DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Productions; all the powers that be, not me; This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement intended. The story is the property of the author and may not be posted without the author's consent.
SPOILERS: none
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Thanks to Sandra W and Ruth for the great idea, the hilaric stories. They were great and inspired me to add a little to the fun....

========================================================================

I have no idea why I am in charge of the base today. I mean, I know I'm second in command, but why on Earth did Hammond put me in charge to go and do something silly?

He said he desperately wanted to get away from the boring desk job, that he was tired of being the one who had to be waiting in the control room, the only important thing to say being whether to open or not open the iris.

Now although I of course understand his need for some action I still wonder why he just couldn't go and play some golf with the fellows... I mean, he's not that young anymore.

But no, instead, he insisted going on a recon mission. To PX-something-boring-boring.

For what? For crying out loud. He changed the one boring thing for the other *and* put me up with the thing I hate the most.

I am waiting.

Unable to contribute, unable to do something useful, unable to do something heroic.

Okay, the only good thing that comes out of this is that it also means I'm unable to get hurt this time, unless, of course, I trip and fall down the stairs leading to the control room.

Damn. I hate the waiting. I hate to be in charge without being in control.

Now I could of course use my time in this position to change some annoying, boring rules, like the one that says that every teammember coming back through the gate gets to get poked by female fingers, needles and other scary stuff. Or I could write out a new memo that says you don't have to read your memos anymore, although I doubt it anyone will actually read it.

Did I mention I hate waiting? Mmm. Guess I did. Glad that my team is with him, though. At least now I don't have to worry as well. I hate waiting, but I detest worrying while waiting.

Will they hurry up already? It coulddn't have taken that long for Carter to collect some soil samples, right? God, I hope Daniel didn't find anything out of the ordinary.... Not when I'm not there to stop him from touching it.... What if...?

Can it, Jack. Stop worrying. At least Teal'c will be there to watch out for them. Hell, knowing Teal'c, he would probably keep an eye on the General as well. They'll be back soon, and Hammond will realize watching Carter digging through dirt and Daniel rambling non-stop is actually worse than being in charge of the whole SGC and things will finally get back to normal.

I am close to ordering a MALP being send through the gate as the big honkin'ring starts turning. The sound of the chevrons locking in place are as music to my ears. Careful not to trip on the stairs, I rush towards the control room, hardly unable to wait for the confirmation.

"Open the iris," I order anxiously, expectantly and worriedly. God, did I sound important or what?

Will they be all right?

The iris opens, the wormhole engages and Daniel comes through. Good. He's still in one piece. He's waving frantically, though, and it takes me a sharp intake of breath to realize what he's trying to tell me.

Luckily, the airman behind the control panel understands him immediately, maybe because he'd been in this situation more than once. He presses the intercom. "Medical team to the gateroom, medical team to the gateroom!"

Damn. Quickly, I turn around and rush down another pair of stairs. I hurry myself through the blastdoors, and am all to aware of the quick clicking of the heels of Florence Nightingale behind me.

I sigh in relief as Carter is also standing on the ramp now, her hair ruffled but otherwise looking okay, although her face is set in a tight, deeply concerned expression.

Then we all watch in horror as Teal'c strides through the blue liquid, carrying the limp form of Hammond in his arms.

Shit.

What the hell happened?

There's nothing I can do but wait, again. Wait, as Doctor Fraiser and her team rush forward, immediately being all over the still body Teal'c has gently placed on the gurney. I take in the blood soaking Hammond's clothes, the shocked expression on my team's faces and the way the medical team works, efficiently, carrying out the gurney towards the infirmary before I can even nod at them.

For a split second I think about asking Carter for a report, but she's already gone, following the medics, Daniel on her heels.

With big paces I march out of the gateroom. Teal'c joins me. "General Hammond saved us all," he stated solemly. "He managed to keep Daniel Jackson from getting caught in the explosion, but was too late to seek cover himself."

Damn.

It is *my* job to look after my team. It is *my* job to protect them, to keep them safe. It is *my* job to get hurt while doing that.

We enter the infirmary.

It is *my* job to lie there.

Hammond is lying on the bed in the middle of the room and besides Doc there's at least five nurses hovering around him.

They should be hovering around *me*.

Look at that. I can't help but noticing how eager those nurses seem to be to inch him out of his clothes. What is that, are they really fighting over who gets to remove the last part of his shirt?

They should be fighting over *my shirt*.

I stare at Doc, who is barking orders while gently wiping Hammond over his bald and now ghostly white head. Is she whispering soothingly in his ear? I think she is, she always does that...

She should be whispering in *my* ear.

Where's my team? Oh, there they are. Look at Daniel, arms around his chest, as he's staring worriedly towards the scene in front of him. Teal'c is standing vigil next to him, hands folded behind his back. But wait, look at Carter, what's that? She's jumping anxiously from one foot to the other.... she's not really ready to rush forward and help, is she? Is she actually drooling there?

Damn, she should be drooling over *me*.

I sigh, return my gaze to the bed in the middle and see all commotion is settling down. One nurse is gently wiping away all the blood while another is preparing the bandages. Doc is ready to start her handiwork but still has her soft, gentle hand striking the General's face. I think she's telling him it's all going to be all right. She always does that.

The other nurses are staying, they seem unwilling to leave the area. They keep their eyes glued on their patient, ready to give him all the comfort he might need.

Are they always like this? Damn, I better pay closer attention next time I'm the one being...

Then, suddenly, Hammond starts stirring.

Relieved, I see his eyes are slowly opening. At least the old teddy bear is still alive and kicking. All eyes are immediately locked on him, and six pair of hands are patting, probing and striking him. I can only guess at the words that are being whispered at him now.

Hammond slowly raises his head, confusion all over his face. He looks at the staff working around him, takes in the way my team is staring at him, -or is it just Carter he's staring at? - and then, I might be mistaken, but then the hugest smile appears as the corners of his lips curl upwards.

It looks like he's actually enjoying it.

He gleams. He gloats. I swear he does. For a brief second I suspect him to have done this on purpose, to have planned this all. Should I go and check the records? See if we've dialed to this planet before? Nah. Hammond is way too much of a sweetheart to pull a stunt like that. I shake off the feeling of being set up, looking at my commanding officer on the bed. He looks around, pleased, satisfied, and smiles happily once more before his eyes slowly close.

I swear four pair of hands support his body, gently encouraging him to lean back. Another pair of hands immediately rushes forward to comfortabelly prop up the pillows while a soft voice tells him to rest.

Damn. It should have been *me*.

<<< THE END >>>

Chez Corine