CHAPTER 2 – NOT THROUGH THE GATE
He got the call around two hours later from Carson, and sitting at his desk hunched over his laptop, he rested his eyes and huffed a breath. Not looking forward to this particular meeting, he stood up and stretched, before flipping his laptop closed. Time to go down and face the music.
And she was in full song. Attempting to push herself out of the bed while Carson placed strong hands on her shoulders to try and restrain her, her face had flushed a becoming pink and her hair in tangled disarray around her face had John pausing at the door and pushing down the spark of laughter that wanted to get out. The fury in those chocolate brown eyes had him quickly rethinking the laughter, and schooling his features into somewhat suitable seriousness, he approached the bed.
"Thank god Colonel! She may be a tiny wee thing, but she's stronger than she looks. And I've got all the bruising I can take, thank you very much!" An extremely irrate Dr Beckett removed his hands from the woman's shoulders and backed away, deciding that Colonel Sheppard had gotten them into this situation, then he could damn well pay the price.
"Yeah, got that Carson. My own bruises..." and he thought of the large bruise already making itself known on his shin, where she had kicked him in her initial fury in the gate room. A fiesty little thing by all accounts.
She had managed to slide out of bed, and feeling dizzy from the effects of the energy blast, her legs buckled slightly and she reached out to grab the side of the bed, taking a handful of blanket instead and crashing unceremoniously to the floor. Her yelp of pain had John moving a little faster than he had intended, and he dropped down quickly beside her and softened his voice to try and calm her down.
"Hey... let me help you. I'm sorry about your head..." Her head whipped around at his words and she pushed at his chest to try and keep him away, but he wanted to get her upright and back into the bed, so he ignored the hands she placed there and simply drew her upright, keeping her pulled against his body for balance.
Those brown eyes looked up angrily into his, and he felt more than just a small spark of remorse at the pain that instantly clouded over that warm chocolate, and one hand left his chest and pressed against her eyes as though to combat the pain. Carson saw the action and murmured that he would get her some pain relief.
Her voice was not as firm as it could have been, and it shook slightly. "What the hell did I get hit with? It felt like a tank drove into me, over me and left me as roadkill... damn..."
A bark of laughter rose unbidden and he couldn't push that one down, watching as her hand was removed from her eyes and she looked up at him with just a tiny bit less hostility, and a little more curiousity.
"Aah...one of our weapons... and again, I apologise. Ronon got a little carried away, thought you were some sort of security risk. Actually, don't know that you aren't yet? Where are you from?"
She answered a question with a question, and he thought immediately – 'journalist', and frowned.
"Where am I? Some sort of secret military base? Last thing I knew I was in the Bermuda Triangle – doing a photo essay for Time Life magazine. I'd chartered a boat, taken some great shots, then bam... felt like something slammed into me. Then I stepped through that .. . ring?... then another dropkick. Here I am. Feeling like several linebackers took their best shots at me... not being one to complain or anything, but don't I have rights?"
She hadn't moved from the protective circle of his arms, and he took the opportunity to release his hold and aim her back toward the bed.
"I'll answer what I can, but without security clearance, I can't tell you a hell of a lot. Awkward really... seeing as how we don't know how you arrived here...Here comes Carson with some pain relief for you, take that edge of that headache. Can I get you anything – food? Coffee?"
A glimmer of hope came into those brown eyes and her voice warmed several degrees as she answered a little hopefully. "Ah, coffee? If you're not going to poison me or anything... so who do I need to speak to about getting the hell out of here and back to where I … was?"
He had managed to manoever her back to the bed and simply reached down and plucked her off the floor and back onto the bed, looking down at the surprise in her eyes.
"Do you manhandle all your guests in this establishment? Serious abuse of first amendment rights..."
"Guests? Rather a loose analogy. You're not exactly invited... and first amendment rights lady? Don't apply out here." John took a step back from the bed as Carson approached with an injection. She waved it away, a spark of fear in her eyes.
"Please, don't stick me with that thing. I hate needles... ugh!"
"It'll take the edge off that headache, and believe me lass, it'll get worse before it gets better... those stun..."
"Carson...!" Sheppard warned, flicking a glance his way. The doctor immediately coloured slightly. He was used to the people in his infirmary being in complete awareness of the fact that they were in the Pegasus galaxy and had completely forgotten that she had likely arrived from earth somehow, and had no recollection of how she had gotten here. Mouth shut, top secret... etc etc. Not the easiest thing to remember for a medical practitioner.
"Sorry, Colonel. I am sure you will explain everything to this young lady in good time. Until then, I shall attempt to make you comfortable, and that includes some pain relief. If you shut your eyes, I promise I am very gentle with these injections..."
She sighed and John stepped in close as though to block her view of the needle, and watched as her face screwed up slightly as it went into her upper thigh. He wasn't a fan of the needles either, but had no choice but to endure his share of them over the years.
When she had opened her eyes up again, it was to see John looking down at her with a measure of sympathy.
"Damn it, don't look at me as though I'm going to break. Not gonna happen! I just want to get outta here, so please find someone who can authorise that. If this is some top secret facility, then I get that. I didn't see anything, I'll keep my mouth shut, sign a disclaimer, plead ignorance... whatever you want me to do. I hate hospitals, doctors terrify me and I really just want to leave... ok?"
"Easy tiger... put those claws away. How about I go and rustle up that coffee... and then we'll talk... hmmm?"
She looked up at him somewhat suspiciously, but managed a nod. He seemed sincere and did not seem to pose an immediate threat and anyway... if she could get him out of the room, then she could make some sort of attempt to escape. She needed to find her cameras and get out of here. Wherever here was...