Note: BIG THANKS to all of you reading and reviewing. You have that big, goofy grin plastered on my face again.

The Trouble with Crash Landings - Chapter 3

"Hey, you!" Rodney called to the nurse walking near where the team and Elizabeth waited for Sheppard to get out of surgery. "Amy, right?" he asked, recognizing her when she turned to face him.

"Yes, that's right Dr. McKay."

"I was wondering what's taking so long. Is something wrong?"

Amy smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm sure everything is fine. It really hasn't been that long."

Rodney shifted his weight nervously from one foot to the other and then back again. "He was in there less than an hour yesterday and it's been way longer than that already."

Amy nodded, her face remaining calm and undisturbed. "I know, but the colonel was only having a tube thora- . . . uh, a chest tube put in yesterday. That's a relatively simple procedure and doesn't take long to do. He's having surgery to find and stop the source of bleeding this time and that is a lot more invasive and complicated, so it stands to reason it will take longer."

Rodney let out a long breath, looking glumly at the floor. "Oh."

Amy smiled and patted Rodney on the arm. "You know Dr. Beckett will take excellent care of the colonel. He always does. I don't think it will be much longer, but I can check if you'd like."

Rodney looked back up at her, his expression hopeful. "You could do that?"

"I can get a rough estimate. Just give me a few minutes."

Rodney watched her walk across the room and through the doors at the other side. "She's going to find out how much longer," he told the others as he turned to face them. Three heads nodded silently, their expressions tense with worry.

Amy returned a few minutes later, addressing the four people waiting for news. "Dr. Beckett says he's found the source of the bleeding and just finished repairing it. He's just having a second look to make sure he didn't miss anything and then he'll be closing. It shouldn't be long now."

"Thank you, Amy," said Elizabeth.

"Yeah, thanks," echoed Rodney as he began pacing.

Elizabeth watched for a few minutes before getting up and moving to stand in the scientist's way. "Rodney, why don't we go get a cup of coffee?"

Rodney shook his head. "No, we can't leave. As soon as we get down the hall, Carson will get done and come out and we will have missed it."

"No, you heard Amy. Carson has to check for more causes of bleeding and then close John up. You know how careful he is as well as I do. We have time to walk to the mess hall and back and it will make the time pass faster. Come on." She hooked her arm around his and gently pulled him toward the door.

"Go," said Teyla. "If Dr. Beckett gets through before you return, we will radio you and have him wait."

Rodney raised his eyebrows. "Really? You'd do that?"

Teyla nodded. "Yes, we . . . promise."

Rodney frowned in concentration and then nodded. "All right, but you call me if he comes out and have Ronon pin him to the floor if necessary to keep him here."

Ronon grinned. "Cool. I can do that."

Elizabeth turned her head quickly to hide the smile spreading across her face. Composing herself, she once again tugged on Rodney's arm. "You coming?"

"Okay, okay, I'm coming. Really, Elizabeth, you don't have to throw yourself at me like this." Rodney pulled his arm away from a stunned expedition leader and marched out of the infirmary. Elizabeth just shook her head and followed him.

"These people are so odd," said Ronon, watching them leave and then shifting his gaze to Teyla.

Teyla sighed. "There are times that I would have to agree with you. But . . . they are good people. They are worthy of our friendship . . . of our trust."

Ronon looked at her silently for several moments before nodding. "I know."

"Psst! Is he out yet?"

Ronon and Teyla glanced at the door to see Rodney's head leaning around the edge of the door, eyes darting around the room.

"No!" They said simultaneously.

Rodney looked disappointed. "Oh."

Rodney and Elizabeth made it back to the infirmary a full ten minutes before Carson put in an appearance.

"I wasn't aware that Rodney could move that fast," Elizabeth whispered to Teyla as they waited for the doctor.

"I heard that," said Rodney sharply, turning to face them. "I can move as fast as the next person when there's a reason. I just don't see any point to hurrying when you don't need to."

Elizabeth smiled and opened her mouth to reply, but instead pointed across the room. "Carson."

Carson saw them coming and waved them back to their seats, taking one himself. "The surgery went well. He had a couple of damaged vessels that were continually leaking blood into the pleural cavity, but we've repaired all that. His recovery should move much faster now that we've stopped the bleeding. I'll need to give him another unit or so of blood to replace what he's lost, but I don't anticipate any problems."

Rodney snorted. "You do remember who you're talking about, right? You should always anticipate problems."

Carson chuckled. "Yes, I remember. Don't worry, Rodney, we'll be keeping a close eye on him. We'll have him settled in a bit and then you can look in on him. I'll be keeping him on the vent a little longer since we've had this setback, but he should be off it in a day or two."

"He's not going to like that," Ronon mumbled.

"No, probably not, but it's the best thing for him right now. We'll keep him properly under so he's not aware," explained Carson.

"Well, he's done it again. Gave us a scare, but still managed to come out all right," said Elizabeth.

Rodney nodded, frowning a bit. "I just had this discussion with him the other day and told him he was making us old and gray before our time with all this worry."

Elizabeth smiled a little and tilted her head to one side, curiosity in her expression. "What did he say to that?"

"He said he just did what he had to do to protect all of us, that it was who he was and it wasn't going to change. Basically, if you're going to be his friend then you just have to accept that."

"What did you tell him?" asked Teyla softly.

"I told him I didn't necessarily like it . . . but that I could live with that."

Ronon nodded his approval. "Then that's what we'll all do."

oOo

He wasn't sure who had used sandpaper on his throat, but they were in big trouble. Once he got past the fire in his throat, he slowly became aware of the slight tickle of nasal cannula, making him twitch in response.

"Hey, Carson, he's doing that nose crinkle thing again. I think he's waking up."

The loud voice seemed to echo in John's head and he wanted to tell the person to be quiet, but that wasn't happening just yet. The sounds faded and blurred for a while and then came back with increased clarity when he realized someone was touching him. Something cold pressed against his chest, making him draw a breath in a little too quickly. He began coughing, sending spasms of pain rolling through his side and chest. For a while it was just pain, a distinct lack of oxygen, and a jumble of sensations that made no sense. He didn't even have enough thought processes going to panic.

Eventually he was aware of the fact that the pain and need for air had gone, and that the scrambled sounds from before were beginning to clear up again.

"He's all right now, Rodney, he just got a bit choked. My fault really, I think I startled him with the stethoscope."

"You know that thing is a menace. What do you doctors do, put it in the refrigerator before you use it on people to see how high they jump? Some new and cruel reflex test you've developed?"

John heard Carson sigh and he wanted to smile. He tried to say hi as he worked on opening his eyes, but only a small groan escaped his lips.

"Ah, colonel, about time for you to wake up for us. Don't try to talk. We've had you on the ventilator for a bit and I know your throat is sore. I've got some ice chips on the way."

John drifted for a few moments, feeling almost like his mind was totally disconnected from his body. As long as he didn't move, the pain had abated to a tolerable level. The wonder of really good drugs.

"Colonel, I'm going to slip an ice chip in your mouth."

John had grown to appreciate the Scottish doctor knowing what he needed without him having to say it. Especially at times like this, when talking was not a favorable option. The ice slowly melted on his tongue, the cool liquid sliding down his throat, temporarily dousing the fire. He couldn't help the low moan that escaped.

"Your turn, colonel. Eyes open."

John would have sighed if he'd had the energy. Instead, he put all his effort into opening his eyes. It took several tries, but he finally managed to get his lids open. The blurry forms in front of him finally solidified into Rodney and Carson, both with big grins on their faces.

"Good job, colonel. Glad to have you back with us. Nod once if the pain level is tolerable. If not, I can adjust your medication a wee bit."

John gave a slight nod and hoped it was visible.

"Good. I imagine you're wanting to know what's happened. You developed a hemothorax from the injuries you received in the crash. That's where blood accumulates in the space around the lung, pressing on it and not leaving room to expand when you try to breathe. I've inserted a chest tube to drain the blood off and that seems to be working well. We also had to take you to surgery to stop the bleeding. That's why your chest is so sore. We had to put you on the vent for a few days to help you breathe, but you're doing quite well now. Just try to limit movement and talking for a day or two and you'll be fine."

John wanted to tell Carson he was crazy if he thought John capable of movement or talking, but settled for a small frown. He watched Carson check the monitors and his IV before turning back to his patient.

"Everything looks good, colonel. There are some other people who want to say hello, so I'll get out of the way." Carson looked up at Rodney, still standing on the other side of the bed. "Let me know if he needs something and don't tire him out. He still needs a lot of rest."

Carson moved out of John's line of sight and was promptly replaced by Teyla, with Ronon standing behind her. Apparently his whole team had been sitting here waiting for him to wake up. He smiled, trying to breathe through the sudden flood of emotions.

Teyla reached out to grip his hand. "Welcome back, John. We are happy to see that you are getting better."

John gave a small nod, wishing he dared talk. Swallowing was proving such a painful chore that he decided he'd forgo that as long as possible.

Teyla picked up a cup on the table beside the bed. "Dr. Beckett said we could give you ice chips. Would you like another one?"

John smiled and Teyla returned it, slipping one of the frozen marvels between his lips. John closed his eyes and savored the liquid cold it produced. He probably wouldn't agree tomorrow, but at this very moment in time, he thought the relief from the ice was probably better than sex.

oOo

John watched Rodney walk across the infirmary as he took last bite of the casserole of the day from his tray. Elizabeth had obviously seen him too, because she paused in her briefing on what had been going on in Atlantis for the last week and a half.

"Hey, Rodney," said John, grinning.

"Hey yourself, colonel. You look happy today. Something good for lunch?" Rodney's eyes widened as he stopped next to the bed and he reached for the cup of chocolate pudding on John's tray. "Chocolate!"

John promptly slapped his hand, resulting in Rodney jerking it back. "Ow!"

"That is my chocolate pudding, so keep out." John grabbed the small bowl and pulled it closer to him, covering it protectively with his other hand.

"Whatever happened to sharing with your teammate and best friend?" asked Rodney, mock hurt in his voice and expression.

"I'll share something else."

"But I want some of the pudding. I did sit faithfully at your bedside while you fought for your life, you know."

"I wasn't hurt that bad, McKay." John continued to cover his pudding, trying to ignore the sad look on his friend's face.

"Fine, eat your pudding. I wouldn't want to cause a relapse or anything. I'd just like to know how you got chocolate. I was there early and all they had was vanilla."

John grinned. "They like me."

"Apparently," Rodney grumbled. "Now, back to my original question. Why are you so happy?"

John dipped his spoon into the pudding and then slipped it into his mouth, making groaning noises as he slurped up the soft chocolate.

Rodney scowled as he crossed his arms. "That's just uncalled for."

John removed the empty spoon and set it on the table, handing the still full dish to Rodney. "You can have it, I was just pulling your leg."

Rodney's eyes widened. "Really? Oh wait, you're going to pull it back at the last minute and make me look stupid, aren't you?"

John laughed. "No, I'm not. You can have it."

"Sometimes I wonder if I've wandered out of Atlantis and into some kind of child daycare center," said Elizabeth.

Rodney took the pudding and the spoon Sheppard offered. He stood looking at the spoon for a few seconds before setting the pudding down and dipping the spoon in Sheppard's water glass. He then wiped it off on the napkin and dipped it in the pudding. "So, why so nice that you give me your pudding?"

"Carson's springing me this afternoon. All my tubes and wires are finally gone and I'm getting around pretty good, as long as I move slowly."

Rodney swallowed a spoonful of pudding. "Are you sure you'll be all right staying by yourself?"

John nodded. "I'll be fine. I'll be taking it easy for a while. I think I can manage going to the bathroom by myself and sitting around reading and watching videos."

"We could come check on you often and bring you meals."

"I think that would be nice," said Elizabeth.

"You guys aren't going to baby me to death, are you?"

Rodney grinned as he scraped the bottom of the bowl for the last bite of pudding. "I'd say the statistical probability of that is pretty high."

"Great," John said sarcastically, but the grin on his face told them he wasn't bothered by the prospect at all.

oOo

John moved the stick in his right hand over his head while bringing his left hand down beside his leg, Teyla's moves mirroring his own as she worked out to his left. His side burned with the motion, but not so much he couldn't stretch through it. They spun around and brought their left hand up in a defensive motion, followed by a strike with the right hand. Sweat was beginning to run down the side of his face and his underused muscles were beginning to tremble.

"I still say we could have just sparred. Carson released me to full duty this morning."

"Shh. Be quiet and concentrate," Teyla scolded.

They continued going through the carefully choreographed motions for another ten minutes before reaching the end and bowing to one another. John's legs felt like wobbly Jell-o as they walked to the bench and drank from their water bottles. Reaching down, he grabbed the small towel lying across his bag and wiped his face, his breathing a lot more labored than he would have liked. He might be back on duty, but he still had a ways to go before he was back to full strength.

"You are doing well, but you must learn to focus on the motions. You are too easily distracted."

John smiled. "I guess that's why you can still kick my butt."

Teyla allowed a slight quiver to the right side of her mouth. "I kick your butt because you do not focus and you do not practice. When you take your training seriously, your skill level will increase accordingly."

"Ouch! Okay, guess I deserved that, for the most part. I still say that no matter how much I practice or how much I focus, I'll still never beat you, at least not in a fair fight."

Teyla smiled. "Flattery will get you nowhere."

John's eyes widened and then quickly narrowed. 'You've been hanging around Cadman, haven't you?"

Teyla gave a small nod. "I have."

"Well, don't listen to anything she has to say."

Teyla grinned and arched one brow. "She has some very interesting insights into . . . certain things."

"Care to elaborate?"

"No, I do not."

John sighed and shook his head. "That's what I was afraid of. I'd have a talk with her if I didn't think it would make things worse. Just try to remember . . . it's Cadman."

Teyla nodded, still smiling. "I will remember."

John looked uncertain, but gave a quick nod anyway. "Hey, I hear Jamus's people are doing well."

"Yes, they are. Major Lorne reports that rebuilding efforts are going well. It is good that you were able to save them."

"Yeah, I just didn't enjoy his idea of motivation. I'm glad it worked out okay though."

Teyla moved to stand in front of him, placing her hand on his shoulders. She leaned forward and he responded by touching his forehead to hers. When they separated, he stood looking at her. "What was that for?"

"Just my way of saying that I am glad you have recovered. I was worried about you for a while. I wish you had told someone that you were injured."

John shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't know. I just thought I was bruised and sore until I couldn't breathe. By then, I guess I was too far gone and couldn't make it to the infirmary."

Teyla seemed to accept this and nodded. "I am just glad that you are all right. And . . . thank you."

John smiled. "No problem. You need to work on the whole not getting taken hostage thing though."

Teyla crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes dangerously. "I think next time we will spar."

John winced. "One of these days, I might learn to keep my big mouth shut."

Teyla smiled as she turned around to collect her things. "I doubt it," she said softly.

THE END

Yes, that is really the end. Surprised? I decided not to dwell – other fish to fry, other stories to write. Thanks again for being so supportive. You guys truly spoil me – and I LOVE it!