so many possibilities by asyouleft
So Many Possibilities
876 words | future fic | PG | unbeated
Two weeks shy of John’s 52nd birthday he found himself waking up in Atlantis’ infirmary, a still all too familiar setting. He squeezed the hand held within his and slowly opened his eyes, Rodney was sitting in a chair, gripping John’s hand.
He looked up, catching John’s eye. “You’re a bastard.”
John grinned widely. “Good to see you too, McKay.”
“No,” Rodney started, sitting up straighter in his chair, his hand still wrapped strongly around John’s, “no you don’t get to be all cheerful and happy. You were not woken up by your boyfriend’s agonizing screams of pain-”
“Manly screams of pain.”
Rodney narrowed his eyes, paused and then continued. “Fine, manly screams of pain. Then having to rush him to the infirmary, thinking he might be dying. Then having to just sit here and wait while you get your appendix removed. Appendix, Sheppard, appendix. I shouldn’t have been surprised, I mean you’ve broken every bone in your body-”
“Not every bone, Rodney. I think Sasha said I was up to 70% after I broke my pinky finger four months ago.”
“Yes fine, broken 70% of the bones in your body, so it just figures that your body will suddenly start rejecting your organs. I should have just asked her to go ahead and remove anything else that might attempt to explode.”
“I think we’re good, Rodney. I lost my tonsils when I was 12 and my gallbladder’s on pretty good terms with the rest of my organs.”
“You are a bastard and you know it, John Sheppard. I don’t even want to hear it anymore, you scared me to death last night. You mange to survive the Wraith for years and yet something slightly bigger then my fist nearly takes you out.”
“Rodney,” John whined, squeezing his hand before yawning.
“And when were you going to tell me my patient is awake?” Dr. Rolland stepped into the room holding a chart and a glass of water in her hands. She handed the glass over to John, by passing Rodney’s eager look. “If you were thirsty Dr. McKay you could have left your husbands side for a moment to get your own drink.”
They weren’t actually married, it was instead just a common statement made regarding the two of them. John was pretty sure that everyone thought they were married and just denying it for some particular reason. In any case, DADT had been over with for years and they’d been sharing a quarter together even before then.
Dr. Rolland checked over the charts while John drank the water handed to him. Rodney let go of his hand to all but yank the cup from him when he finished. “I’m worried if I dare leave his side, he might fall out of the bed and die. I think he’s doing this on purpose, Sasha. He doesn’t want me to have anymore hair left, he thinks it’s funny.”
John grinned. “I don’t deny anything.”
Dr. Rolland rolled her eyes as she checked off something on John’s cart. “I can safely say Colonel Sheppard, you’ll be 100% in about a week. I also suspect when Dr. McKay busts you out tomorrow, you’ll take care of yourself and not exert yourself too much. Country to your belief, your presents doesn’t light up my day. I would much rather have you two out of my infirmary.”
“Oh, Sasha, you say the sweetest things.” John gave her his best smile before she sighed and headed out of the door. Rodney still sat with his arms crossed in his chair, the empty cup cracking in his grip.
“I’m not actually doing this on purpose, Rodney.”
“No really?” He crunched the cup before leaning to his right and tossing it in the garbage can. “You just scared the shit out of me last night, John. We’ve spent the last five years rebuilding a galaxy after a war we spent six years battling, we’re suppose to be taking it easy. Being laid up in the infirmary after surgery is not my idea of taking it easy.”
John paused for a moment, took in the sight of Rodney before him. He was still in his pajamas, ratty old brown shirt with holes along the bottom, a pair of running pants that used to belong to John a long time ago. His eyes were slightly red, bags heavy underneath and scruff lining his jaw and under his chin. He didn’t look like a dashing hero, he look tired and like the best damn thing John had ever seen before in his life.
“Sorry,” John started, feeling slightly embarrassed about the whole thing suddenly.
Rodney’s hand was clasped back around his a second later. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. I should be sorry, I didn’t mean to be upset.” Rodney leaned down and kissed the top of his head and then down to his nose and finally landed on his lips. Just a soft delicate kiss, a kiss of understanding and knowing, of years of the same old thing happening but the same old promise being made.
John yawned and closed his eyes. “You gonna be here when I wake up?”
Rodney didn’t say anything but the press of lips to his temple gave John all the answer he needed.
876 words | future fic | PG | unbeated
Two weeks shy of John’s 52nd birthday he found himself waking up in Atlantis’ infirmary, a still all too familiar setting. He squeezed the hand held within his and slowly opened his eyes, Rodney was sitting in a chair, gripping John’s hand.
He looked up, catching John’s eye. “You’re a bastard.”
John grinned widely. “Good to see you too, McKay.”
“No,” Rodney started, sitting up straighter in his chair, his hand still wrapped strongly around John’s, “no you don’t get to be all cheerful and happy. You were not woken up by your boyfriend’s agonizing screams of pain-”
“Manly screams of pain.”
Rodney narrowed his eyes, paused and then continued. “Fine, manly screams of pain. Then having to rush him to the infirmary, thinking he might be dying. Then having to just sit here and wait while you get your appendix removed. Appendix, Sheppard, appendix. I shouldn’t have been surprised, I mean you’ve broken every bone in your body-”
“Not every bone, Rodney. I think Sasha said I was up to 70% after I broke my pinky finger four months ago.”
“Yes fine, broken 70% of the bones in your body, so it just figures that your body will suddenly start rejecting your organs. I should have just asked her to go ahead and remove anything else that might attempt to explode.”
“I think we’re good, Rodney. I lost my tonsils when I was 12 and my gallbladder’s on pretty good terms with the rest of my organs.”
“You are a bastard and you know it, John Sheppard. I don’t even want to hear it anymore, you scared me to death last night. You mange to survive the Wraith for years and yet something slightly bigger then my fist nearly takes you out.”
“Rodney,” John whined, squeezing his hand before yawning.
“And when were you going to tell me my patient is awake?” Dr. Rolland stepped into the room holding a chart and a glass of water in her hands. She handed the glass over to John, by passing Rodney’s eager look. “If you were thirsty Dr. McKay you could have left your husbands side for a moment to get your own drink.”
They weren’t actually married, it was instead just a common statement made regarding the two of them. John was pretty sure that everyone thought they were married and just denying it for some particular reason. In any case, DADT had been over with for years and they’d been sharing a quarter together even before then.
Dr. Rolland checked over the charts while John drank the water handed to him. Rodney let go of his hand to all but yank the cup from him when he finished. “I’m worried if I dare leave his side, he might fall out of the bed and die. I think he’s doing this on purpose, Sasha. He doesn’t want me to have anymore hair left, he thinks it’s funny.”
John grinned. “I don’t deny anything.”
Dr. Rolland rolled her eyes as she checked off something on John’s cart. “I can safely say Colonel Sheppard, you’ll be 100% in about a week. I also suspect when Dr. McKay busts you out tomorrow, you’ll take care of yourself and not exert yourself too much. Country to your belief, your presents doesn’t light up my day. I would much rather have you two out of my infirmary.”
“Oh, Sasha, you say the sweetest things.” John gave her his best smile before she sighed and headed out of the door. Rodney still sat with his arms crossed in his chair, the empty cup cracking in his grip.
“I’m not actually doing this on purpose, Rodney.”
“No really?” He crunched the cup before leaning to his right and tossing it in the garbage can. “You just scared the shit out of me last night, John. We’ve spent the last five years rebuilding a galaxy after a war we spent six years battling, we’re suppose to be taking it easy. Being laid up in the infirmary after surgery is not my idea of taking it easy.”
John paused for a moment, took in the sight of Rodney before him. He was still in his pajamas, ratty old brown shirt with holes along the bottom, a pair of running pants that used to belong to John a long time ago. His eyes were slightly red, bags heavy underneath and scruff lining his jaw and under his chin. He didn’t look like a dashing hero, he look tired and like the best damn thing John had ever seen before in his life.
“Sorry,” John started, feeling slightly embarrassed about the whole thing suddenly.
Rodney’s hand was clasped back around his a second later. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. I should be sorry, I didn’t mean to be upset.” Rodney leaned down and kissed the top of his head and then down to his nose and finally landed on his lips. Just a soft delicate kiss, a kiss of understanding and knowing, of years of the same old thing happening but the same old promise being made.
John yawned and closed his eyes. “You gonna be here when I wake up?”
Rodney didn’t say anything but the press of lips to his temple gave John all the answer he needed.