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The moment John stepped into the transporter, he let himself sag against the wall. He had a destination, the chair room, but he needed a moment to regroup. All his focus had been on going through the gate to look for Elizabeth, but now he was stuck on Atlantis. He knew he was needed here, but he hadn't expected to still be in charge. He really didn't want the responsibility it entailed. He just wanted to do what he did best. Protect Atlantis. It was Elizabeth's job to oversee all aspects and pull things together. He was just a glorified grunt and he liked it that way.
But Caldwell had thrown a wrench into his plans. Okay, O'Neill more so than Caldwell. John pulled himself off the wall and tapped his destination. He hadn't expected to be put in charge, officially. Then to have Caldwell back off on taking over the place. He felt a flutter of pride that O'Neill believed in him, but John couldn't help but wonder if it would turn out to be a misplaced faith.
Shrugging off such thoughts, because they were doing nothing but weighing him down further, John stepped out of the transporter the moment the doors whooshed open. Belatedly he remembered he was supposed to get something to eat but he figured Rodney would have a power bar stashed somewhere so he'd snag one off him.
Two minutes later, John was in the chair room. He was a little surprised to find Rodney in the chair. Not so surprisingly, McKay was cursing. The moment he saw John he got up and started waving his hands at him. "How do you connect to the systems? It's not working for me!" Rodney was practically shouting.
"I don't know how I do it," John replied, keeping his voice low and calm. He grinned at McKay, watching the man splutter at him, then curtly asked, "Got any spare powerbars?"
"I do!" It was Zelenka who replied. He grinned at John and tossed him a silver wrapped package.
John caught it deftly and peeled it open. He wasn't the least bit hungry but he knew he needed to eat so he took a big bite. Then he realized Rodney was watching him. "What? I don't do tricks," John warned. The way Rodney was looking at him was creeping him out a bit. Like John was a bug under a microscope or something. And, great, he had to think of a bug related analogy.
Rodney dug into his jacket pocket and held out another power bar. "Eat them both," he instructed, and he sounded a bit like Beckett in doing so.
"One's good," John replied, only to find the second bar shoved into his hand. He glanced down and noted it was chocolate chip, which he knew to be Rodney's favorite. John narrowed his eyes at the man. "Why are you giving me your food?" he demanded.
"Because you need it more!" Rodney shot back, as he turned to retrieve his laptop. "Hurry up and eat so you can sit your skinny ass in the chair. We have a lot of work to do and not a lot of time to do it in!"
John realized that Rodney was trying to look out for him and it gave him pause. Did he really look that bad that Rodney was worried about him? Not wanting to go there right now, John made short work of the first power bar, stuffed the foil in his pocket, then moved to sit in the chair.
Only Rodney blocked his way. "Eat the other bar then sit," he ordered.
"I'll eat it later," John replied, pushing past McKay. When Rodney pinned him with a glare as he sat down, John gave him a reason for being so stubborn. "If I eat anything else I'm liable to puke it up all over the chair. Or your shoes." He was smirking as he said the last bit.
"Fine, whatever!" Rodney took a hasty step back then focused on his laptop. "Can you download the schematics for the weapon you were talking about?"
John had been wondering about that himself. He offered a shrug as he settled back into the chair, feeling it warm up beneath him as it powered up. "I'll try," he conceded, then he closed his eyes.
Quicker than a blink he was connected. Deeper this time and it was effortless on his part. He didn't have to reach out to Atlantis anymore; he just had to let himself feel her. She surrounded him with her presence before slipping her way into his very soul. John felt a small flicker of panic at letting himself connect so completely, but he knew that Atlantis would never hurt him. She was just waiting for someone to need her. John knew how that felt.
Like quicksilver, John found himself speeding towards something and it felt like flying. Then he was wrapped up in a sensation of warmth. It shimmered through him, singeing his nerve endings and then he realized what it was. Energy. Throbbing and surging and wrapping itself around him. For a moment he felt like he might dissolve into it and panic flared through him, but then he felt the hum of it and it was like music playing softly inside him, easing his fear.
Remembering that Rodney needed information, John asked Atlantis to download it for him and he could almost feel her joy at being able to do this for him. Atlantis felt more real to him than ever before and John wanted to get lost inside of her. He didn't realize how close he was coming to doing just that.
The lights flickered suddenly and Rodney stopped typing on his keyboard. "What was that?" he asked Zelenka.
Radek was looking around then shook his head. "I do not know."
Just then Caldwell's voice came over Rodney's radio. "What the hell is going on?" he demanded.
It took Rodney a moment to answer. He was looking at the display on his laptop, then at the figure in the chair. The lights were flickering harder now. "Um...I'm not sure," he replied. "I think it might be Sheppard."
Hearing his name jolted John back into reality. He realized what was happening and he made the lights stop flickering. At that same moment he realized exactly what he had found. An energy weapon. When he had joined with Chaya back on Proculus, she had shown him what she became when she protected her people. What Atlantis offered to John was something similar but, perhaps, even more powerful. If they could use this energy, he knew they could defeat the Wraith.
Wanting to talk to Rodney about this, John set about disconnecting from the chair. But even as he made to pull away, Atlantis tried to pull him back in and John felt himself spiraling into darkness.
OoO
He came to awareness slowly. Sound filtering in first and a familiar brogue drew John out of the darkness. He managed to force his eyes open but closed them when bright light stabbed into him. He heard Beckett telling him he was going to be okay. He felt various touches on his person and other voices but John let them fade away. The warm darkness was more comforting.
He came awake again, later, to find the lights dimmed and the infirmary quiet. John managed to keep his eyes open and he was relieved to note that his headache was nothing but an annoying throb in one temple. That was something he could deal with. He also felt surprisingly rested, if a bit lethargic. His muscles ached a little when he shifted more upright. That movement gave him the sudden realization that he had tubes stuck in him. An IV in the back of his left hand and a catheter, which he despised pretty much more than anything.
"Colonel Sheppard, good to see you awake, lad." Carson was beaming as he reached the bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I have to pee." John gestured to his lap. "Can you take that thing out, please?" He winced as he spoke, his voice sounding gritty and hoarse to his own ears.
Carson hesitated. 'It's been two days, Colonel. You're liable to be quite wobbly on your feet."
John didn't care. "I'll crawl to the bathroom then." In about one minute he would break down and beg. His bladder was protesting the mere act of breathing but John would be damned if he was going to pee down tubing and into a bag while he was awake and functional.
"All right, I'll be right back then." Carson patted John's shoulder then disappeared. He was back soon, as promised, wearing latex gloves and carrying the supplies he needed to get the job done. "Ready?" he asked, eyeing John with concern.
"Ready," John replied, then he closed his eyes as Beckett drew the curtain around his bed. The blankets were lifted and John tensed before following Carson's instructions. His fingers fisted in the sheets as the tube slid out. John took a moment to catch his breath then he was in motion, trying to sit up and get his legs swung over the side of the bed.
Carson gripped his shoulder. "Hang on one minute."
John gritted his teeth. He felt like his eyeballs were swimming. Then Beckett was draping a robe over his shoulders, which John was grateful for, then he disappeared only to return with a wheelchair. John eyed it in surprise.
"It'll be faster for you," Carson explained, even as he helped John into it. "And safer."
"Thanks." John coughed a bit at the dryness in his throat, but he knew Beckett heard him from the squeeze on his shoulder. Then they were in motion and it wasn't long before Beckett had him parked right in front of the toilet. "I got it from here," John whispered, because it was less grating on his throat. As soon as he took care of business he was going to suck down about a gallon of water.
Carson hesitated, his eyes roving over John as if to assess his condition. But then he nodded. "I'll be right outside the door. Call if you need me."
John waved him off then pushed out of the wheelchair. He felt a moment of vertigo before the world steadied around him and he was able to relieve himself in short order. The relief he felt was palpable and it allowed John to assess the way he felt overall. Worn out and a bit weak, but not too bad otherwise. His headache was still manageable and his legs felt a bit stronger than he had first expected.
Wanting to wash his hands and face and get a drink, John turned towards the sink only to feel the IV line tugging on his hand. He hadn't even realized that Beckett had hooked it to the pole attached to the wheelchair. Sneaky bastard. But John was grinning to himself as he thought it, right before he peeled the tape off and pulled the needle out. Beckett could yell all he wanted, but John felt fine so he was pretty sure he didn't need the IV any longer. About all it was good for was making him want to pee anyway.
That done he moved to the sink and washed his hands, then splashing cold water on his face. Taking a moment to stare at his reflection, John realized he looked a bit pale, but overall better. He remembered Beckett mentioning he'd been out for two days, which worried him a bit. But at the same time the sleep must have done him good. Only just then the true meaning of the loss of those two days hit John.
"Beckett!" He was moving towards the door even as he yelled.
Carson ran in, eyes wide, not looking happy to see John looking all worked up. "Colonel, what's wrong?" His eyes flittered over him then narrowed. "You took out your IV."
John waved a hand at him. "Never mind that! You said I was out for two days! Did Ronon find Elizabeth?"
"No...not yet," Carson replied, looking unhappy. "We've had no word from him or Teyla."
"What about the Wraith? Any changes there?" John wanted to curse himself. The Wraith were on their way and he had been out of it for two days.
Carson reached for John's arm, guiding him back over to the wheelchair and pushing him into it when he resisted. "Stay put or I'll put the catheter back in out of spite!" he snapped, when John made a move to get back up.
Staying put, John glared at Carson. "I have a lot of work to do."
"You have an exam to suffer through first, Colonel," Carson shot back, as he pushed the chair out of the bathroom. "What part of 'you've been out of it for two days' didn't you get? Something happened to you in the chair and we need to talk about it."
"Look...it's my own fault," John owned up. "I got too connected and it just...it was too much."
Carson huffed a disgruntled sigh. "I've run tests on you, laddie. Amazingly, nothing appears out of the normal. But being unconscious for two days is a sign that something is wrong."
They had reached his bed and John stepped out of the chair. He didn't want to lie down again but a look at Beckett's face had him crawling back in. He kept the robe on because it made him feel less vulnerable and allowed Beckett to tuck him back. "If it makes you feel better, I feel pretty good right now," John stated. "A little hungry, but good. So I'm fine."
"Since I'm the doctor, I'll be the judge of that." As he spoke, Carson reached for John's wrist and took his pulse. He then checked his heart and lungs, then brought out the trusty penlight.
"See," John drawled, when Beckett was done. "I'm fine. After a shower and something to eat I'll be good to go."
Carson made a face then said, "We'll talk after you eat. For the record, Rodney has been driving me nuts. He wants to talk to you, as does Caldwell. Do you feel up to it?"
John nodded. "Send them in. Lorne too. We'll have a mini meeting, since you won't let me out of here." He made what he was sure was a petulant face as he spoke.
"I'll call them, but I want you to keep it short." Beckett was already reaching for his radio. "In the mean time I'll send for some soup."
"How about a turkey sandwich?" John countered, because he really was hungry and soup wasn't going to cut it.
Carson shot him a glare and walked away.
John settled back against the pillows to wait, letting his eyes slide closed. It was a hand on his arm that woke him and he was surprised at himself for dozing off. Peeling his eyes open, John sat up better and stared at the faces staring back at him.
Rodney looked worried and anxious. Beckett was his usual concerned self. Caldwell looked impatient and Lorne was hard to read. John scrubbed a hand over his eyes then said to Caldwell, "Report." And wasn't that an odd thing to be able to do. Didn't sit right for some reason. And given the look on Caldwell's face, he didn't like it much either.
"Dr. Beckett told me he's pretty much updated you," Caldwell replied. "The Wraith are still coming and it still looks like they'll be here in about a week. We haven't heard from Ronon and Teyla, which means no word on Doctor Weir as of yet."
"Which means it's time for you to tell us what the hell happened in that chair!" Rodney interjected, and he looked like he was about ready to explode with curiosity.
John winced and tried to gather his thoughts. After a moment he replied, "I found something."
Rodney glared at him. "Not helpful. Something what? Something good? Something bad?"
"Something that might be a weapon we can use against the Wraith," John replied. He watched Rodney's expression go from irritated to delighted to skeptical. "What kind of weapon?"
"Like what Chaya used to defend Proculus," John answered, and he saw Rodney stiffen. To this day he wasn't sure why Rodney had taken such a strong dislike to Chaya. She had lied to them about who she was, but she had never done anything to hurt them. In fact, she had saved the life of his team and for that alone John would be eternally grateful to her. Rodney had been less than impressed, overall. But that was a thought for another time, so John pulled himself back into the moment.
Rodney grabbed a nearby chair and sat down. He locked eyes with John. "Are you talking about an energy weapon?"
John nodded. "Yes. And, by the way, sorry about the lights and stuff flickering. I think that was me."
"You're serious about this, aren't you?" Rodney collapsed back into the chair, looking stunned.
"Very serious," John confirmed.
Rodney was nodding now, excitement replacing his amazement. "If you're right we've got a real chance at destroying those Hive ships."
John let himself feel a surge of hope. "I'm right, but there's a hitch." And it was one he was pretty sure Rodney would be able to iron out.
"Of course there is," Rodney huffed. "But I'll fix it. What is it?"
"I don't know how to use the energy as a weapon," John explained, taking in the blank faces staring back at him. He glanced at Rodney who seemed to be pondering the problem. Rodney being the only one who would understand what John meant.
He focused on John. "The chair didn't show you what to do?"
John shook his head. "No. It showed me the energy source and that's about it. There wasn't any information to download to you. I didn't see anyway to fire the energy."
"But you're sure it can be used as a weapon?" Caldwell interjected.
"I'm sure." Of that John had no doubt.
Lorne shifted closer. "I read the report on Chaya, sir. Or should I say, Athar. She was an ascended Ancient, so how can Atlantis have the same power? I mean, it has to be different."
John smiled at Lorne. "It's more raw, I guess you could say," he allowed. "But it's the same energy and it can do the same thing."
"How do you know?" Again it was Caldwell playing Devil's advocate.
"I bonded with Chaya," John replied, without hesitation. It was part of the file. He had been honest about it then and he would do the same now. "I saw what Athar was and I felt that power. It's the same thing. But not being an ascended Ancient, I don't know how to use it."
Rodney jumped to his feet. "Leave that to me. I have some ideas on it." He was waving one hand around as he spoke. "I'll hook up with Zelenka and we'll figure it out." That said he turned on his heels and strode out of the infirmary.
John watched him go then looked at Beckett. "So, what about that turkey sandwich?"
"I'll see what I can do," Carson replied, then he hurried off.
Which left John with Caldwell and Lorne.
Lorne locked eyes with John. "Any orders, sir?"
"Just make sure our men are ready for what's to come," John ordered. "Put them through their paces and keep them on their toes." He knew that most of the marines on Atlantis now hadn't faced the first Siege. If Rodney couldn't figure out how to get the weapon to work, then John wanted to put up one hell of a fight before Atlantis went down in flames. An image that didn't bear thinking about right now.
"I'll do that, sir," Lorne replied, then he nodded and turned away, leaving to take care of his duties.
John watched him go then looked at Caldwell. "Guess it's a good thing you were here to take over," he drawled.
Caldwell almost smiled at that. "Just keeping things together until you're ready to take over again."
"I'll be out of here soon," John promised, more to himself than Caldwell. "The moment I'm free of here I want to get together with you and Major Lorne. We need to discuss specific battle plans." John was actually glad Caldwell was here. Glad they had the Daedalus around. He would take whatever advantages he could get.
"I'll be ready," Caldwell replied. He might have said more but just then Beckett bustled in, carrying a tray.
He set it on the rolling table then pulled it over John's lap. "Eat up, Colonel," Carson ordered. "Then we'll discuss when you can leave."
John grimaced, but reached for the cup of soup. At least there was toast to go with it. The moment he was out of here he'd grab his sandwich. Under Beckett, and Caldwell's, watchful eyes, John took a sip of the soup. Whatever it took to get out of here, he was willing to do.
OoO
It hadn't been easy to stop Ronon from breaking the Pyrdian's neck.
They had captured her with difficulty, but Ronon had been determined. The woman was tall and strong and it had taken both of them to take her down, but Teyla had been determined as well. She had the bruises to prove it. Although some of them had come from getting in Ronon's way.
The Pyrdian refused to give her name, but that hadn't been their interest anyway. She had refused to talk at all until Ronon had broken three fingers. It took breaking five to get the information about Doctor Weir's whereabouts. Getting Ronon to leave the Pyrdian bound but alive had been harder to do.
But now they were slipping into the camp, weapons at the ready. Teyla spotted a red shirt and signaled to Ronon. They moved closer and Teyla felt relief when she was able to see Doctor Weir's face. The woman looked a bit pale and worn, but otherwise all right. She wasn't bound but was sitting near a small fire with a cup in hand. That surprised Teyla a little and distracted her enough so that she didn't notice Ronon slipping away until it was too late.
The Satedan approached the group around the fire, weapon drawn, uncaring that it was six against one.
Teyla cursed beneath her breath then rose to join him. By the time she reached him everyone was on their feet, weapons drawn. There was going to be blood shed and Teyla prepared herself for it. They had the guns against knives and spears and arrows. But to her surprise Doctor Weir stood up and shouted,
"Stand down!"
The bigger surprise was when the Pyrdians lowered their weapons.