A/N: I feel so bad...I'm using John to hurt Carson. Why do I do this? I'm a sick person, but I did put him back together again.
Anyways...for those of you following along with Through the Fire, no worries, that will be finished...one of these days. I'm getting whumped by school right now. Makes it hard to find time to write.
This story is in response to the Carson Beckett Challenges on GateWorld. Thanks to the lovely ladies of that thread, so encouraging. Prompt: Create a fic where one (or more if you wish) of Carson's friends hurt him.
Title was taken from the song Courageous by Casting Crowns. Excellent song, look it up. :)
Thanks to the lovely CheekyBeckett for beta-ing. Any errors are mine.
Hope you like, and as always, please review!
Made To Be Courageous by GraceW
The blow caught him right below his sternum, and Carson Beckett went flying across the room. He landed hard, gasping as the wind left his lungs. Opening terrified blue eyes he looked at his attacker.
"Major! John, please. I can help."
"John? That idiot is gone…disposed of, as it were. Kicked out, this is my show now. Sorry, Doc. This is just the way it has to be." Major John Sheppard said in a dark voice, moving his head once in a slow weaving pattern like a hypnotized snake. Eyes that normally would have been a lively hazel green had been distorted into a frightening jet black.
"Look, I can save ye." Carson held the syringe that would reverse the effects of the parasite that had found its way into the soldier's brain. He had to inject it into Sheppard's neck, and that was going to be an extremely difficult thing to do.
"I don't need saving, you pathetic fool. I need to hurt someone." Knife in hand, John took a menacing step forward and repeated. "I need to hurt someone."
In that single moment, Carson wondered why he had been stupid enough to chase the soldier by himself. The parasite was secreting a fluid into the frontal lobe of the major's brain, changing his personality and behavior. The zoology research scientists were studying the alien parasite when it suddenly began reproducing after a freak accident. John had been caught in the middle. Before anyone really knew what was happening, he had completely changed, injuring the scientists and escaping the lab in a hurry. Rodney McKay had put the entire city in lockdown, blocking off the populated areas from where Sheppard had run off to. Atlantis protected the expedition against its own commander.
Sheppard suddenly lunged toward him, jerked Carson back to reality. The doctor scrambled, trying to get away from the long pointed knife. Carson took off running, the syringe in his hand a constant reminder of his mission. The run down the long hallway wore him out, and when he tried to activate the only door at the end, it wouldn't budge. He whispered under his breath. "Oh crap."
"Come here little Scotty." Sheppard's creepy voice could have been straight out of a horror drama as he walked toward the trapped doctor.
"Let me help, lad."
"For the last time, I don't need help!" Losing all patience, Sheppard shouted and lunged at Carson. The doctor tried to dodge, but the long knife caught him in the abdomen. Intense pain followed, his very insides shocked as cold metal penetrated flesh. He gasped and let out a cry as his limp body hit the floor. His left hand immediately went to cover the wound, in an attempt to stem the blood flow.
"Now that's better. Can't run now, can ya?" The look in Sheppard's eyes was murderous. He gave sort of a chuckle and knelt down next to the quivering scientist, grinning like a cat. "What? Speechless little Scotty? For good reason, you probably won't like what's going to happen next, but I will. This is going to be so fun."
He dug the tip of the knife into Carson's shoulder, tracing in toward his chest. Carson screamed as the knife cut through delicate skin and muscle tissue. He felt his body weaken as a substantial amount of blood flowed out of the stab wound in his shoulder and abdomen. It was getting harder to move, to focus. Sheppard snarled as his head did the strange weaving pattern again, but he brought the bloody knife up again. "Having trouble, Doc? Did that hurt?"
Panting with exhaustion, Carson met Sheppard's eyes. "Please, don't do this."
"Um, let me think, nope, sorry." He smirked, his black eyes glinting in the dim light, and brought his face close to Carson's.
The doctor was basically helpless, his radio and weapon long lost, reinforcements nowhere near their location. It was only then that he remembered that he still held the syringe in his hand. His blood loss and tight grip on the small cylinder had left him with white knuckles and clammy skin, but he still had it. His weak thumb uncapped the syringe. In one single motion, using every bit of courage and adrenaline induced energy he had left, Carson jabbed the needle into the Major's neck and injected the fluid.
"What have you done!" Sheppard yelled, and fell backwards, his hand immediately coming to the spot where the needle still stuck out of the skin. The drug began working and the major started shaking uncontrollably. It was almost a minute before he finally passed out, into a crumbled heap a few feet away from the injured doctor.
Carson tried to calm his breathing and laid his head back on the floor. They would come for him; he just needed to close his eyes for a bit. They would be here…
BEEP…BEEP…BEEP. Carson Beckett woke slowly, using his senses trying to figure out where he was. He opened his eyes, blinking back what little light was actually in the room. He felt a soft hand on his arm and turned to face the culprit.
The radiant smile of Kimberly Dean met his confused look. "Good morning, Doc. How are you feeling?"
"Kim, love." He grimaced as his nerves sensed the pain from his injuries, but continued "I'm feelin' a wee bit tired."
"No kidding. A stab wound and surgery will do that to you." The pretty nurse held his hand, comfortingly. "But Dr. Krause fixed you up with hardly any trouble."
He smiled just a bit, silently thanking his co-worker, Susanna Krause. But his pain level was increasing "Thank goodness for Susanna. What about the Major?"
"He's fine. Getting over a considerable headache, but he's going to be back to normal in no time."
"Good."
"I'd love to see those gorgeous blue eyes; you really should get some more sleep. But there will be a pineapple fruit cup when you wake up." Kim inserted a needle into Carson's IV and then ran her hand over his forehead and down his cheek. The exhausted doctor-turned-patient closed his eyes and fell back into the world of the unconscious, knowing he was going to be safe.
Thanks for reading, please tell me what you think!
~~Grace