Name: Holding His Hand
Rating: K+
Pairings: John/Teyla
Spoilers: 38 Minutes
Summary: He wasn't breathing as I slipped my hand into his. I held on tight, as if believing that somehow, it would help being him back.

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis or the characters.

Holding His Hand

He wasn't breathing as I slipped my hand into his. I held on tight, as if believing that somehow, it would help being him back. I barely noticed as Elizabeth walked into the room. She looked at me and gave me the smallest of smiles as I turned my attention back to the man in front of me.

His black hair was slicked with sweat, and the blood on his neck was slowly making a pattern down his skin. I blinked back tears as the constant, shrill ring of the machine telling me he was dead continued.

It was only when the slow, rhythmic beeping began again that I allowed a single tear to fall from my eye. It landed on my fingers and I looked down, realizing that I was still tightly holding his hand in mine. Carson's eyes met mine as he helped load John onto the stretcher.

"You can let go now, lass. We need to move him."

I nodded and let go of his hand. I was offered a blanket by one of the other doctors, and only then did I realize I was shaking. It wasn't from the cold, but I accepted the blanket, anyway.

I was sitting beside his bed. It was night, and there was no noise surrounding me. He had finally fallen back to sleep after getting the food he had requested, and it was only then that I had walked in and sat down beside him.

I reached out and pushed a lock of messy, black hair out of his face, gasping as his hand reached up and his fingers danced over my skin.

"Teyla? What are you doing here?"

My heart skipped a beat as I stared into his eyes.

"I ... sorry, Major Sheppard."

"Ah, drop the 'Major Sheppard', will ya? We're off-duty. And there's no reason to be sorry."

I nodded and my gaze fell to the floor. We were silent, and not another word was spoken between us that night. But as his hand reached out and gently grasped mine, I smiled. Words weren't needed. I knew that he was relieved to have someone by his side as he fell to sleep again, and I knew that I wanted to be the one by his side.

By his side, and holding his hand.

OOC, yes? Hmm ... well, I finally came back! Lol. It's been a while since I've written anything, no? Well, at any rate ...

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