Title: Adapting

Chapter: Learning

Author: Gypsy Lupin-Black

A/N: Yay reviews! If I could hug everyone, I would! Keep 'em coming, please. I'm a horrible slut for them! :-P More to come soon!

Rodney was bored. He'd spent the last day re-exploring his quarters using his newfound echolocator. He'd found himself fascinated by the smallest things; how the couch looked from different angles, what the inside of the kitchenette cupboard full of mugs and glasses looked like, testing whether visible light had any effect on what he 'saw' (it didn't). He 'looked' at water flowing from the tap in the bathroom sink, at the crystals inside the door controls, at his clothes… He even opened his balcony door and looked out at the city. He couldn't see through glass, he found out, and his city view was limited to the guard rails of his balcony. But he didn't care. He could see. See enough to maybe be able to work. See enough to get around Atlantis without bumping into people. Not enough to go offworld on a mission, nor to read a computer screen or even a book, though. While he was sure that would frustrate him to madness later, for now it was acceptable. Fine, even.

Carson had released him to his quarters. He knew he wasn't supposed to go to the labs, or up to Ops, but maybe he'd go to the Mess, or go see how everyone else was getting on in the infirmary. Surely Carson couldn't get mad at him for those destinations. Tucking his radio behind his other ear, Rodney set out to forage for food and to see his friends.

On his way from the mess to the infirmary, Rodney wondered if he was scaring people. He knew he was grinning like an idiot- unusual in and of itself for him- but people he passed kept doing double takes. Or would look at him, then turn away quickly. His newfound sight had him in high spirits, of course, but he couldn't help but wonder if the mood regulators Carson had prescribed might have had something to do with his current opportunistic outlook as well. Either way, he couldn't bring himself to care that people where looking at him strangely. He just wanted to get to the infirmary and see how everyone else was holding up.

John looked up from his book when Rodney entered the recovery room. Rodney couldn't make out his expression very well, but it didn't matter because John's tone was full of delight. "Hey, buddy! How's it going?"

Rodney plopped himself down in John's wheelchair and rolled up to the side of the bed. "Actually, things are great," he waved a finger at the echolocator tucked behind his right ear. "Radek found this in one of the Ancient biology labs."

John was quiet for a moment, as if waiting for Rodney to continue. Finally, he prompted, "and?" in his best 'I have no idea what that means, Rodney' voice.

"It's some kind of echolocation device," Rodney elaborated. "I can see, John."

"Oh. Oh!" Rodney could almost see the puzzle pieces snap together in John's brain. "That's… that's great, Rodney!" He laughed, then muttered, "that explains a lot."

"Yup," Rodney replied happily. He turned his head and surveyed the room. Ronan seemed to be asleep, as was Major Lorne. Teyla's bed was empty. "Where's Teyla?" he asked, turning back to John.

"They took her for a scan to check how the leg's doing," John replied. "Hey…" he trailed off.

Rodney raised his eyebrows at him. "Yes? What?"

John shifted and seemed uncomfortable, but continued, "you, uh, might think about sunglasses, buddy."

Rodney gave him a blank look. "Sunglasses? Why would I… oh."

That's why people had been acting weird in the halls. They could see his eyes. His milky eyes with healing holes in them. Rodney had gotten so wrapped up in his new sight that he'd completely forgotten to keep his real eyes closed. And they were a constant reminder, to everyone, of what had happened. Rodney felt his grin fade slightly. He wished the Daedalus would hurry up and get here. He didn't know if anything could be done about his eyes- that was a question only the specialists could answer- but he wanted to find out. Soon.

"Och, Rodney, I didn't realize you'd come by!" He heard Carson's voice behind him and he wheeled the chair around to look at him. "Radek told me about the device he found," the doctor continued as he strode into the room. "How's it sit?"

John answered before Rodney could, "seems to be working, doc. Rodney came here on his own. Knew right were everything was." John sounded a little like a proud father, and it irked Rodney. Just a little.

"I'm blind, Sheppard, not mute," he snarked at his friend. John just laughed.