AN: Okay, new story! Actually, I think it's gonna be a collection of one-shots, all about those who care for John Sheppard in different ways. And this means, of course, that there's probably gonna be a lot of ShepWhump involved. Shucks, right? LOL Anywho, first Chapter's Teyla.
Enjoy!
Careful Hands
1
Teyla
His body ached, and his head felt as if it would explode. Laying in bed way past the time he should have risen, Sheppard rolled over onto his back and tried to crack his eyes open yet again. The sunlight that shone through his window was bright, however, so he quickly shut them again and groaned. The noise he made scratched his throat, and he added that to his growing list of complaints. Sheppard burrowed deeper into his covers, but then threw them off a moment later, too hot to be covered by such thick blankets. Another minute passed with him lying there, sweat slicking his forehead and sticking his t-shirt and boxers to his skin, and then suddenly he was shivering again, his hands grasping for the comforter.
Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, the door chimed, and he uttered another soft groan. Sniffling, he rolled over and tried to wish the visitor away, but he realized that it was useless when the door quietly swished open and then shut. He kept his eyes closed and listened to the soft footfalls that reached his ears. There were only a few people in the city who walked that way, and he knew there were even fewer of those who would actually chance becoming infected by his illness by coming to see him.
There was a soft exhale as his visitor carefully sat down on the bed beside him, and the slender hand of a woman gently brushed across his forehead. Sheppard cracked open his right eyelid, and found himself staring at Teyla's familiar brown eyes. She was concerned; that much he could tell just by looking at her.
"Hello, John," she murmured, placing the few items she had been carrying onto his dresser.
"Hi," he whispered back, even then wincing at the sharp pain he felt in his throat.
"Samantha informed me that you were not well, and I thought I should come and check on you."
"Shouldn't be in here," he warned her. "You could catch what I got."
"I will be fine," she assured him, smiling softly. "I have brought a few things I thought might help you."
Sheppard simply nodded, too weary to speak any longer. He figured that she had already spoken to Keller about him, and being the women they were, had discussed his illness in great detail. Normally, the lack of privacy would bother him, but right now he was so tired that he only wanted to sleep for as long as he could. Problem was, his sinuses were so swollen and stuffy that he felt like he was suffocating every time he drifted off.
The next time his eyes fluttered open, Teyla was reaching for a small glass bottle. She saw him staring and gave him a small grin. "This will help you breathe easier," she explained as she leaned forward and carefully removed his shirt, then tossed it into the hamper nearby, as it was fairly soaked with sweat. She settled his comforter over his hips, then opened the bottle and poured a small amount of the liquid into her hands, rubbing them together to warm it a little first.
Just before she lowered her hands to his chest, she lifted an eyebrow at him and said, "Breathe in as slowly and deeply as you can, all right?"
Sheppard nodded, willing at that moment to do anything she told him to, if only it would make him feel better. Starting first at his shoulders and neck and working her way down his chest, Teyla stroked her hands across his flushed skin until she reached the waist of his boxers, then went back up to his throat, where her fingertips worked the fragrant liquid in small circles.
A few minutes into her ministrations, Sheppard realized that he could smell whatever it was she was massaging into him. It was vaguely medicinal, reminding him of the infirmary's disinfectant, but there was a slightly nutty scent that followed it. He puzzled over where he'd smelled that before as Teyla stroked his collarbone, humming in satisfaction as she calmed his tense muscles, feeling them release like unwound springs. He was still getting fever and chills, but she seemed to know just where he needed the extra warmth of her hands at any given moment, and he found himself drifting somewhere toward slumber. Just before he dropped off completely, he felt Teyla's hands gently rolling him over onto his stomach, and he helped her by doing it himself.
"Put your arms down at your sides," she instructed him, and he again followed her orders. He felt her weight lift from the bed for a moment, and if he had had the strength, he would have picked his head up to find out where she had gone. Then, he was aware of a weight on his upper thighs, and he realized that she had climbed up onto the bed and was now straddling his legs. Probably to get a better angle, he guessed just before her hands descended onto his warm back, smoothing more of her medicine into his skin.
As she worked, Sheppard uttered a deep sigh, finally feeling one side of his nose free up. He sniffed as hard as he could, then choked and gagged as his sinuses suddenly emptied into his throat. Teyla scrambled off of him at once, then grabbed a handful of tissues from the box on the floor and pressed them into his hand. He coughed the offending substance into the tissues, grimacing as he tossed them into the wastebasket, and then lay back down on his pillow.
When she was sure that he was not drowning in his own mucus, Teyla cautiously climbed back up onto the bed and resumed rubbing her medicinal oil into Sheppard's back. She could already feel his muscles loosening, their rock-hard fibers slowly giving way to the smooth texture that healthy flesh bore within it. He was breathing easier as well, even with her added weight upon him, and his temperature had even fallen a degree or two.
A half hour later, she was finished, and she slipped off of his back and sat beside him, her left leg curled underneath her. She was about to ask him how he felt when she heard a light snore come from him, and she smiled.
He would be well again soon, but for now, she would sit by him. Careful hands wiped the lingering sweat from his brow, then pulled the covers over his shoulders.
Chapter 2 coming up...
