Storm/Eye tag - Day in Advance
Title: Days in Advance
Author: Padawan_aneiki
Rating/Pairing: PG/None
Characters: Liz, John + S1 team
Summary: A tasty dish of Shep whump to spice up the end of the episode.
Days in Advance
Just a short while ago, it seemed, her ranking military officer had been kidding with her about scheduling days off ahead of the next mega-storm Atlantis would face, despite the fact that in reality the odds were long that the city would survive the year given the likely imminent attack from the Wraith.
Just a short while ago, Elizabeth had smiled awkwardly at John’s joke, still a little shaky after their ordeal, joining in the major’s good-natured teasing of Rodney’s first-aid skills regarding his wounded arm, much to the physicist’s consternation. She had also joined them in concern over Carson’s concussion, although the prognosis had been good regarding their chief surgeon.
Just a short while ago, she hadn’t expected to be standing in the Infirmary, anxiety ratcheting up again as she waited for news regarding the Genii invasion’s latest casualty. If it had to be someone, it should have been Elizabeth herself, or Rodney. They’d both been soaked to the bone, exposed to the elements for an inordinate amount of time. Rodney’s arm had been badly lacerated; on responding to the summons to the Infirmary, the prickly scientist had also been pulled aside for treatment, several stitches worth, apparently.
It shouldn’t have been John. Not John, who had defended Atlantis single-handedly against the Genii invaders, and who’s precise shooting had kept her from being taken from the city by Kolya.
“Elizabeth?” Rodney’s voice, subdued, came from just behind her and Elizabeth glanced over at the physicist apprehensively as he approached her with his freshly sutured and bandaged forearm. “Any word yet?”
Weir shook her head slightly, and folded her arms across her chest. In retrospect, she’d known something was wrong; she had noticed that the major had seemed a little pale, a little...off as they’d surveyed their status in the aftermath of the storm, as people had returned to the city. There had been a tension in him that she’d simply chalked up to his sense of duty, making sure everyone and everything were safe and sound and where they belonged...
Neither of them had expected John to drop like that, eyes rolled back and his knees giving way so suddenly that they’d barely managed to catch him and prevent him from striking his head on the railing. “Major!” Rodney had exclaimed, startled as John slid into him bonelessly, manifestly unconscious.
“He’s still in surgery,” she finally answered quietly.
Internal bleeding, they’d been told. Adrenaline had likely masked the pain, they’d been told. Masked it and provided the fuel to do what had to be done. And when it had finally run out, up there on the balcony, John’s injury had announced itself in no uncertain terms.
She’d heard about things like that, soldiers unaware of being badly wounded while they laid down cover fire to rescue buddies pinned down by the enemy. As she paced slowly back and forth, arms still folded across her chest, she reflected that she’d never expected to see it, to experience it. After all, John Sheppard had pushed himself, unaware of shrapnel in his side, in order to rescue them...to rescue her.
Despite bleeding inside, his hand had never shaken on the P-90. His eyes had never wavered; the shot had been unerringly accurate. Elizabeth swallowed tightly; she could close her eyes and see him there, the concentration. The determination as John had called Kolya out...I’m not aiming at her.
Rodney had eased John down as carefully as he could with his own injury, and it was as Elizabeth had been calling for a med team that the scientist had pulled aside John’s coat, revealing a black shirt tacky with blood and plastered to the major’s side. Some blood had stained the inside lining of the uniform jacket, where the tac vest had held it fast, and only the slightest spot of rust had made its way through to the other side. None of them had seen it.
“Stubborn idiot,” McKay grumbled now as he slowly sat down in a nearby chair, carefully cradling his wounded arm. “He had to know. He should’ve been here with me when we brought Carson down instead of running around on overdrive making sure everybody got back in one...well, not that I blame him for being all worked up about Smeadon selling us out to the Genii and all...I guess I could understand…”
At last, someone was coming. Doctor Cole-as Carson was still down-clad in surgical scrubs and pulling the mask down to speak with them. There was blood on the scrub top, and Elizabeth’s hands seemed to tie themselves together of their own volition. John’s blood...more of John’s blood.
“How is Major Sheppard?” she made herself ask, and Cole hesitated.
“He’s coming out of surgery now,” the physician explained, a disbelieving head-shake. “I can’t tell you how he managed to stay on his feet as long as he did. The entry wound itself was fairly neat; more of a puncture wound actually. There was an inch-long piece of metal embedded in his abdomen, likely some sort of shrapnel from ricocheting gunfire. Slipped in just along the crease in the tac vest.”
“But he’s going to be all right, right?” Rodney spoke now, the scientist scrambling to his feet once again. “I mean...you were able to remove it and put him back together...right?”
“The Major was lucky that it missed any vital organs, but he’s lost a good deal of blood,” Cole said, and Elizabeth exhaled slowly. More ‘good news, bad news,’ she thought to herself anxiously.
“When can we see...y’know?” Rodney said awkwardly and Cole shrugged slightly.
“It’ll be a little while, Doctor McKay. We’re just getting the major settled in recovery, and he’s still under anesthesia,” the physician admonished. “But as soon as it’s feasible, you can visit.”
Rodney was clearly unhappy with that, but there really wasn’t much either of them could do about it. Elizabeth sat down now, finally, and leaned her head back against the wall before turning her gaze to the agitated physicist. “You might as well sit down,” she started gently. “It’s liable to be a bit of a wait.”
Teyla and Ford joined them, quiet and subdued, worried in their own way for their team leader.
Elizabeth waited silently. Just a short while ago, they were congratulating themselves on surviving the storm, surviving the Genii. There were other things that had been left unspoken, of course. Thank you. You saved my life, John...you saved the city.
She would make sure he heard them.
++++++
Major? That you? C’mon, Sir...there’s a lotta worried people waitin’ for you to wake up.
Ford. The quiet, tense voice above him was Ford, John realized, and he wanted to answer but all that came out was a muffled grunt, barely enough sound to indicate a response.
“Doc?” Ford again, a little more urgent. “I think he’s comin’ around.”
“Major Sheppard?” Someone who was not Beckett spoke next, and John frowned a little. Where was Carson? “Can you open your eyes for us, Major?”
John wanted to slip back into the waiting darkness. Underneath that inviting softness he was aware of a muted pain throbbing along with the rhythm of his heart, the cardiac monitor keeping time with it all.
“Tired,” he managed to mumble, but despite that he somehow forced his eyelids to crack open.
“Good to see you awake, Sir,” Ford grinned next to him, and John blinked drowsily. A faint frown came to pale features as he realized the lieutenant was incredibly relieved.
“What?” John wanted to know; but he couldn’t seem to make himself form the words. His brain felt fuzzy and he knew there were some strong pain meds on board. After a fashion, he turned his head slightly and let his eyes rove around his immediate surroundings. Infirmary...monitors, IV’s. One in each arm this time, and he blinked in surprise as he realized one of them was a transfusion. “Ford?” he prompted again, this time a little more demanding if not much louder.
“Took you a little while to come out of the anesthesia,” Aiden supplied as Cole checked the major over carefully. “You took some shrapnel from the fight with the Genii; and Doc Cole here...”
“I...I did?” John blinked dazedly, the frown deepening.
“Yes, you did,” another voice interrupted now, and John looked up to see Elizabeth standing there, a concerned look in her eyes. “You collapsed in the control room and underwent emergency surgery.” Don’t ever do this to me again, she wanted to say, but instead offered a slight, brief smile.
“How long...?”
“That doesn’t matter,” Elizabeth answered quietly. “Just rest and heal, John.” She turned to Ford. “Lieutenant, I’m sure that Teyla and Rodney will want to hear the good news; could you...?”
Ford looked up, and nodded. “Yes, ma’am,” he acknowledged and then looked back at John. “Be back in a few minutes, Major,” he promised. Another nod to Elizabeth and he took the cue to go.
“John...” Elizabeth started softly, and John’s eyes closed briefly before reopening. The drugged look was still there, but there was also the same determination she’d seen in the Gate room, and she swallowed hard. “Look, I never got to say...”
“’Lizbeth...don’t,” John shook his head just a tiny bit. “City’s safe...you ‘n Rodney...safe. Good...enough...for me.” The hazel eyes drifted closed now; he could sleep for a week, he was sure. Elizabeth smiled despite the fact he didn’t see it. She reached down and clasped John’s wrist, mindful of the IV.
“Next time you want those days off, Major, just remember you don’t have to do anything quite so drastic, all right?” she replied at last, and knew he’d heard her when a slight smirk dashed across his features.
“’right,” John murmured and then he was asleep.
Author: Padawan_aneiki
Rating/Pairing: PG/None
Characters: Liz, John + S1 team
Summary: A tasty dish of Shep whump to spice up the end of the episode.
Days in Advance
Just a short while ago, it seemed, her ranking military officer had been kidding with her about scheduling days off ahead of the next mega-storm Atlantis would face, despite the fact that in reality the odds were long that the city would survive the year given the likely imminent attack from the Wraith.
Just a short while ago, Elizabeth had smiled awkwardly at John’s joke, still a little shaky after their ordeal, joining in the major’s good-natured teasing of Rodney’s first-aid skills regarding his wounded arm, much to the physicist’s consternation. She had also joined them in concern over Carson’s concussion, although the prognosis had been good regarding their chief surgeon.
Just a short while ago, she hadn’t expected to be standing in the Infirmary, anxiety ratcheting up again as she waited for news regarding the Genii invasion’s latest casualty. If it had to be someone, it should have been Elizabeth herself, or Rodney. They’d both been soaked to the bone, exposed to the elements for an inordinate amount of time. Rodney’s arm had been badly lacerated; on responding to the summons to the Infirmary, the prickly scientist had also been pulled aside for treatment, several stitches worth, apparently.
It shouldn’t have been John. Not John, who had defended Atlantis single-handedly against the Genii invaders, and who’s precise shooting had kept her from being taken from the city by Kolya.
“Elizabeth?” Rodney’s voice, subdued, came from just behind her and Elizabeth glanced over at the physicist apprehensively as he approached her with his freshly sutured and bandaged forearm. “Any word yet?”
Weir shook her head slightly, and folded her arms across her chest. In retrospect, she’d known something was wrong; she had noticed that the major had seemed a little pale, a little...off as they’d surveyed their status in the aftermath of the storm, as people had returned to the city. There had been a tension in him that she’d simply chalked up to his sense of duty, making sure everyone and everything were safe and sound and where they belonged...
Neither of them had expected John to drop like that, eyes rolled back and his knees giving way so suddenly that they’d barely managed to catch him and prevent him from striking his head on the railing. “Major!” Rodney had exclaimed, startled as John slid into him bonelessly, manifestly unconscious.
“He’s still in surgery,” she finally answered quietly.
Internal bleeding, they’d been told. Adrenaline had likely masked the pain, they’d been told. Masked it and provided the fuel to do what had to be done. And when it had finally run out, up there on the balcony, John’s injury had announced itself in no uncertain terms.
She’d heard about things like that, soldiers unaware of being badly wounded while they laid down cover fire to rescue buddies pinned down by the enemy. As she paced slowly back and forth, arms still folded across her chest, she reflected that she’d never expected to see it, to experience it. After all, John Sheppard had pushed himself, unaware of shrapnel in his side, in order to rescue them...to rescue her.
Despite bleeding inside, his hand had never shaken on the P-90. His eyes had never wavered; the shot had been unerringly accurate. Elizabeth swallowed tightly; she could close her eyes and see him there, the concentration. The determination as John had called Kolya out...I’m not aiming at her.
Rodney had eased John down as carefully as he could with his own injury, and it was as Elizabeth had been calling for a med team that the scientist had pulled aside John’s coat, revealing a black shirt tacky with blood and plastered to the major’s side. Some blood had stained the inside lining of the uniform jacket, where the tac vest had held it fast, and only the slightest spot of rust had made its way through to the other side. None of them had seen it.
“Stubborn idiot,” McKay grumbled now as he slowly sat down in a nearby chair, carefully cradling his wounded arm. “He had to know. He should’ve been here with me when we brought Carson down instead of running around on overdrive making sure everybody got back in one...well, not that I blame him for being all worked up about Smeadon selling us out to the Genii and all...I guess I could understand…”
At last, someone was coming. Doctor Cole-as Carson was still down-clad in surgical scrubs and pulling the mask down to speak with them. There was blood on the scrub top, and Elizabeth’s hands seemed to tie themselves together of their own volition. John’s blood...more of John’s blood.
“How is Major Sheppard?” she made herself ask, and Cole hesitated.
“He’s coming out of surgery now,” the physician explained, a disbelieving head-shake. “I can’t tell you how he managed to stay on his feet as long as he did. The entry wound itself was fairly neat; more of a puncture wound actually. There was an inch-long piece of metal embedded in his abdomen, likely some sort of shrapnel from ricocheting gunfire. Slipped in just along the crease in the tac vest.”
“But he’s going to be all right, right?” Rodney spoke now, the scientist scrambling to his feet once again. “I mean...you were able to remove it and put him back together...right?”
“The Major was lucky that it missed any vital organs, but he’s lost a good deal of blood,” Cole said, and Elizabeth exhaled slowly. More ‘good news, bad news,’ she thought to herself anxiously.
“When can we see...y’know?” Rodney said awkwardly and Cole shrugged slightly.
“It’ll be a little while, Doctor McKay. We’re just getting the major settled in recovery, and he’s still under anesthesia,” the physician admonished. “But as soon as it’s feasible, you can visit.”
Rodney was clearly unhappy with that, but there really wasn’t much either of them could do about it. Elizabeth sat down now, finally, and leaned her head back against the wall before turning her gaze to the agitated physicist. “You might as well sit down,” she started gently. “It’s liable to be a bit of a wait.”
Teyla and Ford joined them, quiet and subdued, worried in their own way for their team leader.
Elizabeth waited silently. Just a short while ago, they were congratulating themselves on surviving the storm, surviving the Genii. There were other things that had been left unspoken, of course. Thank you. You saved my life, John...you saved the city.
She would make sure he heard them.
++++++
Major? That you? C’mon, Sir...there’s a lotta worried people waitin’ for you to wake up.
Ford. The quiet, tense voice above him was Ford, John realized, and he wanted to answer but all that came out was a muffled grunt, barely enough sound to indicate a response.
“Doc?” Ford again, a little more urgent. “I think he’s comin’ around.”
“Major Sheppard?” Someone who was not Beckett spoke next, and John frowned a little. Where was Carson? “Can you open your eyes for us, Major?”
John wanted to slip back into the waiting darkness. Underneath that inviting softness he was aware of a muted pain throbbing along with the rhythm of his heart, the cardiac monitor keeping time with it all.
“Tired,” he managed to mumble, but despite that he somehow forced his eyelids to crack open.
“Good to see you awake, Sir,” Ford grinned next to him, and John blinked drowsily. A faint frown came to pale features as he realized the lieutenant was incredibly relieved.
“What?” John wanted to know; but he couldn’t seem to make himself form the words. His brain felt fuzzy and he knew there were some strong pain meds on board. After a fashion, he turned his head slightly and let his eyes rove around his immediate surroundings. Infirmary...monitors, IV’s. One in each arm this time, and he blinked in surprise as he realized one of them was a transfusion. “Ford?” he prompted again, this time a little more demanding if not much louder.
“Took you a little while to come out of the anesthesia,” Aiden supplied as Cole checked the major over carefully. “You took some shrapnel from the fight with the Genii; and Doc Cole here...”
“I...I did?” John blinked dazedly, the frown deepening.
“Yes, you did,” another voice interrupted now, and John looked up to see Elizabeth standing there, a concerned look in her eyes. “You collapsed in the control room and underwent emergency surgery.” Don’t ever do this to me again, she wanted to say, but instead offered a slight, brief smile.
“How long...?”
“That doesn’t matter,” Elizabeth answered quietly. “Just rest and heal, John.” She turned to Ford. “Lieutenant, I’m sure that Teyla and Rodney will want to hear the good news; could you...?”
Ford looked up, and nodded. “Yes, ma’am,” he acknowledged and then looked back at John. “Be back in a few minutes, Major,” he promised. Another nod to Elizabeth and he took the cue to go.
“John...” Elizabeth started softly, and John’s eyes closed briefly before reopening. The drugged look was still there, but there was also the same determination she’d seen in the Gate room, and she swallowed hard. “Look, I never got to say...”
“’Lizbeth...don’t,” John shook his head just a tiny bit. “City’s safe...you ‘n Rodney...safe. Good...enough...for me.” The hazel eyes drifted closed now; he could sleep for a week, he was sure. Elizabeth smiled despite the fact he didn’t see it. She reached down and clasped John’s wrist, mindful of the IV.
“Next time you want those days off, Major, just remember you don’t have to do anything quite so drastic, all right?” she replied at last, and knew he’d heard her when a slight smirk dashed across his features.
“’right,” John murmured and then he was asleep.