Chapter 16: All's well that ends well.
It had been a full day since Sheppard's surgery on his shattered leg, and Rodney had been holed up in his lab for most of that time. Finally, he had unearthed the truth about the ancients' activities on Utopia and the research that had been stolen by the Wraith. This was a discovery of monumental proportions, and now, he could only wait until Sheppard, his leader and close friend, was coherent enough to comprehend the gravity of it all. The anticipation was palpable, making his heart race with a mix of excitement and anxiety—just another challenge they would have to face in their life in the Pegasus galaxy.
Each time Rodney had visited Sheppard over the past two days, the man was either in a deep slumber or heavily sedated, his words a jumble of incoherence. Rodney couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of teasing John about his unexpected and deeply felt confession of love for Teyla, a revelation that had left Rodney dumbfounded. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that Ronon was privy to Sheppard's feelings, and he was intrigued by how the big man had come to know. Sheppard's love for Teyla, a strong and independent woman, was a secret he had kept hidden for years, and it was a revelation that had shocked everyone - well, shock was a strong word, and maybe it hadn't shocked everyone.
When the topic was broached, Teyla's face flushed a clear sign of her discomfort. Her voice, tinged with protectiveness, sternly warned them against teasing John. She made it unequivocally clear that she needed to have a serious conversation with John about his confession before they discussed it further—despite her initial warning for them never to mention it. Her deep concern for John was palpable, and it was clear she was only acting out of love and care for him.
As Rodney glanced at his watch, the weight of the impending dinner felt heavier. The moment to visit Sheppard was drawing near, and if the man were coherent enough, Rodney would unveil the information he'd unearthed in the Utopian database. The anticipation was thick in the air, and Rodney's heart raced at the thought of sharing this monumental discovery with his team. If Sheppard were still incoherent, he'd wait for another twenty-four hours. The suspense was almost unbearable, and Rodney found himself pacing the room, unable to sit still.
Sighing, he shut down and unplugged his computer. He took his laptop everywhere, and now was no exception. The notes he needed to discuss things with Sheppard and the team were on it.
When he arrived in the mess hall twenty minutes later, he found Carson and his team sitting on one of the balconies. They were deep in conversation, their brows furrowed in concentration, and he wondered whether they were discussing him or maybe they were talking about something completely different, and he was just paranoid.
He took a bowl of stew and some crusty bread from the serving table and went to join his friends. " Hey guys, what are you talking about?" he asked, trying to inject some lightness into the conversation.
"Teyla was just telling us about Jallell's reunion with Rollo," Carson informed him.
"Oh," Rodney muttered, "how did that go?"
"Jallell is excited for Rollo to come and live with the Athosians, and Terrellia has decided she will stay with the Athosians and look after the children. Is that not wonderful news?" Teyla told him with a massive grin on her face.
Rodney tried to sound excited for Rollo and Jallell, but the truth was he didn't really care. He had some exciting news and wanted everyone to know, 'That's great, but I have some exciting news. Do you want to know about it?' Despite his lack of interest in their personal lives, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of happiness for Rollo and Jallell. They had been through so much, and their reunion was a testament to the strength of their sibling bond. But the impending revelation consumed his mind, and he couldn't wait to share it with his team.
His friends stared at him blankly until Ronon spoke, "Okay, I'll bite. What have you found?"
"I know what the Ancients were doing on Utopia and what information the Wraith stole."
Again, his friends stared at him blankly, their lack of reaction deflating his excitement. This time, Carson spoke, breaking the silence. 'So, are you going to tell us, or are you going to keep it a secret?' His tone was light, but Rodney could sense the underlying curiosity and anticipation in his voice. 'I'll tell you all after dinner if Sheppard is awake,' Rodney replied, his voice filled with a mix of excitement and caution. Rodney's friends seemed unusually calm, and he couldn't help but wonder what they were thinking. The tension in the air was palpable, and Rodney could feel the weight of their anticipation.
Rodney was firm in his answer, leaving no room for the others to start begging, 'I want Sheppard present when I reveal my findings. His presence is not just important, it's crucial, not only because he is our team leader but also because he has a personal connection to the ancients.'
"Well, that would be up to me," Carson stated equally as firmly. "You may share the information if I feel Colonel Sheppard is well enough."
"Fair enough," Rodney muttered before shovelling food in his mouth. The stew was warm and comforting, the bread crusty and satisfying. For some reason, he was starving and had no idea when he last ate. The taste of the food was a welcome distraction from his racing thoughts.
The table occupants fell into companionable silence as they continued eating, giving Rodney time to reflect on the past week's events. He shuddered when he thought of the monsters, grotesque creatures with razor-sharp teeth and claws, that had almost ripped Sheppard's arm off and was profoundly thankful that John had escaped the entire situation with only a broken leg. The monsters, a new threat that had recently emerged, were now a constant source of fear and uncertainty for the team and every other race in the galaxy.
oOo
The smell of antiseptic and the softness of the bed and pillows were the first things Sheppard noticed the next time he became aware. The next was soft, child-like voices whispering beside him. A gentle whisper joined the voices, and the voice sounded like Teyla's, but it was different. He knew the only way to find out what was happening was to open his eyes, but that was easier said than done because his eyelids felt glued shut.
The whispering continued, and John knew he needed to open his eyes to get a minute of peace. After three attempts, he succeeded in the monumental task and was pleased by what he saw.
Jallell and Rollo sat beside his bed, with Terrellia behind them. All three looked cleaner and more relaxed than the last time he'd seen them.
Rollo's arm was in a plaster cast to his elbow, and he looked clean and tidy in Athosian clothing. His brown eyes shone, and he looked happy. Jallell was beside him, her Athosian clothes clean and tidy and her hair braided and neat. Terrellia's eyes shone as she spoke to the children; he could see her affection for them. Despite their injuries and hardships, Rollo and Jallell looked healthier and happier than John had seen them.
He tried to take stock of his injuries and realised the pain was muted for the moment, so there was a good chance he was on strong painkillers - not enough to make him drowsy, though. His left leg was in a cast to the knee, and his right thigh was heavily bandaged, and they were both placed on pillows.
"John, you're awake!" Terrellia exclaimed, interrupting his thoughts
"John, I am so happy you're okay!" Jallell squealed, making his head hurt. He didn't realise he had a headache until now.
John was genuinely interested in the children and hoped their future would be positive and happy. "What's happening, kids?"
"Do you want to sign my cast?" Rollo asked, producing a permanent marker," Then I can sign yours. You haven't got any signatures on your cast yet."
He looked at Rollo's cast and realised several messages were on it. "Sure, why not," he answered.
Leaning over to get Rollo's marker, he winced as it pulled on his right thigh.
"Are you okay?" Terrellia asked," Do you want me to get Jennifer?"
"No, I should be okay," John answered, trying to put a smile on his face.
John signed Rollo's cast and tried to write something other than his name. 'Good luck in the future. It's been nice getting to know you.' He wrote, hoping it didn't sound too sappy.
He wondered whether Rollo could read any English. If one thing always amazed him, it was how everyone seemed to understand English in the Pegasus galaxy—at least the spoken word.
Rollo took the marker off John and carefully wrote his name in English letters on John's cast. It was small and neat, and the boy looked proud of his achievement.
"Dr Jennifer taught me to write my name in English," Rollo proudly explained.
"That's fantastic, Rollo," John answered before his thoughts sobered." What's going to happen to you, Rollo?"
Jallell answered excitedly before Rollo could say anything, "Terrellia is going to look after us, and we will stay with the Athosians on New Athos."
For a moment, Jallell looked sad, and John wondered why," what's the matter, kiddo?"
"Will you come and visit us in New Athos? If it wasn't for you, we might still be on the Nafari homeworld stuck in those caves or worse, the Wraith may have captured and fed on us. You saved our lives, and I don't know how to thank you."
John took a deep breath. His pain was beginning to notch up, and the last thing he wanted was an emotional conversation, but he knew he needed to say something to these kids," It's enough for me to see you alive and well; you don't owe me anything."
Before the children could say anything else, Terrellia stood up and announced, "It's time for us to leave. We will see John later.
Rollo stood up and hugged his shoulders, and Jallell and Terrellia kissed him on the cheek." Thank you, John. Thank you for helping my brothers and me find a way off that moon," Terrellia said before taking the children's hands and leaving the room.
Once he was sure they'd left, John closed his eyes again. The pain in his right thigh and broken leg were notching up. Not to mention, he had a headache. Maybe it was time for his next dose of pain meds, and after that, perhaps he could go back to sleep.
He was on the edge of sleep when someone entered his private room. By the smell of the perfume and the soft footsteps, it was Dr. Keller. Hopefully, she had his pain meds with her.
"Okay, Colonel Sheppard. I have some soup, bread, and your next dose of pain meds. When you've finished eating, Rodney wants to tell you something if you feel up to it."
The soup smelled disgusting, almost like rotten fish, and he wondered why the infirmary staff insisted on giving them bland meals while they were injured. However, the bread smelt freshly baked. It was crusty and warm, and the aroma was wonderful, so he decided to eat the bread and not the soup because he didn't want to be sick.
He looked at the doctor and tried not to gag, "Doc, I'll eat the bread, but can you please take the soup away because it's making me feel sick."
"Alright, but you've lost a lot of weight, and if you don't want Carson on your case, you'll need to start eating."
"I will. Just give me a day or two."
She nodded her head and took the foul-smelling soup away from him, leaving him with the delicious-smelling bread.
After taking a few bites, he felt full and decided he wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep for a few hours. But he knew Rodney wanted to speak to him about something, and the scientist wouldn't let him rest until he saw him.
Ten minutes later, when he was on the edge of sleep, Jennifer returned with his pain meds, and he was relieved when she dumped them into his IV port. The relief was instantaneous, and he wanted to go back to sleep. But no such luck because Rodney wanted to speak with him.
"Okay, Colonel Sheppard. Are you ready to speak with Rodney now?"
The medication was beginning to take effect, and he was slightly dopey, but now was as good a time as any to listen to the annoying scientist. If Rodney was excited about something, it was about some ancient device he'd discovered or something important he'd found in the database.
"Send them him in, but please don't let him stay long?"
"I should warn you that Rodney is excited about something, and Ronon and Teyla are with him."
The last thing he felt like was a crowd. If there was one person he wanted to see, it was Teyla, so if he could get rid of Ronon and Rodney quickly, he could spend quality time with her. Perhaps he could summon the courage to tell her how he felt about her - although John had a sneaking suspicion he'd already embarrassed himself and told her that.
"Send them in," John said, already regretting the decision.
Rodney was the first to walk in, and he was vibrating with excitement. Teyla walked in next and pulled up a chair beside his bed. Ronon then pulled up a chair at the end of his bed and put his feet up on the bed as usual. Carson entered last, went to the end of his bed, and started to check his chart.
"If you have something to tell me, Rodney, you have five minutes. And please sit down because looking up at you hurts my neck."
"Well, for one, I found out what the ancients were doing on Utopia, and for two, I know what information the Wraith stole."
John had a fair idea of what was happening on Utopia, but he let Rodney tell him exactly what happened ten thousand years ago. "Okay, why don't you tell me? Please sit down first."
Rodney pulled a chair up beside Teyla and sat down. He then took a deep breath before launching into an explanation. "Well, they were doing genetic research on some animals indigenous to the Pegasus galaxy ten thousand years ago."
"Okay," John said, nodding, "for what purpose."
"It seems they were trying to create a creature that could tear a Wraith apart. Something that the Wraith couldn't feed on." Rodney explained, "And do you know the worst part?"
"What!" Ronon growled, and John could sense the big man's impatience.
"They were injecting ancient DNA into the creatures," Rodney explained with a look of disgust.
"What purpose would that serve Rodney?" Carson asked, and John could see the man's confusion. In fact, he felt confused himself.
"Apparently, they thought it would make the creature smarter. So they would attack the Wraith out of programming rather than instinct."
"The ancients were certainly arrogant," John commented. "Okay, we now know what the ancients were doing on Utopia, but is that the information the Wraith stole?"
"Yes, a single Wraith craft managed to land safely on the planet two hundred years ago. The shield was malfunctioning at the time. They stole all the research on an experiment called Razorback and managed to leave the planet. Since then, the Wraith have been doing a little experiment independently. Apparently, the creatures are now genetically engineered to attack anyone who resembles an ancient. The Wraith have also injected Wraith DNA into the creatures."
"Well, that explains why they attacked Colonel Sheppard," Carson commented.
"Great," John muttered," just something else in the Pegasus galaxy that wants to kill me." He looked at Rodney before continuing, "Why didn't the creatures on the Wraith hive attack me?"
"I think the Queen can control their minds. That's why Wriath DNA was injected into the creatures. They are called Razorbacks, by the way."
"Well, thanks for that information, Rodney," John said before he yawned, "but now I need to go back to sleep. You can tell me more in the morning."
A smile crossed Rodney's face, making John wonder what was on the scientist's mind.
"What are you grinning about, McKay?"
"Oh, I'm just wondering if there's something you might want to say to Teyla?"
Suddenly, he felt embarrassed. John had obviously said something to Teyla, and he couldn't remember what that was." No, I don't think so, " he answered.
John looked down at the end of his bed, and Ronon tried not to chuckle. When he looked at Teyla, her head was bowed, and she appeared to be blushing. His mind was blank, and he didn't know what to say, so he was relieved when Carson told everyone to leave.
"Okay, everyone out. My patient needs his rest."
For a moment, it looked like Rodney and Ronon wouldn't leave, so John glared at them and yawned. Thankfully, they left without any further comments.
"Goodnight, John," Teyla said, kissing his cheek, "we will speak tomorrow, and do not be worried about what Rodney said."
He nodded in response before she turned and left the room. Although Teyla told him not to worry, he was definitely worried because if he revealed his feelings for her and she didn't feel the same way, it could ruin their friendship forever.
Carson interrupted his thoughts by saying, " Believe me when I say she feels the same way about you as you feel about her."
"Are my feelings that obvious, Carson?"
The doctor nodded before leaving the room.
Tomorrow was another day, and he would speak to Teyla and find out what was happening. It was time to plan their future together if she loved him as much as he loved her.
He yawned again and closed his eyes. A smile lit up his face at the thought of telling Teyla how he felt about her - and this time, he wouldn't be drugged to the gills.
oOo
Teyla stood and watched as the wormhole disengaged, realising she had much to consider. It was time she confronted John about what he said the night after his leg surgery. It was time to tell him that Torren considered him a father and called him Dad. She didn't know what John would do with this information, but they probably never would if they didn't address these things now.
After visiting John in the infirmary the night before, Teyla went to her quarters, showered, and went straight to bed. She had been awake thinking about John for a while but quickly fell asleep without giving things too much thought.
This morning, she said her goodbyes to Rollo, Jallell, Terrellia, and her brothers as they stepped through the gate to New Athos. The children were genuinely happy and excited to stay with Terrellia, and she couldn't be happier for them. Rollo and Jallell deserved some happiness after what had happened to them over the last couple of weeks, and she was glad that the Athosians were willing to accept Rollo, Jallell, Terrellia, and her brothers into their community.
Knowing it was time to confront John, she sighed and began the long walk to the infirmary. Torren would be home in two hours, so John needed to know how her son felt about him before then.
It took her fifteen minutes to arrive in the infirmary. She could do it in five when she wasn't hobbling on crutches. She had been using crutches for almost two weeks now, and it was becoming incredibly frustrating.
When she arrived at the infirmary, Carson sat behind his desk, catching up on some paperwork.
"How is he, Carson?"
"He's a wee bit grumpy this morning. I think it has something to do with the broth kitchen staff keep feeding him."
"Maybe I should go and come back later." She suggested, not wanting to deal with John Sheppard's bad mood.
"Look, Luv," Carson began, "I'm sure he'll be happy to see you. Besides, I think there's something he needs to tell you."
"Perhaps I will go and see him them."
When she walked into John's room, he was staring at a bowl of broth, and it didn't look like he'd eaten any.
He pushed it away, looked over at her and smiled, "I'm glad you're here, Teyla because now I don't have to eat this vial-smelling broth."
"If you do not start eating soon, you know Carson will give you a hard time about your weight."
John chuckled, and his face lit up. "I'm sure you didn't come here to discuss my weight issues with me," he said.
"No, I would like to discuss what you said the other night…"
John interrupted her before she could finish," Look, I'm sorry if that made you feel uncomfortable. You do realise I was on heavy painkillers at the time."
"You did not mean what you said?"
Now it was her turn to smile because John's face turned bright red.
"Umm…of course I did. Look, Teyla, I have loved you since we first met, and when you hooked up with Kanaan, I kicked myself. Not that I regret your relationship with Kanaan because, without him, you wouldn't have Torren."
That had to be the most eloquent and emotional she'd ever heard John speak, and she decided to lay everything on the table.
"Do you realise that Torren likes to call you Da, and I want to think he's trying to say, Dad?"
She watched John's face for signs of upset, anger, or confusion, but none came. Instead, a crooked grin crossed his face. "That's good because I realise if we are going to be together, Torren needs to be part of it." John took her hand before continuing, "Look, Teyla, I love you and Torren, and I want us to be together."
She sensed he was increasingly embarrassed and decided it was time to change the subject.
"Torren will return to Atlantis this afternoon. Until then, I want to tell you what has been happening with Ronon and Rodney."
For the next twenty minutes, Teyla told John about Rodney and Ronon's antics at the dinner table the night before, and by the end of it, they were both laughing hysterically.
They laughed so loudly that they didn't notice Carson enter John's room.
"What's happening here? Keep the noise down, or I'll throw you out, Teyla. John needs his rest."
"That is okay, Carson. I must be going now anyway. Torren will be arriving home soon."
She leaned in and kissed John, taking him by surprise and causing him to blush, "I will be back later with Torren."
Teyla left the room feeling happier than she had that morning. She knew where she stood with John, and they would discuss their future together in the coming weeks.
oOo
John lay awake for a long time after Teyla had left and wondered what would happen next. Would she want to be bonded with him, or would she be happy just to be with him? He wasn't sure he wanted to get married again, but things could change.
In the last two weeks, he'd almost had his arm chewed off by a Razorback, been captured and fed on by a Wraith Queen, Crashed on an alien moon, and sustained severe injuries. He wondered whether getting close to Teyla was a good thing. His life was dangerous, and he could end up dying young, but so could she. Perhaps it was time to allow himself some happiness with Teyla and Torren because you never knew what life would throw at you.
The one thing he knew was that with friends like his and Teyla by his side, he could face the future no matter what happened.
Fin…
Thank you to everyone who's stuck with this story to the end and for the reviews and comments. I really appreciate it.
For those waiting for more of my return to KK203, I will post new chapters as soon as possible.