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Chapter 25
Ronon smirked. He knew Sheppard couldn't resist going, there was no way that Sheppard would let this mission go on without him being there. And although Ronon knew that it was better if Sheppard stayed on Choma, where there was no possibility that he would get further injured, Ronon always believed that life couldn't be lived without risk. Although stupid as it may be, Sheppard had every right to sneak onto the jumper and hide in the back. And if no one else could sense Sheppard's presence, then who was he to say anything about Sheppard's 'reckless' behavior?
McKay launched the jumper and immediately cloaked it before breaking through the atmosphere. Nope, they never noticed a thing.
Once they were in space, Major Lorne stood and muttered about his pack and opened the back hatch. As it swished open, he found John sitting on a bench looking somewhat bored.
"What?" Sheppard asked in an almost perfected mock of an annoyed voice, as if he had every right to stowaway in the back.
Ronon smirked as he joined Lorne, "Nothing."
Sheppard was going to be in enough trouble with everyone else. Ronon just thought this was funny. But not in the pee-in-your-pants way funny. No, this was more like why-the-hell-are-you-laughing-this-is-so-serious funny.
"John!" Teyla almost screamed as she appeared beside Ronon and Ronon could see on Sheppard's face the exact moment that Sheppard realized that this was a horrible idea.
"Shep!" Trin sounded just as annoyed with Sheppard, "What did we tell you about sneaking onto ships when you're half dead?"
"Ummm…. Don't?" Sheppard sheepishly questioned.
"Told you," Ronon grinned, "should have tied him to the bed."
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"This is one of the most, stupidest, irresponsible, asinine, foolish, brainless, immature, careless things that you've ever done" Rodney muttered angrily.
"Most of those words mean the same thing." John tried to get everyone to calm down a little. This was seriously going a little over board. John knew that they would all be angry but Rodney was a surprise. He thought the physicist would have been slightly annoyed, snap at him a few times but this unleashed fury was unexpected. "And what about that time I-"
"No, this is absolutely stupider than that." Rodney stated firmly.
"But you haven't-"
"It doesn't matter." Rodney snapped, "Just shut up and try not to do anything dumb while we're gone."
John rolled his eyes, "Rodney, you're overreacting."
"I'm overreacting?" Rodney said in a high pitched yell, "Overreacting? I pretty sure I'm under reacting. You were supposed to stay on Choma, and you better be glad that I didn't just turn the jumper around and drop you off."
"Drop me off?" John questioned incredulously.
"As in turn around and dump your sorry ass back on that planet. Or better yet we should have left you back to Atlantis." Rodney spluttered angrily.
"Who died and made you king?"
"You!" Rodney yelled. Rodney stopped short, the scientist looked like he wanted to say more but then he must have changed his mind as he shook his head and gathered the rest of his gear.
John was stunned. It was an oversight on his part. He should have thought of this. Of course Rodney would be upset. John had died. Then out of nowhere, came back to life and almost died at the talons of gigantic angry birds and then idiotically and unnecessarily risked his life again. Almost all of this happened within a week. Overwhelming, yes. Overreacting, maybe not.