The Return of Katie Brown

Part III - Retribution

Jennifer had reports to complete so Rodney walked her back to the infirmary after they had dinner then he went out onto one of the many balconies around Atlantis to think. He closed his eyes to let the warm night breeze caress his skin.

He still cared about Katie but not in the way he once did. He'd loved her once, had even considered marrying her but during the lockdown he'd reevaluated those feelings and found he wasn't quite ready for that sort of commitment.

Not long after that he realized that his feelings for Jennifer went beyond that of colleagues or even good friends. Time had only increased those feelings until they became a love so unlike any he'd ever known he didn't even think there was a word for it. If there was, he'd never heard it. He let out a sigh, went to a transport and back to his quarters.

That night, his sleep was restless until Jennifer slipped under the covers beside him. He didn't wake but her presence had a calming effect. She pressed herself against his back and slipped her slender arm across his chest. His hand found hers and he finally stilled, falling into a dreamless sleep.

*****

Jennifer awoke quickly when an urgent voice sounded in her earpiece. Several maintenance personnel had been brought to the infirmary after a piece of equipment fell on them and she was needed. She eased out of Rodney's grasp and dressed quickly as she headed for the door, pulling her pants and shirt on over her pj's.

It was still the middle of Atlantis' night when she finished setting a broken wrist for one of the maintenance men. She was making her way back to her own quarters, darkness oozing out of the nooks and crannies of the city. The feeling she was being watched made the hair on the nape of her neck stand up but she heard and saw nothing and no one. She'd never been afraid of the dark so she put it down to fatigue and continued on her way.

Stifling a yawn, she started down a flight of stairs. Three steps down, she found herself sailing through the air. She cried out as her body bounced and skidded on the steps landing in an unconscious sprawl at the bottom, blood making a small pool under her head.

*****

Morning dawned cloudless and dazzling. Lifting her head caused it to throb so she let it fall back to the pillow. Now that she was awake, pain made itself known over most of her body. She was certain there were bruises all over as well. Carefully opening her eyes she looked down at herself. Her left ankle was bandaged and elevated but thankfully not broken and she could feel bindings on her ribs. She cautiously took a deep breath. Her ribs hurt but not enough to be cracked or broken. Rodney was asleep holding her right hand, his head on the bed. The remnants of his last meal sat cold and abandoned on the bedside table. He hadn't even finished it. She reached out and gently pushed the hair off his forehead. He shifted in his sleep but didn't wake up. That same hand came up to touch the side of her head where it hurt the most. Matted hair and a bandage greeted her questing fingers.

Dr. Cole saw she was awake and moved to her side careful not to wake the sleeping scientist. "How do you feel?" she whispered.

"Like I fell down the stairs." She tried to adjust her position and groaned in pain. "What's the diagnosis, Doctor?"

"Well, aside from the sprained ankle, bruised ribs, general bumps and bruises and a contusion in the left parietal area of your skull, you are in perfect health. No broken bones, no concussion and you're not pregnant."

"Amanda! Of course I'm not pregnant. I've been taking my Depo-Provera shots regular as clockwork."

Amanda waved her hands in the air. "I'm just making it official. Now I want you to rest the next couple of days, stay off that ankle as much as possible and no heavy lifting for at least a week."

"Yes, Doctor."

"And when I say rest I mean rest. You can go to your quarters this afternoon. After that, I don't want to see you in here for at least 48 hours unless you're visiting another patient."

"But…"

"She'll rest. I'll see to it." Rodney lifted his head and used his free hand to rub the sleep from his eyes. "Thanks, Amanda." She smiled and went to check on one of the injured maintenance men.

"You scared the hell out of me." Rodney whispered, relieved that she hadn't been hurt worse.

"I scared the hell out of me too."

He reached up and rubbed his thumb gently over her cheek just under her left eye. "You are going to have a heck of a shiner."

"I'm not surprised. At least it matches the rest of me."

"And think of all the sympathy it will get you." He plumped her pillow, tucked the covers around her better then passed her a cup of hot tea. "See? I'm already waiting on you hand and foot."

She smiled as she took a cautious sip of the hot brew. "Yeah, but you have ulterior motives."

"True."

*****

When it was time to go and despite her protests that she could walk, Rodney helped Jennifer into a wheelchair, tucked a blanket over her lap and pushed her carefully down the hall. "Jennifer, you have been up and down those stairs a thousand times. How did you fall?"

She said nothing just stared straight ahead.

"What?"

"I wasn't going to say anything because I wasn't sure. It was the middle of the night and I was tired and in a hurry to get back to bed but now I am sure."

He stopped and crouched in front of her. "What?" When she hesitated he took her hand where it lay in her lap and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Tell me."

"Rodney, I didn't fall." She brought eyes wide with apprehension up to his. "I was pushed."

TBC