PART 7
At work, Janet had just grinned at her.
�See what happens when you actually take Doctor�s advice?� Janet grinned.
�What do you mean?� Sam had asked in shock. She was slightly embarrassed by the fact that she�d had a one night stand with Jake the night before, but if the whole base knew about it . . .
�I told you to go home and sleep! You obviously did. You look great this morning, Sam!� Janet had smiled, �If you would do it more often . . . follow my advice and sleep more often, that is . . .I think you�d find that you�ll feel much better.�
Sam had turned away to her work to hide the grin growing on her face.
�If you only knew, Janet, if you only knew��
She had taken Janet�s indirect advice and had started seeing Jake occasionally when she was ordered off base. She had felt a little guilty about using Jake the way she did, but it had never seemed like anything more than mutual gratification. Jake had never pursued her. He�d always let her call him. He�d never even asked for her phone number. But when she needed him, he was there . . .
Until Jack had come home, alive and well. Then Sam�s guilt had grown, because she knew that there was no way she would ever want anyone else in her life. With that on her mind, she had refused to go out with Jake the night of the rape. She had broken her relationship off with him and sent him home.
�Going home with him had been such a thrill . . . to not be alone when I was so worried . . . when I felt so alone . . . He�d been there whenever I�d needed him . . .�
She sighed, lost in her thoughts again.
Jack was glad she was able to talk a little about it. But she�d met this guy and gone home with him because he, Jack, had been lost, because she�d been missing him. He felt his heart beat a little harder. She�d missed him. She�d never told him. Of course, he hadn�t really asked. He�d been an idiot. Daniel had made sure he�d known that within hours of his return from Edora.
Jack, you�re one stupid son of a bitch,� Daniel had told him angrily.
�Tell me something I don�t know, Daniel,� he replied.
�Dammit, Jack, I�m serious!�
�Yeah, Daniel, I know, but why now?�
�Did you thank Sam for pulling your ass out of the fire once again? Did you take the time to acknowledge the fact that her brand of genius is what got you home?� At his silence, Daniel continued, �No. You didn�t. Typical. Jeez, Jack! Do you realize how many hours she went without sleep, without a break? Do you understand that she did nothing, NOTHING except work on a way to get you home for months? Do you understand that she practically single-handedly got you home? Janet tried to send her home at least every other day. Sam went home maybe four times. If she slept, I have no idea. I know she never slept more than an hour at a time on base unless Janet sedated her.�
�Well, I --� stammered Jack, �I really haven�t --�
�You haven�t what, Jack?� Daniel asked, �Haven�t had the time? Haven�t felt the need? Jack, you need to do it! She�s pissed. She�s hurt. She�s on the brink. Her nerves are so shot and she�s so tired, I�m not sure what she�ll do next. Plus, she�s so mad at you, I think she�s ready to transfer out of SG-1.�
�Really?� Jack asked incredulously, �You�re kidding, right?�
�No, Jack. I�m not.�
�Jeez, Daniel! I�ve only been back, what? a couple days? How could she get so mad that she�d want to quit?�
�Well, I think totally ignoring her when she walked through the �gate and not saying more than two words to her since you got home might have something to do with it!� Daniel said, his anger at it�s maximum boiling point.
�Okay, okay, I get it!� Jack yelled back, �I�ll go talk to her.�
When Jack just stood there looking at him, Daniel�s frustration erupted.
�And that would be when?�
�Now!� Jack said firmly and about faced and headed out the door.
Little did any of them realize he�d never get the chance to have that conversation with Carter. General Hammond had paged Jack to his office. Thor had been there to give him an assignment. Before he�d known it, Jack had been under orders to sever ties and estrange himself from his entire team. He had been forced to �retire� so he could be contracted by Harry Maybourne and the NID . . .