Ends and Means, Chapter 3
Dr. Elizabeth Weir has now been in the infirmary for three days. It's actually been four days since her collapse, but she isn't counting the day she spent mostly unconscious after emergency surgery on her appendix. She feels a little sheepish that, with the all the dangers they've encountered in the Pegasus galaxy, she manages to get laid out by an infected piece of non-essential intestine.
She hates infirmaries and hospitals and clinics. It's not that she fears for herself. Needles and scalpels don't bother her. She's been to too many hospitals in her years of brokering peace in third world countries. From the small huts which held starving children to the larger buildings filled with wounded soldiers, she has learned to hate them all. They remind her too much of the friends she has lost. This room reminds her that her most challenging goal of this expedition is to keep her team out of this infirmary.
Elizabeth wakes from a short nap to find the infirmary empty except for a nurse in the far corner. In truth, she has not been given much opportunity to dwell on her dislike of infirmaries. She realizes that this is the first time she hasn't woken up to two members of her team arguing about whether they should wake her. She wonders if Beckett has succeeded in locking the doors.
Everyone has tried to chip in and keep Atlantis running smoothly without her up on the command deck. Dr. Beckett gave her strict orders to stay in the infirmary and rest. It was proving to be easier said than done. Much to Beckett's frustration, there has been a constant flow of people through the infirmary during her stay. A lot of her visitors have come asking for advice on one thing or another. But she has also been pleasantly surprised at the number of Atlantis team members who have come just to see how she was feeling. Halling and Jinto brought her flowers from the mainland along with the well wishes of the whole Athosian colony. Elizabeth figures that every person in Atlantis has come by at least once.
Everyone but John Sheppard.
He's been busy. Peter told me that he's been coordinating all the gate travel.
Which means that he hasn't been going through the gate himself. But you still haven't seen him since you've been in here.
I know.
Elizabeth turns to lay on her side as she lets out a little sad sigh. She didn't want to admit to herself that John's absence from all the other well-wishers had hurt. Ford, McKay, and Teyla had all come by several times. Teyla had even gone to her quarters and gotten her some pajamas to wear instead of the embarrassing hospital gown Beckett had her in after surgery.
I can't really blame him for staying away. That was a pretty nasty argument that we had.
Staying away out of spite is kind of childish, don't you think?
This is Sheppard we're talking about.
Weir is facing the back wall, so she only hears the infirmary doors open. She refuses to turn around to see who it is. She's given up expecting it to be Sheppard and isn't in the mood to see anyone else. If she pretends to be asleep, maybe they'll go away for once. She waits, but doesn't hear any footsteps and relaxes.
"I know you're awake."
The whispered statement is made from so close that she feels his breath tickle her ear. She turns, startled, to find Sheppard's face only inches away from her own. She considers herself lucky that she's no longer hooked up to the heart monitor that would give away how her pulse is now racing.
"John..."
His smile widens at her use of his first name.
"What-"
He puts a finger over her lips to silence her and looks over his shoulder at the nurse who is engrossed with whatever is on her computer display.
"Shhhh."
"What's going on?" She whispers.
"I'm staging a break out."
He's grinning now, his eyes dancing with mischief.
"What?"
"I know you don't like infirmaries, so I'm here to sneak you out."
She smiles, touched that he remembers that about her. But she's already been ordered to stay an extra day in the infirmary because Dr. Beckett didn't think she was properly resting with all the people traipsing through. She isn't sure she's willing to risk another day.
"Dr. Beckett said that I was supposed to stay here and rest."
"Beckett shmeckett. What does he know?"
"He's the head of the medical team and is the only one that can order me to stay here for another day."
"Okay, so he might know some stuff." John shrugs. "But he said that you weren't getting any rest here anyway. I'm sure he won't mind if I take you somewhere that people can't bother you."
He talked to Beckett about me?
She isn't sure if she should be touched or upset.
"I don't know." She tries one final excuse. "I'm not exactly dressed to be running around Atlantis."
"Don't worry. I went to your quarters and got you some clothes."
"What?!"
"Shhh." He looks over at the nurse again. "Okay, so I actually asked Teyla to go get you some clothes. Now here. Change quick."
Elizabeth is out of excuses, so she grabs the bag he hands her and slowly moves off the bed. John is quickly at her side with an arm around her waist to support her.
"Easy there."
"I'm good thanks." She smile up at him. "I'll be right back."
She walks slowly to the rest room to change. In the bag, she finds some of the few casual clothes she brought on the trip. A pair of jeans, a fitted lavender t-shirt, a pair of sneakers, and a light jacket. She notices, as she steps back into the infirmary, that John is wearing similar clothing. He looks like the classic flyboy in his black t-shirt and flight jacket. The half smile completes the picture of a guy who has captured and broken his share of hearts.
Maybe this isn't such a good idea.
Sensing her hesitation, he grabs her folded pajamas and places them on the bed. Taking her hand in his, he starts to lead her out of the infirmary. They're in the hallway before he stops and jogs quietly back over to the bed. She watches as he pulls a piece of paper out of his jacket pocket and places it on top of her pajamas. He jogs back out to her.
"A note." He motions over his shoulder. "For Beckett. I don't want him too worried."
"You left him a note that says I'm with you? And you don't expect him to worry?"
"Funny girl."
"I try." She's feeling much better now that she's out of the infirmary.
They start to walk down the hall.
"Can I ask you one question?"
"Sure."
"How do you expect us to walk around Atlantis without being seen?"
"That's easy. I don't. We only have to get as far as the jumper bay."
Elizabeth stops walking. It takes Sheppard a moment (since he's busy watching out for other Atlantis team members) to realize that she's no longer walking next to him. He turns around to see her standing in the middle of the hallway, biting her lip, and glancing back in the direction of the infirmary.
Sheppard walks over and takes both her hands in his. He gives them a little squeeze when she continues to glance back the way they had come.
"Elizabeth, look at me."
She turns toward him reluctantly.
"You haven't been outside of this place since we got here. That can't be healthy."
"But..."
"But nothing. You have six – six whole people doing your job today. Doesn't that tell you something?"
"That I need to stay and make sure that they don't need something?"
"No." He heaves a big sigh and Elizabeth can't help but smile at how frustrated he looks.
He looks kinda cute when he's frustrated.
Yeah, but you think he's cute when he breathes.
Before she can ponder that realization, he continues.
"It means that you work too hard. Everyone needs down time and my goal today is to make sure you relax a little."
"I don't know..."
"Come on. Please? I've been working on this for two days."
Oh, I'm in trouble now.
John was giving her this look that she just couldn't say no to. She is suddenly reminded of this amazingly friendly cat she had as a child. It would give her the same look whenever he wanted to be cuddled or fed or let outside to play.
"Okay..."
"Great! Let's go."
He scurries down the hall with her left hand gripped tightly in his right. Getting to the Jumper bay unseen is harder than Sheppard anticipates. But they soon make a game of evading the rest of Atlantis. They have to sneak around a few corners and duck into empty rooms. By the time they get into the jumper, they're both a little out of breath.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine." She gives him a smile to show that she's enjoying herself.
"Sure?"
"Sure."
"Alright then, let's go."
The doors open above them, letting in the sunlight. Elizabeth has one last moment of apprehension as the jumper starts to ascend. She looks over at Sheppard who gives her a wink. The jumper goes up through the roof and hovers over Atlantis. She realizes that John is giving her one last chance to change her mind.
He's right, you know. You have been working too hard.
I know, but there's so many people I'm responsible for.
You won't do them any good by working yourself too hard.
Just one day to really enjoy myself.
Just one day.
Elizabeth gives John a brilliant smile, determined to have fun today.
"Let's go."
He matches her smile and the jumper takes off across the water.