AN: Ok… this is my first ever SGA fic, and I'm going to be honest with you, its nothing very original. Simply a tag to the episode "Common Ground." Now, I personally can't get enough of tags to certain episodes, such as this one, so some of you may enjoy this even if it is familiar. I just want to start with something safe for the time being until I feel more comfortable with venturing out too far.
So… here's a tag. I think I read a similar one to this, though I hope it is not too much alike. I'm also rather long-winded and have gone into great detail and descriptions. If its not your thing, that's cool.
Genre: I though I'd add this because it starts off a little slow, but more Shep whump will come. But this is mostly a friendship piece and how everyone reacts to watching such a horrific thing happen to someone they care about. There are a couple of ways to react, and I just chose one so… we'll see.
Disclaimer: Not mine… just playing around with them.
Well, it had been another interesting day. Or couple of days, he wasn't completely sure. With both the Wraith feedings and the fact that his holding cell had been very dark, he had no real way of knowing how long he was gone until he out-right asked someone, and right now, that wouldn't be an easy thing to do.
When they had first seen him in the forest, he knew that they were shocked, and they had reason to be. And frankly, he was just as shocked, if not more than they were. At one moment, he had knowingly been on death's doorstep, preparing himself for the inevitable, the next, adrenaline was pumping through his veins like he was a teen again.
He couldn't explain it then, and there was no chance in hell he could explain it now. Not that he would want to at the current moment. There was no denying it, he was exhausted. Maybe even a little more than that.
When he had first been given his youth, his life back, he had felt almost normal, and the feeling had lasted all the way until he was back on the ship after dropping off the Wraith. Now however, every bit of adrenaline was gone and he was sore all over. Though it was all dull aches, nothing too serious.
So here he sat, in the back of the Jumper and off to the right side, his head leaning against the wall and his eyes shut. He had not wanted to fly the ship, not that they would have allowed him to, but he also didn't want to be anywhere where he felt like he was in the spotlight. The amazed stares had been continuous all the way up until now, which oddly enough seemed like no one wanted to look at him, except Beckett. And even his worried gaze seemed forced.
"Colonel," the Doctor said almost nervously. "We… I need to know what's going on… you.. You must be hurt…"
John reluctantly forced his head up and opened his eyes, and felt a major headache pulsating through his temples. Right away he noticed Rodney looking back at him, but the man quickly turned away, looking somewhat horrified, when John had locked eyes with him.
John shrugged it off, not wanting to dwell over it now, and instead turned to meet Beckett's glare.
"I wish I could tell you something, Doc, but I'm just as clueless as all of you," he offered, knowing he had skipped the part about "hurting" and also knowing that Beckett had been wanting something else. Anything else to explain what was going on… Why Sheppard was sitting here before him, looking as good as new.
Beckett looked away, not really sure how to respond. He always hated when something happened that he had no information on. No way to know what was going on. Especially when it came to the Colonel, as his respect for the man was always growing.
"Well… Well what about the pain," Beckett asked again, causing John to sigh. He had tried to avoid it, but he had known that it wouldn't last.
It wasn't that he was trying to be a big man and show no pain, and it wasn't that he was in any sort of denial that something may still be wrong with him; It was simply that he didn't want to explain how crappy he felt in front of his team, who apparently had been watching him slowly, painfully die hours ago.
"I'm fine," John answered, letting his head fall back again to it's original place against the wall of the Jumper.
"Oh no you don't, Colonel. I know what that means with you, so don't even try…"
"Well what about Rodney," John interrupted, bringing his head back up slowly. "I don't think I've ever heard him this quiet. I think that's much more alarming that me right now…" He had been hoping to kill two birds with that last comment; Lighten the mood and stall the pain question.
And it had seemed to work. Halfway at least. Rodney, nor anyone else made the smallest remark or even looked his way. But it did stall the question.
Not good, John thought wearily, again letting his head fall back.
He knew Beckett would be trying again at any moment, but for right now, he was perfectly happy pretending to be dozing off.
"Rodney," a small, nervous voice came echoing through the Jumper. "I… Um… what's your position?" John heard her voice stiffen towards the end as she attempted to sound more professional. It then occurred to him that she still thought he was a frail, dying old man. Hell, she may even think he's dead right now.
John rolled his head to the side slightly so that the back of Rodney's head was in his view. He watched the man hesitate, then turn for support to Teyla, who didn't seem to have anything to offer him.
"We're… we're only a few minutes off. I'm dialing in…"
John chuckled at his friend's nervous words. It wasn't that he found Rodney's nervous rambling funny, because he didn't. It was simply that everyone knew what Elizabeth was really wanting to know, and now that Rodney completely avoided that information, it would only make Elizabeth and everyone else listening in on the conversation think that John was either dead or dying.
"Right. Raise the shields." There was a quick pause, then she spoke again, this time, in a quiet tone. "We… we have a medical team standing by. Beckett, is this an emergency?"
John laughed under his breath again; She was dancing all around the ultimate question. Part of him wanted to grab a headset and tell her straight up that he was fine. But his body was just not in the mood and he was much too comfortable for that. So instead, he assumed Beckett's response would better clear things up.
"Aye, we're going to treat it like one," Beckett replied after a short pause. His comment made John's head pop back up, knowing that reply would in no way tell Elizabeth, or any of the other twenty people around her, that he was going to come walking to the Jumper Bay, looking completely normal as apposed to what they had previously seen.
Beckett met John's eyes and made it clear that this was payback for not being straight and answering his questions fully.
"Fine," John responded under his breath. "But I'm not getting on that gurney."
And to his surprise, Beckett said nothing else.
She wanted so badly to prepare herself, but she still wasn't sure what to prepare herself for. They had all seen the Wraith feedings; Seen the life slowly slip away from Colonel Sheppard's body and watch him turn into an old, graying man. And as bad as that sounded, she knew that what she had seen could only be the best case scenario at this time. She knew as well as the next person that people rarely, if ever, survived Wraith feedings.
Even John Sheppard had to abide by that rule.
Elizabeth sighed as the knots in her stomach tightened. They would be here any moment, and out would come Sheppard is some horrific form, and if, however unlikely, he was conscious, then she would have to do her best not to appear too shocked, or too upset. But she also knew that would be hard, which made a part of her not want to be there at all.
"They're in, Dr. Weir. Be here any second," a technician said from behind her, making the knot in her stomach reach a critical point.
What if he is dead, she thought suddenly. Dr. Beckett's comments, as well as Rodney's did not apply he was living nor dying, but surely they would have said something if he was dead. And what on earth could Dr. Beckett's last words mean? Going to treat it like one?
But, she dwelled on it no longer as the Jumper appeared before them. She looked around quickly and saw all of the faces in the room expressing so many different emotions. John Sheppard was a good man and was highly respected by everyone at Atlantis, and they had all seen him at probably his lowest points. And maybe there was still more to come.
Rodney was the first to come out, and looked as though he couldn't get out faster. Not a good sign, Elizabeth thought horrifically as she slowly descended the stairs. Next was Teyla, who kept looking back with a worried expression as she continued to exit the Jumper. Not much else happened next. That is to say, no one came flying out holding a frail, dying man in their arms.
The medical team must have reached their maximum amount of anxiety and they quickly ran forward with a gurney and several other medical supplies. Elizabeth suddenly felt herself holding her breath.
But before the medical team could get to the ramp of the Jumper, Beckett appeared and held out his hand, signifying for them to stop, also making Elizabeth halt her descent down the stairs.
She then saw some movement behind Beckett. It was slow moving, but definitely standing on it's own accord. Ronon then appeared behind Beckett and the other figure, looking as though he was ready to catch the figure, should he fall. It.. It couldn't be, Weir told herself. There was no way John would be walking, and she knew that.
But there was no mistaking the fact that the figure was wearing the same BDU's and black shirt that Sheppard always wore. No, wears, she corrected herself quickly. If only they would move so she could see the figure's face.
Then reality started to dawn on her: Why would Beckett be leaving the Jumper without attending to John? But still, it didn't make sense… Her curiosity made her continue walking down the steps, though with much hesitation.
And it wasn't until she was on level ground, completely off the stairs that she saw him. Saw Sheppard. And he was not graying, and he was not old. He was… Sheppard.
The oxygen caught in her lungs and she felt distinctly as though her heart had stopped. Most of the sounds in the room dissipated and she was suddenly alone with the same John Sheppard that she had always known. But how?
Without knowing it, she was now walking towards the small group of people, now standing at the base of the ramp, apparently discussing something related to the gurney.
"Sir… I… I just think he should…" one of the nurses said to Beckett, while nervously shooting glances over at Shepperd.
"He doesn't want it Sheila, just… let's get him down there now and in one piece, if you don't mind."
"You do know I'm standing right here," Sheppard asked wearily before he started walking again, apparently not noticing Elizabeth nearly galloping to him now. And yet, before she even got near enough to touch him, she slammed on breaks.
"Beckett…" she managed to get out, still staring at the back of Sheppard's head.
"Elizabeth," Beckett began in his serious doctor-voice. "Now is not the time. We really must get him.."
"Hello Elizabeth," John said tiredly, then turned slowly to face her. He then looked up at the dozen faces gaping down at him. "Hello everyone," he said and waved half-heartedly. "Guess what. I'm alive, and oddly enough, not dying. At least not that I know of. But, I am tired, and yes Doc, I'm not feeling all that great either. So, I'm going to go down to the infirmary without a fight, but I will be walking there. Goodnight everyone," John finished, turning away and slowly began walking, leaving everyone stunned.
Beckett quickly snapped out of it, and continued after the Colonel, who was still be closely followed by Ronon, and Ronon alone.
And at that moment, Elizabeth couldn't decide what was more alarming: the fact that John Sheppard was alive and… well, or the fact that only Ronon was following his CO and friend to the infirmary, while Teyla stood by, staring at her feet, and Rodney hadn't been seen at all since he practically ran out of the Jumper.
Regardless, Elizabeth was shocked beyond words, and it kept her frozen in the same spot for what seemed like hours.
Part of her wanted to reason that what she had just seen was not real. That it was all a dream. But, as she allowed the world around her to come into clearer view, she knew everything felt much too real for a dream.
She took one last look at the stunned technicians above, and at Teyla, who was still not looking at anyone.
"Raise… raise the shields," Elizabeth said, bringing everyone back to "real life."
Elizabeth had still not moved an inch and was having a very heated debate in her mind. She knew where she should want to be right now, and yet, she kind of felt scared to be there. She didn't know why, but it was making her very angry at herself.
Finally, she decided that regardless of how she felt, she should be hovering around the infirmary awaiting any possible information. And without any further thought on the matter, she allowed her feet to lead her away, and noted that the knot in her stomach was still just as tight as ever.
TBC...
Well, I hope you're enjoying so far. Normally I would now beg for reviews, but as I know this may not be a very popular thing and as I am doing it for practice, it will be your choice completely.
And, I know a lot of you may find it out-of-character for no one to want to be with Sheppard right now, which is what I always see in the stories, but I thought this was a different situation than most, and decided to look at it a different way. So... whatever floats your boat.