First SGA fic. No slash. First published english fic. Shep whump

Sorry, but no beta-reader. At least not a native english speaker. I Hope you'll enjoy reading this anyway.

Oh and for my story I decided, that "38 minutes" happens after "suspicion".

I do not own any SGA Characters.

It's been a month since the expedition team had arrived in Atlantis. It had been easy to find an excuse without raising too much suspicion since.

He'd done it just before leaving earth

On a mission

Catching a cold

On a mission

Dizziness, caused by iron deficiency

On a mission

But now he'd just returned from a mission, he couldn't tell them for the third time in a few weeks, he'd have a cold. The iron deficiency was down, too, because since he so innocently forgot to take them, he had to check in at the infirmary to take those pills each morning.

Thinking about it, it might have tipped them off that he was trying to avoid it.

"Major Sheppard."

"Nurse Sanders"

"You returned healthy from your mission."

"Yes, so it seems"

"I guess it's time that you pay us a visit. Let's say tomorrow at 11 am?"

"I'd love to, b-"

"Great! I'll see you then!"

And off she went. Now he won't be able to find a way around it.

He was so glad that he had managed to not be a patient in the infirmary. When he had been hit by a wraith stunner he'd been able to move again just in time before Dr Beckett could start on him.

It's not that he's never been in an infirmary. As long as he couldn't run from it he had to endure it. But as soon as his legs would carry him he left these horrible institutions. In fact, he's never been in one infirmary twice. But here on Atlantis, there was only one infirmary and as much as he hated infirmaries he didn't want to cross people there. He had to stick with them god knows for how long.

After a sleepless night John made his way to the infirmary. He'd done everything that could make them send him away again. He hadn't been drinking anything and hadn't had breakfast.

As he slowly walked towards his doom he still thought about possible ways out of the terrible procedure.

He could take a run, so his blood pressure and heart rate would be too high. Well, considering his military training he wouldn't be able to raise his heart rate or blood pressure without considerable sweating and that would be damn obvious.

He could still say that he was homosexual… No, bad idea!

Dr Beckett was just tending to a sprained ankle of an athosian boy when the Major entered his infirmary. He had dark circles under his eyes and seemed to be a bit out of it in general. But he knew that it was Sheppard's turn to give blood this morning. So the CMO didn't look up from the ankle and didn't notice. But he did notice that the Major took some time to reach the door to the donation room.

He'd been only a few minutes in the room when Dr Becket stood at the exit of the infirmary where he'd just dismissed the boy. At that very moment the door to the donation room was yanked open and Major Sheppard stormed out, quickly rolling his sleeve down. In the doorframe stood nurse Sanders flabbergasted with a needle in the hand.

The CMO quickly put one and one together and stood in the doorway of the only exit of the infirmary Sheppard was heading for.

"Get out of my way, Beckett!"

"I don't think the nurse was able to do her work yet, Major."

He blushed at being caught. "I don't care. Let me go!"

"So you don't care about the people that are going to die in here because we can't give them blood transfusions as long as you returned them in an act of heroism?" he tried to reason with him.

John went silent. He mulled over what the Doc had said and at last he admitted defeat. He just had to experience it himself, John thought and dreaded what was about to happen.

"Bloody vampire", answered Sheppard and walked again into the room closely followed by Dr Beckett.

I'll take care of it nurse Sanders" The nurse glared suspiciously at Sheppard but left.

"You do understand that it is necessity that all members if possible give blood to ensure the supply of blood for every injured person in need of some?"

He hated to agree on that. But the Doctor was right. They couldn't rely on scarce voluntary donators. Everybody had to give blood. He nodded surly.

"So don't give us a hard time about it. Remove you're jacket please and hop up here." He pointed at the couch.

He reluctantly removed his jacket and his guts started to become a little queasy. Although he still wore a t-shirt he felt very vulnerable with his arms exposed. With his legs turning to jelly he sat on the couch.

"Now Major is there anything you can think of that might render you unfit for donation?"

"If there was something I wouldn't be here. But I wondered whether elusive veins and…" He pondered why he should tell the doctor about it. It wouldn't change anything. He shortly looked up in the sympathetic face of the doctor and suddenly took a liking to him. "… and a fear of needles in general count."

A gentle smile flickered on the doctor's face: "I'm afraid it doesn't. But knowing that helps me to sympathise with you, son"

"It does?" The Major stiffened up as Beckett coaxed him to lie down. He felt even more vulnerable now.

"You know there are quite a lot of marines afraid of needles. You're in best company!"

Although he didn't feel like joking he asked: "Really? Who else?" Carson chuckled.

'"Can't tell you that, can I? But I bet a lot of them would love to know that their CO is afraid, too."

"Got your point" he said, tensioning up as the Doctor scanned for a suitable vein in his arm.

"They don't seem that elusive to me, Major. This is going to be an easy one."

"Yeah sure, if you say so…"

Dr Beckett strapped his left arm with a rubber tie and disinfected it. John stared resolutely the other way and clenched his teeth.

"Wait!" he suddenly had an idea. Carson stopped. "Do you promise to let me go after the third try?"

"I don't see it coming to that, son. But if it makes you feel better, then yes."

John took up his former position. Tensed up as he was he jumped, when the needle entered his arm.

"There you are. Already done." Beckett was sure he had won. But as suddenly as the flow of blood had started it stopped again. He gave John something to knead on (who looked as if he was asked to take over the leash from his torturer) to start the blood flow again. But to no avail.

"I'm afraid I'll have to redo this."

"What a surprise!" Sheppard gulped. Why did he have to ask for three times? One time was already good enough for him! And there was the needle again. He felt Beckett trying to adjust the needle in side his arm. He was pretty close to letting a soft groan slip although he was far to embarrassed already. But as he squeezed his eyes shut he couldn't prevent to breathe a little harder.

Beckett felt sorry for the Major. This was hard on him. He pulled out the needle and moved to his right side to try the other arm. "Bear with me Major. This has to be possible."

John started to perspire and felt rather exhausted when Beckett pulled the needle out again having been unsuccessful. Although the ambitious doctor obviously hadn't counted, he had. As the doctor went for another go at his arm John stopped him.

"You know that this would be the fourth time, don't you?"

"Is it already? Bloody hell. It is difficult to draw blood from you. But I might be successful if you just let-"

"No. You promised!"

"Aye, I'll probably fail again anyway. Maybe I should relieve you from your duty as blood donor."

"You can do that?"

"Aye."

"I would really appreciate that, you know!"

"Ok, I'll take care of it, son" Carson turned to fetch some adhesive tape for the major's arm. "You can leave after I-" Beckett turned around to find Sheppard gone. "

"That one is going to keep me busy" he murmured while placing the adhesive tape back to where it belonged.

END

Please review/ inform me about mistakes to correct

I might continue this storyline...