(no subject)
Title: Flash of the Blade
Rating: PG-13
By: Jenda Vis
Spoilers: Up through Reunion
Pairing: Sheppard/Dex
Genre: Drama, WIP
Warnings: None.
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue, don't take this too seriously.
Summary: Sheppard can't figure Ronon out. Or his motives.
A/N: I'm really not thrilled with this chapter, so if you've got any concrit you could throw my way, please let me know!
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Sheppard hadn't thought about what he'd say when. If. When he found Ronon again. There was just too much time, too many thoughts to pick apart. Too much distance, all piled up to make them strangers.
But it wasn't given a chance to matter, because Keller was pushing forward, medics in tow, to crowd around Ronon's bed.
"Ronon, it's good to see you," Keller touched his arm, his throat. "We've been so worried. Are you okay?"
Sheppard stood there with the others, extra bodies watching from just inside the doorway while she said all the things that he should have been the one to say, stepping to the side as the local healer made his way into the room.
And then Keller was ordering them out into the hallway, and closing the door in Sheppard's face.
---
There wasn't any point in returning to the dining hall below- it's not like they could have tried the local cuisine if they'd wanted to. The mouthpieces made talking uncomfortable, so for the most part, the three remained silent, watching the door, not knowing how worried they were supposed to be.
Eventually, though, Keller stepped out into the hallway.
"Okay. First findings, I'd say it's mercury poisoning. Almost casebook. He's weak, but his vitals are all right as far as I can tell from here. His coordination, vision and hearing seem off. He seems to be very confused, and he's not particularly coherent, but he's aware. He's also dehydrated, but apparently he's been sweating and vomiting a lot, which is a good sign. I've drawn blood and have him on an IV for now."
"Can we see him?"
"Not yet. He's showing some discoloration that I'm concerned about, and before I can be sure, I need you to take Ryerson out to the river."
---
"How could he be the only one who has this?" McKay asked Ryerson, but it was the woman, Itris, who answered.
"He was found out by the East river," she pointed up at the water cutting across the land about a mile ahead. "Our people tend to avoid the area. It's a sad reminder of all the people we've lost."
Teyla turned her head back towards the group. "Was that where the illness appeared most often?"
"Not at all. It was everywhere, as much in the center of town as it was here. Some of the more distant farms were not afflicted, but we thought that was because they were least likely to come across anyone who was ill. But once our numbers grew smaller, we could no longer operate the mines, and so families began to move west, to be closer to the fields, instead."
"If Keller is right, that might have saved their lives," Ryerson grinned over to Sheppard, before turning his attention back to the ground in front of him.
"Hang on a minute," McKay began, and already Sheppard was cringing at the these-people-are-idiots-and-I'm-going-to-prove-it tone to his voice. "How long was it between the development of the mining operation and the first cases of the disease?"
"A hundred years or more, I should think," Itris caught Sheppard's glare at Rodney, and continued on. "Though to be honest, I do not see what the connection is."
"Well, for starters-"
"McKay," Sheppard warned, wishing they could hurry up. The sooner they had the answer, the sooner they could get back home.
---
By the time Ryerson and McKay had confirmed the mercury levels in the water, soil, and plants, Sheppard had been ready to return for half an hour.
Finally, Ryerson stood, tapping at his radio. "Doctor Keller, please come in."
"Doctor Ryerson?"
"Mercury tests are positive."
"Very, very positive," McKay interjected, sealing the last of the packing the sealed samples into the case.
That was Sheppard's cue to tap into the channel. "Does that mean we can take these damned masks off now?"
After a moment, Keller's voice came over the line. "Doctor Ryerson, what's your assessment?"
"Has he started to show any other symptoms?"
"No, the IV seems to be doing it's job. I've talked to some of the people here, some more, and they say he's been steadily improving since they got him into bed this morning. It fits more than anything else. I say we've got it."
"What about the discoloration? Still thinking it's acrodynia?"
"Maybe not, but similar enough. I've talked to the healers, and this is a common early symptom, even in adults. I'd like to check it out, more, once we've got him under a scanner, but it's not the first different reaction we've seen in Pegasus."
"Okay," Ryerson's voice sounded suddenly clear, and Sheppard turned to see him yanking the mask from his face with a look of utter relief. "Let's ditch these things."
Sheppard followed suit, feeling uncanned air against his face for the first time in hours. "All right," he said, wiping a hand over his chin. "We're on our way back, you want to start getting him ready to go?"
"We'll be ready when you get here."
"Great. Sheppard out." He turned around again, found everyone already standing, brushing dirt from their clothes. "Alright, let's head out."
---
Keller opened the door when Sheppard knocked, and the same girl he'd seen earlier ducked her peeked from behind her. Itris stepped forward.
"Atura, have you been getting underfoot?"
"No," the girl began, glancing at Keller, clearly hoping for backup as she stepped forward into the hallway. "She said I could visit."
"It's true. We've determined that there's no risk, and even if there was, she would already have been exposed." Keller smiled.
"Well, come along now, Atura. We'll only be in the way, here."
Atura turned her face up to Sheppard. "Are you coming back?"
"Yes. Soon. We're going to want to talk to everyone about what's going on, though Itris, here, should be able to get everyone up to speed, right?"
"I am to instruct everyone to stay as far away from the East River as possible."
"Right. McKay? What do you think?"
"We should send a team out, see what we can do about finding the causes, see if there's a way to fix it. Might be able to take a look at the gate, too. See if there's any way to get it up and running."
Itris, for the first time since they'd met, broke out into a wide grin. "You believe it is possible?"
"I'm not making any promises. I haven't even taken a look at it yet. But we might be able to work something out," his crooked grin cut towards Sheppard, clearly uncaring that he was making an offer that hadn't been vetted yet. Sheppard didn't care. They'd probably be bringing it up to Carter at some point anyway.
"I must go and tell the Councilor," she beamed, herding Atura down the steps before her. "Thank you. Very much. All of you."
---
Sheppard thought he should have realized how ill Ronon was the moment he'd first caught sight of him, but he hadn't. Not until now.
Maybe it was the discoloration, the peeling skin, or maybe just the daylight was fading from the window. Maybe it was the heavy graceless weaving of his movements, as Sheppard and Lieutenant Tyler managed to steer him down the stairs.
He didn't even resist when they managed to get him onto a field stretcher for the trek back to the jumper. Just moved his head around slowly, eyes losing their focus almost as soon as they found it.
Sheppard was about to ask if someone had grabbed his gun, but he saw the holster dangling from Teyla's arm as she passed, saw the handles of his knives sticking of McKay's pack as it was stowed under the bench.
He finished securing the stretcher into place in the jumper when that focus found him, and he froze, for a moment, watching as Ronon tried to work his jaw.
The effort was too much, though, and his eyes began swimming again, but the scowling eyebrows were clear enough.
"…real," Ronon might have croaked through chapped lips, but Sheppard wasn't sure. Nevertheless, something unfroze in his shoulders and he smirked.
Yeah buddy. It's real. We're taking you home.
It took a moment, but Ronon's head dipped over to the side and back a little. It was probably a nod.
---
"Colonel Sheppard, your orders were to quarantine at the alpha site," Carter intoned dangerously, the shield still not dropped. Sheppard cut his glance back to Keller, imploring, and she stepped towards the front of the jumper to explain, hand hovering over her earpiece.
"It wasn't a disease. It was mercury poisoning on a massive scale. We can come in under decontamination protocols, but there were no contagions to be found."
"Is Ronon with you?"
"Yes ma'am. But he got a pretty strong dose, so to speak, and we need to get him to the infirmary."
"I see." A pause, and then. "Okay, you're cleared."
---
Sheppard brought the jumper to rest in the cleanroom bay, and dropped the hatch, grabbing as much gear as he could to drop in the bins on the way out for scanning.
"All right. Guys, help me with Ronon. Ladies," he bowed to Teyla and Keller, "see you after the showers."
---
Getting Ronon's IV disconnected had been easy enough, though getting him up off the stretcher was a hassle, but getting him undressed and rinsed off was a nightmare.
Least he's too weak and confused to put up much of a fight, Sheppard thought, feeling vaguely traitorous as he held Ronon's head up under the stream, willing him to just stop struggling for a minute.
He ignored the other traitorous thoughts, too, the ones brought on by warm flesh sliding wetly across his own. Being naked in the same room as two of your officers and Rodney McKay, helped greatly in that regard though. He shut his eyes and ducked his face back into the stream.
---
Thank god for spare clothes, Sheppard thought, slipping his feet into the sneakers from his locker, raising his head up to see McKay, already dressed, holding up a set of scrubs, his mouth slashed in crooked apprehension.
"No freakin' way. Took us ten minutes to get him stripped."
McKay relaxed at that, grabbing a gown off the bin in the corner, and tossing it over towards him.
"Cool," Sheppard stood, following McKay to the corner where they'd left Ronon sitting against the wall, only to find that he'd slid down. "Grab his arm, would ya?"
Ronon was coming out of it, a little, but too late to fight the manipulations that got him dressed and into the wheelchair that Ryerson had tracked down.
"How long's he gonna be like this?" he called, entering the isolation room.
"Another day or so, is my guess," Keller said, the ends of her ponytail dampening the back of her uniform. She stepped towards him to intercept the wheelchair. "Nice shirt."
"Huh? Sheppard looked down at himself, found Johnny Cash flipping him the bird. "Oh yeah. Figured, if things were bad enough that I'm having to come in through decon, there's not much chance anyone would give a damn."
"Not exactly the kind of thing you can just wear anywhere," Carter's voice agreed, and Sheppard squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before turning to see her standing in the observation room above. She was smirking, though, so it wasn't too much an infraction.
"You guys got it, here?" he watched as they settled Ronon in the bed. Keller nodded, distractedly. "Then I'll get out of your way, here."
---
Fifteen minutes later, he entered the observation room.
"Back in uniform so soon?"
"Ah. Yeah. Sorry about that." Sheppard ran a hand through his hair, looking down into the infirmary. Keller already had Ronon under the scanner, but beyond that, he could see nothing. "How is he?"
"Keller doesn't know, yet, but she's filled me in on what you all found out there," Carter came closer, leaning on the rail, mirroring Sheppard's stance.
"Right."
"Look, John. I know this won't make it any easier, but he's going to be okay. You got to him in time, and you brought him back."
"Yeah, but." Sheppard waved his hand over the scene. "He's still lying there, and we still don't know what's going on."
"For now, he's getting better, and that's our only concern. Worry about talking later." Carter sighed. "Look, John. You should be happy, right now. I mean, yes, he's sick, but how often does this sort of thing turn out to be this easy?"
"Right." But it hasn't turned out yet. We're still waiting.
---
By the time Keller came in to report, Teyla and Rodney were waiting with them.
"Okay, great. You're all here," Keller began. "I've looked over the scanner, and our original assumptions were correct. Pretty much your run-of-the-mill mercury poisoning. He needs rest, a lot of fluids, and time. It looks like most of it was vomited not long after ingestion, but we've got him on activated charcoal and dimercaprol in his IV to clean his system out."
John felt himself beginning to relax. He's going to be fine.
But Keller continued. "From what I understand, he got hit just over twenty four hours ago, but I am still worried about damage to his nervous system, as well as his kidneys. He's not out of the woods yet. Now that he's stabilized, we could move him to the sick bay, but I'd rather keep him here. The confusion is going to last for a while, and I don’t want to risk over-stimulation right now."
"But you think he's going to be okay?"
"I do, John. We got there in time, and so far at least, he is responding quite well to treatment.
"Good."
---
Sheppard forced himself to go running, eat breakfast, sit through two meetings, eat lunch, and finish the field report before letting himself head back to the observation room. Some sort of penance for the not-even-hourly visits that he'd maintained through the night.
This time, though, when he looked down into the room, Ronon was sitting up. His eyes were still closed, but his expression was clear enough. Boredom. John had never been so relieved to see that look on anyone's face in his entire life.
He reached to press the comm unit, but hesitated, tapping his radio instead.
"Keller, this is Sheppard."
"Yes, Colonel?"
"I think he's awake. Can I go in there?"
"Sure, but no more than five minutes. I'm with a patient right now, so you'll need your code. I'll be down there myself in a while."
"Thanks."
---
His first words to Ronon in a month were quiet, uninspired.
"Ronon, hey." He stepped closer to the bed, trying not to stare at the pink discoloration creeping out in fits and starts from beneath Ronon's collar and sleeves, and watched awareness creep over him.
"Sheppard?" His voice was small, rough, little more than a whisper, really, but his eyes sought John's out, and managed to hold, for a moment at least. "What're you doing here?"
"Checking up on you. Get used to it. How do you feel?"
Ronon apparently had to think about it for a moment. "Like shit." The corners of his mouth turned down a little at the corners, barely visible underneath the overgrown facial hair. "You came?"
"Of course we did," John replied, trying to ignore the uncertainty in Ronon's voice. "Sorry it took us so long, by the way."
Something crossed over his face, but it settled into the beginnings of a tired smile. "Thanks."
John was wondering what he was supposed to say next, he was terrible at this sort of thing, but the door swished open behind him, and Keller was coming into the room. It was time to go.
---
Teyla and McKay were sitting at the table next to Lorne's team when Sheppard set his tray down, all too aware of the waiting stares he was receiving from all parties. Teyla moved to speak, but Lorne got there first. "How is he, sir?"
He sat down next to McKay, but angled his head back so he could see Lorne, Amundson, Parrish and Roth as well. "He's going to be fine. Seems a little more with it, now. Starting to talk, but he seems pretty tired."
"John, that is wonderful news," Teyla beamed from across the table. "Do you suppose we would be allowed in to see him?"
"Run it by Keller, when you're done here, but I think so."
"Great," McKay said, his mouthful of tuna casserole doing little to muffle the enthusiasm in his voice.
"I'm glad to hear it, sir," Lorne said, Roth and Parrish grinning along enthusiastically. Amundson nodded once, about as congenial as he ever got. "Maybe soon we'll figure out what the hell happened, huh?"
"Here's hoping," Sheppard raised his glass in a toast, and turned his attention towards the casserole.
---
John was about to take his radio off for the night when the call came through. Keller's voice, quick and urgent.
"Colonel Sheppard, I need you in the infirmary immediately."
"I'm on my way," Sheppard launched himself out of bed and into his running shoes before hurrying down to the transporters. Three minutes later, he was walking into the quarantine room.
He waved his hand over the control, and it opened, but he didn't enter.
"It's okay, Colonel. You can come in," Keller's voice was quiet, placating, and she rose, sliding her hand from Ronon's neck as she stood.
Ronon, however, only nodded, barely raising his head look at him, and away again. Too damned distant, what-
"Ronon, hey. What's going on?"
"I don't want him talking right now," she sat carefully on the bed, next to Ronon. "I'll start with what I know, and I want you to ask him yes or no questions as much as you can. Okay?"
"Okay," Sheppard didn't know what to do, so he grabbed a chair sitting at the edge of the room and pulled it close to the bed, sitting in front of Ronon, who, upon closer inspection, was wild-eyed and tense.
Scared.
Leaning on his elbows, he folded his hands together against the instinct to reach out. "What happened?"
"He was attacked," Keller's voice wavered. "Someone tried to strangle him."
Chapter 7
Rating: PG-13
By: Jenda Vis
Spoilers: Up through Reunion
Pairing: Sheppard/Dex
Genre: Drama, WIP
Warnings: None.
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue, don't take this too seriously.
Summary: Sheppard can't figure Ronon out. Or his motives.
A/N: I'm really not thrilled with this chapter, so if you've got any concrit you could throw my way, please let me know!
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Sheppard hadn't thought about what he'd say when. If. When he found Ronon again. There was just too much time, too many thoughts to pick apart. Too much distance, all piled up to make them strangers.
But it wasn't given a chance to matter, because Keller was pushing forward, medics in tow, to crowd around Ronon's bed.
"Ronon, it's good to see you," Keller touched his arm, his throat. "We've been so worried. Are you okay?"
Sheppard stood there with the others, extra bodies watching from just inside the doorway while she said all the things that he should have been the one to say, stepping to the side as the local healer made his way into the room.
And then Keller was ordering them out into the hallway, and closing the door in Sheppard's face.
---
There wasn't any point in returning to the dining hall below- it's not like they could have tried the local cuisine if they'd wanted to. The mouthpieces made talking uncomfortable, so for the most part, the three remained silent, watching the door, not knowing how worried they were supposed to be.
Eventually, though, Keller stepped out into the hallway.
"Okay. First findings, I'd say it's mercury poisoning. Almost casebook. He's weak, but his vitals are all right as far as I can tell from here. His coordination, vision and hearing seem off. He seems to be very confused, and he's not particularly coherent, but he's aware. He's also dehydrated, but apparently he's been sweating and vomiting a lot, which is a good sign. I've drawn blood and have him on an IV for now."
"Can we see him?"
"Not yet. He's showing some discoloration that I'm concerned about, and before I can be sure, I need you to take Ryerson out to the river."
---
"How could he be the only one who has this?" McKay asked Ryerson, but it was the woman, Itris, who answered.
"He was found out by the East river," she pointed up at the water cutting across the land about a mile ahead. "Our people tend to avoid the area. It's a sad reminder of all the people we've lost."
Teyla turned her head back towards the group. "Was that where the illness appeared most often?"
"Not at all. It was everywhere, as much in the center of town as it was here. Some of the more distant farms were not afflicted, but we thought that was because they were least likely to come across anyone who was ill. But once our numbers grew smaller, we could no longer operate the mines, and so families began to move west, to be closer to the fields, instead."
"If Keller is right, that might have saved their lives," Ryerson grinned over to Sheppard, before turning his attention back to the ground in front of him.
"Hang on a minute," McKay began, and already Sheppard was cringing at the these-people-are-idiots-and-I'm-going-to-prove-it tone to his voice. "How long was it between the development of the mining operation and the first cases of the disease?"
"A hundred years or more, I should think," Itris caught Sheppard's glare at Rodney, and continued on. "Though to be honest, I do not see what the connection is."
"Well, for starters-"
"McKay," Sheppard warned, wishing they could hurry up. The sooner they had the answer, the sooner they could get back home.
---
By the time Ryerson and McKay had confirmed the mercury levels in the water, soil, and plants, Sheppard had been ready to return for half an hour.
Finally, Ryerson stood, tapping at his radio. "Doctor Keller, please come in."
"Doctor Ryerson?"
"Mercury tests are positive."
"Very, very positive," McKay interjected, sealing the last of the packing the sealed samples into the case.
That was Sheppard's cue to tap into the channel. "Does that mean we can take these damned masks off now?"
After a moment, Keller's voice came over the line. "Doctor Ryerson, what's your assessment?"
"Has he started to show any other symptoms?"
"No, the IV seems to be doing it's job. I've talked to some of the people here, some more, and they say he's been steadily improving since they got him into bed this morning. It fits more than anything else. I say we've got it."
"What about the discoloration? Still thinking it's acrodynia?"
"Maybe not, but similar enough. I've talked to the healers, and this is a common early symptom, even in adults. I'd like to check it out, more, once we've got him under a scanner, but it's not the first different reaction we've seen in Pegasus."
"Okay," Ryerson's voice sounded suddenly clear, and Sheppard turned to see him yanking the mask from his face with a look of utter relief. "Let's ditch these things."
Sheppard followed suit, feeling uncanned air against his face for the first time in hours. "All right," he said, wiping a hand over his chin. "We're on our way back, you want to start getting him ready to go?"
"We'll be ready when you get here."
"Great. Sheppard out." He turned around again, found everyone already standing, brushing dirt from their clothes. "Alright, let's head out."
---
Keller opened the door when Sheppard knocked, and the same girl he'd seen earlier ducked her peeked from behind her. Itris stepped forward.
"Atura, have you been getting underfoot?"
"No," the girl began, glancing at Keller, clearly hoping for backup as she stepped forward into the hallway. "She said I could visit."
"It's true. We've determined that there's no risk, and even if there was, she would already have been exposed." Keller smiled.
"Well, come along now, Atura. We'll only be in the way, here."
Atura turned her face up to Sheppard. "Are you coming back?"
"Yes. Soon. We're going to want to talk to everyone about what's going on, though Itris, here, should be able to get everyone up to speed, right?"
"I am to instruct everyone to stay as far away from the East River as possible."
"Right. McKay? What do you think?"
"We should send a team out, see what we can do about finding the causes, see if there's a way to fix it. Might be able to take a look at the gate, too. See if there's any way to get it up and running."
Itris, for the first time since they'd met, broke out into a wide grin. "You believe it is possible?"
"I'm not making any promises. I haven't even taken a look at it yet. But we might be able to work something out," his crooked grin cut towards Sheppard, clearly uncaring that he was making an offer that hadn't been vetted yet. Sheppard didn't care. They'd probably be bringing it up to Carter at some point anyway.
"I must go and tell the Councilor," she beamed, herding Atura down the steps before her. "Thank you. Very much. All of you."
---
Sheppard thought he should have realized how ill Ronon was the moment he'd first caught sight of him, but he hadn't. Not until now.
Maybe it was the discoloration, the peeling skin, or maybe just the daylight was fading from the window. Maybe it was the heavy graceless weaving of his movements, as Sheppard and Lieutenant Tyler managed to steer him down the stairs.
He didn't even resist when they managed to get him onto a field stretcher for the trek back to the jumper. Just moved his head around slowly, eyes losing their focus almost as soon as they found it.
Sheppard was about to ask if someone had grabbed his gun, but he saw the holster dangling from Teyla's arm as she passed, saw the handles of his knives sticking of McKay's pack as it was stowed under the bench.
He finished securing the stretcher into place in the jumper when that focus found him, and he froze, for a moment, watching as Ronon tried to work his jaw.
The effort was too much, though, and his eyes began swimming again, but the scowling eyebrows were clear enough.
"…real," Ronon might have croaked through chapped lips, but Sheppard wasn't sure. Nevertheless, something unfroze in his shoulders and he smirked.
Yeah buddy. It's real. We're taking you home.
It took a moment, but Ronon's head dipped over to the side and back a little. It was probably a nod.
---
"Colonel Sheppard, your orders were to quarantine at the alpha site," Carter intoned dangerously, the shield still not dropped. Sheppard cut his glance back to Keller, imploring, and she stepped towards the front of the jumper to explain, hand hovering over her earpiece.
"It wasn't a disease. It was mercury poisoning on a massive scale. We can come in under decontamination protocols, but there were no contagions to be found."
"Is Ronon with you?"
"Yes ma'am. But he got a pretty strong dose, so to speak, and we need to get him to the infirmary."
"I see." A pause, and then. "Okay, you're cleared."
---
Sheppard brought the jumper to rest in the cleanroom bay, and dropped the hatch, grabbing as much gear as he could to drop in the bins on the way out for scanning.
"All right. Guys, help me with Ronon. Ladies," he bowed to Teyla and Keller, "see you after the showers."
---
Getting Ronon's IV disconnected had been easy enough, though getting him up off the stretcher was a hassle, but getting him undressed and rinsed off was a nightmare.
Least he's too weak and confused to put up much of a fight, Sheppard thought, feeling vaguely traitorous as he held Ronon's head up under the stream, willing him to just stop struggling for a minute.
He ignored the other traitorous thoughts, too, the ones brought on by warm flesh sliding wetly across his own. Being naked in the same room as two of your officers and Rodney McKay, helped greatly in that regard though. He shut his eyes and ducked his face back into the stream.
---
Thank god for spare clothes, Sheppard thought, slipping his feet into the sneakers from his locker, raising his head up to see McKay, already dressed, holding up a set of scrubs, his mouth slashed in crooked apprehension.
"No freakin' way. Took us ten minutes to get him stripped."
McKay relaxed at that, grabbing a gown off the bin in the corner, and tossing it over towards him.
"Cool," Sheppard stood, following McKay to the corner where they'd left Ronon sitting against the wall, only to find that he'd slid down. "Grab his arm, would ya?"
Ronon was coming out of it, a little, but too late to fight the manipulations that got him dressed and into the wheelchair that Ryerson had tracked down.
"How long's he gonna be like this?" he called, entering the isolation room.
"Another day or so, is my guess," Keller said, the ends of her ponytail dampening the back of her uniform. She stepped towards him to intercept the wheelchair. "Nice shirt."
"Huh? Sheppard looked down at himself, found Johnny Cash flipping him the bird. "Oh yeah. Figured, if things were bad enough that I'm having to come in through decon, there's not much chance anyone would give a damn."
"Not exactly the kind of thing you can just wear anywhere," Carter's voice agreed, and Sheppard squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before turning to see her standing in the observation room above. She was smirking, though, so it wasn't too much an infraction.
"You guys got it, here?" he watched as they settled Ronon in the bed. Keller nodded, distractedly. "Then I'll get out of your way, here."
---
Fifteen minutes later, he entered the observation room.
"Back in uniform so soon?"
"Ah. Yeah. Sorry about that." Sheppard ran a hand through his hair, looking down into the infirmary. Keller already had Ronon under the scanner, but beyond that, he could see nothing. "How is he?"
"Keller doesn't know, yet, but she's filled me in on what you all found out there," Carter came closer, leaning on the rail, mirroring Sheppard's stance.
"Right."
"Look, John. I know this won't make it any easier, but he's going to be okay. You got to him in time, and you brought him back."
"Yeah, but." Sheppard waved his hand over the scene. "He's still lying there, and we still don't know what's going on."
"For now, he's getting better, and that's our only concern. Worry about talking later." Carter sighed. "Look, John. You should be happy, right now. I mean, yes, he's sick, but how often does this sort of thing turn out to be this easy?"
"Right." But it hasn't turned out yet. We're still waiting.
---
By the time Keller came in to report, Teyla and Rodney were waiting with them.
"Okay, great. You're all here," Keller began. "I've looked over the scanner, and our original assumptions were correct. Pretty much your run-of-the-mill mercury poisoning. He needs rest, a lot of fluids, and time. It looks like most of it was vomited not long after ingestion, but we've got him on activated charcoal and dimercaprol in his IV to clean his system out."
John felt himself beginning to relax. He's going to be fine.
But Keller continued. "From what I understand, he got hit just over twenty four hours ago, but I am still worried about damage to his nervous system, as well as his kidneys. He's not out of the woods yet. Now that he's stabilized, we could move him to the sick bay, but I'd rather keep him here. The confusion is going to last for a while, and I don’t want to risk over-stimulation right now."
"But you think he's going to be okay?"
"I do, John. We got there in time, and so far at least, he is responding quite well to treatment.
"Good."
---
Sheppard forced himself to go running, eat breakfast, sit through two meetings, eat lunch, and finish the field report before letting himself head back to the observation room. Some sort of penance for the not-even-hourly visits that he'd maintained through the night.
This time, though, when he looked down into the room, Ronon was sitting up. His eyes were still closed, but his expression was clear enough. Boredom. John had never been so relieved to see that look on anyone's face in his entire life.
He reached to press the comm unit, but hesitated, tapping his radio instead.
"Keller, this is Sheppard."
"Yes, Colonel?"
"I think he's awake. Can I go in there?"
"Sure, but no more than five minutes. I'm with a patient right now, so you'll need your code. I'll be down there myself in a while."
"Thanks."
---
His first words to Ronon in a month were quiet, uninspired.
"Ronon, hey." He stepped closer to the bed, trying not to stare at the pink discoloration creeping out in fits and starts from beneath Ronon's collar and sleeves, and watched awareness creep over him.
"Sheppard?" His voice was small, rough, little more than a whisper, really, but his eyes sought John's out, and managed to hold, for a moment at least. "What're you doing here?"
"Checking up on you. Get used to it. How do you feel?"
Ronon apparently had to think about it for a moment. "Like shit." The corners of his mouth turned down a little at the corners, barely visible underneath the overgrown facial hair. "You came?"
"Of course we did," John replied, trying to ignore the uncertainty in Ronon's voice. "Sorry it took us so long, by the way."
Something crossed over his face, but it settled into the beginnings of a tired smile. "Thanks."
John was wondering what he was supposed to say next, he was terrible at this sort of thing, but the door swished open behind him, and Keller was coming into the room. It was time to go.
---
Teyla and McKay were sitting at the table next to Lorne's team when Sheppard set his tray down, all too aware of the waiting stares he was receiving from all parties. Teyla moved to speak, but Lorne got there first. "How is he, sir?"
He sat down next to McKay, but angled his head back so he could see Lorne, Amundson, Parrish and Roth as well. "He's going to be fine. Seems a little more with it, now. Starting to talk, but he seems pretty tired."
"John, that is wonderful news," Teyla beamed from across the table. "Do you suppose we would be allowed in to see him?"
"Run it by Keller, when you're done here, but I think so."
"Great," McKay said, his mouthful of tuna casserole doing little to muffle the enthusiasm in his voice.
"I'm glad to hear it, sir," Lorne said, Roth and Parrish grinning along enthusiastically. Amundson nodded once, about as congenial as he ever got. "Maybe soon we'll figure out what the hell happened, huh?"
"Here's hoping," Sheppard raised his glass in a toast, and turned his attention towards the casserole.
---
John was about to take his radio off for the night when the call came through. Keller's voice, quick and urgent.
"Colonel Sheppard, I need you in the infirmary immediately."
"I'm on my way," Sheppard launched himself out of bed and into his running shoes before hurrying down to the transporters. Three minutes later, he was walking into the quarantine room.
He waved his hand over the control, and it opened, but he didn't enter.
"It's okay, Colonel. You can come in," Keller's voice was quiet, placating, and she rose, sliding her hand from Ronon's neck as she stood.
Ronon, however, only nodded, barely raising his head look at him, and away again. Too damned distant, what-
"Ronon, hey. What's going on?"
"I don't want him talking right now," she sat carefully on the bed, next to Ronon. "I'll start with what I know, and I want you to ask him yes or no questions as much as you can. Okay?"
"Okay," Sheppard didn't know what to do, so he grabbed a chair sitting at the edge of the room and pulled it close to the bed, sitting in front of Ronon, who, upon closer inspection, was wild-eyed and tense.
Scared.
Leaning on his elbows, he folded his hands together against the instinct to reach out. "What happened?"
"He was attacked," Keller's voice wavered. "Someone tried to strangle him."
Chapter 7