Teyla twirled the stick, and stepped lightly around Sheppard. "You need to concentrate," she scolded.
John shifted, to compensate for her move, and held his two sticks slightly apart, and ready. "I am concentrating," he gritted, forearm still smarting from her earlier blow.
She stepped forward, thrusting a stick against his, and knocking it from his hand. She stepped back. "No, you are not."
Sheppard sighed, and bent to pick up his lost weapon, keeping a wary eye on her, not trusting she wouldn't smack him again when he wasn't looking. It'd serve him right. He wasn't concentrating. His mind was too preoccupied by other things. "Maybe this isn't a good time," he said, heading to the bench.
She followed him over, and picked up the towels, tossing one to him. "I find that when I am troubled, I can best focus on the problem after physical exercise." She was looking at him steadily, giving him an opening.
John knew she was curious. Everyone was curious, that was the problem. He'd gone from being Major Sheppard to some kind of genetic freak. He'd even overheard one rumor that had him with x-ray vision, and all the girls had giggled nervously, and fallen silent, faces red, when he'd coughed quietly, letting them know he was standing right there.
He finished wiping his face, and draped the towel around his neck. "People are avoiding me," he admitted. "And when they don't," Sheppard paused. When they didn't, they looked at him like he could cause their death with a simple thought, or disappear in a poof of white smoke.
"They look at you like you were a stranger to them," she said for him.
"Yes," exclaimed John. "Exactly."
She sat on the bench, and shoved her towel in the bag, before meeting his gaze. "Give them time, Major," she said gently. "The unknown is often frightening."
"I know," affirmed Sheppard. "Believe me, I know. I'm the one affected by it, and I'm terrified." He didn't wonder at admitting his fear to Teyla. Since the time he'd met her, he'd sensed in her a person that he could open up to, and be honest. He didn't feel the need to hold tight his secrets around her.
"You are still you," Teyla said.
John looked at her, and smiled. She was telling him something he needed to hear. "Am I?" he asked, not as sure of it as she was.
She frowned at his response, and said, "What would make you believe you are different?"
"Take out your sticks," said John. He pulled off his towel, and tossed it to the bench, stepping out into the room, and spinning the fighting sticks, while Teyla got into position.
As soon as she nodded she was ready, it started. He lunged, and she parried…he stepped to the side, and whirled a stick, turning in tune, and coming behind her, he took her down.
She got to her feet, accepting his helping hand, and prepared for another round. They did round after round, and always the same result. Sheppard seemed to know her moves before she made them. She lost every single time.
"You were not trying before," she observed, breathing heavily. She'd finally stopped, and stayed down. A fine sheen of sweat covered her body.
"No, I wasn't."
"What else?" she asked, gingerly getting to her feet.
Sheppard shrugged. "I'm not sure. That's what scares me the most."
Teyla went through the motions of repacking her bag, and toweling off the new layer of perspiration, staying silent. John was uneasy, wondering if he shouldn't have let go. Maybe he should've waited, and said something later.
Finally, she looked at him. "Major, who you are is not measured by how many times you can best me with the fighting sticks. Remember that," she said, before leaving him standing on the mat.
oOo
Sheppard stopped off at his room for a quick shower. As he was heading out the door, his intention to find McKay, he ran into the last person he wanted to see – Avitus.
"Go away," said Sheppard, pushing past the Ancient.
Avitus trailed after John, catching up and matching his stride. "We need to talk, Major Sheppard."
John didn't look at him, just kept walking. "I don't want to talk to you," he said.
Avitus was the reason he was like this. He'd stayed away from that console, knowing it was dangerous. He should've listened to his instincts and never touched it, and now it was too late. Now he was some…freak.
"You are not a…freak, John."
That brought John to a stop. "You read my mind!" accused Sheppard.
"Not intentionally," soothed Avitus. "The emotion was…strong."
Sheppard fixed Avitus with a steely look. He didn't trust this Ancient; he hadn't from the moment he set eyes on him. "Look, I don't have anything to say to you," he said, stabbing his finger towards the old man's chest. "Before, or after, the change in my status as…freak."
"Then humor me, because I have a lot to say to you," Avitus said.
Something in the way he said it made John keep from walking away. He didn't like it, but he'd let Avitus have his say. "Then do it," said John.
Avitus looked like he wanted to ask if they could go somewhere else, but thought better of it. "Major, what would you say if I told you that you are the key to erasing the Wraith out of existence?" he said eagerly.
John could see the truth written in Avitus's eyes, this wasn't some trick. But how could he do that? "I'd say your nuts," said John honestly. He pulled back to allow a person to pass by. The technician looked curiously at the two, but didn't stop.
Avitus watched the woman go, and once she was out of earshot, continued, "I told you that you were the next step for my people; tell me you do not already feel the power simmering in your blood?"
John stared at him stonily. He didn't want to confirm it, but the truth was there. He did, and it scared the hell out of him. Avitus was confirming what he'd begun to suspect. What would happen if he got angry with someone, and thought something, only to have it happen to the unsuspecting person? He knew he wasn't the only one thinking it. The furtive looks convinced him of that.
"It would not happen, Major," Avitus answered his unspoken thought. "It must be a conscious decision."
"Would you stop doing that," snapped John. "Stay out of my head!"
"Stop projecting," Avitus rounded back, surprising John, because the old man had always remained calm, and unflustered.
Sheppard rubbed at the ache building in his forehead. "I can't," he admitted. This wasn't going like he planned. He didn't want to seem like he was asking Avitus for help, but then again, maybe he needed it. He didn't know what this power was, what it could do, or what kind of danger he posed to everyone.
"Let me teach you," said Avitus, and he stepped closer. "John, there is so much for you, if you'd only open your mind."
Sheppard snorted. "That's what got me into this mess," he cracked, and there was an edge of hysteria in John's voice.
"I can help you," Avitus continued, sensing a weakness in John's defense.
But John was already shaking his head, and pushing back into the corridor, heading away from Avitus. He didn't trust the Ancient, and despite the offer of help, one that he wanted desperately to take, he couldn't trust him, not even for that.
"Major! With your help, we could destroy the Wraith home world," Avitus called after him. "Don't walk away from this! Too many lives depend on you following through with your destiny!" The Ancients' voice rose as John kept walking. "You are the key, John! The key!"
But John kept walking…
oOo
Sheppard's head was pounding. He hated to go back to the infirmary after recently spending more time than he was comfortable with there, but if he didn't get some relief soon, he was liable to bang his head against something just to create a different kind of ache.
"Major! Wait up," called McKay.
John winced. He'd been avoiding Rodney. "What do you want, McKay?" he asked tiredly.
"Avitus asked me to talk to you," McKay began. "He said he can help, but you're being too stubborn to listen."
Sheppard kept walking, but he glared at the hallway ahead. Almost to the infirmary, which was a good thing, because if his headache increased any more, he was liable to throw up, and he'd make sure he did it all over McKay.
"He did, huh?"
McKay realized maybe he shouldn't have repeated the stubborn part. "Major, this is huge, surely you can realize that," he said. "Think of all the things you can show us now."
"Won't," said Sheppard. He said a mental thank you as he realized he'd made it to the infirmary. The doors whushed open, and he stepped in, automatically scanning for Beckett. He knew where the Doctor was, and sure enough, Carson was standing right where he'd thought.
McKay followed him in, not giving up. "You know, I never took you for a scaredy cat," he jabbed.
That did it. Sheppard stopped, and turned on McKay. "I am not scared," he denied, lying.
"Yes, you are," McKay said softly. He looked to the right of Sheppard, "Carson, appears you've got a patient, maybe you can talk some sense into him," he snapped, and after giving Sheppard a parting look of disgust, he stormed out the doors.
Beckett stood, gaping. "What was that about?" he asked.
"Difference of opinion," replied Sheppard. "Got anything for a headache, Doc?"
Beckett nodded, and pulled a bottle off a shelf. He came over to Sheppard and handed it to him. "I know I shouldn't, but somehow I think you're going to need these. If it gets worse, I want to see you, is that clear?" stressed Beckett.
John was surprised, and relieved that Beckett was giving him enough for a while. Maybe Carson had accepted that short of helping him manage the pain, there wasn't a lot that could be done. "Got it," he said.
Now that John had one issue dealt with, it was time to hit something else. He waved thanks to Beckett, and headed for the one place he could find peace.
oOo
Sheppard took a bite of muffin, and read the screen, pausing occasionally to scroll to the next page of text. He was so engrossed in the reading that he didn't hear McKay come in.
Rodney leaned over Sheppard, reading over his shoulder, and he stared at the screen puzzled. "If you needed help, all you had to do was ask," he said.
"Jesus, McKay!" John jumped in his seat, startled. "Don't do that," exclaimed John. He purposefully turned just enough so that he blocked the screen with his back. "What did you need?" he asked.
McKay picked up one of the muffins, ignoring Sheppard's dirty look. He took a bite, and motioned to the screen. "I was going to talk to you again about Avitus," he chewed and tried to talk clearly. "But I'll help you translate that if you need me to."
"Translate what?" asked John, wishing McKay would just take the muffin, and leave.
McKay swallowed, and stuck the hand with the muffin out again at the screen. "That."
John turned, and looked at the screen, seeing the letters dotted across the screen in plain English. "That's not Ancient," he said.
"Read the first line," McKay said. He was watching Sheppard carefully.
Sheppard rolled his eyes, and protested, "McKay…"
"Just shut up and do it," ordered Rodney.
Sheppard glared for a beat, but turned his head to look at the screen and began reading, "The individual shall only do that which is allowed by the provinces of -"
"Stop," whispered McKay.
John looked away from the words, and noticed McKay looked kind of pale. "What's with you?"
"That's not English, Major," said McKay. "That's Ancient."