Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate: Atlantis or any of its characters.
Author's Note: So, a lot of these stories in this "Snippets And Snapshots" are going to be familiar at first. I was having a hard time keeping my one-shots organized, so I decided to put them all in one spot. To those of you who reviewed the first time around, feel free to review again. :D And, for you first time readers, I hope you enjoy these. ~lg
SGA SGA SGA SGA
"You have no idea of the agony I'm in here!" McKay groaned.
"Oh," Beckett said, "I've an inklin'."
Carson Beckett watched as Rodney McKay squirmed on the bed, accusations caused by the Wraith enzyme leaving his body pouring from his mouth. Even as he moved to seclude McKay, his mind went back to high school.
He had never intended to become an addict. He had simply wanted to impress a girl. Late one night, Carson snuck from his bedroom and down the stairs. A car waited, and he climbed into the back seat with three other lads. The driver took off before he was settled, and he fell into the seat with a laugh. This night would be worth every bit of pain he knew his mum would cause.
The party was in full swing when he arrived. Carson looked around, a bit overwhelmed at all the people there. Bodies cavorted in the living room in time to the music, and teens with alcohol in cups pushed through couples who didn't even know each other. Others made out in the corners, and the music pulsed through the house. Someone shoved a cup of ale in his hands. Carson never considered the results of his actions.
After an hour, he wandered into another room and saw the driver of the car he'd come in snorting a white powder up his nose. The rest of the room saw nothing wrong with it, and they invited Carson to try it. Unsure at first, he finally surrendered to peer pressure. The rush that came from that first try led to another snort. And another at a different party. Before long, he was finding ways to pay for his own drugs.
When his mother found out about his addiction, she drove him to the best rehab facility she could find. She spared no expense for his health. Carson lay in the bed, nausea compounded by the agony of his body crying out for what it needed to survive. A doctor, a compassionate man with a soft voice, stayed with him through the process. As he vomited, sweated, and eliminated the drugs from his body, the doctor cleaned, monitored his condition, and was a willing recipient of his curses. His tenderness was lost on the young man going through detox, but it impacted him months later as he considered college.
Now, whenever Carson questioned his decision to become the kind of doctor that landed on Atlantis, his mind returned to that doctor that sat with him through some of the worst nights of his young life. He remembered how the man never appeared angry, only sad. Like he wanted to take the pain that withdrawal caused on himself. Carson wanted to repay him in some way, and helping Rodney make it through detox was the only way he knew to do that.
Late that night, as Dr. Weir came into the infirmary, Carson smiled tiredly, knowing his work was done. McKay was through the worst of the process and would soon be back to his arrogant self. He had witnessed the process from two angles-an addict and a doctor-and he didn't want to see it again. He hoped he'd never have to tell another person just how much he knew about withdrawal. When, a few hours later, he went to sleep, he stared at the ceiling and whispered thanks to one nameless doctor who likely never knew the impact an act of kindness could make on a world, much less a galaxy.
