Author note :
Hey. This story will contain spoilers for several episode between the episode 3x2 and 3x17. Also it is slash, so no like, no read :P
The whole thing didn't go quite like planned. The camp they had set up in the forest clearing on M8G-352 was gone. It had destroyed. They had decided that it was best to bring Michael and the others to an off-world location for safety reasons. There they would be able to keep the previous wraith isolated while Carson could modify the retro virus until he could find a way to make its effects permanent. It was a brilliant plan, but then Michael had regained his memory in secret and helped many of the others to do the same. They had taken over the camp, killed the rest and summoned a hive ship. As if that wasn't bad enough, they had also somehow managed to find the nuke placed on the planet as a failsafe and disarmed it. Most likely through Carson, who now was lying in the infirmary bed.
Rodney was staring down at the frail looking doctor. Jennifer had told him she didn't know when he'd wake up. Carson had been unconscious since they found him in the medical camp strapped to the medical bed. He didn't have a scratch on him, but he wouldn't wake up. Jennifer said she was treating him to the best of her ability, but what the wraith did to people's heads were outside of her expertise. She had no idea when he'd wake up, or why he wouldn't.
Rodney had been a regular visitor for the last four days, coming and just talking. Telling him how useless his medical assistants were. Telling him if he was just conscience to fix it himself it could have gone some much faster. He had grown into quite the thorn in the side of the medical staff. They were all even more intent to make sure the beloved Dr. Beckett would wake up. Those that were not plotting Dr. MacKay's demise that is.
And now Rodney was sitting there with a ruffled appearance and a bad attitude.
"You got to wake up Beckett. These brute Neanderthals don't know what they're doing. I got very wounded, and it's a miracle I didn't bleed out." The nurse looked at him with a particularly murderous glare before clearing out from the room; leaving Rodney to his own thoughts and Carson's steady breathing.
"When it comes to the medical stuff you're very capable. I could probably have learned it if I wanted to, but I prefer real science. You know… Sigh... We need you back. It's Shepard. He misses you, and whines nonstop. It's very annoying. Now would you please stop torturing us all and wake up already! Remember, you have a job to do!"
All reaction Rodney could see was a slight stir. He wasn't very good with these things. A genius, perhaps, but when it came to personal things, feelings, he always became so confused. They were unreasonable and unstable, so he would usually just suppress them. This situation was already so uncertain that there was no point to attempt to control anything.
"I might even be missing you a bit. A lot. It's just not the same without you. You're my friend. Hell, you're much more than that. I need you. I need you here."
He was feeling warm and flustered, his hand was particularly warm. Eyes red rimmed and hair in all directions. As he looked down, he noticed his hand was resting lightly on top of that of Carson's. His eyebrows crumbled, as he stared at his hand like if it had betrayed him, betrayed some secret law. Rodney closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Exertion was going to overcome him soon. It was already giving him a headache. He withdrew his hand and turned around to leave. As he stomped out of the room, the doctor was staring at his back with wide eyes.