John, Jeannie, Madison
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He remembers he's supposed to make the call while they're eating lunch in a less crowded café under the roof of the hospital. Hi, Madison, John says into his tiny cell phone and ignores Dave's questioning frown from over the table. Guess who's back on home turf all on his lonesome?
I wish I had time to come see you guys, he tells her once she stops to take a breath between the questions. But, I'm under orders to gather intel about Curie, and can we please skip the 'infinitely improved' physics lecture mentioned in the fine print?
Rodney's niece, he whispers to Dave over tinny, excited squeals. Dave shrugs, bemused, but John feels unrepentant for the growing list of names with no faces connected to them. He listens intently as Madison dutifully reports the five mice and two birds Curie has eaten, and the one sparrow that Kaleb managed to rescue from her. While the tale progresses, his brother asks for, receives, and finishes another round of grape juice. The fingers curled around the glass still shake a bit too much for someone close to their debut through the Stargate.
Hi, no, nothing specific, John says eventually to a more mature-sounding voice on the other end. Took a few days of leave to see Dave, though you wouldn't know it from the amount of debriefs they put me through.
Rodney's fine, he assures before Jeannie can ask about the reunion of Sheppards. He and Radek are still waiting for your answers to the what-was-it-now, maybe you can send them to me before I go. To Sam, too, he adds, and then gets up because Dave doesn't need to hear him say He and Jennifer have actually started speaking somewhat civilly again, or what counts as 'civil' for them.
Teyla says 'hi', he says a moment later, watching his brother heave himself up from his chair and shuffle slowly to the men's room. There's a bunch of Polaroid pictures on their way to you right now, of her and Kanaan and Torren. The fragility evident in the movements scares him. Ronon and Amelia send their greetings, too, he ploughs on. Actually, I'm pretty sure the whole expedition would want to send messages to you, if they'd known I'd call you or if I'd asked.
How are you, Jeannie's voice interrupts, and John doesn't know what to say.
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