(no subject)
Title: Getting Through
Word Count: 1908
Rating: PG
Summary: So apparently Meredith broke both legs in four different places
Author's Notes: Told from Jeannie's POV. I think there was an RPS fic that was kind of like this. Don't you just love a fandom where you can say that?
So apparently Meredith broke both legs in four different places.
Jeannie gets the phone call early in the morning, someone with a calm voice explaining all the details to her in cold, clinical terms that she can’t really understand, but she hears Rodney and bad mission and back on Earth due to medical reasons. It’s enough for her to book the next flight to Colorado, non-stop.
She’s pretty glad the security clearance she has means that she doesn’t have to go through a bunch of check points and bureaucratic crap. It means General Landry smiles at her when she makes it past the front entrance and down the elevator.
“Mrs. Miller. I take it you got the call.”
“Yes I did, General.”
She tries to keep her voice soft, tries to keep it from trembling, but she’s beyond worried at this point. This is her brother after all, even if he’s a pain in the ass half the time.
“How is he?”
“The doctors say he should make a full recovery, but he’ll have to be on Earth for quite sometime.”
“Why? They have doctors on Atlantis.”
“Not physical therapists. It’s only a temporary solution. He’ll be shipped back within the month.”
Jeannie frowns. She’s not sure that Atlantis can go a whole month without Mer and vice versa. Mer loves the city more than she’s ever seen him love anything else in his life.
“Can I see him?”
“Of course.”
“Right, then I want to see him.”
General Landry nods and ushers Jeannie along with an airman who’s all set to take her to the infirmary where her brother is. When she gets there, the airman shows her the door and tells her that her brother is in there.
Jeannie gives him a nod and he leaves. She gets ready to walk inside when she hears voices.
“Are you cold? I could get you another blanket.”
She sees her brother lying on the infirmary bed, John’s back to her and she can tell that it’s John by the hair. She doesn’t know who the other guy is. He’s shorter, with blue eyes and light brown hair. He’s moving around and looking for things, eyes filled with worry.
The other guy looks around and Mer rolls his eyes.
“I think I’d make it known if I was cold. My legs itch.”
The other guy purses his lips.
“I can’t do anything about that.” He says.
He actually sounds a bit lost about the whole thing, like he wants to be doing something, but there’s nothing for him to do and Jeannie watches as John just squeezes Mer’s shoulder and then he squeezes the other guy’s shoulder and sighs.
“Maybe Rodney needs a little rest. I mean we can come back later.”
“No… I mean, we’re still allowed visiting hours. Why waste them?”
Mer shakes his head.
“You’re not wasting them. You’re letting me get my much needed sleep and rest. You know because I’m injured.”
“I’m sor…”
“You apologize one more time and I swear when I get function in my lower extremities again I’m going to spend my life making yours hell.”
“But…”
“Not your fault. How many times do I have to tell you that? It’s not your fault. It’s nobody’s.”
“If John…”
This makes John’s head perk up, alert and aware and looking around the pretty much empty infirmary.
“If John had gone, you’d probably be nursing to broken bodies back to health. This way it’s just me.”
“I should’ve…”
“Lorne. It happened. It’s done. Rodney’s alive. Get over it.”
It almost sounds too cold to be coming out of John’s lips because she’d been under the impression that John cared about Mer. All evidence points to that despite the fact that Rodney can be a pain in the ass on the best of days.
But the Lorne guy seems to calm from it. He stops pacing and looks at Mer all lost eyes and tight lips. He looks over at John and smiles and nods his head.
“You’re right. No use getting panicky.”
“Exactly.” John says.
Lorne takes a deep breath and Jeannie sees his hand glide across Mer’s, slow and deliberate.
“You’re going to be okay.”
“Yes, yes, I know. Two broken legs are nothing to the pain I could be feeling. I get that. There’s good painkillers and everything.”
“So why don’t we let Rodney sleep and go back to the hotel. We’ll be able to see him tomorrow.” John says.
“Sure… yeah. I just… there’s was an equation I was running with some of the scientists on the naquadah generator. Let me just go…”
“Go ahead. I’ll be there in a second.”
“I don’t…”
“Lorne.”
Lorne takes a deep breath and nods, lips pursed together and he gives Mer another smile and walks out of the room, doesn’t even notice Jeannie standing on the other side. He doesn’t look at anything but his hands, shoulders tight and tense, single minded purpose showing in the way he walks.
Jeannie frowns.
“You better keep an eye on him. He’s fragile right now.”
“Just worry about getting better.”
“He blames himself, John.”
“Well that’s stupid.”
“Like you’ve never done it before.”
She can’t see John’s face, but she can imagine the tightness.
“It’s a soldier thing.”
“So he’s not going to get over it any time soon. You need to make sure he does. Distract him or something.”
“Rodney.”
“Look I know you probably don’t want to talk about this, but I’m gonna be out of commission for awhile and I don’t expect the two of you to just…”
“Rodney! Military hospital on a military base.”
“Yeah, whatever. Look I’m just saying that right now he needs life affirming sex that I can’t give him so you’ve got to step up to the plate, which isn’t out of the ordinary or anything considering the two of you have sex a lot, but still.”
“Oh my god.”
John turns around and Mer’s eyes widen and Jeannie just stands there in the doorway and she’s sure she looks dumbfounded but she doesn’t care because this if information she can’t even process properly.
It’s not every day you find out your brother is having gay sex with two guys.
“Jeannie… what… what are you doing here? Standing there in the doorway without making a sound.”
“See this is why we don’t talk about these things.” John mutters.
“Did you… are you… I mean is this for real? Are you seriously talking about having John have sex with that guy?”
“It’s not like it’s something we don’t talk about a lot.” Mer says.
“Why would you do that?”
“Because he’s sad?’
“Mer, be serious.” Jeannie says and she never thought she’d be telling him that.
“This isn’t any of your business, Jeannie.”
She pouts.
“How could you say that?”
“Because it’s my life.”
“And you’re having sex with two guys.”
“I’m in love with two guys.”
“How is that even possible?”
She watches John tense, hand still lingering on Mer’s shoulder in a somewhat possessive manner.
“It just is.” Mer says sullenly.
“Why don’t I let the two of you talk? Lorne’s probably getting antsy.”
She watches as her brother looks up at John, hopeful eyes and he’s biting on his bottom lip.
“Make sure he’s okay, alright.”
“I will. He’s going to be fine Rodney. You know, after he buries the blame down.”
“Which should be tomorrow?”
John smiles.
“Maybe a little longer, but he’ll be fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He shakes his head and it looks like John maybe wants to bend down and kiss Mer and maybe never leave. Maybe call Lorne in and the three of them can snuggle together and everything else would go away.
It’s still very weird.
John spares her a glance, a glance that says a lot and not enough at the same time and Jeannie’s left standing their open mouthed, wondering what to say.
“Well?”
Mer bites his lip.
“It’s really not that complicated.” Mer grumbles.
“I’ve heard of these relationships. I’ve never actually seen them before.”
“It’s not that complicated.”
“You’ve said that and yet you haven’t explained.”
“I don’t have to justify anything, Jeannie. This is my life. I love the both of them and they love each other and me and it works for us, okay. Nobody gets jealous of the other. It’s not even about the sex or anything like that.”
Jeannie raises an eyebrow.
“Not that that isn’t fantastic, because it is. I mean really..”
“Okay, I don’t want to know about that. Really. I’m just fine thinking you never have sex ever.”
Rodney frowns.
“The thing is… is this really healthy? I mean can you really say that you love the both of them the same and that it doesn’t affect the relationship you have.”
“Yeah, Jeannie, it works for us. Really, it does. I know it may seem weird, but… it works okay. We kind of… we kind of need each other.”
Jeannie nods. She doesn’t understand it. It’s kind of a hard thing to understand, but she can see the look on Mer’s face, content and wistful and happy looking. It’s rare and it’s nice and she can’t really tell him no because he’s a grown man.
“You need each other.”
“Yeah.”
“And it works?”
“Yeah.”
“And you’re never going to try and tell me about your sex life ever again right?”
Mer rolls his eyes.
“Yes, Jeannie, for you I will not talk about my sex life. You can continue to think I have none.”
“I just… it’s weird okay. They’re both really good looking.”
“Ridiculously so, really.”
“And I guess… John I can understand. But this other guy…”
“Lorne’s sweet. And smart and he’s really funny and you’ll like him when you get to meet him properly.”
“He seemed really concerned about you.”
“That could be because he loves me or because he’s feeling guilty.”
“Are you gonna tell me about it?”
Mer shakes his head and sinks into his pillows a little more making soft sighing noises as he does.
“Not right now. Maybe later. I’m sort of wiped out. My legs are broken you know.”
“I was aware of that.”
“And I’ve just spent the past two hours trying to convince Lorne that this isn’t his fault.”
“So three people relationships not as easy as they sound?”
She tries for joking, but it turns out a little strained. She still can’t grasp it, still doesn’t understand how Mer can be so nonchalant about the whole thing.
But then he smiles, wide and bright and happy again like he’s thinking about better times and easier times and times that put that smile on his face.
“It’s worth it.”
Jeannie smiles. She doesn’t have to get it. It’s not hers to get. Mer’s happy.
That’s all that matters.
“I’m going to want to meet the both of them. Dinner. You and them and me and Kaleb. I think it would be a little weird for Madison.”
“It’s not weird for you?”
Jeannie bites her lip.
“I’m not gonna say it’s not because it is, but… I guess it doesn’t matter.”
“It doesn’t matter?”
He looks a bit confused, but Jeannie just smiles. He doesn’t get it. Doesn’t get that she’ll be happy for him if he’s happy. It’s not something he’s used to.
“That’s right, Mer. It doesn’t matter.”
Mer nods his head.
“I guess that’s okay then.”
FIN
Word Count: 1908
Rating: PG
Summary: So apparently Meredith broke both legs in four different places
Author's Notes: Told from Jeannie's POV. I think there was an RPS fic that was kind of like this. Don't you just love a fandom where you can say that?
So apparently Meredith broke both legs in four different places.
Jeannie gets the phone call early in the morning, someone with a calm voice explaining all the details to her in cold, clinical terms that she can’t really understand, but she hears Rodney and bad mission and back on Earth due to medical reasons. It’s enough for her to book the next flight to Colorado, non-stop.
She’s pretty glad the security clearance she has means that she doesn’t have to go through a bunch of check points and bureaucratic crap. It means General Landry smiles at her when she makes it past the front entrance and down the elevator.
“Mrs. Miller. I take it you got the call.”
“Yes I did, General.”
She tries to keep her voice soft, tries to keep it from trembling, but she’s beyond worried at this point. This is her brother after all, even if he’s a pain in the ass half the time.
“How is he?”
“The doctors say he should make a full recovery, but he’ll have to be on Earth for quite sometime.”
“Why? They have doctors on Atlantis.”
“Not physical therapists. It’s only a temporary solution. He’ll be shipped back within the month.”
Jeannie frowns. She’s not sure that Atlantis can go a whole month without Mer and vice versa. Mer loves the city more than she’s ever seen him love anything else in his life.
“Can I see him?”
“Of course.”
“Right, then I want to see him.”
General Landry nods and ushers Jeannie along with an airman who’s all set to take her to the infirmary where her brother is. When she gets there, the airman shows her the door and tells her that her brother is in there.
Jeannie gives him a nod and he leaves. She gets ready to walk inside when she hears voices.
“Are you cold? I could get you another blanket.”
She sees her brother lying on the infirmary bed, John’s back to her and she can tell that it’s John by the hair. She doesn’t know who the other guy is. He’s shorter, with blue eyes and light brown hair. He’s moving around and looking for things, eyes filled with worry.
The other guy looks around and Mer rolls his eyes.
“I think I’d make it known if I was cold. My legs itch.”
The other guy purses his lips.
“I can’t do anything about that.” He says.
He actually sounds a bit lost about the whole thing, like he wants to be doing something, but there’s nothing for him to do and Jeannie watches as John just squeezes Mer’s shoulder and then he squeezes the other guy’s shoulder and sighs.
“Maybe Rodney needs a little rest. I mean we can come back later.”
“No… I mean, we’re still allowed visiting hours. Why waste them?”
Mer shakes his head.
“You’re not wasting them. You’re letting me get my much needed sleep and rest. You know because I’m injured.”
“I’m sor…”
“You apologize one more time and I swear when I get function in my lower extremities again I’m going to spend my life making yours hell.”
“But…”
“Not your fault. How many times do I have to tell you that? It’s not your fault. It’s nobody’s.”
“If John…”
This makes John’s head perk up, alert and aware and looking around the pretty much empty infirmary.
“If John had gone, you’d probably be nursing to broken bodies back to health. This way it’s just me.”
“I should’ve…”
“Lorne. It happened. It’s done. Rodney’s alive. Get over it.”
It almost sounds too cold to be coming out of John’s lips because she’d been under the impression that John cared about Mer. All evidence points to that despite the fact that Rodney can be a pain in the ass on the best of days.
But the Lorne guy seems to calm from it. He stops pacing and looks at Mer all lost eyes and tight lips. He looks over at John and smiles and nods his head.
“You’re right. No use getting panicky.”
“Exactly.” John says.
Lorne takes a deep breath and Jeannie sees his hand glide across Mer’s, slow and deliberate.
“You’re going to be okay.”
“Yes, yes, I know. Two broken legs are nothing to the pain I could be feeling. I get that. There’s good painkillers and everything.”
“So why don’t we let Rodney sleep and go back to the hotel. We’ll be able to see him tomorrow.” John says.
“Sure… yeah. I just… there’s was an equation I was running with some of the scientists on the naquadah generator. Let me just go…”
“Go ahead. I’ll be there in a second.”
“I don’t…”
“Lorne.”
Lorne takes a deep breath and nods, lips pursed together and he gives Mer another smile and walks out of the room, doesn’t even notice Jeannie standing on the other side. He doesn’t look at anything but his hands, shoulders tight and tense, single minded purpose showing in the way he walks.
Jeannie frowns.
“You better keep an eye on him. He’s fragile right now.”
“Just worry about getting better.”
“He blames himself, John.”
“Well that’s stupid.”
“Like you’ve never done it before.”
She can’t see John’s face, but she can imagine the tightness.
“It’s a soldier thing.”
“So he’s not going to get over it any time soon. You need to make sure he does. Distract him or something.”
“Rodney.”
“Look I know you probably don’t want to talk about this, but I’m gonna be out of commission for awhile and I don’t expect the two of you to just…”
“Rodney! Military hospital on a military base.”
“Yeah, whatever. Look I’m just saying that right now he needs life affirming sex that I can’t give him so you’ve got to step up to the plate, which isn’t out of the ordinary or anything considering the two of you have sex a lot, but still.”
“Oh my god.”
John turns around and Mer’s eyes widen and Jeannie just stands there in the doorway and she’s sure she looks dumbfounded but she doesn’t care because this if information she can’t even process properly.
It’s not every day you find out your brother is having gay sex with two guys.
“Jeannie… what… what are you doing here? Standing there in the doorway without making a sound.”
“See this is why we don’t talk about these things.” John mutters.
“Did you… are you… I mean is this for real? Are you seriously talking about having John have sex with that guy?”
“It’s not like it’s something we don’t talk about a lot.” Mer says.
“Why would you do that?”
“Because he’s sad?’
“Mer, be serious.” Jeannie says and she never thought she’d be telling him that.
“This isn’t any of your business, Jeannie.”
She pouts.
“How could you say that?”
“Because it’s my life.”
“And you’re having sex with two guys.”
“I’m in love with two guys.”
“How is that even possible?”
She watches John tense, hand still lingering on Mer’s shoulder in a somewhat possessive manner.
“It just is.” Mer says sullenly.
“Why don’t I let the two of you talk? Lorne’s probably getting antsy.”
She watches as her brother looks up at John, hopeful eyes and he’s biting on his bottom lip.
“Make sure he’s okay, alright.”
“I will. He’s going to be fine Rodney. You know, after he buries the blame down.”
“Which should be tomorrow?”
John smiles.
“Maybe a little longer, but he’ll be fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He shakes his head and it looks like John maybe wants to bend down and kiss Mer and maybe never leave. Maybe call Lorne in and the three of them can snuggle together and everything else would go away.
It’s still very weird.
John spares her a glance, a glance that says a lot and not enough at the same time and Jeannie’s left standing their open mouthed, wondering what to say.
“Well?”
Mer bites his lip.
“It’s really not that complicated.” Mer grumbles.
“I’ve heard of these relationships. I’ve never actually seen them before.”
“It’s not that complicated.”
“You’ve said that and yet you haven’t explained.”
“I don’t have to justify anything, Jeannie. This is my life. I love the both of them and they love each other and me and it works for us, okay. Nobody gets jealous of the other. It’s not even about the sex or anything like that.”
Jeannie raises an eyebrow.
“Not that that isn’t fantastic, because it is. I mean really..”
“Okay, I don’t want to know about that. Really. I’m just fine thinking you never have sex ever.”
Rodney frowns.
“The thing is… is this really healthy? I mean can you really say that you love the both of them the same and that it doesn’t affect the relationship you have.”
“Yeah, Jeannie, it works for us. Really, it does. I know it may seem weird, but… it works okay. We kind of… we kind of need each other.”
Jeannie nods. She doesn’t understand it. It’s kind of a hard thing to understand, but she can see the look on Mer’s face, content and wistful and happy looking. It’s rare and it’s nice and she can’t really tell him no because he’s a grown man.
“You need each other.”
“Yeah.”
“And it works?”
“Yeah.”
“And you’re never going to try and tell me about your sex life ever again right?”
Mer rolls his eyes.
“Yes, Jeannie, for you I will not talk about my sex life. You can continue to think I have none.”
“I just… it’s weird okay. They’re both really good looking.”
“Ridiculously so, really.”
“And I guess… John I can understand. But this other guy…”
“Lorne’s sweet. And smart and he’s really funny and you’ll like him when you get to meet him properly.”
“He seemed really concerned about you.”
“That could be because he loves me or because he’s feeling guilty.”
“Are you gonna tell me about it?”
Mer shakes his head and sinks into his pillows a little more making soft sighing noises as he does.
“Not right now. Maybe later. I’m sort of wiped out. My legs are broken you know.”
“I was aware of that.”
“And I’ve just spent the past two hours trying to convince Lorne that this isn’t his fault.”
“So three people relationships not as easy as they sound?”
She tries for joking, but it turns out a little strained. She still can’t grasp it, still doesn’t understand how Mer can be so nonchalant about the whole thing.
But then he smiles, wide and bright and happy again like he’s thinking about better times and easier times and times that put that smile on his face.
“It’s worth it.”
Jeannie smiles. She doesn’t have to get it. It’s not hers to get. Mer’s happy.
That’s all that matters.
“I’m going to want to meet the both of them. Dinner. You and them and me and Kaleb. I think it would be a little weird for Madison.”
“It’s not weird for you?”
Jeannie bites her lip.
“I’m not gonna say it’s not because it is, but… I guess it doesn’t matter.”
“It doesn’t matter?”
He looks a bit confused, but Jeannie just smiles. He doesn’t get it. Doesn’t get that she’ll be happy for him if he’s happy. It’s not something he’s used to.
“That’s right, Mer. It doesn’t matter.”
Mer nods his head.
“I guess that’s okay then.”
FIN