A/N - BOQ stands for Bachelor Officers Quarters. I have no idea if Rodney or Ronon would be allowed to stay there, but it's fanfic. Why not?

Jenna was working her way around the various rooms of the NiCU. Her charges all seemed content for the time being as she noted the readings and weighed the diapers. The next room presented her with a picture. There was her newest patient and her father - Merika and Ronon.

Jenna would be the first to admit she had started out being afraid - just a bit - of Ronon. He was tall, very tall, with those dreadlocks - a first in her personal experience - and had a fierce countenance. It all added up to a pretty scary picture.

That impression was mostly dispelled after watching him with Merika. No one so completely devoted to a tiny baby could possibly be all scary. Which is why her heart melted at the current picture. Merika was settled on Ronon's chest fast asleep. Leads were going in every direction. Ronon himself, also asleep, was twisted in a God awful pretzel to allow the little girl to sleep peacefully and safely.

She cleared her throat, "Mr Dex." She barely spoke above a whisper. He woke like she half suspected he would. "You really ought to find somewhere to sleep for the night."

Ronon glanced down to his daughter. "I need to be here for her." He made no move to get up.

"This is going to be a long road. You need to take care of you so you can be healthy and take care of her and your wife too." Jenna injected some authority into her whisper.

"I'm staying," he whispered flatly.

Jenna realized nothing she said would get him out of that chair. She nodded briefly and turned to continue her rounds. "Anything I can get you? Coffee? Water?"

"We're good. Thanks."

Twenty minutes later, rounds were done and Jenna went in search of Mr Dex's friend. No one could possibly get enough rest in a chair and enough food to feed his large frame in that room.

"Dr McKay." Jenna really hoped he was the one to talk to. "You need to convince your friend to go find some food and somewhere to sleep."

He stood there just blinking for a full moment. "Do you know the odds fo that? I don't think even I can calculate the likelihood of that." Jenna fixed him with a stern look and he wilted some. "Well, I'll give it a shot - convincing him. Not calculating out the odds."

Dr McKay went through the door muttering something about Sateden stubbornness.

"Listen, you unevolved caveman. A medical professional just told you to go eat and sleep and that you can come back later. If Carson or Jennifer told you that, you wouldn't dare argue." Dr McKay whispered furiously to Mr Dex.

"And if it were your child? Where would you be? I need to be here for her." Mr Dex rumbled back.

"I'd listen to the voice of reason. That is part of why you asked me to come all this way with you." Dr McKay whispered not unkindly.

"She'll be here in the morning," Jenna offered to the discussion. She studied him for a full minute to see what he'd decide.

Slowly, he flexed as he straightened and released cramped muscles. He gently shushed little Merika. Carefully, he laid her in her bassinet and a gentle stroke along her brow lulled her back to sleep.

He reached up and unhooked what looked like a Bluetooth from his ear and held it to Jenna. "This is Top Secret technology, but if you need me, wrap it over your ear," he proceeded to put it on her, "tap here and ask for either me or McKay. There are only the two in the area and we will be available.

"So, not a Bluetooth, after all?"

Ronon offered Jenna a confused look before he leaned down to kiss Merika once more and made his way to the exit.

Ronon stepped out of the hospital and looked up tot he stars. How many strange stars had he seen in his life? Everything was unfamiliar and even in the wide open, he felt the walls closing in on him. "I can't lose her, McKay."

Rodney felt almost as helpless as his friend. Teyla was the one good with words and feelings and. . . things. "We'll get this figured out. Doctor Schuster is good. They've got a good team here." He hoped mentioning the team would calm him.

"At any rate, we need a place to crash for the night. I got us set up at Peterson BOQ"

"Why not at the SGC?"

"Peterson is closer. Even I'd be willing to walk that far and keep the grumbling to a minimum."

Ronon flashed McKay a quick smile. "Thanks, McKay. But how about food first. I can't remember when I ate last."

In all the times Rodney had been through the Springs, he'd never paid attention to the road between Peterson and the SGC. There had to be a restaurant along there, right? Quickly he scanned across the park in front of the hospital and fortunately saw neon signs announcing it was open and various beer logos next to that. "That'll do." Even if they only had bar food, it was more than they'd had for hours and his blood sugar was dropping, dammit!

The neon lights turned out to be the Olympic Grill. Not just bar food. It had everything. Ronon was half tempted to order one of everything on the menu. Years of living with the Lanteans and English being the predominate language used let him read most everything on it.

It was a good place. One he figured he'd probably end up at often if it would take as long as Jenna suggested to pull Merika to wellness. It felt like the taverns back in Pegasus. On Sateda.

The people were certainly friendly and relaxed. There was a group of young people who seemed to be celebrating. They were gathered near the music player and raising their glasses from time to time and as they raised theirs, the rest of the patrons did as well.

The food warmed Ronon's body which in turn relaxed something in his soul.

So many things changed in the last day. He was a father! The thought brought a silly grin to his face. He realized that in all the worry, all the frenzy of getting Merika help, he hadn't celebrated her tiny life. He raised his glass much like the others had done. "To Merika Elizabeth. May her days be long and her troubles short."

"To Merika!" the people echoed and took a drink.

"She will be okay, Ronon." Rodney didn't quite know what else to say. And he sucked at being the positive supportive one. That was Teyla and Carson's job. His job was to think of all the things that could go wrong and try and prevent them. But how awful was it to actively think of things going wrong with a tiny baby? It'd be like assuming something would happen to Madison at any moment. For once, his mind shuddered away from the worst.

"How soon do you suppose Carson will release Jennifer?"

McKay took a moment to think. "Probably tomorrow he'll allow her to go to Midway, then on to here the following day."

"We're going to need to send Midway a data packet for her then. She's going to want to know everything."

"Well, it's going to be incomplete. They're doing some enzyme tests that take a few days to complete here."

"She'll still want to know."

"Jennifer, Carson has asked me to walk with you as you regain your strength." Teyla hoped progress in her own recovery would help the younger woman's outlook. She had to admit, if there had been similar circumstances with Torren, she would not be handling it any better.

The two women walked a slow circuit around the infirmary level. "From what I know about hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, Merika will need to be on Earth. Probably for a long time."

Teyla nodded. "I suspected. I will let John know we will need to find a temporary fourth."

"I guess I need to ask Carson to take over as CMO again."

"That would be wise. I suggest you speak with both him and Mr Woolsey about the matter."

"I don't know how long we'll be. And I don't know the medical community at the Springs." Jennifer took in a deep breath. "I'm scared. That time with the Bola Kai, turning into a hive ship, being on a wraith ship, all of that together has nothing on this."

Jenn reached for Teyla's hand. "She could die. The way it's impeding the blood flow, there will be enzyme build-ups that make iy even harder for her heart to beat. There's so much that can go wrong and so little that can go right."

"Carson said you could go to Midway tomorrow. In two days, you will be holding your baby. Everything will be alright." Teyla prayed she was telling the truth. To lose their daughter would devastate the both of them.

A/N - Reviews are wonderful after a long day!