The Shrine tag - "I'll Remind You"
Title: I'll Remind You
Author: padawan_aneiki
Rating/Pairing: PG/None
Characters: John and Rodney
Summary: John reflects...
“I’ll Remind You”
The Infirmary was still dark when he slipped in, and while he was no Ronon Dex, John wasn’t exactly a slouch in the stealth department either.
McKay was asleep again, the remnants of a light meal on the small tray table pushed to one side. Jeannie was slumped down in the chair next to her brother, wrapped in a blanket she’d been given at some point. John quietly stood beside his friend and swallowed tightly as he watched the rise and fall of his friend’s chest, listened to the soft beep of the cardiac monitor, and thanked God above-not that they were normally on speaking terms-that Ronon had insisted they go to that cave.
John swallowed tightly, jaw clenching as he did so. He’d never been very good at expressing his feelings, especially when it came to the people that meant the most to him. He doubted he ever would be, but...
“Hey, buddy,” John said very softly, so as not to awaken the recovering scientist. “Just thought I’d...uh...stop by and see how you were doin’.” He dropped his gaze and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his BDU’s. Never mind the fact that it was almost four in the morning; he hadn’t bothered to change because he knew he wasn’t going to sleep tonight. “I...I gotta say that I’m glad to see you’re still...still with us. I hope everything is back to normal, y’know, in the ol’ noggin.”
John winced; he was suddenly glad that Rodney couldn’t hear him. “I uh...I’ve never been great at this sort of thing...Teyla’d tell you it’s a lack of social skills. I couldn’t say it before, and...I...I’m not really sure I can say it now, but...I think you need to know that...if it had come right down to it...I’d have...I’d have reminded you of anything...anything at all. And if I’d had to, I would’ve said goodbye but, I’m glad it didn’t come to that.”
One hand came up now to rake through dark hair, and Jeannie shifted a little in the chair, freezing him momentarily. After a brief moment, she settled back to sleep, and John turned his attention back to his friend in the bed. “You know,” he said lightly, a half grin on his face. “I have a hell’ve a hangover thanks to you. I hope you appreciate the sacrifices I make for you...” His voice trailed off and he rubbed one arm restlessly.
Rodney didn’t as much as stir; John stood there for long moments just grateful that he could stand here looking and sounding foolish by basically talking to himself in the middle of the night. The half-smile remained and he shook his head slightly. “Although I bet it’s nothing compared to the headache you’ve got, buddy.”
The smile faded now as he realized once more just how close they’d come to his not being here, right now, looking and sounding foolish by talking to himself in the middle of the night. John folded his arms across his chest now, and the muscles in his jaw-line jumped hard as he clamped his mouth shut. He said nothing more for several minutes, but finally he murmured, “Y’know, when you...’came back,’ in that cave, Rodney...” He drew a shaky breath now but he’d come this far. “I was glad to see you, just one more time. I mean...obviously it didn’t turn out to be the last time but I didn’t know that, not right then and I...I couldn’t bring myself to be sorry that we did it.”
John reached over and pulled the blanket up a little bit. “And I’m really glad you didn’t forget me.”
He was almost to the door when he heard a soft, “Me too.”
McKay was looking at him when he turned back from the door, with a sleepy looking grin.
“You uh...weren’t listening, that whole time, were you?” John asked, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other.
“Heard every word,” Rodney declared tiredly. “And if you have a hangover that’s not my fault.”
“You know...we’re gonna have to test those razor-sharp wits of yours. That means you owe me a chess match as soon as you’re up to it.”
“Later today?” Rodney prompted hopefully, and John grinned. Really grinned.
“You’re on.”
“Go...get some sleep, John,” Rodney said, closing his own eyes. “’M not goin’ anywhere.”
“Okay,” John agreed with a nod. “I think...I can do that. G’night, Rodney.”
“’Night, John. Isn’t this...where ‘m supposed to say ‘thank you?’”
“I’ll remind you later. Go to sleep.”
“Thanks, John.”
Author: padawan_aneiki
Rating/Pairing: PG/None
Characters: John and Rodney
Summary: John reflects...
“I’ll Remind You”
The Infirmary was still dark when he slipped in, and while he was no Ronon Dex, John wasn’t exactly a slouch in the stealth department either.
McKay was asleep again, the remnants of a light meal on the small tray table pushed to one side. Jeannie was slumped down in the chair next to her brother, wrapped in a blanket she’d been given at some point. John quietly stood beside his friend and swallowed tightly as he watched the rise and fall of his friend’s chest, listened to the soft beep of the cardiac monitor, and thanked God above-not that they were normally on speaking terms-that Ronon had insisted they go to that cave.
John swallowed tightly, jaw clenching as he did so. He’d never been very good at expressing his feelings, especially when it came to the people that meant the most to him. He doubted he ever would be, but...
“Hey, buddy,” John said very softly, so as not to awaken the recovering scientist. “Just thought I’d...uh...stop by and see how you were doin’.” He dropped his gaze and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his BDU’s. Never mind the fact that it was almost four in the morning; he hadn’t bothered to change because he knew he wasn’t going to sleep tonight. “I...I gotta say that I’m glad to see you’re still...still with us. I hope everything is back to normal, y’know, in the ol’ noggin.”
John winced; he was suddenly glad that Rodney couldn’t hear him. “I uh...I’ve never been great at this sort of thing...Teyla’d tell you it’s a lack of social skills. I couldn’t say it before, and...I...I’m not really sure I can say it now, but...I think you need to know that...if it had come right down to it...I’d have...I’d have reminded you of anything...anything at all. And if I’d had to, I would’ve said goodbye but, I’m glad it didn’t come to that.”
One hand came up now to rake through dark hair, and Jeannie shifted a little in the chair, freezing him momentarily. After a brief moment, she settled back to sleep, and John turned his attention back to his friend in the bed. “You know,” he said lightly, a half grin on his face. “I have a hell’ve a hangover thanks to you. I hope you appreciate the sacrifices I make for you...” His voice trailed off and he rubbed one arm restlessly.
Rodney didn’t as much as stir; John stood there for long moments just grateful that he could stand here looking and sounding foolish by basically talking to himself in the middle of the night. The half-smile remained and he shook his head slightly. “Although I bet it’s nothing compared to the headache you’ve got, buddy.”
The smile faded now as he realized once more just how close they’d come to his not being here, right now, looking and sounding foolish by talking to himself in the middle of the night. John folded his arms across his chest now, and the muscles in his jaw-line jumped hard as he clamped his mouth shut. He said nothing more for several minutes, but finally he murmured, “Y’know, when you...’came back,’ in that cave, Rodney...” He drew a shaky breath now but he’d come this far. “I was glad to see you, just one more time. I mean...obviously it didn’t turn out to be the last time but I didn’t know that, not right then and I...I couldn’t bring myself to be sorry that we did it.”
John reached over and pulled the blanket up a little bit. “And I’m really glad you didn’t forget me.”
He was almost to the door when he heard a soft, “Me too.”
McKay was looking at him when he turned back from the door, with a sleepy looking grin.
“You uh...weren’t listening, that whole time, were you?” John asked, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other.
“Heard every word,” Rodney declared tiredly. “And if you have a hangover that’s not my fault.”
“You know...we’re gonna have to test those razor-sharp wits of yours. That means you owe me a chess match as soon as you’re up to it.”
“Later today?” Rodney prompted hopefully, and John grinned. Really grinned.
“You’re on.”
“Go...get some sleep, John,” Rodney said, closing his own eyes. “’M not goin’ anywhere.”
“Okay,” John agreed with a nod. “I think...I can do that. G’night, Rodney.”
“’Night, John. Isn’t this...where ‘m supposed to say ‘thank you?’”
“I’ll remind you later. Go to sleep.”
“Thanks, John.”