I am so incredibly sorry that it's taken me a month to update. I'm sneaking this in on my lunch break.
Hope you enjoy, should have a busier chapter up sometime soon!
John barely murmured a hasty apology to the lab tech he almost plowed into as he ran sprinting into the infirmary, eyes desperately roaming the immediate area for any sign of his wife, or Teyla. He saw the head nurse exit a private room with Jennifer Keller, who immediately looked up and met his eyes.
"John," she nodded at him, motioning him over to the screen.
"Where is she? She okay? The baby? What happened?" all the questions flew out, one after another, without any pause.
"She's fine, her collapse was due to overexertion and some stress factors. The baby is comfortable, heart rate still normal. I think she pushed herself a bit too far. I hate to do this, but Carson gave me permission before he left to confine her to bed rest if something like this happened," she told him, a bit contritely.
John shook his head. "'Lizbeth, what were you thinking?" he asked in a hushed voice to the figure laying in bed on the screen in front of him.
"She kept doing her job until the very last possible moment. What else would you expect from her?" Jennifer asked him, a slight chuckle in her voice. "Anyway, you can see her. Teyla's still with her."
He nodded, gently touching her shoulder in silent thanks, and quickly left the doctor's side, entering the private suite attached to the infirmary.
Inside, Elizabeth was drinking a cup of tea, Teyla shaking her head and laughing at something she must've just said, then paused and looked up at the new arrival in the room.
His wife smiled at him. "John."
Hands in pockets, he walked over to her, kissing her forehead softly. "You okay?" he whispered, searching her green eyes for any sign that something might be wrong.
"I'm all right. I think I just overdid it a little, that's all."
"Elizabeth, I am your friend," Teyla reminded her, "and as such, I must be honest. You have not taken an actual break in so long, some of us were beginning to wonder if you would give birth in your office."
This unexpected statement from Teyla made John laugh, releasing some of the tension that had built up inside of him ever since he had heard of Elizabeth's collapse.
Elizabeth shot Teyla a surprised look, then turned back to her husband, smiling gently. "In any case, I'm on mandatory bed rest until the little one decides to join us."
John ran a hand though his hair. "Woolsey won't be too happy with that. Wanting to do your review and all," he predicted, shrugging.
Elizabeth held her hands in front of her, staring into her lap before she spoke. "Actually, John, I'm rather glad that Woolsey is coming."
"Come again?"
"Let's face it. I've been fighting this longer than I should have, and for our sakes, it is better that there is someone here to keep an eye on things till I get back on my feet."
"And all this time, that's what I thought I was here for," he said, eyes laughing at her.
She gave him one of her looks. "So cheeky. What am I going to do with you?"
He innocently glanced at Teyla and winced. "Well, you could make Teyla swear to beat me up every week with bantos?"
"I agree," Teyla nodded. "If you have anywhere near the amount of pain that I experienced while giving birth to Torren, you will crush John's hand. He needs to be strengthened beforehand to endure it."
John caught the wicked look that the two women exchanged, and cringed. "Ya know, I'm beginning to get a little uncomfortable. I think I'm just gonna go ahead and throw myself off the tower."
Teyla laughed, then gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. "I swear to you, John, I will not kill you. That right belongs entirely to Elizabeth."
Elizabeth nodded her thanks.
John rolled his eyes.
Teyla inclined her head, then left the anxious expecting parents alone.
John walked to the edge of the bed and sat next to her. Her swollen belly was more pronounced through the white scrubs that she had been changed into. At least, John mentally remarked, they didn't give her pink.
She groaned. "I wasn't expecting this."
"There is so much irony in that statement," John commented softly, glancing again at his wife.
She chuckled, laying her head soundly against the pillow.
"Hey, it's only for five weeks. It won't be horrible. Besides, I'll come and see you every day. And Keller told me everybody's fine, right?"
She shook her head in agreement as she yawned. "Oh. Jennifer gave me a sedate to help me sleep for a while. Can you handle things until Woolsey arrives?"
John smirked. "Of course. Get some sleep, babe."
He gave her a tender kiss on the forehead as she snuggled into the covers.
John stood in the Gateroom, hands held respectfully behind his back, listening to the chevrons locking on the Stargate in front of him. It sounded like a clock ticking down, each heavy chime like a long second, until it reached zero and the eighth chevron locked. He released one hand, just for a second, to check the time, and let out a quiet groan.
Woolsey had asked to Gate to Atlantis as soon as Daedalus had reached the edge of the Pegasus Galaxy. According to the data burst they received, it seemed that the new - albeit temporary - Expedition leader was arriving on schedule.
The normal kawhoosh - the five year old in him laughed - was suppressed by the shield already in place over the Ancient orb. From the control room, Chuck announced, "Mr. Woolsey's IDC received, Colonel."
John nodded, keeping a steely gaze on the open wormhole. "Lower the shield."
As the force field disappeared, John shot a quick glance to Rodney, making his way down the staircase from the control room. "Hey," the astrophysicist anxiously greeted, wiping his palms on the cloth of his pants.
Eyebrows raised, John looked at Rodney, humor in his eyes. "Are you nervous?" he asked in mock surprise.
"What?" he asked, taken aback by the question, eyes darting around the near vicinity to see if anyone else had heard the embarrassing query. "No, no! Why would I be nervous? Just some under qualified, egotistical kiss-butt that taking Elizabeth's place," he grumbled as he straightened his sleeves.
"Substituting for Elizabeth," John clarified. "And good to know we're on the same page. Now-" He paused as Richard Woolsey walked through the Gate, then in a hurried whisper, John warned, "Be nice," and gave him a hard pat on the back.
John felt Rodney glower at him from behind as they approached the suited man. Walking awkwardly with a luggage case in one hand and a duffel over the opposite shoulder, Richard Woolsey gave a neutral smile while nodding curtly. "Colonel Sheppard," he greeted, extending his free hand towards John.
John was actually contemplating, just for a split second, not shaking the hand that was ever so diplomatically held out to him. He could sense the tension from Rodney, peering from behind him to see what John was doing, how he was responding. The urge to be rude was overwhelming, only controlled by a warm, guiding voice in his subconscious.
Be the bigger man, John. Play nice.
Borrowing Elizabeth's most tactful smile, he gripped Woolsey's hand. "Mr. Woolsey. Welcome back to Atlantis."
John swore he felt the city glower with disappointment.
Sorry, he silently apologized. It's Elizabeth's fault! She's better at the diplomatic, nice guy, face smile stuff.
In front of him, Woolsey nodded as they each took their hands back. "Thank you, Colonel." He caught sight of McKay standing behind the colonel, wringing his hands. "Doctor McKay," he curtly greeted as Rodney took a few steps forward.
McKay let a faint glimmer of disdain slide across his face.
Sheppard bit his tongue, making a note to chastise - and congratulate - the astrophysicist later. "So," he quickly interjected, trying to diffuse the tense atmosphere, "do you want the grand tour, or would you care to settle in first?"
He wondered if the sarcastic hospitality was evident.
"If you don't mind, Colonel," Woolsey said, regarding John with a questioning expression, "I would like to pay a visit to Dr. Weir."
John raised his shield immediately. He quickly reined himself, swallowing the how dare you on his tongue with a stiff gulp. "Dr. Weir is in the infirmary on bed rest," he told him with narrowed hazel eyes.
"I'm aware of that," he acknowledged with a small nod. Taking in the small number of personnel that were milling through the vicinity, just carrying out their assigned duties, he glanced upwards to the conference room. "Um, might we discuss this briefly in private?"
John nodded towards the stairs.
Once the doors closed in the conference room, Woolsey set his things on the floor and turned to look earnestly at the two men. "I know that I don't have many fans here on Atlantis. But please believe me, I wasn't intending to take over while Dr. Weir is incapacitated. The call was made by my superiors."
"I have a feeling you didn't fight their decision," John guessed, arms crossed.
Shaking his head ever so slightly, Woolsey acquiesced, "I didn't fight it, no. But I wasn't campaigning for it, either. Elizabeth Weir has my full support. I want you to know that. I only wanted to visit her to smooth things over. More as a sign of respect. I would still like to confer with her on significant decisions, if Dr. Keller will allow it."
John unfolded his arms, genuinely touched by the change of heart he was hearing. "You're sure about this?" he asked. "I mean, the IOA probably thinks you're playing into their hands."
"For once," Woolsey replied with a triumphant smile, "I don't want to."
TBC