Encounter, Chapter 3
This chapter could be rated 'G', but this is a way to keep the entry short when it pops up on a friends list.
Chapter 3 - Something to do
Following Beckett's request, the Daedalus beamed him and his patient straight into the infirmary after the ship had reached Atlantis. Ronon had steadfastly refused the use of a wheelchair, and Beckett would not allow his patient to walk down miles of corridors in his current condition. Carson and Jennifer Keller had finally won their battle with the infection, but the intrusive and intricate surgery that had been necessary to retrieve even the tiniest bits of shrapnel from the two wounds on Ronon's back and thigh would need more time to heal.
When Elizabeth Weir approached the entrance to the sick bay after a short preliminary report from Sheppard and Teyla, she could hear Beckett's voice already from afar.
"What part of 'no' is it you don't understand, lad?" he asked. "No, I will not let you go to your quarters yet. I know you too well, you wouldn't stay there for long. And I don't see why I should spend hours sewing your muscles back together again only to have you rip the stitches."
Tactfully, Elizabeth cleared her throat to signal her arrival. The two men turned to look at her. Ronon made a move to get up from the bed he was sitting on, but a stern look from Beckett stopped him. Elizabeth was secretly glad about this. She never found it easy to talk to Ronon, and the fact that he usually towered above her made always gave her a feeling of disadvantage. Their eyes at roughly the same level, she smiled at the Satedan, and said simply, "Welcome home, Ronon."
"Thank you," Ronon replied. "For the welcome, and for the rescue."
"I only wish we could have gotten to you sooner," Elizabeth said, "but it took a while to figure out where you were."
This time, there was no reply, but Elizabeth knew him well enough by now not to need any. The haunted expression in Ronon's eyes told her just like so many words that returning to his home world must have been a traumatic experience. She could only hope that he would learn to open up to somebody so he would not have to battle these demons alone.
Turning to her CMO, she asked "So what's his physical condition?"
"Apart from a slight concussion and a few fractured ribs, he's had surgery in his back and thigh. He's also just overcome a massive infection, caused by an operation he performed on himself while he was still on the planet."
Elizabeth cringed at the thought - not only of Ronon cutting into his own flesh, but of the face that he had obviously not expected to be rescued.
Beckett continued, "I'll keep him in the infirmary for a few days to make sure he doesn't overexert himself."
An impatient and dismissive grunt from the patient in question caused Elizabeth to turn back to him, barely suppressing a smile.
"You don't approve, Ronon?" she asked.
"I'm fine," came his standard reply. "I can't just lie around here. I'll get bored."
"Oh, we certainly cannot risk that." A hopeful look came into Ronon's eyes when he heard Weir's words. But his face fell again when she added, "We will just have to find something for you to do," Elizabeth decided.
"Like what?" Ronon asked suspiciously.
"I don't know," Elizabeth replied, looking at Carson who had suddenly perked up.
"Wait a minute," he said. "How long is the Daedalus staying?"
"Colonel Caldwell will leave for a three day mapping mission this afternoon before returning to earth," Elizabeth replied. "Why?"
"There's a young doctor aboard who is doing research in alien physiology. So if Ronon would agree, I'm sure she'd be thrilled to get a chance to study him and run a few tests."
"What do you say, Ronon?" Weir asked, turning back to the Satedan. "Would you be willing to cooperate?"
Ronon frowned. "What kind of tests?"
"Oh nothing fancy," Carson replied. "Scans, blood work, reflexes, that type of thing. Actually, having a blueprint of you might come in very handy next time I have to get a bullet out of your guts."
A thoughtful look crossed the Satedan's face. "Is she the doctor who was helping you on the Daedalus?" he finally asked.
"Aye, that's her," Carson confirmed.
"Okay," Ronon said.
"You'll do it?" Knowing his dislike of doctors and the infirmary, Elizabeth had not expected him to agree this easily.
"Yup."
Chapter 3 - Something to do
Following Beckett's request, the Daedalus beamed him and his patient straight into the infirmary after the ship had reached Atlantis. Ronon had steadfastly refused the use of a wheelchair, and Beckett would not allow his patient to walk down miles of corridors in his current condition. Carson and Jennifer Keller had finally won their battle with the infection, but the intrusive and intricate surgery that had been necessary to retrieve even the tiniest bits of shrapnel from the two wounds on Ronon's back and thigh would need more time to heal.
When Elizabeth Weir approached the entrance to the sick bay after a short preliminary report from Sheppard and Teyla, she could hear Beckett's voice already from afar.
"What part of 'no' is it you don't understand, lad?" he asked. "No, I will not let you go to your quarters yet. I know you too well, you wouldn't stay there for long. And I don't see why I should spend hours sewing your muscles back together again only to have you rip the stitches."
Tactfully, Elizabeth cleared her throat to signal her arrival. The two men turned to look at her. Ronon made a move to get up from the bed he was sitting on, but a stern look from Beckett stopped him. Elizabeth was secretly glad about this. She never found it easy to talk to Ronon, and the fact that he usually towered above her made always gave her a feeling of disadvantage. Their eyes at roughly the same level, she smiled at the Satedan, and said simply, "Welcome home, Ronon."
"Thank you," Ronon replied. "For the welcome, and for the rescue."
"I only wish we could have gotten to you sooner," Elizabeth said, "but it took a while to figure out where you were."
This time, there was no reply, but Elizabeth knew him well enough by now not to need any. The haunted expression in Ronon's eyes told her just like so many words that returning to his home world must have been a traumatic experience. She could only hope that he would learn to open up to somebody so he would not have to battle these demons alone.
Turning to her CMO, she asked "So what's his physical condition?"
"Apart from a slight concussion and a few fractured ribs, he's had surgery in his back and thigh. He's also just overcome a massive infection, caused by an operation he performed on himself while he was still on the planet."
Elizabeth cringed at the thought - not only of Ronon cutting into his own flesh, but of the face that he had obviously not expected to be rescued.
Beckett continued, "I'll keep him in the infirmary for a few days to make sure he doesn't overexert himself."
An impatient and dismissive grunt from the patient in question caused Elizabeth to turn back to him, barely suppressing a smile.
"You don't approve, Ronon?" she asked.
"I'm fine," came his standard reply. "I can't just lie around here. I'll get bored."
"Oh, we certainly cannot risk that." A hopeful look came into Ronon's eyes when he heard Weir's words. But his face fell again when she added, "We will just have to find something for you to do," Elizabeth decided.
"Like what?" Ronon asked suspiciously.
"I don't know," Elizabeth replied, looking at Carson who had suddenly perked up.
"Wait a minute," he said. "How long is the Daedalus staying?"
"Colonel Caldwell will leave for a three day mapping mission this afternoon before returning to earth," Elizabeth replied. "Why?"
"There's a young doctor aboard who is doing research in alien physiology. So if Ronon would agree, I'm sure she'd be thrilled to get a chance to study him and run a few tests."
"What do you say, Ronon?" Weir asked, turning back to the Satedan. "Would you be willing to cooperate?"
Ronon frowned. "What kind of tests?"
"Oh nothing fancy," Carson replied. "Scans, blood work, reflexes, that type of thing. Actually, having a blueprint of you might come in very handy next time I have to get a bullet out of your guts."
A thoughtful look crossed the Satedan's face. "Is she the doctor who was helping you on the Daedalus?" he finally asked.
"Aye, that's her," Carson confirmed.
"Okay," Ronon said.
"You'll do it?" Knowing his dislike of doctors and the infirmary, Elizabeth had not expected him to agree this easily.
"Yup."