Carson looked good when wet.Not that the doctor didn't look good at any other time, with the possible exception of when he was wearing a hazmat suit, but he looked absolutely devastating with water clinging to his hair in droplets and his clothes soaked onto his body like a second skin.
Granted, this was not the best time to be thinking about a wet Carson Beckett. Not when they were hiding in a cave, trying to avoid the storm raging outside. The sea had already risen past the high water mark on the cliffs John really hoped the sea wouldn't come any higher, otherwise he and Carson would be trapped in the flood.
"Whose bright idea was it to come this far from the stargate?"
John turned from the mouth of the cave and regarded Carson with amusement. "That would be yours, Doc. You wanted to check out that plant the natives said was used to ward off a Wraith's attempt to feed."
Carson gave John a disgruntled glare. "I didn't notice you talking me out of it, Major."
John raised an eyebrow. "Of course not. How often does my team run into angry Wraith? I'm not turning down a tactical advantage."
Carson didn't respond. He wandered around the small cave instead. Finally he sat down with his back to the far wall and took off his jacket. The shirt below was somewhat drier.
As Carson rummaged through his medkit, John tried his radio again. He got no response, which he hoped only meant that the storm was interfering with communications, and not that something had happened to the rest of his team.
Carson pulled out instant heat packets and two thermal blankets from his kit. He tossed a packet to John and began unfolding a blanket. John blinked. "You wouldn't happen to have a spare Puddle Jumper in that Mary Poppins bag of yours?"
"Very funny, Major. I like to be prepared for anything since I never know what kind of medical emergency I'm being called off world to deal with. Fevers, broken bones, hypothermia." He glanced at John. "Life sucking insects . . ."
"Hey, we agreed not to mention that."
Carson smiled. "Still touchy, I see."
John grunted as he twisted the heat packet to break the inner seal and mix the chemicals together. "I prefer to have slightly more attractive beings sucking on my neck, if you must know."
Carson shook his head. "No wonder Rodney calls you Captain Kirk."
John didn't answer, instead looking out into the rain, gauging the chances of the tide rising to the mouth of their cave. He kept the heat packet in his hands, soaking in the warmth.
"Are you going to stay there all night?" Carson asked.
"We should probably take watch in shifts, just to make sure the cave doesn't flood," John said. "Plus, once the storm clears, we can try to contact the others."
John could feel Carson's gaze on his back, but didn't turn around.
"All right," Carson finally said. "Here, wrap this blanket around you so you don't take a chill." John turned to see Carson holding out the second thermal blanket. He took it and lightly draped it around himself as Carson curled up under the other blanket, the heat packet tucked inside his jacket, which he'd rolled up for a pillow. "Wake me up when it's my watch," he ordered John.
John regarded Carson with amusement. "No argument that you're a doctor, not a sentry?"
Carson rolled his eyes. "Just for that I should let you stand watch all night."
John chuckled. "All right, I'll be quiet and let you get some sleep."
Carson smiled and closed his eyes. John turned back to the cave mouth, watching the rain fall.
John woke Carson midway through the night. When he was finally coherent enough to remember where they were, Carson nodded at John and rummaged in his kit for two more heat packets."Here."
John took the offered packet with a yawn. He'd taken his jacket off sometime while Carson had been asleep, but had kept the blanket around his shoulders. Carson couldn't blame him; damp clothing was no fun to wear. John yawned again and Carson stared.
"Problem, Doc?"
"Just trying to see if you've still got your tonsils, Major," Carson replied with a slight grin.
"Ha ha, very funny. I'm going to lie down over here," John pointed to the spot Carson had just vacated, "and take a nap, if that's all right with you."
"Be my guest."
"Thanks, now I'll have that Disney song in my head," John grumped as he arranged his jacket the same way Carson had, the heat packet inside to provide warmth to the makeshift pillow.
Carson frowned at him, but John was already asleep. Carson had noticed that a lot of the military officers he'd dealt with over the years fell asleep quickly, and woke quickly as well.
He moved to the cave opening, looking out. The rain had slowed during the night, but according to John they were still unable to reach anyone by radio. Still, Carson reached for his own radio and tapped it.
"Beckett to Ford, come in please."
A hissing noise greeted him. He tried Rodney and Teyla as well, with no results. Sighing, he wrapped the thermal blanket tighter around himself and refused to imagine worst-case scenarios. That was Rodney's job, and he'd be annoyed if he discovered Carson was appropriating it.
The water level outside of the cave was about two feet below the cave mouth, but the tide seemed to be turning. By morning they might be able to wade through the water back to the path to the village.
Of course, there were worse people to be stuck in a cave with, Carson mused, feeling his lips curling in a smile. Rodney, for all the Carson considered him a friend, would have been a most annoying companion in this situation. Carson still had his issues with Lieutenant Ford from the time the Genii had taken over Atlantis, although the young man was usually very likable. While being stuck with Teyla would not have been a problem, Carson would not have looked forward to the jokes and sly smirks from others back on Atlantis when it became known that he and the beautiful Athosian woman had spent the night together.
No, being stuck with John Sheppard was not a hardship at all. The man was smart, had a sense of humor, and he didn't seem to mind that their current predicament really was Carson's fault.
The fact that John was good-looking didn't factor into it at all. Or so Carson kept telling himself.
Anyway, it wasn't as if Carson would actually approach the major in any romantic or sexual way. Carson was never sure if John had forgiven him for the inadvertent attempt to bring down John's helicopter that had preceded their first meeting. Plus, there was the military to consider. Oddly enough, if Colonel Sumner had lived, Carson probably would have approached John, but now that John was in command, Carson didn't feel comfortable doing so.
As one of his American nurses would say, Carson had issues.
"What's up, Doc?" John's voice came from behind Carson.
"Very original, Major," Carson replied.
"You all right?" John asked. Carson could hear him moving around, and felt him come to stand just behind Carson. "We have visitors?"
Carson shook his head. "No visitors, no radio contact with Rodney or Ford or Teyla. The water seems to be receding, though."
"That's good," John said. "But you didn't answer my question."
"I'm fine, Major."
John moved to the other side of the cave mouth. "You've been quiet ever since we went through the gate, even with the prospect of a new medical find."
"That's Rodney who gets overly loquacious about new technology, Major."
"Wow. Bringing out the big words. Trying to impress me?"
Carson gave John a look. "If I wanted to impress you, Major, I'd invite you back to my quarters some night to watch American college football."
John perked up. "You've got a game?"
Carson shook his head, smiling. "No, I was trying to make a point."
John leaned back against the rock wall. "I knew it was too good to be true."
Carson looked out of the cave. "I just want to go home," he said quietly after a while.
"Home-Atlantis or Home-Earth?"
Carson sighed. "I don't know."
John reached out to squeeze Carson's upper arm. "We'll get home again. Both homes."
"I wasn't that worried about Atlantis, Major. After all, Dr. Weir isn't about to lose her military commander."
"Or her chief medical officer," John pointed out. "I think you're a little more valuable than I am."
"Hardly. I can barely use the ATA gene without destroying things. Or accidentally trying to kill people," he added pointedly, looking at John.
John chuckled. "I think it's safe to say that Elizabeth would be pissed if she had to do without either of us." He shivered then, and Carson frowned.
"Get back under that blanket, Major. It's cold and your clothes are still damp."
"Like yours aren’t?"
"I'm on watch, remember?"
"I think we're okay. We could both use some more sleep, to be honest."
Carson smiled. "I wouldn't argue with that."
They both moved to the back of the cave, and John curled up under his thermal blanket. Carson laid down as well, a few feet away from John.
"We could share body heat, you know."
Carson turned his head to look over at John. "Now that's a line I'd expect from Rodney."
"I'm serious." John was giving Carson an innocent look that didn't fool him at all.
"If I didn't know better, Major Sheppard, I'd say you were propositioning me."
John looked away. "Sorry, Doc. I didn't mean to offend you."
Carson pondered John for the moment. Under ordinary circumstances, he would have let the matter drop, but since John had seemingly made the first move, he was curious as to how far John might take it.
"It would certainly be more medically sound to share body heat," he said slowly. John turned to look at him, a guarded expression on his face.
"You sure about that, Carson?" Carson, not 'Doc'.
Carson moved closer. "Aye, I'm sure."
John scooted under Carson's blanket and draped his own over both of them. "Much better," he sighed, then yawned. He covered his mouth before looking up at Carson with a twinkle in his eye. "Want to check to see if I still have my tonsils?"
Carson rolled his eyes. "Next thing you'll be asking me for is a prostate exam. It's not like I haven't heard them all before, John."
John looked at him, suddenly serious. "I'm sorry if I've overstepped --"
Carson leaned over and kissed John, shutting him up nicely. They spent several moments in the kiss, tongues tasting and bodies shifting closer. When they broke apart to breathe, Carson looked into John's eyes.
"If you don't use medical innuendo, I won't start in on the military ones," he said.
"Deal," John replied, kissing Carson's neck.
"Although I wouldn't say no to you giving me a full physical exam," Carson said with a chuckle that quickly turned to a gasp.
John licked the area he'd just bitten. "So long as you show me how well you fly a stick."
Carson's groan at the pun was cut off by John's kiss, and neither of them were interested in words for a long time after.