Title: The Full Hour
Author: Illman
Category: gen, h/c, post-episode for38 Minutes
Rating: FRT
Beta: DianeM
Date: 06 /17/06
Disclaimer: It's their universe, not mine.
A/N: Spoilers up to38 Minutes. I'm almost donewriting, thetotal will be aroundsixchapters.
oOo
Teyla walked out of the Jumper bay, leaving the noise of the clean-up crews behind. The medical teams had finally wheeled John Sheppard off to the infirmary. Dr. Beckett had assured them that the pilot was going to live, but it seemed impossible to Teyla. She had seen him die in the Jumper. The electrical shock that Aiden had sent through him had been lethal, that had been the point. She could still feel the dead weight on her shoulder as she dragged him into the event horizon. He had been dead. The Iratus bug had killed him, just like in the stories her father had told her when she was a child. John lying in the back of the Jumper, paralyzed, struggling to speak had been taken right out of those chilling childhood stories. Until today, she had never believed the Iratus bug was real, until it attacked one of her friends and took his life in a way almost as cruel as the Wraith.
The Atlanteans hadn't been in the Pegasus Galaxy long. It had only been three short weeks since Teyla had first set foot in the Ancient City. Yet when she had carried the dead body of John Sheppard towards the event horizon, she had felt a sadness that she was unable to explain. She had lost many friends in her unruly life; her people had been chased through the galaxy by the Wraith since she could remember. She had lost playmates, relatives and her parents before she was a woman under Athosian law.
The arrival of the strangers had brought new hope to the Athosians. They had given them a new home in a magnificent city. Outwardly they were very much alike, but many of her people held that they could never be the same. Teyla believed that they shared the same feelings: fear, curiosity, bravery, love.
Teyla opened the door to her quarters. They were quite spacious, but she had started to decorate them with some of the few things her people had been able to save. She was tired after a physically taxing experience, but her mind was in uproar, her thoughts were going a mile a minute.
Teyla walked up to the window, lit a few of candles and turned off the main lights. She was used to the warm light of natural fire, not to the artificial light of the city. She was taking off her grey uniform jacket when there was a knock on the door.
"Yes. Come in," she called out and turned towards the door. She was too tired for company, but none of her people would come to her if it weren't urgent.
Halling stepped into her dimly lit quarters. "Teyla? You were gone so quickly, nobody saw you. I was concerned about you."
"I'm all right," Teyla replied. "I'm just tired."
"Teyla, I have known you for too long not to know that something is on your mind." Halling gently put a hand on her shoulder. Teyla sighed. She had grown up with Halling, and he could read her like a book. Halling silently joined her on the bed, waiting for her to speak.
"We knew we were going to die. The time was running out. Dr. McKay, he seems like a coward, but he was trying to find a solution. The rest of us, all we could really do was wait, we waited to die," Teyla said tonelessly.
"We were going to pray for you. And for the others," Halling reassured her.
"Thank you. That means a lot to me," Teyla said and nodded. Being able to prepare for death was a privilege afforded to few of her people.
"It was just like in one of my father's stories when the Iratus bug was feeding on Major Sheppard. I always thought he was just trying to frighten us children. I was scared when Major Sheppard died," Teyla admitted.
"You are our leader, Teyla, but even you are allowed to be afraid," Halling said softly.
"I'm just not allowed to show it," Teyla said bitterly. Her role as a leader among her people had isolated her from close personal friendships. People came to her for advice and counsel, but not out of friendship. Her decision to seek the alliance with the Atlanteans had not been popular by all.
Halling seemed to sense her thoughts.
"The Atlanteans are powerful, but even the Ancients couldn't defeat the Wraith. Be careful not to forget that. But you brought us to a new home, safe from the Wraith. It will take time for everyone to settle down."
Teyla leaned back against the wall.
"Dr. Weir and her people, they are doing good here. They are our best chance to fight the Wraith. They are the descendants of the Ancestors. They should be here." Teyla argued more against the sentiments running among her people than against Halling.
"The Atlanteans will prove themselves to the rest of our people in them if they are worthy to inhabit this City as you say. We are safe here because you trusted them."
"I believe there is a lot we can learn from the Atlanteans. And they can learn from us," Teyla said. There was no going back. The settlement on Athos had been destroyed. Teyla's choices inevitably had led them to Atlantis, but she had decided to join the Atlanteans and work with them.
Halling smiled. "Nothing in life is certain, but we will be all right. You had a difficult mission, but we are always here for you, Teyla," he reassured her.
"I know." Teyla nodded. The last two weeks had been uprooting. After the Wraith had destroyed their settlement on Athos, they had fled to Atlantis. Teyla had taken her first home under a solid roof. Suddenly living in a ten-thousand-year-old city instead of in a tent under the stars was a big adjustment.
"Is your team there for you as well?" Halling asked after a while of silence. Teyla didn't look at him when she replied, "I'm not sure. I hope."
"You should talk to them," Halling said simply. "Will you meet me for the evening meal?"
"I will." Teyla nodded. "Thank you for your company." She leaned in to touch foreheads with Halling in the traditional gesture of her people.
oOo
The infirmary was quiet except for the soft noise of the city. In the three weeks she had been here, the faint hum had faded into the background. The furnishings and equipment of the infirmary seemed powerful and alien. She had seen first hand how curious the Atlanteans were. During the first week, Dr. Beckett had asked her to come in for some tests. He wanted to find out more about the Athosian physiology. Her people had knowledge of basic accident medicine and herbal remedies. Sometimes, they traded other peoples for more advanced medicines to fight infections, but these usually came at high prices. Dr. Beckett observed that she was in good health, as far as he could tell. Some of the scanning equipment had intimidated her, but she had tried hard not to show it. It hadn't been painful. The devices were impressive, she had asked, most of them were of Ancient origin, though the Atlantians had brought some with them.
Teyla walked up to John's bed. He was asleep; a bandage on his neck where the Iratus bug had bitten him. The wound had looked deep, but it hadn't been bad. Bad wounds to the neck bleed a person to death quickly; Teyla had seen it before. There was already a chair by the bed; someone had been visiting John before.
Teyla sat down. It had been over an hour since they had returned to the city, but her body was still feeling the shock of the recent events. She could still hear John's screams in her mind as they had tried to remove the Wraith bug from him. They had killed him.
Teyla couldn't stop thinking about the events in the Jumper. They were working as a team and she felt as a part of it. She didn't know her teammates very well and she regretted it. Sheppard and Ford were military men, warriors following a code of ethics she could relate to. They lived to protect their people. The bravery Sheppard had shown in the face of death intrigued her.
oOo
The first sign of waking was the subtle change in John's breathing. Teyla immediately reached for his hand, but there was no movement; it was still cool and limp in hers.
"Major Sheppard? Can you hear me?" she asked softly, leaning down to him. John's eyes fluttered open for a moment, but he closed them again, groaning. The lights around them suddenly dimmed and John emitted a low groan.
Teyla squeezed his hand. "Everything is all right, Major. You are among friends."
John opened his eyes, slowly focussing on Teyla at the right side of his bed.
"It is good to see you." Teyla smiled.
John suddenly frowned and his hand twitched in Teyla's.
"Wha...can't move..." he whispered; panic lacing his weak voice as he continued to move feebly.
Teyla didn't know what to do. She had wanted to believe that aside from the thick bandage on the side of his neck, he was fine.
"I'll get help. Stay still." She squeezed John's hand a last time before running to search for Dr. Beckett.
Teyla found the doctor in his office. He had already been waiting for his patient to wake. Teyla and Carson quickly walked back to Sheppard's bed.
"Major? Good to see you awake," Carson said with a smile. "How are you feeling?" He felt the other man's pulse while he spoke.
"...can't... mve...rgt."
John's eyes focused on the physician as he tried to articulate. It hurt Teyla to see the panic on his face. Carson quickly leaned down to his patient.
"Calm down, Major. You are experiencing the after-effects of the Iratus bug venom. Do you remember what happened?"
John nodded feebly. The panic eased from his face.
"It's temporary. Your body is metabolising the venom. In a few hours, you'll be back to your old self. You are going to be fine." Carson squeezed John's hand.
"I will stay with you if you don't mind," Teyla offered. The infirmary was too silent and empty. Injured and sick people shouldn't be alone. That couldn't be good. Teyla sat back down on her chair.
"I'll let Elizabeth and the others know that you are awake. They have been worried. Even Rodney has asked about you." Carson grinned. "Let me know if you need anything."
John blinked tiredly, and then closed his eyes. Teyla wondered whether he was in great pain. She should have asked the doctor. The wound had looked painful enough to hurt for a good while. But the Atlantean had powerful medicines, so he might just be sleeping.
Teyla heard footsteps from behind and turned around. Dr. Weir was walking into the infirmary. She was wearing a tentative smile that bloomed to full wattage when she spotted Teyla.
"Teyla, how is John doing?"
"Dr. Beckett says he will be fine once the effects of the Iratus bug pass," Teyla replied.
"Now that's good news. I was going to bring John his book." Elizabeth shrugged.
"I'll give it to him, later." Teyla took the book. It was thick and worn. The title read
War and Peace.
"He brought it here to read. Everyone was only allowed to bring one personal item," Elizabeth explained in response to Teyla's questioning look. Teyla understood well; she had very few possessions. The Ancient lighter and a necklace were among her few personal possessions.
oOo
John started to stir sometime after Dr. Beckett had checked on him for the third time. The doctor had worn a slight expression of concern the last time he had come by, mumbling something about the venom being slow to be metabolised. Soon after that a nurse had come to take some blood. The process of piercing a person with a needle and taking blood made sense, but when Dr. Beckett had taken a blood sample for the first time, the sting of the needle had come unexpected.
John opened his eyes, roaming around the ceiling and finally settling upon Teyla.
"This is real, right?" he asked, the effect of the venom receded. He sounded almost like his usual self.
"What should this be?" Teyla asked in confusion.
"Okay, this is real." John laughed, and then winced in pain, holding up a hand to his neck. "Ouch, shouldn't have done that. How bad is it?"
"Dr. Beckett says you will be all right," Teyla replied. She was glad that her teammate was going to recover. He was an admirable warrior.
"That's good news. I still can't quite feel my legs." John's face darkened.
"Dr. Weir brought your book. Dr. Weir said you might want to have it." Teyla held the thick, worn copy of War and Peace that John had brought to Atlantis. "If you want I can to read from it." Teyla felt the well-thumbed pages with the strange letters cluttering the pages in neatly printed rows. The letters were oddly straight, not nearly as elegant as the Ancient lettering.
"Don't," John whispered and turned his head away.
Teyla only smiled. John Sheppard was a stubborn man, but she had met many stubborn warriors. She simply opened the book and read, her voice skipping over unfamiliar words. Soon John's breathing evened out.
TBC