Whump challenge #32 Interview
Back again with another whump thread challenge. This one was to have John Sheppard answer some question that Elizabeth might have asked at an interview
Characters: John and Elizabeth
Length: 1415 words
Rating: Everyone can read this.
Disclaimers: Love the characters but they aren't mine.
John stood outside of the door fidgeting with his hat, eyes roaming the hallway. He truly didn’t know why he was here. Well, he knew why, he just didn’t know …WHY. He must be crazy to be thinking about taking a place in this Star Trek type expedition. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and took a deep breath. “I could turn around right now and walk away,” he thought to himself.
Just as he was turning to go, the door opened and Dr. Elizabeth Weir almost collided with him as she hurried out her door while reading a file. “Oh…Major, I wasn’t sure you were going to show,” she said as she stumbled to a halt.
“I wasn’t sure I was either,” he said, surprising himself with his honesty.
“Well, um…” she stopped and backed into her office. “…come inside and have a seat. I have a few preliminary questions for you before we get into the paperwork.”
“Oh….if you were heading somewhere, I can come back another time,” John blurted out, stepping away from the door.
Elizabeth’s eyes twinkled as she smiled at him. “No Major, you can’t get away that easily. I have plenty of time for you.” She gestured him into the room.
Looking like he was stepping into a torture chamber, Sheppard slowly walked into her office and took the chair offered to him. Elizabeth took a seat on the other side of the desk and placed the folder she had been carrying to the side. On the desk in front of her was a thick folder with his name on it. She carefully folded her hands together and specifically placed them on the unopened folder.
“Well, Major, I am glad to see you are considering joining us on our hoped-for adventure,” she smiled again. “I would like to get to know you a little better before we get too far into the process. We will be working closely together in the coming months and I feel that it is important for me to know each member of my team.”
John shifted in his chair and began to wring his hat in his hands. “Um….OK.” His eyes wandered around the room, taking in all the files piled on the desk and the cabinets. His leg bounced nervously as he noticed some strange items in box on the floor in the corner.
“Major Sheppard,” Elizabeth began. “What do you think your greatest strength is?”
“My greatest strength?” he repeated, sounding a bit confused.
“Yes Major. What do you think your greatest strength is?”
John hadn’t been expecting this type of question. He had been waiting for her to ask why he was stationed in Antarctica or what had happened in Afghanistan or even about his training.
“Um…I think my greatest strength is my ….um….ah…” he paused.
Elizabeth leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “Well, I don’t think we can list eloquence as your greatest strength.” Her eyes twinkled in merriment. She straightened up and put her hands on the arms of her chair. “Look John, there are no right or wrong answers here. I am not looking to judge anything. I am simply trying to get to know you better.”
John looked her directly in the eyes for the first time. He saw honesty and a willingness to listen in the depths of the green eyes that looked back at him. Straightening up in his chair and placing his hat on his knee, he took a deep breath and nodded at her.
“I think my greatest strength is my willingness to do what I need to do to get something done.” He looked at her and saw the corner of her mouth turn up in a small smile as she settled to the side of her chair. He continued “I don’t worry about how easy or hard something is to do. If I need to do it, it will get done.”
“What do you think your greatest weakness is?”
John’s eyes traveled to the ceiling. This was always a hard question to answer. There were so many things others told him were problems. What did he think his weakness was? His mind traveled through the list of possibilities until he figured out a common theme.
Refocusing on the woman across from him, he said, “My greatest weakness is that I don’t always listen to reason.” At her confused expression, he continued, “It goes along with the fact that if I see something that needs to be done, I want to get it done. Sometimes I jump the gun and react before I should and sometimes,” he paused to look down at his hands. “Sometimes not good things happen,” he added quietly.
Elizabeth cleared her throat and shifted in her seat. In a quiet voice she asked “What have you learned from your mistakes?”
John looked back up and directly at her. “I have learned that I am human and I make mistakes sometimes.”
Trying to keep a smile off of her face, Elizabeth licked her lips and adjusted the folders on the desk in front of her. “OK! What motivates you?”
Chewing on his lower lip, John tapped his knees with his fingertips. “Ah…what motivates most people? Rewards? A job well done? Money? Candy?” He crossed his arms over his chest and slid down in his seat a little. “What motivates me is getting to do what I want. I like to have the freedom to choose my own life and my own goals. I will do what I need to do make that happen.”
He took another deep breath and closed his eyes briefly, forehead crinkling slightly.
After a short pause, Elizabeth continued with her questions. “What do people most often criticize about you?”
John gave a snort. “I don’t think we have enough time to go through that list.” He sat up straighter and ran a hand over the back of his neck. “I guess the common theme would be that I am a little stubborn.” He paused and smirked. “Well, maybe a lot stubborn.”
Elizabeth chuckled at his answer. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” She sat up straight and folded her arms on the desk. “Only a couple more questions Major.” She paused a moment and looked a bit embarrassed. “This one might sound silly considering what we are trying to do. Are you willing to travel?”
John looked at her incredulously. “You are kidding right?”
Elizabeth hung her head to the side. “Just answer the question please.”
He shook his head and said “Considering my choice of career and my willingness to consider this expedition, I would say,” he raised an eyebrow at her, “Yes.” He leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows on his knees. “Look, I don’t have anything here I am particularly attached to. Maybe I need to get out a little more to find something that catches my interest.”
With a nod of her head, Elizabeth asked her final question. “What do you think you can contribute to this expedition?”
Sitting up straight, pulling his feet together and holding his head up high, John answered “I will give you everything I’ve got to make sure this mission is as successful and as safe as can be.”
Elizabeth looked directly into his eyes. He met her gaze steadily. Her lips firmed into a line and she nodded her head.
Standing up she extended her hand out to him. He rose from his chair and grasped the hand she offered. “Major, I thank you for your time. I believe you have an appointment with Dr. Beckett in a few hours.” She almost laughed out loud at his grimace. “I will make sure all the necessary paperwork is forwarded onto you ASAP.”
John turned to go. Just as his hand touched the doorknob, Elizabeth stopped him with her voice. “Welcome aboard Major.” He turned his head to look at her and smiled at her pleased expression.
Stepping through the door and closing it behind him, John Sheppard leaned against the wall. What did he just do? He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He wasn’t sure, but it did feel right.
He straightened up, tossed his hat up and caught it mid-air. With a smirk, he turned to head down the hall towards the infirmary. He might as well get the next step over with. It would probably be more comfortable than this had been.
Characters: John and Elizabeth
Length: 1415 words
Rating: Everyone can read this.
Disclaimers: Love the characters but they aren't mine.
John stood outside of the door fidgeting with his hat, eyes roaming the hallway. He truly didn’t know why he was here. Well, he knew why, he just didn’t know …WHY. He must be crazy to be thinking about taking a place in this Star Trek type expedition. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and took a deep breath. “I could turn around right now and walk away,” he thought to himself.
Just as he was turning to go, the door opened and Dr. Elizabeth Weir almost collided with him as she hurried out her door while reading a file. “Oh…Major, I wasn’t sure you were going to show,” she said as she stumbled to a halt.
“I wasn’t sure I was either,” he said, surprising himself with his honesty.
“Well, um…” she stopped and backed into her office. “…come inside and have a seat. I have a few preliminary questions for you before we get into the paperwork.”
“Oh….if you were heading somewhere, I can come back another time,” John blurted out, stepping away from the door.
Elizabeth’s eyes twinkled as she smiled at him. “No Major, you can’t get away that easily. I have plenty of time for you.” She gestured him into the room.
Looking like he was stepping into a torture chamber, Sheppard slowly walked into her office and took the chair offered to him. Elizabeth took a seat on the other side of the desk and placed the folder she had been carrying to the side. On the desk in front of her was a thick folder with his name on it. She carefully folded her hands together and specifically placed them on the unopened folder.
“Well, Major, I am glad to see you are considering joining us on our hoped-for adventure,” she smiled again. “I would like to get to know you a little better before we get too far into the process. We will be working closely together in the coming months and I feel that it is important for me to know each member of my team.”
John shifted in his chair and began to wring his hat in his hands. “Um….OK.” His eyes wandered around the room, taking in all the files piled on the desk and the cabinets. His leg bounced nervously as he noticed some strange items in box on the floor in the corner.
“Major Sheppard,” Elizabeth began. “What do you think your greatest strength is?”
“My greatest strength?” he repeated, sounding a bit confused.
“Yes Major. What do you think your greatest strength is?”
John hadn’t been expecting this type of question. He had been waiting for her to ask why he was stationed in Antarctica or what had happened in Afghanistan or even about his training.
“Um…I think my greatest strength is my ….um….ah…” he paused.
Elizabeth leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “Well, I don’t think we can list eloquence as your greatest strength.” Her eyes twinkled in merriment. She straightened up and put her hands on the arms of her chair. “Look John, there are no right or wrong answers here. I am not looking to judge anything. I am simply trying to get to know you better.”
John looked her directly in the eyes for the first time. He saw honesty and a willingness to listen in the depths of the green eyes that looked back at him. Straightening up in his chair and placing his hat on his knee, he took a deep breath and nodded at her.
“I think my greatest strength is my willingness to do what I need to do to get something done.” He looked at her and saw the corner of her mouth turn up in a small smile as she settled to the side of her chair. He continued “I don’t worry about how easy or hard something is to do. If I need to do it, it will get done.”
“What do you think your greatest weakness is?”
John’s eyes traveled to the ceiling. This was always a hard question to answer. There were so many things others told him were problems. What did he think his weakness was? His mind traveled through the list of possibilities until he figured out a common theme.
Refocusing on the woman across from him, he said, “My greatest weakness is that I don’t always listen to reason.” At her confused expression, he continued, “It goes along with the fact that if I see something that needs to be done, I want to get it done. Sometimes I jump the gun and react before I should and sometimes,” he paused to look down at his hands. “Sometimes not good things happen,” he added quietly.
Elizabeth cleared her throat and shifted in her seat. In a quiet voice she asked “What have you learned from your mistakes?”
John looked back up and directly at her. “I have learned that I am human and I make mistakes sometimes.”
Trying to keep a smile off of her face, Elizabeth licked her lips and adjusted the folders on the desk in front of her. “OK! What motivates you?”
Chewing on his lower lip, John tapped his knees with his fingertips. “Ah…what motivates most people? Rewards? A job well done? Money? Candy?” He crossed his arms over his chest and slid down in his seat a little. “What motivates me is getting to do what I want. I like to have the freedom to choose my own life and my own goals. I will do what I need to do make that happen.”
He took another deep breath and closed his eyes briefly, forehead crinkling slightly.
After a short pause, Elizabeth continued with her questions. “What do people most often criticize about you?”
John gave a snort. “I don’t think we have enough time to go through that list.” He sat up straighter and ran a hand over the back of his neck. “I guess the common theme would be that I am a little stubborn.” He paused and smirked. “Well, maybe a lot stubborn.”
Elizabeth chuckled at his answer. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” She sat up straight and folded her arms on the desk. “Only a couple more questions Major.” She paused a moment and looked a bit embarrassed. “This one might sound silly considering what we are trying to do. Are you willing to travel?”
John looked at her incredulously. “You are kidding right?”
Elizabeth hung her head to the side. “Just answer the question please.”
He shook his head and said “Considering my choice of career and my willingness to consider this expedition, I would say,” he raised an eyebrow at her, “Yes.” He leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows on his knees. “Look, I don’t have anything here I am particularly attached to. Maybe I need to get out a little more to find something that catches my interest.”
With a nod of her head, Elizabeth asked her final question. “What do you think you can contribute to this expedition?”
Sitting up straight, pulling his feet together and holding his head up high, John answered “I will give you everything I’ve got to make sure this mission is as successful and as safe as can be.”
Elizabeth looked directly into his eyes. He met her gaze steadily. Her lips firmed into a line and she nodded her head.
Standing up she extended her hand out to him. He rose from his chair and grasped the hand she offered. “Major, I thank you for your time. I believe you have an appointment with Dr. Beckett in a few hours.” She almost laughed out loud at his grimace. “I will make sure all the necessary paperwork is forwarded onto you ASAP.”
John turned to go. Just as his hand touched the doorknob, Elizabeth stopped him with her voice. “Welcome aboard Major.” He turned his head to look at her and smiled at her pleased expression.
Stepping through the door and closing it behind him, John Sheppard leaned against the wall. What did he just do? He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He wasn’t sure, but it did feel right.
He straightened up, tossed his hat up and caught it mid-air. With a smirk, he turned to head down the hall towards the infirmary. He might as well get the next step over with. It would probably be more comfortable than this had been.