Memories of Loss
Category: One-shot Ficlet, Darkfic, post-apocalypse fic
Characters: John Sheppard, Teyla Emmagen
Rating: PG
Warnings: reference to Character deaths
Summary: Teyla tries to help John remember what he's lost.
A/N: This was written in response to a Live Journal challenge from nekosmuse. Not sure if it exactly meets the challenge criteria, but it's what I came up with.
Teyla is still smiling. On her, the smile doesn't seem fake, on her it seems serene. She is the only one who is able to adjust to being on the run.
"Here, it's a traditional morning tea of my people." She hands him a dented metal cup.
"I remember, you told me the first time we met." It seems like it happened in another lifetime, but it has only been, what….eight months maybe. Remembering has gotten difficult. Carson said it had to do with the skull fracture he suffered when they lost Atlantis. He doesn't remember any of that. But it's not just that. It's painful to remember. It makes his head hurt.
He takes a sip of tea. It's not exactly coffee. Coffee, he'll never forget the flavour. Rodney wouldn't be able to get used to tea. He doesn't remember much, but remembers the planet they buried him on. It was a beautiful world. The Stargate was near a beach. It was a beautiful warm night, three moons above the sea. He would have loved it. He loved coffee. No more coffee now. Now, it's tea. He takes another sip of the disgusting brew. John can get used to this.
Teyla is watching him. The humans are suffering more than her people. They are not used to face an any that they cannot defeat, one that they can only accept. Her people have lived with the Wraith for centuries. They have feared them, have run from them, and have been killed by them. But they have still survived. She feels sorry John. He has lost a lot. His memory is troubling him. He won't admit it, but she knows. He sometimes doesn't even recall who is still with them.
"Come, we need to go. We need to make sure that we are still safe here."
They have been on this nameless planet for a few days. Enough time to set up tents for the people who are still with them. Nobody is mentioning that they are getting fewer and fewer. Teyla wonders whether John knows. Everyone knows that his memory is often failing, but he is the last with the Ancient gene, and his was the military leader of Atlantis and he is still in
charge. Nobody will question his authority. Teyla knows this, she stays around to make sure that John is all right. She has learned that people need something to believe in. Many of her people believe that if they are strong and face death without fear, they will be rewarded in the afterlife. She doesn't believe that, but she knows that people need to believe.
The Genii device is their most valuable possession. It is the only thing that tells them whether any Wraith ship is going to attack them soon. It's looking good on the device, nothing in the area. They have buried the Stargate, no one will come after them that way.
They sit down on a crate. It's going to be a good day; no one is going to die today.
"Tell me about the others." John asks in a low voice, almost whispers. Teyla is the only one whom he can show weakness to. He has to remain strong for his men. Only Carson knows that he remembers nothing about the early attacks and that a lot about their time on Atlantis is gone from his memory.
"I will."
The End
