Title: Snow Day
Summary: The gang of Atlantis take a snow day and have some fun but all does not turn out like they hope. Carson whump, Bit of Teyla whump. Team-fic.
Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing. :)
Author's Note: I got the idea for this while watching a show and thought I would make it into a fic. Hope you all like it. Please Review and let me know!
"You have got to be kidding me!" Rodney cried loudly enough for everyone and their mother on the other side of the planet to hear. The group plus Carson stared out the Jumper window in wonder at the snowy white hills and plains below. He looked at the pilot to his left and glared. "Oh you did this on purpose."
For the past two weeks John had done nothing but talk about snow and anything to do with it. Snowboarding, skiing, snowball fights, ice skating, mountain climbing – anything that had to do with snow, John mentioned it. Every time a cool breeze would whip around them, kicking up their hair, John would make a comment about the changing of seasons from summer, which it seemed that the city of Atlantis always was, to fall, to winter. He usually ended at winter since they already had the other two.
Although Rodney was heartily sick of hearing about it, the other three members shared the Colonel's longing for cooler temperatures, even downright freezing ones. So when Chuck had found a planet in the database that was winter all year round, Sheppard had more been than willing to volunteer his team and Carson to check it out. None of them other than the Colonel had known what the planet was or where they would be going so the appearance of snow everywhere had been a welcome sight.
John gave Rodney a sly grin but remained silent, choosing to focus on landing the Jumper right next to a frozen lake. He allowed the team to stare blankly at the ice before them while he went to the back and pulled out several pairs of ice skates, skis, and snowboards.
"What's all this then?" Carson asked curiously, eying each piece of equipment.
"This, Doc, is SGA-1's Winter Retreat. We haven't had a break in months-"
"-well years really," Rodney interrupted.
"-and I thought we could all use a day to relax. You know? Have some fun."
"Not everyone finds the idea of being pelted with frozen water and walking around in sub-zero temperatures fun Colonel," Rodney complained from his seat in the co-pilot's chair.
"Oh I don't know Rodney," Carson replied, "I must admit I have been feelin' a wee bit homesick for some snow."
"Me too," Ronon agreed.
"And I as well, Rodney," Teyla chirped in as she stole curious glances at all of the things John had brought along. "What is all of that?"
"Well you have your standard ice skates for gliding around on ice." He held up the items and Ronon gave a scoff at them. John smiled. He knew that ever since watching Blades of Glory, Ronon had a dislike for anything related to ice skating including the 'sport' itself. "You've got your skis, your snowboard, both of which are good for flying down a mountain."
"That's what I choose," Ronon immediately replied looking between the equipment and trying to decide which one he wanted to use. He liked simplicity so he chose the snowboard then stood by and waited for the others to make up their mind.
Rodney obviously wasn't about to get out of the nice and warm Jumper just to trudge through snow so he remained where he was with his arms over his chest staring at them like the stubborn child he sometimes acted like.
"I believe I would like to try this skiing if someone would teach me how," Teyla politely requested.
"I can do that, love," Carson volunteered knowing the Colonel preferred snowboarding. Rodney scoffed at him but one glare of the doctor was enough to shut him up. Carson was not an intimidating man by any means – sometimes Rodney preferred to compare him to a puppy – but he did have access to things that could make one's physical extremely painful, something the physicist did not like.
"Thank you, Carson," Teyla granted with a grateful look in his direction. She looked out the window of the jumper and turned to John. "Where are the mountains we are to fly down? I do not see them."
"Well there's a bit of a hike first," John admitted with a wince. He didn't think Teyla and Ronon would have a problem but Carson would. The Scot was a sturdy man, much stronger than he appeared but he wasn't used to a lot of walking and hiking up a mountain with air that freezes your lungs as soon as it enters makes things even harder.
"Why don't we fly the Jumper up there? Certainly there's a spot to land it." Carson physically winced at just how weak that made him sound but he wasn't ashamed to admit that he wasn't in any shape to be hiking up a mountain. He knew he wasn't, they knew he wasn't so he might as well just state the fact out loud.
"Not a bad idea, Sheppard," Ronon agreed taking them all by surprise. He shrugged off all of their astonished looks, refusing to admit that he was just trying to make Beckett feel more comfortable. They all knew he cared about the doctor so they didn't need proof of the fact.
"Alright," John answered, his voice pitching and the beginning and dropping slightly afterward. "But you do realize that we will need to hike back up in order to get back to the Jumper right?"
"Aye, unless Rodney can fly down and pick us up."
"Oh sure just volunteer me!" Rodney objected with a whine. "I am not your personal taxi service, Carson."
"Well I seem to remember someone volunteering me for a mission," where I fell in love and lost her within the same week, "so I thought that's how things were done in this team."
John and Teyla smiled, knowing what Carson was referencing but didn't comment, choosing to allow the argument to play out.
"But if you don't think you can do it, Rodney, then that's fine-"
"Oh don't even try to goad me into doing what you want," Rodney argued irritably. "Look I can't even fly the damn thing in a straight line. What makes you think I can land this thing at the bottom of a mountain?"
"Well, landing is easier than steering," John intoned since he actually had experience with both, "and I'm sure that you'll be able to bring the Jumper down onto a surface that's the size of Texas, Rodney." He smiled when he saw his friend's resolve begin to fade and jumped into the pilot's seat, flying them up and on top of the mountain.
"What are you doing? I haven't said yes yet!"
"Either way we still need to be atop the mountain, Rodney. Whether or not you'll come down and get us is up to you."
Rodney scoffed. "The only way I'm coming down after you guys is if one of you is hurt."
The group as a whole winced. "Why'd you have to say that Rodney?" John whined. "That's like saying, 'As long as nothing goes wrong we'll be fine.'"
"Yeah, so? Wait a minute, I didn't think you guys were superstitious. Well I know you are, Carson, but aren't all sheepherders or whatever it is your family does? But seriously, you three?"
"It is not superstition, Rodney, if it comes true," Teyla reminded him.
"Yeah. Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean you're wrong," John added. He landed the Jumper on the widest expanse of mountain he could find and proceeded to jump out of his chair and throw on his snowboarding equipment. The others joined him and before long they were all walking out the rear of the jumper, praying that things went smoothly for once.
"Carson, are you alright?" Teyla's voice asked as the woman picked herself up out of the snow. She had taken a wrong turn and had managed to take them both down into the snow when he had tried to hold her up.
"I'm fine, love," Carson assured hiding a wince as he got up. He would have a bruise where his lower back had hit a rock but it was nothing to fret over. So he got up and helped the Athosian put her booted foot back into the ski. "Do you think you've got the hang of it?"
"I believe so," Teyla answered with a hesitant nod.
They both prepared to try again but before they started down the mountain Carson turned to Teyla and gave her a bit of advice that really helped him when he was learning. "Just remember, lass. Stay calm and keep moving. Stop if you need to."
With one last look at each another, the pair pushed off and headed down the mountain. The further down they went, the faster their speed became, and Carson was quite proud at how gracefully Teyla was handling everything. She was keeping pace with him, which said something for a beginner, and she looked calm and happy. In the distance they could see John and Ronon gliding swiftly down the mountain on their snowboards.
Carson eventually managed to get a good distance ahead from Teyla – though still close enough to help her if needed – and was now flying freely down. His swift movement was halted abruptly when his left ski got lodged underneath a bit rock that sat in the middle of the path. He cursed himself for focusing on Teyla behind him rather than the path in front but thanked his guardian angel that it was merely a boulder and not a tree.
He was just about to call to Teyla for help when he felt someone slam into him forcing his body further left while his leg stayed in the ski, stuck under the boulder. Agony tightened around his leg but he wasn't given long to cry out before everything went black.
"Doc, can you hear me?" someone called from a very long tunnel. "Come on, Doc. Now's not the time for a nap in the snow."
"I know that, Colonel," Carson growled as he slowly regained consciousness. The sunlight that was once so bright was now a dim pink as it began to set. How long had he been out? "Teyla?" he managed to ask as a pounding began in his head.
"She's fine, Doc. Got a sore ankle and a bump on the head but she'll be okay. You on the other hand. . . ." John let the ending of his statement linger in the air as he stared down at Carson's left leg. He grimaced when he saw that not only was the knee dislocated but the tibia and fibula were broken giving the lower half of his lower leg a slightly unnatural angle.
Carson looked down at his leg and felt all the blood drain out of his face. Oh that's not good, he thought as he looked down at the limb, and what's even worse is I can barely feel it. He grimaced as agony spiked near his knee and every muscle in his body went taut in response to the pain.
"Rodney, we need a ride," John said after he tapped his radio to activate it.
"No Colonel. I told you unless-"
"-Rodney, Beckett and Teyla are injured, and Beckett needs to get back to Atlantis sooner rather than later," John cut in having no patience for friendly banter. He knew the reason Beckett's face had gone as white as the snow beneath him – he couldn't feel his leg. It wasn't a good thing since it usually suggested nerve damage, lack of blood flow, or, hypothermia due to laying in the snow. John didn't know how long both of them had lain there before he and Ronon had started growing concerned so he wasn't quite willing to rule out hypothermia yet. Although, Teyla didn't seem to be suffering from the cold yet and Beckett was lucid and barely shivering, suggesting it wasn't. That left nerve damage or lack of blood flow. He knew what he needed to do – and he really didn't like the fact that he had to – but he wanted to make sure Rodney was on his way first.
"Injured, what? How bad?" Rodney's concerned and almost frantic voice asked.
"Rodney!" John snapped.
"Yes, fine, I'm coming. There's no need to get snappy."
"I think there is," Carson added in a strained voice.
"Well of course you do, you're injured."
"Not now Rodney. Just get down here." John closed the connection not really wanting to hear Rodney complain at him any longer and focused on his friend's leg. He hesitated in touching it which was more than enough for Carson to know what he was going to do.
"Do you want me to do it?" Ronon's low voice asked from behind, startling both men. He too saw John hesitate and while he didn't want to be the one to cause Beckett pain either, he would do it in a heartbeat if it meant helping him.
Realizing that he would never be able to do this John almost said yes but his pride wouldn't let him. "No thanks, Chewie, I got it."
John gave Carson a pleading look of apology to which the doctor reluctantly nodded back in forgiveness then he released the foot from the ski. He grimaced when he felt the bones in Carson's leg shift but he was thankful that they would be relatively easy to set. His hands traveled up to the malformed knee hoping to determine where the dislocation was. He licked his lips when he found it then reluctantly turned to Ronon.
"Chewie, I think you need to do this. I can set a bone but a dislocation is tricky and I don't have the strength for it."
They all knew he was lying – John is very strong despite his lean frame – but they allowed him to get away with the false tale understanding he didn't think he could do it for completely different reasons. Ronon replaced him at Carson's feet and repeated the painful assessment that John just did. Without giving Carson time to prepare himself, the Satedan snapped his knee back into place drawing a drawn out cry from the doctor then proceeded to set the break before the Scot had time to breathe from the first excruciating process.
The wonderful whir of the Jumper coming flew past them and they jumped when they heard Rodney's voice squeak in their ears. "You have got to be kidding me Sheppard! I can't land this thing on the side of a mountain!"
Damn! They had forgotten that they were still on the side of the mountain and needed to get down it before Rodney could pick them up. Ronon immediately began hunting for material to make a travois and a limping Teyla followed to help. John hung his head but snapped into his earpiece, "Yeah, yeah Rodney we know. Meet us down at the bottom of the mountain. We'll be there in twenty minutes."
While Ronon and Teyla made the stretcher, John went in search for something to splint Carson's leg with. He could tell from the permanently pained expression the doctor's face that he could feel the extent of his injuries now and he didn't want to make it worse by having a bump knock the set leg back into its broken position. Thankfully since they were essentially out on a mission they did have their vests on providing three field dressings to wrap the splint together.
The three friends worked diligently to finish in good time while Carson worked hard on not passing out from pain and soon everything was done. Carson was seated facing the slope with his leg elevated close to the beginning of the travois while his backside would simply glide on the snow. It wasn't the best way to get their injured friend down the mountain but it was either that or allow his leg to drag and that wasn't an option. Being the most capable of them all, Ronon was volunteered to carry the stretcher down the mountain while the other two followed in close ranks beside them.
They took their time, careful not to hit a rock or bump on the way down. When the sight of the jumper came into view the four friends breathed a collective sigh of relief – they had made it. Rodney lowered the rear hatch and stood with his arms over his chest just behind the pilot's seat as he waited for them to get in.
"So," he said managing to sound cheery and sarcastic at the same time. "Did you have a good time?"
All four of them glared at the scientist, giving him enough reason to jump aside and allow John to fly them back to Atlantis. In truth, they all had a good time and would probably come back again. Carson let out a hiss as his leg was jostled and John amended his statement slightly. Yeah, they'd come back – after Carson's leg was healed. And he doubted even he would be able to catch the Scot as he glided down the snow.
~fin~
