Title: Shot
Summary: What would have happened if Ford had actually shot Carson in the infirmary scene in the Siege pt. 3? This is a look.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Used words directly from the show so they all belong to the writers.
AN: Written in response from GW's Carson Beckett re-write a scene challenge.
"Put him down Aidan, he's trying to help you." Teyla commanded evenly but sternly as she placed a hand on Ford's arm. She felt the muscles tighten beneath her grip but she refused to back down; she couldn't. The next word she spoke softly in hopes of reaching the man in front of her. "Aidan."
Ford lowered his arm, lowering Carson back down to the ground with it. He loosened his grip allowing air to be frantically sucked in by oxygen deprived lungs. He saw them all stare at him with fear in their eyes, their gazes tearing though his heart as it beat wildly in his chest. Adrenaline was doing its job and coursing swiftly through his veins but he only felt the wraith enzyme pumping through his system, driving him. "I'm sorry Doc. I don't know why I-"
"-You need to be under constant medical supervision," Beckett interrupted. His voice was gruff from the strain Aidan's hands had put on his vocal chords but his eyes were as hard and as brilliant as a blue sapphire. He slowly began to straighten and Aiden suddenly felt the need to rush the doctor again but he stamped down on it.
"He's right Lieutenant. We just want to know why you're suddenly feeling this way," Doctor Weir interjected, stepping closer to him than he felt comfortable with.
His breaths were coming out in pants by now but he assented. "Okay, I'll go back."
"Good. It's what you should do," Elizabeth agreed. Though her tone was calm enough to soothe a frightened deer, her eyes were hard like those of a commander. He knew that if he didn't go willingly she would find someone to force him.
"Yes ma'am," he granted, looking at the three friends in the room before he began heading to the infirmary. Teyla had started making her way over to him when he'd answered and by now she was wrapping her arm around his shoulders, providing support as well as a threat.
Just before they entered the transporter he heard Doctor Weir say, "Sedate him if you have to," and he knew he couldn't trust any them. Teyla's hand pressed where the closest transporter to the infirmary was and a plan began to take hold in his mind.
Carson had been busy helping one of the Marines off the infirmary bed and into a wheelchair, leaving him completely taken by surprise when he saw a flash of gray as Aiden Ford bolted upright in his bed, throw something at the guard at the door, then run over and grab the downed guard's guns.
"Ford," he called wondering what the bloody hell was going on. He was quickly cut off.
"Don't move or I'll shoot him." Ford stood up, making sure to keep one gun aimed in the direction of the guard and the other aimed at Carson. "Where's the rest of the enzyme?"
"There is no more," Carson answered with a shake of his head. He felt fear grip him at the sight of the gun aimed directly at him and he wasn't too proud to let it shine through in his eyes.
"I saw you extract it. Don't lie to me!" Ford answered immediately and Carson knew he was in trouble. But still he persisted.
"No, I'm not lying," he tried to defend but stopped just as he saw fire explode from the barrel of the gun. He made to duck out of the way but the moment he moved his right arm pain seared through it causing him to briefly cry out and grab his arm. He stumbled backwards as the force of something hitting him struck hard and he cried out as his back met a sharp edge, sending pain radiating down his legs. His legs went out from under him as he collapsed to the ground and several gasps from his staff and patients caused him to look down at the hurting limb.
A river of blood was streaming down his white lab coat, staining the purity of the cloth deep crimson. The further down the blood poured, the less it looked like a stream and the more it began to drip like a leaky faucet that needed fixing. A small 9mm shaped hole had been cut through the fabric and Carson knew he had been shot. What he couldn't understand was how he hadn't felt the bullet piercing the meaty flesh of his shoulder. When he went to stand, the pain flared instantly and didn't die down from the burning throb thereafter. He quickly switched arms with a hiss as the pain continued its way quickly down the limb through the nerves, lighting them on fire until they were nothing more than charcoal and he stood hoping to show strength when all he felt was weakness. Once standing, his left hand came up to apply as much pressure as his shoulder could take.
He looked up at Ford with shock, accusation, and pain in his eyes, his mind wondering whether the lad that he had slowly gotten to know over the past year was still in there. Recognition sparked in the hard brown eye and the dead black one and for a moment Carson knew that Aidan realized what he had done but then the dispassionate look of the Wraith clouded them once more and the recognition faded.
"Where is it?" Ford demanded as he stepped closer to Carson still holding the gun in front of him.
"You're not thinkin' straight, son," Carson tried to reason as he clutched his arm to his side, preventing the shoulder from moving. The bleeding was still constant and he knew blood loss would be kicking in soon.
"You're all afraid of me," Ford replied though whether it was a statement of fact or an accusation of hurt, Carson couldn't decide.
"Look at what you're doing. We have good reason to be," Carson automatically replied before he closed his mouth and clenched his teeth. The pain that he hadn't felt before the second move was now in full swing, throbbing though the entirety of his shoulder, stringing down his back, and continuing down to his fingers as his heart continued to frantically pump blood through his system. He bent his head as the pain kicked up another notch and he tried to swallow a growled groan. One of the nurses came up behind him, heedless of the man with the gun and placed her gloved hand which held a thick piece of gauze against the open wound in the front of his shoulder. He cried out at the pressure but allowed her to remain where she was.
Apparently that admission of pain was enough to get Ford's full attention and bring him to himself. He lowered his guns, surrendering to whom no one knew, and looked at Carson with such caring intensity that the Scot almost wanted to soothe his worry.
"D-doc?" Adian watched the doctor closely, too afraid to get too close, in hopes of discovering how he was doing.
"What is going on here?" John's voice demanded, his tone dipping and rising on the word 'here'. The Major walked into the infirmary with anger and concern beaming in his hazel eyes. They scanned the scene before him, constantly flipping between Ford and Beckett before he stepped further into the room and in front of Beckett. "Lieutenant?"
Aidan panted, breathing as fast as his lungs could go. "Put-put me in the cell."
John didn't know what was going on but he wasn't going to question Ford's demand. He motioned to the three marines that followed him and they immediately stepped in, grabbed the Lieutenant and hauled him in the direction of the Ancient cell. No sooner did Ford leave than Carson began to sink to the ground. John spun around and caught him just before he hit the floor. "Doc?"
"Major, set him down on a bed," the nurse, Marie, instructed evenly. Her hands shook as she gently began peeling Carson's lab coat off then used scissors to cut the fabric of his shirt away from the wound. She winced when her boss hissed in pain but remained steady in her work. Making sure to keep the pressure steady to stem the flow of blood, she allowed her other hand to examine the back of his shoulder, jumping when she felt the bones of his scapula give underneath her touch causing him to loudly cry out in agony. "Doctor Beckett we need to get you into surgery."
Though Marie had never seen a gunshot wound in her life, she knew enough about them to know that blood loss was only one of the things they needed to worry about. The front of Doctor Beckett's shoulder was leaking blood like an ink bottle was pouring out of it, slowly gushing the precious liquid over her gloved hands and down his chest. She quickly replaced the blood-soaked gauze with a fresh patch and reapplied pressure.
Marie used her foot to release the brakes on the bed and began pushing her boss to the surgical unit calling, "Doctor Keller!" the entire way.
Carson woke to pain, bright light and the smell of antiseptic. What happened? Had he fallen asleep at his desk again? No, that wouldn't explain why the pain was coming from his shoulder and arm instead of his head, neck and back like normal. He tried opening his eyes to look around at his surroundings but it felt as though they were glued shut and they didn't move. A deep groan escaped when he tried to bring his right hand up to rub whatever was holding his eyelids together away as pain seared through his shoulder, stretching out to his chest.
"Carson?" Teyla's voice called from beside him. He heard rustling as though she were squirming in a bed then he heard her say to someone else, "I believe he is waking up."
"Carson?" Jennifer Keller's voice called and he felt her place a hand on his left forearm. "Come on Carson open those beautiful blue eyes for me."
"Well with a request like that how could he refuse?" Rodney's voice answered for him to his right.
"Mph," Carson was able to say as he attempted to open his eyes. At long last the eyelids parted and blinding light assaulted his eyes making them close again. He made a sound similar to a long, drawn out "ow" and brought his left hand up to cover his eyes.
"Carson, try again. The light's off now," Jennifer coaxed.
Blue eyes opened and found five sets of eyes looking back at him with smiles in them. "Hello," he greeted tiredly trying to give them a smile. He knew he had failed miserably when the smiles faded to pitying frowns.
"How are you feeling?" Jennifer asked barely waiting for a reply before she asked, "How's the pain? Do you need you need something for it?"
Carson wagged his head from side to side. "Not yet. I'll be fine for now."
"Do you remember what happened?" Elizabeth asked as she stepped forward, standing at the foot of his bed with her arms over her chest.
"Uhm, Lieutenant Ford attacking the guard and wanting more enzyme. He, he shot me." Carson wrinkled his forehead in concentration, doing his best to ignore the headache that was quickly starting to grow. "The Major came in then nothing."
"Alright Carson, that's good enough for now," Elizabeth granted placing a hand on his blanketed foot.
"Actually that's enough for all of you for now," Jennifer informed drawing all attention to her. "Carson needs to rest and you all need to go get some food and sleep yourselves. Go on. Go."
After everyone had filed out, giving their best to Carson before they left, Jennifer turned her eyes on Carson, narrowing them as she asked. "How long has it been since the hydrocodone wore off?"
"About five minutes before I woke up," Carson admitted as he sunk further into the bed, grimacing when his shoulder told him not to move it.
"That's what I thought," she responded as she pushed another dose into his IV line. "There. That should do ya for another good four hours. Let me know if you need anything else."
He felt the cold of the medicine circulate through his veins, pouring buckets and buckets of water over the burning fire in his right side and soon he released a sigh of relief. "Thank ye Jennifer. I will." The last thing he remembered before he fell asleep was Jennifer's young, warm smile shining down on him.