Elizabeth rushed into the infirmary, looking around, scanning for either John or Carson, only to be guided quickly towards the doctor's office by one of the senior nursing staff.
"He'll be with you in a minute," she offered, with a sympathetic smile.
Elizbeth had moved as soon as Carson had woken her, not bothering to get any details. Any time John or a member of his team was in the infirmary, her sleep was light and easily interrupted.
The five minutes before he entered the room seemed like an hour, and she rose from her seat to greet him, nervously.
"Carson, what's happened?"
He shot her an apologetic look "Oh, I'm sorry I worried you. He's fine," he assured her.
"Then..."
"It's just he's been asking for you," Carson continued. "he's a little groggy and out of it. It's probably just the pain medication, but he's been pretty insistent."
She nodded. This was not the first time this had happened. John seemed to have developed this need to have her near when he was in this sort of condition. The medication just heightened that need.
"Can I..." she motioned to the door.
"Oh, of course, follow me."
She did, allowing Carson to lead her towards John's bed, cut off from the main infirmary by a white curtain. She braced herself. Not that he was badly injured. He wasn't. He'd suffered a deep gash on one leg which had become infected during a weeklong mission, and had left him with a very high temperature and a lot of pain.
He looked peaceful, she realised as she and Carson stepped into the curtained area. The lines of his face were smoothed in sleep. If she hadn't known about the injury to his left leg, she'd have thought he was just resting.
"Seems he's dropped off to sleep," Carson told her. "he was quite agitated a moment ago, and he's been asking for you for the last half hour."
She smiled, "It's okay, Carson. I'll just sit with him for a while."
He nodded, "I'll be in my office if you need anything. Do you want tea? Coffee?"
"I'm fine," Elizabeth insisted, taking her place in the seat beside John's bed.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Once she was sure Carson had left them alone, she reached out to brush John's unruly hair back from his forehead.
She suppressed a laugh at how stupid that seemed. That she was so worried about appearances in front of Dr Beckett, who'd seen both she and John at their worst. He'd even been there one night when, after a serious injury, John had been plagued by nightmares of her being killed by Kolya, and had woken screaming her name.
Elizabeth sighed, settling into her seat, and closing her eyes.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A slight bump on her chair woke Elizabeth from her light sleep. She opened her eyes, trying to focus in the half light of the infirmary.
"Oh, Dr Weir, I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to wake you."
It was one of the junior doctors, checking John's condition.
Elizabeth glanced at her watch. She'd been sleeping for three hours. John was still out cold, his chest rising and falling rhythmically.
"How is he?"
The doctor smiled at her, "He's fine. Or he will be with enough rest."
Elizabeth nodded, "He's not in any pain?"
The doctor let out a soft laugh, "With the stuff Doc Beckett has him on, trust me, he's feeling nothing."
"Do you need me to go?"
"No," the doctor insisted, "you can stay there." she smirked at the city's leader, "he'll only ask for you as soon as he wakes up."
Elizabeth felt herself blush a little, feeling glad for the semi darkness.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"'Lizabeth..."
She sat up immediately, pushing the sleepiness away and focusing on John's face.
He was still sleeping, murmuring her name.
Elizabeth moved her seat closer to the bed, reaching out and taking his hand, running her thumb gently over his palm. "I'm here, John."
She had no idea if he could hear her. At times during these long nights, she was sure he did, he'd even hold a conversation with her in his sleep, but he never remembered anything the next day.
She let out a frustrated sigh. This friendship they had was more complicated than she could ever imagine it would be. She'd admitted to herself several months before that she loved him. Whether that was as a very close friend, as someone who felt like family, or whether it was something more, she wouldn't allow herself to consider.
But she loved him.
"'Lizabeth," John muttered again.
She smiled, "Sleep, John," she insisted quietly.
"Don't go..."
"I'm not going anywhere," she promised, lifting his hand and placing a light kiss on his palm, "I'll be right here when you wake up."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Elizabeth burrowed her head into the softness of the bed, willing her sleep to continue.
A soft movement in her hair roused her though, and she opened her eyes, assessing her surroundings.
She was in the infirmary. It was daylight. Fingers were moving gently in her hair.
Elizabeth sat up slowly.
"Hey sleeping beauty," John offered her a smile.
She smiled back "How are you feeling?"
"Like I was hit by a truck."
Elizabeth laughed, "I can assure you, that didn't happen. The infection knocked you about a bit, though."
John nodded. "How long have you been here?"
Elizabeth could see concern etched on his face. He had no idea what he had said or done under the influence of the pain medication.
Each time this happened, he asked the question. Each time, she answered the same way. "Not long."
John smiled at her, knowing that wasn't quite the truth. "Thanks for hanging around."
"Well, someone has to keep you out of trouble," she explained, "and you know I have to work on that bedside manner.."
"So I behaved?" Another familiar question.
"Like a perfect gentleman," she gave her standard answer.
"Damn, I'll have to do something about that."
Elizabeth grinned at him, "Planning to give the nursing staff some trouble?"
He shook his head, "Actually, I had something else in mind... you know, maybe revisiting a certain kiss with a beautiful brunette.."
Elizabeth shot him a startled look, but John had closed his eyes, taken a deep breath and seemed to be on the way to sleeping again.
She frowned. Either he was still under the influence, or...
"Elizabeth."
She turned quickly to face Carson.
"Are you alright, love?" he asked, noting the perplexed look on her face.
Elizabeth nodded, trying to give him a smile, "Fine. I'm just..."
"You're... just..."
She glanced over at John again, "Is he..."
"He's fine," Carson insisted, "he's sleeping."
"Right."
"Elizabeth? Are you sure everything's okay?"
She paused for a moment, wondering how best to answer the question, and chose instead to take a different approach.
"Is that medication out of his system?"
Carson regarded her curiously, "Well, we gave him enough to knock out an elephant," he chuckled, "but if he's woken up and he's been coherent.. has he woken up?"
She nodded.
"And he was coherent?"
Elizabeth considered the question, "In a manner of speaking."
Carson decided to give up on his line of questioning, wondering if Elizabeth herself was feeling remotely coherent this morning. He lifted the sheet covering John's left leg.
"I'm just going to re-dress his wound. You might not want to look at it.."
"Okay," she turned away, then turned back, seeming unsure of exactly where she wanted to go.
"Or you could help me," Carson offered, noting her confusion.
Elizabeth nodded, "What do you want me to do?"
Carson gave her a suspicious look. There was definitely something he'd missed. "Just stay close to him, in case he wakes up."
"That I can do," she smiled, as John kicked out suddenly with his injured leg.
Carson jumped back quickly. "Might have to get a nurse in here," he mused. "talk to him, see if you can keep him calm. I'll be right back."
Elizabeth turned to face John again, reaching out once Carson had left the room, and brushing his hair from his face.
"Lizzy?"
She smiled. He only called her that when he was completely out of it. It seemed the medication hadn't worn off yet.
"I'm here..."
"Hurts.." he muttered.
She pulled her chair closer to the bed, once again sitting beside him, and taking his hand in her own. "I know it hurts.. Carson's going to clean your leg up and give you something to make you feel better."
"Stay?" he asked, letting out a deep breath.
"You know I will."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"How's he doing?"
Elizabeth turned to face Rodney McKay, not even bothering to remove her hand from John's as he lay sleeping in his infirmary bed.
"Getting there," she told him. "Carson had to dose him up with more painkillers, but his temperature's down. "
Rodney nodded, "I brought you some tea. Thought maybe you could use it."
She smiled gratefully, finally releasing John's hand to take the cup Rodney offered. "That's very thoughtful of you."
"Well, you know," he muttered, "can't be much fun to spend your day off sitting in the infirmary..."
"I'll head back to my room soon," she promised.
Rodney rolled his eyes at her, "Sure you will."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Rodney let out a flustered sigh, "Come on, Elizabeth, you and I both know you've been here all night, and you'll be here until you're absolutely positive he's okay. And that's fine, but you need to be aware that people have noticed."
She glared at him, "Like they notice when I sit with you when you're injured? Or with Teyla, or Major Lorne?"
"That's different, and you know it," Rodney whispered, noting a slight movement from John. "I'm not criticising, Elizabeth... I'm just worried about you."
"There's nothing to worry about," Elizabeth insisted, taking a sip of her tea, "I'm perfectly fine. I'm just helping a friend through an injury. Just like I've done for you before. It's my day off, I'm not neglecting my work..."
"I never said you were," Rodney interupted frustratedly. "Elizabeth..."
"Rodney!"
"Okay.." he looked around the room, eyes scanning John in the bed and Elizabeth sitting beside him. "You know what? I'm just going to go..."
"Okay"
"Will I see you at lunch?" he asked, knowing full well he wouldn't.
She nodded. "Of course."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Hey, 'Lizabeth," John yawned and stretched, almost knocking over the remnants of Elizabeth's tea beside his bed.
She looked up immediately, "Hey, how are you feeling?"
"Well, I'm not quite up for taking on Ronon or Teyla, but I could go a verbal sparring round with Rodney."
"Hmm, well you missed him. I had some verbal sparring of my own with him about five minutes ago."
John frowned. "What did he say?"
"Nothing," she insisted, "it wasn't important."
"It was important enough for you to mention it."
She let out a soft laugh at that. "You know, just the usual Rodney stuff."
"Like?"
She paused, unsure how much to tell him, before deciding to keep it light "Like what's for lunch and am I coming."
"Oh... food. Of course. It had to be about food." John rolled his eyes. "So... are you going? To lunch with him?"
"Well, I hadn't really... I can stay here if you want..."
John weighed up the offer, "You know he'll only come looking for you."
"True," she gave a weak smile, and John could have sworn she was disappointed.
"Maybe we can have dinner together... you know, if you don't have anything else to do.. If Beckett lets me out, I mean."
"If he doesn't, I'll sneak you in a turkey sandwich and a piece of cake," she promised.
John grinned at her, "Deal," he reached out his hand to shake hers, only to lift it to his lips for a quick, gentlemanly kiss. "I'll see you later."
"Later," she agreed, turning to leave and apologising profusely as she ran headlong into Carson on the way out.
The doctor looked between the departing Elizabeth and the grinning John Sheppard.
"What was that about?"
John shrugged, "What was what about?"
Carson shook his head. He really wasn't in the mood for the highschool style gossip and inuendo that went on around the city. "Forget it," he insisted, "I really don't want to know"
"He'll be with you in a minute," she offered, with a sympathetic smile.
Elizbeth had moved as soon as Carson had woken her, not bothering to get any details. Any time John or a member of his team was in the infirmary, her sleep was light and easily interrupted.
The five minutes before he entered the room seemed like an hour, and she rose from her seat to greet him, nervously.
"Carson, what's happened?"
He shot her an apologetic look "Oh, I'm sorry I worried you. He's fine," he assured her.
"Then..."
"It's just he's been asking for you," Carson continued. "he's a little groggy and out of it. It's probably just the pain medication, but he's been pretty insistent."
She nodded. This was not the first time this had happened. John seemed to have developed this need to have her near when he was in this sort of condition. The medication just heightened that need.
"Can I..." she motioned to the door.
"Oh, of course, follow me."
She did, allowing Carson to lead her towards John's bed, cut off from the main infirmary by a white curtain. She braced herself. Not that he was badly injured. He wasn't. He'd suffered a deep gash on one leg which had become infected during a weeklong mission, and had left him with a very high temperature and a lot of pain.
He looked peaceful, she realised as she and Carson stepped into the curtained area. The lines of his face were smoothed in sleep. If she hadn't known about the injury to his left leg, she'd have thought he was just resting.
"Seems he's dropped off to sleep," Carson told her. "he was quite agitated a moment ago, and he's been asking for you for the last half hour."
She smiled, "It's okay, Carson. I'll just sit with him for a while."
He nodded, "I'll be in my office if you need anything. Do you want tea? Coffee?"
"I'm fine," Elizabeth insisted, taking her place in the seat beside John's bed.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Once she was sure Carson had left them alone, she reached out to brush John's unruly hair back from his forehead.
She suppressed a laugh at how stupid that seemed. That she was so worried about appearances in front of Dr Beckett, who'd seen both she and John at their worst. He'd even been there one night when, after a serious injury, John had been plagued by nightmares of her being killed by Kolya, and had woken screaming her name.
Elizabeth sighed, settling into her seat, and closing her eyes.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A slight bump on her chair woke Elizabeth from her light sleep. She opened her eyes, trying to focus in the half light of the infirmary.
"Oh, Dr Weir, I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to wake you."
It was one of the junior doctors, checking John's condition.
Elizabeth glanced at her watch. She'd been sleeping for three hours. John was still out cold, his chest rising and falling rhythmically.
"How is he?"
The doctor smiled at her, "He's fine. Or he will be with enough rest."
Elizabeth nodded, "He's not in any pain?"
The doctor let out a soft laugh, "With the stuff Doc Beckett has him on, trust me, he's feeling nothing."
"Do you need me to go?"
"No," the doctor insisted, "you can stay there." she smirked at the city's leader, "he'll only ask for you as soon as he wakes up."
Elizabeth felt herself blush a little, feeling glad for the semi darkness.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"'Lizabeth..."
She sat up immediately, pushing the sleepiness away and focusing on John's face.
He was still sleeping, murmuring her name.
Elizabeth moved her seat closer to the bed, reaching out and taking his hand, running her thumb gently over his palm. "I'm here, John."
She had no idea if he could hear her. At times during these long nights, she was sure he did, he'd even hold a conversation with her in his sleep, but he never remembered anything the next day.
She let out a frustrated sigh. This friendship they had was more complicated than she could ever imagine it would be. She'd admitted to herself several months before that she loved him. Whether that was as a very close friend, as someone who felt like family, or whether it was something more, she wouldn't allow herself to consider.
But she loved him.
"'Lizabeth," John muttered again.
She smiled, "Sleep, John," she insisted quietly.
"Don't go..."
"I'm not going anywhere," she promised, lifting his hand and placing a light kiss on his palm, "I'll be right here when you wake up."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Elizabeth burrowed her head into the softness of the bed, willing her sleep to continue.
A soft movement in her hair roused her though, and she opened her eyes, assessing her surroundings.
She was in the infirmary. It was daylight. Fingers were moving gently in her hair.
Elizabeth sat up slowly.
"Hey sleeping beauty," John offered her a smile.
She smiled back "How are you feeling?"
"Like I was hit by a truck."
Elizabeth laughed, "I can assure you, that didn't happen. The infection knocked you about a bit, though."
John nodded. "How long have you been here?"
Elizabeth could see concern etched on his face. He had no idea what he had said or done under the influence of the pain medication.
Each time this happened, he asked the question. Each time, she answered the same way. "Not long."
John smiled at her, knowing that wasn't quite the truth. "Thanks for hanging around."
"Well, someone has to keep you out of trouble," she explained, "and you know I have to work on that bedside manner.."
"So I behaved?" Another familiar question.
"Like a perfect gentleman," she gave her standard answer.
"Damn, I'll have to do something about that."
Elizabeth grinned at him, "Planning to give the nursing staff some trouble?"
He shook his head, "Actually, I had something else in mind... you know, maybe revisiting a certain kiss with a beautiful brunette.."
Elizabeth shot him a startled look, but John had closed his eyes, taken a deep breath and seemed to be on the way to sleeping again.
She frowned. Either he was still under the influence, or...
"Elizabeth."
She turned quickly to face Carson.
"Are you alright, love?" he asked, noting the perplexed look on her face.
Elizabeth nodded, trying to give him a smile, "Fine. I'm just..."
"You're... just..."
She glanced over at John again, "Is he..."
"He's fine," Carson insisted, "he's sleeping."
"Right."
"Elizabeth? Are you sure everything's okay?"
She paused for a moment, wondering how best to answer the question, and chose instead to take a different approach.
"Is that medication out of his system?"
Carson regarded her curiously, "Well, we gave him enough to knock out an elephant," he chuckled, "but if he's woken up and he's been coherent.. has he woken up?"
She nodded.
"And he was coherent?"
Elizabeth considered the question, "In a manner of speaking."
Carson decided to give up on his line of questioning, wondering if Elizabeth herself was feeling remotely coherent this morning. He lifted the sheet covering John's left leg.
"I'm just going to re-dress his wound. You might not want to look at it.."
"Okay," she turned away, then turned back, seeming unsure of exactly where she wanted to go.
"Or you could help me," Carson offered, noting her confusion.
Elizabeth nodded, "What do you want me to do?"
Carson gave her a suspicious look. There was definitely something he'd missed. "Just stay close to him, in case he wakes up."
"That I can do," she smiled, as John kicked out suddenly with his injured leg.
Carson jumped back quickly. "Might have to get a nurse in here," he mused. "talk to him, see if you can keep him calm. I'll be right back."
Elizabeth turned to face John again, reaching out once Carson had left the room, and brushing his hair from his face.
"Lizzy?"
She smiled. He only called her that when he was completely out of it. It seemed the medication hadn't worn off yet.
"I'm here..."
"Hurts.." he muttered.
She pulled her chair closer to the bed, once again sitting beside him, and taking his hand in her own. "I know it hurts.. Carson's going to clean your leg up and give you something to make you feel better."
"Stay?" he asked, letting out a deep breath.
"You know I will."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"How's he doing?"
Elizabeth turned to face Rodney McKay, not even bothering to remove her hand from John's as he lay sleeping in his infirmary bed.
"Getting there," she told him. "Carson had to dose him up with more painkillers, but his temperature's down. "
Rodney nodded, "I brought you some tea. Thought maybe you could use it."
She smiled gratefully, finally releasing John's hand to take the cup Rodney offered. "That's very thoughtful of you."
"Well, you know," he muttered, "can't be much fun to spend your day off sitting in the infirmary..."
"I'll head back to my room soon," she promised.
Rodney rolled his eyes at her, "Sure you will."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Rodney let out a flustered sigh, "Come on, Elizabeth, you and I both know you've been here all night, and you'll be here until you're absolutely positive he's okay. And that's fine, but you need to be aware that people have noticed."
She glared at him, "Like they notice when I sit with you when you're injured? Or with Teyla, or Major Lorne?"
"That's different, and you know it," Rodney whispered, noting a slight movement from John. "I'm not criticising, Elizabeth... I'm just worried about you."
"There's nothing to worry about," Elizabeth insisted, taking a sip of her tea, "I'm perfectly fine. I'm just helping a friend through an injury. Just like I've done for you before. It's my day off, I'm not neglecting my work..."
"I never said you were," Rodney interupted frustratedly. "Elizabeth..."
"Rodney!"
"Okay.." he looked around the room, eyes scanning John in the bed and Elizabeth sitting beside him. "You know what? I'm just going to go..."
"Okay"
"Will I see you at lunch?" he asked, knowing full well he wouldn't.
She nodded. "Of course."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Hey, 'Lizabeth," John yawned and stretched, almost knocking over the remnants of Elizabeth's tea beside his bed.
She looked up immediately, "Hey, how are you feeling?"
"Well, I'm not quite up for taking on Ronon or Teyla, but I could go a verbal sparring round with Rodney."
"Hmm, well you missed him. I had some verbal sparring of my own with him about five minutes ago."
John frowned. "What did he say?"
"Nothing," she insisted, "it wasn't important."
"It was important enough for you to mention it."
She let out a soft laugh at that. "You know, just the usual Rodney stuff."
"Like?"
She paused, unsure how much to tell him, before deciding to keep it light "Like what's for lunch and am I coming."
"Oh... food. Of course. It had to be about food." John rolled his eyes. "So... are you going? To lunch with him?"
"Well, I hadn't really... I can stay here if you want..."
John weighed up the offer, "You know he'll only come looking for you."
"True," she gave a weak smile, and John could have sworn she was disappointed.
"Maybe we can have dinner together... you know, if you don't have anything else to do.. If Beckett lets me out, I mean."
"If he doesn't, I'll sneak you in a turkey sandwich and a piece of cake," she promised.
John grinned at her, "Deal," he reached out his hand to shake hers, only to lift it to his lips for a quick, gentlemanly kiss. "I'll see you later."
"Later," she agreed, turning to leave and apologising profusely as she ran headlong into Carson on the way out.
The doctor looked between the departing Elizabeth and the grinning John Sheppard.
"What was that about?"
John shrugged, "What was what about?"
Carson shook his head. He really wasn't in the mood for the highschool style gossip and inuendo that went on around the city. "Forget it," he insisted, "I really don't want to know"