It all happened so fast. One minute he was swaying dizzily on the 'bridge', the next there was a cry of 'McKay!' just before something hard hit his head and it all went black.
When the lungs are inflated, the human body, especially one with a higher proportion of body fat, is naturally buoyant. Even weighed down with clothing; a person will usually float briefly before sinking.
Unfortunately Rodney McKay had no control over the mechanism that made him inhale sharply as he fell into the ocean. Water was pulled straight into his lungs as his head rang with pain and the world swung about him. Despite his constant complaints off world, he was no longer the overweight couch potato he had been, buoyant fat had been transformed into heavy muscle, and he sank into the depths.
Coughing in a vain attempt to clear his lungs, he tried to orientate himself, to swim back to the surface. But his mind was hazy, and what he thought should be up was just a dark shadow above him. It was so cold and black, his muscles wouldn't obey him; his lungs heaved with effort, but would soon give up. He'd drown, like the other McKay. He hadn't been paranoid all these years, the universe really was out to get him.
Something bright shot past his flailing arm, then another, and another. He was in the middle of a cloud of stars, blurry lights in the dark. They were kind of - ow! What the hell, something just stung him!
The lights, they weren't beautiful, they were some kind of bioluminescent alien piranha! The pain woke his fading brain, he kicked out wildly! Goddamn glowfish wouldn't eat him! But it wasn't enough, his muscles convulsed as they begged for oxygen. The tiny pinpricks of pain weren't enough to keep him there after all. Doctor Rodney McKay, pioneer scientist on Atlantean technology: Expert, Genius, fish food. He never would make that mission.
So dark, so cold…damn…universe.
Then something wrapped around his waist and he was being pulled away from the glowing dark, up, up into a brighter light.
Maybe dying wasn't so bad after all.
Darkness, quiet, then a blurry blackness and someone shouting at him through the silence,
"Rodney! Wake up McKay! I didn't ruin my best shirt so you could goddamn die on me! Wake up!" The last word was emphasised with sudden pressure on his rib cage, Rodney coughed desperately and heaved.
"Yes!" the voice shouted triumphantly, someone rolled him onto his side and he threw up, water and more water till eventually, mercifully, he could breathe again and he lay there gasping.
"Easy, easy," the voice cautioned, he was on his back again. "Suddrick, get me a-thanks." Something light was draped over him, "Rodney? You with us?" he forced open reluctant eyes, squinting in the harsh light. Sheppard was leaning over him with an expression he could only describe as relief.
"Welcome back." The Colonel grinned, yep, definitely relief.
"Wha-" he coughed, tried again, "What happened."
"How about we get enroute and then cover my last near heart attack?" Rodney blinked again, light drilling into his paper-thin skull, only then realising he was staring up at the sky.
"What?" Sheppard frowned,
"Okay…let's get you inside." With the colonel's help, he was half pulled, half lifted to his feet, the only thing preventing him from collapsing to the floor (which he now realised was the door of the puddle jumper) was Sheppard's arm under his shoulders. Shaking, he let himself be dragged inside, away from the suddenly frightening ocean. "Come on, easy, there we go." The Colonel's voice was oddly soothing as his friend helped him sit down on the narrow bench at the back; before retrieving the thermo-blanket Rodney had dropped and wrapping it round his shoulders. "I'll be back, just have to speak to Suddrick. Keep an eye on him, okay Doctor Z?" Rodney forced his tired eyes open again to see Zelenka sitting against the wall holding a cloth to his forehead. The other scientist nodded tiredly as Sheppard went into the front of the 'Jumper, Rodney noticed the Colonel was drenched.
"Radek?"
"Rodney, are you okay? You-you- I thought you were dead."
"Dead? But I-what happened?"
"Suddrick did not hold ship steady. It moved, you fell and hit your head. Colonel Sheppard went in but could not find you…he had to surface twice." a pause, "You were down there a long time. We thought you had drowned."
"I did, I mean, I thought I had too, "he coughed, "There were lights, some kind of glowing fish." He shivered, " I think they were trying to eat me."
"Major Sheppard saw them, that is how he found you. You should thank the fish Rodney, they save your life."
"Yes, thank the nice fish for glowing whilst they try to eat me. Honestly Radek." He pulled the blanket tighter around himself. "How's your head?"
"Terrible. Yours?"
"Terrible." There was silence for a moment, punctuated only by the angry conversation at the front of the jumper. "What's going on over there?"
"Colonel Sheppard is very angry with Major Suddrick."
"What? Why?"
"He was unable to keep the 'jumper still, so you fell. Colonel Sheppard was very.…concerned."
"Concerned? What, he doesn't think I can hold my breath now? I'd have been out of there in a minute if I hadn't-"
"Rodney, you weren't breathing when he brought you up." Rodney froze, staring at his friend,
"What?"
"You were unconscious, Colonel Sheppard said you were not breathing. You had inhaled water, he tried to get it out your lungs, was about to start CPR when you coughed." the Czech explained softly, even kindly. Rodney couldn't move, "He was worried, we all were."
His head hurt, he was really tired, and he couldn't get his mind around this idea at the moment. He stared blankly at wall, before looking back at his friend.
"I eh, Thanks."
"Thank Colonel Sheppard, he saved you."
"I will. Radek?"
"Yes Rodney?"
"I'm, I'm kind of tired." His friend nodded, looking exhausted himself.
"Then sleep McKay. I will wake up before we get to Atlantis." Rodney nodded, leaning against the wall.
"Oh, and Zelenka?"
"Yes?"
"Next time we need to test something, let's send Kavanaugh, okay?" Radek smiled, too tired to laugh,
"It's deal McKay."
Haha! Will Rodney make it back to Atlantis in one piece? Can he avoid Carson when he gets there? At this point it might more beneficial to his health if he does, his lungs must be in a terrible state. More H/C moments coming up. Do you guys like the Sheppard/McKay stuff or the Radek/Rodney stuff more? And which other characters (besides Carson, I have plans for him) do you want to see?
Thanks for all the fantastic reviews :) I'm churning out these chapters as fast as possible I promise! Only one more exam to go and then it's only all the other stuff in my life to interfere with fic writing I know, some of you want me chained to this laptop, it won't happen! If you want more Rodneywhumping stand on your head, sing 'I'm a little teapot' and spin around six times, or leave a review :)
