Ch.7

Weir was oblivious to all, except the pale hand in hers. The doctors had disappeared somewhere but she didn't care.

"John, come on. Wake up."

What she meant to come out as an order, became more of a plead.

She had lost men through the star gate. But it never occurred to her that she could loose John. He was a main pillar that helped her support Atlantis. More importantly they supported each other. With out him, she felt alone. Almost afraid to venture out of the infirmary and stand at the command post alone.

Finally tired of wiping away tears, Elizabeth let them flow down her cheeks.

Get a hold of yourself Weir. He's not dead...yet. Don't think like that! DON'T!

"Come on John. If you wake up, I'll have the cook make a dozen turkey sandwiches. And then...and then, I'll get Ford to guard McKay from your sandwiches. Otherwise you wouldn't stand a chance. Yeah, you're kind of pale, John," her voices wavered, but she kept talking, more for her therapy than his, "I'll set up a picnic outside and eat with you. If you share that is. It's up to you. We could have wine, and some music in the background."

She smiled to herself. The tears had stopped.

"But that wouldn't happen would it, John? You're too respectful, you'd worry how it'd look, right? Even though I'm civilian...You'd worry how it would affect my authority with the others...But that's ok, because if you wake up, that'll be enough for me. As long as you still come into my office after dinner for our chats about-about nothing. Just as long as I can see your smile."

Her voice broke, and she swallowed some water from dinner.

"DANG IT JOHN! YOU'VE BEEN SHOT BEFORE! GET UP!"

Beckette came rushing in and looked at her with worried eyes.

"Doctor Weir, I think you might be disturbing my other patients."

"Sorry, doctor."

"Why don't you go to bed?"

"Because I can't sleep."

Carson starred her down till had no other choice to spin around and try to go to sleep.

He made sure she was gone till he rolled McKay's gurney next to John's.

McKay, in his brown hospital gown, mumbled to himself about how he always got into these situations and all he wanted to do was to tinker around in his lab. But his comments stopped as he glanced at John. He took a bullet for him, and now it was his turn to return the favor.

Beckett jabbed several needles and monitors into Rodney's arm and finally held up the poisonous candy bar. Only, to Carson it looked like a sugary chick Peep. Rodney took it, and without hesitation downed the bar in only three bites.

"And you think you'd have been full by now."

"Haha."

In a matter of seconds, McKay began to turn green and hurl out the plentiful contents of his stomach.

Hours later, he continued, just like the first time. Beckette, gathered vials, and ran them though the centrifuge and then put it under the microscope. Being a doctor for so long removed any sensations of being grossed out. Instead, he marveled at the body's defense system as he looked at traces of poison.

Staring at the barfing McKay, everything clicked.

When shot, the Major began throwing up, bile and blood, even though there wasn't much internal bleeding. His body was trying to fight the poison that spread through the body, probably latching onto minerals through digesting the food.

"YES!" Beckette shouted.

"What?" Rodney asked as he held the trash bucket under his chin.

"The body fights it off by throwing it up and out. Well, the Major had no food in his stomach. The bullet delivered the leaf poison by inserting it right in the blood stream, and he probably bled most of it out, but it must have gotten somehow into his digestive track, too-But not enough because he didn't eat it-that's why he didn't die in an instant. He couldn't throw anything up because he didn't have food in his stomach-oh, but wait..."

"What? It sounds good to me."

"No, no, ay...You didn't have anything in your stomach either, but you vomited."

"I um," Rodney's face went from green to red, "When were taking a break we had three bars left from the quicksand incident...and Sheppard gave me his."

"Ah...ok, so we are back on track."

McKay nodded, but that brought about another wave of nausea.

"I got it!"

"Got what?"

But Beckette didn't answer as he threw the curtain between him and John closed.

"Get a stomach pump stat! With all these feeding tubes we're making it worse."

An hour and a pump later, John opened his eyes. The first person he saw was Weir, and then his eyes traveled to a green McKay, (who was now washed up and barf-free) and settled on Beckette who had collapsed in a chair.

"Hey doc. What's going on? Are they trying to steal my dinner tray?"

"Good morning, John," Weir said as she tried to suppress a smile that would spread ear to ear.

"We got back? Good job Ford."

"Thank you, sir."

Beckette then regained some energy and pushed all the visitors out like an overbearing mother hen. But Weir, winning the starring contest this time, remained inside.

"Good to have you back Major. The kids really missed you."

"Heh. When will I be back on my feet?"

"A week?"

"Nah. Help me up. I've been here long enough."

"Major! You are to stay in that bed till Carson tells you its okay."

"But then how are we ever going to have that picnic?"

Elizabeth gasped and her hand flew to her chest, a look of horror normally would have spread across her face, but the genuine smile in John's eyes made her smile.

Everything would be okay.

a/n The end! Whew! And now I can study for my exams! Please review! Sorry for all the exclamations-I'm excited watching the election votes.

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