Thanks
By: Honolulu
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Summary: What happened if the crew heard Weir's conversation with Kavanagh and Halling in '38 Minutes'?
"McKay? Have you found anything of use yet?" Ford asked while rummaging around the puddle jumper, looking for anything that could help.
"No, this control pad is ve..." McKay stopped speaking as a beeping noise started off in the jumper.
"What is that sound?" Sheppard choked out.
"I..I don't know."
"Well figure it out!"
"I'm trying but it's not as easy as it looks." He looked around as a static sound came through, along with a string of words. "Hello? Can anyone hear me?"
"What is it?" Teyla asked.
"I'm not sure but..." He stopped as a familiar voice filtered through. "That sounds like Elizabeth. Elizabeth! Can you hear me?" No response. " I think I've might've patched through Atlantis main communications system."
"Is that of any help to us?"
"No, I don't think they can hear us so it's pretty much pointless."
"Is there any way to shut it off?"
"Not that I know of."
"Hey! Here's an idea...get this thing off my neck!" Sheppard said. Teyla and Ford worked on the bug while McKay worked on the unit. All the while they could hear what was going on at home base. Teyla seemed to perk up when she heard Halling's voice.
"Dr. Weir?" Halling asked.
"I'm sorry, I don't have time right now." Weir said.
"Neither do those people who are trapped aboard the ship of the ancestors." She stopped walking.
"News travels fast."
"I was speaking with one of your expedition members when she was called in to help."
"Well, then you are aware that we are very short on time."
" I am...still, this is important."
"Okay." She sighed.
"You do not know this, but among our people there is a ritual prayer that is said when one knows death is upon them."
"We don't know that it is."
"I am told it is all but inevitable."
"By whom?" She raised an eyebrow.
"That is not important. What is important is that Teyla be allowed to prepare for death. Knowing the time and place of one's end is a very rare thing among our people. It is a simple rite that would not take more than a few moments."
"Halling. We need to concentrate all of our efforts on saving them."
"At the risk of forsaking Teyla's own beliefs?"
"It is important that we use what little time we have to try everything..."
"I would ask you not to tell me what is important and what is not in this case."
"I'm sorry, I can't have this conversation right now."
"Why not?"
"Because we are wasting time." She argued.
"This is time that Teyla could use to prepare."
"All Right. You perceive death a certain way. I accept that. In fact, I respect that. But we do not prepare for death, we do everything we can to stave it off. That is who we are."
"I am not asking you to suspend your efforts."
"No, you want me to tell everyone on that ship that they should expect to die? I will not send them that message and if you feel that that violates Teyla's personal rights, I apologize, I truly do. But there's nothing I can do about that right now. I have to go."
Everyone on the puddle jumper listened very carefully to the conversation though still managing to focus on their task. Sheppard looked at Teyla, who wiped his face full of sweat. "Teyla, are you okay?" He asked. She looked up at him, her eyes seemed to be conflicted.
"I am fine." He just nodded. McKay worked on trying to shut down the mainstream while working on closing the ship engines.
"Dr. Weir."
"Kavanagh. I hope you've got something to tell me." She turned to face him.
"Yes I do. What the hell was that?"
"Excuse me?"
"I happily left the SGC because I had had it up to here with the military running things, and you just busted me like a private."
"Don't be so dramatic. Besides, the Air Force doesn't even have privates." Dr. Weir began to move away.
"Neither do I. You just cut them off." Weir turned around, shocked at his comment. "Right in front of my research team."
"That's what this is about? You're embarrassed?"
"Well, humiliated would be a little more accurate."
"I haven't worked up to humiliation yet."
"I just assumed that with a civilian in charge of the expedition, there would be a little bit more..."
She interrupted him. "A civilian is in charge. And we are cut off from Earth, which makes Atlantis almost like a colony, doesn't it?
"I suppose."
"Well, I'm Governor of that colony."
"You know, that's all very well and good..."
"Do you have a problem with that?"
"You're missing my point."
"No, you're missing mine. If you waste one more minute which could be used to help the people trapped on that ship because of your ego...I promise you, I will dial the coordinates of a very lonely planet where you can be as self-important as you want to be."
He smiled and thought she was bluffing.
"You think I'm kidding?
"You wouldn't do that.
"Kavanagh, get back in there!
He smiled once more. "We'll talk about this later."
"Never again! Go!" He made no motion. "Go!"
Sheppard thought about Weir's powwow with Kavanagh when his body convulsed with pain. "Please don't do that again." He told Ford. He ignored them as he tried to breathe, he focused once more when he heard his name.
"How is Major Sheppard?" Dr. Weir asked.
"I'm still here." He answered.
"Hang in there, Major. We're working on the problem."
"I know you are. Listen, uh, I'd like to say something while I still can."
"Don't! You're going to get through this."
"If I was...He wouldn't have let me go."
"Who wouldn't have let you go?"
"The wraith. I guess he saw me as good as dead, cause he just walked away, so...clears throat...what I wanted to say was..."
"Save your strength, John, and tell me in person."
"This is important."
"I'm listening." Sheppard opened his mouth to speak when he was interrupted by Ford. He started to lose concentration, his vision started to get blurry. Words started to turn into babble.
"Hit me with the defibrillator." Consciousness was starting to become an issue.
"John, are you sure you want to do this?" Weir asked.
"I want this damn thing of me!" Ford was ready to shock him but looked hesitant. "Do it!" Was the last thing he said before it all became dark.
Dr. Weir walked into the infirmary to find John flirting with the nurse that was checking his IV bag. "How are you feeling?" She asked.
"Starving."
"He's got quite the hickey, but Dr. Beckett says he'll be fine in a few days." Said McKay.
"We should let you rest." Spoke Teyla.
"No, you should get me food."
Weir smiled. "I think we can arrange that."
"Welcome back, Sir." Ford announced
"I have to admit. It is a pleasant surprise." Ford, Teyla and McKay moved to leave but stopped at Weir's question.
"By the way, what were you going to say?"
"When?"
"Before, when you thought, you know..."
"Oh that..."
"I didn't want you to say it at the time, but now I'm curious".
"I was going to say, um, ....... take care of each other."
"That's nice."
"Yep."
"And, indeed, we did." McKay agreed.
"Yes, you did. Thank you. Again."
"You're welcome."
"Good night." Teyla, Ford and McKay moved to the door when Ford walked back to Elizabeth.
"Dr. Weir?"
"Yes Ford?"
"Here." From a gurney, he handed her a small bouquet of flowers that he could salvage. "It's from all of us."
"What's this for?" She asked. They simply smiled at her and walked off. She looked at John. "Do you know what this is about?"
"Most flowers come with cards." Was his answer. Giving him a look, she inspected the flowers and indeed found a card. It read, ' Thanks for having no doubts.'
"Care to explain?"
"Do you really want to know?"
"I asked, didn't I?"
"Touché." Silence.
"Well..."
"Well what?"
"Aren't you going to tell me?"
"Oh! You wanted to know now?"
"Major..." He raised his hands in surrender.
"Back on the puddle jumper, Rodney was looking through the system when he found out by accident that he had connected to Atlantis communications. We...pretty much heard your talk with Halling and Kavanagh."
"When you say 'pretty much', you mean...?"
"Every word."
"Ah!" She moved closer to his bed. "And what are your thoughts?"
"Nothing. Nothing at all except that you really should push Kavanagh on a wraith planet." She cracked a smile at the comment.
"You sure?"
"Yup."
"Okay then." She moved back to leave when he snatched her hand. Startled at the action, she gave him a look. "What is it?" He placed her hand between both of his. "John?"
"I just wanted to say thanks, for having the faith that we were going to make it out alive. Hell! Even I was doubtful! No thought came across your mind that something was going to happen, only that we were going to come back. You made every effort you could and I appreciate that." She squeezed his hand.
"Your welcome." With her free hand, she brushed his cheek. "Now get some sleep." Exiting the infirmary, she looked at him with a smile.
"By the way, you weren't really going to say that, were you?
He smiled back at her. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"I didn't think so."
The End.