Enemy At the Gate Tag
Title: Shake, Rattle, and Roll
Rating: PG
Author: seramercury
Characters: John, Ronon, Teyla, Rodney, Carson
Notes: Thanks to Karri for the idea. ;)
SHAKE
All John Sheppard had wanted to do take Ronon and Teyla on a tour of Earth starting with the Golden Gate Bridge. The weather was perfect for such an occasion and there were no immediate needs to be attended to.
But no, there was always something that had to happen. And it did the moment they drove onto the bridge. True, John hadn't driven in long time and it wasn't like this was his first time driving onto the bridge, but of course it had to happen...
A car slammed into the driver's side causing white hot pain to erupt on John's left side and his head smacked against the window. "That's he," he growled as he slowly lost consciousness, "I'm cursed."
When John came to he could hear the steady beep of some kind of monitor. He wasn't sure what it was, though, because everything was a bit blurry. He attempted to blink away the blurriness but that only made it worse.
John tried to sit up, but his left sighed flared with pain and suddenly someone was there, telling him to relax. He recognized the voice, but his eyes just weren't focusing right. "Teyla?"
"Yes, John. We were in an accident, remember?"
John nodded, but immediately regretted it as pain coursed through his head. He definitely remembered the car coming at them as he attempted to avoid a collision. "Are you okay? Is Ronon?"
He noted a hint of worry in her voice as she replied. "I am fine, just hit my head. Ronon escaped uninjured."
"Lucky."
Teyla chuckled as she placed a hand on his forehead. "Just rest now, John," she told him.
Once he had drifted off to sleep, she looked up at Ronon and Rodney, who had been on his way to meet them for lunch. "So how bad is it?" Rodney asked worriedly.
"The Doctor said his head injury caused swelling on his brain. There's a possibility that he'll be temporarily blind," Teyla told him.
"Blind?!"
Ronon took Rodney by the arm and escorted him out into the hall, Teyla followed. "Rodney, do not shout. John needs his rest and the doctor here said he would wait for Dr. Beckett before giving him any information. Besides, right now John is not fully capable of understanding what his going on."
He nodded. "I...I know that, Teyla, but do you even know what being blind will do to him?"
"I do, Rodney," Teyla replied with a sigh.
***********
RATTLE
Carson was sitting in the chair next to John, reading over his chart, when John woke up again. The Colonel blinked as if trying to adjust to the light in the room. Carson took a deep breath waiting for the inevitable question.
"Colonel?"
"Carson? What the hell is going on? Why can't I see?"
Carson swallowed around the lump forming in his throat. "Colonel... John."
John held up his hand having figured out immediately what Carson was going to say. "I'm blind, Doc."
"Aye, Son," Carson replied.
"Is it permanent?"
"It's more than likely that the swelling in your brain is causing your blindness, but we won't be completely certain until it goes down."
John sighed heavily. This was not something he imagined would be happening when they were merely driving through San Francisco. He knew he should say something to Carson because his friend was going to start worrying. John would do the self-pitying on his own time.
"I'm not going to let this beat me, Carson!"
"I would imagine not, Colonel," Carson said. John noted the relief in his voice. "You should get some more rest, though. I'll be releasing you tomorrow morning."
"Thanks, Doc."
Once John heard the door shut, he curled under the covers and shut his eyes tightly. This absolutely sucked! What the hell was going to happen to him when they released him? Was he going to be allowed back on Atlantis? If so, would he be staying only until they could take off and return to Pegasus?
John did not want to think about that anymore because it only made his head hurt worse. Instead he called for a nurse and asked for some pain meds. She said she'd have to double check with Carson and was gone before John could renege on his request.
There was a knock at his door but John never saw who entered as he was drifting off into a restless sleep.
***************
Roll
John heard something coming at his head and ducked. He then swung out with his feet and heard a satisfying sound not unlike Ronon's voice saying, "Oof".
"Beckett sent you out here to find me, didn't he?" John asked as he leaned against the railing.
"Yeah," Ronon replied getting to his feet. "I told him you were fine, but he wanted me to check anyway. Besides even though your hearing seems to have improved it probably isn't very safe walking around Atlantis blind."
John shrugged. "Maybe not, but I do know this city like the back of my hand."
"He wants an eye doc to take a look too. Some hot shot from... Missouri?"
"Yeah, I know," John replied. "I just can't... I don't think I can take the sound of defeat from another doctor. I've seen too many neurologists and eye doctors to last me a life time! Let’s just face it, Ronon, when you guys head back to Atlantis I'm not coming with you."
Suddenly John could feel Ronon raising himself to his full height. "No, John! You are not allowed to give up! Not now, not because of this."
"Ronon I'm not giving up," John explained. "I'm accepting it. I hate it 1000 times over but I can't keep hoping for a miracle."
Colonel Sheppard, please report to the infirmary.
John was half tempted to run off but even knowing where he was going it'd be a bit disconcerting moving that fast. Besides Ronon would probably catch him within two seconds.
"Come on," he said with a sigh.
They entered the infirmary ten minutes later and John could feel more than one set of eyes on him. "Doc?"
"Colonel," Carson said. "How are you feeling?"
"Good considering. What's going on?"
"It's time to remove your bandages. That's really all we can do now," he said.
John nodded. "I figured as much."
"Nice, Carson! Can't even give the guy some hope that his eyes will be all right?" Rodney snarked.
"McKay, shut up!" everyone exclaimed.
John felt Carson reach around him to remove the gauze. His eyes were still closed when the physician was finished. "All right, Colonel, whenever you're ready."
The air was cool on his eyes as he slowly opened them. Everyone was a blur, but he could see. John grinned. "Doc, I think it's coming back."
"Colonel?" Carson said, obviously quite pleased.
"Everything's blurry but I can just make out that fat lump over there."
"Hey!" Rodney said.
John chuckled. "Sorry."
"No you're not."
"No, I'm not."
Rating: PG
Author: seramercury
Characters: John, Ronon, Teyla, Rodney, Carson
Notes: Thanks to Karri for the idea. ;)
SHAKE
All John Sheppard had wanted to do take Ronon and Teyla on a tour of Earth starting with the Golden Gate Bridge. The weather was perfect for such an occasion and there were no immediate needs to be attended to.
But no, there was always something that had to happen. And it did the moment they drove onto the bridge. True, John hadn't driven in long time and it wasn't like this was his first time driving onto the bridge, but of course it had to happen...
A car slammed into the driver's side causing white hot pain to erupt on John's left side and his head smacked against the window. "That's he," he growled as he slowly lost consciousness, "I'm cursed."
When John came to he could hear the steady beep of some kind of monitor. He wasn't sure what it was, though, because everything was a bit blurry. He attempted to blink away the blurriness but that only made it worse.
John tried to sit up, but his left sighed flared with pain and suddenly someone was there, telling him to relax. He recognized the voice, but his eyes just weren't focusing right. "Teyla?"
"Yes, John. We were in an accident, remember?"
John nodded, but immediately regretted it as pain coursed through his head. He definitely remembered the car coming at them as he attempted to avoid a collision. "Are you okay? Is Ronon?"
He noted a hint of worry in her voice as she replied. "I am fine, just hit my head. Ronon escaped uninjured."
"Lucky."
Teyla chuckled as she placed a hand on his forehead. "Just rest now, John," she told him.
Once he had drifted off to sleep, she looked up at Ronon and Rodney, who had been on his way to meet them for lunch. "So how bad is it?" Rodney asked worriedly.
"The Doctor said his head injury caused swelling on his brain. There's a possibility that he'll be temporarily blind," Teyla told him.
"Blind?!"
Ronon took Rodney by the arm and escorted him out into the hall, Teyla followed. "Rodney, do not shout. John needs his rest and the doctor here said he would wait for Dr. Beckett before giving him any information. Besides, right now John is not fully capable of understanding what his going on."
He nodded. "I...I know that, Teyla, but do you even know what being blind will do to him?"
"I do, Rodney," Teyla replied with a sigh.
***********
RATTLE
Carson was sitting in the chair next to John, reading over his chart, when John woke up again. The Colonel blinked as if trying to adjust to the light in the room. Carson took a deep breath waiting for the inevitable question.
"Colonel?"
"Carson? What the hell is going on? Why can't I see?"
Carson swallowed around the lump forming in his throat. "Colonel... John."
John held up his hand having figured out immediately what Carson was going to say. "I'm blind, Doc."
"Aye, Son," Carson replied.
"Is it permanent?"
"It's more than likely that the swelling in your brain is causing your blindness, but we won't be completely certain until it goes down."
John sighed heavily. This was not something he imagined would be happening when they were merely driving through San Francisco. He knew he should say something to Carson because his friend was going to start worrying. John would do the self-pitying on his own time.
"I'm not going to let this beat me, Carson!"
"I would imagine not, Colonel," Carson said. John noted the relief in his voice. "You should get some more rest, though. I'll be releasing you tomorrow morning."
"Thanks, Doc."
Once John heard the door shut, he curled under the covers and shut his eyes tightly. This absolutely sucked! What the hell was going to happen to him when they released him? Was he going to be allowed back on Atlantis? If so, would he be staying only until they could take off and return to Pegasus?
John did not want to think about that anymore because it only made his head hurt worse. Instead he called for a nurse and asked for some pain meds. She said she'd have to double check with Carson and was gone before John could renege on his request.
There was a knock at his door but John never saw who entered as he was drifting off into a restless sleep.
***************
Roll
John heard something coming at his head and ducked. He then swung out with his feet and heard a satisfying sound not unlike Ronon's voice saying, "Oof".
"Beckett sent you out here to find me, didn't he?" John asked as he leaned against the railing.
"Yeah," Ronon replied getting to his feet. "I told him you were fine, but he wanted me to check anyway. Besides even though your hearing seems to have improved it probably isn't very safe walking around Atlantis blind."
John shrugged. "Maybe not, but I do know this city like the back of my hand."
"He wants an eye doc to take a look too. Some hot shot from... Missouri?"
"Yeah, I know," John replied. "I just can't... I don't think I can take the sound of defeat from another doctor. I've seen too many neurologists and eye doctors to last me a life time! Let’s just face it, Ronon, when you guys head back to Atlantis I'm not coming with you."
Suddenly John could feel Ronon raising himself to his full height. "No, John! You are not allowed to give up! Not now, not because of this."
"Ronon I'm not giving up," John explained. "I'm accepting it. I hate it 1000 times over but I can't keep hoping for a miracle."
Colonel Sheppard, please report to the infirmary.
John was half tempted to run off but even knowing where he was going it'd be a bit disconcerting moving that fast. Besides Ronon would probably catch him within two seconds.
"Come on," he said with a sigh.
They entered the infirmary ten minutes later and John could feel more than one set of eyes on him. "Doc?"
"Colonel," Carson said. "How are you feeling?"
"Good considering. What's going on?"
"It's time to remove your bandages. That's really all we can do now," he said.
John nodded. "I figured as much."
"Nice, Carson! Can't even give the guy some hope that his eyes will be all right?" Rodney snarked.
"McKay, shut up!" everyone exclaimed.
John felt Carson reach around him to remove the gauze. His eyes were still closed when the physician was finished. "All right, Colonel, whenever you're ready."
The air was cool on his eyes as he slowly opened them. Everyone was a blur, but he could see. John grinned. "Doc, I think it's coming back."
"Colonel?" Carson said, obviously quite pleased.
"Everything's blurry but I can just make out that fat lump over there."
"Hey!" Rodney said.
John chuckled. "Sorry."
"No you're not."
"No, I'm not."