Not Just an Ordinary Birthday

As John gets out of his bed, he releases a small moan. His body is beginning to feel its age and the idea of him reaching a new milestone for his birthday doesn't help either. He was promised by his teammates that they wouldn't make a big idea of it, but he saw the glint in Ronon's eyes and the smirk on Rodney's face. Teyla just gave him a sympathetic smile.

He knows that forty isn't really old, but all the battles, beatings and stress from the past five years have definitely not made it easy. He sighs as he looks in the mirror and sees the bags under his eyes, the wrinkles in various places on his face and the grey in his hair. He smirks while he remembers a remark that Teyla had said a few days back.

--

Rodney started pointing out all of John's flaws, from the wrinkles under the eyes to his grey hair. Teyla simply ignores Rodney's snide remarks and tried to make John feel better. Ronon was too busy trying not to laugh to say or do anything.

"Do not listen to them John," she said as she shot them a disagreeable look. "I think it makes you more handsome."

John was about to make a snide comment, since he thought she was just saying it to humor him, but then he saw her smile. He knew right then she was being genuine.

"Why, thank you for that Teyla," he said with a flirtatious smile.

Rodney rolls his eyes, "I can't believe this. Even as you get older, women still think you're good looking. I get older and all I get is…."

John raises an eyebrow while he waits patiently for Rodney to finish. Teyla and Ronon grin as they wait as well.

Rodney clears his throat, "Never mind."

Rodney makes an excuse that he needs to go somewhere and the rest of them leave to go to the infirmary.

--

John feels fortunate that today is going to be an easy day. Ronon, Teyla and Keller are off world helping a sick village and Rodney is planning to do more research into Janus' lab. So, he has the whole day to do some golf, video games and listen to some music. The last thing he wants to think about is his birthday coming up in a few days. Hopefully a day of "fun" will help him forget, at least for a little while.

John decides to go to the golf range first. He gets there and it's nice and quiet for him. No one there to be forced into small conversations with or interrupting him while in a middle of a swing.

The first few swings went well. The balls don't go as far as he normally does, but he is just warming up. Unfortunately, the more he swings, the tighter the muscles in his back feels and a nerve in his hip pitches. He grumbles a little louder then he normally would, since no one is there, and packs up his golf gear and heads back to his room.

Once in his room, he turns on some music and decides not to play any of his video games, but instead he picks up a magazine he's been meaning to read. He stretches out on his couch and begins to flip though the articles. Soon, his eyes begin to feel heavy. He can feel himself about to fall asleep.

The thought bothers him that he is almost willing to give in to falling asleep. He forces himself to get up and out to find something to do. He decides to visit Rodney and see how he's doing with the Radek in Janus' lab.

--

As John walks into the once secret lab, he sees Rodney and Radek looking at the different pieces of equipment, finding whatever research they can in Janus' files.

"How's it going?" John asks as he looks over Rodney's shoulder.

Rodney sighs, "Slow. Some of Janus' notes are vague about what these things are and others just say that he had to stop using it without a reason why."

"There's also a mention of a device that he made. It had something to do with improving ones vitality, but we haven't found it yet," Radek interjects as he looks up from his work.

"Maybe he got rid of it or it got stolen," John suggests.

"Noooo, I have a feeling it's here, but maybe in another secret area," Rodney responds. He gives John a curious look. "I thought you were going to spend your day playing a bunch of games and stuff."

"Yeah, well, I changed my mind," John answers plainly.

As John crosses the room to look at some odd symbols on one of the walls, a platform underneath him activates and raises him up with it.

"Um, Rodney," he says nervously.

"Oh," Radek simply remarks.

"What did you do?" Rodney barks.

"Nothing, I was just walking to see that wall over there and as I crossed the room, this thing came on," John responds innocently with a note of panic in his voice.

Before Rodney could ask John to get down, a beam of light encompasses him. A surge of energy flows through him. The platform soon descends, John collapses to the floor and Rodney calls for a medical team. John is rushed to the infirmary and once they arrive at the infirmary, he wakes up. Keller's medical team does a series of test on him.

"Sorry Colonel, but we can't find what might have caused you to collapse and it doesn't seem that the device has done anything odd either," a medical technician says.

"Great. So does that means I can go?" John asks the medical technician.

"Yes, you're all set," she replies.

"How do you feel?" Radek questions John.

"Actually, I feel better than I have for years," John says as he hops off the infirmary bed.