Forgot to mention the reason for the rating - there is pretty much nothing even resembling sexual contact for the entirety of this story, the M rating is for the level of violence that will be referred to throughout

ALSO, I was hugely remiss for not mentioning that the bulk of this story has been betaed by Lady Xari who also had a guiding hand in my writing whenever I got stuck. Many internet cookies for you my love!

Enjoy!

Jennifer peeked over her shoulder with only the tiniest groan of pain. Still free. Three more steps and Jennifer paused for a moment to listen for foot falls, just because her swimming vision managed to clear at the same time meant nothing, it was just nicely coincidental. Yup. She had spent another 4 days in the infirmary after she managed to vomit in front of Ronon and tear half her stitches. After that her health had slowed its steady rise to normality and she had been trapped in her room, denied the chance to even catch up on paperwork after she fell asleep on the last report she had talked her nurse into bringing her.

Another glance over her shoulder. Still free.

She started shuffling forward again, now half-way from her room to her office, hand against the wall for support, not that she needed it, and injured arm around the ribs that she would swear - under the glare of Carson himself - didn't hurt.

Nearly there.

It was a sad day when paperwork was something she fought to do.

"Jennifer Marian Keller"

Oh crap.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Jennifer fixed a smile on her face and turned. Her chances of convincing him lowering significantly when she had to catch herself against the wall with her bad arm because the room spun "Carson… Hi… beautiful day we're having." her face almost ached from the size of her smile.

He glared and she fought not to squirm under it "I couldn't care if it was 30 degrees and not a cloud in the sky, you are not leaving this infirmary."

"Good." she said knowing agreeing with him would catch him off guard, "I was aiming for my office, if you would be so kind." she offered her arm for him to assist her.

Carson raised an eyebrow "You are going to no such place missy. What is going to happen is that I'm going to get a wheel chair and you are going to sit in it and allow me to take you back to your room." Keller opened her mouth to protest "And you are going to do it with a smile or I am not going to release you tomorrow." he grinned as her eyes lit up "Knew that'd get ya, now stay put while I find that chair."

Now that she thought about it a chair was a good idea. Her limbs felt like jelly, her hip ached something fierce and although breathing was starting to come easier as the ribs healed one bump and her breath was stolen. The worst was the constant itch her back had become as it began to heal. There were days, as she was stretched out on her stomach with nothing to do, when she was sure she was going to be driven crazy by the unrequited urge to scratch.

"Here we go." Carson said walking up and bowing over the chair with a flourish of his hand "Your carriage awaits."

Jennifer grinned and sat down gratefully "Oh Carson" she said in a high fluttery voice "You're such a gentleman. Promise you'll make an honest woman of me one day. We'll settle down in a little cottage with a white picket fence and tell our children of this moment."

Carson snorted and had to slow down to keep from running them into a wall "Yes dear, in a couple of years I'll retire to one of the islands near the city and I'm sure we can find white pickets lying around Atlantis somewhere to make you a fence with. We can even have Ronon over for tea and scones."

Jennifer tilted her head back and grinned at an upside down Carson "Deal."

Jennifer sat at her desk and stared blankly at the pile of files on her desk and the computer pad in her hand. Why had she wanted to get back to work? She sighed, laid the computer on top of the mess and ran her fingers through her hair before balancing the computer back on her cast, ready to start digitising more of her notes.

There was a shuffle at the doorway and Jennifer's gaze flew up, heart pounding with the fear of unknown company, "Carson" she said with a little too much relief.

"Sorry love, I didn't mean to sneak up on ya; I just wanted to see how you were going and whether you needed anything."

Jennifer kept her annoyance in check, it wasn't his fault that nearly all her nursing staff and half the doctors had asked her the same thing every day since she started doing paperwork again, nor was it his fault that they now all left her alone after she snapped at Doctor Wells when he asked if she wanted coffee. It had been a long day "It's just paperwork Carson, I think I can manage and I was going to head down for an early lunch after I finished this stack" she waved at the smallest of the piles of folders in front of her

"You know its 2:30pm Jennifer? Lunch was a couple of hours ago" he smiled when she glanced at her watch with a startled expression, "I would offer to go with you but I have a meeting with Woolsey in 15 minutes." Carson looked from her to the files and back again before excusing himself for a moment.

"Ronon, you finished sending me more patients for the next hour?" He radioed.

"The last one should be reaching you in a minute or two, what can I do for you doc?"

"Jennifer hasn't had lunch yet" he felt more than heard the growl from his earpiece "Play nice, she just got caught up in her paperwork. Anyway, I was wondering if you would make sure she took a break and ate, I would but I've got to talk to Woolsey."

"Sure, I'll be there in 5."

"Ta."

Carson returned to Jennifer's office, making sure she heard him coming, "So what poor sap have you talked into babysitting me today?" she asked. It had taken her a few days but she had come to accept (mostly) that those closest to her were going to mother her until she could prove she was back to normal, now she tried to accept their help with as much grace as her patience would permit.

"Ronon, he's just finished running his training with the crazy sods who volunteered."

"Oi." a man said from behind Carson "I happen to be one of those crazy sods."

Carson turned to reveal a young sergeant with a cloth to his head wound "Matheson, why don't I get you set up with one of the nurses." he smiled at Jennifer and lead the man away "Lad, you're the craziest of the lot! Only you would feel you had a good chance at stopping Ronon's stick with your head, normal people use their own weapons, or, and I know you're military so this will sound crazy, but you could dodge."

Matheson chuckled "True doc, but then I wouldn't have an excuse to visit your pretty nurses."

Jennifer grinned and went back to her work, hoping to finish the file she was half-way through.

"No" a voice said from behind her and for the second time that day she froze in fear. A large arm reached over her shoulder to take the computer tablet away and she couldn't help but flinch not matter that her brain had already remembered it should be Ronon "Sorry" he said softly, acknowledging her fear of him before becoming a bossy male again "You need to eat, let's go."

Jennifer sighed and pushed her chair away from the table, taking her time to stand and stretch her half healed back "Lead on, I know when I've been out bullied. Doctors are experts at it."

Jennifer and Ronon sat out on the balcony, trays of food in their laps as they leant against the wall with their legs stretched out in front of them, watching the birds fly in a companionable silence. It was Jennifer who broke it first "Of all the people around me, you're the only one who doesn't ask me how I am at every opportunity" Ronon remained silent, his eyes focused on a pair of gulls circling each other "I'm not complaining, the constant questions are setting up the insanity plea for my eventual murder trial quite nicely, but then you agree to do something like this and it shows that you're silence isn't because you don't care" She paused, trying to find words for her very muddled thoughts "I just - you always seem to surprise me"

Jennifer didn't expect a reply, didn't expect anything really, she just needed to say that she noticed. The others needed her to be someone, to give nice understandable answers when she didn't have any. They wanted to feel useful and showed their love by crowding her day with chatter and questions and eyes that searched for the proof that they were helping.

Jennifer was exhausted, her eyes drifted close against the glare of the sun and twinkle of the water. She twitched when his voice unexpectedly broke the silence.

"You're not ok. I don't need to ask to see that." his reply startled her but she was painfully grateful she could hear no pity in it "And I trust that if you even needed to talk to someone you would seek someone out. I cannot imagine trying to force it is helpful." Jennifer was surprised at his insight and she turned and looked at him "What?" he asked "Just because I don't say much doesn't mean I don't see."

She smiled and rested her head against the wall again, letting her eyes drift shut once more "I just didn't expect you to say it." she paused and he waited, there was obviously something else she wanted to say "Do you think you could convince the others to back off?" her playful tone laced with hope.

"Not a chance. Believe it or not I like to fight battles I might win"

I really like this chapter, I must have been feeling playful when I sat down to write it because some of the lines still make me giggle.

Next chapter is up in a week