Elizabeth stood outside Specialist Dex's infirmary room having knocked loudly, again.
She and Carson had already decided that if Ronon was ever injured again he most certainly would not have his own room! Apparently Ronon preferring a private room had less to do with memories and more to do with only having one entrance to guard while he was in such a weakened state.
Carson during the morning update had informed her that Ronon had refused pain killers and that a nurse had caught him red handed with scissors and scalpels in the wee hours of the morning. No one had expected Dex to even be able to sit-up, let alone drag himself around the infirmary looking for weapons.
John's eyes had widened before reminding Elizabeth of Ronon's various door traps and suggesting vests and helmets for the infirmary staff. Rodney's face had blanched as he announced he would wait to see his teammate once Ronon made it to the mess on his own steam. Dr. Beckett had rolled his eyes and suggested it might be a lot easier just to announce oneself prior to entering the ex-Runner's room, of course he felt quite guilty for not having warned poor Becky.
The nurse Carson related, still shaky from triggering a tripwire early in the night (while trying to check on her charge) had been coming out of the bathroom just as Ronon was headed back to his room. Startled to see the hulk of a man sneaking past her... she tried to jump back into the bathroom, missing the door completely and almost knocking herself out.
Ronon tried to steady her with his fore arm, pushing her against the wall to keep the dazed nurse from sliding to the floor; his look of concern laced with pain from jumping forward to rescue, in the predawn shadows, with hands full of blades, did nothing to reassure.
Dr. Weir had understood immediately why the nurse (yep, Becky): who had witnessed the Biro incident, triggered a tripwire (Carson neglected to mention what happened to the poor girl), then after again being scared witless and having unsuccessfully tried to commandeer the scalpels, was currently taking valium and at Dr. Heightmeyer's suggestion returning to Earth ASAP for an extended leave.
Knocking a bit louder this time and hurting her hand in the process; Elizabeth continued to look at the patient through the glass, waiting for the ok to open the door. Ronon's eyes were still closed; but when Elizabeth had broached Teyla about her idea, Teyla had smiled and told her not to be put off by Dex's charade, assuring her that Ronon would most definitely be awake regardless of how it looked. Quietly admitting that Ronon had been embarrassed to have driven Becky to tears and none too happy when Dr. Beckett and the Lt. Colonel had torn his cot apart, redressed him, patted down his hair, and searched the rest of the room until every scalpel, scissor, and wire had been confiscated.
Persistence Teyla had said.
Persistence did not appear to be working, sighing Elizabeth turned and leaned back on the door, now what? She wasn't deranged enough to walk in unbidden.
Light bulb moment!
A grin spread across her face as she turned to look in again at the possum playing Runner then in an almost whisper she stated, "I have a stunner for you Ronon, let me in before Dr. Beckett takes it away." He had keyed the door halfway through the word 'you' and was now glaring at her as she only had a small case in her hand. "Chess. That game... I thought we could play. Stop pouting, I'll bring you a stunner later."
-OO-
Note: In Epiphany after Rodney's Xenia and Conan comment, it is Carson who objects not Weir. However, come Coup D' Etat she's put Ronon and Teyla in charge of a crucial investigation. In fact her whole demeanor towards Ronon has changed, no more nervous conversations like in Duet and Aurora, post The Long Goodbye she address him as she would any other expedition member. What's changed? I'm going with other FF writers in that guilt over shooting him spurred visitation and the teaching of chess; so what changed is Elizabeth get's to know Ronon on a personal level and his intelligence is revealed.