SUMMARY: "Well, it's kind of an Earth thing, I guess"
DISCLAIMER: The setting and characters belong to Stargate Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Productions and the Sci-Fi Channel. Sadly, I'm not making a red cent off how much I love them.
NOTES: A post-ep for "The Long Goodbye." Obviously contains spoilers for that episode.
John paused outside the infirmary and took a deep breath before striding over to Ronon's bed. The other man was staring at a computer screen someone had set up in front of him, which played a Bruce Willis movie--part of the Die Hard franchise, John thought.
Ronon glanced up at him. "I still don't understand television," he said, clicking on the keyboard to stop the movie.
John shrugged one shoulder. "Well, it's kind of an Earth thing, I guess."
"I guess."
His feet wanted to pace, so John sat in the chair next to Ronon's bed. "The Doc says you're healing well and he'll let you out of here tomorrow."
"Yeah."
Ronon started to cross his arms, then stopped. John winced, remembering that welling wound in the middle of his stomach, and the callous way he'd left him lying in the storage room. "So, anyway, I was coming by to see how you were."
"Dr. Beckett already told you."
"Well, yeah, but I'm still supposed to come see you when you're sick. It's another Earth thing."
Ronon shrugged gingerly. "I'm fine."
His heart beating slightly faster, John said "And I wanted to talk to you about what happened."
Ronon didn't change expression at all, just lay there waiting.
John was surprised to find he wished he was dealing with Rodney. Rodney would have yelled at him the moment he walked in, he'd have yelled back, but once they got that out of their systems, everything would be fine. "I, uh, I wanted to apologize for everything, for getting you shot and leaving you there."
"Wasn't you." Ronon blinked slowly, like a lion at rest.
"I know, but..." John still hadn't found the right words for this. He'd been hoping they'd appear once he got into the conversation. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I get what a big deal it was for you to believe me, I mean believe him."
"Hmm." Ronon still watched him, but John couldn't tell if it was a wary look or not.
"You haven't had a lot of reason to trust people in recent years and you trusted, well, you trusted what you thought was me."
Ronon grunted something that might have been agreement. Or not.
John found that he was breaking out in a sweat. Damn it, he was not losing another member of his team. Under any circumstances. "That's why I'm here, because I don't want to lose that trust."
"Okay." Ronon's eyes flicked back to the computer.
John narrowed his eyes. "Okay?"
"Okay. I trust you not to get me shot on purpose and leave me to die. Is that what you wanted to hear?"
"Uh, yeah. But it'd help if you sounded like you meant it." John frowned, feeling very much like he was being managed, and not liking the feeling at all.
Ronon shrugged again. "I mean it." And he lay there, still expressionless, giving John absolutely no clue as to what he might need to do to make things right. Or even if things really were still wrong. Damn the man.
"Well, okay then." John stood up, sticking his hands in his pockets. "I guess I'll...go now."
Ronon didn't say anything.
John found himself wanting to shuffle his feet, which seemed unbecoming in a team leader, so he shrugged and turned to go. He made it a few feet away before Ronon spoke. "Sheppard."
"Yes?" John asked, turning.
"Dr. Beckett says I can start running again next week. That gives you a week to get fast enough to keep up." Ronon nodded at him and clicked the movie back on.
John grinned, his heart lightening. "You're on." He strode out of the infirmary, wondering how one did a jig.
--end--