Line of Fire
Chapter 5
Ronon Dex paused before Dr. Weir's office door, a frown on his face. Seated behind Elizabeth's desk, paging through some paperwork, was Colonel Caldwell. The Colonel barely looked up at Ronon's knock, waving a distracted hand at the chairs before him.
Ronon remained standing. And silent. When a full minute had passed, with neither man speaking, Caldwell finally gave a heavy sigh, and pushed his chair away from the desk.
"What can I do for you, Mr. Dex?" Caldwell asked, his voice impatient.
"You wished a debriefing on the events of P3X-770," Ronon replied. "I am here to give that report."
Colonel Caldwell glared at the tall runner, hating to have to crane his neck to maintain eye contact.
"I requested the report from Lt. Colonel Sheppard. Where is he?" Caldwell asked, impatiently tapping his pen on the desktop. He reached over and rearranged the small Athosian statue sitting on the corner of the desk, failing to notice the angry look Ronon sent him.
Ronon paused. No one had seen or heard from Sheppard in more than two hours. Carson Beckett was still in the operating room with Dr. Weir, which Ronon construed as a good sign. Both Teyla and Rodney McKay were fast asleep, the painkillers Dr. Stein had administered knocking them out. That had left Ronon to intercept Caldwell's request for a debriefing.
"I don't know where Lt. Colonel Sheppard is," Ronon answered slowly. His hands curled into tight fists as Caldwell continued to rearrange items on Dr. Weir's desk. "However, if you need the report from him, than I'll be happy to…." He was interrupted by Caldwell's voice.
"No. Go ahead, make your report." Caldwell leaned back, giving his full attention to Ronon.
Ronon paused, organizing his thoughts. "We arrived as planned on P3X-770. We were met by the inhabitants of the small city-state, and they offered us food and lodging for the duration of our stay. Colonel Sheppard advised them that we were only here for a short visit, to make sure they were okay. Dr. McKay and Teyla went to visit the science division of the city."
Ronon paused, watching Caldwell's face closely. The man had what the Earth-people called a "poker face;" no emotions whatsoever dwelled on his visage.
"Continue," Caldwell ordered curtly.
"We caught up with McKay and Teyla approximately three hours later when the city-state was attacked by invaders. Who they were is still unclear, but Colonel Sheppard ordered us to head to the stargate and return to Atlantis. While we were running to the DHD, a large blast occurred, sending shrapnel into Dr. McKay's arm, and knocking Teyla to the ground. McKay finished the dialing sequence and entered the gate, followed by myself, Teyla and Colonel Sheppard." Ronon finished, standing quietly, keeping his face neutral
"Is that all?" Colonel Caldwell asked quietly. He had resumed playing with his pen, tapping incessantly against the top of the desk.
"Yes. Sir," Ronon added, no respect in his voice for the older man.
Caldwell remained silent for a moment, his eyes fixed on the runner. Then, he waved his hand, saying, "Fine. You're dismissed, Mr. Dex."
Ronon stood where he was, his anger at Caldwell pulsing off him in waves. He waited until Caldwell glanced back up at him.
"Is there something else?"
Ronon leaned down, his face mere inches from Caldwell's. "Yes, Colonel. There is. You haven't even asked what happened in the stargate control room. You seem uninterested in the whereabouts of Colonel Sheppard. And you haven't asked about Dr. Weir's condition. Yet, here you sit, in her chair, moving her personal things about and making yourself to home. I suggest, Colonel," Ronon seethed, "that you don't get too comfortable!"
With one last glare, Ronon stood, and strode from the room. Colonel Caldwell watched his retreating back for moment, then said quietly, "It's you who shouldn't be getting too comfortable, Mr. Dex."
Rodney stirred from his sleep, the aching on his left side reminding him where he was. He could hear the muffled steps of nurses as they worked around him and the soft breathing of Teyla to his right. He blinked his eyes open, still drowsy from the pain medication they had given him.
"Hey Rodney. How ya feeling?" Sheppard's tired voice greeted Rodney, and he turned his head to look at the Colonel. John looked exhausted, his eyes bleak and his face drawn, his dark hair tousled beyond messy. He was still garbed in his off-world gear, although he had removed the blood-soaked jacket and washed up. Seated in a chair between Rodney and Teyla, he stood up and approached McKay's bed.
"I'm good," Rodney croaked. "Water would make me better," he added. Sheppard nodded, grabbed a pitcher and filled glass. He plopped a straw into the glass and handed it to McKay, who slurped thirstily. He sighed with pleasure, and handed the nearly-empty glass back to John.
"How is she?" Rodney asked, his blue-eyes dark with worry. John sighed, running hand through his hair.
"They're still working on her, which I take as a good sign. A nurse came out about twenty minutes ago and said they were nearly through." John watched Rodney sigh deeply, closing his eyes, his crooked mouth in a tight frown. For a moment, John wondered how well Rodney would handle it if Elizabeth died. The scientist and the expedition leader had a closeness and respect for each other that was only rivaled by the relationship between John and Elizabeth. And Rodney did not handle the death of anyone well. Concern for the scientist welled through John as Rodney drifted off to sleep, clutching the covers tightly.
An hour later, John was speaking quietly to Teyla and Ronon when Carson Beckett emerged from the surgery. Immediately, the mood in the room became tense. John leaned over and gently shook Rodney awake. Carson came directly to them, his face pale and exhausted.
"She's made it through the surgery, although we did come close to losing her. My God, that woman is strong," Carson said, almost to himself. He watched the team breath a collective sigh of relief. Rodney closed his eyes and slumped back into the bedding, Ronon actually gave a whisper of a smile, while Teyla grabbed John's hand and gave it a small squeeze.
"Can I…can we see her?" John asked. The Colonel watched the doctor give his request some thought, then shook his head.
"Not right now. She needs to rest, and I don't think she should be disturbed," Carson replied. "Ask me again in about six hours," he added, as John was about to protest. John paused, then nodded in agreement.
"Carson," Rodney said, his voice thick. "Thank you." McKay gave Beckett a warm, wry smile. Dr. Beckett nodded, unable to speak. He couldn't remember Rodney ever thanking him for anything. Truly a day of miracles.
TBC