AN: Someone did guess correctly about Brodie, but not going to say who! Anyway, he's going to be part of an ongoing plot so will stop now and not give too much away.

NOT THE DADDY...part 28

Pregnancy clock 9 months, 1 week

John's first awareness was pain. It hurt to breathe and he really did not want to open his eyes but he could hear Beckett calling his name and Rodney muttering loudly in the background, so John peeled his eyelids open and winced.

"I'll get the light," Carson said immediately.

A moment later there was soft darkness and John blinked, cursing the pain it caused, and finally brought Beckett and Mckay into fuzzy focus. "Wha happnd?" he mumbled.

Rodney shoved Beckett aside to answer. "You tried playing the hero again! That's what happened! Idiot! What were you thinking? You're 9 months pregnant for God's sake!"

"Not pregnant," John muttered, with as much belligerence as he could muster. Then he shifted his eyes to look at Beckett, who was now shouldering Rodney aside so he could take John's vitals. "What happened?" John repeated, feeling a bit more focused. But his throat was dry. "Water?"

"Here you go." Carson held the glass.

A few sips and John felt much better. "Why does my head hurt?" Actually, he was wondering why everything seemed to hurt. Then panic hit him. "The baby?"

Carson gripped his shoulder, a reassuring squeeze. "The wee one is just fine and you will be too. But you did have a bit of a tussel."

"I did?" John was drawing a blank.

"What do you remember?" Carson prompted.

John closed his eyes and considered. Suddenly the image of the med tech guy filled his head. "Brodie!" John hissed, and instantly regretted it as his temples now throbbed with pain. He rubbed them.

Rodney was back beside him again. "Yes, Brodie!" he snarled. "That bastard hit you!"

"He...he was on your computer," John said to Beckett.

"I know." Carson sighed and sounded unutterably weary. "Ronon found him and took care of him before he could do anymore damage to you or to the files. It seems Ronon has taken to kind of following you around now, and lucky for you."

John wasn't sure how he felt about that, but let it go to address a more pressing issue. "Why was that bastard in your files?"

Carson made a face. "Good question."

"We can only hypothesize since he's dead," Rodney interjected, and he looked forlorn.

"And?" John prompted, locking his eyes on Rodney's face. He looked as pale and worn out as John felt.

Rodney harrumphed then gestured at Beckett to get him a chair. He plunked down into it, setting his crutches aside, then launched into an explanation. "Brodie seems to be connected to the task force that tried to take over Atlantis. If his 'suicide by poison' is anything to go by."

John was stunned. "What? But didn't he come over on the Daedalus from the SGC?"

"He did." Rodney looked disgusted.

"Colonel Caldwell and Dr. Weir have contacted Stargate Command and it's being investigated as we speak."

John felt unsettled. Stuff was happening under their noses that they had no control over and he just had to be pregnant. So to speak. Sometimes he really hated his life. A sentiment that Traitor took offense too, given the kick that rocked John's belly. "Hey!" John hissed at his stomach, even as he pressed a hand there. "Chill out kid."

Carson grinned and pressed his hand against John's stomach as well. "That's a good thing," he said, happily. "And before you ask, you're staying here for a couple of days. You have a concussion and you need to rest."

"I can rest in my room. The bed's more comfortable." John made puppy dog eyes at Beckett and he could see the moment they worked and the doc caved.

"All right...I'll release you tonight. If...and it's a big if...if you rest now and do as you're told." Carson looked disgusted at himself for being so weak.

John grinned, carefully, because it really did hurt to breathe right now. "I'll be good," he promised, then he let his eyes droop. He really was tired. He felt a pinch in his shoulder and opened his eyes again.

Carson patted his arm. "Just a little something to help the pain. I can't give you anything to make you sleep just yet."

"Tired anyway," John mumbled, as he drifted back into darkness.

OoO

True to Beckett's word, John was released to his room that night. Ronon wheeled him there with Rodney clunking along beside him. John had a bone to pick with Ronon. "You're following me?" he blurted out, figuring it was best to be direct with the big guy. He wanted to turn his head to look at him, but any movement at all cause pain so John settled for waiting for a reply.

There was no hesitation on Ronon's part. "Yes."

"Why?" John really needed to know.

"You need watching." Ronon was the King of succinct.

John was pretty sure he should be offended, but to do so would take up way more energy than he had at the moment. So he settled for giving an order, that he was pretty sure was going to be ignored anyway. "Stop it."

Ronon snorted and continued pushing. When they reached John's room he was right there to help John into bed. He even fussed with the covers a bit.

It was a testimony to how wiped out John felt that he let him do his fussing without comment. Then Ronon was gone, leaving the chair behind, and Rodney was settling in the ever present chair next to his bed. "Shouldn't you go do lab stuff?" John asked. He wanted to be alone to suffer in peace. His head was still throbbing. A manageable ache, but still annoying.

"No, it's late." Rodney seemed to feel that answer would suffice.

"So?" John, carefully, turned his head on the pillow. "Time is irrelevant with you."

Rodney considered that and nodded. "True, but I'd rather sit here and keep an eye on you. You seem to attract trouble and I don't want anything happening to the baby. We're so close now."

John sighed, he was feeling very much put upon at the moment. "Dreya is the pregnant one," he reminded Rodney. "Go fuss over her."

"Later." Rodney shifted in the chair, trying to get comfortable. "So...want me to read to you?"

"No." John wanted silence. "I'm tired...just want to sleep."

Rodney blinked then nodded. "Okay. Sleep then." And, surprisingly enough, he fell silent and let John drift away.

OoO

Pain. Ripping, burning, tearing pain. John sucked in a breath to scream but swallowed it, and boy didn't that make his head throb. He fought a wave of nausea and tried to call out to Rodney, but Rodney was already there. John felt a hand squeezing his hand and when he peeled his eyes open he saw Rodney's terrified visage.

"Oh god, oh god! It's time, isn't it?" Rodney was babbling. He tapped his radio hitting the open channel and announced to all of Atlantis, "The baby is coming! Help!"

"Fuck!" John hissed, as another pain ripped through him. He clenched his entire body, trying to ride out the wave. Then he realized he needed to breathe but doing that made him feel nauseous. Stupid concussion. Then the door to his room whooshed open and Ronon was there. John thought he should be pissed about being manhandled by the big guy, but it was easier to let Ronon pick him up and put him in the wheel chair. Then they were in the corridor and the walls went whooshing by in a blur. "Dreya!" John managed to gasp out.

"Teyla went for her," Ronon replied. He sounded grim and looked slightly panicked.

Rodney was trying to clump along at their side and, amazingly, was managing to keep up. More or less. He kept an ongoing monologue of, "Breathe with me. In...out...in...out. Come on, Sheppard! Breathe, dammit!" Turning totally bitchy when John ignored him.

John was too busy trying to remain in the wheelchair while being bent nearly in half. Awkward to do when you weren't really pregnant yet your not swollen belly insisted on getting in the way. Then the infirmary doors were ahead and John felt like sobbing with relief. He heard Beckett's voice then the doc was kneeling beside him.

"How are you feeling, laddie?" Carson asked, as he reached for John's wrist.

"...been better..." John managed to grit out. "Want drugs...now!" He didn't see the look exchanged by Beckett and McKay. If he had, he would have known his day was about to get much worse.

THE END...of part 28

AN:I can hear the shouts - yep, it's time! Get out your scrubs and booties, and meet me back in the labor and delivery room! And just a little warning (and I apologize profusely and am ducking even now from the rotten fruit), it might be a day or so because I've got some real life things like my husband's birthday and well, he kind of wants me to be there and do that family thing (smile) so, hang in there and it won't be terribly long till part 29 arrives with a special delivery!