MissAlice1990 - So I have a small cold today and was painting (in preparation for my daughter's third birthday party) and it crossed my mind that while most people just go in with their lives when they have a cold, if someone at the SGC got a cold they'd probably all badger the individual until they go home and rest. So... that was my inspiration. Just a silly one shot.

AN:Special collaboration with /u/3144857/MissAlice1990 She wrote the first chapter and we agreed I should flesh out chapter 2. There will be at least 4 chapters in all, possibly a 5thone we write together.

Chapter 1 – Replication of Phage

Sam Carter woke up with a sore throat and a stuffy nose and groaned.

Maybe a shower will help.

She stood in the shower, leaning her head and arm on the shower wall while she let the steam clear her sinuses a little.

It's just a cold.

After her shower she got dressed and took some cold medicine before heading to the SGC. She stopped at her usual coffee shop on the way.

"Hey Sam, the usual?" The barista asked her.

"Actually I think I'll get a tea instead." She strained to speak through the congestion, and tried to clear her throat.

"Woah, you don't sound so good. Maybe you should take the day off."

"It's just a cold." Sam said with a small smile.

"Okay, well feel better."

—

She managed to get to the locker room before she had to speak again.

"Good morning Major Carter." Lieutenant Percy said, coming out of the showers as Sam was pulling her black top over her head.

"Morning Kelsey, how was your weekend?"

"Good. You don't sound so great though. Are you ill?"

"It's just a cold."

"Couldn't hurts to stop by the infirmary though, could it Sam?"

"Really, I'm fine. Thank you for the concern." She smiled as she pulled her regulation jacket on and closed her locker.

"Okay, well… feel better."

"Thanks Kels. Have a good day." She said heading off to her 0800 briefing.

"Yeah, you too."

—

Sam sat in the briefing room listening to Daniel explain what SG3 had found on P3X-668 and why he felt SG1 should do a follow up. Sam found herself struggling to focus. She was sure he said something about ancient text, and wanting to check it out, but she missed why it was important. Currently she was just trying not to sneeze.

Unable to hold it back anymore, Sam sneezed into the tissue she had been holding under the table, and closed her eyes to center herself. When she realized the room had gone silent, she opened her eyes to see what was up. All four pairs of eyes were staring at her.

"What?" She croaked. She tried to clear her throat, but that caused her to have a small coughing fit. Colonel O'Neill - who she hadn't noticed sit down next to her at the beginning of the briefing - reached over to pat her on the back until she stopped coughing.

"Woah Carter, take a breath."

"Sam, are you okay?" Daniel looked concerned.

"Are you unwell Major Carter?" Teal'c asked with a slight eyebrow raise that said 'I am concerned for your well being.'

"I'm fine, really." She said unconvincingly through a wall of mucus.

"You don't sound fine, Major." General Hammond said.

"It's just a cold, sir."

"Even so, I'm postponing your mission. SG1 take a few days of downtime. And Major Carter, get down to the infirmary to get that cold checked out."

"Really Sir, I'm fine."

"I'm sure you are, Major. I still want you to get checked out. Dismissed."

"Yes, Sir." She mumbled as she and The rest of her term stood with General Hammond.

—

"Okay Sam, what seems to be the problem?" Janet said, walking up to the bed Sam was sitting on.

"It's just a cold." Her voice was getting worse.

"Sounds like you might be losing your voice. I'm going to check your temperature just in case."

After Janet checked her over, she gave Sam some more cold medicine and told her to head home.

"Really Janet, I'm fine."

"Sam you should really take it easy. You won't get better if you don't rest."

"It's just a cold!" She was starting to get really frustrated.

"So it is." Janet sighed. "At least promise you'll go home early today."

"I promise I won't stay late Janet. Now can I please go to my lab."

"Alright, fine. But I'm going to send someone to check on you every hour."

Sam sighed. "I'm starting to understand why the colonel calls you a fear monger…" she mumbled as she slid off the bed and headed towards her lab.

—

Sam fell asleep a few times while working on the newest piece of ancient technology brought back through the gate by SG14 and began to think maybe Janet was right and she should rest.

"What'cha doin'?" She looked up to see Colonel O'Neill standing in the doorway to her lab.

"Checking the-" she stopped talking because she sounded like her Aunt Ethel who used a voice box for the last ten years of her life. She swallowed. Reached for her tea, and took a sip, then cleared her throat and began again. "I'm checking the radiation levels of - Damnit." She still sounded like Aunt Ethel.

"Carter, you sounds like hell."

"I'm fine, sir." She cleared her throat. That started another coughing fit.

"Come on Carter, I'll give you a ride home."

"It's just a cold, sir."

"A cold that makes you sound like an eighty year old chain smoker."

"I've only been here a few hours sir-wait, did Janet send you?"

He stared at her for a moment, blinked, and then said "so what if she did?"

"Really, Sir. I'm fine."

"Nope. Don't care. Fraiser said if you didn't seem better to drive you home. And I know better than to ignore Fraiser."

"Sir-"

"Ah! Sorry Carter, doctors orders. And please don't talk again, your voice is starting to creep me out."

She sighed. "At least let me clean this up first."

"What did I say about talking?!"

"Sorry, Sir." Sam wrote on her notepad and heald up for him to read.

"Much better!"

—

"Thank you, sir." Sam wrote on her notepad and showed the Colonel before climbing out of his truck and heading to her front door. She was pulling her keys out and froze when she realized he was standing next to her.

"What are you doing?" She wrote.

"I'm under strict orders to make sure you go lay down and don't try to… clean or something."

"I'm FINE." She wrote.

"Doctors orders." He shrugged.

"Oh for crying out loud." She mumbled.

"What was that?"

"IT'S JUST A COLD!" She croaked angrily.

"Carter! I told you no talking!"