Clumsy (G)

Rodney eyed the flowers suspiciously.

"Are they going to make me sneeze?" he demanded.

Julianna shrugged. "Dr. David said they shouldn't," she reported. "They don't smell or anything."

She held the flowers tightly in one small fist, crushing the stems together so that one of the stalks leaned over precariously.

"What are they?" Rodney asked.

Julianna looked at the flowers and said, "The blue ones come from Athosia, Teyla said they are called Blue Bells. The white ones are from the mainland and Dr. David thinks they are related to Townsendia florifer."

"Ack! Botony!" Rodney mock-protested. "Speak English!"

Julianna grinned at him. "Daisys, silly." She held her hand out. "They're for you. Sorry." She didn't look or sound terribly apologetic but it was as much as he'd get.

Rodney took the pulpy mess gingerly. "What am I supposed to do with this now?" he asked.

"Don't know. Daddy said to give them to you to make you feel better," she threw John cheerfully out as bait.

"He did, did he?" Rodney frowned at her.

"We were playing!" she protested as if it explained anything.

"It'll be a long time before you see that skateboard again," Rodney threatened.

"You need to watch better," Julianna protested. "If you had watched, you wouldn't of fell."

"Fallen," Rodney corrected automatically. "Okay. Thank you."

She leaned over and dropped a sloppy kiss on his cheek. Rodney scooped her up and hugged her tightly until she wriggled in protest.

"Poppa's going to sleep for a bit," John said from the door. "Miss Teyla is here to take you to class."

"'kay," Julianna said. She wriggled off the bed. "Bye."

"Bye," Rodney waved.

Rodney heard the murmur of voices in the outer room as John made sure Julianna had her backpack for 'school' – with the expansion of the expedition there had been more and more children which resulted in day care and a small school. It was mostly a 'one room' schoolhouse where children of various ages worked on learning appropriate to their age and ability.

John came back to the bedroom with a glass of apple juice in his hand and some pills in the other.

"Here, do something with… this…" Rodney held out the flowers.

"I'll find something to put them in," John agreed. He put the juice on the table next to the bed and took the flowers. Rodney rubbed his sticky hand on the sheet.

John handed Rodney the pills. "Take them," he said sternly.

"Yes, mom," Rodney snarked. The pain pill would be helpful but the downside was that it would make him sleep. He had work to do. But he really didn't have any choice. Keller had only let him out of the infirmary if he promised to stay off his feet for a day.

By the time he finished the juice, John had a glass with water that he had put the flower into.

"They won't last very long," Rodney looked at the already wilting flowers, the crushed stem leaning over precariously.

"Even if they go to tonight, that'll be enough," John said.

"Wish you could stay with me," Rodney tried for a leer but ruined it by yawning. "Even just to… snuggle," he admitted.

"Wow, what's in those pills?" John teased. "Snuggle?"

"Oh, come on," Rodney rolled his eyes. "It's your fault, too, you know! Keep me company, then."

John toed off his boots and crawled into the bed. "I suppose I can do that for a while. Until you fall asleep."

Rodney lay in the circle of John's arms and closed his eyes.