Fic: Sedge's Adventures in Atlantis: In Sickness... (6/?)
Title: Sedge's Adventures in Atlantis: In Sickness...
Author: vickysg1
Summary: Elizabeth is sick...
Type / Pairings: romance, John/Elizabeth
Main characters: Elizabeth Weir, John Sheppard, Carson Beckett, Sedge
Rating: G
Beta: csiangel
Disclaimer: not mine (though I wouldn't say no) and I make no money
Author's Notes: Here's part 6 of my Sedge's series. This is also a late present for Andy's X-Mas who wanted a fic where Elizabeth was sick and since I already had the same idea for this series, I just had to write it for her. Once more many thanks to my wonderful beta, csiangel
Feedback: Yes please
1. Meeting in a Park
2. Going Home
3. First Day
4. Making New Friends
5. A Little Prank
Sedge's Adventures in Atlantis
In Sickness...
His data pad filled with late reports under his arm, John entered the control room, hoping to find Elizabeth in her office. And there she was, looking at her computer screen, probably engrossed in her own work. He should probably feel guilty to bring her even more reports to read, but he was already really late for some and she was the one who asked for them.
He crossed the catwalk leading to the office and Sedge, who was lying down by the couch immediately looked up, this warning her owner of the presence of someone else in the room. Elizabeth lifted her eyes up from the screen and smiled as she saw John coming into her office.
"What can I do for you, John?" she asked, her voice rough.
"I have some reports for you," he simply replied. He couldn't help but notice the tired look on her face and wonder if she had slept at all the night before.
"You could have sent them to me via the intranet." She just had time to finish what she had to say when a coughing fit erupted.
"I know, but I guess that it's a good thing that I hadn't." He put his data pad on her desk and came to her side. Before she could ask what he was doing, he already had one of his hands on her forehead and the other on his. "You have a fever, Elizabeth. You should go see Carson."
"I'm fine, John."
"Sorry, but I don't think so. You coughed just a minute ago and I can see that you're tired. Now, up on your feet, we're going to the infirmary."
Before she could protest furthermore, he closed her computer, knowing that whatever file she had opened was saved, and ushered her to her feet. She sighed, knowing that he'd never let her go before Carson told him she was fine. And she was; ok she had a bit of a cough but nothing worth worrying for.
Sedge followed the couple out of the office, the three of them only stopping when John told the sergeant where they were going, and then into the transporter that brought them closer to the infirmary. Knowing that she couldn't enter Carson's den, Elizabeth having told her so more than once, she sat down by the door, waiting for them.
From the moment he helped her out of her chair, John had never let go of her elbow. Elizabeth couldn't help but mull over the fact that he was probably thinking that she'd try to escape as soon as she could. But she had decided to just humour him. After all she was not sick.
"So what do we have here?" Carson asked as soon as he saw them.
"She's sick."
"I am not," Elizabeth replied forcefully despite her resolution to humour John.
"You have fever."
"That is not true!"
"Ok, stop it you two," the doctor said, feeling like he had to deal with children. "Now Elizabeth, if you let me examine you, we can see which one of you is right."
"Fine," she conceded.
"Ok, now hop onto that bed."
Sighing, Elizabeth went to sit on the bed Carson pointed her out. He pulled the curtain around for some privacy but not before she could see the smirk creeping up on John's face; he was so going to pay.
Meanwhile, John joined Sedge at the door of the infirmary, crouching down beside her, patting her head in the process. He didn't know if the dog would understand but he still started to tell her what was going on with Elizabeth.
"I'm pretty sure you already know how she is. But you see, she's sick and she doesn't want to admit it. She knows I'm right but I'm sure there's going to be some payback at one point or another. Anyway, as long as she is sick, you'll have to be extra nice with her, and I guess I should too. But I'm sure it's not the first time she's sick since she has you so you might know better than me how she was going to react. And I suppose I envy you that and I kind of wish you could speak so you could help me out on this one."
John didn't notice that while he was talking to Sedge, people passing by them just smiled at the sight. It wasn't the first time that he or Elizabeth were spotted talking to Sedge, and they were not the only ones to do so. Here and there, people talked to their pet as if they were human. If Kate Heightmeyer, the resident psychiatrist that she was, had to guess, she would say that they represented the only family the members of the expedition could ever tell about Atlantis; at least for now.
John rose up to his feet as soon as he saw Carson coming towards him. Elizabeth wasn't with him so it could mean only one thing: she was indeed sick and he was right.
"So?"
"So, she is sick," the doctor confirmed. "She has a mild-case of flu actually so I'd like to give you a shot if you're planning to stay with her. Just to be safe," he added as he saw John's face.
"Ok." John followed the doctor back to his office and sat on the edge of the desk as Carson prepared the shot. He was right when he said that John would stay with Elizabeth while she was sick; both of them knew that if someone didn't take care of her, she would probably go back to her work as soon as she could.
"I've already given her a shot for her fever but here's what she'll have to take," Carson said after he was done with him, holding out a bottle of medicines to John. "One per meal, and I'm counting on you that she doesn't miss one. Her flu is not that severe, so I'm releasing her but she has to go to her quarters and get some rest."
"Don't worry, I'm going to make sure she will rest. Even if I have to lock her up in her quarters, she won't work till she gets better."
"That's what I wanted to hear, lad."
While they were talking, they left the office and went towards the bed Elizabeth was on. The curtain was still drawn around to give her the privacy she might need so Carson opened it for them. They were both surprised at the sight that greeted them; Elizabeth was laid down on the bed, asleep.
"You've given her a sedative?" John asked in a whisper, turning towards the doctor.
"What? Are you crazy? I won't give her a sedative without her permission; I don't have a death wish. But I bet she was more tired that she thought and the shot I had given her might also have helped her fall asleep. What are you doing?" Carson asked John as he saw him lifting Elizabeth in his arms.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I don't want to wake her up. So, I'm going to carry her back into her quarters."
"As you wish, son. I'm going to pray that she doesn't wake up while you're carrying her."
"She's out cold, I don't think she will, but thank you." Well, at least, John hoped that she wouldn't. The one and only time he did that because she didn't want to go to the mess to eat a decent meal, she told him that she would make him scrub the toilets with a toothbrush, and she did.
Elizabeth in his arms, John left the infirmary, motioning for Sedge to follow him with a nod of his head. He wasn't sure but he thought that Sedge was surprised for a moment at what he was doing with her owner. He dismissed that thought; she was a dog, and as intelligent as she could be, she couldn't possibly have that kind of reaction. Though he had to admit that more than once, she seemed to be able to grasp what was going on.
On his route to Elizabeth's room, he noticed that people couldn't help but look at them, probably wondering what he was doing and what happened to their leader. He decided to ignore them but also knew that rumours were already flying all over the City; it would be hard to keep from Elizabeth the fact that he carried her back to her quarters.
After one last turn, they were finally in front of them and John was careful not to drop her while he palmed the door open. He didn't know how he managed that but he decided to not mull over it for the moment. When they entered the room, John went directly towards her bed and with her still in his arms, he turned the covers down before putting her to bed. He removed her shoes and her vest with her only mumbling slightly but not waking up. While he drew the covers around her, he guessed she was even more tired than both of them thought. Seeing that John was done with Elizabeth, Sedge climbed on the bed, careful too to not rouse her from her sleep, and took her place at her side.
"Ok, Sedge, now I'd like you to keep an eye on her while I go to the control room to tell them that she won't come back to work. Could you do that for me?"
While he hadn't expected an answer, John was not that surprised when she yelped; he had noticed more than once that she seemed to understand what they were saying. With one last look towards Elizabeth, who was still sleeping, and he made a mental note to try and convince her to leave her office before midnight, he left the room.
Once done in the control room, he noticed that it was nearly dinner time and made a stop at the mess to collect something to eat for himself, Elizabeth and Sedge. Hungry or not, she would have to eat something; that would help her feel better. Soup was the better option, but he also took a plate of spaghetti and meatballs in case she was indeed hungry, and if she wasn't well he was.
As soon as he entered Elizabeth's quarters, Sedge looked up at him expectantly, as if knowing he had something for her. He smiled and shook his head while putting the tray on the desk, balancing it carefully on some files. As he placed one of the plates on the floor for Sedge, he heard Elizabeth stir in the bed. Raising his head, he met her still groggy from sleep face with a smile of his own.
"Slept well?"
"Carson drugged me, right?"
"Nope. Seems like the medicines he gave you combined with your tiredness made you fall asleep."
"How did I get back here?" she asked, realising that she didn't remember going back to her quarters. She saw John fidgeting and immediately understood what happened. "You carried me, right?"
"Look, I know you don't appreciate that, but you were sleeping and neither Carson nor I had the heart to wake you up, and we knew that you would be more comfortable in your own quarters rather than in the infirmary…"
"Thank you," she said, interrupting his rambling and surprising him at once.
"What?"
"I said, thank you, John."
"I have to admit that I'm surprised. I thought you were going to make me pay."
"Would it have been for any other reasons, I'd probably have."
"Well then, thank you. I hope you're hungry," he said, taking the tray and putting it on the bed before sitting himself. "Oh, I've nearly forgotten. Here's your medicine; Carson said one per meal so…" Opening the bottle, he gave her one tablet. "I'd suggest you eat the soup first and if you're still hungry there is spaghetti."
If Elizabeth wasn't feeling that hungry before, now that she smelled all that food, her stomach seemed to agree that it was time to eat something. Taking the bowl John was handing her, she smiled at him and took a first spoonful. She had never really been fond of soup but since she was in Atlantis, she had come to love the Athosian turtle soup the chiefs learned to make in their early times here. Finishing her bowl, she put it back on the tray as John was pushing another plate in front of her.
"Eat," he simply said, his mouth full of his own spaghetti.
She had to chuckle at that sight but she hadn't expected the coughing fit that came with it. John's hand immediately came to her back, rubbing it to try to ease the fit while Sedge came at her side of the bed, visibly concerned. She took a few deep breaths, hoping that it wouldn't return before looking down at her dog and patting her head to reassure her.
"Thanks," she muttered, her voice croaking. She took the glass John offered her and took a few sips before putting it beside her on her nightstand.
"You better?"
"Yeah. But I don't feel that hungry anymore. You can have it if you want," she said, pushing the plate towards him.
"Fine. But eat some jello at least. It's the red one, your favourite."
"How do you know that?" she asked as she watched him start on her plate. "And how could you eat so much?"
"Well, it's not hard to figure that red is your favourite colour and when we actually eat together, I noticed that you always take red jello when there's no chocolate cake. And I'm just hungry and McKay and Ronon are way worse than me."
"I know." She paused, taking a few spoonfuls of jello before continuing. "Thank you for having brought food for Sedge."
"No need to."
Ten minutes later, they were both finished with their dinner and John put the tray back onto her desk. He then sat back at the foot of the bed, still facing Elizabeth while Sedge lay on the floor by the bed.
"So, you want to play cards or maybe you want me to leave you alone so you can rest."
"I'm not that tired actually. But I'd prefer chess over cards."
"No problem with me. Where's the board?"
"Actually it's on my data pad but I think I've left it in my office."
"Let me go get it. I have to run by the mess to take the tray back anyway. And I'll asked if anything happened in the City that we should know of," he added knowing that she would have wanted to know anyway.
"Thank you, John."
"I'll be back in ten," he said, leaving her quarters.
"So, I guess it's just you and me for now," Elizabeth said, looking down at Sedge. She rose from the bed and went to the bathroom to find more tissues. Looking herself in the mirror, she wasn't surprised to find that her nose was red. "I look like shit," she finally stated before leaving the bathroom and sitting back on her bed.
She patted the empty side of the bed and Sedge took that as the invitation she needed to climb onto it and lay beside her. Looking at her watch, she guessed that John wouldn't be back for a few more minutes and opened her bedside drawer to take the book she was currently reading.
As she was getting to the most interesting part, Sedge raised her head and Elizabeth took that as a warning that John was coming back. Just a second later, he was indeed opening the door and she just had time to put her book under the covers before he could see it. He had her data pad in his hand and was smiling knowingly; no, he couldn't have seen what book it was, could he?
"Ready for me to kick your ass?" he asked, his smile turning into a smirk and she relaxed being sure that if he had seen the book, he would have mentioned it immediately.
"Are you kidding? I'm going to win that game, mister, and you'll be sorry."
"Ok, then. Let's see what you can do."
She opened the game as he got comfortable, meaning he took off his jacket and shoes and sat cross-legged on the bed. She didn't remember having told him that he could do that, but she guessed that since he had brought her food earlier, she could concede him that. He let her make the first move and she decided in her head that he really shouldn't have done that.
An hour or so later, she was jubilant while he was brooding.
"You were saying?"
John decided to not answer that and watched as a smug smile made its way up her face; she seemed to be pleased with herself. He'd like to take his revenge but he also knew that if she didn't sleep soon, Carson would probably have his head if he ever found out. Reaching on the floor for his shoes and jacket, he put them back on.
"What are you doing?"
"You need to sleep," he said, taking her data pad and putting it back on her desk.
"I don't think you leave me a choice."
"No." She was ready to answer when a yawn prevented her to do that. "See, you're tired. Sleep, Elizabeth, you need it otherwise you wouldn't have fallen asleep this afternoon."
"Fine."
"See you tomorrow Elizabeth, Sedge," he said as he made his way out of her quarters. The door was closing behind him when he popped his head back in, allowing it to open again. "Oh and I didn't know you were a fan of trashy novels."
"Out!" she replied, gesturing for him to leave. She heard him chuckling just before the door finally close and sighed. She was pretty sure he hadn't seen it at the time, but she now realised that he was just waiting for the perfect time to mention it.
Shaking her head, she pulled the book from under the covers and opened it at the page she was on when John came back. Reading romance novels was her way to unwind. She was sure John had his own ways; she once saw a guitar in his quarters and she wouldn't be surprised that it was his way. Turning back to her book, she started reading again, unable to wait to read what was going to happen between the characters.
The next morning, she was just finishing getting dressed when the door chimed and opened, John entering with a tray. Both stood frozen for a few seconds before Elizabeth came back to her senses and slipped her t-shirt on. Getting over his own shock, John lowered his head, a slight blush creeping up his cheeks
"I'm sorry," he said, licking his lips, something Elizabeth had a long time ago associated with an embarrassed John. "I should have waited till you opened the door or at least told me to enter. You have every right to be angry at me; I shouldn't have entered your quarters without your permission. I…"
"It's okay, John," she saved him from his rambling. "It's not your fault, at least not entirely." She paused for a moment, unsure of what to say. "I see you've brought breakfast."
"Yeah. I thought you could be hungry."
"I am, and thank you," she said as she started clearing her desk. "Here, put it there."
She then dragged another chair for John to sit and both started on their breakfast, talking about everything but the city at John's request. Sedge was lying on the bed, observing them, knowing that it wasn't time for her to eat.
"Oh my, I'm late!" Elizabeth exclaimed after she looked at her watch.
"Late? For what?"
"I have a briefing with Major Lorne's team in five minutes, I should really go," she answered, gathering her things.
"No way." John simply said, leaning back on his chair.
"Excuse me?"
"You won't be working today."
"John…"
"I mean it." He stood up, walking towards her and putting one hand on her forehead. "You still have some fever and Carson will have my head if I allow you near your office."
"I have reports to read, mission briefings and debriefings to listen to; I can't take a day off."
"You will. And I'll take care of your work. Stay here for at least today," he continued seeing that she was ready to protest," and if tomorrow you feel better, and provided that Carson clears you, you can return to your work. Humour me, please."
"Fine," she relented, knowing that anyway he wouldn't let her have her way. "But, I want you to tell me everything over dinner tonight, ok?"
"That's a date, then," he replied, winking at her. "Now, I should probably go otherwise Lorne and his men will start to lose patience."
"You better, indeed."
"See you at lunch, I'll bring you something to eat. You, lady, are going to go back to bed and get some more sleep. You look like you need it given by the dark circles I see under your eyes."
And with that he left the room before she could reply anything and coming to think about it, she wouldn't have known what to say. She was actually surprised to see him act quite like a mother hen with her, concerned with her well-being. Smiling, she changed back into her nightclothes and settled back under the covers, Sedge beside her.
She was just closing her eyes to try and get some sleep when the door chimed. She raised an eyebrow, wondering who could possibly come.
"Come in," she called out and the door opened to reveal John. "John? You've forgotten something?"
"Yes. Sedge. I thought I could relieve you of her."
"That's very thoughtful of you, but you have to work and…"
"And she stays with you even though you work too, so she can stay with me as well, don't you think?"
"You're probably right."
"Great. Sedge, come with me."
Elizabeth wasn't that surprised when Sedge instantly jumped off the bed to come by John's side. More than once, she even wondered if Sedge was her dog anymore; if she didn't know better, she would have thought that she belonged to both John and herself and that from the beginning. Or maybe…
John knew precisely the second a wicked thought crossed her mind. She raised an eyebrow and he braced himself for what was coming next.
"Well, it seems that you have your ways with females of every species."
Ok, so he hadn't expected that. He looked at her as if she grew a second head, his mouth slightly open in shock for the second time in a short period of time; he was sure it couldn't be good for his brain. Deciding that the best thing for him to do was to do nothing, he turned back towards the door and left, Sedge in tow.
As soon as the door closed, Elizabeth couldn't help but giggle; it's not everyday that she could make fun at John's expense and if someone was to ask her why she did this, she could always blame the flu and the medicines she had to take. Lying back down under the covers, she closed her eyes.
Sleep was finally taking her when the door chimed. Sighing, she opened her eyes and sat back up.
"Come in."
"Hey, love, I wanted to know how you were feeling this morning," Carson said as he entered, coming to stand beside her bed.
"I'm fine."
"That's what you said yesterday…"
"And I was wrong, I know," she interrupted him. "But I feel better today."
"Ok, but let me see for myself."
"I didn't know you were doing house calls," she joked as he started examining her.
"I don't. I do it just for you."
"Well, thank you."
"What's the need for them anyway? They usually come to the infirmary. You, Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon are actually the ones I tend to see the least; even though you're sick you pretend to be fine," he said with a sound of reproach in his voice.
"You know I have work…"
"Yes, I know but if you don't take some downtime to rest from time to time, one day I'll be forced to intervene. You can't risk your health even for the good of Atlantis," he added, knowing that she would protest. "Humour me and John; you know we're right when we tell you this."
"I know," she admitted in a whisper.
"Where's Sedge by the way?"
"Oh, she's with John. He said that since he was doing my job he could take care of her. So how am I?" she asked as she saw Carson was over with his examination.
"You still have some fever so I'd suggest more bed rest. I'll come by tomorrow morning and we'll see about you going back to work. And don't worry about the city, Sheppard is taking care of everything."
"Have you talked to John this morning?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No. Why do you ask?"
"Because you both said the same thing," she replied, remembering her previous conversation with John.
"Well, it's just that we're both concerned about your well being. Now rest, sleep some more if you can and don't forget to eat and take your tablets. We need you at your best."
"Yes, Doctor," she said, a smile in her voice.
Chuckling, he said his final goodbyes and left the room, leaving her alone once more. This time, she wasn't feeling like sleep would come anytime soon so she decided to continue to read her book; she guessed that she could still take a nap after lunch and that that would make both Carson and John happy.
Meanwhile, John was trying very hard to act like he was listening to whatever Lorne's team was talking about. He really didn't know how Elizabeth could sit at dozens of briefings each week and actually listen to them; or maybe she was just better at faking it than him, he'd have to ask her. The briefing finally came to an end to his relief and he dismissed the team so they could get ready to head off to their mission.
Gathering the files he would have to read to keep Elizabeth informed, he noticed that Major Lorne stayed behind.
"Something on your mind, Major?"
"Not exactly, sir. I just wanted to know how Doctor Weir was feeling."
"Well, she's still sick with the flu. She already wants to come back to work but it's what I call a normal reaction from her."
"Well, then wish her well, sir."
"I will. Is that all you wanted to know?"
"Yes, sir. I'm going to get ready for the mission."
"You do, Major."
They both left the briefing room, John going back to Elizabeth's office. Sedge was sleeping at her usual place on the floor, not disturbed at all to see John sitting at her owner's place. John mused for a moment; she seemed to adapt to every situation that arose to her, which was a common trait she had with Elizabeth.
The rest of the day had gone by quickly for John between meetings with scientists and reading reports. He had just the time to bring Elizabeth lunch but couldn't stay to eat with her, Rodney having requested his presence in his lab ASAP. But by dinner time he was finished with his work for the day, and went back to his quarters to change into casual clothes before going to the mess hall.
Once in front of Elizabeth's quarters, he carefully balanced the tray he had in his hands and chimed the door. This time he waited for Elizabeth to call for him before entering, not wanting to repeat the morning's events. To his surprise, she opened the door herself, also in casual clothes. Sedge immediately greeted her and while he put the tray on the clear space she had made on the desk, he observed them, smiling. He didn't know how they could have survived without each other before Sedge came to Atlantis with them; they seemed to share such a deep bond, one he had never witnessed before he saw them. In a way, he was glad that he had managed to convince Elizabeth to ask for pets in the city.
"So what did you bring us?" Elizabeth asked, jolting him out of his thoughts.
"You'll see."
Elizabeth watched as John was setting the still covered plates on the desk, careful to put everything in place. She had to smile at his effort and couldn't help but wonder what prompted it. But she didn't voice the question, she was sure she would know sooner or later.
"You ready?" he asked as he drew the chair back for her.
"Thank you."
He sat opposite her and removed the covers on the plates, revealing Elizabeth's favourite athosian's dishes. To say that she was surprised would be an understatement.
"But… How?"
"Well, as much as I'd love to have thought about it, the ideas not mine. When I was in the mess hall to get our dinner, one of the cooks came and gave me two plates for you. He just told me that he knew you were sick and that it could please you. Somehow he knew that I was bringing you food and basically taking care of you, so he gave me two more plates for me."
"I'll have to thank him later. So what's in the other plates?" she asked, curious.
"Later. First eat the one you have in front of you."
"Yes, Dad," she joked.
While they ate, John was telling her about what happened during the day in the City. When she asked him why Rodney wanted to see him, he simply shrugged and said that it was nothing; that was when she vowed herself to find out what the scientist wanted and what they were hiding from her.
She was feeling better than the day before and she guessed that she needed the time off; she knew the City could survive without her, but she was the one in charge here and she didn't want to appear as fallible in others' eyes.
But she had to admit that while she hated being sick, there was one thing about the whole situation that she really liked: being taken care of.
Fini.
Review anyone?
Cross-posted to john_elizabeth, lostcityfound, stargate_fanfic
Author: vickysg1
Summary: Elizabeth is sick...
Type / Pairings: romance, John/Elizabeth
Main characters: Elizabeth Weir, John Sheppard, Carson Beckett, Sedge
Rating: G
Beta: csiangel
Disclaimer: not mine (though I wouldn't say no) and I make no money
Author's Notes: Here's part 6 of my Sedge's series. This is also a late present for Andy's X-Mas who wanted a fic where Elizabeth was sick and since I already had the same idea for this series, I just had to write it for her. Once more many thanks to my wonderful beta, csiangel
Feedback: Yes please
1. Meeting in a Park
2. Going Home
3. First Day
4. Making New Friends
5. A Little Prank
Sedge's Adventures in Atlantis
In Sickness...
His data pad filled with late reports under his arm, John entered the control room, hoping to find Elizabeth in her office. And there she was, looking at her computer screen, probably engrossed in her own work. He should probably feel guilty to bring her even more reports to read, but he was already really late for some and she was the one who asked for them.
He crossed the catwalk leading to the office and Sedge, who was lying down by the couch immediately looked up, this warning her owner of the presence of someone else in the room. Elizabeth lifted her eyes up from the screen and smiled as she saw John coming into her office.
"What can I do for you, John?" she asked, her voice rough.
"I have some reports for you," he simply replied. He couldn't help but notice the tired look on her face and wonder if she had slept at all the night before.
"You could have sent them to me via the intranet." She just had time to finish what she had to say when a coughing fit erupted.
"I know, but I guess that it's a good thing that I hadn't." He put his data pad on her desk and came to her side. Before she could ask what he was doing, he already had one of his hands on her forehead and the other on his. "You have a fever, Elizabeth. You should go see Carson."
"I'm fine, John."
"Sorry, but I don't think so. You coughed just a minute ago and I can see that you're tired. Now, up on your feet, we're going to the infirmary."
Before she could protest furthermore, he closed her computer, knowing that whatever file she had opened was saved, and ushered her to her feet. She sighed, knowing that he'd never let her go before Carson told him she was fine. And she was; ok she had a bit of a cough but nothing worth worrying for.
Sedge followed the couple out of the office, the three of them only stopping when John told the sergeant where they were going, and then into the transporter that brought them closer to the infirmary. Knowing that she couldn't enter Carson's den, Elizabeth having told her so more than once, she sat down by the door, waiting for them.
From the moment he helped her out of her chair, John had never let go of her elbow. Elizabeth couldn't help but mull over the fact that he was probably thinking that she'd try to escape as soon as she could. But she had decided to just humour him. After all she was not sick.
"So what do we have here?" Carson asked as soon as he saw them.
"She's sick."
"I am not," Elizabeth replied forcefully despite her resolution to humour John.
"You have fever."
"That is not true!"
"Ok, stop it you two," the doctor said, feeling like he had to deal with children. "Now Elizabeth, if you let me examine you, we can see which one of you is right."
"Fine," she conceded.
"Ok, now hop onto that bed."
Sighing, Elizabeth went to sit on the bed Carson pointed her out. He pulled the curtain around for some privacy but not before she could see the smirk creeping up on John's face; he was so going to pay.
Meanwhile, John joined Sedge at the door of the infirmary, crouching down beside her, patting her head in the process. He didn't know if the dog would understand but he still started to tell her what was going on with Elizabeth.
"I'm pretty sure you already know how she is. But you see, she's sick and she doesn't want to admit it. She knows I'm right but I'm sure there's going to be some payback at one point or another. Anyway, as long as she is sick, you'll have to be extra nice with her, and I guess I should too. But I'm sure it's not the first time she's sick since she has you so you might know better than me how she was going to react. And I suppose I envy you that and I kind of wish you could speak so you could help me out on this one."
John didn't notice that while he was talking to Sedge, people passing by them just smiled at the sight. It wasn't the first time that he or Elizabeth were spotted talking to Sedge, and they were not the only ones to do so. Here and there, people talked to their pet as if they were human. If Kate Heightmeyer, the resident psychiatrist that she was, had to guess, she would say that they represented the only family the members of the expedition could ever tell about Atlantis; at least for now.
John rose up to his feet as soon as he saw Carson coming towards him. Elizabeth wasn't with him so it could mean only one thing: she was indeed sick and he was right.
"So?"
"So, she is sick," the doctor confirmed. "She has a mild-case of flu actually so I'd like to give you a shot if you're planning to stay with her. Just to be safe," he added as he saw John's face.
"Ok." John followed the doctor back to his office and sat on the edge of the desk as Carson prepared the shot. He was right when he said that John would stay with Elizabeth while she was sick; both of them knew that if someone didn't take care of her, she would probably go back to her work as soon as she could.
"I've already given her a shot for her fever but here's what she'll have to take," Carson said after he was done with him, holding out a bottle of medicines to John. "One per meal, and I'm counting on you that she doesn't miss one. Her flu is not that severe, so I'm releasing her but she has to go to her quarters and get some rest."
"Don't worry, I'm going to make sure she will rest. Even if I have to lock her up in her quarters, she won't work till she gets better."
"That's what I wanted to hear, lad."
While they were talking, they left the office and went towards the bed Elizabeth was on. The curtain was still drawn around to give her the privacy she might need so Carson opened it for them. They were both surprised at the sight that greeted them; Elizabeth was laid down on the bed, asleep.
"You've given her a sedative?" John asked in a whisper, turning towards the doctor.
"What? Are you crazy? I won't give her a sedative without her permission; I don't have a death wish. But I bet she was more tired that she thought and the shot I had given her might also have helped her fall asleep. What are you doing?" Carson asked John as he saw him lifting Elizabeth in his arms.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I don't want to wake her up. So, I'm going to carry her back into her quarters."
"As you wish, son. I'm going to pray that she doesn't wake up while you're carrying her."
"She's out cold, I don't think she will, but thank you." Well, at least, John hoped that she wouldn't. The one and only time he did that because she didn't want to go to the mess to eat a decent meal, she told him that she would make him scrub the toilets with a toothbrush, and she did.
Elizabeth in his arms, John left the infirmary, motioning for Sedge to follow him with a nod of his head. He wasn't sure but he thought that Sedge was surprised for a moment at what he was doing with her owner. He dismissed that thought; she was a dog, and as intelligent as she could be, she couldn't possibly have that kind of reaction. Though he had to admit that more than once, she seemed to be able to grasp what was going on.
On his route to Elizabeth's room, he noticed that people couldn't help but look at them, probably wondering what he was doing and what happened to their leader. He decided to ignore them but also knew that rumours were already flying all over the City; it would be hard to keep from Elizabeth the fact that he carried her back to her quarters.
After one last turn, they were finally in front of them and John was careful not to drop her while he palmed the door open. He didn't know how he managed that but he decided to not mull over it for the moment. When they entered the room, John went directly towards her bed and with her still in his arms, he turned the covers down before putting her to bed. He removed her shoes and her vest with her only mumbling slightly but not waking up. While he drew the covers around her, he guessed she was even more tired than both of them thought. Seeing that John was done with Elizabeth, Sedge climbed on the bed, careful too to not rouse her from her sleep, and took her place at her side.
"Ok, Sedge, now I'd like you to keep an eye on her while I go to the control room to tell them that she won't come back to work. Could you do that for me?"
While he hadn't expected an answer, John was not that surprised when she yelped; he had noticed more than once that she seemed to understand what they were saying. With one last look towards Elizabeth, who was still sleeping, and he made a mental note to try and convince her to leave her office before midnight, he left the room.
Once done in the control room, he noticed that it was nearly dinner time and made a stop at the mess to collect something to eat for himself, Elizabeth and Sedge. Hungry or not, she would have to eat something; that would help her feel better. Soup was the better option, but he also took a plate of spaghetti and meatballs in case she was indeed hungry, and if she wasn't well he was.
As soon as he entered Elizabeth's quarters, Sedge looked up at him expectantly, as if knowing he had something for her. He smiled and shook his head while putting the tray on the desk, balancing it carefully on some files. As he placed one of the plates on the floor for Sedge, he heard Elizabeth stir in the bed. Raising his head, he met her still groggy from sleep face with a smile of his own.
"Slept well?"
"Carson drugged me, right?"
"Nope. Seems like the medicines he gave you combined with your tiredness made you fall asleep."
"How did I get back here?" she asked, realising that she didn't remember going back to her quarters. She saw John fidgeting and immediately understood what happened. "You carried me, right?"
"Look, I know you don't appreciate that, but you were sleeping and neither Carson nor I had the heart to wake you up, and we knew that you would be more comfortable in your own quarters rather than in the infirmary…"
"Thank you," she said, interrupting his rambling and surprising him at once.
"What?"
"I said, thank you, John."
"I have to admit that I'm surprised. I thought you were going to make me pay."
"Would it have been for any other reasons, I'd probably have."
"Well then, thank you. I hope you're hungry," he said, taking the tray and putting it on the bed before sitting himself. "Oh, I've nearly forgotten. Here's your medicine; Carson said one per meal so…" Opening the bottle, he gave her one tablet. "I'd suggest you eat the soup first and if you're still hungry there is spaghetti."
If Elizabeth wasn't feeling that hungry before, now that she smelled all that food, her stomach seemed to agree that it was time to eat something. Taking the bowl John was handing her, she smiled at him and took a first spoonful. She had never really been fond of soup but since she was in Atlantis, she had come to love the Athosian turtle soup the chiefs learned to make in their early times here. Finishing her bowl, she put it back on the tray as John was pushing another plate in front of her.
"Eat," he simply said, his mouth full of his own spaghetti.
She had to chuckle at that sight but she hadn't expected the coughing fit that came with it. John's hand immediately came to her back, rubbing it to try to ease the fit while Sedge came at her side of the bed, visibly concerned. She took a few deep breaths, hoping that it wouldn't return before looking down at her dog and patting her head to reassure her.
"Thanks," she muttered, her voice croaking. She took the glass John offered her and took a few sips before putting it beside her on her nightstand.
"You better?"
"Yeah. But I don't feel that hungry anymore. You can have it if you want," she said, pushing the plate towards him.
"Fine. But eat some jello at least. It's the red one, your favourite."
"How do you know that?" she asked as she watched him start on her plate. "And how could you eat so much?"
"Well, it's not hard to figure that red is your favourite colour and when we actually eat together, I noticed that you always take red jello when there's no chocolate cake. And I'm just hungry and McKay and Ronon are way worse than me."
"I know." She paused, taking a few spoonfuls of jello before continuing. "Thank you for having brought food for Sedge."
"No need to."
Ten minutes later, they were both finished with their dinner and John put the tray back onto her desk. He then sat back at the foot of the bed, still facing Elizabeth while Sedge lay on the floor by the bed.
"So, you want to play cards or maybe you want me to leave you alone so you can rest."
"I'm not that tired actually. But I'd prefer chess over cards."
"No problem with me. Where's the board?"
"Actually it's on my data pad but I think I've left it in my office."
"Let me go get it. I have to run by the mess to take the tray back anyway. And I'll asked if anything happened in the City that we should know of," he added knowing that she would have wanted to know anyway.
"Thank you, John."
"I'll be back in ten," he said, leaving her quarters.
"So, I guess it's just you and me for now," Elizabeth said, looking down at Sedge. She rose from the bed and went to the bathroom to find more tissues. Looking herself in the mirror, she wasn't surprised to find that her nose was red. "I look like shit," she finally stated before leaving the bathroom and sitting back on her bed.
She patted the empty side of the bed and Sedge took that as the invitation she needed to climb onto it and lay beside her. Looking at her watch, she guessed that John wouldn't be back for a few more minutes and opened her bedside drawer to take the book she was currently reading.
As she was getting to the most interesting part, Sedge raised her head and Elizabeth took that as a warning that John was coming back. Just a second later, he was indeed opening the door and she just had time to put her book under the covers before he could see it. He had her data pad in his hand and was smiling knowingly; no, he couldn't have seen what book it was, could he?
"Ready for me to kick your ass?" he asked, his smile turning into a smirk and she relaxed being sure that if he had seen the book, he would have mentioned it immediately.
"Are you kidding? I'm going to win that game, mister, and you'll be sorry."
"Ok, then. Let's see what you can do."
She opened the game as he got comfortable, meaning he took off his jacket and shoes and sat cross-legged on the bed. She didn't remember having told him that he could do that, but she guessed that since he had brought her food earlier, she could concede him that. He let her make the first move and she decided in her head that he really shouldn't have done that.
An hour or so later, she was jubilant while he was brooding.
"You were saying?"
John decided to not answer that and watched as a smug smile made its way up her face; she seemed to be pleased with herself. He'd like to take his revenge but he also knew that if she didn't sleep soon, Carson would probably have his head if he ever found out. Reaching on the floor for his shoes and jacket, he put them back on.
"What are you doing?"
"You need to sleep," he said, taking her data pad and putting it back on her desk.
"I don't think you leave me a choice."
"No." She was ready to answer when a yawn prevented her to do that. "See, you're tired. Sleep, Elizabeth, you need it otherwise you wouldn't have fallen asleep this afternoon."
"Fine."
"See you tomorrow Elizabeth, Sedge," he said as he made his way out of her quarters. The door was closing behind him when he popped his head back in, allowing it to open again. "Oh and I didn't know you were a fan of trashy novels."
"Out!" she replied, gesturing for him to leave. She heard him chuckling just before the door finally close and sighed. She was pretty sure he hadn't seen it at the time, but she now realised that he was just waiting for the perfect time to mention it.
Shaking her head, she pulled the book from under the covers and opened it at the page she was on when John came back. Reading romance novels was her way to unwind. She was sure John had his own ways; she once saw a guitar in his quarters and she wouldn't be surprised that it was his way. Turning back to her book, she started reading again, unable to wait to read what was going to happen between the characters.
The next morning, she was just finishing getting dressed when the door chimed and opened, John entering with a tray. Both stood frozen for a few seconds before Elizabeth came back to her senses and slipped her t-shirt on. Getting over his own shock, John lowered his head, a slight blush creeping up his cheeks
"I'm sorry," he said, licking his lips, something Elizabeth had a long time ago associated with an embarrassed John. "I should have waited till you opened the door or at least told me to enter. You have every right to be angry at me; I shouldn't have entered your quarters without your permission. I…"
"It's okay, John," she saved him from his rambling. "It's not your fault, at least not entirely." She paused for a moment, unsure of what to say. "I see you've brought breakfast."
"Yeah. I thought you could be hungry."
"I am, and thank you," she said as she started clearing her desk. "Here, put it there."
She then dragged another chair for John to sit and both started on their breakfast, talking about everything but the city at John's request. Sedge was lying on the bed, observing them, knowing that it wasn't time for her to eat.
"Oh my, I'm late!" Elizabeth exclaimed after she looked at her watch.
"Late? For what?"
"I have a briefing with Major Lorne's team in five minutes, I should really go," she answered, gathering her things.
"No way." John simply said, leaning back on his chair.
"Excuse me?"
"You won't be working today."
"John…"
"I mean it." He stood up, walking towards her and putting one hand on her forehead. "You still have some fever and Carson will have my head if I allow you near your office."
"I have reports to read, mission briefings and debriefings to listen to; I can't take a day off."
"You will. And I'll take care of your work. Stay here for at least today," he continued seeing that she was ready to protest," and if tomorrow you feel better, and provided that Carson clears you, you can return to your work. Humour me, please."
"Fine," she relented, knowing that anyway he wouldn't let her have her way. "But, I want you to tell me everything over dinner tonight, ok?"
"That's a date, then," he replied, winking at her. "Now, I should probably go otherwise Lorne and his men will start to lose patience."
"You better, indeed."
"See you at lunch, I'll bring you something to eat. You, lady, are going to go back to bed and get some more sleep. You look like you need it given by the dark circles I see under your eyes."
And with that he left the room before she could reply anything and coming to think about it, she wouldn't have known what to say. She was actually surprised to see him act quite like a mother hen with her, concerned with her well-being. Smiling, she changed back into her nightclothes and settled back under the covers, Sedge beside her.
She was just closing her eyes to try and get some sleep when the door chimed. She raised an eyebrow, wondering who could possibly come.
"Come in," she called out and the door opened to reveal John. "John? You've forgotten something?"
"Yes. Sedge. I thought I could relieve you of her."
"That's very thoughtful of you, but you have to work and…"
"And she stays with you even though you work too, so she can stay with me as well, don't you think?"
"You're probably right."
"Great. Sedge, come with me."
Elizabeth wasn't that surprised when Sedge instantly jumped off the bed to come by John's side. More than once, she even wondered if Sedge was her dog anymore; if she didn't know better, she would have thought that she belonged to both John and herself and that from the beginning. Or maybe…
John knew precisely the second a wicked thought crossed her mind. She raised an eyebrow and he braced himself for what was coming next.
"Well, it seems that you have your ways with females of every species."
Ok, so he hadn't expected that. He looked at her as if she grew a second head, his mouth slightly open in shock for the second time in a short period of time; he was sure it couldn't be good for his brain. Deciding that the best thing for him to do was to do nothing, he turned back towards the door and left, Sedge in tow.
As soon as the door closed, Elizabeth couldn't help but giggle; it's not everyday that she could make fun at John's expense and if someone was to ask her why she did this, she could always blame the flu and the medicines she had to take. Lying back down under the covers, she closed her eyes.
Sleep was finally taking her when the door chimed. Sighing, she opened her eyes and sat back up.
"Come in."
"Hey, love, I wanted to know how you were feeling this morning," Carson said as he entered, coming to stand beside her bed.
"I'm fine."
"That's what you said yesterday…"
"And I was wrong, I know," she interrupted him. "But I feel better today."
"Ok, but let me see for myself."
"I didn't know you were doing house calls," she joked as he started examining her.
"I don't. I do it just for you."
"Well, thank you."
"What's the need for them anyway? They usually come to the infirmary. You, Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon are actually the ones I tend to see the least; even though you're sick you pretend to be fine," he said with a sound of reproach in his voice.
"You know I have work…"
"Yes, I know but if you don't take some downtime to rest from time to time, one day I'll be forced to intervene. You can't risk your health even for the good of Atlantis," he added, knowing that she would protest. "Humour me and John; you know we're right when we tell you this."
"I know," she admitted in a whisper.
"Where's Sedge by the way?"
"Oh, she's with John. He said that since he was doing my job he could take care of her. So how am I?" she asked as she saw Carson was over with his examination.
"You still have some fever so I'd suggest more bed rest. I'll come by tomorrow morning and we'll see about you going back to work. And don't worry about the city, Sheppard is taking care of everything."
"Have you talked to John this morning?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No. Why do you ask?"
"Because you both said the same thing," she replied, remembering her previous conversation with John.
"Well, it's just that we're both concerned about your well being. Now rest, sleep some more if you can and don't forget to eat and take your tablets. We need you at your best."
"Yes, Doctor," she said, a smile in her voice.
Chuckling, he said his final goodbyes and left the room, leaving her alone once more. This time, she wasn't feeling like sleep would come anytime soon so she decided to continue to read her book; she guessed that she could still take a nap after lunch and that that would make both Carson and John happy.
Meanwhile, John was trying very hard to act like he was listening to whatever Lorne's team was talking about. He really didn't know how Elizabeth could sit at dozens of briefings each week and actually listen to them; or maybe she was just better at faking it than him, he'd have to ask her. The briefing finally came to an end to his relief and he dismissed the team so they could get ready to head off to their mission.
Gathering the files he would have to read to keep Elizabeth informed, he noticed that Major Lorne stayed behind.
"Something on your mind, Major?"
"Not exactly, sir. I just wanted to know how Doctor Weir was feeling."
"Well, she's still sick with the flu. She already wants to come back to work but it's what I call a normal reaction from her."
"Well, then wish her well, sir."
"I will. Is that all you wanted to know?"
"Yes, sir. I'm going to get ready for the mission."
"You do, Major."
They both left the briefing room, John going back to Elizabeth's office. Sedge was sleeping at her usual place on the floor, not disturbed at all to see John sitting at her owner's place. John mused for a moment; she seemed to adapt to every situation that arose to her, which was a common trait she had with Elizabeth.
The rest of the day had gone by quickly for John between meetings with scientists and reading reports. He had just the time to bring Elizabeth lunch but couldn't stay to eat with her, Rodney having requested his presence in his lab ASAP. But by dinner time he was finished with his work for the day, and went back to his quarters to change into casual clothes before going to the mess hall.
Once in front of Elizabeth's quarters, he carefully balanced the tray he had in his hands and chimed the door. This time he waited for Elizabeth to call for him before entering, not wanting to repeat the morning's events. To his surprise, she opened the door herself, also in casual clothes. Sedge immediately greeted her and while he put the tray on the clear space she had made on the desk, he observed them, smiling. He didn't know how they could have survived without each other before Sedge came to Atlantis with them; they seemed to share such a deep bond, one he had never witnessed before he saw them. In a way, he was glad that he had managed to convince Elizabeth to ask for pets in the city.
"So what did you bring us?" Elizabeth asked, jolting him out of his thoughts.
"You'll see."
Elizabeth watched as John was setting the still covered plates on the desk, careful to put everything in place. She had to smile at his effort and couldn't help but wonder what prompted it. But she didn't voice the question, she was sure she would know sooner or later.
"You ready?" he asked as he drew the chair back for her.
"Thank you."
He sat opposite her and removed the covers on the plates, revealing Elizabeth's favourite athosian's dishes. To say that she was surprised would be an understatement.
"But… How?"
"Well, as much as I'd love to have thought about it, the ideas not mine. When I was in the mess hall to get our dinner, one of the cooks came and gave me two plates for you. He just told me that he knew you were sick and that it could please you. Somehow he knew that I was bringing you food and basically taking care of you, so he gave me two more plates for me."
"I'll have to thank him later. So what's in the other plates?" she asked, curious.
"Later. First eat the one you have in front of you."
"Yes, Dad," she joked.
While they ate, John was telling her about what happened during the day in the City. When she asked him why Rodney wanted to see him, he simply shrugged and said that it was nothing; that was when she vowed herself to find out what the scientist wanted and what they were hiding from her.
She was feeling better than the day before and she guessed that she needed the time off; she knew the City could survive without her, but she was the one in charge here and she didn't want to appear as fallible in others' eyes.
But she had to admit that while she hated being sick, there was one thing about the whole situation that she really liked: being taken care of.
Fini.
Review anyone?
Cross-posted to john_elizabeth, lostcityfound, stargate_fanfic