AN: Alright, so I like tags... I am writing an original piece though that is coming along. But for now, I wanted to add to the already fabulous episode, Doppelganger. I really liked it, but would have loved for more... visible Shep whump. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with what I got, but that's the beauty of fanfiction: You can make everything perfect (perfect for yourself anyway.) And who knows, maybe some of you will like my idea of what could have happened after the episode end.
Actually, this takes place after they wake up and before the scene on the balcony.
And, I have seen someone else take a similar take on the episode as I did, but I'm not copying off them as I've been writing this before they posted theirs, and its a little different anyways. They are all good in my opinion.
Well, enjoy.
Reality.
A pretty straightforward concept; it is what it is. A lot like time. It's honestly one of those things that should be constant, and on Earth, it is. Sure, you have daydreams, drugs, and sometimes even medical mishaps that will toy with the idea of reality, but when it comes down to it, reality is always waiting and always the same.
But nothing compares to the "reality" in the Pegasus Galaxy.
Not when there's Replicators, time-dilation fields, and the newest addition to the family, evil crystal beings that invade dreams and make them seem impeccably real. And, there would certainly be more, given their luck.
So, he had every reason in the world to believe that the voices and beeping sounds he was hearing as the fuzz in his head cleared were also possibly fake. He had already made that mistake once, after all, and believed McKay was dead. Hell, maybe he really was dead. There was really no way to know at the moment.
It had been very obvious when he was in McKay's dream with the rain, the whale, and the damn clown, but when he had woke up to McKay being shocked and pronounced dead, he had been much less certain. Of course, then he saw his evil-self and fought a losing fight with it. All leading to McKay walking in and saving the day.
But was it real?
He and McKay had briefly discussed it in the latest "dream," but still, who could really know at this point in time? However, if all was as it seemed, then he should be waking up, to reality, and should see McKay, along with a large group of medical staff and his team looking down at him.
As this thought crossed John's mind, panic filled his exhausted body as he realized that he was not sure McKay was alright. It didn't take long for this to motivate him to open his eyes and search the room.
And, believe it or not, things were going as they seemed.
As his eyes opened and searched the room, it was all as he knew it was supposed to be. Immediately, he looked over at McKay, and saw him tiredly staring back. Relief replaced his fear as he shared an awkward look with McKay, then looked at the people standing in the observation room.
No, he could not be one hundred percent certain this was real, but he was sure he could handle this version of reality where all his friends were alive and well and happy to see him.
He allowed his head to fall back against the pillow, or rather, it kind of forced itself. With all the commotion and need to see McKay alive, he hadn't really took in how he was feeling. And, maybe that was for the best.
It honestly seemed like pain was filling him from his head down, in a precise order. It started with a dull headache that was more than tolerable, though very annoying. But, it only moved down from there; everything from his cheekbones to his knuckles were throbbing, and it didn't stop there.
As the pain continued to wrack his body, memories of his fight with the entity flooded back to him, and he began to realize that every punch it had thrown, every kick to the chest, and every time he was thrown across the room could be felt now. And when he thought back on it, he couldn't remember feeling pain then, but he sure as hell could feel it now.
As he fell into his own world of pain and memory, "reality" once again fell out of focus, along with the worried glances and increasingly frantic questions from Keller and the others. But, he couldn't hear them. There was a buzzing in his ears, and things only got hazier.
He was beginning to feel trapped in his own body. Even breathing was getting hard. Suddenly, he felt small hands grasp his swore shoulders and demand something of him. He didn't hear the demand, but he was forced back to reality and saw the young face of Dr. Keller staring at him.
"Colonel, I need you to tell me what you're feeling…" she articulated, her eyes and voice sturdy and objective, almost as if she were talking to a frightened child. This confused him, but he blinked a few times more and let the words wash over him.
This is reality, something inside of him said. The pain is real, and something is wrong. Tell her, it continued. He then took inventory of all his problems, and came to the final conclusion that the pain brought about by breathing was the most serious.
"Hurts…" he gasped, surprised by how weak and contorted his voice was. "To breathe," he forced out, the pain only intensifying as he tried to speak. He watched as the room swam in and out of focus and the woman before him doubled. He noticed the two Dr. Kellers say something, but he couldn't quite make it out. The pain was so intense.
He finally decided that the blackness gathering in the corners of his vision were much more pleasant and allowed himself to slip off into them. Right before everything went black, he saw the frantic face of Rodney McKay hover before him, and then he was out.
Rodney woke up feeling exhausted, but still happy that he was waking up at all. His immediate action had, of course, been to make sure that Sheppard was also waking up. It was so hard to tell what was real and what wasn't lately.
And, much to his relief, he saw Sheppard's eyes slowly open and watched him raise his head and look in his direction. It had been a quick, but meaningful glance between the two. Once again, they had had to save each other, and once again, they had succeeded. It was a mutual thing, McKay decided, because neither of them were sentimental in the least, so "the look" would have to do.
Rodney allowed himself to relax, happy that everything was beginning to calm down. But, as usual, he had jumped to conclusions.
One of the many annoying beeping sounds were picking up in pace, and at first, he thought nothing of it. But when he heard one of the medics mumble something about the Colonel, Rodney's eyes shot back open and darted over to Sheppard.
The man's entire look had changed in the mere seconds that Rodney had looked away. Sheppard had gone a pasty white, more sweat appeared over his brow, and Rodney watched as his breaths became shorter and quicker.
He looked over at Keller who was studying one of the machines. She then said something to one of the medics who began pumping something into Sheppard's IV.
"What's going on," Rodney asked frantically, though not entirely sure anyone heard. He the looked upwards to where Carter, Teyla, and Ronan still stood, and saw that they too were thoroughly engulfed in the sudden change in Sheppard's condition.
"Doctor," Colonel Carter's voice echoed through the room. "What's happening? What's wrong with him?"
Keller didn't stop performing small tests on Sheppard, but did answer the question. "I… I don't know. He was fine, but now's he's showing signs of labored breathing and…" She stopped talking and seemed to think physical touch would get through to her patient the best and grabbed Sheppard's shoulders.
Until this point, Sheppard had been completely out-of-it. His eyes were shut, but the movement in his face said that he was still awake, though apparently in a great deal of pain. Great, Rodney thought, if he's showing signs of pain, then you know its bad. But, once Keller grabbed his shoulders, his eyes opened up, but seemed extremely out of focus.
"Colonel, I need you to tell me what you're feeling…" Keller said, looking him straight in the eyes. Rodney watched Sheppard think about this for a second, before rasping out "Hurts to breath." Even better. The man can't breath.
Rodney could no longer stay still as he knew things were going downhill fast with Sheppard. And after risking his life for the guy, he had every right to make sure he didn't go off and die. So, he got up and walked over to Sheppard's bedside, where he unfortunately got a better view. He looked a lot worse close up.
He seemed to have gotten even paler, and now his breath was actually hitching in his lungs. Rodney leaned over him and watched his eyes slowly close, knowing he was about to be out.
"What… what is happening," Teyla's voice now came through the room, sounding very worried.
"I don't know," Keller repeated, staring down at her patient. "But it seems to be getting worse and…. Oh my God…"
Rodney didn't need to ask what was wrong because he could see it for himself. Blood was now making it's way down Sheppard's brow, and as they watched it, more began spilling from his nose and lip.
"That's it," Keller yelled. "Get him to the infirmary now. Get a CAT scan and x-ray his chest immediately. And I have a feeling we'll be needing surgery."
And just like that, Rodney was pushed aside and the room erupted with voices and machine sounds. Rodney was also aware of more people talking over the intercom, but he was no longer paying attention to what was being said. Instead, he found himself transfixed and horrified at the site of more bruises and more blood forming on the Colonel's body.
Reality could be a bitch.
tbc...
hope you all liked it so far.
