Whoa, I got so many reviews for this story, I was expecting something like one or two, but I log onto my computer one morning, and it goes, "You have fifteen new messages", and I'm like "fifteen?" And then, while I'm reading them, my jaw dropping further as I read them, I get pop ups saying, "You have one new message". I'm just so stunned that you all like my story. Right then, enough mushy stuff, on with the story!
It was to a very bright room that Major John Sheppard woke up. Well technically, it wasn't a room, as he could see no walls or even a ceiling. Also, he didn't remember falling asleep, so how could he wake up?
"You have a very alert mind, John". The voice sounded as though everyone in the world had spoken at once. It was both male and female, high pitched and low. He sprung up from the floor he was on, eyes searching the area, reaching for his gun, which wasn't there. There was no one there.
"Where are you?" he asked, shouting the question to the 'room'.
"We are everywhere, and we are nowhere".
Oh great, cryptic messages. He'd always hated trying to decipher them, but when he solved them, it was like being on top of the world.
"You said 'we'. Do you mean you and me, or is there more than one of you out there?" Now was the time to put that Mensa tested brain to use.
"We are many, and we are one". The 'many-voice' responded.
John carefully thought this one over, 'many' and 'one'. So the voice spoke for all, which inevitably meant..
"Telepathy?" He suggested.
"Correct". The voice hadn't come from all around him this time. It had come from directly behind him. Using a purely male, low pitched voice.
He turned sharply, and looked face to face with himself.
It had been half an hour since Major Sheppard's sacrifice to save Atlantis, and ultimately Earth. The atmosphere was still pretty grim, and no-one could bring themselves together enough to speak, let alone move. The three doctors were still in their chairs, but a few tears had now escaped the corners of Radek Zelenka's eyes. Rodney McKay, who still had Elizabeth crying into his shoulder, was now frozen in shock, as it came to him that he had just lost one of the only people who put up with him on this base, one of his team-mates, one of his closest friends. A tear fell, followed by another. No more came.
Teyla and Aiden had returned with the second group of soldiers to come to the control centre to find out about the explosion. It was their they found out about Major Sheppard. Aiden had fallen against the wall, and collapsed down it, hugging his knees to him as he buried his face to them. Shudders could be seen coming from his body, and those close to him could hear the muffled sobs.
Teyla had seemed to freeze, and as she had raised a slightly shaking hand to her face, the tears fell. At first they came slowly and quietly, but then they increased in both speed and sound, until she too, was sobbing. She approached Aiden, and fell down next to him, hugging him, receiving as much as giving the strength she so needed.
No-one had been spared the emotional grief of the lost of the Major. Even those who hadn't particularly liked him, like Bates, or hadn't even respected him, like Kavanaugh, had spared a tear for the loss of a man willing to sacrifice himself to save their lives.
It looked exactly like him. Apart from the hair length and clothing, it could have been him. No-one would have known the difference. Stick him in a uniform, cut his hair, and they could be twins.
"Hey!" Nothing wrong with that greeting, couldn't insult anyone using it.
"I am not a horse!" The man had an angry look upon his face, and had started to walk towards Major Sheppard. John tried to retreat, but found his feet were stuck to the floor. He crouched as best he could, but when the arm came swinging, he found his eyes involuntarily closing. He waited for the blow to hit, but it never came. An arm hung around his shoulders, and he found himself being closely hugged by the 'other me', as he'd come to call him.
"Just call me Jorran. I've a feeling we're going to get along just fine".
John opened his eyes, and saw the gently smiling face shining down upon him. He couldn't help but smile back.
Two days had passed since the sacrifice of Major John Sheppard. The atmosphere was still pretty grim. The service that had been held for him, and all the others who had died, had left no dry faces. Elizabeth still watched the people going out to place a candle and to give a prayer for the safe deliverance of their lost ones to the afterlife. She couldn't bear to watch it.
John had been her closest friend here on Atlantis. He was, (had been, dammit), thoughtful, kind, generous, and caring. He had been the big brother to a lot of the people on Atlantis, and had always been willing to help others. And she had sent him to his death.
She could feel the sobs begin to start, and quickly vacated the room, beginning to jog, then flat-out run to her quarters. She barely made it before the tears started to fall. She collapsed onto the bed, and sobbed into her pillow, cradling it to her.
"So, looking sharp, and looking like me. An explanation, please?" John asked whilst looking around the immediate area for somewhere to sit. Then he remembered his previous observations of his surroundings. Nowhere to sit, or lie, or rest against.
A very large, extremely comfy looking leather chair appeared in front of him, along with a four poster bed, with emerald sheets, and, strangely enough, a ten square foot brick wall.
He raised an eyebrow at Jorran, then jumped onto the bed. He bounced once, twice, then lay still.
Rodney McKay hadn't left his lab since the service. He'd immediately thrown himself into his work. He also hadn't had his hourly coffee for over twenty hours. He was tired, but he couldn't sleep. He wanted his friend back.
Yes, come one, come all, Rodney McKay, the nerd king, has finally got a friend. John put up with him, appeased him when he wanted to explore things on other worlds, and didn't mind telling him when he was becoming to difficult to handle.
He started to collapse of the stool he was sitting, and bracing his hands to catch himself, managed to cut his hand on one of the many devices he had on this desk. He reached into a cabinet underneath the desk, specially filled for this type of incident, before pulling out a roll of bandage.
He wrapped it around his hand, and stood up, deciding he'd better make his was to the med bay before Carson decided to come find him, and remove him from the lab come hell or high water.