Chapter 19: Tempers flare.
Carson was incredibly worried as he kept a constant vigil at his friend's bedside. It had been over a week since John had suffered a seizure, as a result of being injected with the healing compound Rodney had discovered in the ancient data base. His wounds had healed at an incredibly fast rate, including the fingers on his left hand, which was a complete surprise and totally unexpected. Carson was still worried that when John awoke that he would have brain damage though, given the fact that he'd had two seizures in the space of two weeks. The scan he'd done after the second one had shown no abnormalities in John's brain, but they wouldn't know for sure until he woke up.
Checking his vitals once again, it proved what he had known all along, John was just in a very deep healing sleep and he could wake up at any time. That was the reason he'd had to insert the feeding tube two days ago, as well as hooking John up to an IV and putting in a catheter.
John's friends had come and gone during that time, with Teyla and Elizabeth spending the most time with him, but what surprised him the most was that Ziall, Giall and Tiall had also spent a great deal of time with him. When he had asked them about it, they had simply stated that John Sheppard was the saviour of their people, so he had to get well and if by being there helped in anyway, they were happy to be there.
Although he wasn't in a coma, they were all beginning to wonder whether he would ever wake up. Elizabeth had been in contact with stargate command and they had told her if he didn't wake up by the time the Daedalus arrived in two days' time, he would have to be sent back to earth to receive proper medical care.
A soft voice interrupted his musings, "Carson you should go and get some rest and I will sit with Colonel Sheppard for a while."
"Thank you for your offer Teyla, but I have only just arrived here after having a nap in my office for a few hours, so for now I'll stay, but you're welcome to join me."
"I will stay for a while and then Rodney is planning on coming and sitting with him."
He watched as Teyla brushed a stray piece of hair off John's forehead and took his hand, he really wished that the two of them would get around to admitting their feelings for one another, but if John didn't wake up in the next two days, they wouldn't get a chance.
A moan from the bed caught his attention and when he looked down, he saw a pair of hazel eyes staring up at him, "welcome back Colonel."
John moaned again and promptly closed his eyes and went back to sleep.
He turned to look at Teyla who now had a huge grin on her face, "well luv, I hope that means he'll be waking up for good soon and when does, I think I'll send him back to his quarters, as soon as possible. I would like to make sure that he has eaten something and is able to stand on his feet and unfortunately I will need to check for signs of brain damage, but if everything checks out, I will discharge him withing the next couple of days."
"I have already set up a roster to look after him and I will take the first shift. I actually had a hard time convincing Tiall, Giall and Ziall that we did not require their assistance" Teyla smiled and rolled her eyes before she continued," I think that John will get tired of the hero worship from the Ngerans very quickly. It is almost like they see him as some kind of Deity."
"He's sacrificed a lot to help these people, even after what they did to him, so I guess that makes him a hero in their eyes and I know that Colonel Sheppard hates attention from others, but he deserves every bit of praise he is given." Carson rubbed his tired eyes, it was probably a good idea for him to go to his quarters and have a proper rest, "anyway love I think I will go back to my quarters and have a proper rest; Dr Keller is on duty if you need anything and if he wakes up again, make sure you let her know as soon as possible."
"I will stay with him until Rodney gets here and I hope that he wakes up in that time, as I long to see those lovely hazel eyes."
Carson stood up and headed for the door, taking one last look at his patient and the woman sitting beside of him, "I'll catch you later luv," he said to her with a smile and he knew that Colonel Sheppard would be well looked after.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
John was floating in a sea of darkness where there was not sight and no sound. He had no idea how long he'd been in this place, but it was peaceful and soothing, and he desperately wanted to stay here.
A glimmer of memory crossed his mind, and it was one of incredible pain, so his first reaction was to try and shut it out, he was feeling such immense peace at that moment that he didn't even want to comprehend what pain he had been in before he had arrived in this place.
Suddenly he heard voices, they were only soft whispers, but they were definitely voices he recognised. Straining to listen, the voices became louder and he instantly recognised them, it was Teyla and Carson and they seemed to be talking about him, but they seemed worried somehow. Why would they be worried, surely, they knew he was at peace, but then he knew that this place wasn't all that there was, and it definitely wasn't real. Finally, he realised that they were urging him to wake up, so with one almighty effort he moaned and opened his eyes to find that Carson and Teyla were sitting next to him.
"Welcome back Colonel." Carson said with a smile.
The incredible effort of opening his eyes was too much for him, so he closed his eyes and let the beckoning darkness claim him again.
His next venture into the world of wakefulness was more successful and seemed to take less effort on his part, a soft rumble pervaded his senses and when he opened his eyes, he was amused to see that Ronon was sitting at the end of his bed with his feet up and he was fast asleep.
"Hey Chewie, wake up," he said as loudly as he could without having to shout.
Relief swept over him when his friend began to wake up. There was no way he could have shouted even if he had wanted to, because for now he felt too weak.
"Hey Sheppard, you're awake, I'll just go and let Carson know and then he can let you know what's going on."
He watched as his big friend left the room and once Ronon was gone, he wondered how long he'd been asleep for this time, but one thing he knew was that he couldn't remember having a nightmare recently, so maybe he was over them? He certainly hoped so.
Deciding that it was time to take an inventory of his injuries, he concentred hard to try and remember what had happened to him. He vaguely remembered that his right side and right thigh had bullet wounds in them, so he focused on that area and much to his surprise there was no pain at all. He remembered that he had been shot in his left shoulder and was about to test that out, when Ronon re-entered the room with Carson in tow.
"How are you feeling Laddie?" Carson asked in a loud booming voice.
That was a good question, other than Carson's voice being a bit loud, but thankfully it didn't hurt his head, so that was definitely a good sign. "I'm actually feeling pretty good thanks doc," he answered truthfully.
"Do you remember what happened?" Carson asked in a quieter voice.
Furrowing his brow, he tried to remember what had happened to him, but it all seemed pretty vague and fuzzy, "did you give me the healing compound?"
"Aye we did lad, but there were some unforeseen side effects, so it has been decided that we will not use it again until we can research it further."
Looking around the room he realised that Ronon had disappeared, "where has Ronon gone?"
"I think he wanted to give us a chance to speak in private."
His eyes opened wide, if Carson wanted to speak in private, it was obvious that something serious had happened, but given the fact that he had a feeding tube in and from the uncomfortable tug under the sheets he was positive there was a catheter in, so he really should have known that something had happened.
"What happened Doc, how long have I been out?"
"We injected the compound into your left shoulder, your right thigh and side."
"And?"
Carson looked at his feet the same way he usually did when he was hiding something and it really agitated him, "Spit it out Carson!"
Carson looked up at him and he could see the concern in his eyes, "you had a massive seizure and you've been unconscious for almost ten days, well not exactly unconscious, it was more like a deep sleep."
He actually had no idea whether that was a good thing or not, "So I've been asleep for ten days?"
"Yes, and now that your awake I would like to conduct a few tests to make sure that you didn't suffer any brain damage. You had two seizures in the space of two weeks, so we just have to make sure."
He sat and looked at Carson and he was completely speechless; brain damage, how could he have brain damage? He felt fine, in fact he felt better than he'd felt for a while, "Ummm…Carson I feel fine."
"Don't worry lad it's just a precaution and I will do it over the next couple of days and if all is well, I will release you to your quarters.
"That sound's fair, but what about my physical injuries, are they healed? Was the compound a success?" The questions tumbled out of his mouth since he really wanted answers.
"Yes, I believe that the compound has worked and your right side and thigh, as well as your left shoulder and the fingers on your left hand are healed. I don't know how much strength you have in them yet, but I'm hoping that you won't need physical therapy."
He knew that he wasn't back to one hundred percent, because his right arm was still strapped to his side and his fingers on his right hand were still splinted, "and what about my right arm and fingers?"
Carson looked at him with his usual look of compassion that he used when he was about to deliver bad news, "They should heal up well, but it may take another four to six weeks, until they're one hundred percent."
John just stared at him with disbelief, "you've got to be kidding me Doc. Why don't you just use the compound on my other injuries."
"I'm sorry John, but I'm not willing to risk your life, by using it again. I promise that I will try and make your recovery and return to active duty as quick as possible, but I will not be using the compound again!" Carson stated and John could see the determination in his eyes.
He thought about arguing with him, but then decided that he would remain quiet for the moment, "alright then, what happens now?"
"I'm going to take the feeding tube out and I want you to try and eat some lunch and then after lunch I will take the catheter out and we will try and get you on your feet, if you seem to be able to manage that without too many problems, I will conduct a few tests to double check that you don't have any brain damage and if all seems well, I will release you to your quarters sometime tomorrow."
Sighing he settled back into his bed and he wasn't happy that Carson was going to insist on poking and prodding him for the next twenty-four hours, "do whatever you have to do doc, but can you hurry up about it, because I want to get out of here and back to my quarters as quickly as possible."
"Well, the first thing I'm going to do is get that feeding tube out, so wait here and I'll go and get what I need." Carson said with a smirk.
He gave his friend a blank look just to let him know that he wasn't impressed, how the hell was he supposed to go anywhere with all the tubes and wires that coming out of his body, "not funny doc."
"Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood, "Carson commented, before leaving the room.
Once Carson had left, he lay back in his bed and contemplated what the future was going to hold for him. Although most of his injuries appeared to be healed, he still had a way to go before he was back to one hundred percent health and although it could have been worse it was still incredibly frustrating for him.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Teyla rushed through the corridors of Atlantis heading to the infirmary to see John, Carson had contacted her to inform her that John was awake and about to have some lunch if she wanted to see him and seeing as if she had nothing better to do right now, she eagerly accepted.
Stopping outside of the infirmary, she took a deep breath and tried to catch her breath, the last thing she wanted John to see was that she was out of breath.
"John how are you feeling?" She asked as she entered the infirmary.
He didn't look up from the broth that he was staring at, "I'd feel better if I didn't have to eat this disgusting food, what is it about being injured that makes medical professionals desire to make you feel worse by feeding you bland unappealing food?"
She looked at the bowl of broth and decided that he had a point, "I have no idea John", but other than the unappetizing food how do you feel?"
"I'm feeling pretty good and Carson intends to try and get me on my feet after lunch if you're interested in a show." John replied. Teyla could tell he was frustrated, and it was evidenced by the level of sarcasm in his voice.
"I am sure you will do fine and hopefully tomorrow you will be able to go back to your quarters."
"Yeah, and I still won't be alone, Carson has told me that he intends to have you guys to stay with me twenty-four hours a day to keep an eye on me, just in case I hurt myself again, what am I going to do fall out of bed or something?"
Now it was her turn to feel frustrated, as much as she loved and admired him, he could be the most infuriating person she'd ever met at times, "I am sorry John, but we all care for you and want you to be back to full health as soon as possible, so you will have just have to suck it up John Sheppard and learn to live with it! Don't you get it John we almost lost you, and before you head through the gate, we need to make sure that you are at your best, physically and emotionally!"
"Well in that case maybe you'd better leave me alone for now, since this may be the last bit of privacy I get for a while!" He shot back at her.
At this point, she decided that she'd had enough of talking to him, so she glared at him, before storming out of the room. Deciding that she wanted to be alone, she rushed through the corridors to her quarters and threw herself on the bed and burst into tears. She wondered what her problem was, because she wasn't normally an emotional person and she knew that she should really try to pull herself together, so she sat in the middle of her floor and started to meditate. Knowing that she hadn't had a lot of chances to meditate over the last few weeks she hoped that it would help her to gain some control again.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
John watched Teyla leave and he felt disgusted in himself for his outburst. Teyla was one of his best friends and she had sat by his side for many hours over the last few weeks and he had to wonder why. Did she actually feel the same way about him as he felt about her? Perhaps his should talk to her about it, but then he knew how lousy his was at expressing his emotions, so maybe he would apologise at some point and he wouldn't take it any further.
Looking down at the stone-cold broth in front of him, he decided that he'd definitely lost his appetite, so he pushed the tray table away and closed his eyes. If he didn't have a headache before Teyla had come to see him, he certainly did now and to make matters worse Carson showed up a few minutes later.
John caught him glancing down at the tray table and a look of annoyance crossed Carson's face, "are you going to eat that food or not?"
"No not really Doc, I just don't seem to have any appetite right now."
"Alright then lad, you can try and eat something later."
The conversation was really beginning to annoy him, and he had no idea why Carson was there, he suspected it wasn't for idle chit chat, "why are you Carson?"
"I have some visitors, if you're feeling up to it."
He really wanted to say no, in fact he really wanted to tell everyone to get lost, but then he knew that throwing a temper tantrum wouldn't achieve anything, so he nodded his head reluctantly to let Carson know that he could send the visitors in.
Staring at the door, he waited to see who his visitors were, he really had no idea who would want to see him anyway. All of his friends had come and gone over the last few weeks and he had told Lorne to keep the Marines away from him, since he didn't want them to see him in a weakened state.
He was astounded when Tiall, Giall and Ziall walked through the door and he could definitely see that they were related. Elizabeth had mentioned it to him before the healing compound had been used and he hadn't given it much thought, but now he could see what she meant.
Not wanting to appear rude he plastered a fake smile on his face," gentlemen please come in and have a seat.
"Colonel Sheppard it is good to see that you are awake, we will not stay long, because Carson has stated that you are still tired and need your rest," Tiall said and John didn't miss a hint of admiration in his eyes.
"Thank you Tiall, I am feeling much better," he stopped to stifle a yawn before continuing, "what can I do for you gentlemen today?"
Ziall spoke next and he could see the same admiration in his eyes, "I just want to thank you for killing Viallso, by doing this you have saved our people and given us a hope for the future."
He squirmed at the hero worship that the Ngerans were giving him, "no thanks are necessary, it was Tiall who set into motion the events which led to a better future for your people. I merely helped out where I could."
Giall stepped forward and bowed his head towards him, "you're too modest Colonel Sheppard, you did a lot more than you think to inspire our people and when you are well, we will be hosting a banquet in your honour, but for now we will leave you alone to rest."
Tiall and Ziall approached his bed and bowed their heads also, before turning around and leaving the room, leaving him a little confused by their actions.
Settling back into the bed, he thought that he may as well have another rest until Carson came to annoy him again, but then again, he didn't really feel tired. Perhaps the best words he could use to describe the way he felt right now were frustrated and weary and he knew the longer he stayed in the infirmary staring at the ceiling the worse he would feel.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Carson watched from the next room, as John spoke to the Nigerans and despite the fact that John had a smile on his face he knew that the man was far from happy, but then who could blame him, he had been through a lot over the last few weeks and now he had to put up with these people and their hero worship.
He'd also witnessed the exchange with Teyla, before the Ngerans had arrived and he hadn't missed the way that Teyla had stormed out of the room.
Then there were the nightmares John had been having before the healing compound had been used. John hadn't told him about them, but he knew from the look on his friend's face every time he woke up, he'd been having them a lot. He suspected that he'd been having them every night and he had no idea whether he'd had any in the last week.
Although he tried to put on a brave face John was unravelling right in front of his eyes and he had only seen it on two occasions since they had been on Atlantis, one was after he'd had the Iratus bugs removed from his neck and the other was when he was turning into bug. On both occasions he had spent a great deal of time in the infirmary under his care and the thing that he had noticed was when John had begun to feel a bit better, he had become frustrated and angry at the fact that his body was weak and couldn't do what he wanted it to do. Eventually he would talk to his team about the way he was feeling and once he'd opened up to them, his recovery went a lot faster. He wondered how long it would take this time, it had better be soon, because John didn't seem to have much of an appetite, and he was getting to thin for his liking.
Deciding that it was time to confront him, he walked into his room with a no nonsense look on his face.
Approaching his bed, he took a deep breath, "Colonel Sheppard, I think it's time we had a talk.
"Sure Doc, what do want to talk about." He replied with indifference.
"You really need to talk to someone and soon, if you don't, I will not be putting you back on light duty."
John just kept staring at the ceiling, "I thought you were going to do some tests to make sure I'm not brain damaged doc, or better still I thought you were going to help me get on my feet this afternoon!?"
Carson could see his temper starting to rise again, so he tried desperately to think of something to say that would placate him, "aye and we will try that in a moment, but for now you need to calm down."
John's voice was calm and calculated as he spoke and Carson knew that he was furious, "all right Doc I'll make a deal with you if I can manage to stand on my feet and move around the room without assistance you send me back to my quarters and if I can't, I will stay here in your clutches for as long as you want. Then you can conduct all the tests on my brain that you want!"
It was a difficult decision to make, but he knew what he had to do, "If you can stand on your feet, I will allow you to go to your quarters, but I still want your team to keep an eye on you. And you will come back tomorrow and for me to conduct those tests! He stated forcefully.
John sighed, and Carson was relieved to see that he'd gotten through to him, "you drive a hard bargain doc, but I will accept your terms."
"In that case I will go and get you a sandwich to eat and then we'll try and get you on your feet."
"Thanks doc."
Carson nodded at his patient and left the room, he knew that he'd gotten his own way with the cantankerous Colonel this time, but he also knew that things were far from over.
TBC…