Chapter Three
At the moment, the briefing room was quiet. It seemed as though no one really knew what to say or how to start off the conversation. There was the sense that it was going to be awkward or argumentative but it was still a discussion that needed to be had.
Elizabeth Weir cleared her throat as she placed her clasped hands upon the table. She looked around at Sheppard and the rest of his team. "So, does anyone have a suggestion on what should be done?"
"On what should be done?" Ronon questioned. "You mean about my sister?"
"Alright big guy, calm down," Sheppard said calmly, looking across the table.
"Is there something wrong with her staying here?" Teyla questioned, moving the conversation along.
Elizabeth sighed lightly. "No," she replied. "But the IOA will want to know about her and I'm sure they would like to question her in person. Personally," Elizabeth added, looking at Ronon. "I have no problem with her being here after she's checked by Carson and by Kate but I would still like the see what my second in command thinks and what her brother thinks."
Sheppard finally looked away from Ronon, giving him a small warning look before looking back at Elizabeth. He shrugged faintly. "I don't see the problem if she checks out."
"What would she do here?" Rodney asked curiously.
"I'm not sure of that either," Elizabeth replied with a wry smile. "But I'm sure something appropriate could be found."
"She could join a team," Ronon pitched in. "She's had similar training to me. Knows everything I know, knows about to handle a weapon."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Elizabeth said promptly holding up a hand gently. "I think we should just concentrate on one thing at a time. Let's check her physical with Carson and then have a chat with her. I'm sure the decision could be reached by then."
"Has she been cleaned up?" Rodney asked, leaning forward onto the table.
Ronon's eyes narrowed as he glared at Rodney, causing the scientist to look away and pretend he was interested in something else. Elizabeth decided to answer him anyway.
"Yes, Rodney, she has been allowed to shower," she said lightly.
"So, who's going to speak with her?" Ronon asked quickly, looking to stand up and leave.
"I believe I will speak with her first, along with John," Elizabeth said gently. "Then I will have Kate talk with her and we'll take it from there, alright?"
Ronon nodded, as did everyone else and the meeting was quickly dissolved. Ronon reached the viewing room above the isolation room in record time. Carson looked up as he entered but he said nothing as Ronon looked down in to the room. Teyla and Rodney soon joined him and looked down as well.
The girl in the room looked different to when they had seen her last. Her light brown hair was clean and beyond straight, running down her back, a few strands escaping to run down her front. Her face was spotlessly clean as was the white clothes she was now dressed in. She stayed seated in one of the white armchairs stiffly, fiddling with her fingers, feeling extremely nervous.
When she saw movement out of the corner of her eye she looked up. A smile lit up her passive features, brightening them remarkably. Ronon returned the smile feebly. He felt tears sting the backs of his eyes but he held them in. It had been too long since he last laid eyes upon her.
As the door to the isolation room opened with a hiss, Reva jumped, startled from the noise and bit her bottom lip as she watched two people enter. The woman sat down in the white armchair opposite her and gave her a tiny, kind smile while the man stood behind her to the side, his arms crossed over his chest and a serious, concerned look plastered across his features.
"So, Reva, are you feeling alright?" Elizabeth asked. The only answer she received was a hesitant nod. "I'm Elizabeth Weir and welcome to Atlantis." There was still no verbal reply. "I know Dr. Beckett has seen you and checked you over and you are well and healthy but I just wanted to talk with you first before I have someone else speak to you."
"Who?" Reva asked quietly.
"Her name's Kate Heightmeyer," Elizabeth replied. "She's a specialist doctor."
"Specialist?" Reva questioned worriedly.
"She helps people deal with emotional things," Elizabeth explained gently. "Now, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with you but we just need to be positive that you're healthy and safe."
Reva pressed her lips together and looked up into the room above at her brother. Slowly, she turned her gaze back to Elizabeth before focusing upon the man that stood behind her. Elizabeth quickly noticed and she smiled faintly.
"That is Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, he is the military leader and second in command on this base after me."
"Lieutenant Colonel?"
"It's just his military rank," Elizabeth explained. "Okay, I know this may not be easy but I would like you to tell me everything from the time you left Ronon's side."
"He's told you some things?"
"Yes, he said he got you off Sateda but, of course, he knows nothing of what happened after. I would just like you to fill in the gaps."
With her head, Reva indicted to the room above them. "Can they hear us?"
"Yes, is that alright?"
Reva nodded slowly. She looked down in her lap as she clasped her hands together tightly. The room had turned silent and she knew they were all waiting for her to speak and tell her story but part of her was unsure if she wanted to tell it to so many people. Reva took a slow deep breath before exhaling silently.
"He took me to Aldana," she started, still keeping her eyes focused on her hands. "I stayed with Isaac and his wife Grace. They were old friends of our grandparents. They did live on Sateda but decided to leave but they remained in touch. I remember asking Ronon many questions on why I had to stay there and he wouldn't. Why he had to leave without me but he never really gave me an answer. I suppose he had his reasons.
"I heard about the destruction of Sateda a few days later. I wasn't sure what to think. I was almost certain that everyone had died including my brother and Isaac convinced me to stay with them until I could support and look after myself. After three years I left them to explore other worlds. I returned six months later but the whole village was deserted..."
"The Wraith...?" Elizabeth questioned.
Reva finally looked up from her hand as she gave a little nod. "Yes, I believe so," she said quietly. A small sigh sounded in the room before she continued. "I kept on travelling, had a few run-ins with the Genii, none of which ended well. I never stayed in any one place too long after that. A few times I heard rumours about people from Sateda but I never found any of them if it was true. I suppose I wasn't looking hard enough. I had heard people were here on Atlantis again too but had never seen any of you before, so..."
"And how did Kolya manage to capture you?" Sheppard asked quietly.
Reva focused on him as she spoke. "I was careless," she replied honestly. "I was on Priamus and a boy from a few villages over came in yelling about intruders on the planet. The people of Priamus are peaceful and besides the Wraith which they weren't able to fight they had no enemies. The boy seemed genuinely alarmed so I asked him if it was the Wraith but he said no, that the intruders were human. He took me to his village and showed me where they were.
"They were right in the centre of the place, looking as though they owned it and had more right to be there than the townspeople. I knew it was the Genii. There was no mistaking them. I knew I was alone but I thought I could take them, seeing as there were only five or so of them and they were splitting up as they looked around.
"I made a mistake. I underestimated them. I was arrogant, you could say. I was captured by two of them and brought before Kolya. He asked me my name and I told him without any hesitation, thinking that he would let me go since I had no connection to him whatsoever but I was wrong there too. We left the planet and took me to the planet you rescued me from."
John nodded slowly but he asked nothing else, seemingly satisfied with the answer he received. Elizabeth smiled and got to her feet as she spoke. "I think that will do for now," she said softly. "Kate will be in shortly just for a brief chat."
Reva nodded at her words but said nothing as Elizabeth and Sheppard left the room together. Once the door closed, Reva looked at the space of floor between her armchair and the one opposite her. It was dark, clean and smooth. It was the kind of thing someone would look at and sense a strange feeling of hope about nothing. Reva frowned inwardly at the thought but kept her eyes on it shadows past her vision above her. They were now in there watching and going to listen in as well.
Sure enough, only a short time passed before the door opened and someone new walked in. Reva raised her head to see the person. A tall, slender woman was approaching her. Her wavy blonde hair bounced around her shoulders and when she sat down Reva looked into the woman's blue eyes. She could already see the kindness and softness already present and it was illustrated in her voice.
"Hello, Reva," she said softly.
Reva's eyes moved down to the book she held in her hands. What was that thing for? She looked back at the woman's face and smiled ever so slightly. "You're Kate?" she questioned.
"Yes,' the woman replied. "How are you feeling?" she asked instantly, moving the book onto her lap and opening it to a new page.
Reva shrugged lightly. "I feel fine, I guess," she replied unsurely.
The pen moved across the paper after her answer. Reva frowned faintly. "Is that thing necessary?"
Kate's soft smile remained. "Don't be alarmed. It's just so I don't forget anything." Reva just nodded. "Is there anything you would like to talk about?"
Reva's frown deepened. "Like what?"
"Anything you wish."
"Not really," Reva said, slowly shaking her head.
"Do you feel anger or hatred towards what happened?"
"You mean by Kolya?" Reva shrugged but didn't wait for an answer. "I suppose I feel angry. Maybe it will set in further at a later date."
Kate nodded slowly as she wrote more words down on her notepad. "Is there any detail of the recent event you would like to discuss?"
Reva shifted uncomfortable in her chair and she looked away from Kate, fiddling with her hands again. "No, not really," she said almost inaudibly.
Kate pressed her lips together as her head tilted to the side in a knowing curiosity. "Were you touched inappropriately?"
"What?" Reva exclaimed loudly. "No, no!"
"Alright," Kate said quickly. "It's alright." Reva looked Kate up and down, a worried look etched in her features. What was Kate talking about? Nothing like that happened on the planet.
"Would you like to talk more about the torture?" Kate suggested, moving the conversation along.
"You mean in detail? No, not really," Reva said quickly.
Kate smiled at her again and closed her notepad and leaned forwards slightly. "I think we could leave it there. You've been through enough and I'm sure the last thing you want to do is discuss it but I would like to talk again."
"Sure," Reva said, putting on a forced smile.
Kate left the room and made her way up to the viewing room where everyone was waiting for her. "Well?" Ronon asked immediately.
Kate directed her attention to Elizabeth and Sheppard. "I know she didn't say much but I believe her to be alright," Kate started slowly. "She seemed a little withdrawn but it's common. I think with time and a few more talks she should come around."
"Do you really think she was abused?" Teyla asked, concerned.
Kate half shrugged. "I'm not sure to be honest. I do think something may have happened but Kolya may not have been the catalyst of that event."
"She can be assimilated into the population?" Elizabeth asked quickly.
"Yes," Kate replied with a nod. "Though I believe if she stays with familiar people, she can easily get used to others and it will be much smoother."
Everyone in the room turned who Ronon who just nodded, giving them a look of surprise. Why would they think he would just let her do this alone?
"Let's go inform her then," Elizabeth said lightly, already moving from the room. Both Sheppard and Ronon followed.
Reva closed her eyes in annoyance as the hiss from the door startled her again. This time, she got to her feet as Elizabeth and Sheppard returned along with her brother. They smiled at each other faintly but Reva waited, knowing that Elizabeth wanted to say something. She clasped her hands together in front of her before speaking.
"We're going to move you into your new quarters and get you settled into the city as quickly and easily as possible. I do hope you like it here."
A wide smile broke out onto Reva's face, lightening it considerably and she thanked Elizabeth quickly before jumping into Ronon's arms, both of them smiling, happy that they were once again reunited.
Thanks for all reviews so far.
Answer to review - crossMyheartHope2Spy - Yes, the title is taken from the song by Shinedown. I hadn't heard of the song before and my friend suggested it.