CHAPTER 37 – LOST CONNECTION

Carson didn't know which sight saddened him more. The little white dog who still sat at the end of her bed, her constant guard and companion through the past hour during which he had cleaned up the wound on her head and run a series of tests to determine whether there were any more serious injuries. Or the dark haired man who lounged despondently in the chair that had been pulled close to the hospital bed, so close in fact that his knees constantly bumped against the bed frame whenever he shifted position. Which, given the fact that the infirmary chairs were not overly comfortable – was a lot.

Carson finished typing up his notes into his computer. There wasn't a lot he could tell the Colonel. She was unconscious and likely this was due to the head injury. A CT scan had shown no internal bleeding into her brain, and it was just a matter of waiting for her to wake up. There were no other injuries that he could detect, and the slight fluttering of her long dark lashes as they lay on her cheeks was an indication that there was an ample amount of brain activity going on inside her head right now.

"I'll get you something to eat and drink Colonel. You're exhausted – I'd tell you to take yourself off to your quarters for a shower and bed, but I'm thinking that likely you'll ignore me on that one." He placed a comforting hand on the seated man's shoulders and looking down at him with concern, missed the closing of his eyes as he mentally tried to tell himself to stay strong.

"Thanks doc – and for the record? I'm staying right here until she wakes up. I have no idea what happened to bring her through in that condition, but until she wakes up, I'm here to make your infirmary look messy. Sorry..."

"That's all right son, I understand. But if your own health deteriorates, I'll be changing my Mr Nice Guy approach. Oh, and Colonel? When I get back from the mess, I'll be looking at the shoulder of yours. Don't think I didn't notice the way you were holding it."

John managed a flicker of a smile for the doctor as he left the room. No, that man missed nothing.

He rose from the chair now, and with the doctor out of the room was able to let out the groan of pain he had kept firmly pushed down. Damn, that shoulder did hurt and time to man up and get something done about it. Nothing you can do for her now, except wait. Wait for what? Who will she be when she wakes up? And pushed away the sickening feeling that had been making itself known in his stomach since he had found her unconscious. Ripples...

He was standing and holding her hand broodingly when Carson walked back in followed by Ronon. Carson held a tray which had on it, a plate of something steaming and hot, and coffee – a blessedly large coffee which looked like nectar of the gods about now. Smiling gratefully at him, he set the tray down on the table beside her bed, and lowered himself back down to the chair, this time letting the groan escape unbidden – but did attempt to turn it into a moan of delight when he took the first large sip of steaming coffee. Carson shot a sharp glance his way.

"I haven't forgotten Colonel. Us Scotsmen have the memory of elephants. Drink your coffee, eat some of that … whatever... it is, and then I'll look at that shoulder."

He managed the coffee and several bites of the … whatever, put his fork down and tossed a distasteful look in Carson's direction, hearing Ronon's chuckle. No doubt the big Satedan had already ploughed through more than one plate of the food, he didn't care what he ate, as long as it was plentiful and filled the hole. Mess food certainly left something to be desired – one of the true regrets at not being on earth. Fresh pizza, fast food hamburgers and hot fries... cooked just right. Oh, and a good steak.

"Right Colonel – jump up on this bed over here. Let's look at the shoulder. I might run you through the xray machine just to make sure none of the ligaments are torn, and likely we're going to need to strap it for a couple of days. Just to let it heal."

John cast another look at Gina's bed and Ronon intercepted it. "Go, Sheppard. I'll keep watch over her. Me and the little fur ball here..." Gingerly he reached out to touch the dog, who promptly growled at him eliciting a smile out of John.

"Good judge of character there Angel. This is one bad boy... you'd do well to stay away from him."

Smiling he patted the dog himself as he walked past and was rewarded with adoring brown eyes turned instantly in his direction.

Chuckling a little to himself now he said "make that general's, old ladies, women AND dogs..." and saw Carson roll his eyes. Ronon frowned not getting it at all.

Carson had just finished strapping up John's shoulder when they heard a small moan from the bed where Gina lay. John was off his bed in seconds and picking up her hand he waited for the flickering of her eyes to show that she was about to wake up. She did not disappoint and suddenly he was staring into a pair of bright blue, terrified eyes.

"Gina, honey – it's me, John. You're safe now. You made it through – you're in Atlantis." He smiled down at her, glad he'd taken the time to shave yesterday as he saw her eyes roam over his face. And saw something that terrified him. No recognition.

She pulled her hand abruptly out of his and groaned as the action made her head ache. Carson gently manoevered John out of the way, having seen the look in Gina's eyes. He was aware instantly of the situation, and knew that with a head injury of any kind, there was disorientation and even partial and temporary memory loss. He was prepared for this and had warned the Colonel that it could be a possibilty however he saw that the reality was a harsh blow to the man.

"Gina? I'm Doctor Beckett. You're in a hospital. You've got a nasty head injury and you've been unconscious for several hours, possibly as much as a day. We don't know yet, when the injury occurred or how." He chose not to give her too much information about where she was. If she had temporary memory loss, then information overload could shut her down completely. "I need you to tell me the last thing you remember – but first, tell me where it hurts."

Her blue eyes flickered around the room, but any action that involved movement of her head brought pain to her eyes and she shut them briefly, one to block out the harsh overhead light and two, to try and clear the fuzzy fog that had dropped down over her mind. She didn't know the men who hovered over her. She understood that she was in a hospital and that she had likely been in an accident and a tear squeezed out of the corner of her eye as she fought to find purchase on her memories. A hand wiped the lone tear away and her eyes opened again, and she was looking up into the face of the man with the kind hazel eyes, eyes that looked at her as though they knew her, eyes that held far more than they should have. She leaned into the hand that rested against her cheek. It felt right. But he was a stranger. This handsome man with the dark spikey hair who looked as though the weight of the world rested on his broad shoulders.

She felt something wet touch her hand and a little furry white body crept up quietly from her place at the end of the bed, and sat just by her shoulder – chocolate brown eyes filled with doggy love and a sob broke out of her then. "Angel..." her voice was cracked and her throat hurt as though she hadn't spoken for a long time and her hand moved up to wrap around the little dog who snuggled in beside her, quietly giving strength to her mistress. Gina's eyes drifted shut again. It hurts to think right now, back to sleep for a little while... angel... where am I and who are these people? Where's Dad, Frank? I'm scared... and I'm lost... Angel whined, sensing her fears and turned her little face to look up at John, then back down at her mistress.

"I can't help her right now Angel – she has to rest... let her rest..." And patting the little dog, he bent and dropped a soft kiss onto the forehead of the woman who had crossed half a century to be with him, but now had no idea who he was. Ripples...