(viii)
Ronon was sprawling in Richard Woolsey's chair when Amelia Banks appeared.
"Oh," she paused, "I was looking for Mr Woolsey."
Ronon rolled his head in her direction, he was feeling really relaxed for the first time in weeks and it was making him floppy. "He left about five minutes ago, said he had to be somewhere."
Amelia frowned thoughtfully, "Which means he's probably on his way to the Gateroom." Her face lightened, "never mind, by the time I found him he'd be there or called in. There's something wrong with the comm." She explained, "it's down in this section of the city, he often comes here for breakfast so I said I'd come by this way on my way off shift." Her eyes dropped to the chair; she looked as if she was going to say something but thought better of it, nodded at Ronon and turned to go.
Ronon had a moment of inspiration. "You put the chair here."
Amelia turned back, a flash of surprise in her eyes, "Yes, how did you know?"
Ronon shrugged, "The way you looked at it."
She gave him one of her steady, clear eyed looks "I'd rather you didn't tell him."
Ronon thought about that for a moment or two, "Okay. Why?"
Amelia made a gesture encompassing the balcony and the view, "I used to come here sometimes and I found him here one morning eating a sandwich over the balustrade and reading a report. He never seems to want company so I left without him knowing I was there. I spotted him here again a few days later trying to drink a coffee, eat a banana and read another report. He put his coffee down and tried to open his banana with his teeth while reading and kicked his coffee over."
"So you put the chair here, still don't get why you don't want him to know."
Amelia's face remained composed but Ronon noticed her weight shift ever so slightly from foot to foot "His first few weeks were difficult. He chats to me sometimes when he's in the Gateroom because I'm there and no-one else seems to listen to him outside of the missions. I think if he knew it would make him uncomfortable. He might think I did it out of pity."
Ronon thought he might just understand what she meant; anyway, it wasn't any of his business. "Okay. Can I use the chair?"
She smiled at him, a wide, genuine smile that made her eyes light and bright.
"Of course, I use it myself sometimes, just not at breakfast time."
After she'd left it occurred to Ronon that she was the first person that morning, other than Teyla, who hadn't mentioned his injuries.