Elizabeth stood waiting in the bay as John brought the Jumper down to land, the moment the hatch opened the medical team surged forward. Elizabeth watched John pull Emily away from Carson’s prone figure as the medical team checked his wound before getting ready to move him.
She glanced up as the second Jumper landed knowing Jeannie and Rodney would more than likely come out demanding to know how their friend was.
“Help,” Jeannie’s voice came from inside the Jumper.
Elizabeth grabbed one of the nurses hanging at the edges of the group heading to the second Jumper where Jeannie was awkwardly holding an unconscious Rodney who it seemed had collapsed the moment the Jumper had landed. The nurse ran to get some help while Elizabeth moved to help.
“What happened?” she asked, worried at how pale her Chief Scientist was.
“He got hit pretty hard,” Jeannie whispered, “Then flying back took a lot out of him.”
Elizabeth squeezed Jeannie’s hand, “He’ll be okay. Rodney’s tougher than most people think he is.”
“I know,” Jeannie murmured, relieved when the team arrived to cart their second casualty off to the infirmary.
John paced the small room they were waiting in to hear about their two friends. Emily was sitting beside her brother, her face pale as she shook with worry.
Jeannie was leaning against a wall her arms crossed as Parker sat with her head back against the wall, her eyes closed.
“Any news?” Elizabeth asked, appearing through the door.
“Nothing yet,” John replied, “What about from the mainland?”
“Ronon reported that one of the Athonsian’s saw Lieutenant Lyle fall off a cliff into the lake before watching his body get washed out to sea,” Elizabeth told him softly, “From what we can tell, he’s dead.”
“Good,” John murmured.
“John,” Elizabeth gasped shocked.
“Look who was bleeding when we came back,” John snapped, “And tell me I don’t have a right to be happy he’s dead.”
The door opening saved Elizabeth from having to answer.
“Dr Mendes?” Elizabeth stepped forward, “How are they?”
“Dr McKay will be fine,” Mendes explained, “He’ll more than likely have an extreme headache for several days.”
“And Carson?” Elizabeth pushed.
“He lost a lot of blood,” Mendes continued, “But he’s stable. He’ll have to have some physiotherapy but he should regain full use of his arm.”
“Can I see him?” Emily asked softly.
Mendes looked over at her and he gave a smile, “Of course. He’s sleeping for the moment and if he wakes up he’ll be extremely groggy from the painkillers.”
“I understand,” Emily nodded, following him with Jarod at her side.
Carson groaned as he woke up unsure what was going on. Shifting slightly he realised that he was in a bed which in one way was a relief because it meant they were safe but in another it was worrying since he couldn’t remember how he’d got here.
His nose was itching so Carson moved to scratch it but as he moved his arm pain shot through it.
“Stay still,” a soft voice said from his side as a gentle hand touched his forehead.
“Em?” Carson whispered, forcing open his eyes o find her leaning over him, “Are you alright?”
“Better than you,” she smiled down at him before she gently kissed him.
“What happened?” he asked.
“You didn’t get down fast enough,” John said from nearby.
Carson tore his eyes away from Emily to look behind her where Jarod and John were standing, “Is anyone else injured?”
“Rodney collapsed when he got the Jumper back here,” John replied, “Jeannie and Parker are with him.”
Carson nodded unable to stop the yawn making Emily smile.
“Get some rest,” she told him, kissing his forehead.
Carson closed his eyes smiling as he felt her take his hand allowing himself to drift back to sleep.
“I think I’ve seen this place more than my own room,” Jeannie murmured as she took a seat at her brother’s bedside.
Parker nodded, “I know what you mean. I saw a lot of this place the both times I’ve been here.”
Jeannie glanced over at the other woman, “So you’ve decided to be our friend?”
“Don’t start on things you don’t understand,” Parker told Jeannie her voice low with menace.
“And don’t threaten me,” Jeannie replied sharply.
“Could you two keep the noise down?” Rodney groaned from the bed, “I have a thumping headache.”
Jeannie moved to look down on him, “Other than the headache how’re you feeling?”
“I’m fine,” he sighed, “What about Carson?”
“From what we’ve been told,” Parker joined them, “He’s going to be okay.”
Rodney nodded, “Good,” he glanced up at Parker, “Are you avoiding Jarod?”
She frowned at him, “We don’t want anymore casualties.”
He laughed, “I think I’m going to go back to sleep.”
“Do that,” Parker muttered.
He closed his eyes unable to stop the amused smile he wore.
*********************************************
“You look like hell,” Jeannie noted as she found her brother sitting in his lab staring at his laptop about a week later.
“Thanks,” he muttered, slamming his hand on the bench making her jump, “This idiot has this all wrong.”
“You do realise that there is actually no one here but me,” she pointed out, “The beast known as ‘Dr McKay’ doesn’t work on me.”
He frowned at her, “I do actually have a job to do here you know.”
“What’s with you?” Jeannie asked a little shocked.
He sighed rubbing his eyes, “I’m tired okay. I can’t sleep at the moment; every time I lie down to relax I end up waking up because of the pain.”
“Have you spoken to the Doctor?” she pulled up a chair.
Rodney shook his head, “Since part of my Pretend is that I hate Doctors and I only trust Carson…”
“Then go talk to Carson,” Jeannie cried in annoyance.
Rodney opened his mouth to protest but Jeannie cut him off.
“He’s supervising in the infirmary until his arm heals,” Jeannie reminded her brother, “Ask him for some sort of sedative or painkillers because you need to sleep.”
Rodney sighed, “I’ll talk to him,” he conceded, “After I kick Kavanagh’s ass for being such a moron.”
“I’ll be checking up on you,” she told him before wandering back out.
Carson sat at his desk trying to finish a report frustrated as he could only type with one hand. His right arm was strapped to his body and since every single nurse and doctor was constantly monitoring him he couldn’t rip it off.
“You know that’s how I type,” John noted from the door.
“What can I do for you, Colonel?” Carson sighed.
John wandered in and pulled over a chair, “I just wanted to check up on you.”
“I am being smothered by everybody,” Carson muttered annoyed, “When I’m working it’s ‘do you need anything Dr’ or ‘don’t worry we’ll do it’. It’s driving me insane.”
John couldn’t help but laugh.
“And Emily,” Carson groaned, “Don’t get me wrong I love her but she’s constantly hovering over me.”
“She’s just worried about you,” John reminded him, “You know that.”
“Aye, I do but it’s still driving me crazy,” Carson rolled his eyes; he shrugged giving up on finishing his work, “What about you and Jeannie?”
John looked at him confused, “What do you mean?”
“I thought you two…” he trailed off looking embarrassed.
“You’re the second person who’s said that to me,” John frowned.
Carson shrugged, “You have been spending a lot of time together lately.”
“She’s engaged,” John told his friend, “Even if I wanted something to happen it wouldn’t.”
Carson watched John leave and smiled, “I’ve never heard one word about a fiancé.”
“Why am I here?” Parker asked annoyed as she entered the gym early that evening to find Jarod waiting for her.
He was wearing his workout gear and tossed her a set of Athosian fighting sticks, “Since you haven’t spoke to me all week I thought you might like to get it out of your system.”
A slow smile covered her face, “And you’re offering to let me beat you to death?”
“Miss Parker,” Jarod replied, picking up two sticks of his own and readying himself, “I will be defending myself.”
She copied his stance, “Ready?”
“It’s what you’ve been wanting to do for a long time,” Jarod reminder her, “So attack.”
Parker smiled again and started her attack. Jarod countered each move enjoying the sound of the sticks cracking off each other.
“Teyla taught me to do this,” Parker said breathing heavily as they faced each other again, “How did you learn?”
He grinned at her, “I watched.”
“I hate you,” she snapped annoyed.
Jarod shrugged and attacked again. Parker was pushed back as she defended each movement he made before she dropped to the floor and swept his feet out from under him. As Jarod went down she moved onto him pressing the smooth wood against his throat.
“I win,” she smiled down at him.
Jarod gripped the sides of the sticks and pushed her off him, Parker rolled to a stand readying herself to fight again.
“Scared?” she asked as he hesitated.
Jarod smiled, “Are you?”
“Come on Jarod,” she goaded, “Show me what you’ve got.”
He attacked again both of them grinning as they fought; finally he pushed her against the wall trapping her hands above her head.
“I guess I win,” Jarod murmured, staring into her dark eyes.
“Don’t bet on it,” Parker replied as she breathed hard from their exercise.
“I’m sorry I forced you to choose,” Jarod said, releasing her hands, “But if he hadn’t escaped…”
“Shut up, Jarod,” Parker grabbed him round his neck and pulled him into a kiss.
Jarod was a little shocked at her actions but he relaxed into her pressing her against the wall again.
“I think this is more fun than the fighting,” Jarod whispered, his finger gently stroking her cheek.
Parker slipped out from between Jarod and the wall to his surprise, she picked up her things and headed out of the door. She stopped looking back to where he was standing staring at her confused.
“Are you coming?” she asked before disappearing.
*********************************************
Carson opened the door to his rooms stopping amazed to find Emily there with dinner all prepared.
“What’s this?” he asked as she came over to kiss him.
Emily smiled at him, “Since you’ve been so crotchety the past few days. I thought I would bring dinner here and spare everyone else your bad mood.”
“I am not in a bad mood,” he groused, frowning as Emily just looked at him wryly, “Alright maybe I am. But this damn thing is driving me mad.”
Emily rested her hand against his cheek, “The other option is not one I want to think about.”
Carson looked ashamed and drew her close to him with his good arm, “Sorry, Em. I’m not ungrateful that I’m alive, just annoyed by the way everyone is treating me like I cannae do my work.”
“They’re your friends and they’re worried about you,” Emily reminded him, she stretched up and kissed him quickly, “Now we should eat before it gets cold.”
Carson grinned at her releasing her so they could have dinner. Emily being considerate had brought some stew so that he didn’t have to cut anything up. His mind wandered as they ate over how different life had been from the moment they’d confessed their true feelings to one another during their abduction. Emily had practically moved in with him, although her things were spread out across the two rooms she was always there when he finished his shift…the past two days he’d been allowed to do anything.
“Are you okay?” Emily asked as she cleared away their dishes.
“I was just thinking about a few things,” he smiled at her.
Emily finished what she was doing and took him by the arm leading him to the bed, “You need to rest.”
“Em…”
“Carson,” she cut him off, “You look exhausted. For me, just close your eyes for ten, fifteen minutes and if you don’t feel like sleeping then…”
“We’ll do something else?” he grinned at her.
Emily swatted his good shoulder, “Not until you’ve healed, I don’t want to end up in the infirmary trying to explain to your staff who are very protective of you how we managed to burst your stitches.”
Carson laughed and lay down closing his eyes he felt himself relax and sighed knowing she’d been right, he needed to sleep. As he drifted away he felt Emily rest against him and smiled.
“Hey Teyla,” John greeted his team-mate as she joined him on the balcony.
“John,” she smiled, leaning on the rail beside him looking out across the horizon at the sunset, “I see why you are here, it is beautiful.”
He shrugged, “I’m only out here for the fresh air.”
“Of course,” she smiled knowingly, “You’re macho reputation is completely safe.”
John rolled his eyes at her before they fell into silence watching the sunset in companionable silence.
“Can I ask you something?” John turned to her.
“I believe you just did,” Teyla replied smoothly.
“Oh you are a riot,” John glared at her.
“Ask away, Colonel,” Teyla told him softly.
John frowned, “Have you heard any rumours lately concerning me and Jeannie?”
“Of course,” Teyla replied with a shrug.
“What?” he stared at her, “Then what are they?”
Teyla rolled her eyes, “The usual, Colonel. You know what Atlantis is like; two people who even talk to each other for a few seconds are seeing one another.”
“So nothing to worry about?” John asked softly.
“I would be concerned more that you are worried about the rumours,” Teyla smiled before walking away, “Goodnight, John.”
Jeannie knocked on the door to her brother’s room smiling at him as she entered finding him sitting on his bed a book lying open beside him.
“Did you go see Carson?” Jeannie asked him sternly.
Rodney rolled his eyes, “You know I’m old enough to look after myself?”
“I’ve seen the evidence,” Jeannie planted her hands on her hips and stared at him.
“Yes,” he cried after a few minutes, “I went to see him, I got some drugs now leave me alone.”
Jeannie nodded, “Goodnight. Rodney. Sleep well.”
He muttered something under his breath as she left him. Jeannie stuck her hands in her pockets as she walked along the corridors towards the Gateroom. Despite insisting her brother sleep tonight Jeannie was working for a good part of it. Everything that had happened had meant her actual job on Atlantis had suffered and Jeannie had decided this was the best time to catch up on everything. It meant fewer interruptions.
“Hi, Jeannie,” Simms greeted her from the Stargate controls, his grin wide; “Will you be in Weir’s office?”
“That’s where the comfy chair is,” she replied, disappearing into the office.
Once there Jeannie opened up the computer absently tapping in her password as she started sorting through the files Elizabeth had left for her.
It was several hours later Simms appeared offering her some coffee, Jeannie shook her head hoping that she’d be finishing soon. She was tired so Jeannie leaned back against the chair resting her feet on the desk and closed her eyes for a few moments.
Hearing a noise Jeannie started awake, looking up she saw Lyle standing over Simms who was slumped over the console. He turned, saw her and aimed his gun at her.
Jeannie screamed when he fired falling backwards as the glass shattered, she felt something sting her forehead before pain exploded and she fell to the ground unconscious.
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