Carson nodded as Fred told him how Caitlin was, opening his mouth, obviously about to say something else. Before he could, though, Daniel and Teyla's arrival distracted him, and soon he was taking care of his patient's arm. So when Fred suggested to John that they head back to their quarters, he nodded, sure that she now had several questions.
When they got back, John watched in amusement as Alex bounced with the gift Fred had brought back for her. It was perfect. He had been thinking about teaching her how to swing a club when got older, but with this, he could play with her now. He also took the box of golf balls Fred gave him with a grateful smile. He was about to run out since it wasn't possible to retrieve the balls that they used on the driving range they had set up.
"Thanks, hon," he said before giving her a kiss.
Setting the box aside, he wasn't surprised when she asked about Caitlin and tried to decide where to start. "Caitlin is General Jack O'Neill's daughter. She's a biological systems engineer and was part of the original group of us that came to Atlantis." Sitting down, he clasped his hands together and looked at his wife. "Carson and Caitlin started a relationship a few months after we got here, and it was pretty serious. But after we reconnected with Earth, right before we met, she was recalled to SGC for a project. Everyone thought she'd be back, but after our visit to Earth once we got the crystals up and running, Carson said that she wouldn't be."
He shrugged. "He didn't say why and didn't want to talk about it, so none of us pushed it. We figured that whatever happened, it wasn't our business. And then Carson started his relationship with Sam. Hearing Caitlin's name was a surprise after so long, though."