Back Ground Noise and Cannon Fodder
Disclaimer: All in fun, MGM/Sony own the world and Atlantis!
My degree is in Art and Computer Graphics not Medicine ,so please forgive any medical mistakes.
Rating: Rodney Angst and Sheppard Whump, then Rodney Whump and hopefully improved relations? One can only hope! Not slash.
The Watch Stander © 2006
PS: To all who have read my stories and left Comments. Thank you so much:)
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Chapter One- Left behind
Rodney's POW:
People ask me what it's like to be on Sheppard's team and I really have to stop and think about what to say. Diplomacy is not my strong suit, and I really have to work hard not to say exactly what I think, for fear that it might hurt someone's feelings. My feelings, such as they are , I keep well buried; someplace where no one will find them. I'm also not a people person, but since coming to Atlantis I'm trying to learn to get along.
I must say though, it's very interesting as well as exciting and nerve racking to be on Colonel Fearless' Team. I never go through the gate expecting a dull day, not with him in charge. One of our team always comes back in worse shape than when they left and it's usually him or me.
I use to consider the team my surrogate family, actually I still do, but they have relegated me into the category of background noise. They ignore all my warnings; any complaints I have get the response of 'shut up ,Mckay' and so on. As I said, no one listens to me, usually with dire consequences.
Just look at what just happened on the Wraith Planet; three of our team were shot! Two of that number were shot by our fearless leader, me included. Afterwards, I voiced my complaint about his shooting me and all I got was 'Get some rest, Rodney!'
The nerve of the man, he shot me and that's all he could say! However, I should have expected it to happen sooner or later. After Doranda he started telling everyone ,including Cameron Mitchell ,to just shoot me! I guess he finally decided to take his own advice and just do it himself.
Anyhow, if he'd listened to me sooner or helped me with the Wraith device it wouldn't have happened, but who listens to me... I'm just the genius they call on to save their asses when he screws up big time.
Oh well, I just have to stay three steps ahead of Fearless if I want to survive the mission and come back in more or less one piece. He likes being the hero, so I let him. I still watch his back and everyone else's as well, but I'm a scientist, not bloody Wyatt Earp ! My aim is terrible, and let's face it, guns scare me. It's a miracle I haven't shot myself.
So here we are once more running from the local people of this planet, that Fearless has some how managed to piss off by saying or doing the wrong thing. The elderly leader hit Sheppard with his staff for God Sakes! Luckily it was Fearless' head and not his legs or I wouldn't be helping him run back to the jumper. His head wound is still bleeding profusely and I feel sorry for him, but I need to get him into the jumper; before another one of us gets taken out by the crude guns the locals are using. I've felt several shots whiz by my ear in the past few minutes as it is, and I think their aim is getting better.
This is just another one of those crappy days that I wish I never had. Sheppard is running at a stumbling pace and manages to take me down with him when he finally trips. The bullets are still flying and behind us Teyla and Ronon try to protect our backs while we're down.
I gather up Colonel Fearless and once more we set out at a brisk hobble. My back is now killing me; it must be the extra weight of Fearless, who I'm all but carrying. Carson better have some painkillers ready when we get back.
The only good thing is, that Fearless so far, is the only one hurt; not that I wished him harm. After all, we use to be kinda friends, but that was before Doranda, it's not that way now. I've since become background noise to him as well.
The shots are becoming more frequent and closer as we near where the cloaked jumper is parked; I quickly use the remote and it magically appears.
We make a mad dash up the ramp and both of us fall into a heap; bullets whizzing all around us and pinging off the metal parts of the ship. I manage to protect Fearless by covering him with my body, but once I hear the answering P-90 fire from our team, I try to get up . My back protests loudly by sending searing hot pains through my body as I do so. Complaining won't get me anywhere, cause Fearless is out of it now. With my back still protesting, I grab his hands and drag him further inside to safety; then I head for the pilot seat. I'll leave the triage to others, I have other priorities, like flying this thing.
Moments later my team mates, Conan and Zena arrive and I shut the rear door when they shout 'Shut the God damn door , Mckay!' at me.
Such language, I think they're learning bad words from hanging around Fearless. He really has a foul mouth!
So now it's once more up to the genius scientist to save the day by flying the jumper home and getting fearless leader to Carson. Everyone will be upset and hover around our leader for days, worrying about how he is. Ever since Kolya fed him to the Wraith, they baby him.
Me, they laugh at every time something happens. Kolya and the Asurans torture me and no one cares. I get shot by a Wraith stunner in the face and everyone thinks it's funny, along with getting an arrow in my ass!
Yeah, that was really funny! I'd like to see how Fearless felt if that had happened to him. All I got from him was pain-in-the-ass jokes.
Like I said, he doesn't care, the man shot me after that, so I know where I stand with him. I really must say though, I had hoped we'd be friends again after Doranda, until an incident with a lemon made me think otherwise. He actually told Mitchell to shoot me and handed him a real lemon to use on me as well! Fearless knows I'm deathly allergic to lemon. It was so unfair and not funny, and it hurt, cause it showed me what I was to him and the team.
Cannon fodder, that's me.
Even when Fearless and Radek saved me from the sunken jumper, it was probably only done because one of his men, Griffith was with me. If it had only been me in there, the rescue never would have happened.
Anyhow, I can hear Teyla in the back of the jumper talking to Fearless, and Ronon keeps shouting for me to fly faster.
Doesn't the man know we can only go so fast? Maybe I should tell him to get out and push!
My back is really starting to hurt, sending sharp pains through my insides and making me dizzy. I say something out loud to the others about my back hurting and the angry retort I get from Ronon is 'Quit whining, McKay and get us home. Sheppard needs the Doc.'
Sheppard gets all the attention for a crack on the head and all I get is insults.
Like I said ,cannon fodder.
I've called Atlantis for Carson to meet us and he's there waiting with his Medical team as I set the jumper down in the bay. I'm exhausted and my back hurts so much ,I just want to put my head down.
There's activity behind me as Teyla and Ronon take our Fearless leader out the rear door and turn him over to Carson. I can hear Fearless's voice talking to Carson ,so I don't bother turning around and over time the noise seems to lessen in degrees. Before I know it, there's silence behind me; they've all left taking Fearless to the infirmary.
No one even asked about me. Fearless it seems needs all their attention.
Yup, Cannon Fodder McKay, that should be my new name.
I try to get up, wanting to follow them as well, knowing I need help, but my legs are no longer working, something is very wrong with me.
Like I said, 'I have a bad back'; it's now killing me and I'm seeing stars. There's so much pain, I think I'm going to pass out.
My mind is so befuddled ,I can't remember how to use the Jumper's communications device and somehow I've lost my headset as well.
So, I try calling out loud for help.
No one answers, there's no one out there.
That done, I finally rest my head on the control consol for awhile, until I can try to get up again.
It's so quiet and peaceful...I slowly drift off into the blackness, as it welcomes me with open arms...offering me comfort and respite from the pain .
TBC
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An: Cannon Fodder McKay :(
I think that's an apt description of our Man Mckay this season. Sheppard has no heart! Nor anyone else for that matter. They just don't care.
Poor Rodney:o
