Happy Easter everyone!!
I hope this proves that I haven't forgotten this story, despite having started another one two days later. I apologise for being so weak!
Anywho, enjoy, and feed me back… :-P
Chapter Three
A cat scan and MRI later, and Dr Keller decided that there was no reason for John to stay in the infirmary. She said he was fine, physically, and that moving around the city might help to jog his memory. John wasn't sure if he was happy to be let go – on the one hand, he did want to get out of the ward; on the other, he was scared about venturing out into the city. He was scared about what else had changed.
But he wasn't about to tell Dr Keller that. He wouldn't even have told McKay, but didn't have to worry about that as the scientist had been called away before the scans started.
"You sure I'm okay to leave?" John asked casually.
Dr Keller nodded. "Yes, but if you feel any other symptoms radio me immediately," she said as a nurse brought over John's clothes and shoes. "And let me know if you regain or lose any more of your memories."
"Will do," said John. Keller nodded and walked away, pulling across a screen next to the bed behind her, to give John privacy to change. Well, so much for the staying-in-the-infirmary idea. Who knows, maybe walking around would help his memories return.
John turned to his pile of clothes. There was a pair of black BDUs, a plain black t-shirt, and a heavy black military shirt sporting an Atlantis patch on one arm and an American flag on the other. Apparently this is what he'd been wearing when they'd brought him in – but he sure as hell hadn't seen that shirt before.
For some reason, the sight of that shirt disconcerted him almost as much as the death toll McKay had reeled off for him. These were meant to be his clothes, but not only did he not remember putting them on, he'd never even seen them before. They didn't belong to him; they belonged to this other Sheppard. Colonel Sheppard. The man he was going to – no, had already become, but just didn't remember.
In a way he wished he'd just travelled in time or something – because that's what it felt like, and it would be easier for him to accept. And it would be possible for him to change things, given the chance. There was no chance for him to change any of what had happened the past four years – all he could do was hope to remember it. John shook his head and started to change his clothes.
John had just pulled the t-shirt on when he heard her voice.
"Hello Jennifer. Where is he?"
He froze.
"Hi Teyla – he's just getting changed."
"Is he alright?"
John couldn't help but notice the worry in her voice – it made him feel a little better, knowing that at least they were still friends. Who knew what could have happened in this crazy-ass reality.
"Physically he's fine."
Ignoring the strange shirt and his boots, John walked out from behind the screen. And froze again.
If he hadn't already believed that he was really four years in the future, he would have on seeing Teyla. Considering how McKay had looked pretty much the same as ever, John hadn't really expected Teyla to look any different either.
It turned out he was wrong about that.
Unlike McKay, the years showed on Teyla's face. Not in a bad way – not at all – you could just see that time had passed. Her natural self assurance had increased so much that seemed to flow from her, giving her an almost regal air. Her hair was much, much shorter, framing her face, and seemed lighter. She was wearing clothes he'd never seen before – he guessed they were Athosian, but it was unlike any Athosian outfit he'd ever seen. She wore brown leather pants, a plain black top and a full-length brown coat.
When she turned her eyes on him, John noticed something in them – like McKay, she'd seen things. Lots of things.
Teyla raised her eyebrows, and John realised that he was gaping at her. Embarrassed, he quickly shut his mouth. "Sorry," he said gruffly. "You look… really different."
She gave him a small, sad smile. "Rodney told me what happened," she said. "You don't remember anything?"
Okay, first off it was really weird to hear Teyla call McKay Rodney… and secondly – 'don't'? Since when did Teyla use contractions? Ever?
"Not nothing… but apparently it's three and a half years later than it was when I went to bed last night," John said flippantly, though he felt anything but.
Keller smiled, amused, but Teyla frowned slightly, and John could see the worry in her eyes. She wasn't fooled by his answer.
"Rodney and Radek are examining that device as we speak," she said. "I am sure they will find a way to reverse what happened."
John couldn't think of anything of a response to that and so he just nodded, and tried to place the name 'Radek'. Was that Zelenka's first name? John wasn't sure.
There were footsteps at the other end of the infirmary, and the three of them turned to see a bald, middle-aged man walking towards them. He wore glasses, carried a computer tablet under one arm, and didn't look too happy.
"Hello Colonel," he called out as he got closer.
John glanced over at Teyla and Keller – neither of them looked particularly happy to see him.
"Er… hello," John said, turning back to him.
He stopped a few feet away. "My name is Richard Woolsey," he said briskly, his tone business-like. "I'm the base commander."
John's eyebrows shot up. He hadn't given much thought to who was in charge, since hearing Elizabeth was… not. And apparently it was this guy.
"Oh. Right."
"I understand you've lost a lot of your memory," said Woolsey.
"Yeah… seems like it," said John, inwardly rolling his eyes at the blandness of his answers.
Woolsey nodded. "I'm sure you'll understand that I must take you off active duty for the time being," he said. "Major Lorne will take over your duties – just until you regain your memories."
John had been expecting that, so his only real though was who the hell is Lorne? "Right," he said. To tell the truth, being taken off duty was the least of his worries at that moment.
Woolsey looked over at Keller. "You're letting him leave the infirmary?"
The look Keller gave him was decidedly frosty. John shot Teyla a look of surprise, and she gave him a tiny smile. John figured he'd ask her the history later.
"I think walking around the city, seeing some familiar faces might help his memory," said Keller, her voice practically dripping with disdain.
Woolsey narrowed his eyes at her, squaring his shoulders. Keller raised an eyebrow defiantly.
There was silence as the two of them stared each other down, and the air was thick with tension. John looked over at Teyla again – her bottom lip was moving like she was chewing on the inside of it, and she was looking at Keller, a half sympathetic, half pleading expression on her face.
He definitely had to ask her what was going on.
"I see," said Woolsey eventually. "Very well." He turned to face Teyla. "Teyla, it might be best if you keep and eye on him."
John was torn between indignation that this Woolsey thought he needed to be chaperoned, and excitement about being chaperoned by Teyla. Plus… well, he supposed it wouldn't hurt to have someone explaining things to him.
Teyla looked over at him and he waggled his eyebrows at her cheekily, making her roll her eyes. "I will," she said to Woolsey.
Woolsey nodded his thanks, gave John and Keller one more look, and then turned and strode out of the infirmary.
Teyla immediately turned to Keller. "Jennifer…"
"I know, I know – I just can't help it!" She said. She sighed. "I've got a lot of work to be getting on with – Colonel, remember what I said."
John nodded. "No problem," he said.
Keller nodded. "Alright then," she said. "I'll see you both later." She gave Teyla a smile and walked away, in the opposite direction to Woolsey.
"You're gonna explain that, right?" John said to Teyla as soon as she was out of earshot.
Teyla gave him a small smile. "Are you hungry?" She asked him.
John quirked an eyebrow at her blatant change of subject, but didn't comment on it. "Sure," he said. "Apparently I was about to have lunch when this happened."
"Good, we will go and eat" said Teyla. Then she smirked. "You may want to put on some shoes."
John realised that he was standing there in his socks, and he grinned. "If you insist," he said. He ducked back behind the screen and quickly put on his boots. He stood back up and looked down at the shirt draped across the bed. The shirt he'd been wearing when this had happened. The shirt he couldn't even remember.
John picked it up, but he couldn't bring himself to put it on. For some reason it just felt… wrong. Like it wasn't his shirt. It belonged to Colonel Sheppard, this guy he knew hardly anything about.
He stepped out from behind the screen and smiled at Teyla. "Okay then," he said. "Tell me about Colonel Sheppard."
TBC