STARGATE SG-1: Do No Harm Read Free Page B

Pentagon.
The answer is no
.”
    The Pentagon was full of idiots. When the hell was someone going to listen?
I bet they’d say yes if they were the ones going through the Stargate
…
    But antagonizing Hammond wouldn’t help her case. “Yes, sir.”
    The general pinched the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. “How is the rest of SG-8?”
    “They’ll make a full recovery, sir. Captain Lee won’t be fit for duty for a few weeks, though.”
    “Crap,” said Jack and scrubbed his hands across his face. “General…”
    “I know, Colonel,” said Hammond. “You don’t need to tell me.”
    “This brings us down to eight functioning teams,” said Jack, not listening. “With not enough team leaders to go around.”
    “I
know
,” said Hammond. “Are you under the impression I’ve been asleep at the wheel?”
    “Sorry, sir,” Jack muttered. “Of course not. I know you know. And you know that I know that — ” He stopped. Sighed. “I’m just going to quit while I’m ahead, if that’s all right with you.”
    “I insist,” said Hammond, glaring again. Then he shifted his gaze. “Was there anything else, Doctor?”
    She shook her head. “Nothing that can’t keep for the moment, sir. If you wanted to stop in and see Captain Lee, she should be alert enough to talk by 2100.”
    Hammond glanced at his watch. “Good. I’ll do that. In the meantime don’t let me keep you. You either, Colonel. We’ll finish that mission debrief at 0830 tomorrow. For now I’ve got some phone-calls to make.”
    Jack pushed to his feet. “Of course, General. I’ll see you in the morning.”
    “You certainly will.”
    Janet nodded, in lieu of a salute. “Thank you, sir. I’ll be in my office if there’s anything else you need to know.”
Or if you need to talk. Or share a fortified coffee
. It wouldn’t be the first time, after someone had died.
    A little of the bleakness eased from Hammond’s eyes. “Thank you, Doctor. Close the door behind you on your way out.”
    She and Jack retreated to the briefing room, quietly, exchanging a look as she pulled the office door shut.
    “This is crap,” he said, staring through the glass map-panel at the general. Hammond hadn’t reached for the phone, he was just sitting motionless, staring at his clasped hands.
    “You are so right about that,” she replied. “Colonel, I’m sorry. About Jake. Major Andrews.”
    Jack shoved his hands in his fatigue pockets. He looked pressured, and secretive with feelings he rarely expressed. He and Andrews had bonded over The Simpsons. Drove the base half-nuts with their Marge-and-Homer routines.
    God, I’m going to miss that.
    “Yeah,” he said. “Me too.”
    His voice sounded calm, flat, but by now she knew better. “I liked him,” she said. “He was a good guy.”
    “Everyone here’s a good guy,” said Jack, edgily. He hated platitudes as much as clichés. “Even when they’re a pain in the ass they’re still a good guy.” He looked away, pretending sudden interest in the clock on the wall. “We’ve lost too many good guys lately, Janet.”
    “We certainly have,” she agreed… and was angry to hear her own voice cracking round the edges, like lake-ice that proved too brittle to bear the weight of more sorrow.
    Jack heard it, of course. “Hey…” He looked back at her, his expression softening. “You okay?”
    She nodded. “I’m fine. I have to go. I’ll see you and the rest of SG-1 tomorrow at 1700 for your pre-flight physical.”
    “Ah. Yes. I can hardly wait.”
    She gave him a look. “If memory serves, PX8-050 has a gravity 15 percent above Earth normal, yes?”
    Jack rolled his eyes. “Yes.”
    “Then you’d better pray that knee of yours is behaving itself or this is one mission you’ll be sitting out. Okay?”
    “Oh, come
on
…”
    She managed a tight smile. “Don’t even
think
you can charm me, Colonel. Or bully me. Or cajole. I am impervious to your machinations. At 1700 sharp