Chapter 5: The News
Dr. Weir was pacing back and forth in her quarters. It was early in the morning and hadn't slept well having been worried sick about Major Sheppard. The last she had heard from Dr. Beckett was that he had finally awakened and reported not remembering anything about what had happened to him and Teyla. The Doctor had briefed Dr. Weir on the Major's injuries and she was very disturbed by what she had learned.
Her comm hailed making her jump slightly. "Elizabeth? It's Carson."
"Yes, Doctor. Go ahead," she answered as she thumbed the comm pad.
"It's the Major. He's awake. He's remembered everything and it ain't pretty."
"Is he alright?" Dr. Weir asked trying her best to conceal her anxiety.
"He's okay, but I had to sedate him to get him to calm down. Apparently, he had a nightmare which triggered some post-traumatic stress. It was to be expected considering the trauma his body, not to mention his mind, has been through. Now, I'm no psychiatrist, but I know PTSD when I see it. He's also fighting a fever."
"What do you suggest we do?" Dr. Weir inquired.
"I'm not as worried about his fever so much as his mental condition. We'll need to take it slow and easy with him for a few weeks. Without a psychologist available, we're going to have to be his emotional support."
"Agreed, Doctor. May I come see him now?"
"I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I can't allow any visitors. I'd like for him to rest some more and give him some time to sort through his memories. I prefer not to press him too hard."
"Understood, Doctor. Thank you for your report. Weir out."
Dr. Weir promptly finished getting ready and prepared herself for the start of her day and what a start it already was. She wasn't sure how she was going to go about her duties without worrying about the Major. She had been glad to hear that Teyla was better and had been released from the infirmary the night before. She planned to speak with her later this morning and have her sent home to visit and recover with her people on the mainland over the next two weeks.
She had not been tortured as severely as the Major once the Xenatites discovered they could get more out of Major Sheppard. Teyla was also very concerned about the Major but Dr. Beckett wouldn't let her, or anyone else for that matter, near him. When Dr. McKay had caught wind that the Major and Teyla had been injured during their mission, he hurried over to the infirmary along with Lieutenant Ford but the Doctor would only allow them to see Teyla.
Rodney was his usual annoying self and tried arguing with Carson but the Doctor wouldn't have it. He was not about to give out any information on the Major's condition. This was a private matter and he didn't need any of this getting out to the entire population of Atlantis. This was for the Major and the Major alone to sort out.
Elizabeth was the only other person who knew the full extent of John's situation and she wasn't about to share that privileged knowledge with anyone. After all, she was the only person who just might have an understanding of what the Major was going through.
Yes...her diplomacy and persuasion skills were going to come in handy. For now, she had to remind herself to be patient which would prove to be another crucial and useful skill. She had a lot of work ahead of her and, like the Doctor, was in it for the long haul. The Major had become more than a valued team member. She had come to consider him a friend. The incident with the bug was the first time she realized how much he meant to her. And this...this was different. This scared her even more. When had he become so important to her?