New Home (Stargate Atlantis fanfiction)

Część Bez tytułu 18

She watched him sleep. Actually she watched him sleep on her lap. She saw how exhausted he looked when they stepped inside the house and he almost collapsed against her. She didn't ask what happened. She was sure he would tell her in the right time. Right now she just wanted him to rest as long as he was able to.

She had fallen asleep after an hour. It was understandable since she was tired after several hours of non-stop consultations with her students concerning the newest assignment and a long walk with Sedge just before John's arrival. She woke up next morning with a huge pain in her neck and spine, not to mention her sore knee. She had lost feeling in her tights somewhere through the night. It took her some time to get up without waking and moving John too much. She looked at the big clock standing in a corner of the living room and discovered that she had less than an hour to get to the University. She overslept. She was prepared for her lecture and so she did not need anything else, but she had to make a phone call before leaving.

John woke up to the smell of coffee. He lifted a nice, soft blanket he was covered with and got up. The wave of dizziness washed over him and he was close to falling for a few moments. Fortunately it passed quickly. He walked to the kitchen to find there Susan Weir.

"Good morning, John." She spoke moving to the coffee machine to make another cup. "It's good to see you awake."

"Where's Elizabeth?" Asked John. "Not that I don't want to see you..."

"Elizabeth had to be in work today" she explained. "She called me and asked to look after you until she can be back. She said she didn't want you to be alone when you wake up."

"Thanks." Was all John answered.

Susan handed John a cup with a steaming greenish liquid which he eyed suspiciously. "What is that stuff?" He asked after sniffing the liquid and making a face. "It smells awful."

"It will help you sleep, John." She nodded encouraging him to drink. "Elizabeth asked me to keep you asleep. Drink this and go to your room, I prepared it for you."

"O... ok." He complied and drank the liquid in one long gulp. "Wake me when Elizabeth comes back?"

"If she agrees."

He figured it was the best he could hope for. The liquid was working, he could feel it already – he felt sleepy, so he directed himself to the room upstairs which had been tagged as his. On his way he uncounsciously grabbed the blanket he woke in and shoved it on his shoulders even before getting to the stairs.

Porter was curled in her bed in her team's quarters in the SGC trying to sleep instead of cry. She was failing miserably so far. The images from their last mission kept repeating in front of her eyes. She heard a sligh tap on the door, but just buried deeper inside her military blanket wonting no one to disturb her.

"Allison, can I come in?" No response even though the voice was distinctly familiar and awoke some warm feelings inside of her. Then the visitor just opened the door cautiously and came inside.

"Allison, please, talk to me..." Said Carson as he sat on the bed beside her. "I know it's been hard on all of you, but you haven't said a single word since the debriefing two days ago and you hardly said a word even then."

"She's dead. No talking can bring her back."

"It's not the first time you lost a part of your team, Ali." Carson rubbed her shoulder affectionately. "What is really wrong?"

"I don't know..."

"Why are you so reluctant to talk to me, Allison? It's very strange." Carson was starting to feel unsure.

"Are you not sad about her death?" Porter sat up and looked at Carson. "You were involved with her for a long time, you..."

"It was not me."