They made their way to the gate and waited until the control room dialed the address. Sheppard swung by with a small bag, saying it was lunch for the pair. He'd offered to grab something since he'd been in the mess hall when Lorne had called him.
"Lorne, I order you to make sure she relaxes," Sheppard said. "Word in the infirmary is she's been practically living there lately."
Evan gave a mock salute to Sheppard.
Stepping through the gate, they took off walking toward the spot they'd both commented about the last time there were on the planet.
Evan found a good angle where he wanted to start rough sketching the mountains before painting. Spreading her blanket, Jennifer placed her canvas bag that held a few things she'd brought on the side of the blanket, laying down by it and using the bag as a pillow. Meanwhile, Evan set up his supplies while she read.
"Did you have a good time at the party last night?" Jennifer asked, opening her book. Squinting at the sun, she remembered sun block and sat up to rummage for it in her bag.
Evan eyed the mountains. "Beating Ronon was probably the highlight of my night, that's for sure." Eying her purposefully, he looked down at her. "The ending could have been better. A sassy doctor was ripping on me in front of my men."
"Hmmm..." she said as she began putting the lotion on her face, nose, and arms. "I wonder who that could've been?" Standing, Jen handed him the lotion. "Man up and put some on. I don't need you to get skin cancer from this planet."
Agreeing, he put some on his face as well as his forearms. Because the back of his neck was exposed, Jennifer moved behind him and motioned for him to put a little in her hands. She did it out of the habit of being a doctor, but outside of the infirmary, she found that touching Evan was completely different. She pulled back his t-shirt and applied it on his neck. Rubbing it gently beneath his hairline, Evan felt himself tense when her fingers connected with his skin.
When she was finished, he couldn't help himself. "Need any help putting some on?" as he gestured to the lotion he'd handed back to her.
She shook her head, blushing. "I'm good." The thought of his hands on her right now, with no one around, didn't seem like the safest thing to do. Pretending to open her book and act nonchalant, he grinned as it took her almost a full minute before realizing it was upside down.
He looked back at his empty canvas. So the feeling was mutual, he thought. And what were they going to do about that? Evan wondered to himself. Deciding to just enjoy the day without complicating it, he returned his attention to his painting. The mountains were amazing to sketch in his notebook, something he always did before beginning any project. When he was finished, he heard Jennifer open her bag and open a bottle of water for herself. She seemed content, enjoying just laying without the normal day to day stress she seemed to have lately with the short-handed amount of doctors in the infirmary.
Evan opened his watercolors, beginning to paint the range of mountains in front of him, focusing on the outline of the landscape first. His artistic side came from his mother, who encouraged Evan to paint growing up. She taught at the local college now, to both the young and surprisingly to seniors who wanted to learn to paint. He never strayed to other mediums, but instead stuck with painting. Inspired by a few of the wildflowers, he walked nearby to the hill to pick a few, gathering a bunch to lay at his feet. His plans were to paint the flowers into the scene.
Checking on her again after an hour, Evan wasn't surprised to see her sleeping. She'd pulled the shawl she had received on the mission from the grateful woman over her arms and shoulders. He grinned at her. Her book was laying face down on her stomach, holding the spot she'd left. One arm was thrown across her forehead while the other loosely held the book in place. A hint of mid-drift showed, revealing a thin line of pale skin. The flowers he had already captured on canvas were slowly escaping his side, due to the wind blowing across the plain. They began to scatter around Jennifer, making a breathtaking sight.
Evan couldn't resist reaching for his drawing book. He grabbed a pencil and drew the scene before him. He'd never been one to sketch people, but he couldn't pass up this image. He worked fast, detailing the sketch after filling in the lines of her profile. Glancing at his watch, he saw they had a few hours left. He set aside the mountains and began painting her, working feverishly before she woke up.
When he finished, he looked down, amazed. He still had some work to do, but given the small amount of time he spent, it surprised him how well it turned out. Setting down his materials, he felt the muscles in his back and moved to stand up. Looking down, he saw she was still sleeping. Feeling hungry, he left his two paintings to dry while he raided the bag Sheppard had packed for them.
The movement made Jennifer stir. Wincing at the sun, she shielded her eyes. "Hmmm..." she groaned. "I guess I fell asleep."
Evan was sitting nearby her on the blanket, already eating. He offered her a sandwich and a bottle of water, passing it to her as she sat up. "Guess the book wasn't good, huh?"
"No," she said, opening the bag. "It's good. I was just tired. Too wound up last night to sleep, I guess. And this sun is so relaxing."
He continued to eat, watching her slowly eat her sandwich. She noticed the flowers on the blanket and fingered the petals.
"Where did these come from?" she asked, sniffing them.
He motioned over his shoulder. "Over on the hill. I wanted to see what they looked like up close for the painting."
"Did you get much done? Jennifer asked, nodding at the easel set up a few yards away.
Evan nodded. "Actually, I did. It was fun."
She grinned. "Are you the type that gets testy if someone looks at your work before it's done?"
He shook his head. "No. I'm the first to admit that I'm far from being anything more than an amateur. My mom taught me the basics, but I never got beyond that. I think the better you are, the more criticism hurts," he gestured. "Take a peak."
Jennifer got up to inspect the drawings. She gasped when she saw the one of her. "You drew me!" she exclaimed, unable to take her eyes off of it.
"Yeah, sorry. Almost forgot about that. The flowers blew over you and I couldn't resist." He tried to downplay the painting, but the truth starred at him as he glanced back at the painting. He had painted her like a man painted a woman he cared about.
She barely heard him speaking. Despite the fact he'd never taken courses beyond what his mother taught him at home, the man had a natural talent. Jennifer couldn't believe the beautiful way he'd captured the moment. The flowers sprinkled around her, sun shining... she could see the scene alive in front of her, complete with the gentle breeze sending a lock of her hair into the wind and the sun kissing her face. It was all captured in the painting.
He moved behind her, startling her. "Sorry, I should've asked. But you were snoring."
His comment sent her out of her trance. "I do not snore."
Evan laughed, packing up his paints. "I know. Just joking."
She moved her attention back to the paintings, now moving on to the mountains. It wasn't quite as finished as the first one. As if something had interrupted his work. Unsure how to feel, she decided to ignore the feelings growing inside of her for the man standing next to her.
"You've got talent, Ev," she murmured, kneeling closer to inspect the landscape. "I've never seen your work."
"You should see the stuff my mom has done," he replied, brushing off the compliment. "Well, we have about an hour left. I'm about done with what I want to do today. I can work off sketches to finish the rest. Anything you want to do?"
Her eyes wandered around the hills. Looking up at the clouds, she watched as they moved quickly across the sky. "I don't think I want to wander too far from the gate. How about some cloud watching?"
He laughed. "Sounds about the speed I'm looking for. Painting makes me tired."
Laying down on the blanket a few feet from each other, both propped up by bags they had brought, they took turns laughing about what shape they thought each cloud looked like. When it was time to leave, they both got up and packed up.
As they approached the gate, Evan tensed when he saw it suddenly activate. Dropping his items to the ground, he grabbed for his gun and stood in front of her. "Be ready to head for the trees."
They waited and then relaxed when Ronon stepped through the gate. Grabbing his communicator, Evan called his name, asking what was wrong.
"Get here fast," Ronon said. "They need Keller."
Picking up his stuff, they made their way down the slope and to the gate.
"What happened?" Jennifer asked, in full doctor mode.
Ronon called out to her as he dialed the gate back. "It's Adams," he explained, looking at Evan as the gate opened. "Anderson and Miller found him about ten minutes ago in his room. Someone messed him up bad, sometime after breakfast."
"What?" Evan exclaimed, running after both of them as they stepped through the gate.
Jennifer dropped her stuff next to Evan's pile he'd carried back and flew to the infirmary with both men close behind her. As soon as the doors opened, Marie called over to her. She stopped to scrub her hands and put on a medical jacket.
"Someone give me an update, fast," Jennifer called out authoritatively, shocked at the scene before her. Adams was covered in blood, unconscious. Bruises littered his face.
"A call came in from the two men who found him like this," Marie shot out. "His pulse is thready. There's a head wound. Bleeding seems to have stopped, but I suggest we move him to the scanners."
Jennifer shouted at a nurse to cut his clothes off as they wheeled him under the scanners. She inspected his ribs, guessing at least a few were cracked, and gasped at the damage over the young man's body.
Evan and Ronon stood in the corner, watching. Sheppard quickly joined them, as well as Woolsey and the rest of SGA-1. They watched Jennifer work quickly, assessing the damage and scanning his body. She called out orders in a loud, clear voice, then began monitoring his life scans into the device she held in her hands.
Sheppard swore under his breath. "How did this happen? Did he have any enemies?"
"No, not that I know of. The kid just got here. He's been on good terms with my team ever since that mission with Jen," Evan shook his head. "Any alcohol on base that we know of? Maybe someone hung over from last night?"
"No. You know how strict the IOA is with that," Sheppard said. "Rodney, any scans of intruders in the city?"
Rodney, wide eyed, shook his head. "None. I checked as soon as the call came in."
Evan looked at Sheppard. "It's one of us."
His CO nodded. "I'll gather a team and search the city. Maybe we'll find something. Woolsey," he called out to the leader. "I'm recommending you have all unnecessary personal be aware that someone dangerous is lose on Atlantis. Everyone should be careful to stay in groups, or at least walk in pairs, outside their quarters." Sheppard tried to think of ways to prevent the man from escaping. "Woolsey, I'd also recommend having all teams scheduled to go off-world to stand down. I don't want this guy getting away. Lorne, stay here with him. I'll grab the rest of your team to join us. Give me an update once you talk with Jen."
He nodded. Keeping a safe distance away, he watched as the minutes flew by and Jennifer's team frantically tried to save the life of the newest member of his team. He heard the machine signal once that Adams had flat-lined. Refusing to lose him, Jennifer cleared the area and jump started the man's heart. When they got a life sign back on, she ordered more medicine into his IV, focusing on the wound on his head. Her team worked tirelessly for over an hour, when they finally got him stable.
Leaving Marie and another nurse to tend to his minor injuries, Jennifer walked to wash off the blood. Discarding the jacket, she walked over to Evan, shaking her head. "He's not out of the woods yet, but he's been stable for the past half hour. He has a concussion, bleeding on the brain, three cracked ribs, more internal bleeding, and a mess of other bruises and cuts." She beckoned Evan and Woolsey to her office. "I don't have to spell this out for you both. We're dealing with an attack of absolute rage. Someone wanted him dead."
Woolsey leaned forward. "We realize that, doctor. I can assure you that Colonel Sheppard's team is combing the city right now, trying to find this individual. Is there anything you need for us to do?"
Jennifer shook her head. "The next 24 hours are critical. I suggest we keep him here, opposed to sending him back through the gate to Earth. My team is trained for this type of injury. Between them and the technology here, he'll receive the best care."
Evan spoke for the first time. "Bottom line, Jen. What are his chances?"
She looked at him. "50/50. He's young and his vitals are staying strong. We lost him once, as you saw, but it didn't take much to bring him back. He's a fighter."
Evan nodded. "Mind if I stick around with him?"
Getting up, she looked at him. "Of course. I'll let the nurses know."
Evan walked over to the young Marine, shocked at his injuries now that he was standing above him. To think someone on the expedition did this was baffling. He looked back over at Jennifer, who was beside him checking his readings again. Not a good way to end what was beginning to be a relaxing day for both of them. Opening a private channel, he briefed Sheppard on Adams' condition.
He sat for a couple hours, silently watching over the man as Sheppard's team completed their search. Jen found him there, looking intently at the Marine, looking worried.
"Ev, go eat something," Jennifer gently persuaded him. "I'll come with you. Sheppard sent Ronon back to guard the infirmary. He'll be safe."
Evan jolted, almost forgetting the immediate threat on the base. The infirmary would probably be the first place the renegade man would go to finish the job on Adams. "Sure. Give me a minute to talk with Ronon."
He walked over to the Satedan, who was standing guard near the door. "What's the plan on guarding this place?" he asked the man.
"Sheppard and I will rotate through the night. Figured you'd want a shift too."
Evan agreed. Watching Jen come to meet up with him, he sent Ronon a glance. "Radio me if anything changes."
They walked the hallways, both a little preoccupied with the attack on Adams to think about anything else.
"Jen, I want you to be careful," Evan urged, looking around as they made their way to the mess hall. "Don't go anywhere without one of us. Promise?"
Jennifer agreed. "I will. Who do you think could do something like that?"
"That's the thing," he answered. "I don't. If we would've got a huge influx of new recruits, I'd feel a little better because we could focus on them. But other than Adams and then Sanchez, who seems like he checks out, there's been no one I can think of who'd do that to someone. At least, not to someone other than an enemy."
They ate in silence. Jennifer finally gave up, pushing away her tray. "Mind walking me back to my room? I'd like to sleep for a few hours before going back to look at him. I plan on staying there for the night just in case anything changes."
Evan gave up as well. "Sure. Let's go."
They made the trip to her room, noticing the change in tone from walking past a few people. Despite the excitement from the night before, everyone seemed to be back on edge due to the incident with Adams.
Jennifer opened her door, surprised that Evan followed her inside. Giving him a questioning glance, he made his way into her bathroom, checking everything.
"Call me paranoid, but it'll make me feel better to make sure no one is hiding in here," Evan explained, opening her closet. "Okay, I'm going to head back to the infirmary. You have a communicator in here?"
She nodded. "They'll let me know if anything changes."
"I'm more concerned that you have a way of calling for help," Evan said, brushing her arm. "Call me if you need to leave. And don't answer the door to anyone. I'm serious, Jen."
"Promise," she said, wanting desperately to have him gather her into his arms. His concern for her touched her, making Jennifer wish they could express what each other was thinking. Instead, she pulled her arms around herself, watching him leave.
She sat down on her bed, lying on top of the covers. Closing her eyes, she thought about the events that occurred in the last few hours. What started out as the perfect day ended horribly. Jennifer rolled onto her side, hearing a crunching sound like a piece of paper would make. Confused, she sat up and pulled back the covers. Tucked beneath her comforter lay an envelope addressed to her, composed in the dreaded penmanship she now recognized.
The envelope itself didn't scare her as much as the fact she found it in her bed. Someone had been in her room.
Jennifer's hands shook as she opened the envelope quickly, tearing the paper as she unfolded it.
Thank you for all the kind reviews. It has been encouraging! Next chapter should be up tomorrow!