John Sheppard looked up, on reflex, as he stepped back through the gate to Atlantis.
Elizabeth wasn't in her usual spot, the place she always stood to meet his team. He scanned the area in front of him, seeing no sign of her.
He went through the motions, getting his team to the infirmary to be checked, wondering where Elizabeth could be. She was always there when a team came through, no matter what time of the day or night.
John had visions of her being bored to tears in a meeting with Zelenka yet again.
He sat quietly, waiting for his turn with Carson. A quick check and he'd be out of here, tracking her down.
"You look fine," Carson Beckett told him, "though you may want to avoid letting Rodney eat anything but meat, rice or bread when he's off-world. Looks like he's breaking out in hives from having too much of some sort of fruit."
John nodded.
"You're awfully quiet," Carson told him, "is there something wrong?"
John rolled his eyes, "No, nothing's wrong.... I was just wondering, do you know where Dr Weir is?"
"Elizabeth? Oh, I thought you knew."
Concern was immediately etched on John's face. "Knew what?" he asked, "she wasn't there when we came through the gate..."
"Bed rest."
"What?"
"I've sent her to bed," Carson repeated. "she's come down with a cold. She was already getting sick when your team left two days ago."
"Is she..."
"Nothing serious," Carson interupted. "She'll be fine, with a bit of rest. But you know how she is. She doesn't know how to switch off. I've confiscated her computer.. even went back to her room to make sure she didn't have any files stashed away in there."
John nodded. The doctor was nothing if not determined. "I was wondering where she was... it's not like her to miss a team coming home."
Carson smiled, "I had to threaten her with two days bed rest to get her to stay away."
"Sounds like Elizabeth... Can I go now?"
"You can go," Carson told him.
"Great," John was on his feet and heading to the door in seconds flat.
"See if you can get her to have some soup," Carson called after the retreating John Sheppard, knowing full well where he'd be going.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
John juggled two cups of soup and a plate loaded with bread as he entered Elizabeth's room.
"Room service?" she asked, stepping aside to let him pass.
"Well, if you can't go to the food.... Carson said he'd pretty much put you under house arrest. I thought maybe you could use something to eat."
She nodded, offering him a smile before breaking into a coughing fit.
John quickly placed the items on her desk, before moving over to her and placing a hand on her back. "You okay?" he asked.
She nodded, trying to regulate her breathing again. "It's not as bad as it was yesterday," she informed him.
He cringed, "Must have been bad."
"It wasn't all that pleasant."
John led her towards the bed, "Get in," he insisted. "get comfortable."
He smiled as he watched her shuffle towards the bed, dressed in oversized pink pyjama pants and a black tank top, her curls messier than he'd ever seen them after a day in bed. She reached down beside the bed, grabbing a tissue and swiping at her slightly-red nose.
John grabbed their food, managing to only just hold onto it without any spills. He waited until she was settled, sitting up against the wall, resting against pillows, and handed her the cup of soup.
He motioned towards the bed and she nodded, giving her approval for him to sit beside her. He smiled, making himself comfortable, and placing the plate full of bread between them.
They ate in a comfortable silence, John keeping a close eye on Elizabeth to make sure she was having her share.
"It was weird not having you there when we got home," he mumbled around a mouthful of bread.
"It was weird not being allowed to be there," Elizabeth confessed.
"I was thinking the worst until Carson filled me in," John told her.
Elizabeth smirked. "You saying you'd miss me if I wasn't here?"
John gave her an evil grin, "Well, I have you well trained, I wouldn't want to have to break in a new leader."
Elizabeth burst into a laugh, which turned into another coughing fit.
John took the cup from Elizabeth's hand, moved the plate from the bed and shuffled closer to her, patting her back and hoping the coughing would stop.
"Thanks," she spluttered, when she finally caught her breath again.
John frowned, concerned. "Remind me not to make you laugh again."
Elizabeth closed her eyes, resting her head against the wall and letting out a quiet sigh.
"You need to sleep," John insisted.
"Been sleeping all day..." she muttered.
"Still... Carson will get his biggest needles out for me if I keep you awake."
Elizabeth nodded, slowly sinking back down into her bed. She reached down, awkwardly, grabbing the box of tissues and hugging it to her like a teddybear.
John smiled at the sight and pulled the covers up around her shoulders. "Wouldn't want you to get cold in the night," he said, by way of explanation, before starting to move to the door.
"Do you have to go?" Elizabeth whined.
John turned to look at her, startled. Elizabeth Weir didn't whine.
"I'm bored. I need something to think about or I won't be able to sleep... I hate being sick."
John rolled his eyes, "And they say men are bad patients."
He moved to her desk, grabbed her chair and placed it at her bedside.
"Thanks."
"So what do you want to talk about?" John asked.
"Hmm. Tell me about your mission."
"Elizabeth," John warned, "Carson doesn't want you thinking about work."
She sighed. "Since when have you been a rules man?"
"Since now. Suck it up."
Elizabeth opened one eye. "Suck it up?"
"Yeah." he smiled at her.
"There must be something you can tell me."
"Okay," John gave in. "But you have to promise not to laugh, because I don't want to be responsible for you having a coughing fit."
Elizabeth nodded, locking eyes with him eagerly.
"Well," John started, feeling as though he was telling a fairy story to a small child, "Rodney's appetite got the better of him... you know that allergy of his?" he waited for her response before continuing, "well let's just say he'll be even more careful about what he eats off-world. He bit into this piece of pie and...."
Elizabeth wasn't in her usual spot, the place she always stood to meet his team. He scanned the area in front of him, seeing no sign of her.
He went through the motions, getting his team to the infirmary to be checked, wondering where Elizabeth could be. She was always there when a team came through, no matter what time of the day or night.
John had visions of her being bored to tears in a meeting with Zelenka yet again.
He sat quietly, waiting for his turn with Carson. A quick check and he'd be out of here, tracking her down.
"You look fine," Carson Beckett told him, "though you may want to avoid letting Rodney eat anything but meat, rice or bread when he's off-world. Looks like he's breaking out in hives from having too much of some sort of fruit."
John nodded.
"You're awfully quiet," Carson told him, "is there something wrong?"
John rolled his eyes, "No, nothing's wrong.... I was just wondering, do you know where Dr Weir is?"
"Elizabeth? Oh, I thought you knew."
Concern was immediately etched on John's face. "Knew what?" he asked, "she wasn't there when we came through the gate..."
"Bed rest."
"What?"
"I've sent her to bed," Carson repeated. "she's come down with a cold. She was already getting sick when your team left two days ago."
"Is she..."
"Nothing serious," Carson interupted. "She'll be fine, with a bit of rest. But you know how she is. She doesn't know how to switch off. I've confiscated her computer.. even went back to her room to make sure she didn't have any files stashed away in there."
John nodded. The doctor was nothing if not determined. "I was wondering where she was... it's not like her to miss a team coming home."
Carson smiled, "I had to threaten her with two days bed rest to get her to stay away."
"Sounds like Elizabeth... Can I go now?"
"You can go," Carson told him.
"Great," John was on his feet and heading to the door in seconds flat.
"See if you can get her to have some soup," Carson called after the retreating John Sheppard, knowing full well where he'd be going.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
John juggled two cups of soup and a plate loaded with bread as he entered Elizabeth's room.
"Room service?" she asked, stepping aside to let him pass.
"Well, if you can't go to the food.... Carson said he'd pretty much put you under house arrest. I thought maybe you could use something to eat."
She nodded, offering him a smile before breaking into a coughing fit.
John quickly placed the items on her desk, before moving over to her and placing a hand on her back. "You okay?" he asked.
She nodded, trying to regulate her breathing again. "It's not as bad as it was yesterday," she informed him.
He cringed, "Must have been bad."
"It wasn't all that pleasant."
John led her towards the bed, "Get in," he insisted. "get comfortable."
He smiled as he watched her shuffle towards the bed, dressed in oversized pink pyjama pants and a black tank top, her curls messier than he'd ever seen them after a day in bed. She reached down beside the bed, grabbing a tissue and swiping at her slightly-red nose.
John grabbed their food, managing to only just hold onto it without any spills. He waited until she was settled, sitting up against the wall, resting against pillows, and handed her the cup of soup.
He motioned towards the bed and she nodded, giving her approval for him to sit beside her. He smiled, making himself comfortable, and placing the plate full of bread between them.
They ate in a comfortable silence, John keeping a close eye on Elizabeth to make sure she was having her share.
"It was weird not having you there when we got home," he mumbled around a mouthful of bread.
"It was weird not being allowed to be there," Elizabeth confessed.
"I was thinking the worst until Carson filled me in," John told her.
Elizabeth smirked. "You saying you'd miss me if I wasn't here?"
John gave her an evil grin, "Well, I have you well trained, I wouldn't want to have to break in a new leader."
Elizabeth burst into a laugh, which turned into another coughing fit.
John took the cup from Elizabeth's hand, moved the plate from the bed and shuffled closer to her, patting her back and hoping the coughing would stop.
"Thanks," she spluttered, when she finally caught her breath again.
John frowned, concerned. "Remind me not to make you laugh again."
Elizabeth closed her eyes, resting her head against the wall and letting out a quiet sigh.
"You need to sleep," John insisted.
"Been sleeping all day..." she muttered.
"Still... Carson will get his biggest needles out for me if I keep you awake."
Elizabeth nodded, slowly sinking back down into her bed. She reached down, awkwardly, grabbing the box of tissues and hugging it to her like a teddybear.
John smiled at the sight and pulled the covers up around her shoulders. "Wouldn't want you to get cold in the night," he said, by way of explanation, before starting to move to the door.
"Do you have to go?" Elizabeth whined.
John turned to look at her, startled. Elizabeth Weir didn't whine.
"I'm bored. I need something to think about or I won't be able to sleep... I hate being sick."
John rolled his eyes, "And they say men are bad patients."
He moved to her desk, grabbed her chair and placed it at her bedside.
"Thanks."
"So what do you want to talk about?" John asked.
"Hmm. Tell me about your mission."
"Elizabeth," John warned, "Carson doesn't want you thinking about work."
She sighed. "Since when have you been a rules man?"
"Since now. Suck it up."
Elizabeth opened one eye. "Suck it up?"
"Yeah." he smiled at her.
"There must be something you can tell me."
"Okay," John gave in. "But you have to promise not to laugh, because I don't want to be responsible for you having a coughing fit."
Elizabeth nodded, locking eyes with him eagerly.
"Well," John started, feeling as though he was telling a fairy story to a small child, "Rodney's appetite got the better of him... you know that allergy of his?" he waited for her response before continuing, "well let's just say he'll be even more careful about what he eats off-world. He bit into this piece of pie and...."