The Mind of Atlantis - Chapter 14

Sheppard stood leaning against the doorframe, watching what he could only describe as the glorified three-ring circus unfolding before him. The training room was in the midst of semi-organized chaos. McKay and Zelenka had a laptop and some other piece of equipment Sheppard could not identify hooked up to the training chair in the center of the room. They alternately ran back and forth between the two stations, examining the data on the screen and argued loudly with one another, complete with animated finger wagging. Beckett had arrived with two nurses and a gurney loaded down with enough equipment to open an intenstive care unit. They were wandering around the relatively small room, looking for a place to set up where they would be out of the general flow of things. Teyla and Ford were there to give moral support. Elizabeth and Kate had arrived to...well, he didn't really know why they were here. Morbid curiousity maybe. The room was now very crowded and everyone was beginning to get in each others way. Sheppard just stood and watched.

"You are not afraid?" asked Atlantis.

Sheppard continued to watch the escalating confusion in front of him. "Nah...I'm not worried. Should I be?"

"No. It is just that everyone else seems nervous. You seem...calm. Why do you not share in their anxiety?"

Sheppard smiled. "You said the chair was safe. I trust you."

Atlantis smiled and seemed to be very pleased with this. "I will not let you down. You will be safe this time. You may still experience some discomfort...headache and fatigue...but it will not harm you."

"Good enough for me. You'll be there somewhere...watching...won't you?" He averted his gaze for the first time and looked at the face of Atlantis. He didn't know why, but he needed to know that she would bethere.

"I will be with you." She squeezed his arm, her touch reassuring him.

Sheppard grinned. "What do say we get this party started?" Sheppard straightened and whistled loudly. The room fell silent as everyone stopped talking and turned to look at him. "Okay, first thing is this is too many people. Contrary to popular belief, this is not a spectator sport and as far as I know, no one's sold tickets, so some of you people are going to have to go. Ford, Teyla, Kate, and Elizabeth. I appreciate the show of support, but I can't concentrate with all this noise, so you four will have to go. You can wait in the hall or out on the balcony or in your quarters...I don't care...as long as it's not in this room. Beckett...there isn't room to set up the whole blasted infirmary in here. Get the gurney and all that stuff and your extra personnel out in the hall. You can stay if you must."

Beckett opened his mouth to reply, but Sheppard cut him off. He had taken control of this game and he had no plans of relinquishing it. "And no, you are not hooking me up to any monitors. I've already told you it could interfere with the chair. You can hook up all the monitors you want after we're done." Sheppard looked around the room at the open mouths and shocked faces. "Who does that leave...McKay...Zelenka...Beckett...Okay, I can live with that. Except...McKay, if you and Zelenka start going after each other, I swear I'll throw you both out." Sheppard stepped out of the doorway and several steps into the room so that people could get by him. "Okay...what are you waiting for...an engraved invitation? Out!"

Those who had been ordered to leave began slowly filing out of the room. Teyla and Ford both told the Major good luck and that they would be waiting down the hall. Elizabeth stood looking at him for several seconds before putting her hands on his arms.

"Be safe," she whispered softly.

He grinned his slightly lop-sided, cocky grin he usually gave in the midst of a good tease. "I will. Atlantis, Carson, and Rodney all have my back. What could go wrong?"

She groaned. "Well, I was feeling okay about this until you said that. What are you trying to do, jinx yourself?"

His smile became more serious, and yet it was still a smile. He looked so calm and sure that it helped steady her shaky nerves. "I'll be okay. I promise."

Elizabeth just nodded. "I'll hold you to that." She squeezed his arm one last time and then walked out the door.

Sheppard turned to find the room much calmer and much more quiet. Sheppard put his hands on his hips for a moment. "Much better. I can work with this." He looked over at McKay. "Are you guys ready?"

McKay looked at Zelenka, who nodded, and then turned back to Sheppard. "We're ready. Are you?" McKay looked a little worried.

"I am sooooo ready." He turned to Atlantis. "Where will you be?"

"I must go monitor the systems and ensure that they run properly. Remember. When you first activate the chair, tell it to recalibrate it's settings. I have already reset the chair to a setting more in line with your physiology, but that will give the chair the chance to make any last minute adjustments. When that is finished, then tell it to run the next training program."

"Got it."

Atlantis put one hand on his chest. "Be safe, John Sheppard. I will see you after the session." Atlantis disappeared.

Beckett shuddered. "Does that not bother anyone but me...the way the lass pops in and out like a bloody jack-in-the-box?"

Sheppard sat in the chair. "You worry too much, Doc." He leaned the chair back and it lit up immediately. Sheppard closed his eyes and thought. They watched as a yellow light scanned from one end of the chair to the other. A few seconds later, a blue light followed the same path. And then everything was still and quiet as Sheppard appeared to be sleeping to the three observers.

"And now comes the hard part," said McKay. "We wait."

For the next four hours, there was no movement from the Major except for the steady rise and fall of his chest, which Beckett felt compelled to check every few minutes. Beckett and McKay had begun to alternately pace and wring their hands in worry. The group that had been previously ejected from the room was also beginning to get jittery and had started taking turns poking their head in the door to check on things. Beckett had just started threatening to forcibly remove Sheppard from the chair when he turned in his pacing to find Atlantis suddenly standing in front of him. He jumped, visible startled by her unexpected appearance.

"Bloody heck...could you please stop doin' that?"

Atlantis smiled at him and McKay couldn't help but wonder if she wasn't doing it on purpose. Poor Beckett. Nothing like having the physical embodiment of an Ancient city playing pranks on you. Talk about a no win situation.

"You need not worry, Dr. Beckett. John is okay and he is finishing now. He will return to you in a moment. He...may not feel well for a while. Just let him rest and he will be fine. Tell John I will talk to him later."

The chair deactivated and returned to a sitting position. Sheppard's eyes opened, but he looked slightly disoriented. Beckett grabbed his bag and pulled a chair up beside Sheppard. McKay stood on the other side of the Major, watching in concern.

Beckett touched Sheppard on the arm. A couple of seconds later, Sheppard turned to look at him. "Major...can you hear me?"

"Yeah...I hear you."

"Do you know where you are and what just happened?"

Sheppard rubbed his forehead and then his eyes. "Yeah...training room...just finished a session. Man...that was...amazing." He looked back up at Beckett and smiled, beginning to look and sound more lucid with each passing minute. "It's okay, Doc. I don't think I'm going to stroke out this time."

All three men seemed relieved. Beckett began taking Sheppard's pulse. "Let me just check you out before we try to move, Major. I'm glad things went better this time."

Zelenka sighed with relief. "I will let others know Major is okay." He turned and hurried out the door.

Elizabeth returned a few minutes later and joined the two men beside the chair. She was just in time to see Carson shine the pen light in Sheppard's eye and hear him groan as he slapped at the physician's hand. "Yow! Get that thing out of my face."

Beckett grabbed Sheppard's hand and pushed it down to his lap. "Major, if I have to put you in restraints to do this I will. Now keep your hands out of the bloody way."

"So, Carson, how is he?" asked Elizabeth.

Beckett finished looking at Sheppard. "Temperature, blood pressure, and pulse are all a little high, but not enough to be problematic. Pupils are slightly dilated and respond a bit sluggishly. How do you feel, Major?"

Sheppard leaned his head back against the chair back. "Really tired...heck of headache brewing...which the bright light did not help, incidently."

"Aye...that's pretty much what Atlantis said you'd be feelin'."

Sheppard looked around. "Where is she?"

Beckett and McKay looked around the room. "She was here a minute ago," said McKay. "I think she said she'd look in on you later."

Sheppard rubbed the back of his neck and moved his shoulders around against the stiffness. "Look guys, I'm really drained. I think I'll go lie down a while if you don't mind."

Sheppard stood up and staggered a step, unsure if his legs were going to hold up his weight. Beckett and McKay each grabbed an arm, steadying him. After a few seconds, he got his balance and the room stopped swimming.

"I'm good, guys. Thanks."

Beckett did not let go of his arm. "I'm afraid you'll be spending the rest of the day with me, Major."

Sheppard frowned. "Why? I'm fine...just a little tired. I can rest in my quarters."

"No, Major. You'll rest in the infirmary. We still do not really know what that chair does to you or what after effects you might experience. I'm a little concerned about your pupils being so sluggish. I intend to monitor you for several hours to make sure you are okay." Beckett smiled. "And besides, Major...I seem to recall you telling everyone in this room that I could hook up all the monitors I wanted after the training session."

Sheppard grimaced. That was definitely a case of the mouth getting ahead of the brain. "Okay, Doc. You win. But...I'm not wearing a gown...I get scrubs. And no IV."

Beckett nodded. "Okay, lad. It sounds like a deal. And if you're good, I might just give you somethin' for that headache."

Although Sheppard pulled away from Beckett and McKay and insisted on walking unaided, the two men walked beside him all the way to the infirmary in case he needed assistance at any point.

Once they reached the infirmary, Sheppard's day began to go downhill. He headache had stepped up to about an 8 on the Richter scale and the walk had pretty much taken him from tired to exhausted. All he wanted to do was curl up in a bed and go to sleep. He just had to stay awake long enough to change into scrubs. As Beckett led him to a bed, he noticed a hospital gown lying on top. He stopped in his tracks, pulling back on Carson where the doctor had taken him by the arm.

"Doc...we said scrubs, right?"

Beckett stood and looked at him sheepishly. "I need to make a compromise. The scrub top makes it really hard for my staff to work with the monitors. What if you wear a hospital gown and scrub bottoms?"

Sheppard stood looking at the bed. He really hated those gowns...but if he had scrub pants on at least he wouldn't feel so...naked. He was just too tired to fight it. "Okay...please tell me we're still on the no IV plan."

Beckett brightened. "No IV, Major. Thank you. You have no idea how much easier that makes it for us." He handed Sheppard a pair of scrub pants. "Don't put the gown on yet, lad. Let me know when you're ready and we'll hook up the monitors and then slide the gown over you."

Sheppard nodded tiredly as Beckett closed the curtain. When he had removed his clothes and put the scrub pants on, he opened the curtain and sat on the bed. Beckett and a couple of nurses got him settled in bed and then proceeded to hook him up to just about every conceivable monitor. Sheppard was pretty sure he'd regained consciousness from life threatening injuries with less monitors attached than this. By the time they helped him into the gown, he was hurting pretty badly and ready to scream at anyone and everyone.

"Are we done yet?" Sheppard snapped.

"Yes, Major. We're done. Look, we're just trying to make sure you're okay." Beckett explained. He looked down at Sheppard, eyes closed and lines of pain etched in his face. "Headache pretty bad?"

Sheppard just groaned. He lay there trying to slow his breathing so that maybe his heart wouldn't beat quite so forcibly in his throbbing head. A few seconds later he felt a slight pinch in his arm and he knew Beckett had returned to watch out for him. He forced his eyes open, the light sending stabbing pains through his temples. Beckett was smiling down at him.

"That should help, Major."

"Thanks," he whispered softly, not really sure if he actually spoke the word or just thought it. He closed his eyes as he felt the pain start to slowly slide away and he let himself slide away with it.

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Carson and Nick stood beside the infirmary bed, looking down at Sheppard's sleeping form. The soft hum and beep of the monitors was the only sound in the semi-dark room.

"Carson," said Nick. "His vitals are all good and we've checked the monitor readings at least three times. He's fine. He's just sleeping."

Carson ran a hand through his hair. "Aye, I know you're probably right. But he hasn't moved a muscle since this afternoon. I knew he was tired, but I wasn't expectin' him to be out near this long. He should have turned over or come to or somethin' by now."

"Didn't you give him pain medication for his headache?"

"Aye."

"Okay, Carson. Pain medication plus physical exhaustion. He's sleeping. Which is what you need to do. Now go! Kelly and I can look after him."

Carson crossed his arms. "I know you're right, but after last time...I guess I was just expectin' a worse case scenario. This went so smoothly. I keep waitin' for the other shoe to drop."

Nick patted Carson on the back. "You worry too much."

Carson laughed. "That's exactly what the Major said."

"Dr. Strauhan is correct, Dr. Beckett. John is just sleeping." Beckett jumped at the sound of the voice. He looked over to find Atlantis standing at the foot of Sheppard's bed, watching the sleeping form intently.

"Lass...one of these days...You're sure he's just sleeping?"

Atlantis walked over to stand beside Beckett. "I am sure." She cocked her head to one side as she studied the doctor's features. "You are still worried about him."

Beckett nodded his head. "Aye. He's already been through so much. I don't want him to suffer because I missed somethin'."

Atlantis took his hands in hers. "I will show you so that you may rest." She took his hands and moved them over Sheppard's chest so that they hovered an inch or so above the Major. She closed her eyes and in a few minutes, a soft glow surrounded their hands and extended down to Sheppard's chest below. After a few seconds, the glow faded and Beckett pulled his hands back. He rubbed them together vigorously as he looked at a smiling Atlantis. "You see now that he is well."

Beckett nodded. Atlantis patted him on the arm. "Thank you for caring so for John. I see that he is in good hands."

Beckett looked down at his hands and then back up, but Atlantis was gone.

"Carson...what just happened?" asked Nick nervously.

"She...just showed me that the Major is okay...he really is just sleeping. I don't know exactly how I know...but I know. That was...bloody amazing."

Nick took a deep breath and scratched his head. "Somehow, I never feel like I know what's going on around here. I still think I need to get out more during the day. Well...now that you know Sheppard is just asleep, I trust I can get rid of you for a few hours to get some sleep of your own."

Beckett nodded. "Aye...I'll leave now. Just keep monitorin' him and let me know of any problems."

"We will. Carson...you know I'll keep a close eye on him."

Beckett smiled. "I know. And thank you. I'll see you in the mornin'." Beckett left the infirmary, confident that Sheppard would be there safe and sound in the morning when he returned.

TBC