sg_five_things | Prompt 103.04

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Prompt 103.04

Five people John hopes never to be stuck in a transporter/broken down jumper with ever again

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1) Bates. John knows every time Bates sees him, Bates is wishing to God that it had been Sumner who came back with John's dessicated body and not the other way around, just as John's wishing Teyla had broken the smug bastard's jaw. The only time Bates shows John any respect is when they're fighting -- the enemy or about Teyla and the rest of the Athosians. But John isn't interested in fighting -- or in forcing Bates' respect, so the two hours and seventeen minutes they're stuck waiting for McKay to get the transporter system working, they don't say a single word to one another.

2) Halling. When he's just Jinto's dad or an Athosian hunter/trader, Halling's a great guy. But every time Halling comes over to Atlantis, he turns into a religious fanatic and John had had enough of those back on Earth. Only, even the Fundamentalists had started looking good despite ranting about the Great Satan or how homosexuals would burn in Hell sometime during hour three trapped in a transporter with Halling. Who refused to believe that John didn't have any insights or words of blessing to pass on just because one of John's ancestors had interacted with one of Halling's Ancestors.

3) Elizabeth. While Liz had earned John's respect, loyalty and friendship even before they'd left for Atlantis, and afterward she'd turned into the best damn CO he'd ever served with, she was a meddler at heart, always looking to build bridges and tear down fences, even when John liked the divides he'd created. Spending even fifteen minutes locked in a transporter with her, unable to escape using one of the convenient reason both he and McKay kept on hand to be able to avoid one of those talks: such as how he needed to get along with Bates, or how she was looking to him and McKay for examples on integration instead of division between their respective commands. During that one, fifteen minutes had seemed like fifteen hours.

4) Ronon. Everyone had heard how Rodney was the claustrophobic one on John's team, just like they knew all about Rodney's allergies or his vast intelligence. After five hours stuck with Ronon and two stacks of ammo crates they'd been moving in a malfunctioning transporter put that to rest, however, as Rodney had nothing on Ronon being trapped in a ten by ten closet with three by three of it missing. It took John nearly five weeks after that to get over his own bout of claustrophobia.

5) Rodney. Stuck in a transporter didn't work, because Rodney was still the one everyone called, plus Rodney had this thing about someone else solving problems or saving him, while John had the big problem of possibly being overheard. Trapped in a puddlejumper didn't really work either, thanks to Rodney's PTSD over his and Griffin's time, plus it being rare when it was just the two of them. Of the couple of times it had just been Rodney and him, Rodney had either been too panicked or stressed -- or too busy -- to cooperate with John's ideas for a little stress relief.

OK, LOLing at #5, snickering at earnest!Elizabeth and petting poor Ronon. Well, and poor John, too, for finding out that claustrophobia can be contagious!

Thanks.

I'm fascinated that Halling was picked twice for this prompt. I love both answers! I can see how John would be a little uncomfortable at being perceived as some sort of holy man.

And I love Elizabeth trying to use that time productively, because she absolutely would.

It is such a shame that they got rid of Elizabeth.

Thanks.

Lovely insights into John! I can see his team will be avoiding enclosed spaces for awhile now - esp. if Rodney won't even engage in a little stress relief. LOL

Thanks.

Major Lorne: Lorne's a great second-in-command, a good person with a dry sense of humor, and about as close a friend as he can be, considering their relative positions. He also, it turns out, has an endless stream of time waster games at his disposal, and refuses to be deterred from them by being trapped in a small transporter with no lights, power or radios. The only reason John doesn't kill him where he sits is that it's Lorne's turn to do personnel evaluations.

Mr Woolsey: Woolsey thinks three hours trapped in a transporter is the perfect time to go through all the administrivia that John's been putting off for weeks – okay, months, but only the really boring stuff. John would take a Wraith attack over that any day. Actually, John would take personnel evaluations over that – for science as well, if he had to.

Dr Lapinski: she's very claustrophobic, only takes the transporters if she really, really has to. She's always been that way, has to take anxiety pills before she goes into the SGC and hopes desperately that the Midway station will be rebuilt so she doesn't have to use the Daedalus to get home. All of which she tells John, over and over at high speed until Rodney rescues them. John could kiss him.

Colonel Carter: it's not like he doesn't know that she knows about him and Cam – hell, she's crashed more than one of their dates, for which John blames Cam entirely. It's just that it's incredibly, unpleasantly weird to be sitting on the floor of the transporter while his commanding officer quizzes him about his intentions towards her best friend.

Rodney McKay: John doesn't care that the man is one of his best friends, and a genius, or that he's saved John's life on more than one occasion. After the third time they get trapped in a transporter together, and Rodney makes it more difficult for them to be rescued in his attempts to get them free, John starts refusing to get in a transporter with him. On the down side, it takes him longer to get everywhere when he has to walk. On the up side, after a couple of weeks, he starts being able to keep up with Ronon when they run again. John's counting that one in the win column.

I'm on a LOLing streak! Everyone's finishing up with something giggle-worthy. Love it. :-D

Love these all, including the OFC who could give Daniel and Rodney a run for their money in the high-speed talking sweepstakes. *g*

Oh, hilarious! I especially love John's reasons for not wanting to be trapped with Lorne. And Woolsey...well, of course Woolsey would take advantage of the situation. And I would love to see the conversation with Carter. :D

I think I feel sorriest for him in four - awkward. ^_^

Loved this. I could almost see John's facial expressions!

Thank you!

1. Halling

He's walking with Halling up to the gate room when the transporter decides to shut down, and though he hails both Rodney and Zelenka immediately, they still get to spend an uncomfortable hour in there.

John doesn't dislike Halling in any way, but the man is terribly intense sometimes, and very vehement in his beliefs, and John never knows how to deal with him. He's no good with spiritual things, and never have been, and these things are part of what makes Halling the person he is.

He is an important ally and a great friend to Teyla, but there's something about him that makes John uneasy.

Mostly, he thinks it's caused by the fact that he is used to thinking of Halling as sort of Elisabeth's Athosian counterpart, and being in his presence is a constant reminder that Elisabeth isn't there any more.

It's not fair to Halling, but John can't help it, and so he tries to avoid ever having to spend that kind of time alone with him again after they're released.

2. Miko Kusanagi

Dr. Kusanagi is a lovely woman, but when the jumper breaks down during an obligatory flight lesson, it's just a very awkward situation.

She starts to speak, then stops, and looks down at her hands, flustered. Occasionally, she reassures him that Rodney will fix it, and she sounds so certain that John can't help feel sorry for her.

The way she lights up when Rodney finally does come through, as he always does, is a little heartbreaking. So much hope on her face, and McKay doesn't even acknowledge her.

John would rather not see the crestfallen expression on her face ever again.

3. Jack O'Neill

Two of the strongest ATA gene carriers currently in Atlantis, and they're stuck in the chair room. It's ridiculous and both the General and John are pacing, in a room barely big enough for one of them to do so.

Atlantis has issues.

At least it's a comfort that there's no crisis outside the room, no Wraith or Replicators or anything like that, just a door that won't open and two men trapped in a room.

"Well, I did promise you a tour to remember," John offers and grins wryly. The General raises his eyebrow but a small smile flickers across his lips.

It's something they'll probably laugh at later, and it's hardly the worst place to be trapped, but he's still glad when the doors finally open, because there's only so many rounds of "I Spy" you can play in a sealed chair room.

He respects General O'Neill too much to want to be trapped with him again.

Hee! I Spy!

Ah, poor Miko.

Jack would totally start a game of I Spy. He's got tons of experience being stuck in confined spaces, after all. XD

Poor Miko indeed. That crush of hers really doesn't do her any good.

Oh, poor Miko, that breaks my heart a little.

And ::hee:: for Jack and their much-ballyhooed genetics. :)

I can't help but feel sorry for Miko, even if she's barely around in canon. SGA just has engaging minor characters.

I love Jack. He's just awesome like that. And while the ATA gene is useful for say, killing things with drones, or turning on the lights, it's not going to do any good if the door mechanism gets jammed.

4. Todd

He's taking advantage of Wraith strength to have Todd carry some heavy supplies when the doors snap closed behind them.

Being stuck in a small supply closet with a Wraith is definitely not John's idea of a good time. He's fairly sure Todd won't try anything, because he's far too clever to do something that stupid, but the closet is seriously small and Todd is tall and looming, and has absolutely no sense of personal space.

Not that there's room in there for personal space.

Todd leans against the wall, eyes closed and breath shallow, and it occurs to John that the Wraith probably isn't all that fond of small, enclosed spaces after the whole thing with Kolya, and that is even less comforting. Being trapped with a Wraith is bad enough, a claustrophobic Wraith would be far worse.

But Todd stays where he is, eyes remaining closed, and does nothing. That doesn't mean John isn't constantly aware of his presence, though. It's almost tangible.

By the time they're let out of there, John swears there's nothing he'd want to do again less and stalks off to somewhere where there is plenty of open space and no Wraith.

5. Larrin

He was wrong.

He'd rather be trapped with Todd than with Larrin, even if they have more space here. At least Todd could keep his hands to himself, and was far less likely to stun him.

The Wraith would probably have been able to do something about the engines, too. Anyone who could keep up with McKay could probably fix this ship.

And Todd would almost certainly not going to try shoving his hands in John's pants every other minute, either.

Larrin might be prettier than Todd, but she isn't all that good company when he wasn't up for playing games, and he really isn't feeling like games right now. Unless it involves gagging her, maybe. He's sure she's a nice woman in the right circumstances, but she's not the kind of woman he wants a relationship with. Not that she seems to want a relationship, but his time for casual encounters has sort of passed, too.

He groans and leans his head on the wall, groaning.

By the time a hyperspace window opens, John would almost be happy to see a Hive Ship.

Though the Daedalus is a better sight still.

*giggles* So a Hive Ship would be better than Larrin's hand down his pants? LOVE IT!

#4 makes me feel claustrophobic! Nice job!

I don't like Larrin much, can you tell? *chuckles* She's a little too much space bitch for my tastes.

While I'm actually closer to agoraphobic, I wouldn't want to be trapped in a small space with a deadly predator. Especially one with good reasons to be unhappy when locked up.

I really like the fact that you went for less obvious characters here. I especially love the bit about Halling, and how John has no idea how to deal with the spiritual beliefs that are such an important part of Halling's life. That's very much how I read John too.

The thing I really love about SGA is that there's a ton of really great minor characters. Halling happens to be a favourite of mine, and I think he has the potential to make a lot of people uneasy. Most people don't deal well with deep spiritual devotion, it seems.

Hee! Nice to know a wraith in an enclosed space is better than an overly-friendly Larrin. Great list all around.

At least the wraith isn't trying to touch John inappropriately. XD

1. Kate Heightmeyer - She didn't ask any questions or try to trick him into talking about his feelings or anything and that almost made John feel guilty for, you know, not talking about his feelings. He thinks if they'd been in there even fifteen minutes more he may have cracked and told her his life's story in gory detail without her ever having said a word.

2. Ronon - John usually appreciates the silence, but endless hours with Ronon answering everything with grunts or gestures could really change a guy's mind. Besides, Ronon took up more than his fair share of the limited space.

3. Parrish - The botanist is a really nice guy but his enthusiasm for plants is matched only by his enthusiasm for Lorne, and John's trying really hard not to ask, even if technically Parrish didn't tell.

4. Cadman - She seems to think the best way to get on her CO's good side is to share their common interest in Rodney. It's obvious to John that he she's subtly (yeah, right - subtly as a smack upside the head) trying to sell Rodney to him. Too bad he can't tell her she's got it backwards. He's already sold.

5. Keller - John spent three hours dreading her gratefully intimate reunion with Rodney and then three days feeling alternately guilty and smug that Rodney had only had eyes for him when the doors finally opened.

1. Oh, yeah, Kate could make anyone crack. She's subtle that way!

2. Stop being so big, Ronon!

3. Awww. Well, what else could they talk about?

4. Already sold. Yeah.

5. Well, well, what's this then? Oho!

\o/ Thanks!

Fantastic! I love the bits with Kate and Ronon here. Another fifteen minutes with Kate might have been good for him. And yes, I can see how Ronon's silence might eventually be an issue in that situation.

I agree, next time the team might want to be a little slower.

Thanks!

*cracks up*

Okay, okay, I can really see each of these in my mind and like them all. *G*

Especially the first one 'cause I can't stop thinking how *terrible* it would have been if this was Kate Heightmeyer's one weakness: fear of being locked in closed spaces - and the reason she didn't say a word was because she had her hands full to get a grip on herself, needing nothing more urgent than somebody strong and fearless being with her and *then* John - totally not knowing that - cracks and starts to *talk*. ;-)

And #3: I can practically *see* John secretly making faces, looking everywhere but at Parrish and mentally going "lalalala, can't hear a thing" and desperately wish for the transporter doors to open already.

Ooh, yeah that would be horrible (but interesting for us).

Parrish can't help it - when he's excited about something he's REALLY excited. :)

Thanks!

Well - do I, or do I not, smell a story lurking around at #5? Hmm?

(#1 is Really Funny - it could have been a great episode all by itself.)

Oh, I'm sure there is a story there.

I can see it now, they get the doors open and John's eyes are bloodshot and wet and Kate is fast asleep. ;)

Kate Heightmeyer and Ronon - let's see who cracks first.

lolol! I'd love to see that. :)

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Prompt 103.04

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Five people John hopes never to be stuck in a transporter with ever again

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