Disclaimer - "Stargate" and all related characters are the property of MGM Television Entertainment
Warning – This is a oneshot horror fic inspired by too many high rated films...
Rating – T for lots and lots of gore and violence
For added fun, read in the dark, in an empty house…
Ghost Ship
"Hmm, that's strange," Rodney said frowning, as he sat in the co-pilot's chair in the Puddle Jumper.
Sheppard glanced over at him for a moment. Rodney was deeply engrossed in something on the tablet he was using. He was typing away on the screen and scowling.
Sheppard shook his head and turned to look out of the windscreen again. Ahead of them there was nothing but the inky blackness of space with countless stars flung across the darkness as tiny points of distant light. They were approaching a small completely black area, which marked the location of the Wraith Hive Ship they were going to investigate.
Ronon shifted impatiently in his seat as he waited for McKay to enlighten them all on what he had found.
After another minute he had to ask, "Are you going to tell us what's strange?"
Rodney waved a hand about in annoyance and quickly lowered it to help his other hand in typing, "There are no energy readings from the Hive Ship and no life signs."
"Dead in the water, right?" Sheppard said with a smirk.
Rodney grimaced, "Hmm, doesn't explain what lit up to HUD the moment we came through the space gate."
Teyla kept silent as she narrowed her eyes at the growing shadow breaking up the stars in front of the Jumper.
Sheppard flew the cloaked Jumper right up to the Hive ship. He turned on the headlights and guided it around the massive ship, playing the beams over the hull so that they could examine it.
"No residual energy readings, no hull damage. Now this is even more strange; I'm reading a viable atmosphere and temperature inside the ship," Rodney said in annoyance and confusion. He tapped harder on the screen of the tablet, willing it to yield its hidden information to him to explain the readings.
"Why's that?" Ronon asked.
Rodney looked up and snapped, "If I knew, I wouldn't have kept it to myself or said it was strange!"
"Okay," Ronon answered with a small smile, "I say we go in and check it out."
Teyla spoke, "I am inclined to agree with Ronon. Perhaps the Wraith Hive was damaged by a weapon we have not encountered yet. We could gain valuable information by investigating."
Rodney turned to look at Sheppard, his face fearful as he spoke, "Or we could awaken an entire Hive Ship full of hibernating Wraith!"
Sheppard turned to meet McKay's wide-eyed gaze, "Wouldn't hurt to take a closer look."
Rodney looked away, "Colonel, I think it's a very bad idea."
Ronon leaned forward and patted McKay's shoulders, "You'll be alright. We're here with you this time."
Rodney grimaced as he remembered the last time he came across an 'abandoned' Wraith Ship.
Sheppard angled the Jumper towards the Dart bay entrance and flew inside the doors, which were mysteriously still open.
"Why are they open?" He asked no one in particular as he kept his eyes fixed out the windscreen.
"How the hell am I supposed to know!?" Rodney replied, folding his arms across his chest, letting the tablet sit in uselessly in his lap. "Let's say we just add it to the list of things which don't make any sense."
Sheppard smiled at the scientist's defensiveness, "Rhetorical question Rodney," he said quietly.
McKay scowled at him, looking a little put out.
Teyla frowned as Sheppard manoeuvred the Jumper through the pitch-black Dart bay. He glided it slowly over the platforms and in between the tendrils which twisted across the vast hanger, shining the Jumper lights around in the abandoned bay.
"Where are the Darts?" She asked.
Rodney did not answer straight away. Sheppard looked at him, raised his eyebrows and shrugged. McKay sighed and unfolded his arms to grab the tablet again.
"There are no power readings at all. If there are Darts here, they're not showing up on the sensors."
Sheppard brought the Jumper to a stop and lowered it down towards a suitable landing area.
"Hey," Rodney said in shock, "No no no no no! We were only going to fly around and then go back!"
Sheppard landed the Jumper and got up from his seat, "I never said that. It'll just be for a few minutes Rodney. Let's take a look around, find out what we can, if anything. Then we can go back."
Rodney stayed glued to his chair and did not get up with the others.
Sheppard clipped a P90 to the front of his tac vest and grabbed some extra ammo clips from a crate in the rear compartment. Teyla and Ronon both checked their ordinance and nodded at the Colonel.
Rodney had his arms folded across his chest again. Sheppard sighed and walked back into the cockpit. He grabbed McKay's tablet with his left hand and hauled the mutinous scientist to his feet with his right hand looped through the handle on the back of Rodney's tac vest.
"Let's go."
Rodney rolled his eyes and also attached a P90 to his vest. He strapped the tablet to his back and held a portable scanner in his hand instead. He grabbed a larger torch from the gear in the back of the Jumper.
Sheppard and Teyla flipped the lights on their P90s on as they all headed out.
"Which way?" Sheppard asked Rodney from off to the left.
They were standing in a pitch-black corridor. In front of them there was a junction of several more passageways. Sheppard had walked a little way into one on the left and had come across more branching corridors.
Rodney held up the scanner and shone his torch around the room in front of them, "We need to find a control panel or access point. I may be able to upload some data using a portable battery." His voice shook slightly as he spoke. He peered into the gloom ahead, which was beyond the reach of the torchlight.
Teyla noticed and went over to stand close to him. She kept her gun raised as she covered him as though they were being attacked.
Rodney appreciated the gesture; he could not raise his own gun as he was encumbered with the scanner and the torch.
"That way," he said, pointing the torch to the corridor in front of them.
Sheppard followed the light and let Ronon go first so that he could hang back and speak with Rodney. Teyla dropped back a little way to cover the rear.
Sheppard spoke quietly, but in the silent darkness of the Hive ship, it was still loud to his ears.
"You okay Rodney?"
The jittery scientist turned to look at him, the torchlight showing deep shadows across his features. His voice rose in panic as he spoke, "Hive ships are naturally creepy at the best of times, but this is completely freaking me out."
Sheppard put a hand on McKay's shoulder, "Relax, Rodney. We're armed to the teeth and the Jumper's only a few hundred metres away. And you have the life signs detector."
Rodney visibly loosened his tense shoulders a little as Sheppard's rational and calm voice broke through his defences.
The noise of their footfalls was deafening in the suffocating silence and dark.
They approached another crossroads in the corridors, "Straight ahead again." Rodney said, the eerie light from the scanner illuminated his features in a soft blue glow.
As they passed the empty passageways, Rodney pocketed the torch for a moment and raised his P90 to cover the corridor to the right.
There was a sudden clattering noise from the corridor he faced. He froze and widened his eyes as much as possible through fear to look into the darkness. He thought he had seen a shadow whipping around the corner as he watched.
"What the hell was that?" He asked with his voice high pitched and shaking.
Sheppard came over and stood next to him, "Anything on the scanner?"
Rodney quickly glanced at the device before returning to stare down the corridor, "No. Nothing at all."
"I suggest we keep going. How much further is it?"
"Didn't you hear it too?"
Ronon walked over, "Sorry McKay. I can only hear your heavy breathing."
Rodney shifted backwards and raised his chin a little, but kept his eyes firmly on the corridor, "Oh very funny. Make fun of the little man."
Ronon patted Rodney's back in fondness and chuckled.
McKay narrowed his eyes down the corridor and sighed. Sheppard kept it covered while Rodney reluctantly turned away to continue walking along the corridor he had indicated a minute ago.
Teyla reached the end of the corridor first. She pointed her P90 flashlight around the room they entered a few times to make sure it was clear.
There were loose pieces of skin strapped onto the walls and thick vein-like conduits running all around the room, as was the usual décor in the Wraith Hive ships. There were multiple exits and entrances branching off from the room. It was very exposed.
Rodney shone his much brighter handheld torch around the room as he walked in before Sheppard and Ronon. He settled the light on a small console close to the side of the room and walked over.
Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon went over with him to shield him while he worked.
He pocketed the scanner again and started rigging up the small battery he had in his tac vest to the console.
Suddenly the unmistakeable sound of shuffling footsteps broke the muffled silence from the corridor they had just come from.
Rodney looked up in alarm, "You heard that this time?"
Sheppard nodded and indicated for him to keep quiet. They had all turned to face the sound of the footsteps and did not see as a withered white hand as it reached forward out of the dark and grabbed the back of Rodney's tac vest.
He squealed in fright as he was pulled away from the others and thrown across the room.
He hit the wall hard and fell down in a heap on the floor. He coughed as he stood up and pointed his P90 around. He had dropped the torch as he had been thrown and it was rolling along the floor in the middle of the room.
The light from the P90s was woefully inadequate now that the threat had grown and it barely breached the darkness.
Rodney shifted nervously between his feet as his eyes tracked around the room looking for his assailant. He could only see Ronon, Teyla and Sheppard on the other side of the room.
Sheppard whispered to him, "Life signs?"
McKay cursed his stupidity and reached into his pocket. He drew out the device and studied the screen.
"There's nothing," he tried to whisper back, but it came out in a panicked squeak.
Sheppard beckoned him to join them on the other side of the room. It was only a few metres.
As Rodney walked, the sound of footsteps stopped. He froze and his eyes darted towards the door behind him, next to where he had fallen. As he swung the P90 light around he was greeted by a Wraith rushing towards him out of the darkness with a long dagger in its hand.
Rodney had a moment to examine the Wraith's face just before it plunged the knife deeply into him. It looked strange; it's white hair and pale skin covered in grimy black blood. The eyes were also black and not the usual yellow pupils. In fact there was no white in its eyes at all.
Rodney staggered backwards with the hilt of the knife sticking out of his belly. He looked down at himself and moved his left hand to place it under the weapon, unsure what to do, blood dribbled down into his palm. He closed his eyes and took a few shuddering breaths.
There was a terrible smell emanating from the creature in front of him. Fetid bad breath mingled with the stench of death, mould, rot and other unspeakable things he was unable to classify.
He suddenly snapped his eyes open and looked up, his expression grim and determined as he raised his P90 and fired a few rounds into the Wraith, but it had no effect. The creature advanced on him and wrapped its hand around the knife hilt sticking out of Rodney.
As the Wraith pulled the knife out Rodney cried out in pain and fell down. Drops of his dark red blood flew from the blade as the Wraith drew it quickly backwards. It continued to drip from the metal as the Wraith held it up and threatened to stab McKay in the back as he desperately crawled away. Rodney had a hand pressed firmly on his midsection over the terrible wound, but blood was trickling though his fingers and dripping onto the floor underneath. He was smearing it along the ground with his knees as he struggled to get away from his attacker.
Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon were firing at the Wraith now that Rodney had moved out of the way. As it took more hits, its movement became slower and eventually it dropped the knife. The cruel blood-stained blade skidded across the floor with a clatter. Then the Wraith fell down and twitched for a moment before becoming still.
"Rodney!" Sheppard called as he tried to move over to his friend.
Suddenly several more Wraith ran into the room and cut them off from McKay. They could not even see him any more as the creatures obscured their view.
Sheppard spoke as he fired round after round into the Wraith, "Since when have the Wraith used normal weapons?"
Teyla replied, her face tense as she had to fire nearly half a clip into one Wraith to make it stop, "I have not seen this before. They would normally have stunned us by now."
Ronon grunted in agreement as he felled a Wraith and it was replaced by two more which had just come in from one of the corridors.
Rodney was still crawling along the floor, his face pale and breaths coming in shallow gasps as he lost more and more blood. He reached into a pocket on his tac vest and pulled out a bandage. He pressed it against his abdomen and was just about to try and sit up to wrap it around his back, when a booted foot kicked him savagely in the ribs.
The Wraith who caught him was not short of its usual super strength and kicked Rodney so hard that he flew up and slammed into the wall again. He fell down unconscious onto the ground and lay unmoving on his side. As he lay there, his mouth opened slightly and blood trickled out of the corner and dripped softly onto the floor.
The Wraith ran over and crouched down next to him. It ripped off Rodney's tac vest and put its feeding hand against McKay's bare chest through his torn shirt.
It howled in rage as it tried to feed and was unsuccessful. Instead, it leaned over and opened its mouth, exposing two rows of razor sharp teeth. It bit a massive chunk out of Rodney's upper arm before it jerked against the gunfire in its back and fell down on top of McKay.
Most of the Wraith had fled and the one who had bitten McKay was the last. Sheppard rushed over and shoved the creature off the injured scientist.
Teyla and Ronon covered him as he examined Rodney's injuries. McKay's face was so pale in the harsh white torchlight, it looked as though he was already dead.
Sheppard knew otherwise though as he could see Rodney's chest hitching as he struggled to continue breathing.
Pulling out pressure bandages, Sheppard frowned as he shone the light over the bleeding and messy bite mark on Rodney's left arm. Through the dark blood flowing from the wound, which was almost black, Sheppard could see black veins spreading out under McKay's skin and travelling up his arm towards his heart.
Sheppard focused his attention on the bloody stab wound in the centre of Rodney's torso. He peeled back McKay's shirt to expose the bleeding cut and deftly wrapped a pressure bandage around McKay's abdomen. Ronon crouched down and placed his hand on the bandage to keep up the pressure and try to stop the bleeding.
Sheppard was just about to wrap up Rodney's arm, when the scientist's eyes snapped open.
"Hey," Sheppard said quietly.
Rodney looked up at him blankly and ignored the blood still dribbling from his open mouth.
"McKay?" Sheppard asked tentatively.
Rodney pushed himself upright into a sitting position and narrowed his vacant eyes. Sheppard put his hand on McKay's uninjured shoulder and tried to stop him from moving, but Rodney forced against the restraint with unnatural strength for a person so badly hurt.
Teyla looked down at them in concern as she heard Rodney shifting, "What is going on? Rodney, you should try not to move."
McKay tilted his head back and looked up at Teyla. She shone her torch onto his face, "Colonel…"
Sheppard was still trying to wrap a bandage around Rodney's arm, and looked into McKay's eyes as the white light illuminated his pale and blood streaked face.
Sheppard baulked a little in shock as he noticed that Rodney's normal blue eyes had turned black. Both of his eyes were completely shrouded in darkness so that it was impossible to tell where he was looking.
"To see in the dark," Sheppard muttered as he realised why the Wraith he had dispatched looked different to normal ones.
Rodney looked down at Ronon's hand still stubbornly keeping up the pressure on the bandage across his belly. He suddenly moved his arms, tearing off the bandage Sheppard was about to wrap around him, and grabbed Ronon's arm.
Ronon tried to pull away, but Rodney's grip was too strong. He pulled Ronon's arm up towards his mouth and was about to bite when Ronon tugged with all his might and wrenched his arm from the death grip.
Ronon fell backwards and pulled McKay forwards onto his face. Sheppard moved over quickly to help him, as he lay sprawled on his front on the floor.
Both Ronon and Sheppard had bright red and sticky hands as they were coated in Rodney's blood.
Rodney rolled over onto his back and still showed no sign of recognition or pain as his breath rattled and wheezed in his chest and more blood bubbled between his lips.
Rodney then stood up quickly as though there was nothing wrong with him.
Teyla ran over and grabbed the life signs detector, which had been flung aside as the Wraith had torn off Rodney's tac vest. She handed it to Sheppard who stood facing McKay as he stared back at the Colonel.
Sheppard took it from Teyla and studied the screen, "Four life signs. One is very weak."
"Rodney…" Teyla breathed as he advanced on Sheppard. She could see livid dark purple bruises across the scientist's ribs through the holes in his shirt.
Sheppard held out his hands as he spoke, "McKay! Rodney… you're badly hurt. We need to get you back to Atlantis, but what's happened to you?"
There was still no reply and suddenly Rodney lunged at Sheppard and grabbed his shoulders as he tried to bite the Colonel's neck.
Sheppard grimaced as his friend attacked him and sprayed him with droplets of blood. He tried to gently push Rodney away, but the scientist clung on too tightly and Sheppard could not force him away by pushing against his shoulders.
Sheppard was forced to push his hands into Rodney's chest to get him to move back. He winced as he felt a little give in McKay's ribs. The scientist still showed no signs of pain or recognition, but what little breath had been entering his lungs now became more laboured as fresh blood poured from his mouth.
Teyla looked over at Rodney in shock, her eyes wide, "He cannot breathe!"
"I know!" Sheppard said through gritted teeth as he grappled with his injured friend.
"He will hurt himself even more," Teyla said as she rushed over to help.
"I'm just trying to stop him from biting me," Sheppard said indignantly.
Ronon was also back on his feet and had his blaster aimed at Rodney's chest.
Sheppard had only just managed to force Rodney away and he was starting to advance again. Blood was already soaking through the bandage around his midsection.
"Don't shoot!" Teyla cried, "You'll kill him!"
"What else are we supposed to do?" Ronon muttered.
Sheppard backed away with his hands still raised and a thought came to him, "I've got an idea."
He walked away and turned back after a moment to make sure Rodney was still following.
Sheppard nodded and checked the life signs detector; still four readings.
He then walked away and up the corridor back towards the Jumper. He called, "Follow us," to Teyla and Ronon as they stood there amazed that Rodney was following Sheppard.
Teyla shone her P90 torchlight onto the floor as they got closer to the Jumper. Rodney was a little way ahead, still closely following Sheppard. She frowned as she noticed the droplets of blood which McKay was still leaking onto the ground as he moved.
They had already tried several times to get close to him to try and rewrap his injuries, but they had been greeted by Rodney's bared and bloody teeth whenever they got too near.
Sheppard constantly checked the life signs on the scanner as he walked. He still warily looked down every corridor as they passed, just in case the Wraith came back.
They got back to the Jumper without further incident and Sheppard turned to face Teyla and Ronon with Rodney still advancing on him in between. He could see blood dripping onto the floor from the hem of Rodney's shirt, "Keep him busy for a moment while I grab some restraints."
Teyla looked sadly at him, "You could hurt him even more."
"I know," Sheppard said as he saw Rodney's glazed expression.
Sheppard looked away to the side, "Actually, I have a better idea. It's still not good, but we won't have to get near him."
Teyla and Ronon ran forwards past Rodney. He reached out with his hand, but missed them as they went past and through the open hatch into the Jumper.
Sheppard was already in the cockpit when Teyla and Ronon joined him.
Rodney walked slowly over to the Jumper and stood on the threshold of the rear hatch. The light from the Jumper showed who shiny and dark his shirt was, as it was sopping with blood.
"Come on McKay," Sheppard muttered, "Somewhere in there is still that genius brain of yours. Figure it out."
Rodney turned his head in a lazy circle as he studied the edge of the hatch. Then he faced forwards and saw the occupants. He stepped over the hatch into the rear compartment.
Sheppard waited until he was right inside and then slammed the rear hatch and the central bulkhead closed at the same time.
He brought up the HUD and checked the life signs; still four, but the reading in the rear compartment was now very weak.
Deciding that there was nothing they could do, Sheppard lifted the Jumper off the landing pad in the cursed Hive ship and flew out of the open hanger door and towards the space gate.
Teyla looked across at him from the co-pilot's chair. Her face had fallen into deep sadness as she studied Sheppard, "Rodney will die if we leave him."
"I know," Sheppard said. He sounded annoyed, "But what can we do?"
The Jumper flew onwards, with its three lucid occupants in tense silence while the fourth was completely unaware.
After a while, Sheppard brought up the life sign detector again. He breathed a small sigh of relief as he saw a solitary life sign sealed in the rear compartment.
Ronon frowned at the reading, "Hey. He's not moving."
Sheppard narrowed his eyes, Ronon was right; Rodney had been walking around or moving slightly every time he had previously checked the reading.
Teyla frowned, "If Rodney is now unconscious again, we will be able to help him."
Sheppard turned to her, his face tight and grim, "And if he's waiting for us…"
Ronon unholstered his blaster, "Stun only," he said to the others before they could speak.
"Okay," Sheppard said as he stood up and walked over to the bulkhead door.
Ronon held his blaster ready to shoot anything that moved in the rear compartment. Sheppard sighed and tapped the panel.
The door opened quickly and revealed Rodney lying completely still on the deck with his eyes closed.
Sheppard and Teyla ran over to check him while Ronon kept his blaster firmly aimed at McKay.
Sheppard tentatively reached up to Rodney's face and pulled one of his eyelids back. He raised his eyebrows in shock and relief and he saw that they were once again blue and normal. He nodded to Teyla and she grabbed the med kit from the storage compartment above them.
Ronon still kept his gun on Rodney as Sheppard and Teyla cut off the remains of his frayed and tattered shirt and bound up his arm and abdomen with pressure bandages. They put an oxygen mask over his face. Blood was sporadically coming from his mouth, but he was still breathing through it.
Sheppard left Rodney in Ronon and Teyla's care and went back to the cockpit to urge more speed from the Jumper as it continued on its path back to the gate.
Sheppard called ahead for a medical team for Rodney just before he flew the Jumper through the gate and back to Atlantis.
Sheppard sat next to Rodney in the infirmary a few days later. It had taken Carson a very long time to repair all the damage and he had advised that Rodney would be very weak for a while.
He had kept Rodney on a ventilator for a couple of days to help him breathe as he had several broken ribs, which had been pushed into him causing massive internal injuries. This had made Sheppard feel extremely guilty. There was also a lot damage caused by the knife wound in his abdomen.
Sheppard looked up into Rodney's pale face as the heart monitor beeped softly next to him. There were many tubes connected to the scientist and bandages around his abdomen hiding the healing stab wound underneath. There was also a thick bandage around Rodney's left upper arm where he had been bitten by the Wraith.
Teyla and Ronon came in and sat with them.
Teyla frowned, "How is he?"
Sheppard looked at her briefly and then returned his gaze to Rodney's still form, "Carson says he's getting better, but he's not woken up yet."
Ronon asked, "Has Beckett mentioned anything about what happened to him? Apart from the obvious."
"No, he said there was no sign of any virus or unknown infection in Rodney's system at all."
"That is very strange," Teyla said with a puzzled expression on her face. "Why did he attack us?"
Sheppard frowned, "I don't know, but those Wraith didn't behave like normal Wraith either. It seemed like they could no longer think properly or feed."
Ronon also frowned in confusion, "Seems like they passed on whatever they had to McKay."
"Let us hope that he is not still like it when he awakens."
Sheppard nodded in agreement and continued to watch the rhythmic and slow rise and fall of Rodney's chest.
They sat there for a while just comfortable with each other's company in their silent vigil.
A couple of days later, Sheppard was again sitting next to the unconscious Rodney in the infirmary. There was a little colour back in his face, but the Colonel could not help feeling a knot of concern growing inside him all the time that Rodney stayed unconscious. Would he ever be the same?
As he was staring at the floor and once again building himself up into a state he chanced to look up and found a pair of blue eyes watching him sleepily.
"Rodney?" Sheppard asked quietly.
McKay's heart monitor began to bleep faster as the scientist opened his eyes wide in panic and tried to roll over and sit up to get away from Sheppard.
"Carson!" Sheppard called as he stood up and held Rodney down. He could feel the man's body trembling under his grip and Rodney turned his face away from Sheppard with his brow furrowed and eyes tightly closed in fear.
Rodney's breathing began to get more laboured as he struggled against Sheppard. He was wheezing by the time Carson came over. Sheppard was able to relax his grip as Rodney became weaker and started to drift unconscious again.
"What did you do to him?" Carson asked Sheppard as he sedated Rodney and checked the monitors.
"Nothing! I was just sitting here."
Carson shook his head, "I think you should let him rest Colonel. I'll call you when he wakes up. It's not doing you any good wasting away down here."
Sheppard nodded sadly and watched for a moment as Carson carefully checked and adjusted the tubes attached to Rodney which had shifted during his panic.
Carson called them down to the infirmary a day later. Sheppard had managed to sneak in with Ronon and Teyla for a few hours when Carson had been asleep slumped over his desk so that they could sit with Rodney.
"He has an interesting story to tell," Carson said as Rodney's team stood around in the infirmary with Dr Weir.
Weir frowned, "Well we've already had the briefing."
Carson raised his eyebrows, "I think you need to listen to this. He has been through a major trauma. The stress may mean that he is not accurately recalling the memories, but nevertheless you should hear what he has to say."
Carson nodded at Sheppard, "It may explain his reaction to you yesterday."
Sheppard frowned, "What?"
"Just go over and ask, but keep it brief please. He's still quite weak."
The team stood around Rodney as he looked around at them with tired eyes. He closed them for a second when he saw Sheppard standing with them. He tried to take a deep breath to steady his nerves, but it made him wince.
"What do you remember Rodney?" Weir asked.
He opened his eyes and looked at her as he spoke slowly, "We were flying through space in the Jumper approaching the Hive ship."
He looked down at his shaking hands in his lap as he continued, "There were no power, no life signs, nothing."
"We know this Rodney," Sheppard said.
McKay grimaced and continued to look down, "We boarded and were walking along the corridor in the dark, stupid idea by the way, when I was attacked."
"Yes, by the Wraith who were left on the ship," Teyla said.
"No," Rodney muttered, "You attacked me. There were no Wraith on that ship."
The team stood around him in stunned silence. When he looked up at them, his face was clouded in fear and betrayal, "Your eyes, they were completely black. I thought I was going to die!
"Ronon stabbed me with one of his many knives and you," his breath hitched as he looked at Sheppard and Teyla, "Broke half my ribs and beat me to within an inch of my life with your amazing fighting techniques."
He looked away as Sheppard turned to Weir. Her face was pale and lines of worry creased her forehead.
She said, "Rodney, everyone else says you were attacked by Wraith."
"Why would Wraith stab and beat me up? Why not just stun and feed on me?"
Sheppard looked down at the floor, he had to admit Rodney's story was plausible, but then so was theirs. Zelenka had already pulled all the data from the Jumper and it had been completely wiped.
He said, "We sent another Jumper back to investigate the Hive a few days ago, but it was gone."
Rodney looked up at Sheppard sadly, "I know, Carson already told me. He also told me that you saved me, as I was the one with the black eyes. I don't know what to believe."
Weir drew her lips together in a thin line, "Either way, you're safe now and I do not believe that your team would've knowingly assaulted you in such a way."
Sheppard nodded, "Never. I'd die before I'd let that happen."
Rodney looked away, "I used to think so, but now I'm not so sure."
They stood in silence for a few minutes and Rodney's eyes began to drift closed again. Carson herded them out of the infirmary to let his patient rest.
McKay kept to himself when Carson finally released him. He mostly stayed in his lab and always made sure there was someone with him at all times.
Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon had tried to get near him to speak with him, but he had managed to rush away before they got close and they had let him go.
He sat stiffly in his chair in the lab and typed on the computer. He sighed and rubbed his forehead and then glanced at his watch. Nearly lunchtime, but that meant that his team could be in there.
He grimaced and carried on working.
Half an hour later his radio buzzed, "Zelenka to McKay."
He reached up and winced, "What?"
"I thought we were meeting up for lunch today. I've been here for ten minutes."
Rodney sighed, "I don't remember saying we would, but I could probably do with a break."
McKay got up slowly and walked sorely over to the transporter.
As he walked into the Mess Hall he noticed there were quite a few people in there. He gazed warily around and not seeing anyone from his team he grabbed some food and walked over to sit with Zelenka.
"So what's up?" Rodney asked and then frowned as Zelenka leaned in towards him and his eyes shifted about nervously.
"I'm sorry Rodney. They made me."
"What?"
"And I agree with them. They're your team, you need to speak to them."
Rodney pushed his chair back, but a hand resting gently on his shoulder made him turn around. It was Sheppard and behind him were Teyla and Ronon.
Zelenka scurried away before Rodney could give him a scathing look.
Sheppard said, "Rodney. We need to talk to you."
McKay's eyes darted around the crowded Mess Hall, looking for an exit. He saw Major Lorne laughing with a group of marines and a few scientists were looking over at them jealously as they ate their lunch in sombre silence.
McKay recognised them as some of the people he had shouted at earlier, although their names escaped him.
Sheppard saw Rodney's unease, "There are loads of people in here Rodney, you're safe."
Sheppard felt some of the muscles on Rodney's back loosen slightly and they all sat down at the table.
Sheppard sighed as he tried to lock eyes with Rodney, but had no luck as the fearful scientist was watching Ronon carefully and had placed a protective hand over his midsection.
Sheppard knew that regaining the trust of Atlantis' Chief Scientist and his best friend was going to be a long and difficult road. He also knew that they only had their memories to work with and there was no proof either way of what actually happened. Despite Sheppard's initial righteous feelings that he had in fact saved McKay, he didn't like the way Rodney had been watching him, Teyla and Ronon warily whenever they were near him.
Sheppard would have to trust that Rodney's memories were the ones that were the truth if their friendship could be repaired.
Sheppard leaned forwards, "I'm sorry, Rodney." No excuses. He restrained himself from continuing as his mind shouted at him to speak. You know it wasn't us. Something must have been controlling us.
"We are all very sorry," Teyla said.
Ronon nodded in agreement but remained silent.
Teyla continued looking sad, "We would never knowingly hurt you."
Sheppard watched as Rodney's face fell. It was not working, so Sheppard brought out the trump card he had been preparing.
"You said you were stabbed and beaten up by us."
Rodney winced.
"But what do you remember after that?"
McKay frowned, "Not a lot. Waking up in the infirmary I suppose."
Sheppard managed to finally look into McKay's eyes as he spoke, "How did you get back to Atlantis? If we had really wanted to kill you, why would we have brought you back here?"
Rodney broke eye contact with Sheppard, "I don't know." He frowned as he thought.
Teyla leaned in too as she spoke, "Maybe neither story is the truth."
Ronon said, "That would make more sense. Come on McKay, we believe your story so maybe you could start believing ours too."
McKay frowned as he thought, "In the absence of any evidence to prove what happened I'm inclined to agree, against my own memories though."
Teyla smiled gently at him, "That is very sensible. Do not forget what we have done for you in the past before this either."
Rodney tried to smile back at them but he was still feeling quite wary so it was not very successful.
Rodney met up with Ronon, Sheppard and Teyla every day for lunch over the next few weeks as he continued to heal.
Sometimes one of them would come down to his lab, making sure there was someone with him first and surprise him with food or cups of coffee. Teyla even brought him some candles one day as she stated she still felt terribly guilty about what had happened, even though her memory was different.
Rodney had been deeply touched by the gesture and her words, he had been reversing the roles in his mind and wondered how he would have reacted had it been Sheppard accusing himself, Teyla and Ronon of attacking him.
When Carson finally gave him the all clear to resume offworld missions, Rodney was at ease around his team, even when alone with them.
He smiled and laughed with them as they stepped through the gate to begin another adventure.
A/N – This was originally a 'Puddle Jumper Mayhem' story, but it mutated and twisted…
And what happened on that Hive ship!?
Thanks for reading! As always, I will be eternally grateful for any reviews. x Varda x