Chapter 10

"It's good to be seen, young man," Weisbach answered with a delighted grin. "Now, let me take a look at my handiwork."

The ophthalmologist ran John through a series of tests, checking eyesight, peripheral vision, and color blindness. Then he scanned the injection sites for infection and the Bowman's membrane for elasticity.

"Everything looks good, Colonel. The injections are working, but the process isn't complete yet which is why your vision hasn't returned to normal. I hate to say this, almost as much as you're going to hate to hear it, but I need to re-bandage your eyes. I don't want anything to interfere with your healing, and straining to see the entire world all at once would certainly do so."

John groaned at the thought but understood the logic. He'd been blind for a month now; another day or two wouldn't kill him.

He heaved a sigh and said, "Go ahead, Doc." He closed his eyes and felt the gauze and the bandages being reapplied. "How much longer do you think the bandages will need to stay on?

"Based on your current rate of recovery, I think we should be able to remove them for good this time tomorrow."

The pilot smiled in genuine relief. Twenty-four hours until he could start taking his life back.

"I can't thank you enough, sir."

Emil patted John on the shoulder, waiting until his assistant left the room. "No, Colonel Sheppard, it is I who should thank you. I've worked with the Air Force and Stargate Command long enough to know the kind of work that you do, risking your life on a daily basis for a world filled with people that don't realize the dangers you face and probably wouldn't appreciate it if they did. I'm proud to know you, son."

The doctor gave John's arm a gentle squeeze. "I'll see you tomorrow, Colonel."

The lump constricting his throat prevented Sheppard from doing anything more than wave as the doctor left. The pilot had been thanked for his service before but usually in a general way or as part of a group instead of one-on-one with someone who had an inkling of what he actually did.

Touched by the heart-warming words, John decided it was time to get up and on with his day. He pushed the rolling table that held his breakfast tray away from his bed and swung his legs off the bed. Easing himself up, he headed to the bathroom for a shower. He rubbed his face; one more day until the beard came off.

He spent most of the day walking the halls, making a mental list of everything he wanted to see the next day – blue sky, green grass, the carving Ronon had made, the nurse with the sexy voice that checked on him in mid-afternoon. He could feel his heart and lungs getting stronger. Of course, the excitement surging through his veins might also account for that.

He hoped Dr. Weisbach would release him after he removed the bandages. Surely Stargate Command would let him stay at Cheyenne Mountain rather than at the hospital or a hotel while he waited for the Daedalus to return. At least he could keep tabs on things from the SGC and maybe get in some workouts with Mitchell or one of the other guys.

John was sure he'd never get to sleep that night, but as soon as he crawled under the covers he was out like a light.

OoOoOoOoO

"Colonel Sheppard?" An airman emerged from the driver's door of the Ford Explorer and saluted.

"That's right." John sighed as he returned the salute. The Milky Way seemed to follow protocol a little more closely than Pegasus.

"General Landry sent me, Sir. Please allow me to take your bag."

"Thank you, Sergeant, but I've got it."

Sheppard picked up his bag and climbed in the back of the waiting vehicle. Weisbach had proclaimed him ninety-five percent healed and had given him drops that would hasten the other five percent. The world had never looked so good. The pudgy, short nurse with the sexy voice was the most beautiful grandmother he'd ever seen. She had found the number for the SGC, and a quick phone call had assured him a room was waiting and a car was on the way.

The staff sergeant parked and escorted him to a conference room overlooking the stargate. John was surprised to find Mitchell, Colonel Carter, Dr. Jackson, Ms. Mal Doran, and a very large man he assumed was Teal'c meeting with General Landry when he entered.

"Oh, excuse me, Sir. I was told to report here. I didn't mean to interrupt," John apologized.

"Nonsense, Colonel Sheppard. I asked for you to be brought here. I was pleased to hear the treatment was a success," Landry said with a smile as he and SG-1 moved to greet the pilot.

"Me, too, Sir."

Mitchell shook his hand and pounded his shoulder. "Good to see you again, Sheppard."

"It's good to see, Mitchell. Thanks."

"You know Sam, Jackson and Vala. This is the other member of my team, Teal'c."

John grinned at the Jaffa. "I've got a guy on my team named Ronon that I'm going to have to introduce you to one day."

Teal'c gave a slight bow. "I shall look forward to it."

"Yeah, me too."

"We're just about to wrap up this mission briefing and grab some lunch if you'd like to join us," Mitchell offered.

"That would be great," Sheppard replied.

"We'll see you there in about fifteen minutes."

Landry asked an airman to show John to his quarters. They wound through the hallways of Stargate Command until the young man opened the door to a small, Spartan room. After receiving directions to the mess hall, Sheppard sat down on the bed and unpacked his bag. He placed the incredible carving from Ronon, the chess piece and both recording devices on his nightstand, tossed his book on the pillow, put his clothes in a drawer and carried his toiletry items to the bathroom. He ran a hand over his cleanly shaven face, which was already beginning to show stubble and smiled to himself. God, it was good to be able to see.

John wandered to the mess hall and found SG-1 already there. He observed from the entryway for a moment as they laughed at a remark from Carter and began teasing Mitchell about something. Nostalgia washed through him as he watched them interact. He shook off the homesickness as Dr. Jackson waved him over.

OoOoOoOoO

Late that afternoon, Landry summoned Sheppard to the control room.

"You asked to see me, Sir?"

"Thought you might want to be here for this."

Moments later the stargate whooshed to life.

"Stargate Command, this is Atlantis." Weir's voice echoed through the room.

Landry turned to the gate technician. "Open a channel, Walter."

The monitor flickered, and Elizabeth's face appeared. The general stepped in front of the camera.

"We read you, Dr. Weir."

She nodded at someone off screen. "We're sending our weekly databurst now."

The gate technician reported, "Transmission received."

Landry turned back to Weir. "We've got it, Elizabeth. Anything important we need to know immediately."

"No, sir. It's been quiet here the past few days. How is Colonel Sheppard?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself? Colonel?" The general waved John toward the camera and stepped away as the pilot approached.

"Hey, Elizabeth."

Weir's jaw dropped. "John? I, uh, wow, how are you?"

Sheppard grinned. "Good as new. How are things there?"

She smiled back at him. "Much better now." She glanced to her left. "There are a few people that want to say hi."

She backed away as Rodney pushed his way forward with Teyla in front and Ronon behind. The variances in their heights did have certain advantages.

"The voodoo worked?" McKay looked amazed.

"Yes, Rodney, Dr. Weisbach's treatment worked. He says I should recover fully."

Relief was etched on Teyla's face. "That is good to hear, John."

Ronon piped up. "That means you'll be back soon, right?" The expression on the Satedan's face spoke volumes. Rodney must be in rare form.

"I'll be headed home as soon as the Daedalus is ready. Is Rodney causing trouble?"

"Me? Are you kidding? This Neanderthal…."

After a few minutes of a first-class McKay tirade, Landry began glaring.

"I have to go now. I think General Landry wants his stargate back. Take care of everything. I'll be back as soon as I can." He signed off, and the gate shut down.

Mitchell spoke from over his shoulder. "Wow. And I thought Jackson could talk. No wonder you keep that lemon around."

John laughed. "Rodney is… unique. And it turns out he isn't allergic after all. Go figure."

OoOoOoOoO

Life became routine over the next several days. He jogged with Cameron in the mornings and sparred with Teal'c in the afternoons. He got his ass handed to him on a regular basis, every time really, and busted his lip once, but he learned some great moves that he couldn't wait to try on Ronon. He met with Sam several times to discuss the gate bridge she and Rodney were building. Daniel taught an Ancient language class, and John sat in to see if he could learn a few phrases. He was particularly interested in curse words since he and Lorne were competing on who could swear in the most languages.

Vala was a mystery to him. She was beautiful, funny, bright, and self-sufficient, but she came on too strong and continued to throw herself at him even when he turned her down. She was never insulted; she just kept trying. The last woman that had come on this strong had wanted him for his ATA gene, and he'd had to physically push her out of his room after admittedly losing his mind for a moment.

John quickly ran through the times Vala had propositioned him and made a discovery; Daniel had been present each time. Sheppard guessed she had a thing for the archaeologist, and the man's reactions caused the pilot to suspect the attraction was mutual. He asked Mitchell about her during one of their runs.

"What's the deal with Vala? Does she always come on that strong?"

"Believe me, she's toned it down. You should have seen her when she first got here."

"That's toned down?" John asked in disbelief.

"You've got McKay; I've got Vala."

"Damn."

"Exactly. Although the skills she acquired in her previous life come in handy on occasion."

John was afraid to ask what skills Cameron could possibly mean. The look on his face must have given him away because the SG-1 leader began laughing.

"Get your mind out of the gutter. She was a thief and con-artist. She knows every shady low-life in this galaxy."

"Really?"

"Yep. Girl hasn't found a lock she couldn't pick."

"Now that really could be helpful. We always seem to be in a jail cell of some kind."

"Yeah, us too."

"Think she could teach me?"

Mitchell shrugged. "Ask her."

John found Vala sitting alone in the mess hall one afternoon, reading. He decided a public area without Jackson around might be the safest place to approach her.

"May I join you?"

She glanced up in surprise and smiled at him. "Absolutely, Handsome. Draw up a chair."

"What are you reading?"

She picked up the book so he could see the cover.

"You're reading Les Miserables. In French."

"Is there something wrong with that? Daniel said it would be better in the original language."

"You speak French?"

"No. But you can find anything on the internet. I took a course online."

"Wow. That's, well, that's really impressive." John really was impressed.

"Thank you. Now, what can I do for you?" she asked suggestively.

"Mitchell tells me that you might be able to teach me how to pick a lock."

"That's the best you can do?"

"What?"

"You don't have to break into my quarters, Handsome. I'll be glad to let you in."

John could feel his ears turning red. "That wasn't a pick up line, Vala. Look, Jackson isn't here for you to make jealous so can you just knock that off?"

She raised her eyebrows and deadpanned, "I have no idea what you mean."

But Vala never propositioned him again. She taught Sheppard how to pick locks and several other devious but useful skills. In return, he activated a small device that had been buried in Daniel's office. It was a child's music box, but it was Ancient and glowed prettily so she was thrilled. After spending time with her, John found her to be a bit of a kindred spirit. She had a past that she was trying to forget and a home with a future that she was fighting to keep, just like him. He was glad he got the chance to get to know her.

OoOoOoOoO

By the time the Daedalus arrived, John felt like a new man. He was relaxed, in good shape, and no longer blind. Best of all, he was going home. Mitchell's team was off-world, but Sheppard had said goodbye before they left.

John had laughed at the control room staff's betting pool on who would come back with what injury. He wondered if the Atlantis staff did the same although Weir's last two reports had been as boring as the first one. Maybe he had to be in Pegasus for trouble to show up.

Caldwell signaled his readiness for departure, and Sheppard gathered his bags, waiting to be beamed aboard. He had two bags now, one with his belongings and one with presents for his friends. General Landry escorted him to the beaming coordinates in the gateroom.

"Godspeed, son."

"Thank you, Sir, for everything."

A brilliant light enveloped him, and he found himself standing on the bridge of the Daedalus.

"Good to see you, Sheppard," Caldwell drawled.

"Yes, Sir. Good to see you again."

"Lt. Crenshaw will show you to your quarters." Steven turned to his navigator. "Take us out."

The officer took Sheppard to his room. John remembered his way mostly, but he asked for directions to the mess and the infirmary as a refresher. Along the way, he felt the ship jump to hyperspace. He was on his way home.

OoOoOoOoO

The three weeks on the Daedalus felt like an eternity. The last time he'd made this journey he'd had Elizabeth and Rodney for company. This time, he exercised with the other pilots, read some of his book, listened to his recordings until he had them memorized, and generally tried to stay out of the way. He also got to know Caldwell a little better. John doubted they would ever be friends, but he gained a new respect for the man during the long trip between galaxies. He couldn't imagine this being his life, cooped up inside a big metal box for weeks at a time.

Sheppard had been following their course and knew when they entered Pegasus. He had haunted Engineering watching the star charts until Hermiod had yelled at him in Asgard and threw him out. After a couple of days, he ventured back in, apologized, and asked the small grey alien to teach him a few words in his language. No way Lorne would know any Asgard curse words. John couldn't read the little guy very well, but he almost looked amused. The Asgard language was extremely difficult to speak, and it took John the rest of the trip to learn to pronounce a handful of words. He wondered what he was really saying and thought he might run the words through Wheelan's translation program before he tried them on Lorne.

John had his belongings packed and in hand when the Daedalus dropped out of hyperspace. He made his way to the bridge to ask permission to disembark. Caldwell gave the order, and Sheppard found himself standing in Atlantis' gateroom surrounded by his team.

"It's about damn time."

"Good to see you too, McKay." John couldn't have stopped grinning if he tried.

After a hug from Weir, an Athosian greeting from Teyla and a back pounding from Ronon, Sheppard made his way to his room to unpack. Elizabeth had informed him of his welcome home party that night, and he dug through his civvies to be sure he had something to wear. When the door chimed, he turned toward it only to remember he was on Atlantis. He thought the door open and found his team loitering in the hall.

"Hey guys. Come in. Just putting my stuff away. What's up?"

The three traded looks, but no one seemed willing to speak first. Finally, Ronon nudged Teyla.

"We came to see if you needed anything."

John scrutinized them. "Have a seat."

Ronon sprawled on the floor while McKay sat at the desk and Teyla chose a corner of the bed.

"I'm fine. Really. I have had more doctors look at me in the past two months than practically the rest of my life combined. The doc at the SGC and the one on the Daedalus gave me a clean bill of health, and I have strict instructions to check in with Beckett as soon as I get settled. OK?"

Emotions flicked over their faces as they looked at each other and back to him.

McKay took on an imperious tone. "Just don't ever do that again. Did you bring the Hershey bars?"

"Sure did." John grabbed the bag and handed the chocolate to Rodney. "And I got popcorn for you, Teyla."

Her eyes lit up. "Really? Thank you." She handled the snack as if it were a precious treasure.

Ronon looked hopeful. "Any Pop-Tarts in there?"

Sheppard laughed. "I think there just might be, Big Guy." He tossed the box to the former runner who tore it open and dug into one.

"Listen, guys. I, um, I wanted to say thanks for all you did for me. And thanks for the package you sent. It was, well, it was the best present I ever got." John could feel his ears getting hot and knew his face was red. "Anyway, I need to go see Beckett. I'll see you at dinner."

His team turned to go. Teyla and Ronon headed their separate ways, but McKay hesitated at the door. "It's good to have you back, John," he said quietly.

John clapped the scientist on the shoulder. "It's good to be back, Rodney."

OoOoOoOoO

On his way to the infirmary, Sheppard overrode the security code on Lorne's quarters and dropped off the fingerpaints he'd bought and returned the candy gun. He dropped by Zelenka's lab to deliver the beer he'd brought him and to thank him for figuring out how to use the recording device.

He then headed to the control room to give Elizabeth her coffee. She wasn't in so he left it on her desk and went by his own office to check the level of disaster. He found Evan sitting at his desk with his head in his hands, staring at a report. The major startled as John knocked on the doorframe.

"Oh, thank God. I mean, good to see you, Sir."

"You too, Evan. How are things?"

The younger man ran his hands through his hair. "Don't take this the wrong way, Sir, but if you ever do that again, I quit."

Sheppard laughed at the expression on Lorne's face. "That bad?"

"This is the paperwork from hell. How do you stay sane?"

"Easy. I ignore most of it."

"Seriously?"

John was tempted to continue stringing him along but decided to have pity on him. "No. It's just a part of command, Evan. I'll admit that it's the least favorite part of my job, but it has to be done."

"Well, then I'm doubly glad you're back. You can have this and Dr. McKay."

"Had fun while I was gone, did you?"

"Let's just say that he owes more than he realizes to Dr. Weir."

"I know exactly what you mean. Well, I've got an appointment with Beckett so I'll see you later."

OoOoOoOoO

Sheppard reached the infirmary to find the Scot pacing anxiously.

"Hi, Carson."

"There you are. I was getting worried."

"No need to worry. I'm fine."

"You let me be the judge of that. Now, up you go."

John perched on one of the beds as Beckett checked his eyes and his vitals and drew some blood.

"Everything looks good, Colonel."

The pilot grinned at him. "Told you."

"Don't you get smart with me. The last time you were here, you were so weak you could hardly stand so forgive me if I want to make sure you're a hundred percent."

"I missed you too, Carson. I brought you something." He handed the man the canister of tea and watched as his eyes rounded in wonder.

"My favorite tea! How did you know?"

"Are you kidding? With as much time as I spend in here?" John sobered. "Thank you for all you did, Carson."

Beckett smiled at him. "Just knowing you're back and fully recovered is thanks enough for me, son."

John hopped off the bed and headed out. "I hear there's a party tonight. See you there, Doc."

OoOoOoOoO

The gateroom had been turned into a banquet hall, and John sat at the head table, drinking in the sights. Music played in the background, and the kitchen staff had gone all out in preparing a feast. The crew from the Daedalus had been invited. Caldwell and Weir were in a deep discussion about Earth politics. Beckett was off in a corner trying not to have an argument with Cadman. Zelenka was attempting to teach Teyla the finer points of the polka which wasn't going well, especially to the strains of Norah Jones. Ronon was arm wrestling any Marine that was willing, and McKay had worked up the nerve to ask Katie Brown to dance.

Contentment flooded John's soul, and he sent up a silent prayer of gratitude. It was good to be home.

------------

tbc

A/N: Thanks again for the kind reviews. One more chapter to go I think.