Chapter 24: So close.

Being stuck in the infirmary made John miserable. It had been two days since he'd returned from Ilaria two, and he'd spent most of that time vomiting with a high fever.

By the time they'd returned from Ilaria Two, John felt hot and uncomfortable, his back hurt like hell, and he knew something was wrong. When they'd arrived in the jumper bay, he'd tried to escape to his apartment. The minute he stood up, he'd felt dizzy and passed out.

He'd awoken in the infirmary lying on his stomach, with an IV in his arm and Carson in full-on mother-hen mode. Apparently, he'd been unconscious for two hours.

The Doctor had been doing something sadistic to his back, and if he hadn't been grinding his teeth, he would have screamed. Carson had found a small piece of the beast's tooth in his back, and the wound had become infected.

Yesterday his fever had been up to 104, and Carson had feared Seizures, but thankfully it was on the way down today.

He was hot and sweaty at the moment. And he'd give anything for a glass of water. A hot shower wouldn't go astray, either. John had endured sponge baths for the last two days, but thankfully, he'd been out of it for most of that time.

He moaned, hoping to get someone's attention, and luckily Carson was never far away.

"Are you alright, General? Do you need anything?"

"A glass of water followed by a shower would be great."

"Well, I can give you a glass of water, but a shower is out of the question. The last thing you need is to fall flat on your face."

"Come on, Carson? I feel hot and sweaty, and if you don't help me into the shower, I'll do it myself."

"I don't think so, lad."

He was about to continue whining when suddenly he felt nauseous, he started to shake, and it scared him. His first thought was, no, not now. The last thing I need is a seizure.

The shaking continued, and his stomach began to rebel - which wasn't a problem because he was lying on his stomach anyway. He felt the bile rising up his esophagus, and it wasn't long before he expelled what little food he had in his stomach.

He was still shaking all over and was miserable. He hoped he would lose consciousness sooner rather than later.

A soft lilting voice invaded his consciousness, "Don't worry, General. You're not having a seizure, your fever has spiked again, and you're shivering. ''

"What's my temperature, Doc?" He asked in between retching.

"It's up to 101."

Carson turned to one of his nursing staff, "Let's get General Sheppard cleaned up. Then I want a cooling blanket on him."

He felt more miserable by the minute, and the last thing he wanted was to be subjected to a sponge bath again.

"Can I lay on my back Doc?"

"Sorry, General, but I need to check your wounds and If I'm happy with the progress. I'll let you lay on your side."

He sighed as the nurse came to give him a sponge bath. Could his life get any worse?

Ten minutes later, he was dressed in a clean gown, although he'd had scrubs on before. His sheets were clean, and he felt the pull of the dreaded catheter. He was positive it hadn't been there before.

"Hey Carson, what's this for?" He asked indignantly.

"Sorry, lad, but I want to monitor your urine output because you've been sweating a lot over the last two days."

"Great," he muttered. His day was officially worse than it was when he'd woken up.

"Okay, lad, lay still while I look at your back."

He was incredulous by Carson's comment. Where was he supposed to go? "I'm not planning on going anywhere, Doc."

He lay still while Carson poked and prodded his back, and for the first time since he'd awoken, he wondered where his family was.

"Where's Teyla and the kids?"

"They were here this morning, but you were still out of it. So they'll come by later to see you."

"You're back is looking better, so I'll put some pillows up against your back

so you can lay on your side. I'll give you something for the pain and nausea as well.

Five minutes later, he was comfortably lying on his side. Carson injected his meds into his IV port. And he felt better for the first time since he'd awoken. His eyes began to droop, and he was more than happy to fall into a peaceful sleep - hopefully.

oOo

Rodney had been working in his lab since he'd returned from Ilaria Two. Except for the six hours of sleep Jennifer had insisted on. He was due for another break and hoped that Jennifer would bring him something to eat. He didn't want to leave the lab if he didn't have to because he still had so much work to do.

He'd told Sheppard he could open an anomaly within a few days. But he wasn't even close. It was good Sheppard was sick in the infirmary because the man wasn't looking over his shoulder.

Jennifer walked in just as he was about to look at the file in front of him, and he knew that it was time for lunch.

"How's it going, Rodney?"

"I don't know. The information is there. I just have to figure out how to use it."

"Well, it's time for lunch, but rather than demand you leave your lab, I thought I'd bring it to you."

He turned to look at her and realised she was carrying two trays of Pizza, but unfortunately, there was no coffee.

"Where's the coffee?"

"It's three o'clock in the afternoon, and we both know if you drink coffee after three, you don't sleep."

He knew she was right, but he wanted coffee anyway. In fact, he didn't want to sleep until he'd opened an anomaly and found them a way back to their time and part of space - and then he might sleep. Then he needed to find a planet to call home, which could take days. So maybe it was time to enlist some help from Zelenka or maybe even Sheppard.

"Come on, Jenn, you know I have too much work to do to sleep."

"Rodney! You know I'll sedate you if I have to." She said in a demanding tone.

He felt severely chastised by her, so perhaps, it was time to change the subject, "I think that as soon as we get back to Pegasus, we should get married. Jeannie has been to Atlantis before, and I could probably get clearance for Maddie and Caleb. I'm sure you could get clearance for your Dad so we can get married on Atlantis."

Jennifer snorted, "Do you really think you could get a twelve-year-old girl to keep her mouth shut? Maddie would have to tell her friends about what she sees here. I think we should still get married on Earth."

He knew she was right, but he wanted to be married as soon as possible.

"You're probably Jenn. Have you asked Teyla to be your Matron of honour yet?"

"No, I haven't had time. What about you? Have you asked John to be your best man?"

"No, because I would like him to officiate the ceremony. I was going to ask Carson to be my best man."

He was relieved when she nodded, "I think that's a great idea. I think that John would like that."

"Do you still want to get married in Chippewa Falls, Jenn?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Well, Jenn, if we ever get back to Earth. The first thing we'll do is go to Chippewa Falls and get married."

"Don't you mean when we get back to Earth, Rodney? Because I know you can open that anomaly and find us a way home."

"Thanks, Jenn."

Now, why don't you eat lunch so you can finish your work."

He took a big bite of his Pizza and instantly felt better. He still would have liked some coffee to go with it, but the last thing he needed was the wrath of Jenn. So he behaved himself and drank the glass of juice beside his plate.

oOo

Ronon was relieved when Teyla settled down for her afternoon sleep. Because finally, he was alone with Amelia. Torren and Charin were in the daycare, and Sheppard was still in the infirmary, so they had a few hours together.

Since they'd been back on Atlantis, they spent most of their time looking after the Sheppard family and hadn't had much time for themselves. That was all about to change, though, because when Sheppard came out of the infirmary, they were moving into an apartment of their own. They had picked out an apartment in the same section of the city as John and Teyla, and although they were close to their friends, they would still be far enough away.

Teyla was on the way to recovery, and Jennifer and Carson had deemed her well enough to look after herself and the kids.

"How are you feeling, Melia?"

"As much as I love the Sheppard family, it will be nice to be the two of us again." She rubbed her swollen stomach before continuing," It won't be long, and we'll have our own family. Are you sure you want to stay on Atlantis, Ronon? This child is half Satedan and deserves an opportunity to learn about her Satedan heritage."

Ronon sighed as he answered, "Sheppard and Teyla have managed to teach Torren about his Athosian Heritage and still lived on Atlantis, so I'm sure we'll do fine. I believe my place is on Atlantis. Although I enjoyed living amongst Satedans again, I knew it was only temporary because Atlantis will always be my home."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Amelia took his hand before she continued, "So, have you any idea how to make a crib? Or are we going back to earth to go shopping?"

"I think when we return to the Pegasus Galaxy, we should visit Earth for a vacation. You can show me the sights, and then we can do a little baby shopping."

"That sounds wonderful, Ronon, and according to Dr McKay, we should be back in the Pegasus galaxy within a week. I just hope we end up in the right time period."

Ronon chuckled, "I won't let McKay hear the end of it if we don't."

"You know what, Ronon? I'm tired, and I think I might go and lie down."

"I'll come with you, Melia. I have no place else to be right now, so I may as well enjoy a rest."

Five minutes later, Ronon was cuddled up to his wife and couldn't be happier. They had a baby on the way, Sheppard and Teyla were well again, and very soon, they would be back in their own time and galaxy. With all these thoughts rolling around in his head, it wasn't long till he fell into a deep sleep.

oOo

A gentle voice pervaded his consciousness the next time John became aware, and he was happy to keep his eyes closed and listen. Next, something soft touched his hand, and he kept his eyes closed and enjoyed the touch. Next, he heard a high-pitched squeal, and his peace vanished.

"Da Da!"

That was definitely, Charin, and the soft, gentle voice and touch were Teyla's. There was one voice he hadn't heard, so he knew he had to open his eyes. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and Torren sat beside his bed with Charin on his lap.

"It's good to see you awake, Dad. We were beginning to think you'd never wake up."

"Torren, how long?" He whispered.

"I'm not sure. Moms went to get Aunt Jenn, so she can tell you what's happening."

He watched as Charin struggled to get away from Torren, and for the first time since he'd woken up, he realised he was lying on his back.

The little girl kept calling to him, "Da Da hug."

"Sure, Princess. How about you lie next to Daddy, and I'll cuddle you?"

Torren carefully placed Charin beside him, and John immediately put his arm around her. He'd missed this. John loved his family more than anything and couldn't wait to spend quality time with them when they finally found a home. He wasn't sure, but Charin's birthday was probably only a few days away, and they were still stuck in galaxy KK203, ten thousand years in the past. He had hoped to have found a home in the Pegasus Galaxy - preferably in their own time - before Charin's first birthday, but with each passing day, it became more likely that Charin would turn one where they were.

Soft footsteps brought him out of his contemplations, and he was happy to see that Teyla had entered the room with Dr Kelller.

Teyla looked better every time he saw her, and according to the doctors, her return to health was progressing faster than they'd hoped.

"How are you feeling, General?" Jennifer asked, interrupting his thoughts again.

He hadn't given it much thought since he'd woken up. But now he thought about it. He felt much better.

"Okay, I guess. How long have I been asleep this time, Doc?"

"You've been asleep for a little over forty-eight hours, General and your fever broke twenty-four hours ago.

"So when can I get out of here? I need to spend some time with my family."

"I'll let you go after breakfast. Once, I'm sure you can stand up without falling flat on your face."

"I accept your terms Doc."

"The children and I must go now, John. Ronon and Amelia have just finished moving into their new apartment, and we have agreed to have breakfast with them." Teyla said before leaning in to kiss his cheek.

John's eyes lit up, "so when I go home, we'll be all alone as a family?"

"Yes, honey. I will see you when you get home. The children will be in daycare. So it will be just you and me."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. They could finally be a family again. The only problem was they needed to find a home planet for Atlantis. Perhaps, after spending the afternoon with Teyla, he would go to harass Rodney and find out when they would leave this galaxy and return to their own time.

Jennifer fussing beside him brought him out of his thoughts.

"General, I'm going to look at your back, and then I'll have a nurse bring you breakfast. You'll need to roll onto your stomach for me?"

"Sure, go ahead," he said, rolling onto his stomach.

He was surprised when she started poking and prodding that it didn't hurt at all, "Why doesn't my back hurt, Doc?"

"Once we were sure your wounds were no longer infected, we used a small amount of the healing compound. You'll probably be left with scars on your back, though."

"Hey, what's a few more scars? I'm alive and not brain-damaged. I have all my limbs, and I am still mobile. Right now, I think I'm fortunate."

His thoughts sobered as he remembered the brain damage and epilepsy. So he rolled onto his back and asked Jennifer the question he'd been dreading.

"Hey, Doc. How much about my brain damage do you intend to disclose to Stargate command?

"Our report will state you got shot in the head and were used to power the Hilarian city and nothing more."

"Will you tell them about the healing compound?"

"Carson and I will discuss it with the doctors at the SGC."

He nodded, "Thanks for not telling them about the epileptic seizures I suffered because any mention of epilepsy will end my career."

"I know it will, General. That is why we won't be saying anything because, believe it or not, Atlantis needs you."

"Thank you, Jennifer," he whispered.

"You're welcome, John, " Jennifer replied.

The conversation was uncomfortable, so he was relieved when a nurse came into the room carrying a breakfast tray. Jennifer took the tray off her and put it on the rolling table.

"Here you go, General. I have pancakes for you this morning."

His eyes lit up, "Coffee?"

"Sorry, General, but we've run out of the real stuff, so this is a substitute Radek and Rodney whipped up in their lab. I kind of like it myself."

Grimacing, he sniffed the brown gooey substance, and to his surprise, it smelled good. Next, he took a sip, and again he was surprised. It actually tasted good. It wasn't as good as regular coffee, though.

"I'll leave you to enjoy your coffee, General. Teyla should be back in an hour to take you home."

Once Jennifer had left his room, he took the lid of his pancakes and was surprised to see maple syrup in a jug next to them. Where did they get maple syrup? From his understanding, they'd run out of it months ago. There were frozen berries they had picked months ago, but they still tasted good, with the maple syrup smothering them.

He ate slowly and savoured every bite because he had no idea how long before he'd have pancakes and maple syrup again.

After he had finished, he lay back and closed his eyes. For the moment, he was content. He knew there was still a lot to do when he left the infirmary, but for now, he would go back to sleep again.

oOo

Rodney had no idea what time it was or how long he'd been pouring over the database the Ancients had given him, but he was hungry. Hopefully, Jennifer would be by soon with a meal. Then since she wasn't on duty, he would go to her quarters for the night.

They had been back from Ilaria two for four days, and he was still figuring out how to open an anomaly. It was good Sheppard had been in the infirmary since they'd returned to Atlantis because he was sure the man would be driving him up the wall by now.

Loud footsteps interrupted his thoughts, and when an annoying voice spoke, he instantly knew who it was.

"Hey, McKay, it's time for dinner."

"Sheppard, I thought you were home with Teyla and the kids?"

"I was, but now I'm here to keep an eye on you."

"Look, Sheppard, Jennifer's been taking good care of me, so I'm fine."

"Well, Keller wanted me to tell you that Carson is taking to evening off to spend with Jasmine. So she will be working tonight."

He couldn't believe it. His fiancee had stood him up, so Carson could spend time with his girlfriend. And what was worse was Jenn had sent Sheppard to keep an eye on him.

By this time, John had moved his computer and placed the food on his desk.

"How about you eat, McKay, and while you're eating, you can tell me how your research is coming along."

The last thing he wanted to do now was talk to Sheppard, "Where's your food? Because if I'm eating, you should as well."

"I ate with Teyla and the kids before I came, so eat."

Sighing, he took the lid off his plate and was surprised to see pasta, "I wonder where this came from?"

"Think the bolognese sauce was frozen, and the cooks have been making pasta from the grain Sophia gave us before we left HiIlaring."

"Is there any of my substitute coffee? I need coffee."

"No, Rodney, Jennifer told me you shouldn't drink it because it has the same effect on you as caffeine.

"If I'm ever going to find a way home, I need to stay awake longer, so I need coffee."

"Don't worry, McKay. I know where Radek keeps his secret stash of the real stuff. So if you put the kettle on, I'll make us a cup."

Rodney's eyes lit up. Radek had recently moved his sacred stash because he had found the last hiding place."

"How did you know, Sheppard?"

"That's a secret. Now, boil the kettle, and I'll get some real coffee."

Five minutes later, he was eating his pasta and drinking real coffee. It was instant, but at least it had caffeine in it.

Once he'd finished his coffee, he summoned the courage to ask Sheppard something he'd wanted to ask him for a while.

"Umm…Sheppard, would you like to officiate at my wedding? I'd understand if you said no. If you don't want to do it, maybe you could be my best man."

He found himself rambling and decided to stop so Sheppard could answer.

"I would love to officiate at your wedding. Jennifer asked Teyla to be her matron of honour, and I was becoming worried you didn't want me in your wedding."

The conversation was emotional, so he decided to change the subject.

"So, what time does Jenn want me in bed?"

"She didn't tell me, so how about I get you another coffee, and you can return to what you were doing."

"That sounds great, Sheppard."

A few minutes later, Sheppard put a cup of steaming coffee in front of him he finished his dinner and then got to work.

Sheppard wandered around his lab, looking at every object in the lab. "Hey, McKay. Do you know what any of this stuff does?"

He wanted to tell the man to shut up and throw him out of his lab, but they'd spent very little time together over the last six months, and he missed John."

"I have no idea what they do, but how about you sit and be quiet while I do my work? And under no circumstances touch anything."

The delivery of the last sentence was sharper than expected, so he needed to apologise. He turned to look at his friend to take in his appearance, and it still shocked him. John was thin and pale from his recent sickness. The scars on his forehead had almost gone. But the scar on his left temple was still red and partially visible - a constant reminder that for a short time, Sheppard had brain damage.

"I'm sorry, Sheppard, it's just that I have a lot of work to do."

"That's okay. I just want to spend some time with you. Perhaps, when we get home, I can help you test the ancient devices in your lab. When things get back to normal, that is."

He snorted at his friend's comment, "When are things ever normal on Atlantis?"

John winced, and Rodney wondered if he'd upset his friend.

He didn't want to get emotional, so he took a deep breath and closed his eyes before speaking again.

"Are you alright, Sheppard?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. So how about you get back to your work, and I'll read my book?"

He was surprised that Sheppard was still reading 'War and Peace.'

"Haven't you read that."

"Been too busy."

"You've been on Atlantis for almost ten years, Sheppard."

"Work, Rodney!" Sheppard growled.

They fell into silence while Rodney continued to work on his calculations. He knew what to do - he needed to open the anomaly. After a few minutes of checking his calculations, he decided it was time to run a simulation.

"Hey, Sheppard. Are you ready for this?"

"Am I ready for what, Rodney?"

"I'm about to run a simulation. Do you want to watch?"

"Sure, go ahead."

Rodney pressed enter, and within a few seconds, his simulation was complete, and to say he was disappointed was an understatement.

"Well, I just sent us back another 65 million years."

"Just think," Sheppard began, "If we go to Earth, we can visit the dinosaurs and watch an extinction-level event."

Rodney rolled his eyes at his friend, "Alright, I'll try again."

For the next three hours, he ran simulation after simulation, and by the time the clock struck midnight, they were no closer to opening an anomaly home. In the simulations, he'd sent them forward and backward in time. Sometimes a few hundred years and sometimes thousands or millions of years.

"Oaky Rodney, one more simulation, and then I'm going to bed."

Rodney held his breath and pressed the enter button. This time when they looked at the screen, he almost threw something at it.

Sheppard stared at the screen, "One year ago, would that work?"

"No, because the unknown ship wouldn't have started chasing us across the galaxy, and there would be two Atlantis'. And that would be very bad. If we went back a year in the future, it wouldn't matter. Because we would simply have been missing for a year."

Sheppard looked at him and smiled, "So close. But not close enough."

TBC…