Stay with me…
Chapter one
The song is by Athlete, Wires.
Author's note: Another piece of fiction that is going to turn into a many chapter story.
Enjoy!
"Watch out!"
Elizabeth jumped at the yelled warning, standing on her usual balcony, watching as a large ball of white fire sped from the open event horizon, smashing into the wall close to Elizabeth, and causing her and several others in the control room to leap away from the flames.
A hand roughly grabbed her, pushing her out of the way in the direction of the stairs as several more fireballs were hurled through to Atlantis. A large alarm began to sound, as people yelled warnings and screamed, Elizabeth sat where she had been thrown to the ground, watching the active gate, waiting for a team to come piling through.
As several more fiery weapons came pounding through, the man who had pushed her out of the way, quickly fell, shielding her body as he pinned it to the floor with his own, as something exploded over their heads, sending him rolling off her and colliding into one of the many control panels. She scrambled to her knees, watching as the missing team finally fell through, sending bullets back into the event horizon needlessly.
"Turn on the Shield!" She yelled desperately, crawling to the motionless figure near her, flipping him over so she could see his pale face.
"John?" She whispered, slapping his face gently, "John, can you hear me?"
He muttered an unintelligible response.
"Come on John! I need you to wake up. You might have a concussion."
His eyes opened, and she was relieved to see him look at her, both pupils normal size, and his eyes both focused on her face. His arms quickly struggled up and he grabbed her shoulders, pulling her closer until her face was millimeters from his own.
"You okay?" He asked quietly, as she felt his hot breath against her cheek. She flushed red.
"I'm fine." She whispered, just as quiet, pulling herself straight and helping him sit up, leaning against the panel. "I'm more worried about you."
He laughed slightly.
"Fighting fit." He whispered, his voice crackly, "Just a little dizzy. Nothing our good doctor can't fix."
She nodded, reaching out and cupping his face with one hand, the other roaming along his chest, under his vest, searching for signs of broken skin.
He laughed slightly, wheezing, pulling her hands away. Only then she noticed the blood spread along her fingers.
"Oh god John!" She cried out, raising her head to where people were slowly pulling themselves off the floor, "I need a med team!" Several people stopped and looked, before Grodin talked quickly into his microphone and nodded.
She turned her attention back to the Major, and carefully unzipped his vest, pulling it off, noticing his eyes had gone slightly glassy.
"Stay with me John." She whispered, focusing on unzipping his jacket and raising his shirt to get a good look at the wound.
He hissed slightly in pain as she gasped at the sign of the blood across his chest.
"Hey…" He whispered, smiling slightly at her, "Can't you wait until our first date before you start trying to rip my clothes off me?"
Elizabeth answered with a smile.
"John Sheppard, I'm just returning to favor after you stole my pajamas last week while I was in the shower. I had to walk the halls of Atlantis in nothing but a towel until I got back to my quarters! I'll never live it down."
John smiled at the memory.
"Well, you shot me in the shoulder. I think we're even!"
Elizabeth rolled her eyes.
"Come on! I was taken over by an evil ancient!"
John nodded feebly.
"Yeah. That's what they all say before they try to kill you."
Elizabeth pressed her hand against him wound, stemming the blood flow as he winced. His eyes began to flutter shut.
"Stay with me John." She whispered, cupping his face with her free palm. He nodded weakly.
"Stay with you…forever…" He whispered, sinking into a painless oblivion.
Elizabeth tapped his cheek, trying to reawaken him, but after several minutes it became apparent he was out for the count.
"Elizabeth?" Gentle hands pulled her away, and she noticed the med team had arrived, as they began cleaning the Major up, and as they all went to work, leaving her standing awkwardly away, she looked at her hands, covered in his blood, her top stained with damp, warm blood, she couldn't help but think one thing in her quiet hysteria.
Those stains would never come out.
Before her eyes rolled back into her head, her knees buckled, and Elizabeth too, fell into oblivion.
You got wires, going in You got wires, coming out of your skin You got tears, making tracks I got tears, that are scared of the facts
When Elizabeth opened her eyes, she was surprised to find Carson watching her intently.
"Elizabeth…?" He asked, helping her as she sat up in the infirmary bed. She noticed she had been changed into scrubs.
"Carson? What's going on?"
He shook his head, leaning back.
"You fainted lass. I had a nurse change you outta your bloody clothes. I thought it might be nicer to wake up without them."
She nodded, looking at her hands. Remembering the blood. John's blood.
"What happened to the Major?" She asked, looking and frowning at all the empty beds. Carson nodded and stood up from the chair he was sitting, indicating she should follow. Scrambling off the bed, she quickly caught up, as they left the infirmary main section, down a small set of stairs.
Running down corridors Through automatic doors Got to get to you, got to see this through I see hope is here, in a plastic box I've seen christmas lights, reflect in your eyes
"Where are we going Carson?" She asked, not recognizing the corridor.
"This," He said, waving with his hand, "is the other section of the infirmary we found later. It has single rooms, like cells, but for medical purposes. We made a few of them into rooms for the critical patients, and he rest are isolation medical rooms."
Elizabeth blanched slightly.
"So why's John down here?"
Carson side-glanced at her.
"Elizabeth." He said soothingly, stopping and grabbing her elbow, pulling her to halt also.
"John is critical."
Elizabeth nodded, swallowing the bile gathering in her throat.
It was her fault. All her fault…
As they began to walk again, Carson led the way to one of the many glasses enclosures. Inside, Elizabeth took one glance, before the rest of Atlantis fell away, her hand raised to her mouth and she stared in shock. John was buried, amidst hundreds of wires, his frame, usually so commanding and imposing, pale and sickly.
You got wires, going in You got wires, coming out of your skin There's dry blood, on your wrist Your dry blood, on my fingertip
"He had some major injuries Elizabeth." Carson said gently, "The explosion shattered several of his ribs. It ripped open his skin and the force bruised his liver. One of his ribs punctured a lung…"
Elizabeth stopped listening, walking past him and through the glass door inside. They constant beep of the heart monitor calmed her jagged nerves slightly.
She pulled up a chair, and dug her way through the silver wires until she felt his hand.
"John…" She whispered so only he could hear, "Come back. You said you would stay with me forever…" She kissed his hand and moved slightly, settling for a long wait.
John was floating through inky darkness. He felt astral, out of body. He could remember what happened last, he had been diving into the dam back home with his brother James…Then he had fallen. He remembered that clearly. He had fallen from the diving rock. And as his brother had pulled him from the water, pain had ripped through his body, and he had fallen unconscious.
So where was he now?
Was he home?
Where was his mother?
Ford looked through the window to where John was lying, pale and sick. He had heard what had happened when Markham's team had returned. It surprised him that Doctor Weir had not been anywhere, or even been around to hold the briefing. She had been alone, here. With John Sheppard.
Running down corridors Through automatic doors
First night of your life, curled up on your own Looking at you now, you would never know
Got to get to you, got to see this through
Aiden had taken control, organized a briefing in their leaders absence, and with Teyla and McKay's help, gotten Atlantis running efficiently once again.
He knocked on the glass.
"Doctor Weir?" He whispered, realizing taking a step into the med lab was like taking a step into a dying persons house.
Pushing the thought away as soon as it had come, he walked to her side.
"Do you need anything Doctor Weir?" He asked gently, looking for a brief second at the pink scrubs she was wearing.
She squeezed his hand.
"I want John to come back. But he seems to be taking his sweet time, so I could use some BDU's from my quarters….if it's okay?"
He nodded and smiled.
"And for what's it's worth ma'am," The smile sliding from his face, "He'll be alright. I don't know anyone stronger."
Actually he did. Elizabeth gave John's inner strength a run for it's money. Aiden supposed that was why they were such a good couple.
She nodded, planting a fake, reassuring smile on her face.
"Sure he will…Sure he will…"
I see it in your eyes I see it in your eyes You'll be alright
Ford entered Elizabeth's quarters fifteen minutes later, slightly anxious and nervous. As far as he knew, no one had been in here alone before, or for a matter of fact, no one had been in here. Full stop. Her room was moderately neat, the bed made, but with crinkles were she had slept without using the covers. Books littered the floor, some open and other closed, her desk in the corner was covered in papers and Ford felt drawn there, picking up the notepad. It was empty, but the writing that had been on the previous page was still visible as dents in the page.
To John,
I was hoping we could get together tonight? Dinner on the balcony perhaps? We need to talk. More so, I need to talk. I need to tell you how I feel.
From Elizabeth
Putting it down, his hands were shaking. He had suspected Elizabeth and John loved each other.
This just proved it.
Turning, he noticed pictures pinned to Elizabeth's headboard. Not feeling ashamed at snooping, (He realised this may be the only time he could come in and out of here and still be alive by the end of it) looked at several pictures, one of Ford and Teyla in the decks, a few from Earth, he raised his eyebrows as he looked at all the ones of John and Elizabeth, they covered over half of the board. He smiled at one of them, Elizabeth on John's shoulders. Everyone could tell she was beyond drunk.
It was a rare occasion where the real Elizabeth Weir had shined through her high armor.
Noticing a small pile of folded clothes on her dresser, he thanked whatever gods that would listen, happy not to be searching through her draws, and scuttled from the room.
Elizabeth rubbed her thumb over the back of John's hand, when a soft moan escaped him. Climbing to her feet, she looked into his eyes, feeling her heart swell with hope, and watched his eyes flutter open.
I see it in your eyes I see it in your eyes You'll be alright Alright
"John?" She whispered. He looked at her.
She looker at him.
He screamed.
Running ... down corridors, through, automatic doors, Got to get to you, got to see this through, I see hope is here, in a plastic box, I've seen christmas lights, reflect in your eyes,
Down corridors, through automatic doors, Got to get to you, got to see this through, First night of your life, curled up on your own, Looking at you now, you would never know
Ttfn!