Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Stargate: Atlantis. If I did, it would still be on the air.
Author'sNote: I decided that I again wanted to write a Christmas story this year. However, with NaNoWriMo just days behind me, December 1st came and went without any ideas. This particular idea is courtesy of theicemenace, who also beta'd it! This is also an attempt to get away from something so Carson-centric and write more of a team friendship/family type story. It picks up right after "Critical Mass" and contains spoilers for anything leading up to "The Long Goodbye." The first five chapters are complete, and it is being written. There will be a daily posting throughout the holidays. All of that said, enjoy! ~lg
oOo
Night had finally fallen when a figure slipped onto one of Atlantis's balconies. He looked over the city and shook his head. So much had happened these last few days and the city's inhabitants reeled from the events. The betrayal of one of their own weighed heavy as military and scientist alike eyed their coworkers with suspicion. If Colonel Caldwell could have a Goa'uld in him. . . .In fact, Elizabeth Weir had just said that very thing not twenty minutes ago. Carson Beckett was performing full examinations of every one on the base, and the doctor dreaded finding that another of his colleagues had been compromised. Teyla Emmagan grieved the loss of a woman as close as a grandmother, while Rodney McKay and Radek Zelenka reinstalled the ZPM and made certain no permanent damage had been done. John Sheppard and Ronon Dex sparred now, their anger and frustration making their punches that much harder.
The figure on the balcony sighed heavily. Too much bad had happened to these people. They needed a bit of kindness. The Earth legends of Christmas, along with the current date, reminded him of his plan. He'd plotted carefully for this time, and he let out a deep breath. Someone needed to let the command staff on this base know exactly what they'd done. Tomorrow, it would begin.
Smiling, he left the balcony and headed back to his work station.
oOo
Here we are, gloating about the infighting among the Wraith. How are we any different? The question floated through Elizabeth Weir's mind as she stepped into her quarters. With a deep sigh, she set aside her tablet and forced herself to not think about the headache this entire incident had created. The IOA would certain be all over this as a way to remove her from command in Atlantis. They'd already given her fits each time something went wrong, their distance not stopping them from trying to interfere with the day to day running of Atlantis. Most of the time, General Landry ran interference for her, but he might not be able to stop them this time. Had the NID not discovered the sabotage, then Atlantis would have been destroyed. The IOA might pretend to care about the lives in the Ancient city, but they really did not want to lose the advantage of all that technology.
But what had this situation driven her to do? Elizabeth drew a hot bath and settled into the water to soak the tension from her muscles. In attempting to save her people, she had crossed a line. She'd authorized Ronon to gain the access codes from Kavanagh by any means necessary. Fortunately for them, Kavanagh fainted when Ronon entered the room, and Laura Cadman found the deletion point. While Elizabeth wanted to believe John's "no harm, no foul" mentality, she couldn't let it go. And she knew Kavanagh wouldn't let it go.
Exhausted from the chaos of this day—not to mention the stressful weeks before that—Elizabeth climbed from the tub and prepared for bed. For once, she decided to ignore the reports waiting for her perusal, the missions on the schedule for the next several days, and the pressure of leading this particular group of people. She had no doubt that, once he was allowed off world again, Sheppard would get his team into and out of scrapes, Lorne would rescue the wayward group when necessary, Carson would patch them up, and she'd be left to write the report. Tonight, she stared at the ceiling as she tried to rest and put the weight of the day behind her.
oOo
John Sheppard didn't believe in karma or any other religious mumbo-jumbo. It was one reason why he and Rodney got along so well. He'd been raised going to church right up until his mother left, and then any and all church activities had ceased. From that time on, he decided that, if there was a God Who cared about him, His people sure didn't show it.
Pushing aside the bitter thoughts, Sheppard wandered out of the sparring room on rubbery legs. He often felt this way after a sparring session with either Ronon or Teyla, both Pegasus natives able to kick his behind to Earth and back without breaking a sweat. But tonight's sparring had more behind it than just the need for exercise. Ronon was irritated that he hadn't got the chance to take his frustration out on Kavanagh, and Sheppard hated the thought that Caldwell had been infected with a Goa'uld. If Caldwell, the commander of one of Earth's highly classified spaceships, could have a snake in his head, then anyone on Atlantis could have a snake. He'd already undergone a complete physical from Carson, the first thing he'd done after leaving Elizabeth in her office. It had been years since he'd had the exam done to that extent, Carson obviously taking the time to get the military personnel caught up on their medical checks in addition to certifying them Goa'uld-free. Rodney would find it humiliating, but it was just a fact of life for Sheppard.
Refusing to think about Carson's apologetic expression when he first arrived in the infirmary or the doctor's matter-of-fact manner during the exam, Sheppard entered his quarters and went directly to a hot shower. As far as days went, this one—and the one before it—pretty much sucked. He'd been all set to catch up on paperwork before Elizabeth condemned his office when they received word about the bomb in Atlantis. While vague, the threat couldn't be ignored. Instead of sitting behind his desk filling out requisition forms, he'd wandered the city looking for an elusive bomb. Then, he wound up having to attack a superior officer just for the sake of rescuing said superior officer. If his time calculations were right, Caldwell should be free of the Goa'uld and safely ensconced in the Daedalus infirmary by now.
This entire thing would have consequences. John turned off the water and dried as he thought about the long-term effects of this incident. Elizabeth couldn't trust any of them without a complete examination, hence why Sheppard made it a priority to stop in to the infirmary right away. He'd also encouraged Ronon to get his check done, knowing the big Satedan would understand as well. In fact, so would Teyla, and Carson would be discreet about the entire thing. Rodney would give all of them fits over the necessity of the physical, but he'd eventually get the bigger picture.
What was the bigger picture? John dropped into his bed. He was exhausted and knew anything he decided tonight would be skewed by that. He closed his eyes and, in the manner of any military man, went to sleep and left the rest of the decisions until the next day.
oOo
It was past midnight before Carson Beckett left the infirmary. His head ached from too much coffee and not enough sleep, and he wanted nothing more than a quick snack, an even quicker shower, and bed. Not necessarily in that order. Laura had come by to talk to him, and they'd spent a few pleasant moments while he'd walked her back to her quarters. He'd seen the discomfort on Rodney's face when the physicist came across them, but Carson hadn't said anything to put the physicist at ease. He and Laura had made the decision to go their separate ways, and she was transferring to the Daedalus effective immediately.
Carson pinched the bridge of his nose to ward off his headache as he trudged along. He'd been occupied since the discovery of Caldwell's symbiote, first with the extraction and then with several of the command staff wanting complete physicals. Carson had obliged Elizabeth and then agreed to do the exams, understanding her needs. But Laura's visit had put a stop to that for a few moments. When Rodney found them laughing, it had been because she'd told him something that her young niece had done. Children were wonderful, and Carson eventually wanted a pair or six. Laura, on the other hand, was military and saw her life as full with just the Marine Corp and maybe a romance. It was that disconnect that had eventually led to her requesting a transfer back to Earth. Just prior to the Daedalus's departure, there had been a brief reconciliation between them born more of stress and the residual relief of finding Sheppard's team alive and well. But that had flickered out quicker than he'd expected.
Movement in one of the sparring rooms caught his attention, and Carson stopped walking. Teyla stood inside, idly twirling one of her Bantos rods as she stared at a spot on the floor. The events of the last two days, while traumatic for others, had been heartbreaking for Teyla. She had lost the remaining member of her family when Charin died. Och, he knew Charin wasn't her biological relative. But, in societies as ravaged by the Wraith as Teyla's, it was difficult to form those attachments with others. Once made, however, those friends became a lifeline. Carson had struggled with Charin's death, but recent events had pushed it from his mind for a time. Now, he was suddenly back in the infirmary, sighing as he heard the heart monitor flatline and knowing that, according to Charin's wishes, he could do nothing else. Seeing Teyla cry silently as the old woman passed from life had nearly broken his heart.
"Teyla?" Carson stepped into the sparring room. When she didn't respond, he moved forward. "Teyla, love, wha' is it?" Dumb question, he thought.
She turned. "Dr. Beckett. You should rest."
"Aye," he admitted ruefully. "So should you."
"I. . . ." She glanced away and shifted nervously as her voice broke. "I needed some time."
"I understand." Carson moved to one of the benches in the room, gently tugging Teyla along with him. He settled onto the bench as she stowed her Bantos rods in her bag. Deciding to wait for her, he leaned back against the wall of the city and let out a deep breath. Today had been longer than any he remembered in recent history—recent history being the last two weeks. He was sad to say that his life consisted of cat naps stolen in his office between long periods of waiting. The chance to take an entire day to recover simply did not present itself.
Teyla dropped onto the bench next to him. "I wanted to thank you." She glanced over, her eyes filling with tears although she didn't let them fall.
Carson smiled, knowing exactly what she meant. "You don't have to thank me for anything."
"I believe I do." She met his eyes. "To see you at the ring ceremony today—not to mention your trip to the mainland and your care of Charin—means more to me than you can imagine. I knew I was not alone."
Carson nodded. "You're welcome, love." His eyes drifted shut, and he sat up before he fell asleep in place. "I should let you get on with your evening." Pushing himself to his feet, he was surprised when Teyla also rose. She fell into step with him, their path turning toward crew quarters with little fanfare. His door came into view before hers, and she stopped next to it.
"Carson, if you need anything. . . ."
"I'll be fine," he said with a smile. "Some sleep is just what the doctor ordered."
"Very well." She returned the smile. "Do not hesitate to call me if you need anything."
"The same goes for you, Teyla." He met her eyes. "Even if it's just to talk. I'll listen."
"I believe you will." She waved as she walked away, and Carson entered his quarters with a deep sigh. Losing a patient was never easy, but losing one like Charin wasn't as heart wrenching as losing one with a full life ahead of him or her. Charin had lived for years in the shadow of the Wraith, and she was now free. He knew Teyla viewed it like that, and he envied her slightly for her peaceful acceptance of Charin's passing.
Too tired to continue these thoughts, Carson kicked off his shoes and climbed into bed. The shower could wait until morning.
oOo
"Rodney, we've been over this section of coding before." Radek Zelenka's grating voice penetrated McKay's focus. "It is fine."
"Yeah, so you think." Rodney's eyes scanned the lines of code, finding nothing wrong. "Huh."
"Told you." Zelenka's low comment irritated him.
"Don't you have somewhere else to be?"
"Yes!" Zelenka's sharp tone made Rodney look up. The other scientist's hair stood on end, looking as if he'd just touched an electrostatic generator or stuck his finger in a light socket. "I am tired! I have been down here trying to locate imaginary glitches in the computer code for three hours longer than I should have been. Now, I do not know what you do when you have had no sleep, but I tend to make mistakes. And mistakes blow people up!"
Rodney blinked at the Czech's exhausted tirade. Even Zelenka's words were wandering, a sure sign he'd been pushed past his limits. Rodney waved a hand. "Fine. Get some sleep if you need it. I, however, have enough coffee to keep me going. . . . ." He frowned at the empty coffee cup next to him. "Huh."
Zelenka muttered in Czech as he gathered his personal belongings and headed for the door. Rodney continued to stare at the empty coffee cup and then rose to go get a refill before remembering that he couldn't get the refill. He was down to rationing his last bag of Sumatra coffee beans because of a screw up on the requisition form he'd filled out. Certainly a pencil-pusher could figure out how important coffee was to his continued survival.
"Never mind," he muttered. Deciding that Zelenka might have had a good idea about sleep—though he'd never tell the other man that—Rodney saved his research. Radek was right. He was searching for phantoms, more than a little bugged by the fact that Cadman, of all people, had found the deletion point. Now, he trudged out of his lab and headed for his quarters. A hot bath. . . .That's what he needed. He'd have an "Archimedes" moment and be back in the lab for the remainder of this night. Who needed sleep, anyway? He could sleep after he'd exhausted his next great discovery.
In his quarters, Rodney happily ran the bubble bath and slipped his tablet into the waterproof casing he'd ordered just for this occasion. He leaned back and allowed the hot water to cover his shoulders. Sometime later, he woke to cold water and a sore neck from sleeping at an awkward angle. Too tired to work, he toweled off his body and fell into his prescription mattress, peacefully sleeping away the rest of the night.
oOo
Ronon was pissed. He stalked into his quarters and paced the confined area. Before coming to Atlantis, he might have gone hunting as a way to relieve the lingering anger, but he had no such option here. Oh, he'd done a bit of night prowling, playing with new Marines as they went about their patrols. But even that wouldn't satisfy the rage inside tonight.
How was he supposed to fight something he couldn't see? Seeing Caldwell's eyes glow had bothered him more than a little, and Ronon hadn't known how to react to the changing voice. Well, he hadn't known the appropriate way to react. He'd simply grabbed the colonel and slammed him into the wall, loving how satisfying it felt to bloody the other man's lip. Now, Caldwell slept in his ship's infirmary, no longer the enemy. Ronon had been there to see the Goa'uld symbiote materialize out of nowhere. He'd taken great pleasure in seeing the thing writhe about in the fluid that kept it alive. It wasn't for Earth's protocols in dealing with the creatures, he would have loved to grab it and break it in two.
Flopping onto his bed, Ronon got comfortable. There was really nothing else he could do for the rest of the day. He closed his eyes and, through years of long practice, went to sleep.
oOo
Teyla gained her quarters only a few moments after leaving Carson at his. The doctor's face was pale, his eyes incredibly blue in spite of the dark circles beneath them. She appreciated his gentle care while Charin had suffered. Seeing the old woman die had hurt more than anything Teyla thought possible, but she also understood. Charin's journey had begun, and Teyla would pick up the pieces, as Elizabeth would say. Having Carson's somewhat apprehensive face in the background as he stubbornly refused to leave her meant more than she could express. She was not angry at John or Rodney. They had needed to figure out how to keep the ZPM from overloading.
Now, on this second night without Charin, she sat on the edge of her bed and simply stared. She had prepared carefully for the ring ceremony and had performed better than she'd thought possible. With the threat of the ZPM's overload averted and Charin laid to rest, Teyla really had nothing with which to occupy her mind. Memories of her life with Charin played through her head, and she reached for a pillow as she cried. Sometimes, being alone meant more pain than being with someone.
But who would she call? John was likely exhausted by the day's events, as was Rodney. Elizabeth would be working furiously to keep the IOA from pouncing on this latest "failure," and Teyla hoped the city's leader had taken some time to rest. Ronon would understand, but he would want to spar or some other thing to help her relieve her grief. Teyla appreciated the physical outlet for grief, but sometimes, a woman simply wanted to be hugged. Rodney didn't see the need for comfort, choosing to bury himself in his work until he'd coped. And Carson was sleeping. She'd seen the way the doctor had nearly fallen asleep in the sparring room and had been seconds away from waking him when he roused himself. He pushed himself just as hard as everyone else on this base and often forgot to take time to care for his own health. Teyla was loathe to interrupt any of them in spite of her grief. So, she cried alone.
Once the tears had passed, Teyla rose and washed her face. Changing into her nighttime apparel, she slipped under the covers of her bed and stared out the window. The moon shone down on Atlantis, and Teyla smiled. Charin lived on somewhere. And Teyla would never forget her. But the time for grief had passed, and she must find a way to press forward in her life.
Sometime after that realization, Teyla drifted to sleep. Atlantis's command staff slept peacefully through the night, each one surprised when they woke the next morning refreshed and somewhat ready to face the next day.
~TBC