Author:
Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Pairing: Teyla/Weir.
Setting: Post-"Phantoms."
Rating: G.
Prompt: One of the women is injured on an off-world mission.
Words: 804.
Summary: The only thing she can do is pace in her quarters.
Elizabeth tells herself that she's only worried because Teyla's her second-in-command when it comes to taking care of Atlantis. She makes herself listen to Carson's assurance that Teyla and the others will be just fine. But that doesn't stop Elizabeth from pacing in her quarters, waiting for the Dedalus to arrive. To carry Teyla home.
She knows they should've talked about this. But everything was so new, and Teyla wasn't as prone to injury as John, Rodney, and Ronon. Teyla carries her gun with assurance and moves with wisdom. She isn't big and hulking like Ronon or loud like Rodney or always throwing herself in the line of fire like John. Elizabeth thinks she fell in love with Teyla because of that.
Of course, Elizabeth thinks a lot of things. She runs her hands through her hair. The City has been such a mess that she didn't even realize how long her hair had gotten.
She pauses in her step when Chuck radios her that the Dedalus has entered orbit, two hours ahead of schedule.
*****
At least Carson has the decency to give Teyla and Rodney privacy curtains. Elizabeth had talked with Radek about routing power into some unused rooms for private rooms, but with a dead ZPM, they can't afford the extra power.
Elizabeth's tired when she reaches for Teyla's hand and asks how she's doing. Not that she expects Teyla to respond with anything other than assurance that she is fine and will be back on her feet in a matter of weeks.
When Carson leaves them alone, Teyla squeezes her hand. "Thank you," she whispers.
"It's not a problem." Elizabeth wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
They can both hear Rodney from behind the other curtain moaning that John shot him and how they needed to have improved safety protocols such as getting the Colonel a better therapist so he can have non-lethal-to-other-people issues. Elizabeth makes a mental note to have Heightmeyer extent the typical off-world team trauma sessions.
Elizabeth lets go of Teyla's hand only when Carson comes back to tell Teyla that she's free to go. He almost throws the crutches at Elizabeth when Rodney starts shouting that Biro is a sadist bent on seeing him suffer. Elizabeth wonders when the last time Carson had any sleep was.
*****
She follows Teyla back to her quarters. Elizabeth tells herself that she's helping. Teyla can't quite balance on the crutches yet, but Elizabeth's sure she'll be as graceful as ever in no time.
"Do you need anything?" she asks once they have Teyla situated on her bed, propped up with two large turquoise pillows. The ones she remembers Teyla tugging her down upon the first time they had sex.
"A glass of water," Teyla says. "Carson gave me pain pills and I believe it's time to take another."
Elizabeth nods and goes to find a glass. She's always surprised at how spotless Teyla's quarters are. Elizabeth suspects that it has something to do with Teyla living in fear of Wraith all her life. The Athosians needed their possessions to last as long as possible.
"You don't have to do this." Teyla takes the glass of water from her.
"I want to help out." Elizabeth finds herself sitting on the edge of Teyla's bed. "When I'm radioed that there's been yet another off-world disaster, I feel so helpless. Like I'm some princess sitting in an ivory tower." She pauses when Teyla gives her a puzzled look. How often they forget that Teyla is not from Earth.
"In our tales of morality," Elizabeth continues, "the women are often left to sit somewhere in safety while the men run off to fight."
Teyla nods. "I too know how frustrating that can be." They both don't talk about how the last time Elizabeth went on an off-world mission the Replicators almost killed her. "When I was a young girl, my older brother and father went to bring back survivors from a Wraith-infested world and I could not go with them. They tried to explain to me that I was not yet strong enough, despite my enthusiasm."
She turns her head and looks away from Elizabeth. "It was not until my father brought back my brother's body that I learned why some of us must wait."
Elizabeth hears Teyla's voice cracking, but when Teyla meets her eyes again, she sees nothing but confidence and resolve.
"We must wait to fight another day. We must wait so we can survive another day."
Elizabeth clutches Teyla's hand again. Atlantis will stand for the time being, and Elizabeth can only hope that Teyla, John, Rodney, and Ronon make it home alive.
"I should let you rest," Elizabeth says. She stands and places a kiss on Teyla's forehead as a princess would a knight's. "I'll bring by breakfast in the morning," she mutters before she realizes that Teyla's drifted off to sleep. Elizabeth smiles and turns off the lights as she leaves.