Elizabeth stood anxiously waiting for jumper one to return from their trip to the Athosian settlement. Ronon paced nearby as well, and Biro with her medic team also stood nearby. John had told them it wasn't necessary, but all of Atlantis held its breath anyway.
The jumper landed and out stumbled John under his precious load, Rodney sticking by his side, and staring up at the bundle in John's arms.
Elizabeth and Ronon ran up, but Biro shoved through and started asking Carson questions. The little lad's ears buzzed with the noise and excitement and his little nerves were worked up again. With a little whimper he grabbed his arm back from a medic who was checking it and promptly burst into tears.
John started to tell him everything was all right when a very defensive six-year-old hollered, "Get away from him you voodoo doctors! You hurt him!" and launching himself at the nearest medic, Rodney began to punch and kick out at the man in a move he must have learned from Casta on the children's world.
Ronon smiled in a proud way as Rodney continued to yell, "YOU DON"T HURT MY FRIENDS, you sad excuses for scientists!"
Elizabeth glared at Ronon's lack of protection toward the unlucky medics and with a shrug Ronon knelt down to the boy and said, "They're gonna help him. Let's go." Rodney blinked at the big man in undisguised disgust before taking hold of his hand and leaving the jumper bay.
A still weeping Carson was carried to the infirmary by John with an increasingly wet jacket. Once there he squealed in terror as John tried to place him on a bed.
John pried the boy off of him saying, "Hey, Buddy, I'm right here. They just wanta help. Remember Biro? Let's let her see your scratch, 'kay?"
Carson's eyes were practically flaming and he grabbed a pillow and hurled it at the same unlucky medic who had been attacked by Rodney out of pure defiance. Elizabeth looked straight into his eyes.
" Carson , the sooner you stop, the sooner you'll get out of here. Now earlier you said you'd be good in the infirmary."
The boy glared back for a moment before his face melted and he cried out, "Ah want Rahnee!" and began to sob again.
John and Elizabeth looked at each other and without speaking came to an agreement … Elizabeth turned to Teyla, who had just walked in and said, "Teyla, find Rodney and Ronon and let them come back."
Teyla nodded and left again.
Within moments Rodney ran back into the infirmary and straight to Carson's cot with a, "Don't cry, Carson , they aren't gonna hurt you. If they do I'll beat 'em up!"
Ronon smiled at Rodney's words as he too strode into the infirmary followed by Teyla.
The entire time that Biro stitched up the cut in Carson 's arm, Rodney sat right beside him, growling at the medics every time Carson so much as winced. Soon Carson was patched up.
Biro looked around the room. "It is my thought that these boys have had a long day and need a bath and an early bedtime."
A chorus of two loud childish 'NO!'s erupted at this statement. The adults shared amused smiles that made the children mad. Carson muttered, "Is not fuhnny," and Rodney glared.
"Anyway," Biro continued, "Since I'm sure that you gentlemen," she nodded toward John and Ronon, "Are not proficient at giving baths, I would be happy to clean them up for you tonight. I'll have them ready for you in about twenty minutes." She nodded to the gathered crowd, and then led the boys to the infirmary bathroom with its large tub.
In a matter of moments the boys had been plopped into the tub together with hair rubbed and sticking up straight with shampoo. The entire time Carson babbled, the fear from his earlier experience completely drained away.
"Ah'm a migwating whale, Rahnee! Ah'm making you see fuhnny tings!"
Rodney was not in the mood for talking and grunted in response until Carson spat water in his face.
"See? Dat's mah spout!" he exclaimed proudly.
Rodney shouted, "That's not a spout, you idiot! That's your mouth, and stop …Right … NOW!"
Biro interrupted them both by pouring water over their heads to wash away the shampoo. Rodney huffed and Carson squealed in delight at the water that was everywhere around him.
Then Biro snatched Carson out of the water and bundled him into a pair of blue fleece train pajamas. They were complete with a zipper up the front and feet in the bottom. She set Carson down on a chair nearby and then prepared Rodney for bed in a similar pair of pajamas, except these were blue with the superman logo on them. To Biro's surprise, Rodney actually seemed to like them.
Turning back around, expecting to find a still awake and bouncy toddler, Biro was surprised to find Carson, fast asleep.
Picking him up and motioning Rodney to follow her, Biro reentered the infirmary to find John, Ronon, Teyla, and Elizabeth waiting on the infirmary cots. Handing the now slightly awake Carson to Ronon and leading Rodney over to John she whispered, "Now take them to bed, but bring them back in the morning for a check-up."
The men nodded, and with a tenderness hardly ever displayed, Ronon lifted Carson in his arms and up onto his shoulder. Carson snuggled closer to Ronon, and Ronon smiled, not noticing the questioning stares from his friends.
Ronon headed for the doors and carried his bundle toward his quarters for a night of well-deserved sleep.
AAAWWW. Ronon's a great daddy-type-guy, isn't he? Trust me, people. My friend is VERY busy and it's a miracle she got this much done. She promises to keep going and not start any more stories until this one is finished, but as I said…BUSY! We both hope you like this because we both still love the outright adorableness of it all. It's fun to write and proofread. So, please, if you want more, review! Trust me, all of the reviews and "fan encouragement" we got for this last chapter really helped her get motivated to spend her little free time writing more. Thanks so much for all the support we've received so far! Please continue to read and review and we hope you continue to like it!
--DPSG1