A/N: I'm posting the final two chapters. I want to thank all that read and reviewed and had to put up with my lack of a beta. This is being resolved for my next fic. I wasn't even going to write more than one or two fics, but now that I liked the experience, I knew I had to do something about it.
WHIP NO MORE
By ErikaHK
Chapter 8
Elizabeth paced the corridors of Atlantis heading for the infirmary. Lt. Colonel Sheppard and his team had arrived a few minutes earlier and all she had heard so far was that they were alive. When she asked about their condition, Lorne had said they were hurt, but fairly well. She didn't really believe his tone.
She entered the infirmary and saw the movement of the nurses around the four patients. Elizabeth looked around for the faces of the four of them and was more comforted after that.
"Can you be more careful? It's sensitive back there!" Rodney flinched after a nurse touched his back to clean some wound.
Elizabeth got closer to him with a comforting smile.
"Don't you need to give me something for the pain first?" Rodney continued complaining.
"I already have, Dr. McKay." The young nurse spoke in a gentle and soft voice, not often heard directed at the scientist.
"Well, obviously it's not working!" He flinched more. "Stop!"
The nurse halted with a scared look in her eyes that she soon masked. "Perhaps I should give you more." She said.
"Yes, perhaps." Rodney rolled his eyes and faced Dr. Beckett fiercely, but the Scot simply ignored him.
The Doctor was tending to Colonel Sheppard and she turned to look at him. The CMO looked gently into her eyes and continued with his job. Her hand went for her mouth as she saw the condition on the colonel's back. He was laying on his side tense and trying to convey the usual stoic look. He had numerous cuts and lacerations covering the totality of his back on a giant mess of blood. She recognized the type of injury as the kind made by whips. His wrists and ankles were a chaos too and basically were one giant bloody bruise without any skin. She discovered that her shock was obvious on her face, despite her attempt to hide it.
"It looks worse that it feels." John said turning his face towards her. It was obviously a lie.
"How are you, John?" It was a stupid question, but she asked anyway. She really sucked at bedside manners.
He flinched and hissed.
"I'm sorry, lad. I'm doing this as gently as I can." Carson said in the Scottish accent.
"I know, doc." John opened his eyes to look at her again. "I'm good." His response came out of breath.
That was his usual response for anything. "You don't look so good."
"Well, but I am. It's just a few cuts and bruises. Nothing I never had before."
"It's not just a few cuts and bruises." The doctor intervened. "Your back is a bloody mess and I know these hurt like hell, so don't come with the brave act on me now, ok lad?"
"Well, it would stop hurting if you stopped messing with them." He flinched again.
"They need to be clean. There is a great risk for infection and you wouldn't want that, would you colonel?"
"What happened on the planet, John?" She decided to interrupt the bickering to let the doctor work.
"Oh, you know, just the usual lovely folk of the Pegasus Galaxy." Sarcasm was his usual defense.
"They were arm dealers." Rodney interrupted his discussion with the nurse to join the conversation. "The nastiest type of folk. And they looked like they enjoyed the torture, too. Sick bastards!"
She couldn't argue with that, she felt the same way. The condition of all of them, and especially John, said it all.
"Aye to that, Rodney. What kind of sick person would take pleasure in doing this to someone?" The doctor had an annoyed look while he worked on cleaning the wounds.
The colonel simply exhaled loudly to that remark. He didn't look happy either. After all that torture he endured on the hands of Kolya while she watched, she could say that no one gets used to this kind of thing. She wondered how he was capable of letting all behind and keep on moving without the usual periods of recovery. Dr. Heightmeyer had said that he compartmentalizes everything and leave it buried and that it wasn't a good thing. If one day someone messes in there, they would have a big problem on their hands. She tried to work with it, but the colonel wasn't the most cooperative of patients.
"He won't be doing it anymore." Ronon spoke for the first time since she arrived and received several pair of eyes in his direction. "Freyr's dead."
No clarification was required; they all knew exactly what he had meant. Ronon got up and walked towards the colonel. He stopped in front of him and both eyed each other. Ronon had a look that was certainly softer and more vulnerable than usual, and the colonel eyed him curious.
"I'm sorry." The Satendan said plainly.
John cocked an eyebrow. "Care to explain what that whole deal was about?"
"He was a bad person, did real bad things to me and other people. I had to finish it." Ronon had a way to say a lot in a few words. Elizabeth was confused about the conversation.
"You should've said something about it before getting caught." The colonel was annoyed.
"Yes." Ronon gave a short answer that said he regretted the decision. Whatever it was.
"Just promise you won't be doing these stupid things ever again and that you will trust me with your issues." John was plain as well. That's how Ronon likes it.
"I will."
"Good."
Ronon turned on his heels and left the infirmary. At the doorway he paused for a moment before exiting completely. She observed both men attentively and concluded that whatever had happened at the planet was left clear between them both, it was confusing how that could be done without any details about it. She trusted John's word about the Satedan, but sometimes she worried about his short temper. It could get him and the rest of the team in trouble, but John seemed to be able to have him controlled. She shot a glance to the colonel.
"It's nothing to worry about." He said.
"I trust that whatever it was won't happen again." She wanted things clear between them both as well.
"He had his reasons. He won't do it again." He sounded confident.
"Do what?" Elizabeth crossed her arms on her chest. He paused for a moment and finally spoke.
"Lie about his reasons to go to a planet."
She remembered that Ronon had been eager for this offworld mission in particular.
"That's it?" She needed a final word.
"Yes. No big deal."
She knew there was a deal, but the guys bonding thing made her stop there. They needed to trust each other for the team dynamics to work and it always did. John's word was enough in the matter, but she hoped to have more information in the mission report. Maybe she was just overzealous.
"Doctor, how are they?" She remembered that she hadn't asked the big question yet.
"Nothing too serious, just the usual risk for infection. If they behave they'll be out for active duty sooner rather than later." He smiled and shot the look especially for the colonel.
"I am fit for duty, it's only minor bruising." John said stubbornly.
"Aye, doctor." Carson finished dressing his wounds and turned to his wrists. "These will take some time to mend." John made a face that suggested he would fight some more, but the doctor beat him to it. "You need the rest to make sure everything will heal properly. No arguments."
"Fine. I won't argue." John had a tired voice and gave up the subject.
"You'll have as long as you need, doctor." She finally said, leaving the infirmary.
…
TBC…