Title: Kaleidoscope

Author: KellethMetheus

Series: Second Childhood 2/11
Category: Kidfic, Gen
Summary: Rodney arrives home to Atlantis.

Beta: Thanks to Cheryl for a speedy job. I made some changes so all errors are mine.

Challenge: 12Day Of Christmas Day 1: Letter K, ghost, fly, sick, miserable and trapped.

~0o0o0~

When John and the others stepped out of the wormhole into the control room, a heavy silence descended all around them. No one spoke, but everyone stared at the sleeping child wearing an overly large t-shirt cradled in John's arms.

Flanked on either side by his teammates, John refused to flinch under everyone's scrutiny. There was nothing the others in the room could be thinking that the team hadn't already wondered if they could have done differently.

John shifted his grip on the boy, the longer he stood there the heavier Rodney was getting, but he wasn't moving yet. He was wondering if he should have let them know they were coming in a little light. Things like this you just can't keep quiet and so there was a crowd. Just what he was waiting for he didn't know.

"Colonel Sheppard, I need an explanation." She stopped taking a deep breath, looking over the strange tableau as she descended the stairs. "Is this child really Dr. McKay?"

Suddenly Rodney lifted his head calling out, "John!" just seconds before his whole body jerked and he was sick all over the John.

All though John tried to avoid the flying stream of vomit, there was no where to go. As he jumped back John almost dropping Rodney in the process.

Rodney began to cry, rubbing his eyes. "John, I don't feel good; my stomach hurts."

There was no doubt in anyone's mind who he was.

Rubbing Rodney's back, John tried to sooth him. "I know, buddy. We're taking you to see Beckett." Then he turned to face Elizabeth. "Meet Rodney McKay, the eight year old."

Elizabeth looked from Rodney to John, she opened her mouth and closed it a few times, apparently unsure what to say.

With his clean hand, John reached out squeezing her shoulder. "I know. I'm going to take him to see Carson and then we'll go from there."

Her voice was shaky. "Yes, right, take him to Carson. Teyla and Ronan can you remain and bring me up to speed on what happened?" Both nodded and followed her into her office,e while John disappeared with everyone's gaze on him.


Rodney sat quietly in the middle of the bed with his knees pulled up to his chin, feeling lost and alone. Closing his eyes he wished... he didn't know what he wanted, but something was wrong. This wasn't his life or who he should be.

Carson, the doctor, was looking over some charts on the far side of the room, frowning each time he turned the page. By the stunned expression on Carson's face and the furrow in his brow Rodney could tell the man was amazed and horrified at the same time by his condition, and Rodney couldn't blame him. After all, Rodney was the one living it, his life was spinning out of control, and he had no idea how to make it stop.

"So, tell me what happened again?" Carson demanded shuffling through the stack of paper in his hand once more, his tone a hushed whisper, but Rodney heard every word.

John, still covered in vomit, paced not far from Carson. He stopped and looked over at Rodney and then back at the doctor. "Carson, telling you a third time won't do anything. We need to figure out how to get him back to Rodney size again."

Carson threw up his hands. "Colonel, I have no idea where to start. There is nothing like this in the database, yet you tell me it was an Altaran device that did this." Carson rubbed his forehead. "I'm sorry but I'm at a total loss here."

Rodney could hear the frustration in both men's voices.

Carson smiled slightly. "On the upside, he is health as a horse. I've scanned him and there is nothing wrong with him, other than the fact he's twenty-five or so years younger."

Frowning Rodney looked at his hand and touched his face. He wasn't supposed to be like this? Twenty-five years; he used to be a grown up? What happened to him; why was he like this?

His hands started shaking and Rodney wished he could control his fear, but it spun out of control pulling him into the maelstrom of his emotions. There was only one anchor and he knew all he had to do was call out. "John?"

Turning around, John took one look at Rodney's white face and all but ran to the boy's bedside. "Rodney, what do you need, buddy?"

Drawing in a deep breath, he rubbed his nose. "Why can't I remember anything thing? How did I get here and where are my parents?" He played with the hem of his overly large scrubs. "And you? Why can I only remember you?" He closed his eyes fighting for control. "I know I can trust you and you won't let me down, but who are you?"

John wrapped his arm around Rodney and held him close. "I'm the one who's going to help you through this. No matter how long it takes, I'm going to be here for you."

Rodney leaned into him and, for just a moment, the chaotic world he'd been tossed into settled and he was safe. "I know you will, John. You always have been before."


As always there are more two chapters up on my site you can find it by Googling my pen name. I love to hear from my readers and drop me a line.

Also I have published two original pieces of work on Kindle you can find a link to them on my website as well.