As always thank you for reading and a special thank you to those who've left reviews. I do appreciate it.
Once again, thank you to the awesome RinkRat for taking the time out of her busy schedule to beta this!!
Disclaimer: Not a medical professional….my apologies for any inaccuracies.
Chapter Four
Elizabeth sat on a chair next to John's gurney. She picked at the band aid in the crook of her arm. Diagnosing dehydration and exhaustion, Carson had insisted she receive a bolus of fluids and had ordered bed rest. Once Carson had been satisfied she was recovering nicely, he'd compromised on the bed and let Elizabeth sit in a chair at John's side.
Carson himself was slumped in a chair on the other side of John's bed, his head tilted to the side. He was snoring softly, but his body remained tight with tension as if even in sleep he was ready to leap to his feet at the slightest sign of alarm.
Elizabeth exchanged a glance with Ronon. The big man sat at the head of John's bed; one elbow rested on the thin mattress of the gurney, his other hand steadily squeezed the ventilation bag every few seconds. She didn't know how he wasn't exhausted by now, how his hand hadn't cramped up. He'd been breathing for John for a little over three hours. A mechanical ventilator had not been with the emergency supplies brought by the rescue jumpers, so it was up to them. Thus far, Ronon hadn't let anyone replace him.
The Daedalus was due to arrive within the hour, which meant it had been twenty nine hours since she and John had been trapped in the caves and three hours since John had nearly died.
Teyla had held Elizabeth's hand tightly when she'd explained that John had flat lined in the jumper and that Carson had had to shock John's heart several times before it started beating again. Gently, Carson had detailed the seriousness of John's injuries: Pulmonary Edema from badly bruised lungs, which was why John was on a ventilator and would be on one until his lungs healed enough for him to breathe on his own; badly bruised kidneys that were causing internal bleeding and for which he would most likely need surgery, surgery Carson would prefer to do on Atlantis so he could utilize Atlantis' scanners. Not to mention the less serious injuries: the deep bruise on his shoulder which would cause him some pain but which would heal and the mild concussion from the surfing accident, which seemed a lifetime ago to Elizabeth.
Now, several transfusions later, John had stabilized. His blood pressure had come back up, his pulse had grown stronger, and his heart finally beat in a steady unbroken rhythm. Thanks to the breathing tube, John was finally getting enough oxygen circulating through his body. Critical but stable, that's what Carson had said.
Because Carson wanted John back on Atlantis as quickly as possible, Rodney had taken a jumper to the gate to check on the state of the DHD and to locate the gate itself. Carson had given Rodney and the Daedalus crew thirty minutes to figure out if the gate could be salvaged. If not, then John would be beamed to the Daedalus infirmary and Carson would operate on their way back to Atlantis.
Recognizing Teyla's light footsteps behind her, Elizabeth turned, offering the other woman a wan smile.
"How is the Colonel?" Teyla asked, stepping to John's bedside.
"The same," Elizabeth said quietly. "Any word on the gate?"
"Rodney has located it with the jumper. He seems to think it's intact, but we won't know for sure until the Daedalus can beam it back to the surface." Teyla nodded at Ronon. "I can take over. You should rest."
"I'm fine," the big man grunted.
"And how are you, Elizabeth?" Teyla turned her concerned eyes to her friend.
"I'm fine," Elizabeth nodded, even though she wouldn't be fine until she knew for sure that John was going to be okay; until he could breathe on his own, until he stopped bleeding inside, until he opened his eyes and talked to her.
As if reading her thoughts, Teyla placed her hand over Elizabeth's comfortingly. "Colonel Sheppard is a survivor, Elizabeth. He will not stop fighting."
Elizabeth blinked back tears. She gently squeezed John's fingers, careful to avoid the I.V. taped to the back of his hand. Suddenly she laughed, shaking her head. "He'd hate this, you know. Me sitting here holding his hand like this. It's probably a good thing he's unconscious."
"John is not exactly a…" Teyla searched for the right word.
"Hugger?" Elizabeth supplied with a grin.
"Yes," Teyla smiled warmly.
"Teyla!" Elizabeth leaned forward urgently. "I think he just moved his hand."
John's fingers twitched inside Elizabeth's grip.
"John?" Teyla asked, moving to the other side of the bed. She touched Carson lightly on the shoulder.
The doctor sat up with a jerk, immediately alert. His eyes turned to the monitors, studying them for signs of distress. Satisfied his patient was still doing well he glanced at Teyla.
"We think John might be awakening," Teyla answered the question in Carson's eyes. "He moved his hand."
Ronon peered closely at his friend, sitting up straight. He moved his unoccupied hand to John's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. Elizabeth cupped John's hand between both of hers, intently watching John's face.
"John?" Carson asked, moving to the head of the bed. He pulled his penlight from his pocket. Gently he peeled back John's eyelids and flashed the penlight back and forth. He was answered with a muffled groan.
"Take it easy son," Carson met John's gaze and held it as the beat of the heart monitor quickened. He slid his fingers around John's wrist, feeling for his pulse. "You have a breathing tube because your lungs are badly bruised; they need time to heal. Do you understand? Blink once for yes."
John's eyes closed once and then opened, once again fixing on Carson.
"Good lad," Carson smiled. "I'm going to ask you some questions. Blink once for yes, twice for no. Understand?"
Blink.
"Is your name Ronon Dex?" Carson asked.
Around the breathing tube, a smile quirked on John's lips. Blink Blink.
"Is your name Lt. Colonel John Sheppard?"
Blink.
"Do you know this woman?" Carson pointed to Elizabeth.
John turned his head. His hazel eyes caught Elizabeth's, holding them for a long moment. He shook his head slightly when tears began to well in her eyes. He turned back to Carson. Blink.
Suddenly John gagged. A shudder passed over his body. Panic flared in John's eyes as an attempt to suck in a lungful of air was thwarted by the tube in his throat. He choked painfully, his eyes glistening. His fingers tightened on Elizabeth's hand, as if he were hanging on for dear life.
"Don't fight the tube, John. I know it's uncomfortable." Carson leaned over the bed. When John tried to turn his face away, Carson gently moved John's head back to face him. "Listen to me, son. Let Ronon do the work for you. Are you in any pain?"
Resignation and helplessness passed through John's eyes. Blink.
Carson set his hand firmly on John's chest. "I'm going to give you something for the pain. But before I do, I need you to listen to me. Okay? You're going to be fine, Colonel Sheppard. We'll get you back to Atlantis and fix you up. Your lungs will heal, and the next time you wake up, the breathing tube will be gone." Carson held John's eyes in a steady gaze. "Do you trust me?"
Blink.
Pulling medication from a nearby cart, Carson filled a syringe.
John turned his eyes back to Elizabeth. The effect of the medication Carson ejected into John's I.V. was nearly immediate. John blearily blinked his eyes. For a moment, Carson thought he was going to fight the medication, but within seconds John had given in to it. His fingers relaxed in Elizabeth's hand as his eyes drifted shut.
Rodney suddenly burst into the room. "The Daedalus is here. They've returned the gate to the surface."
"Does it work?" Ronon asked fiercely.
"Yes," Rodney said in disbelief. "Cheapskates with gate parts the Ancients were not."
"Let's go, people," Carson ordered, bustling into action. "Time to get Colonel Sheppard home."
**********
He found her in the back of the barn. She was sitting on the straw, hugging her knees to her chest. Her blonde hair hung down her back, and her small shoulders shook as she cried.
He sat down next to her. He took her hand when he saw what she had found. She turned to him then, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"She didn't come up to the porch to eat this morning," the little girl hiccupped. "So I came looking for her."
He noticed then, the saucer of food. It had half spilled onto the barn floor.
"I know you loved her, Cora," he said softly, glancing at the little cat curled up in the corner. "I'm sorry."
"I don't understand," Cora sobbed. "Why did she have to die?"
John sighed. "I don't know, CoraBell." He pulled the tearful seven-year old into his lap. "It's just the way things are, I guess." At eleven, he felt ill-equipped to explain the concept of death to his little sister.
"I hate the way things are," she cried vehemently. "I hate it."
Gently John rubbed his sister's back, offering comfort the only way he could.
"Johnny," Cora threw her arms around her brother. Her clear blue eyes caught his darker hazel ones. "Don't ever die. Promise you won't ever die, Johnny."
"I don't plan on dying for a long time, Cora," he said softly.
The little girl sniffled, seemingly satisfied with his answer. "Will you help me bury her?" she asked, her voice small.
"Sure," John squeezed Cora's little hand. He slipped his jacket off, gently placing the cat in it and picking her up.
Cora sat on the ground while John dug the small grave. She cried a little more when he carefully placed the cat inside and began to cover her with dirt. When he'd tamped the last bit of dirt down with the shovel, he sat next to Cora and put his arms around her shoulders. She nestled her cheek against his neck. Together they sat until Cora's tears finally stopped.
"You want to go for a ride with me, CoraBell?" John asked.
"Can we take Isabelle?" Cora asked, referring to John's sleek thoroughbred mare.
"Sure," John said, getting up. He offered Cora his hand and pulled her to her feet.
"Why do you like to ride so much?" Cora turned her face up to her brother.
John shrugged. "I dunno. I guess because it feels a little bit like flying."
Cora's fingers tightened around John's. "I love you, Johnny."
"I love you too, Cora."
"John."
John looked down. He could swear he still felt someone holding his hand, but Cora was gone. He stood alone in the grassy meadow where he used to ride Isabelle. The sun was bright, so bright it hurt.
"John."
The sun winked out, leaving darkness. He began to realize he hurt. More than he'd ever thought possible. His stomach. His back. His chest. His shoulder. Had Isabelle thrown him? Was that why it was so dark and he hurt so damn bad? No. That wasn't right.
"John, wake up. Please." A voice whispered in his ear.
Other tendrils of thought entered his mind. Isabelle, the meadow, home, Cora. They all belonged to another lifetime. He hadn't ridden Isabelle in years. And Cora…
"Cora?" he moaned. Pain flared in his throat. He licked his lips.
"No, John." She sounded sad. He felt fingers squeeze his hand.
"You're home. You're on Atlantis. Just open your eyes."
"Elizabeth," he whispered. He forced his eyes open, fuzzily he saw Elizabeth staring at him with concern. He winced. Too bright. He squeezed his eyes shut.
"Decided to finally join us, did you lad?"
"Carson," John turned towards the direction of the Scottish brogue.
"Can you open your eyes for me, son?"
"Hurts." John grimaced.
"Aye, I know," Carson said sympathetically, pulling a stool to John's bedside. "Elizabeth, can you give us a few minutes?" He pulled his stethoscope from his lab coat pocket.
"Of course," Elizabeth reluctantly let go of John's hand. "I'll see you later, John."
John watched her until she disappeared behind the privacy curtain. He turned his eyes to his doctor. "It feels like it was pretty bad," he said quietly.
"It was touch and go for a while there," Carson admitted seriously. "But I think you're out of the woods, so to speak."
John spared a moment to glance around his bedside. He could feel the blood pressure cuff on his upper bicep. He counted two separate I.V.'s, one on the top of each hand. Pulse ox monitor on his finger, heart monitor, nasal cannula to help him breathe and....he winced; a catheter.
Carson placed the bell of his stethoscope on John's chest. "Nice deep breath, Colonel."
John sucked in air through the nasal cannula.
"Again," Carson murmured, moving the bell to the other side of John's chest. After listening for a moment, he nodded, then slid the instrument around John's upper back. He helped his patient to lean forward a bit and by the time Carson had finished listening to John's lungs, John was panting, beads of sweat popping out on his forehead.
"Your lungs are healing quite nicely," Carson looped the stethoscope around his neck.
"And my back?" John nearly gasped, the pain spiking from the movement.
"That would be your kidneys," Carson nodded. "I had to operate to control the bleeding. But they, too, are beginning to heal." Carson bent down to look at the urine bag. It was still pinkish, but the blood being passed through John's urine was beginning to subside.
"Elizabeth?" John asked, attempting to distract his mind from the pain. "She seems okay."
"Aye," Carson confirmed. "Nary a scratch on her. She was a little dehydrated and was suffering from exhaustion when we pulled you out of there, but she's already recovered."
"That's good." John breathed deeply, thankful for the oxygen tube underneath his nose. "That's good."
"How's your pain John?" Carson set his hand gently on John's good shoulder.
"Hurts like a son of a bitch," John grunted.
"It's almost time for your pain meds," Carson assured him.
"How did you get us out of there?" John asked.
"Rodney and Lt. Serena Thoms blasted a hole above the cavern you were trapped in big enough for the jumper. Then we flew down and brought you out."
"I don't remember," John took another breath. He remembered darkness and pain. He remembered Elizabeth's voice. He remembered how difficult it had gotten to breathe and how Elizabeth had held him.
"I wouldn't think you would son," Carson said gravely. "You were in a bad way."
"Have I been out this whole time?" John painfully cleared his throat.
The privacy curtain around John's bed was pulled aside, and Marie stepped into John's cubicle with a cup of ice and medication on a tray. She set it on a table by John's bed.
"Ah, thank you Marie," Carson said, picking up the cup of ice.
"Good to see you awake, Colonel," Marie smiled.
"Good to be awake, I think," John murmured.
Marie stepped back out, closing the curtain behind her.
Carson fed John an ice chip. "You came around for a short time right before we brought you back to Atlantis, but I'm not surprised you don't remember it. You've been on a ventilator for the last four days, so your throat will be sore for a bit."
John gratefully sucked on the sliver of ice. "How long until I can get out of here?"
Carson shook his head, giving John a mock glare. "You were critically injured Colonel Sheppard, and you're still in serious condition. You won't be going anywhere anytime soon."
"What happened to the kids? The little girl Elizabeth and I rescued…Risella?" John asked.
"All fine. Risella did have some internal bleeding, but we were able to operate and I expect she'll recover quite nicely."
"And Secora?" John shifted on the bed, trying to find a more comfortable position.
"They'll rebuild," Carson said simply. "Casualties were minimal, all things considered."
Carson fitted the tip of the needle into the medication bottle. "That's enough for now, Colonel. You need to rest." Efficiently Carson ejected the contents into one of John's I.V. ports.
John felt a warmth enter the vein in his hand. The pain began to melt away and he felt his eyes grow heavy. He blinked several times, trying to focus his eyes on Carson.
"Don't fight it, Colonel." Carson admonished his patiently gently.
"Just want to say…" John slurred his words. He felt himself begin to drift off. He forced his eyes open and tried to lift his hand to motion Carson over. He saw Carson lean forward over the bed. "Thank you."
"Rest Colonel," Carson said softly as John finally let sleep take him.
Carson pulled a chair closer to the bed and settled into it. He hadn't even realized he'd fallen asleep himself until Teyla lightly tapped his shoulder.
"I'll sit with him. You should get some rest Dr. Beckett." Teyla smiled warmly.
"I think that's the best idea I've heard all day," Carson agreed, stifling a yawn. Stiffly he pulled himself up. "I'll check in on him soon."
Teyla settled into the chair and studied her team leader's face. His skin was still pale, but there was color to it now. His face was peaceful in sleep. "We'll be fine." And for the first time since the earthquake on Secora, she believed it.
Tbc…
