Warning. Character death in this chapter.
Chapter 19: Things are looking up.
John sat alone in the empty gate room, trying to come to terms with the events from the last few days. It had been a rough time for everyone. He wanted to say that things had been far worse for him, but at least he was still alive and had hope.
The journey to Atlantis from the planet had only taken five minutes, thanks to the hyperdrive in the Jumper Isaac had given them. Although, he wasn't sure how Carson had activated the hyperdrive close to a planet. John knew he could have done it without a problem, but Carson had insisted that he rest rather than piloting the jumper - as usual, Carson was acting like a mother-hen.
When they'd arrived back on Atlantis, he'd suffered another epileptic seizure, which left him weak and unconscious. When he awoke five hours later, Carson informed him that *Dr Robinson* had passed away while they were on the planet.
Carson had finally released him from the infirmary that morning so that he could attend Robinson's memorial service.
He, and the senior staff, had decided to cremate the body. And then Carson would look after the ashes until they could return them to Dr Robinson's family. Although, he wondered if they would ever return to Earth.
He had come to respect her as a colleague, and she had become a friend, so the news had shocked him.
Thinking about his situation almost brought him to tears. His right side was weaker after the last seizure, and according to Carson, he'd suffered further brain damage.
That was why he was sitting in a wheelchair because he couldn't walk and didn't even want to attempt to talk - not that he had much to say to anyone anyway.
He was wearing his dress uniform even though he didn't feel like an airforce officer any longer. His friends had insisted that he wear it to honour Eva's memory, and since the other military officers were wearing theirs, he quickly acquiesced to his friend's demands.
Carson had reassured him the serum would work on his brain, but it may not be instantaneous. Carson had told him that it might take a few weeks before he was back to his old self. Carson had also informed him this was his only hope. Because if he couldn't get the seizures under control, they could kill him.
So, after all, he'd been through, being used in the power chamber and shot in the head. The gunshot wound to his head could still end up killing him. But thanks to the Ancients in this time, and their serum, he stood a chance.
He was scheduled for surgery that afternoon, and Jennifer had told him he would need to be in the infirmary for at least a week. The whole concept of brain surgery was freaking him out. Although, it wasn't that invasive, as all Carson had to do was inject a serum into his temporal lobe. The worst part was that Carson would have to drill a tiny hole in his skull using a laser - just another scar to add to the collection on his head.
The scar from the gunshot wound was still red after five weeks, and Caron had told him that although it would fade, it would always be visible. The good news was his hair would cover most of it.
He'd spent the morning with his kids. And he had tried to explain to Torren what was happening. The little boy seemed confused, but John was sure he understood on some level. Charin was clingier than usual that morning, and John suspected she was aware that something was happening to her father, and it wasn't good.
A gentle voice interrupted his contemplations.
"Are you ready, buddy?"
He looked up straight into the worried face of Ronon. How was he supposed to answer that question? His head already bore the scars of medical procedures performed against his will. But this time, he was allowing it to happen again. This time it was supposed to make him better, and although he trusted Carson with his life, he still wasn't ready to have him mess around with his brain."
"No...ooo."
"Come on, Buddy, let's get this over with. The sooner Carson fixes your head, the sooner he can cure Teyla."
"Yeessss."
He allowed Ronon to take the handles of his wheelchair and wheel him out of the gate room towards the infirmary - somewhere he'd spent way too much time in recent months.
Perhaps, when this was over, he would consider his position on Atlantis. His body bore the scars of the last ten years, and his joints ached from all the broken bones. Maybe, he was getting too old for this. Although, he couldn't imagine living anywhere else. Atlantis was his home, and his family and friends were there.
Shaking his head, he tried to focus on the matter at hand - he was about to have a hole drilled in his head.
Five minutes later, they reached the infirmary, and John was surprised to find Jennifer waiting for him with a set of scrubs.
"Would you like me to help you change, Colonel?"
Initially, he was horrified at the suggestion until he realised he could barely move his right arm or leg.
"Yessss."
"Okay, I'll pull the curtain around the bed, and then I'll help you.".
"I'll catch you later, buddy," Ronon said, tapping him on the shoulder.
"Seeeee youuuu."
Over the next few minutes, he was silent as Jennifer helped him change, and he hoped it would be the last time a doctor had to help him change his clothes. But who was he kidding? If he continued to go out in the field, he would continue to end up in the infirmary.
Once he was changed and lying on the bed, he realised that Jennifer was talking to him,
"Okay, General, I'm giving you an anesthetic now."
"Okaaayyy."
He tried to relax as Jennifer injected the sedative into his IV port, and a minute later, he felt his eyes beginning to close, I hope this works, was his final thought before drifting off to sleep.
oOo
Carson looked down at his patient and suddenly felt afraid. He had a laser in his hand and was about to drill a small hole in John's head. When he had come to Atlantis, the last thing Carson could have imagined was having to drill a hole in John Sheppard's skull. He didn't expect to deal with a patient with brain damage and epilepsy either. The truth was John would be back on Earth in a VA Hospital by now if Atlantis were in contact with the SGC.
Jennifer's soft voice interrupted his thoughts, "Would you like me to do it, Carson?"
He smiled at his young friend. Although she wasn't so young anymore, "No, Luv, don't take offence to this. But I promised John that I would perform the surgery myself.
"I'm not offended, but don't forget I am here to assist if you need me."
Carson nodded and took a deep breath before activating the laser. He then carefully drilled a hole in John's left temple. It surprised him how easy it was.
He turned to Jennifer with relief, "Okay, please pass me the serum?"
Taking the serum off Jennifer, Carson took another deep breath, placed the needle in the hole in John's head and injected the serum deep into his brain.
When he'd emptied the serum, he placed the empty syringe in the biohazard container and turned to Jennifer, "Isaac suggested that we do a scan in twenty-four hours, and we should see a dramatic improvement by then. Within a week, his brain scan should be back to normal. Although John may still have some weakness for a while, he should return to his old self within a few weeks."
"Do you want me to settle him in the ICU while you go and tell Rodney and Ronon what's happening?"
"That would be great, Jennifer," Carson said while waving the wound-healing device over his patient's head.
Once he'd finished with the device, he left John in Jenninfer's capable hands and walked towards the waiting room, where he knew they'd be people waiting for news. Looking at his watch, he entered the waiting room and realised he'd just performed brain surgery in less than an hour.
Rodney was on his feet when Carson entered the room, "How is he?
"The procedure went well, but we won't know if there is any change for at least twenty-four hours."
"Can we sit with him for a while?" Ronon asked, "And can I bring Torren and Charin to see him later?"
"You can sit with him for now and bring Charin and Torren in later, okay."
"Thanks, Carson," Ronon mumbled.
Carson smiled, "Jennifer's just getting him settled in the ICU. So it's okay for you to go in. I'm going to the science lab to finish synthesising the cure for Teyla."
He watched Ronon and Rodney leave the room before turning towards the medical lab. There was a good chance that John would be well again. Now it was time to help Teyla.
oOo
Rodney was shocked when he walked into the infirmary and laid eyes on John. The man was paler than the bandage around his head. There was a nasal cannula under his nose and an IV in each arm.
He turned to Jennifer, who was busy taking John's pulse, "Should he look that pale, Jenn?"
"Don't worry. It's just a side effect of the anesthetic. I've put something into the IV to deal with nausea, so his colour should return soon."
"And he'll be okay, Jenn?"
"We're not one hundred per cent sure, Rodney. But we're hopeful that he will recover fully."
"Thank you, Jenn," He said before sitting down and taking John's hand.
Rodney watched as Ronon sat at the end of John's bed with his feet up on the bed as usual. He'd sat by Sheppard's infirmary bed far too often over the last ten years and wondered if he should take a vacation when they returned to their own time.
"I'm going to have lunch with Torren in an hour, "Ronon announced, "then I'll bring Torren in to see his Dad."
"I'll sit with Sheppard until you get back. Then I'll grab some lunch and return to my lab. The sooner I can find a way home, the better."
Ronon mumbled something he couldn't hear and sat back with his eyes closed. Perhaps if Ronon was going to have a nap, he should keep an eye on Sheppard for a while.
Rodney's attitude towards John over the last five weeks wasn't the best, and he knew now that he could have been a better friend. Perhaps he could make up for it now by spending plenty of time with him.
Sighing, he leant over and whispered in John's ear, "Hey, Sheppard, I'm here, so all you have to do is get well."
Sitting back in his chair, he looked over at Ronon and was relieved to see that he was asleep because the last thing he needed was for Ronon to see him being all emotional and caring towards Sheppard. Sure, he had an emotional side, but Jenn was the only person that was supposed to see that.
Thinking of Jenn made him remember their wedding plans, and he wondered if they would ever come to fruition. They planned to get married somewhere on Earth. He was going to ask Sheppard to be his best man, and he knew that Jennifer wanted to ask Teyla to be her Matron of honour. They'd also discussed having Torren as a page boy and Maddie as a flower girl. They also wanted to ask Richard Woolsey to officiate.
Rodney knew if he wanted to get married on Earth, he needed to find a way home, so he strengthened his resolve to search to database Isaac had given him thoroughly. He knew the answers were there but he just had to find them.
oOo
Carson stared into the microscope - something he'd done too often lately. Isaac had given him a sample of the antidote for Teyla, but he wasn't sure it was enough, so he'd spent the last two days trying to synthesise more, and thankfully he was finished.
"How's it going, Carson?"
He looked up to see Jennifer enter the medical lab.
"I think it's ready. I think we'll give it to Teyla when General Sheppard wakes up. I'm sure he'd like to know what's going on.
"Why don't you go and get some rest until then, Carson? You've been burning the candle at both ends for months now."
"Haven't we all," he said, chuckling.
"Yeah, when we contact Earth again, I think I'll order a vacation for everyone currently on Atlantis. We may all need to see a psychologist as well.
He smiled at her, she was one of the most gifted doctors he'd ever met, and she had become one of his closest friends.
"It's been a difficult few years, hasn't it? I know there have been some good times, but there have been far too many bad for my liking."
Jennifer smiled at him and took his hand, "I think Jasmine White likes you."
"Really! Why?"
Jennifer's eyes shone as she answered, "You're the most eligible bachelor on Atlantis. What's not to like?"
Suddenly he felt himself blushing, "I can't ask her out. I'm her boss."
"No, you're not. I'm the chief medical officer, and you're the chief surgeon, so technically, I'm her boss."
The conversation was getting too emotional for him, so he changed the subject, "I think I'm going to bed."
"I'll see you later, Carson."
Waving at her, he left the room. Jennifer had given him a lot to think about. Perhaps when this was all over, he would ask Jasmine out. He wasn't getting any younger, and maybe he should allow himself to be happy.
oOo
Something soft and warm was beside him the next time John became aware, and his first thought was, am I in bed with Teyla? As he became more cognizant, he remembered that Teyla was still in stasis, so he began to think about who could be lying next to him.
He knew there was only one way to find out, so he forced his eyes open and was surprised to see Charin lying beside him. And unfortunately, he was in the infirmary.- again.
He looked around the room and realised that Torren was asleep in a chair, Ronon was sitting next to him, and he was grinning from ear to ear.
He opened his mouth to speak, but before he made a sound, a tiny squeal came from the bed beside him.
"Da, da!"
He looked at his daughter and smiled. She looked like Teyla more every day - except for her hair which was like his.
"Hey, Princess. How's Daddy's little girl." He said, holding her tight.
He was shocked, his speech was perfect, and he felt much better than he had for the last six weeks.
"Hey, Dad, You're awake," Torren said in a sleepy voice from the chair beside him.
Before he could answer his son, another voice entered the conversation, "General Sheppard, how are you feeling?"
He looked up to see that Carson had just entered the room with Ronon beside him. He hadn't even realised that Ronon had left the room.
"Would you believe me if I said I'm fine?"
Carson chuckled, "I might, but let me check you're vitals, and then I'll explain what's going on." Carson turned to Ronon before continuing, "Ronon. Can you take Charin and Torren to lunch? You can come back to see John this afternoon, then."
"Come on, Torren, "Ronon said, offering the boy a hand.
John sat and watched as Ronon took his kids out of the room, and he didn't miss the joy in their eyes. Being disabled hadn't been easy for him, so he couldn't imagine what his kids had gone through, having to see him that way.
Once Ronon and the kids had left the room, he turned to Carson and smiled, "Okay doc, how long have I been asleep, and what's the prognosis?"
"In answer to you're first question, "You've been asleep for almost a week, and the answer to your second question is, your brain is one hundred percent healed."
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was going to be okay. Although, he felt the need to check one more time.
"And what about the seizures, Doc?"
"We'll have to monitor you closely because I can't say for sure, but you shouldn't have them any longer."
He lifted his right hand and was surprised to see that it was no longer shaking, and although his right side still felt a little weak, he appeared to have more control over it.
Carson must have read his mind, "You may feel weak for a week or two, but with some physical therapy, you'll be back to your old self in no time."
"That's great news, Doc, but when can I get out of here?"
"I'll release you to your apartment after lunch. But I want Ronon and Amelia to look after you for a few days."
He could live with that. He was facing the prospect of being disabled for the rest of his life a few weeks ago, but now he'd been offered a second chance.
"No problem Doc. How's Teyla?"
"We have the cure ready. We were waiting for you to wake up before we administered it."
"Okay, Doc, let's do it now."
"How about you have some lunch first? And then, if you go in a wheelchair, I will take you to the stasis room and administer the antidote to Teyla. We can get Ronon to meet us there with Charin and Torren."
He thought about arguing with Carson but he desperately wanted to see his wife, so he nodded at this friend.
One of the other doctors walked in carrying a tray before the conversation could go any further.
"Dr Beckett, here's General Sheppard's lunch."
John didn't miss the twinkle in the young doctor's eyes.
"Thank you, Dr white," Carson replied, taking the tray off her.
Carson put the tray on the table in front of him, and all he could do was roll his eyes.
"What?" Carson asked, and it was clear to John he was oblivious.
" It's clear that Dr White likes you, so why don't you ask her out?"
"Believe it or not, I had the same conversation with Jennifer earlier."
"So, are you going to or not, Carson?"
"None of your business, so how about you eat your lunch, and I'll go and get the things I need for Teyla."
He took the lid off the tray and was disgusted to find chicken broth in a bowl - although the blue Jello didn't look that bad. Sighing, he picked up the spoon before thinking, at least I can eat it myself this time."
He ate the entire bowl without making a mess, and he was happy to be able to perform such a simple task again.
Suddenly he felt tired, so he pushed the tray away and closed his eyes. There was no reason why he shouldn't go back to sleep, even though he had just woken up. He knew he would be back on active duty in a few weeks. So he might as well get as much rest as he could now.
He was just dozing off when a loud annoying voice invaded his consciousness.
"Hey, Sheppard, I heard you were awake."
"Sighing, he opened his eyes, "Hey, Rodney. Yes, I'm awake."
Rodney's eyes were wide when he spoke again, and John didn't miss the emotion in his voice.
"You're speaking normally."
"Yeah, according to Carson, I should recover fully."
"That's great, Sheppard. That's great."
He knew Rodney wasn't there to discuss his health issues, so he assumed the scientist wanted to deliberate about getting home.
"Why are you here, McKay?"
"Ummm, I wanted to update you on my research."
"And what have you found?"
"Well, I discovered the anomaly we came through was a failed experiment conducted by the Ilarians."
"And how does that help us get home, McKay?"
McKay sighed, "I guess it doesn't. Anyway, I think I'll go and have lunch, and then I'll get back to work. And ummm, Sheppard, it's good to see you awake."
"Thanks, Mckay. It's good to be awake."
He watched as his friend left the room, and he closed his eyes again. Suddenly, he was tired, so he closed his eyes and was happy to drift off to sleep.
When he awoke again, he was surprised that Torren was sitting in a chair beside his bed. Charin was nowhere in sight, and neither was Ronon or Amelia.
"What time is it?"
"I don't know, Dad. I can get Aunt Jennifer to explain what's happening if you like."
He nodded at Torren and watched as his son left the room. He had no idea why Torren was here on his own because the last thing he remembered Carson saying was that they were meeting Torren and Charin in the stasis room after lunch.
"How are you feeling, General?" Jennifer asked, walking into the room.
He hadn't given it much thought since awakening. So it was a good question.
"I guess I'm feeling better. How long was I asleep this time?"
"You've been asleep for twenty-four hours," Jennifer informed him.
"Teyla."
"Momma's still in stasis. We were waiting for you to wake up before we went to see her."
He could see the hope in his son's eyes as he spoke, so perhaps it was time to go and see her.
"Okay, Doc, can we see Teyla and administer the antidote now."
"We can go after lunch, but there are one or two things we need to take care of first."
"Alright, Doc, what's for lunch?".
"I think there's pizza today, Dad," Torren informed him.
"About time I got some decent food," John grumbled.
"I'll go and get it now," Jennifer informed him before leaving the room.
"So, Torren, what have you been up to for the last few weeks?"
"Charlie's started walking around our apartment. The only problem is she keeps opening the doors and trying to escape. Poor Aunt Amelia can't keep up with her."
He smiled at the thought of his daughter getting up to mischief. She had his ancient gene and love of adventure, so he would have to keep an eye on her in the future.
"Uncle Ronon tries to distract her with a pretend sparring session, but it only keeps her focused for a few minutes. Luckily, Aunt Amelia found the playpen that used to be mine to put her in. Although, she keeps trying to climb out."
All he could do was start laughing either that or he'd start to cry. Charlie was walking, and he had missed her first steps - Teyla had missed her first steps. Whatever decisions he made in the future, he wouldn't miss any more precious moments with his children.
"Why are you laughing, Dad?" Torren asked, looking confused.
"I don't know. But the one thing I do know is I don't want to miss any more precious moments with my family."
"Are you going to give up your job Daddy?" Torren asked, sounding like a little boy again.
"I'm not sure yet, Torren, but how about we have some pizza and go and see your Mom? Carson has promised he can cure her, and when this is over, I promise I will take the family on vacation.
"I believe you, Daddy."
Before the conversation could continue, Carson walked with a tray full of food, "Right, lads, I have your lunch here. When you've finished eating, General, I will deal with a few things before we go and get Teyla out of stasis."
Carson put the food on the table before leaving the room, and when he took the lid off, he couldn't be happier to see two plates full of pepperoni pizza.
After eating three slices, he sighed and lay back on his bed with Torren beside him, and for the first time in a long time, things were looking up."
TBC…
*Dr Robinson was the physiologist in the Legacy book series.
