Fic: Broken Wings (OT4, PG13)
Dec. 14th, 2010 03:22 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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sga_santaTitle: Broken Wings
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
admiralandrea
Pairing: OT4
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 3567
Recipient:ozsaur
Summary: Post Phantoms, the team helps John heal
Disclaimer: Not mine, not for profit
A/N: My recipient asked for either McShep or Team/OT4 and suggested a number of possible episodes for tags/AUs. This is the one that grabbed me. Title stolen from Mr. Mister.
Thanks totelperion_15 and my sister for the beta help, particularly with the first scene and getting the POV sorted out.
~~~
Once they'd finally gotten back to Atlantis on the Daedalus and were in the infirmary, Carson had lost no time in asking Elizabeth to call Kate to come and set up appointment schedules for everyone.
"Everyone?" she checked.
Carson nodded. "Aye, everyone, including me. We'll start with a group meeting and then Kate can schedule when she wants to see people, individually, in pairs and as a team."
"What?" Rodney squawked in horror, the first to respond to what Carson said.
"It'll benefit all of us, Rodney," Carson said solemnly, eyes sweeping round the room where they were arrayed in beds and chairs, depending on the severity of their physical condition. Carson and the Colonel were the only ones not physically injured by the mission, although Ronon's injury was only a graze. However, Carson thought that Colonel Sheppard seemed the most affected. His eyes were haunted, when Carson could get a glimpse of them, the hazel darkened by whatever he'd relived in the forest with Teyla.
Carson could see Rodney catch on to where he was looking and his protests died a quick death. He'd obviously seen the same look in John's eyes as well and Carson knew that Teyla was quite worried about the Colonel. He'd heard her say as much to Rodney when they'd been lying side by side in the infirmary on the Daedalus during their journey back to Atlantis.
Carson knew that Rodney was still pretty horrified that John had actually shot him, but the little Teyla had been able to understand of their situation, she had shared with the two of them. It meant they had a pretty good idea about what John had been seeing back on the planet.
Carson could only hope that John would take the hint and open up quickly, because he had to realize that there was no way Elizabeth would let them back on duty or back through the Gate until this was resolved. Which would leave Caldwell in charge in the interim, no doubt and everyone knew just how much John hated that.
~~~
John was tired, feeling the after-effects of the mission still, having been unable to rest properly on the trip back on the Daedalus. He knew all the ramifications of what had happened to them meant that some time with Kate was inevitable, as was Caldwell taking temporary command of the military. He would have preferred Lorne take over, but with Caldwell here, there was no chance of that happening. Although he had a fairly reasonable working arrangement with Caldwell, he knew it was tenuous at best. Caldwell still resented the fact that Elizabeth had pushed for John's promotion and his continued tenure as head of the military contingent in the city. Therefore any opportunity the other man got to take charge, he jumped on it instantly, just like he had when John had been turned into a bug.
"I want all of you to stay in the infirmary for twenty four hours," Dr. Cole said, interrupting John's wandering thoughts.
"What, why?" John protested. "I have too much to do."
"John, the letters and reports can wait," Elizabeth said, putting a hand on his arm.
He shifted slightly, enough to shrug her hand off, but without it looking deliberate. He couldn't deal with the sympathy right now.
"Dr. Cole is right, lad," Carson chimed in. "It's just a precaution."
"What about all the time we spent in the Daedalus infirmary?" Ronon's question was unexpected, but welcome.
Dr. Cole and Carson were both shaking their heads. "Not long enough," Carson got in first.
"It was two days," John pointed out, getting up to pace the small space available to him in the isolation room. The last thing he needed was to spend more time being studied like a specimen or a creature in a zoo.
"We want to be sure that you're recovered," Elizabeth put in smoothly.
"And we can have our first group session with Kate right here," Carson added.
"Give it up, Sheppard, you're stuck with the rest of us for now," Rodney joined in unexpectedly.
John sighed, running a hand through his hair, frustrated and needing to move. "Just twenty four hours?" he checked.
Dr. Cole nodded in agreement. "I promise, Colonel," she said.
"Alright," John gave in to the inevitable, though probably not as gracefully as he should have.
"I'll see you tomorrow, then," Elizabeth said, leaving the isolation room with a farewell nod.
Dr. Cole handed scrubs to Ronon, Carson and John and they took it in turns to use the tiny bathroom to change and clean up as best they could. The isolation room was crowded as well, with six of them in there. That and the knowledge that someone would be observing them constantly kept John on edge. He still wouldn't be able to get any proper rest.
"Just wait till tomorrow, Sheppard," Ronon rumbled quietly as they settled on adjacent beds. "We'll be out of here and you'll get the help you need to relax properly."
John just grunted, unable to feel comforted, when everything that had happened was still so fresh in his memories. He curled up and pulled the blankets around his ears, closing his eyes. But seconds later, they popped open again, as he was unable to block out the images of Holland and Afghanistan that had come surging back once more.
~~~
After a restless, dream-filled sleep, it was a relief for John when the lights rose to daytime levels and several nurses came into the isolation room with Dr. Cole and Dr. Ramirez from the Daedalus to check them over and serve breakfast.
Once they'd eaten and cleaned up a little in the bathroom, Kate Heightmeyer arrived for their first group therapy session. "All the monitoring equipment has been turned off," she told them as she settled in to the chair she'd brought with her.
John raised an eyebrow at that. "I have Dr. Weir's word, Colonel," she told him and John gave a small nod. He trusted Elizabeth to keep her word.
With that, Kate invited them to take it in turns to briefly describe their experiences on the mission. However, knowing how unlikely it was that anyone would volunteer to start, she turned to Rodney first, asking him to get things going.
Luckily for John's peace of mind, Rodney spent most of his time discussing the equipment and what had happened with Carson, only briefly mentioning what had happened at the end, when John and Teyla had returned and he'd been shot.
Kate was professional and smoothly kept things running, going to Carson and Kagan next, although the latter didn't say much, his injuries meaning he had been unconscious or unaware of his surroundings most of the time.
After they'd had their turn, Ronon went next and John found his thoughts drifting, as he got more and more tense at the prospect of having to relive his experiences yet again. John had guessed what Ronon was going through - seeing Wraith everywhere - so he didn't really listen, until Ronon saying, "And then Sheppard shot me," jerked his attention back to the matter at hand.
John saw that moment again clearly, knew how convinced he'd been that he'd been in a desert facing down the Taliban, rather than an alien forest, chasing someone who was actually part of his family. He got lost again in memories, missing Kate asking Teyla to describe events from her perspective. He didn't need to hear Teyla's descriptions anyway, having a vivid picture of the way he'd dragged her through the trees, hole in her leg, the same way he'd dragged Holland through that damned desert a few years ago.
Then John was aware that Kate was calling his name, had probably called it a couple of times before. He looked up to find everyone staring at him. "Right," he said, clearing his throat. "My turn?"
"Colonel," Kate started to say something, but John didn't let her, interrupting quickly.
"Look, we wanna get finished before lunch, right?" He waved a hand to indicate the group. "Dr. Cole is no doubt eager to check up on her patients."
He didn't miss the sigh of defeat from Kate, nor the way his team were staring at him. At Kate's nod of agreement, he quickly recited what had happened, glossing over the details of his flashback. He knew that if anyone tried to push him on it, he could get away with arguing it was classified. It wasn't even a lie.
He finished with how Teyla had guided him to fix the machine and going to find Carson in the woods with Kagan afterwards. Finished speaking, he sat back and opened the bottle of water he'd been clutching throughout his recitation, glad to drink down the contents and ignore the looks from everyone else.
"Thank you, Colonel," Kate said with a little nod; closing the notebook she'd been scribbling in throughout the session. He was grateful for the fact that she only used handwritten notes, because the SGC hadn't caught on to that bit of information. It meant that she could choose what she put into their official electronic records, something all his team could be glad about.
"Are we free to go now?" Ronon asked.
"One final check from Dr. Cole and you should be good to go," Carson said, as they all stood up and stretched. "Teyla, Rodney, Lt. Kagan, I expect you'll need to stay in the infirmary a wee bit longer, though, but no longer in isolation."
"Of course, Dr. Beckett," Teyla agreed. Rodney just grunted, probably having guessed as much already.
John was just glad he wouldn't be staying. A long shower in his own quarters and then either a run or some sparring with Ronon seemed like the ideal way to spend the rest of the day.
As Kate left, Dr. Cole and several nurses came in and they spent time getting checked and having lunch as a team, before Dr. Cole told John and Ronon they were free to leave. They waved a hasty goodbye to Teyla and Rodney, who were being prepared for the ride back to the infirmary, then headed to their quarters, glad to be free at last.
~~~
The next several days, Ronon fell into a routine with Sheppard, the two of them running together in the mornings and sparring in the afternoon, with Sheppard disappearing in between to do his military stuff with Lorne and Caldwell. Meals were eaten with the rest of the team in the infirmary, where Rodney bitched about being bored and Teyla tried to get Sheppard to talk.
Sheppard remained quieter than usual - as quiet as Ronon himself most of the time. Ronon guessed it was due to Caldwell's continued presence, as much as the after-effects of the mission. Sheppard was still seeing Heightmeyer, usually in the evenings, which meant he rarely ate more than a few bites of dinner, instead passing the plate to Ronon or Rodney to finish.
Ronon had managed to escape with only one further appointment, which he knew Sheppard resented, but seeing Wraith and chasing them through the woods when they weren't real wasn't that different that some of what Ronon had experienced as a Runner anyway. Ronon knew that Sheppard was frustrated, but with Teyla and Rodney still injured, there was nothing he could do about it. This needed the whole team to fix it.
The news that Teyla and Rodney were finally being discharged from the infirmary was like music to everyone's ears, even though Teyla was going to be on crutches and Rodney was on restricted duties. Ronon volunteered to keep McKay company on the trip back to his quarters, leaving Sheppard with Teyla. That earned him a wounded look, but he figured Sheppard would have to deal - right now, he needed Teyla more than he did McKay. Even on crutches, Teyla would kick Sheppard's ass for him.
~~~
John was pleased to see the rest of his team getting out of the infirmary, although he couldn't help a glare at Ronon when he maneuvered things so that John was left to help Teyla back to her quarters. That wasn't the way things usually worked in the team and John felt a bit betrayed by it. He knew Teyla was going to try and make him talk.
"Thank you for your assistance, John," Teyla said as he palmed the crystals to her door.
He gave a little nod as he followed her inside. "Sure," he said. "Happy to help."
Teyla's look told him she was on to him and his lack of enthusiasm and he sighed as he helped her settle on her bed.
"John," she began and he raised a hand, shaking his head.
"Look, Teyla, can it wait, please? I have to go meet Caldwell about requisitions in ten minutes. We can talk later, the whole team, okay?" John asked. He wasn't above using his job to get out of there, even if he was less than enthusiastic about yet another round of ammunition counting with Caldwell.
"Very well then, John, I will see you for dinner, yes?" Teyla agreed with a nod of the head.
"Yes, dinner, of course," John agreed, knowing better than to try and treat the suggestion as anything other than an order. He beat a hasty retreat, heading for the transporter than would take him to the office Caldwell had taken over during his stay in the city. As he disappeared, he missed Ronon and Rodney approaching Teyla's quarters, ready to make plans for that evening.
~~~
Because Lorne was almost as eager to get Sheppard back in command as his team was, Rodney had no trouble in getting the Major to radio him as soon as the meeting with Caldwell was over. None of them put it past Sheppard to do a disappearing trick if he wasn't closely monitored. Meantime, Teyla had informed Kate Heightmeyer that John wouldn't be attending his appointment that evening, because his team planned an intervention on his ass. Not that Teyla had phrased it like that of course. But she had convinced Kate to give John a free pass this once, because Kate knew that John responded far better to his team than he did to her. She might not officially know the exact nature of their relationship, but she knew enough to be willing to try an alternative approach, now that Teyla and Rodney were free of the infirmary and truly guaranteed their privacy.
So when Lorne radioed to say that the meeting was done and Caldwell had gone back to his ship for the evening, Rodney had lost no time in calling up Sheppard.
"Sheppard, team dinner, Teyla's quarters, now," he said peremptorily, not even giving John a chance to start to sputter in agreement or otherwise, before cutting the connection and pulling out his radio once more. They all knew exactly how long it would take John to reach them from the control tower where Caldwell's temporary office was set up and if John was a minute past that time, Ronon would go hunting for him.
Fortunately, it didn't come to that. The door slid open right on time and a sulky-looking John stood in the doorway.
"Come in, John," Teyla told him graciously, from her position on the bed. Rodney was beside her, with Ronon slouched at their feet. Dinner was a tray filled with plates of finger foods, including all of John's Pegasus favorites and some sparkling Athosian wine, that was actually mostly non-alcoholic, but still guaranteed to relax even one as stubborn as John could be.
John came into the room, allowing the door to slide shut behind him. He turned briefly as the locks engaged, but was already removing his radio and stripping off his shirt, as he kicked off his boots, which were barely laced as ever.
Ronon held out one hand in invitation and John crossed over to where he sprawled at the foot of the bed. "Let's eat," Ronon said, his gruff tone at odds with the gentle way he tugged John into position resting against him.
Rodney could see John slowly relaxing against Ronon, as they ate dinner and chatted about nothing much, taking the chance to enjoy each other's company in privacy. They hadn't been alone together since before the mission and all of them had missed the opportunity just to hang out together, without any pressure or expectations. When they were like this, rank and position had no meaning, which was something that both John and Rodney enjoyed in equal measure.
John was the first to finish. "I'm done," he groaned, trying to shift away from Ronon, who wasn't having any of it.
"You're going nowhere," Rodney told him smugly.
John glared at him. "You know I have an appointment with Heightmeyer," he pointed out. "You've all been on my case about keeping up with the schedule enough the last few days."
"I have told Kate you will not be coming this evening, John," Teyla told him calmly. "I believe your time would be better served sharing with us tonight."
"What? Teyla!" John protested and tried again to pull away from Ronon. "C'mon buddy, let me go," he urged.
"No, John," Ronon said, keeping a firm hold on him. This reaction was precisely why they'd positioned themselves they way they had.
John struggled, even though he had to know it was futile trying to get away from Ronon, who was always going to be just that bit bigger and stronger, to say nothing of being several years younger than John. Whatever dirty tricks John tried to pull, Ronon was able to counter, until eventually John had to give up and lie there, panting for breath.
Rodney and Teyla had watched carefully for signs of distress on John's part, not wanting to take this too far and risk John being hurt or genuinely angry. But Rodney knew that John wasn't really serious about wanting to leave. He just wanted the security and safety that he got from knowing how much his team cared about him. Ronon holding on to him and not letting him get away gave him that assurance.
"If you're done," Rodney told him, when John had caught his breath again, "It's time for you to start talking."
John huffed out a breath in annoyance, glaring at Rodney, but at the same time, his posture relaxed once more and he let his weight rest back against Ronon again. That allowed Rodney to relax in turn, because he knew now that John was going to tell them the full story of what had happened in Afghanistan and how he'd ended up in Antarctica.
John spoke in a low, emotionless voice, telling them the story of Holland and the Taliban. As he talked, Ronon shifted them so that Teyla and Rodney were on either side of John, allowing them all to hold him.
"He is not the first friend you lost in service, is he John?" Teyla asked softly, when he finally fell silent, one hand on his arm.
John looked up, startled by her question. "I remember on the mist planet," Teyla reminded him. "There were two men there, friends of yours, that you said were dead."
John turned his head, face pressed to Rodney's shoulder, surprised that Teyla had remembered that.
"It was in our first year," Rodney told Ronon, a shudder running through him at the memory. Ronon nodded, willing to wait to hear the story another time. While John and Teyla had both told him about some of the missions during the first year of the expedition, he knew that he'd not heard them all.
Ronon turned back to John, who was still tucked into Rodney's side, face hidden from view. His earlier tension had returned full force, despite the fact both Teyla and Rodney had their hands on him, trying to soothe him. Ronon shifted closer and added his own touch to the mix. Somehow, that seemed to do the trick and John slowly relaxed once more.
Rodney finally looked at Teyla, then Ronon. "He's asleep," he said quietly.
"Good, it is for the best," Teyla said and Ronon nodded agreement. This was what John had needed all along, not sessions with Heightmeyer. His team had always been best at giving John comfort and acceptance, as well as love and support. They knew how to touch him, when to back off and when to push, as Ronon had tonight.
"We should sleep as well," Ronon said.
"Yes," Teyla agreed, "But let us all get a little more comfortable first."
Ronon nodded, slipping from the bed to strip down to his underwear. He then helped Teyla do the same, mindful of her injured leg, before settling her back on the bed again. John was limp in sleep, something that only happened with the team, so Ronon manhandled him gently from Rodney's grasp, undressing him easily, while Rodney pulled off his own clothes quickly. Once they were done, John was positioned back in Rodney's embrace, with Teyla at his back. Ronon took his usual place behind Teyla, the three of them all touching each other and John in some way.
Soon, the only sound in the room was their breathing, as they all gave in to sleep, relieved to be together and whole once more.
Author:
admiralandreaPairing: OT4
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 3567
Recipient:
ozsaurSummary: Post Phantoms, the team helps John heal
Disclaimer: Not mine, not for profit
A/N: My recipient asked for either McShep or Team/OT4 and suggested a number of possible episodes for tags/AUs. This is the one that grabbed me. Title stolen from Mr. Mister.
Thanks to
telperion_15 and my sister for the beta help, particularly with the first scene and getting the POV sorted out. ~~~
Once they'd finally gotten back to Atlantis on the Daedalus and were in the infirmary, Carson had lost no time in asking Elizabeth to call Kate to come and set up appointment schedules for everyone.
"Everyone?" she checked.
Carson nodded. "Aye, everyone, including me. We'll start with a group meeting and then Kate can schedule when she wants to see people, individually, in pairs and as a team."
"What?" Rodney squawked in horror, the first to respond to what Carson said.
"It'll benefit all of us, Rodney," Carson said solemnly, eyes sweeping round the room where they were arrayed in beds and chairs, depending on the severity of their physical condition. Carson and the Colonel were the only ones not physically injured by the mission, although Ronon's injury was only a graze. However, Carson thought that Colonel Sheppard seemed the most affected. His eyes were haunted, when Carson could get a glimpse of them, the hazel darkened by whatever he'd relived in the forest with Teyla.
Carson could see Rodney catch on to where he was looking and his protests died a quick death. He'd obviously seen the same look in John's eyes as well and Carson knew that Teyla was quite worried about the Colonel. He'd heard her say as much to Rodney when they'd been lying side by side in the infirmary on the Daedalus during their journey back to Atlantis.
Carson knew that Rodney was still pretty horrified that John had actually shot him, but the little Teyla had been able to understand of their situation, she had shared with the two of them. It meant they had a pretty good idea about what John had been seeing back on the planet.
Carson could only hope that John would take the hint and open up quickly, because he had to realize that there was no way Elizabeth would let them back on duty or back through the Gate until this was resolved. Which would leave Caldwell in charge in the interim, no doubt and everyone knew just how much John hated that.
~~~
John was tired, feeling the after-effects of the mission still, having been unable to rest properly on the trip back on the Daedalus. He knew all the ramifications of what had happened to them meant that some time with Kate was inevitable, as was Caldwell taking temporary command of the military. He would have preferred Lorne take over, but with Caldwell here, there was no chance of that happening. Although he had a fairly reasonable working arrangement with Caldwell, he knew it was tenuous at best. Caldwell still resented the fact that Elizabeth had pushed for John's promotion and his continued tenure as head of the military contingent in the city. Therefore any opportunity the other man got to take charge, he jumped on it instantly, just like he had when John had been turned into a bug.
"I want all of you to stay in the infirmary for twenty four hours," Dr. Cole said, interrupting John's wandering thoughts.
"What, why?" John protested. "I have too much to do."
"John, the letters and reports can wait," Elizabeth said, putting a hand on his arm.
He shifted slightly, enough to shrug her hand off, but without it looking deliberate. He couldn't deal with the sympathy right now.
"Dr. Cole is right, lad," Carson chimed in. "It's just a precaution."
"What about all the time we spent in the Daedalus infirmary?" Ronon's question was unexpected, but welcome.
Dr. Cole and Carson were both shaking their heads. "Not long enough," Carson got in first.
"It was two days," John pointed out, getting up to pace the small space available to him in the isolation room. The last thing he needed was to spend more time being studied like a specimen or a creature in a zoo.
"We want to be sure that you're recovered," Elizabeth put in smoothly.
"And we can have our first group session with Kate right here," Carson added.
"Give it up, Sheppard, you're stuck with the rest of us for now," Rodney joined in unexpectedly.
John sighed, running a hand through his hair, frustrated and needing to move. "Just twenty four hours?" he checked.
Dr. Cole nodded in agreement. "I promise, Colonel," she said.
"Alright," John gave in to the inevitable, though probably not as gracefully as he should have.
"I'll see you tomorrow, then," Elizabeth said, leaving the isolation room with a farewell nod.
Dr. Cole handed scrubs to Ronon, Carson and John and they took it in turns to use the tiny bathroom to change and clean up as best they could. The isolation room was crowded as well, with six of them in there. That and the knowledge that someone would be observing them constantly kept John on edge. He still wouldn't be able to get any proper rest.
"Just wait till tomorrow, Sheppard," Ronon rumbled quietly as they settled on adjacent beds. "We'll be out of here and you'll get the help you need to relax properly."
John just grunted, unable to feel comforted, when everything that had happened was still so fresh in his memories. He curled up and pulled the blankets around his ears, closing his eyes. But seconds later, they popped open again, as he was unable to block out the images of Holland and Afghanistan that had come surging back once more.
~~~
After a restless, dream-filled sleep, it was a relief for John when the lights rose to daytime levels and several nurses came into the isolation room with Dr. Cole and Dr. Ramirez from the Daedalus to check them over and serve breakfast.
Once they'd eaten and cleaned up a little in the bathroom, Kate Heightmeyer arrived for their first group therapy session. "All the monitoring equipment has been turned off," she told them as she settled in to the chair she'd brought with her.
John raised an eyebrow at that. "I have Dr. Weir's word, Colonel," she told him and John gave a small nod. He trusted Elizabeth to keep her word.
With that, Kate invited them to take it in turns to briefly describe their experiences on the mission. However, knowing how unlikely it was that anyone would volunteer to start, she turned to Rodney first, asking him to get things going.
Luckily for John's peace of mind, Rodney spent most of his time discussing the equipment and what had happened with Carson, only briefly mentioning what had happened at the end, when John and Teyla had returned and he'd been shot.
Kate was professional and smoothly kept things running, going to Carson and Kagan next, although the latter didn't say much, his injuries meaning he had been unconscious or unaware of his surroundings most of the time.
After they'd had their turn, Ronon went next and John found his thoughts drifting, as he got more and more tense at the prospect of having to relive his experiences yet again. John had guessed what Ronon was going through - seeing Wraith everywhere - so he didn't really listen, until Ronon saying, "And then Sheppard shot me," jerked his attention back to the matter at hand.
John saw that moment again clearly, knew how convinced he'd been that he'd been in a desert facing down the Taliban, rather than an alien forest, chasing someone who was actually part of his family. He got lost again in memories, missing Kate asking Teyla to describe events from her perspective. He didn't need to hear Teyla's descriptions anyway, having a vivid picture of the way he'd dragged her through the trees, hole in her leg, the same way he'd dragged Holland through that damned desert a few years ago.
Then John was aware that Kate was calling his name, had probably called it a couple of times before. He looked up to find everyone staring at him. "Right," he said, clearing his throat. "My turn?"
"Colonel," Kate started to say something, but John didn't let her, interrupting quickly.
"Look, we wanna get finished before lunch, right?" He waved a hand to indicate the group. "Dr. Cole is no doubt eager to check up on her patients."
He didn't miss the sigh of defeat from Kate, nor the way his team were staring at him. At Kate's nod of agreement, he quickly recited what had happened, glossing over the details of his flashback. He knew that if anyone tried to push him on it, he could get away with arguing it was classified. It wasn't even a lie.
He finished with how Teyla had guided him to fix the machine and going to find Carson in the woods with Kagan afterwards. Finished speaking, he sat back and opened the bottle of water he'd been clutching throughout his recitation, glad to drink down the contents and ignore the looks from everyone else.
"Thank you, Colonel," Kate said with a little nod; closing the notebook she'd been scribbling in throughout the session. He was grateful for the fact that she only used handwritten notes, because the SGC hadn't caught on to that bit of information. It meant that she could choose what she put into their official electronic records, something all his team could be glad about.
"Are we free to go now?" Ronon asked.
"One final check from Dr. Cole and you should be good to go," Carson said, as they all stood up and stretched. "Teyla, Rodney, Lt. Kagan, I expect you'll need to stay in the infirmary a wee bit longer, though, but no longer in isolation."
"Of course, Dr. Beckett," Teyla agreed. Rodney just grunted, probably having guessed as much already.
John was just glad he wouldn't be staying. A long shower in his own quarters and then either a run or some sparring with Ronon seemed like the ideal way to spend the rest of the day.
As Kate left, Dr. Cole and several nurses came in and they spent time getting checked and having lunch as a team, before Dr. Cole told John and Ronon they were free to leave. They waved a hasty goodbye to Teyla and Rodney, who were being prepared for the ride back to the infirmary, then headed to their quarters, glad to be free at last.
~~~
The next several days, Ronon fell into a routine with Sheppard, the two of them running together in the mornings and sparring in the afternoon, with Sheppard disappearing in between to do his military stuff with Lorne and Caldwell. Meals were eaten with the rest of the team in the infirmary, where Rodney bitched about being bored and Teyla tried to get Sheppard to talk.
Sheppard remained quieter than usual - as quiet as Ronon himself most of the time. Ronon guessed it was due to Caldwell's continued presence, as much as the after-effects of the mission. Sheppard was still seeing Heightmeyer, usually in the evenings, which meant he rarely ate more than a few bites of dinner, instead passing the plate to Ronon or Rodney to finish.
Ronon had managed to escape with only one further appointment, which he knew Sheppard resented, but seeing Wraith and chasing them through the woods when they weren't real wasn't that different that some of what Ronon had experienced as a Runner anyway. Ronon knew that Sheppard was frustrated, but with Teyla and Rodney still injured, there was nothing he could do about it. This needed the whole team to fix it.
The news that Teyla and Rodney were finally being discharged from the infirmary was like music to everyone's ears, even though Teyla was going to be on crutches and Rodney was on restricted duties. Ronon volunteered to keep McKay company on the trip back to his quarters, leaving Sheppard with Teyla. That earned him a wounded look, but he figured Sheppard would have to deal - right now, he needed Teyla more than he did McKay. Even on crutches, Teyla would kick Sheppard's ass for him.
~~~
John was pleased to see the rest of his team getting out of the infirmary, although he couldn't help a glare at Ronon when he maneuvered things so that John was left to help Teyla back to her quarters. That wasn't the way things usually worked in the team and John felt a bit betrayed by it. He knew Teyla was going to try and make him talk.
"Thank you for your assistance, John," Teyla said as he palmed the crystals to her door.
He gave a little nod as he followed her inside. "Sure," he said. "Happy to help."
Teyla's look told him she was on to him and his lack of enthusiasm and he sighed as he helped her settle on her bed.
"John," she began and he raised a hand, shaking his head.
"Look, Teyla, can it wait, please? I have to go meet Caldwell about requisitions in ten minutes. We can talk later, the whole team, okay?" John asked. He wasn't above using his job to get out of there, even if he was less than enthusiastic about yet another round of ammunition counting with Caldwell.
"Very well then, John, I will see you for dinner, yes?" Teyla agreed with a nod of the head.
"Yes, dinner, of course," John agreed, knowing better than to try and treat the suggestion as anything other than an order. He beat a hasty retreat, heading for the transporter than would take him to the office Caldwell had taken over during his stay in the city. As he disappeared, he missed Ronon and Rodney approaching Teyla's quarters, ready to make plans for that evening.
~~~
Because Lorne was almost as eager to get Sheppard back in command as his team was, Rodney had no trouble in getting the Major to radio him as soon as the meeting with Caldwell was over. None of them put it past Sheppard to do a disappearing trick if he wasn't closely monitored. Meantime, Teyla had informed Kate Heightmeyer that John wouldn't be attending his appointment that evening, because his team planned an intervention on his ass. Not that Teyla had phrased it like that of course. But she had convinced Kate to give John a free pass this once, because Kate knew that John responded far better to his team than he did to her. She might not officially know the exact nature of their relationship, but she knew enough to be willing to try an alternative approach, now that Teyla and Rodney were free of the infirmary and truly guaranteed their privacy.
So when Lorne radioed to say that the meeting was done and Caldwell had gone back to his ship for the evening, Rodney had lost no time in calling up Sheppard.
"Sheppard, team dinner, Teyla's quarters, now," he said peremptorily, not even giving John a chance to start to sputter in agreement or otherwise, before cutting the connection and pulling out his radio once more. They all knew exactly how long it would take John to reach them from the control tower where Caldwell's temporary office was set up and if John was a minute past that time, Ronon would go hunting for him.
Fortunately, it didn't come to that. The door slid open right on time and a sulky-looking John stood in the doorway.
"Come in, John," Teyla told him graciously, from her position on the bed. Rodney was beside her, with Ronon slouched at their feet. Dinner was a tray filled with plates of finger foods, including all of John's Pegasus favorites and some sparkling Athosian wine, that was actually mostly non-alcoholic, but still guaranteed to relax even one as stubborn as John could be.
John came into the room, allowing the door to slide shut behind him. He turned briefly as the locks engaged, but was already removing his radio and stripping off his shirt, as he kicked off his boots, which were barely laced as ever.
Ronon held out one hand in invitation and John crossed over to where he sprawled at the foot of the bed. "Let's eat," Ronon said, his gruff tone at odds with the gentle way he tugged John into position resting against him.
Rodney could see John slowly relaxing against Ronon, as they ate dinner and chatted about nothing much, taking the chance to enjoy each other's company in privacy. They hadn't been alone together since before the mission and all of them had missed the opportunity just to hang out together, without any pressure or expectations. When they were like this, rank and position had no meaning, which was something that both John and Rodney enjoyed in equal measure.
John was the first to finish. "I'm done," he groaned, trying to shift away from Ronon, who wasn't having any of it.
"You're going nowhere," Rodney told him smugly.
John glared at him. "You know I have an appointment with Heightmeyer," he pointed out. "You've all been on my case about keeping up with the schedule enough the last few days."
"I have told Kate you will not be coming this evening, John," Teyla told him calmly. "I believe your time would be better served sharing with us tonight."
"What? Teyla!" John protested and tried again to pull away from Ronon. "C'mon buddy, let me go," he urged.
"No, John," Ronon said, keeping a firm hold on him. This reaction was precisely why they'd positioned themselves they way they had.
John struggled, even though he had to know it was futile trying to get away from Ronon, who was always going to be just that bit bigger and stronger, to say nothing of being several years younger than John. Whatever dirty tricks John tried to pull, Ronon was able to counter, until eventually John had to give up and lie there, panting for breath.
Rodney and Teyla had watched carefully for signs of distress on John's part, not wanting to take this too far and risk John being hurt or genuinely angry. But Rodney knew that John wasn't really serious about wanting to leave. He just wanted the security and safety that he got from knowing how much his team cared about him. Ronon holding on to him and not letting him get away gave him that assurance.
"If you're done," Rodney told him, when John had caught his breath again, "It's time for you to start talking."
John huffed out a breath in annoyance, glaring at Rodney, but at the same time, his posture relaxed once more and he let his weight rest back against Ronon again. That allowed Rodney to relax in turn, because he knew now that John was going to tell them the full story of what had happened in Afghanistan and how he'd ended up in Antarctica.
John spoke in a low, emotionless voice, telling them the story of Holland and the Taliban. As he talked, Ronon shifted them so that Teyla and Rodney were on either side of John, allowing them all to hold him.
"He is not the first friend you lost in service, is he John?" Teyla asked softly, when he finally fell silent, one hand on his arm.
John looked up, startled by her question. "I remember on the mist planet," Teyla reminded him. "There were two men there, friends of yours, that you said were dead."
John turned his head, face pressed to Rodney's shoulder, surprised that Teyla had remembered that.
"It was in our first year," Rodney told Ronon, a shudder running through him at the memory. Ronon nodded, willing to wait to hear the story another time. While John and Teyla had both told him about some of the missions during the first year of the expedition, he knew that he'd not heard them all.
Ronon turned back to John, who was still tucked into Rodney's side, face hidden from view. His earlier tension had returned full force, despite the fact both Teyla and Rodney had their hands on him, trying to soothe him. Ronon shifted closer and added his own touch to the mix. Somehow, that seemed to do the trick and John slowly relaxed once more.
Rodney finally looked at Teyla, then Ronon. "He's asleep," he said quietly.
"Good, it is for the best," Teyla said and Ronon nodded agreement. This was what John had needed all along, not sessions with Heightmeyer. His team had always been best at giving John comfort and acceptance, as well as love and support. They knew how to touch him, when to back off and when to push, as Ronon had tonight.
"We should sleep as well," Ronon said.
"Yes," Teyla agreed, "But let us all get a little more comfortable first."
Ronon nodded, slipping from the bed to strip down to his underwear. He then helped Teyla do the same, mindful of her injured leg, before settling her back on the bed again. John was limp in sleep, something that only happened with the team, so Ronon manhandled him gently from Rodney's grasp, undressing him easily, while Rodney pulled off his own clothes quickly. Once they were done, John was positioned back in Rodney's embrace, with Teyla at his back. Ronon took his usual place behind Teyla, the three of them all touching each other and John in some way.
Soon, the only sound in the room was their breathing, as they all gave in to sleep, relieved to be together and whole once more.
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