Note: Unfortunately, I have caught up with myself. The beginning of school cramped my writing time even more than I anticipated, so chapter 9 may take a couple of days to get up. Sorry – bad planning on my part. And if I manage to get time to type, I'm afraid my brain is cluttered with scenes from Common Ground and possible tags demanding to be written. I will try to hurry as much as possible though. Thanks for your wonderful support!

The Bad Luck Charm – Chapter 8

John looked around his quarters, trying to determine if he had everything. He was fully aware that he could be gone for a while and the thought made him very uncomfortable. He'd told Ronon he wasn't running, but now he felt like that was a lie, that he was running.

Atlantis was his home, but it didn't feel like home any more. The soft hum he'd become accustomed to had slowly changed into a grating static over the last few days. He was no longer in sync with Atlantis and that left him feeling alone and abandoned, even more so than when he'd been trapped in the time dilation field. It was almost like a limb had rejected the rest of his body.

"Sheppard, are you ready yet, because I'm almost to your quarters?" McKay's voice came across the radio, startling him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, Rodney, I'm on my way out now." John adjusted his sling and grabbed his bag with his good hand, heading out to the corridor. The door slid open, revealing Rodney approaching from the hall, lifting a finger as if to say something.

McKay opened his mouth to tell Sheppard to hurry and watched in shock as the door closed just as the man reached it. He heard the thump as the colonel undoubted collided with the structure.

"Sheppard?" Rodney rushed over to the door and opened it to reveal Sheppard sitting dazed in the floor, his left hand holding his head. He kneeled beside the pilot, unsure of what to do. "Are you okay? Should I call Carson?"

John continued to press the area around the bandage on his head. "No, I'm okay. Just give me a second."

Rodney was a little surprised at the sad quality of his voice. He'd been expecting anger, but Sheppard almost sounded mournful. Rodney hesitated, then moved his hand to Sheppard's shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay?"

John dropped his hand and looked up at Rodney. "I don't think she wants me here any more," he said softly. His eyes were a little too shiny and he looked almost like a lost child.

"Wh . . . who?" asked Rodney, not sure what Sheppard was talking about. He was afraid the man had taken one too many knocks to the head lately and his hand was already feeling for the radio button to call Carson.

John looked down at the floor. "Atlantis."

Rodney dropped his hand as understanding flooded him. "Oh. It's just this chemical thing messing with the Ancient gene. Once it works its way out of your system, everything will go back to normal."

John looked back up at Rodney, his eyes pleading. "Do you know that for sure?"

"Of course." He looked at John for a second. "Well, I think it will. Oh, okay, I have no idea, but I'm still sure it will all be fine."

John began getting to his feet and McKay latched onto his good arm and helped him. After several seconds of swaying, he pushed Rodney's hand away. "Okay, I've got it. What happened to that eternally pessimistic attitude anyway?"

Rodney looked offended. "I'm not a pessimist, I'm a realist. There's a difference. Just for that, you can carry your own bag, broken arm or not."

"Fine, I'm perfectly capable of carrying my own bag anyway."

John struggled to pick up the bag he normally would not have had any trouble with, a testament to how weak he'd become over the last few days. Rodney watched for several seconds before jerking it out of his hand. "Oh, give that to me, you stubborn idiot. Why can't you ever just ask for help?"

"It's not in my nature," answered John as they walked down the hall.

"Well, maybe it's time to change your nature," Rodney responded.

oOo

John sat on the bench in the back of the jumper and Carson sat down across from him. Ronon and Teyla took seats in the front, behind Lt. Bond.

"Doc, you don't have to baby sit me, I won't break." The hovering was beginning to wear on John's nerves.

"Rodney told me about your little mishap with the door, so it won't hurt for me to keep an eye on you. I want a look at your head wound when we get to the mainland."

John sighed. "Tattletale."

Carson's mouth turned up at the edges. "Aye, that he is, but he's genuinely worried about you. You should be flattered, colonel. It's an odd thing when Rodney worries about someone besides himself."

John smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I know. Rodney's okay. He's just . . . annoying sometimes."

Carson nodded and sighed as well. "Yes, there is that."

"Everyone loaded and ready?" inquired Lt. Bond from the pilot's chair.

"We're all ready," answered Beckett before Sheppard could respond. It grated on his nerves how not in control he was. His right arm useless and in a sling, his head all bandaged and aching, and the rest of him still covered with rashes, welts, and bruises. Put all that together and he felt totally helpless. Helpless and ousted from his home by the city that he loved. How could it get any worse?

John was vaguely aware of the back hatch closing and Lt. Bond talking with the control room. Several seconds later, the jumper began to lift toward the opening in the ceiling of the jumper bay. It seemed to hover several feet off the ground before lurching to one side and then dropping heavily to the ground.

The sudden drop caused everyone to shift violently in their seat, with Beckett and Sheppard being dumped unceremoniously in the floor. Beckett sat up and shook his head, clearing the cobwebs from his thoughts. "Is everyone all right?"

He heard a chorus of "Yes," from the front of the jumper and a quick look confirmed that everyone was still in their seat and moving around. He looked over to find Sheppard pulling himself up to a sitting position with his back against the bench. Beckett moved over to sit beside Sheppard.

"Colonel, are you all right?'

John just leaned over and put his face in his good hand. "Well, crap."

oOo

Elizabeth walked up the open hatch and stood watching Beckett tape the fresh bandage on John's forehead. "Lt. Bond said to tell you they've checked Jumper Three with a fine toothed comb and it's ready to transport you to the mainland. I'll have Rodney take a look at Jumper Two and see if he can figure out what went wrong."

John looked forlornly at Elizabeth as Beckett packed away his materials. "I know what went wrong. Me. Whatever this is . . . it's screwing with the Ancient gene. Atlantis sounds different to me now, like the connection is messed up and filled with static. I'm not sure another jumper will work if I'm in it."

"Well, Lt. Bond is ready to try." She walked over to put her hand on his shoulder. "If it's getting as bad as you say, we need to get you out of here."

John frowned as he looked up at her. "What if I can't come back?"

Elizabeth was taken aback and stood silently for several seconds. "Why would you even ask that? Of course you'll be able to come back. Where's all that optimism you usually have? Rodney will figure this out and you'll be back in no time."

John smiled, but no one believed for a moment it was genuine. "Yeah, you're right. I guess I was just having a pity moment. I'll be fine."

Elizabeth turned to Beckett, but he just shrugged as he met her gaze. He had no idea what to say. He had no idea when this would be over. John got up and walked silently past them, heading for the other jumper.

"Watch him for me," Elizabeth said softly, watching her second in command walk slowly away from her, his head bowed and his gait pained. "I'm worried about him."

Carson gave her a comforting pat on the back. "We'll take care of him, but tell Rodney to hurry every chance he gets. I think this is beginning to take an emotional toll that may be hard to fix."

A few minutes later, they had everything transferred to Jumper Three and the passengers once again settled. As the jumper began to rise, everyone was tense, expecting a disaster of some kind. But much to their pleased surprise, the ship lifted effortlessly into the sky and began its journey to the mainland. Elizabeth could almost swear there was a collective sigh of relief as the jumper cleared the opening in the ceiling. Now she just had to wait to hear they had arrived safely.

oOo

The jumper made it to the mainland without any more problems. As the back hatch lowered, Sheppard tried not to dwell on the fact that Atlantis had practically kicked him out. He was tired and hurting and he just wanted to curl up somewhere alone. So naturally there was a welcoming party of Athosians to greet them. John took a deep breath and tried to plaster at least a small smile on his face. The smile faded when he stepped out into the sunlight and heard the collective gasp. He'd forgotten about his blotchy and bruised appearance. They probably thought he'd brought the plague or something. This would be a good time for the world to open and swallow him up, he thought with despair, before thinking that with his luck, that would probably happen.

"Colonel Sheppard, it is good to see you." He knew it was Halling even before the man stepped forward. Halling could always be counted on, no matter what the circumstances.

"Halling. Thanks for giving me a place to stay until we get this mess sorted out." He didn't have to fake the gratitude. It was very real.

Halling gave a slight bow. "We are honored to be able to help. I believe Teyla is staying with Sani and we have set up a large dwelling tent for you and your team. Come and I will show you."

Halling led the way as they followed along, several of the Athosians offering greetings and support as they walked. John was feeling weak and useless again as Ronon had insisted on carrying his bag, leaving him the only one that was empty handed. He was aware that his feet were dragging and he was tiring quickly. They reached a large tent several minutes later and Halling held the door open so they could enter. It was spacious, with three cots made up and spaced far enough apart as to give each man a bit of privacy. John was impressed.

"This is great, Halling. I hope we aren't putting anyone out by being here."

"Of course not, colonel. We try to have one or two dwellings for visitors, even though we don't travel through the gate much any more. We still periodically get visits from your people in Atlantis and we like to be prepared. The noon meal will be served shortly, but you have time to rest if you'd like." Halling hadn't missed the lines of pain and exhaustion set in the colonel's face.

John smiled and nodded. "I just might take you up on that."

"I'd suggest you do just that," added Carson. "In fact, I insist."

Teyla, who had followed them in, walked over to Sheppard and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I will leave you to rest and see you at the noon meal." She bowed her head forward and John followed suit, touching their foreheads together. As she left, the others echoed the command for John to rest before leaving right behind her. John stood alone in the tent for several minutes, waiting for some calamity to strike. When nothing happened, he tentatively laid down on one of the cots. Hot, he lay on top of the blankets and shifted restlessly for several minutes before he was able to relax enough to go to sleep.

oOo

John sat in the Athosian made chair in front of the fire, enjoying the fact that he had made it to nightfall without any more disasters. He had been cold once again and so had moved the chair closer to the warm flames. He had no idea about the construction of the strange looking piece of furniture, but it was the most comfortable chair he remembered sitting in. It felt almost like a hammock and it hadn't taken long for him to relax back into it.

He watched his friends, sitting around the fire talking and laughing. Carson was talking to Teyla, and Ronon was talking to Halling. Bits and pieces of the conversations drifted over to him, but mostly he just enjoyed listening to their voices. He suddenly realized he was smiling and had let his head lean back to rest against the back of the chair. He was finally relaxed. He'd been tense the first few hours, waiting and wondering what disaster would befall him next. As the day wore on and nothing bad happened, he'd finally begun to let go. Their words blurred together until all he heard was the comforting familiarity of their tones and genuineness of their laughter.

"John?"

John opened his eyes and pulled his head upright. Looking around, he saw the fire had gone out and someone had spread a blanket over him. "I guess I dozed off," he said sleepily just before yawning.

Teyla smiled and nodded. "Yes, some time ago. We thought it best to let you sleep for a while, but now it is time to go to bed."

"I'm coming," he said. The problem with the most comfortable chair in the galaxy was getting out of it with one arm. The chair was deep and soft and he couldn't seem to get any leverage.

Ronon's hand suddenly appeared in front of him as he struggled to find a good place to hold and push up. He hesitated a second, looking up at the former runner. Ronon just nodded down to his hand, his expression relaxed and open. John accepted the help and Ronon pulled him up and out of the chair, not letting go until John had his legs securely under him.

"Thanks," he said simply, slightly embarrassed by his weakness.

"There's no shame in accepting help, Sheppard."

John looked up at Ronon, studying his face. "Tell me that again when you're the one being helped."

Ronon snorted and shook his head. "You already helped me, remember. I'm no longer a runner and I have a place to live because of you."

John looked down at the ground as they walked to the tent. "That wasn't me. Beckett removed the transmitter and Elizabeth okayed you staying in Atlantis and being on my team."

Ronon stopped and turned to face the pilot. "But you made it happen. Like it or not, Sheppard, you helped me." Ronon paused and then turned away, almost hiding the next comment as he pushed into the tent. "You helped me more than you'll ever know."

oOo

His eyes opened and he lay looking at the ceiling of the tent for a minute before he figured out where he was. As his hearing decided to join his sight in the land of awareness, he realized he could hear snoring. Lifting his head a couple of inches, he could just barely make out Carson and Ronon on their cots in the gray light of early morning. Letting his head drop back down to the pillow, he pulled the blanket up closer to his neck with this good hand. Normally he would have been up by now, but there was no point today. He couldn't run and Carson had forbid him doing any kind of work. Even Ronon seemed to be sleeping in this morning. He had to admit, just lying in bed with no expectations for the day had a certain appeal to it.

When he opened his eyes again, the tent was filled with the brighter light of a full morning. He hadn't even been aware he was dropping back off. He craned his neck to the side to find the other cots empty. He was still in no hurry to get up and he wondered if he should be worried about his apathy. Sound from outside the tent, accompanied by familiar voices, told him his teammates were just beyond the door. Part of him wanted to join them and part of him was enjoying the quiet lethargy of staying put. He huddled under the blanket as another chill passed through him. Stupid bad luck charm.

The door opened and Carson eased in quietly.

"It's okay, Doc, I'm awake. Just laying here being lazy for a minute longer."

Beckett smiled and nodded. "Quite alright, colonel. You're entitled to some rest after the week you've had, but we were getting a might worried. It's not like you to sleep this late."

John pushed himself up and swung his legs over the side of the cot, shivering in the cool morning air. "Yeah, I know. I was just . . . tired. Please tell me we have coffee."

"Aye, I made sure we brought some. Come join us and I'll get you some breakfast as well."

"Okay, be there in a few minutes." When Carson left, John got dressed, which was an adventure all its own. Funny how you never realized you really needed both hands to get dressed until you only had one.

"Colonel, do you need some help?" Beckett stuck his head in the tent.

"No . . . I got it." He'd brought his running shoes thinking they'd be more comfortable, but he was having problems trying the laces. He struggled for several more tries before giving up and walking out of the tent.

"I put your coffee and breakfast on the table," said Beckett, looking down at the untied laces. "Stop."

John froze and looked around expectantly. "What's wrong, Doc?"

Beckett kneeled and tied Sheppard's laces. "The way you're luck is going, you'll trip over these and break your neck."

John was a bit embarrassed to have someone tying his shoes for him, but he had to agree with the probability of breaking his neck and he figured he had enough broken bones to last a while. "Thanks, Carson. I don't think I could handle any more broken bones."

Carson stood and nodded. "Aye, me either. You're wearing me out son."

John snickered as he sat down at the table under the trees to a plate of fruit and some kind of rolls. "Just making you earn your keep, doc. Don't want you to get lazy on us."

Beckett snorted. "Not much danger of that. I need to give you a check after you've eaten, so don't run off."

John stopped chewing and looked up at Beckett. "Like I could run anywhere. Get real, Carson." John smiled as he looked back down at his plate. He'd slept well last night and he was beginning to really relax. They had been here almost twenty-four hours and nothing bad had happened to him. Maybe getting out of Atlantis until McKay figured the whole thing out had been the answer. He had to admit, now that he was beginning to feel safe, he was enjoying the down time.

"Colonel Sheppard! Colonel Sheppard!"

John looked up to see Jinto running toward the table and instinctively tensed for an impact. The boy, however, managed to stop himself in time and only bumped the edge of the table, sloshing some of John's coffee over the side of the cup.

"Hey, Jinto, how have you been?" John asked, grinning at the youngster's enthusiasm.

"Hi, Colonel Sheppard. I heard you broke your arm. That's so cool! Did you do it fighting the Wraith . . . or maybe the Genii?" His face was bright and his eyes wide, waiting for some story of heroic actions that had left John injured.

John sighed, but decided to be truthful. "Well, actually, uh, I kind of got knocked down some stairs." He quickly glanced down at his coffee and began mopping up the spillage so he'd miss the look of disappointment that he knew filled the boy's face.

"You fell down stairs?"

Yeah, the disappointment was in his voice as well, making John cringe inwardly. He'd always been slightly embarrassed, but very flattered at the obvious case of hero worship that Jinto had for him. He guessed that was over now. Hard to be impressed by someone who breaks bones falling down a set of stairs.

"He only fell down the stairs because one of the people on a planet we visited put a curse on him because he has the gene of the Ancestors," explained Teyla. "The colonel has had many bad things happen to him because of this and he is here to get some rest." John smiled as Teyla winked at him.

Jinto's eyes widened so much that John thought they might pop out. "Wow, really? A curse? That's so cool."

John snorted. "Cool is not the word I would use to describe it. Painful, maybe. Annoying, definitely."

"Wait til I tell the others!" Jinto turned around and took about two running steps before he skidded to a stop and twisted back to face John. "Hey, I almost forgot. I have something I want to show you, but we have to walk a ways to get there. Will you go?"

John looked up at Carson, who shook his head. "Not this morning, colonel. Let me see how you're doing after lunch and if it's not too far, you might be able to go."

"I have to get at least a little exercise or I'll get fat and lazy," commented John.

"I thought you were already lazy," said Ronon.

"Okay, I'll get fat and even lazier," corrected John. "Remember Carson, exercise is good for you."

Carson grinned. "We'll see, colonel. I'll not be compromising your recovery because you're getting bored."

John looked at Jinto and shrugged his shoulders. "Come back after lunch and I'll talk him into it."

"Okay!" yelled the boy as he sprinted off.

Carson crossed his arms and tried to glare at John. "Talk me into it, huh? We'll just see about that."

oOo

John did talk Carson into letting him go, but only be being the model patient. He ate his breakfast, sat patiently during Carson's exam, and even took a nap after lunch. Carson had been so pleased that nothing else had gone wrong and that Sheppard had relaxed enough that his blood pressure was back to normal that he had let the pilot go on Jinto's walk. John had tried not to be obvious that the temperature issues were still there. He was getting used to always being too hot or too cold.

He'd talked to Elizabeth and Rodney after lunch. Rodney was no closer to discovering the cause of this mess, so he wouldn't be going home any time soon. He'd tried not to let that depress him, but he couldn't help but feel the biting disappointment. The walk with Jinto was a nice distraction and he wondered if that was part of the reason Carson had let him go.

"Jinto, how much farther?" asked John. They had been walking almost an hour and he was starting to tire.

"We're almost there, but we have to be very quiet now," Jinto whispered.

John followed the boy as he crept carefully up a small hill and eased himself down to his stomach so he could peek over the edge. John ended up lying more on his side to protect his broken arm. They were surrounded by trees, but the field they were looking down on was mostly tall grasses and wildflowers. He scanned the open meadow until he saw movement at the far end. As they watched, a heard of animals that looked like a cross between deer and moose came wandering out, grazing as they went. They were large and dark brown, with horns that were flattened at the base, but more cylindrical at the ends. Several small young ones ran around their parents, butting each other and playing. John and Jinto lay there watching quietly for quite a while before Sheppard's radio came to life, scaring the herd into running back into the forest.

"Colonel Sheppard, this is Dr. Beckett. Where are you?"

John smiled and rolled over on his back. "Leave it to the Doc," he muttered as he reached for his radio button. "I'm fine, Carson. We were watching a herd of deer until you scared them off."

"Sorry about that, colonel, but I think you've had enough exercise for one day."

John grinned. "Okay, Doc, we're on our way back. Give us about an hour before you panic."

"You have one hour and then I'm coming after you. Neither one of us wants that. Beckett out."

John turned his head to look at Jinto, who was also now lying on his back. "Thanks, Jinto, that was great. Do you guys have a name for them?"

"We call them calani. I knew you would like them. We hunt them sometimes for food, when we need the meat, but I like to watch them."

"Yeah, they're really neat. I guess we better get back before Carson comes after me."

Jinto looked at Sheppard. "You are not afraid of the doctor, are you?"

John laughed. "No, of course not. I've just learned that sometimes it makes life easier if you let him get his way and think you're afraid of him."

Jinto laughed. "Yes, I know what you mean. I do that with my father sometimes."

They laughed as they got to their feet and began walking back down the hill. John couldn't help but think that this felt good, to laugh and not be afraid. He was suddenly really glad they had come to the mainland. He still wanted to go back to Atlantis, to his lady, but for now he was content to just relax and not worry. They walked for several minutes until they came to a clearing.

"Do the calani ever graze in this field?" asked John, thinking this would be a little closer to the Athosian village.

"No, I have never seen them here or found their sign. My father and I have wondered why they do not feed here, since there is a lot of good food for them here."

"That is weird," said John as they reached the middle of the open area. A low rumble caught his attention and he glanced worriedly at Jinto. "What was that?" They had stopped and were both scanning the surrounding area for any sign of trouble.

"I don't know. I have never heard that sound before."

The rumble came back and with it, the ground began to shake violently, throwing them both down. John was trying to keep an eye on Jinto in case he needed help, but as he tried to make his way closer to the boy, there was an explosion of dirt and grass in his face and he felt himself falling.

TBC