the problem is even when we do go outside… it will only be in those hideous orange suits." She knew he was finding being stuck on base rather frustrating too. "Wait…" She watched his eyes light up. "I have an idea!" He came around the table and touched her shoulder, silently telling her to get up.

He led her down to Hammond's office. The door was open and Hammond sat on the other side of his desk looking at them in surprise.

"I thought I told you to take a day off?" He asked them, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes you did… we want to go to the Alpha site." Jack looked over at her, grinning proudly. Of course! It might not be outside on Earth, but it was still somewhere with fresh air and sunshine. She couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it herself!

"Why would you want to do that?" The General frowned, looking worried.

"We just need to get out of here for five minutes, Sir." Sam gave the General her most charming smile, and she was pleased when he returned it – looking relieved at their simple request.

"Alright, let me talk to Walter. You need to stay out of everyone's way though. There is a lot of construction going on." He looked at Jack as he spoke, and then turned to Sam. "Keep him out of trouble, will you?" She let out a small laugh. It was nice to hear General Hammond joking again.

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The moment she stepped through the wormhole she tilted her face up to the sun. She was pretty sure she had never been this excited to be outside. She felt like a kid on Christmas morning. She looked at Jack out of the corner of her eye and found he was staring at her.

She descended the steps leading down from the gate and watched her feet as she stepped onto the sandy turf. She dug her toes in and moved the sand with her booted foot unable to stop the smile from spreading across her face.

"Shall we take a walk?" Jack asked, holding his arm out towards her. She tucked her arm into his in answer and they set off away from the noise of construction coming from somewhere to the right of the gate. They would go and investigate later, for now it was time to just take pleasure in the small wonder of being outdoors again.

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On returning they were summoned to the briefing room and she was pleased to see Teal'c and Daniel seated at the table as well as General Hammond. They had only been gone for less than half a day but it looked like things were moving forward. This meant they might be closer to their first mission as SG-1 than she had thought!

"How was your day?" Daniel asked as she took the seat next to him.

"Oh, it was heaven." She grinned and Daniel returned the smile.

"Yes, I must admit going to Chulak with Teal'c last week was amazing. You forget what it feels like to have the breeze run through your hair when you are here all the time." Daniel told them, a faraway look in his eyes.

She looked over at Teal'c who raised both eye brows in typical Teal'c fashion. She believed the look meant 'good to see you' but really with her jaffa friend, she was never one hundred percent. The General cleared his throat to get their attention and all of SG-1 turned their heads in his direction.

He spent the next hour briefing them on their next mission. They were to head above ground, as she had assumed. They were to search for survivors while another team brought back food, medical supplies and anything else that might be needed on base.

In only two days Level 1 would be ready for use. In only two days she and the rest of SG-1 would be going on their first mission and this both thrilled and terrified her at the same time. After their last visit to the surface… well she knew that this mission would be the hardest. It wasn't a simple look around, this time they had a task and it would not necessarily be easy. There would be many things to contend with. They might find survivors – sure – but in what state? There would be new diseases to worry about now. There were billions of bodies decomposing, no power, not likely to be any workable sewerage systems, no operational hospitals… diseases like typhoid, campylobacter, giardia and other diseases which had often been rife in developing countries would now be an issue. Their job had never been easy but having to rescue people on Earth literally hit a little close to home…

TBC.