AN: I hope you all are still enjoying the story! PLEASE review and let me know! :o)
Chapter 8:
Dr. Rodney McKay sat in Lab 3 with 3 cups of coffee sitting randomly around the lab while another one was in his hand. He was furiously working to discover just what happened in his lab. It just didn't make sense, from all the research they could gather on that device, it wasn't meant to explode or implode anything so why did it? Why was one man dead and another one injured? He didn't know the answers to those questions but he did know one thing – it was his fault.
His discussion with Carson hadn't been that bad once you got passed all the yelling the Scottish doctor did.
"What did you think you were doing having the Colonel test a device?" Carson yelled. "I hadn't cleared him for any kind of duty yet, you should have asked me first!"
"I'm sorry, I just didn't even think about that." Rodney said
"Aye, obviously you didn't think about it!" Carson quipped. "Bloody children, the lot of ya!"
"Look, I'm sorry." Rodney said again and then asked, "How's Sheppard?" concern coloring his ice blue eyes.
Carson took a deep breath, hoping to calm down some. He knew it wasn't all Rodney's fault but he wanted to yell at someone and the scientist was right there. "He'll be fine. A few weeks of moderate bed rest and a wee bit of physical therapy, he'll be good as new." Carson responded hoping to reassure Rodney.
Rodney just nodded, "Well, that's good then." He said, thinking about the scientist that died.
Carson put a hand on Rodney's shoulder, "It wasn't your fault lad."
Rodney looked up at the doctor, he could see that though Carson was still upset about the whole thing, he truly did believe what he'd just said.
"Thanks." Rodney replied quickly before getting ready to scurry out the door. "I've got to go." He said before he all but ran out of the infirmary.
Rodney sighed. He'd been working for hours and his eyes were starting to cross. He should go get some food but he just couldn't bring himself to leave until he'd figured it out.
He heard the doors swish open and turned around to see Carson strolling in with two trays of food in his hands.
"I thought you could use some food. We don't want you ending up in the infirmary because you let your hypoglycemia get in the way now do we?" He teased, hoping to make the scientist smile. Rodney looked up, didn't even blink and then returned back to his computer. "Rodney, leave it for tonight. You need to eat and get some sleep, lad. Colonel Sheppard, Gustav and Radek weren't the only ones in the explosion."
"No they weren't. But where as Radek and I are fine, Colonel Sheppard was injured and Gustav is dead!" Rodney snarled. How did Carson expect him to just leave it?
Carson lowered his eyes sadly, "I know Rodney." He said before he continued. "However, I am still your doctor and it's doctor's orders to eat some dinner and then go to bed. Even if I have to tuck you in myself." He scolded.
Rodney just sighed heavily, grabbed the sandwich that was on the tray, took a bite and glared at the doctor, "There, happy?" he quipped.
"Ecstatic," drawled Carson. "I'm still not leaving until you have eaten the entire thing and have gone to bed." He finished crossing his arms.
Rodney just rolled his eyes and continued eating. "Fine." He said before he grabbed the tray and left, heading to his own quarters, figuring he could just as easily work there as he could in the lab.
Carson just shook his head. Daft bugger.
John awoke to a hand touching his arm and he immediately jumped. Bad idea! He thought as fiery, throbbing pain ignited over his body eliciting a groan from his lips.
"Colonel, are you ok?" Carson's voice asked full of concern.
He opened his eyes to see that Teyla was no longer there and that Carson had taken her place. He noticed that the sun was beginning to peak through his windows (even with the curtains closed) and so he turned his head, groaning when the action pulled on his stiff neck muscles, to see what time it was. The red digital numbers told him it was 0600.
"Carson? What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice scratchy.
Carson handed him a cup of water to drink before he answered. "Teyla called me in a couple of hours ago. She was tired but didn't want to leave you alone."
John sighed, "She didn't need to do that. I'm sorry she woke you." He told the doctor, feeling bad for getting him up so early. "I honestly don't know why she's so worried about leaving me alone." He said, slightly complaining.
Carson just laughed, "She's just concerned about you lad." He said.
"There's no need to be, I'm fine." John said dismissively, grimacing when a spike of pain radiated across his chest, through his shoulder and into his head.
Carson smiled gently, "Aye and she knows that but she also doesn't want you trying to do anything beyond your current capabilities and hurting yourself more." He slightly scolded.
"I've never done that." John replied defensively.
Carson just raised his eyebrows, "Oh really? I seem to remember something about you being impaled by a rebar and then going to rescue Teyla and causing a little bit more damage to your side because of it." He teased.
"Hey, that was totally different! There's no one who needs rescuing now." John retorted, trying to cross his arms to pout but failing when it pulled on his injured shoulder and ribs.
"Not yet there isn't, but when there is we all know that you will be the first one trying to rescue them." Carson scolded. "Besides, until you're a little more mobile I would like someone with you at all times. The only reason you aren't in the infirmary still is because I know you can do bed rest here as easily as you can there, as long as you have someone who is with you."
"And I appreciate that you let me out of the infirmary but I honestly don't need a babysitter." John argued.
"Aye Colonel, you do." Carson argued back. "Your injured ankle is severely diminishing your mobility and the shoulder, hand and rib injuries are making it impossible for you to use crutches."
"I do have a wheel chair." John suggested wondering how this all became an argument over his mobility.
"Aye, you do. However you can't get out of bed by yourself, at least I don't want you to. You need to let your injuries heal and until then, you're stuck with a constant babysitter." Carson replied wagging a finger at him. "If you're good for the next week, I'll consider letting them let you get out more in the chair, but for right now, I just want you in bed and resting. Ok?"
"Yeah, ok." John replied hastily while bringing up his hand to massage his temples. His headache was starting to build to a migraine level and he was hoping to keep it at bay.
Carson noticed and snapped into caring doctor mode. He was about to close the curtains more and dim the lights but Atlantis ever the mind reader and done it for him so he turned to his patient. "How are you feeling lad?" he asked quietly, hoping to refrain from making the Colonel's headache worse.
"I'm ok, just a headache." He replied, still massaging his head.
Carson nodded and grabbed a cool cloth. "Aye, I'm sure that's why Atlantis has lowered the lighting to barely visible." He replied quietly but sarcastically as he placed the cloth on John's aching head.
John leaned into the pillows some more and closed his eyes. He hadn't realized that arguing with Carson was so tiring. "Thanks." He told the doctor as he felt the coolness ease the ache slightly.
"Aye," Carson responded, "how's the rest of ya feeling?" he asked.
John knew it was pointless to deny any pain at the moment so he took a moment to assess how he felt before he replied, "Like I got hit by a Jumper. I feel like one big bruise with certain areas sticking out." He explained. "My ankle and shoulder are throbbing, my hand burns and my ribs burn and throb."
"And how's your head?" Carson asked, knowing the Colonel had a headache that was more than likely turning into a bad migraine.
"It's ok as long as I don't move it, open my eyes or think about it." He responded sarcastically.
"Alright, I'd like to give you another round of pain meds. Then I assume you'd like to use the facilities?" Carson asked.
"Yeah." John replied blushing slightly.
Carson merely nodded before getting up and grabbing the medicine from his bag and handing it to John with a glass of water. He watched to make sure John took them before he turned around and put the pill bottle back into his bag. He knew the Colonel didn't like strong pain meds but he also knew John needed them.
When he noticed John relax a little, he began to help John maneuver out of his bed and into the chair which Carson then pushed to the bathroom. He waited by the door, knowing John didn't want or need help to do his business. When John partially rolled himself out, Carson pushed him back to the bed which Carson had straightened and fluffed the pillows. He helped ease John onto the bed and settle against the pillows, making sure that the ones supporting his torso were keeping pressure off his injured shoulder and ribs. Carson then grabbed a couple ice packs and placed one on John's shoulder and the other on his elevated ankle. He replaced the cool cloth on John's head and waited for the Colonel to fall asleep.
When Carson realized John was asleep, he went over to the Colonel's desk and began reviewing medical charts. An email popped up from the hematology department letting him know the results of Lt. Ford's blood work. It appeared that the former Lt. wasn't lying when he said he was clear of the Enzyme which shocked Carson completely. The last time he had encountered the Lt. he was trying to strangle Carson because he suggested the Lt. go back to the infirmary and shot at him and threatened a patient to get the Enzyme.
They weren't fond memories and he was hoping not to have a repeat. When they met Aiden in the village, he seemed like the old Aiden again which put Carson at ease but he was still suspicious of the man. Carson liked to believe that he could give anyone a second chance, sometimes in the Pegasus Galaxy you had to give them more because of alien entities taking over the bodies of his friends, but there was something in the back of his mind that just said don't and it was getting hard to ignore.
It wasn't that Aiden had threatened him but he had threatened his patients, drugged his friends and gotten them captured by the Wraith. It wasn't that he didn't value his own life, he did greatly but he is fiercely protective of his patients and friends and doesn't take too kindly to people threatening or hurting them.
Carson heard the Colonel stir and mumble something effectively bringing him out of his thoughts. He recognized the signs of a nightmare and went over to the sleeping man to soothe him before things got too bad.
"John, it's ok. You're in Atlantis." He whispered as the Colonel began to thrash gently. "You're safe." He continued as he reached out a hand to gently wake him.
He wasn't prepared for John's right hand to fly out of it's sling and grab his wrist, wrenching it back painfully before his left hand flew to Carson's face. Carson was sent sprawling into the chair beside John's bed, swearing in Gaelic.
That seemed to bring John out of his nightmare and begin to feel the pain his actions brought on his body. His hand burned angrily and his shoulder throbbed incessantly but he ignored it when he saw the doctor sitting a little distance away, his face reddening and cradling his arm a little.
"Doc?" John asked confused. Where was the Wraith that was standing over him? How had it changed into Carson? Then realization hit him, Ah crap! "Carson are you alright? Oh God, I am so sorry, I thought you were a Wraith." John said, trying to get up and check on the doctor.
Carson quickly walked over to John's bed and used his right hand to gently hold John down. "It's alright son, I should know better than to get to close to you military types when you're having nightmares." He quipped trying to put John at ease.
"Are you ok?" John asked as his brow furrowed and his eyes became colored by concern.
Carson nodded then stopped when it made his head throb more. "Aye, I'm alright lad. Nothing a little bit of Tylenol won't fix." He said. He was only half lying, he figured the Tylenol would help with this his throbbing headache but he wasn't too sure about his fiercely throbbing and slightly swollen wrist. If he had to guess, he'd say it was sprained but he wouldn't know for sure until he got down to the infirmary. Noticing John watching him, he snapped out of his thoughts and went over to him.
Carson noticed the pain lines on John's face and asked, "How are you doing Colonel? I imagine your hand a shoulder hurts a bit after that." he suggested knowing full well they did.
John gave him a one-shouldered shrug, "They're fine, nothing I can't handle." He replied coolly.
Carson knew John was mad at himself, he could see the anger in John's eyes turning them a dark brown instead of the usual hazel. "Aye, do you want me to apply some more ointment to your hand? It might help ease the burn a bit." He asked.
John just shook his head, wincing at the pain it caused. "No Carson, I'm fine. You should go get our arm checked out." He said, dismissing the doctor.
"Aye, I will but for right now I'll be fine." He said not wanting to leave John alone. "I got Lt. Ford's results back." He said, hoping a change of subject would ease the tension.
John's head snapped around to look at him, causing him to hiss. "What did they say?" he asked, gritting his teeth against the wave of pain that came across him.
Carson winced for the Colonel, he knew John wouldn't take anything to help right now so he did his best to ignore the signs of pain in his friend. "He wasn't lying. According to his blood tests, he is free of the Enzyme." Carson told him, still sitting beside John's bed.
John gave him a confused look, "I know, I didn't want to believe him either but it is true." Carson confirmed.
John gently shook his head, "That's not what I'm confused about." He said, "I was just wondering what would possess him to all of the sudden decide to go off the Enzyme when he had no problem shooting up the infirmary (and at you) to get his hands on it."
Carson nodded, only to stop with a wince when it made his own head throb more. "Aye, it does seem rather unlikely that the Lt. decided to stop while he was going through withdrawal. I suspect there's more to it that he didn't want to tell us, or at least all of us." He said with a pointed look at John.
"What makes you think he wants to tell me?" John asked quietly. He was clearly tired and in pain but he wasn't going to ask for help.
"I was talking to Elizabeth earlier and she told me that she had had a conversation with Lt. Ford. Apparently the lad is concerned about letting you down the most this time around." Carson told him, summarizing Elizabeth and his conversation.
John didn't say anything, just nodded sadly. It was when he tried to sit up a bit more that he realized his right arm wasn't in it's sling (as he had tried to use it) and tried to get it back in, hissing and wincing the entire time.
After John's 5th attempt Carson stood up and went over to help. "Let me help," he said, "it will be easier than having to watch you try to do it." He said jokingly. However, doing it with one hand wasn't as easy as he thought it would be and he eventually gave up and used his still throbbing, even more swollen and now bruised wrist to help. He mainly used his left hand to bring the sling strap over John's head while he used his right to actually gently maneuver the Colonel's arm into it, trying not to move his swollen and tender shoulder.
After 5 minutes, they had managed to get John's arm back into it's sling but it hadn't been fun for either. John had heard Carson's slight hisses of pain while he helped and it made John feel terrible. While getting the sling on was supposed to hurt John, it wasn't supposed to hurt Carson. He noticed that afterwards the doctor did his best not to move his arm and John had finally gotten sick of it.
"Carson, just please go to the infirmary and get your arm checked out." He practically pleaded. He could see that Carson's wrist was bruised and swollen, indicating it had been sprained and it needed to be taken care of.
Just then the doors opened admitting Teyla. "Teyla! Thank God! See Carson, I won't be alone, now you can go to the infirmary." John told the doctor.
"Are you needed in the infirmary Dr. Beckett?" Teyla asked as she entered the room.
"No luv, I'm not." Carson told her while he one-handedly packed his supplies.
"No, he's not needed in the infirmary but he needs to go to it." John said firmly, getting a little exasperated.
It was then that Teyla walked up to the doctor and noticed the deeply purpling bruise on his face and his swollen and bruised wrist. "Are you alright?" she asked concerned.
"Aye, I'm fine, just a little accident." He said smiling then wincing when it put pressure on his bruised face. He picked up his bag and turned to John, "Be sure and let me know if you need anything. I'm going to leave the stronger pain meds here for Teyla to give you if you want or need them. Please take them Colonel." He said hoping it sounded more like a demand than a plea.
"Sure, whatever doc. Just go and update me when you're done." John told him, trying to get the doctor to the infirmary.
"There'll be no need for that, I'm fine." Carson told him as he walked out.
"Carson!" Johns angry voice called out, as the warning followed the doctor out of the room.
Elizabeth walked into the infirmary, hoping to find Carson. He had radioed saying he had information about Lt. Ford's blood tests and she told him she'd be right down. She was curious to see what the tests said, she hoped for his sake that they proved he was clear of the Enzyme but at the same time she knew he wouldn't have let them take a sample if he was still on it.
She spotted the doctor attending to a marine who seemed to have gotten in the way of one of Ronon's sparring sticks as one side of his chest was one big bruise and he had a bruise on his face as well. Carson was checking the marine's pupil reactions while a nurse bound his ribs. Elizabeth was a little confused as to why they were tag teaming the marine, knowing that Carson was capable of binding the man's ribs as well as the nurse but she kept her question to herself and patiently waited for him to finish with his patient.
"Thanks doc," she heard the marine say, "by the way, whose fist did you get in the way of?" he asked jokingly.
What? She hadn't heard of him being in an accident of any kind. Carson just smiled, chuckling slightly, "You're all done Sgt. Make sure you take it easy for the next few days, that means no sparring of any kind and no going off world." He told the marine before he turned to walk away.
Elizabeth made a small gasp of surprise when she saw a deep bruise forming around his eye. How had that happened? "Ah, Elizabeth, come in and we can discuss Lt. Ford." He said cheerfully, obviously not wanting her to ask him questions about his injury.
She followed him into his office, waiting until they were alone before she asked him what happened. Had one of his patients hit him? She hadn't been told of anything like that happening and she's usually one of the first to know. He sat down at his computer, then swiveled his chair so his right arm was leaning on the desk indicating that she was to sit on the other side of him. Elizabeth walked around and sat down across from him, her brow furrowed in confusion and her eyes showing concern.
"I got the results back from Lt. Ford's blood tests. As I'm sure you've already figured out, they were negative. I didn't really expect them to be positive because otherwise he wouldn't have been so willing to let us draw the blood." He explained, his voice relaying the suspicion that they all felt.
She nodded, "That thought had crossed my mind as well. Unfortunately it doesn't necessarily help us to trust him, does it?" she asked.
Carson smiled, slightly wincing with the pressure on his bruised eye, "No, it doesn't. But I do believe that he's making an effort to get us to trust him and that says a lot more than letting us take some blood." He responded. He reached up and, one-handedly, typed something into his computer to pull up a file. She noticed that he was wearing long sleeves and grew a little more concerned. Carson hardly wore long sleeve shirts. The infirmary was set to room temperature so the patients could be comfortable while resting and normally he found it hot in there with his lab coat on as well. "I have reviewed his other tests and they do indicate that he has been off the drug for some time." He continued every once-in-awhile glancing at the screen to make sure he had read the information right.
"How long would you say?" she asked.
"I don't know but I would guess at least 2 years." He told her, his voice indicating he had more to say. He took a deep breath, "Unfortunately, because he was on it so long, his body grew dependent on it." He said, his eyes showing sadness. "I believe his body is slowly shutting down without the Enzyme helping it. He may not be aware of it right now, but it will soon affect him."
"Affect him how?" she asked worried that it would affect his mental state.
Carson obviously picked up on what she was thinking as he replied, "Not his mental state. That will remain in tact but it will be painful. I would like to get him to Atlantis and try to help him. I believe I may be able to come up with a formula that will help prevent that, but I'm not sure I can do it AND keep him off the Enzyme." He said letting the words sink in. Carson sighed before he continued his thought, "He may have to stay on the Enzyme in order to live but he may not want to if we present him with the option."
Elizabeth sighed heavily, John was not going to like this. All of the sudden Carson jumped as his radio flared to life with a very loud and angry voice in his ear, Elizabeth thought she recognized the voice but couldn't be sure. Carson reached up and turned his radio off. It didn't escape Elizabeth's notice that he did it with his right hand even though his left was closer.
She found that she couldn't hold her question in any longer. She reached out and gently grabbed Carson's left arm only for the doctor to grimace and pull his arm away. That did it! "Carson, what's going on? What's wrong with your arm?"
"Nothing it's fine." He responded.
"You're starting to sound like John." She said, then she realized whose voice it had been yelling at Carson. "Why is John so eager to get a hold of you?" she asked "You don't normally ignore your patients." She gave him her Just tell me look.
Carson sighed, "Earlier while I was watching over the Colonel he began having a nightmare. I tried to wake him up and he woke up a little violently." He said pointing at his face. "I had my hand on his arm when he woke up and, thinking I was a Wraith, he forcefully twisted it off."
"Are you ok?" she asked.
"Aye, just a wee bit of a headache and a sore wrist." He responded.
"Carson, somehow I doubt it's just sore. You yanked it back like it burned. You should have Dr. Keller check it out." She told him.
"Aye, I will later." He said shortly.
Then it hit her. "That's what John has been nagging you about hasn't it?" she waited for his reply, but his look told her all she needed to know. She chuckled slightly, "You know, you have no right lecturing John when you do the same things he does." She said, getting up and going to the door. She poked her head out and called for Jennifer who was just passing by it.
"Yes Dr. Weir?" Jennifer asked as she entered.
"I need you to take a look at Carson's wrist. It seems he has hurt it but is unwilling to stop for 5 minutes to have it looked at." Elizabeth explained, noting the reddish color that Carson's face became.
"Carson, is this true?" Jennifer asked with a chilly tone in her voice.
Elizabeth answered for him, "Yes it is. I believe it's his left wrist." She said before she stepped aside for Jennifer to go examine him.
Jennifer gently grabbed his arm, peeled back the sleeve and began to poke and manipulate his wrist and arm. Carson hissed and groaned a couple of times but otherwise let her continue. Jennifer tsked as she examined his wrist then gently placed it on the chair.
"Carson, how long has it been like this?" she asked, clearly not happy that he is just now getting it examined.
"Since this morning, I meant to have someone look at it when I got here, but it was quite busy. You know how it is here." He said.
She nodded, "Yes I do but you still should have said something. I have had most of the nurses coming up to me asking if you were alright. They were concerned because you kept asking them to do things that you would normally do yourself. Now, at least I know why." She said scolding him slightly.
Jennifer walked out of the office and then returned with an ice pack wrapped in a towel and an ACE bandage. She sat down and gently grabbed his arm again. "It's a pretty bad sprain Carson, which I'm sure you already knew." She told him as she placed the ice pack on his wrist and then used the ACE bandage to hold it there. "What happened?" she asked.
"He woke a military man from a nightmare." Elizabeth told her simply, knowing that Jennifer would know who she was talking about.
Jennifer nodded, "I see. I thought you've learned to duck?" she asked as she quickly examined the bruise around his eye.
Carson winced when she touched a tender spot, "Aye, so had I." he said.
She nodded, "Well, take this as your official notice that you are off duty for the next week at least." She told him. "Leave the ice there until the swelling has gone down then I'll wrap it for you." She told him, wagging her finger at him like she was lecturing a child. "Oh!" she said as she began walking out, "and call Colonel Sheppard and let him know that you've finally gotten checked out. He's been bugging the entire infirmary staff all day, asking them to take a look at you but since you're their boss, they refused." She said giving him a slight wink and a smile before she walked out the door.
Carson just sighed as he picked up his furiously blinking radio. Elizabeth had radioed Chuck, asking to be patched in to the conversation, she wanted to hear this.
"Aye Colonel, go ahead." He said, resigning himself for the chewing out he'd get.
"Carson? Why the hell did you stop responding?" John's voice came over the radio dripping with annoyance and worry.
"Because I was in a meeting with Dr. Weir and it didn't help to have you yelling in my ear." Carson replied.
"I see. Did you finally have someone take a look at your arm? Wait, did you say you had a meeting with Elizabeth? Why are you working?" John asked knowing full well the doctor was hurt enough to where he shouldn't be working.
Elizabeth stepped in and answered that one, "Yes, John he has had Dr. Keller examine his wrist. She said it's a pretty bad sprain but otherwise he'll be fine." She smiled as she heard a sigh of relief. "He didn't tell anyone that he was injured, so he kept on working. Though, the way it sounds, most of the staff knew he was hurt anyways. I hear you have been quite the annoying Colonel today." She said playfully.
"Damn right I have! I knew he wouldn't get help immediately so I was hoping that if I bugged the staff enough one of them would do it. You really need to get a better staff Carson." John said only half teasing.
"My staff is just fine Colonel!" Carson defended, "they ignored your badgering and helped me when I needed it, my staff is excellent." He said, clearly annoyed.
There was a long pause before John responded again. "I see. Well, I wouldn't have had to be SO annoying if you'd just have listened to me in the first place." He said, his voice growing gruff and sounding like he had his teeth clenched.
"Aye, that'll be the day!" Carson replied sarcastically, "Colonel, the day I listen to you on medical advice is the day the Wraith stop feeding on people."
"It wasn't medical advice doc, it was concern for a friend and common sense." John said, ending his sentence with a small gasp.
The gasp got Carson's attention, "Colonel, are you alright?" he asked.
"I'm fine, hey!" John's voice said shortly before Teyla's voice joined the conversation.
"Colonel Sheppard has been refusing to take pain medication until he has heard from you." She said, sounding a little tired. "He is hurting quite a bit right now but I believe that now that you've responded, he will finally take the medicine."
Carson's eyes grew wide in shock then narrowed in anger, "I thought I told you to take that medicine Colonel!"
"And I thought I told you to get your wrist checked out and then let me know. I guess neither of us did as we were told." Came the sarcastic reply.
Carson just rolled his eyes, "Bloody child!" he said even though John was 2 years older than him. John just laughed over the radio, then coughed and groaned.
That was when Jennifer came back to the swelling. She had a wide smile on her face, clearly she too had been listening. "Well Carson, I believe we can go ahead and get you taken care of. Then you can go to your quarters and get some rest." She said.
That made John laugh again, knowing the doctor wouldn't like that news, which of course made him groan a bit more, causing all the people in Carson's office to wince in sympathy.
"And Colonel, I believe you have some pain medication and a nap waiting for you." Jennifer scolded.
"I'll stop by later and check on you John." Elizabeth told him. She wanted to discuss Ford's situation with him and see how he was doing.
"Sounds good. I'll see you later then. I'm glad you're ok Carson. Sorry again. Sheppard Out." And with that, John's line died leaving just the three members in the office.
"Aye, finally!" Carson said as he deactivated his radio. "Now, Jennifer you and I both know that I do not need to rest." He said smiling at her.
She laughed, "No that was for the Colonel's benefit. But I do want you to leave the infirmary and not return to work for at least a week." She told him sternly.
Elizabeth turned to him, "Would you like to join me for dinner?" she asked knowing that they both needed to eat and it would ensure that Carson wouldn't work.
He winced when Jennifer applied more pressure than he was comfortable with (eliciting a regretful sounding "Sorry" from Jennifer) before answering. "Aye, that sounds wonderful."
"Good," Elizabeth said, "I'll wait for you outside the infirmary." She said as she walked out, leaving he and Jennifer to talk privately.
Jennifer waited for Elizabeth to leave before turning back to Carson. "How's your pain? Do you need something for it?" she didn't think he did but she wanted to make sure.
"No, I'm fine. Ibuprofen will work." He told her, still holding his arm close to his chest. She knew that lowering it would make it throb so she went and grabbed a sling and offered it to him.
"Would you like to use this?" she asked, holding it out.
Carson sighed heavily, clearly not liking the idea of using it but knowing it would help. "Aye, alright." He conceded as Jennifer moved over to help him into it, lowering the height so it wasn't so much to give his shoulder rest but his arm. "Thanks Jennifer." He told her when they'd finished.
"You're welcome. Next time don't wait so long please." She warned him before she added. "Now, go get some dinner!" She smiled broadly and pointed toward the door.
Carson smiled, for someone so young, Jennifer sure knew how to boss people around. "Aye doctor." He said before he walked out and joined Elizabeth for a little bit of dinner in the mess hall.