The others watched on in silence as John cradled an unconscious Elizabeth back to Atlantis. Carson had been alerted to the situation and was standing by with a team in the jumper bay.

John's silence and the look of fear and regret in his eyes had kept the jumper quiet. No one had asked any questions instead they set about getting to Atlantis as soon as possible. Most of Atlantis's personel had some inkling about their commanders. They had all noticed the fierce way the Colonel looked out for the Dr, the way in which they stood extremely close together and the looks in which they exchanged. Most acknowledged that one without the other just wouldn't work.

Ronan watched Sheppard as he sat cradling Elizabeth. He knew that something had been happening between them at the ruins but both had acted as if it were nothing. He could see the pain etched on John's face right now and Ronan knew that he might not have been fast enough.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Before the jumper had even landed in the bay, John was at the rear hatch with Elizabeth.

'Come on…Come on!' he chanted over and over in his head. He needed to get her to Beckett now! He couldn't lose her now, not when they had almost found each other.

Almost.

That word echoed through his head. She had said she loved him, and he loved her. Things should be simple right? He shook his head gaining looks from his team. Things were never simple when it came to Elizabeth and himself, they never had been. He didn't know where they would be if she hadn't have been injured.

If none of this had happened, they would still be going around in circles denying what they felt. It had taken this extreme situation for them to verbally accept what they already knew. What would happen when everything was back to normal?

His thoughts were cut short by the Jumper hatch lowering and Beckett wheeling the bed towards them. Placing her gently down, he started getting angry when the medical staff seemed to be taking to long wheeling her down to the infirmary. Grabbing it himself he started pushing it, ignoring the shouts for him to stop. He couldn't stop though, he needed to get her to the infirmary. Only there would she be safe, would she get better.

Two guards stepped in front of him. "Sir, you need to stop."

He could hear footsteps running up behind him, a hand touched his shoulder.

"I'll take her from here." Carson told him quietly before quickly starting to wheel Elizabeth again. Turning around John let out a loud frustrated howl and punched his fist into the wall.

"Sheppard!" Ronan called out.

"I'm all right." he choked out.

"We need to get you to the infirmary aswell," Teyla's quiet voice reached him.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

John paced the infirmary for the umpteenth time. Carson had had her in surgery for an hour now and he was starting to get anxious. He didn't know what was happening and that's what unnerved him.

"Colonel?" the doctor in question called out.

Turning sharply John's eyes found Carson who was standing in the infirmary doorway.

"Doc?" he questioned quietly.

Beckett sighed, which John took as a bad sign.

Stalking up to the Doctor, John stood just inches away from him. "Is she alright?"

Carson looked up at him and nodded, "Yes, we patched her up. Any longer and I wouldn't have been able to guarantee anything. She will be brought back in here soon, then you can see her."

John looked at Carson for a moment before grabbing him in a hug, "I owe you big."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Hours later John was seated beside Elizabeth's bed. The various tubes coming out of her unnerved him. Every few minutes his eyes darted to the monitor just to make sure her heart was still going. It had been too close this time. He was going to make her see that they couldn't waste another moment.

Now all that needed to happen was for her to wake.