AN: So I'm pretty new to this fandom, about two months. For some reason I watched the season 4 finale so of course I had to go back and watch most of the episodes and before that the only episode I watched was 38 minutes (which was really weird because I saw it in five different parts, from various points during the episode and I couldn't understand why I could only catch this one episode on tv). But about the story, I think I got my second win, so I'll write out everything before I start to stop obsessing over this show. And I'm sorry if anyone seems out of character, I pride myself on keeping characters in character.
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David slipped upstairs as his father contemplated… whatever parents thought about after their kid yelled at them for never being a parent. Probably it was something that would get him and John in trouble.
That had been the most he had spoken to the man in three months, which was sad since he really hadn't said much. But maybe this was the beginning. Maybe he didn't have to keep face just so that his brother and father could have their private yet simultaneous breakdowns anymore.
He knocked lightly on John's door before entering and found his brother sitting on the floor at the foot of his bed. His legs pulled up tight against his chest and head resting on his knees to block out the rest of the world.
David quietly dropped down next to him. He watched the sun stream through window as they sat in silence. "Dad thinks we went to the diner so if you get hungry, eat later."
John showed no reaction. David sighed and rested his elbows behind him on the bed. He ruffled the messy hair knowing full well what the argument between his brother and father had been about. "He needs time, Johnny."
His brother still showed no reaction but a slight trembled showed that he was at least listening. David continued as the silence persisted, "He's still getting over mom."
At that, John shifted and leaned back to rest against the bed. "What about you?"
"Me?" David hadn't expected that. He had thought that John was too wrapped up in his own problems to notice anyone else's.
"Yes, you." John grinned which almost instantly turned into a frown, "You know, you never talk about her."
David swallowed and nodded, his voice was shaky, "I-I still think she's going to bang on my door every morning."
He was never going to see her again. God, he was never going to see her again.
"Yeah," John dropped his head back down, "me too."
He wasn't sure how much time had passed with them sitting there blankly staring off into space, but the patch of sunlight on the floor had changed from a clear gold to a deep orange.
"Do you remember?" John's soft question cut through the silence.
He remembered, he just never thought. It was too hard to think. Thinking required him to realize that she was never coming back. But that felt undeniably untrue because she was still in the backyard reading a romance novel or in the kitchen making them a small snack or in the next room writing a letter to their grandmother, in the living room flipping through a catalogue. She was behind every closed door and every turned corner. She was right there.
But she wasn't.
He nodded anyways, knowing that John would just somehow know that he was agreeing even without looking.
"Remember last summer," John murmured, "dad got called to Tokyo and we got to stay in Santa Barbara?"
"How could I forget?" David couldn't help but smile though he swallowed hard at the same time, his voice cracking, "Sun, surf, and girls."
It had been John's first time surfing. The first time he could see the rip curls from inside where the crystal blue-green water could pull you into another world, instead of just watching them crash onto the beach as white foam. Mom had taught David at John's age. Then it had been John's turn to learn.
John suddenly laughed, "Did you have to try out all those pick up lines?"
"Seemed like a good idea." David let out a breathy sigh, "Did you have to wipe out so many times?"
"Three times," John stressed and punched his leg, "that's not a lot."
"Whatever you say, Johnny-boy."
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Present – Atlantis
From what Teyla could gather, without bringing up too much suspicion from Keller, OCD was some sort of disorder of the mind, Keller was about to go more in depth but she got pulled away as SGA-4 came in hot.
She had walked slowly out of the infirmary, her post mission exam complete. She was hungry but she wanted to wash off the dirt from the mission. Deciding that she would pick up a snack before she showered, she took an abrupt turn to the mess but bumped into Rodney. She had smiled and muttered a greeting as Rodney apologized.
She was still curious so she questioned Rodney about OCD. The scientist had rambled off symptoms, plausible causes, signs, and something about biological abnormalities when suddenly a light went on in his eyes. Rodney had figured it out.
She should have known that the scientist would have. John would realize that Rodney knew and that she was the only one who could get him to notice. But it wasn't like she did it on purpose. At least she hadn't meant to do it on purpose, which was why she was now standing outside of John's quarters waiting for the man to open up so that she could apologize for giving him away to Rodney.
"Hey Telya," John nodded and motioned inside, "I'm guessing you're here to try again?"
She had only asked him once after his disappearance yesterday, but leave it to John to up the numbers.
"Not exactly," Teyla smiled a little nervously as she slipped into John's quarters.
"What is it?" John frowned.
"I may have inadvertently lead Dr. McKay to believe that you have OCD."
John sighed resignedly and ran his hands through his hair separately, "He would have figured it out eventually."
She hadn't thought that John would have gotten mad but she was nervous about it anyways. She moved towards his bed and sat down; John trailed behind slowly and sat down at his desk facing her.