Their departure from the SGC was rather emotional. Daniel, Vala, and even Cameron were present to say goodbye. The latter was still a little ruffled for being played by her, but he couldn't stay mad at her for long. He never could, and this time was no exception. They said their goodbyes in the gate room, and Jack and Sam thanked General Landry and Dr. Lam. The go-ahead for the Apollo was given, and they were both beamed aboard the ship, welcomed by Colonel Ellis and Dr. Jarvis.
Sam knew Ellis well from her time at Atlantis but did not know Dr. Jarvis. However, he was smiling warmly at her.
"Welcome aboard, General, Colonel," Ellis greeted.
Jack nodded.
"Colonel Carter, this is Dr. Jarvis. He's the CMO of the Apollo," Ellis made the introductions.
Sam shook his hand.
"Hello, Doctor. I heard I owe you my life. Thank you," she said with a warm smile.
The good doctor blushed. Very few people could resist the full Carter smile.
"I did my job, Colonel, although I have to confess you were a challenging case. A big one," he admitted.
Jack cleared his throat.
"Right, General, time is urgent as always. Before you are beamed back to your house, I want to conduct some tests, Colonel, to see if everything is fine and if the beaming technology has no effect on your body. So, please follow me..." he said, pointing to the infirmary.
Sam nodded and went with him. Jack took a deep breath as he watched them disappear.
"She looks much better," Ellis said carefully.
"She's improving," Jack admitted.
Ellis nodded at one of his crew that passed by them.
"Do you want to wait on the bridge or in your quarters? I've arranged a bedroom for you and Colonel Carter, just in case," Ellis said.
Jack looked at him.
"The bridge, if you don't mind," he said.
He would prefer to stand alone on the bridge rather than inside a bedroom. Ellis just nodded, and they headed to the Apollo Bridge.
After almost an hour, Sam returned with Dr. Jarvis in tow.
"So?" Jack asked with some anxiety in his voice.
The doctor cleared his throat.
"Everything appears to be normal, General," he said. "We can start the proceedings to beam back to your house. I'll come along as agreed and discuss with Nurse Fisher," he said.
Jack looked at his wife, who didn't seem thrilled with the idea.
"Fine. Ellis, please start the beaming," he said.
Colonel Ellis gave the necessary instructions as the three stood in the designated space, Dr. Jarvis carrying his medical bag. In seconds, they were gone.
And they reappeared in the Carter-O'Neill townhouse in Washington D.C., where a woman in her thirties, with short brown hair and eyes, dressed in plain Air Force blue scrubs, saluted them when they arrived. Sam raised an eyebrow. Jack hadn't told her she was military.
"Nurse Fisher," Dr. Jarvis said with a smile, taking a step forward.
The woman, a little smaller than Sam but with a lean and athletic body, shook his hand.
"Doctor," she greeted him with a small smile. "General, Colonel," she added with a slight nod.
"Major," Jack said. "This is my wife, Colonel Samantha Carter-O'Neill," he said. "She goes by Carter, though," he said with a smile, and Sam blushed. She would get him for that. Later.
Sam extended her hand.
"So, Major?" she asked since no one had bothered to tell her that information.
"Yes, Ma'am. Major Tilda Fisher. I served with Dr. Carolyn Lam before," she explained.
Sam silently nodded and started to look around her house. It had been months since she had last set foot here. Her deployment at the Hammond had been extended, and then there had been the crashing and the forsaken planet situation. She wandered to the kitchen and left them alone. Dr. Jarvis took the moment to talk with Nurse Fisher.
After giving the final medical instructions, Dr. Jarvis bid farewell and beamed back to the Apollo, leaving Nurse Fisher alone with her patient and her husband. Doctor Lam had already warned her that Colonel Carter would probably be a challenging case. She was cleared into the Stargate Program and was aware of Sam's achievements. She was a little in awe of the frail woman who had beamed down from the Apollo, so if she could help her get back on her feet, Tilda Fisher would give her best to do it.
Jack smiled at her.
"So, what are the procedures here? And what do I call you? Nurse? Major?" he asked, looking a bit confused.
Tilda suppressed a smile.
"Well, Sir, although I'm a Major in the Air Force, my specialty is as a nurse, and I'm assigned here as such, Sir. So, I believe Nurse Fisher will do fine, Sir," she said respectfully.
Jack almost smiled. She reminded him of Sam in the first years when the 'Sir' was used several times in every sentence she said when addressing him.
"Very well, Nurse Fisher, it is," he said.
"So, Sir, we have to discuss a couple of things. Should we wait for your wife?" she asked, glancing at the kitchen where Sam still was.
"I'll get her," Jack said and went to the kitchen, where Sam was seated on their bench, looking out the window, her knees next to her chest.
"Are you okay, honey?" he asked, suddenly concerned.
She turned her face to him, her hair cascading through her shoulders.
"Yes, just admiring the sun," she said. "It's the first time I see Earth after being stranded on that planet," she added between her teeth.
Jack slowly approached her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Do you need to rest? Take some time alone? Get reacquainted with the house?" he asked.
She put her face against his hand, feeling his skin.
"I'll have plenty of time for that, Jack. What is it?" she asked.
Jack cleared his throat.
"Nurse Fisher wants to talk to us. To discuss some things," he said.
Sam took a deep breath.
"Yes, I believe she would want that. Well, let's get over that, shall we?" she said, getting up.
They returned to the living room, where the nurse silently awaited them.
"So, Nurse Fisher, please inform us about my new life from now on," Sam said without any trace of humor in her voice.
Tilda Fisher was prepared for resistance and decided to stick to the medical facts. Colonel Carter was a woman of science, so she understood facts well.
"The instructions are clear, Colonel. I'll stay here to assist you in any way you need me. Watch over your medication and attend your necessary exams and cardiologist appointments if the General cannot accompany you. The cardiologist is already set for tomorrow. Time is of the essence, and although Dr. Lam and Dr. Jarvis believe that the Asgard technology prevented any damage to your heart, they want to ensure. SGC cleared the doctor and has already received your file. After that appointment, we will discuss further day-to-day activities," she said.
Sam raised an eyebrow.
"Day-to-day activities?" she asked, puzzled.
Tilda Fisher's cheeks flushed slightly, but she kept her professional tone.
"Depending on what the cardiologist will tell you tomorrow, Ma'am, we need to discuss your sexual activity," she said.
Holding his breath, Jack raised his eyebrows while Sam merely looked at the woman before her without blinking.
"Excuse me?" she said slowly.
Tilda Fisher stood her ground.
"Your body, especially your heart, took a heavy hit, Colonel Carter. But you are married, aren't you? Are you telling me you don't miss your husband?" she asked, not averting Sam's gaze.
Sam couldn't help but blush.
"My married life is none of your business, Major," she said coldly.
"It's Nurse Fisher, Colonel, and, in this case, it is. Because it interferes with your recovery program, it needs to be discussed," she said firmly.
Sam fisted her hand, and Jack, sensing a confrontation, gently grabbed her hand.
"She's right, Sam. We have to talk about this," he said.
She gave him a death glare.
"Oh, you too? Do you want to talk about our sex life with a stranger?" she asked.
Jack swallowed.
"You aren't well, so if we have to talk to the doctor and Nurse Fisher, we will," he said determinedly.
He didn't feel comfortable at all discussing their sex life, but he wanted to have their sex life back, and if that meant talking about it, he would talk to whoever he had to speak to. Even the President of the United States, if that made any difference. He silently prayed it didn't.
That night, after dinner and when Nurse Fisher retired to her bed—she would stay in their basement for privacy, as it was almost like an independent house with a full bathroom, a bedroom, and a small living and entertainment room—Jack and Sam went to their bedroom. Jack gently closed the door, and Sam was seated on the bed, her face reflecting a silent fury and a longing she was having trouble disguising. Jack swallowed; this was going to be one challenging night.
"Okay, so you aren't pleased with the arrangements. I've got that, but Sam... we need to take precautions," he started.
She put her elbows on the bed.
"You heard what Carolyn and Jarvis said. The Asgard technology healed my heart," she said slowly.
Jack nodded, still leaning against the door.
"I'm not taking any unnecessary risk," he said.
"So, you're not sleeping with me?" she asked.
Jack swallowed.
"We can sleep together, as in the infirmary," he said slowly.
"And what happened in my quarters?!" she asked, starting to smile.
Jack began to shake his head.
"That was a very low blow, Samantha," he said.
"Yes, it was low but highly pleasurable," she said unashamedly.
Jack closed his eyes, trying to keep calm. She was provoking him.
"Sam," he said in a warning tone.
"Come on, Jack. Nothing happened. Well, let me correct that. It did happen, and I enjoyed it very much. It can happen again," she said, backtracking on the bed.
Jack's breathing was already uneven, and when he opened his eyes, he saw her in the middle of their bed, taking her clothes off. Damn. She didn't play fair at all, and he was such a sucker.
"You have to be silent, or I'll move to the guest room," he threatened as he started removing his clothes.
Sam started to giggle. Nurse Fisher might think she was in charge, but she had total control over her husband.