Summery: A routine trip off-world has long-lasting effects for SG-1. Meanwhile, Jack has terrestrial trouble too, when his half-sister is recruited to the SGC and his worlds threaten to collide and all his secrets are in danger of being exposed.

Disclaimer: I do not own "Stargate SG-1" the series. I believe it is owned by MGM. No copyright infringement is intended. No disrespect is intended. I am merely intrigued by the possibilities.

A Matter of Degrees

by: Visions2share a.k.a. Vi

"Perhaps, if you are amenable, DoctorFraiser, it would be beneficial for MajorCarter's conversation with O'Neill to proceed outside the confines of this facility," Teal'C proposed as Sam got more and more upset at the thought of Janet calling Jack in for tests.

Janet shook her head. "I need to run tests on Colonel O'Neill's neurochemical and hormone levels. That has to be done here."

"But you'd have to tell him why the test are necessary, right?" Daniel confirmed.

"Yes."

"But you promised you wouldn't say anything, Janet!" Sam was nearly in tears she'd worked herself into such a state.

"And I won't," Janet tried to reassure but Daniel could see Sam wasn't buying it. "At least I won't tell him the specifics," Janet clarified. "I'll just inform him that it came to my attention you aren't feeling like yourself and in running tests, I've come up with a variety of anomalies. That you think your symptoms stem from your time on six-two-seven, so it is imperative that I test the rest of your team. He won't find that odd – it's the kind of thing we do all the time."

"Especially," Daniel offered, "since Janet has already tested Teal'C and me."

"Indeed."

"But the Colonel will demand to know what's wrong with me. And you'd tell him – you always have before," Sam accused.

Janet shrugged helplessly, "'All medical issues stemming from on duty incidents or which affect, or potentially affect, your duty status must be reported up the patient's command chain.'" Janet's tone was robotic, as if she was reading from the pages of the Air Force Officers Guide to Medical Matters.

"Please, Janet – NO!"

"I'm sorry, Sam, but even if I refuse to answer when he asks, he'll find out from the official report, anyway."

Sam pulled the pillow from behind her head and pressed it over her face. Daniel suspected it was an attempt to hide tears.

"So, all of this," Daniel waved a hand around to indicate Teal'C's careful placement between Sam and the security camera and Janet's and his own efforts to keep their backs to the camera too, "was a wasted effort?"

Sam audibly sobbed into the pillow she clutched to her face.

Janet looked guilty but shrugged again – she was an Air Force Officer and believed there were rules for a reason.

Daniel had never been as blindly obedient to the rules and expectations of the military as his teammates were and he generally prided himself on coming up with solutions to conflicts without falling back to the military's standard operating procedure. It was hard to think with Sam sobbing – it was out of character for her to be so out of control. Daniel turned to look at Teal'C – between them, they had to come up with another option. Daniel replayed their conversation in his head, looking for choices.

"What if we briefed Jack before you ran the tests? Surely, delaying the tests by half an hour couldn't cause too much harm?"

Janet frowned.

"O'Neill could be informed of the situation away from the base – then brought in for your tests, DoctorFraiser."

"I suppose a half hour or so wouldn't matter much one way or the other."

Sam lowered the pillow her eyes were puffy and red, her nose was running, and her cheeks glistened with tears.

"Daniel can tell him?"

"Me?!"

"Sam's right. She can't leave the infirmary."

"I will accompany you, DanielJackson."

Daniel really didn't want to be in the position to tell one friend that another was hallucinating vivid sex dreams about that friend.

"Please, Daniel!?" Sam begged, even as her tears continued to fall.

Daniel closed his eyes in capitulation and sighed. How did he get himself into these messes?

Author's Note: Can't you just feel Daniel's unease with this situation? I love it – Daniel's reserved nature in practice contrasted to his liberal academic attitude is one of my favorite things about the character! Thanks for reading! ~ Vi