Chapter 3 – Disillusion
John was woken up sometime during the night by the activation of his ear comm. He had sat up in bed reading War and Peace, having brought the book over from earth when they had arrived in Atlantis two years ago. Unfortunately, reading time was limited and he only managed a few pages here and there. Two pages into this evening's reading, he had felt his eyes getting heavy, and shutting the light out, welcomed the oblivion of sleep.
For a short while anyway... picking up his comm, he connected, knowing it was likely to be Carson. "Sorry to wake you Colonel. She's just woken up. Can you get down here? I've called Elizabeth as well. There's a bit of a problem."
John rolled himself up and threw on his base uniform that had been dropped haphazardly on the floor only a couple of hours ago. For all his military training, he still found it difficult to keep his private quarters tidy, and clothes...well... they didn't always manage to find their way onto hangars. Fortunately, the laundry staff at Atlantis knew him well and were kind enough to keep his uniforms pressed and hung, at least until they were left crumpled on his floor.
He entered the infirmary at the same time that Elizabeth did, and noted the weariness in her eyes.
"Been getting enough sleep Elizabeth? Can't you let someone else be on call during the night, and allow yourself at least one good night's sleep?"
"Sure John, just like you do...hmm?" and he smiled, because she spoke the truth.
"Carson, what can you tell us?" Elizabeth smiled curiously at the young woman who was sitting up now in the hospital bed, wheaten hair tumbling in disarray over her shoulders, hanging long and wavy, all the way down to her waist. She did not speak, but slanted smokey gray eyes at the doctor, who had placed a calming hand on her arm.
"Not very much I'm afraid." He smiled reassuringly at the woman, whose uncasted hand had begun to grip the blankets tightly, a sign of agitation and John moved closer to the bed, hesitating only when her gray eyes shot towards him in fear and he lifted his hands out in a defensive gesture to show that he meant no harm. "Hey... it's ok, we're not here to harm you in any way... we just wanna make sure that you're ok, and find out where you've come from... that's all."
Carson removed his hand from her arm, stepping back a little so that John could take another step forward, watching her eyes carefully as one would a startled animal. He saw fear in her eyes as they darkened to a stormy gray, beautiful and almond shaped, they widened slightly as he closed the gap between where he had paused and the side of her bed, hand still held out slightly in front of him.
Still she did not speak. He reached her bedside, and rested his hands softly on the blankets, very near her own and he saw her gaze drawn down to where his hands lay, and her own opened as she calmed a little and pulled her gaze back up to meet his eyes.
"What's your name sweetheart?" He said the words softly and he saw her lips open slightly as though to speak, then tears sprung into the stormy gray, and they softened to the gray of tumbling clouds. "Hey now, don't cry... it's gonna be ok..." and stricken now by her tears, he moved his hands until they lightly covered hers and she turned her head away to hide her tears. Unable to help himself, he moved one hand to her face, gently stroking the bruise, then tipped her face back so that she was looking at him again. "You don't remember anything, do you?"
Carson sighed behind him. "I was afraid of that Colonel. She seemed disorientated when she woke up, had no idea where she was or who she was. I think she has sustained a head injury and likely, temporary memory loss."
Elizabeth spoke now. "We're just going to have to wait until she remembers something, or Rodney can find which gate the address originated from. Until we get one of those things, I think we should let the girl rest, it looks like she's had a pretty rough time of it." Elizabeth smiled at her,and turned to leave and John went to do the same when she suddenly spoke.
"I'm sorry. I wish I could remember. The only memory I have is of fear, and pain and then blackness... I don't know who I am... and I'm scared..." the tears fell freely now, and concerned, Carson stepped forward, thinking that he would give her a sedative to allow her to rest and calm her back down. John was there before him, and he sat down on the bed beside her, wrapping her gently in his arms, feeling an uncommon surge of protectiveness for a woman he didn't know. He rubbed his face lightly in her hair, inhaling her scent and felt her shuddering as the tears grew into sobs and felt another tiny familiar finger of something... just hovering once again in the corner of his mind.