A beginning of friendship Pt. 2/11
Ronon made his way to the gym a few hours later after receiving word from Sheppard that Keller was available for a few hours after lunch. Ronon purposefully grabbed something to eat from the dining hall to bring back to his room to avoid everyone altogether.
He didn’t know why Keller was on his mind since the battle with the Bola Kai. Sure, he made some glances at her when she first arrived. Everyone did. Keller was young, a little too young according to everyone, to be considered equal to the late Dr. Beckett. However, her care during Dr. Weier’s accident quickly erased doubts from mostly everyone’s minds. Still, she continued to get a few looks, especially from the men on Atlantis. Keller, which no one would debate, was easy on the eye.
Keller wasn’t a beauty like Teyla. No. But her innocence and freshness brought about a different beauty in her.
Ronon opened the door to find Keller already there. Keller jumped and covered her hand across her heart as the door opened.
“Sorry,” Ronon muttered.
Ronon kept his eyes on her, watching as she appeared to settle herself. She appeared younger without her uniform on. Keller was wearing black sweatpants that came up to her upper calves leaving her lower legs bare, running shoes, and what looked like many different tops layered over one another. The last one had a hood attached to it.
“Listen,” she began. Her hands were completely covered by the oversized sweatshirt as she fiddled with the sleeves. “I just want to thank you for offering to help me.” Keller moved towards Ronon. “I’m not stupid to think you don’t think this will work, especially within one week… but I’ve made up my mind to do this. I’ve put it off way too long, and I’m not going to be put into another situation again where I don’t know how to defend myself or others around me.” She rushed through her rehearsed speech, forgot to breathe through it, and gulped in air as she finished, satisfied she at least appeared like a competent learner.
He moved across the room to move the mats towards them. “Dr. Keller,” he began, “making up your mind to do something and being able to do it is two different things.”
He regretted it the instant it left his mouth. He looked back to see her hopeful face fall. Ronon quickly tried to recover. “That didn’t come out right.”
Keller tried to smile. “I think it did. You’re being honest, which I appreciate.”
Ronon shook his head. “Let’s start over.” He walked onto the mat, motioning her to join him. Keller slowly walked over, with a little less confidence this time as she approached him.
His eyes gazed over her, making her uncomfortable. “You can’t move with all that stuff on,” he said. “Take off some of it.”
Keller startled. “My clothes?” she asked. “It’s cold in here.” He simply waited for her to obey. “OK, OK,” she muttered and turned. The doctor reached down and took off the hoodie from her favorite university and her long-sleeved t-shirt, leaving on a t-shirt with a tank top underneath.
Ronon’s mouth twitched, which Keller caught. “What?” she asked.
He moved again towards her on the mat. “Nothing. You just dress much different than Teyla.”
Moving back towards the mat, Keller looked up to say “Well, not all of us can be gorgeous goddesses. The rest of us make do with what we have.”
Ronon thought differently, but didn’t verbalize this thinking. “Let’s start with basic self defense.” He took her wrists to make her fingers into fists, turned her body so that her shoulders were not square to him, and moved her feet to align with the rest of her body.
He didn’t have much experience teaching, other than with the military men on the base. Teyla didn’t count, seeing that she could occasionally over power him in a fight. Keller was new territory he wasn’t sure how to approach. So far, she looked like a strong wind would blow her over.
She stayed frozen in the position that he put her in, not saying a word. Good, he thought. He hated chattering people. Like Rodney. No, Rodney was OK but the chattering got on his nerves.
“Now, I’m going to pretend, in slow motion, to come at you with a punch.” He got into his own stance. “Block it with whatever comes to mind.”
Keller nodded, and her eyes widened when he came at her a little faster than what she imagined slow motion to be. With her leading arm, she efficiently swatted away his arm and quickly turned so that her back was not to him yet still in her stance.
Ronon’s eyebrows raised. “I’m impressed.” He said. “I thought you would duck and scream.”
Keller smirked. “You thought wrong.”
They continued the training and Ronon grew even more impressed with the doctor. No, she didn’t have the strength to back up her blocks or punches, but she was a natural defender. He didn’t expect that.
After three hours had gone by, Keller checked her watch. “Ronon, I’m on shift again in an hour. I need to go grab a shower and dinner.”
Ronon nodded. “Nice work today, doc.” He said. “Same time tomorrow?”
Keller smiled, beaming at the compliment. “You bet!” Turning as she toweled off and grabbed her clothes, she glanced his way. “My first lesson without anything broken or bleeding.” She smiled. “I’m sure a lot of bets will be lost between my medical team when I go back on shift.”
He didn’t know why Keller was on his mind since the battle with the Bola Kai. Sure, he made some glances at her when she first arrived. Everyone did. Keller was young, a little too young according to everyone, to be considered equal to the late Dr. Beckett. However, her care during Dr. Weier’s accident quickly erased doubts from mostly everyone’s minds. Still, she continued to get a few looks, especially from the men on Atlantis. Keller, which no one would debate, was easy on the eye.
Keller wasn’t a beauty like Teyla. No. But her innocence and freshness brought about a different beauty in her.
Ronon opened the door to find Keller already there. Keller jumped and covered her hand across her heart as the door opened.
“Sorry,” Ronon muttered.
Ronon kept his eyes on her, watching as she appeared to settle herself. She appeared younger without her uniform on. Keller was wearing black sweatpants that came up to her upper calves leaving her lower legs bare, running shoes, and what looked like many different tops layered over one another. The last one had a hood attached to it.
“Listen,” she began. Her hands were completely covered by the oversized sweatshirt as she fiddled with the sleeves. “I just want to thank you for offering to help me.” Keller moved towards Ronon. “I’m not stupid to think you don’t think this will work, especially within one week… but I’ve made up my mind to do this. I’ve put it off way too long, and I’m not going to be put into another situation again where I don’t know how to defend myself or others around me.” She rushed through her rehearsed speech, forgot to breathe through it, and gulped in air as she finished, satisfied she at least appeared like a competent learner.
He moved across the room to move the mats towards them. “Dr. Keller,” he began, “making up your mind to do something and being able to do it is two different things.”
He regretted it the instant it left his mouth. He looked back to see her hopeful face fall. Ronon quickly tried to recover. “That didn’t come out right.”
Keller tried to smile. “I think it did. You’re being honest, which I appreciate.”
Ronon shook his head. “Let’s start over.” He walked onto the mat, motioning her to join him. Keller slowly walked over, with a little less confidence this time as she approached him.
His eyes gazed over her, making her uncomfortable. “You can’t move with all that stuff on,” he said. “Take off some of it.”
Keller startled. “My clothes?” she asked. “It’s cold in here.” He simply waited for her to obey. “OK, OK,” she muttered and turned. The doctor reached down and took off the hoodie from her favorite university and her long-sleeved t-shirt, leaving on a t-shirt with a tank top underneath.
Ronon’s mouth twitched, which Keller caught. “What?” she asked.
He moved again towards her on the mat. “Nothing. You just dress much different than Teyla.”
Moving back towards the mat, Keller looked up to say “Well, not all of us can be gorgeous goddesses. The rest of us make do with what we have.”
Ronon thought differently, but didn’t verbalize this thinking. “Let’s start with basic self defense.” He took her wrists to make her fingers into fists, turned her body so that her shoulders were not square to him, and moved her feet to align with the rest of her body.
He didn’t have much experience teaching, other than with the military men on the base. Teyla didn’t count, seeing that she could occasionally over power him in a fight. Keller was new territory he wasn’t sure how to approach. So far, she looked like a strong wind would blow her over.
She stayed frozen in the position that he put her in, not saying a word. Good, he thought. He hated chattering people. Like Rodney. No, Rodney was OK but the chattering got on his nerves.
“Now, I’m going to pretend, in slow motion, to come at you with a punch.” He got into his own stance. “Block it with whatever comes to mind.”
Keller nodded, and her eyes widened when he came at her a little faster than what she imagined slow motion to be. With her leading arm, she efficiently swatted away his arm and quickly turned so that her back was not to him yet still in her stance.
Ronon’s eyebrows raised. “I’m impressed.” He said. “I thought you would duck and scream.”
Keller smirked. “You thought wrong.”
They continued the training and Ronon grew even more impressed with the doctor. No, she didn’t have the strength to back up her blocks or punches, but she was a natural defender. He didn’t expect that.
After three hours had gone by, Keller checked her watch. “Ronon, I’m on shift again in an hour. I need to go grab a shower and dinner.”
Ronon nodded. “Nice work today, doc.” He said. “Same time tomorrow?”
Keller smiled, beaming at the compliment. “You bet!” Turning as she toweled off and grabbed her clothes, she glanced his way. “My first lesson without anything broken or bleeding.” She smiled. “I’m sure a lot of bets will be lost between my medical team when I go back on shift.”