A.N.- So, after spending 17 hours in two days working on a paper about multiple dog and cat health diseases, the plot bunnies died but I'll resuscitate them and finish the story. I promise. Even with all my hard work I still don't own it. sorry.
Trouble: chapter twelve
Several more days passed, with John gaining strength and control over his legs once more. The doctors still didn't want him moving but he was growing anxious to get up and do something. Lorne and Carter had informed him that Sora had been sent to Earth on the Daedalus for the I.O.A. to figure out what to do with her. That was fine with Sheppard. As long as she was far away from himself and Atlantis he was happy. The many days in bed, unmoving, were taking their toll on his sleep patterns. Though he slept more than he normally would, his body insisted on it to heal, it did not distinguish between day and night, demanding sleep at all hours. So here he was, wide awake at three in the morning. Rodney was asleep in the chair next to him, his neck craned back and snoring softly. Shadows hung in the corners of the infirmary, the sole light coming from the small lamp on the night's nurses desk. She was young, having only been on Atlantis a few months. Her light brown hair pulled back and small glasses sitting on the bridge of her nose. She seemed to feel John's stare and looked up from the book she was reading. Seeing him awake, she bookmarked her place and walked over to him.
"Colonel, is something wrong? Are you pain?" She asked soothly, not wishing to rouse any of the other inhabitants of the infirmary.
"No, I'm good. Just can't sleep, is all."
"Alright, just call if you need me." She placed a hand on his shoulder before walking back over to her previous seat.
Once she had seated herself and her attention was back on the book, John allowed his shoulders to sag and he looked down at his hands, picking the fuzz of the blanket without thought. People had come to see him daily. Ronon and Rodney never leaving him alone and Lorne stopping in between meetings and such. Even Colonel Carter had been in at least every other day as he recovered but Teyla had yet to show her face. Hurt and betrayal swirled in his gut. She had always been there before when he was hurt, often the first face he saw when he woke safe in Atlantis once again. He told himself that this was the same as any other time he had been captured or hurt so why had see never came by this time. He told himself that but he knew that it was really different than every other time, even the event with Kolya. Sora had wanted her. He had been captured to get to her. He had gone through the pain meant for her, ordering her not to give in. She had to protect her baby and even if she wasn't pregnant he would have never allowed her to give herself up. He had survived, living through it to come back but she still never came. He had gone through this because of her, for her, but she never even appeared to ensure that she was safe and the baby was safe. Sorrow and Bitterness settled in his gut and he slowly sunk down further into his pillow. Atlantis sensed the turmoil inside of the man and reached out to him, taking his mind into hers for a little while and allowing him to explore through her memories of the past Ancients and their lives.
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Unknown to John, another person was awake in the infirmary besides him and the nurse. Teyla Emmagan stood in the dark doorway, hidden from the light. She watched as the man that she owed so much to, lost himself in his thoughts, a frown creasing his brow. Guilt surrounded her, feeling as if it was pressing in around her like the dark shadows of the night. Her actions had brought this upon him. If she had just done something, anything to help him. She should have gone back for Tyrus, Sora's father. Should have saved him from the wraith. Or she should have just left the wraith's prisoner, left him in his cocoon. Teyla found herself shaking her head slightly at her thoughts. She couldn't have left another human to die, not when she would have been able to help. Irrational anger welled inside her. She didn't know why she had to be like that, why did she value the lives of people she didn't even know. That trait was what got John into this state in the first place. She hadn't known the man in the cocoon, he could have died and it wouldn't have effected her life. He had died and her life had been no different. Teyla wrapped her arms tighter around herself as she watched John fidget in the infirmary bed. She hadn't saved the man but neither had she saved Tyrus, that decision ultimately leading here. He had been stunned, the wraith practically standing above him before she had a chance to turn around.
"Teyla?" A soft whisper cut through the darkness, causing her jump, but only slightly. She spun around to come face to face with Major Lorne.
"Evan. You startled me." She replied in equally as quiet a whisper, attempting to catch the breath she had lost.
"Why don't you talk to him?" He asked, nodding towards the once again sleeping Colonel. "He's been asking about you. He wants to talk to you, you know."
Evan took her hand in his, brushing a loose strand of her hair behind her ear with his other.
"I..I can't, Evan. H-He won't want to see me. Not really." She mumbled, looking down at her feet. In truth, she was afraid John would blame her for what happened. She blamed herself so why shouldn't he blame her too.
"Why would he be asking for you if he didn't want to see you?" He asked, softly, understanding her logic had been a little flawed over the passed few weeks. Mainly due to stress but the doc had said the pregnancy was sending her hormones for a roller coaster ride, as Keller had put it.
"I, I don't know. I just can't see him, not right now." Teyla moaned, quickly wiping away the tears in her eyes and pushing her face into the man's shoulder.
The Major wrapped his arm across her shoulder. "Come on, let's get you back to your room. You need sleep." They walked down the darkened corridor together, Teyla leaning into Evan for support.
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Sheppard was trying his hardest to concentrate on the mission reports in front of him. He really was, but his thoughts never seemed to be able to remain on the small print. Rodney was sitting next to him, his nose practically touching the computer's screen as he review the project schematics Zelenka had been working on. Sighing, John laid his head back on his pillow, craning his neck in a rather uncomfortable position.
"What's wrong?" Rodney mumbled without looking up. Sheppard grinned, for being an insensitive scientist who didn't understand human emotion he often surprised the team with his own team members feelings.
"Just sick of this." He moaned in reply. "Why can't I get out of here? I can move my legs."
"Barely." Rodney snorted.
Sheppard shot him a small glare. A moment of silence filled the room as both men returned to their work, one succeeding and the other failing horribly.
"Hey, McKay?" John set down the files once again.
"Hmm?"
"Where's Teyla?" His voice dropped to a whisper, looking down at his hands.
"I-I think she's in the gate room, working on something." Rodney stumbled over the words, knowing he was on a tender subject now.
"Oh.." John seemed to focus even harder on his hands, pulling lint off the blanket over his legs. "Is...Is she doing okay? The baby fine?"
"Um, Yeah. The baby's fine."
John nodded, his shoulders dropping slightly. "It's not her fault." He mumbled. "She shouldn't feel guilty."
Rodney looked up from his laptop at this, not saying anything, just looking at him for a moment. "Can you blame her?"
John shook his head. "Not really, I guess I'd feel the same way. I know I would, but she shouldn't."
Rodney looked back down at his screen and began typing again. "But she does." He muttered.
"Can you tell her not to worry and...and that I don't blame her?" While saying this, John made eye contact with Rodney for the first time, his eyes holding more emotion than he was communicating through his words. Even McKay could tell he needed to talk to Teyla in person, needed to see the concrete evidence that everything that he went through had been worth it, he needed final coverage to fully begin healing.
"Yeah, yeah I'll tell her."
"Thanks, McKay." Sheppard said. "Now, I'm gonna get some sleep. You don't need to stick around if you don't want."
"Okay. If you need anything have a nurse radio me or Ronon, got it?" He said, standing with his laptop in the crook of his arm.
"Yeah, night." Sheppard mumbled a reply, before rolling over until he was facing away from the scientist and sunk into his pillow.
McKay left quietly, leaving behind what he thought to be a peacefully sleeping colonel but who in fact lay awake for a good hour before slipping into a light, non-restful state.
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Ronon needed to find Sara, she was late for a check-up with Beckett and hadn't shown up yet. Keller had asked him to go and track her down since he had been just about ready to leave from his position at John's side. He had a pretty good idea where to start looking.
The former specialist could sense something was wrong as he approached the balcony entrance.
"Sara?" He called out as he rounded the corner only to stop dead in his tracks. Sara was laying on the ground, struggling to draw a breath. Her face was already tinged blue, gasping as her lungs screamed for oxygen.
"Sara!" Ronon dropped to his knees beside her, reaching to his ear piece at the same time. "Doctor Beckett, Sara's in trouble. She can't breathe. We're on the balcony. Should I bring her to you?"
"No, lad. I'll be there in two min'tes."
Ronon nodded, well aware the Scottish doctor wasn't able to see him.
"N'w, Ronon, lad. I need ya ta check 'er airway. Is there anything blocking 'er throat?" Ronon could hear the man shuffling around as he gathered things in a hurry and instructed the surrounding nurses.
Ronon carefully pried the woman's mouth open. "There's nothing doc."
"Alright, then I need ya ta preform C.P.R. Ya remember how ta do it, don't ya?"
"Yeah." Ronon answered, a little nervous.
"Now, lad. Be gentle, just keep the air moving through her lungs." Beckett continued to calmly talk him through this. "We''l be there soon."
With that the radio feel silent, Beckett rushing to be prepared to the new challenge they were about to face. Meanwhile, Ronon was attempting to keep one of the few surviving Satedans left in the galaxy alive, Sara clinging to life with sheer stubbornness.
Okay, please review!!! Please please PPLLEEEZZZ.