Dr Carolyn Lam looked around the infirmary and checked that everything was working in its usual efficient fashion. Being here was taking more adjustment that she had thought. The whole set-up was similar to other places she had worked, but then she would suddenly come across an anomaly that threw her. It didn't help that there had been a lot of change occurring when she had started. General O'Neill had transferred to Washington and his replacement was due the following week. SG1, the flagship team, were scattering to various locations and this seemed to have affected the morale at the SGC more than she would have anticipated.

Then her father turned out to be the new commanding officer and Colonel Mitchell had reformed SG1. That had caused some interesting reactions as well. More than one voice had expressed pleasure at Colonel Carter's return, although most of the men's had a definitely appreciative tone which had nothing to do with scientific expertise. Carolyn grinned to herself and remembered a few female grouches about General O'Neill's departure, which had also been rich with sexual innuendo. The comment which had amused her most had been "the guy is so much hotter than any other General I've ever met". Carolyn had met a few Generals and 'hot' was not a word she felt applied to any of them. Starchy, old and inflexible were words which fitted all those she had encountered. Shame General O'Neill had left before she arrived.

She wondered what her newest patient had thought of the General, given that she too had a father of the same rank. Probably not a good time to ask though given that Colonel Carter's father died recently. Carolyn had only had time to meet her briefly, but she had left a good impression despite her injury. It was only a relatively minor mishap, but it had been a lucky escape again for SG1. She wondered what it must feel like to perpetually cheat death. It was a good thing that the team did not seem to have close ties other than to each other. Waiting and wondering could be the devil for families, worse than the regular separations of forces life.

Carolyn walked to the room where the Colonel was resting, thinking about all that they might have in common. As she neared the door she was surprised to see a tall, grey-haired man about to open it and hurried to intercept him.

"Excuse me, you can't go in there."

The man turned to look at her with a laugh in his brown eyes. Well, he may be a civilian, thought Carolyn, but those jeans had curved nicely around him and the front view was pretty good too.

"Colonel Carter is in here, isn't she?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Yes, but visitors are limited at present. She needs to rest."

"Dr Lam, I presume?"

"Yes, but how……"

"I guess you haven't had time to read Carter's file thoroughly. I suppose it must be pretty thick by now. So, you haven't identified her next of kin?"

"The situation didn't warrant….." she started just as another figure approached. This one she recognised as Dr Daniel Jackson, as he had accompanied the Colonel to the infirmary.

"Daniel"

"Jack, that was quick, you seen her yet?"

"No, Dr Lam stopped me. Apparently, visiting is limited."

Carolyn interrupted before they forgot her presence, although she had the feeling she was missing something, "Next of kin, immediate team members and senior officers only for an injury of this type, where rest is essential."

Daniel laughed and looked at Carolyn as if she had transformed into an alien, but before he could speak the civilian said "Well, I think I can tick all three boxes for you, doc."

She felt her colour go as she ran the categories through her head. Oh, no. No, it couldn't be.

"Jack O'Neill," he said, holding out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Dr Lam. You can let me in, you know; I'm down as Carter's next of kin since Jacob died."

As she shook his hand she could not help thinking that the nurses had not been exaggerating his attributes.

"So, you coming in, Jack?" said Daniel, his hand on the door.

Carolyn stood speechless as the two men went into the room. So General O'Neill was not only a former teammate in what she understood to be one of the closest teams in the SGC, but also her next of kin AND a superior officer. Well, if you are going to upset people you might as well do it thoroughly. Although, he had seemed more amused than insulted. Now she came to think of it, it was unlikely that any civilian would be walking around a secure base at this time of night. But, was the General not supposed to be in Washington? Was that what Daniel had meant by 'that was quick'? Maybe he had been on his way anyway.

She went to finish the latest batch of paperwork and could not resist a peek in Colonel Carter's file. Sure enough, under 'next of kin' the form had been updated recently and contained contact details for the new Head of Homeworld Security. One of the nurses came to ask for her help, so Carolyn quickly put the file back and went to deal with another patient.

Afterwards she found herself heading for Colonel Carter's room. She liked to check on all her patients before she left. She found the Colonel asleep, but, surprisingly, with the General holding her hand talking quietly to Daniel. Before she had time to say anything Colonel Mitchell came round the corner with Teal'c and grimaced when he saw the doctor.

"I suppose you're gonna say it's too late to see Sam."

"No, but she already has visitors and she does need her rest."

Mitchell edged around her into the room.

"Hey, it's only Daniel. Oh, sorry, sir, I didn't see you there. We can come back another time."

"No, it's OK, I gotta get back. I skipped out on the Joint Chiefs, so I need to be at our meeting in the morning." O'Neill stood up and stretched slowly, while Carolyn tried not to look. Then she was shocked into staring at him as he bent and kissed Carter's lips. The woman on the bed stirred and murmured something as she opened her eyes before the General leant down again and kissed her more thoroughly. Then she shook everyone in the room by laughing.

"You should see Dr Lam and Cam's faces." She chuckled. "Jack, did you forget something?"

O'Neill turned and smiled down at her.

"I don't think the doc did a thorough exam when you came in, Carter." He shook his head at Lam then stunned her by reaching his hand down the top of Colonel Carter's hospital gown. Carolyn was on the verge of hyperventilating from shock, when he withdrew his hand clutching a set of dog tags. He ran them through his fingers then held up a gold circlet.

Carolyn heard Mitchell take a sharp breath behind her. Well at least she was not the only one at risk of cardiac arrest.

"Married?" asked Cam. "But no-one said….." he turned accusingly to Sam, "you could have told me."

Jack smirked "And miss your expression just now?"

Daniel laughed "It was priceless. I could almost see the words court martial flash before your eyes. Then it dawned on you that you could be an accessory and you froze."

Jack grinned at Teal'c "Not too observant, your new team leader, eh, T?"

"Indeed, but I have observed that the male Tau'ri are less aware of such things than the females."

"So what's your excuse, doc, for missing vital intel?"

"I only treated Colonel Carter for an injured leg and as she was conscious she was able to tell me all relevant medical history."

Daniel shook his head "Surely marital status is in the files? Did you update, Jack?"

"Yeah, before I left I made sure details like next of kin were correct. I think this could be a serious dereliction of duty."

Carter sat up and glared, firstly at her husband and the her teammate. "Enough. Leave then be."

"But, Sam" Carolyn could have sworn that the General was whining like a small boy.

"No." She turned to the door and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Cam, it was requested that we were discreet when I came back here, so it was easier not to say anything. Daniel knew cos he was there, but I didn't even tell Teal'c."

"There was no need Colonel Carter. Unlike Colonel Mitchell, I do not lack observation skills. Congratulations, O'Neill, you are an extremely fortunate man."

"Oh yeah, congratulations, sir, Sam." Cam went over to the bed and kissed Sam on the cheek then shook the General's hand. Carolyn murmured what she hoped was something appropriate. Mitchell certainly recovered well from a surprise, probably due to practise facing changing situations.

"So," said Daniel, "can we find out who won the pool yet or is it still 'need to know'?"

Jack laughed and looked at Sam. "I rather think my being here gives something away. We haven't broken any regs, even the Air Force allows for marriage. We got married when Sam was at Area 51 before I went to Washington."

"The 'personal reasons' for going to do research," mused Cam. "Then I dragged her back here and into his chain of command."

"I think dragged is an exaggeration. She missed the action. And, I hate to brag, but there is an awful lot under my command these days, so that was inevitable."

"Jack!"

Daniel mused "If that is you hating to brag, then I would love to hear you when you do boast."

"Well, Dannyboy, it's true, anything related to the Stargate, including the research side, comes under my jurisdiction. Sam is our most valuable asset" Carolyn thought she heard an embarrassed mutter from the Colonel and noticed the General grin at his wife, "So she belongs to Homeworld Security."

"She belongs – Jack, you are risking life and limb here."

"Daniel, I live for danger. That's why I got married."

"Uh oh, you're gonna be dead."

"No, it's all part of my charm."

"Jack." There was a distinct note of warning in Carter's voice and her expression was stern. The general looked sheepish and Carolyn decided that the person in charge at work was not the one who wore the trousers at home.

"Okay, everybody, Colonel Carter needs to sleep, so can you either continue this discussion elsewhere or resume tomorrow."

As the room emptied Carolyn noticed the General turning back to his wife for another kiss. Sam patted his cheek and smiled at him before he left the room too with a smirk. He strutted down the corridor with the remainder of SG1 and as she walked the other way Carolyn heard Daniel say "So, recovered from the heart attack yet, Cam?"