Disclaimer: I am not a Doctor or medical healthcare professional. Although I have tried to research medical terms, they may not be one hundred percent accurate.
Chapter 23: Atlantis to the Rescue.
Woolsey sat in his office looking at the people in front of him and they all looked worried and worn out. It was becoming a common occurrence these days. They were here to discuss Colonel Sheppard's condition; yet again.
It had been over and hour since Todd and Dr McKay had been down to try and remove the implants in Colonel Sheppard's body and he hadn't heard anything as yet. That is why he had called together his team and Drs' Keller and Beckett to update him on the situation.
Woolsey looked around the room one last time, before his eyes settled on Carson. "Well we haven't been together in a few days, so Dr Beckett can you start by filling me in on Colonel Sheppard's condition."
"Well as you know Todd and Dr McKay removed the implants about an hour ago, unfortunately they caused a massive seizure and we have no idea whether there will be any long term side effects."
Teyla looked at Carson blankly, "what does that mean?"
Before Carson had a chance to answer Jennifer took Teyla's arm and answered for him, "well at this stage it looks as if there is damage in the left side of his brain consistent with a stroke, he may lose some movement in the right side of his body."
"Can he be healed from this?" Teyla asked the worry evident in her voice.
Jennifer patted her arm and smiled, "Yes with some rest and physical therapy there is every chance that he will make a full recovery."
Teyla narrowed her eyes at her friend, "Is there a chance that he will not recover from this?"
Jennifer sighed. "Yes there's a slight chance that he will never gain complete use of his right side. He may always have a weakness in his arm, or he may walk with a limp. His speech may be slightly slurred as well."
Woolsey watched the faces of the people in the room and listened to the conversations that were going on around him and he could see that Teyla in particular seemed heart broken. Ronon had told him earlier that Teyla and Colonel Sheppard had admitted their feelings for one another and that they had every intention of becoming a family along with Torren.
He honestly didn't know how that would play out at this point if Colonel Sheppard was permanently disabled. We'll have to see how things play out in the future, he thought to himself before taking another look at those around him. He realised that they were all staring at him and waiting for him to proceed with the meeting.
He really had no idea what he was supposed to say next, so he just opened his mouth to see what came out. "What do you advise we do next Drs?"
"Well, all we can do at the moment is, wait until he wakes up and then we can see what condition he is in." Carson explained.
Woolsey stood up and started to usher everyone out of the room, "Okay you're all dismissed and Doctors' please keep me informed."
He watched everyone leave until it was only Teyla left, "Mr Woolsey can I have a word with you."
He had a good idea what she was going to say to him, but he invited her in anyway and shut the door behind her.
"How can I help you Teyla?"
"I do not know if you have heard yet or not Mr Woolsey, but John, I and Torren have decided to become a family and I would like to ask your permission that when John comes out of the infirmary to move into one of the family apartments over on the south pier?"
He didn't have the heart to tell her at this stage that if John required intensive physical therapy, that he may be sent back to earth and he had no idea if he would be able to return even if he was returned to 100% health.
He smiled at her, "Yes Teyla I am aware of the feelings that you and Colonel Sheppard have for one another and you have my permission to use one of the apartments over on the south pier."
Teyla got up and flashed him a smile before leaving his office.
*When he was sure that she had gone, he put his head in his hands, when had things become so complicated? It didn't take him long to answer his question, it was the moment he had first stepped foot on Atlantis. Within a few hours of being here he had almost had to kill his chief medical officer who was being taken over by a wraith like pathogen. Then he had allowed Dr Beckett to test a cure on his chief military officer, which had almost killed him. In the end Colonel Sheppard had risked his life to administer the vaccine to Dr Keller, but was impaled by a wraith like tentacle in the process. That was the day he'd felt like giving up and heading home, but Colonel Sheppard had looked at him from his hospital bed and smiled, as he said, 'welcome to the Pegasus galaxy.' That was the day he had thrown the rule book out of the window and things had become complicated.*
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
John was coalescing in the dark, he felt comfortable and at peace even though it was pitch black and there was no sound around him. He wondered if he should stay in this place and more to the point what the hell was this place?
He lay there for a while longer; at least he thought he was lying down, he really had no idea, because everywhere was dark. Slowly as he became more aware he realised that something was seriously wrong, his right arm wasn't working properly, his right leg felt sluggish and he couldn't smile properly, the right half of his mouth just didn't seem to work. He began to panic, but suddenly he felt a cool liquid flowing through his veins and he surrendered to the darkness once again.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Teyla left Woolsey's office and headed straight to the infirmary to be with John, Amelia had the evening off, so she had agreed to look after Torren for a few hours.
Arriving in John's private room she found Carson sitting with John and talking in a soothing voice to him.
She walked up to her friend and placed her hand on his shoulder, "how is he Carson?"
Carson turned around to look at her and she saw a pained expression on his face, she'd seen it so many times before, especially when it came to caring for John, "there's no change. Until he wakes up we won't know anything more."
"Thank you Carson. May I sit with him for a while?" She asked, taking a seat on the other side of John's bed.
"That's fine Lassie, I'm just about to go off duty, but Jennifer will be in the office if you need anyone."
Teyla watched as he left the room. Once he was gone she started to sing the Athosian lullaby that she knew he liked to him, about halfway through she felt him squeeze her hand. It wasn't a strong squeeze, but at least she had felt something.
She was about to get up and look for Jennifer when John started to twitch and moan, she immediately pressed the call button and started to yell for Jennifer to come and see what was happening to John.
A few minutes later she arrived and injected something into John's IV and he began to settle down again.
Teyla just kept staring at John, "What happened to him Jennifer."
"We've decided to keep him sedated for a little while longer, just to give his body a bit more time to heal."
"Thank you Jennifer, "she stated and sat down again.
Once she was sure that Jennifer had left she took his hand and started singing the Athosian lullaby again.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Rodney left Woolsey's office and headed straight for his lab, he really couldn't think of any other way to deal with what was going on than to head back to work.
After they had removed the devices from Sheppard's body and he'd had a seizure. Todd had left. The only thing Todd had said upon leaving was, "When he wakes up tell me that he now owes me two." The big wraith had smirked on his way out and then headed back to his hive ship.
It was with a heavy heart that he had entered Woolsey's office, for the meeting, to hear the news that he already knew that Sheppard may have suffered brain damage.
This was really much more than he could take right now and he really felt like hitting something, but he also knew that was the way that Ronon dealt with things, so unless he wanted to fight with Ronon for the gym right now, he was really better off in his lab.
When he arrived at his lab, he realised that Radek and some of his minions were there and he really didn't want to deal with them right now, so in the end he turned around and headed for his room. Perhaps it was a good time for a sleep, he really had no idea if it was night or day anymore, but he suspected that it was late evening.
When he arrived in his quarters, he lay down, on his bed fully clothed and immediately fell asleep.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Ronon left the meeting and headed straight to the gym and anyone who got in his way, between Woolsey's office and the gym was shoved aside. He was really in a terrible mood. What would happen if Sheppard could never walk or run properly again, or what if he could never speak? He really had no answers to those questions right now, so he really needed to hit someone or something. He hoped that when he got the gym that it was empty, because if any of the marines were there looking for a sparring partner, they would end up in the infirmary for sure.
He arrived at the gym and was relieved to find that it was empty. He did really like to spar with others, but then he hated it when someone ended up seriously injured, because of him.
He thought about hitting the punching bag with his bare hands, but quickly changed his mind when he thought about it; Carson and Jennifer have enough to deal with right now without having to patch me up.
He slipped on some boxing gloves and stepped up to the bag and started out by punching the bag slowly. It wasn't long before his punches became more intense and he started kicking the bag as well. Finally he started yelling to release his frustrations as well, he knew that there was nothing he could do about the situation that Sheppard was in right now and it absolutely terrified him.
Eventually he tired of punching and kicking the bag, left the gym and decided to go for a run around the city.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
John was coalescing in the dark once again, he felt comfortable and at peace even though it was pitch black and there was no sound around him. He wondered if he should stay in this place and more to the point what the hell was this place? He knew that he had been in this place before and for some reason he wasn't able to stay there.
He lay there for a while longer; at least he thought he was lying down, he really had no idea, because everywhere was dark. Slowly as he became more aware he realised that something was seriously wrong, his right arm wasn't working properly, his right leg felt sluggish and he couldn't smile properly, the right half of his mouth just didn't seem to work. He began to panic, what was wrong with him and was there anyone who could help him.
He tried to call out, but no-one answered at first. After a few moments, a soft Gentle voice began calling to him.
"John."
He had no idea whose voice it was, so he strained to listen, as the voice called again, "John."
He was horrified at how bad his speech sounded, when he asked. "Who…are…you?"
"I am Atlantis and I can help to heal you."
"Wha..?" He slurred, still confused why his speech sounded so bad.
"You have suffered brain damage, from a device that was placed in your brain by the giants."
He was still having trouble working out what was going on, so he asked the question again, "Wha...?"
The soft voice continued to speak quietly to him, "If I don't heal your brain you may suffer permanent damage in your right side."
"Kay… "He slurred still feeling very confused.
He laid still and wondered what was going to happen next; at least he thought that he was still lying down.
Suddenly a soft warm light started to spread across his body and he could feel himself growing stronger.
After a few minutes the soft glow dissipated and he felt much better.
"How I'm doing Atlantis?" He asked surprised at how well he spoke.
"I have healed the brain damage and your broken arm, but your leg will have to heal naturally. I can only do so much before my touch becomes more than your body can handle."
He was still confused as to why Atlantis had stepped in now to heal him. "Why didn't you heal me from the Red spot?"
"You're body seemed to be fighting it naturally, with a little help from the vaccine. If you were to recover from brain damage it would be a long slow process and you might be taken away from me."
"Excuse me?"
"I haven't felt a connection like the one I have with you in over ten thousand years and I have come to rely on you presence. The last time I felt like this about anyone, was just before Atlantis was sunk to the bottom of the ocean and its people returned to earth. Imagine my surprise when you stepped through the gate. I instantly felt a connection to you and I knew that you were special."
He was embarrassed by her comments, so he blushed, "Wow I haven't felt special in a long time, so it's nice of you to think of me that way."
"You are most welcome John Sheppard."
"I have one last question, why haven't you come to me before like this?"
"Because, you haven't been listening."
He decided that he really liked being in the presence of the AI that was what it had to be. Atlantis was and AI he was sure of it, "Will I be able to talk to you again?" He asked.
"In time you will, but for now John Sheppard you need to wake up, there is one who loves you who needs you to awaken and her son needs a father to lead and guide him throughout his young life. That someone is you John Sheppard, but for now you should sleep.
As John felt Atlantis fade away, he felt the darkness encroaching on him again. He really felt exhausted, so before long he just let it take him again.
TBC…
These events were from the television series; season 5: episode 2 "The seed."
