One more Tabula Rasa tag

[titan5]

Title: A Short in the System
Note: This is Shelly’s fault, for badgering me into doing a tag in spite of me telling her I didn’t have time.
Disclaimer: They still aren’t mine.
Summary: Tag to Tabula Rasa in which Sheppard takes a little longer to get over the disease (surprise, surprise).

A Short in the System

by Titan5

“. . . almost all he’s done is sleep. There has to be something wrong that you aren’t finding.”

“Dr. McKay, there is nothing wrong with him. It’s just hit him a little harder than other people and he’s taking a while to get over the effects. Give him time. And it’s not like he hasn’t been awake at all.”

“Barely. He talked to Ronon and Teyla for a few minutes and by the time I got in here, was almost incoherent.”

John was half-listening for Carson’s voice when it suddenly occurred to him that he wasn’t going to hear it. Keller. Rodney was arguing with Keller . . . about him?

“Ro’ney?” he whispered groggily as he struggled to open his eyes.

“Finally,” came the exasperated reply, making John smile as he focused to find a very annoyed scientist looking down at him. “I was beginning to think you were in a coma and she just didn’t want to tell me.”

“I’m fine,” came the automatic response, with John barely aware he’d said it. He was now awake enough to register the headache pounding behind his eyes and into his temples. Looking around, he noted that only three other people occupied beds. “’s everyone okay?”

Keller placed one hand firmly on his forearm, smiling at him in what he considered typical doctor fashion. “Everyone’s recovering nicely, Colonel. You and Katie Brown are the only ones still here from the effects of the bacteria.”

Frowning, John narrowed his eyes at her. “Why’s that?”

Keller shrugged her shoulders. “With Katie, I think it’s because she was one of the first ones exposed and had gotten really sick before Teyla and Dr. McKay released the cure. I’m not sure with you. I think it may have something to do with your ATA gene. I noticed some of the stronger ATA carriers experienced headaches and a bit of disorientation longer than others, and as you well know, you have the strongest gene of all. Ronon said he stunned you, but many of the others were stunned as well and still recovered quickly once they were treated. Part of it could just be natural differences in the way your body is reacting.”

“Great,” John muttered. “So . . . when can I get outta here?” Moving his hand up to rub his face, he noticed the IV taped to the back. “Uh, how long have I been here?”

“Almost three days,” said Rodney, a hint of worry in his face and his voice. “You woke up after that first day and then you haven’t really been lucid since. Opened your eyes once or twice and rolled them around before going right back to sleep.”

Grimacing, John glanced back at Keller. “I feel okay now. Can I go?”

“Not just yet,” Keller said firmly. “You’ve been unconscious for quite a while and I need to make sure you’re okay. Your speech is a little slurred, too. What about headache or dizziness?”

John chewed his lower lip a few seconds. “Headache, but not as bad as before. I’m not really dizzy right now.”

Keller held her index finger up in front of his face. “I want you to track my finger with your eyes. Don’t move your head, just your eyes.”

Focusing on her finger, John watched as it moved over to his right, paused, and then moved back to his left. When he had moved his eyes almost as far to the left as they would go, the world suddenly tilted in that direction and he felt like he was falling off the bed. Automatically closing his eyes, he felt hands grip him and straighten him up from where he had apparently slid over.

“Easy, Colonel, we have you,” Keller’s voice said smoothly.

When the sensation of bobbing around on a boat at sea had passed, John opened his eyes slowly, making sure the world stayed at rest around him. “That was . . . different.”

“That would also be why you’ll be staying here a while longer,” said Keller.

John sighed. “Kinda figured.”

“We could finish our chess game,” suggested Rodney. “Watching me win might keep you from getting too bored,” he said smugly.

“Chess game?” asked John, frowning slightly.

“Yes, our chess game. The one we started the night before this whole mess started. I had you backed in a corner, remember?”

“No,” said John in disgust. “I don’t remember.”

Rodney’s eyes widened and he stared at Keller, who was frowning down at John. “What do you remember about the night before all this started?” she asked.

John furrowed his brow in concentration, focusing on a night that seemed like ages ago. “I think I remember eating dinner . . . meatloaf?” he asked as he looked at Rodney.

Rodney nodded. “Right, meatloaf. We ate with Ronon and Teyla.”

“Right,” John said, looking relieved. “Then I talked to Colonel Carter about some things, future missions I think. Then . . . it kind of skips to the next day, when the problems started. And that whole day is a fuzzy hodge-podge of half-memories.”

“It’s all right, Colonel,” reassured Keller. “You’re still suffering some effects of the disease, so it stands to reason that your memory would still be a little hazy. It should all clear up in time.”

John grunted in dismay. “How long are we talking about?”

“I . . . have no idea. Probably a day or two.”

“And I have to stay here?” he asked petulantly.

Keller grinned almost smugly. “Yes, Colonel, at least until I think you’ll be a little steadier on your feet. We can’t have you keeling over in the hallway.”

“No, I guess not,” agreed John.

“How about if I give you something for the headache?” asked Keller.

John sighed. “Might as well, I guess, since I’ll be staying a while.” He looked at Rodney as Keller walked away. “Do you need to be with Katie right now?”

“No, not right now. She’s got half her department over there talking to her about the plants they collected. I’d really rather not have to listen and pretend I’m interested.” Rodney suddenly brightened. “Hey, did I tell you she’s naming a plant after me?”

John’s eyebrows went up. “No, you didn’t. Congratulations. What kind of plant is it?”

“I don’t know, looks almost like some kind of cactus or something. Has these bristle things you have to be careful of.”

John grinned a big, lopsided grin. “How appropriate.”

oOo

“Are you supposed to be doing that?”

John let his feet touch the floor before looking up to see Ronon crossing his arms as he smirked at him. Teyla moved around him, followed by Rodney, all staring at him sitting perched on the side of the bed.

“I can sit up,” John said defensively.

“Looks to me like you were thinking of making a break,” accused Ronon.

John quirked one side of his mouth up in a forlorn grimace. “Yeah, for the bathroom,” he drawled. “I’m supposed to have someone walk with me in case I fall over, but they’ve been busy with two of the cooks, who somehow managed to burn each other. I thought if I made threatening moves I’d get someone’s attention before I rupture my bladder.”

“Too much information, Colonel,” complained Rodney.

“I would be happy to assist you,” said Teyla, stepping closer to John.

The colonel frowned as he slid his eyes over to his female teammate. “Uh, thanks Teyla, but, uh. I was thinking Rodney or Ronon might be able to help me.” He couldn’t help but wonder if he looked as uncomfortable as he felt. Awkwardness exchanged places with fear as Teyla’s expression hardened and one eyebrow shot up.

“Are you saying I should not help you because I am female?” she asked, her voice daring him to say yes.

John glared at Ronon and Rodney when they snickered, before turning back to Teyla with his most innocent expression. “No, of course not. I would never even consider saying something like that. I’d be happy for you to help me.”

Teyla offered her arm up and John took it, gripping her firmly as he stood up and the infirmary tilted wildly to one side. Another set of hands took his shoulders from behind, keeping him steady until he had his balance. John blinked a few times, watching closely as the room settled back to being level.

“Are you all right?” Teyla’s face was right in front of him, startling him into stepping back, pushing his thighs against the edge of the bed.

“Yeah . . . fine . . . I’m good now.” He was peripherally aware of Ronon letting go of his shoulders and stepping back.

“Are you ready to go?” she asked, watching him so carefully it made him nervous.

John felt a moment of confusion and panic. “Uh, I think so. Where are we going?” He was disheartened at the look of sadness that crossed Teyla’s face, leaving him feeling like he’d disappointed her.

“The bathroom? You said you had to go.”

Heat rushed up his neck, flushing his face with embarrassment. “Oh, yeah, I do. Sorry.” How do you forget something like that? The headache that had plagued him all day suddenly took a backseat to his continued disorientation. He didn’t even look at Ronon or Rodney as they shuffled past. He didn’t want to see the pity in their faces at his still faltering memory. He suddenly wondered if the effects of the bacteria could be permanent.

Reaching the door to the bathroom, he gripped the frame and managed a weak smile. “I can make it from here.” Not waiting on an answer, he slid in and closed the door.

After taking care of business, John washed his hands and splashed a little water on his face, hoping the coolness would snap him out of the stupor he felt like he was in. Staring at his reflection, he thought he looked older, his eyelids droopy and almost swollen. His face seemed pale, as well, as if he were sick, making him wonder if maybe something was wrong with him.

“John, are you all right?”

John sighed, feeling every bit the invalid he was being treated like. “Fine, I’m fine. Coming out now.” He turned around too quickly and the room did the tilt-o-whirl thing again. He attempted to grab at the sink, but missed, his hand barely brushing the cold surface as he fell.

“John?” When something patted his cheek, he opened his eyes and looked into the concerned face of Teyla. Almost immediately, he took in the fact that he was lying on the bathroom floor and she was sitting beside him.

“Teyla? What happened?”

She smiled in response to his question. “Just after you told me you were fine, I believe you passed out. We heard you fall and came in to check on you when you did not respond. Ronon has gone to get Dr. Keller.”

“Oh. Can I get up now?” He felt okay, except for the fact that he was lying in the floor.

Just then, Keller appeared in the doorway and Teyla stood up, moving farther into the room in order to allow the physician to take her place.

“So, Colonel, I see you’ve had a bit of a mishap. This is why I wanted you to have an escort when you got out of bed.”

“I had an escort,” John said defensively. “Teyla walked me to the bathroom. I think maybe I turned around too fast.”

Keller nodded, running her hands along his scalp as she searched for injuries. “Did you hit your head?”

“No, I don’t think so. Nothing really hurts any worse than before I came in here. Except maybe my wrist,” he added as he registered an added throbbing.

Keller finished with his head and gave a small nod. “Don’t see any signs of injury, so that’s good. Which wrist?”

“Left one,” he responded, lifting his hand for her to inspect. She manipulated and prodded his wrist, producing a grimace or two as she went.

“There’s a little swelling and it’s definitely tender. I’ll get a scan, but I think you’ve just sprained it. You probably threw your hand out to catch yourself instinctively. The first thing I want to do is get you back to bed, though. Are you experiencing any pain in your neck or back? And you’d better tell me if you are.”

John moved a bit, testing his body for pain. “No, no pain anywhere but my wrist.”

“Good,” she said as she stood. “Ronon, would you and Rodney get the Colonel up and back to the bed for me?”

“I can do it,” said Ronon.

Keller moved out of the room to get out of the way. “I’d rather the two of you work together. It’ll make for a more balanced move with less chance of him falling again.”

“I’m not going to fall,” said John sharply.

“Says you,” Ronon fired back as he squatted next to John and took him by the upper arm and shoulder, working with Rodney to sit the pilot up.

“I hate this,” John mumbled as he got his feet under him, trying to help his friends stand him up. And he really did. He hated being weak. He hated not being able to go to the bathroom by himself. He hated that his memory worked like an old radio with a short in it, flickering in and out at random.

Ronon and Rodney had John back in his bed a few minutes later, with Keller taking his blood pressure and pulse while he pouted. When she was finished, she sighed as she looked down at him. “I know you’re getting frustrated, Colonel, but you are getting better. Just give it another day or two and you’ll be back to normal.”

“Normal with a sprained wrist,” added Rodney brightly. John glared at him and he widened his eyes. “What?”

“You aren’t helping, McKay,” rumbled Ronon with a hint of a threat.

Keller grinned at the team and their strange interaction. “Just rest here and I’ll get ready for that scan so we can wrap your wrist.”

John groaned. “At the rate I’m going, it’ll be forever before I’m back on duty.”

“That’s okay,” chimed in Rodney. “I can hang around and help Katie for a few days.”

Teyla crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at the scientist. “Rodney, certainly you are not saying that it is good John is injured simply so you can spend more time with Katie Brown.”

“No, of course, not. Well, in a way, but . . . not that I want Sheppard to be in pain or anything, it just happens to work out for me that . . . You know I like Katie a lot and I think lately we’ve really begun to get this connection thing and . . . “ Rodney stopped and looked at the three people gaping at him. “What?”

oOo

John sat down on the couch in the rec room, carefully balancing the popcorn so as not to spill it. Teyla set two sodas on the table and then took the place beside him. “I brought you a root beer. Is that what you requested?”

John nodded. “Yeah, thought that sounded good. I haven’t had one in a long time.”

“Where’s McKay?” asked Ronon impatiently, opening a large bag of mixed candy and setting it between the root beers and his own Mountain Dew. Reaching out his hand, he took the DVD John handed him and walked over to put in the machine. “We aren’t waiting.”

“I think he’s bringing Katie,” John responded, dipping his hand in the bowl of popcorn.

“Still not waiting,” said Ronon.

Chuckling, John passed the bowl to Teyla and watched as Ronon dropped down beside her.

They heard Rodny’s voice several seconds before he entered the room with Katie in tow. Looking around, he scowled openly. There was one place left on the end of the couch and the two easy chairs were open. “Did you guys do this on purpose?”

Three sets of innocent expressions looked up at him. “Do what?” asked John, the corner of his mouth turning up ever so slightly.

Ronon growled, but stood up and moved to one of the chairs. “You better not hog the food,” he warned to anyone listening.

Grinning and bouncing on the balls of his feet for a second, Rodney motioned toward the couch. “Shall we?”

Katie looked a bit uncomfortable at intruding on the team movie night, but Teyla quickly moved to put her at ease. “Katie, we are happy you could join us. Popcorn?” she asked, passing the bowl to the couple beside her.

“Thank you, Teyla, I’d love some.”

“Rodney, you should get her a drink,” suggested John, leaning forward a bit to look around Teyla. “Better hurry, though, before the movie starts.”

Rodney looked stricken for a moment. “You’re right, a drink. Katie, what would you like? What do we have?” he asked, turning to look at Teyla.

Teyla calmly placed her hand on Rodney’s arm. “We have several types of soda in the refrigerator. Ronon and I . . . restocked earlier today.”

“Right,” Rodney brightened, obviously remembering that they had installed a refrigerator in the rec room for just such occasions. He jumped to his feet and rushed over to the appliance, throwing open the door. “What would you like, Katie?”

John snickered, followed by Teyla elbowing him in the ribs. “Hey, injured man here.”

Teyla did not look impressed or sympathetic, nodding toward his wrapped wrist. “A mild sprain to the wrist should not interfere with your manners.”

John rolled his eyes and leaned back against the cushions. “Sometimes you can be so . . . “

“What?” asked Teyla sharply.

“Yeah, what?” echoed Ronon, a big grin on his face.

“Hey, Chewie, who tooted your horn? Nothing, okay. Nothing. Shutting up now.” John turned to the screen as the movie began, knowing that now would be the appropriate time to stop, while he was still in one piece.

The couch cushions lurched a little as Rodney settled himself in beside Katie. “So, what are we watching?”

“The Transformers,” said John.

Rodney’s hand stopped midway to his mouth with a wad of popcorn. “What? No, no, no, we just saw that, like less than two weeks ago.”

“No we didn’t,” said John.

“Yes, we did. We sat right here and watched it together. I’m not likely to forget something like that. We’re watching something different.”

John leaned forward again to see around Teyla. “We haven’t seen it and I’ve been wanting to watch it, now shut up and watch the movie.”

Rodney suddenly looked frightened. “You really don’t remember watching it?”

“McKay, I’m telling you, we haven’t seen the movie and we’re watching it, so either shut up or get out.” John settled back against the couch and put his feet on the table. “And pass the popcorn back down here.”

Rodney looked at Teyla with wide eyes, but she just shrugged her shoulders. “We’re sending him back to Keller tomorrow,” he whispered.

Teyla didn’t respond, just watched as he turned back to snuggle with Katie. She looked at the movie for several minutes and then looked over at John, the slight smirk on his face illuminated by the flickering light of the movie. She leaned over close to his ear.

“You remember, don’t you?” she whispered.

John never took his eyes from the screen as he placed a piece of popcorn in his mouth. “Shhh.”

THE END