It had been a week since the marine and Ronon. Her sleep was still broken and disturbed but she was back at work. She had found the medical section of the database and had been working closely with Carson they had struck an easy friendship she found his Scottish accent soothing. She found he had a wonderful sense of humour and found herself laughing more. Carson saw through her need to work and often invited her to join him for lunch.
Ronon had seen them a couple of times and felt pleased she was making more friends. But puzzled she was always too busy to spend time with him. he had invited her to team movie nights but she always declines. He did notice the lack of jealousy, confirming he held no romantic feeling for May. He still couldn't place the familiar feeling when he was around her nor why he felt so protective.
May had vowed to be more sensible with her health, she took regular meals and made sure that even if she didn't sleep she limited her working hours
She was in the middle of the afternoon working when she was interrupted by Dr. Weir on her radio.
"May, come to the briefing room please ASAP."
"On my way" May replied puzzled, she had never been called to the briefing room before.
She closed the document she had been working on. It was a letter she had out off but the deadalus was due back in a few weeks and he need to be on it. She powered down her terminal grabbed her tablet and headed to the gate room.
She suspected that SGA-1 had just come back from MR8-442, a planet with no settlement near the gate but a ruin building with markings all over and she had been studying said marks, but each time she found a thread, the photos were incomplete or out of focus. Ronon had been talking about it the evening before.
On arriving she found an empty seat and sat down as a tired Sheppard nodded at her and she blushed. She had been avoiding him after last week. She ducked her head feeling like a coward and when Teyla slide a laptop over, she started to study the images as she listened to the briefing.
"The building is 2 clicks from the gate, it is undisturbed and in good condition, it's completely covered in marking that appear to be ancient but not one that MacKay can read-"
"I didn't say I couldn't" MacKay butting in, "I just needed more time but Sheppard here wouldn't let us stay any longer."
"As I was saying," Sheppard glared at Mackay "there are no settlements within walking distance. I suggest we go back, with a jumper and explore a little more and take a better look at those markings."
Weir nodded and turns to May. "What do you see?"
"Sheppard is right it is ancient but it has wraith structure and syntax." She as she looked up to a confuse Mackay and Weir.
"Take these markings here, in normal ancient it means blessed light but when added with these markings," she pointed to the next one "it becomes wraith meaning cursed sight. It's like someone wanted to welcome the Ancients but warn off the Wraith.
"The whole passage talks about a blessed light to left burdens but in wraith is cursed sight to crush the weak, whoever wrote this was a genius." May blushed at her last words but kept silent.
Weir nodded and said,
"Ok, I am giving the mission a go you leave a 0800 tomorrow, take a jumper and have a closer look at that building and see if it is a weapon or a research base it could be a method of ascension. May, you'll be joining them. First priory is to take images so that if you run out of time you can carry on when you get back. I suggest you all R and R, dismiss."
Mackay and Teyla stood to leave, Sheppard and Ronon waited for May, who sat there dumbfounded.
"What?" She looked at Dr. Weir, "surly McKay could take pictures and I could translate them here?"
Dr. Weir looked at her friend and felt a little bad but steeled herself, it was for May's own good, she had gone back to hiding herself in her work. The mission didn't seem like a dangerous one and Sheppard would be there to protect her. With no settlement in the area, Weir quickly weighed the pros and cons.
"Dr. Hemming," She said letting her friend know that it was her boss talking, "it'll be quicker if you translate as you go and get the images in the right order. I also want you to look at the non-text images that are on the building and figure out, if this language is an evolution of ancient and wraith. More over I need to know if you have seen this style of language anywhere else in the translation of the database. Sheppard's team is the best, you'll be safe with them and it's time to get you off base."
May sat there stunned; Liz had never used her diplomacy skills nor pulled rank on May before. May mumbled ok and got up to leave and Ronon followed her out.
Sheppard turned to Weir. "Am I going to have a problem?"
"No," Weir replied, "just keep her safe." John stiffened at the request and Liz knew she had offended him. She looked up at John and said "I'm sorry John. She's a friend who is grieving and I don't want her to get hurt but she needs to start living again" John relaxed and moved over to Liz, "I'll put Ronon on guard duty, he'll keep her safe." He said kindly with a hand on her shoulder he turned to leave.
"Thank you" she said gratefully.
May left the briefing room in a hurry, her panic overriding the hurt she felt. What was she going to do? She didn't know if she defend herself if it went wrong, and while it seemed like a safer mission than most, she had heard stories that the Pegasus galaxy wasn't always kind when it came to easy missions.
So caught up in her thoughts she didn't notice she had stopped moving until Ronon almost bumped into her. He turned her around and asked "Are you ok?"
"I've never been through a star gate before. The fear of the mission overrode her need to keep Ronon at a distance. I don't know if I can defend myself. I don't know how to shot a gun" She said the panic rising in her voice. What the hell am I gonna do. I'm gonna get you killed
Ronon shook her gently to interrupt her panicked thoughts, she flinched slightly at the contact but Ronon ignored it. "Come with me."
First he took her to the firing range and gave her the low down on guns. How to shoot, how to aim, how to reload and where the safety is. He kept going until she could shoot, reload and get close to the target without shaking (too much). Next, he took her to the gym and showed her quick and easy sparring techniques.
It would hold them off long enough either for you to shoot them or for help to come. When we get back I can ask Teyla to show you some more moves." Ronon told May. She felt a lot calmer now. She could shoot, not well but enough to scare someone off or to wound them and she was no good at sparring but the years spent dancing had made her agile and fast Ronon had struggled to cornered her. She still felt under prepared but better knowing that Ronon would be there just in case.
After food she went to her office and started to gather software that would help her catalogue and translate the images she had downloaded onto one of her laptops and took it to her room. It was late afternoon when she was finally ready and she had everything ready to grab the next morning. She grabbed some food and took it to her quarters. She planned to read a novel hoping it would make her tired but she felt too energized to rest so she went for a run and stop by the gym to dance, but she ended up leaving feeling more frustrated. She started running again to help herself relax. After her run she showered and changed. She sat on her bed as a though crossed her mind. May walked to the infirmary and spotted Carson.
"What are you doing here lass?" Carson asked.
"I have a favour to ask" May started nervously. Carson nodded encouragingly for her to continue.
May took a deep breath and explained her mission tomorrow and her sleepless night and nightmares. "I just need a good night sleep with no interruption."
Carson had suspect as much and knew, if she was asking for help, she really need it.
Aye less I recon' you do. Ok just this once I will give you the sleeping tablets but if these nightmares are not Atlantis related then you need to see Dr H, the nightmares are not going to go away by themselves." Carson told her. "I will when I get back" she promised with a grateful smile.
He handed the pills over. "Don't take them till you're in bed, they will knock you out for about 4 hours and you'll feel drowsy for the two after that but the time frame is right, drink plenty of water and don't worry Ronon will keep you safe" Carson said with a smile.
His parting words made her smile and when she remembered herself it made her sad. She would miss Atlantis and Ronon a lot.
