Chapter Seven
As instructed and expected, Alex learned her way around the laptop, the programs, and the language. It was slow going, at first, but soon she found herself moving along with ease. Instead of coming himself to retrieve the laptop nightly, Doctor McKay sent one of his numerous underlings with the next day's laptop. Alex found herself spending more and more time either alone in her quarters, or wandering the halls when she needed a break. She saw less and less of Sheppard as he resumed his normal duties with his team. And even Beckett was available for her injections only infrequently. More often than not, it was relegated to one of his assistants.
For her part, Alex took to watching people. When she wasn't cooped up in her quarters working furiously, she wandered the halls. Many people who saw her coming either glared hate at her, or watched her pass by warily. The presence of her guards did nothing to ease their minds, apparently. Only Teyla did she feel even when she wasn't looking. The sharp, intense cold of her hate came at odd times and without warning. Never reacting to it openly, Alex filed it away. Ignoring the open reactions of those who encountered her and focusing on those she could view who did not see her gave her at least some insight to the social on-goings of the city.
Despite the clock Carson had given her, Alex felt herself again losing her sense of time. Day and night only held meaning in the sense of how busy the corridors would be when she chose to leave. At one point she was surprised to realize that she ascribed this mild neglect to a sense of loneliness. Scoffing at this, she tried to deny that she wished for company. But she simply could not get Sheppard and Carson out of her thoughts when she felt this way.
Her loneliness and feeling of having been virtually forgotten and discarded as useless eventually led her to wandering the city at later and later hours. It wasn't long before her schedule was almost completely reversed. To herself she justified this by thinking that it was easier to get her food by going to the nearly empty mess hall late, late at night and just taking a loaded tray with enough food for the entire day back to her quarters.
So desperate, yet afraid, was she for some sort of human interaction that Alex took to eavesdropping on her guards' conversations as they wandered the halls. After weeks of this, she learned many things about the men and women that guarded her around the clock. Their love lives, their families, their hobbies, their hopes and dreams and wishes. At times she even caught herself fantasizing about actually joining their conversations; asking all the questions she dared not ask now. Of course, she quickly threw that idea back into the darkness of her thoughts where it belonged.
Alex eventually found her way to a gym that served as a sparring room. Hearing the grunts of people fighting, she made her way to the shadows of the doorway and watched, hoping no one would notice her. More often than not, once she was noticed, people stopped whatever they were doing to either stare at her or whisper about her. She was surprised to see Ronon and Sheppard engaged in a heated battle. Despite the difference in sizes, Sheppard was having no problem keeping up. Both were heaving deep breaths from the exertion. But she found there was no sign of anger in either of them. If anything, they appeared to be enjoying this.
Taking all of this in, she watched for a few more moments as the two opponents seemed to wind down. Not wanting to disturb them, most especially an already keyed-up Ronon, she quietly turned and slipped down another corridor. In another nearby sparring room she spotted two people engaged in combat with sticks. Again she watched briefly before moving on so as not to let them catch her watching. But she was fascinated by this. It had never before occurred to her that humans practiced fighting as a form of recreation. She was intrigued.
That was when her schedule began to change somewhat back to a daytime oriented one. She found that most people did their sparring in the daytimes, rather than at night. Going from one gym or sparring room to another, she would watch as long as she could remain unseen by those sparring. Once caught, they would, inevitably stop. But while unnoticed, she watched intently their every fluid move trying to memorize them. Her guards never stopped her or made any move to alert those within the room, for which she was thankful. Eventually she came to a sparring room later one night to find it empty. The walls were lined with an array of wooden weapons she found enthralling. Some she had seen used before, others she could only guess as to their use.
Her guards now stationed just inside the door did nothing to stop her as she picked out one of the weapons she had seen used before. It was a sword, she had heard it called, and was longer than her arm. It was surprisingly heavy for its size. She took a couple of experimental swings with it, judging how quickly and accurately she could do so. From there she began to move as she had seen some of the combatants do. Flowing from one stance to another, she began to get a feel for the weapon and increased her speed incrementally.
"So that's what you've been up to," a voice called from the doorway, startling her into nearly dropping the wooden weapon.
"Sheppard," she said, trying to calm her racing heart. "Am I not allowed to be here?"
"You're fine. But your guards mentioned you've been watching for a while now and hadn't bothered to join in."
"I'm not welcome," she said simply.
"So I've gathered. They're still giving you the cold shoulder?" he asked.
Not entirely sure what he meant, but deducing it she shrugged. "It is not a problem."
"If you say so," he said. "Want to learn?"
"Aren't you usually asleep at this time?"
"Yeah, but I just got back from a two week mission where their times are almost opposite ours. I'm staying up all night and all day tomorrow to readjust."
"I see."
"What about you? Not sleeping well?"
"I'm restless."
"Well, then some exercise will do you some good. Come on, I'll show you."
Taking a wooden sword of his own from those hanging on the wall, Sheppard walked her through a dozen or so stances. Within minutes the two were swinging away at each other. Sheppard was stunned that she easily gave a good as she got. Within an hour he estimated her to be a nearly even match for any beginner.
"You're a fast learner," he commented between breaths.
"Is that good?"
"Unless it's someone newer going up against you, yeah."
"Good. I would like to learn more."
"Then swing by sparring room six anytime between four and eight in the evening. There's always an instructor hanging around then."
Alex frowned as she considered this. "Do you think it's a good idea?"
"I'll have a word with some of them. Don't worry."
"Thank you."
"Sure thing. Well, I'm off to grab a quick shower. I'll drop in on you later. Maybe we'll go for a run sometime."
"I'd like that."
"Great."
Alex remained for a few more minutes continuing to inspect the array of weapons on the walls before placing hers back in its place and turning toward her quarters to follow Sheppard's example. A couple hours later she found herself sleeping soundly for the first time in weeks.
~o~o~o~
As promised, Sheppard spoke with several of the martial arts instructors and military trainers. The next day Alex showed up to find herself one of about a dozen people. The instructor was a man of sleight build with arms made of sinewy muscle hardened by decades of combat training. Everyone there appraised him with a look of respect. Taking note of Alex's presence, he didn't pause in his instructions. Listening closely, Alex picked up the premise, the expected outcome, and the motions quickly. As the man's dark eyes kept wandering back to her throughout the talk and demonstration, Alex began to sense she was not as welcome as Sheppard might have thought.
She had already expected he would choose her for the first live demonstration in the hopes of making an example of her. Checking a sigh, Alex stepped forward onto the mat as people finally noticed her presence and slid away from her as if afraid of her touch. Ignoring them, she faced the instructor and nodded to his final instructions. Without warning he lunged at her arms raised. Reacting in exactly the way he had been instructing Alex took him by the wrist and spun with his momentum sending him to his back on the mat. The surprise was clear on his face as he stared up at her from the mat with wide dark eyes. The crowd had shared a collective gasp of shock at her success. Regaining her feet, the instructor nodded grudgingly.
"You're extremely fast, and strong. That's very good. That is exactly how it is done. Now, I want you all to pair off and practice."
Alex found herself standing alone facing another woman who gave her a smirk that she didn't like at all. The blonde introduced herself as Sergeant Daniels and Alex gave her name. Introductions complete, the woman felt no need to delay, apparently, as she attacked without warning, also. Standing nearby, the instructor said and did nothing to stop her; but he watched the exchange intently with a calculating expression. In the heartbeat she had to react to this, Alex instead ducked and came up with her shoulder in Daniels' midsection, again using her opponent's momentum to flip them away from her.
Daniels blinked up at her from the mat as if not quite sure how she had ended up there. Instructor Glover leaned over her and asked, "Did I call nap time?"
"No, sir," she growled, flipping to her feet.
Not intending to underestimate her opponent a second time, Daniels took a stance and squared off with Alex. Not knowing what to do, but certain the instructor wasn't going to stop whatever happened, Alex stood still and waited for whatever would come. As expected, Daniels came in with a flurry of punches and kicks that took Alex by surprise in their fury. Daniels' face twisted from fury to hateful triumph as several of the blows landed on their intended targets.
Biting back cries of pain, Alex dodged and blocked as many as she could, which was most. But she soon found herself backed to the edge of the mats. By this point the rest of the class had backed to the walls to give them room and watch the show. Gradually Alex's mind caught up with the flurry of activity and caught a pattern. Soon she was starting to make retaliatory punches of her own, though far more clumsily than her opponent. As Daniels began to wear down, she found the opening she had hoped to see. In a spin ducking under her opponent's outstretched arm she grabbed the woman by the waist expecting to flip her sideways to the mat. To her surprise Daniels rolled on the mat taking Alex with her sending her flying painfully into the mat shoulder first. Certain Daniels would continue the attack, she forced herself to her feet once again with her good arm for balance, keeping her nearly numb arm close to her side.
By the time she turned around it was to see Daniels bowing to Glover. Apparently she had missed something in her pain-filled daze. Glover nodded to Alex as a signal that it was ended.
"Anyone here wish to comment on what you all just witnessed?"
The room was silent, all eyes on him. "Alex, please tell the class how long you have been studying martial arts."
"I haven't."
"Exactly. What you all just witness was adaptation and improvisation. As you all know, Alex is a former Wraith queen. She had minions, generals, armies of warriors to do her fighting. She was never taught how to defend herself. Am I correct?" he asked her for confirmation; to which Alex just nodded.
"And yet in a matter of minutes she used her enhanced speed and strength to block and then to adapt to the Sergeant's attack style enough to start fighting back. In a few more minutes she was able to spot an opening and take advantage of it. Because Daniels did not change her repetitive attack style.
"On the very first attempt, she countered my strike following exactly the instructions I had given all of you. Adaptation is critical to survival when taking on any opponent in any situation. If you cannot adapt to their fighting style, or you become unbendingly rigid in your own style, you might as well just lay on the ground and take it; because that's what's going to happen. Thank you for that demonstration, Alex."
Alex just nodded, not sure if she was entirely happy with what had just happened. But, since it was already done, she felt no need to say anything more.
"Pair up," Glover called out again as he motioned for Alex to come over to him. "Let me see your arm."
Keeping her expression neutral, slowly she moved her nearly numb arm out to him and he took it in a gentle grip. Watching her expression closely, he began to rotate her arm. "Does it hurt when I do this?"
"Yes," she replied, seeing no point in denying it.
He inspected her shoulder and arm a bit more closely before declaring, "Well, nothing's broken and your shoulder isn't dislocated, but you're going to have some spectacular bruising. Why don't you head to the infirmary for an ice pack?"
Alex nodded, trying to hide her disappointment. Obviously she failed somehow, despite his praise. Seeing this, Glover crossed his arms.
"I needed to know where you stand in relation to the others in this class so I can determine where to place you," he explained. "Normally I would test you individually outside of the class. But Daniels presented me with an opportunity, and you didn't appear to mind."
In truth, it had not crossed her mind to protest.
"In the future, if you don't like something, say something. What you learn here may teach you combat skills. But I can't teach you confidence, self-respect, or discipline if you're not willing to do so for yourself, first. Understand?"
"Yes. Thank you."
"Don't thank me, yet. You've shown a huge amount of potential. That makes you a threat," Glover continued, his expression now deadly serious. "You have some catching up to do compared to the rest, and I'm willing to hone that potential into some real combat skill. But, I need to report to Colonel Sheppard on your progress, too. I'll see what he says."
"I understand."
"I suppose you do," he admitted, his serious expression giving way to a genuine smile. "Can you meet me here at ten hundred hours tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"Good, come ready for some more mat kissing. I'm going to get you caught up in one-on-one sessions. If you learn as fast as what Sheppard says and what I just saw, you'll be back in this class in a few weeks."
"Thank you," Alex said, unable to keep from smiling.
"Now go on to the infirmary. And if Doctor Beckett says anything, you can tell him I beat you senseless so he would have something to do with his time other than telling everyone about the one that got away," he told her with a wink. And, with that, he turned away to monitor his class.
Occupied with his own partner at the moment, Major Lorne watched the exchange between Glover and Alex out of the corner of his eye. She was good, there was no doubt about that. But he knew Daniels and how hard she could hit. He almost felt sorry for Alex as he watched her force herself upright and try to walk out normally. Having studied martial arts almost his whole life he was accustomed to seeing people take a beating, but that had been brutal for a first-timer. Briefly he wondered if she was going to be coming back. It almost seemed a waste for someone like Daniels to discourage someone with so much potential.
Unfortunately, this preoccupation with the woman now limping out of the sparring room cost him his opening. His opponent grinned triumphantly as she flipped him to the mat. His face flaming red at this slip, he glared dangerously at Glover to keep the man's mouth shut. Glover just chuckled and walked away. Knowing Lorne as he did, that incident was nothing short of amusing.
Following Glover's instructions, Alex found herself headed toward the infirmary struggling to walk normally, her guards shadowing her talking quietly. From what she could hear, it had obviously been about her. It felt as if her whole body was throbbing. She wondered if she would be in any kind of condition to learn from Glover tomorrow. Putting that worry aside, she focused on making her way to the infirmary and the relief she knew she would find there.
Not surprisingly, Beckett was nowhere in sight when she entered. As was normal, the infirmary was pretty quiet in the evenings. A lone female doctor sitting at a desk was playing solitaire and waiting for someone to need her medical expertise.
"Doctor?" Alex called softly, not wanting to startle her.
Glancing up, the middle-aged woman turned away from her game. "Alex, right?"
"Yes," she said with a nod.
"You're not scheduled for your injection until tomorrow morning. Are you alright?"
"I'm a bit bruised up. And my shoulder hurts pretty badly," Alex said, hesitantly.
Doctor Knightley's eyebrows shot up as she motioned for Alex to take a seat on a nearby gurney. "Let me take a look."
Beckett chose that moment to make an appearance through the open double doors to the infirmary with a bag in hand grumbling something about the stupidity of scientists. Tossing down the bag in a convenient corner, he caught sight of Alex and Doctor Knightley.
"Alex, what are you doing here?" he asked with a warm smile.
"She's been in a fight," Doctor Knightley announced, having seen a couple of the bruises.
"What?!" Carson shouted, his brows coming together dangerously. "Who?"
"I was in Glover's class. He had Sergeant Daniels test me."
"Test you? You mean he cut her loose on you," Knightley commented, gently prodding various bruises now showing on her legs, face, arms, and shoulder.
"Aye, if it was Daniels, it was more like unleashing a beast. She's a mean one," Carson commented. "And you're referring to Glover teaching hand to hand combat?"
Alex nodded, wincing slightly as Knightly rotated her arm in much the same fashion as Glover had done.
"That arse," Carson grumbled. "You'd think he'd have enough decency not to put you through the grinder on your first day."
"Well, nothing appears to be broken," Knightley announced. "But you're going to be in a world of hurt for a few days."
"Would you mind getting some cold compresses and some eight hundred milligram ibuprofen?" Carson asked Doctor Knightley.
"I'm on it," she called, leaving the two of them alone.
For a moment, Carson considered her. "Did Glover really pair you with Daniels?"
"Not exactly," she said, shaking her head. She recounted the entire ordeal to him, including what Glover had told her to say.
Carson's face darkened for a minute, before lightening up with a chuckle. "He's just still sore that I caught a bigger space bass than he did last year," Carson explained.
Having no idea what that was all about and suddenly too exhausted to care, Alex just nodded. Carson's brows furrowed again as he scrutinized her.
"Did Sergeant Daniels hit you in the head at all?" he asked, seeing her pale, exhausted expression.
Alex just shook her head as her stomach decided that that moment was the perfect time to announce its displeasure at being empty.
"When was the last time you ate?"
"A few hours ago."
"Have you been eating regularly?"
Alex just nodded, too tired to answer suddenly.
"Alex. Alex look me," Carson said with an edge of concern obvious in his voice, tilting her chin up and trying to shine a light into her slitted eyes.
Groaning, Alex tried to turn away from the light. She began to feel disconnected from her body, as if she was floating away.
"Rebecca!" Carson shouted.
Knightley poked her head around the corner from the storage room she had been in. "Yes, Doctor?"
"I need you to get me any food we have in the refrigerator in the break room. I don't care who it belongs to, just get it."
Sensing his urgency, she dropped what she had in her hands on the counter and dashed off toward the back of the infirmary.
Returning his attention to Alex, he found he was practically holding her up. "Alex, I need you to focus now, love. Can you do that for me?"
Groaning again, Alex struggled to keep her eyes open and nodded weakly.
"Tell me what you're feeling. Aside from tired, are you lightheaded?"
She nodded.
"Are you dizzy or is the room tilting?"
She nodded her head slightly.
"Hold up your hand for me."
With what felt to be a monumental effort, Alex struggled to comply, but she shook so badly she wasn't sure if she managed it or not.
"That's good. Hang in there just a little longer," he said, seeing Doctor Knightley returning with an armload of food.
"Pick whichever soda has the most sugar and open it up," he instructed, keeping Alex leaning on him so she wouldn't lie back or fall off the gurney.
As instructed, Knightley located a Mountain Dew and popped the tab before handing it over.
"I need you to drink this for me, Alex. Carefully now. I'll hold it, you just drink. Understand?"
Not even feeling she could hold the can at this point, Alex let her eyes slide shut and opened her mouth slightly. The tangy tingly sensation and citrus flavor would have been an absolute wonder for her were she not feeling as if she were sliding right out of her body and into a never-ending darkness.
"That's good, love. Keep it up," Carson coaxed, his voice trembling slightly. "I need you to keep drinking. Just a little more. That's it. Good girl. Take a breath. Now some more."
It wasn't long before the can was gone and he was turning to the pile Knightley had on the table beside him. Spying some chocolate-covered marshmallow sweets, he tore off some pieces and placed them in Alex's mouth.
"Come on, now, Alex. I need you to eat. Just a little bit. Good," he continued to coax gently. To Knightley he instructed, "Get a glucose meter."
Without a word, she did as instructed and returned seconds later. Swiping Alex's finger with an alcohol wipe and then pricking it, she gasped at the results. When Carson glanced over, she showed him the results. The forty-nine confirmed his suspicions.
"Start an IV with a ten percent solution. Run it wide open," he instructed, returning to coaxing Alex into eating more of the sugary sweets.
Within about fifteen minutes, Alex began to show signs of being more alert. She even struggled to sit up on her own. Instead, Beckett tilted the gurney so she could lean back, but still be mostly upright. Crisis averted, he instructed Knightley to get a full tray of food from the mess hall. Meanwhile, he had Alex eat anything she could handle from the pile from the breakroom.
"What happened? What's wrong with me?" she finally managed to slur in question.
"You were going into insulin shock," Carson said, still a bit rattled by the incident. "But I think I know why, too. For now, just eat and rest. We'll discuss it in the morning."
Alex nodded, still appearing too tired and confused to do otherwise. She continued to munch slowly on the sugary things Carson handed her until Doctor Knightley returned with a tray loaded with fruits and other foods.
"You said she likes fruit," Knightley, told him as he eyed the tray seemingly filled with half a produce aisle.
"Help her with that, if you would. I need to run some scans," he told the Doctor. To Alex he smiled, "Eat as much as you can, but stop when you feel full. Understand? Good girl. Then I want you to rest. You're going to stay with us tonight, all right?"
Again, she nodded. He patted her hand and then turned to the scanners. Returning to the data he had collected previously from the handful of days she was recovering after she'd woken from her coma, he found his confirmation. Much like the Wraith, her body possessed the means to regenerate so some extent. But, to do so, she had to eat unusually large quantities. If she didn't, then the body would take its energy where it could. The ramifications were nothing short of frightening. He wasn't sure if this was a temporary issue, or if her body would continue to regenerate indefinitely depending on how much she ate. Not unlike a wraith, she might very well still be immortal.
Suddenly feeling the stress of the long day and the last few hours, Beckett yawned as he wandered back into the room where Alex had been moved. By this point she was sleeping soundly. Knightley must have removed the tray and other food. Glancing at his watch, he realized it was almost midnight. Seeing Alex sleeping so peacefully, he decided to sit with her for just a few minutes to make sure she was sleeping comfortably before heading to his own bed.
The next thing he became aware of was whispering on the other side of the curtain to Alex's room as her guards swapped out for the morning shift. Glancing at his watch, he cursed himself for falling asleep. His back cursed him in return just as vociferously as he groaned his way to an upright position.
"Are you hurt?" Alex asked, startling him.
"No, no. I'm just—" he yawned hugely, "excuse me—too old to be napping anywhere I sit. I haven't been this sore since med school."
"I'm sorry."
"Not to worry. It wasn't your fault."
Alex looked at him dubiously, but made no further comment.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, eyeing her, but not seeming too concerned.
"Much better."
"Good. That was a bit unexpected, but we caught it in time." Seeing she was waiting for more of an explanation, Beckett continued, "The brain and body run on glucose. Glucose, or sugar, in our bodies is pure energy. Without it the brain shuts down and we die. Your body pretty much used up all that it had and was still trying to use more to heal itself."
Alex's cat-like eyes widened in shock as she began to move her previously injured shoulder.
"Yes, it's healed. Along with a number of other minor injuries you sustained."
Alex's already pale face impossibly manage to pale even further. "Like a Wraith," she said, horrified.
"Something like that," Beckett agreed. "But don't concern yourself over it. It might be temporary, as your body is still recovering from the transition. Or, it might be I need to modify the formula to further suppress the remaining effects of the wraith DNA."
"But it's not failing? I haven't started to change back?" she asked, trembling slightly.
"No, no," Carson assured, putting a comforting hand on her arm. "Nothing like that. I promise."
Alex took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself before facing the Doctor again. "You'll tell me if the formula ever loses its effectiveness, won't you?"
"Of course," he promised, squeezing her arm gently. "For now you have nothing to worry about. You should be fine, but possibly excessively hungry. From now on, before any strenuous physical activity, eat a large meal. Anywhere you go, I want you to take something to eat with you. Maybe carry a purse or a bag. I'll see if anyone has any suggestions for you. Immediately after an injury or strenuous activity, eat until you feel full, but no more. If you feel lightheaded, shaky, unusually tired suddenly, eat or drink something, preferably with sugar. Until I find a more permanent solution that should keep you from going into insulin shock again."
Alex nodded.
"In the meantime, I'm going to head to my quarters for a shower and a quick nap. I'll let the doctor on duty know you're ready for discharge."
"Thank you, Carson."
"Don't mention it, lass," he said, patting her shoulder.
Watching him exit through the blue curtain, Alex wondered at the feeling of safety she felt around him and was curious about the nearly electrical feeling she had when he touched her. For just one moment, she wondered what it would be like to touch him back. Realizing what she was thinking and envisioning, Alex shook herself thoroughly and rose from the bed to meet the doctor on duty so she could get out as quickly as possible.
~o~o~o~
The doctor on duty was a young one she had never seen before, but he was quick and efficient with getting Alex released. He repeated Beckett's instructions as he checked her over, removed her IV, and gave her Carson's daily injection. He was not, gentle, however and made no apology as he kept his eyes averted the entire time; leaving her feeling as if he couldn't stand the sight of her. Grateful to be leaving the infirmary, Alex turned and nearly fled the infirmary with her morning guards in tow. She had only managed a few steps out of the open double doors when she caught sight of Sheppard. The concern was clear in his expression as he jogged the last few steps toward her.
"They told me you spent the night in the infirmary. What happened?"
Feeling a weariness at having to repeat the whole thing she just said, "Insulin shock."
"What?" Sheppard replied incredulously. "Hinton and Larchwood said you tangled with Daniels last night and had to stay here."
Sighing, Alex nodded and turned her steps toward her quarters. "I did. But my body regenerated using glucose. Carson said I went into insulin shock and I need to eat more before any more strenuous activities and immediately after."
"Regenerated?" Sheppard repeated. "You mean like a Wraith? But with blood sugar?"
Alex nodded.
"And you're totally healed? Just like that?"
Tired, hungry yet again, and desperately wanting a hot shower, Alex snapped, "Yes, 'just like that'."
"Whoa, I didn't mean anything by it," Sheppard said raising his hands with palms outward in a sign of surrender. "I think it's pretty cool, actually."
"Carson said he would modify the formula to further suppress the effects of the remaining Wraith DNA."
"And you want that?" Sheppard asked incredulously.
"Yes!" she snapped again. "I want to be human, not just look it." She laughed darkly. "I can't even manage to actually look human!" she told him gripping a fistful of her white hair. "I don't want to be Carson's 'pet Wraith'. I want to actively participate in Atlantis, contribute something worthwhile. I want to fight the Wraith; maybe find a way to eradicate them completely. I want to experience life as you do. I want to feel what humans feel; yes, even pain. I want to love. I want to fear. I want to dream.
"What I don't want is my remaining Wraith DNA nearly destroying this body in order to heal it. I don't want to see those I call friends—when I have them—grow old and die while I eat a handful of food and keep on going. Is it so hard to believe that I just want something you all take for granted?"
She finally seemed to run out of energy. Her face already red from the obvious frustration, now it was turning red for a whole different reason. She opened her mouth to apologize for her outburst, but Sheppard cut her off.
By this point Sheppard's expression had turned contemplative as he nodded to what she said. Giving her an apologetic glance once he realized she was finished, he said, "No. It's not. I'm sorry if I offended you. In case you hadn't noticed, I have a tendency to run off at the mouth."
Heaving another sigh, Alex stopped and dry scrubbed her face with her hands. "No, Sheppard. I should apologize. I'm just…never mind. I need shower and some breakfast. Maybe then I'll be able to think straight."
"Sounds like a plan. And call me John. That's what people do when they're friends. They use first names," he explained.
Alex's blue eyes widened and her expression changed to one of surprise and wonder as these words sank in. Before she could say anything, though, Sheppard added, "I'll let you get to it. I'll poke Carson once he's back up and about and we'll put our heads together. In the meantime, you should talk to Doctor Heightmeyer. Kate's a great listener. And she'll have some insight for you on being human. Really, go see her today when you get a chance. Tell her what you just told me."
"I will. Thank you," she said, still processing this most recent revelation.
With that Sheppard headed off down the corridor to his own breakfast and day's duties. For a moment Alex just stared after his retreating back as she processed what he had told her. By his estimation, Carson had been her friend since she was still a Wraith. Feeling a thrill as this sank in, Alex didn't even realize she was smiling all the way back to her quarters.