Carson was absolutely no help and John wasn't going to bother Elizabeth, not yet at least. He actually saw her leave her office before midnight, and was glad she was getting some rest.
Of course, the REASON that John saw her leaving her office was because he was up roaming the halls himself. Sleep wasn't coming easy, so he headed for the kitchen. They had a pretty good supply of foodstuffs, thanks to the trading relations they'd developed over the past few months. He was thankful of the fact that all civilizations – even ones in the Pegasus Galaxy – had developed something equivalent to chocolate, and even more grateful that Atlantis stocked a couple various types. It didn't really surprise him, either, that he found Rodney in there as well, getting his own late night snack.
"Do you ever stop eating?" he asked the scientist. Rodney thought about it.
"Yes."
"When?"
"I'll get back to you on that. I know I'M looking at an all-nighter, but what are YOU doing up?"
"Just couldn't sleep."
Rodney smirked. "There are no monsters under your bed, Major."
"No, they're on the other side of the gate," he quietly replied. Rodney didn't have an answer for that, and so they were both silent for a while, enjoying their chocolate and what passed for ice cream in Pegasus.
"I ought to get back," Rodney finally said.
"You making any progress?" John asked. "And do us both a favor and just say 'yes' or 'no'."
"I don't know," Rodney grudgingly replied. John was surprised.
"What happened to the ever-insufferably-overconfident McKay?"
He shrugged as he headed for the door. "Like you said, I got the crap kicked out of me daily in school. Maybe we're reverting mentally as well." John frowned, now alone in the room.
"Well, that would suck."
As he walked back towards his quarters, a flash of lightning from outside illuminated the corridor and he noticed Elizabeth hadn't actually gone to bed, but was standing by one of the doors to a terrace outside. After watching the falling rain for another moment, she stepped out onto the balcony. John just stared after her from the doorway as she moved into the open, quickly getting soaking wet. She stood there, arms out to her sides, staring up at the dark sky as the rain fell, and John finally figured he should make his presence known and try to get her back inside before she caught pneumonia.
"What're you doing?" he asked, still in the safe and dry area by the door. Elizabeth looked over to him for a moment, and then turned back to the sky.
"Thinking of home," she finally said.
"Of home?"
"Yeah…I'd run around in the rain and then my mother would wrap me up in a towel and we'd just stand there watching it fall…She always had this smile on her face…" There was another long pause, as a bolt of lightning lit up the sky and she got even wetter and colder. John was just about to suggest going inside when Elizabeth spoke up again. "She died about now…I mean, when I was this age the first time."
"I-I'm sorry."
"My father was a wreck…And that's when I stopped being 'Liz' or 'Lizzie' and became 'Elizabeth'." He was quiet for a long moment.
"You could un-grow up for a little while; this is your chance. I mean…you could make crayon drawings or play in the gardens or dance in the rain. Be a kid…Although, it's probably a bit cold to stay in the rain much longer." Elizabeth smiled slightly, although she wasn't looking at him. Her eyes seemed faraway and contemplative. "Come on; I bet I could find some markers or something to draw pictures with," John persisted.
Elizabeth looked around, as though she was just realizing where they were. "This is crazy," she finally said, coming to join him under the awning in front of the door. "I'm going to bed; I'll see you in the morning." John sighed as he followed her inside.
"Elizabeth, wait," he said, reaching for her arm to stop her. He froze, though, when he felt how warm her skin was, despite how she'd spent the past five to ten minutes. "You've got a fever." He reached to put a hand on her forehead, but she brushed him away.
"I'm all right. Just a bit tired." John knew that his quarters were closer than hers, so he pulled her down the hall towards them. Inside, he grabbed a few towels and wrapped them around her.
"You're getting sick, and you're standing out in the rain like a crazy person?" he chided her.
"I'm not sick. I feel fine."
"Would you ever actually admit it if you weren't feeling fine?" Elizabeth didn't reply. "This is why Carson's worried about you."
"What's he worried about?"
"We all worry about you," John told her. "I don't even want to think about what this city would do without you here." Elizabeth gave him a slightly mocking smile.
"Become a military base under your command," she replied. "You could have your way with the place – no one else to take orders from." He made an attempt to dry off her hair – she was still shivering, and her lips were turning blue. Her appearance was reminding him greatly of the aftermath of the massive hurricane that had hit the city only weeks earlier – they weren't memories he wanted to drag up. Right now, Elizabeth looked about as fragile as the porcelain doll John's sister had once owned.
"I can't promise you that tonight will be the last time I subvert your authority, but I will try," he told her.
"What happened tonight?" Elizabeth cautiously asked.
"Tonight, I'm ordering you to go see Carson in the morning, before briefing."
"Ordering me?"
"Yes. And if you don't go, I won't hesitate to make a scene in the conference room and drag you down to the infirmary myself. Kicking and screaming, if I have to."
She smiled slightly. "And if I DO follow this 'order'?"
"Then…I don't know. Come up with something."
Her smile widened. "Carte blanche? That's a dangerous prospect, Major. You sure you know what you're doing?" John nodded.
"Yeah…It'll be worth it in the end." Elizabeth looked away, although John saw the shy smile on her face.
"I should get back to my quarters…get out of these clothes," she told him. He nodded.
"I'll see you in the morning."
However, by the time the briefing was supposed to start the following day, Elizabeth hadn't appeared in the gate room yet. None of them had ever known her to be late for anything.
John clicked on his headset. "Sheppard to Beckett."
"Go ahead, Major," the Scottsman replied from his spot in the infirmary.
"Have you seen Elizabeth this morning?"
"I was about to call looking for her myself."
"She never came to see you?"
"No, was she supposed to?" John didn't reply, taking off out of the conference room at a run and heading down the steps and through the corridors towards Elizabeth's quarters. When he arrived at her room, he could see through the ornate stained glass window that she was still inside – seemingly asleep – but the door was locked.
"Sheppard to Bates, I need a security override on the door to Dr. Weir's quarters."
"What's going on?" the Sergeant responded.
"Just open the door!"
"John, is she all right?" Beckett asked, having heard him over their still-open communications link.
"I don't know."
"There's a med team on their way to meet you."
The door finally opened, and John hurried over to Elizabeth's side. Her skin was flushed, damp tendrils of hair were sticking to her face, and he knew her fever had worsened. He cursed himself for not making her see Beckett last night.
"Elizabeth? Can you hear me?" Her eyes fluttered open. "Hey, that's it. Stay awake for me."
"John?"
"Yeah. There's a med team on their way." She seemed even more like the child she appeared to be as she looked up at him.
"I don't…I don't think I'm 'fine'…" He took her hand, brushing her hair back from her face.
"I know. I won't leave you, though. I promise."
TBC...
