Taken On Trust
By Ann3
Writer's Note: It's the call they've all been waiting for ! Now, who's going to get to the Infirmary first...? My money's on Ronon - basically because he'd flatten any poor soul unfortunate enough to get in his way.
And for all you Carson/ Laura shippers out there - yes, there's another "awwwwwww..." moment coming up ! Enjoy !!
Chapter Ten
Midnight Miracles
It had only just passed midnight, but that didn't matter. They still arrived within minutes of Kate Buchanan's call, setting a new record for crossing the city from their respective haunts – setting Kate quite a challenge as that city's flagship team barrelled into the Infirmary, giving a herd of stampeding elephants a real run for their money. Even Elizabeth Weir, that epitome of calmly cool elegance, looked rather more ruffled than usual.
"Sshhh...! Quietly now, or ye'll be wakin' them… and that really would be an awfu' shame…" Kate warned through a helpless smile - one which became broadly shared, in pure delight, as she led them, duly silenced, across to Carson's bed.
Its occupant, not surprisingly, lay deeply asleep, oblivious to the elated hugs and backslaps around him. Laura was sleeping too, her head resting against the edge of Carson's shoulder, her arm draped, protectively carefully, across his chest.
Under a tumble of strawberry blonde hair, her face held a smile of pure relief. Complete happiness. While somewhat fainter, obscured by the mask upon it, Carson's face held one exactly the same – prompting a deadpan comment that only John Sheppard would ever dare to make.
"If I'd known there'd be this much blackmail potential, I'd have brought my camera, just to… ow…!"
Elizabeth's gentle slap on his chest may have put his light-hearted threat on temporary hold. A dour Scottish glare, a raised eyebrow that could only have been taught by one person, scuppered it completely.
"You do, Colonel, and ye'll have me tae answer to…"
Peevishly thinking that two women ganging up against him was just a tad unfair, John looked around for support – dryly noting that the rest of his ever faithful team had chosen one hell of a moment to take the fifth.
"Gee, guys, thanks a lot…"
Scowling and smiling in equal measure, John then nodded back towards the peaceful scene beside him
"You gotta admit though, doc, they do look kinda sweet, all snugglied up together…"
While maybe not entirely melted by that notorious smile, Kate's return grin betrayed a definite thaw. She was risking days, if not weeks, of gloating, of course, by admitting that she agreed with him, but – well, as Carson sighed and shifted in his sleep, and Laura hugged him protectively closer in response, Kate had to admit that he'd made a valid point.
"Aye, lad… aye, that they do…" she chuckled softly, draping a light blanket across Laura's shoulders. Reminded of Carson's need for healing quiet, and an exhausted Laura's need for rest, she then took a gentle hold on John Sheppard's sleeve - another of those finely honed Highland glares instantly quashing all thought of further argument.
"As much as I agree with ye, though, this wee lad and his lassie need their sleep. In fact, you all do. So come on, all of ye, get away wi' ye now… don't worry, I'll be taking good care of both o' them…"
She'd made the same suggestion, many times, over the last five days and had only rarely with any form of seeing that suggestion followed. Now, to Kate's astonished relief, that same advice was finally through a series of weary nods.
As Elizabeth led the tip-toed exodus from Carson's bedside, more of that astonishment escaped through a wry, self-mocking shake of her head. She was a doctor, after all. She'd spent the last twenty years making reasoned and rational, doctorly decisions.
But as she cast a final, proud glance towards a patient who'd bucked every medical odd in existence, all that scientific reasoning flew through the nearest window. From Carson Beckett's death defying recovery to actually seeing her advice being followed, Kate Buchanan could suddenly believe in miracles.