Author: goddess47
Rating: G
Warnings/Spoilers: None
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard
Length: 650 words
Summary: For the mcsheplets Challenge #45: Sacrifice
Utter fluff and cliche!fic but I needed to write *something*..... Part of the on-going and intermittent Julianna!verse.
ETA: Click on the "julianna!verse" tag for the other stories in the kinda-series. Start at the bottom for something resembling chronological order.
Rodney looked down and cautiously declared, "I don't think it will come out."
A pitiful wail was the answer to that statement. Rodney winced and looked to John.
John went to one knee to look carefully at the problem. "Maybe Teyla has an idea?" he offered.
Rodney shook his head. "She's already been here to look at it and said there's no way to get it out except to...." Rodney made a motion with his one hand.
John sighed and said gently, "Honey, I don't think there's anything we can do. If Teyla doesn't know anything to help, I don't think we have any options."
"No-o-o-o-o," wailed Julianna. "I don't want to." Far tears fell down her cheeks.
Rodney put a hand on her shoulder as John inched closer. "Maybe we can work around it?" John asked hopefully.
Rodney shrugged. "Never had to do this sort of thing before," he admitted. "Don't know what to do." John wanted to grin at the statement, for only Julianna could make Rodney admit he didn't know something, but he knew Julianna wouldn't take the humor of that well.
"Maybe Miko can help us out?" John suggested.
Rodney tapped his com and called, "Miko, umm... we could use some help in our quarters. Can you...?" He listened and then replied, "Thank you." He looked at the other two, "She can be here in about fifteen minutes."
John took Julianna into his arms, carefully, and held her to help her pass the time. At three, fifteen minutes would seem like hours if he didn't distract her.
Soon enough, Miko came in and took in the situation with one swift look. "Ah! Miss Julianna has been in the greenhouses, has she?" she asked.
"Can you..... fix this?" Rodney asked, a tone of desperation in his voice.
Miko walked around John, looking carefully at Julianna and stopping in front of the small child. "It will have to be slightly.... drastic.... I think," she offered. She looked more closely, "It is too much for a simple excision."
John sighed. Julianna would be unbearable for a week after this. "Go ahead," he replied resignedly. "Do what you have to."
"Will you hold her or will she sit in a chair?" Miko countered.
"I'll hold her," John decided but shot Rodney a look that threatened, Next time is your turn.
Fortunately, Julianna didn't wriggle too much while Miko worked and it was over pretty quickly.
"It needs a specialist," Miko offered, "to do better but this should do."
Rodney sighed, "Thank you. We owe you... again." Julianna didn't act out as badly for Miko as she did for some of the other scientists and he and John frequently called her for help.
"Not a problem," Miko nodded. "Call any time."
John cuddled their daughter against his chest as Miko left. "Now I need a shower," John decided.
"Want to see!" Julianna demanded, bouncing in John's lap.
Moment of truth. John held Julianna up so she could see into a mirror. The blonde hair that used to be in pig tails and reached well below her shoulders now barely reached to her chin and was slightly uneven in a couple of places. The sap from the tari-bush had been found to be useful for water-proofing but had proven impossible to remove from the small child's hair.
"Okay?" John asked.
Julianna looked at her own reflection for a full minute and John could hear Rodney shifting from foot to foot nervously behind them. She shrugged, "Okay. Down." The tears of twenty minutes ago completely forgotten. John put her down and she ran off to her room.
Rodney let out a breath they had both been holding. "Whoa. That went better than I thought it might."
John leaned in for a quick kiss. "I need to wash this loose hair off me," John repeated. "After we put her to bed, how about if you join me?"