Coming Home
Spoilers: Not intentionally, but references to both seasons may slip in on occasion.
Rating: T for some mild language and potentially disturbing images in some chapters.
Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate Atlantis or any of the characters associated with it, unless you count Jesi.
A/N: I'm happy to see some of you enjoyed the last chapter even though I didn't set out to write such a hot scene. I just described what I was seeing in my head, and the reviews took me by surprise until I read it without looking for things to fix. I must say, I think it's now my favorite part of the story! grins Now, on with Ch 4, as I work my way from mentally to physically whumping John a bit.
Chapter Four
Sheppard raced to the infirmary, angrily dodging any unlucky personnel or bulky equipment that dared to block his path. His heart in his throat, he focused on not loosing his cool before he made it to Jesi's side. He nearly flattened Weir when he reached the doorway.
"John, slow down." Weir placed a restraining arm across his heaving chest. The panicked look in his eyes surprised her. She'd seen him nonchalant, she'd seen him angry, she'd seen him resolute; this was new.
"I'm gonna kill McKay!" Sheppard tried to shove past Weir's arm and was surprised when she stepped in and blocked his path.
"Colonel Sheppard, stop!" She could tell he was close to the edge, and she thought he might actually harm Rodney.
Unrelenting green eyes clashed with furious hazel; the green eyes won as the hazel darkened with anguish.
"Elizabeth, I need to see her… to make sure she's really okay."
John had spoken softly, but each word impaled her resolve like tiny arrows straight from Cupid's bow.
"She's fine. It's Rodney I'm worried about." Weir dropped her hand from his chest and sighed. "He's pretty torn up without you adding to his misery, so take it easy on him."
"His misery? What about MY misery?" Sheppard snapped. "That's my sister in there! You know exactly how I feel about her being here, and this is a perfect example of why you should've sent her home!" John's voice climbed louder with each declaration until a voice to his right interrupted.
"I'd appreciate it if you'd keep your voice down, Colonel. I have a sleeping lass who needs quiet."
"Carson, sorry." Sheppard turned to the doctor, worry lines bracketing his lean face. "May I see her?"
"Aye, that you may." Beckett indicated that Sheppard should precede him through the doorway. As the young Colonel stepped through, the doctor and Weir exchanged worried glances behind his back.
Weir raised a brow. "I think I'll wait this one out in the safety of my office. Call if you need me."
Beckett nodded and touched Sheppard lightly on the arm.
"Just make sure to keep it light and positive, Colonel."
"Positive, right, got it."
Sheppard moved quickly to the corner bed where Jesi lie surrounded by his team. He took in her pale features and almost translucent eyelids. She looked wiped out, but she'd managed to avoid Beckett's favorite treatments of tubes, wires and leads. Sheppard fought back the nausea the threatened to embarrass him in front of everyone.
"How is she, Doc?"
"There's no need to worry, lad. She's not in any sort of danger… medically speaking, anyway." Beckett eyed the white lined tension edging Sheppard's mouth. He reached out and clapped a hand on the other man's shoulder. "She's in perfect health, just exhausted. She'll likely sleep the night through. I'm keeping her for observation. If she has an uneventful night, she's free to leave in the morning."
"Thanks, Doc. I think I'll stay…"
"I've already made up a bed for you, Colonel!" Becket interrupted with an understanding smile. He watched the lad, thinking it might not be such a bad thing for him to catch a solid eight hours of sleep for a change. He looks a bit sore… I'll have to sneak in an exam while I have the man captive, he thought.
"Sheppard…" McKay gulped at the instant look of rage Sheppard heaved his way. Oh crap! I'm so dead!
"McKay, what part of 'don't let anything happen to my sister' did you not understand? Did you think I was kidding when I said I'd kill you if she got hurt?" Sheppard took two threatening steps in McKay's direction.
"Sheppard…" Ronon's deep voice, reinforced by his meaty arm, stopped Sheppard cold. "Leave the little man alone. You know he didn't cause this."
"Back off… and that's an order!" Sheppard leaned closer to McKay, but still couldn't reach the man. His glare had about as much effect on Ronon as a rubber band striking the broad side of a spaceship.
"I don't think so," Ronon stated calmly with a look in Teyla's direction.
The Athosian slid closer to McKay, ready to jump into the fray should it become necessary.
"How is this even remotely my fault?" McKay's irritated voice pitched to a high squeak.
"You let her into your lab. That makes it your fault!"
Sheppard slipped around Ronon's arm and stuck his nose in McKay's face. "If you'd stop and think before you use people as human guinea pigs, maybe you'd…"
McKay leaned into Sheppard's furry with equal venom.
"She didn't touch anything! She barely stepped into the room, and that's all it took." At Sheppard's incredulous look, McKay continued, "I guess little sis has the ATA gene just as strongly, or maybe even stronger, than you."
Beckett stepped forward with a harsh whisper. If they wouldn't stop, he swore he'd break out the sedatives.
"Enough, both of you!" He wiped a tired hand over his equally tired face. "For Heaven's sake, if you must argue about this, do it outside, otherwise, sit quietly."
The two men stood toe-to-toe, chests heaving and eyes dueling until Sheppard finally relented and stepped back, sinking into a chair next to Jesi's bed.
McKay warily took up residence in the other chair and watched Sheppard's face.
"John, will you be all right if Ronon and I leave the two of you alone?" Teyla asked.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks, Teyla. Ronon, I'll… deal with your insubordination later." Sheppard finished weakly.
"I'll look forward to it," Ronon responded, lips tilted up slightly at the corners. He had no doubt he'd be the victor in such a battle.
With a gentle hand on his shoulder and a pointed look at Ronon, Teyla squeezed past McKay's chair and headed for the exit.
Ronon watched Sheppard silently until Teyla called to him from the doorway. "Listen to McKay, Sheppard." Then the big man was gone.
Sheppard leaned forward, dropping his head, lost in thought. It only took two minutes before the sound of McKay's defensive voice startled him out of his reverie.
"Do I get any last words before you send me to my death?...Which I am sure will be an enormously torturous and excruciating experience."
"Can it, Rodney." Sheppard shifted in the chair and slouched down, leaning his head against the padded backrest and resting his right ankle on his left knee. "Just tell me what happened."
McKay filled him in on everything that had transpired from the moment Jesi had entered the lab until he'd gotten her to the infirmary. His voice trailed off, plunging them into a stilted silence.
Sheppard stared at the ceiling, wishes warring with logic as his nimble brain swiftly worked out possibilities and probabilities, actions and consequences.
"I want to see the box."
McKay jerked in his seat, Sheppard's voice startling him from his own introspection.
"No, no, no I don't think that's a good idea. I'm not sure what purpose it would serve. I'd like to study the artifact before I use you as, what did you call it earlier, a 'guinea pig'."
"McKay…I'm sorry. I overreacted, and I'm sorry. If I use the artifact, maybe you can figure out what it does."
"I can tell you what it does." Jesi's whisper had both men turning in surprise.
Sheppard was on his feet and at her side before McKay could blink.
"Jesi, you scared ten years off my life today!" Sheppard eased her into an upright position.
"Sorry John-John. The artifact didn't harm me. I'm fine, seriously…just tired. I didn't mean to cause trouble…"
"It seems to be a family trait," McKay said bitterly, moving closer to the head of the bed and fluffing her crisp white pillow.
"Really? I'd love to hear some stories about John…"
"Ah, not today. Today we're focusing on your story." Sheppard said, cutting off Jesi's question and shooting McKay a warning glance.
"Yes, yes, Jesi, please enlighten your overprotective brother with the fact that I didn't ask you to touch or activate anything." McKay crossed his arms and raised his chin a notch.
"No, John, he didn't. When I got to the lab, Rodney was examining a beautiful box and it caught my attention." Jesi's soft voice paused as she shifted on the bed. "One second I was standing in the doorway, the next, Rodney had pulled me away from the box and told me to stay put. When he turned to put away the box, I had an out-of-body experience, of sorts."
Sheppard's gaze sharpened and his body went rigid. "Out of body? How the Hell did that happen?"
"I don't know, but what it was awesome! I felt like I was flying among the stars without a ship, but I had trouble controlling it. Just when life started to get interesting, Rodney brought me back."
"If you'd seen the expression on her face, the ten years she stole from your life would have been significantly higher." McKay's haunted look lent credence to his quiet statement.
Jesi sank down in the bed. Her eyelids drooped, and she blinked rapidly, trying to concentrate.
"I've no doubt, McKay. Now I really want to see the box. If it's like flying, maybe I can control it better, since I am a pilot." Sheppard's face lit up with anticipation.
"I don't think there's such a thing as a pilot's license for free flying in space without a spaceship." McKay returned. "Besides, Elizabeth won't like it."
The steady, murmured cadence of their comfortable debate slipped under Jesi's consciousness and sent her sliding down slumber hill like a waxed sled on snow. With a faint sigh, she let go and embraced the ride.
"Let me deal with Elizabeth. I'm serious. I think I should try it out, see what it can do." Sheppard's eyes narrowed in thought. "It could be a weapon. If we don't play around with it, we might be passing up something we could use against the Wraith. C'mon, McKay, let me try to activate it."
"Amazing, Colonel! When I actually want your help to activate a device, you find every imaginable excuse to avoid me, but when I'm against the idea, I can't get rid of you!"
Sheppard's voice, laced heavily with persuasion, reached across the space. "C'mon, Rodney, you have to see the need to at least try out the device. Where's your sense of discovery? I think…"
"Quiet." McKay said temperately.
"What? Don't try and.."
"Jesi's asleep." McKay's index finger wiggled toward the woman slouched on the bed.
"Oh…right." Sheppard leaned over, eased Jesi down to a more natural sleeping position and reached for the blanket.
McKay beat him to it. He pulled the blanket up and over the sleeping form, tucking the soft blue folds around her slender shoulders and lightly stroking one knuckle across her smooth cheek. He leaned in close to her exposed ear, searching for a little privacy.
"I'm sorry I didn't protect you better, Jesi," he whispered, guilt eating away at his heart.
Sheppard watched his friend, amused at the sight of McKay playing mother hen. Amusement shifted to wonder when he caught McKay's hushed words and soothing touch. He realized McKay wasn't playing. He genuinely cared. For a man guarded about displaying emotion in public, he expressed himself quite well when he thought no one could hear him.
Sheppard stepped away from the bed, tugging McKay with him. Thoughts of the device and all it might offer nudged aside his fear for Jesi. Now that he'd seen her for himself and knew she would be fine, he could relax.
"Come on, Rodney. Carson will take good care of her. She's just sleeping; there's nothing else wrong with her."
"That we know of…" McKay rejoined.
"My point exactly. There's only one way to help her. You need to let me try to activate the box." Sheppard tugged again on McKay's arm sleeve.
Experiencing a rare moment of indecision, McKay's gaze bounced between the sleeping Jesi and Sheppard excitedly hovering in the doorway.
"Carson will want a medical team on alert. Actually, they should come along. He'd want them close by if we need them."
"Agreed, let's go!" Sheppard darted into the corridor and jogged toward the lab at a brisk pace, trying to get there before McKay changed his mind.
"Colonel, wait for the med team! Sheppard?... Ugh! I stand by 'infantile'." McKay hurried after Sheppard, pausing at Beckett's office to bring him up to speed on the plan.
McKay and Beckett sprinted after Sheppard, both concerned he might activate the device before they had every precaution in place. McKay tapped his headset, calling for Weir to meet them at the lab. Rounding the last corner, the two men skidded to a halt, relieved to find Sheppard waiting a safe distance from the open lab door.
Beckett grasped Sheppard by the elbow. "I'm not inclined to let you play test pilot, Colonel." The panting doctor's chest heaved with one part exertion and two parts agitation.
"Doc, I'm doing this with or without your support." He eyed Beckett with an unrelenting stare. "I'd appreciate your help, but it's your choice."
"Ach, lad, you know I'd not leave you to it." Beckett frowned and shook a finger at the Colonel. "Just so you know, I'll be putting a stop to this madness at the first sign of trouble."
"Got it, thanks Doc." Sheppard grinned and clapped Beckett on the back. "McKay, let's get this show on the road!"
"Yes, circus show is more like it." McKay crossed to the shelves and pulled down a containment device into which he had stored the box after he'd gotten Jesi to the infirmary. Turning, he set the package on the counter. "Are you ready?"
"Not yet, Rodney, I need to set up." Beckett pulled from his med kit a number of leads and sticky pads, which he proceeded to attach to various points on Sheppard's head and body. "Just a precaution, son. By using a combination of our technology and the Ancient medical scanner, I'll be able to monitor your physical condition a wee bit better."
Sheppard scowled at the wires, but wisely kept any complaints to himself. He wouldn't put it past the doctor to subdue any protests with a sharp needle full of sleepy juice. He feared he might wake up in restraints.
Weir, Teyla, Ronon and Dr. Radek Zelenka, McKay's second in command, hurried through the doorway just at Beckett attached the final lead to Sheppard's left temple and connected it to a small data recorder strapped to the pilot's waist.
"What, did McKay issue party invitations?" Sheppard shot McKay a dirty look.
"I thought Elizabeth should be here. Sue me!" McKay snapped.
"And Teyla and Ronon are here because…"
"Because we are a team, Sheppard," Ronon said simply.
"Would you not be here for any of us?" Teyla asked smoothly.
"Yeah, yeah, I guess I can't argue with that, thanks." Sheppard turned when Weir spoke.
"John, I dislike this idea! We don't know the long term effects of using the device." Weir stood in front of the irritated colonel, arms crossed. She studied his determined face and knew he wouldn't relent. She'd yet figured out the key to negotiating with someone so full of bravery, compassion, bull-headed stubbornness, and self-sacrifice, but he gave her ample practice.
"Relax, Elizabeth. I'll be fine. Jesi is a little tired from her experience, but other than that, she's good.
"Yes, well, Jesi never actually touched the device. Her reaction was from proximity, not physical contact." McKay hovered near the containment device, waiting for the signal to proceed.
"I realize that, Rodney, but Jesi isn't used to opening doors with her mind, much less trying to harness the power from that…thing…whatever it is."
"And you think you will be able to 'harness' the power?" Weir asked, a concerned frown marring her features.
"Piece of cake." Sheppard grinned. "Are we ready? I want to see what this baby can do. Imagine flying in space without a puddle jumper!"
"Rodney, what can I do to help?" Zelenka asked.
"Just be ready for anything, Radek. I might need an extra set of hands if things go haywire." McKay turned and indicated that Sheppard should stand in the doorway. "Jesi was standing right there when she first wigged out. I'd start from that spot, Colonel."
Sheppard moved to the doorway. "Okay, let's do this!"
The onlookers moved to a corner of the lab as McKay slowly opened the containment device. He removed the multi-faceted box, setting it on the table.
"It's tiny," said Weir, surprised, "but very enticing. I can see why Jesi tried to touch it."
"Cool!" Sheppard spoke from the doorway. "I can feel the energy radiating from it."
"I'm reading a slight energy signature." Zelenka spoke up from where he stood holding a scanning device.
Sheppard took four steps into the room, arms reaching toward the device. "I just need to get closer…" His hazel eyes focused on the box. "Oh, wow…"
"Colonel!" Beckett's worried gaze studied the medical information transmitted by the data recorder. "Your blood pressure is rising and your heart rate is a little fast."
"I'm good, Doc," Sheppard said, his slightly slurred words belying his opinion. He closed the distance to the counter, reached out and rested his fingertips on the ornate box. He sucked in a harsh breath and threw his head back. His whole body hummed.
TBC
