Title: Warmth pt 1 [Sequel to Diaphanous
Summary: He'd let them have their space. After all, there had to be a reason why Sheppard wasn't amongst the ones to ask for a return trip to Earth.
Characters: Caldwell & John & Teyla
Rating: K
Spoilers: Adrift & Lifeline
Warmth
"Sir." Colonel Stephen Caldwell looked up as a young air man entered his peripherals. He'd been staring down at the cold, empty Gate room for some time now – possibly hours – trying to comprehend the events of the last few days. The Daedalus had arrived at the new home of Atlantis mere hours before and he'd promptly sent it back to Earth with a skeleton crew and as many Atlantis team members as the ship could hold. The death of Dr Elizabeth Weir – he daren't think it as anything else, lest he drive himself mad – had put some things into perspective for many in the expedition; almost all had asked to be allowed to head back to Earth to see their families and friends, even if it was just for an hour.
"Lang," he eventually acknowledged the young officer as he slowly turned towards him.
"You wanted me to report the two life sign readings, sir." He looked to his watch and was startled to find that four a.m. had been and gone. "They haven't moved for the past two and a half hours, sir."
He nodded in dismissal and the young man pivoted and walked away,
Caldwell had seen Teyla look over the sensor readings with a pinched expression on her face. He'd wondered what she'd been looking for but a part of him knew that the lone dot on the end of the pier was Colonel Sheppard. He'd watched for a while as a second dot slowly made its way to the other.
He'd let them have their space. After all, there had to be a reason why Sheppard wasn't amongst the ones to ask for a return trip to Earth.
But now they'd been out there for far too long in the bitingly cold conditions that had gripped this new home world; the outdoor balconies even had frost on the unheated railings. He couldn't wait to hear McKay's complaints about the numerous things that could be 'wrong' with the planet. He sighed as he shook his head and began to walk in the direction of the pier, bypassing some of the transporters for the shorter journeys, preferring to keep his body active.
The corridors were eerily silent and he was glad to step out onto the dimmed balcony, even though he did instantly wrap his thin jacket tighter around him in a vain attempt to ward off the chill. The icy air almost took his breath away. Through the darkness he saw two figures huddled under a blanket, illuminated by the translucent moon's cold rays.
He stopped to look over them as their figures came more into view as he approached. Their shoulders were touching, bodies pressed together almost intimately. Sheppard's head was tilted at an awkward angle resting atop Teyla's whose was resting against his chest. Their faces were blank canvases, their eyelids unmoving and if it hadn't been for the life signs he'd seen not ten minutes ago, he'd have thought them dead. He smiled forlornly at the picture they painted; they looked so lost huddled together on the farthest corner of the City. Their tranquillity pained him with its romanticism.
He almost didn't want to wake them up.
He moved closer, trying to be as loud as possible so Sheppard wouldn't spring up and take him out. He dropped his hand onto the young Colonel's shoulder expecting a jolt but the boy didn't even stir. Caldwell frowned good naturedly at that: so much for military training. The poor soldier must be exhausted, he mused. Caldwell shook the shoulder in his grasp lightly and tried to ignore the coldness that seeped into his fingers.
Grey eyes blinked up at him lethargically before sliding shut again.
"Colonel?" The younger man's voice sounded hoarse to Caldwell's ears. "What's wrong?" Caldwell smirked at the fact that although Sheppard assumed something was wrong he made no attempt to get up.
Caldwell shook his head and tried to smile through the onset of exhaustion. Suddenly, his eyelids seemed too heavy, his body wanting to shut down. It had been a long few days waiting to discover the fate of Atlantis and an even longer night when he'd finally made it there.
"I think you'd be more comfortable indoors?"
He gestured behind him with a jerk of his head and he saw a slow easy smile cross the younger man's face as he nodded slowly.
"It is kinda chilly out here," Sheppard murmured with a heavy, sleep-laden voice.
Stephen thought of his chilled, bald head and could only nod in agreement. He straightened and moved away, a fatherly smile crossing his lips as he observed John close his eyes once more. As he walked back towards the doors that led to the balcony he paused and looked skywards, stopping for a rare moment of wonderment to take in the astounding beauty of the city of Atlantis. He only wished he was able to spend more time there. He turned back, his eyes catching the ethereal halo of the four visible moons. He saw in the moons milky glow John turn his head into the young Athosian leaders', nudging her slightly with his nose.
Murmurs floated across the air and he sighed as he saw the two huddle closer together for a moment before he retreated into the hallway.
He would let them have their moment.