Title: Photographs
Author: stella_pegasi
Rating: K
Genres: Friendship
Word Count: 975
Spoilers: None
Warnings: None
Characters: John Sheppard, Evan Lorne
SummaryA tragic loss, leads to remembrance.
Disclaimer: I do not own them; I would have treated them better.
Written for Stargateland's Theme Week, Team Allies. Prompts offered to be filled by fics, art, vids, etc. The prompt for this story is "John Sheppard and Evan Lorne, photographs."
Author's Notes: I wanted to write something to honor the men and women who serve to keep us safe, and those who gave all. This prompt gave me the opportunity.
Photographs
by stella_pegasi
It had been a difficult day. A somber mood settled over Atlantis as the sky turned red-gold as twilight fell. John Sheppard was on a mission; his quest to locate his X-O was meeting with little success. No one had seen Major Lorne since the memorial service had ended.
The colonel had searched Lorne's usual haunts, including the four balconies where he loved to paint, no Evan Lorne. Finally, exasperated, Sheppard tried to think where he would go if he had just attended a memorial service for a member of his team. He knew he'd want to be isolated; somewhere no one would look for him. In this case, an annoying commanding officer had the privilege of looking.
Sheppard headed for the northwest pier, taking the nearest transporter to his destination. He exited the tower housing the transporter, walking across Atlantis' lighted hull toward what McKay suspected was a long-range sensor device, a weapon, or something. The long spindle shaped complex, with two prongs that extended past the hull deck required more power to operate than was currently available. The mystery was haunting the engineering department, and despite Dr. Zelenka's efforts to find information in the Ancient database, no data about the strange structure had surfaced. Engineering crews had been working in the area to learn more about the system, along with a Marine security team, including a young sergeant, Will Tate. Tate died when he ventured close to the deck edge, plunging to his death nearly five stories below in the ocean.
Approaching the area, he spotted Lorne sitting on the upper level of the complex, nearly two stories in the air. Sheppard climbed the access ladders until he reached the top, then walked to the edge of the level, where a railing provided security. Security not found along Atlantis main deck. He dropped down next to Lorne, who hadn't spoken, but Sheppard knew he was aware he had company.
"Colonel," Lorne said quietly after a moment, "somehow I figured you'd show up."
"Like a bad penny, major, can't get rid of me."
Lorne was silent, sitting with his legs dangling under the railing, clutching a pad in his hands. Sheppard couldn't see the screen well, but it looked like a photograph of some of the Marines.
"This was an accident, Evan, a horrible, tragic accident. Y'know, you couldn't prevent this; it just happened."
"Yeah, I know, sir; but I had warned them, I always warn them about being out on the hull deck. But it's so big that they forget. Hell, we had to string a net across the area where we play football and soccer; almost lost a few guys over there."
Sheppard chuckled, "If I remember correctly, Dr. Weir ordered that net up after I almost went over on an errant pass from Peters. I thought Brownie and I were both going over the edge."
"You would have, if Johnston hadn't caught you both."
"Sometimes we're lucky, and sometimes we aren't," Sheppard said.
"Sir, I've lost men and women under my command, scientists I've been charged to protect, but this accident, somehow it hurts more than any of them."
"It hurts more, because it's unexpected. When you go through that gate or something threatened us here, you're ready; you know what's at stake. You just don't expect on a routine day at home to have something like this happen."
"Tate was 27, sir. He hadn't been on Atlantis very long, but he was a fun guy, everyone liked him. He was seeing one of the techs in the Chemistry department. Dr. Zelenka said she's really upset; not fair, sir, not fair at all. " Saying those last words, Lorne's voice broke. Sheppard noticed the major's hands clutched the pad tighter, his knuckles turning white.
"Those photos on your pad, are they of the people here?"
Lorne looked down at the pad, "Not all, sir; some are of people I served with in the Milky Way, some in Iraq before that. Some of these people are gone now, not all, but some." He looked at his commanding officer, whose demeanor was calm but whose eyes betrayed his own sorrow. "Colonel, how do you do it? How do you cope?"
Sheppard didn't answer for a moment, as he picked at the black wristband that he rarely took off. "I'm not sure that I do, cope; I just put it all away; easier than thinking about it. I've lost a lot of good friends, and not so good friends, some to war, some to stupidity, some just like Tate, by sheer accident."
'A stupid accident, but you're right, an accident." Lorne touched the pad, bringing up a picture of Tate and some of the other Marines. "Tate volunteered to work the security detail; we didn't have a mission scheduled until Thursday, since I had month-end reports to do. He'd gotten to be buddies with Sergeant Milagros; I asked him if he had a picture. I need to add it to the 'Wall.'"
Sheppard stood up and extended his hand to Lorne, "Come on, major; let's go take of that duty, right now."
The military leaders of Atlantis headed for the ready room, down the corridor from the gate room. They had stopped by the control room, where Chuck cropped and printed the picture. Word spread of what was about to happen, and by the time, Sheppard and Lorne walked into the room, a number of people had gathered. Sheppard looked around the room to see airmen, Marines, and scientists gathered to watch as Lorne walked to the Wall and added Tate's picture to those who had given all for Atlantis. Lorne returned to stand by Sheppard's side as the assembled staff passed by the board, many touching Tate's photo along with the others posted.
Quietly, Sheppard whispered, "Semper Fi, Sergeant Tate"
Lorne responded, "Ooh Rah"
Hope you enjoyed.