Good he was glad she'd remember that, he always made good on his promises and touch became a little more firmer as though he was agreeing with her without actually having to verbalise it. It was nice to know that he could do such a thing so early in a relationship, but well he had known this woman for well over a year and he had always been touching her in some way, just not as intimately as the touches seemed now.

"Really a mobile phone?" He wasn't quite sure if she was joking at that. "Why not just get the person to keep constantly ringing you if you got it set to vibrate, be easier and no messy trip to A and E." Okay now he had heard it all, he was actually trying to rationalise using a mobile phone for such a thing, his brain could imagine what the vibrations would do to you - especially if it was someone you really liked causing them - but not the phone itself. Although there was a small engineering part of his brain, wondering how he could extend the ring of a phone to do such a thing. Sometimes, just sometimes he disliked where his mind went. "I am also never going to be able to look at a gnome the same way again now, although I have to ask, the gnome...did it have a good time?" That time he couldn't help himself asking.

"I hope so, I really hope so." It was the truth, he knew things had only just kind of sprang up between them romantically. He knew that she cared about him as a close friend, because he did her, but he hoped that the romance feelings weren't just fleeting. It was probably why he was finding it so hard to not be around her, part of him was terrified that if he left for too long she'd go back to not liking him at like that.

"I am going to try my best," he answered honestly, "but what if you're asleep? I don't want you staying awake just for me, Claire." He didn't want to cause her tiredness on her shift, her job was a little bit more important than his, or rather if he screwed something up he could in a sense start again, but he knew Claire couldn't do that.

"I give the best breaks," said Caleb, before flushing red yeah that hadn't meant to sound like a really lewd come on to her. Although he had spent an odd break or two with some people, not people at the SGC but others outside of Cheyenne. "Well there are these rooms, you know, they've got doors on them and everything." He added, offering her a wink.

Caleb increased the pressure of his hand against Claire's wrist, and she gave an involuntary little shiver. The slightest touch from him seemed to turn her to jelly. That was a sensation that Claire didn't seem to remember having with anyone else. It was a revelation to experience such levels of lust on top of a rock solid friendship, and it was a heady combination that she could get way too used to, if she wasn't careful.

Nodding, Claire grinned at Caleb's reaction. Why was it that non-medics found it so hard to believe that all sorts of everyday objects could get lost inside various orifices of the human body? "At last count, I think I'd dealt with... five? Or is it six?" She laughed, shaking her head, almost in disbelief. "The most popular ones were these long, thin, fold-out Nokia ones. They seemed to be easiest to insert. Shame they didn't consider that the sphincter muscles would clench so tightly around them that they wouldn't be able to get them out." Claire shot Caleb a wicked grin. "Imagine trying to explain that to your insurance company."

The grin turned to a laugh, a laugh so hearty that Claire almost had to wipe tears from her eyes. "The gnome looked more than a bit pissed off, actually," she giggled, ignoring the strange glances they were getting from others in the mess hall. "Wouldn't you if you'd just had your head rammed up someone's arse?"

Her gaze softened, and was accompanied by a quiet, warm smile. Her instinct was to take Caleb's hand, but she resisted - albeit barely. "I'm certain she feels the same way," murmured Claire, quiet enough that only Caleb would have heard. Dancing around the subject was the only way she could talk about things this early into the relationship. All she wanted to be sure of was that Caleb was prepared to give things a shot.

Claire laughed. "I won't be asleep, e taku tahu," she said, giving him a flirty raise of her eyebrows. "Not that early, anyway. I'm not on shift until tomorrow afternoon, so... you have nothing to worry about on that front. But... if you're late finishing, I understand. Just call me. If you get an answer, then... it's up to you. If not, then you know I've passed out." It was an honest, open invitation, and she wouldn't take offence if he decided not to come over.

Her eyes widened, cheeks pinking, and Claire giggled again, moving her hand slightly against Caleb's. "Now, that sounds like something that has to be experienced to be believed," she replied, her voice low and sultry and flirty. "Oh," she said, as though in sudden realisation. "I'd never have thought of that," she said, her voice overly innocent. "Do you know of any good rooms in particular?"

"That's it, I am never going to be able to look at a garden gnome or a Nokia phone again," he said, laughing. He had seen things stuck in things at odd angles before, a lot of broken equipment seemed to always be tangled around each other, but never an object inside of a person. He couldn't see the appeal to doing that to ones self, there was other things - specially designed things - on the market for people to use.

"Oh I can imagine the phone calls the insurance companies had." He gave a mock shudder at the thought, "Has anyone like that come through your doors whilst you've been here?" He had to ask, there was some wicked odd looking shapes in some of the stuff that got brought back, that he really hoped people hadn't taken to 'play' with. "Actually don't answer that, I'll have to wash my hands if you do."

This was easy banter, this was what he enjoyed doing so much with Claire. The laughing, the joking, he enjoyed it, even when they seemed to be on a tight schedule the conversation always made him smile.

He felt his chest warm when she replied to him about his comments about her, it was a warm ache that seemed to spread out from his chest. Made him feel like his face was flushing, hands sweating, almost as though he was 14 again and planning on going out a date for the first time. That had been mortifying in its own right, not something he would ever be sharing with anyone, ever, ever. But that's what Claire did to him, made him feel like he was on that first date again, with the churning stomach and nervous twitch as to whether you said the right thing or not.

Of course he did have the benefit of having been best friends with the woman first, so saying the right thing not as big of a thing as it normally would have been. Being sincere now that was the challenge for Caleb, he could flirt drop the innuendo and have ladies eating out the palm of his hand, but Claire had never stood for any of that. Well that and she had given it him back just as lewd, just as innuendo laden.

"I'll call you, promise, in fact if I get a break I'll call you," he said, smiling, "You can tell me all about your evening, what you did, what you were wearing." He winked at that.

"Yeah there is these rooms, they got doors, locks, everything," he said, trying to be all serious business talk. "My breaks you know, they gotta be seen to believed. Some people even try to come back for seconds, I have to let them down gently." Which was a complete fib, there had never been any seconds with anyone on base or off base for a very long time.

Claire loved to see Caleb laugh. It made the corners of his eyes crinkle, and it reminded her that he was, in fact, the same age as she was. Sometimes, it seemed as though he was so much younger, but maybe that was just his reputation talking. "Let me guess... you have a Nokia at the moment," she grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Please at least tell me that you've not got a Nokia..." If he did, he'd never live it down.

She shrugged. "Trust me, you don't want to know anyway," she replied, her voice saying that she'd seen more than her share of oddities at the SGC as well. There were some high ranking officers in particular who would probably pay her handsomely to keep a few things quiet. Not her cup of tea, but... well, whatever floated your boat, she supposed.

Caleb beamed back at her, and Claire could feel her own smile broadening to match his. Okay, so they had only gotten together a few days beforehand, but the heady feelings created by the start of something special were already coursing through her. At least she hoped it was something special. It would come down to Caleb, really. He wasn't exactly the kind of guy who was known for his commitment in relationships, but Claire hung onto the hope that this time, it might be different.

"Okay," she said, her voice quiet, even as her stomach bubbled up with excitement. When was the last time that she had gotten so excited about a bloke promising to call? Never, that was when, not even at the start with Tama. She didn't remember ever feeling like this. Her smile became mischievous, and more than a little challenging. "What I'm wearing, huh? You going to put in a request?" She hoped that nobody was overhearing this portion of their conversation; it would be difficult to explain, to say the least.

Claire laughed out loud. "I have no doubt you could keep me entertained for an entire break," she grinned, shaking her head and taking a sip of coffee, the rice pudding long since congealed and given up on. "Are you going to let me down gently if I come back for seconds? Or thirds?" Not that getting down and dirty on work time was high on her list of priorities, but she wouldn't be averse to spending a little downtime in either of their quarters.

"I don't have a Nokia," he said, laughing along with her. He wasn't going to be able to look at a phone in the same light again, but hell if he got Claire smiling like that over his reaction to that conversation it was worth it.

Caleb mock frowned at that, it would make excellent blackmail material if he ever found out, not that he would ever consider blackmailing people of course. But maybe in that joking kind of way, where he'd drop a hint of knowing what had happened without knowing what had happened, but just knowing it was said person. "Oh am sure I'd just love to know who had done what, although I am pretty sure I could take a guess. There has been some tools going missing lately," he said, smiling once more.

"Hmm, a request," he said, lowering his voice, leaning slightly closer. The Mess Hall still had people wondering around it, but no one was near close enough to actually over hear now. "There was this nice little robe you were wearing, albeit briefly, sometime around morning."

He couldn't remember what time exactly, and he didn't care to remember it was just a matter of enjoying the time with Claire. Which was something he wanted to do all the time, and that made his stomach twist up in knots, it was not something he could ever remember feeling before. It was excitement, mixed with nerves and something else that he wasn't wanting to look at too closely. Not yet.

"Seconds? Thirds?" Caleb said, mock outrage colouring his voice. "I'll you know, I am a respectable member of this facility and shall not give in to your debauchery ways, Doctor Te Atua." He paused for a moment, before breaking into a smile, he really couldn't keep a straight face around this woman, he wondered briefly how they'd ever have a serious conversation in the future. "Seconds, thirds, fourths and fifths. There will be as many times as you want, sweetheart."

Claire grinned, her cheeks aching from so much smiling. That was something she would have to get used to around Caleb, clearly. "As long as I don't have to extract your phone from somewhere unusual, that'll do for me," she replied. That didn't even bear thinking about.

Taking a sip of coffee, Claire almost snorted it from her nose. "Tools," she repeated, shaking her head. "Okay, if we get any through the infirmary, I'll be sure to let you know." Fortunately, incidents like that were few and far between at the SGC, but... well, you never know who would turn up with some deep, dark secret. In the infirmary, you really did see it all.

Claire recognised the look that passed across Caleb's face, and she returned the look with one of pure innocence. "I don't think I recall," she said softly, a tiny smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "You may have to remind me." She gave him a smouldering glance across the table.

This man was going to be her undoing, she was certain. Claire had tried so hard, for so long, to lock her feelings away, protect her fractured heart after Tama had done his damage, and Caleb had brought those walls tumbling down in an instant. It hadn't been a sudden thing. It had been slow, and gradual, and easy, culminating with that fiery, unexpected kiss in the gym, a kiss that had started out as a tease, and couldn't have been more serious.

And she wouldn't have it any other way.

Claire laughed, shaking her head. "My debauched ways," she repeated, twitching her eyebrows upwards. "I didn't hear you complaining last night. Or this morning. Maybe I was mistaken." Claire nudged her hand up against his again, just to feel the friction of his skin against hers. "Now that sounds like an invitation... and a challenge," she said, her eyes sparkling once more. "Which is it?"

“If you do get any back, maybe you should sterilise them before giving them to me,” he said scrunching up his nose a little. Honestly if Claire ever did appear in front of him claiming she was returning some tools, he was going to be less inclined to actually accept them back. There were strange enough things that happened in the mountain, he didn't want tools randomly being brought back to him by Claire, or any of the other medical staff for that matter.

Caleb smiled after that, “The only unusual place you'll find my phone is if I leave it at yours.” he said. Which actually if he thought about it, wouldn't be unusual at all, especially if he found himself spending more and more time there than on base. He had a habit of leaving his phone in his quarters nine times out of ten, he'd grown up in an age where you didn't need to be carrying a phone around all the time. So unless the damn thing was glued to him, he was more or less likely to forget it at one point or another.

“Remind you,” he said, the smile turning slightly cheeky, “Did someone do something so amazing that you forgot what you were wearing at the time.” He shook in his head in mock disappointment, “Such a shame.” He wasn't above giving himself mock praise, which was exactly what that had been, but he couldn't help it, Claire seemed to bring out the silliness in him more. Especially after the previous night and that morning. “Shall I remind you exactly what it looked like on you? How it clung to you in just the right places, it was a wonderful garment and the woman underneath even more so.”

There was a glint in his eye as Claire issued her challenge, “Oh challenge definitely my dear. Relish the opportunity to indulge in the second and thirds on a break!”

Claire laughed, shaking her head as she wrapped her hands around her cooling coffee. "I'll make sure I take that under advisement," she grinned. "Everything through the autoclave first. Got it." She left a beat of silence, before raising an eyebrow. "You want copies of the x-rays too, proof of where they came from?"

A somewhat shy smile suffused Claire's face as Caleb mentioned leaving his phone at her flat. "I can think of worse places to be leaving it," she breathed, feeling unexpectedly flattered that he considered this a very real possibility. In a way, she hoped that he did leave his phone there. It would mean that he likely felt comfortable for little bits and pieces of his life to bleed into hers. For the first time in years, it wasn't a frightening prospect, rather something that Claire was relishing.

Claire shrugged, as though she were utterly dismissing what Caleb was saying about the robe. "I seem to remember my brain being more than a bit addled by something this morning," she conceded, her eyes dancing with ill-concealed mischief. "But I'm not sure I can recall why." A shiver rippled down her spine as Caleb spoke in hushed tones, telling her precisely what he had liked about the robe. Then the flirt developed into flattery, but there was a sincerity behind the flattery that wouldn't have been there a scant few days before.

That sincerity was endearing Caleb to her more and more as time went by. It was a warm, genuine side of him that she would bet most people never even got to see. She felt truly privileged.

She caught the glint in Caleb's eye, and Claire flicked her eyebrows upwards for a moment in unspoken acknowledgment of his words. "A break, huh," she chuckled, her own voice low, and sultry, and promising a million things. "Maybe I ought to tinker with the infirmary rosters to make sure our breaks line up sometimes, then." If he was going to make promises like that, the least she could do would be to make sure they would have the time for him to keep them.

"Now that depends with the X-rays do I get names?" he asked, "You know, just so I know who to keep the tools away from in the future, of course." He was pretty damn sure that even jokingly, Claire wouldn't be willing to give names over, or somehow it would be his name that would end up on them X-rays just to mess with him.

He leaned in towards Claire, voice dropping even lower so there was no definitely no chance of being overheard, "Oh really, something eh? Big enough to make you forget all what you were wearing or what it even looked like on. That must be something pretty impressive to make you forget." Again with the self boasting all in jest. He would have given her a more detailed description of what had made her forget, but well he knew they were still in a public place even if it was still marginally empty.

"Yeah line everything up so it fits together all just perfectly." he finished, smiling brightly at her once more.

"You only get the names if you ask very, very nicely." Claire's words and tone were equal in tease, and she gave Caleb a lopsided smile. He knew she would never be able to give any details at all if something like that were to happen, although an outline of the incident, with no identifiers, was perfectly possible. It would certainly be entertaining - and maybe even an education - for Caleb.

Caleb leaned closer, and Claire swallowed deeply. The urge to kiss him, no matter that they were in the middle of the mess hall, was strong, and it took all her self control not to stand up, lean over the table, and kiss him senseless. Instead, her eyes smouldered with more than the hint of the fire that had been burning between them. "Oh, it was big enough, yeah," she replied, her voice husky with desire, and Claire desperately hoped that nobody was eavesdropping right now. "And whoever was in control... well, they were definitely an expert." She cracked a grin.

One advantage of being Fraiser's civilian equivalent - and effectively second in command - in the infirmary was that she sat down and worked through the rosters on a weekly basis. Planning two weeks in advance, in order to work around the latest crises, she and Janet worked closely to make sure that the infirmary was adequately covered at all times. After a year of working herself to the bone, now she had a reason to be a little kinder to herself.

"I'm sure I can manage that, but you'd better make sure you get me a copy of your schedule, hadn't you," she chuckled. "After all, I don't want to be putting myself on days when you're on nights." It shouldn't take more than a few tweaks to get their schedules as closely aligned as possible.