A/N: Thanks guys, you're a great audience.

Sheppard stirred slowly, not wanting to leave the depths of his deep sleep.

"Colonel Sheppard"

Sheppard moaned.

"Colonel"

The persistent female voice finally roused him from his slumber. "Teyla" His tired eyes slowly opened to see her looking down on him with concern. "That you?"

"Yes" She placed her hand on his for conformation. "You are in the Infirmary, back home on Atlantis."

Sheppard looked around him. "Last thing I remember I was trying to stay awake with McKay droning on inside my head."

Teyla smiled. "I believe Dr. McKay was unsuccessful at keeping either you or himself awake. You were both asleep when we discovered your ship and brought you here."

"Well it's nice to be home" Sheppard looked around the infirmary. "Not that this would be my first choice of rooms but it beats a dark Jumper with Rodney all to…" Sheppard's eyes turned back to Teyla. "Why's it so dark in here anyway?"

"There was a problem with the power while you were gone. Dr. McKay has not yet awakened to fix it."

"Okay" Sheppard relaxed back onto the pillow. "Where's Beckett?"

"He is with Dr. McKay. Are you unwell?"

"I'm fine. Just had a few questions, concussions, brain damage, that kind of stuff."

"You are fine John."

"That's a relie…did you just call me John?"

"Did you not say I should?" Teyla asked.

"Yeah, absolutely, you just don't do it very often. I was kind of worried it was going to be one of those life and death scenario things."

Teyla smiled. "You needn't have. Colonel" She added with a playful smirk.

"So, you came back for me?" He asked her.

"Did you think we would leave you behind?" She seemed puzzled.

"That's not exactly what I…No" Sheppard decided to drop it. "I didn't"

"Something is troubling you" Teyla perceived.

"Nah," he brushed it off. "Just wondering how to thank you"

"I believe there are many ways" Teyla's said. "For instance I believe it is quite common for one to say 'Thank You'. Or perhaps it would be simpler for you to bring me flowers…" she quipped.

"I can think of another way" Sheppard suggested meeting her eyes, and hoping he could read them correctly as he reached out to touch her hair and leaned forward as far as he could in the damned hospital bed. Knowing full well he'd look and feel like a complete idiot if she didn't meet him half-way. But she did, and as their lips touched he had the feeling she hadn't just kissed him to save his pride…

"Wha'" Sheppard moaned and jerked awake as his eyes opened to the dark jumper and the cold of the hard floor beneath him soaking into his body. "I just knew that was too good to be true" he muttered.

"Let me guess" McKay's voice cut in. "Scantily dressed native girls feeding you breakfast in bed."

"Not exactly" Sheppard pressed a hand against his pounding forehead.

"Well I guess we just missed what will probably be our best chance at having something in common then" Rodney speculated.

"Probably" John agreed. "So that's what you were dreaming about on your last shift?"

"No last shift was actually just food. But this time there was so much food there had to be natives to carry it. Lots of native's, all female…"

"Are you telling me you were asleep just now?" Sheppard snapped sitting up.

McKay checked his watch. "It's my half-hour. You were supposed to be awake"

"I was asleep because you didn't wake me after my half-hour."

"So we both got a little uninterrupted sleep. We're still alive aren't we?" McKay asked defensively. "At least for now, with the rising carbon dioxide levels and the fact that the jumper is growing colder by the minute concussions are the least of our worries."

"All right I get it." Sheppard gave in and started clearing gear off the bench on his side of the jumper.

"You're not seriously going to try to sleep on that ledge are you?" McKay asked.

"I'm considering it." Sheppard settled himself onto the bench. Considering how comfortable the pilots chair was you'd think the Ancients could have done better by the passengers. He pulled on a jacket and folded his tac-vest up for a pillow.

"When should I wake you?" McKay asked.

"Half an hour, an hour" Sheppard said with uncharacteristic indecision. "Whenever"

"What if I fall asleep again?" McKay's voice rose a little in pitch.

"Then we'll wake up when the rescue team gets here." Sheppard closed his eyes.

"But if you're right about the concussion thing…"

Sheppard opened his eyes again. "Look Rodney, I'm tired, I'm freezing, and this headache is killing me. I'm going to sleep." His eyes closed and he drifted off again before he could hear McKay reply.