30 story challenge

Chapter 1: Dream

John hated night time, after most of Atlantis was asleep and he was left with his thoughts, alone in his bed. It had been weeks since Cam had been shot down, and they wouldn't tell him anything. Not that they knew that he had a right to know anything. That was the problem with secret relationships, they were secret. He had no idea if Cam was alive or dead. And at night he would lay in his small bed, an entire galaxy away from where he should be and wonder if he even had a boyfriend or if he was just dating a ghost.

He tried to remain positive, to see the bright side. He tried to not think of Cam rotting in the ground somewhere, of the devastation that would have befallen his parents. John had never been close to his own parents so when the Mitchell's welcomed him with open arms he tried not to be awkward about it, They were just nice people, although he did wonder how welcome he would be if they knew the truth.

He hated going to sleep, his dreams were usually the same. He could see Cam fighting with the F-302 as it spiraled and finally crash landed. He could just imagine the blood and broken bones. He tried his best not to think like that, he knew that he could ask Rodney if he could find out anything. After all, if anyone could hack into the Mountain's impressive hospital data base it was him. He hadn't told Rodney about his relationship, hadn't told anyone. Hadn't dared.

When he fell asleep, he hadn't even realized it, until someone was shaking his shoulder and calling his name. He instantly sat up, reaching for the gun that he kept under his pillow. Before Ronon could really do much there was a gun aimed at his head. He just cocked an eyebrow, as he gently reached for John's wrist and lowered the gun. John ran a hand through his hair. "What is it?"

Ronon schooled his face. "Wier wants to talk to you. She said that it was important and that it couldn't wait."

John thought it was odd that she would send Ronon but he really didn't think too much about it. He got up, quickly dressed, didn't bother to lace his boots and walked to Elizabeth's office. He knew that it still had to be quite early because of the fact that the skeleton crew was still in effect. She sat behind her desk, hands folded neatly in front of her and a solemn expression on her face. She gestured to the empty chair. "John, please have a seat."

He shook his head, there was no way that this was good. "If it's all the same to you ma'am, I'd rather stand."

"As you wish. I just got word from SGC. I'm sorry John."

John paled and all but fell into the chair. How could she have known? He'd been so careful, all of their e-mails were heavily encrypted. Even their video calls left nothing to be suspicious about. He felt like he had been punched in the stomach. Not only was she telling him that something had happened to Cam, but that their relationship was now out in the open. He was probably going to be court martialed. Not that any of that mattered. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "It was the crash wasn't it?"

Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak when a loud alarm sounded and wouldn't stop. John stood up to try and figure out what was going on just to fall back down.

John's world was terribly confusing as he opened his eyes to discover that it was upside down. He pulled himself back on his bed, in a tangle of sheets. He discovered that he was in his room, in his bed. And that alarm that had been in his dream was his e-mail.

He sat up, pulling his lap top to him. With shaky hands he opened up the e-mail. It was from Cam. He had been in a crash over Antarctica. He was in the infirmary at the mountain and he was distressed because they said that he would never walk again; never fly again. The last line of his e-mail was his stubborn declaration that he would prove them all wrong.

John smiled. He had no doubt of that. He knew that the Mitchell's had a stubborn streak a mile wide. He closed the e-mail after typing out a quick response. It had all been a dream. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as he got out of bed to shower and get on with the days duties. He knew that he should somehow arrange to go to earth. But for right now, he'd have to be content with knowing that although he was definitely not all right, Cam was alive.